[Cassie325]

This is the best group of people....you all bring me to tears with your thoughts and prayres...not just for my family but for all families of military and the men and women serving our country! God Bless all of you as well!!


Jimmy's departure (PS if he knew I was calling him Jimmy he would kill me...it's JIM....LOL)....anyway...Jimmy's departure went as smoothly as possible. As you know they do not let anyone down to the gate without a ticket. So my parents and Jamie had to stand at the window to watch him walk down the corridor to his gate. My mother said it was like a scene from a movie...slow motion...every two seconds he would turn his head and wave. I cry just thinking about it. My mother said he looked like a man (30 yrs old) for the first time in his entire life. She was VERY proud and very sad...because even though he is a man....he is still her baby!!

My father does not, of course, show emotion very often and had tears in his eyes....he told me later that he knows with every fiber of his being that Jimmy will be home for Easter dinner! How hard was that to hear....

Jamie (the 9 year old) was very sad and cried and waved and jumped in Papa's arms so she could see all the way down the hall. They kept her home from school and took her to Friendly's for a lunch....then some ice cream....Jimmy called her around 10pm that night stating that he was in the airport waiting for his plane....

I am a sister....and it kills me to even think about him being over there....but I can't even fathom being a parent of someone in the military....being SO proud and SO scared at the same time.

Sorry for the long post....just needed to get it all out....thanks for listening....again....and thanks again for your kindness, support for our troupes and the blessings you have given me!