WooWee, look at all my lurkers coming out

and I'm happy that so many have decided to show themselves and say hi, I can not wait to go visit everyone this morning. I'll bring some cake too *snicker*

What a night....you know when you think about military soldiers being in danger, you immediately imagine Iraq, Afghanistan and frontlines. The truth of the matter is that even the ones back home going about their normal day, are constantly in danger too. I'm talking about the Crew Chiefs, the guys who put those amazing jets up in the air, the guys who work 12 and 13 hour shifts without a lunch break or with a quick lunch break which includes scarfing down a sandwich with greasy dirty hands. I want to talk about those guys today!

Do you ever stop to think about how dangerous their job is? Because I do, every single day and every single minute that my husband is at work. It's not like working on a car, which I'm sure has it's own risks too, but working near an F-16 or F-15 or any other kind of jet is dangerous with a capital "D".

Do you know that when the jet is running, if they take just one little step near the intake, they will be sucked in?
Do you know that there are panels that when removed are extremely heave and if dropped on a foot, can break it?
Do you know that if you brush up against the side of a missile you will get a huge gash?
Do you know that when they are removing an engine they have to be sure that it is all clear and no one is in there or someone will get their head literally squashed?

From all those above, I can tell you that Curt has had to walk with crutches because of a panel that fell on his foot and even while wearing steel toe boots, it fractured it. I can also tell you that while deployed to the desert, he accidentally brushed up against the side of a missile and it cut right into his side....and I can also tell you that while stationed at Mountain Home AFB....while removing an engine from one of the F-16's, my husband had his head stuck in there and the guys pulled the engine without him giving them the ok.

I got a call at home from his supervisor telling me that he was at the hospital and his head got crushed. OH.MY.WORD! Those are not the things you want to hear, I had all these horrible visions in my mind, I mean how can someone get their head crushed and survive.

What happened is that Curt says the minute they started pulling the engine, the space where his head was got tighter and smaller and it start crushing from the top and bottom, he says he actually heard his teeth cracking and the two screws on the bottom ripping into his chin but THANK GOD, at the last minute, with the pressure, his head snapped to the side and he fell to the ground. He survived, with two holes in his chin and a huge headache, but look at how much worse it could have been?

The reason I'm telling you all this is so that you may have a better understanding of how dangerous it is for our soldiers, whether they're deployed or at home.

Another reason is because last night, I was woken up at 4:30 am by Curt walking into the bedroom shaking and pulling me from bed into a really tight hug. I couldn't understand what had happened, but apparently, he was running a jet which means they sit in the cockpit and literally turn it on etc. The jet caught on fire and while everyone rushed to get a ladder for him to get out of the cockpit, he didn't wait, he just jumped off and ran to get the fire extinguisher, by the time the fire department got there he had put out the huge fire. If he hadn't gotten off when he did.....well, we're not even going to think about that.

But the experience shook him up, he said he couldn't stop shaking for about two hours after the incident. His life literally flashed before his eyes and he realized again, just how close he had come. So when the words "You could have been a widow tonight" came out of his mouth, all I could do was hug him tight and thank the Lord for once again looking after my husband.

It's a fact, all military spouses think about never having the doorbell ring and opening it up to a Chaplain on the other side. You can't help but think about it, it's just a way of life, and every single day that you have together is a blessing.

So I want you to thank all the soldiers you know, even the ones at home, no matter what their job is. Thank them for everything they do because the military is kinda like the borg if you think about it LOL One mind with thousands of bodies, everything works together, it's all for the same purpose, they can't manage without the other. So thank them and let them know they are appreciated, you have no idea how much it means to them to hear those words. A lot of the guys back home hate the fact that they can't be on the frontlines fighting with the others, but I think it's important for them to know that what they're doing here is just as poignant and that we do appreciate them.

Every morning I wake up and say a prayer before my day starts, because I know that I have absolutely no control over what may happen, but when I pray, I feel that whatever MAY come my way, will be easier having God at my side, and I also know that He will be watching out for all of us and ensuring we have a safe day.

I got up early one morning and rushed into the day;
I had so much to accomplish that I didn't have time to pray.

Problems just tumbled about me, and heavier came each task.
"Why doesn't God help me?" I wondered. He answered "You didn't ask."

I wanted to see joy and beauty, but the day toiled on, gray and bleak;
I wondered why God didn't show me. He said, "But you didn't seek."

I tried to come into God's presense; I used all my keys at the lock.
God gently and lovingly chided, "My child, you didn't knock."

I woke up early this morning, and paused before entering the day;
I had so much to accomplish that I had to take time to pray.

----Author Unknown