So this is the new year...

It is amazing what a difference a day makes.
Yesterday, saying Devin was going to boot camp next year or in a couple months still made it feel like forever. Now today, it is seeming ever so close because he is going this year. To make it feel even brighter on the horizon is to say he is going NEXT MONTH! That is crazy and exciting. We are constantly praying for a sooner date. Knowing my personality, I would handle better if he suddenly had to leave within a day or two (or even a week) and not had to dwell on him leaving as it built up weeks before. That's how I like to do things [aka flying by the seat of my pants]. It reminds me of when I first moved to Utah. I only decided to move about a month before I actually moved. This enabled me to get my crap together and go. If I had sat and thought about it for months, I would have never actually done it, and I would have missed out on a lot of things God had in store for me here.
On another note, Devin heard from a recent graduate of boot camp and was able to find out more regarding church at Cape May. He discovered there is a church choir he can join to sing in the services on Sundays. Though he was told it is not the "typical" choir but more just group of recruits praising the Lord whether they can sing well or not (Though I'm sure it is a joyful noise!). This is making Devin really excited and is stoked to know he'll have more ways to break of the constant physical and emotional stress by going to choir practice, praising the Lord with other recruits, and then singing in the chapel on Sundays. He was even informed there are instruments available to play with the choir, and guitars were listed. ;)
We are still super excited to get this chapter of our lives started!
Happy New Year! (Geeze, I remember when the year 2000 happened..how quickly a decade passes!)
Love,
Chianne

To the future...

Devin leaves for boot camp on February 23. This means his [tentative] graduation date is April 16th. We are both so excited and can't wait for this part of our lives to begin. Devin swore in already, which means they are already counting the time towards his 6 total years of service. It was a short ceremony and they will do another one on February 23 right before he leaves. (The first time you swear in they consider you part of the reserves. When you swear in on the day you leave, you are swearing into Active Duty). Devin's already been studying so much to learn both the lingo and the alphabet. I've been learning with him so now we play fun games like "Say the license plate in the military alphabet" and "call the rooms of the house by what the Coast Guard calls them." It's definitely entertaining and confusing. (Did you know they call water fountains the "scuttlebutt"?) Devin stays in contact with the recruiter in case he gets the opportunity to ship out earlier.
What's been a great blessing is his job at Wal-Mart. We weren't so positive about it at first (the pay is crap), but unlike Buy Low, they fully support his decision to join the military. They understand his desire to leave early and will keep him in their system for ALL 6 YEARS in case when he's out he wants to go into management there (HAHA its the thought that counts?). They also are very sensitive to give him a day off when he has needed to go up to MEPS to swear in and such.
Devin led worship at church this past Sunday...he does this ever now and then if he has one off or something. I was scheduled to work, but luckily enough, we were slow so I got off in time to surprise him at church to see him play! It is so encouraging to hear my husband lead a body of believers in worshiping God. Which leads me to another topic - Devin was concerned about church life around boot camp. Well he did a little research and they ask two people of each group to be "Religious Petty Officers". They get to lead prayers in the morning and at night and lead the prayer at their graduation ceremony. They also get to help out at the chapel. Devin is so excited for this. They have several different church services at the chapel on Sundays and the recruits are encouraged to attend one of their choice. If they don't have one that fits their beliefs they will bus them off base to one. Its good to know Devin's beliefs will be encouraged while he's away.
That's about all for now. It's December and that's CRAZY. haha.
Love, chianne