A Veterans Day to Remember...

"It was just a little white table... but I looked at it all dinner long, and in the quiet inside me I could almost hear the silent soldiers of the empty chair saying: Remember us please... We are real people who left families and friends, homes and dreams of our own to protect your birthright of liberty from disappearing...

In the salt on the little white table...

I traced in the grains of their families tears-

what each man and woman

who serves America is to me a... HERO!"

Have you ever heard of the children's picture book America's White Table? I had not, until McKenna came home from school Monday afternoon and told me the librarian had read it to her class. It really made an impression, in fact it brought tears to her eyes. I eagerly listened as she retold the story, remembering the first time [click here] I had ever wittnessed "The Ceremony Of The Missing Man". McKenna shared in detail what every item on the table symbolized...
The table is round -- to show our everlasting concern for our missing soldiers.The tablecloth is white -- symbolizing the purity of their motives when answering the call to duty. The single red rose, displayed in a vase, reminds us of the life of each of the missing, and the[ir] loved ones and friends of these Americans who keep the faith, awaiting answers. The vase is tied with a red or yellow ribbon, symbol of our continued anticipation of their return. A slice of lemon to remind us of the bitter fate of those captured and missing in a foreign land. A pinch of salt symbolizes the tears endured by those missing and their families who seek answers. The glass is inverted -- to symbolize the meal that won't be eaten. The chair is empty -- they are missing. A black napkin for the sorrow of captivity. A white candle for peace. We decided to create our own table on Veterans Day, checked out the book from the library, gathered all the items around the house, only had to buy a lemon and the rose. It was just a little white table, carefully set up in our condo by McKenna, but it brought tears to my eyes and my heart swelled with pride as I sat and listened to my little girl read the story, America's White Table to her Grandparents on this Veterans Day. I think we will make it a tradition, it was a wonderful way to pay tribute in a perfectly simple way the children could completely understand.

We spent three days up at our condo. Wednesday night all the grandparents joined us for dinner and Thursday morning Mom Hyer treated us to a delicious southern breakfast. We came down for school on Thursday, while Kent and Monson stayed up at the condo and had a Toy Story Marathon, relaxing and watching all Three. Friday everyone played hookie! We enjoyed playing games, racket ball, long walks, movies, hot tubing and just getting away and being together as a family.

We also paid tribute to each of the grandparents, giving each one a rose and expressing our gratitude for all that they do for us.

Poor Monson fell and got a bloody nose. Trying to find out if anything else was hurt, through all his tears he answered "I broke my heart".

Do you see that little black dot on the side of the road? McKay had fun chasing his bouncy ball down the road. The kids loved rolling down the hills on the golf course, exploring in the trees and watching for deer.