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Comment by Jody Gault on January 18, 2009 at 7:36pm

HI Gail-we got a letter from Justin on the 15th and it said that it'd be his last letter. He said to keep writing to him that he loves to read them but he just doesn't have time to write to anyone now. He called us Friday night (45 min call-woohoo) and said that this week is Battlestations and they'd be up from very early until very late. I, too, will continue to write. I suppose they'll probably forward their mail if any should happen to get there after they're gone.

Comment by Jody Gault on January 17, 2009 at 8:00pm

Laura-there is a meet and greet on Thurs night at Flanagan's 6pm. I'm giving you the link to that event to RSVP so that you don't have to try to find it.....
http://www.navyformoms.com/events/pir-13009-meet-and-greet

Comment by Jody Gault on January 17, 2009 at 7:57pm

Hey everybody. I just got home from our 1st ever Central Fla. Navyformoms get together. It was wonderful. I would 'highly' recommend that you all do that in your areas or organize one. There were about 15 of us there and I learned a wealth of information and we also brought enough stuff to pack up 3 very full boxes for the 'adopt a sailor' program. There was 1 mom whose son is in PNS now at A school, 1 mom whose really on top of her game because her son doesn't even go to BC until March and most moms whose sons are away in other states or deployed. I can let you know 2 great suggestions that I pulled out of it that I can let you know is that the Navy Lodge hotel (1-800-NavyInn) is where 3-4 of them stayed and it was fine. I just called they have 2 queen beds, fridge, microwave for $65 no tax and their cancellation policy is very much more lenient that the Quality Inn that we were going to stay at. You can cancel up to 6pm on the day of arrival. They also gave me the room thru Sunday incase we needed it and if stays grad n go we don't get charged to leave on the 30th. Also I was told to fly into Milwaukee not O'Hare because of all of the traffic. They said you get to base quicker by going to MKE even though it's a little further. (ORD is 55 mins MKE is 48 mins). So we're contemplating that instead. Also write your sailors now and tell them under no circumstances to put their head toward the ground or to blink too long during battlestations or they will be held back for 'sleeping' and will graduate a week or so later. Justin knows but I'm going to reinforce it. I just can't gush enough about these wonderful women that I met and how very helpful they were for me so I wanted to share with you all.

Comment by Jody Gault on January 17, 2009 at 9:32am

Gail-Justin probably went overboard because I read somewhere that the pictures, dvd, yearbook should be about $170. It comes directly out of his paycheck. I hope you get your call soon too. Yesterday as I saw all these moms getting their long calls then Justin called-45 min. call this time. It was wonderful especially since it was my husbands bday.

Tori-yeah Justin is a good saver. He just was so excited over the pictures, I think. Told him we'd pay him back but that was his reply. Knowing that times are tight for us, I lost my job in November and finding work isn't easy with Orlando being one of the highest for unemployment, I guess he just wanted to do something for the family on his dime. My parents always say whenever the kids want to offer their money for anything to let them because it's coming from their heart.

Comment by Jody Gault on January 16, 2009 at 10:38pm

BTW-I'm going to a get together tomorrow and there will be moms there who's sons already graduated. I'll try to get their input on hotels and try to remember what they say and let you all know.

Comment by Jody Gault on January 16, 2009 at 10:33pm

Tori-our son said tonight that he ordered his pictures. $300 worth-eek! Told him we'd pay him back and he said no that he has no use for his money anyways and that the pictures are real nice in frames and he got the dvd and yearbook. Said he'd give them to us when we get there. We are staying at the Quality Inn in Waukegan ($71.99 with AAA discount). I've done so much research on hotels, both here and online, and the more I search the more confusing it gets. One person says somewhere is nice another says the opposite. My husbands cousins daughter graduated BC in August and they stayed in Waukegan (about 4 miles from base) at Ramada Inn. So we're hoping for the best as to what it's like when we arrive.

Comment by Jody Gault on January 16, 2009 at 3:58pm

Tori, what great info you gave on Marlinspike. Thank you! Ladies with daughters in boot camp how in the world did you get such long phone calls? We got far more calls than the recruiter told us to expect (he said we'd get 2-we got 6) but the longest conversation was 10 or 15 minutes. Most were the typical 2 minute. Count yourselves lucky on that I guess. I'm happy for you all that you did get the calls-hope they continue for you.

Comment by Jody Gault on January 16, 2009 at 11:05am

Laura, we got our last phone call Christmas morn (all 2 seconds of it). We did get a letter yesterday from Justin. He said that they're really busy (he's in Div 81 ship 13-but I'm sure they're all about the same). Weds they went into the gas chamber. They've been shooting guns. Next week is battleships and they found out if they passed to graduate. He told us because he's so busy that we'd be getting no more letters from him but to keep ours coming to him. Also said he'd call us sometime Jan 20-22. This letter from our son was 'oozing' excitement and Joanne's sons seemed to read about the same so I'm sure all of our sailors are about the same. We'd gotten about 6 calls from him until Christmas week then the calls stopped. But, from the sounds of it, we were really lucky to get as many calls as we did. I hope this information helps your concern. Yeah pure anticipation here with this family, I just hope our plane isn't attracted to the water (we fly USAir that's who I retired from)-glad all of those people were fine.

Comment by Jody Gault on January 15, 2009 at 4:36pm

I remember reading that somewhere. It's something like 1/4 mile-sorry can't really remember. It's somewhere here on the Navymoms site but, gosh, there's so much here I can't remember where I found it nor how to get back to it. Whatever I was reading read that you can't drop off somebody and meet up later that the party must stick together and get searched together.

Comment by Jody Gault on January 14, 2009 at 10:49pm

Pamela, I know exactly how you feel. I'm having such a hard time sleeping right now because I'm too 'wound up' with the anticipation of seeing our son and just hoping and praying to God that all goes well for all us to get us back to see our sailors for even just a short while. I just hope I don't break into those cry noises (but I guess I wouldn't be the only one). My heart, too, bleeds for those that can't be with their beloved sailor for such an event. I count our blessings that we're able to be able to go.

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