# 5 from the youngest

Tonight was a going away party hosted by my son and daughter-in-law to honor and send off our youngest daughter to Afghanistan. It was a bitter / sweet time with lots of family and friends. We talked, we laughed, we hugged, we sat by the fire and just simply enjoyed the company of one another and the conversations. The evening was all about relationships ... and spending time with those we all love.

As I returned home and got ready for bed, I laid my head on my pillow and as I prayed the tears began to fall wet on the pillowcase.

I was feeling very alone in all of this "being a military mom" and sending my youngest, my littlest, off to war not really understanding why there has to be this battle. It's a new season for me. It's a new role, wife, mother, grandmother and now military mom.

But as I cried I felt  a settling of my soul Into His Arms once again.

So grateful I am not in this alone by I have this friend in Jesus who hears my heart and knows my what's on my mind and continues to mold, shape, and refine me into who He desires me to be.

The letters from boot camp will be a reminder of just who this women is as she writes home from the past, present, and future.

July 10, 2007

Mom,

Thank you for the letter. I cried a lot, but it's OK. I am happy that Adam is doing well and that he got a bike. Are you guys still using his car then? Anyway I'm happy CM is going well for you too. It's awesome that your are excelling at it. Well I'm on my 5th day now. It will start to pick up after this week hopefully. I cry every night cause I thing about home and how much I want to be there. I've had a lot of dreams too about being home which doesn't make it any easier. My graduation date is November 15th. If I don't get into the excelled program. I hope most of you can make it. Will you send me Lisa's address and also Kelley and Josh's? I don't have either of them. So how is dad? Tell him he's gonna have to write me a letter sometime. How's the transformation going at church too? I'm sad I'm missing that to. I went to the Baptist service on Sunday. It was good. Get this though .... there's a guy that's in my platoon that I know! We met 4 summers ago at Camp Nathaniel when I was a cook and he was a rookie! he wants to be a missionary in South Africa so I told him about you trips. He thought it was awesome. Well I'm gonna go for not, but write soon. It really helps hearing from you. I miss you and love you ... much more than you know!

Love, Ash
ps It's a PFC on the front mom not PSC ... :-)