MOMENTS BEFORE THE BIG GOOD-BYE...

OUR BABY SITTER HEATHER TOOK THESE PICTURES MOMENTS BEFORE WE WALKED OUT THE DOOR

***MOM YOU CALLED RIGHT BEFORE WE TOOK THESE PICTURES.***

I TOOK THESE AND THEN GRABBED MY PURSE, THIS WAS ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE HE HAD TO REPORT AT HIS UNIT

***FUNNY HOW SOME OF THE SHOTS ARE FUZZY AND BLURRED, I'M SURE I HAD TEARS IN MY EYES WHILE I WAS TAKING THEM TOO!!!***

THERE WAS NO WAY I COULD HAVE TAKEN PICTURES OF THE NEXT THING THAT HAPPENED. I WALKED OUT THE DOOR ALREADY CRYING AS HE GAVE EACH KID ONE LAST HUG BEFORE WE LEFT.**** EVERYONE WAS IN TEARS****

WE LEFT EARLY ENOUGH TO BUY PHONE CARDS AND CIGARETTES AND HANG OUT ALITTLE BEFORE I SENT HIM OFF. THIS IS US KILLING TIME AND ENJOYING THE SCENERY ON DRUM.

THIS IS US AT REMINGTON PARK ON POST...IT IS SOOOO BEAUTIFUL. WE DECIDED TO HAVE A BBQ HERE THE SPRING AFTER HE COMES HOME.

BOTH OF US HAD BEEN CRYING


THE LAST SMOKE BEFORE HE WALKED OFF

MESSING AROUND IN THE TRUCK IN THE DROP OFF LOT.


THE LOT LOOKS EMPTY CAUSE WE ARE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE DROP OFF POINT.

THERE GOES MY BABY- I COULDN'T GET THE CAMERA IN TIME TO GET A BETTER SHOT OF HIM WALKING AWAY, BUT THAT IS HIM. HE STOPPED AND HELPED THE GUY RIGHT THERE AND CARRIED SOME GEAR FOR HIM.---SUCH A GOOD SOLDIER....

MARK SAYS HE'S GONNA TRY TO SLEEP FOR 12 HOURS A DAY, THAT WAY HE IS ONLY IN IRAQ FOR 6 MONTHS....I LOVE HIM

MESSING AROUND LIKE NORMAL, BUT ON THE DAY DADDY LEFT OCTOBER 14TH, 2009

SO, BEFORE MARK LEFT, I WAS TAKING ALOT OF MENTAL PICTURES & REALLY TRYING NOT TO THINK OF EVERY MOMENT AS "THIS IS THE LAST TIME..."OR" THIS COULD BE THE LAST TIME..."

AFTER SOBBING MOST OF THE MORNING, I FINALLY CONVINCED MYSELF THAT THIS IS JUST A LONG PAUSE IN THE MEMORY MAKING DEPT. MANY PEOPLE HAVE LOTS OF PICTURES OF ALL THEIR MOMENTS LEADING UP TO THE DEPLOYMENT OF THEIR SOLDIER AND ALOT DO NOT HAVE THE SPOUSE IN THEM. FOR ME, I PUT THE CAMERA DOWN & ENJOYED EVERY LAST MINUTE. I HAVE SOME PLAYFUL SHOTS OF THE NORM AROUND HERE & ALSO OF SOME OF THE "OKAY I GOTTA GET THIS ON FILM NOW'' SHOTS, BUT I HAVE ALOT OF MENTAL IMAGES TOO.

THIS IS A GLIMPSE OF MY WORLD.






THE BOYS PLAY LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME AND I LOVE IT !!!!

THIS IS VERY TYPICAL & NOT A SPECIAL PUT ON, THEY REALLY PLAY LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME.


WE TOOK SOME SILLY SHOTS LATER IN THE DAY....& HERE THEY ARE

YOU'LL HAVE TO EXCUSE THE NO MAKE-UP AND GLASSES TO COVER UP THE TEARS AND PUFFY RED EYES.

A DAY AT THE PARK

BEEN HANGING OUT WITH THE KIDS BEFORE DEPLOYMENT & ENJOYING THE WEATHER BEFORE WE GET COVERED IN SNOW. WE TOOK THE KIDS TO THE PARK FOR SOME FUN AFTER THE RAIN & A NATURE WALK THROUGH THE HILLS. THE CHANGE IN SEASONS IS SOOOO beautiFALL......

I LOVE SHOTS OF MARK & THE BOYS

RONAN & HIS CASTLE PARK

MARCEL LOVES TO SWING....BELOW MARK IS TACKLING THE OLDER 2 AS THEY CAME DOWN THE SLIDE.

THE CONLINS DOMINATING THE SWINGS TOGETHER


THEN WE WALKED AROUND THE PARK TO TIRE THEM OUT...

& ENJOY THE SCENERY


MARCEL IS ACTUALLY ATTACKING THE LEAVES WITH A BRANCH




THIS IS THE BOYS WAITING FOR ME & MARKY TO CATCH UP

JUST WALKING AROUND


RONAN DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE HIS BROTHER BEHIND LIKE WE DID, SO HE WALKED WITH HIM MANY PACES BACK.

MARK TOOK THESE SHOTS OF THE BOYS BEFORE WE LEFT.

DEPLOYMENT CEREMONY

2ND BRIGADE INFANTRY, 2-14, HHC COMPANY

10TH MOUNTAIN DIVISION

GOLDEN DRAGONS: TO THE RIGHT OF THE LINE

MARK IS WAAAAAYYYY IN THE BACK OF THE PHOTO BELOW

THERE WERE 3500 TROOPS IN FORMATION, MY CAMERA COULDN'T ZOOM BACK TO SHOW THE ENTIRE BRIGADE OF SOLDIERS, BUT THEY WERE THERE.

BEFORE THE FLAGS WERE FOLDED AND CLOSING OF THE COLOR GUARD

OUR ENTERTAINMENT...THE MARCHING BAND

IT WAS A HOT 78 DEGREE DAY, & BY HOT I MEAN THE SUN WAS IN OUR FACES.

SOLDIERS WHO HAD FAMILY @ THE CEREMONY WERE DISMISSED AFTERWARD AND IT WAS A HALF DAY....HOOAH

WISH I HAD TAKEN PICTURES OF THE KIDS. THEY LOOKED DEVASTATED BECAUSE WE WERE IN THE SUN BAKING. IT WAS SOOO EXAGGERATED THE WAY THEY WERE LAYING ON THE GRASS FIELD LIKE THEY WERE DEAD...AT LEAST THEY WERE QUIET FOR A CHANGE.

SEPTEMBER 11TH

I WENT ON POST FOR SOMETHING AND HAD TO STOP AND GET THIS PICTURE

WE DROVE AROUND THIS DAY AND OF COURSE I DIDN'T HAVE MY CAMERA, BUT I CAN TELL YOU, LIVING IN THIS TOWN, THERE ARE MANY ACTIVE DUTY & RETIRED MILITARY PEOPLE WHO'S PORCHES WERE DECORATED TO PAY THEIR RESPECTS ON THIS DAY.

AROUND HERE THE CEMETERIES ARE NOT BEHIND BIG WALLS, AND YOU CAN SEE THEM FROM THE STREETS, BUT THE GRAVESIDES WERE ALSO DECORATED.

IT IS A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT TO SEE SO MANY PEOPLE VISIBLY UNITED ON AN OCCASION WE ALL WISH WAS ON A HAPPIER NOTE.

WONDER WHEN 9/11 WILL EVER BECOME A NATIONAL HOLIDAY???

first day of school....SEPT 8TH 2009

IT MAY HAVE BEEN MATTS FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, BUT IT WAS A FAMILY AFFAIR TO GET HIM THERE !!!!!

HERE ARE THE BOYS GOOFING OFF BEFORE WE LEFT....

HERE GOES MATT OUT THE DOOR...

WHAT ABOUT ME ????

IN THE TRUCK AND OFF TO SCHOOL

YOU KNOW IT'S A MILITARY TOWN WHEN THE SCHOOL HAS A G.I. JOE ACTION HERO IN THE FRONT CASE....AND IT'S A 10TH MOUNTAIN DIVISION ONE TOO !!!!

AT FIRST MATT WAS NERVOUS , BUT THEN WE SAW A BUNCH OF FRIENDS FROM LAST YEAR...

WE MET HIS NEW TEACHER AND WHEN IT WAS TIME TO GO RONAN WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT HE WAS IN MATTS CLASS TOO !!! AWE