Giving of Thanks for 2008

Once a year our country officially has a day set aside when a Frozen Turkey is bought, and thawed and cooked and all the family comes to Gramma's house to eat, take naps and watch football or Thanksgiving day parade on TV.

Well, this year is a bit different for me. I am away from most of my extended family. I do have the priviledge of spending this day with my husband and daughter, but my son is still in Arizona and my parents as well. Its just too far to travel to Grammas house, and duties keep us on the Eastcoast, when our hearts are in the Southwest, via the Northwest...!

My first Thanksgiving so near to where it all started. North Carolina being so close to the upper states of Virginia, Maryland..
This certainly is a new experience, one of many I have seem to have accumulated this past year.
Yet, despite the homesickness of being so far from my family, I have thought of a few things to be Thankful for.....


My daughter is in college, and safe from that ugly war (so far.)

My husband has a decent job, is doing good, and is adjusting to the USA.

My husband is speaking better English (Whewwwwwwwwww....)

My son writes me letters!!! I live for those letters from him, and miss him so much.

My car runs good!

Our Jack Russell, Chivas is healthy and funny to watch. (Cheap entertainment)

My computer has not frozen up..... and my printer has ink!

I got to see most of the family this past summer in Washington, and my sister in Idaho....

I was priviledged to attend a dedication of my niece's son; Braydon James...



I hope you enjoy the pictures of the family I took on our trip up north, leaving behind Arizona, and heading up to Washington and Idaho this past summer of 2008.

We said our final Goodbye's to Ernesto Mosso, Chuys father in Mexico, and with our car loaded to the hilt, we headed north to Washington.







Chuy drove and drove......and finally we got to Mount Shasta...... a welcome sight to see..... and finally some green tree's.

FINALLY arriving in Seattle, Chuy located a oldies music store..... and finally found "Alan Parsons Project"?????? I guess its been a 25 year long search?

(Never heard of him.... )

And, of course Chuy's first"Starbucks Latte" in SEATTLE!

The Usual landmarks........ Farmers Market, The Famous Fish vendors...

The Flowers....




And the ART and famous Totem Pole.

There is NOTHING like Seattle on a sunny warm day!

Local Graffiti.....

Finally left Seattle and drove further up Washington to the Stanwood/Lake Goodwin area.

...Staying at our Aunt Christies House...

Chuy, meeting my Uncle Delbert...

Pretending to play pool.

Christy playing us a song...

Chuy seeing first hand how we fish and catch crab at Kayak Point...

Chuy dives for lobster in Acapulco, but its not off a handy pier like this! They just jump off the cliffs and rocks and hold their breathe and dive.....

The Full Moon rising over Lake Goodwin

Meeting Uncle Pat.... The "No Comprende Man"

Chuy gifting Uncle Pat with a real Mexican Bullwhip.

John Sygitowicz, Sherrill Noble, Christy VanNatta, Bob Noble and Chuy.

Chuy and his most beloved Mother-in-law.......

The two BULLS...... out of their bullpen!

Chuy....with mom....again!

Chuy en la frisbee

Cousin Carly (VanNatta), and 'Auntie Tia Juana.... (Chuys nickname for my Aunt Joan!)

Chuy meets "No comprende man", my uncle Pat Sygitowicz!

Tiajuana with Chuy......

Cousin Lynn Prudnick, husband Dan, Aunt Tiajuana...and Lynns boys in background?

Christopher VanNatta with fiance and his son, Christian...

Carly and her mom..Christy VanNatta

(My aunt)

Carly (VanNatta) Chuy and Steve....

A Memorial for my late Grandparents. Hazel and Elmer Afseth. This memorial is set up at Christy Van Natta's house....

IDAHO

Chuy and I got to meet the latest addition, Braydon James...... the son of Jessica Bartlett and Grandson of Nancy Noble (my sister)

Nancy and Braydon in her house in Idaho.

Chuy and Nancy having fun.... spending our wedding anniversary at Nancys..... yaaahoooo!

Baby Dedication for Braydon James.

Jessica and Ray and Chuy looking on...

An Aztecan Indian sitting in the middle of Buffalo country? hmmmm....

Chuy at a reststop...always reading the history of the surrounding area... he was intrigued to see what he had only previously learned about in his Mexican history classes.

And finally...... at last.......





I can hear him now..."Are we there yet?" (After hours and hours and days travelling cross country...

From Arizona to Washington, to Idaho, across the plains and all the way to the Eastcoast. Finally, this photo was taken at the first reststop past the Smokey Mountain Range, and on the final stretch home....to Fayetteville, North Carolina.....

Whewwwwwwww........... I am staying put for a while after that drive.

~ Happy Holidays to everyone, and a Blessed New Year 2009. ~

For the Love of a daughter.

1st Corinthians Chapter 13

Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long ..... and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.... And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love...

Julieanna's promotion ceremony in Germany on a Army base while she was Air Force. She was promoted to Sergent....and had to receive the "punch" in the arm to "set" the new stripes!
Not too long after her promotion, Julieanna was transferred stateside to Fayetteville, North Carolina to re-enlist in the Army and apply for the Green to Gold Scholarship to complete her BA in Mass Communications.



I made a decision last November (2007) to visit my daughter once she got stateside from her 4 1/2 year stint in Europe with the Air Force. I had missed her greatly, but was enjoying hearing of her success as a Journalist and TV broadcast/producer with the Air Force in Yokota Japan, and later in Germany as a DJ for AFN news and radio.
As time passed, and her enlisted time was coming to an end, a great opportunity presented itself for Julie in the form of a Green to Gold College Scholarship. This would be a chance to finish her college on a full scholarship, and obtain status as a Officer at the end of her schooling. The only condition being that she re-enlist for another 6 years, and bootleg over to the Army!


Well, re-enlist she did! She came home (stateside) and reported to the Army as a Staff Sergent. That proved to be a rude awakening, and complete change from the near celebrity status she had enjoyed overseas as a TV personality and later in her career as a Morning DJ for the AFN news and radio.
In her new role as a Staff Sergent, Julieanna would become responsible for leading her troops in drills, runs, trainings, counselings etc. She would have to learn ALL acronyms and ways and means of Army lingo and methods of operating. The stress of this, on top of daily grueling physical training was surely the epitome of a life challenge for Julie.
It was during this transition in her life and career, that I got to come to Fayetteville, North Carolina for what was suppose to be a 'family visit! (a long overdue one at that!) I had not been able to visit Julie while she was overseas. I was working full time in Yuma Arizona as a Case Manager in Behavioural Mental Health. My husband Chuy was also busy immigrating and working and learning the ways of USA. So, while on leave from work because of an automobile accident with UPS (they rear-ended me in my favorite 'baby car; my 71'VW!) I finally had the time to visit my daughter.
~'Upon arriving at her new house in Fayetteville, I was met with all of Julies un-packed stuff from Europe! Boxes and piles of furniture layed strewn about as if a tornado blew them in. I must have gasped in disbelief as I walked thru the front door, because Julie tryed to make a few excuses for the military moving people

But, I understood that she didn't have anything 'put away yet' partly due to her rigorous schedule at work! Since this was a new house for Julie as well, she had some grand re-decorating ideas, including texturing and painting her dining room a Japanese RED! I could see that my long overdue visit, was going to quickly turn into a 'working vacation! And, work I did!
I had planned to stay for at least a month, just to have some quality time with my daughter and its a darn good thing I planned it that way, for little did I know it would take nearly that long just to help bring the house to a presentable and livable state....
During the day, when Julie stormed off to Phyical Training at 4:00am every morning, I would put on the coffee and get to work. There was painting, texturizing, ripping up old carpet, refinishing the hardwood floors, arranging the furniture,setting up bedrooms,organizing the kitchen,and just general chores. When Julie got home at night, we would "work together" on whatever project was 'on for the day...... slowly but surely, we just kept at it, and little by little it all started coming together.

And, Finally results of all the hardwork started showing....

As the house came together, Julie proceeded to initiate her paperwork for the Green to Gold program. We soon discovered what a fingernail biting experience that Julie was in....
Past school records had to be dug up, certain scores and grades had to measure up, letters to commanders written, and resumes, interviews, and timetables met... what we discovered was it was a process to win this Green to Gold Scholarship, and Julie was just one of many of a limited few that would get a slot in the program. It would ultimately depend on a panels decision, and the word of a single commander in high up places.....
We applied, and waited and waited and waited. I have come to believe that the Army just does things on their own timetable, and its a slow one!
Finally, after many months of wondering, fearing the worse, and not knowing how to plan ahead, the good news came, Julie was accepted!

I believe our family sighed a collective sigh. Our entire family had become involved and concerned in helping out in any way possible for Julie to get this awesome opportunity. Mom and Dad, once again were the backbone to the success of Julieanna's future, and my sanity concerning her. None of this would have been possible with out their support, and the steady consistency of a sound, ethical father figure that Julieanna loves with all her soul, her Grandpa Bob. And the sweet and enduring nurture and care of her Grandma Sherrill. (Much thanks goes out to the family, but that is another post.)

With College in view in just a few months, and a pending annulment from a man that betrayed her and left her penniless and facing all the bills, Julie had to scramble to come up with a new plan to make her dreams come true. How would she make the house payment now? What about the truck payment? Would she have to go bankrupt? What would she do for income during college? Should she sell the house? Should she get a night job? What should she do?

We had a few weeks and months of feelings of absolute stress. As for me, I couldn't stop feeling that I just HAD to do something! But what could I do as a Mother to help my daughter achieve a once in a lifetime goal? What could I do?

I talked many a night on that vacation with Julie out on her front porch..... shivering in the late winter chill talking and discussing what appeared to be an ominous future. I sat thru many a heartbroken cry, and I cryed with her. I sat with her and listened to her, and tried the best I could to try to give her hope in what seemed like a totally hopeless situation. Throughout all this time, of what was supposed to be a nice mother/daughter reunion and semi vacation, I also battled thoughts of gloom and doom, not knowing what lay in the impending future for my daughter. Now that she was in the Army, and let down by the man she loved and believed in, and faced with all the future hardships as a single woman, I worried how she would make it. How could she accomplish all that faced her? Now that she was stationed at Fort Bragg... (one of the bases that deploys constantly to the war in Iraq), my fear of Julie going to war was directly in my face. If she didn't get that scholarship; Green to Gold, she would certainly deploy to Iraq, and this time as Army rather than previously as Air Force. It would be much worse as an Army soldier. I decided again to put all my energy I could sum up to help Julie get that scholarship... as the other choice was unacceptable! I WOULD NOT SEE MY DAUGHTER IN IRAQ IF I HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT!!!

Throughout all this time, Julie still had to report for duty each morning. She had to lead the physical training, attend all camps and trainings, and face the stigma of a Air Force soldier gone Army. (Everyone expected her to know more as she was previous Air Force)

In time, I flew home to Arizona and my spirit turned restless. I could not sleep and I could not get Julie and her horrible situation out of my mind. My husband quickly noticed this, and now it was our turn to talk and discuss how we could help. It didn't take long for Chuy (my husband) to suggest to me that we pull up stakes, and move out to Fayetteville. He decided without hesitation to give up a good job, and to move across the United States to help Julie with her bills, and to free her up for college.... I had hoped to do this... and Julie and I had discussed this very thing, but now my husband mentioned it and was so willing to do this for her.

I hugged Chuy, and cryed and thanked him from the bottom of my heart for being so good to us! Chuy then put me back on a plane, and sent me back to Julie to 'be there for her until we could move out permanently. Chuy joined me a short time later to start looking for work. (And he was blessed with a wonderful job working on Fort Bragg, at the Delta Force section)

The long Winter months had passed, and Spring and all the rains came. Soon, May brought me back to Arizona to pack up, and make the final move. This all sounds so easy here, but, if you have ever tried to pack up everything you own and move, in the desert of Yuma Arizona, you will know what I mean when I say it was quite the challenge. You have to plan your day very carefully! The heat sneaks up on you early, and when its hot out, all you can think of is finding shade, a swimming pool, or an air conditioned room........ so, with only certain hours of the day to actually pack and sort, and make a thousand trips to the dumpster........ it was a horrible chore to accomplish so near to the oncoming summer months.

But, I had a mission! My concern and love for my daughter spurred me on, and I found strength to do it. So, move we did. Chuy joined me back in Arizona to make the long drive back to Fayetteville... (via Washington State and Idaho) to face our new future, and to assist Julieanna in whatever she needed for as long as she needed it. We had a huge altruistic sacrifice to make.... but, for the most deserving young lady in the world. A real trooper. So, all in all I have found myself back here at Fayetteville, in November, but, in a different year. This is 2008, one year later. The past year was a phenomenon of stress, change, heartbreak, disappointment, happiness (when Julie was awarded the scholarship), but a year of determination. A year that proved what family is for, a year that showcased what love really is....... a commitment. A commitment thru the good times, the bad, the up and the down. True love see's no barrier, it just is. True love enables you to overcome and go forward....and there is no truer love on this earth, than the family that loves you and encourages you to be all you can be! (And helps you to do it.)

Chin up Julieanna! You are going to make the most awesome Officer the military has ever had...
and who knows? Maybe YOU will be the FIRST woman president, heaven knows after the '08 election ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE...

We are here, right behind you! Cheering and standing strong all the way!

We love you!

1st Corinthians Chapter 13

A video of Julieanna leaving for training..... in uniform