Preparing for his homecoming

My Sgt will be returning from Iraq in about 2 months. The preparations have begun.
First on my list was to buy a HUGE welcome home banner. Did not take too much googling to find a place to order from. I used BuildASign, www.buildasign.com/troops . This is an amazing site. You can order a huge welcome home banner 3 feet X 6 feet for FREE. Yes, I said FREE. As a thank you to our troops this particular company is allowing family members at a great price. They only ask that you pay shipping and handling. That is a great deal considering the 3' x 6' is around $60.00. You simply pay the shipping. You will be prompted to choose how much you wish to pay. The higher shipping rate means you get your banner quicker. You can custom design it yourself. Make it say exactly what you want it to say in the colors you wish use. Even better than that you can add a picture of your soldier. I will have an example in this blog. I hope each and every person takes advantage of this amazing deal. What a great way to let our husbands know how proud we are of them and how happy we are to have them home. Hang it in a public place for all the world to see.


A special thank you to my wonderful husband,SGT Hayes. He has defended our freedom since May 19, 2008 and we only have a couple months left.
Thank you so much. I Love You to Iraq & Back. Be safe and come home soon.

I am a PROUD Army Wife

Silent Ranks

I wear no uniforms, no blues or army greens
But I am in the Army in the ranks rarely seen
I have no rank upon my shoulders - salutes I do not give
But the military world is the place where I live
I'm not in the chain of command, orders I do not get
But my husband is the one who does, this I can not forget
I'm not the one who fires the weapon, who puts my life on the line
But my job is just as tough. I'm the one that's left behind
My husband is a patriot, a brave and prideful man
And the call to serve his country not all can understand
Behind the lines I see the things needed to keep this country free
My husband makes the sacrifice, but so do our kids and me
I love the man I married, Soldiering is his life
But I stand among the silent ranks known as the Army Wife

Nyke breaking it down after the Raniers game and some random guy joined in!

A picture is worth a thousand words

Taken: May 25, 2009 Point Defiance Zoo
Tacoma Wa

Hold my 4th grader back...yes or no?

The 2008-2009 school year has been an extremely difficult year for my son. He has gone through a lot this year. His father deployed for the first major deployment of his military career, Ian's Tourettes syndrome had gone totally bonkers, and his school has had major issues in the faculty department. I am struggling with the choice of holding Ian back in the 4th grade for another year. I have spoken to the teachers and they say he is doing "ok". His handwriting is horrible. He can not stay on task. He is very easily distract able. He has missed alot of time this particular school year. Like I said his Dad is deployed to Iraq, which in turn has caused an extraordinary amount of anxiety. Anxiety only makes Ian's "Tics" worse. When he is at school children make fun of his "Tics" and the teachers did not do alot to help the situation either. I worry about Ian's reading. I am thinking I would prefer to hold him back and him be an amazing 4th grader again next year as oppose to him moving along to 4th grade and struggling and falling behind yet again. I have asked friends and family there opinion on this matter and I really have not gotten a clear answer. I figured I needed to speak to other moms like me. When Ian has something he needs more information on I always tell him to google it! I followed my own advice, kinda.
I went to www.momcentral.com and www.mamapedia.com.
I found so many other moms struggling with the same type of questions. I was able to read through the posts on that site and get a good perspective from all different sides in regards to holding him back. I believe I can make a sound decesion about this now.

It is always best to look up the topic if you don't know the answer. Now we have websites created for moms by moms. Can it get any better than that? NO! I will be saving the link to the sites as some of my favorites. It is a God send!

Macaroni Grill gift basket giveaway

I recently started following http://chefdruck.blogspot.com
She has great giveaways as well as tons of usefull information on her blog. Right now she is having a Macaroni Grill gift basket giveaway. Check it out and regiter to win today. I would suggest following her blog as well. You will always find something of intrest on there.

Madigan Army Medical Center

Just a quick blog tonight.

As most if not all of you know last week I had to take Ian to the ER. The Brilliant PA in the emergancy room diagnosed Ian with Mono. Some would say ok mistakes happen. Yes it may have been a mistake but that mistake meant Ian was home ALL last week. He was not allowed to return to school until he was cleared today by his pediatrician. We went to the doctor tonight at 1845. He was not even seen until 1925. Once called back into the actual doctors office, we spent all of 3 minutes. he quickly opened Ian's lab work and stated Ian has never had a trace of Mono in his body EVER. Long story short I was tortured for a week with Ian being home from school for no reason. I say no reason but he actually was sick with a bug, but now it is being called viral.
Moral of my rant is basically if you are ever seen in MAMC ER and diagnosed with something serious always get a second opinion. I am off to put the kids to bed. Ian has school tomorrow Yehaw!