Done, Sir, DONE!!

I have been trying to get this posted for the last few days. I had a video of Jason returning sword (his last command with a platoon), but I am having trouble downloading it. So if I get it done, I will just add it.

Jason and the other Seniors of Lima Company.

Eyes right, as they pass the reviewing stands.


Retiring the guidon. The heavy from each platoon will take the guidon from the Honor graduate, a symbol that this platoon is finished their training.

Jason with his last platoon.
Very happy to see his mom and dad!

Jason with two of his three DI's.

So, we are now officially done! What a feeling on Friday! It was such a mix of emotions. When you have invested so much into something, even when it is difficult, a part of you is sad to be done. Friday evening, though, we realized we were still attached to Parris Island when the phone continued to ring off the hook for Jason. I guess they just can't function without him. :) They tried to get him to work all night Saturday, but he was able to get out of it. He did have to work most of Saturday, but he had ALL day Sunday off and the phone didn't ring all day!!! Unless you have lived with us, you have no idea how strange this really is! :) Usually the evening phone calls went something like this: "Who did what Drill Instructor??" "OK, put him on the phone.......what were you thinking boy? Are you really going to make me come in and straighten this out? I didn't think so. Put my Drill Instructor back on the phone." Or "Does he really need to go to the hospital? OK, fine I'll call so and so. Call me when you get back." Or "Who ran away? Don't worry, he will be back when he gets hungry and the bugs start biting." Always something, several times a night. Occasionally a recruit would have to be really "talked to" and Jason would have to go in another room and put on his DI voice and get it straightened out. Inevitably one of our kids would go in the room Jason was in and start whining at his feet. :) One of the feelings when we were done that I didn't except to feel is guilt. Guilt that other DI's are working like crazy and Jason gets to come home. Guilt that other wives made dinner and dealt with the kids all by herself and her husband didn't come home until 10 pm., or not at all, and mine made it home by 6 pm. Jason said he was feeling the same way, of course him even more so because he was watching the other DI's work (he is still with Lima Company, he is just working in the ops office right now). So when you have dinner with your family tonight, or all go the park as a family this weekend, think about the military families. Because somewhere a lot of moms are eating dinner alone again with the kids and many dads are wishing they were with their families. Yes, we all choose this life, but that does not make it any easier to do alone. As the days go by I am dealing with the guilt just fine and enjoying the fact that Jason is coming home!!! :)