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 He is off on his 96 hour Forge. I trust that he will stay the course and come out transformed from a boy to a man. Watching the video about the newly added First 100 yards, puts the mission of the Infantry into perspective. My boy chose the right path. My prayer is that he will cling to God in the foxhole and during the quiet morning hours. His life has prepared him for this mission. The early mornings, the mental stress he dealt with, the cold days on the hill, the extreme conditions on his body and mind that were at times unbearable. I am so proud of this kid. My heart is full while my stomach is in knots waiting for him to complete this journey to becoming a US Soldier. 

This year has been so difficult. It started on June 2, 2019 when we were plunged into the valley with the announcement of a job loss. We were digging our way out when in November our #1 signed with the Army. It is what he has wanted to do and he made the commitment. Throughout the winter our stress mounted as money was tight and my class was tough. When Covid hit we were all ready for a break. Throughout quarantine we were able to keep some money coming in although it was always tight. Little glimmers of light broke through to keep us fighting. Unfortunately the job market in April was shallow since many places were on hiring freezes as they waited to learn more about Covid. 

Here we are almost a year from that November spiral. #1 is on his way to becoming a US Soldier with big goals about his future in the military. He is in a good place. We are thankful that we got to watch all of his games and races during his senior year. I will never regret being there to see him run down the field or fly down the mountain. He has paved the way for the younger kids. Both look up to him and desire to follow in a few of his footsteps. It is going to be hard not teaching WT. I am sad that it is over. I am relieved in many ways. If we did not need the money so badly I would be ok. That is probably what made last year so awful. We were desperate. 

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