The last couple months have been full of things to do! Both the boys are now permanently stationed. Luke at Camp LeJeune & Matt at Camp Pendleton. Of course, they would have to be on complete opposite side of the United States...but no complaints here...at least they are still in the United States!
Luke had a pretty great opportunity to go to Fleet Week in New York! He was able to see alot of the city & do some pretty neat things. The one thing that I'm sure he will never forget was the honor to be promoted to Lance Corporal while he was there. What was so special about that? The ceremony took place at Ground Zero. What a humbling experience that must have been to stand in the very place where evil tried to consume us & know that he is a part of the warriors who are fighting to make sure that never happens again. He is a part of the courageous men & women who will stand up to ensure that the people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 will not be forgotten.
Matt is in sunny California, & I was recently blessed with the opportunity to go see him there! He was able to show me around Camp Pendleton. I got to meet some of the guys in his unit. And he took me on a tour of Hollywood. He is preparing to go into some kind of training for a MEU (Marine Expeditionary Unit), and he seems to be looking forward to that. California weather suits Matt perfectly & I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up wanting to live there...although the thought of possibly having grandchildren (eventually) that far away does not sound good to me!
The mother in me just wants both of my sons to come home sooner than later. However, I do believe that our goal as parents is to raise our children to become independent, productive members of society who act with conviction and do what they believe is right. That part of the mother in me is filled with pride that these wonderful young men, who made the fact that when you look up "never a dull moment" in the dictionary our family picture is right there, made a decision to do something with their lives & took the steps necessary to achieve it. They are walking down a path that was not easy to choose, yet they accept their responsibility. They do not let fear, or the fears of those around them get in the way. Would I be a good mother if I discouraged them from moving forward every day to achieve their goals? The possibility of my fears keeping them from doing that doesn't seem fair.
So most of the time when I have tears in my eyes, they are tears of immense pride. Both of my sons are representing the United States of America. Not a school or a team, but our country.
Good To Go!
Proud Mom of 2 U.S Marines
