Lock it up or lose it

We've gotten 3 letters this week from Paul which sound like they've been written over a week's time period. This past week they have been learning how to "zero" their guns to their own sight and shoot accurately... on the shooting range Paul said he got 29/30, 28/30, and 36/40 right. If he gets a perfect 40/40 then he'll get an overnight pass for Graduation night! We're hoping and praying for that! I had to laugh at one incident that he wrote about. He said that this past weekend their drill sergeant woke them up at 2:40 a.m. and tossed any locker that was unlocked! Fortunately he didn't lose any of his stuff! But, it made me think that I should have employed similar tactics when I tried to get him to clean his room!!
They have finished the first 3-week phase of Basic (learning the 7 Army values & working out), and are well into their second phase (shooting and tactical movements) of training. In fact, this is week 5 of 9 1/2 weeks of Basic, so we're at the half-way mark! Week 6-9 they will work on their own and have to do a 7-day camp out where they run situations of real missions. Graduation will be the end of May, so we're looking forward to that milestone!
Thank you all for prayers for him and writing him...once he even said the letters help him forget about the knee pain he has! He greatly appreciates all the letters and even wrote Aaron that he got the most mail the first time they distributed it! One funny incident (at least to us) was that some of the drill sergeants make them do push-ups for mail depending on the postage on the package. The Sunday he received the package with his Bible that he'd requested, his package had the most postage out of 240 people, so he had to do 100 pushups to get the box! At least he was "suffering" for a good cause!
Thanks for checking in!

Aaron at the Beach

We had a nice treat this past weekend... Aaron was down in Florida visiting some friends and we decided to go down and get a hug and spend some time together. He is doing great, loving his job with Yahoo, but glad to get away to visit with friends and unwind. He and Masayo have enjoyed learning their way around San Francisco...whether by mass-transit, bicycle, or foot. On the side Aaron has been refurbishing eclectic bicycles...evidently they are in demand in SF and he's enjoying learning how to do all that stuff...sorry, I don't know the technical words!
The weather was cool in Florida and very windy... sand was blowing across the highway like snow!!! That x-ed out bike riding or reading on the beach....so we headed for Point Clear to see the Grand Hotel... gorgeous grounds (Harris and Aaron are posing by the lagoon)! Had a little lunch, then headed for Fairhope to wander the streets and drop into any art gallery that we could find. It was fun and relaxing, and after dinner at Tacky Jack's, and a group hug, we returned him to his friends. Harris got in a round of golf the next day...then over to where Aaron was staying to get another hug and meet all the friends, and then drove back to B'ham. Masayo is over in Japan visiting her family and friends, so we were sorry to miss her, but glad we got to see our "first born"! It was a fun get-away!

Protected

Dear Friends,

Another letter from Paul yesterday... he's counting the days until graduation in late May ....48 as of his writing! He sounded good and is doing everything to cross that "finish line" and graduate with his unit.
He said they were issued their bulletproof vests last week and now have to wear them all the time. That wouldn't be so bad if they didn't weigh about 25 pounds because of all the kevlar (sp?) and ceramic in them....but this is training, right??!! He said he is much stronger now than when he left a month ago, and I'm thankful that they issue them to all the soldiers ... just in case. Protection... just in case.
But you, friends, provide the best protection with your prayers! James 5:16 is one of my favorite verses: "The prayer of a righteous man (woman) is powerful and effective." So keep praying, not only for Paul, but for all our soldiers, and policemen, and firemen, and all those who put their lives on the line daily to protect the freedom, comfort and protection we all enjoy.
Have a blessed day, and be a blessing to someone who crosses your path today! Love, Cyndi

How do you clear your sinuses?

Well, we got another letter from Paul today.... seems he's been suffering from clogged sinuses and hurting legs. The medicine the clinic was giving him for his nose was not too effective, so he's toughing it out. However, they did have one training experience that seemed to help.... they had to go into a gas chamber, remove their gas masks, say their name, rank and serial number, and breathe in, etc....by the time they exited the gas chamber, and quit coughing!!!...........his sinuses were clear!!

He sounded good and said he REALLY appreciates all the cards and letters he's received. They really boost his spirits and I know he looks forward to what might be in the mailbox each day. Thank you for taking time to write to him.

Well, he's almost got 3 weeks under his belt... only 6 1/2 to go. Graduation is May 29th and we'll be driving over for that.... I think he'll get a few days off, but probably won't be able to stray far from base, as his training will start the next week.

We're looking forward to seeing Aaron down at Gulf Shores, AL, next week. Some friends of his (who are from Alabama but currently live in England) are home for vacation and spending some time at the beach. Since Masayo is traveling soon to Japan to see her friends and family, Aaron decided to come see his friends at the beach. Harris and I will drive down for a day or two and hopefully get to spend some time with Aaron and catch up on all he's been up to. It is so nice having him and Masayo in the States again.... just being in similar time-zones is a welcome change!

They are loving California and Aaron loves his job with Yahoo! We hope to get out and visit them this summer.

Thanks for reading this post and for your prayers and concern and encouragement for my boys and their loved ones!!

Have a blessed Easter! Love, Cyndi

No Mail Yet

Dear Friends,

Well, we got a nice long letter from Paul yesterday. Seems his Drill Sergeant has not seen fit to give any of them their mail yet, so he has not been able to read anything he's received so far... the flip side is he'll be really happy to have a nice stack of mail to read when they let him!! He caught a cold, but is weathering it. Pray for his knees as they are aching with all the exercise, running and carrying around their packs, gear, etc. He's had bad knees since "band marching days". Fortunately, once boot camp is over, his job will not require a lot of running or carrying heavy gear while marching!!

My mom and I just got back from a visit with her sister in Memphis... it was a beautiful drive and fun time with family and cousins.

Hope you have all weathered April Fool's Day without someone tricking you!!

Have a blessed day... Cyndi