Week 5

This has been the most uneventful week thus far but it shouldnt be discredited as a pointless part of the journey.  I wanted to touch on the fact that for LOs, this OCS process is just about the biggest lessons in patience (apart from parenting) that one could ever experience.  Its one big ole waiting game. Some days there are letters, some days there are phonecalls and some days there is just silence.  The good news is, each day is a day closer to graduation! In one of Will's letters he said one of his buddies gave him a good quote to hang on to about OCS:

               "It could be worse, it doesn't last forever, it continues to get shorter"

Even though there hasnt been to much to report this week it has been ever so filled with sweet days.  I have really enjoyed getting into a bit of a routine, experiencing another baby kick around in my belly and trying to figure out the world of a toddler.  Just documenting life so that Will does miss anything is a task in and of itself.  I feel like I start out every letter to Will saying " today wasnt too exciting but it was super sweet".  Then I go into my typical rambling about nothing as if Will and I were chatting on the couch.

My biggest goal and prayer for the past five weeks have been to have some sort of purpose for the day, which can be a challenge for any stay at home mom, let alone one whos husband is away.  Whether it be the Zoo or the park for the 50th time each day is so much sweeter when we have something going on to get out of the house, espcially when the weather is slowly getting more enjoyable.  

How is it possible we almost have a two year old?? 

In reading through Proverbs the other day and going through a study called Wife School(which is amazing btw) I keep thinking I am exempt from being able to practice these disciplines in building up my husband and supporting him while he is away.  For the first few weeks I would read and think that I will just start taking it all on when he gets back.  Obviously there are some ways that I am limited in being there for him but as I came across Proverbs 31, it dawned on me that I am called to be that wife no matter the distance, and need to be renewing my mind on what God has for me as a wife starting today!  

I mean, who doesn't want to be this girl??

  It has been so rewarding to stay diligent in writing Will every day and know that even though we cant talk every day or even every other day, I can give him some sort of encouragement and be pouring out into him through letters.  Making time to write is always tough but Will has said that even if it is just a paragraph, getting a letter in the mail is like Christmas.  It is my biggest motivation to just keep writing, what I write on Tuesday might be exactly what he needs to hear on Friday.  You can never underestimate the importance of encouragement for those who are in there.  

I was able to drive my sister and her mother-in-law to the airport in Philadelphia last week and my sweet Mama kept little man so I could lose my mind in some retail therapy.  The nearest mall and Target is 45 minutes away so any shopping trip has to be very intentional, my bank account has been very thankful.  I finally broke down and got the ever-so-popular Bob Jogging Stroller in the hopes of getting out and walking more and keeping my ever growing self somewhat fit.  I almost choked checking out but it has been worth every penny!  Its a dream to push and I have been able to get out for a long walk with my buddy almost every day since I got it!! LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

I also scored this sweet stationary set for my Popeye!! While I type most of my letters I will usually send him a cute little note with a verse on it from my quiet time that day to change it up a little!! These little guys were too cute to pass by especially when my days of tearing through Target are few and far between. 

As I post this Will is just finishing "Fast Cruise" for the second time.  This is the test that cause him to roll back three weeks ago, and what he has been preparing for in H Class.  It is essentially an over the top, yelling screaming and stressful workout from hell, but we have been praying all week that God gives him the strength to conquer this challenge.  Today, along with many other LOs, I will try to stay busy, keeping my mind from worrying about my sailor and desperately hoping to not get a phone call today!  No matter the outcome, we know that there is such purpose in all that has happened and will happen and are going to chose to thank God for his sovereignty at every turn!!

Thank you so much to everyone who has written Will and has reached out to us! All the prayers and encouragement have always come at just the right minute and we are SO grateful!

H Class and Abbreviations

I totally underestimated how much of an emotional roller coaster this OCS process would be.  One day nothing is getting me down, I get an upbeat letter from Will and just feel so encouraged that we WILL get through this!  The next day could entail being mad at everyone and thinking that July is in fact three centuries away and there is no way possible that I will live to see that day.  I also have to give credit where credit is due, so thanks progesterone, for heightening any bit of emotion any normal wife would have going through this process. Fortunately there are many more happy days than sad!

One resource that I hadn't discovered until after Will was away was the friends and family support groups on Facebook.  There seems to be one for every class and without this group, I would be a lost puppy just stalking the mail man.  I can go there and see if anyone else has heard from their LOs (loved ones), read posts of encouragement and be able to encourage others having a bad hour or day or even week.  For anyone who's spouse is about to go to OCS: If you do nothing else to prepare or help yourself during this time, FIND ONE OF THESE GROUPS!! The group I have joined also had tons of files on OCS about graduation, mail etiquette, week by week time lines as well as lists of abbreviations for all of this crazy new lingo we are supposed to know.  

For the sake of keeping y'all up to date on Wills endeavors in Newport I thought a brief lesson on some of these crazy abbreviations might help! Most of these are straight from one of the files that I found on the FB group, and I may or may not have added a few that I found comical or necessary.  

OCS= Officer Candidate School

LO =Loved One

DI =Drill Instructor

H =Holding. Where LO who got rolled goes until they are added to a new class.

Rolled = Held back to join a different class later. Can be illness, failing a test/inspection, physical fitness or a not so obvious reason.

PT =Physical Training

PFA=Physical Fitness Assessment. Three are required (In, Mid, and Out)

RLP =Room, Locker, Personnel Inspection. Very big hurdle to jump. Very precise inspection that will never make sense to the rest of us.

BCG= Birth Control Glasses. Within the first week at OCS, those who wear glasses are given a more sturdy and robust pair for the remainder of OCS.  From the name Im sure you can imagine how great my blind as a bat husband is looking right now. Hehe

ORLP= Officer Room Locker Personnel Inspection. Focuses on gouge and uniform during week 6.

PI=Personnel Inspection. Week 8. Focuses on uniform.

PIR =Pass in Review. Parading at GRADUATION! A very big deal. And a major tearjerker.  

OC =Officer Candidate

CO =Candidate Officers. Next advancement after OC

Candio =CO

PP- Pity Party.  An event experienced by loved one not at OCS.  May last anywhere from 5 minutes to 24 hours and consist of movies, tears and junk food of any sort. 

Will has also talked about Chow Hall Procedure, which sounded pretty strange to be completely honest, and then I was introduced to this video.  It is just as strange as I had imagined, but is what they do three times a day during their first nine weeks at OCS.  Lets just say I thought twice about sitting down and inhaling my dinner that night.  While it looks absolutely miserable it is always interesting to get a real look at some of the procedures they have to go through at OCS.  This video is definitely worth watching and I am anticipating Chow Hall is going to make for some interesting date nights when Will gets out! 

Since the doom and gloom phone call a week and a half ago, both Will and I have been able to really pray and see the purpose in his time in H Class.  He has overall had more down time and gotten somewhat of a break to be still and actually learn all the things that have been screamed at him the past 3 weeks.  Even when I heard from him early this week his spirits seemed SO much better than the voice I had heard two Fridays ago.  He said one of the biggest helps has been me sending pictures! 

Some nights when I have gotten a call from Will, little Will has been able to get on the phone and can I tell you my heart wants to explode when I see the that little face light up when he hears his Daddy's voice.  The entire time his ear is to the phone he repeats "DA DA DA", I think we would both agree it is the highlight of our evening!

The civilized way to eat a blueberry

Life in New Jersey for little man and myself has been pretty uneventful besides our frequent trips to the park on any day it isn't raining.  We are used to the increasingly warmer weather in Memphis this time of year, but we still feel like we are in an arctic Tundra most days.  We are hoping that May is going to come with many flowers because the April showers have been plentiful!  I can't say that I have hated some rainy days in jammies being lazy watching countless episodes of "Mo"(Elmo).  

We were able to go watch my cousins lacrosse match on Easter in Philly and visit with our sweet Maryland family!  I really thought I took many things seriously in life until I watched a James Madison Womens Lacrosse match!! Woah this sport is not for the faint of heart but so fun to watch.  Will had a big time running up and down the ramps and dancing to the time out music!

The blonde to the left with legs for days…Yes.  That would be my amazing cousin! 

Tomorrow is a big day for Big Will in that he will be joining the new class that came in this past Sunday (4.12)  this means we are one step closer to the end with more tests and challenges but I have no doubt God will sustain him and give him exactly what he needs to do well!  Lots of prayers for my sailor man!!

Thanks always for everyones prayers and encouragement!!

  

  

"No News is Good News"

Let me preface this post by saying, I hope these postings do not come off as sad or depressing.  That is not my intent and I know many people and couples endure much harder and trying times than my family and I are facing now.  However, my hope is that someone in my shoes can find some comfort in reading this blog.  

With that being said, I got the dreaded phone call Friday night…  Over the past two weeks I have discovered a support group on Facebook for friends and family of the class that Will is in at OCS.  It was started by two moms of men that were rolled back into H-Class after not passing their RLP test (hold tight ill explain what those are).  This group has been such a relief to my worrisome mind, through instantly finding a group of parents and spouses who are in the same boat as me.  There will be posts of when mail is received or when someone receives a phone call.  Up till this point I have been repeating the motto "no news is good news" despite the fact that I have been desperate for a phone call.  Friday was a big test called Fast Cruise that involves a ton of running around with heavy sea bags and all kinds of works outs.  I am not exactly sure what else they are tested on but I know it is grueling and Wills class has had a tough time of it being given such a tough DI(Drill Instructor).  

Quick Explanation:

For those(probably most) of you who don't know when someone enters OCS there is always a chance at just about every point that someone can "roll back".  What does this mean?? It essentially means that the officers in charge of their class find that they haven't passed a certain test or performed any part of their tasks correctly.  Test points like Fast Cruise are big target areas for them to roll back.  When this happens to someone, they go into a place called H Class.  It varies in time but it essentially means they get pushed back 3 weeks.  It can happen in the first second or third month of OCS and it is what everyone in OCS tries to avoid.  This time spent in H Class consists of lots of PT and studying, and I have heard that it is a chance for them to really get ahead of the game in training.  

I bet you can guess at this point what kind of phone call I received Friday night.  Yes, Will did not pass Fast Cruise and has rolled into H Class.  He was one of five(that I know of) that this happened to.  I am not going to lie, he sounded pretty broken and upset.  Can you blame him? He just spent the last two weeks getting his butt handed to him and is now essentially having to start over.  While this sounds super depressing that is not my purpose in writing this.  Will is most definitely bummed but the crazy guy was so upset and worried about Wilbur and I?! What?? Yes he was worried about leaving us for another 3 weeks!! I set him straight very quickly and assured him that while we miss him like crazy, we are perfectly fine!  He further explained that usually people in H Class end up as leaders in their next class, and are given the time to recharge and focus on PT and perfecting what they have learned thus far.  He said he will also have more time to write and possibly call, and it will overall be somewhat of a break for him(hopefully).  

Nevertheless, this is a setback for everything, including Graduation.  He was initially supposed to graduate June 12 and now it looks like July3.  Yes, we are still supposed to have a baby July 22, so that might get a little close towards the end.  I do know that God is in control of all of this and that is where we are choosing to hang out.  I don't know how the rest of OCS will be for Will but I do know that all of us can rest in Gods promise that he will not leave any of us in the wilderness.  His grace is sufficient and will carry us through the process.

What a better weekend to remind us of our gift of salvation through Jesus Christ!  We can choose to be muddled in the circumstance of today, or to rejoice in the promise of eternity with out Lord and Savior! His death and resurrection are such proof of his powerful love for all of us and if we can rest in that we will find comfort beyond all understanding.  I am so grateful that I get to spend eternity with my favorite sailor because of the price Jesus paid for all of us, so what is 12 or 15 weeks in the big scheme of things?? NOTHING  How reassuring to know that He promises so clearly that He is with us ALWAYS, till the very end!

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 

20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

  Matthew 28:18-20

Thank you so much for all of your prayers and encouragement.  We are so blessed to have such an amazing support system!!

HAPPY EASTER YALL!! HE IS RISEN!!

Anyone recognize a very tall, handsome bald guy with glasses in that picture?? I had to do some major FB stalking to find this!

P.S.  For those of you who emailed me for Wills address or any of you wanting to write him; his address has changed a little now that he is in H Class so email me and I can give you the new one.  More than ever, words of encouragement would mean so much to him!