I guess the airport there is where most, if not all, of the soldiers go when they are coming home on leave so the USO there is very big. Chris said that when they got off of their plane coming home for leave, there were hundreds of people there cheering for them. There was also a man from West Jordan who sat by Chris on his flight from Salt Lake to Dallas. This man was going to Disney World to visit a son who worked there. Last week we got a package full of shirts and stuffed animals and treats for the boys along with a note to Eli and Isaac thanking them for their sacrifice.
You read emails and hear stories all the time of the things that people do for the soldiers but it is different when they do it for you and your family. We are so thankful for all of the support that we have received. There has been wonderful things given to us from strangers but we are most thankful to all that has been given by those that we know and love. For any of you who have watched my kids for me or hung out with me so that I had another adult to talk to or said a prayer for me or anything else THANK YOU. I honestly can not imagine how much harder this would have been if I didn't have all of the help and support.
3 comments:
Having Chris in Iraq has been a big eye opening experience for me and I, myself have been very touched by things people say and do just knowing I have a brother in Iraq. I don't feel that I personally deserve anything special, afterall, I have done nothing. My co-workers and clients that know my brother is there are all so nice and ask about him all the time and they ask how you and the boys are (clearly I talk about my family a lot :) ). I'm touched that a man who doesn't know you at all would do something like that for you and the boys. Even though that may seem like a small thing to him, it feels like a very huge thing to me. Having Chris gone for so long has taught me some very valuable things. Most importantly I think, it has taught me to be more grateful for my family. I'm grateful that I have them so close and that they're all alive and healthy. As difficult as it's been to have him gone, it's made me feel like I've grown very close to you. I wish it didn't take him being sent there for me to realize what I have. :) I love you so much. My brother is a very lucky person to have you.
Wow! THat is so cool. I am so glad there are people like that out there.
I've been thinking tons about what these soldiers do do for us. I just read Kite Runner and then A Thousand Splendid Suns and read about some of the horrible acts committed in Afganistan and such places. If it weren't for soldiers protecting us from tyrannical leaders, these things could be happening to us. Protecting freedom is true and real. It's incredible that young men and women sign up and essentially offer to sacrifice themselves for others and future generations that they don't even know. ...just some of my thoughts...
I love the USOs in airports--the one in Chicago had a fridge packed full of free sandwiches, drinks, and treats. There's internet, tv, and helpful *volunteers* there too. It's great, I look for USOs when I fly now :) The one in SF is great too (been there a couple times :)
Also, that is surprising that Chris wore his uniform while flying. I thought the military didn't want them to... I guess something was different in this situation. Which brings me to another point, you never know who you could be sitting next to in an airplane--it could be a military member returning from their tour of duty!
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