It's Not Official...

Until you have a Wedding (vow renewal) Website!

http://www.theknot.com/ourwedding/ElizabethCourtmanParks&ChrisParks

A Month in Pictures =)

Hello blogger friends!  I hope everyone is doing well this, Wednesday, August 11!  Phew, another summer month down, but I can officially say 2 month(ish) until Chris gets back!  Whoooo!  As was the month of June, the month of July proved to be … hmmm… never a dull moment …

July 1: My Birthday!!!


A week full of celebration: Aqua al 2, Art and Soul, Strawberry Cake, Cantina Marina, Cap Lounge, Uncle Julio's, Clarendon Ballroom.


Thanks to all of my amazing family and friends for making turning the big 2-6 fabulous!

July 8 - 12: Mom and Em Came to Visit!!!


Nats Game, Natural History Museum, VIPs at the Marine Corps Evening Parade, Getting Organized, Shopping and best of all Love Love Love.

July 12

Happy: Dinner and catching up with a friend in town from Auburn.

Sad: Thanks to a torrential downpour and a drain that could not handle the flood behind my apartment, my apartment flooded...

Happy: None of my stuff (with the exception of few suitcases) was damaged

AND

I don't have nearly as much stuff as I thought I did considering everything I own (with the exception of a few pieces of furniture) fit in my bathroom and my kitchen.

Special thanks to Honey G. and K. Chandler for giving me a place to live during the week I was homeless =).

July 17 
Friend's Birthday Party on a Rooftop Overlooking the Capitol.
Best view in the city.  
I love when this city humbles me =)

July 19
New Carpet!!!  

July 18
A jump start, a new tire, a new alternator and a new serpentine belt all in one day!
  
I now know allllll about my alternator/ serpentine belt because I would not let them work on my car until they explained ever single detail to me.  


Happy to share my new found knowledge =)

July 20

A 3 hour Urgent Care experience (I developed a sinus infection/ cough at some point) that you probably would not believe if I told you... 

A Glimpse: 

The Doctor saw me and then sent me for a chest x-ray... she said she would be right back to give me my prescription... she needed to run to the bank...

July 23
Dave Matthews Band at Nats Stadium
Floor "seats" Ruled!!!
***Photo taken by yours truly, pretty proud of myself =)***

July 27
New Orleans for Work

July 28 - 31
Home to Fairhope for Vow Renewal/ Party Planning 2011!

August 1

Flight from P'Cola Delayed 2 Hours.

Finally board the plane and take off.

Mid ascent and shortly after a strange noise...
flight attendant SPRINTS from the back of the plane to the front...

My heart stops and the two men sitting in front of me look at each other and almost simultaneously say, "that's not good."

Context Clues:  Flight Attendants briskly walk back down the aisle with stacks of napkins - HUGE sigh of relief, clearly someone was sick however, not nearly that cut and dry...

Long Story Short:
After the Flight Attendant's panicked request over the intercom, "is there a Doctor on board, we have a sick passenger,"

the flight (headed for Charlotte) was diverted to ATL for an emergency landing because of sick passenger,

Then Discovery: sick passenger is not only on tons of meds and weighing all of 110lbs, but she also downed 3 White Russians during the 2 hour delay in P'Cola,

Emergency diversion to ATL - Cancelled
We finally made it to Charlotte where I sprinted to make my flight back to DCA, but I made it =)

Ahh the joys of travel these days...

At least I had plenty to keep my mind off of Chris =)?

Whoooo for only having a few more months until he gets back!

From CO and Sgt Major

****I have edited portions of the letters below for security reasons, but I am happy to share the edited content with those that are interested just shoot me an e-mail.***

Chris is with Lima Co.

From the Battalion Commander: 

Hello 3/7 Families:

Since the last letter I wrote, the battalion has been assigned a new area to conduct operations. The battalion’s new area is around ****.  Our mission remains the same: in partnership with Afghan Army forces, we provide security to the honest Afghan civilians who are trying to live a life without being strong-armed by insurgent forces.  The men have worked hard and have succeeded in moving equipment, vehicles, sustainment goods, and alike over a large distance to our new operating area. When fighting is required, your men have displayed the highest levels of bravery I have witnessed in combat.  Sergeant Major Black and I are proud to walk amongst the men in all the companies’ operating areas as they continue to display a high level of professionalism and proficiency.

Lima Company has been operating in another area for the past month and I am happy to report they will be moving and rejoining us in our new area in early August.  I continue to receive praise on the performance and professionalism of Lima Company by leaders of units they have worked alongside.  

I know the communication with home continues to be a challenge.  Most of your Marines and sailors are operating in an expeditionary manner and have been laser-focused on the mission.  I have the upmost confidence that spouses and parents understand this challenge and will be patient as we are working on acquiring more phones once the men get some rest and refit time.  I thank you all for your strength, your commitment, and for all that you do while your loved ones are deployed.      

Men in this battalion have given their lives for the freedom of our country.  I tell you with pride that the men of this battalion are more committed to the mission than ever and they continue to press on with resilience.  I have never been as honored in my life as I am to be associated with the warriors of this battalion.  Until they return, know that the Marines and sailors of 3/7 will continue to do great things here in Afghanistan.

Semper Fidelis,

LtCol Clay Tipton

 

From Sgt Major: 

Hello Friends and Family of 3/7,

Where to start? The battalion has been very busy this past month or so. We have moved to ****, another place that needs our attention, and have been involved in some significant operations that have spread us over a very large piece of the country. The Marines have performed superbly during this time and it is not surprising they are none the worse for wear.

For the folks back home, time should be ticking by pretty fast now. The next big goal for all of you is Labor Day weekend, the start of school and the end of summer. Before long, we will begin to see Marines being sent home on the advance party to prepare the battalion for its return and to send some of our great Marines to schools to prepare the battalion for the next training cycle.

It is during these last couple months, that I encourage everyone to take an interest in making preparations for our return. Lori has information that will help guide everyone through this time and I highly encourage everyone to take the time to read some literature or if possible to attend some classes on what to experience when we get home. For the families and wives that have not experienced a deployment before, there are some unique and humorous things that occur when Marines get home.  Something as simple as watching TV will appear to be the most amazing thing the Marines have ever seen. You may catch your Marine gazing for long periods of time at the tube with their mouth wide open and completely speechless. Try not to interfere or you may startle them and interrupt the moment. There is also some emotional transition as the Marines will be changing from seeing other Marines 24 hrs a day to seeing you. This is a welcome time and what we all look forward most to.

I have waited until now to begin to talk about the Marine Corps Birthday Ball. For many, this is a wonderful and fulfilling experience. The time to celebrate the birth of our Corps is one of the longest and most cherished traditions we have. It is a time to celebrate our history, our fighting spirit and our appreciation for the patriotic deeds and sacrifices of our Corps. This year the Ball will have a significant undertone as a Homecoming and a celebration for the sacrifices some of our Marines have made during this deployment. We have gone all out for the Ball this year by having it a Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.  We have also worked very hard at keeping the cost low and Cesar’s Palace has worked to make a truly memorable experience for all.  Lori and GySgt Smith will be putting out more information on the website pertaining to the Ball, but rest assured, the Marines are overwhelmed with excitement to attend this special evening with their loved ones and with their fellow warriors that they have endured a very challenging and arduous deployment with. I am sure that we will all have a wonderful time.

Lastly, I would like to remind everyone that although the days until we get home are getting shorter, there is work to be done both here and at home. We will be working very hard right up until the time we come home. Lt. Col Tipton and I are impressed everyday with the performance of these great young American’s. Their endurance and mission focus is unmatched. We ask that you continue to provide them with encouragement.

See you all soon.

SgtMaj Black

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!

8 years in the Marine Corps and Counting!

Gentlemen, when you need to break big news to your significant other, I highly recommend doing so in a way that is similar to the following (exert from gchat conversation with Chris):

Me: So you are Lima Platoon Commander from here on out? What's our communication going to be like, any idea?

Chris: Yeah I am a Lima Plt Commander from here on out.  We should still have communication.

Me: As much as we do now?  Doubtful

Chris: Yeah, true but it will make my deployment go by faster

Me: For you!  Hahahaha

Chris: Yeah.  

Somebody has a birthday coming up in about a month.

Me: Nice save!  Hahahahahahaha.

Hahahaha – this conversation just makes me smile every time I read it =).  

Looking for a translation/ wondering what exactly Lima Platoon (Plt) Commander means?

As you know, in civilian world, when a job position becomes vacant, an employer simply conducts an interview process and hires the right person for the job.  Unlike civilian world, filling a vacant post within a Marine Corps Battalion is not always as cut and dry.

Case in Point: Although Chris is a rifleman/infantryman by trade (all Marines have a specialty), this deployment Chris has been in an operations command post = GREAT for my nerves, but not so great if you are an infantryman by trade.

However, as luck would have it, Mr. Infantryman has been given the opportunity to do what he LOVES (also what he did in Iraq last year) and he is now the Platoon (Plt) Commander for Lima Company!  Ironically enough, he found out about this two days after his 8 year Anniversary of being in the Marine Corps (Chris was with a Marine Corps Reserve Unit while in college and deployed to Iraq as a PFC in 2003) !

When in Doubt Think Football: Instead of sitting on the sidelines and helping to coordinate the plays, he now gets to actually carry out the plays.  For an infantryman, especially Chris, there is nothing better (other than his amazing wife of course =)). 

S0, what about me, you ask?  What are my thoughts and feelings?  Well, to be quite frank (I am not sharing anything he does not already know), of course stock has gone up a bit in my nerves department, but Chris is getting to do what he wants and loves to do, therefore, I will be right here to support him. He is getting to do what makes him happy and I would never ask him to change any part of that.  Not to mention, the Marine Corps was a part of his life before I was; I was well aware of what I was getting myself into =).  I am super proud of him!  When he is happy, I am happy and vice versa. 

So what does this mean in general?  Well, as with this entire deployment experience thus far, I don’t exactly know.  It’s been and continues to be very  different from last years deployment, but hey, we can all learn together =)!

Communication will likely be significantly more sporadic  than it is now.  Currently, we e-mail just about everyday, but now that he will be going "out and about" a lot more, I am fully preparing myself for that not to be the norm anymore.  With that said, he thus far, has been able to give me fair warning when I won't hear from him for several days, so I at least expect it (does not mean I like it =)).

As if the mail is not taking long enough now, there is the probability that it will take even longer.  His mailing address has changed, but before I give you the new address, please note that any packages sent to the H&S Company Address WILL be forwarded to him, they just may take a little longer.   His new address:

1^st Lieutenant Patrick Christian Parks

3/7 L CO   

Unit 41590

FPO AP 96427-1590

As far as what to send?  Nothing new really - coffee and tobacco products are the same hot items as always.  Although Chris likes his coffee black, apparently the sugar packets and powdered creamer I sent were a hit with the other Marines (just a suggestion).  Chris will of course continue to distribute and share everything sent to him accordingly!

Needless to say it’s been an eventful past few days and the month of May flew by!  The good news (in addition to Chris becoming a Plt Commander again) 2 months down, 5 to go!

***Pictures from Top to Bottom: Chris with his Platoon last year in Iraq.  Chris at TBS (The Basic School) with a M19 Grenade Launcher.  Me at TBS Family Day, with a SMAW aka a Rocket Launcher.  Chris at the TBS Rifle Range.***

***Hoping to have more recent pictures soon.  Chris has his camera and is taking pictures, but the USB port on his computer does not want to work =(***

Chris' Address in the Stan has Changed!

Not to worry ANY and ALL packages sent to the address previously listed WILL be forwarded.  I will post the new address once I get confirmation.

He got several packages in the mail last week - MANY THANKS!  As always, they are GREATLY appreciated!  

Thank you for your support!

Have a great night!

Much Love,

Elizabeth