Veteran's Day Thoughts

This Veteran's Day I am thankful, as always, for our Veterans. For the men and women who serve or have served our great nation. Whether they have served in a war, overseas, or are one of the many who continue to protect our native soil right here in the United States. They all signed that dotted line. They all made a promise to protect our liberties and our lives.

But today got me thinking. Veteran's Day is more than just a day to be thankful for our Veterans. It is a day to remember what it means to even have Veterans. To have a country founded on freedom, to have men sacrifice their lives for what they believe in for even those who would argue with the cause. And what comes with that sacrifice, especially in times of war is a great cost. Yes, I am thankful for our Veterans, but I am also thankful for the ones they must let go of. The ones who are not celebrated as heroes until after they are gone.


Part of being a veteran, especially for my husband, is living with what has been lost. The pain of loosing someone does not lessen with time, perhaps time does heal, in a way, but the ache we feel when we think of these people still remains. This blog is dedicated to those veterans who have not only served, but have served amongst the bravest there are, and have had to let them go. My father in law lost his cousin, his best friend, in Vietnam. And although I am thankful for his service, I am infinitely grateful for his example, his integrity and his determination to live his life knowing those he lost, especially his cousin, would have wanted him to live it to the fullest, and remember them fondly. There are so many veterans who have not had to experience this kind of loss, the loss of their brothers, of their second family, and for that I am grateful. But for those who have, you have my respect, my support and my gratitude. You are the reason my children sleep safely in their beds at night. You have a purpose beyond what you even realize. A place in history and a huge place in my heart. Thank you.

My Son's Namesake

Memorial Day.

A day that used to mean a day off from school, a long weekend, barbecues with family and friends, and a hint of the summer to come. How much more this day means than most people realize. Today I am reflecting on my son's namesake, Lance M. Thompson. Lance was killed on November 15th, 2004 in the same accident that wounded my husband. He was 21 years old. He was a patriot, a wonderful friend, and most of all, he loved the Lord.

In a letter Lance wrote to his father a few months before he was killed he wrote this..."Freedom is not free. It requires sacrifice." And he truly believed that. What a wonderful legacy to leave my son. And though I say his name daily, true reflection on his name and the man my Lance was named after always makes my heart ache, as a wife, as a mother, and as someone who loves this country.

I know Lance believed in what he was there for. But I wonder what he would think of this "transformation" that is supposed to happening to our country. Can things in this country be improved? Of course. There's always room for improvement. But does our country need to be transformed? No, that would imply that it's not the greatest nation on earth, that it is wrong in it's entirety. And I don't believe that. I believe that there's always room to IMPROVE, yes, but transform, no. I believe Lance fought and died in Iraq to continue our freedom, our liberty, and to give those people even a glimpse of the freedom and blessings we all enjoy here. I don't want to see this nation transformed, that's not what he fought for, that's not what he died for.

This Memorial Day, instead of gathering for fun and giving no thought to the true meaning of this important day, I will hold my family close. I will look my husband in the eyes and thank him for his sacrifices. And I will look at my son, and remember a man. A man who gave his life for what he believed in, and gave my son his name.

Prisoner of Potty Training!

It all started on Sun Feb 10th. Kaitlyn told me she had to go potty and dragged me to the bathroom where she sat down and went. Mon the same thing happened and Tues followed suite. Tues I finally decided that was it. Three days in a row of her initiating it was enough of a sign of readiness. I put her in panties and off we went! We had two accidents that day, one of which I probably could have prevented because she was too into Dora and didn't want to go. The second day we didn't have any accidents. I was shocked and so proud and pleased. From there it's been a whirl of potties and panties. :) There have been some accidents and the #2 situation is still a bit shaky but I figure we'll get a hold of peeing and work from there.

There are so many transitions in the first few years of a child's life and to be honest, I have dreaded almost all of them, this one included and have realized, with a sigh of relief that each one turns out infinitely better than I ever thought possible. I think I had a harder time giving up bottles than she did, her pacifier was a breeze, and the one I dreaded most, one day we couldn't find it, we told her it was all gone, and that was that. There are two main points to all of this...

#1 I am scared about our next child if everything with her has been this easy!
#2 I STILL need to learn to let go and trust that things will happen at the EXACT moment they are supposed to.

Now this is not to say there will never be challenges or resistance to transitions like these, but the point is, I need to know that I can feel this kind of peace beforehand, not after when everything is over and done.

If anyone out there still occasionally checks my blog to see if I am alive, I am still here, thanks for believing in me :)