For some unknown reason, BoyChild (and his fellow soldiers) had to wear his Class A's to class one day last week.  He used a buddy's webcam to snap a couple of pics. 

Remember when  I told you about the Pizza Hut  that wouldnt serve the soldiers?  And how they were gonna regret it?  Yep.

  Here's the regret

At BCT BoyChild could not have his cell phone or any electonic device (computer, mp3 player).  Now that he is at AIT, he can have those devices. 

He wants me to look around for a laptop he can afford.  He can barely afford pen and paper.  So, being the sneaky good, kind, generous Mom that I am - I am going to send him my laptop.  It's old, and slow, but it gets email just fine and will do the job for what he needs. 

Besides, I've been thinkin' about tryin' a MacBook Pro anyway. 

:-)

If I may bore you with just one more pic ........

Also - update on the air (or lack thereof) in the Jeep.  The warehouse only had one compressor (the defective one we got last week) so they are having to get another from the factory.  It will be here in THREE OR FOUR MORE DAYS!  My daddy has graciously offered to let me use his truck for my trek to Nashville Friday night. :-)

Friday morning BoyChild left Fort Knox, KY on a bus for Fort Gordon, GA.  Along the way they stopped for lunch.  The Army gives each soldier a meal voucher which they turn in to the cashier and the restaurant turns in to the Army for payment.

So the bus stopped at Pizza Hut in Greensboro GA.  They all went in and when they started to order and showed their meal vouchers the cashier had to go get the manager (understandable).  But the manager wouldnt take the meal vouchers!

So the soldiers (about 50 of them) walked (easier than moving the bus) a block and a half down to Zaxby's.  When they arrived and started ordering their food a lady (my son said about 75-80 years old) came up to them and asked where they had walked from (I guess 50 soldiers marching up to Zaxby's did create quite a sight).  One of the soldiers told her what happened and she was quite interested in that fact and started questioning the other soldiers and their commanders - and taking notes. 

Well, it just so happens that this lady was the editor of the local newspaper.

I dont think this is exactly the kind of free advertising Pizza Hut might be hoping for!

Me and BabyGurl in my Dad and Mom's front yard - about to leave.

Yes, I'm on the phone and driving.  I'm talking to BabyBrother who is right behind me .... telling him I suddenly have no A/C.

(Ignore the dates on the pics.   Amber's camera is whacko!)

We are barely 25 miles from home.  I'm hoping it's something he can fix without parts or tools (he's pretty good). There was some smoke ... the compressor clutch locked up.

 Unfortunately that is unfixable without a $300 part that must be ordered.  So .... we are back on the road ... with the windows down .... singing "sun, sun, go away" ........

Then .... four hours later ... we arrive at out dinner destination, to meet up with friends. My friend Drey next to me, and her friend Shirley on the right.

BabyGurl and Amber.

BabyBrother and his wife, Amanda.

Then, two blocks up the street to the venue.  Waiting on the back deck (we have connections and we get in a few minutes before the general public)

We didnt get any real great pics in the venue (it's really dark and they just dont do well).  But we enjoyed a great show that raised a lot of money for a fellow songwriter who has cancer and no insurance.  It was organized by a songwriter friend of ours, and there were numerous songwriters performing, and special guests such as Pam Tillis, Lady Antebellum, T Graham Brown, and Jessie Colter.  It was an amazing show.  Amber cornered every artist there and got her pic made with them!

Then ...... it was on to the hotel ... we got there about 3am ... and needed to leave about 630am going out to the base for graduation.  We 'rested' for a few minutes, took a shower, changed and headed out to the base. 

Waiting to get in to graduation.

The pics of graduation didnt turn out too well.  Indoors, poor lighting, far away, BoyChild was in the very back (they were alphabetical). 

After graduation we got several good pics though. 

With Amber .....

With BabyGurl ..

With me!

We went to lunch at Ruby Tuesdays.  Then we just hung out in the hotel room for a few hours and visited.  Then it was back to the base for him and back to the room for us.  We got a good nights sleep and headed home Friday morning.

BoyChild left Friday morning on a bus for Fort Gordon GA.  He will be there for sixteen weeks.  At least he will have access to his cell phone there (he did not in basic) so he wont feel quite as lonely.  And we think he will get a long weekend for the 4th of July and will get to come home.  We'll know more about that next week.

And that .......... was our trip!

Well, there was this little milestone too .....

Update: Picked up the new compressor late Saturday evening.  BabyBrother put it on Sunday morning.  It's defective!  We have to order another one, so now it will be Wednesday before I get it fixed!!

Yesterday I told you  that BoyChild was going to get to go to Louisville for a ballgame - and all that he planned to eat/drink.

Today I got a letter that said:

"Me and my buds acted a fool at the ballgame.  It was fun.  We didnt get in trouble or nothing.  I drank 3 - 32 oz Dr Peppers, 2 Monsters, 2 Mtn Dews, and ate 2 hotdogs, funnel cake, cookies, 2 pieces of pizza, chocolate ice cream cone, cotton candy, and a big pretzel.  When we got back Drill Sgt knew we went crazy so he smoked us!  I puked! It was worth it!"

I dont know about y'all but I'd have puked without Drill Sgt's help!

From the 31st to the 4th they will be "camping out" in the woods and going through simulations of all they have learned so far.  Cant wait to hear how that goes.

Today's verse is kinda long so I'll let you all look it up for yourselves:

Proverbs 24:30-34

The Lord directs the steps of the godly.  He delights in every detail of their life.  Though they stumble they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. (Psalm 37:23-24)

That's the "verse of the day" in BoyChild's most recent letter.

He writes (on the 22nd): "Monday is soldier appreciation day.  We're going to a Louisville minor league baseball game!  I get to see real people! In public! I told my buddy I am gonna eat cotton candy and sweet-tarts and drink monster energy drinks til I pass out! LOL"

He also says he is almost back up to 100% and has been cleared by the doctor for full duty again.  He was to have a PT test the following morning and was hoping to beat his previous time on the 2 mile run. 

They made pictures early on of them in their ACU's (Army Combat Uniform), but somehow his got lost and they had to remake them last week.  Of course I will share them with you as soon as I get them!

He also says: "Got my Class A uniform.  Man I look sexy in it! LOL."

I wrote back and told him that was more than I needed to know, and I hope he wont mind if I just tell him he looks handsome and 'grown-up'. 

It's winding down now.  Only two more weeks til graduation (June 11th).  Me and BabyGurl and "A" (his g/f) will be going up there.  I already had a trip to Nashville planned for that Wed night (the 10th) so we are stopping there along the way then continuing on to Fort Knox KY.  We're gonna get to the hotel just in time to shower change and head to the base (graduation is EARLY!)  I told him we might nod off a little during grad since we will have no sleep.  We get to "check him out" for a few hours after graduation and I told him he can spend that time sitting in the hotel room watching me sleep!  We'll take him back to the base at about 630pm and then go back to the hotel, get a good nights sleep and head home Friday morning.  Though, we are considering stopping off in Nashville again for a few hours.  It's Fan Fair week!

Got another letter today -- written on the 17th (Sunday) night

"My chest is still sore but I'm 200% better.  I'm supposed to go back to the clinic tomorrow for a checkup bup I don't think I'm gonna go cause I'm better everyday and I dont want to miss anything.  Yesterday we shot the M249, M240B and the .50 caliber machine guns! It was awesome! We shot them all day and then used infrared night vision and thermal vision and shot til bout 1am!  It was cool!"

(Then he drew me a picture of the bullet to show me how big it was and said "the gun is bigger than me! I love it!")

He also says he didn't go to church the past couple of weeks (of course he was in hospital one of them) because he cant stay awake and he feels bad about sleeping through it, then he says "but you can still be proud" because he has been reading his Bible whenever he has a minute, and he has a pocket Bible he carries with him to the field.  He's read all the way through Proverbs and how he's reading Psalms. 

He highlights a verse every day and writes it in his "little book".  Today's verse is Phillipians 4:6.  "Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done".

He says "I tried just reading the Bible before and it just didnt make sense.  But now I understand it pretty good  Dont know, just weird.  The Bible I got now is not like a "teen" Bible but it's not all "mumbo jumbo" either."

He also says the pocket Bible has more "thy's and thee's" but it's ok. 

And he closes, as always with, "miss ya, love ya".