Make a Change Monday - Medal of Honor Gala

"This has been life changing."

That was what I said through teary eyes to Bruce Brereton - one of the co-hosts of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation's Celebration of Freedom Gala - as I hugged him goodnight on Saturday. I am rarely at a loss for words, but that phrase was all I could muster after two days of the most humbling, awe-inspiring events Don and I have ever experienced. I will try to organize my thoughts here, but let's all start off knowing that I will not even begin to capture the stories and the lives of the men I've met.

Don and I were honored beyond words to be invited to the Gala at the Ronald Reagan Library last weekend. The Gala is an opportunity to celebrate living MoH recipients, remember the ones who have passed on, honor people who have made a difference in the lives of soldiers and their families, and raise awareness for the incredible programs the Foundation has created.

On Friday night there was a small luau-themed welcome dinner for the MoH recipients and their families, as well as a few other guests. Gary Sinise, one of the co-hosts of the event, was there - but what amazed and thrilled me throughout the weekend was that HE was not the celebrity. He was not being mobbed by people wanting photos, he wasn't the key speaker, he was just Gary. The real celebrities were the 36 MoH recipients and a young Australian named Ben Roberts-Smith who recently received the Victoria Cross (the British Empire's version of the MoH). The dinner was a reunion of old friends - Ben was welcomed as a brother and us "young'uns" (as we were called more than a few times) were treated like family.

with Ben and Emme Roberts-Smith

At our table were MoH recipients Harvey Barnum, who retired as an Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and Robert Ingram, who had to wait more than 30 years to receive his Medal because of...unbelievably...lost paperwork. We spent a good part of the evening talking to Robert Patterson - a MoH recipient who regaled us with crazy pick-up lines he used when trying to woo his "new bride" (of five years). Young bucks ain't got nothin' on this guy.

At the table next to us was George Sakato, who - at 95 - is the oldest living MoH recipient but his sharp mind and sharper wit would make you think he is 30 years younger. Pvt Sakato joined the Army to avoid the internment camps and distinguished himself during WWII by charging an enemy position and taking command after his squad leader was killed, but he was not even considered for the MoH due to societal prejudices until 50 years later (he received the MoH in 2000). My favorite photo of the weekend was the one I snapped of our friend Kyle and Pvt Sakato. Kyle is a young Asian-American soldier whose great-uncle fought in the same unit as Pvt Sakato, and as I saw them sitting with their heads close together in conversation I was moved by how much the world has changed, but how much the brotherhood of soldiers remains the same - even across generations.

with Harvey Barnum

Kyle and George Sakato

I vowed to myself (and to Don) that I would not be a dork over the weekend snapping photos of celebrities at every opportunity - because that is not what the weekend is about. For the most part - I was good. HOWEVER - literally 30 seconds after we walked in to the Reagan Library, Oscar winner Jon Voight came up behind us to talk to Don's boss - and he could NOT have been nicer. I pulled out my camera and we took a photo, then he said "check to make sure it is a good one!" and stood there happily while we checked to make sure our eyes were open and I didn't have a double chin, and then he casually strolled down the hall with us as if we were old friends who'd known each other for years.

with Jon Voight

There were lot of other celebrities (warning - if you are under the age of 40 most of these names might not ring a bell. There was a young woman sitting at our table who did not get ANY of my references to Jon Voight and his movies - it wasn't until I said "he is Angelina Jolie's father" that she had a clue.) -Ernest Borgnine, Powers Boothe, Connie Stevens (pictured below - Don's dad was in Vietnam and Connie was - according to one of the MoH recipients standing with us "every man's fantasy over there"), Mykelti Williamson, John Ratzenberger, Karri Turner(coolest chick EVER - loved her!), Joe Mantegna, Robert Forster, musicians, producers, directors and other Hollywood types all came out to celebrate the lives of this country's greatest heroes.

Don and Connie Stevens

While of course the setting was breathtaking (our table was less than 10 feet from Marine One and Air Force One hung overhead), the cermony itself was filled with laughter, tears, and the kind of genuine, heartfelt American pride that is rarely seen these days. Our Friday night friend George Sakato stood next to Sal Giunta (the youngest MoH recipient in attendance) and in a clear, strong voice led 600 proud Americans in the Pledge of Allegiance. The Azusa Pacific University Men's Chorale serenaded the crowd with beautiful renditions of patriotic songs throughout the event, and when they asked us all to join them in singing "God Bless America" at the end of the night, there was not a dry eye in the house. Politicians, celebrities, military leaders, billionaires, MoH receipients and their families, young soldiers - we all stood and sang with arms out and genuine pride in our voices - no one was worried about appearances or being off-key. I know in the future I will have days where Don is deployed and I am feeling alone and forgotten, and this memory will be the one I turn to to comfort me - Americans proudly celebrating the country they love.

Marine One and Air Force One from our dinner table

Joe Mantegna received the Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment for his dedication to soldiers and their families through his work with autism (ACT Today for Military Families) and his involvement with the National Memorial Day Concert. Admiral Mike Mullen (former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs) and his wife Deborah received the Distinguished Citizen Award and it was clear that caring for soldiers and their families is not just part of their job, it is their passion. Former Secretary Robert Gates gave the funniest speech of the evening - with pointed barbs at Washington and fun, heartwarming stories about his former boss, Ronald Reagan. Don and I had the opportunity to meet with him privately for a few seconds before the dinner started, because when one of Don's men - CPL Benjamin Kopp - was buried at Arlington Cemetary in 2009, then Secretary Gates showed up at the ceremony with no pomp and circumstance, didn't give a speech, he just came to show his respects and honor Ben. It meant a great deal to us and to Ben's mother Jill, so we finally had a chance to thank him. It was just one more incredible moment in an evening that almost filled my heart to bursting.

It wasn't all solemnity and ceremony - you haven't lived until you've spent the evening in a hotel bar with a bunch of retired generals, billionaires, celebrities and Medal of Honor recipients singing karaoke and making jokes about the highly intoxicated hotel guest wandering around in her bathrobe. More than the memories though, more than the photos and the stories we will treasure forever, we left this weekend with a new mission - to spread the word about these incredible men.

hanging out with my new friend Karri Turner at the hotel bar

Over the past few weeks as I have been excitedly talking about going to the MoH gala, I was surprised and saddened at how many people had no idea what the Medal of Honor is. While America idolizes drug addicted celebrities, musicians who commit serious crimes, and athletes who behave like spoiled children - the stories of men like Tibor Rubin go untold. He survived a German concentration camp (where he lost his entire family) as a young boy, and was so awed by the American soldiers who liberated the camp that he moved to America and joined the Army, only to be captured during the Korean War and survive 30 months as a POW, and THEN be denied the MoH until 2005 because of blatant anti-semitism in his chain of command. Old age has weakened his body, but from his wheelchair he is still a dynamic, charming, fascinating storyteller and apparently quite a ladies man (he told my husband repeatedly "I'm going to steal your wife before the night is over!"). This man - his love of this country, his dedication to his fellow soldiers, his faith and bravery and character and ability to overcome adversity - his name should be known by every American. If CMOH Foundation has their way - it will be.

One of the Foundation's programs is the Medal of Honor Character Development Program. Created to promote responsible citizenship and examine the ideals of courage and selfless service - the Foundation's goal is to see this program taught in every middle and high school across the country. Through videos, lesson plans, and opportunities for teleconferences and in-person visits with MoH recipients, this program gives students and teachers first hand accounts of some of the most important moments in our history, offered by real heroes - true role models whose stories are touching and inspiring. If you are a teacher or the parent of a school-age child, I ask you to spread the word about this amazing program. To quote Brian Williams, "these are the best Americans I've ever met". Let's share these great Americans with our children and grandchildren through the MoH Character Development Program. A teacher's resource can be found here - this video will give you just a glimpse in to the incredible gift that the CMOH Foundation is offering to the students of this country.

We are changed forever - Don and I. To be in the presence of these men is to see the very best of what this country has to offer, and to understand what its heroes have already given. Help us spread their stories through your schools, invite a MoH recipient to speak at your next community event, watch these videos with your children. Honor them in ways large and small - it will enrich your lives in ways you never thought possible. God Bless these incredible men - and God Bless America.

Medal of Honor

Make a Change Monday - Using your Gifts...and ANOTHER giveaway!

I am always amazed by people who find a way to use their gifts to help others...and my friend Amanda is no exception.  She has recently turned her interest in crocheting in to woobiesfor.com:

"Woobies for" is a project that hopes to spread positivity from your creativity, talent and generosity. I was unable to sleep one night and an idea hit me. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could gather a community of people who knit, crochet, quilt or sew to create blankets, or woobies, powered by a specific positive emotion. Knit a blanket while focusing on love. Sew a quilt dedicated to hope. Then we could gather those beautiful works of art and donate them to children in need. Children's hospitals, homeless shelters, and the families of our brave troops. Giving children in need these woobies filled with such powerful emotions to give them strength to face what's ahead. The recipient would receive their woobie and a one word explanation like "bravery" or "comfort" so they know what the woobie represents.

One of the things I love most about this project is that Amanda is not asking for money - she is asking for gifts from the heart.  She is not asking for a specific amount of time or commitment - she is asking for creativity and love. For blankets and quilts and cards created out of joy and strength and a sense of reaching out to someone in need. I am proud of her for starting this - and am honored to share it with you.

To celebrate the launch of woobiesfor.com (and because you know I love a giveaway!) - please leave a comment here and tell us about how you've shared your creative gifts, or if you know of other charitable organizations that crafters might be interested in supporting (Operation Write Home is another of my favorites).  Someone is going to win an Anna Griffin Fabric Squares Collection - and these patterns are gorgeous!

I have offered to make cards to go with the blankets and quilts, and to spread the word about woobiesfor.com - because those are my gifts.  My hope is that you too will be inspired to share your creativity and bring a little joy to someone who needs comfort.  What a wonderful way to make a difference!

Have a great week everybody - woobies for all!

PS - deadline to enter is midnight Eastern on Wednesday February 22nd. Good luck!

Melissa Frances Chipboard Houses Tutorial

As I mentioned on my FB page a while back, I am OBSESSED with these houses. As I also mentioned, I am so disorganized during the holiday season that I meant to post this how-to BEFORE Christmas, but here we are. So - apologies for the lateness, but to make up for it I am giving away a few of these kits  (post your New Year's resolution by December 31st on the aforementioned FB page to enter) and I FINALLY present to you step by step instructions so you can make some of these houses yourself!  These would make WONDERFUL wedding or housewarming gifts too...chipboard houses ain't just for Christmas any more!  :)

PS - I would also like to give a shout-out to my mom (who we will refer to as Crafty Sharron from now on) who is here visiting for Christmas and helped me with the photos and made some fabulous houses of her own while I was working on this tutorial.  Thanks Mom!

Supplies needed:
Melissa Frances ornament cottage kit
Three (3) coordinating patterned papers - I used MME Lost & Found Christmas
Xyron 510 with permanent adhesive refill
1/8" Scor-Tape
Liquid glue
Craft knife and self healing mat
Two (2) coordinating misting sprays - I used Clearsnap Smooch Spritz Vanilla Shimmer and Perfect Pearls Bronze Mist
Coordinating acrylic paint and brush
Bazzill Basics textured vellum (optional)
Clearsnap Fairy Dust Glitter
Melissa Frances mini bottle brush tree
White cardstock and printer
Distress Ink - I used Antique Linen
Two (2) coordinating mini brads
Foam tape

Select the roof, house and base from your kit. Find the "top/front" of each piece (based on the way the pieces are scored).

Put the three pieces in the Xyron 510 with the top/front facing DOWN. 

Once you run them through the 510, peel off the clear film and then GENTLY peel the pieces from the backing.  Chipboard is created in layers so if you peel too fast the top layer of chipboard will come right off.

Place the adhesive side of your chipboard on the BACK of the patterned paper for each item (see photo of completed pieces below...for example - the yellow piece of paper that the roof chipboard is attached to has a red swirl pattern on the other side).

Use a craft knife to cut out each piece and sand if you want to.  :)

(photo of completed pieces)

Use your craft knife to gently cut along the score lines of the roof and house.  You don't want to cut too deep, but if you do over-cut don't worry - see my HELPFUL TIP at the very end of this post.

Apply misting spray to your base piece ONLY. Set aside to dry.

Apply misting spray to your window and door pieces. Set aside to dry.

Apply paint to your fence. Set aside to dry.

Take your house and roof pieces (NOT the base piece) and put them back in the Xyron 510 with the patterned paper side facing DOWN. Run through the machine, peel of the clear film, gently peel pieces off of the backing and lay with the patterned/adhesive side facing UP on your workspace.

Apply glitter to both pieces, rub with finger to cover and tap off excess.

(photo of completed pieces)

Tip: If you are using patterned paper that already has glitter on it, you can use the tip of your craft knife to scrape off the top layer of glitter, revealing the pattern on your paper.

On the back side of your house, place Scor-Tape around the edges of the door and window.

At this point I should stop, take a moment, and explain to you that I am usually not a crazy adhesive woman.  When I put a photo on a layout I use some adhesive on each corner, not adhesive all around the edges and then some in the middle for good measure.  I'm not stingy with my stickiness, but I am not going through five refills per project if you know what I mean.  HOWEVER - because this is a project that I want people to use and enjoy (and I know it will be put on a tree, taken down and put away, brought out again next Christmas, etc. year after year - not something that is going to sit on a shelf forever) I used A LOT of adhesive on this project.  A LOT. I recommend you do the same.  :)

Flip the house over, center your door and window, and press to adhere.

Flip the house back over and apply scor-tape to the back of the door and window.

Cut two small pieces of textured vellum (or use the red cellophane that came in your kit) and cover door and window openings.

Apply Scor-Tape to the bottom of your house*.  I do not use liquid glue until later in the project because I HATE to wait for liquid glue to dry.  Using Scor-Tape allows me to put the project together quickly and then go back and "shore-up" any parts of the project that need liquid glue. 

*Line up the edge of your Scor-Tape with the front of your house, so the rest of the Scor-Tape is "hanging off" the back edge of the chipboard.

Use your finger to "roll" the Scor-Tape on to itself, making a thinner strip. It won't look pretty - but it will hold fabulously!

Repeat on ONE end of the house.

Fold house in to shape and adhere to your base.  I adhered mine pretty close to the back of the base, but I have seen them put on kitty-cornered and centered, so the choice is yours!

Repeat the Scor-Tape process on the roof edges of your house.

Insert the ornament holder in to your roof and apply to your house.

(photo of house with roof)

Use liquid glue to adhere your tree and Scor-Tape to adhere the fence to your base.

If you are applying a "plaque" to your house, print out your phrase in several different sizes.

Use distress ink to apply color to your phrases, cut out and determine which size works best with your house.

Use your craft knife to poke a small hole on either side of your paper.  Insert brads.

Fold both ends of your brads towards the center of your paper.

Use a small piece of foam tape in the center of your paper and adhere to the front of the house.

***HELPFUL TIP*** These chipboard houses ARE fragile.  If during the process you tear your chipboard along one of the score lines or feel like the Scor-Tape isn't secure enough, once your house is COMPLETED you can easily go back and fill in the gaps with liquid glue.  Apply the liquid glue to the affected area then sprinkle some glitter on the glue and tap off the excess.  It will strengthen your project AND cover up any small errors.  Thank God for glitter!  :)

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day and Advent Musings

Reposted from 2009 - just as true today as it was then.  So incredibly grateful to have Don home with me this Christmas.

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day and Advent.  Two things you don't usually think about in the same sentence, but several years ago while Don was deployed during the holidays I was asked to write an Advent devotional for a booklet that was being created in the church where I grew up. 

Those of you who know me in real life know that I am quick with the sarcasm and comedy, but my faith is something I hold very close and sharing it publicly isn't one of my strengths.  Allowed to pick the date of my choosing I selected December 7th, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, which that year also happened to be the second Sunday in Advent.  I figured with the military theme I was sure to be inspired, but what poured out on to the page surprised me.  I have kept that Advent Devotional with me through five moves and seven more deployments - and discovered it again this weekend as I was unpacking our Christmas decorations, so I share it with you here.

Thinking of all the military families who will have an empty seat at their table this season...

Beth

There is nothing love cannot face; there is no limit to its faith, its hope, and its endurance.  Love will never come to an end. -I Corinthians 13:7-8

It is funny what it takes for some people to fully understand God's love.  I grew up in church, this church in fact.  I was confirmed at Grace, volunteered at Grace, worked at Grace, got married at Grace.  But once I moved away and Don and I got wrapped up in our everyday lives we didn't make the time to go to church, and - to be honest, I didn't think much about God.  I still said my prayers every night and came to church when I was visiting my folks, but that was it...until I sent Don off to war.  It has been hard.  I miss him, I'm scared for him, and there are many people in this world who don't believe in what he is doing.  But we love this country so much that he is willing to sacrifice everything for its people, and I am willing to give it my most precious gift - my husband.  God loves us SO MUCH that he gave his only begotten son to a world where many people STILL don't believe, in hopes that we might know forgiveness, eternal life, and the true love of Christ.  Does that make me like God or Don like Jesus?  Of course not.  But now I have a real, tangible idea of how much God loves me - loves all of us.  Now I understand how powerful that depth of love is - and I am awed by it, I am humbled by it, but most of all, I am blessed by it.  We all are!

Dear God, Help us to feel your love for us always.  In our joys let us feel your glory, in our sorrows let us feel your comfort.  Thank you for being our strength and our salvation.  Amen.

Gratitude, Attitude and Angry Beth

Last week the country recognized/celebrated/honored Veterans in a variety of ways. I have to admit that Veterans Day is not usually a big deal in our household – most of the people we know are veterans, and we/they appreciate each other every day. However – a strange series of events made this year a little bit different, and I’m not sure I’ll ever be the same.

Thursday – I was coming back from a business trip and stopped at a restaurant in the Atlanta airport for dinner.  When I was paying the bill the waitress asked to see an ID with my credit card.  I pulled out my military ID and handed it to her, and when she stared at it for longer than normal I reached up to flip it over for her (thinking she might have been looking for my birthdate or some other info that is on the back). Instead, she reached out and grabbed my hand with tears in her eyes.  “Thank you Major” she said. “Thank you so much for everything you do for this country.” I didn’t feel like I could take praise that wasn’t for me. I wanted to explain to her that I was a wife, not a soldier. I even got as far as saying “I’m married to a Major…” but she was not to be stopped. She went on, holding my hand, telling me she couldn’t imagine how much my family had sacrificed and how grateful she was for the chance to thank me. In that moment – even though she was thanking me “by mistake”, I took in all the love that she and most of America have for my husband, our friends, our family.  Teary eyed myself, I whispered “thank you”. We hugged (as well as two women can over a small table in a crowded airport restaurant) and I headed home, filled with gratitude.

Friday – Don was lucky enough to be in the Veterans Day parade in NYC. He was also lucky enough to be in the same room with my boyfriend (Tom Selleck) and didn’t get a photo, but that is a story for another time.  Anyhoo – at one point he needed cash and walked away from the crowd and on to another street to find an ATM. When he told me what happened next he described it as “emotional” (and those of you who know him will be surprised he even knows what that word means) – but as he was walking down what turned out to be Wall Street he was stopped by no fewer than ten people. Wall Street guys in their expensive suits, people coming from the Occupy Wall Street protests, doormen, teenagers – Americans from every walk of life, every political belief, every generation stopped this lone soldier to thank him for his service.  I leave the house and see 20 soldiers before I get to the grocery store. These people may have gone their whole lives without meeting someone in uniform, and when they saw their chance they were proud and grateful to take it. The moment meant a lot to Don, and to me as well.

Then came Saturday.

Don and I attended the wedding of a fantastic, lovely, precious, wonderful couple. The groom (Sean) was stationed with Don in Alaska, so the wedding was also a reunion of some of our other Alaska dudes.  The ceremony was amazing, filled with love and gratitude (not the least of which being that Sean made it home from deployment in time).  The reception was festive, welcoming, filled with laughter and dancing and a coming together of families. While we were sitting around the table I felt a small pang, because it was with this group of men that Don lost one of his PLs and our friend – 1LT Colby J. Umbrell. Just three weeks earlier we were at a wedding where there was no best man, because CPL Benjamin S. Kopp also made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. When you are part of the military family, sometimes festive occasions are also sprinkled with sadness, so I didn’t think my “pang” was out of the ordinary.

At one point in the night two guys at our table leaned forward and told us that one of Sean’s friends (for the sake of this story I’m going to call him Pita – as in Pain In The Ass) had made some incredibly derogatory, ignorant, inaccurate comments about soldiers.  Not the war – the soldiers. To guys he KNEW were soldiers. They had walked away from the conversation but were pointing him out to Don and I as a “stay away from that douchebag” heads up - which was all fine and good until we got on the shuttle to go back to the hotel, and Pita was sitting two rows behind us. Our friend Chris was chatting up the girl sitting next to him, and out of nowhere Pita decided to “cock block” (for lack of a better term) Chris by embarrassing him in front of everyone else on the bus.

People who know me well know a side of my personality called “Angry Beth”.  She RARELY comes out, but when she does it is because she feels like someone she cares about is being hurt in some way. It is NOT pretty.  I am embarrassed about what transpired over the next ten minutes or so, but after what the guys had said about Pita and what I had just seen him to do Chris, Angry Beth appeared. I won’t go in to details, but it started on the bus, continued in the parking lot, and then he was dumb/drunk/something enough to follow me up the stairs trailed by Don and one of our other Alaska buddies, Brandon. Don was literally inches away from getting me in to our hotel room and Pita on his way when Pita intimated that people like Don and Brandon didn’t care about their friends getting killed and that he (Pita) was a better friend to Sean because he DID care.

For a moment I think I actually, literally, lost my mind. Don and Brandon had to physically step between me and Pita and pull me in to the room (like I said – not my proudest moment). Brandon stayed behind to get me under control while Don went back out in the hall to make Pita go away.

Then something happened that I never in a million years would have expected.

I started sobbing.

Most Americans don’t know that when a soldier is killed during a deployment, it is the women who deal with what happens stateside. With the exception of maybe one or two guys from the unit, soldiers do not get to come home for the funerals of their friends/men, so the wives represent their husbands however they can. If the families are local the wives make meals and help with arrangements. If the families live somewhere else the wives still try to help as much as they can, and Don and I agreed a long time ago that I would attend every funeral as long as I was physically able – no matter the cost or distance or heartbreak.  I have had the most amazing and devastating honor of attending five funerals over the past few years. I have stood over five flag draped coffins and whispered my goodbyes. Held the hands of five grieving families who will never be truly whole again. Felt the tremor of five twenty-one gun salutes ringing in my ears as I thought my heart was going to break right out of my chest. Five times I have seen my worst nightmare played out in front of me, and then gone home to an empty house wondering if the next knock on the door would be for me because my husband was still in the place that was sending his men home in body bags. Five weddings we will never go to. Five voices we will never hear again.

Over the last ten years I think America has done a good job of teaching itself the whole “even if you don’t support the war, you support the troops” mentality. I am fine with people who don’t even think about the war and our troops at all.  I have even been ok with knowing that there were a few crackpots out there and have prided myself on knowing what I would say/do if I ever came across one.  On Saturday though, I was blindsided. Blindsided because someone who appeared so “normal” could be so ignorant and hateful.  Someone who claims to support the troops but thinks so little of soldiers that he could look them in the eye and discredit their sacrifice, belittle their losses, and question their loyalty to one another. The realization that there were people like him out there was just more than my war weary heart could bear.

The next thing I knew I was standing in our hotel room, my body wracked with sobs, my face buried in my hands, repeating over and over to Brandon “I watched them put Colby’s body in the ground – does this guy have any idea what that feels like?” Then I started listing off the names of the funerals I had been to and telling their stories as Brandon put his arms around me and let me cry away years of sadness. “Doesn’t he know our hearts are broken?” To suddenly have all of this emotion surprised me, and I’m sure it surprised the bejeebies out of Brandon. Don didn’t know what to do with me either when he came back in the room, but they were both total troopers as I sniffled my way through my apologies and tried to pull myself together so we could go meet up with the rest of our friends.

About twenty minutes after we arrived Pita came up to me and asked if we could talk. He told me that he and Don had been out in the hallway when he heard my sobbing through the door. He’d heard every word I’d said and wanted me to know that he was completely overwhelmed by my grief, and embarrassed that he had been so wrong about “us”. His worst nightmare, he explained, was losing Sean, but it had never even occurred to him that military families like ours have been through it not once, but two, three, four and five times over. Wives bury their friends while laying awake nights worrying about their own husbands. Parents hold their breath every time the phone rings or there is a knock on the door. 99% of America has no idea what it feels like – and I pray they never have to. It is a heavy honor to bear, and a lesson I hope Pita takes with him as he moves back out in to a world void of Angry Beths.

So here’s to the waitress in the Atlanta airport and the people on the streets of Manhattan for honoring this country's veterans in ways both large and small. Here’s to Brandon and Sean and Chris and the other men we love like they are our own kids. Here’s to Don – a man of incredible talent and honor and dedication – to his men, his country, and his wife. And here’s to Pita – for bringing me to the point of no return where I found my grief and let go of years of anger and pain, even if it was in a horrendous, train wreck sort of way in the lobby of a Hampton Inn.  Thank you for the gift of clarity – I hope I have given you just a little of the same.

Flat Kurt

This is our friend Kurt.

Kurt is a funny friend, easy roommate (he accidentally lived with us for six months last year), great husband, wonderful father, getter of Dairy Queen after dinner, dog lover, motorcycle rider, and soldier.

Next week he is leaving for a year to Afghanistan.

His wife Shealyn is also funny and fabulous and I would do anything for her, so when she sent me this message and photo:

Hey crafty lady, if I were to send you a good photo of Kurt, could you use your sticky goodness to make me a few of these so Daddy can go everywhere with us?

I was in.  I have been lucky enough to have Don home with me for the past year and it is a blessing I do not take for granted. So while I would make a million of these if it would help some of my fellow military families make deployment even a tiny bit easier, I wanted to post the instructions here (even if you don't think you are crafty it is VERY easy) for anyone who wants to make their own.

DIRECTIONS:

First, I took Kurt's photo and cropped it as tightly around his head as I could.

Then I printed out several copies on to 8.5x11 photo paper.

Now...here is where I am revising my original instructions - which were to cut out the face, put it on the chipboard, then cut it out again.  Why do it twice?  So sort of ignore the fact that the face is already cut out in some of the photos.  :)

I ran the 8x10 photo through my Xyron 9" Creative Station*,

adhered the 8x10 on to a piece of chipboard (you can use an empty cereal box in a pinch)

and cut out the face - for the FIRST time. (to quote Don: "Kurt needs to shave his head.  I can't cut out all these little pieces of gelled hair.")

Then I just took a paint stirrer (they are free at any home improvement store), added a little glue, and let dry!

*if you don't have one of these you can use a glue stick or a tape runner - just be sure to cover all of the edges as smoothly and evenly as you can.

I had to put these in the mail ASAP - Don was having a little TOO much fun with them.  Our dog - as you can see - was not.  :)

So these Flat Kurts are on their way to Texas - to two precious children who will spend the next year doing what military children have done for generations - growing and learning and playing and loving all while waiting for the day that their daddy is home to give them bear hugs and tuck them in at night.  If you have a friend, family member, neighbor or co-worker getting ready for a deployment with small kids, ask for a photo of their soldier and make a few of these. What a wonderful gesture and tangible way to let them know you are thinking of their family.

Love you Kurt and Shea and James and Sammi - already waiting for the day Kurt is back home safe with you.