MY SON LEFT FOR BASIC TODAY 11/5

[lisajoemerald]

We all had such a positive experience today at MEPS. We stayed in the hotel last night with our son and had a wonderful dinner together. Woke up today and went to MEPS and were able to see our son right away. We watched him swear in with many others and it was amazing. We were able to take so many wonderful pictures and WOW was it ever emotional. I am so impressed at how they allow the family to be a part of this experience and they treated us wonderful. We were even able to go thru security with our son and watch him board the plane and take off. It was heart wrenching watching that plane fly away. I realized today that he really has just began his journey as an adult. He is amazing and so proud to be in the NAVY. He will go through a lot in basic, but I have confidence that he will be strong. I told him that no matter how difficult times may be, its only for right now and there are so many positive things ahead to look forward to. I love my one and only son and I am so proud........He called me as soon as the plane landed from his cell phone and said "Mom Im here, you should see it. Start writing Mom, I love you, gotta go......I was so happy to hear his voice allready......May all you have the same experience as we did.......Please let us know how you are all doing. SWOLLEN EYES, BUT PROUD...HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY

[lisajoemerald]

I recieved the box of my sons clothing today. Wow, It was really sad.
Have a wonderful evening...

[Gefyon]

I better not get a box, lol. We sent him with the clothes on his back and instructions to donate them rather than send them home.

He lived away from home for a year before going to the Navy though and has always been very independent. He is 21, so it's not like he is fresh out of high school and our first time away from each other, lol.

What rating is your son going to do after boot camp? Where is he going to school?

[samm]

I don't know what rating he is...actually I don't even know what that means...but he is going to Mississippi after boot camp. How about your son? Have you heard from him?

[Gefyon]

In the navy, a rating is a job. What will your son be doing after boot camp?

Mine is CTI - which is basically an interpreter.

And I still haven't gotten my letter. Although I did finally get in touch with the recruiter so I at least have an address.

[samm]

Oh... he is an AZ
I hope you have heard from your son.
Samm

[samm]

Oh Lisa... I didn't know that anyone replied to me until just now. Thank you!!!!
I am loving on my Patrick these days like you did too. We are going hiking tomorrow and hanging out as much as possible. The closer we get to the 24th the more uncomfortable I get. He is excited and I am too...just...I'm going to miss him so much and so will his sisters.
Why was is sad to receive your sons clothing? Did you receive a letter with them? Do you know if he is loving boot camp?

[lisajoemerald]

I am so glad you and Patrick are spending time together. You two have a blast hiking. I know how you feel about getting closer to the 24th. It is the hardest day ever, but I promise you If you write to him a lot it feels like your talking to him. It will just take a while for him to talk back..lol. I love writing to my son. I am on letter 5 Ha, Ha. It will also help to plan for graduation and journal everything that is going on with him, it makes you feel positive and you start to get exctied then.
The reason I was sad when I got his box of clothes, because my son told me Mom don't be sad when you get the box with no kid. Ha, Ha...When I got home there was the box and I just broke down crying...I opened the box and then laughed at the same time. His clothes were all wadded up, pantleg turned inside out and I thought oh, I miss my son. There is no letter or anything in the box, only the things they can't keep at BC. I sent my son with two calling cards and I wrote the numbers down here at home so I could call and check the balance and add more time to the card if I needed to. (buy reloadable calling cards)...He took two books of forever stamps, his wallet , with a voided check for direct deposit of his Navy payroll, ss card and shot records. He brought $15.00 and he used it in the airport for a burger, snacks and a drink. He had brought his cell phone, thank goodness because they have time at the airport to use it and also he called me when his plane landed in Chicago and he said Hi, mom I'm in Chicago...I am safe...I was so happy to hear his voice again....then later that same night at Basic 10:30p.m., they let him use his cell phone to call me again to say Hi I am safe and he will tell you he is sending his box home. Then he will send his cell phone, and his shoes, shirt, bag or anything he took on the plane... You probably allready know all of this by reading online, but I wanted to share with you how everything worked for us. It has been an amazing journey.
I just recieved the first letter yesterday. It is all the information about his graduation, I was so excited. He also wrote in the recruit comments....I love and miss you guys...cant wait to see you...I am doing good here :)..etc.. I was happy to read he was doing good. He even put a smiley face...Yippee..I felt so happy right then. If you have any questions, I will be more than happy to tell you every thing I can, as I am just a few weeks ahead, so It might help.....I hope you have a super wonderful day today and enjoy your son..........Take pictures........P.S. I booked a room at Navy Lodge and they say it is really nice there..

[lisajoemerald]

Samm,
P.S. Have your son bring a small address book, with phone numbers and addresses. They get to keep them also. Yeah......

[samm]

Lisa
Thank you for telling me what he can bring and what not to bring! I loved your Christmas before he left so I borrowed your idea. Actually we will be having Thanksgiving and Christmas for Patrick. Can he bring a photo album? Or will his roomates tease him? Not much I can buy him for our Christmas other than stamps, stationary, address book, and I'm not sure what else.
We had a great time hiking up and down a very large mountain in the Phoenix area today. It was beautiful and we all enjoyed it.
Do you have other children?
We have 2 daughters too 16 and 10. They are loving on their brother too....there very loving when they're not trying to kill each other...lol
Even our pets seem to know that something is going on and giving a little extra love....so sweet
Talk to you soon
Samm

[lisajoemerald]

Samm,
I am so happy you are having Thanksgiving and Christmas for Patrick before he leaves. My son was so excited and he was so thankful. It was not any diffrent than our real christmas. We hung all our stockings, decorated our tree and opened gifts. I took him shopping so he could buy small things for family from him, it was fun. It was very hard to buy for him so our family gave him money in a card so he could deposit into his account for later, and we wrapped money a movie, beatles guitar hero game..haha, he had time to watch movie and play guitar hero for a few days anyway, plus he will come home and can still use them..lol...In his stocking I filled it with the prepaid cards, small black address book, stamps, snacks and a few other small things....He loved it.
I don't know for sure if they can take a photo album or not. Eric had some wallet size pictures in his wallet and then in his first and second letter, I mailed him pictures.
I am so happy you had a great time today. Its amazing how he will start to miss you allready to.
I have a daughter and she is 15. She is really missing eric to. She drew a flag on a piece of paper and wrote him a letter and put it on the outside of the bedroom door. It was the sweetest letter, and it is still there. Our dog knew something was up also. It was very sad, so we gave him our sons shirt and he sleeps on it. Ha, Ha...He is just a little dog.
Its hard to let them grow up and have wings to fly, I never thought about it until he told me he wanted to join the NAVY. Right at that instant, I knew he would be away from home. I was excited and sad all at the same time. I just read an article in our news paper today that 75 percent of Americans ages 17 to 24 would not qualify for military service because they are physically unfit, failed to finish high school or have criminal records. I am so very proud, our boys are our Hero's.....
I hope you have a wonderful day today. Please let me know how things are going.
Talk to you soon.....
Lisa

[samm]

Lisa,
Eric sounds like such a nice young man.
I am so proud of my Patrick too! It's hard to believe that 75% of our young guys are not elligble for service----scarry!
After church Sunday, we are going to try to get a family photo and then come home to a feast with some family that lives about 100 miles away...they want to give just one more hug in before he leaves for months. Patrick doesn't know about it so it will be fun.
I don't know how to add you as a friend----do you?
talk with you soon
samm

[proudofmyseabeeandsnipe]

ship 03 division 042 anybody?