Thursday, December 18, 2008

The ever-growing Arkansas family has added a holiday bundle-of-joy to their brood.

That's right folks, Michelle Duggar, has given birth to her 18th child.

The Arkansas supermom delivered the baby girl by Caesarean section Thursday at Mercy Medical Center in Rogers. The baby, named Jordyn-Grace Makiya Duggar, weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces and was 20 inches long.

"The ultimate Christmas gift from God," said Jim Bob Duggar, the father of the 18 children. "She's just absolutely beautiful, like her mom and her sisters."

The Duggars now have 10 sons and eight daughters.

Jim Bob Duggar said Michelle started having contractions Wednesday night. She needed the C-section, her third, because the baby was lying sideways. Jim Bob said both baby and mother were doing well Thursday night.

"We both would love to have more," he said. Jim Bob Duggar is 43, a year older than his wife. Their oldest child, Joshua, is 20.

The cable network TLC broadcasts a weekly show about the Duggars, called "Seventeen and Counting." Chris Finnegan of TLC — which handles public relations for the Duggar family — said the show's name would be updated to account for the latest addition to the family. He said TLC also will air a show Monday on the baby's delivery.

"Our whole family is excited about Jordyn's addition to our family," Jim Bob Duggar said. "She's just perfect in every way."

With the latest addition, the Duggars’ 18 natural children range in age from 20 years to one day old. Included in the mix are 10 boys and now eight girls — Joshua, twins Jana and John-David, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joseph, Josiah, Joy-Anna, twins Jedidiah and Jeremiah, Jason, James, Justin, Jackson, Johannah, Jennifer, and Jordyn-Grace.

With two sets of twins, Michelle, has gone through 15 pregnancies that ended in 13 natural deliveries and two Caesarean sections.

Both Michelle and Jim Bob — a former state legislator who served in the Arkansas House of Representatives — are real estate agents. They claim their family is debt-free, with the entire bunch helping to build their 7,000-square-foot home in Tontitown. And they are enriched by a devout faith in their religion.

The Duggars are followers of the evangelical Christian movement called Quiverful, which teaches that children are God’s blessing and that husbands and wives should happily welcome every child they are given. In fact, the Duggars' website quotes, “Children are a heritage of the Lord” from verse 3 of the 123rd Psalm.

Source: here

Contributor: Laura Eilers, Junkfoodaholic.com

I absolutely hate cold weather.

Sadly, we've got a ton of it here in the Natural State tonight. Yes, old man winter decided to pay Arkansas a visit today and we've got a mess brewing.

I, The Hawg, have marked the spot on the latest map from the National Weather Service that shows I'm smack dab in the middle of all this rotten weather. We Saline County folks don't cope with this stuff well.

In fact, most Arkansans don't react well to ice covered roads. If a snow flake hits the ground and sticks, that's a sure sign it's time to shut the town down for a couple of days and wait for it to melt. We don't know how to drive on this stuff in Arkansas and I, for one, don't care to learn.

I'm hoping it works out that way tomorrow. We're supposed to get more sleet and freezing rain -- perhaps enough so that schools will be canceled and we'll get to stay home from work. The break won't last long, however -- it's supposed to be in the 40s by Wednesday and then in the 60s by Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

Ah, that's how it is in Arkansas. Don't like the weather? Give it a minute and it will change.

Meanwhile, it's time to break out my favorite lawyer joke:

Friendly The Hawg: It's cold out there.

You: How cold is it, The Hawg?

Friendly The Hawg: So cold that I went downtown and the lawyers had their hands in their own pockets!

I've been lazy lately

Yes, I haven't been too active here or at The Natural State Hawg these past few days. To quote an e-mail I got a couple of years ago that still gives me a chuckle, "Oh well. It Christmas."

And because it Christmas, I've been busy with family and such. While I'm well aware that some people have been disappointed that my inane prattle hasn't been thrown around as often as it was just a few weeks ago, I'll be back to my old self before long.

Go ahead and click on the below commercial posted on YouTube and prepare to be amazed. Bear in mind that this guy is, apparently, a legitimate businessman in the Chicago area. I hope so because this has to be one of the top marketing schemes of all time.

If you want to check out this cat's Internet site, just click right here.

Here's Bella, our dachsador, busily doing, err, something.
Be sure to visit the other Wordless Wednesday participants (or submit something of your own) by clicking right here.

Last night, my husband and I went to my company's Christmas party in Conway.

Carol, one of my coworkers, is so very gracious and every year, without fail, she offers to host the party. And even though her house is large, by the time everyone arrives, there is standing room only.

We all look forward to the Christmas party because it's a time when everyone can relax and enjoy each other's company outside the work environment. It's also neat to meet coworker's spouses or dates.

But the main reason I look forward to our Christmas party is the infamous "White Elephant Gift Exchange".

I cannot possibly convey in a post how much fun we have playing this silly little game. First of all, I work with a fun, great group of people. That's the first necessary ingredient. Add in some gag gifts, gifts of an alcoholic nature, girly gifts, tools, toys, etc. and you're gonna have some laughs!

The game starts out pretty boring: people opening gifts - everybody saying, "Ooh", "Aah" etc. It starts getting interesting, however, when the first gag gift is opened.

Last night's first gag gift was a Snoop Dogg doll! What made it even funnier is the guy who opened it is a white computer techie who was wearing Wrangler jeans, a cowboy shirt and boots! It's painfully obvious, rap music is not his thing. Anyway, everybody starts hootin' and hollerin' and saying "Ooh!!!!, Alright Michael! WOO HOO!!!" He smiles, takes a bow, and goes back to his seat. Then about ten minutes later, somebody steals it from him! I sure didn't see that coming. I elbowed my husband and said, "Honey, you ought to steal it and give it to your brother for Christmas!" Paul's brother, David, likes rap music and they always give each other gag gifts at Christmas. Well, Paul never got the chance because someone stole Snoop Dogg again and after that, the rap doll was frozen and couldn't be stolen again.

Click here to read the rest of the story.

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A good friend of mine sent this to me today and I couldn't help but to pass it along, as it has to be the funniest thing I've seen in a very LONG time

3 Unused LSU Timeouts for sale on Craigslist: http://batonrouge.craigslist.org/spo/940244949.html


Gotta love me some Hog's football!!

Willy is hearing the stories this morning that the Automakers are getting the message and they are going back to congress to plead their case for a bailout and are traveling in their hybrid vehicles instead of their corporate jets.

They are saying that they have to have money because if they don't get it soon that their mismanagement to date will cause them to go bankrupt this month. If they get the bailout they will sell their corporate jobs, they will figure out how to make cars go further on a gallon of gas, the CEO will work for $1/year + expenses and they will sell the corporate jets.

This they say will bring them back to profitability if Americans-- Many who cut from their jobs by the automakers, will then buy more cars and drive more miles and use more gas and spend more money on credit cards and ..........

Willy has debt, but the problem is that Willy has not let his debt get totally out of hand. Willy has spent beyond his means sometimes but Willy took a look and pulled in the reins and got it back in hand all by himself.

Willy needs someone to help Willy to financially figure out how to get in the mess that the automakers are in so Willy can get the bail out. Willy believes if the government will give him only about 1/100 of 1% of the $800 million bailout money, then willy will be debt free.

My plan is that if the government could spare Willy that small amount then Willy pays off all debts. That allows Willy to save a small part of his salary and then spend the rest on big cars, great vacations and many other things that will give people jobs.

That would spur the economy.

Listen to the Video from Fred Thompson - like him or not - he has a humorous- sarcastic take on the whole mess. Willy thinks Fred should send him some money.

Listen to Fred - come on it wont hurt you.

10-4 Willy

Ah, the Flaming Lips. Remember when that was an actual rock band? Some of us do.

Go ahead and visit the other Wordless Wednesday participants (or submit something of your own) by clicking right here.

Wednesday night, police arrested Curtis Lavelle Vance, 28, at his home in Marianna, and charged him with capital murder in the death of Anne Pressly. Vance was with a woman, three kids and "lots of extra ammunition." Police aren't saying what led them to Vance, but insist their evidence is based on very good police work, DNA testing and a scene profile.

Besides being a popular newsanchor at Little Rock's KHTV, Anne Pressly had a minor role in the movie "W" as a conservative commentator.

 

LOG CABIN DEMOCRAT

Little Rock police named 28-year-old Curtis Lavelle Vance of Marianna as a suspect in the death of Anne Pressly on Wednesday.

At 5 p.m. Wednesday, a warrant was issued for capital murder. Police say Vance allegedly left his home at 1 p.m. today in a Black 1998 Oldsmobile Aurora. There is a small Razorback decal near the rear tire on the driver's side of the car.

Vance is allegedly traveling with a woman named Shaniqua Cooper and three small children.

"He knows we're looking for him," said Lt. Terry Hastings, police spokesman, at a 10 p.m. press conference.

Those who have information can contact the tips line at 501-517-0750. A $50,000 reward is being offered for any information that leads to Vance's arrest.

No motive was disclosed. Police say that Vance is considered armed and dangerous.

Anne Pressly died in a Little Rock hospital on Oct. 25 from injuries sustained in a home attack on Oct. 20.

Hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, eat lots, watch the Cowboys (look for my husband cause he's there this year) and make sure to check out my blog for stories of Thanksgiving's past....



From our house to yours HAPPY TURKEY DAY!!

I want to wish you and your family a happy, peaceful, joyous Thanksgiving!

Theresa 

Arkansas officially blew its slim chances of getting into a bowl game by absolutely folding against Mississippi State on Saturday.

As all college football fans know, a team needs six wins to be bowl eligible. Arkansas would have hit that magical six-wins mark with wins over its last two games -- Mississippi State and LSU.

Arkansas managed to lose 31-28 to Mississippi State (4-7, 2-5 SEC), thus falling to a 4-7 record (1-5 in the SEC) and dropping to dead last in the SEC West. Miss State, by the way, is now next to last in the SEC West.

A lot of people want to blame kicker Alex Tejada for losing the game, but that's nonsense. Sure, Tejada missed a 46-yard field goal at the end of the game and missed another one besides. However, the defense was absolutely horrible against Miss State.

How bad? Miss State was averaging 77.3 yards rushing per game, but registered 226 yards against Arkansas. It's no wonder that Arkansas' defense is rated the worst in the SEC, is it?

Arkansas' offense did its job. Nathan Dick took the starting quarterback job away from his brother, Casey Dick, and passed for 333 yards and two touchdowns. Add 109 yards rushing to that total, and you come up with 442 yards of offense for the Razorbacks. Not bad at all.

However, Arkansas' absolutely flat defense allowed a generally pitiful Miss State offense to run up 445 yards. That's just pitiful and inexcusable.

Yes, the pundits will blame Tejada and he is, admittedly, pretty bad. However, his sub-par kicking game is nothing compared to the miserable Arkansas defense.

Arkansas, of course, got a new coach, Bobby Petrino, this year. The argument can be made that he made the best of a bad situation -- he inherited a bunch of young players and some fairly bad ones from former head coach, the hated Houston Nutt. Regardless, it seems pretty clear that Petrino has some butt kicking and recruiting to do to rebuild this team.

Hang in there, Bobby! Better seasons are on the way.

Meanwhile, LSU comes to Little Rock on the day after Thanksgiving to play the Razorbacks. Yes, you heard right -- Arkansas still splits home games between Fayetteville and Little Rock.

At any rate, the LSU game doesn't really matter at this point as Arkansas has no chance of going to a bowl game. Expect to see the Hogs play like they just don't give a damn when LSU comes to town.

A shameless plug for my father

I was shopping for some gifts for my dad today and settled on a good MP3 player loaded with a bunch of old time radio shows from the incomparable OTRCat.com. I like buying unique gifts for my dad and he loves old time radio shows.

It occurred to me, however, that dad has had a rough year. As I've whined about on her plenty of times, a tree fell on mom and dad's house earlier this year and caused about $100,000 worth of damage. Fortunately, they're living in a great house right now -- a great thing because it will take about six months to rebuild their home.

So, dad's pretty down about it all. Now, my folks are set for money, so there's no problem there. The maniac tree company that dumped the tree on their home is insured, so there's no problem there, either. However, what would make my dad absolutely thrilled this holiday season is for some people to purchase copies of his book, Poems from a Baseball Fan by Howard A. Nobles.

That's a very unique book and one that I do believe any dyed in the wool baseball fan would love to get for Christmas. Dad put that book together from over 40 years of poems he's written about baseball, a sport he loved to play

Of course, I'm biased.

If you're looking for a unique gift for that baseball nut on your list, why not click on the above ad and give it a look?

You'd make a retired educator and lifelong baseball maniac happy. You know you want to take a look and buy a copy, so have at it!


King of the Stump?

Make sure to tune in to the Food Network tonight to see an Arkansas company highlighted.

Yes, this week's Road Tasted with the Neelys special is all about Thanksgiving and we all know how great a good ham can be on that holiday, right? The Neelys -- a good, Southern couple -- certainly know the value of ham and they've named the pepper ham made by Petit Jean Meats in Morrilton as one of the finest anywhere.

It appears the Neelys have learned what we Arkies have known for years -- Petit Jean Meats makes some good stuff.

One of my favorite things about this story is that I got to tell this bit of news to my wife. She's a Food Network fan and she wasn't aware that the Neelys would be featuring an Arkansas business on their show. Yay for me!

The show will be on at 9 p.m. CST tonight (Friday, Nov. 21), midnight on Saturday and at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

A Petit Jean ham would probably go well at Christmas, too. Speaking of Christmas, here's a lights display my wife sent me. Enjoy!

ARTIST - KLAUS NOMI
SONG - AFTER THE FALL

This guy was popular in New York back in the early 80's. I loved him. You guys are probably gonna wonder "what the heck" but this guy was and still is one of my favs. He died of aids back several years ago. There is a great documentary out about him called "The Nomi Song".

The Ramones covering a classic cartoon theme song? Excellent!

Click right here to visit the other Wordless Wednesday participants or submit something of your own.

On November 4th, 2008 millions of Americans were shocked that a man of Barack Obama's limited experience, extreme liberal positions and radical political alliances could be elected President of the United States. For many of these Americans, the explanation was rather simple... the news media, completely enamored with Obama, simply refused to do their job.

On Election day, twelve Obama voters were interviewed extensively right after they voted to learn how the news media impacted their knowledge of what occurred during the campaign. These voters were chosen for their apparent intelligence/verbal abilities and willingness to express their opinions to a large audience. The rather shocking video below seeks to provide some insight into which information broke through the news media clutter and which did not.

Brownie Mom has started a program through which participants can raise their Technorati authority.

You'd better believe I'm joining the effort. Perhaps you should, too. Interested? Here's all you need to do:

1. Copy The List Below into a blog post on your blog(s).
2. Add Your Link(s) To The List on your website.
3. Comment On This Post stating the blog address(es) you want listed so Brownie Mom can update the list to include your link(s).
(Comments on this blog are moderated. She will add all of the waiting links once per day so come back to be sure you have the full list and your blog is listed on your blog as the correct number)
4. Watch Your Authority Rise!


Copy Here -

1. THE MOM WITH BROWNIES

2. Our High School Homeschool

3. THE BIG DOG

4. ARE YOU PART OF THE SERIOUS BLOGGER ADlog?

5. Thoughts From The Front Porch

6. My Opinion Counts

7. The Pond

8. Your Fun Family

9. 1stopmom

10. Juicy Alligator

11. Coupon Queen of Corning

12. Life Of A Star

13. The Life Of A Mom

14. Not Just A Mom Site

15. Red Dahlia in Bloom

16. Lyndonology

17. All Arkie Army

18. The Natural State Hawg

19. Healthy Moms

20. Idiot On A Stick

Don't forget to comment on Brownie Mom's Original post!

End Copy -

There will soon be a new head coach for the Conway High football team. After 18 years of service, Kenny Smith will step aside to accept other responsibilities in the Conway Public School District, according to school officials.

Smith finished his tenure with a 129-75 (63.2 percent) record with the Wampus Cats. He had coached in Conway for 25 years in all and won six conference championships, as well as played in the 1993 Class AAAAA state title game.

"No one bleeds Wampus Cat Blue any more than Coach Smith," Conway superintendent Greg Murry Said. "Our district and our community appreciate all that he has done to bring pride to our football program. We wish him the very best as he begins a new chapter in his professional career."

The Cats have had their rough times in recent seasons, including a 2-8 record this past season. Conway, which has not made the state playoffs since 2006, also went 3-7 in 2007.

Murry said the district will immediately begin the process of finding a replacement for Smith.

The Denver Broncos have come up with all sorts of ways to deal with their injuries.

It's working out just fine.

Conway native Peyton Hillis rushed for 44 yards and two touchdowns, Jay Cutler threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Graham with 5 minutes remaining, the Denver defense held off Matt Ryan's last-gasp drive and the gritty Broncos rallied for a 24-20 victory Sunday, handing the Falcons their first loss of the season at home.

Peyton Hillis is #22 for the Denver Broncos.

Wheel of Fortune is in Arkansas and Willy thinks he needs to go down and audition. Well Willy went by the Possum Grit Grill and Cantina to see what Juanita thought about it. She was all for it.

In fact Juanita had her own game of Wheel of Fortune going on there at the Cantina.

Juanita had bottles of beverage sitting up on the bar and each one was covered in front by a letter turned over backwards. She was giving the two regulars to the Cantina a chance to win a beverage.

Well, Sammy Bob over in the back just kept holding up his brew and hollering "Big Money" - "Big Money" Juanita kept asking him to give her a letter and Sammy Bob hollered out " I would like to buy a bowel."

Well if you knew Sammy Bob like Willy knows Sammy Bob you would know that he has one bowel to many now.

Juanita - says no Sammy Bob. You have to spin the wheel. Well Sammy Bob took hold of the spokes on the car wheel set up on the table and gave it a spin. The pointer stopped on "bankrupt". No problem for Sammy Bob - he declared that a long time ago.

Next up was Billy Mack. - He hollered big money gave the wheel a spin - it came up on bottle of budwiser. Billy Mack immediately hollered "give me a bud light"

Juanita thought he was solving the puzzle and declared him the winner.

As a Winner she declared that he got $5, a chance to drive her daddy's four wheeler and a date with Juanita. Bill Mack immediately refused the prize unless he could eliminate the date part of it.

Guess he has no taste for fine women like Juanita. Or maybe he thinks the little wife back at the shack wouldn't like him going out with Juanita.

Well enough of that - Willy better hurry if he is going to get to those Wheel of Fortune auditions -- Better yet - Willy might just go to the deer Woods.

10-4 Willy

A couple of days ago, I mentioned that a tree service company dumped a pine tree on my parents' house.

Here are a few pictures showing the damage done. I won't add commentary as the photos speak for themselves.

ARTIST - FEIST
SONG - MY MOON MY MAN

So could you do this? I've decided that The Editor is gonna have to take me to an airport where they have one of these things. I've gotta try it.

That's right. Cliff Lee, a local boy, won the American League Cy Young Award today.

Yes, we're proud of Lee here in Benton, Ark. He played for the Benton Panthers (we've got a great baseball program here) and the Arkansas Razorbacks. He pitches for the Cleveland Indians now and is coming off a 22-3 season and a 2.54 ERA last season, and that was coming back to Major League Baseball after a season in the minor leagues.

Lee still calls Benton home, thus proving yet again that he's a quality individual.

If you want to read an excellent story about Lee, click right here and read this one that ran last week in the Saline County Voice.

As always, click right here to see some more of ill-conceived rambling.

Dustin Smith and his first-grade class at Woodrow Cummins Elementary School in Conway Arkansas is one of the finalists to win a $25,000 technology makeover through an eInstruction Video Competition.

Their entry titled "Click It" is based on the 1980's tune "Whip It"

This is a great video and if everyone will log in and vote they can win this contest.

Check it out by clicking here on eimakeover.com

Willy has voted - you should too!

10-4 Willy

Folks, I'm good and mad tonight.

Why? Because there's a pine tree lodged in my parents' house, that's why.

"What? A pine tree? What the hell?"

Yes, it seems a bunch here in Saline County, Ark., known as A to Z Tree Service went and dumped a damned tree on my parents' house today. My childhood home, then, may have to be torn down because of the extensive damage to it.

My parents are stunned, I'm mad and I'm looking down the barrel of 31 years of memories being tossed out the window. They bought that home here in Benton back in 1977, got it paid off about 10 years ago (give or take) and are now looking at the prospect of having to rebuild.

Well, there's a chance the home can be saved, but damn! The back half of the place is an absolute disaster. Thank God the saw-wielding maniacs that managed to hit my parents home with a tree are insured.

This A to Z bunch cut down down some pine trees at Casa de Hawg earlier this week. Oh, I was upset that they took a black walnut tree, a tree that my kids liked to climb and most of our bushes out in the process, but I suppose I was lucky. After all, my home wasn't crushed by a tree.

After mangling my yard, A to Z headed on over to mom and dad's place. My parents, see, were a bit wary of the huge pine trees in their yard because a storm dumped a branch on the house earlier this year and they had to have the roof replaced.

So, they figured a reliable tree service was what they needed. Now, A to Z claims they are skilled at removing dangerous and difficult trees. I suppose that claim is correct, so long as you don't mind a damn tree falling through your roof.

My parents are staying in a hotel tonight and I suppose they'll get down to the business of figuring out the extent of the damage in the morning. They'll probably be in that hotel for quite awhile, in fact. I'll post some pictures when I calm down and think to head over there with a camera.

A to Z, for some reason, still has a truck parked in my yard for some reason. I've resisted the urge to slash the tires.

Bastards.

Here's OMD with their big, fat hit, "Enola Gay." Enjoy!

Make sure to visit the other participants (or post something of your own) by clicking right here.

Also, make sure to click right here to help some kids in Conway, Ark., win a "high tech makeover" of their classroom. Watch the video, register and vote. They're winning with their Devo-inspired video now, so help put them over the top!

Folks, I got an e-mail earlier today from Chrissie Hsu.

She said that her client, the Smithsonian Channel, is working on a series called Aerial America. That series will air next year in high definition and will feature aerial views of every state in the Union.

What's the first state that will be covered in that series? Why, it's the beloved Natural State! Congratulations to the fine folks at the Smithsonian Channel for picking the amazingly scenic Arkansas as the first place to visit for the Aerial America series.

Evidently, people will notice if you howl about how much you love Arkansas. Yep, do that long enough and you'll get some attention.

At any rate, Ms. Hsu asked your friend, The Hawg, to take a look at the Arkansas blog for the series. Want to have a look, too? Click right here and head on over there. Let them know what you think, huh?

You can find out about the Aerial America series by clicking right here.

Ms. Hsu said she'd let me know when the show will be aired and have some clips available in the future. I'll post all of that right here at the All Arkie Army when I get it.

Cool stuff, indeed!

Obama Undertakes Presidential Internship To Ease Concerns About His Lack Of Experience

Oh, yes. The time has come once again to name some honorary captains of the All Arkie Army!

Honorary captains, of course, are just some bloggers that we like. We like them so much, in fact, that we at the All Arkie Army want to send them a dandy award.

Now, here's one of the best things about this award -- we don't ask the recipients to do anything but take their awards and enjoy them. That's right. We're not asking anyone to pass these things on to a dozen people or anything like that. This is a no-strings award and we do hope the recipients appreciate getting it.

So, who are these recipients? Why, Pam over at pamibe and Dadthedude over at, err, Dad - thedude.

Congratulations to them both! We hope y'all keep doing what y'all do and make sure to visit over here often.

The Army is always recruiting

If you're an Arkansan or have ties to the Natural State, why not join this Arkansas-centric blog? Post what you like, promote your own blog and work and hang out with some Arkies. Interested? Hit the "contact" link at the top of the page to send me an e-mail and request admission.

A reminder or two...

We're going to nominate honorary captains once a month and we hope all All Arkie Army members will help us out with that. Just look for a post from me opening nominations and submit some bloggers you like in the comments section.

Also, feel free to submit links to your blog here when you post an article. That will help boost your Alexa rating and Google rank. Link baiting from Army members is encouraged, see?

Oh, and click right here if you want to read my latest heart-wrenching tale of the failings of the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Benton Panthers.

Six weeks into his tour in Iraq, an Arkansas National Guardsman called his wife at home while he hunkered down for cover during his turn at watch. He wanted to check to see if his wife got the flowers he sent her.

Instead, his wife's frantic voice told him that their home was burning, and 6 hours later, it burned to the ground. This photo is all that remains of that home - dirt and a concrete sidewalk - and what the soldier saw when he arrived back in McRae four days later for an 8 day emergency leave.

The fire happened in April, and the soldier's wife and four boys moved into the new double-wide mobile home she finally managed to have delivered and set up two weeks ago. She ran into more than a few roadblocks while buying the home, and solved every problem she ran into - alone. Everything the family now has was donated to them, and though the new house is pretty barren, the soldier's wife is making it into a home. It's the home the soldier will return to in December or January.

With so much taking up our attention - the sinking economy, the election, the speculation about what will happen now, gas prices, food prices, job losses - it's easy to forget about our soldiers still in Iraq and Afghanistan still risking their lives for their country, and for you and I.

To every mother, wife, father, brother or sister of a soldier, I thank you for your sacrifice, and give my thanks to your soldier when you talk to him or her again.

Read more of my thanks to our soldiers at A Bumpy Path.