From Mom, November 6, 2009

I found this photo a year later, it's your graduation day from boot camp, you look so alone.

November 6, 2009

Dear Jeremiah,

Well it's been a couple of days since I last wrote. Been steadily busy here at work, so I'm not getting the time like I usually do. Soon I will have lots of time cause we didn't have as many move outs this month. Don't know what I'm gonna do with my self, most likely I'll just follow Joseph around. He's going on vacation later this month so I'll be covering for him during that time. I'm going to have time off too from Thanksgiving till the end of the month. It's about 5 days. Time off when you will be here. =) I hate being back on standard time. I want to go home every day at four and it's dark when I get off work. I'm going to take the littles and go see Shirley tomorrow. I may get to see Wyatt. I'm gonna take those 2 crates to her and some empty egg cartons and I'm thinking Fritz and Gretchen. They need to go have some fun. Dutch and Hiedi got stuck a couple nights ago. I'm hoping they do it again tonight. Sadie is looking good with her purple toe nails. Her ears are so much better, I was getting worried that the ear drum would burst. I think the cause of the flare up was that she was in heat and also because Fritz and Dutch were both going at her ears. Dutch is slobbery. Next week will be Emma's turn. Hope Dutch gets his technique down by then, cause Emma is such a little spitfire that he's gonna need to hold on tight. HAHA. I can't believe that I'm going to be seeing you soon. I bet your changed, a little, you probably won't think so. I don't know if I will even recognize you when the littles and I pick you up. Some stranger is gonna be trying to open the car door while I'm trying to spot you out of the crowd. Give Quincy a hug for me and tell him I said thanks for being such a nice guy. I hope you two stay in touch.

Love mom.

From Aunt Tammy, November 5, 09

November 5

Dear Jerm,

One more letter, huh? I guess I better make it a good one. Of course, the quandry is that I might say too much and then have nothing left to say if I get to see you when you come home. What then? I guess we'll have to figure that out when we come to it.

I'm hoping that at the point you are now, you are feeling pretty good about everything you've accomplished and that you will fit wherever they may place you. Michael always says he's proud of you with every letter of your that we get, I always was, but you have given him lots to be impressed with. You never said if you got our postcards. I hope so, I was hoping you would have them as more pictures for your locker.

I know you probably have gotten letters from your Mom, so you have heard most of any news I have for you. Let's see: Michael came home from Minnesota with the cold bug that his daughter had, so after he was home for a day or so, he was bedridden. He didn't want me to get it so he stayed away, almost as if he was still gone there for a few more days. We had planned to go to the movies and see the latest Harry Potter, as it's playing at the cheap place, but the showtimes were odd and we didn't go. That was OK too, I borrowed movies from the library, Mike Myers' LOVE GURU, stupid stupid, and CHILDREN OF MEN, was OK. Michael had a difficult time following it. Such a downer movie, though, everybody gets shot dead and all kinds of malicious factions posing as the good guys.

On Monday, Your brother Michael was home for a little bit so he and Nicole came over for spaghetti dinner and brought the boys to play with. I hope that gave your mom a repreive but probably not enough. Theo is pretty smart, he sits on the kitchen floor and counts 1, 2, 3, GO! with his little car. Grandma says he actually counts to 5 at her house, spreads out the coasters on the coffee table and puts them away again. Anyway, last year I had made him a sweater with a hood that had pull strings and toggles on it, but I didn't see them for a long time so here it sat and I thought it probably wouldn't fit him. Well, when they were here, I was showing Michael that I was working on a red one with yarn that Grandma gave me a couple weeks ago, and I got out the other thinking maybe for Eli, but on Theo it was just a hair short on the arms, it fit fine. I had knit it out of camouflage yarn for a joke, Michael did think it was funny. Theo went home in it, probably too hot. Anyway, before they left, we got the call that Levi's son, Wyatt was born. Your mom sent me a pic, you may have gotten it too. I had a message from Levi on myspace about it, and I sent one to Dillon asking how he liked the whole uncle thing, to which he replied he was fine as long as he didn't have to change diapers. Funny boy.

I think I'm still trying to get used to the time change, but it really sucks for the dogs. It's dark at 5 when I close the office now, so we have not taken them to their park in the evening like we usually do, (my) Michael thinks Dori's having a pout about it. I took them both this morning on my walk before I open the office as it looks like that was the last of the decent weather. Usually, I just take Dori, can't motivate Maggie to go more than maybe twice a week. Monday, they didn't either one of them go. We thought they were pretty worn out from going to a park near here that they had not been to yet, we found it a couple weeks back on our way home from the dog park over in Wilsonville. This new one is actually closed, but we parked in front of the entrance, walked the girls along the river on trails that nobody had been through since the leaves had fallen. Dori didn't seem too bothered by the crunchy leaves' noise. It was a really nice day, I wish I hadn't forgotten my camera. The sky was that thick bright blue that it gets in autumn and with all the colors on the trees, just absolutely breathtaking.

We survived the first of the month chaos, again. I don't know why that surprises me to get to say it, but things are pretty bad right now. I'm down to a solid 80% occupancy. That probably doesn't say much to you, but here's the scoop. Most of this year I have been at 84 or 85%, all of last year maintaining 95% was not a problem. I have about thirty 10 X 30 units, half of which have vacated in the last few weeks, so that was the worst of it. I have gone so far as to post ads on craigslist.com to try and market my facility a little, as the company is not doing any advertising. There's not much more I can do except to actually get out there and pound the pavement. For quite a while, everytime somebody calls or stops by to check on prices, I feel sort of disperete and I hate that. I don't like having to push sales. But, I try, because at least at this job, we have a roof over our heads.

So, have you had to do anything like skydiving? Jumping out of helicopters or airplanes or anything? The reason I ask is because yesterday on Oprah, they took 5 women out to do things they wouldn't normally do (called it living outside of the box) and one of the things was to go skydiving. One of the women was so freaked out, she cried and had to hold somebody's hand during the training, then they each got suited up and attached to a teacher and assigned each a camera man, then at 10K feet she passed out, when she woke up at 12K feet, she puked, and in the end DIDN'T JUMP! I was so mad at her, I thought, what a wasted opportunity, wasted adventure, in the safest environment to do something like that. I mean, Oprah wasn't going to risk anything really dangerous sending them out there, and they were doing it as a group, so there was almost no danger involved. I would have. In a heartbeat. But, it made me wonder if you'd done that yet. You probably will.

Well, I think I'm going to close this for now, I'm hoping I will have something to say when and IF we get to visit when you are on leave. If not, then the first letter after you get placed will be REALLY long, how's that? I love you, and I hope to talk to you soon.

Love, ~auntie Tammy

To Aunt Tammy, 27 Oct 09

27 Oct 09

Dear Tammy,

I know how you feel. Sometimes I feel like my mood gets affected by the weather also. Like when it rains, I feel kinda just gloomy. Which sucks because it rains alot in Washington. I rained in here today pretty good and we all just got soaked. Good think is tho that I am almost done with all of this. Like 23 days left pretty much. Im excited. Im really tired of being here and I have been tired of alot of people in here since day 1. That and I want some real food. Tired of this (scratched out) food they serve here at the dining facility. But yes time is almost to an end, it feels like parole date to me I guess. But so soon that I'm gonna have to ask that your next letter be the last. Plus I get my phone back ain a bit like a week or so. I hope Michael had fun in Minnesota. I heard you had car problems or something after dropping him off at the airport. I hope everthing is okay now. Mom said it might have just been some car trouble. Im hoping that when I get back the weather will be fine enough so that I can take the dogs to the dog park and give them a good exercise. I miss my mom's dogs alot. I can't wait to play with them again. They were always so fun. I especially miss Fritz too. I also heard about Gamma's cold, luckily she has Superman there to take good car of her. (smiley face) My head had has been especially cold lately too. Especially since I am always cutting it and such so short. I miss my beanie. Ya remember the beanie I wore at the beach trip for the 4th. Well I guess technically it was a ski mask. I need me one of those right now. Haha. Well, Im gonna go to sleep now but I will talk to ya later. I miss ya lots.

Love ya
Jeremiah

From Mom, November 3, 2009

November 3, 2009

Hi Jeremiah,

I am just sending you a quick note today. The apartment that I was working in had a ton of replacements to get done so I didn't get a chance to write. I'm sending you a picture of Levi and his very brand new son, Wyatt. He was born last night about 8:45pm by c-section. He weigh 7lbs 15oz and is 20" long. Shirley says that he has strawberry blonde hair. The family, her family, didn't let Levi in for a long time. At one point they said no totally. That was pretty hard on Levi, not knowing what was happening. All they could do was sit in the hallway and wait. Finally after a couple hours they let Levi and Shirley in to see the baby and Rachelle. I think Shirley got home after midnight. I don't know Wyatt's full name yet. I think that Rachelle's family was pushing her to change the original name and not have Levi's middle name. But anyways, they are doing well and I thought you would like to know that you have a new cousin. Though you and your cousins are all close enough that you could say your an Uncle. Like how we say that Nollie is Bear and Booboo's Auntie. I love you and miss you. Hope your taking care of yourself and that your having a good week.

Love Mom.

From Mom, November 2, 2009

November 2, 2009

Dear Jeremiah,

I know you said not to write but I figured that I would keep writing until the 15th or so. After that I don't know if letters will reach you before you leave FT. Benning. We are trying out a homemade remedy for Sadie's ears. She was doing really well for a long time, then when she went into heat her ears got really bad again and smell bad also. So right now Wes is making up this formula for this stuff called Blue Ear Powder. I don't know why the powder part because it is a liquid. Basically it is 3 ingredients, rubbing alcohol, boric acid, and this purple stuff called gentic purple. The alcohol will dry out the ear canal, the boric acid is supposed to soothe the ear and the purple stuff is an antifungal, antibiotic. The article says that there is a 90% to 99% success rate. I'll keep you updated on how it works. She is going to have blue ear holes. =) Wes is warming the solution up right now. His hands are stained purple. I told him he should wear gloves. Mike is in town. They had a delivery to Fedex, Portland and their truck needs some work done on it. So I (and the littles) picked him up yesterday and met G&G at Fatty Patty's for breakfast. Then after that Ann says she wants to stop by and see the boys cause she's on her way to Woodland. I think that she was trying to see Mike. She needs to get off the train tracks she's on and get on some new ones. What an idiot, she keeps saying she wants to get back with Mike Bah bah bah. Mike is done with that stuff. So anyways he disappears and goes to see this girl he thinks he likes now. I'm pretty sure that you know her since I guess she was a girl friend of your friend Zach. Her name is Chel, which must be short for Michelle or Rachel. Live in Battle Ground. Wes is putting the stuff in Sadie's ears, she is whining a bit. Poor sweet heart. Because she scratched at her ears the alcohol stings. I can't tell you how much I hope this works. The stuff I was using didn't do anything. I have three in heat now. Sadie should be drying up now that she's been bred. Hiedi needs to be bred tonight and tomorrow night. Emma has been in heat since Saturday. Fritz told me. So she needs to be bred next Mon & Tues at the very least. Dutch is a lucky dog. Not Fritz, though he did manage to get Sadie twice. The first time 4 days too early, the second 4 days too late. But who knows? Have to be more careful with Hiedi and Emma. Fritz is fast, so we can't let him out around them at all. I finally met up with that lady who was selling the crates so I got them. There's 3. I'm keeping one, the other two are going to Shirley cause they are smaller than I can use. The one I'm keeping is for Dutch. I was very surprised at it's size. I thought it would be the same as Emma's crate. It's 48" long! Bigger than all of them. So pretty glad about that plus they all still had the pans. and she went down from $25 to $20 because one is missing the rod. But Shirley can replace the rod with one from HD. So I'm planning on going up there next weekend to give them to her. She needs more crates now that she has pg moms and puppies. She said that she was rearranging her bedroom to make room. I stacked the crates again. It is just so much more easier to take care of the puppies when they are off the floor. I had to make room for Dutch's monster crate anyways and I still have room for a puppy pen. I'm going to go to HD and get a piece of vinyl to lay on the floor in the puppy play area. I won't glue it down but it should protect the floor better than nothing. By January I will have almost 30 puppies! Lulu had puppies Sat. 6, 4 boys, 2 girls, bk and choc. I love you and miss you. Love Mom

From Mom, October 29, 2009

October 29, 2009

Dearest Favorite,

So Yeah I finally got those letters in the mail, I'm lame I know. I got your letter last night that Quincy wrote on. We got a kick out of that. Tell Quincy that I think he has very nice hand writing. HAHA. Well I'm still coughing up my lungs, it's in the upper area that I'm having problems with, same as Grandma. So we had quite a scare last night. Mike was texting me, (he's somewhere in Kansas right now) about how Ann keeps bugging him to get back together and stuff. He's like I don't know what to tell her. So I start texting him all the reasons why they shouldn't be together, some weren't very nice, and he pretty much resent them to Ann. Word for word. Ann gets all pissed and angry at Mike and sends me a text, saying she's gonna come and get the boys and all their stuff around 2pm, the next day. I texted her back asking why? and she sends me the text from Mike that I sent to him. So I'm like crap. How just like Mike to do that from so far away. So I start sending Ann texts asking her if she's giving up on all her plans, like getting her driver's license, GED, going to school, gaining her own independence, and all that kind of stuff that she and I talked about when she made plans to move to Eugene for her "fresh start". This was about midnight last night. Wes was all upset and wanting to run and hide with the boys so she couldn't take them. I'm like "she the one with the custody of them it would be kidnapping." So at about 12:30am Ann says that she's gonna go to bed and we end our conversation. I'm all depressed and sad and hoping that she will change her mind in the morning or after a couple of days. So then of course I can't sleep, so I'm watching Nick@Nike, Rosanna is on and it's about Roseanne's sister Jackie getting the crap beat out of her by her boyfriend. So it makes me cry and about 3 in the morning I fall asleep. I know that she was just doing this to get back at Mike for telling her that he didn't want to get back with her. So get this, Ann is still in town, she never left for Eugene. It was 5,5 days before I found out that she was still in town. No calls or text messages from her the whole time asking about her babies. I'm just floored. It don't seem natural for a mom with kids this young not to be the least bit curious about their well being. Ann knows Mike loves these boys so much that towards the end of the relationship he would only return to her to make sure they were getting cared for. Teddy Bear nevers asks for Ann, never. He asks for Mike, he even says it is his sleep when he wakes up a little. If he's in a sad mood Bear even calls me Mike. So to me that means Mike was the one taking care of Bear, changing diapers, giving baths, playing. Mike's the one he goes to when he need something. This morning around 11:30am, I sent Ann a text and asked her if she was still mad and upset. She replied back saying that she was gonna stick to the orginal plan. I can't remember if I wrote to you about this but on Friday. Ann told Mike that she was going to give him custody then later when she was visiting the boys, she told me the same thing, that she's giving Mike custody. So I told her once again that we have no problem working with her so she could get the boys for visits (that's when she was going to Eugene). So I told her the same thing again this morning, that we would make sure that she would be able to see the boys regular like. G&G had the same reaction as Wes, take the boys and run. But of course that wouldn't help the situation to panick. I told you the story about CPS being called on Ann when she lived at Prarrie View? So anyways it's another cold wet day here. I wish it was Friday, well I wish for sleep. haha. I love you so much. Say hey to Quincy for me. Stay out of trouble. love Mom. Tomorrow's Payday Yeah! Gotta buy diapers again.

22 Oct 09 & 23 Oct 09

22 Oct 09

Dear Mom-

Another day almost done. I could pretty much say that is every letter because whenever I write you, the day is almost done. Today we did battle team techniques or BTT which we have done before. Its mainly advancing toward the enemy in a two man team while maintenance fire superiority. The main big thing that was new and different was that we used live rounds today. People were scared they were gonna get shot by their battle buddy. Naturally, I chose Quincy and we rocked that shit. Flawless, I took out the long distance targets of course. But yeah. That was today and we just got back from dinner chow. I just got some turkey noodle stuff. I dk. And I think somebady said that there is going to be mail tonight.

23 Oct 09

Well I got mail last night but I didn't have anymore time to write this letter but to make up for it, I just got off the phone and stuff. It was real nice being able to talk to you. And then I called Andy and cought back up with him and all. He also said that if you need anymore help with the boys, he'd be willing to babysit for you and Mike. haha. You'd have to call and talk to him about it if you were interested. I just gave you his number for you to look for job openings but its ............. Well damn I'm hungry. Chow was pretty good. I had cantonese spare ribs. Well I can't really think of anything to write since I talked to you for a bit today. So I am cutting this short because I'm gonna go wax and buff the kill zone. Tell Scotty I buff floors now. haha. I miss you.

Love ya
Jeremiah
Your Fav

From Mom, October 28, 2009

October 28, 2009

Dear Jeremiah,

Sorry I didn't write to you yesterday. I stayed home sick from work. Not only that. I forgot on Monday to take home the letter I wrote on Monday and the letter I forgot Friday that I wrote Friday. So by the time you get these letters you maybe thinking that they are holding your mail from you. But it's really my fault. I just had a sore throat and some aches. I could've gone to work but by staying home, I feel so much better today. October is almost over, in just a few weeks you'll be coming home on leave. Remember in July it seemed like such a long time to when you were finished with training? Your almost done. I so knew you could do it and get it done with ease. The last couple of weeks are going to go by so fast, but drag on forever at the same time. =) Time is a constant thing, you can't make it go by any faster than you can slow it down. I'm sitting in a square of sunshine. There is no warmth to the sun. So it does me little good. Well I guess Ann is still in town. Her friend's kid in Eugene has the pig flu. She never left town. Never told me, it's Wednesday, she hasn't asked about her kids in almost a week. Mike says that he don't feel like its right for her to get the boys back. She texted me today, say's she is gonna apply for a 1 bedroom apt in Vancouver said it cost 525 a month. I don't know how she plans to pay for it. I told Mike to not give her any money or even write on a piece of paper that he does give her money or I'll kick his ass. That girl needs to grow up and get out of the fantasy land where everyone pays her way. Talked to Sheri and I guess Darren may finally get full custody of sweet baby girl Ava. Her momma threw a fit in court in front of the Judge and he's gonna change Ava's parenting plan. Sheri got another min pin, a male. She may breed them. JD's laid off again. Well I'm keeping this letter short so I can put all the letters together in one envelope. I'll write more tomorrow. I love you and miss you.

Love Mom

From Mom, October 26, 2009

October 26, 2009

Dear Jeremiah,

My world is a wet soggy mess. =) Oh will I ever be dry again? Saturday was such a nice day, All sunny, no clouds, nice temps. Bear and I trimmed the lavender in the parking stripe and raked up all the leaves along there and from Christina's tree also. The leaves went into the compost pile. Booboo sat in his swing listening to classical music. It plays music, kinda cool. What a difference from the windup swing I had for you two. Dogs stayed in their kennel the whole time with no complaints even from Hiedi. Sunday we got up around 9, it was all cloudy again and lightly raining. So we stayed in bed for a while watching tv. I went over to Safeway to meet the lady about the crates with Bear. She wasn't there. So back home. I called Tammy and told her I was ready to go to the dog park. I gave Bear his lunch, then put them down for a nap. I took Emma with me. She is a good choice. Not only because she's my smallest dog, but because she has a great personality. She's friendly to everyone and calm at the same time. It took Tammy an hour to get to Ross park from her place. It's weird that it would seem like she lives closer that Shirley but it's the same travel time to either. Maggie did real good, wasn't bothered by the other dogs doing their greeting sniffs. Dori pretty much avoided contact with others and just plain out wanted to go back home. Tammy let her off the leash once and she headed right up the hill towards the upper parking area that they entered from. Tammy had to leave me behind on the hill. (I'm slow going up cause it affects my ability to breath freely) Tammy found Dori halfway out the fence! Needless to say, Dori ended up staying on the leash the rest of the visit. Dori has pent up anxiety form whatever happened to her. She gets the quivers. Well I don't know if she would actually remember what happened to her. I think she just doesn't know how to behave like a dog and interact with humans and other dogs. Most likely she was in a situation with little positive experience with either. Doesn't know how to play. Doesn't know how to be period. I'm pretty sure that she has made a lot of change in the right direction from where she has been before. Good thing she is with Tammy and Michael. If she had gone to a family with kids, she could have ended up being a snapper. I wonder if massage type therapy would work with her and calm down the quivers. You know, let her reach a point where she relaxes enough to release the anxiety. Like letting out a deep breath of relief. Maybe just an hour a day starting at the base of her neck, slow deep massage and work down to her tail. If it feels good to humans, it should feel good to dogs. Especially dogs with long backs and short legs like Dori. Dutch follow Sadie around all weekend trying out his manly skills on her. Last night our little boy became a man. Him and Sadie tied the knot so to speak. After I returned home from the dog park, I gave everyone baths, including the boys. Hiedi was last. I found her to be in heat also. Once again trailing a week behind Sadie. So I'm actually glad that Dutch and Sadie had their moment because I really have to have Dutch able to breed with Hiedi this time. Since these puppies will arrive in the winter having the lighter shades will help sell them better. Still nothing from Jolly and Gretel. At least Shirley has other females producing puppies. We will see what happens. I may have to borrow money around the beginning of the year. If I can't get people to put down deposits. Raining buckets today. Mike was in Tennessee when I talked to him this morning. I love and miss you every hour of everyday.

Love Mom.

From Mom, October 23, 2009

October 23, 2009

Dear Jeremiah,

I'm writing this at the same time you have your phone. lol. Sorry this page is water marked. It has been raining heavy all morning. Not very fun. I got wet loading the boys in the car. Been nice and damp since. Right now I'm sitting on the floor in front of the heater in DD201, hoping to warm up a bit. The temperature isn't really that bad, just feel cold. Joseph put garage door openers in the two garages we park our carts in. He removed them from 2 that had become vacant recently. This will make it very nice not to have to stand in the small area covered by the roof to avoid big fat drops of rain on the neck. I'm talking to you right now! Awesome and totally unexpected to get your text this morning. I'm still grinning even though your talking to Andy now. I forgot to ask you if you needed anything like writing stuff? I sent you more stamps 2 letters ago. Hope you get them okay. That's pretty odd about getting that one letter so late after getting others that were newer. Was the address correct? Anyways I think it's weird. Now I'm talking on the phone to Shirley. She is spreading gravel on her driveway, not the whole driveway. The truck was able to do most of it. She is just doing the bottom, top by the pile of siding and near the green house. She's on her black berrie. Rochelle is due in about a week or so. Her due date keeps changing it seems. I still don't know why Levi broke up with her. I like her a whole lot better than Ann. Ann is supposed to be leaving for Eugene tomorrow sometime. I wonder if she's gonna want to see them (the littles) before she goes. Hard to say. Well so I gotta get some work done. Sorry the letter is so short, but remember I did talk to you today. I love and miss you.

Love Mom.

19 Oct 09

19 Oct 09

Dear Mom,

Today was pretty nice. We had the second to the last PT test and I passed it. Improved some to. Mainly like I did a 15 min 2 mile. That's probaly the biggest but I'm not going to worry about it cuz I know I can do better but yeah. And then we were all supposed to get a flu shot but then I got stuck on Ranger Detail. That was kinda lame but mainly reminded me of being home because I was doing landscaping. We laid 18 pallets of sawd and then picked up some mulch and stuff. Just made me wish I was at your house. Still no mail today. Thats about 4 or 5 days that I haven't gotten any mail. But I might still have a chance to get some because I heard that other platoons are getting mail at the moment. Well I just got 5 letters from you starting from the 9th and one from G&G. Well anywho my teddy bear is up in the barn in a gift bag. If you feel like crawling up there and getting it then be my guest. The boys are more than welcome to fight to the death for it. I'm glad you like my shirts I sent. I hope it fits. I need to talk to Mike tho like brother to brother type thing because he needs some helps. I might be able to help him a bit or at least threaten him with an ARMY ass whooping. So yeah. Been hearing some news about 101st but don't really know what to belive of anything. 32 days left mama. I'm glad Ann is going away and stuff. Because I don't want a bad mamma around my nephews. I'm gonna be their uncle and their Godfather if need be. Hopefully Mike can figure things out or hold off for 3 years till I get around to help. I'm gonna try and get into an apartment or something when I get done and start going to college. Don't quite know if I'm going to get a job tho. Hopefully not but maybe a fair paying part time job. Maybe I'll just call Scott and tell him to hire me part time to make work easier on his old ass. haha. But the Army will be giving me an E-6. Bah, that's married so I might not need it at all. I wish I could be there to help out the family. Seems like everyone could use some help if not my help with things. I feel bad for leaving everyone really I dk. I'm just gonna try and make these next 3 years pass by. I'm gonna move my TSP to 60% here pretty soon I think. Due to some reasoning that I want to break to you in person. I hope there is snow on the ground when I get back. Well it's getting damn cold here. During PT well at the time you were going to sleep but it was 36*. Wonder how its going over there. Boston says that there is snow in Boston. I'm starting to get more depressed to be honest. I have been mildly depressed for a lil bit but now it's starting to increase. Just all the bullshit and the realization that I'm still fucking here. I'd rather be washing dishes at Fatty Pattys for 3 years non stop sometimes. The worst part is I don't have anything really to cheer me up. A few pictures yes but they have already been inprinted in my eyes. I dk. I'm gonna get through this and not nothing or no-one is going to stop me. I miss you and home (well what home I had) Lots and lots.

Love ya.
Jeremiah,
Your Fav.

From Mom, October 22, 2009

October 22, 2009

Dear Jeremiah,

Well this week is almost over. I got another letter from you yesterday. I don’t know why your not getting any letters. I’m still sending them like I usually do, they must be holding them for whatever reason. Tammy’s Michael just called me. He flew back to visit his daughter and grandkids and tried calling Tammy at home and got a message that the office is closed cause she is broken down. G&G aren’t at home either and I sent Nollie a text and am waiting for a reply. Tammy dropped Michael off at the airport @ 8am. He called at 1pm. So 5 hours since she was driving him. Hopefully one of those three call me or Michael and let us know what’s going on. Yesterday I had the worst Reuben sandwich of my life. It was so bad that I had an upset stomach after. The meat was thick slices with so much fat that I removed them from the sandwich. Gross. I’m never going back there again. It was that diner place called Linda’s Home plate across from Duck’s. I went there because it was close to work and I thought that since it was a breakfast/lunch place that they would be decent. Cost too much too. Tammy called but we only talked long enough for her to tell me that she's okay. She has to call Michael and talk to him. I just happened to catch her as she went in the house. Mike is in Dallas TX. They are at a Swift terminal. I know there are several terminals, Portland, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Dallas that I know of. They have been there since yesterday afternoon after they dropped their last load off. They are getting new steering tires, the Front tires, lube job and a light on the top of the truck replaced. They probably will be there a second night since Mike just told me that their truck just went in, it's about 4:30pm their time. They didn't know their next trip yet. There's a whole area there so they can get cleaned up, shower, shave, ect. And a place to watch TV. Probably a food source also. Mike didn't say. He was watching NCIS in a room with 8 or 9 lazy boy type chairs. Shirley just sent me a text. I think she likes her phone and she sends me long messages. She got it mainly so she could check her emails with it and reply to them. Still no news back from Tammy about what happened. Shirley has 10 puppies right now. 2 went home last weekend and 3 more are sold. I'm still surprised that Sadie got stuck so soon. I wonder if Dutch will try too. Someone just called me about labradoodles. they may want to be put on my waiting list. We'll see. I still have a few people that inquired about certain colors with certain sex, I will be sending them emails when Hiedi goes into heat finally. Well I just finished up in the apartment I was working in and it's time to get stuff put away for the night. I'll be writing more tomorrow. I love you and miss you. Say Hey to Quincy for me. Love Mom.

17 Oct 09

17 Oct 09

Dear mom.

Well its the start of week 10 for us. This morning for PT we had a combatives competion in our platoon. I placed 3rd. Well it might have been 2nd cuz I made it all the way to the end to face the champ who has 6 yrs wrestling experience and I have nothing. But needless to say I made it up there. I even had to face the tallest dude who looks like a country inbred hick with retard strength but I beat him in under 20 sec. Well anyways my arm is a little tweaked now and I'm a bit worried and stuff cuz I have a pt test on monday. I should be fine. Tomorrow is kinda a relax day. So again I haven't gotten a letter from anyone that kinda worried me and all. I'm sure the DS's are just being lazy and don't want to give it to us. How is everything going for ya? Are all the dogs doing good? Do ya still have pony? I can't wait to see the dogs again. Pretty much I can't wait to see anyone again back in Washington. I hope I will be able to use the truck a lot. Like maybe Wes can schedule some of his stuff outside of that time. I wonder if its snowing there yet. there had better be snow on the ground when i get there damn it. I specifically remember there being snow on the ground when I was at a Thanksgiving dinner last year. I'm planning on going to that same friends house too. Her family really likes me, haha. Then again, whose don't? haha. Just kidding. But transportation is going to be very important for me. I need to know about that other wise I might just rent a car. I'd rather use the truck tho. I miss driving that truck. Besides I got a surprise for that truck if I can use it because it involves me using it. We will just have to figure things out. Idk if I am going to be able to come by during christmas break cuz this is going to probably take all my leave time. I know I get a 4 day pass but thats not really enough to travel that far. Who knows. Gah I'm hungry. I hope dinner chow is soon. Today we did more urban ops stuff. That was fun. I got that down to. It's really just the basics because when I get to the company and platoon, it's gonna be their own specific way. But that be too hard for me to learn. So I figure that by the time I'm out I will be at least a corporal but its possible I could even be a sergant. Well I'm gonna go to chow but I will write ya tomorrow.

Love Ya
Jeremiah
Your Fav.

16 Oct 09

16 Oct 09

Dear Mom,

Well good news. Move then likely I have leave from the 20th of November to the 2nd of December. So that's nice. I didn't get hometown recruiting tho. One more recruiter lie. If I did get it I would have 26 days of leave instead of 13. I'm planning on sticking to arriving Sunday morning pretty early so yeah. I believe that sunday will be the 22nd. Then my friend Blanchard that I'm driving with also has the same amount of leave. So I think we are planning to leave on the 30th. So that last Sunday of the month we can do something together again if you want. Or we could just spend it doing nothing. I dk. I might just stay that night over with him so we can get a good start on the drive the next day. So that could mean a trip to Salem or Newport or something. We will figure it out. Other then that, that's mainly the only good news I have. I didn't get a letter from you today. I think that's about 3 days without mail from anyone. I really can't wait to get back to WA tho. Another cool thing is that its been way cooler here. Not suppose to get above 50 for a while. I love that. I have always been a winter kind of guy. I think you already knew that tho. I'm glad you shared that bit of information with me about what you did wit Ron and all. I have always thought I got my independence from you. Any yet we both got lonely. I never really have had a real relationship. Nothing offical. Just these girls and a lot of them used me. One was crazy haha. But for some years I have felt lonely. I figured that something will find me when I'm not looking and now I'm not. I can't wait to have kids of my own tho. Hopefully in the best way but if something happens, I want the kids. If nothing, I think I may adopt. But kids for me are way down the road if according to plan. Maybe 7 years. I dk. Well I'm tired and I have combatives for PT, for some reason more urban ops. We started that today. How to stack and then enter a room in a 4 man team. Tomorrow we might kick down a door. I love and miss you bunches.

Love Ya
Jeremiah.
Your Fav.

From Mom, October 21, 2009

October 21, 2009

Dearest Jeremiah,

How are you? We are fine. Today or rather this morning I had to get up a littler earlier so I could take the littles to G&G. Wes had a class this morning. So I get up take the dogs down stairs let them out while I grab their food bowls. I feed them in the kennel and go upstairs to get the littles up and dressed. I get them downstairs and make up their bottles. I heard someone yip outside was fairly sure it was Sadie cause her ear was bothering her again last night. Pack up the diaper bag, strap Booboo into his car seat. I go outside to put the dogs back in the crates. ( I don’t leave them outside anymore when no one is home.) Wes had Hiedi with him. So I open the kennel gate and only Gretchen, Dutch and Emma come running out. So I go into the kennel and don’t see either Fritz or Sadie. I peek in the dog house and there they are standing side by side. I’m thinking it’s too early for them to be stuck. Sure enough they are stuck, Great. I leave them there because by that time Bear was getting tires of doggie kisses, and I take the three loose dogs upstairs and put them in their crates. Go back down to the kennel and start Fritz and Sadie walking into the house. Get to the stairs and they both don’t want to go up. So I grab both of their collars and pull them up. I bet it must have looked funny, I have one hand on the railing, the other pulling on 100 pounds of stiff legged dogs that were trying to pull in the opposite direction. I put them in my room. I left them out of a crate. I didn’t think I could talk them into going into one anyways. I figured that when they were finished that Sadie would just go into their crate and Fritz would hop on my bed or stretch out on the floor near Sadie. Wes said that when he got home one of them, I think Fritz got into the trash can. Diapers. All over my room. Yuck. I completely forgot about the diapers. It’s about 4 days too early for them to be stuck. I think. I didn’t notice any change earlier than last Friday. So I wasn’t expecting them to get stuck before next Monday. Dogs! I guess we have to be more careful when Hiedi goes into heat or Fritz will be planting puppies in her too. Dutch had better act fast. =). Shirley and I are still waiting for Jolly and Gretel to go into heat. I took Dutch up there with us last time so he could sniff at the girls and Patty was in heat so Shirley let Patty out into the yard for Dutch to sniff too. It pretty much looks like he will know what to he when his turn comes. Sadie should have puppies Christmas Day. I’m not going to try to prevent Dutch from getting stuck with her so we will see what comes out. Mike was in Kentucky yesterday and today he’s in Texas. I haven’t heard of where they are getting sent yet. I think he said that today is suppose to be a short day for him. Can only drive for 4.5 hours or something like that. Ann came over to see the boys last night and only stayed for an hour. She had her friend with her, I can’t remember her name right now. But she was there in the hospital when Ann had Bear. And some guy named Steve. Kind of a stupid looking guy, though he could have just been uncomfortable coming into a strange house to see babies he don’t know. I think Ann went out with him last week. The night I picked up the boys and she was all made up. She is leaving Saturday, but says she is coming back for Halloween. When you come home on leave you should hold Booboo when he drinks his bottle. I can’t explain the feeling, but it sure is some kind of wonderful. At night when its all quiet and I’m holding him close he just stares at me and gets all warm and relaxed. Pretty soon his eyes roll around and he falls asleep. You got to try it. Well I better get finished with my work. I love you and miss you everyday. Love mom.

PS Shirley got a black berry phone. So she’s been texting me.

15 Oct 09

15 Oct 09

Dear Mom,

Well it's payday today, I kinda wonder how much I got paid and whether some of my money was put into the TSP or not. I hope it started going in there. I gotta set up my online banking here pretty soon. You are gonna have to help me with that maybe. Did you ever do that phone contract transfer thing? Well today was the last day of land navigation I hope. I'm still doing pretty damn good at it but we got rained out like a mofo. It was bad. I think we have a detail day coming up on Monday after my PT test that I have to pass. No mail from you tonight. Oh well maybe I will have one from you tomorrow. I'm hoping that we get to have our cell phones back on Sunday since we will be in AIT and officially be soldiers. I don't know why but that just seems pretty damn awesome. As major Payne would say we are no longer turds. HAHA. I can't wait to watch movies with you again like Forrest Gump and Stuff. Quincy is doing good and he says HI. His two little girls were just adorable. So funny thing happened. Last night I had to help the prior service SGT, (he used to be a 88m which is basically a truck driver) break into the DS room and since Ima pro like that I got him in. Pretty soon or maybe tomorrow we start doing urban ops and stuff like clearing buildings and kicking down doors and operating a vehicle checkpoint. Just infantry stuff. Well sorry this is a short letter but I got to get to bed. We seriously got back from land Nav about 30 mins ago and it's almost lights out and I'm way tired. I miss ya bunches.

Love Jeremiah,
Your Fav.

From Aunt Tammy, Oct 20, 2009

October 20
Dear Jerm,
Well, I'm going to start this but feel like I don't really have much to say. Of course, I never do, which may explain to you why my novellas seem to ramble. Yesterday, I mailed you a couple of postcards because they looked like the trees around here right now, and wanted to answer the letter I received from you on Saturday, before it gets too long from me.

I seem to be affected by the weather or season or something, as I still have headache/groggy feeling I had when I think I wrote you last. It just feels deadly slow around here, I am having a hard time being motivated to do much of anything. There has been very little going on. The office is slow. Your brother was sending me texts two or three times a day but apparently he is having too much fun or the newness has worn off already because I haven't heard from him since Saturday. It must be so difficult for him to be gone now. I'm sure he didn't think he would have the boys full time on his own when he started looking at long haul driving, now it must be agonizing think about them at home being shuffled around. Especially laying that burden on your mom. I know she probably doesn't mind for the most part, because she loves Michael too and it is easy to get attached to the boys, but it wasn't something she signed on for either, and she had a lot of projects going already.

I talked to Nicole a bit over the last few days too, she wanted me to run away with her and go to the movies, but I just can't leave when the office is open. Michael feels like he doesn't know the computer well enough to do every procedure that might need done. I think he does, but hate to inflict that on him as it is a not a very user friendly program on outdated equipment. Stuff goes wrong, and it's a pain in the butt to suffer it all. Anyway, I think after about three days, she convinced her dad to go with her. I'm glad she got to go after all.

I talked to Gma & Gpa over the weekend too. I think Gma's got a cold and seems like Gpa is taking care of her. Sounds like they found some clothing at a thrift store for the boys, I know that probably helps. I did talk to your mom. It seems to be working better for her to send little notes back and forth by e-mail lately. I can message her what I'm thinking about and when she has time (whenever, I don't know) she replys and adds what she thinks. For instance, I was thinking about meeting her this weekend at a dog park. She wrote me back that she might be able to and bring one of the dogs. We'll have to wait and see, lots of variables right now.

First there's the weather. It's supposed to be nice one day and nasty the next, off and on all week. Lots of colors right now, we see squirrels on our walks, seem to be busy, don't seem to be as interested in chatting up Maggie right now as they were a couple months back. One yesterday was eating on a branch just over my height not ten feet from me and Maggie didn't notice when usually she gets all excited and tense. Of course, Dori is ambivilent about anything but moving on. She gets freaked about having to stop for any length of time.

Michael is going to Minnesota to see his daughter and grandkids for the weekend. So, I'm hoping we have enough cash for him, but I probably won't have any for anything extra to do while he's gone. We stocked the fridge and all this last weekend, and I certainly could always benefit from walking anywhere I wanted to go around here. Just not sure how much gas I'll have to go to Vancouver on, is what I'm saying, but would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, to see your mom and whoever else I get to see. What I expect the girls and I will get done is lots of knitting, reading and napping while he's gone and probably not much else. Maybe a few of the movies I have wanted to see but wouldn't inflict on him, although there's not much out on DVD that I wanted to see that we haven't yet. I was hoping Nicole would want to hang with her old mother for some of it, we'll see. I don't know her schedule yet, and she didn't spend much time with Brian last weekend, so I may be out of the picture with her again anyway.

I'm glad I'm writing you today, because I have a lot of work I want to get done tomorrow, helping him pack and all. Plus, my boss is coming the day he leaves, so also have house to clean before he goes.

Not much going on in the world either. We have been watching, sporadically, the playoffs to the World Series. The four teams left are LADodgers and Philadelphia Phillies, LAAngels and NYYankees. I think. I don't much care, but it is Baseball and it fills time till something better is on tv. There's a big stir about a family in Utah, they thought the boy was lost in a balloon that floated away, they think now it's a hoax, talking about pressing charges, taking the children away, etc.

I have been knitting a little. I finished that shawl I mentioned last letter and got it to her. Did a pair of socks with some sparkly trim, for Michael's g-daughter. I helped a friend with her project. She was working on a sweater for a Great-granddaughter expecting, the pattern had a hat and booties to go with it, but they weren't what she wanted and she was behind because she'd been ill, so, I did the hat and socks using similar pattern for her. Now she just has to finish the sleeves to her sweater. I finished the sparkly socks on Friday, did the hat and socks over the weekend and gave them to her yesterday. Started a little hat with color changes, ooohhhh scary, cause I haven't done that in a long while. But so far, I'm having fun with it. G'ma keeps asking me if I'm done with the sweater I was working on for your cousin, I think I'm stuck on it. I was working on another one that I started a year ago, I think I'm going to have to frog it, which is a knitter's joke, by the way. Frogging refers to having to rip-it, rip-it, rip-it, when you have to tear it up and start again. Another joke is called tink it, which is knit backwards. Aren't you just pissed you had to read that sorry pun? Hahaha!

On Sunday, we did take the dogs to a dog park in Wilsonville, which turned out to be much closer than it sounded. It had a fenced dog area and a timid/small dog area separated off. The whole park was as nice as you'd expect a newer neighborhood like Wilsonville to be, but this small dog area was pretty bad. Maybe because it doesn't get used by many little dogs, but it was still weedy, lots of stickers, not as kept up as you would hope. Maggie and Dori met a pure white Chihuahua, male, six months old named McGee. The owners are fans of NCIS, they named him after a character on the show. He was very active and the girls tolerated his energy. Maggie sniffed around a bit, but Dori, off leash, paced the side of the fence next to the road and tried to squeeze through the gate a couple of times. We parked the truck quite a ways from the dog fields and walked the long way back which was through some scenic areas, little walking bridges and all, but we were all wore out when we got home. We met some nice dogs, an very old Akita, a Bull-mastiff, saw some Corgis (who couldn't shut up), an Alaskan Malumute, I think a wolf pup.

Anyway, I can't think of much else. (handwritten) I hope all is well with you~ you didn't say much about what you are doing in this last letter but I hope it's fun. Lots! Michael has commented several times about he's proud of you ~ I think that's why we was so determined to pick a postcard picture for you too. We love you and we'll hear from you soon. Be careful. I love you. ~Aunt Tammy

To Aunt Tammy, Oct 14, 2009

Dear Tammy,

I get pretty excited too when I see that I have a letter from you. I heard about Mike too. I was on my 30 hours pass and I needed to contact Mom somehow because the lady did something to her cell phone and so I call him thinking he might be home and he picks up in Billings, Montana. I also heard about that lady passing through mom. I kinda remember her and her kids but its very vague since it was so long ago. Sounds like both of you guys have been keeping busy. Hope everything is still going good for ya. Ya both need another vacation or something. Don't wanna over work yourselves. (smiley face with tounge sticking out) This week I have been doing land navigation. I have been rocking it completely haha. My team didn't get lost once and we walked for about 4 miles today through mud, water/swamp, forest and rain. But all in all we did very good. Mom was just telling me about how she took the dogs to the dog park too. That park sounds actually pretty nice. Ours don't have any streams or anthing and barely any shade. We got ya beat on the small dog area tho. Mom says the dogs are gonna love having me back for a bit and we are gonna try to go to the dog park so they can have me aka "Coach" give them a good workout. I mss them. The other day I had to watch my drill sergants doverman pincer pup for CQ duty. Nice little puppy. I'm almost done here. After this week I am finally able to be called a soldier and then I start my 3 weeks of infantry training. Then its just two weeks of doing nothing really. Then Im done. Hard to think its been that easy. Time is gonna hopefully be on my side and go by quickly. The hardest is yet to come tho. I don't really need anything. Im outta axe (bodywash crossedout) well almost outta axe body wash but I got bar soap still that I can use till I get done from here. So I think I'm fine. Thanks tho. I miss ya and love ya.
Love,
Jeremiah.

From mom, October 20, 2009

October 20, 2009

Dear Beloved of Mine,

I know, cheesy. Well Pony went to her new home last night. I think she is going to do great. They have 2 boys ages 2 and 5. They have another dog who is 11 so Pony will have enough energy to keep up with the 2 little boys. Wes and the boys just brought me lunch. An Oregon, so good and perfect. I had 2 letters from you in my mail box last night. Sounds like you really know your way around, haha. The navigation is a very good skill to have. I always know which way is north, no matter what. So I think that has always kept me from getting lost. Besides having good recall. Mike said yesterday that sometimes he don’t know what direction he is headed, but the mile markers on the road will tell you if you look for them. The numbers get bigger heading north and east. The major roads are numbered a certain way also. I really need to get a USA road map. Right now Mike is in Kentucky. Just picked up a load of car parts and they are headed to Texas. Every time he talks to me I make him tell me where he is. The gap in you receiving my letters is my fault. Sometimes I don’t get it in the mail the same day that I write it. I’m still writing you as often, but lately with the little boys, I don’t make it to the mail box some nights. I’m lame, sorry. I called AT&T this morning about you taking over your contact, and it looks like it will have to wait until you come home. Because you need to sign something and they’ll do a credit check on you. So you maybe asked to put a deposit down. You should set up automatic payments at the same time. That way when your deployed you’ll have one less thing to worry about. I’m coughing, or rather trying not to cough. Sometimes I throw up if I can’t stop, hate it when it happens while I’m eating. I guess scarecrow had to replace a water heater at the end of his day Sunday. Was working until 7:00. so I think he worked on it for atleast 3 hours. It never takes me more then 1 hour to install one even if it doesn’t drain very well. He didn’t finish the residents sent him away. I don’t blame them. He tried to use pipe dope sealer instead of flux to solder. Flux is what helps the solder bond to the copper pipe. He would have never got it to work. Joseph had to go in there yestuday to fix it, said that there were drops of solder everywhere. They don’t even look the same. Pipe dope catches on fire, flux just melts. Ya know how to solder? If not I will show you sometime. It’s fun and there’s fire involved. =) I told Grandma, even she thought that was funny and I don’t think she has ever soldered in her life, but knows enough to understand what flux is. I can’t wait to see you again just a few weeks to go. Me and the boys are definitely gonna be there to pick you up. I’m looking forward to spending some time with you and it would be so awesome to do something special like we did before you left. Mike maybe home a few days at the same time. So you two may get to compare stories of your independence from mom. Lol. Or your travels. I have a feeling that you’ll end up with the long distance award. The shirts and sweat shirt you sent all fit. Bear slept in his shirt last night. I’m surprised that a shirt made for a four year old fit him so well. We know he is gonna be a tall one that’s for sure. I need to teach him to play basket ball and be his manager. Haha. Maybe baseball, I like baseball better. Well I’ll write more tomorrow, love you and miss you.

Love Mom.

From mom, October 19, 2009

October 19, 2009

Dear Jeremiah,

Happy week ten! I bet you have a daily count down going. No call from you yesterday, but ya know I didn’t expect it. It seems like you really only get a chance to call every other weekend. Not much going on around here. We are all doing well and healthy except Grandma has a cold again. The weekend was kinda quiet. Ann had the boys until I picked them up at 2pm Sunday. So Saturday I really didn’t do much besides open the door for the dogs to go in and out. Did some power napping. Sunday I swept the house and dusted in my room a bit and did laundry. We had a lot of rain Saturday. JD’s corner was all flooded across the street. I finally took the air conditioner out of my window. The dogs keep my room so warm. That I want to be able to open the windows and air it out during the day. I think Dutch is the major factor in the over heating of my room. He has been limping around for a couple of days. I don’t know why, I checked him out and don’t find anything. Maybe he got bit. I got my ad in the Oregonian Thursday night, nothing Friday and all day Saturday until about 9:30 at night. I got a response from a lady. I replied back and still haven’t heard back. Then Sunday morning early 6:30 am some one else emailed me about Pony. He is coming out today after I get off work. He says that they live on 10 acreas and have other animals besides having 2 young boys. He thinks Pony will fit in great with his family. I guess they lost their dog last June, he was 13 years old. Hopefully they all fall in love with her. It sounds like a good home for her. Fritz has had his nose just about attached to Sadies backside since Friday. I checked her out yesterday and there’s a bit of blood. So she’s in heat. She is kinda snappy right now with Fritz and Gretchen is all excited about it too. I hope Hiedi will follow suit and start her heat. I’m going to let Sadie breed. She is doing good and is nice and fat. She can pick her guy between the two and we’ll see what comes out. So if she breeds next weekend, she will have puppies between Christmas and New Years. I would rather have more puppies in the spring than in the fall, unless I have puppies in time for Christmas. Lulu’s, Fritz’s hot date, is getting all fat. I emailed her family last weekend to check up on her. So he’s definitely gonna be a papa again. I wonder what color will come out of her? I’m almost considering not breeding Fritz because of the limitations on the color he produces. But at the same, I charges less for his puppies and that makes them more affordable. By the way, bad economy or not people are still spending money. They may not be traveling as much or they are putting off buying houses but they are still making purchases. If I sell Pony tonight I think I’m going to take Wes and the boys out to dinner. Probably Shari’s Today is Wes’ first day caring for the boys. Plus he has to clean up downstairs. So going out will be nice for him. They all do well together. Wes and Theo eat pretty much the same thing. Well that’s about all I have to say now. Take care, do good. I love you and miss you.

Love Mom.

14 Oct 09

14 Oct 09

Dear Mom,

Sorry I couldn't write you yesterday, I had absolutely no personal time. We were put on lockdown because a night vision optic scope went missing. Turns out it was just in some supply closet or something. But they tore apart everything and yeah we didn't get to bed until pretty late. Then when they were tearing apart our bay they found some chew, So yeah. We were screwed. So yeah, but this week we are doing land navigation which I am pretty much rocking the shit out of. I don't think that I am ever gonna get lost now and I got my team through. We walked quite a bit today through mud, clay, forest, water, swampland and rain. It was crazy but we made it and we found all 4 of our points when we only need to find 3. And when we got back I heard a lot of people saying they got pretty lost and shit which my team didn't. But we do it during the night time tomorrow and then after this week we are going to be actual soldiers and then we start to do our three weeks of infantry training. Amazing to think that I will be coming home soon. Huh, are you excited? I don't quite know when I'm gonna be arriving on my flight back home but I think I'm gonna work it out to where I come early Sunday morning ya know. Take a redeye Saturday night. So I hope you can deal with that. Maybe if you have the boys too or if not then Fritz and Sadie haha. And then we can go to Fatty Patty's and see everyone and yeah. That will be what I'm aiming for. More then likely and I hope it can work out that way. I have likely and I hope it can work out that way. I have a friend that might email for that pic. Name is Paige. Well I can't think of anything else tonight. I love you and miss ya lots.

Love Jeremiah
Your Fav.

From mom, October 16, 2009

October 16, 2009

Dear Jeremiah,

It’s Friday. I’m beat. So freaking tired today. I didn’t sleep very good last night and woke up with breathing issues. I’m fine now. It just makes it hard to get ready for work and I feel like I’m an hour off. Woke up an hour late so everything is an hour late too. So I got my ad in the Oregonian for Pony last night. Hopefully someone calls and gets her this weekend. Because Mike just started working, his first pay check is small and he’ll need it for living expenses on the road. So I’m been paying for everything for the boys. Ann isn’t watching the boys next week or after. She says she is going to be busy packing to move to Eugene. I talked (well texted) her about it last night. She has a friend there that she is moving in with and is planning on getting her drivers license, ged and starting college after that. Which is good if she really does those things. She said eventually they where gonna get a place with four bedrooms. Mike told me this morning the she doesn’t seem to realize that she won’t be getting money for the boy’s care. She may be able to get financial aide to go to school but she would most likely need a part time job to help make ends meet. I don’t know how the boys fit into all this. Maybe they don’t. anyways. I don’t really, care what Ann does, it’s the boys that I have my concerns about. They deserve to have a stable home life just like any kid does. I was thinking just a little while ago that I don’t really work all that fast and yet I’m a week ahead of schedule. Joseph just did a move out walk thru and had me change the locks then instead of waiting for it to come up on the schedule. It’s funny that all I remember seeing in this unit was black people. The people there to do the move out were Mexicans. We had so much trouble from these last occupants. Tons of complaints and stuff. I can see how people get racially prejudice against black people by the example of people like this. It’s like having one kid in the class that causes trouble and everyone has to stay inside for recess. Of course around here lately everyone seems like a trouble maker. The bar has been lowered. It don’t matter who it is either. Most seem like trash. In fact that’s one of the reasons I have to do so many turn over. More people are skipping out or getting evicted than those who actually give notice. I got your letter yesterday about staying in for only 3 years and then going to school. I think it is a good plan. You will just have to be more careful with your money and save as much as possible. When your three years come up just re-evaluate your situation, the direction your heading in, maybe see what the economy is doing and go from there. You still have a lot of time to decide what your gonna do and what holds your interest. Trust your instincts. If something feels bad, it probably is. Set some long term goals and short term too. Figure out what you really and truly want and take the steps to get there. You never know. You so far have only had a small taste of the Army. Your next duty station will give you a better picture of what it’s really like everyday living. You’re always going to have good moments and bad moments no matter where you are. Just try to have more good than bad. Stuff happens. Don’t try to control what you can’t control, it’s pointless. Maybe someday you and Quincy could get a shrimpin boat and be shrimpin boat captains. Now that would be the life have it all figured out, so much for gas, so much for nets. You could sleep on the boat…….

I kill myself sometimes. Smile for me. I love you so much. You are my favorite. Love mom.

From mom, October 15, 2009

October 15th, 2009

Dear Jeremiah,

Well it’s Thursday again, goes fast sometimes. Yeah it’s payday for me and you. Mine is gone. I paid the mortgage. Bye Bye. =) Its about 4pm. I’m starving, by the time I get home I won’t be hungry. Never fails. I just got finished in J201, another eviction. I’m trapped in here though because scarecrow is power washing outside on the stairs. These guys had left behind a bunch of crap. So Joseph hired the guys to come back and trash it out for us. Isn’t that wonderful? Remember all the times I’ve had to trash out a unit, most of the time by myself? I’m kinda pissed at Ann today because last weekend I finally get the boy’s rash cleared up and now it’s back again. Bear has a pretty bad area along the diaper line that was so bad last night when I changed him that it looked like blisters. This morning it was looking better. It’s not hard to prevent it. Just change the freaking diapers. I know it hurts him cause he cries and tries to get away when I clean him. Poor guy, the diaper gotta be rubbing the area anytime he moves. Last night when I picked up the boys, Ann was all made up and hair done. Then later when I was talking to Mike on the phone, he said that Ann was going out with friends and I said yeah she’s going out. She has on tons of make up and her hair all straightened out like she spent hours getting ready. Mike said she had a date with some guy. And was pissed cause she has been like all the passed week talking about wanting to get back together and stuff. Mike doesn’t want her to know that he kinda likes this other chick. Cause she will flip out mental. He shouldn’t be talking to her anyways unless it’s about the boys. Their personal lives are now their own. I just wish Mike would take a longer break before getting involved with someone new ya know? Let stuff settle down a bit with the new job and taking care of the boys. I don’t know why Mike always has to be with someone. Do you think he’s afraid to end up alone? I don’t know. When I talked to him earlier today he had made his drop in Billings MT and was headed to a small town in Wyoming to pick up their next load to take to Salt Lake City UT. He said that they maybe going to Columbus OH next. Just back and forth up and down. I wonder if he’ll forget where he is someday. =) I was thinking about taking the boys over to G&G’s tonight but I think I’ll just take them home and let them play in the bath tub until they are nice and wrinkly =) When you put Booboo in the tub you have to be all slow and quiet or else he gets all scared. But quietly put in means that he’s all relaxed and will lay in the water and kick his legs and splash water a bit and have fun. If he’s put in crying he won’t relax and the echoing noise that he makes, make him make more. Not as fun. I got Bear down to one bottle a night which means he don’t pee threw his diaper. Also I’m not letting him drink it in the car or pretty much anywhere else. He can drink out of a cup just fine. I’m still aiming to have him off it next weekend. It is really just a source of comfort for him. So I just give him another comfort. I give him lots of hugs and kisses, hold him and tell him I love you. Let him sit next to me with my arm around him when we watch tv together. So he knows he is secure. I gotta get some Dr. Seuss books. I gotta go buy diapers tonight so I’ll have to see if I can find a couple old favorites. Oh and I need to dig thru Mike’s room and find Mike’s old bear. He showed it to me awhile back so I know that it’s in there. Well I gotta get my trash thrown into the compactor and make some key packets. Take care of yourself. Hope your having a good week nine. I love you and miss you. Love Mom.

From mom, October 14, 2009

October 14, 2009

Dearest Jerm,

Its windy again today. And we’re having a bit of rain here and there as you may have noticed by my water marked paper. One nice thing is that it’s a bit warmer today than it has been for a few days. Tomorrow is Payday! Yeah! I need to by Booboo diapers. I put a bid on some sheets for my bed on Ebay. I bid pretty low so if I don’t get it than I don’t care. I also found a lady from Battleground trying to get rid of some small crates on Craig’s list for $25. I told here if they still had the trays that I would take them. One is supposed to be the same size as Emma’s crate. Pony is using one of the big crates. So it would be nice to have. I’m going to advertise her to sell this weekend. I could use the money to make up for her being at the vet’s when she got ill. If I do all those things and get gas my check will be already spent. Haha. Did Quincy ever find out what was going on with his accounts? That’s probably hard on his family to be missing that much money. You need to do something about Michelle she is out of control and self destructing. You can’t be talking to her or writing her. If you made it clear, the situation, then cut her off and away. You don’t want to be caught up in the mess she is creating for herself. If she writes you, you can return her letters without opening them. Just write return to sender and put it back in the mail. You’re not doing her any favors or her family by talking to her. Definitely don’t tell her or anyone who might tell her when your coming back home. Don’t want her to try faking pregnancy or something on you. Nip it. Nip it in the bud. =) the apartment I’m in now has fleas. Man I’m so tired. Booboo was up before 6am wanting to watch tv again on my bed. I just put him by my legs and Fritz is on my other side. All so cozy this morning I had him watching country music videos. Well anyways its been a quiet day around here. Wes just called and said he was making chicken and tattertots for diner. Which means I won’t have to cook anything. Cool. The pipes in the water heater keep making noise. Kinda weird. I gotta wrap stuff up and cycle the compactor one more time before I leave. I love you and miss you bunches.

Love Mom.

From mom, October 13, 2009

October 13, 2009

Dear Jeremiah,


Today is a blustery day. It’s been windy, raining and cold. Half of a tree broke off and fell back near the CC building and another larger branch came down out of a sweet gum by B104. they didn’t land on anything which is good. Sometimes they land on cars or carports. One time half a tree landed on a stair case. The clouds are moving pretty fast because of the wind. So every once in a while the sun breaks threw the clouds. I love fall days like this. Makes me wanna stay home in bed with a good book or a movie. Drink tea. I took the boys over to G&G’s last night and had a good visit with them. We watched the cars movie. I hadn’t seen it before. Grandma found some sheets for Bear’s new bed. So he is now set in that department. When we got home I put the boys to bed. But BooBoo decided that he needed to be awake so I laid him at the foot of my bed so he could watch tv. We watched A Walk in the Clouds. After that was over he finally accepted a bottle and went to sleep on my arm. I fell asleep too. Wes came in later and asked why I didn’t put him in bed and I told him I couldn’t pick him up cause my arm was asleep. So Wes rescued me. =) Booboo’s head was right on the vien that supply’s blood to my arm. Then I could finally change the channel on the tv cause apparently I was watching an infomercial for Girls Gone Wild in my sleep. The sound is pretty irritating. BooBoo can almost roll over completely. He is pretty good at turning on his side. Gotta watch him now to make sure he doesn’t roll off the bed. I don’t know how all this stuff with the boys will work out. It’s really hard to say. Ann says she wants to move to Eugene and make a fresh start. Then the next minute she says that she doesn’t want to lose the boys. It’s hard for Mike because he isn’t here. But at the same time I think its good for him to be away from her. I think it’s good for Ann to want a new start. I don’t think that she has the means to support herself and 2 babies. She is sorely lacking in life skills much less education and job skills. So I don’t know what she would live on. Mike called and left a message with his child support case worker for him/her to call him. Mike also asked that we call child support and DSHS for him to tell them that he has the boys since 9-11-9. so Wes called them yesterday, (I’m surprised they were working on a holiday) and told them about Mike having the boys for the past month. So they said that they were going to mail out forms for variation of custody. But that was about all. When we get them for Mike, I can fax them to him where ever he is so he can fill them out. We will just go from there. Mike dropped his load off this morning at 3am near Chicago. Now they are on the way to a small town in Wisconsin to pick another load up to take to Montana, well to Billings. So they will be driving thru Wisconsin, South Dakota, Wyoming and then up to Billings. Mike and his trainer are now driving as a team. So they can switch off driving and not have so much down time. Team driving also pays more per mile so Mike’s trainer likes that. Mike will still be getting paid the same base pay. Mike has been sending my email pictures. Today he says he sent a picture of corn fields. Says he wants to drive thru them like the movie Son-in-law. Haha. I got the shirts you sent us. Thank you. I really like mine. Very cool. I will put the boys in their shirts and take a picture to send you. They really need a cool Uncle like you. They have so many grandmas and grandpas that it gets confusing with everyone having the same name. they only have one Uncle. Who else is going to show them how to do the things their parents won’t? Sure Mike can teach them catch. Who’s gonna teach the dangerous stuff, like climbing the tallest trees, peeing on electric fences, blowing stuff up? Parents don’t do that. Well I betting get started on my work. I love you and miss you greatly.



Love Mom.

08 Oct 09

08 Oct 09

Dear Madre,

How on earth did you get those shirts so fast? I sent them out on the 5th. Oh wait I just re-read your letters and now I know what you were talking about. Your talking about the one from the recruiters office. Well yeah, I'm sure that by the time you are reading this that you should already have my packages I sent. I hope they fit everyone. Especially Bear and BooBoo. That was really hard for me to try and size them up. I'm sorry about the downsides of work for ya like healthcare. If ya want I can find out how much it would cost to put you and Wes on something with me. I was thinking about doing it for the boys. Well just seeking how much it would be. No offense to Mike or anything. What a Godfather good for. If I am one. Trust me my back is killing me too. BTW I just got back from my hard core camping trip and damn 8 mile ruck march with 12 different hills. All steep as shit. Barely any sleep. But hey I made it and it really was no problem except my small legs. =~. That made the march quite difficult. But I did manage to work my way from the back to the front of formation. Which seems like an accomplishment to me. The one in AIT (which starts soon) is supposed to be like a week long. And also very exhausting. Since its more of infantry training. Family day is the day after tomorrow so I'm pretty psyched for that. I will be able to figure out the phone stuff and sleep in a comfy bed for once. Then it's only a short while after that till I'm done. Which is sweet. Thank you for the long letter too, that was nice especially since I only got one from you for the past three days. Oh well. I hope everything works out for Mike. If I'm lucky I will get to see him when I get back. Also first dinner and I'm serious. Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Talk about craving. Well I'm gonna wash but I love you and will definitely try to talk to you soon. Miss ya.

Love Ya,
Jeremiah,
Your Fav.

From Mom, October 12, 2009

October 12, 2009

Dear Jeremiah,

Monday once again. I finally started on my purple paper as you can see. I was getting real tired of the yellow. I still wish that I could have found green. Maybe I should check office depot. Anyways, I sure hope that you had a great time off this weekend and that you got to do everything that you wanted to do. I bet that your sure excited about your new iphone. With all the apps on that type of phone, you may not need a computer for awhile. Since you can send emails, photos and go online with it. It was real awesome to be able to talk to you several times over the weekend, especially after I got my phone working again, that part kinda sucked. Hopefully next time that sales person is in a similar situation, she won’t make the same mistake. =) who knows. Other than talking to you and Mike and getting Bears crib, my weekend was pretty quiet. Bear got to ride his bike around the back yard both Saturday and Sunday morning. He don’t put his feet on the pedals yet but he can really go. We are having fun with them. Wes had Bear eating oranges on Saturday and he ate applesauce Sunday. It can be hard to get him to eat stuff. Like he don’t eat sandwiches, whenever I make them he just pokes them with his finger or spoon, or tears them up into tiny pieces. In the mornings I put dry cereal into a baggy for him to eat on the my to Ann’s. mostly we are trying to figure out what he will eat and not play with. Of course chicken nuggets are his favorite thing so that always easy. BooBoo is easy, he just drinks his meals. Next month I’m gonna introduce him to baby rice cereal. Rice cereal is versatile, it can be added to the bottle, eaten plain or added to baby food and apple sauce. This is Ann’s last week to watch the boy’s. she says she is moving to Eugene OR. I’m not sure when but for some reason won’t be able to watch them. I don’t know about her. This morning when I dropped the boys off she didn’t even answer the door. Her sister’s baby daddy answered or rather opened the door and walked off. So me and Bear wander in and find her laying on the couch in the living room. She don’t even sit up to F*ing greet her kids. I make myself at home and open the frig and move a couple of items around so I can put Bears milk in. cause I’m sure that if I didn’t that it would just be forgotten on the counter. I don’t know man, you would think that she would miss her babies and be all excited to see them. I hated to let my babies out of sight. When you guys were tiny like BooBoo, I didn’t want to give you up just to be held by someone else. Wes caught me yesterday cradling BooBoo and feeding him a bottle. I think that to often he was just getting a bottle propped up with blankets. He just looks and looks at me while he is eating. He hadn’t been sleeping very well in his crib, every time he was asleep and I put him in there he would wake up right away. So I was thinking that in Mike’s room his head was facing west while in my room his head was facing east. So last night I turned him around and he stayed asleep. Weird huh? Like some kind of magnetic pull of the earth was affecting how well he slept. =) tonight we are going to G&G’s after I pick them up from Ann. Grandma found coats for them at the Goodwill last week so she can see how well they are fitting them. She went on Sunday and found crib sheets for the crib I brought home last Saturday, funny how well that worked out. I had a need and once again the apartments took care of it. I sorted through a bunch of clothes so all the stuff that fits is now in that dresser I painted purple. Another apartment find. Well I better finish this letter so I can move to the next apartment. I love you and miss you all the time.

Love
Mom.

From aunt Tammy, Oct 9, 2009

Oct 9

Dear Jerm,

Hey buddy! Michael just got back from running errands with a big batch of mail and right on top was a letter from you! So very cool. You made my Friday! I talked to Grandma the other day and she said Jimmy went out to check the mailbox and came in very sad looking, because they were hoping for a letter from you, but he was really teasing her, because there was a letter in there from you, he hid it in his pocket from her. We laughed about it because Michael did the same thing to me the last time I was in the car when we went to the Post Office. He came out all mad looking and I was thinking it was only bills, but he got in the car and handed me your letter. Joker. Anyway, G’ma and G’pa went to Yakima last weekend. Donna Cortz died, she’d been in the hospital for a while beforehand. Her service is this weekend, but I don’t think they can go back so soon already. Grandma babysat her when she was a teenager and Donna was little, did you know that? So sad.I heard you had been sick recently, so, I was not expecting a letter from you for a little while longer. I hope that you are over that by now and that you are getting caught up on all that you missed. Financials, huh? What is that like, ‘pay your bills, you are a soldier now? Or how to plan for retirement?It got busy there for a second. The little red engine on the railroad spur next to me is going back and forth, and just now the UPS driver, Brad, pulled in. I bet he’s wishing he was on the golf course today, it is very nice at the moment. He’s coming back, I gotta go get the key from him.I have been busy in the office like you said. I leased a whole bunch of units last month so we have been busy with all those new people learning the ropes. I have a tenant who is a fisherman, stocks the pond here in town for the little kids and takes vets and those that have lost family in the military out on the rivers. He does that all voluntarily and doesn’t have a job right now, so he almost lost his unit this week. I was getting an ulcer over that one. I really didn’t want to see him loose his stuff ~ that is absolutely the worst thing about this job. Anyway, some of the people he’s taken out lately heard about his situation and donated some money to help him out. In the month of September, two of my tenants died, unrelated, but I spent a lot of time on the internet looking for their obituaries. One of them was about three weeks ago, a favorite customer as he was really friendly, loved having those ‘good old boy’ chats with us or Michael out on the facility. I just found his obit earlier today after all this time. All together since we’ve been here, we’ve lost about a half dozen tenants in death. Last year, there was a couple who were at their vacation home in the mountains. The were having work done on their propane system, blew the place up. Another thing that happened this month, I’ll tell you about in a minute. I’ve a maintenance guy here now going through the gate systems for routine maintenance right now. That’s not happened before so, it’s nice that he’s here when we are having a good day, he can look it over. I can’t think he’s been here before unless we were having a problem, like last winter when the weather was so bad and the gate system froze. He and Michael get along really well, he was telling us he’d had heart trouble last month, so they were comparing notes. Loren lives in Vancouver and comes down here to take care of our gate. He also answers our calls to his personal cell number when we are having an emergency.Michael has been busy too, like you asked. The one building that runs diagonall to the rest of the facility, he was able to replace all the door frames finally, or at the very least paint them. That took him more than six months, because we had to ask for the keys then wait for people to drop them off. The last one, I sent several notes asking for the keys, couldn’t leave messages because his voicemail was full. We were about to cut the lock when he wanders in. Turns out the jerk didn’t even open the letter I’d sent. Just assumed they were invoices and sent payments without reading what I’d wrote him. It’s funny you asked about his back. He’d been doing OK, till the other day, he carried the carpet cleaner up the stairs full of water, while I was out walking the dogs one morning. About halfway up he felt a snap. Couldn’t do much for a couple days but stay in bed. He’s better now. Tuesday was the one year anniversary of his heart attack, and Wednesday would have been his son’s 30th birthday, so we were a little misty eyed around here. We took cookies over to the fire station on Tuesday for the guys that helped save his life last year. Hopefully, they’ll get eaten. Maggie and Dori are fine. Maggie went with Dad to check the mail, she was a happy girl home again. I need to brush Dori again, I did it earlier this week, she completely fill the dog brush with white fur. I have been taking her outside several times a day now, so that the evening before bed ritual isn’t so dramatic. It does help when Maggie goes with us, but sometimes without Daddy’s involvement it’s hard to get Maggie motivated. Last night, he was sleeping, I got both of them on leashes and out the door. Dori, for once, got her business done, then we had to wait on Maggie. Oh, I wanted to tell you ~ Last weekend, Saturday, was a really nice day like today, we went to the dog park in Clackamas. When we got there, there was an excited dog, Michael thought it was a cocker spaniel, but it seemed larger to me, coulda been a poodle mix. So, we didn’t go in right away, we walked aroung the park a bit. It’s a nice park, has a nice stream and pathways, someday we might take lunch there and watch the water flow by. After a bit we went back to the gate. This park doesn’t have a small/timid dog area we were hoping for. We waited a while and the excited dog left, we went inside. Met a nice boxer named Sunny, very healthy calm, good for Maggie to meet because she gets too agitated about bigger dogs. We walked a little then took the off the leashes when they seemed calm. Other than short runs back into the house, dori has never gone without a leash on. She was staying on path, and I wanted her to run and stuff, so I called here and ran with her back and forth across back the back end of the field. I can’t imagine that my running was anything pretty, but it was so nice to see her go in the sun, she is very fast. If she ever got away from me, I know I couldn’t catcher her.I talked to Nicole a couple days ago. She called to tell me she was watching a movie, I’ve forgotten what it was now. She posted new pics of herself on face book and myspace, showing off a new hair color. It sounds like she’s been buy working, Brian’s back in school. Mikey texted mequite a bit in the last few days, finally got started with SWIFT and got on the road, I think it was yesterday, 5 weeks to Illinois. That will be so hard for him being gone so long. I guess Ann is babysitting her own kids during the days. I hope your mom can handle all of this, with the dogs and work and Wes’ doctors appointments and all. I guess G’ma and G’pa will be close enough to help a little and Priscilla can help some too as she works part-time. Your mom will probably never complain but I’m betting she’s feeling like her hands are full. I know that her communication with you will probably be like sugar on her breakfast cereal. I hope she is catching al your phone calls on Sundays and getting lots of letters. Did you get a new picture taken in your pickles yet? I’m betting she’d be tickled pink to get a copy of that.You’ve never said anything about it, but I’m hoping the typed out letters are OKFine by you. Today my hands are really bothering me. I think I knitted too much yesterday. My thumb and forefinger on my right hand are really bad, like grinding bones. I finished a hat with skeletons on it for Michael’s grandson last week, it was 100% wool, so I shrank it a bit when I washed it, hoping to make it fit a 3rd grader. As I was finishing it, I heard about one of my tenants getting hurt. They, the man and his wife, were in the Taco Bell here in town, and had a confrontation with distant family members and their friends. The beat up the woman, shoved her into a table, which went into her skull about 2 or 3 inches, he’s screaming at people behind the counter for help, to call 911, help and NOBODY DID ANYTHING. She was life lighted downtown to Immanuel hosp, I think, near Nicole’s place. So after I finished the at, I got out some yarn that Grandma gave me last visit, started a shawl. I’m hoping that it will be like a hug, to comfort her while she’s healing. I must have spent too long on it yesterday, I’m thinking maybe 4 hours or more, now I can’t hold a pen or pick up the knitting without discomfort. My chiropractor was here yesterday, I’m wishing he was here again already to fix the hand/elbow/shoulder what ever I messed up so I could get back at it. Your brother just texted me that he’s in Superior, Montana. He seems happy to finally be working. (handwritten) I got several texts today. I am proud of him that he's working hard. I told him so. I'm telling you too, OK? I love you, looking forward to your next letter, hoping you are still enjoying your adventure.

Love,
Auntie Tammy

PS. Need anything? Got stuff to read?

To aunt Tammy, 04 Oct 09

04 Oct 09

Dear Tammy-

It was very nice to hear from you again. I was wondering whe I was going to get another letter from you. Thank you so much for printing off those pictures from the 4th of July beach trip for me. They are already hanging up in my locker right now. They help me think of happier times. I wonder when the next time is going to be when we are going to be able to do somthing like that again. Anyways it does sound like you are somewhat keeping busy tho with the office and all. Is Michael still doing a whole bunch of work around the units? How is his back treating him? Lately I haven't been doing anything too exciting. Yesterday, I spent all day inside the classroom going over financials and everything. Was about a 12 hour class. Today is Sunday which is supposed to be kind of a relax day and everything but Idk how will that is going to happen. Next weekend is our 36 hour pass and everything and I am pretty excited about that. Being able to go off base and see the outside world once again. The last Thursday we were issued all of our dress uniforms and accessories. I llike to call the uniforms pickles. Just because of the green color that they are. We just started on week 8 tho today. It's hard for me to believe that I have been gone that long. And only 6 more weeks to go. Sounds like the dogs are donig pretty good tho. Except that Dori might need a bathroom buddy at night and stuff to remind her of what she came out ther to do. I also hope that Mike (my brother) gets to figuring out what he is going to do about the boys and everything. I'd like for him to keep them to because they seem to make him very happy. I have always been scared that they were going to be taken away from me once I got attatched and everything. But Im sure that he knows that he needs to get his act together too. Including that whole smoking thing. Well I'm gonna go get my hair cut but I will be waiting for another letter from you soon.

Love, Jeremiah

From Mom, October 9, 2009

October 9, 2009

Dear Jeremiah,

Yeah, it’s Friday. I’m tired. Lol. Some little boys keeps waking me up at night. Mike sent me a text message this morning saying that he was in Idaho. He was supposed to by up and driving at 4:30am. I guess they ended up staying in North Bend, which is the last town before going over Snoqualmie Pass, outside of Seattle. If he was in Idaho then he would have been going over the Rockies. G&G are going to Shirley’s today to visit for the day. They got your letter Wednesday and were very happy to hear from you. I got 2 letters from you yesterday, but it sounds like I won’t get another till Wednesday since your out in the field. After I picked up the boys from Daycare, I took them to Walmart to get some socks for Bear and another can of formula for BooBoo. Then we stopped at McDonald’s for a make your kids Happy Meal. By the time we got home it was 7pm so I gave the boys a bath and put them to bed. Then I watched Shenandoah with Jimmy Stewart until the wedding scene where his daughter gets married. I stopped there because I don’t like to watch the part where his youngest son gets taken captive by the union army. I think that I fell asleep by 11pm. I’m working in A107 today, not too much to do in here, a couple of closet track, a bath mirror and some other small items. Mike just texted me and said he was in Superior Montana to stop for chow. Swift gave him a $100 advance so he can feed himself on the road. I do think that is good to save as much money as you can. So this plan is a good idea. Since you don’t have a lot of expenses right now, then 30% is good. I was going to put it in to CD’s or something high interest savings anyways. Just forget that its there and let it grow. Good for you. The others that do less my have bills to pay or families to support. You got it made not having any of those concerns. Mike just send me another text saying he’s stopped for the night in a place called Rocker Montana. I think he may be in the middle of Montana some where. He drove for 10.25 hours and went 549.3 miles. I finished up in A107 and moved on to H104 and completed that too. Not much in there to do just a bath mirror and misc stuff. That was the 5th mirror for me this week. I broke one. Sometimes they have lines of flue on the back, so the only way to get them off is to break them. Well its time to get stuff done for the day. I got some key packets to make. Maybe I will hear from you this Sunday, maybe. I love you and miss you everyday.

Love Mom.

05 Oct 09

05 Oct 09

Dear Mom,

Well damn! Everything is kinda a rush right now. We are packing and getting ready for our hardcore camping trip. So I wanted to get a quick letter out before I left. After I’m done with this it’ll be family day pretty much and I will be able to talk to you on my cell phone and everything. I don’t know how long exactly this trip is going to be but yeah pretty much from Tuesday to Friday. So I’m sorry that I can’t write to you after this for a couple of days. But hey pretty much after this then basic is over. Only 6 weeks after the trip and the last two are a pure cake walk. Just cleaning the equipment so it can be turned in, then rehearsal for the final graduation. Pretty hard to believe that I’m that close. Really!! Well I haven’t gotten a letter since sat. but I’m hoping to have a pile of mail when I get back. Be something nice to read. Well hmm I gotta take a shower and get to bed. Sorry this letter is so short. I miss ya lots.

Love ya
Jeremiah
Your fav.

From Mom, October 8, 2009

October 8, 2009

Dear Jerm,

Well it’s Thursday about 4:30 pm. Just about done for the day. I’m listening to Joseph and Scarecrow arguing about driving carts off curbs, haha. Well Mike is on the road, he’s on the way to Chicago and gonna spend the night in Spokane. So now he is finally making a living. Yeah! Grandma said last night that I get you guys gone and get 2 more, like she is making a joke haha. I need to find Bear a bigger bed. His head and feet touch the ends pretty much. So someone will leave one behind. =). Usually works that way. He just needs a regular crib size. What he has now is a portable crib so its smaller that normal. Dillon had one when he was a baby and Shirley was living in the 35’ trailer. Remember that? I think he used it long enough that he went to a twin bed after that. They need better bedding too. They don’t seem to have sheets or real blankets and they need enough so it can be changed if they soak the bed. In a couple of weeks I’m going to take Bears bottle away. =). I don’t want his teeth to rot out from sleeping with a bottle in his mouth. He will cry the first couple of nights a little then forget about it. I’ll do it over the weekend. So I can nap. Lol. Once he is off the bottle we can work on potty training. Hard to potty train when he is constantly taking in fluids. I had a pretty busy day today. I finished up in D101 and turned P206. It was an eviction but not too bad. I had to go back and fix something in another unit. Water was leaking under the sink. Tonight I pick up the boys for the first time at Ann’s. I hope that goes fast cause it can be hard to find a place to park close by. I’m sitting at the compactor while I’m writing this letter. I just watched someone drop their phone as they were bringing they bag back. =). I’m mean to laugh. Well sorry this letter is so short. I had a late start on it. I love you and miss you bunches.

Love mom.

From Mom, October 7, 2009

October 7, 2009

Dear Jeremiah,

Hey, Mike just found out that he is gonna be gone for 3 weeks at a time and then only home for 3 days before he is sent back on the road. Poor guy. =) that’s an awful long time to be gone from home and family. I’m sure though that you would be the first to understand that. When Mike told me, I said that was a long time. But we will make it work and not to worry. He will be in training also for his first six weeks and will be driving with someone else until he gets use to the routine. During that time he will be only making base /or standard pay. He gets paid weekly and can have a portion of his pay directly deposited into my account for the care of the boys. He can also insure them medically. Which is good because they would no longer need to receive welfare, which is one of the reasons Mike pays child support. State enforced child support it the state trying to recoup the cost of supplying food stamps, medical, and money to the parent who has custody. Tonight we need to move the little beds to my room and I think a dresser for their clothes. Joseph I livid today because the rule is that what is in the apartment, stays in the apartment. We don’t move washers and dryers in and out or other items of the apartment. It becomes too hard to keep track of where everything is. There’s not enough storage space, things can get damaged and it’s bad/hard on us to do that too. So these people transferred to an apartment and wanted the first bedroom closet doors removed. Joseph said no way and listed the reasons. So over the weekend Joe called Rachel and Rachel said pull them. So Joe had Scarecrow move them and hide them in the office’s golf cart garage. So I saw them in there, thought that was odd, then saw a note on Joe’s desk about doing it. Told Joseph and he was pissed cause they went behind his back by waiting for the weekend to do it. I told him that we should quietly sneak them out of the garage and use them else where. So that they will be gone or MIA when these people move out. Its also a fair housing issue because all residents need to be treated the same. So if we pull something for one person, then we got to pull something for all. Ya see. Well its late in the day and I gotta get finished with my stuff. Love ya and miss ya. Hope you’re doing good.

Love Mom.