On this Veteran's Day

Thank you, Veterans, for choosing to serve your country in the Armed Forces.

A special thanks to my brothers, a couple of Uncles, cousins, and three nephews who have all served (and some are still serving) for their time, energy, sacrifices, commitment, and love for our country. We cannot thank you enough.

With love,

Sis, cousin, and Auntie Javamom

Nephew home soon

I heard from my brother this morning, and my nephew is coming home soon! Prayers for safety for all the troops are appreciated; pray that they arrive home well.

They will be leaving Baghdad in 6 days (unless the Army changes their mind again)! He should be arriving stateside somewhere between next Thursday and Saturday!!!

In other news...remember the base you saw on fire last week on the news?? That was his base and he said the ammo depot was roughly 150 meters from his quaters. One of the explosions blew out his windows and ripped his door in half. He said he was thrown around like a rag doll and was pretty sore the next day. He also said one of the mortars flew about 10 feet over his head and he ran a 4.0 40 to his quarters . But, at least a this point he is doing well.

I just want to thank everyone for your prayers so far and just one more time ask you to continue to do so untill his feet touch American soil!! (hopefully a week from tomorrow!)

Javamom

Back to Iraq

My nephew begins his journey back to Iraq today, after R & R. We will go spend the afternoon with him at the airport today on his layover, taking him lunch, extra snacks, homemade cookies and the like.

later in the day:
It is the evening, now. We spent a nutty day traveling from gate to gate all over the airport. Neither my nephew nor I have a cell phone! Thankfully, courtesy phones and the USO helped us connect! Our teens and I spent most of his layover keeping him company. What a treat. I told him how proud I was of him and to stay as safe as he could. We hope and pray for his safe return in November!

Nephew doing great

G says this is an awesome Iraqi kid :-)

These two photos were taken the night G left, just days after Thanksgiving.





We just got a good update today. He said he is really enjoying his new job. It still is a little intense for family! (click to enlarge)

off to war

Yes, another nephew is leaving for Iraq tonight or tomorrow. {sigh}
We are all very proud of him, for many reasons. He is older than probably all of the recruits who are in his group (he's 25, married, with two boys) and he is calm and stable. Therefore, the guys look up to him as a big brother or mentor. He has such an opportunity to minister at this time, to all those around him. We pray for his strength and safety, and that the Lord brings him and his battallion home safe and sound in 2007. So, we're off to Fort Hood this afternoon for the big troops send-off.

(don't mind the chair back behind me, or the odd shadow...I have not grown an extra hip over the holiday ;-)

Do not take anything for granted, folks...

Javamom

And most importantly...Veteran's Day

I remember Veteran's Day...in honor of all the Soldiers who have served and fought for our country. More specifically in my own life: Two of my brothers (Air Force), a Great-Uncle (Patton's Army), at least two cousins (Marines), and one--but soon to be two--of my nephews (both Army). Second nephew is joining their ranks, going on his first tour of Iraq on the Monday after Thanksgiving Day.

I remember...for them and their immediate families. I remember so that I can pass the history on to my children, so that they will honor the soldiers, and honor the causes...and honor the people and countries whom we have fought with, side-by-side, on whose behalf we have fought.

Javamom

My brothers, veterans

The first picture is of the middle brother in my family. He was an Air Force Russian linguist in Germany during the Cold War and Reagan's presidency. His wife and first grandchild are enjoying fireworks in our yard and neighborhood.

The next picture is of my oldest brother, his wifey, and the last two of their five children who are still at home. They already have eight grandkids. He was in the Air Force in the early 70's and was a guard at the hospital for the POW's at the end of the Vietnam War.

You would not believe how much *fun* the "grown boys" were having! Our sons, nephews, and their Uncles enjoyed blowing things up, and trying to melt down the mailbox...a yearly tradition. If anyone would be able to do it, I figured it would be our nephew, a veteran of the war in Iraq. Well, the mailbox has a few more small holes in it than before, but it still stands!

We remember for them

For our family members and our friends in the military and in Iraq...For an old church friend who died in Iraq several months back...we remember for them. We listen to their stories so that we can pass them on, and understand their purpose (both the soldiers', their families', and all their stories).

They embody the meaning of what it really is to be a free people.

*The RCM*

The Real Chile Men (tm)

A Story about people who are just like real friends! (inside joke)

These are the "Real Chile Men." They are celebrating (with their families) Hubby's graduation, and Kenmeneezer's two-week leave from Iraq. Hubby is on the back row, left. Guess which one is the Army dude? (grin) Virtual Toblerone for anyone who gets it right!!

Honestly, these are most all of Hubster's best, best buddies. We've been through thick and thin together. Once a year, they go on a journey to New Mexico to hunt and bring home hundreds upon hundreds of pounds of Big Jim chiles to freeze for their families. This summer will be their 12th year to go. They camp, eat, hunt chile, eat, sing and play guitars, mandolins and harmonica around the campfire, eat, swim and hike, eat...you get the picture.

In the late spring, early summertime, these manly men--businessmen, computer dudes, photogtraphers, teachers, a part-time Starbuck's barrista, and a munitions specialist--begin to write poems, ballads and tales in preparation for their journey at summer's end. With apologies to more famous poets and authors of the past, they even create spoof re-writes based on well-known works, such as "Chile, Chile Burning Bright," "Charge of The Chile Brigade," "The Grinch Who Stole The Chiles." They've redone ballads from The Pirates of Pinzance, Poetry of Robert Frost, Edgar Alan Poe, and *so* many others. Twelve years' worth of writing and re-writing.

One of the most notable songs written was a mandolin instrumental by my Hubby. It is called "____'s Lugubrious Lulluby," for one of the RCM (who shall remain nameless) with serious snoring issues. I think these men are brilliant.

This tradition began with Wadeboam, the brightest (clothed) one of the bunch. He grew up in New Mexico, among the chile farmers surrounding the Hatch, N.M. area. Hubby joined him that first year. Now, he makes the journey at the end of each growing season with Normanshalalhashbaz, J-braham, and the rest of his buddies to literally bring home the best chile in the country. It beats store-bought, hands down. The stores around here stock and roast them, now, but their roasting fires are too hot, and they burn much of the good meat, rendering them almost useless, so we continue to grill our own to prepare them for freezing. Then, we have a fiesta of food and music with all of our families!

This year, The RCM (tm) are adding a special family camping trip to our summer, so that the families can join in on ~some~ of their fun. They are all excellent cooks! I think the wives and children will probably do a lot of the clean-up.

Some of the items on the menu:

~ Cheese corn grits with green chiles
~ chile rellenos
~ chicken enchiladas w/ chile
~ cilantro corn, maybe with some green chile added :-)
~ beef tenderloin topped with green chile
~ breakfast burritos with chorizo and green chile
~ and some really scrumptious fried fruit turnovers and dutch-oven cherry dump cake for dessert.

We are blessed with precious friends and family. It's going to be a wonderful summer, even though we will be continuing on with some summer school studies, so the kiddos don't lose ground in math.

Protected in Iraq

Once again, the Lord's hand of protection was on my nephew and his group on a mission in Iraq. While out searching for IED's last week, an insurgent tried to blow them up. Thanks to some Israeli technology, the IED was continuously jammed, and they were able to get outta there to safety, and then detonate the IED themselves. Keep up the prayers for their safety!

~Fallen Hero~

Today, I attended the funeral of a man who worked with a private security company in Iraq. We knew Jim and his family back when our oldest two children were very young, attending the same church. His family was close to my brother's family, their kids all grew up and went to school and church together. He and a coworker were killed just over a week ago in Iraq by a roadside bomb. My niece said that her husband, who is back in Iraq for his second tour, heard the explosion that day.

Jim was a former Marine, a police officer, and in the last decade or so, has been a part of helping with security in many countries; Afghanistan, Qatar, Iraq, and Bosnia. I think he worked in Saudi Arabia, as well.

His son, Chris was in the Navy. He was killed by a drunk driver two years ago while back on his two-week leave from his deployment in Iraq.

Several moments from the day stuck out to me. A young man who is in the army, who called Jim his second father, wanted passionately to speak with us, as much for the cause as he wanted to speak at the service because of his love for his comrade. He very earnestly said to us all that He believes in what we're doing in Iraq. He said that Jim believed with his whole heart in the mission, as well.

Jim'a favorite passage from the Bible is in the Beatitudes in Matthew, "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God." He felt that was his calling in life, to be a peacemaker, walking into turmoil and conflict, when and where others needed help.

Two Marines performed the flag-unfolding/folding ceremony. I could not keep the tears from streaming. Few people could. After one of the Marines presented the flag to Jim's wife, the other played Taps on the bugle. Next, we watched and listended as man played "Amazing Grace" on the bag pipes, from the foyer, up the isle, and back out again, walking slowly as he played. Very solemn, very reverent. Very moving.

While that was special, the most tear-jerking moments were during a sweet slide-show (complete with music) of his life, his family, kids/grandkids, and pictures from his work as a Marine, police officer, and security worker.

We have much for which to thank men like Jim, maybe the least of which is our ability to carry on with our lives, shopping and watching movies, going to sports events, the symphony, living our busy, fulfilling, overscheduled days, because of their work to keep us a free nation, free from attack since 9/11, relatively free from fear.

Thank you...Jim, who is now passed, Mike and Ken, family and friends in Iraq...and all the others...we're praying for you.

Pray for the Troops

Another Great-nephew

Isn't he adorable? Holden is about 18 months old, born while his Daddy was on his first tour in Iraq. His Daddy was home for almost a year and has just returned to Iraq for his second tour.

Remember to pray for the troops!