Son leaves for Great Lakes on Nov. 15th.

[pinkaboo202 - Ship 07, Div 47]

Greetings,

My son leaves next week on November 15th and I was wondering if there are any other moms who have sons leaving on the same day.

Pink

[MJ]

I just drop off my 18 year old son...he staying at a hotel tonight and leaves tomorrow sometime. feeling very sad ..mix feeling. proud sad, excited. I feel a sense of lost. I'm very proud of him. I know he will do good. Bitter Sweet...

[MJ]

No I didn't see him at all today...I txt with him while he was at MEPS. We wanted to go see him at the airport but he txt me he was on the way then txt to say he was already going through security. He said he had to stay with his group and he coudn't come back out to talk with us.
He just called to say his plane landed and his group is on the way to wait for the bus to go to the training base. Mention he could call me again very very quickly.
don't think i will here from him again after that. : /

[AKmygirl21 Div051 Ship07]

My girl was going all by herself. There didn't seem to be a group going from here. She sat at the airport all day yesterday by herself. If I could have I would have flown to Anchorage just to sit around with her. It's like you know they are going to do fine, but you just can't be there for them like you are when they are at home. My girl will be 21 in Dec so all the major holidays plus her birthday in boot camp.

[pinkaboo202 - Ship 07, Div 47]

Well, my baby is gone. We took him to his recruiter's office on Sunday the 14th around 2:30 in the afternoon. By 4:00, he was in a van and headed to a hotel near the base. Around 10:00 pm Sunday night, I logged into Facebook to upload the photos that I had taken that day only to discover my son had logged into his account about 30 minutes earlier and changed his profile picture, updated his status to let his friends know that he was gone, and responded to several comments on his page. Gee, here I had been walking around feeling like my heart was yanked out of me and practically doing hurdles over furniture trying to get to the phone every time I thought I heard it ringing. Gosh, I would have thought he would have called the woman who gave him life before he jumped onto the computer to check his Facebook account.

Finally, around 10:45 Sunday night he called to let me know that he was good and was staying in the hotel room with a roommate. He said he walked over to a restaurant nearby and grabbed something to eat. He said they were pretty much free to do whatever they wanted in the hotel, but had to be up at 4:30 in the morning.

Monday morning, I drove to the base to see the final swearing in. When I walked in the lobby, I saw my son standing in line to check in and I literally broke down. After the ceremony and more crying on my part, there was more processing and paperwork that the recruits had to endure, however, they were allowed to have lunch with their family in the cafeteria. After lunch...and even more crying, we hung out for about another hour and then we said our goodbyes. I hugged my son has hard as I could, looked him in his eyes and told him that I would not let him see me walking out of the building in tears. I kept my word, but the moment I walked out of the door, I felt like my entire body was going to collapse to the ground. My baby, my last child to leave the nest, was officially in the Navy.

I sat around all day waiting for "the call". Finally, around 12:45 am I got it. My son let me know that he made it safely and apologized for taking so long to call. He said he couldn't talk long but to expect something in the mail within a couple of weeks. He also let me know that he wouldn't be able to call me again for another couple of weeks, but not to worry and that he would be fine. He then told me that he loved me and for me to stay safe. By this time, I thought I had run out tears, but those suckers came from the very most inner part of the depth of my soul.

I honestly don't think I've ever cried so much in my life with the exception of my mother's passing. I wanted to post the photo I took with him today on my Facebook page, but my eyes were so red from crying and I have the most incredible black bags underneath from not being able to sleep for the past couple of weeks. Even now, I'm still worried and can't sleep...it's 3:22 am.

Now, is that a proud face or what???

[AKmygirl21 Div051 Ship07]

I know what you mean. I didn't get to see the swearing in or anything, but the crying started in Oct. when I would hear a particular song or something. Nice looking young man. Maybe we will meet when they all graduate.

[pinkaboo202 - Ship 07, Div 47]

Thank you! Now, it's my turn to wish you the same. I saw my son off today.

[pinkaboo202 - Ship 07, Div 47]

I have those same feelings...bitter sweet.

[ZachsinNavy!mom]

My son left on the 15th as well. I am feeling just the same way- proud , sad and very teary.

[AKmygirl21 Div051 Ship07]

My daughter left Tuesday night from Fairbanks, AK and sat all day in Anchorage yesterday after weighing and being sworn in and left at 11:30 pm for Chicago last night. I've been hanging out in her room cleaning and tidying up. I'm going to miss the hugs and the way she smelled so good the most.

[BarbAnn(Ship 7 DIV 047)]

My son left Nov 15th for boot camp in Chicago. The call at midnight was a little discouraging he did not sound himself at all. His recruiter says this is normal at that its his first time away from home and that its normal to sound over whelmed and scraed. i miss him dearly, im very proud of him and know hes following his heart...

[AKmygirl21 Div051 Ship07]

Hi there:
My daughter just left yesterday for the Great Lakes area boot camp.
AKmygirl21

[BarbAnn(Ship 7 DIV 047)]

Well this evening I received my son belongings that he left with. Ofcourse the tears came yet again. I miss him so much and wonder how he is... Very hard to cope with...