Dear Friend,

Imagine for a moment that you're far away from your family and friends. You might know when you will be home again, but that date is so distant it's hard to imagine. You're cold and lonely and really miss the simple things -- like talking to your kids on the phone.

That's what it is like for troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

But you can make it possible for them to call home and hear the sound of their daughter's voice, or listen to their son's excited recap of a basketball game.

Our troops sacrifice so much for the rest of us. Today, you can show your appreciation in a very real way.

Donate $25 or more now to support Operation Phone Home and give troops the chance to make a call to their loved ones over the holidays.

https://www.uso.org/donate/custom.aspx?id=1709&

Operation Phone Home is a vital part of the USO's At Home In Our Hearts holiday campaign. With your help, we can distribute thousands of pre-paid telephone cards to service men and women stationed overseas.

We must get thousands of phone cards into the hands of these men and women. Can we count on you to embrace one of those troops right now?

Support Operation Phone Home by making a donation of $25 or more to help troops talk to their loved ones this holiday season.

Our partnership with AT&T makes it possible for us to buy phone cards at a deep discount. That means your contribution goes further and provides more talk time on each card we distribute.

Nothing can take the place of being home for the holidays, but when duty calls, our troops answer without hesitation.

Your contribution to this appeal will help to ensure that troops serving in lonely outposts over the holidays are At Home In Our Hearts.

https://www.uso.org/donate/custom.aspx?id=1709&

Sincerely,
Sloan Gibson
President and CEO, USO

What is it with 2009? After getting Carter out of the hospital for the holidays, Daddy ended up In the ER last night with a high temp and stomach issues. He has the flu. Because of Carter, we have to be especially over cautious in getting sick. We both received the H1N1 vaccine this week and ironically, he got sick:( I am just praying for a wonderful 2010 full of good health and happiness.

So here is my latest household discovery. Spray and Wash. Yes, the normal spray and wash we use for laundry. We have two dogs, a cat, a baby and carpet. The combination of all of these just screams carpet stains. I am always cleaning up something and after spending the week in the hospital with Carter, a lot of puppy stains appeared. Yesterday I was on a mission. I hate dirty floors so I whipped out the Resolve carpet cleaner, put on my stylish yellow rubber gloves and went to work. I wasn't having a lot of luck with the Resolve and some stains were just so identifiable that I had no idea how to get them up. Suddenly I had a flash back of a few months ago when a glass of red wine was spilt on our carpet. I was in a pinch and decided to try spray in wash in the absence of any carpet cleaner. Poof, wine stains gone! GONE!

So I tried this same strategy yesterday and it worked! The key is to saturate the stain and wash with warm water. Yes, the carpet is damp for a bit but the stains are gone. ALL OF THEM. This stuff takes up EVERYTHING!

On another note, I am walking again for Carter and the March of Dimes. The walk is in April and my goal is to raise $1000. The team is NNMF inspired as they took amazing care of Carter in the NICU and the doctors and nurses at National Naval Medical Center and Walter Reed inspire me and saved Carters life. Any donation is appreciated and if you can walk with me....even better! Carters first birthday is January 2, 2010. This walk is for him.

log onto : http://www.marchforbabies.org/Deannamlinz



Off to nurse Daddy and son.....my countdown to 2010 has begun!

I cannot believe the holidays are here. Time flies so quickly. My biggest pet peeve is the fact that it gets dark so early! I loved living in Germany where it was actually light at 10pm. Can anyone say Alaska:)

Carter was admitted to Walter Reed this week due to dehydration and flu like symptoms. He was unable to keep food down. They did a head ultrasound and then CT to realize his ventricles had enlarged and the fluid may be putting pressure on his brain. We had the conversation in regards to putting a shunt in. This scares the heck out of me as you could imagine. Many children and adults can thrive with a shunt but brain surgery was not exactly a level of comfort that can be found in most people. Certainly not in me...the Mom. I came home on Tuesday to shower and just sat in my closet and cried. I can't help but question what did I do to cause this? No matter what anyone says, the blame falls on the Mom. It is the way the in laws look at you or some doctors as they as, "Do they know why he was born so early?". Truth is, no one really knows without an obvious cause. I am young (sort of:))), healthy and our lifestyle is a healthy one minus the occasional over indulgence of peanut M&M's.

Carter came home today after a battle with a flu virus and we still will continue to follow him through Neuro, Gastro, Optha, Pulmo (all followed by ology) and Pediatrics.

Thank you from Carter, Andy & I for all of the prayers. It was a rough week but Carter seems to be back to his baseline and smiling at me a lot. He has the best smiles.....

I want to be on Ellen day 1 :)

Happy day before Thanksgiving! I can't help but to be so thankful for our son, our health, my family and friends. Also thank you to all who serve in our US Military Forces. Every year Andy and I try and give back but truly they give to us. I am and will always be a proud Army wife. Andy and I's Thanksgiving over the years have been in Germany where the Turkey didn't fit on the oven but we shared the half frozen one with great friends, in Paris and him in Iraq and the following year just getting back from Iraq. It is a very special time for us.

I have been packing for Thanksgiving with the in laws and so happy to report that after not drying my jeans after I washed them they still fit!!!! Yahoo....Ok, so this is just my arrival out. Thanksgiving is more formal, they wear dark wash in Meadville.:)))I actually packed 5 pair of black pants because lets face it, there are so many contributing factors as to how something may fit. Then I packed the back up dress, tights and boots in case nothing was to my liking. (and my husband wonders why we have three suitcases for 4 days plus two extras for shoes and toiletry's:))) Is it really so wrong to wear heels in snow? Florida girl.....


My main objective is to avoid anything I can actually enjoy tomorrow. So no sides, ugh.... Sides are the best. My Mom was a Georgia peach so we have always been traditional. Green bean salad, deviled eggs, turkey, stuffing (the normal kind) and some sort of potato. I personally do not understand why someone takes a perfectly good sweet potato and covers it in marshmallow's and coconut. On an average people gain 6 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years. What to do!!!! Maybe I will down a turkey leg while on the treadmill!

Still job hunting, life searching and feeling so blessed for my son. On Thanksgiving, this is what is most important.

So Happy Thanksgiving to all! Hug your family, friends and a stranger (but don't get arrested doing it:)

Much love from the Linz family~

Life is funny. There are ups and downs and so many days the downs seem to weigh heavy. I have taken the week to relax, take a break in my home state and reflect on the year. I cannot believe that Christmas is just around the corner. Wow, time flies. Carters birthday is January 2 and we will celebrate with great joy and no doubt a few tears. I cry at everything these days. Throw a good Charmin commercial my way and I am down for the count:)

I have been noticing an interesting trend. It is the debate on proper and when the sins of the past, or last weekend are redeemed. I say this because of the whole Carrie Prejaan debate and her poor choice of verbiage in her media tour. Whomever is her publicist needs to be fired. Seriously, she is doing more harm than good and it is hard to think of her as a victim with her attitude. Now I am FARRRRRRR from perfect. I have never sexted (who wants to see that and frankly I have a hard enough time covering things fully clothed. Naked...ahh...NO......)however; like everyone I have sinned. I guess it is the definition that always throws me. You have those who can quote the bible yet are hypocrites. You have those that are of a different religion or sexual preference who are the kindest people you have ever know yet we judge based on what is in a book and not what is in our soul.

Why can we not sit in judgement but in acceptance and love?

Clearly I need to back away from the yoga mat! Just feeling zen I guess:))

900 miles and I arrived in Florida. Many asked why I drove but lets face it, with Carter being on oxygen, most airlines don't welcome that in travel. Not to mention, I have 14 with me and a portable condenser....can you imagine the baggage charge?:)

It is great to be around family, friends and WARMTH! I think we skipped summer in Maryland as it went by so quickly.

Time with my Brother, Lois Lane and Benjamin always makes me smile. Lois Lane got her first haircut since her hair grew out from chemo and she looks stunning. We also managed to go through old photos and it was fun to see my various haircuts, ex-boyfriends and my parents whom I still miss daily. Who would have thought that I actually looked OK in the Demi Moore do! Hating my hair these days...what to do...what to do. When you get married your hair is no longer your own. Guys have opinions....very strong ones!!!!!

OK so this brings me to a debate/thought. My Brother is a VERY devote Southern Baptist. He teaches, preaches and is very knowledgeable in regards to his denomination. I appreciate his passion and open to conversation and debate. I am NOT Southern Baptist,I support Gay marriage and the belief that as long as you are convicted to your God, I have no right to judge as long as you respect and honor life and love. I see grey perhaps. I may not believe in everything about every religion but I can't help but think that who is to say we all don't stand in front of the same God. Our roads were just different in getting there. To me, God does not pass judgement or love us less because we make mistakes. We are human and we will make mistakes. It is what you take from those mistakes that is the lesson.

Now on to politics....I feel so Palinized :)))))

Is it really almost Christmas?

I swear I thought last Saturday was Halloween yet I must have been confused as my local shopping mart is already garnished in tinsel and lights. I have to admit though I do love the holiday season. Its more about the what if. It is a happy time although I will admit drowning in commercialism. There is an appeal about the twinkle of lights that beyond all redneck scenarios is one that I would invite all year long if I could get away with it.

This brings me to my latest obsession. Ok maybe not latest but shoes that claim to make you fit. I saw a commercial for reebok today promising what sketchers do. I guess if I walk on a ball everyday of my life I will become centered, balanced and fit. I can't help but think that this all reminds me of the time I stepped on a bee in Georgia. The center of my foot swelled up like Texas.

If I had only know that was the answer to all of my fitness goals. Find two bees to balance it out of course and be fit for life....

Eppy pin anyone?

Favorite quote of the day.....

When you make average GREAT, you can make your dreams a reality.

Thank you Oprah and Suzie Ormond

Knees and necks

Today, like many days was one filled with the pondering realization that hey...THIS IS MY LIFE! Here it is, the reality. We had family photos on Saturday. It was Halloween and yet STILL we had not carved the pumpkin but the family all had new costumes. Halo, a mermaid, Jack was Tina Turner, Josie a Jester and Carter..the cutest Monkey you have ever seen. Andy and I just survived as I ate far to many Reese's cups and found myself giving away candy by the bagful to avoid the existence of any morsel in our house.

Fast forward to Tuesday. Pumpkin still not carved( I see a pumpkin pie in our future) and I noticed a few new rings around certain parts of my body. Rings you ask...yes. Rings. See in my effort to look TAN I painted my neck on Halloween. I guess in all of my speedy shower endeavors I wasn't scrubbing the neck area as I should. I was horrified as I thought I would be sporting scarfs for the rest of my life but after some exfoliation of the dried baby formula mixed with body paint was gone, there were no rings ...thank goodness!I hope to never be the women/Shitzu that when we get older our hair just gets bigger and we resemble our pets.

This brings me to one other concern. What is up with the knees?

Aren't we all damaged goods?


I have spent my life wondering, hoping and dreaming. My Dad always said if you give up your dreams you die. Amongst all of the childhood dreams and adult hopes I can't help but wonder, aren't we all damaged goods? We strive and dream but how do you make that a reality in an engine that is already set for premium gas?

I am a singer, not the best, not the worst....a writer (see the aforementioned), a Mother, wife. sister and daughter even though they are no longer with us. I have heard...too fat, too skinny, too pale, fix your smile, you must be sad, you fought with your husband, omg....and the list goes on. But in retrospect, aren't we all damaged goods?

We start out life with a clean slate and some like my son have fought daily. However, once life greets you, you just seem to take what others say as a testament as to who you are. Why do we do this?

We give that right to people that we don't know, strangers when in fact that right is OURS and only OURS. No one defines you. You define you and that definition will never be found in websters.

Why, because we are ALL one of a kind. Your God/my God blessed us with that quality.

You have 5 seconds from success and 5 from failure. The choice is always yours.



PS- on a side note, another employee from my ex company was let go but this time via phone call. Altleast I know it wasn't just me or "pageantry".

So we found them, Carters glasses. He actually picked them out himself as when I was trying frames on him he had no problem telling me what he liked and didn't like. Ok so he got his lungs from me:)))) Minus the obvious tags, his Mini Pearl look, these are the winners. They should be in soon and he world will continue to expand. What a blessing. (His ROP surgery went well so he can see; however, he is still nearsighted.)

Onto my fright of the day. What the heck, a plane over shot landing by 150 miles because EVERYONE in the cockpit was using their personal computer???????What???? Are you kidding? If you cannot text while driving, what makes them think that being on your personal computer for 80 MINUTES while FLYING is acceptable???? I question what they were looking at that was so distracting....hum.....

As I sit here in the dim light writing this, I am left to wonder about the world we live in. It saddens and frightens me about continued deployments to Afghanistan and the reasoning behind it. Andy has deployed 5 times with two being to Iraq and yet it may still continue. Deployment is so hard on families. Pre-deployment involves training which is also time away. Andy was gone a few months back for training and whether it is to the next state or another country, gone is gone...especially if you have children. I am so proud of those who serve and have served and yet I feel remorse for the lack of awareness that is out there for the military and their families.

Andy was in Dover not just the one day but went back the next as well. Three more lives lost and returned back stateside yet nothing is shown on the news. Sure we hear about the helicopters crashing and 14 being killed but they are owed the honor of using their names, recognizing their families and the heroism of each one of them. I know the media is not allowed to cover the return of the remains but if they did, reality might hit as to a world that exist outside the vision that the government wants us to see.