[Carters Mom]

I watched only the first 1/2 of one of the Operation Homecoming shows and had to stop. I was streaming tears. The stories are very moving and emotional and its just not something I can take right now. I'm sure a year from now, I will feel totally different.

I have a photographer friend that photographed the commissioning ceremony for a National Guard unit that went to Iraq. She volunteered her time and presented every one of the 150 members with a large print (10x20 at the smallest) of their company and a CD slideshow set to music of all the images she captured that day. I probably couldn't watch Heather's slideshow right now either.

It does do my heart good seeing the photos posted on that pbase account though. It is quite uplifting.

I'm grateful for technology as it pertains to the ease of which we can communicate with our loved ones all the way on the other side of the world. It was something I appreciated even before Brian left for Iraq. He was in Okinawa for 2 years and chat was my greatest comfort!

I'm also grateful that Carter woke me up on the 4th of July so I could see my son! Those moments are precious to me and makes many other things sooo trivial.

Again -- the support of all my true friends here is very heartwarming to me!