Warrior's Weekend in Port O'Conner

We spent last weekend fishing in Port O'Conner. The whole town, as well as other surrounding towns, completely shut down. Busload after busload of wounded warriors and their families from all over the country arrived. We drove down with a fellow soldier from the burn unit and also a burn therapist on Friday night. The goal was to take an early morning fishing trip on Saturday to beat the heat of the sun which is painful to burns.

On Friday night, there was a huge opening ceremony in Victoria, TX. They honored the wounded warriors and fallen soldiers with a field of over 2100 flags each with the name of a soldier and a sponsor of the Warrior Weekend. After a bit of night fishing off the Marina Canal in Port O'Conner, we headed back to our lodge for a few hours of sleep.

We headed out to the Canal early Saturday morning. Our first trip out was with a guy named Charlie as well as with a small local camera crew. We caught several trout while we out in the Canal. It was a blast.

Because it was not too hot and the sun was hidden behind a blanket of overcast clouds, we decided to go out again at 9am. We ended staying out until the late afternoon. Our second trip was with Mike and Ronnie B., two guys we met back in San Antonio at the WFSC. They were a blast to hang with and on top of it, we got to stay with Paul and Heather (the fellow soldier and therapist). We were on a Red Fish catching spree in the canal and even the dolphins seemed excited. After a day of activities, food, and fun with friends, we headed back to San Antonio with more than 14 fish to show for it. :)

Minute Move

Monday afternoon around 5pm, we got a shocking bit of news. Because Ronnie was officially assigned to the unit here at Ft. Sam Houston, we had 10 days to leave the Powless hotel we have been living in. BUT since the paperwork was backdated to the date it was started, our 10 days were up and we were forced to leave by Tuesday morning. This was a huge problem as we were planning to leave for Oklahoma on Tuesday for a wedding. SO, after getting over our shock and the thought of living in an empty apartment, we packed up all of our Texas belongings in about 45 minutes. By 7pm, friends had come with a trailer and helped us transport more than 10 boxes to our empty apartment. Can you say stress?

Mia helping take a load down

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy mother's day to all the women who have meant so much to me through the years. My mom is my role model and my best friend. She has always been the one I turn to for advice and she supports me in all situations. Sometimes I think it is rare to find someone so loving, caring, and Christ-like. Then I realize, she came by it honestly-- my grandma is is the same way. I come from an amazing family and am so blessed by the women in my life.

Indy News

Ronnie was a special feature on Indianapolis's local FOX59 news earlier this week. The link to the news clip is below. A couple minor corrections... Ronnie is spelled with an "ie" not "y" and he is from Tulsa, Oklahoma, not Arizona (i thought that one was funny).

Young Soldier Guided by Faith, Courage, and Love

New Apartment

Since we realize that life has us down here in Texas for an extended stay and living in a hotel room is not exactly a place to call home, we have begun the process of making this home.

Ronnie was officially attached to the WTB (Warrior's Transition Battalion) this week. On Monday, we signed our apartment lease at a complex near BAMC. It is a nice place with a pool, tennis courts, and sand volleyball court (so come down and see us!). We are excited to be getting our stuff moved down here in the next few weeks though I anticipate an extra dose of stress will the added into the move. In addition, we purchased a washer and dryer set! Our first "large purchase" of the move. Paint will probably be the next purchase. :)

Getting Big!

Mia is five and a half months old now and getting so big! She loves to play and roughhouse with daddy but is no doubt a mommy's girl when it comes to cuddling. :)

(photo taken in the backyard of the Warrior Family Support Center)