There's No Address In The Stars

"I stumbled across your old picture today

I could barely breathe

The moment stopped me cold

Grabbed me like a thief"

You would have been 25 years old today, just a few days older then me. I found this in my photos today and it both made me want to smile and cry at the same time. This one is old, circa 2007.

Looking back now, we would have never imagined that life would turn out this way. I wanted to go see you Wednesday, but other plans got in the way. I'll see you on my Christmas trip. I know you're watching over us all, and your family is always in my thoughts.

I miss you so much brother. It never gets easier. 

For all my fellow dreamers out there: hug your family extra tight today, give them extra love and enjoy the little things. You never know when they won't be there tomorrow. This is one amazing soul that was gone much too soon, but he died doing what he loved most, flying in a helicopter and fighting for his beloved country.

Song: "Address In The Stars" Caitlin and Will

Another year gone

Hello dear friends.

I know we have this conversation twice year for the last 3 years.... and I feel like it's inevitable, but I can't help it.

I want to honor him.

Last Christmas my mother took me to visit his grave again.
It was so pretty, the outpouring of love hasn't ceased, and I felt the need to take my camera.
Something in me needed to take the pictures
For his mother Kim
and for myself.
So I did.

"Its the guts and its the glory, a hundred stripes a hundred stories
It's the pledge of Allegiance on the 4th of July
Its the handwritten letters from home,
its the sleepless nights alone
It's his newborn baby he left with his wife."

"Mr Red White and Blue
Lay down his life
Mr Red White and Blue
For these Stars and Stripes"

"From the fields of Indiana
to the swamps of Louisiana
To the golden coast of Californ'
Uncle Sam's the only family he's got
His purple heartbeat wont stop
and his 18th birthday was the day he was born"

"Mr Red White and Blue
Lay down his life
Mr Red White and Blue
For these Stars and Stripes

Mr Red White and Blue

Pay the ultimate price"

Those are partial lyrics of a song called "Mr. Red, White and Blue" by Coffey Anderson.

Zack was the youngest of four boys, one of many in his family to serve his country. He was always cheerful guy and that cheer would spread from him when he was around. He was always cracking jokes and just fun to be around. We met in NJROTC our Freshman year and spent the rest of our time at high school doing Drill Team and other related activities. He was a good kid. I was happy to know him.

After we graduated, Zack and I, like many of our friends, had enlisted in the US Military. We all went  our separate ways, and I hadn't really kept in contact with Zack. I knew he was in Afghanistan and we started talking again, he went about a year after I did. The news hit me like a ton of bricks the day I found out that he passed away.

When I woke up this morning, Zack's mother had shared a video that his company had made and I made the mistake of watching it right after I woke up. If you watch this vide --> Bravo 4/3 Deployment <-- At 7:13 on the time line, he's the door gunner prepping his gun before they take off. The rest of the video shortly after that was a tribute to Zack and the other four service members that lost their lives in that crash. It's a great video.... I just needed some tissues.

I miss my friend. Every day. He was so young when he died, but the massive outpouring of love from our little town was and still is amazing. They renamed the VFW after him, of which my mother is now a member. There were signs out for him, and the day they brought his body home they drove through the little town, past the high school, where a lot of people were outside. There were firetrucks with flags, the NJROTC cadets that knew him, saluted him while wearing their uniforms, the pictures were beautiful. They then took him to the local cemetery and laid him to rest. The pictures above show just a little bit of the love that we all have for him.

Rest in peace Zack. You are loved and missed, but never forgotten.
SPC Zachary L. Shannon
28 October 1991 - 11 March 2013

"I Love" Sundays v.53

** Amy got out of work early on Monday to deal with house stuff since we both left for our parents houses the next day. We closed all the windows, cleaned out the fridge, did last minute laundry, and made sure everything was packed and ready to go. Monday night we watched Sister Act II

** Tuesday was a bit of a hum dinger for me. The good news is I made it home safely and at a reasonable time. The bad news: the rental car company my mom used to get me a car, screwed me over. I almost didn't get a rental car to go home (couldn't fly because I had the dog). Luckily my usual company (although the branch on post) saved me and I got a rental car for $273 for the whole week I'm gone!

** We had a Christmas party at my parents house on Wednesday so I could see some of my old friends. I think this is becoming a tradition at my house (at least I hope so) because it's the second year in a row. I'm pretty sure my mother even suggested it this year. Some friends came over that I haven't seen since I graduated high school and we had an absolute blast!

** USAA saved my butt by the way. The short of it all is that someone got ahold of my card information from a gas station pump and stole money from me. USAA alerted me right away and closed my account until I could pull cash out the next day. Once I pulled cash they closed my card for good and immediately expedited me a new card that would arrive to my NC address the same day I did. The good part of this story - they acted immediately when they noticed something weird with my account. Walmart has a way to override USAA's security measures, which is how the people got the money out, but they gave me back the money taken from me.

** I got to hang out with my "second family" - the Buss family. That is my best friend's family! I always make time to see them when I go home, its as much of a mandatory thing as seeing my actual family. I got to sit and chat for a while, which was spectacular! I've really missed this.

** Mom and I spent a couple of evenings crafting. I worked to get caught up on my Dec. Daily ((still behind on videos))  and she did some stamping. 

** Christmas came and went at our house. It was easy because it was just our little family of 4 (and 3 dogs). We all got presents we absolutely loved! My brother and I even sword fought with his two foam Minecraft swords for laughs. My parents got me a gift card for photography equipment, which I am beyond stoked about.

** I started working on my roommate's Christmas present, her first handmade MJdori! It was kind of fun to make one from start to finish. My mom had to help me cut the leather down, but then I rounded the corners, put the holes in the spine, added the grommets, and then finished off with adding the elastic strings to hold it closed!

** On Saturday we signed Mom up to be part of the Women's Auxiliary at the local VFW, under me. The special part is this VFW is named for my dearest friend Zack. I've talked about him before. The guys there were super nice and they thought it was awesome that we actually knew Zack (I don't think any of them actually knew him before he passed away). Glad that my mom is signed up and apart of something great!

.: Little Loves :.

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What are you loving from this week?