It's like that commercial for some SUV or crossover (funny that I can't remember the product -- only the content of the commercial -- some advertising exec is getting his ass fired). You know, where the daughter is talking about how lame her parents are because they only have a few Facebook friends and she has tons? While she's sitting alone in the breakfast nook at her laptop and her parents are out enjoying life with their friends and their rough-and-tumble vehicle? Yup, I can relate.
On top of our adventures, things have just been so up in the air and scattered these past few months; it's been difficult to determine what to post since things just keep changing on me. Having Zeke away in Missouri all summer was harder than deployments, surprisingly. I guess it's easier for a military family to accept the separation of a war than of a normal routinized school where he should be able to come home to his family at the end of every day.
Speaking of military separations... folks, it's really happening. Zeke is in RANGER SCHOOL! With just one week home after Missouri, we drove him down to Ft. Benning, GA, to fulfill his long-time goal. When he first enlisted, he was on the Ranger track and set to go straight through Airborne training, on to Ranger School, and then on to take over the world. After one of his paratrooper jumps ended with his hipbone losing a battle with the flatbed trailer on which he landed, Zeke was injured and unable to be considered for Ranger training. Fast-forward 6 years, and he finds out that if he performs well enough in his Engineering Basic Officer Leader Course in MO, he might have a shot at a coveted Ranger slot.
This is Zeke we're talking about, people. I mean, come on. 30 years young, my brothers and sisters.
He finished 1st in his class, was handed a Ranger slot, and is now trudging into Day 3 of Ranger training. If you are interested, some videos of Ranger School are available through the Discovery Channel from their series Surviving the Cut, which focuses on various special operatives training courses. This course is tough stuff for the typical soldier, but I'm thinking Zeke will thrive there. More so now, after his years of deployments, leadership, and knowledge. But anything can happen and very few guys make it through the first time (if at all), so keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
The training is 62 days, and after an initial assessment period where you either succeed or get kicked out of the class for good, they've got 2 weeks designed as a woods/land navigation portion in GA, the second 3 weeks as a mountain phase in GA/SC, and the final 3 weeks as a fabulous swamp phase down in FL. I'll keep you guys posted on his progress -- hopefully I'll hear from him at the end of each 3-week phase (and no sooner, or it will be for a call home!).
And after Liam and I trek down there and I pin on my hubby's Ranger tabs, we'll get the best reward of all -- time together. IN GERMANY! We have been through a lot this past year, and I'm just thankful to have had the love and support from all of you to help get us where we are.
Liam and I are in and around NC for the next bit of time, and if Zeke rocks it out in Ranger School, we'll be bound for Deutschland right around Thanksgiving. More updates to follow -- stay tuned!
DISCLAIMER: The following video is not intended for babies (although Liam laughs hysterically every time), ubersensitive people, those who don't quite get the whole military sense of humor, or those who don't like dudes who yell obscenities at the tops of their lungs. Zeke and I had way too much fun this past week watching Ranger videos and Action Figure Therapy sessions on YouTube. You've been warned. Enjoy.
