Thank you Uncle Todd, Slacking, 32nd Brigade and Expressions

All it takes is someone to call me out!
So good job you guys, (this time Uncle Todd) for keeping me in check and making me stick to my New Years Resolution.

I want to post some of the photos that I took from our fun weekend in the Dells....and I will this weekend at some point. I have to work tomorrow so I need to turn it in for the night soon.

So I will enlighten you with a few thoughts and a few photos, because isn't that really what each post is anyway....

1) I am SLACKING on the marathon training. You have no idea! Okay...so I was super super sick for like a week and half....and I literally worked for about 3 weeks straight....but STILL. I don't know what it's going to take! But dang. I need to get cracking people! I am getting SO excited for my trip to St. Louis with Shanna.....we just got our train booked and we're now looking for hotels and SPAS! Oh yeah...and we are running a half marathon too. Another state to add to my list!

2) I want to share with you this link to the ceremony I played for a couple of weeks ago. If you hear music in this clip, that is our unit playing! In my 13 plus years of being in the military; this was a career highlight for me. Maybe one of the most high profile and emotional gigs I'll ever do. This was the largest single deployment of troops since WW2, 3200 men and women that make up the 32nd Infantry Brigade.

3200 sets of ACUs, patrol caps, and combat books; rank and file...and us....all the way up in front on stage to play. Behind the scenes, just outside the Green Room I shook Governor Jim Doyle's hand, and the hand of the Brigadier General. When we were doing our sound check...I was like DANG that is a lot of chairs. But it is hard to describe what it felt like to walk out on stage and see ALL of those soldiers sitting in front of us. My favorite moment was when they brought in the colors....and the SOUND the audible NOISE that 3200 hands made when saluting our nations flag. It was POWERFUL.

The families looked tired. Supportive, but hesitant as all of the Senators and Congress People sent well wishes, and promises of quick returns...etc. During some of the speeches ALL I could hear were the babies crying in the crowd. And all I could think about was who do those babies belong to? Mothers, Fathers, Aunts, Uncles, Brothers or Sisters all of whom are about to deploy to Iraq? I pulled this photo off of the Intranet. Doesn't even do it justice....but it gives you an idea.

3) One of the main reasons for us dropping some serious coin on a new camera was to keep up with our main photo subject Finnegan. I was getting so frustrated at all of the little looks, and nuances that were starting to develop as part of his personality and sense of humor that I was missing because my camera just wasn't quick enough. But this new camera does the trick!! I just love it.

More to come, I RESOLVE!