Day 12: The 4th of July

Today was probably one of the best days so far. The biggest up for me was that I got to talk to my husband for a quite a while. It was the longest conversation we have had since he has been gone and it was nice just to catch up. He was also able to give me his address and the "list of stuff" he needs. So, tomorrow I will be sending out the first of many care packages. After the phone call, the kids and I went to a friend's house for a BBQ and to watch the fireworks. It was fun and was nice getting out of the house. And even though Ian was on my mind all day long, I found myself filled with love and gratefulness at having him as my husband, more than being sad and missing him. All in all, a great day.

A holiday like today just strengthens the feeling of pride I have for my husband and what he does. It is an awesome reminder of our freedoms and I will forever be grateful to my husband, those who serve with him, have come before him, and will come after him for our freedoms in this amazing country.

So, tonight I leave you with two things. First, if you haven't heard the song "God Bless the U.S.A." by Lee Greenwood, well, that is un-American and you need look for it on YouTube for me and take a listen. I have loved this song since I was a kid and will probably always love this song. It is worth a listen. The second thing I will leave you with tonight is this awesome quote. It sums up the military members past and present that have made this country great
.

‎"The American flag does not fly because the wind moves past it. 

The American flag flies from the last breath of each military member who has died protecting it.

 American soldiers don't fight because they hate what's in front of them...they fight because they love what's behind them."