strength & courage

I received two letters on Friday and both were amazing to read. One in particular reminded me that our soldiers are strong and courageous. Take a look:

*Tory is not pictured here

"Today was the infamous gas chamber day. We did PT, ate chow (they told us to drink milk because they wanted to see us puke, but I didn't fall for that one) and took a bus out to the chambers. To be honest, I was pretty scared. The whole not being able to breathe thing really freaks me out. We were the last platoon to go in so I had plenty of time to psych myself out about it. By the time the last group goes in there is the highest concentration of CS gas in the room too."

"Our whole platoon filled in half on each wall and you can still breathe with the mask on, but you can feel all your skin start to burn. They came up to each one of us and had us break the seal on our mask and say our last name and social security number, then reseal the mask, then clear the mask to get the gas out. I was scared it wouldn't work and I would have a mask sealed against my face with gas in it but I was able to clear it properly. Then they had us take off our masks completely and breathe in the gas which is when everyone starts freaking out. The tricky part is that you have to keep your rifle between your legs with your helmet balanced on top. You then have to put your helmet on and endure the burning lungs and eyes until they let you out. The whole time I was just telling myself to keep my composure and not panic but I was close to freaking out by the time that exit door opened. If you screw anything up, like drop your helmet or mask, or don't put your chinstrap on straight, or don't exit with your mask in your left hand and the rifle extended in your right, you have to go in again."

"Thankfully I did it correctly and just did it once. Some people had to do it 3 times which would be awful. It wasn't SO bad but I wouldn't want to do it again. It does clear your sinuses though."

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

Keep you posted!

Love always, Lynette

army strong

Dropping Tory off

Tory has begun his basic training adventure and I have received 4 letters describing his time there. He left September 7th at 8am. I dropped him off at the Rosemount Armory and they took him to the airport. His flight left at 1pm. Once he got to Atlanta he waited in the airport until a bus arrived to take him the 2 hours to Fort Benning. Once he got to Fort Benning he began his time in reception. Reception is a holding place for the soldiers while they process their paperwork, give them the necessary medical examinations, and sort them into platoons for basic training.

"We finally got into Fort Benning last night at about 11:30 and after a bunch of paperwork and briefings we didn't get to bed until 3am. I got maybe 15 minutes of sleep before we had to wake up at 4am. I basically haven't slept for two days, which has made today tough. Reception is mostly a lot of paperwork, standing in formation, and being called f-ing idiots by the Drill Sergeants all day. Just a preview of the real Drill Sergeants when we ship down range, I'm sure. We had to get a bunch of shots today and we bought a bunch of stuff at the PX (the store)."

"The food is mediocre. We get 5 minutes to eat, which is plenty of time because we haven't been physically training so I haven't been that hungry. They don't really care if you eat, only that you finish 2 glasses of liquid so we basically chug those. Chugging a glass of milk at 5 in the morning feels pretty gross."

"I had my first fireguard shirt last night which consists of waking up for an hour and patrolling the barracks and taking a head count and making sure not to fall asleep or the Drill Sergeant will make everyone get up. My shift was from 2200-2300 (10-11) so it wasn't bad because I could sleep for awhile afterward. I'm not looking forward to having fireguard duty at 0200 or 0300. Someone always has to be up so you just wake up they next people 10 minutes before your shift is over."

This week I finally received some mail from his time out of reception and in basic training. He arrived there on Friday, September 16th. His letters are short, since they don't have any personal time yet. It was so good to hear about what's keeping him so busy. Check it out:

"I finally have time to write. We just completed day 5 of BCT and it's getting better already. I am assigned to 2-19 Infantry Delta Company. Our company has about 250 soldiers total. I'm in the 3rd platoon, which is 57 soldiers. We're called the Commandos. It has been rough trying to get a whole platoon of guys from all over the place on the same page, but if I've learned anything so far it's teamwork. We all work together or we get lit up by the DS (Drill Sergeants). Our Drill Sergeants are awesome. I honestly think we got the best ones in the company. They have a wealth of knowledge and combat experience and I'm excited for how much we'll learn from them. They are extremely hard on us and they demand things be done right."

A short recap:
Day 1) "Got off the bus with DS screaming everywhere just like you'd think. We have our big duffel bags over our back and another bag that we had to hold over our heads while we ran up a hill. We didn't get there fast enough (which was impossible) so we have to go back down and run back up. We did this 4 times before they let us stay at the top of the hill. We were supposed to keep the bag over our head, but nobody could do it by the end. Then we went up to our bay and proceeded to get smoked (aka corrective punishment) for the next hour or so. The rest of the day was mostly briefings and getting smoked."

Day 2) "We were issued our weapons. I'm a proud owner of a M4 Carbine rifle. It goes everywhere with me except the bathroom and chow (cafeteria)."

"Our schedule for the last few days has been PT (physical training) in the morning, chow, some sort of class, other instructional training, more chow and that's kind of how it goes. In between we get smoked a lot. I've already sweat through just about every piece of clothing I have, but since we haven't had any personal time nobody has done laundry so we smell pretty bad."

"Tomorrow we go into the gas chamber which I'm nervous for. We were issued our gas masks today and I feel like I'm in WWI wearing it. It will be painful I'm sure, but over with quickly. We wear our mask in there to get comfortable with our equipment and then we have to break the seal and stay in there for awhile and breathe it in. Should be fun..."

I will continue trying to pull the good stuff from his letters and sharing them with you. I'm so proud of him & I can't wait to have him home. His graduation is December 15th at Fort Benning and he will be coming home that day. :) He'll be home for Christmas... God is good!

Love always, Lynette

one blessing after another

We're back from Chicago and it was wonderful! We started our trip with lots of site seeing by foot. The weather was beautiful and there's so much to see. Live music on the street corners, statues, water fountains, gardens, great people watching and lots of good food!

We stopped at "The Bean"... along with dozens of other tourists.

We went to Westside Story at Cadillac Palace. It was a great show and a lot of fun!

Navy Pier

We also went on a horse and carriage ride around the city at night. This was so romantic since Navy Pier has fireworks at night and we got to ride right past them.

I feel blessed to have spent the weekend getting some QT with the hubby. With his adventure to Fort Benning only a month away, the time we spent in Chicago feels EXTRA blessed.

From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. John 1:16

Sincerely,
Lynette

to have and to hold

Happy anniversary, Tory! Thank you for being my best friend in good times and in bad. Thank you for always being there for me and for working so hard to build our life together. You are my everything. XoXo

My favorite reason for being married is to grow and learn with my best friend. Through all of life's ups and downs, we stick together no matter what. And by the grace of God, we are not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and as no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

We will be celebrating 2 years in Chi-town tomorrow through the weekend! See you when we get back! :)
-Lynette :)

victorious living

It's been awhile since we've updated our blog. The last couple of months have been busy. Tory started his drills- it's true what they say about men in uniform :) Although the time commitment has made planning for the summer a challenge, God continues to bless us. It has become more apparent to me than ever before that God has placed the most amazing girl friends and mentors in my life to keep me company and walk with me as I embrace change.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

On May 10th Tory turned 25 and we went on our sky diving adventure. If you haven't done it... DO IT! It was so much fun. It took about 15 minutes to reach the jumping altitude of 15,000 feet, but you drop at a rate of about 1,000 feet every six seconds. Unfortunately, I can't put our videos on the web because I don't have a dvd burner. When I get one, I'll be sure to share the videos with you.

Tory was the first to jump!

Free falling!

My turn :)

So awesome!

Thank you to those of you who have been praying for me as I interview for positions for next year. I have been offered a position at Cedar Park once again, which has eliminated a lot of stress and anxiety. I hope to sign my tenure contract early next week. I will continue teaching 3rd grade, which I have really loved the past two years. I am so blessed to have a job that I love. My passion for teaching children becomes stronger each year and I can't wait for what's to come. God is good.

Waving good-bye on the last day of school

Love, Lynette

But he said to them "It is I, do not be afraid." John 6: 20

take love & multiply it by infinity

"Take love, multiply it by infinity and take it to the depths of forever...
and you still have only a glimpse of how I feel for you."

This vacation was just what we needed. We have arrived home tired, sunburned, refreshed, and happy. The only thing better than sipping pina coladas with colorful umbrellas under the sun... is doing so with your best friend.


Before we left on our cruise (Carnival Inspiration), we spent two days with my aunt and uncle in Tampa. It was so good to spend time with family. Thank you Titi Melba and Tio Julio for hosting us for a couple days and for making our trip even more special.

(Since we were in Tampa, we HAD to hit up Busch Gardens.)

Our cruise left from Tampa and stopped in Grand Cayman and Cozumel. In Grand Cayman we took a bus tour and stopped in Hell, a rum factory, and the beach. We walked around town with coconuts in hand.

(That's my devil face. Scary, huh?!)

The highlight of our trip was definitely swimming with the dolphins in Cozumel. We were in the water with the dolphins and the trainers would instruct them to swim to us so that we could touch them. We also learned some dolphins commands and instructed them to talk, jump, and twirl in circles. They are incredibly smart and beautiful. It was surreal being in the water with them. The best part was when we got to swim out in the cove a ways and ride on the back of the dolphin. Of course we also got to kiss them.



We are blessed to be able to travel together. As we unpacked and continue getting ready for the work week, we both agree that the hardest part of our travels is always coming home. However, now we're refreshed and we can embrace the work ahead of us with more peace of mind and heart.

I'm leaving you with a gift: peace of mind and heart! And the peace I give isn't fragile like the peace the world gives. So, don't be troubled or afraid. (John 14:27)

Yours truly, Lynette :)

Jesus gave it :: all to him I owe

Many of you have heard that Tory and I are opening a new and exciting chapter in our life together. Tory officially joined the National Guard on March 2, 2011. I was so proud to be in the room as he took his oath and made the 8 year commitment to serve our community, our state, and our country.
Tory will begin his weekend drilling with a unit in Rosemount in April. His basic training is scheduled to begin in September. After basic training graduation Tory will return home. Sometime after basic training he will attend officer candidate training. The officer candidate training is held in two 4-week training periods (when he will attend this is TBD).

I am a firm believer in God having a plan for each of us and I am blessed to be married to a man of faith. After Tory and I had our first meeting with a recruiter a few months ago I came home feeling confused, afraid, and frustrated. I am comfortable and happy in the life that we have built together and I don't like change. That night I woke up in the middle of the night and sat on the couch with my bible. I flipped to a "random" page and the first verse on the page was Joshua 1:9.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

I can't argue with that... God is good!
-Love always, Lynette