HARD WEEK

This has been a hard week. On Monday, Paul left for boot camp. Paul is our son-in-law and he joined the Texas Army National Guard Reserves last fall. Originally, he planned to go to boot camp this summer, continue teaching and then go to his speciality training next summer. Then it changed that he was going to boot camp the end of May and then to training sometime later in the fall. He couldn't go then, even though they went the whole nine yards of saying goodbyes in Houston, but he had hurt his ankle and they postponed his going until he was checked out. He had the ankle checked out and all was fine so Tuesday was ship out date #2.

Monday was an especially hard day for Emma. She had her pre-op visit for having her tonsils out next week. They took blood from her arm and mom "forgot" to tell her they would do that--Very Traumatic! They came back to my house after that and played and waited for Dad and I to come home. We left work about 4 pm and I cooked supper. We all ate and then said goodbyes. Let me tell you, that was very difficult.

Of course we are all crying and wailing by the time Dad and Paul left to go to Houston. Dad took Paul so that Jamie did not have to make that drive by herself. It was heart wrenching. Those girls love their daddy and their daddy loves them!!! I did my part by trying to change the subject and distract them as best I could--all the while crying myself! Finally, Emma had to go to the bathroom and I took her and talked about swimming in the pool. That seemed to calm her down and the three of us, me and Ashton and Emma got in the pool and played.

Jamie, of course, had just as hard of a time. Part of the problem is that for the next nine weeks, they cannot see each other. Paul will be in Ft. Knox, Kentucky for his boot camp. We will all go there the end of September for his graduation. He then leaves from there to Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland where he will get his speciality training. He will be there until about January 3rd. He does get 10 days off at Christmas which will help and probably will be able to catch flights home occasionally on the weekends. It is going to be a long fall and winter for these girls!

I have had so many ask me why Paul joined up at this time! Didn't he know that there was a war going on? I have asked myself that question often, but I realized something the other day. I am proud of him for wanting to keep his family safe! He was told when he signed up that "more than likely" he will not be going to Iraq. He was told he probably would be doing border patrol! I guess that could be, but at any rate, he will not be able to go anywhere until after all his training, so maybe, just maybe, things will be different in 2008! We will just wait and see what the Lord has in store for him. I am still proud of his wanting to keep our way of life intact for us.

I know that money had some lure and the fact that Paul loves the physical training. He use to be a weight lifter years ago and loves to run and keep in shape. I know that was a lot of it. Of course the fact they had a large sign on bonus helped as well. I think it will give Paul a purpose and time to decide whether he wants to continue teaching or not. He didn't really like teaching Spanish and probably will not go back to doing that. I just know he is a special person and will find where his work heart lives!

I just ask that if you read this, you pray for him and his family!