Got a call from Matt last night and we talked for almost an hour!  He sounded great.  Says BC is tough but he loves it.  Says he does well at inspections and really knows how to fold his clothes the right way.  I guess that was from all the training he learned while working at The Gap where he constantly had to fold and refold clothes on the store's shelves.  :)

Says Div 924 is awesome, loves his team.  They earned their first flag this week for Academics and their overall…

I have a new appreciation for the lost art of letter writing. I heard from Matt today! Yeah! He answered the BC survey that I sent and then wrote 2 pages with lots of details.

My son grew up in the age of e-communications and so much of ours was via cell phone, text, email and Facebook. I have really missed not being able to communicate with him in any fashion but then today I got his first handwritten letter…

For all you moms across the country, just thought I'd share that it's a beautiful day here in Illinois today.  Sunny and 60 but a bit windy.  Forecast says that 70s are coming this week.  Maybe our SRs will get to do some of their physical training outdoors.  A mom can hope anyway!  :)

Received the form letter today.  Yippee!  Even before I opened it I noticed a change in my son or should I say in his handwriting.  Matt was never known for being a great handwriter but this envelope was printed to perfection.  He must have used a ruler it was so perfect!  My husband and I laughed thinking that his superiors probably made him rewrite it until it was perfect.  Wonder how many envelopes he went through?  :)

He didn't say much but sounded good.  He is on Ship 02, DIV…

How is it that a week can fly by and yet drag along all at the same time?!?  It seems that when I slow down so too does time.  I am so ready to hear from my son.  I know it's only been a week but I will feel so much better when I can actually write to him. 

Who knew that the mailman would become the most important part of my day.  I work from home and I must check that mailbox 5 times a day just praying for the form letter from Matt.  The good news is that I think the mailman must…

Got the box today.  Hard to imagine that a brown corrugated box weighing less than 7 pounds can pack into it so much emotion.  Matt has been gone only 4 days and today I feel like a part of him was shipped home to me minus my 6'4" son. 

I opened the box as if it were a special gift nicely wrapped that should be tended to with care.  Inside were all of Matt's belongings, everything that he wore on his back on that cold windy night 4 days ago when we said a tearful goodbye.  I took each…