Happy Mother's Day!

I’d like to wish all the moms out there a Happy Mother’s Day! I especially want to thank all of you that are military moms, as well as those of you that are called "mom" by a firefighter or a law enforcement officer. It is definitely a tough job. None of us “enlisted” (or volunteered) as our children have done. Instead we were “drafted”....with no choice but to accept our new role the day our kids took the oath to protect this nation. I remember being pretty upset the day I officially became a Marine Mom....but it was really because I was scared. Looking back 5 years later, I can honestly say that it has been a blessing and an honor to be a Marine Mom. I wouldn’t change a minute of this experience.

Because it is Mother’s Day, I think it’s appropriate to honor my own son when I run today. He is my first born, and was the one that made it possible for me to add the role of mother to my resume. Sgt. David Pennington is an active duty Marine. At this point, he has been deployed three times. This photo is one of my all time favorites. This was my Mother’s Day gift in 2006. There is no better gift than this when your son is deployed to a war zone. Thank you, David, for serving your country. I am proud of all of your accomplishments and I am thankful to be the one you call “Mom”.