Yellow Ribbon Event

Sunday, May 15 at 8 am - Cedar City - Yellow Ribbon. Activities for the whole family including parents. This is a day set aside to teach families about the resources available to help them and their soldier during a deployment. A Day Full of great information.

***Our soldiers need our positive support. They need to hear that we love them and support them. They are under a lot of pressure and busy training hard. Please be patient with them. Negativity, Complaining and Rumors can demoralize soldiers along with ourselves. Please keep your guard up, protect your family against unnecessary emotional roller coasters by avoid them. Most importantly—KEEP YOUR CHIN UP!!!! - A-Battery FRG leader

State of Utah supports our troops!

Did you know that when you license your vehicle and you are on active duty orders that the State of Utah waives your property taxes? Yep- as we were renewing our vehicle and it was out of state with my hubby on active duty the gal helping me at the DMV informed me that if I was to come back with my hubby's orders that they would waive my property taxes. Yep... $50 is worth a second trip. I love the state I live in!

MCEC: Military Child Education Coalition

Course Description: The MCEC Living in the New Normal (LINN) encourages families to ensure their children have tools to bounce back from life’s storms, and “stressors”, fosters community support efforts, and provides concerned adults with information to help support children during times of uncertainty, trauma, and loss. The MCECs LINN efforts are predicated on the belief that children’s inherent attributes of courage and resiliency can be strengthened through deliberate encouragement.

I had the opportunity to attend this training last week. Visit the JSS website to see when they are in your area. Absolutely invaluable training for parents and ANYONE who works with kids from all types of backgrounds. I found this training could be applied to all children. -Amanda

Army wives need the strength to stand alone, but they’re strongest when they stand together.

-Army Wives, Lifetime

Eagle Release

What an amazing experience it was to witness such an event. There are really no words to describe the feelings that I had this day. To be able see this majestic bird being released back into the wild with the prayers of all us on his feathers. It is a Native American legend that says the Eagle was once human and he was given the responsibility to deliver the prays of the people to God. He said he had to fly to be able to do that so he was made into the great Eagle. Their legend says that during the night the Eagle collects the prayers of the people and at day he flies up to heaven to deliver the prayers to God. This wonderful release was to send our prayers with the 222nd as they prepare to deploy. There were many in attendance that joined in sending prayers. Such a great experience and I am so grateful to have been able to be a part of it. This was done at the Parowan Gap. If you have never been to this site, please visit it. Such a sacred place.

Bald Eagle Release March 5th, 2011

Saturday March 5th. We will be releasing a four year old bald eagle that was rescued from Baker Reservoir on Feb 19.

The young eagle was found mostly submerged with only his head above water by Ray Makar and his dog as they walked around the shoreline of Baker Reservoir. Mr. Makar rescued the eagle from the water and immediately contacted the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. The eagle was suffering from hypothermia and its lungs were full of water. Mr. Makar wrapped the eagle in a blanket to keep it warm until Brian Shearer of the UDWR picked it up and transported it to Martin Tyner of the Southwest Wildlife Foundation. The eagle was immediately placed in intensive care receiving around the clock care. Within twenty four hours the eagle could stand and is now flying back and forth across its chamber anxiously waiting for the day of his release.

It is a common belief among many native people that if you say your prayers with an eagle feather the eagle feather will carry your prayers to God. This young bald eagle has over 7000 feathers and is capable of carrying over 7000 prayers.

As the friends and families of the Utah National Guard unit 222 are preparing for the departure of their unit we felt it would be very appropriate to dedicate this eagle release to all of the men and women of the armed forces who have served our country so courageously and their families, especially the members and the families of the 222.

The bald eagle is the emblem of our nation, our national symbol and we would like to invite anyone who would like to come and watch this beautiful eagle soar back to the wild to join us at the Parowan Gap at 4 pm Saturday March 5th.

The Parowan Gap is located approximately 17 miles north of Cedar City. Go north on the Minersville Highway approximately 15 miles. Turn right toward the Parowan Gap (its the only paved road heading east) The Parowan Gap is 2 miles east of the Minersville Highway.

If you would like the time of this amazing event please contact me.

Step 6 & 7

Two Words: Semper Fidelis.
Many of you know that the worst thing a military spouse could possibly do during a deployment is break this code. Being faithful to your soldier is one of the most, if not thee most important rule of deployment. You're the one in the States, surrounded by family and friends- if not, just surrounded by normal, familiar civilians. Every soldier would love nothing more than to be by your side and to disrespect a soldier by being unfaithful is unforgivable. Be grateful that they are defending your life and your freedom, and don't lose sight of why you fell in love with them in the first place. They are worth waiting for. Semper Fi.


Waiting Game.
The rest is simply waiting it out. Keep going on with your life and realize that they'll be home soon. Think of it as any other job and remember that the truth is that you can't make him/her come home any sooner than I or the man at the grocery store can. There's nothing you can do about his deployment now and what happens will happen with you being your soldier's soldier and holding down the home or with you laying in bed everyday closed out to the world. It's best to be able to be strong when he calls instead of make him feel worse about having to leave. Deployments are just a matter of keeping busy, keeping your mind of the bad, and looking into the sunlight. Get all the support you can online and with other family/friends going through the same exact thing. Don't let yourself fall into a rut and just be proud that you are so close to someone who has the courage to fight for your family's freedom and be proud that you have the courage to stand behind them.