Rehab-Welcome Home.mp4

A few months ago a friend turned me on to an advanced copy of this new Rehab Song..I knew the second I heard it I would hear it at many homecomings for the troops and montages on you tube...it is an amazing song and those of us who know how great those homecomings are...you have to listen to it. My hubs LOVES this song and I have heard it a million times already...enjoy

Memorial Day .....

This weekend was my sons birthday. I think he was born on this weekend as some kind of cosmic gift if you know what I mean. For so many years, and before OIF and OEF it was really rare to meet someone my age that had been affected by a war death. My father was killed in Vietnam when I was a infant. It was before the Internet and video cameras and all the great technology we have today and there is really nothing on film that I have possession of that would let me hear how he sounded, or walked or looked, besides some old photos. So back to my point, memorial day was always a glaring reminder of the fact that I never knew my dad, and that he had been killed in some jungle in Asia in a war that everyone hated. He was my hero, I never knew him and always loved him and still do. Memorial day when I was a kid was spent putting flags on the graves at the Beverly National Cemetery. It was a day that I felt meant something to me only. During the 80's I lived with my sister and her husband, also a Marine at Camp Lejeune when the Beirut Bombing happened. I met briefly one of the Marines that was killed there, he was a friend of my brother-in-laws but I was so young and didn't really understand what it all meant. Watching my sister go through so much but again not really "getting it". So many Marines killed that day and I was smack dab in the middle of it. I can explain it as a 9/11 moment on Camp Lejeune and the town. In the past 10 years the current wars have affected EVERYONE I know. I have 2 nephews, both in the military. There isn't anyone I know that hasn't known someone that knows someone that has fallen. I can't wrap my head around it sometime. I think back to the days that Memorial Day was one name, one person, my dad, my hero. But that isn't the case anymore. Now there are more names than I can even recount. What I want to do today is honor the Marines that fell from my husbands battalion on his last deployment. My husband went on the first initial push to Afghanistan sent by President Obama. It wasn't long before his Battalion started losing their own. It hasn't even been a year yet but I want to use this Memorial Day to say their names, please read them, let them roll off your tongue, tell others their names. Let us never forget all these men, woman. Those that paid the ultimate price and their families. All pictures are posted with permission.
W.O. Richardson

MSgt Benjamin

GySgt Spicer

GySgt Eckerd

I would like to mention 2 other friends we lost this past year. They were not war casualties but they were war vets and we owe them a great big thank you. Sgt. J. Hummel fought in Vietnam and served with my father and became family to us. His ashes now are a part of his beloved Marine Corps at Courthouse Bay where his wife and children and Marine brothers took him for his last ride in an Amtrak. Msgt. L. White, one of our best friends, served with my husband in Iraq and in garrison. Taken from this world suddenly and missed by his wife and 3 sons. We miss you friends...
We miss you both and we know you are guarding the heavens...Semper Fi Marines.

Happy Birthday son, thank you for giving me 18 Memorial Day reasons to smile...and for knowing this weekend is so much bigger than a BBQ and day at the beach. I love you.

The Boy is Now a Man..

Before my son turned the Cadets over to their new C.O. he was able to address them one last time...here it is...we are so proud.

A Great Song Tribute, by Marine Mike Corrado

Trolls Just Another Word for Coward

So yesterday I posted an innocent picture of President G. Bush placing a wreath at Arlington. No words, just a pic. And sure enough, a nasty troll comes along who doesn't even have the courage to leave their name so I could address their comment . Trolls like this are often wrong so I suspect that is why no name is left. I will address the comment here because maybe they will see it and grow a pair and come out from under their sleazy rock. My responses will be in italics. I have tried to really not discuss politics on my blog after a few really negative posts and I think I have done a good job. But really this is something I wasn't going to let ride.

Anonymous said...
"Moreover, not every president has spent Memorial Day at Arlington." First of all Troll I don't think I said anything at all about Obamas dismal failure of not attending the Memorial at Arlington this year. I posted a plain picture of a man I believed loved the troops regardless of what others say. I know this from stories I hear from the men he spoke to in private without the media glare that this current president seems to need. I think the majority of our troops loved him too, and still do. So if that is the picture I chose for Wordless Wednesday that its none of your business but since you took such great offense to it without a word attached maybe you do protest too much. You would think in a year thathas seen 169 troops killed (so far), that he sent by the way, that a little stop at Arlington on Memorial Day would be the least he could do.
In 1983, President Reagan was at a summit meeting, and the deputy secretary of defense -- not even the veep! -- placed the wreath. Nine years later, President George H.W. Bush passed off the wreath to Vice President Dan Quayle (who had used family connections to get a slot in the ... See More National Guard during the days of the Vietnam War draft). And in 2007, Vice President Dick Cheney took on the wreath mission, while President George W. Bush was in Texas, perhaps clearing brush." Again, notice the difference here..President Reagan was at a summit meeting during "Peace time"...at work.. President Obama is going on VACATION, I am sure he could have done both.. if he was so inclined. As for President Bush in 2007, some fact checking should be done..according to the Department of Defense website it says the following for 2007; here is the link for DOD http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2007/memorialday/index.html

Bush Honors Fallen Heroes on Memorial Day at Arlington
WASHINGTON, May 28, 2007 – Evoking the memories of citizens who died defending America throughout history and urging a new generation to safeguard freedoms for which previous generations made sacrifices, President Bush commemorated Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery here today. But really, I must say, the excuses for Obamas failure to perform being laid at the feet of "well Bush did it too" is old and tired and should stop. Sounds like something a 3 year old would say when blaming their siblings for behaving badly. Bad form and lacks class. And I won't address the issues you have with Quayles military service, bad form on your part and lets talk about Obamas service...oh right short conversation since he has NONE.


Source: http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/05/26/rightwing-memorial-day-attack-on-obama/?sms_ss=facebook
Ya if my readers want to follow this link to what I am sure is a libtard fallacy of misinformed writing, feel free...decide for yourself..I won't waste my time. I tend to not get my facts from Facebook.

Get off your high horse. He's no better than Obama.
Again, I posted a picture..and wow ...again, the great Bush defense...so well put...NOT.

see the comment

WORDLESS WENDESDAY

Sweet....

Thank you LCplsPrincess A new member of our Marine Corps family! I like this award because it wants me to tell you 7 things about myself. Since I love to talk so much about my son and hubs I thought this would be a great chance to tell you a little about myself.
1. I grew up on the same street in Philadelphia where they filmed the "Rocky" movie. I can't think of a better place to have grown up.
2. I am a loner, I have always been very solitary and with the exception of my son and hubs I could go weeks without seeing anyone.
3. I HATE talking on the phone. I mean I would rather communicate via text, email or even snail mail.
4. I love to PT and it's a good thing (see #5)
5. I love to eat.
6. I love to travel, I love walking on the streets in Europe and imagining all those that walked there before me, century's before. Standing in the Coliseum and imagining what took place in there, chills. I still have so many other places I would like to see.
7. I hate to fly, I take medication to fly which sucks (see #6)

How about you? What are 7 things about you? Grab the Award and let me know. I would love to know 7 things about you that maybe you would like to share.

J.R.O.T.C. BALL

So another "last" has come and gone, the last NJROTC Ball for my son. I know when he gets to college there will be more but this was the last hurrah for the High school era. He has been to all the balls with the exception of his sophomore year when they didn't have one because of lack of funds. They raise all the money themselves and do a fantastic job every year. His date this year was a fellow Cadet from his freshman year, they were both very competitive with one another and they were 14 years old! I love Melissa I think she is wonderful and had she not moved after her freshman year she surely would have kept Michael on his toes. I think it is wonderful that her family drove her all the way here from Kansas so she could be Michael's date for the ball, kind of a full circle moment. Her dad is a retired Marine and I think he "gets" that it is important for his daughter to be able to close this out with the Cadets and unit that were once so important to her. I think as military parents it is important for us to recognize how our PCS moves effect our kids and do what we can to help them get the "good byes" they need if at all possible. I will include some pics of Michael of his freshman ball and Jr. ball as well...enjoy. P.S. disregard dates on pics, he used my old point and shot and date was wrong.



Michael and his date

School Spirit

Best Friends

Cadets at unit say they are "Navy Built, Marine Powered" Naval instructor 1stSgt Wilson

Michael cutting the cake

Another of him and his date

Blast from the past


Freshman Year

Jr. Year

Friendships

As a military spouse I am no stranger to telling friends, "Good-bye, see you later" and all the ways we spin it when we PCS, or when our friends PCS. Sometimes it is with the knowledge that you may never see one another again, or maybe you will. The Marine Corps is a pretty small community so most of the time you will bump into old friends from time to time and it is always good to see them, always sad to say good-bye. A lot of times my hubs will tell me, "oh guess who I saw on base today?" only to realize it was someone that was just coming through to attend a seminar, a school or some training. One of my best friends in the world (Gail) and I met in Okinawa, we worked together and our husbands were promoted to SSgt on the same board so we introduced them and they became fast friends. I celebrated the birth of her daughter Grace with her, and she celebrated tons of things with me. We left Okinawa at the same time, her to S.C. and me to Spain. We stayed in touch via email, rare phone calls and actual "snail mail" So about 3 years ago imagine my excitement to find out they were coming to the same place we were!! Our hubs have fostered their friendship via deployments, they were briefly together in Iraq in 05 and Afghanistan last year. Gail and I have pulled it together for one another through 4 deployments. This last one was a year tour for her hubs my hubs left after 7 months, and they both were through the crapper on this last one, a bond of brotherhood deeper for it. But long story short, Chris came home and last night we had FUN!! I love how we can just laugh for days when we hang out..he was missed, and now..as the Marine Corps likes to do ...we will be on opposite sides of the country..for now..I will miss the laughter! Keep your friendships in this life, it takes work, don't lose touch with people when you move, you never know when your paths will cross again and you can pick right up where you left off.



Loved the flowers


Me and Gail being ourselves!


Side splitting laughter and "Ugly smile" different than ugly cry..lol


Chris and Greg...

Freedom Friday

In the Spirit of Freedom Friday I am stealing this idea from my friend Nadine and posting my favorite military commercial. This is one my all time favorites and I remember it even as a child. What's your favorite Military Commercial?

OF COURSE

Just Checking In

Well haven't blogged in a bit so I thought I would stop in and just say hello! Been reading everyones blogs and they are all so good, I love reading and learning about all of you. If you stop by please leave a link to your blog so I can hop on over in case I missed it. As we drive cross country I will be reading a lot of them and I don't want to miss any great ones!
So this week has been eventful and uneventful all at the same time, strange I know. Have a few sick family members, one is OK now, one is going to be fighting for his life. Cancer is a mean and ugly thing, I really hope they can find a cure in my lifetime.
Well some good news, my son did come home with his yearbook this past week, and here he is as an "outstanding senior" and we couldn't be more proud.



My husband is now on his second week of leave, and we are enjoying it. I love that we have so much fun together and how we just laugh and enjoy one anothers company, even after all these years. It is nice to know that when our son is off to college we still have one another. Oh ya and the dog is loving having "dad" home..he is so much more fun than me.



Saturday my son has his last JROTC Ball, and than the following week he has his change of command. Last year my husband was in Afghanistan when my son was promoted to Cmdr so he missed it all but I am happy he will be here to see him turn the unit over. They do a really nice ceremony and you almost forget these are High School kids. I will be sharing the pics so stay tuned.

Time To Recognize

President Harry S. Truman led the effort to establish a single holiday for citizens to come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in support of our country.

On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force Days. The single-day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under one department -- the Department of Defense.

Some Bloggy Love

Hi everyone!! This week I received not 1, but 2 blog awards from 2 really awesome Marine Wives. I received this 1st one from Tiffanie at My Domestic Niche , she is a great mom, wife and an awesome crochet artist! I think you should go to her blog and find out more about her.




My second award came from Ines,at The Few, the Proud, the Wife. She has a great blog and I have loved reading about her and her man and her fur baby. Stop bye and say hello, it is worth the time.



Now, I hope the fantastic ladies who took the time to give me these awards forgive me for not following the rules specifically. I am supposed to now go and list some blogs for you to follow and or just go bye and check out. How about I suggest you look at the blogs I follow and tell you to go check them all out. I think they are all fantastic. I know, I know that is not how this works but I just hate to leave anyone out. I do want to leave these same awards for the following ladies just because, I would honestly award these to just about all my mil-wive blogs I follow but I have to keep this short..

Hell Cat Betty,stop by to welcome home her hero who just got home!

Nadine , follow the adventures of an Army Wife and her handsome men.

Mrs. L, a brand new just "issued" Marine Wife!

I could go on and on with these awards, like I said...go check out all the blogs I follow and you will see they all deserve an award!

One of Those "LAST"

On Wednesdays for the last 4 years my son has gotten up and put on one of his uniforms for J.R.O.T.C. For the last 2 years he was either a Chief (last year), or Commanding Officer (this year)so he has been wearing his SDB's(Service Dress Blues). Well next week is the Navy Ball so we had his SDB's in the cleaners so he had to wear his Summer White Uniform, something he hadn't done in awhile. Anyhow long story short today when he came in from school in that uniform I realized it would be the last time he would be wearing it and I had to document it..I remember my little freshman so proud with his one ribbon for being "most improved cadet" at summer indoc and now looking at my fine young man and all he has accomplished since then. I know he is off to College R.O.T.C. and I will see him in uniform again, but today realizing I won't be there in the morning when he puts it on or the afternoon when he gets home made me choke up a little. Oh ya and I went and grabbed the camera to record it..enjoy!

The Story

FOXNews.com - Thieves Steal Mojave Desert Memorial Cross in Nighttime Heist

FOXNews.com - Thieves Steal Mojave Desert Memorial Cross in Nighttime Heist

Posted using ShareThis

I have been following this story for a long time, and I have to say this breaks my heart. I have no idea how some people could be so cruel. This was a promise made, for those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, for those that did this cowardly deed. I really am speechless.

Happy Mothers Day

Today I would like to say "Happy Mother's Day" to all my friends who know what it's like to walk around with your heart on the outside of your body. That precious child or children that from the moment they came into your life have changed you forever. I am about to be an "empty nester" and honestly I am struggling with it a bit. I am aware that they reality of it may or may not be as bad as I imagine but I will undoubtedly find out in several months. I have heard a saying that goes, "teenagers are designed to be such a pain so when they leave you are happy." Well my son missed the memo, and even though he has his teenage moments the other 95%of the time he is a joy and fun to be around.
I would like to also like to recognize all the Gold Star wives and mothers that have sacrificed so much through the loss of their hero, we salute you as well today.

Happy Mothers Day

Military Spouse Appreciation Day/This time spell checked...lol

In honor of Military Spouse Appreciation Day I would like to thank all the spouses out there and tell you what you do is "appreciated". As a fellow spouse I know first hand that most of us didn't marry our hero for any appreciation or special kudos because lets face it, the job is pretty thankless and we did it because for the most part, the heart wants what the heart wants. I married my hero with trepidation, not because I wasn't sure I wanted to marry him but because I come from a military family and I knew what marrying a man going into the military would mean. I focused on the bad parts as I watched my man go off to boot camp unsure if I would still be around when he got back. That lasted exactly for the ride home. By the time I got home from the airport I knew for sure I would be there, just the thought of him being gone for 3 months was more than I could bear, how would I go a lifetime without him. So like most good "boots" we got married on Nov. 10th (Marine Birthday) while my hubs was home on boot camp leave. I am pretty sure that the last thing they hear is, "Don't get married on boot camp leave!" :P
Anyhow...I am grateful for a day that is for the spouse but really I would do it all again, even knowing the Wars would start and it would get harder and everything else that came with those deployments. Honestly...it has been the best time of my life, I love my husband more now than that day so many years ago...and I wouldn't change a thing.

WORDLESS WENDESDAY

This was made by a friend, to include my dad and friends that have passed.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

As you all know I LOVE a great quote. Words, when put in the right order in a way to inspire are one of my favorite things! Here is one that I LOVE !!

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others"
Nelson Mandela

Pics of Our Fur Babies

I was messing with my camera and got what I thought were a few really good pics of our fur kids. My lab had a tumor behind his eye when he was a pup and it caused some nerve damage when it was removed. We still think he is amazing..


This is Shin Tetsu. We named him after my husbands Japanese Karate Sensi. It was hilarious when we were in West Africa and we called him "Shin" because "chien" in French means dog. Shin is from Madrid, Spain.


This is "Chicks". His full name is "Chickity China the Chinese Chicken" I know right! Of course he is named after the Bare Naked Ladies song that was really popular when we got him. We call him "Chicks" for short. Chicks is from Okinawa, Japan

Mil-Spouse Blog Hop

OK I am joining in..thanks to


I have been reading some of the fantastic blogs and I am joining the parade. How fun.
So here is a little about me;

My name is Heidi and you can find me on line as usmcwife8999. I am a proud wife of an outstanding Marine. I have been around the military my whole life pretty much. My father was a U.S. Marine and he was killed in action in Vietnam when I was an infant. This is him

So as you can see my love of a man in uniform is kind of in my DNA. My sister married a Marine and so did I, imagine that!
My life started out in Philadelphia but the Marine Corps has taken me all over the planet. I met my husband in college, I knew he wanted to be a Marine and believe it or not it kinda put me off at first because I watched my sister go through endless deployments and raising her kids by herself for the most part and wasn't sure I wanted that for myself. But as you all know the heart wants what the heart wants and we ended up together. I love that I knew my husband before he went to boot camp and was part of his whole transition to a Marine. He is a fantastic father and husband and I couldn't be more proud of him as a man. My son, our pride and joy is truly a child of the world. He has lived so many places and it has shaped him into such a wonderful multi-cultural child and has such great adventures from living in Japan, Spain and West Africa. He is on his way to University this fall to ROTC w/Marine Option. It will be fun watching his transition to a Marine as well. My guys





So a little about me, funny how we always end up bragging about our loved ones first..oh well. We are currently in the process of PCS'ing. I started my blog as a way to get my thoughts out on all the major changes happening in our lives. Selling our house (check), moving cross country (soon) and son going off to college (too soon). It has been a wonderfully cathartic. My husbands last deployment (well not last but last to date) was extremely stressful and eye-opening for many reasons I will not go into here but I needed my blog to just vent about everything. I love our life in the Marine Corps community, I wouldn't change any of it. Yes, multiple deployments have been hard but everyone (for the most part) is doing it and we aren't special so we just deal with it. As people say it isn't the quantity of time you spend together but the quality and we are very aware of our time together as being precious. I look forward to the day when my husband is no longer sent away to war, but I will continue to support him every time he does. I have taken time after getting laid off in September of 2008 to finish my degree..and I have finally finished! I am proud of myself but looking forward to getting back to work. I enjoy being home but with my son about to graduate and no more classes on the horizon it is time to go back to the work force. I love to exercise which goes hand in hand with loving to eat...but I don't cook. I mean I don't "cook" fancy, which I may change soon, thinking cooking classes on my horizon. It isn't very Italian of me to not be a good cook.
So that is "us" in a nutshell..you can read my blog and find out more details about me and my family. Oh ya..can't forget our "fur Babies..Shin and Chicks...our dog and cat respectfully. They are also world travelers but still can't seem to get them to the vet without them throwing fits...lol so have a great day everyone and I look forward to reading all about your adventures in this crazy, unique, rewarding Military life we all co-habitat.