saying goodbye

Kevin got out of the Marine Corps last week. Before Kevin left we sat down and had a heart to heart talk. We talked about Iraq, and he felt guilty for going home while his buddy's were gearing up for another deployment. Kevin is worried that his family will not understand his P.T.S.D.

About a week before he left Kevin got the news that his parents would not be coming out here, so that they could drive back with him. Kevin's mom just found out that she has breast cancer. Kevin is worried. I am not worried about Kevins mom. I know Kevins mom and she is a strong women full of life. A little thing like cancer is not going to slow her down. I am worried about Kevin.

Kevin told me that even if Rusty and I meet his children, that he will never tell his children how he knows us. Kevin will never speak of his time in the Marine Corps. That broke my hart. Oh I do understand that he does he does not want to speak of Iraq and the horrors of war. But not speak of Rusty and I just broke my heart.

I guess it is easier to not speak of us because we remind him of the Marine Corps and  to Kevin the Marine Corps means going to war.

Today our friend Dimitri leaves for his 6th tour in Iraq. Demitri and us go way back. Demitri use to work for Rusty many years ago.

This morning as I slept Dimitri loaded up onto an air craft and will once again go fight for our freedom.

I am sure at times I will take these freedoms for granted. While I sleep in a nice warm bed our service men and women will sleep some place cold.

While I send my children on trips around the world, our service men will want to take a trip to see their children.

While I sit here and drink my tea, they may not have anything hot to drink on a cold morning.

I just hope that the blanket I made him will be of some comfort. I just hope that Dimitri knows that he is loved and that we will be here waiting for him.

Our love for these marines never ends.

It has warmed back up here. I was not ready for cold weather. Now the days are back up in the high 80's.

It turns out that Nikki's mission trip leader had her passport so we will not have to go get her a new one! I am so glad for that.

I have started using the china. Did I tell already tell you guys that? I think it is so much fun.

George called me last night and told me that another one of our friends had called her. So George got kidnapped last night. Luis ( our friend) took her out to dinner. I am very happy to see the marines looking out for each other. Not that they don't anyway, but you know.

Yesterday I actually cleaned out the car. To my great surprise it did not fall apart once I got all of the trash out of it. I even went and got it vacuumed out.

Rusty and I had a very calm yet very candid discussion on my car. Rusty wants to get rid of one of my cars and I told him no, that he should fix the car instead. It still runs..... Then there is the issue of the car that my late mother in law gave me. I am letting Amber drive it. If Rusty gets rid of my car then Amber and I will have to share a car.

I made it very clear that we will not be getting rid of my car's anytime soon. I want my Porsche and there will be no children riding in my car, so I will need another car if I need to transport a child.

Rusty just looked at me. I told him not to give me that look. He got his dream truck so why can't I have my dream car?

I know that I have put my dreams on hold long enough and I am not going to compromise on this issue. That has to be the stubborn Irish side of me.

O.K. I need to get moving. I have a million things to do today. And yes I do think and plot how my day will go in my sleep! LOL