Finally!!

Well, my family and I have been waiting for letters or a phone call from Dominic, since we have heard nothing since the night he arrived in Chicago. And, thank the Lord, our wish came true! Yesterday we received our letters! The letter to my husband and I was absolutely beautiful and of course made me cry the entire time I was reading it! I have read it at least 6 times and I am sure that total will rack up after today! Young Freddy is coming over today for his letter, since Dom mailed it to our house! I am sure this will help to put his heart at ease, just as it did ours!

Sad thing, Dominic found out his wisdom teeth have to come out on Wednesday, and his SARS swimming test is on Thursday, and of course the hard asses won't reschedule!!! He is trying to get on an elite squad which you have to qualify for by passing this SARS swim test (along with many other challenging fetes). He was training somewhat for this before he left! We are praying things work out for him! At the time he left he was actually working toward qualifying for a SWCC Team or Air Rescue Swimmer. Although we really have no idea if he has changed any plans up until now!!! Wondering, wondering, wondering - it never stops.

Of course, without even saying, he totally hates boot camp!!! Says it is the absolute worst thing anyone could imagine - although the foods good!! That's my Dom, always talking about food - hence the nickname "HEAVY D"! (hahahah)!!! He said everything reminds him of home! Things people say, things he see that he thinks we would like, things he see that he thinks we would hate, things people do. He is always wondering what we are doing and wondering where we would be at that time! Says that even when he walks into the mess hall and smells the food or sees a dish that we always prepared at home, it makes him miss us even more! Poor Kid - I mean Poor Man! Just doesn't sound right - does it??

I feel so terrible, because in Dom's letter he stressed that he has not received not one letter from anyone yet, and he NEEDS them more than words can say! We are so upset over this because between Fred, young Fred, and I, we have sent at least 2 dozen letters and cards (for Valentines Day)! Damn, I even sent a Valentine Card from Dez - Freddy's dog! I know Keirstan and my family has sent out letters and cards as well. We took notice that the return address on the envelopes had small changes that we were not given with original address. So we are hoping that the letters will eventually get to him! When I close my eyes it makes me happy to think that he will get all of these dozens of letters at one time- and then it makes me smile. One good thing, he let us know that he realizes something must have been wrong with the original address, that being the reason he is not receiving anything!!! It would just kill me if I thought he was thinking no one was thinking, missing, or writing him when he is so far from home and going through so much!!! But I don't think he would ever feel that way - because our love, is and always was, overly abundant and true!!!

I am having a "hard time" knowing Dom is having such a "hard time" with everything - although everyone says that is normal in boot camp and it will make him a better man. But no matter what anyone tells me, it doesn't ease my heart and it continues to break, each time I think how lonely, tired, scared and exhausted he must be. As parents, we try to protect our children from the harsh realities of this crazy, mixed up world. To do this, I had to restructure (just about) my entire life to show my sons the way. I am not complaining, I loved every minute of it and the changes were well worth it! But now, it seems as if I am expected to be able to watch him go through such challenging times all on his own, without being able to give him my advice, my love, help him when he is ill, give him a hug or kiss when he is having such trying times. The list could go on forever... and forever is how it long it feels my heart will be hurting.

Well, now we will await "THE PHONE CALL" - I am keeping my fingers crossed! He is only permitted 3 phone calls in 8 weeks - at least that's what the Navy Instruction Book says!!! That books has become a bit like the Bible to me!! Again, I breathe a sigh of relief, we got through another lonely day - Happy but Sad, that's the only way I can explain it! I miss my baby son.