FAMILY REUNION!

Dear Gabe,

Great news, Kayle has agreed to bring Zachary out for a visit in May when you come home on mid-tour!  Yahoo!  I am so excited I can't sit still!  I don't know how I'm going to make it until then, you know how impatient I am.

By the way, your son is fine.  He just had a touch of the stomach flu.  I guess it went through the whole house over there.  We've got our own little epidemic here, Big Zack missed two days of work and Rocky is now home from school for the second day in a row with a fever, sore throat and body aches.

Dad got a call from the personnel office in response to his application for the Range Control job.  All he needs to do is pass a physical and the job is his.  Needless to say he is very VERY excited.  He has wanted a job there for so long.  Besides, the stress at his current job is turning him into an old man before his time.  Now he'll be able to get out in the area he loves so much and knows so well.

Your buddy opened his eye the other day and was even breathing on his own for a couple of hours.  His fever went down, another great sign.  I don't think he wants to miss the Seahawks winning the Super Bowl, and they WILL win you know, if for no other reason then for him. 

We received a brochure in the mail the other day from the Army National Guard.  I assumed it was for Zachary but I was wrong.  It was for Art.  For a second I was angry, I mean REALLY angry.  He's only 16!  16 is too young to understand what a commitment to the military entails.  16 is too young to even begin to think about that kind of future.  But again, I was wrong.  Your baby brother wants to join just a badly as you did, and your dad and grandfathers did.  And he will join when the time comes and I will be just as proud of him as I am of you and your other brother who has chosen a different path.  I just pray for a swift end to this madness so that no more lives are put in harms way.  Take care of the mission son, and come home safe.

Miss you, love you always,

Mom