The little Heroes

Mom and Gavin at the preschool Valentine party. He was acting up for the camera.










Libby - in a "libby" mood at the same party :)














Libby, Gavin, and Garrett in Birmingham after seeing Dora's Pirate adventure.








These guys are the ones who live with our lives without true understanding. They take each day with what is dealt. Not a day goes by without asking "where is daddy?"
The great thing is: they look at everything with the innocence of a child. Their endurance is remarkable. Their faith in what we tell them is breathtaking. They find comfort in mommy's prayers, words, and hugs. But most of all - we find comfort in their precious little words, prayers, hugs and faith. God bless our children!!! Our little heroes!!

A piece of strength

I wanted to share with everyone some of my favorite prayer warriors- Max, Adam, Eric, Perry, Mary Thomas, Lindsay, Cassidy, not pictured are Carter and Anna. These kids are my Disciple class on Wednesdays. Every week they pray for "Mr Lee". They keep me grounded and strong when i think i am at my weakest. I enjoy every moment that is spent with them.
Every lesson we do together reminds me of my purpose, and where true strength comes from.



God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.

Ps 46:1-2

smiles from the other side of the world

This is from the last mission Lee was on - some of the guys met up at who knows where and got to eat dinner together.

As many of you know i had my 25th birthday about a week ago. (ok - ok so i'm 35 who's counting?) That sweet Girl Tracy gave me a great book Praying for those we love as they serve our country. It has scriptures for every aspect of spiritual needs for our men and i love it!!!

The Lord watches over you -

the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from harm-

he will watch over your life;

the Lord will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore.

Psalm 121:5-8

Finally !!!! A camel ride!!

I've been waiting on a picture of a camel ride. Thanks Amanda and Randy. I am glad to see a smile and that he is having fun. God Bless all of our men and bring them back and forth safe during their visits!!

Jessica Redmond to visit Andalusia

The information below is about a wonderful book that I have began reading. It was hard at first because it is so real to life. An astounding recollection of the emotions that prevail during deployment. It gets better as each page is turned. I would recommend it to any fellow wife or family member of deployed soldier, and to anyone who has ever said "I can't imagine what you are going through".

Thank you Jessica for putting this together.

Author Jessica Redmond, who wrote A Year Of Absence: Six Women's Stories Of Courage, Hope And Love will be in Andalusia, AL

Every one is invited and if you have any questions or need more information please feel free to contact Tracy Simpler at the email link to the left or call her at:334-222-9688 Home#334-343-0866 Cell#334-427-7417 Work#

WHAT: Author appearance/book signing and dealing with deployment discussionWHO: Jessica Redmond, author of A Year of Absence: Six Women’s Stories of Courage, Hope, and Love

WHEN: Friday, Feb. 24 2006 at 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Southside Baptist Church, 1213 West Bypass, Andalusia, AL 36420

Friday, Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m., at Southside Baptist Church, 1213 West Bypass, Andalusia, AL 36420. The event is open to the public.

A Year of Absence follows six U.S. Army wives through a difficult fifteen months when their husbands go to Iraq as part of the U.S. Army's First Armored Division, based in Germany. Through tearful goodbyes, long-awaited communication from the front, and joyful yet troubled reunions, Redmond captures what life is truly like for many families of deployed soldiers: the ever-present fear of death, the pressures of single-parenthood, and the strength and comfort that come with the support of close friends.Redmond knows the challenges of deployment firsthand. In April 2003, during their first year of marriage, her husband was sent to Iraq with the First Armored Division.

Book Information:Title: A Year of Absence: Six women’s stories of courage, hope and love

Author: Jessica Redmond

Publisher: Elva ResaFormat: Hardcover, 232 pages

Retail Price: $24.95

ISBN: 0-9657483-1-6

Publication date: November 1, 2005

ELVA RESA PUBLISHING LLC is an independent publisher based in St Paul, Minnesota, whose mission is to make a positive difference in people’s lives. Military family titles include Surviving Deployment: A guide for military families by Karen M Pavlicin (April 2003), Deployment Journal for Kids by Rachel Robertson (July 2005) and A Year of Absence: Six women’s stories of courage, hope, and love by Jessica Redmond (Nov 2005). For additional information about these titles, visit www.survivingdeployment.com/press.html. For more information about the company, visit www.elvaresa.com