Barracks

This has been our home for the last two weeks. 45 people ion one building, a bathroom in the middle with five showers, five sinks and five stalls, and another barracks on the other side. So, about 80 people sharing the facilities!

Shoppette

This is the only place to buy goodies, food and other stuff. It's open from noon to 8 p.m. every day and also has a barber shop in it.

Clearing Barrel

This is where we stick our M16 and pistols into upon entering every classroom, lunch room and barracks. We stick the end of our weapons in the barrel and make sure there are no bullets by "charging" the weapon, firing the trigger and then putting it back on safe. This creates a lot of lines going into the lunchroom and into other areas. But safety is a BIG priority here...especially for people like me who aren't exactly gun experts!

Our Classroom

Here is the classroom where we've spent a lot of time while here. We pack 142 people in it and have also eaten in it a few times.

Camp McCrady Church

I attended church here my first Sunday. There were 18 people, the minister wore jeans and had an Ipod providing the music.

We are ready to watch the hockey game--GO USA!! Although Taylor does partially hope that Syndey Crosby does well for Canada (he is a major player on the Penguins--Taylor's favorite team).

MRE's

My one and only attempt to stomach the Army's unique Meals Ready to Eat (MRE). I have eaten some of the things that come with the main meal (crackers, jelly, cookies) but the main meal I just haven't gotten used to.

Camp McCrady, SC

This is where we're staying during our training. It's a pretty small base with one small convenience store, some classrooms, lots of barracks, etc. Some folks here think it looks like a Japanese internment camp!

Our taxi's while at Ft. Jackson

Here's the buses we take while going between where we live and where we do some training. Ft. Jackson has over 225,000 acres!

My uniform while at Ft. Jackson, SC.

It's called IBA (Individual Body Armor) and basically protects your life via carbon plates on the front and sides. It weighs about 50 lbs., has lots of velcro and we seem to put it on and take it off about 15 times a day! It's been challenging wearing an extra 50 lbs. and standing up, getting off the bus, etc.

"PINK OUT" for Zeeland/Jenison Varsity Hockey Team

Taylor plays hockey for Zeeland/Jenison Varsity. He is a Sophomore at Zeeland East High School. This is the first year that the two high school have joined together as a co-op. Although Jenison has had a varsity hockey program for many years, this is the "first" year that Zeeland has had a hockey team. There are currently 7 players from Zeeland (East and West High Schools) who play for the team. It had been very exciting to see the boys play for their school. We had "hoped" that it would happen and we are thrilled to see that it did!! Although they wear the Jenison jerseys, they have "Chix and Dux"in their heart. This game was for their "Pink Out" night. The players wore "pink" jerseys to bring awareness and raise money for Breast Cancer. The team raised over $2000.00 with their efforts.

Pictures of the Ceremonial Puck Drop

I told you I was new at this--here's (hopefully) the pictures:)

Before Tim left for Mississippi and South Carolina for some of his training before going to Afghanistan, Taylor's Varsity hockey team had a special "ceremonial puck drop" for Tim. Below are some of the pictures from Jan. 23, 2010 to honor Tim.

My "hotel" while at Camp McCrady in Columbia, SC. 45 guys sleeping within a few feet of each other results in almost no sleep, crowded bathrooms, etc

Hello and Welcome to the Hodges' Blog

Hello! This is my first attempt at creating a blog, so bear with me. We thought it would be nice to document the next year while Tim is facing the challenges of being away in Afghanistan and it will be nice for us to let everyone know how we are doing and what Tim is doing, too. We hope you enjoy our "new" creation!

Kelly, Tim and Taylor