Thankfully the rain held out so we could enjoy Memorial Day. The ceremony held at East Washington Park Cemetery was a beautifully planned ceremony by Bert Petigrove of Flanner & Buchanan.
As Tim said in his speech, “As a combat veteran, this Memorial Day means more to my family and I than ever. [...]
Happy Birthday Stacy (aka Stacy the Great, Aunt Stacy and Ninny)!
I have found it nearly impossible to adequately thank Stacy enough for her support during Tim’s deployment. Her move from New Jersey to Indiana was a dream come true. After years of living on either coast paving her way in a successful [...]
We have been reunited for one week. And while we have relished being together again, there is something to be said about the term we heard often from the military…REINTEGRATION.
I found myself lacking the GPS coordinates to give to Tim when explaining the directions to Briggs’ baseball practice. Then, I actually heard him [...]
If you don’t recognize this sculpture (or the thousands of variations of it…including the U.S. postage stamp) then you have likely been living under a rock (especially if you are from Indiana). It was created in 1976 by the notable and famous pop artist, Robert Indiana. But I hate to offend anyone so [...]
I am fired up…and not in an excited, happy way!
I took my dad up on his offer to go to dinner tonight. I figured if he was up for it with four young children, then I might as well be too. We picked a new spot in town, Red Robin. I had [...]
I was recently asked at my neighborhood Bible Study what I was most grateful for. I boldly responded, “Without question I am most grateful for Tim’s deployment.” I believe most were shocked around the room because this group of women has been particularly supportive over the past year.
I didn’t answer my [...]
I was touched tonight when my favorite kid stopped by for my signature for a service project. Patrick has been particularly helpful this year. He and his sister, Kristen, seem to show up at just the right times. My kids love them. They are not only a breath of fresh air [...]
The older I get (rather than the wiser) I believe less in coincidence and more in a divine plan.
I met an old friend for lunch yesterday. He actually hired me for my first job at Accenture. Not COINCIDENTALLY, he also hired Tim. We both graduated from the same Masters Program [...]
This year we are thankful for a great deal, but most importantly for the safety of Tim and his troops who are serving a great purpose in Iraq. Tim has been deployed since May. Their mission in Iraq is MEDEVAC (short for medical evacuation). They cover the entire Southern portion of [...]
I figure most of us have been in a position where we see a passing soldier in uniform and are either too embarrassed or too busy to thank them. I was intrigued when Christina Coe (the wife of a soldier deployed with Tim) passed this along to me. It is worth a look. [...]
Every family likely has a tradition or routine of sorts at night. We have never been a family to say grace before meals. We make sure to give our thanks in our nighttime prayers. However, we do go around the table and say our “Happy, Mad, Sad.” It is one of [...]
It is starting to look a lot like Christmas! Before the kids woke, I ran outside to take a picture of Tim in the snow. I was pleasantly surprised to see my drive and walkways already plowed thanks to Matt Zimpfer and Gary Harmon. Thanks guys!
I have been doing a lot of late-night wrestling and fire building lately. I am proud to say 1) I have some decent karate-type-ninja moves that I can throw around on my two rowdy boys and 2) I can build a mean fire.
But in an effort to get Briggs a dose of [...]
Thanksgiving was a holiday that had entirely new meaning for me this year. Of all that I have to be thankful more…and despite our current hardship and the distance between Indiana and Iraq…I am most thankful for my family. The kids and I kept the same tradition of visiting the Stoner Clan. [...]
I wanted to pass along two great ideas that have been forwarded to me lately.
STARS AND STRIPES
Stars and Stripes will deliver a holiday message from you to a deployed soldier. Messages submitted by November 30th will be printed in Stars and Stripes editions around the world in time for the holidays. They will [...]
Have you ever had a moment when you thought…”Wow, I cannot believe it…I have children! Didn’t I just graduate?”
Tim and I have this little diddy we sing, “‘Cause We’re Adults Now…” We sing it every time something reminds us that we didn’t just graduate…that we have a mortgage, children, jobs, and [...]
As Veteran’s Day approaches, I thought this would be an excellent montage of images to view. It is important to remember that each deployed solider protecting our freedom is a son/daughter, father/mother, nephew/niece, husband/wife, uncle/aunt, grandson/granddaughter, or neighbor/friend. For some Tim is a face that they can finally put with the war that [...]
I love the Midwest for many reasons. But most importantly because we get to witness the changing of the seasons. The Autumn happens to be my favorite time of year, especially as I have grown older. I love the vibrant colors, the crunchy sound the leaves make when you walk over them, [...]
I made a quick visit to Cincinnati to see the newest addition to our family. My cousin, Betsy, had her first child…a beautiful baby boy named Andrew “Drew” Hannen. He is already sleeping better than Campbell through the night (do you detect a a twinge of jealousy in my writing?).
Drew has [...]
Thanks to all who lovingly donated their stuffed animals to the children of Iraq. I know some of them were hard to part with (see note below from Katie).
They will begin to make their long journey to the desert this weekend. I have six large garbage bags full of fuzzy creatures that [...]
Ever hear of the ‘Traveling Gnome’? It was the subplot of one of my favorite movies, Amelie. I thought I would take a different yet similar approach. So, the Daddy Doll is going with us everywhere now. We even took him to the Zoo today.
Tim is a bright guy! [...]
Someone asked me recently how I was REALLY doing…and it got me thinking. The kids and I are doing well…we have adjusted to life without Tim’s presence…but he is ALWAYS in our thoughts, prayers, and conversations. We are in a routine of sorts. But I do miss my buddy when the house is [...]
So, I set off on a road trip from Indianapolis to St. Louis on Friday afternoon. I carefully planned the departure time to coordinate with the nap schedules of my three youngest children. I packed snacks, sippy cups, extra bottles of Vitamin D, lots of books, a few movies, and plenty of wet [...]
If you have been a blog follower, you know that I have been trying to remain very positive during Tim’s deployment. From the outset I began a list of ‘Good Things’ that I plan to add to continuously. I thought it was time to add to my list.
1) Thankfully, Helena and [...]
We celebrated Tim’s birthday while he was home. I neglected to post some of my favorite images from the party that the Alcock’s graciously offered to host. We had a great turnout…some friends even dropped by from college that we haven’t seen in years. It was such a nice surprise. We really appreciated everyone coming [...]
So, I got a babysitter and went for a run once the twins were in bed tonight. Great idea! The weather was perfect. Typically, I have a playlist I use but I am growing tired of “Vogue”, “She Bangs” and “SexyBack” (by the way, don’t judge me on my taste in music…these songs [...]
This is a post I have been organizing in my mind for weeks now. It keeps me occupied while I run. I started contemplating the reasons why Tim and I work. Let’s be honest, with four kids seven and under, romance is not the key reason.
We just work.
As I begin to feel [...]
One of my best friends recently sent this to me and I really like it. It is written by a Chaplain in Iraq.
I recently attended a showing of “Superman 3″ here at LSA Anaconda. We have a large auditorium we use for movies as well as memorial services and other large [...]
I would like to say THANK YOU to:
My wife Tiffany for doing such a wonderful job MANAGING EVERYTHING and making all of this communication/connectivity happen! I love you!
Joel Peigh and HomeZone Handyman Services for taking care of our home needs
Jean Foss for all of the support you have provided Tiffany/family and all the letters you [...]
We finally are getting rain after weeks of drought-like weather in Indiana. It is one of those nights where you can open the windows, feel the breeze and the sound of rain can lull you to sleep.
Just before ‘lights out’ I heard Briggs say, “That is music to my ears.” I didn’t know what he [...]