HE'S HOME!!!! At least for a few days

We just got back last night from San Diego bringing Nathanael home from boot camp.  We left Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning was the beginning of family day.  It was awesome.  On Thursday was family day and we got to spend several hours with Nathanael.  On Friday was the graduation and it was awesome.  On Saturday we all went to Sea World.  We had a great 3 days and it is so good to have Nathanael home and not in boot camp any more.  He has lost quit a bit of weight.  Today he wore his dress blues to church.  He looked awesome.  I am going to put a bunch of pictures below.  He goes back on the 21st and we won't see him again until December.  His training will be in San Diego for a month and then off to Virginia to be trained for his speciality.  Does anyone know anyone in Virginia?

This picture is at the beginning of family day.  The first time we saw him was when the whole platoon did a run.  It was great having Aaron there, with his 6'4", he was taller than everyone else so he was able to spot Nathanael in the run and get pictures.  Nathanael is on the closest edge 4th from the right, just before the white hat in the picture.

Another picture Aaron was able to get of him.  This is the first time we saw him since he left 13 weeks ago.

After the run, they changed and got into their uniforms.    I think you can see Nathanael is on the back row.

This was at the luncheon the church put on for the LDS recruits.  See the big smile?  He loved the food and we are so grateful to the church for feeding every graduating class of recruits, which is almost every week.  A lot of work for them.

This is during the graduation ceremony.  That is Nathanael right above his name I typed.  They look so awesome in their uniforms.

All of us that went to the graduation.  Trevor and Lori and their kids, Aaron and Briana and we brought Brandon too.  And of course me and Verlynn

We went to the beach after the graduation and Brandon is actually waiving to his mom and dad in this picture.

Got out of order here, but our really good friends live in San Diego and they came to the graduation.  Rand and Mary Goodsell, and their daughter Rachel and her two kids came to watch the graduation.

On Saturday we spent the day at Sea World.  This is the only picture I am going to post about that.  We are headed in from the parking lot here.  Nathanael's first day in regular clothes.  We had a great time.

 Nathanael wore his dress blues to church today.  He looks so awesome.  This picture was taken next to VerLynn's great granddad's picture of him during world war I. 

My dad got his Navy suit jacket out for a picture with Nathanael.  He served during WWII. 

Nathanael's last letter

HE IS COMING HOME NEXT WEEK!!!  YIPEE  Tomorrow is his last day of the crucible.  I understand that the crucible is the hardest part of marine training.  It lasts for 4 days and they are terribly sleep deprived and food deprived.  They only get around 8 hours of sleep in 4 days and very little food and they experience extreme conditions.  I didn't realize he was doing it now until I got this letter today and I think I am grateful because I would have had to worry for the whole time.  We will leave next Wednesday afternoon to head to San Diego.  Thursday is family day and we will get to see him then and then on Friday is his graduation.  We will head home with him on Saturday.  I am anxious to see him, he has lost a lot of weight so I am sure he will look a lot different.  Here is his last letter home:

Aug 26 Letter From Nathanael

Letter From Nathanael August 18

Nathanael got to call home on Sunday and he did finally get us later in the day.  It was really good to hear from him.  He is anxious to get home and eat at jack in the Box!  Thank you to all that are writing to him.  I know it means a lot to him, even if your letters are short. 

Seth and Connor had a birthday party today

Seth Douglass turned 5 yesterday and Connor David turned 1 yesterday and we had a family party out at Spencer's house today to celebrate.  I will post pictures I took.  Anyone reading that isn't sure who belongs to who, Seth is Spencer's oldest child and Connor is Lori's youngest child.  Both born on the same day. 

This isn't the first picture of him eating his cake.  Notice the frosting on his cheek, he took a handful and then Trevor took his shirt off and frosting smeared on his face.  He really had a great time eating that cake.  The cupcakes were the ones Angie made for Seths birthday. 

I thought this was the picture of Spencer lighting the candles with a torch, but I guess it isn't.  I think this was taken right after they blew out the candles.  I think that was where I took a video.  So, here are both the birthday boys. 

A general picture of those at the party.  Spencer, Lori and Kelsie are the ones in the front,  Briana, Aaron, Brandon, Ashly Trevor and Connor are at the table in the back.

This is Connor opening his gift.  Some bath tub toys. 

Seth opening his gifts, he is opening the one that Brandon gave him here, so Brandon is showing him how it works. 

Look what Seth got for his birthday!  He got on it as fast as he could.  And woo hoo, no everyone gets to ride their bike inside the house, but he did a good job of it.  It is a spiderman bike too! 

Grandpa Dees and Connor

I had to put in this picture of Brandon because he seems to always escape the camera and since we got at least one of him, I am posting it.  

Lori and Connor  

Seth opening a gift that some lame grandma wrapped in a WalMart bag.  Who the heck would do that?  Addison is looking on.  

Ok, I am done posting pictures.  I realize when I go through my pictures how bad I am at making sure I get a picture of everyone that is present.  So please no one take offense if you are not featured on my blog!  :0)  Thank you Angie for the yummy cake and the yummy chicken salad sandwiches.  We had a great time and loved being with our family.  Sorry there were those who could not be there, names Preston and Melanie (working)  Sally and Deryk, and Tiffani and Micah (living in another world).  And of course, Nathanael, who I am sure would have picked to be there instead of boot camp. 

August 11 Letter from Nathanael

His writing is so small, it helps to enlarge this to read it. 

Paper written by Nathanael as to why he joined the military

I was cleaning out Nathanael's bedroom, getting rid of clothes and shoes that don't fit anyone anymore. He had a notebook on his desk that looked like an english notebook and I was getting ready to toss it out since he doesn't need school stuff anymore when I noticed this paper. I read it and obviously knew that I had to keep it. It brought tears to my eyes and I wanted to share it with you. Hopefully he doesn't mind. But since he is not here, and he is in boot camp on the start of this journey, he has no vote, so here it is:


A moment that has changed my life was not a big or terrible accident, injury or event; neither was it having a friend that was there for me when I needed on most, though that would have been nice. Instead it is only a few hours spent by myself in silence. Awhile back I was able to travel to Hawaii and while there, visited a national cemetery known as the Punch Bowl, and I also visited Pearl Harbor. On this trip, the things I saw and the things I thought would make a much greater impact on my life than any had ever before. While at the Punch Bowl I was struck by the sheer numbers of the graves of the men who fought and died for our freedom we enjoy today. Thousands and thousands of graves and memorials, not just there, but in cemeteries across the nation. Some say that those graves and those statues erected in their honor is all that is left of all those men, but I say that is not all; the very freedom we all enjoy is a testament of their lives and their sacrifices. There on top of a hill stood a memorial building for our fallen soldiers and inside, a simple message to honor those warriors. The exact wording I can't recall, but there it stated that every one of the men lying in those graves at that place gave all of their tomorrows for our today. Then at Pearl Harbor I stood where bombs had been dropped all those years ago. I stood on the memorial built over the sunken Arizona, and read the names of those men slain that December day. I stood in silence taking it all in and could almost hear those soldiers and sailors speaking to me. Not in a dark or ominous voice, but a happy one. Still they said, "this is where we fought, where we died, and now it is where our bodies still lie. We died fighting to protect freedom against oppression and that freedom you enjoy. What will you do with it now?" Those few hours became many more sleepless nights with that last question hanging in my ears. Many days I spent thinking of the answer to that question and many things I have chosen to do. Without that experience I doubt I could have made the decision to fall in with their ranks as a fellow defender of freedom and join the United States Marine Corps, devoting possibly the rest of my life to service to God and my country. I remember that trip still and though a whole week was spent in that paradise known as Hawaii, that day at Pearl Harbor and the Punch Bowl stand out in my mind the most. That experience has shaped many of my actions since and changed the entire direction of my life. It changed me from dreams of owning my own small business, as many still think is the wiser, to being a warrior on the front lines. Many people question my decision, no knowing my experience, asking how I can so simply just sign away my life, but to them I cannot explain the powerful experience of that day, nor do I wish to. The choice was mine, the message to me, and though it will be a difficult path, I know why I must do these things I have chosen to do. So if this choice has led me to an early death; don't mourn my decision, I did what needed to be done and lived without regret, rejoice knowing that I knew the joy of selfless service to others and died a good and happy man.

August 4 letter from Nathanael

July 30th Letter from Nathanael

You have to double click on the letter to make it show the whole thing, the edge is cut of if you dont'

Connor's first hair Cut and No, I wasn't torturing him!

This is Connor before the torture aka hair cut began.  I should have taken a picture of the curls in the back.

I guess this was about the time the torture began.  I think he was so tired that he just wanted his mom.  He didn't like sitting on the counter away from her.  But he stayed.  (at least that is the grandma interpretation of what was going on.  Couldn't be that he hated me cutting his hair!!!)

Is that the saddest face you have ever seen?  I'm so sorry Connor!  

He was in full mode by now.  It was really hard to do a decent hair cut when he was so unhappy.  Maybe next time he will be happier.  :0)

Much happier with his mom.  No huge gauges anywhere, so he is good to go.  I just hope no "real" hairdressers check out his hair cut.   

This is another letter from Nathanael yes one yesterday and one today

Another Letter from Nathanael

You will really have to enlarge this one to see it!

Last Week's Letter from Nathanael

This letter came last week while we were gone.  Hope everyone is writing to him often. 

Gone all week

We started on Tuesday going to Las Vegas.  We had a 2 night stay at a 5 star resort for free.  We also got a $50.00 free dinner.  It was a nice getaway and all we had to do was listen to a guy try to sell us a time share!  :0)  This is the living area of the room we stayed in. 

This is the kitchen.  It was really nice

They had a jacuzzi tub right off the bedroom.  We had a nice, relaxing time.  Then we took off on Thursday and headed to California to spend the rest of the week at Don and Ann's house.  They were having a huge birthday party for Don on Saturday so VerLynn helped Don  put up a windmill and I helped Ann make some food for the party.  I am going to post pictures of their place.  It is unbelievable that they have what they do in their backyard.  I am going to post pictures so you can capture some of what they have. 

This picture is inside the "diner" they built in front of their huge garage that houses all of their classic cars.  It is a functioning kitchen and is stocked with everything you would need.  We grilled hamburgers behind that counter and made probably 100 milkshakes in there. 

This is the garage, as you can see there are at least 8 garage door openings.  Notice the landscape on the right.  It is just a tiny taste of the awesome lush landscape they have in their back yard.  You can't see the house from the shop even because of the landscaping. 

These are the fans in the diner, they are awesome.  The motor above the door runs all of them, you can see that they are all driven by the belts that run to each of them. 

This is inside the garage and it is the first in a series of store fronts that will be in the garage.  This one is the restrooms, men on the right, women on the left.  I think their next one will be a parts house. 
We had a great time and I wish I had pictures of the backyard to show you.  I told VerLynn that I would feel like I was in heaven even if I lived in a tiny house that was set in their back yard. 
Happy Birthday to Don and to Tiffani and to Addison and to Michele Wheeler (our "adopted" daughter)  Hope you all had a great day! 

Nathanael's letter

Thought I would post his address again so you don't have to look so far down to find it:
Recruit Dees, Nathanael C.
1st RT BN CHARLIE CO.  PLATOON 1049
40002 Midway Ave
San Diego, CA  92140-5550