2011

Well the beginning of a new year is here and here I sit contemplating how blessed we are. I feel very lucky to...........
You know what? I am not sure what I feel lucky about! I am sad that my kid is around the country fighting in a battle that can't be won. I am sick of the pit in my stomach and concern every time the freakin phone rings. I am tired of avoiding the news and yet being drawn to it. I don't like to even think about him hopping out of his truck to put his life on the line and yet it constantly is invading my thoughts and filling my dreams. I don't want him to feel nervous about coming home because he is different. Breathe, breathe...
OK, this is not my gripe about the war blog. I really do have hope for 2011. I hope it is a good year for Cade. I hope he continues to grow.
He has started ordering himself birthday presents for his leave time. He feels very lucky to have such awesome friends and family at home. He can't wait to thank you all personally for being so supportive.
A couple of things I thought to ask him about next time we talk: Have you seen any camels? What about little donkeys? Do you live in a tent? (It doesn't look like it, but what do I know?) If anyone wants to know something, let me know and I will ask. He may not be able to tell me some things, but we can try.
Sorry to be so negative. Must be the winter blues. But I also want to write how it is. For this is a documentation of his deployment for us to look back at if we need or want to. I am still hesitant to put in any harsh details that he has told me. I don't want to freak anyone else out!
Anyway, Happy New Year!
Here is to a better year for the soldiers in Afghanistan and elsewhere. May more lives be spared. Let Macade and the rest of his unit come home safe. Let them move on.

Christmas in Afghanistan

So, there is a reason for my lack of blogging here. I haven't heard anything! Macade evidently has been on several missions this week. It has been a stressful week for us too.
So I heard from him this morning finally and he is OK. They have been very busy and I don't know that they even take time to really celebrate the holidays.
So I sit here this Christmas Eve waiting to hear from him. Knowing that he woke up this morning in another country on the other side of the world. Neither of us will have a "normal" Christmas. It may be memorable, but not the same. I know that it never will be.
He was having a rough night, but said he was a man now and needs to deal with things and move on. Wow.
I miss him. I want to hug him. I want to smell him. Weird, I know. Your kids have a smell though and I miss it like I miss him. I want him to be safe. I want to be able to talk to him and comfort him. I want to say Merry Christmas to him knowing that he is not going to go out to put his life on the line, just for a day even.
I want to ask again for everyone to not forget Macade after the holidays. I have heard that the next few weeks are the toughest because they aren't getting as much mail. Cade is looking forward to coming home for a bit, so that might help. But if you think of him throughout the holidays, drop him a little line. He always loves hearing from everyone. Thanks everyone. Merry Christmas! May there be PEACE on earth.

Another day, another post

Well, I have tried and tried to copy and paste Cade's last message to me, but failure. So I will improvise. He wanted me to tell everyone hello and that he misses you all but will see you soon. (Of course.) He said he really loves it there and that he thinks he will miss it when he comes home. He loves the structure of the Army life still. He quizzed me about who will be at the airport. By the way, anyone is welcome to come to the airport. We are not doing a formal party on that day because I think he will be beat. He said that he is so excited to come home and go to church where he can personally thank the ward for being so supportive of him. He wanted me to thank everyone that has been sending things for the holidays. He has sure felt the love this holiday season.
He really does love his work. I know he is seeing things that he will never forget, but he is growing. He has changed a lot and it will be interesting to "meet" him again.
Thank you all for being so great to our family. It is a difficult time of year for us, but it will be memorable to all of us as well. We are grateful.

Remembering a hero

Macades unit lost one of their leaders yesterday. I knew it would be difficult, but I never imagined this unique hurt for someone I don't even know. It hits far too close to home.
I spoke with Macade this morning who wasn't going to mention anything, but was acting different. I told him I had watched the news and he asked what I had heard. I told him that I knew that Sgt Thode had been killed. Macades obvious relief at being able to release some emotion was evident. We shared a few tears as we spoke about what a great leader Sgt Thode was and how much Macade respected him. He then wiped away his tears and told me that Sgt Thode would want them to go on with their work. He told me,"this is war" and that he still has a mission to accomplish. It is a very emotional time for all of the guys out there.
On a lighter note, we talked about how happy he will be to come home and be with loved ones for a while. He wants to "hang out" and go look at motorcycles. He is very excited and talks about it every time we talk. He has developed a deeper appreciation for family and still tells me every time to tell everyone he loves them and will see them soon.
Everyone, take a moment to remember our troops today. The very men that put their lives on the line every day. I told him he is a hero and I have no doubt that his response is echoed every day in his camp. He tells me "I'm just doing my job." Think about your job and what is required of you and say a little prayer for those that have commitment to something far bigger than themselves.
Thanks for all of your support as we struggle to make it through this deployment. We appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers.

Thanksgiving in A!

We spoke with Cade this morning! Skype is the thing I am most grateful for! So, I got right up and came to the computer knowing that it was his Thanksgiving evening. He of course was online and called right away. He asked if I would get ready and go out to my sisters early so he could see everyone. This was bitter sweet because I was sad that our Colorado family couldn't talk to him also. (We couldn't travel there due to weather.) I wish everyone could have seen him. It was also a bummer for me to get out of my pjs at 9:00 to drive out to Payson in the freezing cold... But it was totally worth it to see Macades face as the video popped up and he could see his Utah family crowded around the computer to see him. He was wearing his groovy Afghani scarf and has really filled out in the cheeks. He just smiled ear to ear the whole time he spoke with everyone. He especially loved Gammons version of "Osama got ran over my a reindeer". We were very happy to see him happy. Hopefully his day was nice. He didn't say much except for they had made them a nice dinner. He was leaving the safety of the base this morning, so as usual, remember him in your prayers. Thank you all and Happy Thanksgiving!

Wow! It's been a while

I didn't realize I hadn't written the most recent about Cade. There's not a lot, so don't get excited. I spoke with him briefly on Friday. He was good. We didn't have much to say, but he looks healthy and usually pretty happy. He had had a long day, but I'm thinking "aren't they all long?" He wanted me to go get him some gadgets out of his storage unit and we talked about the dreams we've been having. He says he has dreams every night that he is home on leave. Funny, but I just dreamt about him for the first time. (Thank heavens, cause even the good one was a tough one.) I dreamed that he was here on leave and what is the first thing I do??? Run him to the dentist. Oh my. I really have lost my mind. Anyway, I woke up and cried a little bit.
He's on my mind this morning as 5 more young men have been killed today. I have not heard from Macade, but I am pretty sure it is not in his area.
I miss him horribly and can't wait to hold him in my arms and tell him it will be OK.

Another day

Spoke with Cade today. It was awesome! He and I have not had a chance to talk like that since before he left the country. I really needed it too. I miss him terribly. He is good. He would not quit talking and I loved it. Now I have to remember everything he said. He was telling me how much he loves the children there. He told me that they are the reason he is there and if he changes just one of their lives, it will make it worth being there. He loves the little boy in the bottom left picture below. His name is Sheeb and he knows Macade as Moore and calls out to him whenever he is around. Macade says he hooked him up real good with some Halloween candy he got. Cade loves the locals, especially the kids. He talks a lot about them. He really wants to make a difference in their lives.
He talked about the things he hopes to do when he gets home. Buy a condo and a motorcycle. He has a very one-tracked mind. He is sooo excited for his leave time! He says he cannot wait to eat when he wants and sleep when he wants and go anywhere he wants. I personally think he won't know what to do with himself when he gets here, but we will see. He is a little worried that I might be too clingy. What?!
He sounded different to me today. I have thought in the past that he has "grown up", but I think it is for real this time. Maybe... No really, he sounds like a man that has seen things I never hope to. He says he found a quote the other day that sums it up. He didn't have the exact wording, but it was something about how facing death will make you remember what is really important in your life. And I think he is working it out. It will take time.
He wanted me to remind everyone here in his life how much he loves them. And that his leave is just around the corner and he can't wait to see everyone. Thanks for all of your prayers for him. I know he feels them.
***Don't forget if you are sending him a package, do NOT put Afghanistan in the address. It will go straight to Afghanistan and not the APO. Also, they say to mail Christmas packages no later than the first week of December.***

They can't decide...

They have now come out and asked that we not put Afghanistan in Cades address. It is not a safety precaution, but a routing issue. It seems some of the packages get there but in a way complicated manner. So, when mailing anything, just leave out Afghanistan. The APO # is like his camp zip code so it will get there. Also, when sending packages of any size, you will need to fill out a customs paper. I just went and picked up a handful so that I have them ready to go. If you need to know how to fill it out, the post office peeps can help you. He is loving getting mail. Thank you all for being so supportive to him.

Best Birthday Present!

Skyped with my boy this morning. He says he was waiting for me to get online so he could wish me a happy birthday. So, lying here in bed, the boys all wenting hunting for a moose. Not gun hunting, but Skyler's zoology homework hunting. Anyway, Skyping with Cade from my bed makes me the happiest birthday girl ever! He sounds very happy. The best thing is people pop in and out of his room all the time and say Happy Birthday. One guy jumps in and says it and then I respond, "Happy Halloween". His response: "What's so G@# Damn happy about it?!" I was peeing in my pants! This feller made my day.
So, on our family readiness blog they posted this website
tfpredatorpost.com
It's a blog started by some girls serving and I am loving it. They go out to all th FOB's and post about the goings on there. Love it! Thought some of you may like it too.

New pictures!!!

I don't know if he saw my post about lacking pictures or if he knew I needed some, but here are some new ones. This first one is beautiful! It's hard to imagine a place so full of hate being so pretty. I always picture it in my mind as hell, but this is a nice way to picture things

I think this one is of Macades new recovery vehicle. This is what he drives out of the gates with every day. I am very proud today.

This one was the most profound for me. I am weeping as I type how grateful I am to live here in America. The innocence in these faces makes me hope for a better future for them. Their bare feet remind me how glad I am to have simple things. Their hopeful eyes haunt me when I pray that they will have something to eat this night.

Friends and family, my son is living among them. He is there for them. Please pray that these young people will grow to be wise and different than those before them.

Please pray for Macade who has not complained at all about living in a country where he is hated and despised.

Don't forget him. He needs letters and love from home to keep going.

He loves you all.

Is this a joke?

Macade is trying to tell me he has gained 21 pounds since leaving home!.....

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha

Oh OK, I am OK...

He says it's all muscle. I am having a hard time believing this craziness. Probably due to the lack of picture issue.

I just Face Booked with him this morning. He says all is well. He is working out like mad and taking the "vitamins" he wanted me to forward to him. I told him he might get fat. He he. Another funny picture in my head.

He really seems to be enjoying himself and making a good name for himself as well. I think he will be more mature when he comes home. (And chubby)

Love that kid!

Killer Bees in Afghanistan?

Who knew?
(Diana will sympathize)
Macade was stung by a bee. A "killer bee", according to SPC Moore.
I laughed.
And then he told me he had to go see the medics because his head was swelling so bad. They ended up having to inject him with Benedryl and phenegren to keep the swelling in his head down. He was laid up for a few days.
So, just so you know, don't get stung by any Taliban bees!

New title!!

Yeah for today! Macade was made a Specialist!!

We are so excited for him. He has not been in the Army for 2 years yet and has advanced 3 ranks!

So this means when you write to him, his address name has changed as well. It is now

SPC Moore, Macade

I can't wait to write that for the first time tonight!

I guess you've noticed...

I don't get many picture from that gun toting son of mine. So, I hope I don't bore you with my lack of visuals.
Macade is good. They postponed his trip off the base for a bit. Wondering if it's cause they can't get any darn fuel. He had a lot to talk to me about the other day. i was at work and had to keep it short, but here are some of the things we talked about.
One of his favorite Sgt's over there is coming home with a broken leg. He is pretty sad about it and I am too. I am pretty sure this guy watches over Cade like a hawk. Anyway, it seems he fell off of a truck and is now being shipped to Germany to recover and maybe home.
Cade talked about getting a full time job out at Camp Williams when he gets home. That would be nice. He would be teaching in Pre-mobilization classes. He also talked a bit about reclassifying at a true Sapper combat engineer. He is working as a mechanic attached to the engineers right now. He hates being stuck in the shop (motorpool) all day. I think he talks his way into as many missions as possible. Crazy kid!
He talked about how excited he is to come home and see everyone in January. I can't wait!
He wanted me, as usual, to tell everyone that he loves them and hopes they are all well.
he sounds like he is really trying think through how things will go when he gets home. It will be a big change for all of us, but I will be very grateful to have him safely home.

Please pray for Cade

Busy week for Macade coming up. He may not be able to email or Skype and all. But please pray for him as he is on the move this week. I have no details, but my thoughts are constantly with him. Thanks to all our friends and family.

My kid is SO cool

So, I got a picture FINALLY! He has tried to tell me they have no where to develop a picture in Afghanistan. And no place to mail it. Come on.
Anyhow, their email is really crappy too so when this came through, I was thrilled!! He looks so good. He also sent a nice letter to the ward. Really impressive for him. He got a package from our Young Women and he said it made his whole week! The ward is making a plaque for him just like the missionaries. It will say Operation Enduring Freedom and have this picture. It will also have the young men and women's theme scripture for the year. Joshua 1:9 He felt like this scripture fits him perfectly.
So the most recent news is that he found out that the will be coming home in January for his leave. January 27th - February 11th he will be home and safe and we are so happy.
Thanks again for all of your support and letters. He loves to get mail. They leave it on his bed so that when he comes in from a long mission day, he can find love from home. Nothing better for sure. I have made a couple of amendments to his address, so I will update it again.

PFC Moore, Macade
118th Sapper Company
FOB Salerno, Afghanistan
APO AE 09314

Double check to make sure you have it right. Thanks again.

Governors Day

So, yesterday I spent the day up at Rice Eccles Stadium with our FRG leaders doing some fundraising at Governors Day. I think we made money and did well. Macades good friend, (I call him Cades babysitter), got awarded soldier of the year. That was fun. I took our photo and sent it to Cade. It was a miracle I found him in that mess of soldiers. Anyone in the Air or Army Guard was there. They literally fill up the whole field when they get in formation. Amazing to see actually. They flew over 6 Apaches and a C-130. It's always cool for me anyway. So right about the time they were getting started, I get a call from Cade. He sounded so happy! He had got the chance to play gunner and as much as I hate the idea, he was so giddy about it. He also has been doing recovery. Which means he is going out to recover vehicles that have been hit or broken down. He took charge of a situation the other day and received praise by the 1st Lieutenant and was pretty excited about that too. He is to be promoted to Specialist next month. He also told me about getting out of his big ol mean lookin truck and talking to the people. You know, people always say they fall in love with the people from their missions? Well, he is no different. He loves the people. He got to talk for quite some time with an Afghani kid about his own age. He says he is making a difference. This is exactly the answer to my prayers that he will see the good in being there and not just the bad.
So, speaking of bad... if you only want to hear the good, here is where you click the little X in the top right corner....
They have already had some incidences where their machinery has had a chance to prove it works. Macade is FINE. I have spoken to him several times and he is OK. I have found out more about there notification process and the news is unfortunate. Info is slow coming. And if it comes from Macade, which is preferable, it is very vague. He cannot say much at all except to let us know that he is fine. I do not know if he was involved in the latest incident, but with several missed calls to me and finally getting through to Sterling, it is my guess that he was there. Again, he is fine.
This was not the first incident and it most definitely won't be the last. They are very busy and working sometimes more than 14 hours a day. Please keep him and his "family" in your prayers. And please keep sending letters. Some of these soldiers will keep letters they get with them all day. In a day when email is certainly easier, sometimes it is the good old fashioned letter that is appreciated the most. He also loves pictures! Thanks again for being so great. We take great comfort in knowing we have wonderful family and friends to support us through this difficult time.

Warning

Hey all. Hope everyone is doing well. I haven't spoken to Cade since Sunday, but he warned me he would be working so no biggie. Sterling got to talk with him yesterday and he says he is fine.
So, we got a phone call last night from a group claiming to donate money to homeless veterans. Sterling, in a fit of compassion for veterans given our current affairs, began to give them a credit card number. Luckily, he got a bad feeling about it when he heard laughing and such in the background. (Sounded like a party). He immediately hung up before finishing his number and called the Orem police and his cc company.
So, the moral of this story is... Don't give your cc info to anyone over the phone! We don't know if they were even legitimate. But a reputable company would never ask for that info over the phone or they would have some other way of billing you.
At all my Army meetings, we have been told to not let people prey on our emotional state. People will search out those with family serving and abuse the situation. Sterling and I feel like somehow they knew that we had a loved one out and it wouldn't take much to convince us to donate.
Now, I have donated to such organizations as the USO. I wasn't convinced that it would make a difference at first, but the first phone call we got from Cade was provided by the USO. They do hound you for more donations once you have given, but to me, that is a worthwhile charity. Once again, I would never give them my info over the phone.
So, beware of those that are heartless. Especially during the holidays.
Thanks for all your support. Our family feels your prayers on our behalf.

Doing good in the neighborhood

That is the post on Macades on Skype. He gave me a little call this morning and I loved it. He is doing good. As usual, he wanted me to tell everyone hi and that he is doing fine.
A couple of things stood out when I spoke with him. We talked a bit about the preacher that wants to burn Kurans and I wish that preacher could've heard my son. He told me he hoped that he didn't do that. I wish I could write word for word what he said, but he said it would ruin their goal of "hearts and minds". There is more to this than a few words, but I am not sure what I can write. It was touching to hear my soldier tell me this would only hurt their mission.
Another thing he said was "Mama, this would really suck if I wasn't having so much fun." I felt a bit better when he said that and I hope it also eases a few of your minds somewhat. My boy loves being a soldier. He loves his army family. He loves our country. He loves all of you.

First Mission

Macade went on his first mission! He wasn't able to tell me anything but he showed me some pictures. He is anxious to get to work. If he isn't working he is bored. Thanks to yomega they have some sweet yo yo's to play with and I am trying to get Sportcraft to send a badminton set. He sounds and looks good. Aunt Di was able to skype with him on Labor Day and that was fun. He had helmet head. He is loving getting some mail. Please don't forget him.

Yomega rocks

OK friends and family. There are still good people out there willing to give to a good cause. I have been wanting to send fun packages to Macade once a month or so and have been trying to think of cool things. Macade LOVES to yo yo! (Thanks to Kris B and friend.) And he has been wowing his fellow troops with tricks for some time. So I decided to see if Yomega would donate to their troop. Well they came through!! Macade received a whole box full of yo yo's to share. It turns out Yomega's CEO is former military! So everyone go out and buy some Yomega's and show them we love those that donate to our troops!
We love Yomega!!!
http://www.yomega.com/
ps Macade is now getting mail and hungry for more.

PFC Moore, Macade
118th Sapper Company
FOB Salerno, Afghanistan
APO AE 09314

This address just requires normal postage.

My boy!

Skyped with my boy tonight! He looks good and sounds great. He is hard at work already. He was able to get internet just in time to Skype Skyler for his birthday. Although it was a gift to us all. He has his own little room that he says he will send pics of soon. He has not received any mail yet. I am not sure why not, but if you want to send him packages, you may want to wait until I get word that he is getting his mail. I started sending letters at least 3 weeks ago. So, I will wait to send anything more than letters. If I get word of a different address, I will post it. For now, we are just happy to see his face and hear his voice and know that he is fine. He is doing some Facebooking if that is a good way for anyone to keep in touch with him. Thanks everyone for your support of our son!

Yes!!

Finally! News from Cade. Well not really any news, but he is alive and well. He has not quite made it to his final destination and does not have any internet. He wanted me to tell everyone that he is alive and well. It was quite a shock to hear from him at work yesterday morning. He had called the house, then Sterling and Sterling told him to just call my workplace and not let them tell him that I was busy with a patient. Good hubby!
Anyway, he sounds good. He is a little bored as most of his unit has reached the base but they can't seem to make the last leg of the journey. Army guys...!

That old saying

No news is good news....
Is still a good one.
Still haven't heard from Cade.
If anyone has, promptly let him know that his mother would love to hear from him.

No news is... well it's no news

Haven't heard much troop fans. (And that's a good thing.) We know he is traveling and a couple of places he has been, but not much communications.
I went to our family social last night and wives have been hearing bits and pieces here and there, but nothing solid which is just how we like it. Our soldiers depend on us being discreet about their jobs. Please keep this in mind if you FB or blog about our boy. This also means apart from telling you things to your faces, you will probably not hear a lot here. I will tell you what I can.
Macade seemed ready to get going, as usual, the last I spoke to him. I will still feel blessed that we do live in this day and age of more information. I think for a while we will have to depend on snail mail, but that's OK too.
Thanks again for your love and concern. We love our soldier and feel a void constantly without him here. Please remember him in your prayers and keep in mind that mail will take 14 days or so to reach him.

It's really happening

So I never thought this time would come but here we are. Tomorrow night a huge piece of my heart leaves the country for the unknown. I am sick with worry. I have quit counting how many people ask if I am scared. What do you think? My life is not the same. My testimony of country and family is different. My soul will not rest until he is safely back on American soil.
My heart has been touched by one of my patients that has deployed 11 times as a Chaplain. He is a sober man. He has seen life and death. His last deployment ended last week and with the loss of 12 of their men. I have hope that by the grace of God that all of Macades unit returns home safely. Theirs is a dangerous mission of which I try not to dwell on. The ring of my doorbell will even sound different after tomorrow.
May you all remember our troops tonight and tomorrow. Please think of and say a little prayer for my little boy that is fighting like a man now. And please thank the next young man or woman in uniform. Their sacrifice is great. Sometimes ultimate.
Thank you Macade. Your sacrifice leaves me in awe. You constantly invade my thoughts. I hope you are not scared. I hope that you know that I love you more than anything. I hope you know that my breath will be labored until I can feel you and smell you and hear your voice in my ear. I love you son.

Skype is the coolest ever!

I got to see my boy tonight!!
We both got set up to Skype and it was so cool!
We are so blessed to live in a time where we can speak face to face with our loved ones thousands of miles away!
Macade is just hanging out in a town called Lacrosse? Not sure how to spell it. He is getting lots of sleep and enjoying that while he can. He says his 1st Sergeant told them to not get in any trouble or he would personally and publicly execute them. I love that guy!
Anyway, Macade looks great and it was fun to show him around the new kitchen!
I LOVE Skype!

A little update

So for those of you that keep up with Macade, (he's hard to keep up with) here is the latest. I spoke with him this morning and he will go on a 4 day leave on the 13th. He is not able to come home and will just be hanging out getting ready to go. So, unless I hear otherwise, he will be leaving the country on the 16th or 17th. I do not know where he goes from here and how long it will be before we hear from him. This part is really hard for me. I like to know that he has a place to sleep and all. Anyway, I do have his new address. I hear that it takes about 2 weeks for him to get mail.

PFC Moore, Macade
118th Sapper Company
FOB Salerno Afghanistan
APO AEO9314

It is with a heavy heart that I mailed my first letter to Afghanistan. It just still seems so unreal. Say a little prayer for my boy and for us. It is a very tough time for all of us.
Macade is always very concerned about his friends and family every time I speak to him. He wants you all to know that he loves you and is thinking about you.

I got pics!!!

He sent them through a text but I got some. I told Macade before he left that I have to have physical evidence that he is ok. PICTURES!! Hopefully they keep coming!

He has been trained and certified to drive this thing! Yikes!

Talked to Cade

And he is good. He sounds a little more upbeat than last time. He is still really ready to get going. He wants to set up his routines. (If you know Cade, you know he likes to have some structure throughout his days.) He is concerned about all his friends here at home and I think it is a little tough for him to think about life going on as usual here.
He is really excited about some new camo they are getting when they leave. He was going to try to go to recovery school, but they didn't make the deadline for it. (I am not crying over this.) He did find out that mechanics do go out on most of the convoys and he was glad about it. (I AM crying over this.)
Overall he seems pretty grounded right now. I am so proud of him. Sterling and I have spent many a sleepless night discussing our concerns for him. We want him to know that we are here for him and support him and his brothers 100%! We pray for his safe return.
We love you Cade!

Wisconsin Sucks

I think that was the title of his last FB post. Macade is doing swell. After a short bout of anthrax poisoning, I think he might survive premobilization. He is still very anxious to get going. He and his "brothers" are downloading movies and music like mad men. I guess that and video games are the only things to do during down time.
Much to my dismay, Cade qualified on Monday to shoot the big 50 caliber gun. This means he will be one of 7 guys arming that hefty piece of weaponry. I still can't figure out how a 98 lb kid can handle a big gun like that. You have to sit with it between your legs to even get a round off. PS. I told him to accidentally shoot someone in the knee or something so he doesn't qualify to shoot any other big nasty guns. I don't like it a bit.
Sterling leaves tomorrow morning to go hang with him in the field. I am pretty sure they don't make a helmet big enough for him, but I told Cade to take photos for sure. It's a pretty quick trip, but I hope it's great for both of them. I was a little bummed at first that I wouldn't get to go, but one farewell is more than enough for me.
Oh and I got his address for the time being.
PFC Moore, Macade
118th Sapper Co
1868 Regimental Ave
Fort McCoy Wisconsin 54656
He loves letters. Right now he only have email access on his phone, so until he deploys, it might be easiest to write him letters. We are guessing mid August on him leaving.
Thanks to all our friends and family! He has a great foundation!

Touch down in 10 hours

Our hearts are breaking today with sending Macade on his way. I just can't believe this nightmare is actually happening. For some strange reason, I thought it might never happen. We are struggling horribly with this and hoping the pain will ease soon. Knowing that he is still here in the states for a while is helpful, but the knowledge of where he is going is excruciating!
We took him to dinner last night and it was really nice to spend just a little bit of time with him before saying goodbye. I felt like I did OK for him. He was strong too. His brothers are OK but I know it is on their minds also. His dad has the knowledge that he will see him again in a couple of weeks, but we did lean on each other quite a bit last night.
He called this morning from the airport where is is sitting until... right now actually. Then he has to lay over in Dallas forever. He won't even make it to Wisconsin until 10 o'clock tonight.
He still was anxious to get this going. Heaven help his Battle Buddy until they actually leave the country!

Countdown to Wisconsin

So Macade found out on Saturday that he is in an advance party to Wisconsin. This means after all our prep for him to leave this Friday, he is leaving tomorrow. No excitement or speeches, just getting on a jet and leaving very early. I will still be going up to the actual departure of the rest of his unit just to stay involved with them, but it certainly won't be as neat.
He said his goodbyes to family and friends last night and I couldn't help but cry myself to sleep as I thought about my nephew, Braiden. I feel worse for him today than I feel for myself. He will be leaving on his mission before Cade comes home and it will be at least 3 years before they will see each other again. It is very difficult to comprehend.
Macade was more than ready to get going. I have heard that just before a deployment, our soldiers can get a little beastly. This being said, I am glad the day is finally here.
He promised to send me pictures ASAP. So, I will be posting as I get them. Sterling also purchased a laptop with built in camera for me to Skype with him, so that will be great.
So, just feeling run down today. Can't seem to find any energy to do anything. I am sure it will be better soon. Thanks to you all for your prayers and support of Macade. Our whole family appreciates it.

Getting closer now

Unbelievable how time flies. Just a few weeks ago I was wondering how we would keep Cade busy til go time. Now it's mere days away. I am beginning to feel that tightness in my chest.
Cade is so ready to go. He is sick of the anticipation. He is sick of everyone being so negative about the Army life. He just wants to get to work. It will be different for all of us, but we are proud. We love Macade.

Dad's a Cheesehead too?

So Sterling was called by the Department of Defense the other day and asked if he would like to participate in an operation called Boss Lift? Sure, what is it?
Basically, the Army wants employers of soldiers to get a taste for what our soldiers go through during training for deployment. They are sending him to Wisconsin in July in a big freakin airplane and letting him hang with the bad boys for 3 days. They say it is the opportunity of a lifetime. He is very excited to go and to be able to say goodbye to Macade there will be very cool for both of them.
Hooah!

Sober times

Life at our house has been a bit sober. It is really starting to sink in that we are sending a son to war. Sterling and I have been trying to stay positive and think of good things that may come of this, but then reality hits us up side the head. We had deployment briefings the other day and THE GENERAL was almost in tears! I was hoping to not throw up in the middle of his speech. He told the soldiers and their families that he was sorry that they were having to go to this place. It really was moving to hear. Macade is so up and down right now. After spending 3 weeks at drill, he was ready to go. But he still is downright scared. He has been full of hugs and can't get enough of family right now. Please remember him in your prayers. He will be needing all the strength he can get. Thanks for your support.

We have a date

but it might change a few times between now and then.
July 7th is the day. He is shipping out to Wisconsin. He'll be a cheesehead!
He is excited and I am trying to figure out how we will keep him focused on the Army for the next 6 weeks.
Augh! Anyone want to babysit?

How many hours?

Macade has to stay awake for 72 hours! He called me today and told me about it. He didn't even get to bed until 1:00 am last night. He was in a watch tower today. So, if it isn't bad enough to keep you up for 72 straight hours, they put you in a watch tower to watch over....Saratoga Springs?
Anyhow, he is doing well and gets to come home for a night after the all night, night, nighter.
They are hosting a banquet for the families of those deploying and it will be nice to meet some of the soldiers he will be going with.
I'm tired so I will write more later.

The latest

Macade was able to come home to spend Mother's Day with me yesterday. It was nice to have him with us. He is already a changed man. When in Army mode, he is very focused and serious. He talked about the briefings that he is having to sit through these days out at Camp Williams. It is really serious stuff like what to do if your Battle Buddy is killed. I know they have to do this, but he is looking forward to this week when they get to blow stuff up again. He also ranked expert in the grenade throwing and he is a designated shooter. This means he can sit inside an armored vehicle and shot the 50 caliber using a video game like remote control. I could see my nephews drooling, but also deep in thought. To my knowledge, he is still coming home on the 23rd and shipping out to Wisconsin the first part of July. He may do more training in between. He feels like he has made some great friends in the new unit and he is hoping to get moved up a rank to Specialist before he leaves. Overall, I think he is doing well.
B

Be all you can be

Macade is thriving once again. Yesterday he called me from his Humvee to let me know they would be out in the field for the next 2 weeks. (FTX) He told me how much he had missed the Army and how he should be getting promoted to Specialist before he leaves for Afghanistan. He is making great friends in his new unit and come to find out, my friends son is in the same unit. Small world and I am so grateful to know that her and I can do this together too. So, all is well with him. I am trying to sell his Jeep and his snake if anyone is interested, let me know. Thanks for all of your support.
B
Proud Army Mom

Getting ready to go!

Macade is going to Afghanistan!
He started specialized training this past weekend. He will be going with a full combat unit. (I know. I know.) He will be leaving to train in Wisconsin in July. He is very anxious but excited to go to work. He seems to be making good friends that will watch his back while he is there. We are asking that only positive words come our way as we are getting buried in the negative. Thanks for all of your support.
**Yesterday he delivered doors to a post where they will be blowing them up! How fun! Just like being a kid in the sandbox!
ps anyone want a ball python???