Jake's Marine Corp Graduation

Lunch at Olive Garden. Thank you Cyndi again for taking pictures, I wish you were in them. Family consist of myself, Joe, his step-sister, step-mom, Grandma, Aunt Jenny, and Aunt Amee, girlfriend Brittany, and his dad. He had an empty pit for a stomach, not sure where he put all the food. Not to mention the 270 cookies Grandma Martin made for him that he snacked on for two days.

Jake and Brittany ahead, he could not carry his C-bag which weighed about 60 or so pounds, Cyndi is pregnant, so guess what, yup his wimpy mom carried it almost a mile. Sore legs the next day. However the true struggle was getting it in the trunk.

FINALLY, AT REST, HE COULD LEAVE AND GO HOME.

Jake is about the second from the right. He made the only HONOR platoon. However look at those DI's. No phone calls home, lots of screaming and Jake was in trouble a lot. They look so mean and only 23 years old. The one with the black belt was his lead DI and had earned a purple heart and almost died. I thought I was mean, I guess they took the cake on that one.

All the new Marines getting ready to graduate. It was so cool to hear them march and move. The DI's even had songs they sang to the whole left, right, left thing. During graduation, two Marines passed out. They grabbed them underneath their arms and drug their heels until they were to the side. It was so sad. We were not allowed to go on the tarmac and help. Very tough as a nurse. Just glad Jake stayed up. I was so scared.

This was the final day of graduation. Knowing we could take him home was so comforting. Knowing we had a 7 hour drive home with more luggage than we had room for was not so comforting. The trip was much better going home, it went faster. No radio, just Jake's sweet voice with all his stories of what he did and learned. We are so proud of him.