Semper Fi

Ooh Rah! Our son is a Marine. Words can't express the joy, excitement, and pride we've felt over the last few days. We just got back from Reed's Marine bootcamp graduation in South Carolina and we got to bring him home for a few days! He'll be home for a week and then he's off to North Carolina for a month for combat training. From there he goes to nuclear, biological, chemical (NBC) training in Missouri. Thanks for the thoughts and prayers for him while he was gone. Your continued prayer is much appreciated! Now for graduation. We got up at 4 a.m. and drove all day Wednesday to Parris Island, South Carolina. Then on Thursday we got up at 4 a.m. and drove to the base early to see Reed's platoon leave for their morning run. When we got to the base it was completely dark and when we stepped out of the car we couldn't see much but we could hear the sounds of hundreds of Marines marching and echoing the voices of drill instructors in perfect unison. It was surreal. It gave us chills and it brought the first of many tears to our eyes. After the run we spent the day with him for family day and then Friday was his graduation ceremony. The whole experience was incredibly impressive and Reed looks and sounds terrific. We are so proud of Private First Class Miller!

Family Day and Graduation

Go Dawgs

KK cheered for the first time as an MSU cheerleader at the Bulldog Extravaganza in Jxn. She looks so cute in her uniform and did great!

The Crucible

Please keep Reed in your prayers this week as he begins "The Crucible" Thursday morning at 2 a.m. This is it...the final test...the tests of all tests at Marine bootcamp. (The following is from the Marines' website. It describes what Reed will go through Wednesday through Saturday). "The Crucible tests every recruit physically, mentally and morally and is the defining moment in recruit training. The Crucible takes place over 54-hours and includes food and sleep deprivation during 45-miles of marching. The Crucible pits teams of recruits against a barrage of day and night events requiring every recruit to work together to solve problems, overcome obstacles and help each other along the way. The obstacles range from long marches, combat assault courses, the leadership reaction course, and team-building warrior stations. At the end of the march the recruits participate in the Emblem Ceremony. This is the moment when the legacy is handed down, they earn the title “Marine,” and the newest Marines are presented with the Corps’ emblem, the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, by their drill instructors."

Friends

It was fun getting together with the girls at Dara's shower. I'm blessed with great friends and I'm so thankful for them.

Ross Bridge Resort

A few months ago my cousin and I decided we would meet for the July 4th holiday to catch up and relax. And relax we did!! We spent the weekend at Ross Bridge Resort in Birmingham with Meg and her husband Wesley (have you ever seen a more gorgeous couple...and they are fun and sweet too!). We left the boys to the gym while we hit the spa. Let me just say that the hot stone message is worth every penny! We did some shopping, got some pool time, and ate a lot of great food. M and W took us to some fab places including an awesome upscale mexican restaurant and Lakeview Oyster House...yummy! We had such a great time we decided to take a trip every year together!

Dixie Is Home

Thanks M, D, and B for taking such good care of her!

Reed's Letter

We got our weekly letter from Reed...he reports that he has become a "freak" about physical training and working out. He challenged his dad to an ab conditioning workout he calls "abdominal suicide." Glad he didn't challenge me to that test. Basic warrior training ended this week and tomorrow he will begin something called the "confidence course." He also gets to have a little fun, the Marine Corps way, through competitions between individual recruits, teams of recruits, whole platoons, and even the drill instructors. They have sprint races, pull-up and crunch competitions, tug-o-war, and something called the dizzy izzy. Will have to ask him about that one.

Supper Club

Saturday we had dinner with good friends Kt and Ken, and Lindsey and David. We have the greatest friends and always have so much fun. Can't wait till next month!

Glimpse of Reed

Finally, pictures of Reed! A parent who attended graduation of another platoon was nice enough to take pictures of other soldiers at Parris Island and then put them on a website. Danny sifted through hundreds of pics to find these two. Reed is the cute one with the military-issued glasses! It's against the rules to wear contact lenses or your own glasses so they make the soldiers wear these huge glasses (even the girls!). He looks strong and has gained weight and muscle. It's thrilling to get a glimpse of him after all this time!

Letter From Reed

We got another letter from Reed. He has been so faithful about writing every week and letting us know what is happening...it is such a relief to hear from him. Last week he passed his rifle training test which is extremely difficult compared to the army, he said...(there's lots of competition between the branches apparently...ha!). In the rifle test he had to shoot at a 12-inch circle 200, 300 and 500 yards away. To put that in perspective, 300 yards is the length of three football fields! Basic Warrior training is coming up in two weeks and Reed said that's really intense. He has only about 30 days left until graduation. On the Sunday before he graduates he gets "base liberty" so if he can get to a phone he will call us. Yeah!

Missing Dixie

Ok, I know I'm totally obsessed with my dog but (all two of my readers out there) please forgive me for all the pics. Dixie is still vacationing in Tupes with her grandparents and Sugar, and I am missing her like crazy. Mom took this pic of the girls resting after a long day of play and she usually doesn't let Sugar on the sofa...however...Sugar, being the smart gal she is, figured by curling up Dixie-style that maybe Mom wouldn't notice her on the sofa too. Sugar had a buzz cut so she looks like a lab instead of the golden retriever she is but she's still a doll!

Reed's Team Week

Monday begins Reed's eighth week of recruit training. At this point he is over half-way through his training and in the last week of Phase 2 (there are 3 phases so he's on the downhill side). By this point, Reed has completed weapons training and has a thorough understanding of weapons safety rules and deadly force (eek!), and this week he'll be on guard duty around the barracks as part of his Interior Guard training. I'm not sure what that means but it sounds important. This is also the week where the recruits get to prove to the drill instructors that they are worthy of becoming Marines. On Saturday he will complete a 7.5 mile conditioning march dressed out in full gear and toting equipment. This march is one of the last conditioning marches he will have to go through prior to the Crucible (more on that to come!).

Delta G's Gather

Cori was in town this weekend from Orlando and we got a chance to visit with her Saturday night. Tonya was kind enough to let us gather at her house and we had a great time!

Our Trooper

We are happy to report that our troop is being a real trooper! Reed is so funny and upbeat in his letters as he matter-of-factly describes this grueling life of bootcamp he is living every day. He is running three miles in 21 minutes but did this with a cramp a mile in...21 minutes! Did I mention he runs on sand? That's pretty awesome but he's sure he will break the 20 minute mark next time when he is more hydrated. In one of his past letters he said he is missing worship at Pinelake and really looking forward to going when he gets home for his 10-day break. So this past Sunday he went looking for a little more "oomph" in a worship service and found it at the pentacostal church. He enjoyed it because "they really get into their worship," more than the protestant church there. Ha! They played a song he really likes, "I can only Imagine," by Mercy Me. What an awesome and grueling experience he is having simultaneously. He is feeling God's love and praising His Name even as he is swimming with 75 pounds of gear on his back, running through sand in 90-degree weather, and getting up at 4 a.m. We are constantly amazed by Reed's strength and fantastic attitude, and his ability to survive and even thrive in this crazy world of bootcamp. And not just any bootcamp...Marine Bootcamp.
When I read his letter I started thinking of the words to the song "I Can Only Imagine."
"Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel...Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still...Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall... Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all, I can only imagine...When all I will do is forever, forever worship you." I can only imagine...

Father's Day and Grand-dogs

Happy Father's Day to Danny and to Dad! We celebrated Father's Day with my Dad last Saturday when he and Mom came for a visit. We are all getting into golf (please hold the aarp jokes KT), well, dad and Danny are picking it back up and I'm attempting to swing something called a club at these cute pink golf balls I found at Target. Mom did a fantastic job driving the golf cart. Anyway, Toots has been in Tupes with GG and TomTom while we were at the beach for a few days. I'm missing her but she's having a great vacation with Breck's golden retriever, Sugar, and her very attentive grandparents. Mom took these pics of the grand-dogs 1) at their usual perch from which they scout for birds, squirrels, and golf carts, and 2) of them wrestling, playfully of course.

We Are Family

My sweetheart of a cousin Melanie came to the big city this week and we got to visit, but not for long enough! She is in grad school at Ole Miss and is just an all around fabulous girl. I forgot to take a pic of her at dinner so I dug this one up from our wedding weekend (my bro is also looking handsome in the pic). Please visit again soon Mellie!!

A Dog's Day Afternoon

A day in the life of Dixie...

Say a Prayer

Carley forwarded this e-mail. Frank is from Tupelo....
To Everyone,We need your prayers desperately!! To make a long story short, yesterday Frank, my husband, and I found out that our precious little 5 year old boy, Will, may have a cancerous tumor in his right eye. We are going to St. Jude beginning Monday to have further tests done and on Wednesday they will biopsy the tumor to make a final diagnosis. We are overwhelmed and feel as if someone will come and wake us up at any moment. For those of you who do know us well, you know that we know that God is our Heavenly Father. If he is yours as well, you know as well as I that He would be insulted if we did not come and ask for complete healing. He is our Father after all!!! He would want us to come to Him just like our children would come to us if they needed anything. We have the faith that He can heal this tumor so we ask for that first and foremost!!! No matter what, we love the Lord and will keep on no matter what. We decided that a long time ago!!! We need your prayers though and ask for peace and for God to strengthen Will's body. Help us on this journey. If you can, please pray right now--on your knees!! Be bold and go to His throne! Go to Him with your own needs, too. I know that He loves us all and that He is good. Love,Kim Hodges

Pride and Prejudice

It is a quiet night. My hubby is on a plane headed home, and I'm having an allergic reaction and have broken out in hives all over. Hope that's not too much info. While waiting on my man to get home (I'm using my unfortunate hives situation as an excuse not to wash clothes or clean the house) I decided to pick up my copy of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and read it for oh I don't know, the 10th time. It is my favorite all-time read by my favorite all-time author. Getting past the language took some getting used to - words like fortnight and thither aren't words I use in my limited, everyday, very Southern vernacular. But there is something about Austen's way with words that makes the story complex, witty, and even comedic. Elizabeth Bennett is one of the greatest characters in literature and her suitor Mr. Darcy is equally as fascinating. Will they get together? It's a mystery until the very end! Wish I had time to watch the movie with Keira Knightly (yes, I own it) before I pick up my Mr. Darcy from the airport but there's no time. Maybe on his next trip out of town (he humored me once or twice and watched it with me but there's only so many times you can expect even the most loving man to watch a romantic movie about 18th century rural English society). Even though this line is not in the book (only in the movie version), I'm sure Jane would have approved...."You have bewitched me body and soul and I love, love, love you"...Mr. Darcy...