Email from a dear friend

I received this email from a very dear friend yesterday. And with her permission I am posting it here. Please feel free to copy and paste and get the word out there.

Losing our son has been devastating. Losing our son to suicide has been heartbreaking.

We can't bring him back. Nothing we can say or do will change what has happened.

No matter how hard we pray, our son is still gone.

The ONLY thing that we can do is honor his memory and help raise awareness about this tragedy.

In the hopes of preventing any other family from having to deal with this nightmare, we have decided to join the OUT OF THE DARKNESS OVERNIGHT/BOSTON as a way to honor CJ.

"The Out of the Darkness Overnight is an 18-mile journey through the night, from dusk until dawn. It's a unique opportunity to bring the issues of depression and suicide into the light as we walk together to turn heartbreak into hope for tomorrow.

Join us on June 26-27, 2010 as thousands of Walkers like you come together in Boston, Massachusetts - a city rich with history and filled with the energy that we know will fuel our quest for awareness and prevention.

A suicide attempt happens every minute of everyday. Don’t let another minute go by. Register today and help continue the work of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention – work that will truly save lives."

In order to walk, both John and I have to raise $1000 each and Connor needs to raise $700. If we don't meet our individual goals, we can NOT walk as a family. We DESPERATELY want to do this together.

Which means we need your help.

Both John and I have fundraising pages set up already and Connor's will be posted in the next day or two.

Please consider making a donation in order to help us help others. If you choose to help, you can simply split the amount you would like to donate amongst all three of our sites. That way, we can each meet our goal.

The Overnight Walk

If you see my page hit the $1000 total first, please consider just donating to John and Connor. There are fundraising thermometers posted on each page so you can easily tell how much more we each need.

PLEASE help us.

We CAN'T let this happen to others.

We just can't.

Thank you for any help you can give us.

Hallie, John and Connor Twomey

If you can help, please do so. Thanks

Michelle

Wednesday Hero

Cpl. Jason L. Dunham
22 years old from Scio, New York
Rifle Squad Leader, 4th Platoon, Company K, Third Battalion, Seventh Marines (Reinforced), Regimental Combat Team 7, FIRST Marine Division (Reinforced)
April 22, 2004


For The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Corporal Jason L. Dunham, United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Rifle Squad Leader, 4th Platoon, Company K, Third Battalion, Seventh Marines (Reinforced), Regimental Combat Team 7, FIRST Marine Division (Reinforced), on 14 April 2004. Corporal Dunham's squad was conducting a reconnaissance mission in the town of Karabilah, Iraq, when they heard rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire erupt approximately two kilometers to the west. Corporal Dunham led his Combined Anti-Armor Team towards the engagement to provide fire support to their Battalion Commander's convoy, which had been ambushed as it was traveling to Camp Husaybah. As Corporal Dunham and his Marines advanced, they quickly began to receive enemy fire. Corporal Dunham ordered his squad to dismount their vehicles and led one of his fire teams on foot several blocks south of the ambushed convoy. Discovering seven Iraqi vehicles in a column attempting to depart, Corporal Dunham and his team stopped the vehicles to search them for weapons. As they approached the vehicles, an insurgent leaped out and attacked Corporal Dunham. Corporal Dunham wrestled the insurgent to the ground and in the ensuing struggle saw the insurgent release a grenade. Corporal Dunham immediately alerted his fellow Marines to the threat. Aware of the imminent danger and without hesitation, Corporal Dunham covered the grenade with his helmet and body, bearing the brunt of the explosion and shielding his Marines from the blast. In an ultimate and selfless act of bravery in which he was mortally wounded, he saved the lives of at least two fellow Marines. By his undaunted courage, intrepid fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty, Corporal Dunham gallantly gave his life for his country, thereby reflecting great credit upon himself and upholding the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

News from Iraq

I had every intention of blogging more while Shay was in Iraq. I figured I would need the outlet because I would not be in communication with her as much as I am accustomed to. The wonders of technology have proved this to be incorrect. She has been able to call me often. In the beginning it was every day. Now that she is in a routine it is not so often. But I can read about her on facebook and get that connection us moms live for. Luckily this deployment is proving to be quite boring. She says it is like Groundhog Day (the movie) every day. Get up, go to gym, work, get off, shower, eat, watch movies, etc. You get it. She hates it but I consider it better than the alternative. Soldiers Kyle and Chris post about explosions and missions. Being "gone" for long periods of time. Not getting to shower. All the things that make moms worried. Sometimes their messages are cryptic and cause concern. I guess it is just their way of dealing with it.

I have wonderful friends in the Air Force Moms and Dads group and this blogging community. Shay has received several packages and is working on getting thank yous out to everyone. I offer my personal gratitude to all of you.

Puppies are getting big. They are 9 weeks old now and the first two should be leaving on March 20th for their new homes. Cream girl is going to live in South Carolina and the little guy is going to be co-owned by me and my co-breeder but will live with her in Ocala. That way I still get all the glory of co-owning him. The bigger boy, Baskin, will be leaving mid April to live in Jacksonville, FL with a nice young Navy couple. Their last name is Robbins. Get it? Baskin Robbins.... Lastly, the brindle girl will be living in Clearwater, FL but will be co-owned and shown by me. She has potential that I don't want to miss out on.

My older girl puppy, Yummy, has been diagnosed as being deaf. Took us 9 months to figure it out because she reacts and watches her brother closely. This means that I can't show her or breed her and because she needs and deserves more one on one attention then I can give her she is going to live in Vero Beach with a couple that has a Rottweiler and she works from home. That way someone is home with Yummy all day. I am going to miss her terribly. This breeding stuff is hard. Hubby and I are going to take a break from it. We bought motorcycles and want to be able to take trips. Can't do it with puppies around. At least with the older dogs (we will still have 4) we can get the dog walker to come let them out for potty breaks or I have a sitter that can stay at the house if we want to go away for a weekend.

Well, that is about it. Most of you who read my blog (when I post) also are friends on facebook so you already know most of this. It just came out in little bits over the last few months. This could be considered a recap for you.

Gotta get to work.

"Where in the World is".....

Just when you think you might know where your child is you find out differently. One of the girls that she is traveling with posted that they were in Qatar "enjoying the sunshine". She thought that Shay was probably sleeping in the tents. It was a loooong flight and lots of people did not sleep. I am hoping to hear from her today if time permits. I do have a mailing address and the first box is going out today. Just some of her mail, magazines, Twizzlers, Trailmix and a headset/microphone so she can Skype with me.

Puppies are doing great. Growing like they should and Binde is being a great mom. I am showing the bigger puppies, Boomer and Yummy (8 months) this weekend in Brooksville. Wish us luck.

Germany and Italy

Shay arrived in Germany this morning and called me at 538am EST. I didn't mind the wake up call. It was a long flight and she did not get her window seat as assigned. Some jerk decided it was his right to sit in any seat and Shay is not one to rock the boat (or the plane in this case). So, she had to sit in the aisle seat and got bumped every time someone walked down the aisle and was not able to get any sleep.

She then called me this afternoon to let me know they were in Italy. She got her window seat for that leg of the flight and was able to get some sleep. They had about an hour in Italy before they were continuing on to Al Udeid. I am not expecting a call for a few days. If I get one I will be happy though. They will spend the night in tents and then get issued their protective equipment and weapon before continuing on to Sather Air Base.

I am doing well. Thanks to all of my Air Force Moms, family and friends for support and thinking of me and Shay. She will be fine and will be home before we know it. Heck, it seems like just yesterday that she found out about the deployment.

Day 1 of Deployment

Shay is on her way. She departed Spokane, WA yesterday and arrived in Baltimore last night. They will stay for 2 nights (I don't know why) and then depart on Tuesday heading to Iraq with stops in a couple of other places for fueling. I just talked to her. She is up and waiting for the others. Plans to do some site seeing. Perhaps taking the train into DC. She has always wanted to visit there and I have always intended to take her.

On another note, the puppies are doing great. Getting bigger every day. Binde is a really good momma to them. I hope they appreciate her. HAHA

Update on Deployment (and other news)

Shay received her flight information yesterday. She will be leaving Spokane on Sunday. Spends 2 nights in Baltimore then it is 2 refuel stops in Europe before hitting the "Deed" for weapons issue/training before landing in Baghdad.

So, it hit me yesterday. My stomach is in a knot. I am excited for her but nervous as well. She is doing something I never got to do. Wish her luck.

Also on the home front, Binde had puppies again yesterday. 4 this time. 2 boys and 2 girls. Here is a picture from when they were minutes old.

The one on the bottom is a girl and the cream is a girl. They are all healthy, fat and moving around a lot. Binde is being a great mom and making my job easier. Hubby stayed home with them today but probably after this I will be bringing Binde and pups to work for the next week or so.

Back to work.

A note for Rie Rie

Thank you for stopping by my blog and leaving the kind words. I tried to post to your blog but it is not setup to accept comments. I really hope you decide to change that as so many others, like yourself, would be stopping by to leave you words of support and encouragement as you go through this journey. Most of us Air Force Moms call BMT (Basic Mom Torture). Having gone to Basic and AIT in Georgia from Seattle it is a world away. Back in my day we didn't have cell phones or Internet so we had to write letters and call (collect) when we could. Now these kids who have grown up with the wonders of technology are expected to write home to the parents. Don't hold your breath. I received maybe 2 letters from my daughter. 1 was the information about graduation and the other was an actual letter. I also only got 2 phone calls. Not sure how the Army works but with the Air Force it depended on the mood of the TI.

I recommend blogging as much as possible. It helps. Join a Army Moms Yahoo Group. I am sure there is one out there. It helps to talk with others in the same situation. You are not alone! Plan on going to graduation. It is an awesome experience. To see the child that left your door become the adult that serves their country. Amazing!

Good Luck

Deploying

Well, it is happening to me. I am going to be one of those parents who has a child serving in the military overseas. Shay received word that she will be deploying to Sather Air Base in Baghdad. She has to be there by Jan 15th so not sure when she has to leave or which route she is taking. Lots of things to find out and lots of things to do. I did find a website that helps me determine what time it is and what the weather is. Current local time in Baghdad. I guess I am going to have to blog more so I keep my sanity. I am very proud of her and I know she is going someplace that is very safe. But it does not keep me from being nervous. Keep with me on this journey.

It's only been 2 months

since I last blogged. Life is so busy and I feel like I don't have much to blog about. But I do update on facebook so pretty much anyone who would rad this blog already knows what I am doing because they are friends on facebook. Let's see, what have I done? Did I tell you that Shay and I went skydiving? Yup, sure did.

Out of the plane

Flying high

See the ground below?

And here is Shay's picture. For me it was a "Been there, done that" moment and I don't have to do it again. But it was something I have always wanted to do. Hubby was a saint and sat all day with us waiting.

I should probably give a puppy update. We had three puppies on May 4th. Well, Binde had the puppies. She was an excellent mom. We kept 2 of them and the third one (little girl) went to live with her daddies family. They are:

2 Stars Rolling Thunder (aka Boomer) & 2 Stars Simply Irresistable (aka Yummy)

We went to a B Match this weekend (Oct 18th). Yummy and Boomer got first in their class. Then they competed against each other for Best Jr Puppy. Boomer won. Then he competed against other Best Jr Puppies in the Non Sporting Group and he got a Group 4 (4th place). We are very pleased with the results of this breeding. Here are Boomers and Yummys ribbons.

I went to Seattle for a week in September. I attended my 30th High School Reunion and got to see my Shay Shay for the weekend. Then my plan was to train the rest of the week but I got sick so was only able to train a few times. But it was really nice to see my brother and friends that I have not seen for awhile. I will be back in Decemeber for the Black Belt Promotion. Wish me luck!

Did I tell you we got a new car? We had to because the Envoy did not have enough room to transport 5 dogs. I thought we would get another Town and Country van but we ended up getting the Ford Flex. I really like it. It is like a station wagon on steroids.

We sure do turn some heads when we are driving around. Still don't see too many of them on the road yet.

Well, that is about it for now. Maybe I will have something to write about later. I mean, we are going to Key West for Fantasy Fest over Halloween Weekend. Should be fun!

Wednesday Hero

Pfc. Tavonte Johnson


Pfc. Tavonte Johnson, a field radio operator with Headquarters Company, 7th Marine Regiment, provides security after a simulated attack by a suicide bomber on Aug. 8, as part of 7th Marine Regiment’s pre-deployment training exercise.

Photo courtesy of United States Marine Corps

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. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

I WON, I WON, I WON

Ok, I have been shamed into posting an update here. I know I have been an absent blogger and I apologize to any (if I have any) loyal followers for not posting anything in over a month. But I actually have something to post about so here goes.

I WON, I WON, I WON!!!!

I won yesterdays prize package over at Wonderful World of Weiners. I am so excited! Go see what I won. It is this really cool candleabra, $50 Starbucks, a Donor Pin, and some artwork. Hallie is doing a wondeful thing and this is just icing on the cake for those that donated to her cause. Thanks Hallie!!

I will try to put a decent post together for you all. Until then....I WON, I WON, I WON

Destin Vacation Pictures

So I have been quite busy the last week since returning from vacation. It is that 4 letter word that takes up so much of my time....WORK. Well, that and puppies. You cannot believe how much time taking care of 3 little puppies takes.

I wanted to share with you some of the pictures that Lisa from My New Thing To Do took of ouyr family during our vacation. Check them out and leave Lisa comments about how great a job she did. Did I tell you how hot it was? Even at 9am? Well, it was. Thanks Lisa. We can't wait to see the rest of them.

Party and Vacation

So I have been on vacation for the past week and had a wonderful time. The first thing I did was fly to Portland, Oregon and met my daughter at the airport. She flew in from Spokane, Washington. We had a 40th Anniversary Banquet on Saturday. It was wonderful. We got to see some old friends and dance and sing (karaoke). I have not seen Shay since last November, except on Skype and it is just not the same. Here are a few pictures from the event. I will make comments where I can. Some don't need it. Enjoy

Shay and me with my brother Jay

Shay with Sensei Marta

Me with some of the other black belt ladies from my dojo in Washington.

Shay and me with Sensei Chris

Me and Shay with some more black belts from Washington. Yes, they are black belts and yes, she is pregnant. And she could probably still kick our asses.

Me with Sensei Mark

Here I am singing Reba McEntire "Take it Back" and Sensei Cameron was willing to be my subject.

I will try to get some of the vacation pictures posted within the next few days. I also can't wait to see the ones from Lisa Jobes. Lisa and her husband Scott drove down and did our family pictures for us. You guys will be impressed I am sure.

Later

Puppies, Puppies, Puppies

These first shots are of the boy

These are of Little Girl

These are of Big Girl

I know, I don't have as many of the big girl as I do of the other two. She is on the shy side and isn't as outgoing as the other two. But I am working on her. She is getting more confident each time she comes out to play.

They walk among us

No comments from me. I will leave those to your imagination. If you want to share via comments please feel free to do so. Enjoy (or not)