Kentucky Fall Photo Shoot

I was lucky enough to spend a little extra time with the hubby before grand rounds last month. I was off the first few days of the week before having to fly to Midland to take an exam and thought that there was no better place to be then in Kentucky with my husband!! We had a great five days, something we have not had since the spring break week.

Kentucky is a beautiful state full of high-growing trees, green grass, leaves changing colors with the seasons...things that I have not seen in so long living in West Texas. Shawn took me to a beautiful park to scope out the area early in the morning. We were surprised to see that there were several other families and photographers there doing the same thing we were planning on doing. We went back into town, got some cute clothes and returned with a friend to take pictures. I just wanted to share some with you.

A Little Time for Reflection

All I can say is WOW!! So many things have happened over the last few months and there is so much for Shawn and I to be grateful for and to celebrate.

On July 31st, 2009, Shawn graduated from USCG bootcamp in Cape May, New Jersey. It was one of the proudest moments in my life. Shawn did so well while he was there and looked so good the day that we picked him up. While his being in bootcamp was probably the hardest thing I have gone through, it was also one of the best things that we went through. Shawn making the decision to go into the Coast Guard was a big step in our lives. He had told me that he was so miserable in his job and wanted his life to have purpose and meaning and we wanted to see if the Coast Guard would give him those things. Shawn stood proud at attention during a wonderful graduation ceremony and recieved the Seamanship award. This award is given to "Coastie" men and/or women that know a lot about boats. Shawn knows a lot about boats and won the award!!! He is so amazing to me! We now begin our new adventure with him moving to Kentucky.
Being apart for another year or so will be hard, but we are up for the challenge. We are focusing on the tasks at hand and all the rewards that him being in the Coast Guard will bring us in the future. The Coast Guard gives us an opportunity to see new places and experience new things. I traveled a lot as a child and lived in many different places, but for Shawn this is new. While I would have loved to stay in San Antonio or at least Texas for many years, I am excited that there is a chance for us to live in other places. Some people don't understand it, so I figured I would explain....
Shawn and I have been given an opportunity to travel to places that we may have otherwise not been able to see, so we are going to take it for all its worth. I hope that we go to a few great places and see a lot of things. We will report here often and keep a picture diary!!

Another reason to celebrate, I graduated from the didactic year and three months of Physician Assistant school!! Now I am moving on to clinicals for the next twelve months and I will be done.

I can't wait for all that is coming in the future for us!!! We are truly blessed.
Thank you to all of our family and friends that we love so so much for supporting us throughout this time. We couldn't have done it without you

Last Bootcamp Blog!

It is hard to believe we only have 02 days left of training. Seven weeks ago when the senior company told us the weeks would fly by we were all skeptical. However, as Tuesday of week 08 comes to a close, we find ourselves wondering where the time has gone. The first part of week 07 was spent learning basic first aid procedures and how to administer CPR. Because of the often hazardous nature of the work done in the fleet, and the primary mission of saving lives, it is critical that every Coastie know the basics of responding to emergency medical situations. At this point, with the amount of training that we have had, we continue to be tested every day, but on a much larger scale. We are no longer being tested to advance to the next week of training, but our performance is being judged to prove we are competent in the skills and knowledge required to enter the fleet. On Friday we took our final exam, which was cumulative and covered everything from fire fighting and seamanship, to military customs and Coast Guard history. Once again, Victor Company prevailed with a 95% average. Also, last week we had the opportunity to show off for our Battalion Officer and Section Commander during our Dress Uniform Inspection and Close Order Drill test. After successfully passing our inspection, we officially proved that Victor is the best marching company on the regiment, receiving an almost perfect score on the Close Order Drill. As with the Manual of Arms test, Chief Bou once again commended us on our confidence, precision, and teamwork. We spent our last Saturday in Cape May enjoying our off-base liberty. For the first time since we got here, we were able to leave the confines of the base and enjoy an entire day unsupervised with our shipmates. Our company commanders would have been proud, however, as many of us still found ourselves squaring corners in Walmart, saying “aye, aye, ma’am” to our waitresses, and stepping over “deck plates.” As with everything we have done over the past 07 weeks, the off-base liberty had a training purpose. Sporting our tropical dress blues, we stuck out like a sore thumb among the civilians dressed in their beach wear, and overall, the day was a test to see how well we represented the Coast Guard out in the community. We finally got an opportunity to have a go at the Confidence Course on base. Between double bars, logs, ropes and walls, the course works every muscle in the body and offers an intense physical challenge to just about anyone who pursues it. With the help of our company commanders and shipmates, almost every member of our company was able to successfully complete the course. The most exciting part of week 08 so far was taking our company photo. Our company commander was able to arrange for a HH-60 “Jayhawk” helicopter to fly in for the afternoon from Elizabeth City Air Station and be the background for our photo. After we took our photo, we had the opportunity to speak with the flight crew and tour the Jayhawk. The best part was watching it take off, and then return for a crew member, which they hoisted into the aircraft using the rescue basket while hovering about 50 feet over the parade field. As we wrap up our final blog, with graduation only 02 days away, we can’t help but think to ourselves, “Wow, we finally made it!” The past 07 weeks have stretched, challenged, and grown us more than we ever could have imagined. We had countless hours of the “dark path,” but darkness makes a light shine that much brighter and easier to find, and the light at the end of this tunnel they call basic training is blazing before our eyes. When we stepped off that bus 07 weeks ago, we were scared, undisciplined, derelict individuals. We stand here now, and will disband Friday afternoon as a confident, disciplined, and united family. Once we pass through those front gates, a new chapter of our lives begins, and will surely bring with it new challenges to overcome. By living the Coast Guard’s core values daily, leaning on our shipmates, and relying on the training we have received over the past 08 weeks, we will no doubt conquer every obstacle we encounter. Congratulations, Victor 181- 01 pat on the back! For the last time, Victor 181, signing out. We are ready to start our new journey!!! Thank you for all of your support and love throughout this process. I will post pictures as soon as I can

I meant to re-post this weeks ago

I got a phone call from Shawn two weeks ago and he let me know that he was in one of the photos on the blog. He is on the right hand side-second bunk line and the first person closest to the CC. Check it out:

Only four more days until we see him!!! FYI- he won the Seamanship award! I love my Coastie!!

Coastie Blog Week 6

As we inch closer to our graduation date, our experiences are changing more and more. Just as we are learning practical information and physically training to prepare for our entrance into the fleet, we are also taking other steps to prepare for our departure from sunny Cape May.
This week, we received our military identification cards; a major step towards being official Coastguardsmen. These cards are not only ID’s, but are also used for certain military access situations and double as our insurance and benefit cards. The most important and possibly the biggest step that we have taken towards our graduation has been arranging our travel plans to leave from our home here in Cape May to our new duty stations. There is something about booking a flight home that can refresh even the most exhausted recruit.
On Tuesday, we had our manual of arms test given by our section commander, and our many hours of practice sure paid off. We received and 8/10 and Chief Bou declared us as one of the best that he had seen. He commended us not only on our timing and execution, but also on our confident appearance. On Thursday, we had our second and final pugil stick bouts, which was nice break from our normal military bearing. Once again we were able to cheer our shipmates on and motivate one another to give 110%, but, just as before, once the fights were over it was right back to training mode.
Each week of training so far, we have enjoyed learning new techniques and information to help us succeed once we enter into our careers. Week 06 definitely kept the trend going as we spent much of this week learning fire damage control when aboard a vessel. Over the course of a few days, we were taught how to identify different classes of fires, how to properly use a fire extinguisher, and how to react in the case of a fire onboard. The best part of the firefighting training, however, was learning to fight larger scale fires. During this portion of the training, we were each able to dress out into the full firefighting protection gear (fire suit, helmet, boots, face mask, and self-contained breathing apparatus) and respond to a simulated fire. We were split into teams and, maneuvering low through a dark, smoke-filled room, we used 2.5 inch hoses with 68 pounds of water pressure to extinguish the “fire.” The fire fighting practical was definitely more challenging than many of us expected, and gave us a greater appreciation for the intense nature of this profession. As crew members on a vessel, we will be the firefighters, since dialing 911 while underway is not an option.
We finally got to enjoy our on base liberty- a privilege that we have been counting down towards since our arrival. We started off the day by touring the Cape May small-boat station and buoy tender that is currently in port. Being able to tour these sites increased our already elevated excitement about getting out into the fleet. Afterwards, we were actually told by our Lead Company Commander to “relax and go have fun;” something that we never thought we would hear from him. Although on-base activities were limited, we made the best of every opportunity, including visiting the exchange and the enlisted club. After six weeks of training, we’ve really developed an appreciation for the small things, such as being able to eat junk food and laugh with our shipmates.
We have become not only a strong company but a family in our time here. With only two weeks left of training, we are making every moment count, valuing our time together as well as absorbing every bit of information and guidance that we can attain. Week 07 will be our last full week as Echo Ones and we are looking forward to what is in store. Until next week, keep the mail coming and start packing to come and see your Coastie graduate! Victor 181, signing out.

Week 5 blog

Week 05 has come and gone, and has left us as a different company. The past 07 days have been our most significant period of growth since we arrived at Cape May. We’ve grown, both as a company and as individuals, giving us a new perspective and fresh attitude towards training.
Thursday was the most anticipated day (besides graduation!) by far: the day we received our orders to our first duty stations. We lined up on the parade field and each placed our hands on the memorial of Douglas Munro as we proclaimed our destinations, which ranged from San Francisco, Honolulu and San Juan to Miami, Kodiak and New York City. One of the best parts of receiving our orders was being able to make a 05 minute phone call home to our loved ones to let them know where we were going and make travel arrangements. It is both exciting and sad to think that in less than 03 weeks Victor Company will be scattered all over the nation.
After living and breathing together for the past 05 weeks, we have finally come together as a company. We have been working towards many goals, which all accumulate to achieve a major goal: attaining our company colors (flag). Tired of marching around the regiment with a bare guidon and no right to sing cadence, we pulled together as a team this week to ensure that each of our obstacles (meeting time objectives, marching, uniforms, and organization) were met. Between group pep talks, uniform maintenance assembly lines, and reciting our required knowledge every opportunity we had, we pushed more and more each day until finally on Sunday we earned the right to don the red and white Victor flag at the head of our formation.
In the first several weeks, most of us had a mindset focused solely on surviving until graduation. Now, we are beginning to see each day as an opportunity to grow, learn, and become a stronger and more disciplined company. As we count the days until graduation, we are realizing just how little time we have until we are officially out into the fleet. With Week 05 behind us, we are feeling more confident and prepared as this day rapidly approaches. We look forward to another week of practical training to prepare us for the roles we will soon be playing at our first stations. Until next week, Victor 181 signing out.

16 days left!!!!!!

First Orders

This is the CGC Obion that Shawn will be stationed to!!! It is in Owensboro, Kentucky

I got the best birthday present of my life yesterday!!! Shawn called me bright and early at 0730 central time. It is truly the best way to be awaken, by a voice that I have not heard in over a month. It was amazing. We chatted a little about important things like how he would fly home from New Jersey, who was joining me on the journey to pick him up, how the family was doing, and where he will be stationed. What a gift!!!

On to the next part of this journey...

Picking him up in a few short days, 18 days!!!! and counting