Boot Camp

Preston joined the Air National Guard back in January. This was a difficult decision as I could not bear the thought of having him away for several months while he went to boot camp and tech school. Unfortunately after Preston was laid off from his teaching job we realized that he needed more specific job training or a master's degree. The military would give him job training, pay for further education and give us the medical benefits we so desperately needed. Around this same time he was able to get a temp job at Kennecott that was supposed to last 6 to 8 months. We thought this would work out well because the baby would be past newborn stage and he could baptize Kierra and then leave for boot camp. Well his temp job ended 4 months early (he worked so efficiently that he worked himself out of a job too soon!), and we saw no choice but to send him off to boot camp and get going on his military career. So after a crazy couple of weeks he headed off to Texas on May 10th. This was a difficult time being on my own with 5 kids and a new baby, but I was shown so much love and support by friends and family. Our friends who happened to be Parker's scout leaders decided to turn our garden beds into their scout project. The project ended up being more involved than they thought and many of our wonderful neighbors pitched in to help. They dug out the area, built new garden beds, got plants and seeds and even made sure everything got planted! I felt so blessed and we have enjoyed the fruits of their labor all summer long!

Preston shaved his head before he left and they still made him pay for a haircut at basic training!

Some of our awesome friends and neighbors working on the garden.

Down south Preston was having his own adventures. Apparantly boot camp can be worse than prison. With 4:45 a.m. revelry, Drill Sergeants yelling in your face, having only 5-7 minutes to eat each meal, having your only contact with family be dictated by the military, constant dirty language and no time to study and pray. Boot camp was something we would never want to do again, but yet we are grateful for the blessings that came from it and the eye opening experience that it was. But for better or for worse, Preston's military career was cut short. Much to both of our surprise after only being gone for 18 days he was medically discharged for something in his medical past and was on a plane back to Utah. We are so happy to have him home and everyday he is grateful to hold his baby girl and watch her grow. Yet we are still waiting for that better opportunity that the Lord must have in store. After almost six months of unemployment and applying for nearly 100 jobs, we can only put our trust and faith in God and know that "all these things shall give the experience and be for thy good."