I'm 27!!!

Thank you for all of your support that so so many are showing to my brother and I!! Thank you! My brother will probably start putting posts up here again soon....I can't say when or why, I guess...maybe it's because he'll be back in Afghcrapistan soon....yeah that's it.

OK!! SO O MY GOODNESS!!! I'M 27!!! .....TODAY!! Yes, it's my birthday. And what a wonderful day it wasn't. Nah... it wasn't too bad. My day started at 0430 this morning. I went to the M16 range and was the medic for the group shooting. No one got hurt thank goodness. At least I got to start my day with some shooting and being in the cold....That's EXACLYT what I wanted to be doing this morning...seriously! BUT I wanted to be freezing my tail off in the mountains of WV shooting at deer.... I called my Dad at 0500 his time this morning and wished everyone a good hunt and a safe time. If you remember back to when I wrote on here about making the decision to go home and see my brother, or go deer hunting....yeah...this week is the hunting season...I could be there right about now. And I want nothing more than to be there. But this isn't the first year that I've to hear the stories about hunting season without being a part of them. Deer season is the best week of the year for me. No one, nothing, keeps me from going hunting the week of Thanksgiving...EXCEPT the Army. I've almost lost my job over this week of the year...more than once. I've missed high school exams, college exams, "mandatory" days at work, and I flew home from Germany to hunt. This is truly the one week of the year that everything comes second. Unfortunately, my mom has to suffer most years. Hopefully if we can get a deer early enough in the week we make it back to have Thanksgiving dinner with mom. But some years we haven't been able to do that. Just like this year, my mom has the potential to spend Thanksgiving alone. BUT we usually make up the big dinner and have it a day or two late. USUALLY the family time and the family dinner still happens, but I feel bad for my mom some years because she's home alone....I love you momma! You see, I could go on and on about the memories of WV and the wonderful years of hunting and family experiences I've had there that will never ever leave my memory. My memory doesn't remember a "lot" of things, but the things it does remember, you'll never take those from me. The personalities, the people, and the love that make up most of the hunting experience is like that of none other. I have the best great-uncles that anyone could ever ask for. It really bothers me to think about the day they don't show up for hunting season. Richard and his stories, JR Lee and his wisdom, Dee for just the comedy of when he'll show up and have to leave, Mina and her hugs and fried apples, Daniel....oh Daniel....best second cousin I could ever ask for, Melissa....the tomboy that's right there with us having a great time too....brother John with his endless ability to get a deer, and last but not least, my Daddy. The father/son experience of a life time...again and again each year. I am truly blessed. There are other people I didn't mention, not because I can't remember who they are but because they haven't played such a role in my undying passion and love for WV.

OK....so before i get completely depressed because I'm not there I'm going to move on.... we had a little birthday party tonight for me. It was nice. We grilled out again and i had yet another GReAT steak. Tonight a Ribeye was the choice of meats....we also had some ribs, burgers and a few hotdogs. SSG Thomas and I did a pretty good job at cooking all the meats again...as always. The cookouts are really the best food we get, so we try pretty hard to make them good.

27 years old...As I look back on the last 12 months....I think to myself...WOW. I can't believe another year has come and gone. I try to think about what happened between my last birthday and this one....well, I guess that's pretty easy considering that I've been gone from home with the Army since Jan 3rd....OK, so what happened in those other 45 days?? I remember.... Unfortunately, I hurt a few people and left a few others with unanswered questions. I go my house a little bit more in order....which has been another completely difficult situation in it's self... There's been a lot of things that have happened in the last year. I guess people don't realize how complicated their lives are unless they sit back and look and really really think about it. My life isn't easy, cozy, and simplistic to say the least. You would think I try to make things as hard as possible on myself...I really don't though....it just turns out that way....somehow. Well, I guess all of those things are the personal things i don't like to get into on here....but it's still got me thinking. It makes me think about the crappy things I did, how I haven't lived like I should, and how I need to change a few things in my life...it makes me want next year to a better year so a year from now i can look back and say....that was a good year. Now, over all, last year was a good year. It had it's down points, but it wasn't too too bad. Anyway.... well, I guess today starts the "new year" for me. Hopefully all will go well and God will take me through the next 12 months with just as many blessings as he has given me the last 12 months. Hopefully he'll look down and smile upon me and I'll see exactly what he wants.

I almost forgot about something...I signed up for a bi-weekly email from a devotional website. One that I got the other day was really great. It's short, but the meaning is pretty awesome! I'll share these simple words with you and hopefully someone will feel a little better than they did 5 minutes ago.

http://www.marketplaceleaders.org/pages.asp?pageid=7898

Till next time, I love you all!! And good luck hunting!!!

Somewhere in Iraq,

sgt wormy

6452