silly as it sounds...

welcome

it was so, so sweet
so breathtaking
so surreal
so heart-FULL

and each heart is whispering,
"Home, home at last!"

--Thomas Hood

homecoming

the 864th Engineers (Alpha company) came home late today

for a sweet, sweet Mothers Day surprise;

we are so excited to have them home

and even more excited to say

that...

JOE WILL BE HOME ON WEDNESDAY!

it's been 15 long months,

3 longer than expected,

and i couldn't be MORE EXCITED for my sister!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sweet

kara made this video of his arrival
(....still crying! *sob*!)
i swear
she should get into videography
this is amazing
:)

...and the winners are...

are you ready? baylor and i did the printing, cutting, and drawing today...

we decided that it was a special occassion, so we pulled out the fancy rubyware!
baylor pulled out three strips (after i had sufficiently mashed them around each time)...

and are you ready?

winner number one is.....

AMY COOSE!  :D  :D  :D

and the second calendar goes to.....

oh, man. shades of Ryan Seacrest, here.
Don't you hate that annoying commercial break excuse?
heh heh heh
well, it's not a commercial....
but....
calendar #2 gets announced TOMORROW!  :D

Congratulations, Amy, and if you will please email me with your shipping
address, i will get your calendar to you!  :D

Now, i need to go check in on my sister....my brother-in-law 1Lt Joe Mangan
is home for a short visit from Afghanistan!  :D  :D  :D  :D  Happy times!!!

to the 864th...

i send my love and prayers and condolences and, most especially,
my gratitude for your courage and commitment and sacrifices.

most especially, to the family of Sergeant Bryce D. Howard of Vancouver, WA,
one of three soldiers from the 864th killed Tuesday in Afghanistan
by a suicide bomber's IED (improvised explosive device) while constructing a bridge.

my sister, being involved with the FRG of the unit, has closer ties with the soldier from
the HSC, and from her I understand that Sgt. Howard leaves behind a sweet wife and
two beautiful young children.

Newspaper Article

words like 'hero' and 'honor' and 'gratitude' are hollow compared to what i feel for these men,
women, and children; each participating in their own circle of stewardship
independent of anything i have ever done or said or experienced,
and yet,
still have done it for me and my family and my world
so selflessly.

i heard the news tonite as i was working, television on as usual in the background,
when i suddenly heard mention of soldiers and again, as usual, my ears tuned in
to acknowledge the latest casualties.  i can't quite explain the shock, however,
when the broadcaster said the number '864th' as the 3 soldiers' names were read.

had i heard that right?

everything seemed to stop around me.  time seemed to hold it's breath.
even the air seemed to shiver and pause all around me.

but my eyes focused on the screen and confirmed what i'd heard...

we had lost 3 members of the 864th.

then the rush of blood through my head like a freight train as i tried to think
what to do next?

i called my sister.

her voice was weary from the weight of the last couple of days, holding it close to her

keeping it

shouldering it

and i think of my reaction and shake my head with something related to guilt that i could

feel so sad and react so strongly, when here she was existing somewhere between "thank

goodness it was not my husband" and "i can't believe this is happening to us".

it is too close

to

home

here are a couple of articles about the work they are doing there:

Road Building in Afghanistan

Humanitarian Assistance

i was going to post previews to my new digital kits,

but somehow that seems so far away right now....

anyway.

if you're reading this,

will you leave them (the 864th and their families)

a comment, a prayer, a word or two?

i know they would appreciate it so very much...

and i do, too