Hyrum's First Phone call from Booty camp!

I was very surprised to receive a call today.  Especially because I hadn't received any letters this week.  I didn't recognize his voice at first because he's had a bad cold for about a week.  He sounded very raspy.  Other than the husky voice he sounded pretty up beat.  He said that he's passed all his tests so far.  He's in a special 900 division.  He said that they were all specially screened and selected to be in that certain division.  I guess they all had high asvab scores or something.  So, they get all the staff work.  I guess that means they do the paper work and managerial stuff.  He also has the job of "side boy" at graduations.  They happen every Friday. He'll even be a side boy at his own graduation.  so I won't get to see him much after the opening ceremony.  From what I understood a Side Boy is a guy that salutes the Admiral or honored guest as they enter the room.  Then the go off to the side and watch for fainting sailors.  I guess alot of them faint from having to stand so long at attention.  He will be wearing dress whites for graduation and because Hyrum is a  side boy he'll also be wearing some kind of yellow ascot thing.  I'm not sure how to explain it.  Anyway,  the funniest thing he told me was what the RDC's (drill instructors) say to the guys.  The call them clown d*cks.  lol!  He said that was one of the more funnier things they say.  When he first got their he was up for 40+ hours and he had 4 RDC's yelling at him at once.  His head is shaved and he said he looks like a 40 year old man in his ID picture because he was so tired.  He's gotten to go to church a couple times.  They gave him his military scriptures.  He even has some recruits going with him to church so they can get a break on Sundays. lol.  He says most of the time they are doing academics and studying.  His graduation date is August 21st 2009. 

California Trip

Our trip was really fun.  We took the kids to Disney and the zoo.  Drake loved Disney, but I think it was a little overwhelming.  He wanted to do everything and didn't quite get the concept of waiting in line.  He didn't get scared at anything.  He was even cool on snow white.  That ride always made me jump a little.  He really liked the beach.  He got to play around with his older cousins Leonard and Kira.  We stayed at the motel 6 because everything was booked up when we got to Carlsbad.  I didn't care.  The good thing about rooms out west is that they aren't wet feeling when you first get there.  I got to go to Six Flags in LA with my cousins.  That was alot of fun.  I haven't ridden a real good coaster in ages.  There was TONS of them this time.  Some of the top scariest i've ever been on.  I almost cried on the way up on one of them.  It's called Tatsu.  You do the whole ride on your stomach. Tracker stayed with a family here in Texas for the week.  They only speak Spanish.  They say she's picked it up pretty well.  So now I have a Spanish speaking beagle.  haha.

I got 3 letters from Hyrum so far.  He's doing well at boot camp.  So far he hasn't got caught laughing when he's not supposed to.  He's sneaky about it.  His graduation will be on the 21st of August.  He's in some kind of special 900 division.  I'm not exactly sure what that means.  He just said they get to do the staff (office) work.  I guess it's because he has a degree already.  He's also got a job being a "side boy" at graduations.  I guess he holds the door open for the Admiral and watches for sailors that pass out during graduation.  He seems to be excited about that.  He's got 6 weeks left.  He's already been there 3 weeks.  He said he's getting really good at folding laundry.  He said he cleans better than Forrest & Bubba Gump.  He said if he didn't all hell would break loose. That's good news for me!  Hopefully that will stick.  He also asked me if i'd ever had a shot of penecillan in the butt because his hurt REALLY bad for days.  He forgets that I got 2 shots worse than that in the butt when I was in the hospital recently after Lou Lou was born. haha.  I guess you don't remember things like that unless it happens to you personally.  Well, the score might be a little closer to even between us once he gets out of boot camp.  I know how sucky it can get. No sleep, pain, fatigue, no privacy, someone screaming at you, demands that you feel like you can't meet.  Sounds like a quick eight week course in motherhood for him.  Is it wrong to chuckle about that? :-)