DAY 13
I had a green dot in the wee hours this morning. More like 3:30 am.. Got to do a little catching up, see how hes been, get a bunch of I love you's and a "mom, I will be fine don't worry about me". You know what my silent response was.. YEAAA RIGHT.. Then he was gone.. I do not care of the conversation is 3 minutes or 3 hours, any little bit, I am extremely grateful for.
I was going to blog about Integrity tonight, but some other pressing things that have pissed me off changed my mind. Not saying that integrity isn't important, this is MORE important.
I am going to sit here and bitch and flat out complain about how some people and business treats our American Soldiers and for once, I am not even going to apologize for my foul language . I do not care if they are Marines, Navy, Army, Air Force, National Guard, Active Duty, or Reservists. These men and women sign on a dotted line to protect our country DO or DIE. They knew the moment they signed they were risking their lives. Risking leaving their families behind to grieve, risking their families time and energy if the person gets injured. My God, these men and women give every inch of themselves for US. Me, you, your parents, your kids, your neighbors, and every person on this planet that breathes. Just because they are in a foreign Country, does not mean they do not deserve the respect of everyone. INCLUDING businesses. These people would not be in business if these men and women were not out there doing what they do. We have had many, and I stress MANY attempts on our Country to bring us down. Our Military rely on modern technology over there just as they do over here in the UNITED STATES. If our Military need help to fix something and I do not care what the fk it is, expedite and I mean MOVE YOUR DAMN ASS and give them what they need like yesterday. Don't give them some lame excuse that they have to give you a credit card number because the damn call is going to cost them $19.95 a second to walk them through a procedure to fix a product that is NEEDED to do a Military job over in Iraq or Afghanistan. Hello dumb asses, I do believe these men and women need this multi purpose copy machine for more than scanning and printing their ass cheeks so they can duct tape them to every outpost they go to. Give me a break. HEWLETT PACKARD, just by watching the video that I have posted below, I will NEVER and I mean NEVER EVER buy another product manufactured by them. They are a complete disgrace to the American people. I have a damn HP printer sitting right in front of me that only works when it wants to, that I would like to take a baseball bat to right now and beat the living shit out of it. I am ashamed of having it in my house. How can a company like that, treat out Military the way they do? Let me find another Business treating our Military like they did the Soldier who is only trying to do his job for the betterment of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I will take a ball bat to whatever it is and beat the living shit out of it too. I do not care how much money I lose in the process. Money is money, these men are doing what they are doing and trying to survive. I am a momma of a Marine. If my son was ever treated like that by a business while serving our Country and I found out about it. Buddy let me tell you, they would all wish they were out there with him, standing beside him, fighting for our Country, while praying every day that it is not their last day on Earth, when I got finished with them. That my friends is a PROMISE!
Please watch this video and prepare to get disgusted. Although, the video is hilarious it pisses me off to no end that Hewlett Packard would not help this Soldier fix his printer without PAYING them a fee to tell him how to fix it.. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Soldier vs HP Printer - Watch more Funny Videos
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Honesty
DAY 12
No word from Jerod in a few days but that is to be expected. Putting together some more packages to mail in the next few days. He will know I am thinking about him when he gets them.
Honesty.. That is what people should live by but a lot of times, that is not the case. Why people feel the need to be dishonest is beyond me. A little white lie can be passed off, but sometimes can really go a long way. When people tell a lie, they have to remember what lie they told and keep coming up with more lies to cover up the first lie. That will eventually snow ball and come back and bite the person in the ass. When people start to figure out the truth on their own, trust in that person goes away. If you are going to lie, make sure you cover your tracks so you cannot be figured out. If you leave to many loop holes, you are a gonner.
If you want to be in my life all you have to do is be honest. If you lie to me, you are nothing to me and will never be trusted ever. If you have lied to me, come to me and fix it, I will give you the chance. All you have to do is come clean and we can go from there but the best thing to live by in life is to not lie to me at all. I am a reasonable person, honestly I am. I give everyone a chance, what you do with that chance is totally up to you. So here is your chance.
Maybe coming clean is the ultimate selfish act. A way to absolve yourself by hurting someone who doesn't deserve to be hurt.
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Cindy Chupack
So that is my honesty is the best policy snip it for tonight.. Tomorrow I will get to integrity.
No word from Jerod in a few days but that is to be expected. Putting together some more packages to mail in the next few days. He will know I am thinking about him when he gets them.
Honesty.. That is what people should live by but a lot of times, that is not the case. Why people feel the need to be dishonest is beyond me. A little white lie can be passed off, but sometimes can really go a long way. When people tell a lie, they have to remember what lie they told and keep coming up with more lies to cover up the first lie. That will eventually snow ball and come back and bite the person in the ass. When people start to figure out the truth on their own, trust in that person goes away. If you are going to lie, make sure you cover your tracks so you cannot be figured out. If you leave to many loop holes, you are a gonner.
If you want to be in my life all you have to do is be honest. If you lie to me, you are nothing to me and will never be trusted ever. If you have lied to me, come to me and fix it, I will give you the chance. All you have to do is come clean and we can go from there but the best thing to live by in life is to not lie to me at all. I am a reasonable person, honestly I am. I give everyone a chance, what you do with that chance is totally up to you. So here is your chance.
So that is my honesty is the best policy snip it for tonight.. Tomorrow I will get to integrity.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
You Know You Are a Marine Mom When...
DAY 11
I did not get to speak to Jerod last night (Monday night) but he did post a note on my facebook wall. So by judging his request, he is doing just fine at the present moment. I will take any communication I can get, but I am glad I did not stay up and wait for that green dot as it did not show up til 3am. Not in an update mood tonight so please enjoy the following as I have highlighted what I have actually done to give you a good laugh..
You Know You Are a Marine Mom When...
- Your last good nights sleep was six months before he left for bootcamp.
- You have finally resigned yourself to the fact that Marine mail is delivered seasonally rather than daily.
- Your Marine gives 'you' ironing tips.
- Your Marine's version of pneumonia is, "It's just a cold, I'm fine."
- You realize the Marine Corps cure-all is Motrin.
- The mere word 'deployment' has you on the phone refilling your Xanax.
- You can't quite figure out what non-Marine mother's worry about.
- You finally realize Drill Instructors are not the Anti-Christ and more like our heroes.
- You've mailed at least a few packages that have been on around-the-world tours.
- You forgot there were TV stations other than Fox News.
- You find yourself bragging to friends about your Marines accuracy with an M-16.
- You will get in a high speed chase just to catch up with someone's Marine Corps bumper sticker.
- When everything in your closet has Marine Mom on it and if it doesn't, you put pin and yellow ribbons on it.
- When you recognize the haircut and ask if you can have a hug because your son is deployed.
- Someone says to you, "My son has a high ASVAB and a great GP, so after he leaves for PI for CLJ and finishes his MOS at the SOI he is going to try for MSG", and it makes sense to you.
- When you don't mind watching military movies even though you hated them growing up.
- You tell your nephews (and husband in my case), that they need a "high and tight".
- You and your husband buy a 'good' flagpole for the front yard for Chirstmas and fly the American flag and the USMC flag 24/7. lighted and money is no object.
- You buy cadence CDs and listen to them when you power walk.
- Your family and friends always start conversations with "How are the boys?"
- You make sure to get up early to watch the Rose Bowl Parade so you can see the Marine Corps Band.
- You tear up everytime you see someone in uniform.
- When you have no small children, but you serach toy stores for Marine G.I. Joes, and buy them.
- When the post office personnel know you by your first name.
- When your son is in Afghanistan and you dial his cell phone so you can hear his voice on his outgoing message.
- When you always know what time it is in Afghanistan, Iraq, Okinawa, or Hawaii.
- Your son has the ability to iron his own shirt,... while he is wearing it!
- You don't mind the long lines at the post office because you are NOT leaving until you get that care package mailed to your Marine.
- You BEG his life-long best friend to do a "Derek impression" and then everyone eats Derek's favorite foods.
- When the phone rings, you don't answer it unless the caller ID shows it is your Marine and then you run over husband, cats, dogs, small children and little old ladies to answer the phone, no matter what injuries any of them sustain in the process.
- You purchase Marine shirts for sons, daughters, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews.
- You have a bad day at work and your co-workers serande you the with the Marine Hymn and give you a red rose and the whole office is crying.
- Your son, who had such a messy room growing up that it was a health hazard, informs you on a visit home that you flunked inspection because of a little dust.
- When your Marine calls YOU for information because he knows you'll get it from the other mom's online.
- When watching the West Wing, you care nothing about the plot, you are just peering closely to see the Marines in Dress Blues at the White House.
- You are mopping the kitchen floor and your sons walks in and says, "You call that cleaning?"
- You have a Blue Star Banner proudly displayed in your picture window.
- You search military websites for any news of where your son might be or has been.
- Your email has the Iwo Jima background, an animated American Flag, a "We Support Our Troops" yellow ribbon icon, and plays the Marine Hymn in a continuous loop.
- When you try to read aloud to others the "You Know You Are A Marine Mom When"... list you can't becasue of the lump in your throat and the tears in your eyes.
- You taped the Marine's Toys for Tots commercial where the little boy tells the Marine, "You really are Santa Claus" and you cry every time you see it.
I did not get to speak to Jerod last night (Monday night) but he did post a note on my facebook wall. So by judging his request, he is doing just fine at the present moment. I will take any communication I can get, but I am glad I did not stay up and wait for that green dot as it did not show up til 3am. Not in an update mood tonight so please enjoy the following as I have highlighted what I have actually done to give you a good laugh..
You Know You Are a Marine Mom When...
- Your last good nights sleep was six months before he left for bootcamp.
- You have finally resigned yourself to the fact that Marine mail is delivered seasonally rather than daily.
- Your Marine gives 'you' ironing tips.
- Your Marine's version of pneumonia is, "It's just a cold, I'm fine."
- You realize the Marine Corps cure-all is Motrin.
- The mere word 'deployment' has you on the phone refilling your Xanax.
- You can't quite figure out what non-Marine mother's worry about.
- You finally realize Drill Instructors are not the Anti-Christ and more like our heroes.
- You've mailed at least a few packages that have been on around-the-world tours.
- You forgot there were TV stations other than Fox News.
- You find yourself bragging to friends about your Marines accuracy with an M-16.
- You will get in a high speed chase just to catch up with someone's Marine Corps bumper sticker.
- When everything in your closet has Marine Mom on it and if it doesn't, you put pin and yellow ribbons on it.
- When you recognize the haircut and ask if you can have a hug because your son is deployed.
- Someone says to you, "My son has a high ASVAB and a great GP, so after he leaves for PI for CLJ and finishes his MOS at the SOI he is going to try for MSG", and it makes sense to you.
- When you don't mind watching military movies even though you hated them growing up.
- You tell your nephews (and husband in my case), that they need a "high and tight".
- You and your husband buy a 'good' flagpole for the front yard for Chirstmas and fly the American flag and the USMC flag 24/7. lighted and money is no object.
- You buy cadence CDs and listen to them when you power walk.
- Your family and friends always start conversations with "How are the boys?"
- You make sure to get up early to watch the Rose Bowl Parade so you can see the Marine Corps Band.
- You tear up everytime you see someone in uniform.
- When you have no small children, but you serach toy stores for Marine G.I. Joes, and buy them.
- When the post office personnel know you by your first name.
- When your son is in Afghanistan and you dial his cell phone so you can hear his voice on his outgoing message.
- When you always know what time it is in Afghanistan, Iraq, Okinawa, or Hawaii.
- Your son has the ability to iron his own shirt,... while he is wearing it!
- You don't mind the long lines at the post office because you are NOT leaving until you get that care package mailed to your Marine.
- You BEG his life-long best friend to do a "Derek impression" and then everyone eats Derek's favorite foods.
- When the phone rings, you don't answer it unless the caller ID shows it is your Marine and then you run over husband, cats, dogs, small children and little old ladies to answer the phone, no matter what injuries any of them sustain in the process.
- You purchase Marine shirts for sons, daughters, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews.
- You have a bad day at work and your co-workers serande you the with the Marine Hymn and give you a red rose and the whole office is crying.
- Your son, who had such a messy room growing up that it was a health hazard, informs you on a visit home that you flunked inspection because of a little dust.
- When your Marine calls YOU for information because he knows you'll get it from the other mom's online.
- When watching the West Wing, you care nothing about the plot, you are just peering closely to see the Marines in Dress Blues at the White House.
- You are mopping the kitchen floor and your sons walks in and says, "You call that cleaning?"
- You have a Blue Star Banner proudly displayed in your picture window.
- You search military websites for any news of where your son might be or has been.
- Your email has the Iwo Jima background, an animated American Flag, a "We Support Our Troops" yellow ribbon icon, and plays the Marine Hymn in a continuous loop.
- When you try to read aloud to others the "You Know You Are A Marine Mom When"... list you can't becasue of the lump in your throat and the tears in your eyes.
- You taped the Marine's Toys for Tots commercial where the little boy tells the Marine, "You really are Santa Claus" and you cry every time you see it.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
When You Are In Tune with each other You can feel it
DAY 10
I have had many people ask me today how I am doing. I am guessing they saw the DOD reports today as well. Five Marines in four days :'0( .. All I can do right now is say a prayer for their families. This will be a fear of mine until this deployment is over, that one of these days it possibly being my child, but for today I am grateful it wasn't. But Thank You so very much for being concerned about me. I really appreciate that you are watching out for me, and praying for my son and his safety. I am leaving this subject now, as I know there are families out there that are severely heart broken for losing their child and it breaks my heart.
I did get to hear from Jerod last night. He called me late in the night and I talked with him for about 10 minutes. I let him off the phone because there is a wife that needed to hear from him as well. I do not mind sharing. I was so excited that I got to talk to him that I just tossed and turned basically evaded sleep. So I jumped out of bed and came back to the computer. Soon as my facebook connected I was surprised to see a green dot. I got to talk to Jerod for a while longer and my night was complete once he signed off. I couldn't sleep because deep down inside I was being drawn to the computer as my son needed to talk to his mom again. I am so very happy that I listened to my gut and came back into the kitchen.
Some people think I am weird when I say I can feel different things. Honestly, I can point things out long before they happen. When there is something going on with my kids, I swear I know it before they do. It has freaked them out many times. It's a gift or curse. Sometimes I wish I didn't know! I firmly believe it depends on how close you are as a family. If you are very close with your children, you know as much if not more than they do. Well wait a minute.. back up... I DO know more than they do, but I know when there is a problem, or something to be happy about before they come and tell me.
I have been accused of not letting my son grow up and become the young man that he is. That I am treating him like a child. Unfortunately this person does not know how close me and Jerod really are. This person chose not to know and that is unfortunate for them. What really happens is Jerod asks my opinion on almost EVERYTHING he does before he does it. Not because I make him, but because he wants to. See, Jerod knows his momma is actually pretty darn smart. He has learned on many occasions that I do not give him all the information he needs because I am being a bitch. He has learned that doing things his way and doing this my way are two totally different things. He may decide that his way is the better choice, but almost always has to go back and do it a second time called moms way. So, I am not holding him back from being an adult, I am still teaching him to be an adult by HIS choice. It's not about me, its about him. I am raised, he needs help and when I am asked for it, I give it. Its as simple as that. I am not mad at the person who made that comment to me in any way, I just hope they understand that being a parent does not end when they turn 18. I am 35 and still ask my mom to help me with things, or what her opinion is on things, and by golly I will try it my way because I think I am smarter, and low and behold if I would have listened to my mom even though I am 35, I wouldn't have had to do it twice.
Now, Chrissy on the other hand.. She is actually smarter than me. I do not know where she has become the smart one in all of this. She can give advice that makes me look stupid. I have been known to go to her when I can't fix something or find the right words to say. Granted, she still needs mom on occasion. My instincts are still spot on with her though. I know with her just like I do with others when stuff is just not right. She is the only one of the three that I will not ever have to worry about. I am missing her a lot though and she is right here in the house. She has gotten so independent and spends the majority of her time with her boyfriend. I cherish every single chance I get to spend some time with her. Even if it is a quick trip to the grocery store. I love her smile, even at 17 years old, it melts my heart.
I guess the moral of my rambling tonight is when you are completely in tune with your children, you know when they need you because you can feel it. If you can go and lay your head down at night and not have the feeling that one of your children or a loved one needs you, you need to get closer to them. We all need something all the time, because life is not perfect. If it was perfect, we wouldn't need anyone but ourselves. I need more than just myself, and so do my children, because our lives are far from perfect.
I have had many people ask me today how I am doing. I am guessing they saw the DOD reports today as well. Five Marines in four days :'0( .. All I can do right now is say a prayer for their families. This will be a fear of mine until this deployment is over, that one of these days it possibly being my child, but for today I am grateful it wasn't. But Thank You so very much for being concerned about me. I really appreciate that you are watching out for me, and praying for my son and his safety. I am leaving this subject now, as I know there are families out there that are severely heart broken for losing their child and it breaks my heart.
I did get to hear from Jerod last night. He called me late in the night and I talked with him for about 10 minutes. I let him off the phone because there is a wife that needed to hear from him as well. I do not mind sharing. I was so excited that I got to talk to him that I just tossed and turned basically evaded sleep. So I jumped out of bed and came back to the computer. Soon as my facebook connected I was surprised to see a green dot. I got to talk to Jerod for a while longer and my night was complete once he signed off. I couldn't sleep because deep down inside I was being drawn to the computer as my son needed to talk to his mom again. I am so very happy that I listened to my gut and came back into the kitchen.
Some people think I am weird when I say I can feel different things. Honestly, I can point things out long before they happen. When there is something going on with my kids, I swear I know it before they do. It has freaked them out many times. It's a gift or curse. Sometimes I wish I didn't know! I firmly believe it depends on how close you are as a family. If you are very close with your children, you know as much if not more than they do. Well wait a minute.. back up... I DO know more than they do, but I know when there is a problem, or something to be happy about before they come and tell me.
I have been accused of not letting my son grow up and become the young man that he is. That I am treating him like a child. Unfortunately this person does not know how close me and Jerod really are. This person chose not to know and that is unfortunate for them. What really happens is Jerod asks my opinion on almost EVERYTHING he does before he does it. Not because I make him, but because he wants to. See, Jerod knows his momma is actually pretty darn smart. He has learned on many occasions that I do not give him all the information he needs because I am being a bitch. He has learned that doing things his way and doing this my way are two totally different things. He may decide that his way is the better choice, but almost always has to go back and do it a second time called moms way. So, I am not holding him back from being an adult, I am still teaching him to be an adult by HIS choice. It's not about me, its about him. I am raised, he needs help and when I am asked for it, I give it. Its as simple as that. I am not mad at the person who made that comment to me in any way, I just hope they understand that being a parent does not end when they turn 18. I am 35 and still ask my mom to help me with things, or what her opinion is on things, and by golly I will try it my way because I think I am smarter, and low and behold if I would have listened to my mom even though I am 35, I wouldn't have had to do it twice.
Now, Chrissy on the other hand.. She is actually smarter than me. I do not know where she has become the smart one in all of this. She can give advice that makes me look stupid. I have been known to go to her when I can't fix something or find the right words to say. Granted, she still needs mom on occasion. My instincts are still spot on with her though. I know with her just like I do with others when stuff is just not right. She is the only one of the three that I will not ever have to worry about. I am missing her a lot though and she is right here in the house. She has gotten so independent and spends the majority of her time with her boyfriend. I cherish every single chance I get to spend some time with her. Even if it is a quick trip to the grocery store. I love her smile, even at 17 years old, it melts my heart.
I guess the moral of my rambling tonight is when you are completely in tune with your children, you know when they need you because you can feel it. If you can go and lay your head down at night and not have the feeling that one of your children or a loved one needs you, you need to get closer to them. We all need something all the time, because life is not perfect. If it was perfect, we wouldn't need anyone but ourselves. I need more than just myself, and so do my children, because our lives are far from perfect.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
three out of three life is perfect
DAY 9
EDIT!!!!!
1 minute and 45 seconds left in Mothers Day and my phone rings... MOM, Happy Mothers Day, thats if it's still Mothers Day.. I do not care if it was or wasn't.. I got to hear my sons voice and know he is ok. I got lots of I love you's. Life is perfect again...
Mothers Day..
ALL three children made Mothers Day very special. Waking up to the hugs and kisses this morning was the best. They cleaned the house to get it ready for the Mothers Day cook out and only argued a little bit. Jerods truck got hauled away to Caseys dads house to be restored for Casey. That was a sad time, but I am so glad its out of my driveway!! Mom, dad, and Sharon came over to cook out this afternoon. I love family get togethers but it sure is not the same anymore with out Jerod here. We all had a great time, especially after mom and I ran away to go get some crab legs and shrimp! You can't have Mothers Day with out crab legs and shrimp. We have made that our little tradition every year, this year wasn't going to be any different. I received some really nice cards from the kids.. Each card fit their personalities so well it was scary. After I opened the cards, they had a gift for me. A beautiful picture frame with pictures of all my kiddos and my new kiddos Casey and Daniella. This is a gift that I will treasure for many years to come. I absolutely LOVE it.
EDIT!!!!!
1 minute and 45 seconds left in Mothers Day and my phone rings... MOM, Happy Mothers Day, thats if it's still Mothers Day.. I do not care if it was or wasn't.. I got to hear my sons voice and know he is ok. I got lots of I love you's. Life is perfect again...
Mothers Day..
ALL three children made Mothers Day very special. Waking up to the hugs and kisses this morning was the best. They cleaned the house to get it ready for the Mothers Day cook out and only argued a little bit. Jerods truck got hauled away to Caseys dads house to be restored for Casey. That was a sad time, but I am so glad its out of my driveway!! Mom, dad, and Sharon came over to cook out this afternoon. I love family get togethers but it sure is not the same anymore with out Jerod here. We all had a great time, especially after mom and I ran away to go get some crab legs and shrimp! You can't have Mothers Day with out crab legs and shrimp. We have made that our little tradition every year, this year wasn't going to be any different. I received some really nice cards from the kids.. Each card fit their personalities so well it was scary. After I opened the cards, they had a gift for me. A beautiful picture frame with pictures of all my kiddos and my new kiddos Casey and Daniella. This is a gift that I will treasure for many years to come. I absolutely LOVE it.
Happy Mothers Day
DAY 8 AND 9
I have been busy today working on photos and messing around with my blog layout today so I missed updating day 8 by five minutes. Better late than not at all is my motto anymore!!
Finally found the makings of a layout that I can live with on my blog. Yea, I am never happy with anything most times, but I am now!! For Mothers Day I changed a friends layout as a surprise, I really hope she likes it.. I think she may have forgot that I have her sign in and password and she may hurry to change it lol.
So today is Mothers Day now that it is 12:15am.. Went and had dinner with Chrissy and Casey. That was nice, as I have never been out with them unless the rest of the family was there. I like spending time with my kids by themselves some times. I hope now that they see mom can behave they will take me out more in the future ;0) I am sure they would if I asked, but they are young and in love so I will just let them have their time. I really love them both more than they will ever comprehend.
I have been getting a lot of hugs and I love you's from Bradley today. I know Mothers Day is tomorrow/today but I cannot help but think there is something else going on in his little head. I am sure I can figure it out pretty simply, but I am not going to bring it up to him. Some times it's hard not to ask him specific questions when I know something is bothering him and my moms intuition tells me immediately what it is. I do not want to put words in his mouth and him just come out and say "yea mom, thats whats wrong". So I will be patient and let him come out and tell me whats going on and take all the hugs and kisses I can get.
Only thing missing is Jerod. I am hoping in some small way I get some kind of contact out of him today. I know hes busy and has a tough job ahead of him. My selfish side just wants to hear his voice. It is Mothers Day after all. It is also the first one that I have not seen him. Well, I didn't see him live and in person last year, but I had him on Skype. I am not so sure I will get that pleasure this year. Deployments SUCK, but my freedom and security doesn't and thats because there are a ton of Military personnel out there making sure that it doesn't. So for Mothers Day I am just going to be thankful that all these men and women are out there doing what they do for all of us moms. BUT... if someone feels a little froggy, can you send that boy a note by carrier pigeon to make him call home!!!
These are the hard parts of deployment.
I have been busy today working on photos and messing around with my blog layout today so I missed updating day 8 by five minutes. Better late than not at all is my motto anymore!!
Finally found the makings of a layout that I can live with on my blog. Yea, I am never happy with anything most times, but I am now!! For Mothers Day I changed a friends layout as a surprise, I really hope she likes it.. I think she may have forgot that I have her sign in and password and she may hurry to change it lol.
So today is Mothers Day now that it is 12:15am.. Went and had dinner with Chrissy and Casey. That was nice, as I have never been out with them unless the rest of the family was there. I like spending time with my kids by themselves some times. I hope now that they see mom can behave they will take me out more in the future ;0) I am sure they would if I asked, but they are young and in love so I will just let them have their time. I really love them both more than they will ever comprehend.
I have been getting a lot of hugs and I love you's from Bradley today. I know Mothers Day is tomorrow/today but I cannot help but think there is something else going on in his little head. I am sure I can figure it out pretty simply, but I am not going to bring it up to him. Some times it's hard not to ask him specific questions when I know something is bothering him and my moms intuition tells me immediately what it is. I do not want to put words in his mouth and him just come out and say "yea mom, thats whats wrong". So I will be patient and let him come out and tell me whats going on and take all the hugs and kisses I can get.
Only thing missing is Jerod. I am hoping in some small way I get some kind of contact out of him today. I know hes busy and has a tough job ahead of him. My selfish side just wants to hear his voice. It is Mothers Day after all. It is also the first one that I have not seen him. Well, I didn't see him live and in person last year, but I had him on Skype. I am not so sure I will get that pleasure this year. Deployments SUCK, but my freedom and security doesn't and thats because there are a ton of Military personnel out there making sure that it doesn't. So for Mothers Day I am just going to be thankful that all these men and women are out there doing what they do for all of us moms. BUT... if someone feels a little froggy, can you send that boy a note by carrier pigeon to make him call home!!!
These are the hard parts of deployment.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Not to Much to Say
DAY 7
Wow, it has been a week since Jerod left for Afghanistan. It seems like it has been longer than that. I know from first hand experience that the beginning of deployment seems like it drags on forever. That seems to be the case for this one as well. I have not heard from him since Tuesday? I think. Maybe it was Wednesday, I have no idea anymore. Hoping for that little green dot.......
I am hoping, praying, begging, stomping my feet, and anticipating some kind of connection with Jerod on Mothers Day. Yea, I agree, that is a little selfish of me. Nothing will satisfy me more than to hear his voice and hear for myself that he is doing ok. I say that its selfish, because there are some moms out there that won't be able to hear from their sons or daughters.
I mailed off my first care package today to Jerod. I packed that box as full as I can. All they have out there in the middle of no where are MRE's. So I packed him some easy to carry snack foods that he can munch on and share with his buddies. I will be sending at least 2 boxes a week that way they have steady snacks rolling in. They are all growing men, that cannot live off the little rations they get. Its the least I can do for these Marines.
Other than that, I really don't have much to talk about tonight. I am just patiently waiting for some word on how things are going.
Wow, it has been a week since Jerod left for Afghanistan. It seems like it has been longer than that. I know from first hand experience that the beginning of deployment seems like it drags on forever. That seems to be the case for this one as well. I have not heard from him since Tuesday? I think. Maybe it was Wednesday, I have no idea anymore. Hoping for that little green dot.......
I am hoping, praying, begging, stomping my feet, and anticipating some kind of connection with Jerod on Mothers Day. Yea, I agree, that is a little selfish of me. Nothing will satisfy me more than to hear his voice and hear for myself that he is doing ok. I say that its selfish, because there are some moms out there that won't be able to hear from their sons or daughters.
I mailed off my first care package today to Jerod. I packed that box as full as I can. All they have out there in the middle of no where are MRE's. So I packed him some easy to carry snack foods that he can munch on and share with his buddies. I will be sending at least 2 boxes a week that way they have steady snacks rolling in. They are all growing men, that cannot live off the little rations they get. Its the least I can do for these Marines.
Other than that, I really don't have much to talk about tonight. I am just patiently waiting for some word on how things are going.
Please Be Respectful To Others
DAY 6
When we have loved ones in the Military we know there are risks. We know that they are put in harms way to protect our freedoms. We know there are injuries, and lives are lost. We have to live with those fears every single day whether they are at their base or in Country.
There are reasons the Military notifies families of the injured or deceased prior to making the information public knowledge. That is out of respect for the service member and the grieving family. There are also reasons the Military asks everyone affiliated not to share sensitive information and have adopted OPSEC. So many times I have seen the rules violated. I will be honest, I have violated the rules a time or two without thinking. I have always had to opportunity to go back and fix my mistake by simply deleting the post. People need to be more careful. Our Military is vulnerable and there are people out there that will do anything they can with the information to try and bring them down. So lets all learn to be a little more careful with what we say.
My rant tonight has a purpose believe it or not. I know first hand being a Marine mom has its ups and downs. We are fearful of our Marine getting injured and/or worse. When we hear of an injured or fallen Marine it digs deep into our bones even if we do not personally know the Marine or his/her family. Our senses are heightened when we hear the word deployment, and our fears become bigger than we are. We have our children to love, protect, and to raise them into the best adults humanly possible. When they are born, we do not know the path they will choose in life. We have no idea they will join the Military until they induct us into the conversation later in their teen years into young adulthood. That does not stop our natural instincts to protect with all our might. When they hurt, we hurt. When they pass away, a piece of us goes with them. And that brings me to what I came here to say. I am sorry if this gets under the skin of some people, but this is just the way it is.
We are at WAR. Our children are being sent into this war because they chose to serve our Country. We know some will get sick. We know some will get hurt. We know some will perish. We live with this fear every single day from the day they leave to fly over to that god forsaken place until the day they return back on US soil. We pray for them every single moment. Parents and loved ones post Prayer requests for their sons, daughters, friends, and so on. Once posted we follow suit and answer the call to send prayers. What we do not need is details. We do not need to know how many have been injured, we do not need to know how many have fallen. If the family posts a prayer request with specific details leave the details with them. If they ask for you to post a prayer request to all you know, post the necessary information to pass on as in the specific service member barring last name and the Unit that needs prayers. They ALL need prayers right now. They have their lives on the line. As a parent with a son over there right now, when I see specific information it tears me to pieces. That could have been my son. When I hear of a service member perishing, it kills me. I get the updates from the DOD. I know on a daily basis just what is going on over there. I am not the only mother that feels this way. We ALL feel this way. I do not understand why specifics are needed to ask people to pray. Please be respectful for all of these families. We have enough to deal with by knowing they are over there. We KNOW they are getting hurt. We KNOW they are perishing. We do not need it thrust in our faces with specifics. Follow OPSEC rules. If people keep publishing all this information that is considered sensitive information the Military will pull the plug on any information being sent out by any of our men and women. If you want to have contact with your service member, rules better start getting followed by everyone, and that includes me.
Below is a sample of a template post that I found for a prayer request for an injured or a fallen service member.
Please pray for the family of ____service member no last name__ they need our prayers.
or
Please pray for the quick recovery of ___service member no last name__ . He/she and their family could use our prayers.
That is all we need to know. So lets be a little more respectful for all of our friends out there that have loved ones serving over seas, there is no reason we should cause them anymore pain and grief than what they are already going through.
I am off my soap box now!
When we have loved ones in the Military we know there are risks. We know that they are put in harms way to protect our freedoms. We know there are injuries, and lives are lost. We have to live with those fears every single day whether they are at their base or in Country.
There are reasons the Military notifies families of the injured or deceased prior to making the information public knowledge. That is out of respect for the service member and the grieving family. There are also reasons the Military asks everyone affiliated not to share sensitive information and have adopted OPSEC. So many times I have seen the rules violated. I will be honest, I have violated the rules a time or two without thinking. I have always had to opportunity to go back and fix my mistake by simply deleting the post. People need to be more careful. Our Military is vulnerable and there are people out there that will do anything they can with the information to try and bring them down. So lets all learn to be a little more careful with what we say.
My rant tonight has a purpose believe it or not. I know first hand being a Marine mom has its ups and downs. We are fearful of our Marine getting injured and/or worse. When we hear of an injured or fallen Marine it digs deep into our bones even if we do not personally know the Marine or his/her family. Our senses are heightened when we hear the word deployment, and our fears become bigger than we are. We have our children to love, protect, and to raise them into the best adults humanly possible. When they are born, we do not know the path they will choose in life. We have no idea they will join the Military until they induct us into the conversation later in their teen years into young adulthood. That does not stop our natural instincts to protect with all our might. When they hurt, we hurt. When they pass away, a piece of us goes with them. And that brings me to what I came here to say. I am sorry if this gets under the skin of some people, but this is just the way it is.
We are at WAR. Our children are being sent into this war because they chose to serve our Country. We know some will get sick. We know some will get hurt. We know some will perish. We live with this fear every single day from the day they leave to fly over to that god forsaken place until the day they return back on US soil. We pray for them every single moment. Parents and loved ones post Prayer requests for their sons, daughters, friends, and so on. Once posted we follow suit and answer the call to send prayers. What we do not need is details. We do not need to know how many have been injured, we do not need to know how many have fallen. If the family posts a prayer request with specific details leave the details with them. If they ask for you to post a prayer request to all you know, post the necessary information to pass on as in the specific service member barring last name and the Unit that needs prayers. They ALL need prayers right now. They have their lives on the line. As a parent with a son over there right now, when I see specific information it tears me to pieces. That could have been my son. When I hear of a service member perishing, it kills me. I get the updates from the DOD. I know on a daily basis just what is going on over there. I am not the only mother that feels this way. We ALL feel this way. I do not understand why specifics are needed to ask people to pray. Please be respectful for all of these families. We have enough to deal with by knowing they are over there. We KNOW they are getting hurt. We KNOW they are perishing. We do not need it thrust in our faces with specifics. Follow OPSEC rules. If people keep publishing all this information that is considered sensitive information the Military will pull the plug on any information being sent out by any of our men and women. If you want to have contact with your service member, rules better start getting followed by everyone, and that includes me.
Below is a sample of a template post that I found for a prayer request for an injured or a fallen service member.
Please pray for the family of ____service member no last name__ they need our prayers.
or
Please pray for the quick recovery of ___service member no last name__ . He/she and their family could use our prayers.
That is all we need to know. So lets be a little more respectful for all of our friends out there that have loved ones serving over seas, there is no reason we should cause them anymore pain and grief than what they are already going through.
I am off my soap box now!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Just Not a Good Day
DAY 5
Today is not the best day. I am out of sorts for really no reason at all. Just one of those days that start and you cannot wait to get it over with. Dinner is on the stove, I got a late start because everyone took a nap after Bradley got home from school. I guess we are all feeling the effects of the blah kinda day.
The good news is I had a green dot when I got out of the shower last night. I got to talk to Jerod for about 15 minutes. He has made it safely to Afghanistan and is at his FOB. Well, it's not really his FOB but he is at one none the less. He will be there for a few days before they push on to the destination they are supposed to be at. Even I have no idea where that is, but I know that contact will be minimal at best. Could that be why I am in such a blah mood? Could be, but I am not certain. Here is to hoping for another green dot tonight, as this is the only way to truly know he is doing just fine. Please remember to say a prayer for all Military men and women tonight as you lay your head down. Please don't forget to thank any present or former Military men or women when you come across them. You may think the words Thank You are simple or trivial, but to them, its worth farm much more.
I started this post about 3 hours ago. So dinner has been finished and the clean up process is about to start. I loved cooking dinner with my favorite daughter in the world. She has learned how to cook many different foods lately and they are not burned. Now that is PROGRESS! Any little time I get to spend with her is priceless. Chrissy is growing up so fast on me and its breaking my heart into pieces. She is about to start college in a very short time. I guess I just have the fear that another one is soon to be leaving home. I honestly do not think I am ready for that. Some parents cannot wait for their kids to grow up and leave the nest. I was guilty of that. Do you see that key word "was" there? Jerod broke me in right. When he left home to join the Marine Corps, I about died. I made the decision then that I do not care if my remaining two ever leave. I guess I am just afraid of being alone. I have never in my life been alone and I do not want to start now. I know they grow up and move on, but come on, who is going to stick around and take care of mom?!?! I guess I need to find where I stored them big girl under pants and put them on. Haha..I have great kids and they mean the world to me. I know they will be even better adults as they grow up. I am so proud of each and every one of them. That goes for all my "surrogate" kids too.. wait.. and my surrogate grand babies.. Those are the ones that will keep me young!! Here is to hoping!!
Today is not the best day. I am out of sorts for really no reason at all. Just one of those days that start and you cannot wait to get it over with. Dinner is on the stove, I got a late start because everyone took a nap after Bradley got home from school. I guess we are all feeling the effects of the blah kinda day.
The good news is I had a green dot when I got out of the shower last night. I got to talk to Jerod for about 15 minutes. He has made it safely to Afghanistan and is at his FOB. Well, it's not really his FOB but he is at one none the less. He will be there for a few days before they push on to the destination they are supposed to be at. Even I have no idea where that is, but I know that contact will be minimal at best. Could that be why I am in such a blah mood? Could be, but I am not certain. Here is to hoping for another green dot tonight, as this is the only way to truly know he is doing just fine. Please remember to say a prayer for all Military men and women tonight as you lay your head down. Please don't forget to thank any present or former Military men or women when you come across them. You may think the words Thank You are simple or trivial, but to them, its worth farm much more.
I started this post about 3 hours ago. So dinner has been finished and the clean up process is about to start. I loved cooking dinner with my favorite daughter in the world. She has learned how to cook many different foods lately and they are not burned. Now that is PROGRESS! Any little time I get to spend with her is priceless. Chrissy is growing up so fast on me and its breaking my heart into pieces. She is about to start college in a very short time. I guess I just have the fear that another one is soon to be leaving home. I honestly do not think I am ready for that. Some parents cannot wait for their kids to grow up and leave the nest. I was guilty of that. Do you see that key word "was" there? Jerod broke me in right. When he left home to join the Marine Corps, I about died. I made the decision then that I do not care if my remaining two ever leave. I guess I am just afraid of being alone. I have never in my life been alone and I do not want to start now. I know they grow up and move on, but come on, who is going to stick around and take care of mom?!?! I guess I need to find where I stored them big girl under pants and put them on. Haha..I have great kids and they mean the world to me. I know they will be even better adults as they grow up. I am so proud of each and every one of them. That goes for all my "surrogate" kids too.. wait.. and my surrogate grand babies.. Those are the ones that will keep me young!! Here is to hoping!!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Troop Greeters
Day 4
When we say "see ya soon" to our Marines as they depart the base for deployment, most families and friends snap a lot of pictures as momento's of the occasion. Generally, we think those are the final pictures that we will see until a few pictures here and there get sent while on deployment. That simply isn't the case.
Most times (but not all), when our Troops are sent overseas or returning from overseas, they are flown through Bangor, Maine. When our men and women get off the plane and walk through the terminal they are greeted by a slew of very patriotic Troop Greeters. These Troop Greeters do their best to meet every Military flight on a daily basis. They are there to shake hands, give hugs, and wish them well on their journey. When they return from overseas, they are Thanked immensely for a job well done and welcomed back to the United States. That just makes my heart melt. These fine volunteers are the first people our sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc see when they have spent months to a year out there protecting our Freedoms. I honestly do not think they get all the recognition they deserve. If you have a loved one that has deployed over seas and would like to search the picture data base. Please follow the links I will provide here (which are also on my side bar over there ~~~>) You will need to look under the year and month of deployment or return. Happy searching!!
on the right side bar look under Bangor
When our Troops are sent overseas or return through New Hampshire, they will go through Pease Airport. Just today, I found that Pease Airport also has Troop Greeters!! See Jerod flew through there in October 2009 on his way to Iraq. I was disappointed because I was told that they did not have Troop Greeters there so I would not get any deployment pictures. Well... I am proud to say the person that gave me that information was WRONG. The following links has thousands of pictures. If you have a loved one that has deployed over seas and would like to search the picture data base. Please follow the links I will provide here (which are also on my side bar over there ~~~>) You will need to look under the year and month of deployment or return. Again Happy searching!! PS.. They will send you a FREE disc of all the pictures that were taken on that deploy date!!
Pease troop greeters
http://peasegreetersphotogallery.shutterfly.com/799?size=All&startInde
The Wave 96.7
http://www.wqso.com/pages/peasegreeters.html
WERZ 107.1
http://www.werz.com/pages/peasegreeters.html?_show
The Little Green Dot
Day 3
You can just be sitting there minding your own business and all of a sudden the green dot appears. For the average every day Joe, that little green dot doesn't mean anything except for someone is online that you may or may not want to talk to. For us Marine parents that little green dot makes several things happen. Our hearts begin to race in anticipation. Some of us yell things out loud like, "He/She is online!" or "There he/she is". Some of us knock things over because we try and grab the mouse as quick as we can so we can click on that little green dot. Some of us cry, because that little green dot shows us, that somewhere out there, our Marine is safe. Safe enough to get online and make a connection to the United States if they are out there in harms way. That little green dot is at times our life line. At times, it is the only communications we can get. Yes, there are SAT phones that can be used to make a voice call, but, most times they are not clear enough to make out the conversation. With the use of facebook and that little green dot, even though we can not accurately make out the exact emotion of our loved one, the messages still come through loud and clear. For the next 7 + months, I will sit idle by day after day, night after night, waiting to see if and when that little green dot appears in my side bar to alert me that my deployed Marine comes online. When he does, I will know he is in fact doing just fine. I saw that little green dot in the wee hours this morning. Even though I was wiping sleep out of my eyes and exhausted from a long day, as soon as I saw it I was wide awake. For the next 45 minutes I sat and talked with my Marine staring at that little green dot until it disappeared.
Tonight I am sitting here waiting for that little green dot to appear.
You can just be sitting there minding your own business and all of a sudden the green dot appears. For the average every day Joe, that little green dot doesn't mean anything except for someone is online that you may or may not want to talk to. For us Marine parents that little green dot makes several things happen. Our hearts begin to race in anticipation. Some of us yell things out loud like, "He/She is online!" or "There he/she is". Some of us knock things over because we try and grab the mouse as quick as we can so we can click on that little green dot. Some of us cry, because that little green dot shows us, that somewhere out there, our Marine is safe. Safe enough to get online and make a connection to the United States if they are out there in harms way. That little green dot is at times our life line. At times, it is the only communications we can get. Yes, there are SAT phones that can be used to make a voice call, but, most times they are not clear enough to make out the conversation. With the use of facebook and that little green dot, even though we can not accurately make out the exact emotion of our loved one, the messages still come through loud and clear. For the next 7 + months, I will sit idle by day after day, night after night, waiting to see if and when that little green dot appears in my side bar to alert me that my deployed Marine comes online. When he does, I will know he is in fact doing just fine. I saw that little green dot in the wee hours this morning. Even though I was wiping sleep out of my eyes and exhausted from a long day, as soon as I saw it I was wide awake. For the next 45 minutes I sat and talked with my Marine staring at that little green dot until it disappeared.
Tonight I am sitting here waiting for that little green dot to appear.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Not Wondering Anymore!
I no longer have to wonder where Waldo, I mean Jerod is. I got to talk to him tonight via facebook. Although I will not post on here where he is, I am sure all the Marine wives and moms have a pretty good idea.. Now, I will go sleep peacefully knowing he is DELAYED.. Whoda thunk it.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
See Even I Can Be Normal
Day 2
Even though I am still wondering where Jerod is right now, I am not as worked up as I was yesterday. I know he is out there doing what he has to do and I just have to know in my heart that no matter what it is, he will be okay. So far, as of this very moment, I know he is okay. Now, I am a mom, that can very well change at any moment as I am entitled to change my mind! By my guestimation, he has not made it into Country just yet. Mind you, I have no idea what his travel schedule entailed. I just have the feeling that knowing all the delays the departing Marines had, the same could be said for the entering. I just know he is "somewhere" over there. And just so we are all clear, I still don't like it and no, I will not "get over it" until he gets back home. Enuff said!
Somewhere out there far far away, there is a Marine I miss more than anything in this world. I just hope he knows just how much I love him and praying that he stays safe and comes home very soon. When you go to bed tonight, just give a little thought about how comfortable you are sleeping in your bed. There are a lot of Military men and women out there that do not get that luxury tonight. When you see a member in any branch of the Military or a Veteran, please do not forget to say Thank You. You would not believe the impact those two simple words will have until you are the ones standing up for your Country. I myself do not thank them enough, and I think that needs to change!
I have been doing a lot of thinking about another food drive. I started the one back in October 2009 for 3/4 Wpns Co (Chris Rosetti's unit) and with community involvement we gathered enough food and other items to mail out 160 boxes. Now that Jerod is in Afghanistan, I think I should do the same for his unit. I didn't send anything like that over to Jerod when he was in Iraq because they had a PX and a chow hall. Our Afghanistan men do not have that luxury because they are on the move a lot. If anyone wants to help, let me know, but I think its time I get the ball rolling once again.
Saying a few prayers for all my fellow Tennesseeians. We are under water. Not as much as Nashville and those surrounding areas. I wouldn't have to worry about it anyway up here on this mountain. If the water gets to me up here, then all those peoples down the hill are gonners unless they have a boat. The bottom just fell out of the sky and its getting pretty nasty. Lights are flickering so I am going to close this out until tomorrow. I am hoping that I keep the same mood as today, but, like I said earlier... it's subject to change without warning.
Even though I am still wondering where Jerod is right now, I am not as worked up as I was yesterday. I know he is out there doing what he has to do and I just have to know in my heart that no matter what it is, he will be okay. So far, as of this very moment, I know he is okay. Now, I am a mom, that can very well change at any moment as I am entitled to change my mind! By my guestimation, he has not made it into Country just yet. Mind you, I have no idea what his travel schedule entailed. I just have the feeling that knowing all the delays the departing Marines had, the same could be said for the entering. I just know he is "somewhere" over there. And just so we are all clear, I still don't like it and no, I will not "get over it" until he gets back home. Enuff said!
Somewhere out there far far away, there is a Marine I miss more than anything in this world. I just hope he knows just how much I love him and praying that he stays safe and comes home very soon. When you go to bed tonight, just give a little thought about how comfortable you are sleeping in your bed. There are a lot of Military men and women out there that do not get that luxury tonight. When you see a member in any branch of the Military or a Veteran, please do not forget to say Thank You. You would not believe the impact those two simple words will have until you are the ones standing up for your Country. I myself do not thank them enough, and I think that needs to change!
I have been doing a lot of thinking about another food drive. I started the one back in October 2009 for 3/4 Wpns Co (Chris Rosetti's unit) and with community involvement we gathered enough food and other items to mail out 160 boxes. Now that Jerod is in Afghanistan, I think I should do the same for his unit. I didn't send anything like that over to Jerod when he was in Iraq because they had a PX and a chow hall. Our Afghanistan men do not have that luxury because they are on the move a lot. If anyone wants to help, let me know, but I think its time I get the ball rolling once again.
Saying a few prayers for all my fellow Tennesseeians. We are under water. Not as much as Nashville and those surrounding areas. I wouldn't have to worry about it anyway up here on this mountain. If the water gets to me up here, then all those peoples down the hill are gonners unless they have a boat. The bottom just fell out of the sky and its getting pretty nasty. Lights are flickering so I am going to close this out until tomorrow. I am hoping that I keep the same mood as today, but, like I said earlier... it's subject to change without warning.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Deployment Pictures
No one asked us.
No one detailed out the journey.
No where did we agree to the risks.
No where did we understand we would see our kids 10 ish days a year.
No amount of convincing would have allowed for shooting at our children.
No one can say stupider things than we have been told about our Marines.
Some days we are sick of being proud, sick of missing them, sick of the whole thing...
I miss his voice and his laugh and his presence.
So your welcome for the freedom and the peace of mind that wafts around you as you sleep because we are tired and awake...
I Wonder Where He's At
Day 1
Today marks the first day of "I wonder where he is at". I wanted that phone to ring so I could hear the sweet voice of my oldest son just one more time before he departed.Bright and early at 5:00am that much needed but dreaded phone call comes in. "Mom, I love you with all my heart, just remember that" I knew what this call was about and fought with every ounce of my being to not shed a tear. I did not want him to know about the fear that I carry around when events like this happen. I did not want him to hear the pain in my heart as he was telling me good bye for 7 months. I did not do such a stellar job though, my voice cracked and my body trembled as I told him that I loved him so very much, to stay safe, and to come home soon. "Mom, I have to go now, we are getting on the bus right now and pulling out, Mom, I love you, I will talk to you soon" I could not for the life of me hang up that phone. I knew in my heart he was not finished. "Mom, wait.. Go wake up Chrissy, I have to tell her that I love her". Walking into a dark room as my baby girl slept, I had to wake her up because her brother needed her. He needed to hear her voice just like we needed to hear his. It does not matter how much sibling rivalry these kids had growing up, soon as Jerod joined the Marine Corps, it all faded away. I gently shook Chrissy's shoulder, and handed her the phone. "Whats wrong?" she asked me with a puzzled look on her face with half closed eyes. I told her it was her brother, and he was getting ready to leave. I could see her body deflate as she put the phone to her ear. "Hey bud".. and their brief conversation began and ended in 30 seconds flat. In that 30 seconds, so much was said, and so much love was shared. I stood there and watched the expressions on my daughters face as she was saying goodbye to her older brother and I could not help but let the tears fall. I was expecting to be handed back a phone that had been hung up, but Jerod was not done. "Mom, I am leaving now, tell Bradley I love him and I will see him soon. You cannot wake him up mom, mom please do not wake him up because saying goodbye to him is almost as bad as saying goodbye to you". I complied with his request, we exchanged I love you's once more. I could not hang up, my fingers would not let go of my phone. I had to hear the click and the silence before I could let it go. I heard it, the call was over, and I fell to pieces very quietly. I grabbed my pillows off my bed downstairs and went up to Jerods bedroom and tried to fall back to sleep..
15 long hours have passed and I sit here and wonder where he is now. Is he in Maine? I start thinking to myself, I cannot forget to check the http://mainetroopgreeters.smugmug.com/ website later to see the pictures of the Marines that flew through there today and if I don't find them there, I have to remember to check them here http://ourstopinmaine.smugmug.com/The-Troops-2010 . Any little tiny glimps of him is what I am looking for. When you are a parent or a loved one with a member of the Military, these days never get any easier and you do what you can to get yourself through the day. And this is one way I deal with it. Just remember, this is only day 1 Kim, this is the easy part. Yea... ok.. Hmmmm.. I wonder where he is now.
Quite a few exciting things have happen over the last few days. Norine Rosetti got to welcome her husband Chris home from Afghanistan. After several delays because of the volcano, he finally arrived in the wee hours yesterday morning. Welcome home 3/4 Wpns Co!! most of all though.. WELCOME HOME CHRIS!!!! This family holds a very special place in my heart and will forever hold that special place. Soon as Chris settles in with his family, me and him will go back to our online Scrabble wars and I will whoop his tail like always. Chris honey, you just cannot touch my smartness, come get you some!!!
Another exciting event, a dear old friend that I reconnected on facebook with from way back in the day got on a plane in Japan to come back to the States. I am hoping and praying that his trip is safe and uneventful. I am excited for him that he will get to see his kiddos soon. Now that the time difference gap is history, I am looking forward to catching up on old times with him. Welcome home Dave..
Another exciting event.. yep, I am full of them over the last few days!! Anyway, I got to talk to another friend from way back in the day. This has to be the easiest reunion as of yet. When I started talking to Joe, it was like we never lost touch. The conversation was hillarious to say the least. We talked about my dad and all the craziness of the past. But hey, it was all fun back then. But, something about that converstion with Joe last night. I was able to just forget about all the crap going on, push back the fact that my oldest son was due to leave some hours later, and just laugh.. I really really needed those laughs, and I think Joe knew it. Hopefully, we won't have a repeat conversation on just how old we are getting, and the fact that his favorite word to call me is GRANNY. It was nice to talk about our kids and their accomplishments and where they are going in the future. Thanks Joe, I look forward to more laughs..
One of the absolute best things that have happen over the last few days is finding out that fellow Marine mom Patti was at Twenty Nine Palms awaiting the arrival of her son from Afghanistan. Poor Patti has been waiting since the 21st for the reunion that kept getting pushed back day after day with delays. Again, due to the volcano. I do not think we put two and two together when she was headed that way, that she was going to the exact place my son was at. In conversation the other night it came up that Jerod was due to leave early this morning and all he had with him was his wife Daniella. Patti so very lovingly said she would go be with Jerod if Jerod would allow it. I immediately called Jerod, told him there was a Marine mom there that would love to stand in my place with him while he departed. He was excited. Jerod wanted to meet with Patti as soon as he could, so after spending his last night in Palm Springs with his new wife, he stopped at Patti and her husbands hotel room on his way back. My son got a momma hug and for that I am so very grateful. Jerod and Daniella spent a little bit of time with Patti, then ran to get the rest of his things together for the late night deployment. Late late in the night, Patti and her husband joined Jerod on the base and waited together as everyone assembled to leave out. I want to thank Patti from the bottom of my heart for treating my son like he was her own. Jerod felt the love from Patti and her husband and was so thankful that he had a family with him. He said it wasn't "his" family, but it was his "new" family. I betcha money, he stays in contact with you Patti.. you really touched his heart, and you have forever touched mine. Thank you soo very much for being there for me when I couldn't.
I am soooo excited for Patti and her husband.. Their wait to be reunited with thier son is coming to an end!! Their son has called within the last hour to let them know he is back on US soil and is currently in Maine. BOOTS ARE BACK ON THE GROUND!!! Tomorrow morning around 6am California time, Pattie and her husband will get to see their son after 7 long months.. I am so excited for all of you and cannot wait to see pictures and hear reunion stories..
There is a lot more that I could say, but my fingers are going numb. I will come back here later on and put up pictures that Patti snapped of Jerods departure.
Hmmmmmm.... I wonder where he is at now?
Today marks the first day of "I wonder where he is at". I wanted that phone to ring so I could hear the sweet voice of my oldest son just one more time before he departed.
15 long hours have passed and I sit here and wonder where he is now. Is he in Maine? I start thinking to myself, I cannot forget to check the http://mainetroopgreeters.smugmug.com/ website later to see the pictures of the Marines that flew through there today and if I don't find them there, I have to remember to check them here http://ourstopinmaine.smugmug.com/The-Troops-2010 . Any little tiny glimps of him is what I am looking for. When you are a parent or a loved one with a member of the Military, these days never get any easier and you do what you can to get yourself through the day. And this is one way I deal with it. Just remember, this is only day 1 Kim, this is the easy part. Yea... ok.. Hmmmm.. I wonder where he is now.
Quite a few exciting things have happen over the last few days. Norine Rosetti got to welcome her husband Chris home from Afghanistan. After several delays because of the volcano, he finally arrived in the wee hours yesterday morning. Welcome home 3/4 Wpns Co!! most of all though.. WELCOME HOME CHRIS!!!! This family holds a very special place in my heart and will forever hold that special place. Soon as Chris settles in with his family, me and him will go back to our online Scrabble wars and I will whoop his tail like always. Chris honey, you just cannot touch my smartness, come get you some!!!
Another exciting event, a dear old friend that I reconnected on facebook with from way back in the day got on a plane in Japan to come back to the States. I am hoping and praying that his trip is safe and uneventful. I am excited for him that he will get to see his kiddos soon. Now that the time difference gap is history, I am looking forward to catching up on old times with him. Welcome home Dave..
Another exciting event.. yep, I am full of them over the last few days!! Anyway, I got to talk to another friend from way back in the day. This has to be the easiest reunion as of yet. When I started talking to Joe, it was like we never lost touch. The conversation was hillarious to say the least. We talked about my dad and all the craziness of the past. But hey, it was all fun back then. But, something about that converstion with Joe last night. I was able to just forget about all the crap going on, push back the fact that my oldest son was due to leave some hours later, and just laugh.. I really really needed those laughs, and I think Joe knew it. Hopefully, we won't have a repeat conversation on just how old we are getting, and the fact that his favorite word to call me is GRANNY. It was nice to talk about our kids and their accomplishments and where they are going in the future. Thanks Joe, I look forward to more laughs..
One of the absolute best things that have happen over the last few days is finding out that fellow Marine mom Patti was at Twenty Nine Palms awaiting the arrival of her son from Afghanistan. Poor Patti has been waiting since the 21st for the reunion that kept getting pushed back day after day with delays. Again, due to the volcano. I do not think we put two and two together when she was headed that way, that she was going to the exact place my son was at. In conversation the other night it came up that Jerod was due to leave early this morning and all he had with him was his wife Daniella. Patti so very lovingly said she would go be with Jerod if Jerod would allow it. I immediately called Jerod, told him there was a Marine mom there that would love to stand in my place with him while he departed. He was excited. Jerod wanted to meet with Patti as soon as he could, so after spending his last night in Palm Springs with his new wife, he stopped at Patti and her husbands hotel room on his way back. My son got a momma hug and for that I am so very grateful. Jerod and Daniella spent a little bit of time with Patti, then ran to get the rest of his things together for the late night deployment. Late late in the night, Patti and her husband joined Jerod on the base and waited together as everyone assembled to leave out. I want to thank Patti from the bottom of my heart for treating my son like he was her own. Jerod felt the love from Patti and her husband and was so thankful that he had a family with him. He said it wasn't "his" family, but it was his "new" family. I betcha money, he stays in contact with you Patti.. you really touched his heart, and you have forever touched mine. Thank you soo very much for being there for me when I couldn't.
I am soooo excited for Patti and her husband.. Their wait to be reunited with thier son is coming to an end!! Their son has called within the last hour to let them know he is back on US soil and is currently in Maine. BOOTS ARE BACK ON THE GROUND!!! Tomorrow morning around 6am California time, Pattie and her husband will get to see their son after 7 long months.. I am so excited for all of you and cannot wait to see pictures and hear reunion stories..
There is a lot more that I could say, but my fingers are going numb. I will come back here later on and put up pictures that Patti snapped of Jerods departure.
Hmmmmmm.... I wonder where he is at now?
Friday, April 30, 2010
Boys Will Be Boys
You tell them to stay out of the woods and they will go roll in it. Just because mom said NO!! Boys will be boys.
We have been fighting the effects of poison ivy since Saturday night. Bradley knows full well he is allergic to the crap, but yet fails to protect himself from getting exposed to it. What am I supposed to do, hold his hand while he is outside playing? I think not!! I have taught him time and time again what that green leafy crap looks like. I have shown him time and time again what it does to him when he gets in it. It's not like he doesn't know what it does, I am not the one who swells up with yukky blisters that itch so bad I cry to my mommy at all hours of the night... HELLLLLOOOOOO Boys will be boys!!
Soooo, Sunday, I have to take my blistered, red, oozy, and might I add EXTEMELY whiney child to the after hours pediatrician. Said pediatrician lectured Bradley ONCE AGAIN that he needs to stay away from this green leafy stuff because it will eventually make him real sick if it gets to bad. Then he explains to Bradley that this time, because it was so bad he would be required to get a SHOT of steroids to slow down the progression. All hell broke loose. Oh.. did I tell you that Bradley is terrified of needles?? He gets his shot, proceeds to tell me how mean I am for making him get said shot, tells the doctor that he is mean for making him get the shot. Boys will be boys!!
Monday was terrible. He whined all night Sunday night that it was still itching. The meds did not work. yadda yadda yadda.. The school sees it and puts some anti itch gel crap on it, and it SPREAD even faster, got blood red and blistered more.. He comes home whining mom it hurts, mom it hurts. I tried everything I could prior, I was at a loss. I rummaged through the medicen cabinet, and came out with Tenactin athletes foot poweder and powdered his ass up. Hey, it said ANTI ITCH on it, by golly I was going to try it!! It worked!! BUT, only for a short period of time. But I tried it for 2 days..
Wednesday... ohh Wednesday... We had to go back to the doctor because the school insisted on putting that damn gel anti itch crap on him again and he had a worse reaction than the first time they did it after I told them NOT to put anythng on him.. So another shot, more meds... Then insurance wanted to be an ass and not cover it.. so we didnt get the meds til today..
The meds work though!! Thank goodness.. The cooties are going away, hes not complaining of itching anymore, the redness is gone..... BUT....
He turned into a MONSTER!!! He is eating everything in site, cannot sleep, and is crabby..
Can't win for losing!!!! BUT.... Boys will be boys...
We have been fighting the effects of poison ivy since Saturday night. Bradley knows full well he is allergic to the crap, but yet fails to protect himself from getting exposed to it. What am I supposed to do, hold his hand while he is outside playing? I think not!! I have taught him time and time again what that green leafy crap looks like. I have shown him time and time again what it does to him when he gets in it. It's not like he doesn't know what it does, I am not the one who swells up with yukky blisters that itch so bad I cry to my mommy at all hours of the night... HELLLLLOOOOOO Boys will be boys!!
Soooo, Sunday, I have to take my blistered, red, oozy, and might I add EXTEMELY whiney child to the after hours pediatrician. Said pediatrician lectured Bradley ONCE AGAIN that he needs to stay away from this green leafy stuff because it will eventually make him real sick if it gets to bad. Then he explains to Bradley that this time, because it was so bad he would be required to get a SHOT of steroids to slow down the progression. All hell broke loose. Oh.. did I tell you that Bradley is terrified of needles?? He gets his shot, proceeds to tell me how mean I am for making him get said shot, tells the doctor that he is mean for making him get the shot. Boys will be boys!!
Monday was terrible. He whined all night Sunday night that it was still itching. The meds did not work. yadda yadda yadda.. The school sees it and puts some anti itch gel crap on it, and it SPREAD even faster, got blood red and blistered more.. He comes home whining mom it hurts, mom it hurts. I tried everything I could prior, I was at a loss. I rummaged through the medicen cabinet, and came out with Tenactin athletes foot poweder and powdered his ass up. Hey, it said ANTI ITCH on it, by golly I was going to try it!! It worked!! BUT, only for a short period of time. But I tried it for 2 days..
Wednesday... ohh Wednesday... We had to go back to the doctor because the school insisted on putting that damn gel anti itch crap on him again and he had a worse reaction than the first time they did it after I told them NOT to put anythng on him.. So another shot, more meds... Then insurance wanted to be an ass and not cover it.. so we didnt get the meds til today..
The meds work though!! Thank goodness.. The cooties are going away, hes not complaining of itching anymore, the redness is gone..... BUT....
He turned into a MONSTER!!! He is eating everything in site, cannot sleep, and is crabby..
Can't win for losing!!!! BUT.... Boys will be boys...
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Facebook.. The blessing and the curse
Anyone who knows me knows all to well, me thinking is almost always dangerous.My thoughts have really consumed my time. Going back can give some people a lot of joy, but going way back can stir up a lot of pain. Well, I not only went back, I have gone way way back.
Lately, I have reconnected with some people I knew "back in the day". Reconnecting with those very people have brought up a lot of memories. Don't get me wrong, there were a lot of good memories, but there were/are some not so good ones thrown in the mix. There are still some people from back in the day that I wish I could reconnect with that I cannot find. I will find them eventually, soon as my not so young memory remembers last names. Those people hold a lot of very special memories of my dad. It's not all about old boyfriends, drunken parties, late night walks on the beach because some of my connections are female. Although all of that was fun and I wouldn't change a darn single bit of it (haha) I simply miss my dad.
Facebook has become a joy and a curse. Some people are unforgettable, so there wasn't any problem there. One connection went south very quickly, but hey, that is life what can you do about it. It is what it is. Can that connection be fixed? Yes. Am I holding my breath? Uhh.. No.. Do I hope things change? Most certainly. There is another friend that I reconnected with and I hope I never lose touch with again. They always managed to make me laugh (and still does). I got in trouble with my dad once because of them but it was worth it. It has been so long since we have talked and as soon as they bridge that massive time difference gap, I am hoping that we can talk more. Another is a wonderful girl who went through my whole pregnancy with Jerod right along side of me until she changed duty stations the week before he was born :(. That was hard, I didn't think I could go through giving birth without her. But I did!! Then you have the people who know me through my dad that have added me lately. I would like to have the reconnection with them so we can share memories of my dad and other fun times, but I have a hard time placing who they are. Gee wiz, it has only been what 20 years?!? Ha, maybe if they had pictures of them back in the day, it may jog my memory a little (hint hint) But it's all good, I love talking to new old friends.
See, these people are all the memories I have of my dad. I don't have many pictures. And the ones I do have are not ones that I want to share. They either have the step witch in them or they were of him when we found out he had cancer. I would have more pictures of my entire family, pictures of me with my dad, pictures of Jerod with my dad, pictures of my dad during his 25+ years in the Navy.. BUT, that step witch violated the court order to give my dads things to me and burned his house down and everything in there was a total loss. That is one of the reason these new old connections are so important to me, they are all I have left of my unruly teenage years. Wait, I wasn't unruly, I was just a little wild and liked to have fun. How could you not when you are stuck smack in the middle of a bunch of ...ahem.... Navy guys who liked to party at my dads place? Whats that saying? If you can't beat them, join them. Hey, that's what memories are made of, fun times, good people, and beer. You live and you learn the hard way sometimes. I lived, learned, and grew up fast and I wouldn't change it for the world. Enough about that...
So, I am looking forward to making more new old facebook friends as they come along. Who says your past has to stay your past and cannot be part of your today and or future? If it wasn't for the internet, I would have never talked to these people again. If it works out.. wonderful... if it doesn't, that's to bad. But, I will never know unless I keep an open mind and try.
Here is getting to know you again!
Lately, I have reconnected with some people I knew "back in the day". Reconnecting with those very people have brought up a lot of memories. Don't get me wrong, there were a lot of good memories, but there were/are some not so good ones thrown in the mix. There are still some people from back in the day that I wish I could reconnect with that I cannot find. I will find them eventually, soon as my not so young memory remembers last names. Those people hold a lot of very special memories of my dad. It's not all about old boyfriends, drunken parties, late night walks on the beach because some of my connections are female. Although all of that was fun and I wouldn't change a darn single bit of it (haha) I simply miss my dad.
Facebook has become a joy and a curse. Some people are unforgettable, so there wasn't any problem there. One connection went south very quickly, but hey, that is life what can you do about it. It is what it is. Can that connection be fixed? Yes. Am I holding my breath? Uhh.. No.. Do I hope things change? Most certainly. There is another friend that I reconnected with and I hope I never lose touch with again. They always managed to make me laugh (and still does). I got in trouble with my dad once because of them but it was worth it. It has been so long since we have talked and as soon as they bridge that massive time difference gap, I am hoping that we can talk more. Another is a wonderful girl who went through my whole pregnancy with Jerod right along side of me until she changed duty stations the week before he was born :(. That was hard, I didn't think I could go through giving birth without her. But I did!! Then you have the people who know me through my dad that have added me lately. I would like to have the reconnection with them so we can share memories of my dad and other fun times, but I have a hard time placing who they are. Gee wiz, it has only been what 20 years?!? Ha, maybe if they had pictures of them back in the day, it may jog my memory a little (hint hint) But it's all good, I love talking to new old friends.
See, these people are all the memories I have of my dad. I don't have many pictures. And the ones I do have are not ones that I want to share. They either have the step witch in them or they were of him when we found out he had cancer. I would have more pictures of my entire family, pictures of me with my dad, pictures of Jerod with my dad, pictures of my dad during his 25+ years in the Navy.. BUT, that step witch violated the court order to give my dads things to me and burned his house down and everything in there was a total loss. That is one of the reason these new old connections are so important to me, they are all I have left of my unruly teenage years. Wait, I wasn't unruly, I was just a little wild and liked to have fun. How could you not when you are stuck smack in the middle of a bunch of ...ahem.... Navy guys who liked to party at my dads place? Whats that saying? If you can't beat them, join them. Hey, that's what memories are made of, fun times, good people, and beer. You live and you learn the hard way sometimes. I lived, learned, and grew up fast and I wouldn't change it for the world. Enough about that...
So, I am looking forward to making more new old facebook friends as they come along. Who says your past has to stay your past and cannot be part of your today and or future? If it wasn't for the internet, I would have never talked to these people again. If it works out.. wonderful... if it doesn't, that's to bad. But, I will never know unless I keep an open mind and try.
Here is getting to know you again!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Borrowed This and Had To Share
This is so true and amazing that I have been through these same exact and I mean EXACT feelings, fears, and emotions.
You don't know, but I am the mom who cries every morning and hopes every night for his safe return. I am the mom that drags herself out of bed every morning so that he will be proud of her when he comes home.
You don't know but I am the mom with a million things to say, but none will come out without the thought of him. I am the mom who checks her phone every 5 seconds just to make sure I haven't missed his call. I am the mom who stops and stares and wishes for him to return soon each and everytime another man in uniform walks by.
What you don't know is that I know love on an entirely different level than most. I know the love that spans time and space. The love that most parents are constantly searching for. ... See More... See More
I can tell you I know more about love in homecoming, then most know in a lifetime. You don't know that when he left a part of me went with him and a part of him stayed with me. You tell me that you know how I feel and understand what I am going through, but you have no idea, so please don't say you do.
What you don't realize is that I understand the true meaning of not only love but of longing and anticipation.
You don't see, but I am one of the few who gets goose bumps and choke back the tears as my heart fills with pride everytime I hear the national anthem play. I am one of those moms that will stand tall and stay strong on the outside when I feel like I am dying on the inside.
I am one of the moms who will make friends with complete strangers, for only they can begin to understand what I am going through for they go through it each and every day also with one of their loved ones serving. And please don't say you do, because you never will. You don't understand that I picture his face everywhere I go and he is with me in everything I do.
You think I don't cry anymore, that I have gotten over it... What you don't know is that I just hide it better.
You don't know the feeling the word "deployment" brings. Or the feeling of his hand as it slides out of your hand for what could be forever as he boards the bus, the ship or the plane that will take him to harms way. You don't know what that last smile, hug and kiss mean, how important that goodbye truly is.
You tell me you support the troops, I tell you I love a Marine. I am one of the silent, but outgoing. One of the weak but strong. Scared but Proud.
What you don't see is that he needs me & I need him.
I am one of those moms who stands tall behind her Marine.
Stands tall behind her hero.
Stands tall behind her son.
Watching silently and patiently as he serves and defends our country,praying many, many times throughout the day for his safety......waiting for him to come home with that same mischieveous smile and that same twinkle in his eyes and to hear those precious, precious words, "Mom, i'm on US soil. I'll be home soon."
You don't see that I will drop to my knees and thank God for my son's safe return. You don't know the tears of relief I will sob and you don't know that for the first time in seven months, I can truly breathe again.
You don't know, but I am the mom who cries every morning and hopes every night for his safe return. I am the mom that drags herself out of bed every morning so that he will be proud of her when he comes home.
You don't know but I am the mom with a million things to say, but none will come out without the thought of him. I am the mom who checks her phone every 5 seconds just to make sure I haven't missed his call. I am the mom who stops and stares and wishes for him to return soon each and everytime another man in uniform walks by.
What you don't know is that I know love on an entirely different level than most. I know the love that spans time and space. The love that most parents are constantly searching for. ... See More... See More
I can tell you I know more about love in homecoming, then most know in a lifetime. You don't know that when he left a part of me went with him and a part of him stayed with me. You tell me that you know how I feel and understand what I am going through, but you have no idea, so please don't say you do.
What you don't realize is that I understand the true meaning of not only love but of longing and anticipation.
You don't see, but I am one of the few who gets goose bumps and choke back the tears as my heart fills with pride everytime I hear the national anthem play. I am one of those moms that will stand tall and stay strong on the outside when I feel like I am dying on the inside.
I am one of the moms who will make friends with complete strangers, for only they can begin to understand what I am going through for they go through it each and every day also with one of their loved ones serving. And please don't say you do, because you never will. You don't understand that I picture his face everywhere I go and he is with me in everything I do.
You think I don't cry anymore, that I have gotten over it... What you don't know is that I just hide it better.
You don't know the feeling the word "deployment" brings. Or the feeling of his hand as it slides out of your hand for what could be forever as he boards the bus, the ship or the plane that will take him to harms way. You don't know what that last smile, hug and kiss mean, how important that goodbye truly is.
You tell me you support the troops, I tell you I love a Marine. I am one of the silent, but outgoing. One of the weak but strong. Scared but Proud.
What you don't see is that he needs me & I need him.
I am one of those moms who stands tall behind her Marine.
Stands tall behind her hero.
Stands tall behind her son.
Watching silently and patiently as he serves and defends our country,praying many, many times throughout the day for his safety......waiting for him to come home with that same mischieveous smile and that same twinkle in his eyes and to hear those precious, precious words, "Mom, i'm on US soil. I'll be home soon."
You don't see that I will drop to my knees and thank God for my son's safe return. You don't know the tears of relief I will sob and you don't know that for the first time in seven months, I can truly breathe again.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
It Doesn't Matter If I Am NOT Ready
It seems just like yesterday that Jerod returned home from Iraq. It was February 6th to be exact. I remember that previous night, the absolute best person in the world called me every hour on the hour with updates. She went out there when she thought they were coming in, and stayed for hours upon hours waiting for my son to come back to base. It was freezing cold, and her and all the girls stayed the course. They wanted to make sure that Jerod had family waiting on him when he got off the bus.
That same dear friend of mine is currently waiting on her own husband to get off that bus. The volcano in Iceland is preventing their timely return as we speak, but it will be soon. I can not wait to give the good ole "welcome home" on the phone. I love the Rosetti family like they are my own.
So what has led up to tonights rant that is evading my finger tips? I got the warning call. TMO has left with their gear. That means one thing. Any moment now. I am not ready, but that doesn't matter. Will I ever be ready to see my son go off to war? NO, I won't be. It feels like its the first time. This is deployment # 2 in less than 8 months. In February I learned how to sleep again, I didn't let a simple knock at the door make me jump out of my skin. I knew I could leave my house without fear of my phone ringing and me miss a phone call. I could turn off my computer without missing a chance to see him on Skype. I could breathe.. I could simply breathe.
Less than a week.. I will be up all night praying that my son stays safe.. praying that all the men with him will stay safe.. I will be packing boxes to ship.. I will be waiting for phone calls that I know will not be there because of where they are going, but I will wait anyway. There is a good thing about that though.. I got rid of the house phone and use my cell phone exclusive.. I will never miss a call. But none the less, I will be waiting. I will go back to leaving my door open. If its open, no one can knock, that is my philosphy. People laugh at me. Laugh all you want, I really do not care. I do what gets me through the day.
See, unless you are a parent or a wife of a Military servicemember, you cannot begin to understand what we go through. Especially very close families. When they are having a bad day, when they are stressed, when they are hungry, tired, or hurt, we feel it. I can bet you any amount of money, when Jerod is out of sorts I can feel every bit of it and I do not even have to talk to him to know. Its a mom thing. Let me do what I have to do to make life more bearable for myself. Don't laugh at me, mock me, or point fingers and tell me that I am crazy. I am a mom who will worry every single day until I know my son is back on US soil. It is NOT easy. It is down right terrifying.
I love my Marine with every ounce of my being. I will be right here waiting for his return. God willing he will return unharmed along with each and every one of the men that go along side of him. I will PRAY like there is no tomorrow and be grateful to see each and every day.
That same dear friend of mine is currently waiting on her own husband to get off that bus. The volcano in Iceland is preventing their timely return as we speak, but it will be soon. I can not wait to give the good ole "welcome home" on the phone. I love the Rosetti family like they are my own.
So what has led up to tonights rant that is evading my finger tips? I got the warning call. TMO has left with their gear. That means one thing. Any moment now. I am not ready, but that doesn't matter. Will I ever be ready to see my son go off to war? NO, I won't be. It feels like its the first time. This is deployment # 2 in less than 8 months. In February I learned how to sleep again, I didn't let a simple knock at the door make me jump out of my skin. I knew I could leave my house without fear of my phone ringing and me miss a phone call. I could turn off my computer without missing a chance to see him on Skype. I could breathe.. I could simply breathe.
Less than a week.. I will be up all night praying that my son stays safe.. praying that all the men with him will stay safe.. I will be packing boxes to ship.. I will be waiting for phone calls that I know will not be there because of where they are going, but I will wait anyway. There is a good thing about that though.. I got rid of the house phone and use my cell phone exclusive.. I will never miss a call. But none the less, I will be waiting. I will go back to leaving my door open. If its open, no one can knock, that is my philosphy. People laugh at me. Laugh all you want, I really do not care. I do what gets me through the day.
See, unless you are a parent or a wife of a Military servicemember, you cannot begin to understand what we go through. Especially very close families. When they are having a bad day, when they are stressed, when they are hungry, tired, or hurt, we feel it. I can bet you any amount of money, when Jerod is out of sorts I can feel every bit of it and I do not even have to talk to him to know. Its a mom thing. Let me do what I have to do to make life more bearable for myself. Don't laugh at me, mock me, or point fingers and tell me that I am crazy. I am a mom who will worry every single day until I know my son is back on US soil. It is NOT easy. It is down right terrifying.
I love my Marine with every ounce of my being. I will be right here waiting for his return. God willing he will return unharmed along with each and every one of the men that go along side of him. I will PRAY like there is no tomorrow and be grateful to see each and every day.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Ahh LISTEN to me LOUD AND CLEAR
I understand friends and family want to know everything there is to know about Jerods deployment. If I do not answer your questions or simply tell you that I can not talk about it, I am not avoiding your questions or do not want you to know the information that you are seeking. I simply cannot for Jerods safety tell you.
In the post down below this one, I gave some important information regarding OPSEC. Once you read it, you will fully understand that I am doing what I can to protect my son and his unit from any possible harm.
The intenet is a very dangerous place. Some people may not think so, but over the last two years I have really learned a lot about it. Everyone, I do not care who they are, are enemies to me. I trust no one with any information that pertains to my son.
My blogging will not be completely detailed. I will give information that I know as fact, I will not speculate on something I do not have full knowledge of. I will post pictures as I get them, but I will not post them if I do not feel that it is safe.
Please feel free to comment on any of the posts that I have here on the blog. But I ask that you be courtious to all who read my blog. I have elderly family and friends and family and friends who do not want to see some of the conversations people have.
One thing I want to make VERY CLEAR, If at any time someone leaves a comment on my blog that is offensive to ANY branch of the Military I will delete the comment and block the poster. I do not like the war either. That does not mean that I do not stand by the men and women who are out there fighting the war to protect our Country. These men and women are our future. My great grand father, grandfather, father, and now my son have all fought in a war, I will stand proud and say I SUPPORT ALL OF OUR MILITARY and everything they are about. If you don't want to stand with them, by all means, find somewhere else to go away from my blog.
I am glad we all understand each other.
In the post down below this one, I gave some important information regarding OPSEC. Once you read it, you will fully understand that I am doing what I can to protect my son and his unit from any possible harm.
The intenet is a very dangerous place. Some people may not think so, but over the last two years I have really learned a lot about it. Everyone, I do not care who they are, are enemies to me. I trust no one with any information that pertains to my son.
My blogging will not be completely detailed. I will give information that I know as fact, I will not speculate on something I do not have full knowledge of. I will post pictures as I get them, but I will not post them if I do not feel that it is safe.
Please feel free to comment on any of the posts that I have here on the blog. But I ask that you be courtious to all who read my blog. I have elderly family and friends and family and friends who do not want to see some of the conversations people have.
One thing I want to make VERY CLEAR, If at any time someone leaves a comment on my blog that is offensive to ANY branch of the Military I will delete the comment and block the poster. I do not like the war either. That does not mean that I do not stand by the men and women who are out there fighting the war to protect our Country. These men and women are our future. My great grand father, grandfather, father, and now my son have all fought in a war, I will stand proud and say I SUPPORT ALL OF OUR MILITARY and everything they are about. If you don't want to stand with them, by all means, find somewhere else to go away from my blog.
I am glad we all understand each other.
ALWAYS follow OPSEC
Operations Security, or OPSEC, is keeping potential adversaries from discovering our critical information. As the name suggests, it protects our operations planned, in progress, and those completed. Success depends on secrecy and surprise, so the military can accomplish the mission faster and with less risk. Our adversaries want our information, and they don't concentrate on only sailors to get it. They want you, the family member.
Protecting Critical Information
Even though information may not be secret, it can be what we call critical information. Critical information deals with specific facts about military intentions, capabilities, operations or activities. If an adversary knew this detailed information, our mission accomplishment and personnel safety could be jeopardized. It must be protected to ensure an adversary doesn't gain a significant advantage. By being a member of the military family, you! u will often know some bits of critical information. Do not discuss them outside of your immediate family and especially not over the telephone.
Examples Of Critical Information
Detailed information about the mission of assigned units.
Details on locations and times of unit deployments.
Personnel transactions that occur in large numbers (Example: pay information, powers of attorney, wills, deployment information).
References to trends in unit morale or personnel problems.
Details concerning security procedures.
Puzzle Pieces
These bits of information may seem insignificant. However, to a trained adversary, they are small pieces of a puzzle that highlight what were doing and planning. Remember, the elements of security and surprise are vital to the accomplishment of our goals and our collective personnel protection.
Where and how you discuss this information is just as important as with whom you discuss it. Adverse agents tasked with collecting information frequently visit some of the same stores, clubs, recreational areas, or places of worship as you do.
Determined individuals can easily collect data from cordless and cellular phones, and even baby monitors, using inexpensive receivers available from local electronics stores.
If anyone, especially a foreign national, persistently seeks information, notify your military sponsor immediately. He or she will notify the unit OPSEC program manager.
What Can You Do?
There are many countries and organizations that would like to harm Americans and degrade our influence in the world. It's possible, and not unprecedented, for spouses and family members of U.S. military personnel to be targeted for intelligence collection. This is true in the United States and especially true overseas! What can you do?
Be Alert
Foreign governments and organizations collect significant amounts of useful information by using spies. A foreign agent may use a variety of approaches to befriend someone and get sensitive information. This sensitive information can be critical to the success of a terrorist or spy, and consequently deadly to Americans.
Be Careful
There may be times when your spouse cannot talk about the specifics of his or her job. It's very important to conceal and protect certain information such as flight schedules, ship movements, temporary duty (TDY) locations, and installation activities, for example. Something as simple as a phone discussion about where your spouse is deploying, or going TDY, can be very useful to our enemies.
OPSEC IS A FAMILY AFFAIR - DISCUSS OPSEC WITH YOUR FAMILY
All Family Members Are Part Of The Military OPSEC Team. They Need To Protect Information To Ensure The Safety Of All Our Soldiers, Sailors, Airman, Coast Guards, Civilians, And their Families.
You Are A Vital Player In Our Success!
As a family member of our military community, you are a vital player in our success, and we couldn't do our job without your support. You may not know it, but you also play a crucial role in ensuring your loved one safety. You can protect your family and friends by protecting what you know of the military day-to-day operations. That's OPSEC.
Protecting Critical Information
Even though information may not be secret, it can be what we call critical information. Critical information deals with specific facts about military intentions, capabilities, operations or activities. If an adversary knew this detailed information, our mission accomplishment and personnel safety could be jeopardized. It must be protected to ensure an adversary doesn't gain a significant advantage. By being a member of the military family, you! u will often know some bits of critical information. Do not discuss them outside of your immediate family and especially not over the telephone.
Examples Of Critical Information
Detailed information about the mission of assigned units.
Details on locations and times of unit deployments.
Personnel transactions that occur in large numbers (Example: pay information, powers of attorney, wills, deployment information).
References to trends in unit morale or personnel problems.
Details concerning security procedures.
Puzzle Pieces
These bits of information may seem insignificant. However, to a trained adversary, they are small pieces of a puzzle that highlight what were doing and planning. Remember, the elements of security and surprise are vital to the accomplishment of our goals and our collective personnel protection.
Where and how you discuss this information is just as important as with whom you discuss it. Adverse agents tasked with collecting information frequently visit some of the same stores, clubs, recreational areas, or places of worship as you do.
Determined individuals can easily collect data from cordless and cellular phones, and even baby monitors, using inexpensive receivers available from local electronics stores.
If anyone, especially a foreign national, persistently seeks information, notify your military sponsor immediately. He or she will notify the unit OPSEC program manager.
What Can You Do?
There are many countries and organizations that would like to harm Americans and degrade our influence in the world. It's possible, and not unprecedented, for spouses and family members of U.S. military personnel to be targeted for intelligence collection. This is true in the United States and especially true overseas! What can you do?
Be Alert
Foreign governments and organizations collect significant amounts of useful information by using spies. A foreign agent may use a variety of approaches to befriend someone and get sensitive information. This sensitive information can be critical to the success of a terrorist or spy, and consequently deadly to Americans.
Be Careful
There may be times when your spouse cannot talk about the specifics of his or her job. It's very important to conceal and protect certain information such as flight schedules, ship movements, temporary duty (TDY) locations, and installation activities, for example. Something as simple as a phone discussion about where your spouse is deploying, or going TDY, can be very useful to our enemies.
OPSEC IS A FAMILY AFFAIR - DISCUSS OPSEC WITH YOUR FAMILY
All Family Members Are Part Of The Military OPSEC Team. They Need To Protect Information To Ensure The Safety Of All Our Soldiers, Sailors, Airman, Coast Guards, Civilians, And their Families.
You Are A Vital Player In Our Success!
As a family member of our military community, you are a vital player in our success, and we couldn't do our job without your support. You may not know it, but you also play a crucial role in ensuring your loved one safety. You can protect your family and friends by protecting what you know of the military day-to-day operations. That's OPSEC.
Wounded Marine wants to go back
| Reported by: Alex Drude Email: alexdrude@kmtr.com Last Update: 4/23 4:17 am |
"I was running through a poppy field and got tagged. Happens."
That's how Dustin Blackwell explains what happened to him on March 29th in
But if he had his way, he'd be back in Afghanistan with his fellow Marines. Almost as soon as he returned to the United
"I asked him if he'd send me back. He said no, I had to heal, had to wait. But I guess that's the thing with Marines. As soon as we get hurt we want to go right back."
He says it's weird to go from being up and active in Afghanistan 24/7 to being forced to sit on his couch and do nothing. It's also weird for him to be thanked by people for serving his country- and getting shot at while doing so.
"I'm only 19. It's a weird feeling of people older than you (saying) thank you for (being in the military). It doesn't feel like I've really done anything special. I was doing my job, that's what I signed up for, and it's just a hazard."
Blackwell says he wants to go back because he wants to help his fellow Marines do their job. "I'd rather take another bullet than have one of my buddies take one."
But he won't be able to rejoin his unit in Afghanistan for the remainder of their tour, which is about another six months. But he would be eligible for their next tour in about a year and a half- if troops are still being deployed to Afghanistan at that time.
This my friends is a true Marine.. OOHRAH and Semper Fi
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