Going Back

This past weekend we went to visit my oldest son Matthew in NC.
He is a Navy Corpsman attached with the Marines and will be leaving for desert training soon, too soon but this is what he feels the need to do, and we are very proud.

13 years ago we used to live an hour away from where Matthew is now stationed, when my husband Matt was a Marine.
This past weekend we went back to that small military town filled with pawn shops and furniture stores, and so many memories. It's hard to believe that it hadn't changed much after all this time.
We went back to our old base housing where we lived for 3 1/2 great years. Where Matthew used to sit up in the tree and read his favorite Hardy Boy books, and Michael started kindergarten and learned how to ride his 2 wheeler. Before Hope even existed.
We went on to our favorite pizza place, still there and still making the best pizza after all of these years.
Next, to Beaufort a quaint little town right on the water where we used to get icecream and watch the wild horses grazing on the island, that is where the pictures were taken. It wasn't planned at all, we were walking along the water and Michael and I started talking about the picture that we had come across a couple weeks ago, so we started looking for the spot.
Matthew refused to salute this time, but they indulged me so I was thrilled.

Heading back to the base, we drove along the coast the way we used to, but this time we were taking Matthew back, the last time, 13 years ago it had been my husband.
I am so thankful and happy that we took this trip back in time, and especially thankful that we had one great weekend before Matthew goes off to his training.

I will now vow to get all of my precious photographs out of the boxes and into albums. This is a yearly pledge for the winter,after my Christmas craziness.One that I never succeed at. This year I will make the time, and check in here with my progress. Memories as special as these can't be kept in an old box under the bed with the dust bunnies......