Missouri: Day 2 Graduation Day!

Welcome to Fort Leonard Wood!

The second day of our trip was Colin's graduation day. Yay! I was so nervous...and excited of course!! I got up early, did my hair all pretty, put on my new outfit and we were on our way. There were tons of people there! When we got to the auditorium, we picked out our seats...dead center, towards the front. It ended up working out PERFECT because when all of the soldiers came in, Colin was in the same row as us, on the side. So we got some great pictures of him sitting there, stone faced, not being able to look at us or smile...even though he knew we were there. I'm sure it was torture for him...but great pictures for us :)

The stage was backed by THE BIGGEST American flag I have ever seen!! I want one!!! It took up the entire wall! I love America :)

While we were waiting for the graduation to start, we read the program, bought some T-shirts, twiddled our thumbs (I was really antsy!!), and I even read a horrible "comic book" about when a soldier gets home from being deployed. There was nothing comic about it! It went on about how when the guy got back he slept on the floor, was all jumpy at noises outside, hated the baby, neglected his wife, went to bars with his friends, did drugs, tried to kill himself...IT WAS HORRIBLE!!! I'm sure it was the extreme of things that happen all combined into one guy...but still...horrible...Anyway... A few minutes before it started they showed a DVD of guys jumping out of an airplane. It was pretty entertaining. Then it was time for the graduation to start! Yay! All of a sudden we heard this super loud marching (it was sooo cool!). Then out came a long line of marching soldiers. They were pretty hard to tell apart. Good thing Colin's the tallest :)

They were marching pretty fast...hence the blurriness... He was the tallest one in his platoon, so he was at the end and easy to spot. Then they came marching down off the stage and into the rows where they would be sitting. That's when we realized that the seats we had chosen were PERFECT!! He was right across the isle!

I like the dent in his head from his beret :) All of the guys had one. And the girls all had big old dents in their hair. It was funny :) Poor guy...he knew we were there and kept blinding him to take pictures and he couldn't do a darn thing about it :) Ha ha! This is seriously how he looked the ENTIRE time! So they went on with the program, had a few speakers, sang some songs...

and then, it was time for each platoon to go on stage and do a roll call. They marched on stage with their drill sergeants and each soldier got to say their name and where they were from (very loud I might add).

Private Dozier, Arizona!!!! That's what he's yelling in this picture :)

After all four platoons were done, they gave out some awards, sang some more songs (who knew it was a musical??) and then the graduation was over. Now off to the reception. All of the soldiers marched outside, lined up, and then we followed them over to the reception area. It was kind of frustrating because he was right there!!! but I still couldn't talk to him until they were released from their formation. Boo!

This is the top of Colin's head in formation marching...again...good thing he's tall :)

As we were walking over to the reception area, we spotted a wonderfully dressed woman who brought sunshine to our day...I'll let the picture do the talking... :)

It wasn't so much her outfit...mostly the hat. I want one!! Do you think the Queen of England has the same one??

Once we were inside the reception area, it was a sea of people!! I was walking around on my tip toes trying to spot Colin. After a few minutes of searching...I DID!!!

I FINALLY got to hug my hubby!!! YAY!!!

It was fantastic :) It was so stinkin' good to see him!!! I missed him sooooooooooo much!! So we talked and hugged (and smooched of course!) and took lots of pictures. He was very excited to see all of us (me the most though, I know it!).

This picture cracks me up because it looks like I'm totally interested in what he's saying...but I think he was just drinking water... Man I'm pasty!! I need a tan :) The flash makes me look the same color as my white shirt...that's sad!

In the info I got about his graduation, they told us that there would be food at the reception...so I was thinking lunch...but I was wrong...instead of lunch, it was Krispy Kreme doughnuts (those sound so good right now!) Colin wanted one so bad! So here he is..eating a Krispy Kreme...

Please take notice to the metals on his jacket. I always give Colin a hard time about playing video games. He's really good at them... He has impeccable hand/eye coordination. Well I make fun no more! That coordination pays off in the Army! Those metals are for being super awesome at shooting stuff and throwing grenades!! So if you ever need a really great grenade thrower...

Then Colin checked out with his drill sergeants, and he was all mine!!! (for about 9 hours) Colin had a list of things he wanted to do that day...they pretty much involved food that he couldn't eat while in basic. So he and I ditched the family, walked over to the PX (post exchange..big mall type thing) and got Baskin Robbins ice cream. YUM!!

(This is a picture of us, ditching our family)

The ice cream was D-licious! Then our family caught up with us and we took Colin off the base for the first time since August!! Our next stop was Applebees. After he had been gone for about two or three weeks, in our 20 minute Sunday conversation, Colin told me that when I come for graduation, we HAVE to find an Applebees!! He really wanted boneless buffalo wings, BBQ style, a frozen kiwi lemonade, and a bacon cheese burger. (We must eat there way too often if he was craving it!!) So we found an Applebees about twenty minutes away, and that's exactly what he got. This is a picture of me, in the car (not in public because he could get in trouble), wearing his beret. I think I look pretty cute in it, if I do say so myself!

These are a few of Colin's buddies that we ran into back at the hotel.

And here's a picture of all of us.

Left to right: Charlotte (Colin's mom), Chalice (Colin's sister), me, Colin, Tim (my dad), Denise (my mom), and Camille (my grandma)

9 hours went by really fast!! We ate, he gave us a tour of the base and the places that he did his training, we went to Wal-Mart, looked around at the BX, ate, drove, hung out, walked, took lots of pictures...and before we knew it, it was time to take him back to the base :(

This is me, sad. I stalled as long as I could...but I didn't want him to get in trouble :( So we took him back to the base :( I'd looked forward to this day for almost three months, and now it was over. So my parents stayed by the car and I walked him back to his barracks. We talked for a few minutes and I cried my eyeballs out. Now that we were together again, I didn't want him to go. But he had to :( So we smooched good bye and off he went. That's the last time I get to see him until his AIT (advanced individual training) graduation...or is it?.... :)

So I walked back to the car all by my lonesome. When I got to my mom I started crying again. This was almost worse than when he left the first time!! So my parents and I went to Pizza Hut. And then back to the hotel. My good ol' dad always knows how to make us laugh. He cheered me up. :) See below.

My dad cracks me up! This is a hat that we bought on the base. It's from the Army clothing store. He says he's going to wear it skiing and hunting. I totally believe him! Thanks for making me laugh dad :)

So that brings me to the end of day 2. It went by fast, but was an awesome experience. I'm so proud of Colin!! He did great!! And when all was said and done, he loved it. (crazy I know) I'd never seen him so excited about something when he came to me with the idea of joining the Army. He's good at it and he likes it, I couldn't ask for more.

Stay tuned for day 3! (I won't take as long to post it I promise!!) Day 3 will include THE BEST part of my trip and lots of pretty fall pictures...and a squirrel!! So check back soon :)