The Much Anticipated BCT Graduation

So there we were, sitting in a huge metal bleacher stadium looking over across a field to the forest. Lora and I had arrived about 1 1/2 hrs early to make sure we were there with good seats. Thankfully we had brought jackets because even though it may be 80 deg in Columbia, SC during the day I'm pretty sure the morning likes to play tricks with your leg hairs and stays around 50-60 with a slight breeze. You can imagine the commotion of families and friends anxiously awaiting some 1200 soldiers that would be graduating from the 3rd Battalion 34th Infantry at Fort Jackson, SC. I think I saw more mullets, heard more "y'alls" and "ain'ts" and witnessed life in backcountry KY more than I have ever wanted to. At least it made for cheap entertainment while we were waiting for the soldiers. At exactly 9 am, the commander got up, made some announcements and then had someone sing the national anthem (I may have been tearing up at this point). As soon as that ended this is what we saw: (still working on uploading the video)

As they ran out, it sent chills up my spine and made me so proud that my husband was standing among that company. It was AWESOME! The commander made some more announcement for about 5-10 min. and then simply said, alright they're all yours! MAYHEM!!! it was a mad rush down to the field. Thankfully, someone had warned us beforehand and we were on the front row next to an exit so we made a pretty fast get away. The soldiers were lined up by company (thankfully) which narrowed down the search, but I still had to search through 200 soldiers to find my one. But man, was it worth it. Pete had grown into a man during those 12 weeks. See for yourself!!

First Hug

Pete with his Drill Sergeants

The rest of the day we had to spend on post which was slightly frustrating as there is not much to do. Pete had requested a salad for lunch to opt out of the fast-food only option on base so we went to a nearby lake and caught up on the time apart. Pete took Lora and I around to different parts of the base and we were able to meet many of his battle buddies and the missionary couple in charge of the base. He had to be back by 8 pm, and it was so funny to see the fear in all of them about being late that both Thurs and Fri all the soldiers were back at least an hour early. It was hard to leave but knowing we could see him the next day made it ok.

Graduation was Friday morning and was definitely more formal with many speakers who all congratulated the graduating class and welcomed the families to the Army. The Major who spoke was one of the worst public speakers I think I have ever heard... I'm sure he's better with combat. I did like hearing all the soldiers say the soldier's creed, it was pretty powerful. After all the speakers, all the companies did a "Pass in Review" basically it's a parade of the soldiers in front of all the families. We were then able to find our soldiers, among the huge crowd of people. It took about 10 min and Lora and I splitting up to finally find Pete.

The rest of the day was spent with Pete and some of his friends in Columbia. We were able to see the capital building with the Confederate flag still flying high. It was fun to spend time with all the soldiers hear all of their stories. But more than anything it was worth the trip to spend time with my amazing husband who has sacrificed so much for our family. Thanks babe for all you do, I couldn't ask for a stronger soldier!

Pete with his Battle Buddy "Mills"

Pete showing his skills "koala-ifying"

Pass In Review

AND MY FAVORITE:

Fall Break in Bethlehem

From the title you may have thought that I went on an exotic excursion to the middle east. I did go east, but not that far. I went to visit my brother John-David and his family in Bethlehem, PA, and my brother Rich and his family in Philadelphia. I thought it was a good time to get away since Pete isn't around. So I used my moms awesome hook up to JetBlue and arrived in NY just in time for the Monday morning rush. Slightly overwhelming. I managed to get on a bus to Bethlehem and enjoyed the beautiful scenic route through Jersey and into PA. The fall colors were abundant as the cooler weather was setting in.

Bethlehem is a beautiful area with rolling hills, quaint victorian-style houses and plenty of open space. I mostly went to spend time with my family so we didn't do tons of activities, and the day we tried to go to a Scarecrow Festival, my almost 2-yr. old niece puked a few times in the car on the way there warranting a return home. I did get to go tour the nearby fire station, see the highest paid teachers in the nation on strike for more money, help clean up some little kid "accidents," saw Jocelyn in dance class, tour the Orthopedic area of St. Luke's Hospital where John-David is doing his residency, and see where part of Transformers was filmed.

In Philly, I definitely tried a philly cheesesteak which was AMAZING! thanks Jenny! I also went to Independence Hall, saw the Liberty Bell, went to the Reading Terminal Market, drove through west Philly to count how many satellite dishes I could see on broke down row houses, and had a performance of "Annie" by Tabitha, another almost 2 yr old niece. It was awesome. I'm so glad I had time to go play. Next time I'll have to take Pete and stay for longer! here are some pictures from the week.

And this is part of what I did all week...

Overlook of Bethlehem

who wouldn't want this policeman to protect your family jewels?

who doesn't love a bouncy pink horse? and yes that is a gynormous flower on my beanie
you would hope someone would be "in the mood" on their wedding day...

Tabitha giving her two cents
Hay Fight!

What Is Patriotism To YOU?

In the past few weeks I have had so much time to reflect on what the word patriotism means to me. In the dictionary it is defined as "love of and/or devotion to one's country." On the surface I would agree but I have found that the love is much deeper than simply saluting the flag, singing the national anthem before a sports event or reciting the pledge of allegiance usually only during Flag Day ceremonies once a year. I have found that for me it is being grateful for the country that I live in, and taking care of it because it is the only one we have. It is being proud of and thankful to all those who have, are, or will ever sacrifice to keep this land one of liberty. Since Pete has been in basic I find myself getting teary-eyed whenever I see anyone in uniform, and my ears perk up if I hear someone discuss the war. I used to not even care because it was day in and day out that it is on the news.

And then my husband became part of it, I became part of it.

Those people giving their lives are someone's husband/wife, father/mother, son/daughter, or sister/brother. And they are doing this because they choose to. There is no draft, or law that requires them to be in the line of fire. True, many of them may have signed up purely for financial reasons but I believe there comes a time that they embrace the role of soldier, and protector and continue because it is about the men next to them. It's not easy to have them away, and it's frustrating to not know if they are safe but I do know now more than ever that God keeps his promises and He knows the ultimate plan and that is all I need to know.

This past week I was able to visit Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. It brought history to life and gave it a whole new meaning. The guide repeatedly said that if it wasn't for those men, the founding fathers, than we may still belong to another country, or we may not be able worship how we would like to, and there would be no "American Dream." The guide was right, we owe it to those men to get to know them and read about their lives so we can keep this country guided on the path and values that they worked so diligently to establish.

America will always be ONE NATION UNDER GOD!

What are your thoughts? Have you had any experiences that caused you to be more patriotic?

Is that really you?

Name ID gave this one away.

Yep it took me about 5 min. of deciding whether or not this was actually Pete. He has changed.

First of all, to all of my friends who are diligent bloggers, I don't know how you do it. Maybe I just don't have the attention span for this. Pete always laughs at me and tells me I am like a goldfish in that way.

The last few months being separated from Pete has been hard, but I am slowly adjusting. Thankfully he's adjusted as well and is doing really well at basic. I got to talk to him for an hour last Sunday, which was awesome. Later this week the army reported that the soldier that had passed away at basic in Sept. at Ft. Jackson was confirmed to have died from complications to swine flu, so all the soldiers at Ft. Jackson had to call home to report they were still alive and did not have the swine flu. Today I got a quick 10 min. call which I wasn't expecting and was such a relief.
This last week his company had M16 rifle qualifications, he made Sharpshooter, but was disappointed that he missed expert by 1. I'm sure he'll have plenty of other chances. He also reported that he finally passed his PT test this week (the physical requirement test). I know he had been struggling on the push-ups so I was so proud of him for passing. He has one final PT test next week and if he passes that, it guarantees his graduation on Oct 30.
Here's some more excerpts from his letters so you know what he's been up to.
(dated 9/11/09)
Tuesday they tell us we are going "out to the field" ie camping. Wed. morning at about 4:00 am we are standing outside in all of our gear: Helmet, bullet-proof vest, a vest for magazine clips and water, and the assault backpack. All in all about 60 extra pounds. We road marched in to the woods, set up tents made of ponchos and trained hard all day. That night it poured like crazy, flooding our tent and inviting in tons of bogs. We got up and did Fit-to-Win (obstacle course) and then the gas chamber. I cried and puked so hard from that . It was like cigarette smoke, ammonia, and razor blades. Worst ever. Then we hiked the next few miles back. Today we woke up at 4 for a 9-11 ceremony and then got smoked all day long. I am so sore and tired that it's laughable.
(a week later)
Oh man I got to sleep a full 7 hours last night and it felt so good. My ACU's (army combat uniform) fit weird now. My waist is too big on my pants so my pants sag, and my calves are hart to get through the leg holes.
Man I am tired, so tired. My sleep is so erratic now with having to be up randomly in the night. I can't wait to be able to sleep a whole 6 hrs consistently. I did the PT test. I ran a 15:28 2-mile, 52 sit-ups and only 30 push0ups which is one less than last time. It kills me because I am working really hard and I did worse. The we got smoked all day today. I miss you. Pray for me and let people know my address because letters do help.
The days are a little boring now that with the red-phase activities. White phase is all about BRM (basic rifle marksmanship) which so far has been really easy for me. Lots of people struggle but as long as I shoot straight, hold the weapon tight and relax I have stayed quite successful. Shooting and cleaning my weapon is very relaxing and methodical which I really enjoy. The DS's take a lot of time with the ones not getting it which is good because my friends get help but for me it becomes boring. (on the phone he said he would shoot for the first few hours but since he was good, he would then spend the rest of the day helping everyone else) And when you are tired and sweaty and bored, it is not a combination for staying awake so we get smoked more often than is necessary.
I was talking to one of my friends, Anderson, who goes to the LDS service about whether God wants us to be soldiers and we came up with the same conclusion you did. I think that what we do fulfills in part being willing to "lay down his life for a friend." We also decided that even though we are not in the best environment that people stand by us and we are supported. All of our effort will be for our benefit and good. Somone must protect these lands if it is really Zion. It reminded me of a talk by Pres. Uchtdorf about Hezekiah when he says "I have a great work to do, so I cannot come down." I repead that in my head a lot when I want to let myself slip or relax on the rules or give into my environment. I feel like Hezekiah trying to build something wonderful while everyone around me tries to belittle or knock it down. Even so I have had more questions about our beliefs, handed out more church related things, baptized more people, prayed and read my scriptures more consistently and with conviction than I think I ever have.

On other notes: he said that his platoon calls him "Mormon" instead of Monson. One of his battle buddies came up to him and grabbed his nipple saying "Mormon, what happened? you have lost your breasts, how are you going to feed your wives?" Pete said he hears that stuff all the time but he just laughs and invites them to come find out more.

Since Pete has been gone I have found that I am more patriotic and realize how much these people sacrifice for our freedom. I am so thankful to live in a land where we are able to worship our true God, where we have people brave enough to defend what our ancestors fought to build up to give us a brighter future, where we have the ability to vote and have a voice that doesn't have to be stifled. Thank you Pete for being willing to serve, I could not be more proud to have you as my husband.

Private Pete's Prose

(Look at this picture and play where's Pete? I promise he's there!)

I have finally received enough info from Pete about his experience at basic to warrant a blog entry. First of all he really LOVES mail, and apparently I'm the only one who has been writing so please if you have 5 min, write him!! It's his only connection to reality and home. Here's his address:

PFC Brian Monson

3rd Platoon, A Co. 3-34 "Wolfpack"

Ft. Jackson, SC 29207

And if you write a large 3 in blue marker on the back of the envelope it gets to him faster.

Onto the good stuff:

Pete's first letter sounded like he was really struggling. They train from 5:30 am until @ 9:30 at night, and then they have fire guard where everyone takes turns in the middle of the night to do a head count and be on guard for an hour, so in all he gets 4-5 hrs of sleep a night. (trust me, he doesn't do well with not very much sleep) They do PT (physical training) for about 2 hrs when they first get up, and then eat and train, eat and train, march, eat and train. sounds fun... Randomness from this letter:

It is sandy here with ants all over. I have sand everywhere on me and sweat all the time. Sometimes I will be sitting in class soaked in my own sweat after we have been smoked ( disciplined by the DS) and I will feel beads of sweat, then look down and see ants crawling in between the beads. It is fun to squish them but they hurt when they bite.

Next letter:

I think a lot of the guys here won't last. Most of the guys in my platton have it together but about 1/4 are so undisciplined and it messes things up for everyone. I try to tell them that they need to shut up and pay attention and so do the other good guys, but they don't understand. Ignorance is a disability.

He reported also being sick, but being around so many others it's to be expected. Thankfully he hasn't had to miss any training because of it. He is starting to feel stronger and passed his first PT test, but is lacking in the push-up category a bit for graduation. Good thing he has plenty of time to work on that, I'm sure he'll be fine. He did say that he was able to baptize someone on Sunday which was a really good experience and helped remind him how the knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ keeps us grounded and hopeful. His letters already show maturity and growth, reading them I keep thinking is this the same person that left me a month ago? It's incredible to see the changes. As an example:

I am really enjoying basic to be totally honest. It's dirty, sweaty and hurts like nothing I have ever felt, but I love being a soldier and learning and pushing myself. I take pride in the things I do and I have gained a ton of confidence in myself. It was a rough few weeks but I adjusted and it is cool.

Also a specific note to Beverly and Lora:

Tell my mom's I love them. Tell them I am working my butt off so they can hang their heads high. Let them know that I am grateful to them for raising me right with al the knowledge and abilities to be successful. I love them and miss them. tell them their baby boy is a soldier. Also.. he specifically asked if I had given you his address yet... so please write!!

And his last letter:

Things are good here. We have land navigation exercises tomorrow then gas on Wed. or Thurs. and a campout Fri. or Sat. The only thing that is hard now is the teamwork aspect. All the hood boys are getting restless. Fights break out a lot and are only stopped within an inch of blows... Tell everyone that I miss them and that I'm ok. It is hard but I m not giving up.

So in all, Pete is doing well. He is set to graduate on Oct. 30, so he has about 7 weeks left. If you want to follow the battalion he is in you can do so here. I'll keep letting you know how he's doing.

And for those of you who have been asking how I'm doing. I really am ok. School keeps me super busy, and I just had my doctoral defense on wednesday which I PASSED!! so... I can now focus on all my classes and assignments I have been neglecting. sigh...

Reasons to Love Washington 2

While in WA we went up to Sequim for the annual Lavender Festival. Sequim is the lavender capital of North America so obviously I had to check it out. Plus, that's where Pete had proposed to me so I wanted to go back. This is what we found.

One of the lavender farms

Apparently even the dogs go all out

Side detour to where Pete took me to eat after he proposed, only then it was night and the moonlight was over the water, but the food is incredible.

We also went up to the Olympic Game Farm which has lots of animals that you can feed bread to. It's pretty fun, and for being a fairly small area you get to see a lot. We seriously thought our car at one point would be tipped over by some of the buffalo. One of them kept sticking his long gooey tongue in the car searching for food. We tried rolling up the windows, but he would stick his tongue in there at the last moment. We had buffalo drool all over the car by the end. Here are some of our favorites.

This one would not leave us alone. He was HUGE!

Simple Lesson

"A dog has no use for fancy cars or big homes or designer clothes. Status symbol means nothing to him. A waterlogged stick will do just fine. A dog judges others not by their color or creed or class but by who they are inside. A dog doesn't care if you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his. (How many people can you say that about? How many people can make you feel rare and pure and special? How many people can make you feel extraordinary?) It was really quite simple, and yet we humans, so much wiser and more sophisticated, have always had trouble figuring out what really counts and what does not. As I wrote that farewell column to Marley, I realized it was all right there in front of us, if only we opened our eyes. Sometimes it took a dog with bad breath, worse manners, and pure intentions to help us see."
— John Grogan

I just watched "Marley and Me" for the first time tonight and was drawn in by the quote above. Isn't it sad that we get so caught up in what society tells us is acceptable, trendy, or normal that we are blinded by our own judgements? Today I went to two family functions, one on my side and the other on Pete's. They were two polarized experiences. I felt completely wanted and accepted at one while the other one felt slightly distant and impersonal. Maybe it was my perception but I hope that our family will always be one where people feel loved, welcome and will want to stay to play games, talk, and spend time with one another.

I have been ruminating the last few days about relationships. Whether it be acquaintances, friends, family, or significant others we all hunger for human connection. Since lacking communication with Pete I have turned to other sources to fill the void of daily bonding. I have cried at blog accounts of personal loss, tried to set up "lunch dates" with people I haven't seen in a while, even started some sewing and quilting projects so I could spend time with people who are talented in that area. The more I search for external love, support and validation the more I am drawn to Pete's strengths.
I have often lamented the fact that I don't have a so-called "best friend." Someone to call when you just need to vent, someone who laughs at your random idiosyncrasies, a shoulder to cry on for hard days, a person that will kick your butt for not meeting your gym goal of the week but encourages you to do better, or someone who simply drops by to say hi. Growing up I was practically "tied at the hip" with one friend or another. I even remember being frustrated that my high school bff dating someone took time away from me. But things changed, and since high school I missed having that friend. It wasn't until this week that I realized that I have had that companionship for the last three years, I really did marry my best friend. Sorry for the extra side of cheese, but I find it slightly ironic that Pete had to leave for a long period of time in order for me to see clearly. I do have some amazing friends who are there when I need them but no one can really take the place of my husband. So until I get my real bff back I will continue to develop my other relationships.

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Today Is The Day

this is it.
Pete called last night for the last time for 9 weeks, he is going into "Red Phase" of BCT which is pretty much what you think of when you here Army Boot Camp. Yelling, Swearing, Fighting, Sweating, Running, Push-ups, Gas Chamber, Crawling through mud, Obstacle Course, more screaming, more swearing, more push-ups. you know, the fun stuff.
We are back to the lost art of love letters. Please bless I get one within the next month. I know he can do it, it'll be tough but he can do tough, I can do tough.
It's time to be fully invested ARMY STRONG.

Today is one of those days

I wake up with my stuffed bunny in my arms and your side of the bed empty and cold. I notice only one toothbrush in the holder. I didn't have anyone rushing me to get out the door for church or helping me pick out the right jewelry and shoes. I sat by myself during sacrament admiring all the couples around me and wishing I could join them. During sunday school someone came to sit by me so we could be single together. I went on a walk to soak up the warmth and charm of the neighborhood but I couldn't share it with anyone. Eating was only for one today, and no I still haven't finished the watermelon. Tonight I will look at the moon and think of God blessing the someone that I'd like to see and fall asleep with my bunny close by.

I simply miss you.

Birthday Surprise

Yes, my birthday was over a month ago, but I'm a slow blogger.

I had been planning on riding the STP (seattle to portland) ride and had wanted Pete to do it with me even though it was on my birthday weekend. Pete told me he'd rent a bike and then we'd drive up to seattle and do as much as we wanted to. So at @5 am I begrudgingly roll out of bed get things packed (and pete says, get some other clothes in there too in case we stay down in vancouver) and we were out the door by 5:20. We loaded my bike up and hop in the car and Pete tells me we have to go pick up his bike rental. I'm thinking, what shop is open this early in the morning?? I thought Utahans were crazy early risers but maybe Washington is just more coffee-driven.

We start heading towards Tacoma (opposite of seattle) but I didn't think much of it until we started crossing the Tacoma Narrows bridge. What?? this was waaay off course, and the race started at 7:30. Skeptically I asked Pete why he was navigating so far from the destination to which he smiled and slyly told me to look in the top pocket of the backpack. I ripped open the zipper and found a definite surprise. Our passports! a ferry pass, and reservations for a night at a 4-star hotel in Victoria, BC!! I was shocked! Pete had pulled off an amazing surprise without really giving any hints. He's getting so much better at that.

We took the scenic drive to Port Angeles where we boarded the Coho ferry over to Victoria. (Victoria is so proud of the coho, it's practically on every postcard of the city).

The ride over was beautiful and it was a perfect day to be out on the water. We arrived at the port fairly early so we had the whole day ahead of us. We checked into the hotel and then rented a bike for Pete so we could go explore. We spent most of the day biking around the quaint little city and got to see beautiful landscapes of the ocean, rolling hills, back-wooded country and some gynormous houses.

This one is for my friend Lily: (it was a clothes store)

Afterward we went to dinner at the Tapa Bar, located on a small cobblestone side street in the middle of the city. It had incredible food! but no worries we still had room for gelato at a place that had 64 flavors. needless to say, we were there for a while :) We spent the rest of the

evening near the port walking through markets, watching fire dancers, street performers, and listening to reggae sounds of the Caribbean. We stayed to enjoy the sunset before returning back to the hotel. It was the best birthday ever. Thanks babe!

Although we didn't have any cake or ice cream, at work the day before my CI thought it would be a perfect time to splurge and get an ice cream cake from Cold Stone. the ice cream even had sprinkles in it! it was awesome. So, even though i feel old, it was a fantabulous birthday.