This is just to scary. And it does piss me off that someone would call a milspouse and say this to them. That is pure evil in my book.

American Forces Press ServiceWASHINGTON, May 31, 2007

- The American Red Cross is warning military spouses about a new identity-theft scam that targets family members of deployed troops.The Red Cross was alerted of the scam earlier this month, said Devorah Goldburg of the Red Cross.The scam involves a person with an American accent calling a military spouse, identifying herself as a representative of the Red Cross, and telling the spouse that her husband was hurt in Iraq and was medically evacuated to Germany. The caller then says that doctors can't start treatment until paperwork is completed, and that to start the paperwork they need the spouse to verify her husband's social security number and date of birth.It is hard to determine how many spouses have been targeted by this scam, Goldburg said, as there are many ways for spouses to report problems like this. However, one confirmed report was enough for the Red Cross to act, she said."We know that it happened to one person; it was probably going to happen to others, and we wanted to be prudent and alert people," she said.American Red Cross representatives typically do not contact military members or dependents directly and almost always go through a commander or first sergeant, according to a Red Cross news release. Military family members are urged not to give out any personal information over the phone if contacted by unknown individuals, including confirmation that their spouse is deployed.In addition, Red Cross representatives contact military members or dependents directly only in response to an emergency message initiated by a family member, the news release said. The Red Cross does not report any type of casualty information to family members; the Defense Department will contact families directly about family members' injuries.It is a federal crime, punishable by up to five years in prison, for a person to fraudulently pretend to be a member of, or an agent for, the American Red Cross for the purpose of soliciting, collecting, or receiving money or material, according to the news release. Any military family member that receives such a call is urged to report it to their local family readiness group or military personnel flight.

What a bittersweet thing the internet is. I just finished IMing with Hubby and tonight it was hard to say cya. (We never say bye) At times I wish we did not have the constant contact as we do now. I can go a few days without hearing or seeing him and then when I do it is a wonderful thing.....but it makes me crave hearing his voice and holding his hand at the same time. I miss that more than anything else right now. All the rest is icing on the cake. I am a simple girl who needs simple things. When I can't have what I need though I begin to shut down. Having my Hubby's touch is all I need. I know this is a short deployment but the time we had from finding out til Hubby leaving was way to short for me process the whys and what will I do and such.

Ok I think I need to go to bed since it is 2:15AM here. I am probably not making much sense. Have a goo rest of the night.

Dear Lord,
Lest I continue
My complacent way,
Help me to remember that somewhere,
Somehow out there
A man died for me today.
As long as there be war,
I then must
Ask and answer
Am I worth dying for?
~Eleanor Roosevelt

Thanks to Butterfly Wife for this prayer. Please do not forget we are at war and our Soldiers need our prayers and support no more than ever.

This Weeks Soldier Was Suggested By Kathy

Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie
41 years old from Ann-Arbor, Michigan


Specialist Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie is a Iraqi American U.S. Army linguist soldier, from Ann-Arbor, Michigan who was kidnapped on October 23, 2006 in Baghdad and has not been seen since.

al-Taayie joined the Army in 2004 to help not only his country, the United States, but also his birthplace of Iraq and was deployed in 2005. On October 23, 2006 he was visiting his wife in the Karrada Shiite neighborhood in central Baghdad when he and his cousin were kidnapped by a group calling themselves Ahel al-Beit Brigades. His cousin was released shortly after. On November 2, 2006 al-Taayie's uncle received a ransom demand of $250,000 for his return. Along with the ransom came a grainy video that showed a man beaten up who was identified as al-Taayie. No more has been heard from al-Taayie or his captures.

For more information on Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie you can go here

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. To find out more about Wednesday Hero, you can go here.

A special thanks to Greta and Silke of Hooah Wife for their help.

To every man and woman who has served and is serving in the United States military, thank you for everything that you do and have done. And every man and woman who's given their life for the cause of freedom will never be forgotten.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. To find out more about Wednesday Hero, you can go here.

Things are looking brighter here. I am feeling better and the Kiddos had a good first day of summer. Of course it rained for a good portion of the day but they are still happy. Tomorrow we head to my Dads house. The three older ones will be staying for a few days and the little ones and I will be coming home on Sat. Hopefully my Dad and i do not kill each other. It is only for one day so we should be ok.

Hubby is doing good. He is ready to come home already. I am very ready to come home. The Kiddos are ready for him to come home. The Baby yells at the top of his lungs every time Daddy is online or the phone "LOVE YOU DADDY!!!" It makes our day. I am glad the boys will remember Hubby. I am doing my best to make sure the boys will hear about or see Daddy everyday. It makes the days good to hear them laugh too.

I am going to finish packing and dong laundry. I wonder if the laundry will go down once the Kiddos are gone. I hope so because that is one of the things I hate to do. :)

Have a blessed day.

Pfc. Joseph Allen Jeffries
21 years old from Beaverton, Oregon
Army Reserve’s 320th Psychological Operations Company
May 29, 2004


Below is all the information that could be found on Pfc. Joseph Jeffries.

Pfc. Jeffries was killed with two fellow soldiers, Capt. Daniel W. Eggers and Sgt. 1st Class Robert J. Mogensen, and an unnamed sailor, when their vehicle drove over an IED in Kandahar, Afghanistan. All four service members were attached to the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan. He is survived by his wife, Betsy, and his parents Mark and Linda Jeffries.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. To find out more about Wednesay Hero, you can go here.

Well tonight was interesting. I knew we would have rough nights but tonight was beyond my dreams. Sweetness had a meltdown at school today. She did not want to talk to me about it so I left her alone. The Bully had a fit and did not want to talk to Daddy when he called but wanted to 2 minutes after we hung up the phone. He called til he went to sleep. Then he cried while he was asleep. Woke up had some juice then went back to sleep.

The other Kiddos are just fine. The three older Kiddos might be heading out to my Dads this weekend. They are excited about it. I am looking forward to it and then again the Kiddos will be gone and I will miss them so much. At least while they are around they keep me busy and occupied. Now that they will really be gone for an extended period of time I am going to be left on my own. I do have one day planned without Kiddos and shopping. I have to admit the shopping will be at a case sale at Ft Hood but it is shopping with no Kiddos. Maybe I can get someone to come over really early in the AM to stay with the boys and I can get my nails done. Hmmm something about someone doing my nails makes me feel like a whole new person.

I am off to bed after I record a show for Hubby. Hope everyone has a wonderful night.

I survived the sleepover. All went home in one piece and I still have my sanity. I am so glad I only have one girl. Having more than that around is like pulling my own teeth out. To anyone who has more than one girl I take my hat off to you. No pictures because I went to bed before the girls passed out.

Saturday was a good one. I was able to wash the truck and have a nice day with my Kiddos. I went to the store to get a chicken for dinner and from the corner of my eye I thought I saw Hubby. The man was the same height and had the same haircut. I know we live in the Bible belt with allot of clean cut guys with the wonderful high and tight cut. But not to many have a blade fade with it. And sunglasses propped on top of their head with the same shade of brown hair as Hubby. I fought tears the whole time I was in the store.

Sunday we went to church and then we went to an Old Fashioned Gospel Music Workshop. I love hearing Gospel music. It is something hard to explain. The Kiddos did pretty good for the most part. We had a chance to run to Resiel to see another Gospel group there but that would have been way to much for us all.

Today I am hopefully having my house sprayed and life will be better and I can sleep with my lights off. I leave two lights on to keep some critters at bay. Some nights it works others it doesn't. I am still trying to figure out my yard situation. I want to do it but I can not get either the lawn mower or weed eater to start. I have done everything Hubby told me to to get it going but to no avail. I will probably borrow someones lawnmower again til next payday and buy one from the pawn shop or outta the paper.

Hope every one has a blessed wonderful day. I am going to do laundry and polish my wood floors.

Four boys and four girls. Yep I have lost my mind. Sweetness is able to have her birthday sleepover and I could not find anyone to take a couple of boys tonight. So here we are. They are wild and hungry. So far we have had pizza, fruit smoothies (that were NOT sweet enough) and fruit while making the not sweet enough smoothies. Next on the list is strawberry cheesecake and popcorn. What have I done. Tomorrow morning could not come fast enough. I hope I survive. I might even take a few pictures.

Today is better. The Kiddos get to talk with Daddy every evening and that has improved things on that side. It is wondrous what it does for me when my Kiddos are very happy. The two little ones will yell at the top of their lungs when they see Daddy on the screen. It makes the day worthwhile no matter what has happened.

I don't know if I told yall but I lost my ATM card. It is an online bank so I can't just go get some cash and pay for things so I am screwed til hopefully this afternoon. Just for the simple fact of the headaches I have had with this account I opened a new one up with another bank but it is very military friendly. I told Hubby we will probably have our new cards and new checks by the end of this week. Oh well. As long as it stays free I am happy.

The weather is getting nice and I am enjoying it to a point. I miss Hubby when it is rainy because I don't have anyone to cuddle up with and chat with. And I miss him when it is sunny out because I am always thinking how much fun he would have had playing with the Kiddos or doing yard work with me. I know I am not happy either way. LOL It is just something I live with. Every time I am around couples or I see something Hubby would enjoy I miss him a little more. It is nice talking with him online almost everyday but it also makes it harder when our usual time comes around and he is not there or something big or funny or interesting happens and I can't turn to him and share it.

Hubby is safe and really enjoying his new unit and the work pace. He likes the guys and is thinking about sticking with them when they get back. His unit that he was attached to is going away so he has to look for something else. They said they would help him make rank and that is what he wants. Plus he will be able to work on aircraft like he has always wanted to.

I am off to enjoy sometime outside with my Kiddos and enjoy some sun. I might even get the boys to pose for some pictures today.

I have tried to post a few times in the last couple of days. But have been unable to. My heart is heavy with loneliness. I miss my Hubby much more this time around. The first deployment was different and not as hard on me. Now even with friends and a church that does care for us it is still harder than the last time.
I do know that I will make it through but the last few days I have felt the pain and grief more than ever. I know each time is different and I know that supposedly this is not supposed to be as long but I can not reconcile it to my heart yet. I have tried and I have put that brave face on to make myself feel better but it is not working. I have no clue as what else to do I do not know if anyone has ever felt this way before or not. I am sure I am not alone but I feel it really bad for some reason the last few days. Maybe by the end of the week I will feel better. I guess I will just have to wait this out and get over it.
I am off to get the Kiddos ready for bed and church tomorrow. Hopefully the day will dawn brighter than it has been.

This is a must read. Brought a tear to my eye. No words to express how this has touched me.


http://www.soldierlife.com/2007/05/09/heavy-hands/trackback/

Spc. Josiah H. Vandertulip
21 years old from Irving, Texas
2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division
October 14, 2004


Louise Vandertulip fussed at her son about his spending. He bought wild, overpriced hats that had flames on them or horns coming out of the top, she said.

While in Army basic training, he bought portraits of himself. His mother told him to save his money.

She's glad he didn't listen.

The hats and the pictures are all a part of her memories now.

Spc. Josiah H. Vandertulip was killed in Baghdad when his patrol came under small arms fire.

Josiah Vandertulip joined the Army right after his graduation from Irving High School in 2002. He spent a year in South Korea before being stationed at Texas' Fort Hood in February. Against his mother's advice, he volunteered to go to Iraq. She told him to wait, to go to college.

"When he was determined to do something in his heart, he would do it and hell or high water couldn't keep him from it," she said

By going, he knew someone else with a young family could be saved from serving, relatives said.

He always had the important things right, Louise Vandertulip said.

"There's a lot of rest in knowing that he died doing what he believed in and doing what he thought was right," she said.

"We have a much more real sense of the cost for the freedom that we enjoy now," said his father, Robert Vandertulip.

"Josiah was the first brand new soldiers I recieved as a dismounted team leader in Korea. He was one of the Best soldiers I have had the honor to train and work with. He loved being a soldier as much as any guy I have met. He was a great leader in the absence of his superiors. I could always count on him to make sure the mission was accomplished. I watched him change over the year I had him from a goofy kid, to a hard charging soldier."
Sgt. Nickolas Faul

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. To find out more about Wednesay Hero, you can go here.

 

This is our Baby. He is looking the same just a little bit taller now. I just love this photo of him.

 

Swwetness Self Portriat. She is going to be beating them of with a club pretty soon.

 

This is Buddly Lee having a blast at the park. Isn't he cute???

I have accomplished 3 or 4 days of smiles and laughs without any tears. The Kiddos have been super. They all miss their Daddy but when they talk to him they are so happy. They can carry that with them for days if need be.

Hubby is settling in and enjoying the unit he is with now. He said they welcomed him in with open arms and have been great to him. That alone makes my day. The last time Hubby was a filler he was treated like a red headed step child. He is not a pencil pusher and able to get his hands into the job so he is happy too.

Big Man has joined the media team at church today. The man who is head of that team said he has been watching Big Man for awhile and was very impressed with how he is doing. So he asked Big Man and Big Man said yes.The col thing is that being on the media team means Big Man will know how to run and produce a WHOLE ENTIRE show in a couple of years. He will not only be doing a Ministry he will be learning a job skill. I am so excited for him.

Sweetness had the flu last week. We had to cancel her slumber party and restrict all our activities this weekend. She is doing way better now. Sweetness is also smiling allot more. Being able to talk to Daddy has improved her mood. Plus she does not have anyone telling her what to feel or not to feel. I let her feel and she talks when she wants to or she doesn't. I am impressed with how well she can handle this.

Buddy Lee is still acting out. Not as bad but it still comes out. He was able to spend the night with someone without another sibling in attendance. He was happy about that one. He came home yesterday with smiles on his face and a very good attitude towards the rest of us. He is just full of energy that he wants to let out and the way the weather has been it is not possible.

Bully and Baby are getting along just fine. Both wake up every morning and ask for Daddy. All I can say is "Daddy is at work." That is all and they move on. I am just glad that they still ask for Daddy and want to see pictures of him.I spend a good portion of my day making sure they see pictures of Daddy and hear his voice somewhere.

I am still sleeping with Hubby's t shirt and on his side of the bed. I still jump when someone knocks on the door when I do not expect someone or a dark car is sitting out in front of my house when I come home. I don't think about it all day anymore but it is always there. In the next couple of weeks I will be taking a whole day for me. Nails maybe hair and shopping. I might even take a lunch for me alone. Make it a me date. LOL Who knows. I have to wait and see how I am doing by then. I do better having my Kiddos around than not having them around. I am really wondering how I am going to do it with the three big Kiddos gone for most of the summer. We will see in a few months.

I have been trying to put some cute pictures up of my Kiddos but Blogger is giving me a headache about it. I am going to try again later. Now I am off to get some sleep if I can sleep this early.

I have an address now. It feels good to be able to get a letter or card out whenever I want to. It is a relief. I know when Hubby arrived they had to put him up in temp quarters til a couple of days ago. The unit is excited to have him but wondering why he is coming in so late in the game. Oh well. he is safe and he says that the base is nice, huge and a day camp compared to where he was the last time. And he had it good there too. The only drawback is that it cost alot of money to get wireless internet in his hooch. We can deal with that though. He can use messenger at the MWR tent and we can chat for awhile when he makes it over there.

The kiddos and I had a really good night last night. The other day I was speaking with a good friend and she gave me some wonderful words of wisdom. Very simple but wise. When I feel overwhelmed I put my fist up to my heart and hold tight. She said "Let it go and let God deal." That was all she said. I put my hand down took a deep breath and as I was letting it go I felt this huge weight lift off my shoulders. Ever since then I have felt lighter and as if I can take anything on. It also reminded me how wonderful God is. Nothing is greater than He is and I can always go to Him. From those two sentences the Kiddos and I were able to laugh and have a good time lst night. It is the first time in awhile we have been able to do that. Buddy Lee was laughing without me having to tickle him and Big Man was joking around with me. It felt good.

I hope everyone has a great day. I am going to finish up laundry and take care of my sick Sweetness.