Mail Call

Nov 29 & Dec 1 2010~ Joe and I helped Iowa Troop Pantry mail some of the boxes we have recently packed. The first day, we loaded 88 boxes into the back of our minivan and headed to the post office. Let me tell you.....you sure get a lot of attention....and sighs...from people when you drop this many boxes off!! See you don't just dump and run with these....each box has custom sheets that have to be filled out, processed and signed off on, as well as scanned through the p.o. system and weighed! We spent 3 hours doing this! But it was fun to know we are brightening a soldier's day!! Each box weighs approx. 15 lbs....we did have a lot of fun with one BIG box Mike packed for a group of Marines in a remote location.....the p.o. scale only registers 70 lbs, and this box was off the register!! We took it back, Mike repacked it...and we tried again when we went to the p.o. on Dec 1 with 22 more boxes. Still off the scale!!! Hmmmm..... take it back to Mike- we finally did get it right, and we ended up with 3 boxes for the Marines!! The post office just smiles when we come in now.....they know this is for our troops and they are super and very nice!! We appreciate their help and sense of humor!! In all, we spent 4 and 1/2 hours just getting the boxes mailed to the soldiers......time well spent!!! Can't wait until we get to do this again!!

Thanksgiving 2010

Nov 24, 2010~ Today I took my kids, husband, sister and her husband to the Iowa City VA Hospital to visit for Thanksgiving. We had some special cards to deliver that our son Reagan's 6th grade class made for us. We had a great time and the patients really loved the kids and cards..... not often war Vets tear up...but I saw several this day!

FOOTBALL

Nov 20, 2010~ Today was a day I had dreamed would happen....our oldest son Zach and his varsity football team-Regina Regals- played in the state championship football game. THEY WON!! CLASS 2A IOWA STATE FOOTBALL CHAMPS!!! They went 14-0 this season and Zach received many awards for his hard work- including best offensive lineman in the district! His team has the #1 defensive line in the state as well! Zach's goal is to play college football and ultimately play in the NFL...... after seeing how hard he has worked the past year, I believe he can do it!! He has taught me, if you want it, if you dream it, if you work hard enough~ it will happen!! I could not be more proud of my "baby"!!!!

Mom

I was able to visit my Mom today...I had not seen her for a very long time....denial will do that. She looked great and seemed happy. She had no idea who Joe and I were but it was still awesome to see her beautiful smile and hear her voice. We took our dogs with and she loved seeing them!! I was doing ok until I told her I had to go and she kept asking for me to take her with me. But she did ask for some apple pie and a stuffed puppy...next time. Love to my angel!

Army Community Advisory Board

Nov 17, 2010~ Joe and I attended the Army Community Advisory Board meeting. We met with community members, the Mayors of Iowa City and Coralville, Iowa, the Police Chief, community business members as well as members of the Army Recruiting Battalion and the Battalion Commander, Lt. Colonel Kim and the Brigade Commander. The goal of our meeting is to discuss ways to support our soldiers, vets and members of the community by being involved in area events. We also discuss ways to reach our youth and offer them the military as an option after high school. A very powerful group all with the same goal~ being Army strong with our community!

Alzheimer's Awareness

Nov 16, 2010~ Joe and I attended the Alzheimer's town hall meeting in Coralville, Iowa. This was an intimate meeting of those who care for loved ones with Alzheimer's and also a question and answer session with several local doctors and specialist. They had great information and I had a chance to hear about Alzheimer's from a different perspective. I also had the opportunity to speak about my decision to become an Alzheimer's advocate as my pageant platform in honor of my Mom and about how my choice to be with her cost me my job. This was the first time I spoke publicly about this...it was a little difficult but when I was done, I felt like it was really something I need to be doing! We can fix what we don't know is broken, and by speaking out against the lack of support for Alzheimer's, perhaps I can help fix it!

JCMAA Veteran's Day Banquet

For a beautiful end to my day, Joe, our son Reagan and I attended the Veteran's Day Banquet at the Riverside, Iowa Casino. This banquet is to honor Vets from our area. They had a display to honor Iowa's Medal of Honor recipient SSGT Sal Giunta. Salvatore Giunta is the first living soldier from the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan to be chosen to receive the Medal of Honor. He was unable to be here this evening, but I hope to some day meet him! We had a great time and I had a chance to speak to everyone about my military experience, my pageant and what my goals are with my title.

Veteran's Day 2010~ Memorial Dedication

I had the honor of being a guest speaker at the All War Memorial dedication in Lone Tree, Iowa. We first had homemade rolls, juice and coffee served by the Lone Tree Jr. High students and then listened to letters they wrote at school to Vets. Next was the ceremony for the memorial and I spoke to approx 100 people about my time as a soldier and how its important to support our Soldiers and Vets. I was soooooo nervous but it was a piece of cake...I wished I could speak longer! Afterwards, I was asked to speak at a Memorial Day service-6 months away! Guess I did ok! I enjoyed meeting many different people that share my same mission but was most impressed with the support from our youth!! Knowing we are teaching and encouraging all generations to support those who bring us freedom is priceless! I know I met some future soldiers today!!

Veteran's Day 2010~ Hyvee Breakfast

Veteran's Day for me is like Christmas!! Its a day to honor and recognize all those who sacrifice for our country! My amazing husband spent the entire day supporting me...as I supported Vets! We started our day at the local HyVee grocery store....as I did last year. The HyVee serves free breakfast to Vets and I am allowed to visit with these incredible heroes and listen to their stories. I met Vets from every war since WWII and they all touched my heart!! I met a man who handed me his leg! ~ an amputee from Vietnam, a lady who served as a nurse in WWII and Korea! And a WWII Vet and his wife who talked of his service as a "tunnel rat". That means he went into the tunnels the enemy was thought to be hiding and killed them....before they could kill our guys. After all these years he, and his wife, said he wakes up almost nightly having nightmares and he thinks he is still there. She said sometimes she is afraid she won't be able to wake him back to reality. I cannot imagine living that way your whole life.... you can leave war...but it doesn't leave you! True heroes!