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Obviously my son is HEAVY on my mind....as I know that your sons and boyfriends are heavy on yours!!! I know we all have our good days and we all have our bad days.......This has been a rough week for me as I haven't gotten a letter from my son.... With that in mind, I think he is even more on my mind than normal......So I watched "The Roommate" last night with my son Timmy, then as I was falling asleep started watching this past weeks episode of "Private Practice".....well those two things combined with my already heavy thoughts made for some very emotional dreams for me last night.......I have NOT dreamnt of Marquis this whole time that he has been gone.....But last night I did.....It was so real and I woke up not knowing where I was, "walking in my sleep" and crying.......In my dream he had come HOME, he had his beautiful curly hair atop his head and reached out to pick me up off of the ground and gave me the biggest and longest hug he had ever given me...people around me where watching this exchange and welcoming him HOME as well......Of course there is a ton more that happened in this dream......but obviously the part with my son stands out the most.....It was so real that I apparently got up and went to Marquis' room to see if he was REALLY here.....crying the whole time......My son Timmy was trying to wake me up out of my sleep for 5 minutes he said to me......From this I guess it is apparent that I am missing my son even more than I thought.....Oh I simply ask for the strength to get through the next 53 days.....to remain strong....~ I would NEVER believe it if anyone told me that this 13 Weeks is easy or wasn't so hard for us here at home as well.......FOR ME it is one of the hardest things I have had to when it comes to "letting my children go"......My thoughts and prayers are with everyone who has someone away at Boot Camp right now!!! I KNOW HOW YOU ARE FEELING!!!!!!!!! Until we meet again~ Ooorraahh Plt. 2166  

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Apryl,  I know it's difficult.  My son is the youngest of four and I miss him terribly.  He's one tough kid, but has a heart the size of California.  My boy went in strong, he will come out stronger.  He misses all of us terribly.  When I start feeling down about missing him, I think of what he is going through and what so many moms before me have gone through.  In the big picture, my sacrifice is small.  My son is doing the heavy lifting. He's the one doing the hard work. Me?  I'm sitting here waiting for letters, letters that in my last letter to him, I told him not to write as often because I wanted him to study and focus on what lied ahead. I made him promise. It killed me to write that, but I had to, for him.  Between his gf, hubby and I, we're receiving 4 letters a week. He needs to focus more.  I told him not worry about us, we would continue to write, but to get it done.

I don't discount my feelings or suppress them, but I find I can suck it up when I think of the bigger picture, which is: my son is missing us more, and he is working harder than he ever has in his life. That and something my son wrote in his first letter to me: "Mom, you don't need to worry about me, I'm in good hands down here."  All of our sons are in good hands.

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Karin, thank you for that....all in all I KNOW MY SON is strong and in great hands down there!!! I know he is pulling the HEAVY LOAD as you say!!!! I also know that he misses us but he IS FOCUSED.....He always has been....I don't worry about any of that.....ITS ME.......My feelings through all of this...the fact that I had this dream just affirms how hard it is for EVERYONE involved......and believe me I do suck it up....LOL....Marquis is my oldest son of both my boys, this is my FIRST go of watching one of my children fly the coop....so it is a learning process for me....One that has it's good days and has it's bad days.......It will get easier in time, this I know and believe!!!

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Apryl, honestly there are just some times when you need to cry and need to be upset, there's no point in bottling things up or you'll just make yourself crazy! I don't think it's selfish to have a bad day, we're all going to have them, just because we're not going through all the things our recruits are doesn't mean we don't have our own emotional burden to carry. Of course we are going to continue to be so very proud of the decisions our guys have made to join something bigger than themselves but it's still our prerogative to be sad or bawl like a baby once in a while. I'm so sorry about your sleep last night, that sounds awful having to wake up to reality, but in 53 days it will be reality! And hey, today is day 34, that's 34 days we didn't have 34 days ago. I can't believe we've gotten this far, I mean I know time passes but I couldn't imagine being at this point when we first started, and it'll be even better when we're standing by watching our guys do their moto run on the 7th!! The only thing that'll beat that is being able to give them the longest, biggest hug on the planet when they're done! :]] This is getting me all teary eyed just thinking about it lol alright, I've got to go mail Steven's letter off but hang in there Apryl, we're all here for you :]

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I'm also with you on not getting a letter all week, I just came back from the mail box empty handed :/ The next couple weeks are going to seem to go by so slowly. Oh well, no letter means he's keeping busy which is good, time will seem to go by faster for him which is something I can definitely be happy about :] Hope you all are having a good day!

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Amanda!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!~ That is EXACTLY what I meant by my post!!! EXACTLY.......As we all know we have days that no matter how focused our guys might be, how strong they are, how PROUD we are of them, IT STILL HURTS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its never easy being away from the ones that we love and I am finding that out with regards to my son right now.......I am a very positive person and I do try to stay strong and encouraging and focus on the BIGGER PICTURE.........but try telling my heart that sometimes!!!! LOL.....I am a MOM who loves her boys with all my heart, just as all of you love your boys and BF's etc.....Yes YES 34 Days down and 53 more to go!!!! We are almost halfway there!!!!!!!!   AND OH YOU ARE SO RIGHT as to how WONDERFUL, AWESOME, AMAZING, etc. etc. it will feel to hold them, talk to them and see them!!!! THAT IS WHAT KEEPS ME GOING...... I am also sorry no letter for you this week Amanda...... I KNOW how hard that is.......I did actually get one this afternoon....Which of course was EVERYTHING I NEEDED and MORE after my dream last night!!!!!! Yes time will hopefully go by faster for them as I think it already has for them as that is what Marquis says......He can't believe that they are already in Phase 2.....Which for them is GREAT......YAY!!!!! :: I hope you get a letter soon Amanda.....AND THANK YOU AGAIN..... Have a great day!!!!!!~

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Oh good! I'm so happy that you got a letter! After such a rough night you totally deserved one :]] I'm also glad we're on the same page with our thoughts lol it's so nice to be able to relate to someone emotionally, especially when we're dealing with tough emotions. I hope Marquis is still doing well and that you are too now that you've got a letter! Have a good night! :]

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Awww Apryl, big hugs to you!  I had a hard night last night myself, but it wasn't from dreams. That in itself is showing you how much you are missing him, subconciously too. Zack wrote today and said now that they are in Phase II the time will fly by, but he thought it was already going quickly. LOL I just wish it would speed up on our end too. The days seem to drag by since his smart mouth has been away. I tell ya, the 10 days he will be home will not be long enough.  

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Lynette I totally agree about the 10 days not being long enough, those, I'm sure, will seem to fly by way too fast as I wish these remaining 53 would :/ That's great news though that you got a letter! I'm sure it made your day a little easier :]] Hope everyone had a great day and continues to have a good weekend!

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THANK YOU Lynette.....I know you had a rough night.......well I know part of the reason why you had a rough night....... Grrrrrrrrr You know my feelings on that issue!!!!! ::......Im so glad you got a letter as well!!!! Yes they all sound as if time is on WARP SPEED for them.....DAMNIT, send that this way why dontcha'!!!!! ....And OMG I totaly agree with you on the 10 days.......uggghhhhh   Of course that will be THE ONLY time that FLIES BY!!!!!!!!! I know that Marquis had said to me in a previous letter that he was looking into RA (Recruiters Assistance) if he could....which means he would get to stay here a little bit longer than his 10 days......When he wrote that to me about 2.5 weeks ago I was like HELL YEA!!!!!! But of course he has left me hanging with that ......LOL.....As you say about Zach..."SMARTASS"......and I'll add one more "TEASE"......:: We are getting there..... Soon, soon....... Thank you for the HUGS......much needed and very much appreciated!!! Yes indeed I am missing him......as I know we ALL are missing our guys!!!!! I hope you had a better night last night (Saturday) Lynette and Amanda I hope you day was great and you have a GREAT SUNDAY!!!!!!!!!!

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Good Sunday morning ladies! Apryl, glad you finally got a letter! Sorry you had to go through that dream, but it WILLl a be a reality when Marquis gives you that BIG, LOOONNNGGGG HUG!!! He might even pick you up off the ground! I'm not letting Aaron leave this house the ten days he will be home. Anyone wants to see him, well they are just going to have to drive to our house! Thats why I might throw a party before he leaves  so whoever wants to see him can. But that will be totally up to him. He might just want his family and Meg!  
Amanda, sweety I hope you walk away from the mailbox with a letter(s) in hand Monday, hell, I hope all of us do!! Meg will probably get one since I did receive one Friday and she didn't.
Yesterday, we threw a surprise 50th birthday party for my hubby Rod. It was hard not having Aaron with us as he and his dad are so close. Rod missed him terribly yesterday, so we saluted Aaron by all taking a shot from his bottle of Strawberry vodka! Let just say I'll have to buy Aaron another bottle LOL!!  I look for Aaron sending his dad something Wed on his actual B-day.
Ya'll have a great day....*HUGS* to all!!  

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Happy 50th to Rod Brenda (on Wednesday!!!)!!!!! Im sorry that Aaron was not there as I KNOW that had to be tough!!!! I also had to have my birthday this year without Marquis as you know...(Easter Sunday)...that was a tough one....Im so glad that you all "SALUTED"   him by taking a SHOT!!!! I love that!!! Thank you for the empathy on the dream!!!! THAT IS EXACTLY what I meant...........too!!! I CANT WAIT TO HUG HIM, and kiss his face and hear his voice!!!!!!! YIPPIE!!!~ And ya know he just might pick me up off the ground!!!! :: he does it all the time...so funny you should SAY THAT!!!!! And let me tell you, I AM SO IN AGREEANCE WITH YOU AND ON THE SAME PAGE WITH REGARDS TO THE 10 DAYS!!!!! I DON'T CARE WHO YA ARE.....YOU WANT TO SEE MARQUIS YOU COME TO HIM.....HE IS NOT AND I REPEAT NOT LEAVING!!!!!!! I am going to be VERY SELFISH with him!!!!! We also will probably have a party for him but again like you said the final desicion will be Marquis'.......Praying for letters for everyone this next week!!! Especially YOU AMANDA!!!!!!!! have a GREAT DAY ALL!!!!