My son turns 21 ~ A view from Iraq

Kyle has been in the middle east now for 2 1/2 months.
He turned 21 yesterday! I miss him alot.
Communication is surely different today!
He has his cell phone and computer.
Skype makes it realtime. He called this AM and I missed it.


Happy Birthday, Kyle!

Romance is alive!

Stumble It!

The Question

He Did It..... He Popped THE Question!

Kim and Kyle met back this spring during military training.
He went one way and she another...... but my phone bill told the story!
They talked and talked and talked some more.

Last month Kim was stationed near us and was able to spend some quality time with Kyle.
On Thanksgiving Day, while playing a game of Apples to Apples, he set up a dummy card with the phrase "Kim, will you marry me?" He arranged for her to have to read it! You see the result above. There was screaming and crying and laughing. The ring was presented and she accepted.

Now the question is " March or upon Kyle's return from Iraq?" Kyle is due to ship out in late March. Kim will remain here near our home during this time.

I am excited and sad. I am happy and devastated. My baby is growing up. He is a soldier and young man and soon to be husband. I wish them the best. A long happy life and many children!

I love you Kyle! My new daughter to be, Kim, I love you too!

Stumble It!

hable espanol?

....my son, the world traveler!

Up Up in the sky......



He's at home on a Caribbean beach or on the highest peaks.

Learning histories of ancient peoples.
(This is an actual Mayan Ruin...I'm impressed, but I'm Mom!)

Local frogs (in his hotel) and plant life (he called it ~ decomposer?)

Hanging out with his friends!

His UF group.


My son, Brian, one happy boy! I love you, son!

Words from Mexico

My son, Brian, who is in grad school at the University of Florida, took off for Mexico the 22nd of June. Well, FINALLY, some communication from him. He posted this entry on his my space blog. I thought I would share it with you! (picture of said son and his nieces, my grandbabies!)

[08 Jul 2008 Tuesday]

4:01
PM - Merida, Mexico Current mood: accomplished
Hello, my friends and
family! Buenos dias! I am completely enjoying myself in the Yucatan, at my home
in Merida. Mama Margarita takes care of me, always ensuring I have had enough
grains and vegetables to eat, and enough sodium to help keep me hydrated.
Mondays, Tuesdays and Wedsdays are school days...Ecology/Anthropology and
Spanish. Classes are going well. The weekends are for excursions, and they (two
so far) have been wonderful. Before a single day in the classroom we all set out
for the carribean coast, visiting the Mayan ruins of Ek Balam, Tulum and Coba.
They were beautiful and reverent. The sights have been breathtaking, and the
work involved in climbing to the top of some of them has been well worth the
effort. The heat and humidity here is insane, though! It's a lot of work to stay
healthy and protected from the sun. This past weeked we went along the Puuc
Route, visiting more ruins, some cenotes and caves, and generally having some
other wonderful experiences. One of the sweetest parts of the trip so far has
been all the maverick women we've met. From women initiating community building
projects (a school for the young and a recycled paper operation to support it)
against the tradition of the region to a woman who divorced her husband and is
spearheading an effort to teach women to keep successful kitchen gardens and
keep bees. We also visited a regional school for ecological agriculture, and
toured the facility - which is almost completely self-sufficient. We've packed a
lot in so far, and I'm excited for more! Pictures (spectacular) coming
soon?