Introducing Ens. David Cleary..........

It's OVER!!!!!!

The ceremony was just beautiful and everyone was so happy to be there honoring David. The kids did awesome during their part and the whole thing went so smoothly.

Zachary removed David's Chief jacket.

The girls removed David's chief shoulder boards and the boys replaced them with the officer shoulder boards.

Then Zach put on David's officer jacket.

I put on his officer cover and of course planted a kiss on him!

We were all given plaques and gifts during David's speech.

David honored a few of his friends who have been influential in his life.

And then the photographer spent a half hour with us getting family shots.

(David and his mom)

( me and my mom)

(My mom, David's mom, my grandma, me and David)

You know how something can seem so bad and then suddenly work out perfectly? For weeks I have dreaded the end of the commissioning ceremony celebrations because it meant that I would have to fend for myself on one leg in a three story house with four busy kids. David was supposed to start his school on Monday. It is a five week school where he would live on base and not be able to return home until the forth weekend of the school. We were beginning to make provisions for how I was going to cope here at home. A local grocery store delivers groceries and my mom was going to make a bunch of casseroles before she left for the kids to heat up. I was having a ton of anxiety over how I was going to do all the things that a mom is supposed to do like get Michael to his orthodontist appointment in February and how I was going to keep up with the household chores and moving preparations so that we'd be able to move the day of David's graduation on March 7th.

I was prepared to just do whatever it took to make it work, but God had other plans. After talking with his detailer, the instructors at the school and his commander, it was decided that it would be in David's best interest to start school on March 10th instead of February 4th! This means that David will be able to stay home with me to make sure I have every opportunity to heal and to make sure that the kids and the house are taken care of while that happens.

I'm overwhelmed with gratitude over this! I feel like I can finally exhale and rest my body and mind knowing that everything is being taken care of.

This means that we will be leaving Rhode Island for Everett, Washington on April 11th, 2008!