David

Last time I talked about David here we were counting down the days til graduation from basic training. I think. He did great in MO. Got medals for his performance with the M16 AND .9mm. I will never forget the day we got there and his company started marching toward us. We RAN across the grass trying to find him, but they were all inside and standing in formation before I spotted him. OMG!! It was awesome.

Dave never did spend much time after he came home living with mom. lol. Kinda expected. But I gotta say he has become my rock here lately. I worried about him for a while cuz I knew he was drinkin' and stuff. Had alot of different girls... just doing what 20 year-old guys do I guess. But today I went to his myspace to see if I could steal some pictures and read this:

"I am a completely different person today than who I was just a few weeks ago. I decided to give up the partying life that we've known for so long and walk a little straighter path. It can be hard to do most days but I know it's going to be worth it in the end."

There was a song playing by a Christian rock band too. As a mom.... yes.... it brought tears to my eyes. Me and Dave have been thru alot together. 45 days in rehab... over 2 years on juvenile probation. But when I read those words I remembered all the nights I spent on his bedroom floor praying our bedtime prayer. I remembered teaching in Children's Church and watching endless Veggie Tales together. Not trying to take credit for his new direction - but it's nice to see that Bible verse about teaching a child in the way he should go has come to pass for my little boy.

Yeah, yeah.... shake yer head and say he's not little anymore. I'm not even gonna go into the fact that he is most prob'ly gonna be deployed to Afghanistan in April. because knowing myself the way I do - you are gonna hear ALL about that in a few months.

It's been amazing watching David grow up since basic training. I am SO proud of him. He works at Cracker Barrel for now, and I've heard only compliments from people who have had him as their waiter. He's started taking life a little more seriously, I guess, taking classes online and working toward a criminal justice degree. This week anyway. I've heard he wants to end up on a S.W.A.T. team eventually. Or work for the FBI. Or be a border patrol policeman. I know he's gonna keep me on my knees in prayer, no matter which one of those he settles on

I'd say he's a really great kid but.... now I gotta start calling him a young MAN.