Last night my sister called me to tell me that her husband is being sent to Iraq for a year, scheduled to leave this summer. We cried together for a minute and then sprung into action making plans on how to conquer this particular challenge.
Brian is excited for this adventure. He has never been over seas and he is looking forward to serving our country. They are finding the silver lining on all the clouds.
We are so very proud of Brian. The Barnettes do not want pity, but pride in their soldier.
Jessamyn will hopefully come stay with me for awhile and finish decorating the rest of my house like the good Cinderella she is.
So today on my blog I salute Brian and all the other soldiers and I try once again to see the bright side of February.
(pictures from Jessamyn's blog)
7 comments:
thank you for being the best sister in the world
Love you jessamyn! We will all be here to help you through the year! You have an amazing family and lots of love and support!! YOur Awesome liz!
This is a wonderful tribute, Daughter. Brian does make us all proud. I think you are doing marvelously with your February challenge.
Jessamyn, I'm Jim's Aunt Pat. Our foster daughter returned in late September after a year in Iraq. It's much safer than in the beginning and there are so many ways to stay in touch with your soldier. Flat rate priority mail is the best way to send packages - and there's a discount for APO addresses. As much as you can cram in for one flat rate. Just don't forget the customs form. I never really said what was on the outside, because some really tasty treats don't always make it, so I used to say books, educational materials, training films. pencils, etc. If your soldier is from that area, consider going to his grade school and see if a class will make him into a project - great way to get lots of mail! Have mailing labels made and give them to friends and family so it will be easy to drop him a line. I found some photo cards by a local photographer of this area and she put them all around her pod to remind her of El Paso. And tell your soldier not to be shy if someone asks what he or she can send. Most people want to do something for our soldiers even if it's just a bag of pistachios. Don't forget to send enough to share. Have your guy make a tape or CD reading a favorite bedtime story - kids love to hear Daddy read to them. We sent lots of food: dried fruit, nuts, canned soups, cookies and more cookies, crackers, pretzels, candy (chocolate in cool weather only), cereal, etc. Don't forget sunscreen, baby powder, and Chap Stick. If he has a favorite toothpaste, deodorant, or razor, keep him supplied. It took about a week for a package to get there from El Paso - it may be shorter from PA. Mail coming from Iraq to the US takes a lot longer, so be prepared. The most important thing is to stay connected - keep being a part of each other's lives. It's not always easy, but it has to be done. You're much luckier than families in WWII - they only had mail - and that could take months to arrive. Be sure you're set up with a web cam. And don't forget Skype - it's free. Thank God for our soldiers and may He continue to bless them and their families.
Thank you Aunt Pat, I had no idea.
I thank you too, Aunt Pat! These are terrific and comforting words and ideas that we can all use to help support Brian. Thank you for sharing your experiences.
(I'm Elizabeth's mom).
Thank you Aunt Pat!! I will be relying a lot on those who have already dealt with deployment, thank you for all your advice!
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