Eventful Day!

Aside from getting my hair "did," taking a trip out to the house, looking at washers and dryers and grabbing some dinner with the parents, today has been quite eventful!

We were up bright and early (technically not so bright) and on our way up to The Woodlands, which is about 45 minutes north of Houston. The weather cooperated although it was the most humid day we have had in quite some time. The Angelman Syndrome Walk-A-Thon was amazing. We were able to mingle and learn a little bit about what Angelman Syndrome is. Until I met Mark, I had not even heard of it. One of his hosts along his walk made a huge impact on him. We walked for Jonathan today. Houston was one of the 26 cities that held a walk, and our city alone was able to raise over $50,000 to go towards research and resources needed to help those with AS. We saw a lot of Angels today!

After the walk was completed, we sped, and I mean SPED back to Houston to scoop up the boxes we had packed for our boys and girls on the frontlines. The post office closed early today but we just had to get some of these boxes out to make more room for the ones we still had left over. Today's shipment consisted of four large boxes of books, one box of magazines and snacks, as well as one box of some playing cards and blank greeting cards for them to write back home with. They are VERY cute! All of the magazines, cards and books were donated by Half Price Books, and our new friend Kelly.

We got to the post office about 45 minutes before they closed yet were there almost to the end. My one complaint about this visit: the ridiculous people waiting in line. I just can't seem to understand why people are such procrastinators. Why in the world would you wait until you are in line at the post office to sort through your Ebay orders. The woman in front of us had I would say about 10 different orders to ship, yet none were packed or addressed. I would consider it her lucky day because she realized that she wasn't ready, and it was only right to let us move ahead of her. She even said, "well, I saw how long the line was so jumped in even though I knew I wasn't ready." Really? My goodness.

My advice for the day: media mail is awesome. A lot lower of a cost of shipping for books!

After today we still have three boxes of books to ship, a couple of more to pack, and a ton of letters. I am also working on getting a few information materials out to some AAUSS volunteers. Off I go!

Library Anyone?

Last week it was sweets out our behind (of course not literally), and now this week, its books! I received a phone call on Monday from Kelly at Half Price Books. She was wondering if we would be interested in a donation of books to our troops overseas. Heck yes, Kelly! I was actually quite luck to hear from her not only because of the huge donation, but also because she came across my name on luck herself. Although myself and Mark had frequented this location from time to time, they did not have one of our business cards on record. She happened to find my information written down on a file folder somewhere in the back of the store.

Upon our arrival there to pick up the donations, we were welcomed by a super friendly staff and elated at the number of boxes she had full of books. They were all paperback, and she mentioned that she will most likely have even more, but she wasn't sure if we accepted hard back books. She is going to look into possible donations of DVDs, but also inquired about whether or not this location has a VHS player. I need to look into this because, if so, they will also have VHS to send over. The icing on the top of the cake? Comic books. Mark was overly pleased with a huge box of comic books that they are also handing over for us to ship to Kandahar. I was sure to separate Mark from the box, and am also considering counting the comics so that I am sure he doesn't try to sneak away with any. Just kidding...or am I?

This week we sent over a box full of "snacks on the go" for the coffee shop. We went out and purchased granola bars, rice crispy treats, pop tarts, cookies and we even filled in the nooks and crevices with tootsie rolls. We make sure we get our moneys worth of shipping, and our boys and girls get their tummy's worth.

I have been very pleased with the outcome of my recent Etsy listings. The bracelets and bows have been a big hit and recent purchases from my wonderful friends have really helped with our shipping costs. We have now pretty much caught up on all shipping (aside from the books that just came in this week). The books are now going to probably take about 5 boxes or so to complete the shipment.

Exciting news - we are going to have a couple of cool new items listed on Etsy or Ebay in the near future. We are putting together a couple of different things and I am really excited about "releasing" them! :)

Past Excerpts

It may be difficult for some people to understand just how much it means for our soldiers to receive our support. What may be even more difficult, is to remember and distinguish the huge difference in lifestyles. We, here in the states, take a lot for granted. Although their living arrangements and everyday lives may differ from ours greatly, their patriotism and hope shines through. You see this below.

This first excerpt if from a soldier in which I supported in the past. He describes what he see's as he looks out the helicopter, over Afghanistan. His outlook amongst the chaos of war is amazing.

As we flew over the small villages that dot this arid landscape, I was struck again how biblical this country is.  And I don’t mean in a religious sense.  It really does seem like this country is stuck in the 3^rd century.  The houses and huts are all made out of mud bricks, many without roofs.  The smoke from hundreds of cooking fires spiral up like rope into the harsh desert sky, camels and sheep and goats just EVERYWHERE!  Being tended to by old men and young boys wrapped in shepherd robes, prodding the animals with long poles to get from one place to another (though I have no idea why they do that, as “that place over the next hill” looks as barren and desolate as that place they currently are at).   I must have flown over hundreds of square miles and I saw virtually no water.  Just endless wadi after wadi, stretching out to the horizon, mountains stacked upon mountains in the shimmering heat.

 

Flying over  a Middle Eastern city, everybody so crowded together, hundreds of thousands of mud houses clinging to the sides of the hills.  It was an undulating carpet of drab, mud-colored blocks of houses, like brown waves on an angry ocean.  I could feel the heat and hear the voices of millions of people all jammed together, like the houses they lived in.

The next excerpt is one I received via email, in regards to his birthday. His pride shines through! His words are so beautiful. I also enjoy the last paragraph, where you can see an example of something we may take for granted.

"First off, I thought how “natural” it felt for me, on my birthday, to be screaming over the dunes with the doors open on a Blackhawk, hot and sweaty in my tore-up boots and dusty ACUs.  To have my 9mm pistol on my chest, sunglasses protecting my eyes from the glaring sun, as I casually dangled my foot over the edge.  Being a soldier.  Man, I can’t really picture myself being anything else at this point in my life!  I pictured what it would be like on my birthday if I was “working in an office, with a suit and tie, in a cubicle working on a computer for a company that exists to make money.” 

NO WAY

!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Life is very, very hard here, for all of us, but I can’t picture myself being anything else but a soldier.  I thought about how important it is to me to feel like I am making a difference in the world, how important it is for me to not just work at a “job” but to be serving others in a profession.  So many professions in this world, people making this world a better place…mine just happens to involve heavy machine guns and roaring around in helicopters.  I thought a bit about what it felt like working in the glass palace of US Northern Command…how, while that was very important work, it didn’t feel like soldier work.  Well, I most definitely felt like a soldier yesterday.  Doing my duty on the far side of the globe.  I actually pulled out the small flag that I keep tucked inside my patrol cap and rubbed my fingers over it a bit.".

"...I then walked over to the ************ where I exchanged out my desert boots (ripped down the side) and my ACU top (shredded down the sleeve from some sharp rocks).  AND THEN I WENT TO BURGER KING!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ah…the Whopper.  There’s a “Burger King” at ***** but it’s not like the nice, sit-down air-conditioned Burger Kings in the states.  It’s basically a metal box that they’ve turned into a Burger King.  You sit outside on benches and dust is everywhere.  You have to eat fast so you don’t get a lot of dirt in your burger but I didn’t care.  I have seen soldiers sitting there in a full-blown sandstorm, happily eating their Whoppers, hunkered down with their burgers inside their Gortex to keep the worst of the sand out of it.

OH MY GOSH THAT BURGER TASTED INCREDIBLE!!!  I had not eaten at Burger King in 9 months and I was practically drooling as I took my Double Whopper with cheese, lettuce, tomato, lettuce, and king size fries over to the table.  I closed my eyes as I took the first bite:  never has a burger tasted so good!..."

A Sticky Situation

You are probably wondering if I am talking about a positive sticky situation, or a negative. I am going to spare you with a sticky situation that brings on a lot of negative thoughts and enlighten you with our very positive one - those sticky sweets! Let me put it this way, I never thought I would say this, but I think I would be okay with not being around any caramel, fudge, cupcakes, you name it, for quite some time. A small sacrifice I made to those making bigger ones ;)
This past weekend, Mark and I were able to represent both Adopt A US Soldier and Patriot Walk at the Home for the Holidays Gift Market. It was a great opportunity to talk with other vendors and spread the word about AAUSS to the shoppers making their rounds. I can not believe that I do not have more pictures, but will be able to share a couple from the packing later in the weekend.

We would like to send a big thank you to a couple of vendors that were able to donate some of their goods to Task Force Eagle Lift. The following three vendors shared some of their sweet treats to show their appreciation of our troops serving overseas. I highly recommend you check out their websites and keep them in mind for any future orders you may need to make.

Tammie's Tasty Treats - Thank you all for your donations of biscotti (will go WONDERFULLY with our troops coffee) and other confections.

Nutty Buddies - Thank you for your donation of cinnamon roasted nuts. These were definitely difficult to part with ;)

Caramel Candy Co - Thank you so much for those huge slabs of caramel candy! We have cut it into cubes, saran wrapped, ziploced and shipped them out. They are currently in route to our heroes.

I would also like to thank JoAnn and Richard Anderson for stopping by and talking with us. Their son, who I grew up with, has just been deployed to Afghanistan. While I know they are both VERY proud of him for his sacrifices and bravery, we were happy to express our thanks and reassure them that we are both praying and thinking of him as well. He has made a sacrifice that most individuals would not even consider. For that, I thank him, as well as the other service members overseas. Although the recent developments concerning the killing of bin Laden are long awaited and great news, we must remember that our troops are still overseas. While we do not have the worries of bin Laden's rule, our troops are still at war.

Please consider adopting a soldier to show your support of them overseas. If you would rather not make that commitment, you have an option of sending a one time care package to the unit we are supporting in Kandahar. Do not have any spare time to organize and ship a package? A third option is to either make a donation directly to Adopt A US Soldier or buy an item that Mark and I are personally selling to help cover the costs of package we have to ship over. There are paracord bracelets, shirts and canteens all available!

Our Etsy Shop! Several multi colored bracelets

Our Ebay Shop! Solid colored bracelets along with shirts and canteens

Looking Back

Time sure does fly. Looking back at the beginning of my volunteer efforts, it brings joy to see just how much I have put forth to gain as much support for our troops as possible. I have now been supporting my soldiers (several since many have returned home) for about 2 and a half years. I have had the title of Ambassador for nearly 2. I'd like to think that I have made a big difference in our troops lives, whether it be a letter to brighten their day or a collection of goods that helped get them through their deployment.

The great thing about a blog is not only the opportunity to share my experience, but also to have a sort of journal that I can look back on. I wanted to share a couple of links from the beginning of my volunteering. I am still working on finding another, seems the archives do not want to work with me this morning.

This first link is an interview that myself and Ann Johnson took part in. We were so lucky as to have Lieutenant Steve Osterholzer join us live with his thoughts on support from the states. The interview was published on September 7, 2009.
NPR Local Interview

Educating students in the area about the much needed support for our troops was a great accomplishment. I spent the day on campus (where I actually received my associates degree) and talked with many students. They held a letter writing campaign and collected items for care packages. Only later did I find out that they were also donating a XBOX 360 with several games. Really warmed my heart.
November 12, 2009
Cypress Times Article about Cy Fair College Efforts

The following is one of my favorites. A local magazine added our story to their Spring 2010 issue. It was great to know that readers all over the community were picking up that magazine at corner and grocery stores.
Cy Fair Magazine Article

These are just a few examples of how you can spread the word and put forth effort for the appreciation of our troops!

Gearing up for the Weekend

The time has come for another event! This weekend, Mark and I will be manning a booth at two day shopping event in Katy, Texas. The Home for the holidays gift market has been so kind as to offer a booth free of charge since we will be handing out information for Adopt A US Soldier and selling items to help cover the costs of all our shipping. At the event, we will be offering key fobs, bracelets, shirts and a few other miscellaneous items in hopes to gain some more monetary support for our troops in Kandahar. Here is the event information if anyone is interested in stopping by.

Home for the Holidays Spring Gift Market
Merrell Center
6301 S Stadium Ln
Katy Texas 77494
Saturday, April 30   10am-6pm
Sunday, May 1    11am-4pm
By following the link below, you can bring this print out and receive buy 1 get 1 free admission at the door!
http://www.homefortheholidaysgiftmarket.com/show_dates

Closing with the result of a few hours of doodling on Good Friday!

French Fries at the Bottom of the Bag

You know that feeling when you pull out your food from the to go bag and you find five extra french fries at the bottom of the bag, just waiting for you? I had that feeling today...

Stopped by the mail box to see if anything good came in and found a letter from a soldier overseas. I had pulled her name out of a database I have and written a letter thanking her for her service and reminding her that we are thinking of her. She was able to write back! Why is it like finding french fries in the bottom of the bag? After ordering a meal, you expect to get your meal. The extra fries at the bottom is just a little extra awesomeness. When registering or deciding to volunteer for Adopt A US Soldier, you are expecting to support a soldier while they are overseas. Getting letters in return is just a little extra awesomeness. 

I am sharing this with you to help some of you understand that supporting a soldier overseas isn't all about what you receive in return. To support a soldier you have to humble and understanding of the conditions they are in. You register to support them, not begin a relationship in which you are in contact daily, weekly or even monthly. To help some understand it better, let me put it this way. In all the time I have volunteered for AAUSS (approximately 2 years), I have received 2 letters total from soldiers overseas. As a supporter you have to be very understanding of the possible lack of communication. Sure I have received a few emails or Facebook requests on occasions, but only the 2 letters.

After 2 years of volunteering, I would have to say that to see this second letter was quite humbling, and well worth the wait.