oklahoma...hmm.

Joseph and I shared a pillow on the way here...Ashley and Emily took a turn in the way back...

I didn't really sleep.....I felt like a wide-awake drunk, whatever that feels like....

Indiana, ten at night...we had been traveling for almost nine hours....

Abigail

Emily



Joseph, 19 and Aaron, 18....they are such good sports...

This picture is for Jonny...if any of you girls at home see this, show it to him.

Abigail

The soldiers before being "released to their families..."

Mr. Benjamin and Mrs. Ashley...she was SO happy to see him....we all were.

What a day we had yesterday! We brought Benjamin out to lunch. He got to pick anywhere he wanted, so he chose Buffalo Wild Wings. I thought it was funny that the waitress had never been to Buffalo, or even New York. She assumed: New York=tall buildings. I told her I have never been to the Big City, we live in rural country...farmland. Rolling hills with cows, then suburbs and small cities...

We had wings that were not exactly real Buffalo wings. Ben has matured so much. It was good to be with him. We had to have him back at base by 9:00pm. We got there with a bit of time to spare, so he brought us up to show us "the bay"...it is just like in the movies, with all the bunks lined up, covered in those awful green army blankets. There were guys in uniform everywhere, it was great fun to meet Ben's buddies.

Yesterday we went to a park....Joseph and Aaron kicked around a soccer ball while Emily and Abigail and I went for a walk. The landscape is so different here, so flat. I love how there is just so much sky. It is nice to walk on grass, though, it has been months since we have had that pleasure back home in New York. It will be a long time still, because it will be all mush and mud when all that snow melts. Central New York state is getting blasted with snow, once again. 5 to ten inches. I guess I won't complain that it is only fifty degrees here today....(it is supposed to be 75 and partly sunny tomorrow, hurrah!)

In an hour or so, after Joseph and Aaron and Emily and Ashley get back from Starbucks, which is conveniently located right across the street, we shall go to the Graduation. After that, we get Benjamin until nine tonight again...then I am pretty sure they ship tomorrow morning for their training places....Texas, for Benjamin for Combat Medic Training.

Guilty...guilty because Mirielle is home watching the kids....guilty because we had a wonderful hotel breakfast again this morning with no effort besides getting up and taking a long hot shower first....we did scrimp last evening and have a healthy dinner of green peppers and baby carrots and grapes and microwave popcorn and peanut M&M's. That IS healthy, right?