I got a 22.5 minute phone call last night!!

I was amazed! I asked him how long he had to talk when he first called, and I made him repeat his answer twice! LOL

He's excited about us coming up. I had to fess up and tell him we were having garage sales last weekend and next to pay for our trip. I didn't want him to think we'd not be able to make it. Honestly, I'd walk if I had to. But I didn't want the slightest bit of doubt in his head during BCT. I let him know last night I might need some help with something, like the hotel. Talking to him about that doesn't bother me as much as it used to. We've had some rough years and he has sort of resented some of it, I think. He did miss out on some things because he worked a lot as a teenager, but once he moved out, he thanked us for teaching him how to discipline himself and balance life and not waste it.

Our conversation last night was great, even with a few minutes spent discussing the money. He sounds so much like himself now, it's amazing.

We are adopting a Soldier on our Family Weekend. His buddy, Mark, won't be having anyone come for this so he asked if he could come with us. SURE!! The more the merrier! I just have to change our transportation plans. We were taking a Mazda 3 up, but I don't see 4 adults and 2 kids in car seats fitting in there. We'll be taking the Escape now and just have to squish someone in the back area. I'd take my van but it's got no air conditioning and it needs a compressor so that's not a possibility right now.

Like I said...I'm getting up there. I'll walk. Carrying two girls on my back.

He also asked me to call his Unit Sgt. again...I thought he'd forget but, no such luck. His Unit deployed this month and Mike is trying to get me to make sure he's going to Iraq with them next year. He's got bits of details so he's confused. Heck, so am I! His big request that I don't want to do is...if he is NOT going, he wants me to find out how he CAN go. He's set on going. I don't know why. But if it's in his heart to go, who am I to stand in the way?

We have a friend here that I talk to at gymnastics. She's friends with a family of a Soldier here. This Soldier went to Iraq and came back home unscathed. Then this Soldier got into a pretty famous car accident and now he's a vegetable basically. At least that's what it sounds like to me. She and I both discussed how if something is going to happen to them, it's going to happen...and keeping them home is not always a surefire way of keeping them safe.

So I will stand behind any decisions Mike makes regarding Iraq or whatever he is going to do. I also will not lie to him and tell him I called his Sgt and that he can't go. I will likely email his Sgt and ask him Mike's questions (mostly because I'm not sure I can talk to this man without losing it and crying). I will be the person I taught my son to be. Whether it's painful or not.