The End of 2 Long Weeks

Well, today is an interesting day in the life of an Army wife. For the last two weeks I have hardly seen my husband, in the beginning it was frustrating and somewhere in the middle I just got "used" to evenings without him. All I knew was he was doing this training thing for a badge called "EFMB". Something that for a month he has been dreading only because he felt that with all the other pressures & responsibilities of work something would have to give.

Each day this week he would come home and say "Chels I passed today!" and as the week went on I got more and more excited and proud of him (still not realizing what a big deal this is). "EFMB" stands for "Expert Field Medic Badge". All I knew was that each day at around 9pm (some days were more like 3 am and then leave again at 6 am) he would get home dirty and stinky - and that there was a MASSIVE manual he would have to study if he was serious about passing the written test at the end.

Well, this morning he left sometime between 3 & 4 am for his 12 mile ruck march into his graduation. I said I'd be there.... I showed up at at the graduation location, but there were LOADS of soldiers for some ceremony and I was sure I was in the wrong place. Apparently not. A Major General addressed the crowd and the 70 graduates out of the 400ish that started this course. So I am posting to bragg a little about my man! Here is what I have learned : This badge is one of the most difficult and most prestigous to earn. They have been trained and tested under extreme battle conditions to treat wounded soldiers and get them out of the worst combat zone.

I will let Ben write more about it if he wants to, but from our conversations I think he would say one of his highlights was being able to go through this with his medics and get to know each of them a little better.

I am a proud wife today! He keeps amazing me with his talents :)

The Shack

I just posted on my blog Sacred Moments about this book :) I thought I would put it as a link here for you to check out!

Chelsa

blue steel

on the chair i broke

i work therefore i get tired

good lookin couple

Chesapeake Symphony

Labor Day Pictures

a Haugen tradition

single and ready to mingle

mitchell, one of my favorites

mason, another of my favorites

marit, the cool one

Is your Epidermis showing?

The East Coast Haugens


I have had more than a few friends ask what our big news is… The big news is that we have a new car. I wasn’t aware that I was supposed to build that up as big news. So settle your minds there isn't a baby Schaefer for Summer ’08.

We just arrived home from one of the more enjoyable Labor Day weekends I can remember. Chelsa and I made the drive up to Chesapeake, VA to visit my 1st cousin once removed Chris and his beautiful family. We not only enjoyed delicious food and good laughs, but the beach (two times), a waterpark, guitar hero, and a symphony under the stars. The Haugen’s don’t disappoint.

Labor Day helped us kick off our new fall season the right way. I’ll finally be doing my job rather than another tradoc school and Chelsa has already begun her fall semester. She is finishing up a few prereqs at Central Carolina Community College enroute to applying for a Dental Hygienist program. Nothing is definite but as of now that is the plan.

I’ll quit boring you with this update and get to the pictures. But first, here are a few websites we have grown to love.
http://www.gilbertsnuthouse.com
http://mattandjohnni.blogspot.com/
http://funwithdickjane.blogspot.com/

Chelsa's 1st Funnel Cake

Mason and Mitchell getting more friendly than usual!

Check out the mileage on this ONE tank of gas!
Even with fuel to spare

The New Ride

Almost immediately after returning from Ranger School it became apparent that Chelsa was going to need a new car. We began searching and finally that search is over. We purchased a 2007 Hyundi Elantra last weekend. Here’s a few pics with Chelsa and her new car.


The backseat actually has plenty of room. We needed a funny picture.

ranger pictures

look at me i have food

we all have food

chelsa and me basking in the glory of the tab

my best friend

johnni and matt surprised me and came to celebrate

"Earn the Tab"

The title of this update is what was mandated to me Day 1 of Ranger School, 61 days later I can thankfully say I earned my tab July 25, 2008. It was somewhat surreal seeing Chelsa, my Dad and Mom, and even getting to enjoy the weekend with Matt and Johnni. Finally I wasn’t being smoked by an E-6, the ruck was off my back, my feet could dry out and heal, and I didn’t have to eat food that began with MRE.

Thank you to everyone who said a prayer for me; they truly helped me get through the school! At times I could feel the power of a prayer push off the weight of whatever was on my mind, and my back.

While I never did anything outrageous, I did have quite a few “tired” moments. And the trees in GA are unmovable… no matter how many times you run into them with your NVGs. If you want to hear more you have to come to NC for a visit. Or you can call. Whatever works.

My girl pinnin on the tab. She's as much Ranger as I am!

We Should Be Blogging Fools!

This is my friend Vanessa! We met up in the Okanagan Valley :) Notice the colour of the lake!


This is Ben's Company at his graduation.


TABBED : Ben and is buddy - Griffith - who we drove back to NC with .



Ben's parents, as well as one of Ben's closest friends - Matt & his wife Johnni - came out for his grad as well! It was so great to see everyone...




That weekend we all experienced some Southern Hospitality from Jane's cousin, Paul. It was so nice to be able to relax out at his family cottage on the lake.


Jane got Ben to open up an MRE (what the Army eats in the field - and at Ranger School) & give a "demo".



That is chicken breast & cheese on bread. Looks so appetizing doesn't it?!?!?!


Yep, smells so good too! This is Ben's Grandpa's brother. We met him and his wife too!

Just didn't get enough MRE's at Ranger School!!!


Well, in my last blog I promised a few things... Ranger School updates as well as photos. Neither of which happened! Both Ben and I have been back home in the South now for nearly 3 weeks, and I still feel like we are trying to get settled into life here again! I'll leave it to the pictures to do the talking...all I can say is that it is so great to have him around again, and I am one proud wife :)

I put a bunch of photos from my trip to Canada up on my Sacred Moments Blog. It was a great trip! I miss all of you up there already! We BOTH want to come up again & see you all!

Besides Ben graduating Ranger School, there is some very exciting news that I will let Ben share! (no we are not pregnant :)

Enjoy the photos. At lunch today Ben told me that he has started writing an update, so keep checking back for his words of Ranger wisdom ....

CHELSA

Almost Done Darby!!

Hi Everyone,

Thank you to friends and family who wrote Ben some encouraging letters during his Benning Phase. I received 2 letters from him during this phase, and I think they were both written before he had maybe gotten any of our letters! But let's pray they made it into his hands & encouraged his heart - I will be finding this out on Friday during the 8 hours I get to see him. Before he left we talked about whether or not I should come down for just 8 hours...but we are both SO glad that we decided it would be worth it! I can't wait for those 8 hours.

Let's keep praying for him to get a "go" to be able to go on to Mountain Phase. Benning Phase has been HOT, and as a result Ben said that it tough to keep hydrated, it feels like he is on fire, and a heat rash has taken over his body. He's also getting headaches (I don't think he's ever had headaches before!) and a consistent head cold.

He said that it really helps to know that the people who care about him are praying for him. Please keep praying for his physical protection, as well as his mind & heart to be strengthened and encouraged as he waits on the Lord to place him on a ROCK that cannot be shaken. He still has a lot ahead of him to overcome.

I will update you after my short visit with him! And next time I will add photos because how boring is a blog without pictures!! Speaking of which - I had the opportunity to shoot a wedding this weekend - check out some of the photos on my Sacred Moments Blog :)

Chelsa