News From Our Marine

I can't get my captions under the correct pictures. One is Mike (on the right) and his best friend, Brice, who lives next door. They have been friends since they were five years old. The family picture is from Thanksgiving: Weffers on the left, then Jen, Mike. Chewie and Toughie are the young ones. The other picture the girls call Mike's Tom Cruise picture. It was taken on Christmas. Tom Cruise? Mike is MUCH better looking and not nuts.

We heard from our Marine! He called last night. I put this medley of songs first on my music play list in his honor. I plan to put it first each time he calls. It reminds me of the day he graduated from boot camp. Mr Wonderful, Dee, Weffers, Breezy and I were there in San Diego that COLD overcast day. The Marine Band played a similar medley of music as all of the new graduates marched around the parade deck. As the music plays now, I can see him as he was then. I just do not have the words to describe my feelings that day. He left home my child, one of my babies, and there he was as a new tough Marine. All of those young Marines looked like babies to me; albeit; tough ones. All of them were their mothers' dear sons, heart of their hearts, and they would be sent in first to defend our country in battle. They have a mental toughness, too. We have seen that our Marine has learned what it is to give his best effort. They say once a Marine, always a Marine, so I think that Marine attitude of giving and doing his best will carry over long after he has left the corps. I know that he knows he can do anything he wants to accomplish with a lot of dedication and hard work. Anyway, don't expect to hear military music often. He doesn't have time to call, and he doesn't write. Any time we do hear from him is a great treat for us. When I pick up that phone and hear his "Hi Mom" it just goes straight to my heart. I am talking to my boy, my young man, my Marine son. Am I proud? You bettcha!

He is well. I can't say where he is on an Internet blog, but he is a new guy wherever he is. He says they call the new guys "Nuggets". He has his wings, though, so he is the "Top Nugget". He qualified Huey's and Cobra's at his last base, but has to re qualify. He is working 13-hour days Monday through Friday. I told him, "Welcome to his dad's work schedule." I asked him why he is a nugget, and he said they sit in the shop on these little square boxes, called nugget boxes, studying all day when they do not have anything to do; hence, they are nuggets. Well, they could be called worse! He is a "gold" nugget to us! He did get to see his girl friend over the weekend. He says the weather is warming up. He said he can read my blog on his roommate's laptop! OOO-RAH! Our Marine is the reason I am writing this blog in the first place. I want him to be able to check in once in awhile, and know that he has a family that is always thinking of him.