From the FRO

I talked to Chris today!  

As always the conversation was less than 5 mintues, but 

he sounded great and just like the same ole 
Chris Parks that we all know and love =)!

Marine Corps Term of the Day: 

Family Readiness Officer

Most commonly referred to as "The FRO"

For a detailed definition of The FRO, click here.

My Definition: 
Each Battalion in the Marine Corps has a FRO whose
purpose it is, to support the families of the Battalion.
I can call the FRO anytime day or night with questions or comments no
matter how big or small they may be.

3/7 is incredibly lucky to have a FABULOUS FRO 
who does a amazing job keeping us all updated and more
importantly is a great friend and confidante.
Thank you Lori for all that you do for the families of 3/7!

The following updates from the from The FRO have all been sent or posted on the facebook group within the last few days:

From the FRO:

Good Morning Friends and Families of 3/7,

The deployment is moving right along and I know we are all hitting the point where we would just like for them to come home!!!! I hope that you all are enjoying your summer and are staying cool. That is hard to do here in 29Palms!!! It has been quite warm but not as warm as it is for all our men in country.

I know through talking to many of you that your Marine/Sailor have let you know that communications will be low for a while, this is due to availability of phones and computers where our men are at. Please keep the letters going to them, it is the best gift you can give your Marine/Sailor. They love to hear about your day and the normal things you are doing on a daily basis!!!

Take care,

Lori

From the Battalion Commander:

Dear 3/7 Families a note from our Battalion Commander, The men of Task Force 3/7 are extremely busy conducting combat operations in our area of operations. We have pushed into an area that has not seen a sustained coalition presence in a long time and it has resulted in a higher intensity of combat than we have experienced thus far.

From the FRO:
Good afternoon Ladies,

I hope that you all are having a wonderful week!!! I know it is sizzling outside if you live here in Twentynine Palms!!! I wanted to just drop a note to let you all know that things are moving right along and the Marines/Sailors of the Battalion are doing an amazing job over in country. Many of you may have received calls or emails letting you know that there will not be any communications for a while. This is due to where they are located and the availability. So this is the time in the deployment where we really have to lean on the statement that "No News is Good News". I know hard to live by sometimes but it is the truth!!! Now I will send out any information that I receive and the CO of the Battalion, Lt Col Tipton will be sending me a letter to share with everyone regularly!!!

I hope that you all have a wonderful evening and great rest of the week!!!

Take care,
Lori

We Only Get What We Give

Hello blog readers!  I am sorry to have have been MIA for a month!  I promise I have not forgotten about you, in fact, I have missed you terribly!

First and foremost, Chris is doing great!  I mentioned in my last post that we were headed into the unknown as far as communication was concerned.  All of which has proven to be true and continues.

Per the Battalion News Letter, "Lima Company (who Chris is with) is still conducting operations with limited conductivity with the 3/7.  They still represent the Battalion with dignity as they continue to meet and improve relations with the LNs."

(I promise in a future post I will explain Battalion, Company, Platoon, acronyms, etc, etc, etc)

Needless to say I have heard from Chris randomly throughout the month and only via phone calls which have lasted at most 10 minutes (on a good day).

He truly is in great spirits every time I have spoken to him; I can hear it in his tone of voice - he is 100% in his element and keeping busy!

Mail: Sadly, where ever they are currently, they are not getting mail on a regular basis.  NOT TO WORRY, this simply means that when they join with the Battalion again, it will be like Christmas because they will get lots of packages and letters all at once!  

In short, please keep sending letters and packages because some are getting through.  

MANY THANKS!

Don't Forget the New Address

Where did the month of June go?!?!  I honestly have no idea because since my last blog post, I have been chugging along full speed ahead.

Instead of boring you with lots of writing (which hopefully I never do) here is what went on during the month of June:

June 5th Weekend: Taste of the South (TOTS)!  

In my third year of living here, I was FINALLY in town for the event that is "hotter than heck" (it's at the DC Armory which has NO Air Conditioning," but a BLAST (great band, great people) and more importantly for a GOOD CAUSE ($$$ raised by the event goes to individual State Charities and a local DC Charity).  So happy I was finally in town for TOTS this weekend!

Two of my best friends Honey and Chandler ROCKED it, taking the lead making sure the great State of Florida was well represented at TOTS.  Photo Circa June 5, 2010 Taste of the South at the beginning of the evening...


Thanks for adopting me for the weekend P'Cola Ladies!  Love Love Love!

Photo at the end of the TOTS evening... 

Rockin' the Straw Hat: Trina

Rockin' the Eye Patch and the Hibiscus Fan: Kim

Rockin' the AU Football Goal Visor: Chandler

Rockin' the Palm Tree Leaf and Flamingo Koozie: Yours Truly

Okay Okay I know it's not lady like to be pictured with a beverage, BUT the FL VIP Ladies had Flamingo Koozies (hence the picture) - you would have thought those things were made of gold.  People were literally offering to pay us for them...

June 9: Happy Birthday Chandler!!! 

 Surprise visit from her parents for her Birthday!  I am still amazed we pulled it off - high fives all around!!!  

Great night, GREAT people - Chandler, thanks for being born and more importantly for being my friend!  

(PS: Chan, I promise I will e-mail you a copy of these pictures soon =))

June 11 - 15: My Fantastic Grandparents came to visit me!  

All I can say is I hope one day I inspire/ motivate/ fascinate my Grandchildren as much as my Grandparents do all of the above for me!  Photo Circa 2008\2009 New Years Eve at the Grand Hotel in Fairhope (Chris was celebrating in Iraq): Yours Truly, Grandpa Sol (aka Solly), Emily (Baby Sister who is taller than me...)

June 18 - 20: Stephen and Morgan's Wedding Weekend!!!  

Photo: Cousins (most of us anyway) at Stephen and Morgan's  Rehearsal dinner from left to right: Me, John, Emily, Jacqueline, Michael, Stephen, Morgan, Danielle, Pat, Katie, Mike, Joey.

Welcome to the family Morgan!

Stephen, I am glad she kept you around =)

We love you both!!!  Best wishes and congratulations!!!

June 25 - 26: THE Office Move!!!  

Did I mention, I have a job?  =)

Whewwww  - so that's where the month of June went. 

What a great month!


Thankful to have been busy and 
thankful to have such amazing family and friends!

  
I promise my next post will be sooner rather than later =)!  
Glad to be back!


Thanks for reading!