Well, another mother's day almost here and gone... I can't believe it's been about 4 years since I've actually had a reason to celebrate it, to dote on mom all I wanted, and to really see her smile brighten up the day in an instant. It's not with remorse or grief that I write this entry now, but rather, a feeling of pride in the mom that I was fortunate enough, and truly blessed by God to have. She topped it all, no doubt. And even though I might not show that I miss her as much as I used to... I do. I miss her everyday, every moment. I look at kids who are graduating from high school, fellow future Marines, people who are succeeding in life... THEY all have moms to be there for them, to give them a hug, and to tell them they're proud of their son/daughter... why couldn't mine have stayed a whole longer?? I don't know. I'll never know. I stopped asking myself that question a while back. The important thing, is that she was more of a mom in those short 15 years I had with her than most moms will ever be able to be to their kids. I was truly blessed... and THAT my friends, is what you should prolly know about my mom. She was a blessing from day one, and her memory is still alive in her sons and daughters and in the hearts of all her friends.

We love you mom... Happy Mother's Day to ya!! ♥

Nobody said it was going to be easy...

...18 days left at home... wow...

I can't believe it's already been 6 months since i signed my contract to enlist in the Marine Corps. Just yesterday I was stressing about weather or not I was going to be able to pass all of my classes at Wor-Wic Community College for the credits I needed to join the Corps (sometimes i can stress needlessly about EVERYTHING), and it seems like just yesterday that I made the decision to join the Marines to begin with. Time is flying, and I'm definitely flying along with it.
Summer is coming, and along with it, the lengthy rain showers that seem to drag on for weeks and weeks at a time. But, the rain is needed in order to make the grass greener during the hott summer months; the flowers to stand up straight, delicate, yet strong; and to bring in a fresh new feeling in the air... the anticipation of unforgettable summer memories... it's time to make more!!
Along with summer, well MY summer anyways, also comes 3 months of training. No beach for me this summer!! It IS going to be rough, challenging, and character revealing. But, like the rain, I know that this period of "rain" is needed to make me stronger, stand taller, and it is just the first step to opening so many more doors of opportunities for myself in the future. I'm surprised the anticipation in my chest hasn't given me a heart attack yet. haha... I am SOOO excited to finally start out on my own path. My older brother Blake started out on his about 8 years ago, a former Marine himself... My older sister Kellie started hers last year when she married the man of her dreams and moved out of the house. Me?? Well... it's MY turn now. I just want to do it, boot camp that is, and be done with it. So i can finally earn the right to be called a United States Marine. Thousands of people have gone on before me and gone through Marine Corps boot camp and have succeeded. I, too will join their ranks and be one of the Few... one of the Proud.
I'm not going to settle for second best, nor will I be known as an average Marine. I will do my best, give my best, and live up to the honest and remarkable standards that many Marines have set, the ones that have gone on before me. I pray that God will be by my side, giving me strength and accuracy to accomplish the task at hand every day of my life.
Nobody said it was going to be easy... but that's the Marine Corps for ya!!