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  • Update on Soldiers

    My friend Jennifer sends this update on her husband:

    Steven called at 1:10 pm today.  He is doing as well as he can.  He has significant hearing loss.  He will be starting some Combat Stress classes as he is not doing well mentally with what has happened.  There were some that lost limbs and then there was a guy Steven thought he was either Korean or Phillipeno that died in his arms.  Steven can’t get his face out his mind and they are trying to put him on pills.  I told him to talk to the priest they have there or chaplain or somebody. 

    He was grateful for all the prayers.  Everyone doesn’t know how he made it out alive since he was sent flying into the wall of the bus without any helmet.  But we know and we are thankful to God for his blessings.

    Ben thinks this is what happened.  This is a bit frightening because Camp Victory is supposed to be so safe.  Ben spent a lot of time on this compound when he was in Iraq and I always felt at ease (as much as you can with a loved one in Iraq).  This is where Dave started out his deployment before changing jobs.

    Please continue to pray.

  • Injured Soldiers

    Often we don’t hear of the injured soldiers in the news.  Actually, we don’t even hear of the soldiers who have the ultimate sacrifice anymore.  Anyway, one of the ladies in our homeschool group received a phone call that her husband, Steve, along with many other soldiers, was injured.  I don’t have the details.

    I can’t begin to tell you, as a wife of a soldier, what this does to me.  I can only ask for prayers for this family and the families of all the wounded.  When I have more details as to the extent of injuries, I will update this post.  In the meantime, please pray.

  • Great Map!

    I wanted to say great, big thank you to my friend for giving Brother this wonderful birthday gift.  He loves it!!  Can you tell? 

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    Here are the 3 older ones doing a good ole "U-S-A" cheer.

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    They’re ready to cheer at the Olympics!  LOL!

  • Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

    I’m still learning to incorporate the liturgical year into our daily lives.  I finally remembered to do something simple but meaningful for the children on Saturday.  We celebrated Mary’s birthday by having a birthday cake for her. 

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    After singing "Happy Birthday" in English and Spanish (don’t ask), we sang some of our favorite Marian hymns as I cut the cake for them.  We had tea and hot chocolate as our beverage.

  • Eternal Rest

    We have a lot of Davids in our life.  Unfortunately, two of them have been laid to rest in the past two years–two very important people. 

    Uncle David passed away two years ago today.  We miss you.

    Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him.  May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.  Amen.

  • Friends: IRL and Cyber

    A few years ago, I prayed and prayed for friends.  I’d been feeling so lonely.  Well, God answered my prayers many times over.  I’ve been blessed with many wonderful, sweet, loving friends–ones I know in person and ones I know only via the internet.  These wonderful people have given me so much. 

    Recently, I experienced a rough and very disappointing day and lamented on one of my email groups that I was so desperate for chocolate that I was eating baking chips (and not even a good brand).  Oh, the responses!!!  My cyber buddies responded with kind words and offered their prayers.  As one who has great difficulty asking for anything (help or even just a shoulder to cry on), I was humbled completely by this.  People are praying for me.  I broke down a bit during mass this morning thinking of it.  Then as I was walking out of mass, a sweet friend handed me some chocolate.  I was stunned by her thoughtfulness and then by the thought that I didn’t even know she was part of that email group. 

    I can only thank God for answering my prayers of a few years ago. 

  • Off for the Weekend

    It’s Labor Day weekend.  We are off to my parents’ house tomorrow.  The whole family will be together again for the first time since last Thanksgiving.  My one brother from California will be here visiting with his soon to be fiancee.

    Mary Ellen of O Night Divine tagged me for a Nice Matters Award.  I don’t have any more time left, but I will get to this soon.  Oh, and check out Mary Ellen in the Washington Times!  It’s a great article.

  • If You’re Reading This

    I had heard this song by Tim McGraw (I think the official title is Already Home) a couple of weeks ago and bawled like a baby on the way home from the grocery store.  The line that really got me was about the baby he would never know. 

    I had heard that after Tim McGraw had performed this at the ACM Awards that the back of the stage lit up on families of the fallen.  I wanted to see it and so I finally googled it today.  As expected, I cried.  It felt like a piercing in my heart–the same way I’ve been feeling when I think of Dave. 

    After watching the video I went downstairs (Ben had left the room–he can’t listen to this song at all for it hurts his heart).  Ben asked if I cried.  Then he said I like to cry.  I couldn’t quite deny it, but then his next statement made me pause.  He said it was cathartic for me. 

    Yes, it is.  I then said, "I didn’t get to cry enough when he died so once in a while I need to."  And it’s true.  I didn’t.  I couldn’t.  I wanted to so desperately.  And, I did sometimes, in the night, but I had to go on and be strong for my little ones.  That night I found out about Dave, my children were stunned into silence.  My nephews as well.  It’s indeliby imprinted into their minds as it is in mine.  It scared them to see me so vulnerable.  It was the first time they’d seen me cry and with such grief.  I feel that grief almost as strongly today, but I know it will eventually get better. 

    I can’t get that image of him sitting in the mangled humvee as the medic worked on him.  I just can’t.  I can only pray he didn’t suffer.  And, I will only say that sometimes ignorance is bliss.

    I miss you, Dave. 

  • Tissue Alert

    Really.  Do NOT watch this without tissues in your hand. 

    HT:  Become What You Are

  • Another Birthday!

    Happy Birthday to my sweet little girl!  Has it really been 6 years since I first held you in my arms?

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