Summer Fun on Lake Sneed

Fun was had by ALL!!!!

Lake Tom Sneed

CPT Paddy of the USS Galway Girl

Formerly known as Stephenotis

Bathing Beauty

Sunshine Shannon

I have been a horrible blogger this summer. But with Paddy's pending deployment and being back to work I have been soaking up the family time.

When weekend schedules permit we head to the Lake for some family floating time. Erin is fearless and jumps right in as soon as her life vest is secure. I have taken to tethering her to the boat so she doesn't float away with the current. The first day of the boating season Erin asked me." Mommy, this makes me float right? I won't sink will I?" I assired her that the life vest would keep her afloat and that "NO you will not sink". With that she walked to the front of the boat, stood up on the seat and JUMPED right in!!!!! Shannon on the other hand, has decided that swimming in the lake is highly over-rated and hangs out on the back with feet fluttering in the water, or sunning herself on the back of the boat. She has found a bit of fortitude in hanging off the ladder and "swimming"

Lake Lawtonka is only miles from our home, but too many people come out on the same day, making it a bit dangerous for the wee ones. We found Lake Tom Sneed an hour up the road and on most weekends there are only a few boast joining us. Lake Sneed is larger and deeper, so we don't have to worry about hitting the bottom or running into a tree. With less boats there is little wake and the girlies , or should I say Erin can troll around on her rope.
So, now you know where we are this summer and what we've been up to on most weekend. Hope you and yours are having a great fun packed summer!!!

More to come...

WARNING!!!! GRAPHIC PHOTOS!!!!!!!!!!

Before you being one of two things.
At the bottom of this post is a VERY graphic picture. It is NOT be be viewed by children or anyone who is squeamish. Consider yourself warned. I will expect NO COMPLAINTS for the public.
Secondly. I have considered writing about this subject for a very long time. I am still not sure if I have all the words to describe my feelings about this. I know it upsets me, and those that I love and so..........

"I support the troops, I don't support the war."

Take a moment to think about the ramifications of this statement.
Many people say it, many think it as well.
There is even a group of people in this country that WISH and HOPE that we fail in Afghanistan and Iraq. BUT!!!!! They say they support the men and women in uniform carrying out the orders of out Commander in Chief.

For sometime now it has been very upsetting to me that people feel this way and splice the war and the troops in it with such a statement. I remember when Ya-Ya went to Iraq the first time and people would day to me,
" I support people like your brother-in-law, but I don't support this war."
To this day I still DO NOT understand this statement.
The men and women that give up months of their lives to leave their families to help another group of people across the globe need 100% of your support. Not 50%.

Perhaps Americans not personally touched by this War can not fathom how WE, as their families feel about what they are doing far away from home.

Being a wife, of a man in the Army, A sister to a Man in the Marine Corps is something I am very proud of! It is close to may heart and will be forever.

Paddy and Ya-Ya believe in something bigger that all of us. they believe in Freedom. I know I know people say THIS ALL THE TIME!!! It's the latest catch phrase. BUT REALLY!!!
Have you ever been to a country that has no democracy? Have you ever thought about a life of utter chaos and hopelessness for your children?
The Mothers and Fathers in Iraq and Afghanistan do.

I asked Paddy a few weeks ago if he was scared to go to Afghanistan.
This is what he told me:

" I have come to believe that I am a good doctor. I am told this by my patients and my peers. I spent time in the Army learning to be a good solider, and learning how to care for my soldiers. I believe with all that I am that I am about to embark on the most important journey of my life. I am about to go to war to care for men and women that people say they support, but spit on the very core of what they are doing. I am going to help my fellow soldiers in a new capacity. I am there to care for them. I have spent a good many years of this war here at home listening to the hypocrisy of my fellow Americans rant and rave against the war and then hear them verbally slap the American solider in the face with hopes of failure in the middle east., and it sickens me.
I am not afraid to go to war and I am not afraid that I might not come back. Because what I will be doing is healing freedom."

My point is this. You can't support the American Troops and then say what you do about not supporting the
WAR ON TERROR
It goes together. To simplify it, it's like saying.
" I support education, but I don't support the men and women fighting illiteracy in the country."
Please stop and think about this, before you say it.

Would YOU REALLY tell this man and his family that you support him, but not the reason that he die!

Please read this article
click above
And this article
click above

Happy Father's Day!!!!!

Dear Paddy,

I want to tell you what a great man you are.

When we were two you were a great husband. You gave me so much love, devotion and security. I have always felt safe and cared for. I remember the moment I fell in love with you.

I had to cancel a date because I was sick. Remember?... You came to my apartment with bags of groceries. You made me chicken soup and brought me cold medicine and a humidifier and socks. For the entire evening you cared for me, and I knew then that I loved you.

You asked me to be your wife and I was so honored that you promised to love, honor and cherish me all the days of your life.

And I loved you even more.

After we were married you joined the Army, to find a way to give me a nice stable life, hoping to attain your dream of becoming a doctor.

When we were trying to have a baby and I felt like I had failed you miserably you told me that I was enough. And I loved you all the more.

When you started medical school and you were so terribly worried that you would fail. I loved you even more for showing me your fragile, vulnerable side. You DID NOT fail. Not even close, you smoked medical school and I realized that you were so incredible intelligent and carried that without arrogance. And my heart swelled with pride and love for who you were becoming as a man.

When I saw you snuggled up with your new baby daughters that night in China I saw you completely.

A man, a husband, a solider and a father and I loved you completely.

I have watched you rise up in the face of adversity. I have watched you grow into the man I always wanted. Tender and gentle. Strong and ethical. An advocate for your fellow soldiers, doctors and your patients.

Still never loosing your ground as a man with a family. A man who loves his wife and daughters fiercely.

I am so blessed to stand beside you today, as your wife and the mother of your children and say to you

A Great Man

A Loving Husband

A Strong Solider

A Loving and Tender Father...

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

I love you...

Kandahar

This guy is headed for Kandahar in July for a year!!!!

Kandahar International Airport (more commonly known as Kandahar Airport) (IATA: KDH, ICAO: OAKN) is located 10 miles (16 kilometers) south-east of Kandahar City in Afghanistan. The airport was built by the United States in the 1960s, under the United States Agency for International Development program. It may have been intended to be used as a possible U.S. military base in case the United States and former USSR went to war. It was occupied by the Soviets in 1979, and was severely damaged during the Soviet war in Afghanistan in the 1980s. It received further damages again during the US raids in October 2001, when the Taliban government was being removed.

As of 2007, Kandahar Airport has been rebuilt and is used for both military and civilian flights.^[1] Since 2006 the airfield has been maintained by the Canadians, but there are also other NATO forces present. It is sometimes difficult to locate the airport from the sky during day-time because of lack of contrast with the ground and the usual dust or haze in the area. But during night time the runway is well lit up and can easily be spotted.

The airfield itself was built between 1956 and 1962 by American consultants, for a cost of USD 15 million. Bearing a great resemblance to typical U.S. architecture of the time, its original purpose was as a refueling stop for long-range piston engined aircraft traveling between the Middle East and Southeast Asia. However, with the advent of jet aircraft, such stops were no longer necessary, and the airport saw little use.^[2] Since the airport was designed as a military base, it is more likely that the United States intended to use it as such in case there was a show-down of war between the United States and former USSR. While the United States was busy building Kandahar Airport, the USSR was busy in the north building Kabul Airport.

Soviet era

During the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, the airfield was used intensively by the Soviet Air Forces, both as logistical facility for flying in troops and supplies and as a base for launching airstrikes against local Mujahideen groups^[3].

Fighting in the Kandahar area was particularly intense. However Kandahar airport was left relatively untouched and its main building was largely intact at the end of the war. The airstrip did suffer extensive damage that was subsequently repaired by the United Nations in in the mid 1990s to support humanitarian flights.

Taliban era

The airport was mostly used at this time for military and humanitarian purposes, hosting regular flights of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross to and from Kabul, Jalalabad, Herat and Peshawar (Pakistan). Ariana airlines (the Afghan national carrier) also flew infrequent flights out of Kandahar to Pakistan and a few locations in Afghanistan (Herat, Kabul, Jalalabad).

The airport came into the public eye during the tense drama that was played out when terrorists, who hijacked and landed Indian Airlines Flight 814 on the airfield in December 1999, ordered the Indian Government to ensure the release and safe-passage of three alleged terrorists in return for letting the occupants of the passenger plane leave without harm. Although the exact nature of the deal that was struck between the Indian Government and the hijacking group is not known at this point, it did secure the release of the 3 prisoners who were being held in a prison in India.

Operation Enduring Freedom

The airport's main terminal in 2002.

US Marines landed at Kandahar in late 2001 and took over control of the airport. It was occupied and maintained by the Military of the United States since then. As part of Operation Enduring Freedom, the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy also has based a squadron of Harrier GR7A aircraft at Kandahar Airfield to provide close air support to coalition ground forces.^[4] The Royal Air Force also has based a detachment of C130 K and J model Hercules transport aircraft from 24, 30, 47 and 70 Squadrons and its attached Engineering detachment from 24/30 and 47/70 Engineering Squadrons RAF Lyneham. Eight F-16 close air support fighters of the Royal Netherlands Air Force were deployed to Kandahar Airfield to support the expanded NATO operation in southern Afghanistan in late 2006.

The government of Afghanistan has been slow in rebuilding the facility, the vast majority of it has been reclaimed from years of neglect and damage by Soviet and Taliban soldiers.

The interior gardens, pools, kitchen galley, restroom facility, and ticketing areas have been restored. With the transition of the U.S. passenger area terminal to the Afghans in 2005, the airport is currently used for civilian flights. It was used for the 2006 Hajj by Muslim pilgrims.

Thanks Wikipedia for your info posted on this blog. I will keep post on the happening of Paddy. I plan to set up a blog site for him. Leave me a comment suggesting a catchy blog title!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember.....

THANK YOU !!!!!!!!!

Can you see what I see?

PB&?

So what's for lunch??

Don't be fooled by the cheese. This is NO plain cheese sandwich...

PB-Mayo-Mustard- Pickle AND cheese...
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?