This past weekend I made a surprise trip home to Iowa to help move John into his dorm and Iowa State (Go Cyclones!) and attend his swearing in for Navy ROTC. I flew in and out of Kansas City and my aunt and uncle were so gracious as to let me use their car to drive to Cedar Rapids.

My plan all along had been to get the family to go out to eat and surprise them there, but the closer we got to the time, the more than looked unrealistic. And why I thought that a 5 hour drive from KC would be easy, I'll never know. It was the longest 5 hours of my life as I waited to make the big surprise.

I found out my mom would be going to Wal-Mart to get some stuff for bulletin boards at school so I planned with my dad to surprise her there as I knew she would least expect it. Keep in mind, she had absolutley no idea I was coming. I got her on the cell phone as she was leaving school and talked to her as she drove while I waited in the Wal-Mart parking lot. I also managed to never lie to her. She asked what I was doing that evening and I told her just hanging out and probably watching a movie, which is exactly what we did.

I saw her drive into the parking lot just as she was ready to hang up so she went in one door and I went in the other. At one point we were walking down parallel aisles and I was sure she'd seen me, but not expecting that I'd be there, I'm sure she thought nothing of it. I'm also sure that if the security folks were paying any attention they'd wonder why I was peering around corners and walking very slowly.

Anyhow, she finally made it to the fabric section and I walked up behind her and said, "Rumor has it I could find you at Wal-Mart." She did a double take and said the classic, "What are you doing here!?" Mission accomplished.

The boys were also surprised to see me, but being as that they are boys, you'd never really know it. But the dog sure let me know he was glad to see me!

Saturday we moved John in and it brought back so many memories of moving into my first dorm in Friley Hall nine years ago. It seems like forever and just yesterday all at the same time. I had this overwhelming feeling of wanting to go back to school as we spent the day unpacking and getting last minute things for his room.

I'm pretty sure he was bored out of his mind all day Sunday, frequently texting us with questions. Although he did figure out how to ride the bus to McDonalds to get some "real" supper that night.

Monday, however, the boredom ended. We all piled in the car that morning and went to a brief luncheon and then the swearing in. One highlight was one of the officers pointing at Andrew and forcefully saying, "You, come with me!" Oh the look on his face as he tried to find the words to say that he was a brother and not going into ROTC. Classic.

The swearing in was, of course, very fomal and they drove home the point that this wasn't a game and you are here to succeed or you are out. I was glad I wasn't the one sitting there about to take the oath as I knew I couldn't do it!

We had a few minutes to say goodbye following the ceremony and then he was off to orientation. Because I'd made the trip all the way from Louisiana, I decided to stay until his orientation was over and take him out to eat. Jen came up to Ames and we spent some time walking around campus and hanging out there, which only made my desire to go back there even stronger.

I finally realized that it may not be so much that I want to take classes again but it is that feeling of first time independence that is so intoxicating. Moving now is still fun, but nothing can match that first time your parents drive away and you are all on your own. I don't think I'll ever go back to get my Master's, but if I did, I think it may just have to be ISU.

John called that evening and I picked him up as he was on his way home, hot and exhausted from a day full of training. Being that it is the military, they cut you no slack for not knowing what is going on and how to address your superiors, but I believe that makes you learn faster. John was a chatterbox all through dinner and I was amazed. I also felt the need to harass him for calling the waitress ma'am. It made me laugh.

I have been amazed as he has gone through this week of training enduring a variety of physical and surely emotional challenges. Even in one week his whole demeanor has changed and the boy who just a week ago thought that good enough was good enough called me last night and proved otherwise. He said he gets frustrated when others don't follow orders or get to where they are supposed to be and commented on how sloppy his fellow freshman dress. I'm blown away by the maturity that has come this past week.

There has been a continual fear as he has talked more and more about wanting to be in the military and now that he has made that commitment, but I believe now more than ever that this is where God wants him. Leading up to this point I have said that while I didn't feel comfortable about his choice, I would always support him wholeheartedly. That remains true as some of the fears have subsided and I see the growth this past week. Who knows what the future holds, but I know that he can do it and that he will be a stronger man because of it. While I have always supported our troops, I didn't realize the pride that would come from having a family member be one of them. I'm proud to wear my Navy sister shirt and I tell everyone I can about what he's doing and learning.

I'm so proud of you John and I can't wait to see what this year brings and how you grow through all of the experiences you have. I'll always be your biggest fan (except maybe for Mom) and I'll always be right there to support you in any way that I can. Grandma would be so proud of you for serving your country in the ways that you will and representing all that this great nation stands for. I love you.

This is by far and without a doubt my favorite photo from the entire summer. These little boys were at the Calliope housing project for Challenge Circle one night. One of the high school students said I should take a photo so I got down on one knee to be at their height and the little boy in the gray copied me. Then the other one got down too because we were both down on our knees. Sometimes, things just work out perfectly.

This summer National Project was full and busy. We had more than 350 high school students come from across the nation to help us run vacation Bible school and Challenge Circle and we had an average of 50 kids from the neighborhood attend the majority of the summer. The kids were learning the names of God this summer and so many did an amazing job of remembering all of their memory verses and the names they were taught.

Summer is such a great time for everyone and I feel like it really renews everyone's passion for what we are doing here. To see the kids grow in their understanding of God and to see how their lives are touched and changed by all the love they receive from teams and interns is amazing. This year we also sent two teams out into the community, one to Taylor Park to play basketball and one went on a prayer walk. Those who played basketball were able to be a light to a lot of the young men in our neighborhood who need a positive influence. Those who went on the prayer walks were able to see different parts of the city and cover those areas with prayer.

We had an amazing group of interns this summer, also from all over the country. There were three who returned and the other seven were new. They came together so well as a team and handled everything that was given to them with a servant's attitude. I am so excited that several of them have already decided they want to come back next summer!