We're Halfway There!!

We are halfway! After a week full of more tests and inspections Will has finally made it past week 6 in OCS.  After rolling in the beginning and passing the RLP by the skin of his teeth, I am so happy that he was able to pass two exams and an inspection this week without everyone losing their mind from stress!  Luckily the Personnel Inspection was pretty different than the RLP.  They were simply getting their uniforms inspected to make sure they were perfect while also being verbally quizzed on their knowledge.  There was much less margin for error but it sounded like a much less stressful few minutes.  He was also happy to report that everyone in his company ended up passing the 6 week inspection!! 

Inspection was on Tuesday and was followed by two rollable exams Thursday and Friday.  One was on Naval History and the other on Naval Orientation.   He passed both of those with a 92 and 94.  I woke up to a message Friday morning at 9 to a message saying he had passed his test and was pinned as Senior Officer Candidate by 7:55, they sure don’t waste any time up there!  As a Senior Officer Candidate they will be able to talk during chow hall and don't have to do ALL of the chow hall procedures! It’s the little things! There is nothing like a successful week of tests to boost the spirits of these men and women though!

After 3 weeks of putting it off and watching fellow LO’s post pictures of their Candio Boxes I figured what better time to start than now!  I am way behind according to most, but until 6 week inspection was behind us, my nerves would win and keep me from starting Wills goody box. 

Side Note: A “Candio Box” is a care package filled with goodies that our Los are allowed to get when they have started the phase of Candidate Officer.  This happens after they pass a series of tests and inspections during “Hell Week” which will be in just two short weeks! It is a fun tradition for LO’s to decorate the inside of the box and make it a personal and fun thing for everyone!

Before Will went to OCS I mentioned what he would want in his Candio Box when the time came and I assumed a lot of cookies(Will is the cookie monster, I cannot keep them in my house) .  He quickly said “no thanks, I want to diet while I am in there and be in the best shape possible”…… womp womp.  After about 4 weeks of doing nothing but running and working out as OCS I spoke to him on the phone and told him I would be sure to leave unhealthy food out of his box when week 8 rolled around.  He replied, “No, give me all the cookies!!”  What a relief to know my cookie monster is still there!  I will be filling that box to the brim with cookies and candy and any other junk I can find, what a perfect job for a girl 32 weeks pregnant! Stay tuned for updates of Wills Candio Box!

Little man and I have spent the week recovering from our trip to Memphis last weekend celebrating our sweet friends getting married!  It was a 5 day whirlwind to say the least but it was filled with so much fun and sweet times!  Few things make you feel as warm and fuzzy inside as seeing such two dear friends get married and to be a part of such a special day.  I was honored to be the token round bridesmaid with my ring bearer date by my side; we were a sight for sore eyes!  Will made a very handsome ring bearer and decided to be so well behaved and silly as soon as the ceremony ended!  In toddler fashion, he escorted me down the isle and proceeded to squeal which led to him hanging out in the lobby with our very helpful friend. 

Somehow I happened to end up with the sweaty shirtless guy who wouldn’t stop dancing.  He did not much appreciate the band taking any breaks!  We had an absolute ball!  We got to see so many people we have missed over these past two months and celebrate my sweet boy becoming a two year old!! It was such a precious time! 

We have missed our Memphis friends SO much, it was such a treat to celebrate little mans Birthday with his best buddies! Thank you for the big brother practice Georgia!

We are now back enjoying the Memorial Day weekend with a new sense of appreciation for those who serve and protect our country.  I would have never guessed my husband would be in that group of men and women but I could not be more proud.  This weekend we are able to celebrate those who have given so much for their country!  

                           

                           

RLP and Redneck Resorts

My small hiatus from the blogging scene has been due to RLP week.  I am pretty confident that the stress from this past week took days off my life.  Through my research online I completely underestimated the amount of anxiety that would come from the ups and downs of one rollable test in OCS.  I have mentioned this before that RLP stands for Room Locker and Personnel inspection, which doesn't sound all that bad right?  Wrongo!  This test includes the inspection while our LOs are doing pushups and sit ups and answering any question(screaming) that the DI comes up with while looking through every nook and cranny of their room.  Dust bunny, point.  Lint on shirt, point.  String on tag of shirt, point.  They go on looking for any ounce of their room that may be out of place and to pass you need an 80.  It was described as 5-10 minutes of hell.  Needless to say the days leading up to RLP had not only Will and all of his classmates stressed beyond belief but all of their loved ones on the other side in a state of terror that they will get that dreaded phone call.  The good news was that even if they initially failed when they took it on Thursday morning, they would have a chance for rein spection Friday morning. 

I spent all of Wednesday night and Thursday morning praying like crazy, I felt like I was in a constant state of talking to God begging to let Will pass this test while also trying to prepare for the worst.  Thursday morning came and went and I couldn't help from checking my phone every three minutes.  After what felt like 5 days, by the end of Thursday night I found out that 31 of 70 people failed the RLP and Will was one of them.  He missed it by two points, he sounded defeated at first but then put on his big boy pants and trudged forward knowing what he needed to accomplish the next day.  For me this just amplified the stress and made the process that much longer.  I went to bed knowing that Friday would either be a celebration or it would be a day of regrouping and preparing for an additional 3 weeks in OCS for Will.

Friday morning I must have been asked "are you okay" about 20 times, while I thought I was keeping my cool, I apparently was pacing like a crazy person and looked like I was about to self combust.  All pretty accurate.  I had resorted to the fact that I would probably be waiting until that night to see if I got a phone call or not, more than ever "no news was good news" sort of…. By around 9:30 I all of a sudden was face to face with an email saying "I PASSED!!!!!" I don't think I could even get a word out for a solid minute because I was so in shock!!  Thank you Lord!!

He did it, it wasn't pretty and it was by the hairs of his chinny chin chin but he passed!! He is now an Officer Candidate and is finally moving on to the next phase of OCS!!  This means he is that much closer to graduation and he is able to email now which makes everything so much better!!  I really couldn't have asked for a better anniversary gift!!

                               

Somehow in the midst of all of this craziness I was greeted by these stunning roses on our anniversary, that man is something else!!

While it was a day of celebration for us and many others, there were some who did not pass at the reinspection and ended up rolling to H Class. While there ended up being so much purpose in it, it still completely sucked getting that news.  In preparing for OCS I wrote a bunch of bible verse on colored cards to send out to Will the first week.  They were any verse that I found encouraging or might speak to Will while he was in his first week (I think I might have just googled encouraging Bible verses haha).  On one of these cards there was a certain verse that Will said he clung to when he rolled after failing Fast Cruise and said that is what he would meditate on when he was feeling defeated.  Then when Will was joined by another classmate in H Class after failing the RLP, he was able to give him that same verse card and they became close and really encouraged each other in their faith during H Class.  Then this week after the RLP when another one of his classmates rolled, he again was able to pass along the verse in the hope of it bringing him a little peace as well.  I am not at all trying to toot my own horn for writing that verse, because I still do not know which one it is! Haha I am just so thankful that God used something as simple as a little note for my husband to be a means for him to encourage those around him that are going through the tough days he has been through.  There will be many tough days ahead for many of these men and women but to see Will growing in his faith because of this time, blesses me beyond measure.

I am happy to announce that week 7 is a bit of a break for our sailors, and is even referred to as Disney week!  I am sleeping better knowing that Will is able to recover a bit from last week!!

After a weekend of stress and thankfulness for the sweet outcome, Little Will, my sisters and myself took a getaway vacation to the middle of nowhere for some R&R! My grandmother lives on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and while the nearest Walmart is 30 minutes away her back yard is perfect for any little person looking to get dirty and burn off some steam!!

Trips to Eyce's (prounounced Reeses without the R) would always consist of crabbing off the dock, swimming, tubing, moped rides and lots of eating!! At the very least with the bad phone service it is the perfect spot to get away from the real world for a little bit and appreciate Gods beautiful creations!!

Will referred to as "The Boy" by Eyce had a blast driving my grandfathers old Thunderbird!!

We have so much to be thankful for this week and are praising Jesus for all of the sweet memories being made and all the favor He continues to show us.  As always, thank y'all so much for your prayers and constant support!! Go Navy!!