Support Our Troops...

...how many times have I heard that or said that? How many times have you heard that or said that? Everyone remembers that horrible day in September when our world was changed forever. Everyone wanted to fight for our country and everyone was proud to be an American. We stood together and stood strong. I was barely 20 when that happened and my brother was only 15. It seems so long ago, before Chris and I were married, before I worked at MCG, I was still in college. I can't believe how much time has passed and every time I think about it I still get that same sick feeling in my stomach. It almost doesn't seem real but yet it was real.

Then out of no where a couple of years ago my brother joined the Army National Guard. We were all kind of surprised and honestly I thought when he was talking about it he was just talking. I never thought he would actually do it. He asked my opinion and I wouldn't give him a yes or no. I just said do whats right for you. I never in a million years would have thought that if he did join he would actually go to war. War is obviously not what it use to be but it's also not to be taken lightly. Tomorrow my brother will board a plane and be on his way to Afghanistan. He'll be in a foreign country but when I hear about it, it seems like a whole different planet. You are considered a man over there at the age of 8. Eight years old and you are a man and you can legally carry an AK-47. Seriously, at 8 I was learning to write in cursive and learning multiplication tables. I can't imagine at 8 not having recess where we would play red rover or swing or slide, play hide and seek, stressing over a spelling test. The thought that my brother could face and 8 year old holding an AK-47 just blows me away.

We don't know very much right now. He leaves tomorrow and his life will forever be changed. He will travel to Wisconsin and do some more training and then off to Afghanistan. All I know is that he will either be the driver or the gunner of something called a Cougar (although I'm not sure which one) or an RG31, it just depends on what equipment is there when he gets there. The thought of my brother being a gunner scares me and the thought of him driving a big ass tank or whatever they are while looking for landmines scares me too. Do we realize how lucky we are to live where we do? I can't imaging walking across the street to work and encountering a landmine or a suicide bomber. And while they try to play it down some about how safe there equipment is, etc...there is still one fact that remains...it's not IF he'll encounter any war like activity whether it's a child with and AK-47 or a land mine but it's WHEN he encounters it.


We live in a country where we are fighting if a dollar bill should say "In God We Trust" or if our pledge of allegiance should include "One Nation Under God". Yet our soldiers are over there fighting so that we can have petty worries like that. We get to worry about who we offend if we say "Merry Christmas" but they have to worry if and 8 year old is gonna blow them up. It kinda puts things into perspective.

Last Tuesday I went to my brothers deployment ceremony. It was short and sweet. Very much to the point. We were all given American flags to wave. The troops marched in and stood in front of us. We sang the National Anthem and we stood with our hands over our hearts and said the pledge of allegiance including "Under God" and then you know what we did...we bowed our heads to pray. To pray for our soldiers, to pray for the families of the soldiers, to pray for the country they are going to, we prayed for America. I would be naive to think that everyone there was a Christian but everyone did bow there head and then at the end there was a very loud AMEN.

Ivy proudly waving her flag and sporting her fireworks dress the she was so proud of.Making sure her lipstick is on.
And reading her favorite book "The Little Red Hen"
Then we watched them march in and stand for what seemed like an eternity.



They were released to greet there families and everyone was happy and proud and crying of course. But because I was the photographer of the day, I was the first one to greet him and I got that smile that we all love so much.

And then he looked for the rest of the family and was greeted by each of them.





And my brother and a buddy named Cooper, not sure if that's his real name or last name but he just happens to be the sweetie of Allison - who is Jeanna's little sister.

After the ceremony we spent the afternoon at Olive Garden eating and being happy. Happy that we were together and talking about happy things.

Cliffy and Jeanna
Cooper and Allie
Uncle Cliffy teaching Ivy bad habits, like sword fighting with straws at the dinner table.
Ivy being as cute as ever and very happy that Uncle Cliffy let her eat all the grated Parmesan cheese that she wanted.

I'm proud of my brother. I will miss him dearly and I will probably cry a river tomorrow to go along with the others that I've already cried. But after a meltdown that I had the other night and a long talk with my husband I have decided that this is not going to be treated like his funeral. I believe that he will come back home to us safe and we will embrace him like we never have before. I'm going to treat this as the honor that it is. My brother is serving our county and that my fellow bloggers is an honor. He chose to do this and he will do it with every ounce of strength that he has. I will have to be strong, Jeanna will have to be strong, Mom will have to be strong and everyone else that loves him will have to be strong and support him.

I will spend this evening with him and then I will see him off on Friday morning. I will cry and so will everyone else. It doesn't seem real but it is. Friday will be hard but we'll make it.

I love you Cliffy thanks for being you and always loving me and never judging me!