Pat's last night @ Nat/Brad's PART 1

GROUP HUG!!! That's what it was last Monday night! ONE BIG GROUP HUG ALL NIGHT LONG!!! Pat was the "man of the hour" and everyone had a chance at getting their pix with him!!! Charles and Rachel stayed for awhile before going to a Charity dinner so we all (all of us!) babysat baby Powell. That was fun, too!!! Anyway, it was a fun night of Pizza/hugs/laughter/babies/kids/siblings/Chiminea time/family time. I hope Pat took all those HUGS and MEMORIES  with him during the difficult next 8 weeks. His first week of Boot Camp really starts, starting tomorrow. Here is a sample of what it will be like that I copied from one of the Navy websites:

Boot Camp. This is where the amazing Navy transformation from civilian to Sailor happens. You’ll report to Recruit Training Command (RTC) in Great Lakes, Illinois. Be advised: RTC is a huge campus, but you’ll never feel alone. On it are hundreds of recruits just like you finding their way to their futures. The skills and the training you’ll get there will set you up for a lifetime of success. In and out of uniform.

Boot Camp is 8 weeks of mental and physical training. Expect it to be rigorous and demanding. It’s hard work. Then again, anything worth something usually is. From Boot Camp you’ll emerge as a Navy Sailor in top physical condition astounded by what you’ve accomplished so far and ready for the biggest adventure of your life: Your first tour of duty.

Let’s take a closer look.

Week 1:

Processing Week. Once you arrive you’ll be given Navy-issued clothing, be taught the right way to fold and store your new belongings, and make your bunk (bed). You’ll receive complete dental and medical exams, if you need a haircut, that’ll happen too.

As the week progresses, you’ll knock the days down conditioning, swimming, marching, drilling, and most importantly attending Navy classes. Everything you do from week to week is designed to prep you for what lies ahead. You will push your physical limits and achieve higher performance levels than you ever thought possible. In the Navy, you’ll be judged for who you are and how you prove it.

Honor. Courage. Commitment. Three words that before Boot Camp probably held little meaning. Here, they’ll become words you’ll live by. These Navy Core Values will become the ideals you and your fellow shipmates live by. What you make of this experience makes you.

P.S. Tomorrow morning I plan to be at the Recruiter's Office @ 9:00 SHARP , stopping by there even before I pick up Miss Daisy-Kate @ the church! I am so ready to get his address and already Katie and I have about 25 letters for him! He may not get through reading them all for the whole time he's in the Navy ! HAHAHA