Veteran's Day/National Donor Sabbath

Hello again everyone. It's Christy hijacking my dad's blog. Talking with my dad this afternoon, there were a few things we wanted to share on the blog for the upcoming weekend. He did tell me to "not make it long" (sounds like my brother), so hopefully I can do that and cover everything.

First, I wanted to share a video with you that my brother made for an organization called "Honor Flight", that honors veterans. The video will be shown at an Honor Flight reunion my brother is producing this weekend with hundreds of vets and others in attendance. If you'd like to find out more information about the organization please go to honorflight.org. I wanted to share this video because one of the military members featured in it is one I have asked for prayers for his family, Captain Nicholas "Rev" Giglio. This was the pilot in our squadron in SC who died in a mid-air collision on October 15, 2009. Please continue to pray for his wife and children.

Another pilot recognized in this video was also in the F-16 community and the anniversary of his crash in Iraq on Nov 27, 2006 is coming up. So I ask that you please pray for his family as well.

With Veteran's Day coming up on Thursday and as my dad has mentioned, my husband, Eric deploying within the next month, I ask that you please take the time to say "thanks" to a veteran. They have various reasons for serving, but I can say that nothing makes me more proud than to see my husband in his uniform. Saying goodbye for his third (and longest to date) deployment will be tough, but it's knowing that he and other military members are appreciated is what makes my "job" bearable. It's videos like the one my brother made posted below that makes me incredibly proud to be a military spouse. Please remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice, those who continue to fight even though they don't know when they may be chosen to make that sacrifice as well and those who have sacrificed time with their loved ones but are here to tell about their experiences.

Before watching, you will want to click "pause" on the music playlist attached to the blog to the right as well.

Also this weekend, November 12-14, 2010 is National Donor Sabbath. This is an annual time set aside to recognize organ donors and their families and to raise awareness of the dire need for organ donors. I'm not sure if my dad planned it this way or not, but he will be completing his half marathon on this Sunday, rounding out the National Donor Sabbath weekend. In the half marathon, he will be wearing a shirt showing he is an organ donor recipient. We can only hope that this helps to continue to raise an awareness for the need for organ donors. Without Timothy's family making the decision to donate his organs, my dad's story may have had a different outcome.