FINALLY!! Family Day has Arrived... Part 2

FINALLY!! A glimpse of Dillon...there he is on the far right...one of the 2 tallest boys in his platoon. Watching him perform his drill with such discipline was amazing.

I looked over at Kyle with pride in his face as he watched his brother. I couldn't contain my emotions. Through the tears I watched Dillon and cheered him on. They gave out awards to some of the top cadets and time seemed to stand still. What took 45 minutes felt like hours. He was merely feet away, but I had to wait. I had to be disciplined and patient...a small taste of Dillon's new life. And then.....they were dismissed. Kyle reached his brother first. I watched my two boys embrace and there are no words to describe the joy and pride I felt as their mother.

Then, it was my turn to hold my boy in my arms....the first time in 8 long weeks!! I didn't want to let go. I wanted to hold onto him forever.

I knew, at some point, I had to let go....I had to let Dillon stand on his own. I no longer stood before a boy....I now stood next to a young man. It was incredible to spend the next 5 hours with Dillon and hear his stories and experiences. He was still Dillon, only better. The entitled, smart-ass that we sent in to GYA 8 weeks prior, had turned into a kind, respectful, very likable soul. He shared his stories of his time at the academy and the many things he had learned. We laughed, we cried, we sat on the edge of our seats waiting to hear the next tale. Dillon spoke as I had never heard before. He was animated, engaging, and confident. It was a true joy to experience.

Now, unlike before, the time flew. The hours felt like mere minutes. We ate together, we laughed together, we took lots of pictures, and we all took in the experience. As the 4:00 hour drew closer, I could feel the anxiety in myself as well as in Dillon. He still struggles being at GYA, but ensures me that he is in it for the long haul. At one time, he even said that he wanted to return next year as a volunteer for Class 26's Family Day.

The dreaded announcement was made....all cadets were ordered back into formation. We all walked him back and I stole every moment to hug him and tell him how proud I was. He fell into formation and we watched as he marched back to his barracks....back to the place that he now calls home. I left renewed yet sad that I had to say goodbye. Now the next countdown begins. In 4 weeks I will be on my way back down to SLO to pick up Dillon for the weekend. His first leave to come home. He will be with us for 4 days. I can't wait to see how he has grown and experience even more of the new Dillon. Regardless of how he does or doesn't change, I will always love him. Although he is now becoming a man, to me, he will always be my little boy.

FINALLY!! Family Day has Arrived... Part 1

The past 8 weeks have held so much emotion......sadness, joy, uncertainty, fear, anxiety, insecurity, pride, just to name a few. I have been counting the days, the hours, the minutes until the first time that I get to see Dillon face to face...to hug him, hold him, ask him questions and get an immediate answer, and just be in he presence.
It has been so much fun planning this get together. Looking back, all these tasks have been used to keep myself busy and keep me from going insane. I researched and rented a house, planned our trip down to SLO, came up with a menu, put together some baskets for the fundraiser, sent out e-mails with all the details, etc.
We arrived Friday afternoon to get ready for the big day....Steve and I were joined by Kyle, Dillon's aunt Dene, cousin Haley, mentor Dale and kiddos Alec and Mia and Auntie Marie . Joining us on Saturday was Patrick, Uncle Michael, cousin Sydney, and Steve's parents Lynn and Ralph.
Friday evening was spent talking about Dillon. I shared some of his letters and we all talked about the kid we all know and love. We talked about how the "kid" was now becoming a man. We talked about our hopes for his future, and how proud we are of his accomplishments thus far. There was also lots of time preparing his first meal from "home".
I could barely sleep and the hours seemed to move at a snail's pace.
The morning finally arrived and I was up with the sun (maybe even a little before). We all got ready for the day ahead and at 8:30a.m. we loaded up into the cars for the 15 minute trip up the road. As we got closer and I could see the base, my heart began to beat faster.
We entered onto the base, and found a spot in the shade that we could all gather around. Then, more waiting....the cadets were not going to show until 10:00.

We snapped a few photos as we waited. Here we are gathered around the picnic spot.

Then Dale and Marie found the perfect spot to watch the drills.

Woo Hoo!! Getting excited now!! (This picture was taken by cousin Mia).

And the cadets march in......... Again, we wait. We can see them, but it is at least 45 more minutes until we can actually be with him.
And the journey continues......