A Very Emotional Morning: 

Well the day finally came. We found out about a month ago that today, August 20, 2013 would be the day that I needed to get up at 2:30 AM and get ready to take my oldest grandson, Bryan to Manchester NH Airport. He had posted on Face Book about a month ago "It's Official, I am moving to Hawaii." I was not overly excited getting the announcement, second hand on FB, rather than hearing it from him in person. But, I guess that the new speed of light social media supersedes the old fashion way of telling someone, face to face. 

Why all the way to Hawaii you ask? Well it began about two years ago, when Bryan and his friend Zac went to see Zac's cousin up in Alaska. Both of them stayed for a month and had the time of their lives. Mike, Zac's cousin is in the Army and fly's Helicopters and has been in Iraq and Afghanistan (IIRC) and has always maintained a connection with Bryan. 

Moving forward in time; Bryan, as of late has felt the need to make a clean break from all that he has been going through and the decision to move to Hawaii was a tough one, but we, as family supported him in that decision. We knew that it would be tough on him, as well as our family members. So much so, that a few days ago, Bryan's little brother, Tyler asked Bryan if he could get into Bryan's suitcase and go with him, and I learned today that his sister Emma has been crying and looking at Bryan's picture knowing that he will be gone for some time. 

The game plan, if for Bryan to start a new life adventure and begin in earnest to study, with Mike, the material and test for getting into the U. S. Army. Bryan; we know that if you put your mind too it, you can "Be All That You Can Be" for America.

So that brings us back to the alarm going off at 2:30 AM this morning. Not many of us got much sleep last night, knowing that this would be the day that we would have to say, goodbye, to a son, brother, and grandson. Was it hard? DO YOU THINK? I don't like getting chocked up and watching my daughter saying goodbye through her tears, or my next to oldest grandson, hugging his cousin and weeping as well; and just for the record, I am fighting back the tears just trying to finish this blog posting. 

The one consolation that I have is knowing that even though he may be thousands of miles from his home in Massachusetts, he is only going to be no more than 2-3 feet from me through Skype, Google, G-Mail, Hangouts, Twitter and Face Book.  I guess that I can/will have to live with that, until he comes back home a man that the Army will make him, with a clear knowledge of his future, a better understanding of life and a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. My Father in Heaven, take care of our son, brother, and grandson; keep Your Angels about him and return him to us. Amen!