Married!

For updating sake....Specialist Moore is now a married man! He chose the greatest companion to spend the rest of his life with. We love Nina!

He's on his own

Well, he moved out again. This is his house/apartment. He shares it with about 5 other fellas and he is happy.

I know it's been a while

But look what's coming home on my son!!!!!

I am sure that it is not worth what he went through to get it, but he has received the combat patch. (Or pin, it kinda looks pin-ish to me.) Anyhow, Macade is in the USA!!! He made it! I have talked to him several times since I last posted. (I know, Mom of the year, right?) He is good and happy to be coming home so soon.

So, to backtrack a bit, things have been very busy for our boys the last few weeks. The work they were doing was very dangerous and there were a few accidents. Unfortunately, Macade was a part of one of them. He and a companion, hit an 80-100 lb IED on their 2nd to last mission. They both walked away with concussions miraculously. Their truck was destroyed. Whatever Cades mission is on this earth, it is a good one. He has been protected many times over the past year. We feel very blessed and will deal with each day one at a time as he tries to become a civilian once again.

Thank you all so much for your prayers for Macade and for us. I, personally, have truly felt each and every one over the last 6 months. His first 6 months out were especially difficult for me as I tried to find a place where I could accept that he was at war and still live my life here. I will admit, I was not very successful at this at all and I appreciate everyone's patience with me. (Especially my husband.) After Cades leave time in Jan-Feb, something changed for me and even after the call about his blast, I knew he would be OK. This doesn't mean that I was OK with it. In fact, it took me a few days and a few phone calls from him, to let myself relax a little. But I have been the grateful recipient of many prayers. Thank you.

SOOOO, for being fired upon in combat, Macade wears this new symbol. I am proud of him! And I am very happy that he is on his way home!

A phone call! A phone call!

Yes, you are reading this correctly. I, Becky, have received a call from my son, SPC Moore, from across the world! How did this happen, you ask? He actually went down to the rec room and figured out how to use the phone..... wow!
So excited!
He sounds tired and ready to come home. He mentioned a few things that I will jot down quickly. He sent his box home. That's a good sign. That means there is not very much longer at all. I will not comment on dates as all of you know how much I hate dates. They come and go and are worse than if you didn't even know them before. Anyhow, we are planning on having our hero home in July sometime.
He talked a little bit about his best cousin Braiden, that left Wednesday for his mission to Canada. They will miss each other a lot but they realize this is how things are and they look forward to meeting again in a couple of years.
Macade talked about airsofting and how he has formed a team with a fellow soldier. I told him this will be good for the both of them because it will give them a chance to vent to each other about things we can't begin to comprehend. He said that was true. He said he wasn't feeling like he's doing anything other than his job right now, but when he comes home and thinks about things he has seen and done, it will get "weird".
He talked about going on a few trips and enjoying life for a bit. When I asked him if he would want to go to Colorado with us sometime, he asked if we would be driving there. I told him that is what we usually do... and he said he would meet us there. He is flat out tired of being in a vehicle for 14 hours a day. I hadn't given much thought to that, but can you imagine??? Bless his sweet soul for doing this for our country. Amazed.
I will be thinking about Macade, those that serve with him and those we have lost this weekend. It is a very emotional time for me as I consider all that has been sacrificed for my freedoms.

Reintegration!

Sterling, Nina and I spent some time this past weekend at a reintegration yellow ribbon lunch. I gotta say, it is tough to listen to. I am sure glad they are honest with us but at the same time it is terrifying what we have to look forward to. At this meeting, we were able to ask a panel of professionals and soldiers and a wife questions about coming home and how it will affect our families. They shared a lot of important information. They pretty much confirmed that most, if not all, of these men will deal with some PTSD at some level. I loved that they reminded us to be kind and patient with each other all the time. That we should be willing to listen day or night to whatever our soldier has to tell us. I feel liked Macade is pretty lucky to just be coming home to a clean slate. He has no wife or children to try to re acclimate to. I do hope he does not spend a lot of time alone. Family and friends, I would ask that you all be willing and able to listen, not talk, but listen when he needs someone to talk to. I recall that one man was asked in church how he was doing after deployment. He said he was fine and appreciated the man asking. But then the man asked if he had ever been in a fire fight out there. This soldier lost it in church. He felt like this man had no right to ask him such a personal question. He f-bombed him in church!! Yikes! So, I think it is important for everyone to realize that Cade gets asked some of the most rude, personal, and thoughtless questions on a daily basis when he is home. Let's be part of the solution IF he wants to talk about it. Please don't ask him questions that he may not want to respond to. I am sure it will be an adventure around here for a while, but we are educating ourselves and trying to be prepared. We love you all and thank you all for your support.

Hit and Miss

So, Cade has sent me a few short emails. Mostly just talking about how he is so ready to come home. He is very grateful to everyone still sending packages and letters. You must know that mail day is a good day or a bad day. Please don't forget to send him mail...PLEASE. emails are great but a nice written letter can be packed around with him all day. He wanted me to remind EVERYONE, to please not talk to people about what he is doing there. I know this is tough, cause I want to talk to everyone about it, but please for his safety and protection, do not discuss this with anyone. You can tell folks that he does "route clearance", but nothing more please. He could get in a lot of trouble this way. He says to tell everyone hi and that he can't wait to see you all. Please everyone, pray for an end to this government shutdown nonsense. It wouldn't make even less sense at all for him to be there without pay. Thanks everyone!

No news....at all

OK so he called Nina. I knew I would be second to a girl sometime. She says he was OK. It was a long week and he was tired, but he talked her leg off for an hour or so. ($$$$) O well. Not my worry right? So, the latest, via Nina, is that he is alive and well.