Back on American Soil! ... Day 189

It has been nine days since TJ had posted anything on his Facebook page and fourteen days since his last phone call. Knowing that his deployment was to end at any time, it was becoming VERY difficult to wait for word from him. In fact, I didn’t do too well with that period of silence. I finally emailed him. When he didn't answer that I sent a private message on Facebook about three days later. During this silent period we were guessing between two options: 1) he was still in Kuwait and no longer had access to the internet, or 2) he was trying to get all the way home and surprise us.

Tonight as I got into the car to come home from work the cell phone went off. It was the first text message from TJ in more than six months!

“Just got to Baltimore. Gonna’ be here tonight and leave tomorrow morning for Montana.”

What a fantastic text!

TJ will be given twelve days of “R & R”, but is hoping he can get some additional time off to come home and visit many good friends that he hasn’t seen in over a year.

We are SO thankful TJ is back on American soil!

  

One very proud and grateful mom!

Airman of the Month ... Day 177

Presentation of Airman of the Month Award!

Yesterday TJ posted the following on Facebook:

‎”387 AEG Airman of the Month - God has blessed me this year. Couldn’t have done it without the support, mentor-ship, and encouragement of the 387 Family.”

He had called us earlier on Friday to share his good news with us and we couldn’t be more proud of him! [It’s that “stinkin’ proud” feeling again!] In talking with him we discovered that he was selected as the Airman of the Month out of the approximately 400 airmen that are on his base. What an honor!

Airman of the Month Award
Below it - five coins TJ has recieved!

This picture shows the award they presented to him. At the bottom of the award he placed the five coins he has been given from various officers during his deployment. To be “coined” by an officer is a very meaningful recognition of superior service to the Airman. [One of the coins was actually given to him by a General].

TJ begins his final week of deployment. I couldn’t imagine a better way for him to end it. Congratulations, TJ! We are so very proud of you and can’t wait to see you!

The Beat of TJ's Drums ... Day 170

TJ playing the drums at 15 months!

When TJ was 15 months old, his older brother was given a child’s toy trap set for Christmas. I don’t have a single picture of his brother playing those drums, but I have two of TJ. In one of the pictures he is singing and having the time of his life. In the other picture the gleam in his eyes lets you know just how much fun he was having on those little toy drums.

Fifteen years later one of TJ’s friends showed him a few simple things about playing the drums. He bought himself a pair of sticks and began practicing / playing the drums in the church’s youth room whenever he could. One Sunday evening after services were over, his dad was down the hall from the youth room and asked one of the other teens, “who’s in there playing the drums?” They looked at him with surprise and replied, “It’s your son, TJ.” We were stunned and amazed. Without a single “professional” lesson, he had learned not just how to play the drums, but how to do so with sensitivity to the music and his audience.

That year for Christmas TJ and his dad watched the eBay sales for drum sets and won the bid for the one that TJ had decided was “perfect!” They arrived several weeks before Christmas but we made him wait until Christmas morning to have them. He also received several desired attachments, like several more sets of sticks, a cow bell, cymbals, and his requested “throne” as the drum set’s seat is occasionally called.

Our neighbors were very thankful for our basement where the drum set was assembled. And then it was time for a family “jam” session! His older brother played electric guitar, dad was on the keyboard, and there was TJ, in all his glory, playing his very own set of drums!

From then on he spent as much time as he could, with a pair of headphones on listening to music while he played his drums. He spent his money purchasing a double drum pedal, more cymbals, and of course, lots of drum sticks. I had no idea how quickly he could go through a set of drum sticks!

Later TJ became the drummer for the worship team at church. He instinctively knew when a cymbal roll was needed, or just a light, quiet brush of the snare drum, and when to let loose with a run across the other drums. It was so much fun to watch him. He loved playing for his Savior.

On his last Sunday before heading off to boot camp, he was allowed to really let loose and played a 3-4 minute drum solo during one of his favorite songs. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the entire congregation as we watched him play for the Lord with all of his heart.

Leaving his drums behind was probably one of the hardest things TJ did when he headed off to serve in the Air Force. Once he was assigned to Malmstrom Air Force Base, he made arrangements for his things to be shipped out to him. He gave me specific instructions to make sure the movers packed his drums very carefully! Though he had no place to assemble and play his trap set, he wanted them with him. During his first few years on base, he was able to play for the worship team at the base chapel and again, thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to worship with the drums!

Frequently I find myself watching the drummer of the Sunday morning worship team, and often I must fight back tears as I think of the days when TJ sat there. How I miss watching him praising his Lord on the drums! I suppose that is why I love the following verses from Psalm 150.

Praise God in His sanctuary;

Praise Him in His mighty firmament!

Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;

Praise Him with the lute and harp!

Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;

Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!

Praise Him with loud cymbals;

Praise Him with clashing cymbals!

Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord,

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 150:1, 3-6

Keep praising the Lord in any way you can, TJ. And may the day soon come when you can do it with your cymbals and drums!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words … Day 150

I have heard the saying countless times – ‘A picture is worth a thousand words.’ And it is true – there are some pictures that capture a moment in time or an expression that we could never capture through our words.

Just a month ago parents stood in lines with their little ones who were all dressed up for a picture with Santa. Weddings take place every weekend and each couple wants their special day caught on film – both DVD and photo paper. We could come up with ‘thousands’ of situations that people want captured in photos because photos hold within them priceless moments in time that people never want to forget and that they know they could probably never fully capture in words.

Therefore, just a few nights ago my husband told me to go look at the picture that was on TJ’s Facebook page. The grin on TJ’s face goes beyond ‘a thousand words!’ Though there was no explanation of who he was standing with or what the occasion was – his face said it all. I encourage you to ‘read’ it for yourself!

Counting Down ... Day 148

Can it already be New Year’s Eve? What happened to 2010? Is it already time to countdown to the dawn of 2011?

Yes, it is time to welcome 2011, and as we do I will be starting another countdown. It is 31 days long and it will mark the end of TJ’s deployment. Just as when he was a boy, I find myself wondering where the time has gone. It seems like it was just yesterday when I began this blog and suddenly I’m ready to start the countdown for his final month in Kuwait.

We spoke with TJ on Christmas day. He talked about so many things. Most of all he talked about his current plans for his military future. About two months ago he had said he just didn’t know which way to go. As he has talked with various commanders there on base, it seems he has found clarity and direction. We are so stinkin’ proud of him and how he does this whenever he faces a major decision.

He continues to love his deployment and I know he would stay if they would let him. They have used TJ and his abilities. They’ve challenged him and he has stepped up to the challenge and thrived in it. For this, he has been coined by four different people, including a General! [Note: To be coined is a tremendous honor for an Airman and done only when a higher ranking officer observes service that is exemplary. For TJ to have received this honor four times over is outstanding!]

Thirty-one more days. I count them down with an excitement, looking forward to his return. For TJ it will be a very bitter-sweet countdown. He loves serving in this way and yet he knows that he must return and start focusing on the plans he has laid out for his future.

What will 2011 bring? No one can answer that with certainty. For this mom, I continue to pray it will bring our son home safely, along with his fellow soldiers who serve to protect our freedoms.  Let the countdown begin! 

Christmas Has Arrived ... Day 141-142

One of my favorite Christmas photos!

The clock has just "struck" midnight in Kuwait. It is Christmas day for TJ.


Merry Christmas, Pal! 


Dad and I love you. We miss you dearly, and we trust you will have a wonderful Christmas day there in the sandbox! 


Ever proud of you, Mom

Christmas in a Flat-Rate Box … Day 139

When the boys were little we never put any presents under the Christmas tree until after they had been put to bed on Christmas Eve. As parents we didn’t want to put the temptation to open their gifts early right out in front of them for even a few days.

And so, once we were assured that TJ and his brother were asleep, we quietly pulled their gifts out from hiding and laid them under the tree. One year their grandparents bought the train that now is a part of our Christmas decorations. Joe and I carefully put it together and placed the other gifts a little off to the side. As we “tested” the train, we hoped that they wouldn’t wake up as it click-clacked around on the track. The following morning we slipped out of bed and down the stairs ahead of the boys. Joe started the train up and then hit the button for its whistle to sound. It was a Hallmark moment if ever there was one! The boys came down the stairs, literally rubbing the sleep from their eyes, to see the Christmas tree lit and all of the presents around it and the train chugging around underneath it all!

I know every parent loves seeing the excitement in their children’s eyes as they see the presents under the Christmas tree for that first time, and I’m no different. I would use as many different colors of wrapping paper to conceal their gifts and loved tying them up with bows. It made everything look more festive and special. I was always amazed at how even the smallest number of gifts seemed to multiply once we put them under the tree.

But this year it is much different. Unlike some military families waiting for their service men and women to return, we won’t put any gifts under the tree to wait until TJ makes it home. Instead we choose to send Christmas to him. We wanted him to have it there on Christmas day.  So, we thought carefully about what was small enough to be brought home in his duffle bag, and we looked for things that he could “consume” before he leaves Kuwait in another month. The final consideration was making everything fit into a flat-rate box from the post office.

TJ's gifts - packaged and ready to go!

When I wrapped his gifts this year I simply used a few rolls of paper that I still had from last year. To make it easier to fit into the box, I didn’t put any bows or ribbon onto any of TJ’s gifts. And, then there was the jigsaw puzzle effort to get everything to fit into the box. I’m still not sure when I learned how to do that but once again, somehow I squeezed everything in and got the box lid to fold down flat! I laid a final piece of wrapping paper over all of the gifts and put one bow on the very top.

All of this took place the very first week of December. Joe took on the task of waiting in line at the post office to mail Christmas to TJ. And, that brings me around to the part about waiting until Christmas morning for the boys to see their gifts. Unfortunately whenever a package is mailed to TJ, we are required to complete a Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note. Each and every item must be listed along with its value. This is then taped to the outside of the shipping box. That was probably the hardest part for me to deal with this year. How could any of it be a surprise for him when he would see all of his gifts listed before he would even open the box?

A few days ago TJ emailed to tell us his box had arrived. He thanked us for everything and said how much he appreciated all of it. That stinker! He didn’t even wait until Christmas morning!

Then yesterday a flat-rate box arrived at our door. It was from TJ! He had sent Christmas to us, just as we had done for him! We had no idea if he’d wrapped the gift(s) that were inside the box. Joe and I pondered if we should open it or just put it under the Christmas tree as it was. And then something caught my eye. It was that crazy Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note! I read, out loud, the list of things our flat-rate box contained and then I reached for the scissors, cut the tape and opened it up!

This year, without waiting for Christmas morning, we’ve exchanged our Christmas gifts to each other through US postal flat-rate boxes. No sleepy-eyed boys coming down from their beds to presents under the tree, not even a lot of fancy wrappings and bows on the gifts. Just two flat-rate boxes crossing the ocean; one going to Kuwait to a soldier far from home, and one making its way home to that soldier’s parents. But within those two boxes more love was exchanged than the largest amount of gifts any Christmas tree ever held beneath its boughs. This year I’ve learned that memories are more precious than ever and Christmas gifts are just as special even if they are concealed within a US postal flat-rate box!

Merry Christmas, TJ! We miss you - and we love you!