One of the newest candidates for CG OCS

You are looking at one the Coast Guard's newest candidates for Officer Candidate School (saving lives is a tough job...you have to be in top-notch shape, which means practicing healthy habits at all times :). That's right, we found out yesterday evening that Garin was selected for OCS. As many of you know, this is something that Garin has been striving after for quite some time. After much prayer, patience, and sacrifice, this was news we were grateful to receive. Thanks to all of you that have prayed for us (don't stop now!!) and encouraged us along the way.

So what does this mean for us now?! Well it means that Garin will report to New London, Connecticut on August 7th for 17 weeks of training (that's twice as long as our last separation). Much of the beginning of this training will be like boot camp on steroids (or so we have heard); towards the end they will start molding and shaping these candidates into United States Coast Guard Officers. I will NOT be able to join Garin on this adventure and will have limited communication with him; much like when he was in boot camp. After about 2 months, I have heard that they start to get weekend liberties, so I will be able to fly up there to see him on the weekends at that point (we hope). After he graduates from this, we have no idea what will happen. He will fill out a "dream sheet" once again with his preferred locations but it is almost certain we will not be returning to Emerald Isle (there is not even an officer on duty at his station here). It is Garin's dream to go to flight school, but that will not be determined until the end of OCS...so we can start praying for that!

As for me and those 4 months he is away...we aren't sure what is going to happen yet. I'm praying about that and I know that God will show me where He wants me to be during that time.
Sporting our new hair cuts. Garin wasn't going to shave all of his off...but I messed it up pretty badly when I was trimming it up, so he had to go for the buzz (I take all the fault and blame for this).