If you have not taken time to stop by Jon's Blog lately, you will be in for a great surprise!!! Go there and check out the neat artwork.. Phil has changed his as well...
Heather has new content in hers.. too... cool...
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Friday, December 08, 2006
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
From daughter Tammy comes this ditty... enjoy.. and salute!
A Different Christmas Poem
The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,'
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night." "It's my duty to stand
at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red , white , and blue ... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we b led.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."
PLEASE, Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many
people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit
is due to our U.S.service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.
LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum, Iraq
The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,'
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night." "It's my duty to stand
at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red , white , and blue ... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we b led.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."
PLEASE, Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many
people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit
is due to our U.S.service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.
LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum, Iraq
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Monday, December 04, 2006
Welcome - Stan and Ann's Ramblings
Some food for thought... the race for family news tightens... haha.. using a newspaper headline.. hehe.. but anyway.. it is WONDERFUL to take a trip over to Phil's Blog and see he is back with all his great photography and news. Welcome back, Phil!!! We ALL missed ya!!
Saturday, December 02, 2006
I opened up one of my computers this am and this photo jumped out at me. It is a photo taken on June 5, 2005 at 5:45am in the sw corner of the quarter we live on. I was walking 8 miles a day back then and this was the two mile mark. I am still blown away by how beautiful each and every sunrise is, and how unique. It seems as God finds a way to show me the beauty in all His creation, even what some consider ugly. In Kansas, if you have this species of Thistle growing, you will be fined and a court order will be issued for you to clean it up within 30 days! Yet, if that were the law in OK, I could not have taken this photo! This is at the end of what used to be a southwest to northeast runway on our farm when the Stillwater Municpal Airport was forced to move to our farm during WWII for a few years while the Navy took over the airport where it is now. They used it to fly all their aircraft off their ships to when in port, so someone could not blow up the ship and aircrafts as well. I wonder if this plant is the offspring of ones who stood here during that time and watched the planes take off. They would have flown right over Marilyn's home taking off and landing using this flight path. Ok.. enough history... haha.. enjoy the day and stay warm!
Stan Moffat
Friday, December 01, 2006
Farrahday Jewel Tackett - October 26, 2006
Here are some pictures of Darcy and Rocky Tackett's new baby girl, Farrahday Jewel Tackett.
She was born on October 26 and weighed 9 lbs 13 oz. She was 20.5 inches long.
Mother and Baby are doing fine.
Darcy is the daughter of Donnie and Joyce Wilson, and Donnie is the son of Clinton and Joanna (Moffat) Wilson of Norman. Joanna is the daughter of John and Clara Moffat, and John was the brother of my father, Oscar. Joanna writes in a note "This makes 6 grandchildren for Donnie and Joyce. We now have 6 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren." Now Joanna, you and Clinton are much too young for that many... are you sure??? haha...
Congrats to Darcy and Rocky - Donnie and Joyce for now having 6 grand children as well, and to Joanna and Clinton for now 6 and 6!
Ann and I are now at 5. We are excited about that. Now if we can just get some more on the way... !
A very proud Daddy takes a first photo of his newborn son...
Today is D Day for Jonathan, Randi and Kaitlyn. They are heading home with their new family member Dylan Scott Moffat to Roff. I don't know if I blogged about that birth or not.. haha.. yeah right!!! We just got the call and they are heading home today... they had rain all night the night Dylan was born and then... it snowed all day yesterday, his second day on this earth, and today... well, we will just have to wait and see what mother nature does to celebrate.. haha..Enjoy the day... and Dylan, even though we are not there, please know that Grandma and I love you deeply! Kaitlyn, you will have to look out for Mom and Dad, they will need your help with brother... and I bet the farm you can and will do that!!
My best to you all...
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