Day 6: Perspective

Today I flew from San Diego to Kansas to continue my training. A group of about 40 of us took a military flight. We flew on a DC-9 which is a typical commercial plane with a few modifications (no overhead bins, first class area removed, no locked and bolted cockpit). Other than that it is surprisingly similar except for of course the lack of a movie and flight attendants.


It was a clear, beautiful day as we lifted off from San Diego. I always love taking off in a plane and watching the world disappear below. It is amazing to watch a large Navy base shrink as you take flight. San Diego and its large skyscrapers turn into a “small city” and the surrounding mountains transform into nothing more than small hills. This perspective of how small the world really is often lost in the busy world in which we live. As Sue and I have faced this deployment much of our worry has been about how this disrupts “our life” and the things we think we should be doing. It has been hard to see and understand the why behind this experience. I am grateful for moments like today that help me get things back in perspective. It is sometimes hard to see the “big picture” when we are faced with what seems at the moment like an enormous challenge. I am so grateful for a Father who has an eternal perspective and gives me the experiences I need rather than just the ones I want. I will try to have more faith in Him.


Thanks to all of you for your love and support. I always appreciate hearing from you and look forward to seeing you soon.

We did arrive safely in Kansas this evening. I will give you a rundown of Kansas life tomorrow once I have a chance to look around a little.

Day 5: Escape from the Island

For those of you who are Lost fans, yesterday in the season finale several of our survivor friends finally escaped off the island. I had a similar "escape" yesterday as I left Naval Station San Diego and headed up to Jon and Dawn's house for an overnight getaway. It was nice to be with family. We had a nice dinner (thanks Dawn), Evan and I wrestled, and all the kids ran around playing with my gas mask. I also was able to say hi to some friends from our old home (Nate and Amy). After the kids went to bed, we watched Lost, ate a lot of ice cream, and then went to bed. It was fun to be back "home" for a few hours.

Here are a few pictures from the night. Notice the recurring theme of children and the gas mask. Maybe it would make a good Christmas present?





For those of you who are Lost fans (I actually am not truly a fan...I just watch for Sue) here is an interesting clip.

Day 4: Smallpox

WARNING: The following has potentially boring educational material.

Smallpox was a previously devastating disease that killed millions of people up until the late 20th century. Smallpox is caused by a virus. This virus causes a reddish rash that then forms into widespread blisters. It is estimated that 20-60% of all people who contracted the disease died (up to 80% for infants). It was discovered that those who had been infected by the virus and survived, were unable to catch the disease later on in life. This led to the practice of grinding up the scabs from the rash of one person and having a different person inhale them into their nostrils. Although about 2% of all people who inahled the ground up scabs died, many more survived. This process of variolation was widespread practice in China. Later in the 18th century, a man named Edward Jenner found that milkmaids would get a smallpox-like illness called cowpox that did not cause death. These milkmaids did not seem to contract smallpox later. He experimented on a 8 year old boy by giving him cowpox and then later exposing him to smallpox. The boy survived. Jenner called this process vaccination and led to our modern process of immunization. There was a worldwide vaccination effort in the 1970's that led to eradication of smallpox in the world. Now smallpox only exists in a few laboratories.


Well, the military is concerned about a possible bioterrorism attack and consequently it has a smallpox vaccination program. Yesterday was my day to receive the vaccine. It is given by using a two-pronged needle and pricking the skin 15 times. After about a week a blister forms in the area that then scabs and eventually goes away. At that point you are considered immune from smallpox. I also received my first anthrax immunization. This is actually a quite uncomfortable shot (but I will spare you the details for now).

Sorry about the medical history lesson. This is the price of reading a doctor's blog.

All else is well here in San Diego. I have had a lot of exercise time and have been able to catch up on some sleep. We are scheduled to catch a military flight out to Kansas on Saturday morning.

Day 2: Dressing Up

Imagine you are going to the store to buy some new clothes. You grab a pair of pants and run to the dressing room to try them on. You put them on and then if they fit and you like them, you take them to the cashier and buy them. This is how things are supposed to work, right?

Well today we went "shopping" the Navy way when we went to be fitted for our uniforms. The experience was slightly different than the normal shopping experience. First, there were no dressing rooms. Trying on clothes consisted of holding it up to your body and asking your neighbor if it looks good or not. If you didn't trust your neighbor and wanted to check yourself, you were out of luck because there of course was no mirror available. Finally, if you were brave enough to attempt to try things on over the clothes you were wearing, you would find that someone had gone to the trouble of sewing up the pant legs or shirt openings so you couldn't try them on at all. Go figure. No one ever claimed that things in the military make sense or are logical. Hopefully my uniforms will fit. If you notice in future posts that my shirt is a little large or my pants are a little tight, you will understand why.

The remainder of the day consisted of boring PowerPoint presentations and orientation information. However, I did escape this evening for a quick walk along the docks. It was a beautiful day here in San Diego and it was nice to walk and just unwind.

Day 1: On My Way

Well after months of anticipation and preparation, the day we thought would never come, finally came. May 26, 2008 will not be a day soon forgotten in our home. There are many emotions and feelings that are associated with a day like today--sadness, anxiety, exhaustion, love for family members left, etc.

We started the day off at Build-a-Bear Workshop, where each of the kids picked out a stuffed animal. Each of them was personalized with a recording from Dad--a push of the hand and they can hear my voice. The kids, of course, were excited and happy about this surprise as you can see below.


After lunch, the remainder of the day was surprisingly routine--changing diapers, cleaning up, checking email, loading the dishwasher, disciplining children, etc. However, the hour finally arrived that we had all been dreading. It was time to head to the airport. We drove there with the Grandparents and from there said our goodbyes. It is difficult to describe the emotions that come as you say goodbye to those who mean the most to you. Holding your little ones and wife in your arms and realizing that you won't be able to be there with them for a long time, is a difficult thing today. Check out Sue's Blog for details and pictures (it may take a day or two but I am sure she will have a better description and pictures than I have).

Of all the feelings felt today, I wanted to express those I have for my wonderful and beautiful wife. What an incredible person she is. Despite her anxiety and worry about this deployment, she has supported and helped me prepare for this day. I'm not sure she knew what she was getting into when she married me nearly 8 years ago--four moves (from the East to the West coast), four beautiful babies, family events missed, nights home alone, and now 15 months as a single mother. How grateful I am for a wife who loves me and is willing to sacrifice for our family. I will be thinking and praying for you always.

For those of you interested, I have posted a picture of the room I will be staying in for at least the next few days while I am here in San Diego. I think I am going to enjoy my last few days of wireless internet, cable TV, and indoor plumbing.


Goodnight for now. 1 day down, 451 to go.