Pictures from Malaysia

Mark went on a business trip to Malaysia- half way around the world from the United States! He e-mailed these pictures to share. The first is a picture of Penang Island taken from the ferry. The second is the main gate of the shipyard where he visited. He took this because of the red warning sign on the left.

July 4th Weekend

This picture was submitted by family friend, Carl Wallace, taken July 4th weekend when Jeremy and Brittni were visiting in Lufkin. Jeremy wanted to spend a week on the Lake Sam Rayburn. We fished, swam, played on the jet ski, went knee-boarding, inner-tubing, and just hung out. Carl and his daughter, Mary, brought their boat to the lake to join in the fun. Carl is taking the picture; Mark, Jeremy, and Brittni watch as Mary gets situated on the knee-board.

Leaving the USA

We received these pictures taken yesterday from the FRG co-leader for Jeremy (Family Readiness Group). Here are a couple of group pictures of Jeremy.

Jeremy & Joshua

This is an older picture of Jeremy and Josh, but one I am proud of. This picture was taken on March 25, 2005 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina for graduation of Basic Training. Mark, Josh, and I drove to see Jeremy graduate. Jeremy gave Josh the sweatsuit he is wearing, and as we were leaving, Joshua was questioned by a couple drill sergeants who thought Josh was a going AWOL!

God Bless Our Son

Jeremy deploys today for Iraq. We love our son and are very proud of him. Our prayers are with him every second of every minute of every hour of every day.

GOD WILL DO THE REST

I asked the Lord to bless you
As I prayed for you today,
To guide you and protect you
As you go along your way.

His love is always with you,
His promises are true,
And when we give Him all our cares
You know He will see us through.

So when the road you're traveling on
Seems difficult at best,
Just remember I'm here praying
And GOD WILL DO THE REST.

Texas State Forest Festival

Mark and I took Eddie & Aicila to the Texas State Forest Festival in Lufkin Wednesday, September 19. (This was also Cynthia's birthday which gave she and John time alone for dinner and a movie.) Eddie's favorite show was "Kachunga and the Alligator Show". Here's a picture (taken with cell phone) of Eddie holding a 3-foot baby alligator. Eddie & Aicila rode the carnival rides and played the games. Here's a picture of Eddie and me on the "Tilt-O-Whirl" ride and Eddie on the carousel. They were asleep before we left the parking lot!

Prayers

Upon the news that Jeremy would be deploying Thursday, September 20, we contacted the prayer chain in our church and community for his safety and quick return. This card arrived at our home the next day. Jeremy, there are so many that love you and are praying for you. We are so proud of you!

Saying "So long, for now"

After breakfast, we stopped at the local Firestone to have the brakes replaced on Jeremy's car before we started on our way back to Texas. It was a long drive back to Texas and we would be bringing with us many great memories...

Burger King on Post

We stopped in for a drink at the Burger King to finish our tour of the military base. It was HOT and we need to rehydrate! We thought it would be a great opportunity to allow the children to cool down in the air-conditioned play room. Aicila was so tired she slithered down to get a drink. See John--the biggest kid of all!

Fort Campbell Museum

Jeremy gave us the tour of the military museum on base. John & Eddie were having the best time!

Olive Garden, Clarksville, TN

The Gangs All Here! We enjoyed wonderful Italian cuisine at Olive Garden. Left to right: Brittni, Jeremy, Mark, me, John, Aicila (asleep in the stroller), Cynthia, Eddie. Missing: Josh & Kayla

Putt Putt Golf & Games

Another excursion was at Putt Putt Golf & Games followed by go-cart racing. Everyone joined in the fun. Eddie and Aicila had their own clubs, too. Eddie ended the game with the best score...of course, he made his own rules, like picking up the ball and placing it in the cup! We didn't keep score; we were just out to have a good time. As you can see, we succeeded!

Labor Day Weekend

We spent Labor Day weekend at Jeremy and Brittni's house. We had a great visit! It could have only been better if Joshua were able to join us. Mark, John, and Jeremy played a marathon of video games till the wee hours of the morning (talk about déjà vu!). Eddie had his turn at playing on the X-box, too. The boys all bonded and it took their minds off the fact--even for a brief moment--that Jeremy will be deploying soon. We girls were right in the middle of the guys watching and laughing and having the best of times. Cynthia painted Aicila's fingernails while the boys played. Note John is holding a bottle of pink nail polish! I love my family!