7 am April 13 2009

7 am on Monday I took the day off to spend with Erica as there wont be much time left.
The phone rang .. it was her recruiter Staff Sergeant Fernandaz, he informed her that her new ship date is
April 28th 2009. So now she has a few butterflies. We ran into her great grandpas pastor who told her butterflies are a good thing, that it means that she is taking this seriously. Her recruiter also told her the date could even be bumped up sooner.
Wednesday the 15th we are having a get together for everyone to tell her good luck as she will be sent to Parris Island in South Carolina for boot camp and also for every to say good luck and be safe to my best friends son Bryce who is being deployed to Afghanistan on Friday april 18th 2009.
written by Darlene R.

Swearing into the DEP program

Talk about work. Miss Erica has worked very hard to get where she is. She has been exercising every day, and going to weight watchers. She lost 27 lbs with weight watchers, we had no idea that the Marine Corp had a weight limit at first, when we found out she busted it to get where she needed to be.

Then the day before her swear in her recruiter measured her height and told her she had to lose three pounds in one day.. and she did just that, running in a sauna suit and sitting in a sauna suit in the sauna for hours, no food - little water, I don't know how she did but she did. It was unbelievable!

Then on the day of her swear in her recruiter took her down to Los Angeles CA at 3 am, I told them I wanted to be there, so one of the recruiters came back and picked me up at 8 am.. they told me it would happen around 9 am... well after sitting around about 5 hours she was sworn into the United States Marine Corps on April 2nd 2009.

It was funning waiting so long people kept talking to me, saying aren't you so proud of your daughter and how do you feel about it, I wondered 'how do they know I have a daughter here with these hundreds of kids', then finally an Army recruiter said well everyone here knows about your daughter because she's the only female going into the Marines for the last three days and the only kid with a parent here. well needless to say I was proud. When I went into the ceremony room she was embarrassed that I was taking photos, until a bunch of guys in her group said, that so cool your mom is here, wish my parent cared.. on and on they went so I knew she felt much better about it. It was an awesome day.. the next day she started making phone calls to tell her family her decision and plans. They told her that her ship out date in now May 26th 2009.
written by Darlene R.

Miss Erica R

a long way

miss Erica has come along way..
She has talked and talked about her plans.. in the beginning I thought maybe thats what it was talk,
especially when we started having all kinds of family things happen on both sides of the family.
My grandmas cancer and miss erica helping take care of her then my grandpa breaking his hip, she was the back bone through it all. I know she is a teenager but she has really shown resolve and strength, I think she will do great in her career choice.
Sometimes I go through the mom thing, worrying that someone's using her but I do have to let her grow up.. right?
I told her she has gone through boot camp for boot camp .. literally. Sometimes I think poor thing, then I tell her
good thing her basketball coach was a drill sergeant .. lol .. shes been exercising every day running, crunches and the wii fit.
There is no way I could do what she is doing for herself. She wants to travel the world, and wants to learn about others. I am scared and excited for her all at the same time. Hoping we can have a party before the big send off, we shall see. I will try to keep posting the road to her adulthood here. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers, and me too for my sanity .. lol thanks dar ..
or as Eddie from work calls me dardar .. lol