Griffins!

Last night we got to go to the hospital to see our newest little Ranger, Griffin Matthew Hire. He is adorable! Our friends Jason and Yohanna and their two little girls were there to see the baby as well so it was one big party of B Co. families in the room. It just so happens that Jason's last name is Griffin so there has been much teasing amongst the guys about Matt and Brooke choosing Griffin as a first name for their little boy. :) We know another Griffin, our friend SSG. Darrell Griffin who gave the ultimate sacrifice in Balad, Iraq last year. It is a good, strong name for a little boy to grow into and we are excited that the newest little Griff is here and healthy and destined to do great things! :)

Duane and Baby Griffin

Big Griffin and Little Griffin

(just a reminder, Big Griffin is not Little Griffin's Daddy!)

Beautiful Momma and her handsome little man

Something Blue......

Congratulations are in order for our friends Brooke and Matt and their daughter Camden who welcomed a baby brother this evening! There has been some debate about the name and Matt seemed unsure when he called so we will have to wait and see. Baby boy is healthy and Momma is doing great so all you B co. ladies, give it up for Brooke and the newest little B Co. Ranger! I guess we'll excuse her from the Swamp Walk this one time.......

Two down, one still in the oven!

Dolphin Cruise!

We returned from Birmingham on Friday afternoon, unpacked, reorganized, and headed out Saturday for a Dolphin Cruise in the Gulf. The Swamp Rangers Association is the Florida Chapter of the Worldwide Rangers Association - retired US Army Rangers who get together and support the current Ranger regiment, Rangers, and their families. We are so very lucky to have these wonderful retired soldiers and their wives who do so many nice things for us and pass on so much wisdom about life in the Army. Saturday, they chartered a boat to take about 100 or so of our families out in the Gulf to see some dolphins and just enjoy a day with friends and family. The girls were beyond excited to see the school of dolphins that followed our boat. I tried to get some pictures but wasn't very successful as I spent most of my time trying to make sure the girls didn't go overboard in their excitement! We had a fabulous time and can't wait to do it again.

The girls and their friends, Gavin & Addie

The best dolphin picture I could get

Downtown Birmingham

Our second day in Birmingham included our visit to Dr. Grant at Children's Hospital......

and a visit to the Civil Rights Institute. Having taught the Civil Rights movement numerous times, I was really looking forward to the visit. The museum is incredible - every display is multi-media interactive and charts the Civil Rights Movement both nationally and locally. The institute is located on 16th Street, directly across from the 16th Street Baptist Church that was bombed during the 1960's, taking the lives of 4 young girls and catapulting the struggle for equality in Birmingham to national attention. The 16th Street Baptist Church is still a standing church with an active congregation. There are no pictures allowed in the museum but I did take a few from outside. It was an incredible experience to be surrounded by so much history. If you ever have the chance to visit, don't miss the Civil Rights Institute.

American Village Visit

On our first day in Birmingham, we drove into Montevallo to visit the American Village. American Village is a reproduciton of Colonial America with a chapel, colonial houses, George Washington's Virginia estate, a courthouse, and a tavern. Professional actors play the parts of key historical figures and do an amazing job. Each actor has studied colonial history and their character extensively, allowing them to answer even obscure questions correctly without ever breaking character.

To begin our day, we visited Constitution Hall where Thomas Jefferson was addressing the Constitutional Congress abouth the need for a Declaration of our Independence from King George of England.

After hearing about the need for more volunteers for the regular Army, we proceeded to an encampment of the Rhode Island regular Army and, after passing a physical (2 good legs? 2 good arms? 2 good teeth?) were asked to enlist to fight the British. Duane, Kaitlyn and I enlisted along with several other visitors.

We were schooled in how to load, fire, and shoulder a musket, fix a bayonet, and march in a line. We also got to witness the prepping and firing of a cannon.

After our enlistment and training, we took a break in the dining room of George Washington's Virginia estate. Here we met his daughter in law who had come to keep her mother in law company while the men were away fighting the British. She taught us about the importance of dance in social and political situations and the girls and I got to learn a minuette and perform it. Kaiti and Sam were quite enamored with our instructor's dress and accent! After dancing lessons, we visited the tavern where we learned three gambling games which we played quite successfully. Sam, we discovered, is quite adept at 9 pins! After our little foray into gambling, we headed back to the Virginia estate to meet George Washington himself. He told us all about the statue crafted in his honor as well as the politics of the war and our emerging nation. He even discussed with Duane the tactics and politics surrounding Roger's Rangers, some of the first United States Army Rangers! Following our visit with George, we paid a visit to the courtroom and learned of colonial legal proceedings from a magistrate. He even described in detail some of the punishments! We ended our visit with a viewing of the colonial chapel, the Oval Office, and, of course, the gift shop. We highly recommend American Village if you ever have the chance to visit Alabama! It was incredible and the girls had a blast.

Birmingham Trip '08'

Confederate Flag in front of school

Cotton Fields

Every summer, we make a 5 hour trip to Birmingham, Alabama to see Kaitlyn's Cleft Team at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Children's Hospital for a check in and re-evaluation. UAB is a huge complex of medical centers that dominates the entire south end of the city of Birmingham. It is rated among the top 3 hospitals in the nation, second only to the Mayo Clinic, and is a leader in Craniofacial research. In addition to its impeccable credentials, UAB Childrens has some of the kindest Dr's and nurses any parent could ask for. The hospital is built with children in mind, with paintings hung at a child's height and waiting rooms full of interactive toys, bright colors, and Dora the Explorer cartoons. When you go to Cleft Clinic, the waiting room is packed with dozens of other families and children waiting to see Dr. Grant and his team for their yearly check in or for post or pre-op appointments. Kids play and run around at will while parents meet and chat and share pictures and stories. All in all, it is one of the most enjoyable Dr. visits one could ever make.

For us, the 5 hour drive necessitates that we arrive a day early and leave a day after the appointment. This year and last year we decided to extend our stay by a few days and have a mini-vacation. So of course, Kaitlyn now thinks that Dr. Grant visits are the best because they include vacation time!:) Unlike the Northwest, the Southeast does not have well planned freeways and interstates that take you from one destination to the next simply by knowing the appropriate on ramps or exit numbers. Our drive to Birmingham takes us through the panhandle of Florida, winding through small towns like Florala and Crestview until we hit the Alabama state line and cross into Andalusia and a host of other tiny towns. We pass pastures of cows and horses, endless fields of cotton and old brick homes, tiny Main Streets, roadside stands of boiled or roasted peanuts, and huge trees with Spanish Moss climbing the trunks. It really is a beautiful drive that reminds you fo our country's history. Of course, we also pass a few uniquely Southern sights: A Confederate flag flying large and proud in front of the town school and my favorite from this year's drive, a huge sign reading "Go to Church or the Devil will Get you!!!" compelte with a little red devil and pitchfork. There are certain sights that you really only see in the not so politically correct South. After winding through the many sights along Route 55, we finally hit our first Interstate, I-65 near Montgomery, Alabama. Right inside of Montgomery, we take a break and stop at Priester's Pecans, a nearly 100 year old Pecan Candy factory where you can watch them make the candies and sample plenty of Pecan infused delights. Once we have stuffed ourselves and bought some pecans to ship to Mom, we head back to I-65 and begin working our way towards Selma, Alabama..............

Neighborhood Festivities

Here are a few pics of the kids at the Rudderville/ B co. 4th of July BBQ and Fireworks show.....

Independence Day

"For those who have fought for it, Freedom has a taste the protected will never know." (Gen. Patton)

Today is the 4th of July, the day we mark the independence of our nation, or at least eat a lot of BBQ with family and friends. As the evening wanes, we might watch a local fireworks display accompanied by some patriotic music. Perhaps we place a few small flags in our potted plants and dress in red, white, and blue. We enjoy the extra days off from work and the time to catch up with friends and family. The 4th of July is the midway point in summer, the weekend that reminds us that school supplies will soon be on sale and we need to take advantage of the weather while we can.

It wasn't always this way. Over 200 years ago, this was a day heralded by the world, the day that brave men had sacrificed their lives for. It was a day that people had prayed for, had given sons and husbands and brothers for. On that 4th of July, people knew what they were celebrating: Freedom. The intangible goal for which they had risked all they had and given more than they had thought possible. I can't say that I know how they felt because I have never had to risk so much or sacrifice so much for the freedom I enjoy each day.

As Americans, we are lucky to live in relative ignorance of the cost of freedom. In fact, we have lived in such ignorance for so long that we have begun to think that Freedom is something that is owed to us, something we can expect. We are lucky enough to believe that it is our right to raise our children in a safe place where they will be educated and encouraged to achieve their goals. We are lucky enough to believe that we have the unquestionable right to speak what we feel strongly about, to share our opinions, and to stand for the things we believe in without persecution. The reality is that we do not have the right to expect any of these things. These expectations that we have are the fruit of Freedom and Freedom has a cost that we do not like to think about.

I don't like to think about the cost of Freedom any more than the next person. Some days I think I would be content to live in the peaceful bliss of ignorance. But that choice is not mine to make. I married a soldier. Each day I am reminded of the cost of Freedom. The combat boots that sit in stacks on the front porch, the uniforms that pile on the washer, the holidays, anniversaries, and birthdays missed, and the small voices that ask "When will Daddy come home?"all remind me of the cost of freedom. In our house, it is unavoidable. We are lucky to have my husband home right now, assigned to a training position, but I know that each moment here is precious because our next set of orders could arrive at any time and we will be back in deployment mode.
The reminders don't end when I leave our house. We live in a neighborhood of soldiers and their families. Many of my dearest friends are soldier's wives, women who understand what it is like to live a life dominated by the needs of the Army and our country. Everywhere I look, I am reminded of the cost of freedom. When I listen to speeches on the 4th of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Veteran's Day about the cost of Freedom, I picture faces. Freedom is not an intangible concept for my family. I know the cost of my freedom. I know when I watch my husband play with our children because he savors each moment, knowing how many he has missed and how many he will miss in the future. I know the cost when I watch a friend embrace her husband, knowing that she is counting all the times she couldn't and all the times in the future that she will wish she could but he will be deployed or TDY, leaving her to "hold down the fort" again. I know the cost when I bid another friend goodbye as she and her husband follow their orders to another post. I know the cost when I listen to my husband talk of an old friend, a friend who is no longer here because he paid the ultimate price for my freedom. I know how much my freedom cost when I speak with that same friend's wife, and am humbled by her courage, her determination, her warrior spirit. But mostly, I know the cost of my freedom when I hold my husband's hand and remember all the times I wanted to but couldn't and all the times ahead that I will feel the same.

I often think that if I had the choice I would live in ignorant bliss of the cost of Freedom. But then I stop myself because I know that deep down, I am proud to know the cost of my freedom. I am proud to be married to a man that keeps that freedom alive for me and all those who live in ignorant bliss of the cost. I am proud that my children, as young as they are, know enough to shush those around them when the National Anthem is played and stand with their dimpled little hands over their hearts, chests out and heads up. Knowing the cost of my freedom and knowing well the names and faces of the men and women who keep it for me makes me savor it a little more. So this 4th of July, if you aren't sure what you are celebrating or how to celebrate it, let me make a suggestion: celebrate the simple joys of freedom - having friends and family, a place to raise your children, a future to encourage them towards, and the privilege of believing in something and standing for it. And men and women who, like those first revolutionists, are willing to risk all so that you can enjoy these simple pleasures that so many others do not have.

The spirit that first bought us our Freedom in America is not dead, it lives in the men and women who risk without thought for themselves in the hopes that our freedom will continue and that others who have never had freedom will have the joy of savoring it for the first time.