Frustration in the House

Things here pretty much suck right now. We still don't have the daddy home. The kids are a mess, the house is a mess and everything seems to be just falling apart. We've held it together the best we can for the past gazillion months and now I'm tired of keeping it together and faking it. I can't say much more right now but it just sucks!

~Till They All Come Home~

This Really Pisses Me Off

I just got another of those emails telling me I'll be rich blah blah blah. Normally I laugh, delete them and get on with my real emails. But this one totally pisses me off and you'll see why when you read it. Also I encourage you all to email him and tell him to eff off for impersonating a soldier....grrrrr!

Hello

My name is Major Henry Sanders. I am an American soldier serving in the military with the Army Third Infantry division with a very desperate need for assistance. I found your contact in an address journal. I am seeking your kind assistance to move the sum of fifteen Million United States Dollars to you as far as I can be assured that my share will be safe in your care until I complete my service here, this is not a stolen money, and there is no danger involved.

SOURCE OF MONEY:
Some money in various currencies was discovered in barrels at a farmhouse near one of Saddam old palaces in Tikrit-Iraq during a rescue operation, and it was agreed by Staff Sgt Kenneth Buff and I that some part of this money be shared between us before informing anybody about it since we saw the money first. This was quite an illegal thing to do, but I tell you what? No compensation can make up for the risk we have taken with our lives in this hell hole of which my brother-in-law was killed by a road side bomb last week.

The above figure was given to me as my share, and to conceal this kind of money became a problem for me. With the help of a British contact working here and his office enjoy some immunity I was able to get the package out to a safe location entirely out of trouble spot. He does not know the real contents of the package and believes that it belongs to a British /American medical doctor who died in a raid here in Iraq. And before giving up trusted me to hand over the package to his Family in United States.

I have now found a much secured way of getting the package out of Iraq. I will discuss this with you when I am sure that you are willing to assist me. I want you to tell me how much you will take from this money for the assistance you will give to me. One passionate appeal, please dont discuss this matter with anybody should you have any reason to reject this offer, please and please destroy this message as any leakage of this information will be too bad for us.

I do not know how long we will remain here. And I have been shot, wounded and survived two suicide bomb attacks by the special grace of God, this and other reasons I will mention later has prompted me to reach out for help, I honestly want this matter to be resolved immediately. You may want to go through this site to read what we have been going through here in Iraq . http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090129/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/army_suicides

Please contact me as soon as possible with the following details via my alternative email address henry_sanders@cantv.net

Full Name:
Full Address:
Tel/cell numbers:
Occupation:

God Bless you as I look forward to your positive response.

Truly yours,
Major Henry Sanders.

Now please....ATTACK!!!

~Till They All Come Home~

An American Hero Laid to Rest

I really want to be careful writing this post because I want to be sure and say the right things.

Today we went to SPC Parrish's memorial service held here on post. It was every bit as horrible as you could imagine it to be and more. They did a great job honoring this fallen soldier but there's nothing that can be said or done to change that fact that a 4 year old boy no longer has a daddy. A young, beautiful woman is now a widow. And a mother and father are now without a son. He also had four siblings left behind to carry on with life without their brother.

He made everyone proud. He did his job and he did it well. SPC Parrish left quite an impact on the soldiers he went to war with and worked beside for the past 14 months. He was 23. Only 23 years old.

As his family walked through the doors and took their seats in the front pew of the chapel my heart broke. I had a hard time not thinking about how this could have easily been any one our families sitting in that pew. Any one of us with soldiers in Iraq could be facing that same future this young wife and child are facing. Through their sadness you could still see the pride they have in being a military family.

When the role call began 1SG called off three names of soldiers throughout the chapel. All of whom responded "here first sergeant". And then 1SG called "SPC Parrish" which was followed by silence. Again he called "SPC Charles Parrish", nothing. "SPC Charles Dustin Parrish" and then the gun salute began followed by taps. There is NOTHING in this world that I have ever heard that was as terrible as the silence that followed his name being called in role call without a response.

I heard the muffled sounds of others crying and above them you could hear the cries of a child.

In the front of the chapel sat the boots, weapon and helmet of this young soldier who bravely served our country and won't be coming home. As we exited the chapel we stopped to pay our respects. Soldiers of all ranks saluted SPC Parrish. We then filed out shaking hands and paying respects to the family.

I'll never forget how brave his handsome 4 year old son, Caden was as he sat and shook hands with each and every person who attended the memorial. And I'll probably never forget the sadness and sorrow that I saw in the face of his beautiful wife. My heart aches for them and I don't know how they will ever manage to get through this time in their lives because I can't imagine being in her shoes. She was supposed to be getting ready for the homecoming of her husband not the funeral and final goodbye.

Please stop and say a prayer for this family who is paying the ultimate price for freedom. And next time you see a service member in uniform stop them, shake their hands and know that you are shaking hands with one of many of the bravest, strongest most loved Americans you will ever meet.

Ashley, Caden and the rest of the Parrish family, you're in our thoughts and prayers. I don't have the right words to say to you. As I shook hands with you today I had no words at all as I struggled to fight back the tears. Tears for a soldier I never had the pleasure of meeting. I want to thank you and your family for your service to our country. Each soldier has a family that also serves and sacrifices more than most people can ever imagine.

~Till They All Come Home~

Sea Kittens? Really? Gimme a freakin break PETA!

A friend of mine sent me an email with a letter her husband wrote in response to a website he stumbled upon while he was online recently. She's going to post his letter on her blog for you all to read. But she doesn't know that yet, since I just made that part up but now she has to. You're welcome Amber!

The website is set up to lure people into signing some dumb petition to stop fishing. Oh pardon me, it's to save the "Sea Kittens"! WTF? Seriously? Sea Kittens?

Shake it off PETA! They're fish! Nothing kitten like about them! Well except the catfish that has whiskers right in front of the three HORNS!!!

Here's what we think about saving the Sea Kittens:

Above is Tayton enjoying some relaxing fishing!

Korbin and one of his sunfish!

Tayton is a proud little fisherman!

Catfish, or should we call them Sea Kittens?

That's one big Sea Kitten! Makes me wanna curl right up with it and pet him and love him. Oh and you should hear him purr when I am taking the hook out of his mouth. It's the sweetest sound......

Great big cuddley Sea Kittens!

These little bass aren't as cute and cuddly as Catfish but fall into the same category!

Korbin's not afraid to touch any of the fish! He's a good little fisherman! I'm so proud!

Long live the Sea Kittens because we love catching them!

( Hurry home and help me bait hooks Hunny! )

~Till They All Come Home~

DoD Identifies Army Casualty SPC Charles D Parrish

~~~~~~~~~~~~UPDATE~~~~~~~~~~~

Please take the time to reread this post and say a prayer or 40 for the family. The soldier who died has a wife and son left behind as well as many other family and friends grieving. His wife took the time to read this post and comment and I think it should be read by everyone. Please pass it along.





I have included the DoD Report and a Report from this soldiers hometown. The sources are linked below each of the two articles. They are verbatim and that is why there are some discrepancies as far as rank between the two articles.

I didn't know him. I didn't know his family. My husband had nothing to do with this mission other than his soldiers were sent to recover the disabled vehicle after the incident.

My heart aches for this family and we're reminded that even this late into the deployment our soldiers still aren't safe.

I don't know what else to say.



DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. Charles D. Parrish, 23, of Jasper, Ala., died June 4 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered earlier that day in Jalula, Iraq, when his vehicle was struck by an anti-tank grenade. He was assigned to the 5th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

(SOURCE)

Jasper soldier dies in Iraq
Leaves behind wife and 4-year-old son
Saturday, June 06, 2009

TORAINE NORRIS
News staff writer

Cpl. Dusty Parrish of Jasper was looking forward to coming home from Iraq in July and teaching his 4-year-old son, Caden, the finer points of playing T-ball, said his mother, Tina Rigsby.

The 23-year-old soldier loved sports and played baseball and football at Walker County High School.

Cpl. Parrish died Thursday in northern Iraq in a rocket-propelled grenade attack, Rigsby said. While the Department of Defense has not released an official account of the circumstances of his death, Rigsby said her son was on a reconnaissance mission to clear land mines that night.

Rigsby said her son, an Army medic, died from wounds suffered in the attack.

Cpl. Parrish trained many of the medics who assisted in his surgery after the attack, his mother said. "They said he gave a good fight."

Family members, including his wife, Ashley, were eagerly anticipating Cpl. Parrish's homecoming on July 15.

"He just had another week there," Rigsby said.

She said Cpl. Parrish was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri and recently had re-enlisted. He had been in Iraq 14 months, she said. Cpl. Parrish was going to be stationed in Columbus, Ga., after returning from Iraq.

A 2003 graduate of Walker County High, he had been in the Army three years.

He was into weightlifting, even winning some body-building competitions while in the Army, his mother said.

"He was very athletic," Rigsby said. "He couldn't wait to get home because this is his son's first year to play T-ball. "He was going to come home and tell him how to bat."

Rigsby said her son excelled at helping others.

"Dusty was the type of person who would make you laugh," she said. "He had an innate ability to make you happy when you were sad."

Rigsby said the family Friday afternoon was still trying to break the news to Caden.

"I hate that we have to tell his son," she said.

(SOURCE)

Please pray for this family and for all of the soldiers and families. It seems we've been forgotten now that this war has been ongoing for 6 years now but families are still being shattered by this damn war.

~~~~~~~UPDATE~~~~~~~~

Today I opened my email to find a comment from SPC Parrish's wife. It's heart wrenching to think of what she and her son as well as the everyone who's lives have been touched by this hero.


Here's what she wrote:

Ashley Parrish has left a new comment on your post "DoD Identifies Army Casualty SPC Charles D Parrish...":

My son and i would like to thank everyone for all the love and support during this very difficult time. Dusty is gone but never forgotten, he would want everyone to remember that he died for our freedom and he loved his job. I love him very much and see his face every time I look at our beautiful son. Rest in peace my husband for your mission on earth is complete I love you.

Ashley we'll continue to pray for you and your son and the rest of the family/friends who are suffering this loss. If there is anything any of us back here at the Fort can do for you please let me know. You can email me privately at kmtkbest@gmail.com and whatever you need I will do my best to help make happen.

~Till They All Come Home~

Korbins Kidney Saga Continues

You know how when you're at the doctors they are all chatty as can be until they find something that's just not quite right? Today we got that again.

Korbin had his annual ultrasound on his kindey to see how he's doing. She was all peachy and talkative as she scanned his right (healthy) kidney and then when she got to the left she was like a clam. She didn't even hear Korbin asking her questions as she clicked away capturing the images. Some with color to show the blood flow and one that made it look like a freakin volcano!

I looked as she scanned each kidney and the differences were obvious. You could see the dark area that showed the level of urine retention in his left kidney. I'm afraid we'll be heading back to Columbia for him soon.

Prayers and happy thoughts of good results and me just being an over reacting-stressed out-spazzy-assed mom.

Here are the links to stories to fill ya in if you have no clue what I'm talking about with Korbin.

First this happened.

Second he had surgery.

Third and then

Fourth

~Till They All Come Home~

Can't Stop Watching It and LMAO!

Oh my! I just found this over on Lauren's Blog. She visited my blog as a friend of the family of CPL Parrish.

I was just looking around since she stopped by and left me a comment and I found this video and nearly wet myself laughing so hard! Thank god for my recent torture surgery!

Enjoy!

~Till They All Come Home~

The monkey tail has left the building! Thank God!!

I called the doctors office crying, complaining and begging to ask if there was any chance they could remove the monkey tail and see if things were working okay. I knew the risks and was willing to chance it. They agreed to let me see the Doctor here on post to do it for me instead of driving 2 hours to the doctor who did my surgery.

I showed up and my male doctor informed me that there was no female chaperon available at the time and if it was going to be removed it would have to be with him and his male SPC that was working.

I didn't care if they did it in the middle of the waiting room as long as they took the damn thing out! Only I really did care, a little, cause I have a shred of modesty. Men have no concept of modesty. When the female nurse is helping my doctor she keeps me all covered up and comfortable. With the guys I was lucky they shut the door! No really, they didn't shut the door until they said to hop up on the torture chambers table and I looked at them like they were nuts.

Everything went well. It's amazing how great it is to be able to pee all by myself like a big girl! That is going on my list of things to never take for granted!

~Till They All Come Home~

They Took It But They Gave It Back

I had to ride two hours to Columbia to get my monkey tail out yesterday. They took it out and everything seemed to be working fine. They sent me on my merry way. As the day progressed I felt things weren't quite right but I was hoping for the best.

At 2am I woke up horrible pain and some other not so pretty details. I texted my warden good friend Amber and she rushed over and whisked me away to the ER. Amazingly enough they saw how shitty I looked much pain I was in and they took me straight back. A few hours later after they installed a new monkey tail they sent me home.

Things aren't healing right and now I'm stuck with my monkey tail until Monday at the earliest. I made a very rash decision during this time. My husbands family has an annual family reunion and it's this weekend. They go away to a place in Oklahoma and stay in cabins for 4 days. Kirke's mom is one of the organizers each year so she had to be there.

For the first time in 7 1/2 years I am alone. No children, no husband, just me. To be honest I don't like it one bit. But considering the circumstances the kids need to go and have fun and I need to rest and get better. So my first time not in the hospital spending the night away from my kids and they will be hours and hours away! I'm a little lot freaked out!

Now I'm off to rest and be sad and lonely but damn it I'm gonna get better!!!