The Water Tree

Here's a little video showing the water tree my son, Alex, helped build aboard the USS Carl Vinson to help bring water to the people of Haiti after the earthquake one year ago.




Warning: Adjust your volume. It gets a little loud towards the end of the video. Thanks.

What A Difference A Year Makes

Tonight, my son is sleeping, safe and sound in his own bedroom, and will rise early and go to work. I am more grateful to God and all the Angels and Saints in Heaven for that simple fact.

One year ago today, Haiti was hit by a devasting earthquake. The next thing I knew, my son's ship, the USS Carl Vinson, was being named on national television by the President of the United States. At that time, I was not in a good place emotionally, physically, or mentally. I was unemployed, out of hope, and beginning to think my life was over. Then I find out my only son is heading for ground zero where people are fighting and killing over food and water. Let's just say, it did nothing to help my situation at the time. As much as I wanted to keep watching the news, I couldn't. It was too terrifying.

I cried. I cried a lot. I didn't know what to do, and the worst part was not being able to hear his voice or know if he was ok. My prayers went up all the time, "Please God, just keep him safe. Please. He's my one and only. Please, please, please."

Those days were dark and full of dread. If it wasn't for QH, I would have stayed in that darkness, or worse. Instead, I fought my way out, and back up into the light. I couldn't give up. I've worked my ass off to make it this far, and some days it can be a struggle, but I am glad to look back at this year and see I am here, I'm ok, and more importantly, God answered my prayers and brought my son home safe and sound. I'm so proud of what he did there, of the people he helped and that he was able to continue on and go to South America and end up in San Diego, California. He crossed the equator twice on that deployment and saw a huge part of the world I've never seen, and all before his 21st birthday.

To all who have family in the military, for those in the military, I thank you for your service and for all you did a year ago for the people of Haiti. And thank you for all you continue to do right now to keep us all free and safe and to help out those in need. I'm very proud to be a Navy Mom.

And I pray your loved ones are home soon, safe and sound, sleeping in their own beds.

Happy Easter!

I know I haven't posted in a while. My schedule is crazy and unpredictable right now. I went from having a bona fide job offer to no job to another job in a different place. But I'm still temporary help, so if it slows down, like it is now, I'm not making any money. I'm ok with that. For now. Eventually, I want to be someplace full-time, permanent hire, but I know right now the markets are still unsteady in every career field. I did take a positive step in that direction by applying for a full-time position where I've been temping at, so keep your fingers crossed that it all works out and I can stop whining about it. :) Much to the relief of those of you who commented to me off-blog about this subject matter. :)

I'm still a writer, and I still want to be a writer when I grow up. But a steady paycheck and a work routine keep me from falling back on bad habits. I want to continue moving forward, not backward. That's the plan and I'm sticking to it! :)

This Easter holiday snuck up on us. I'm used to Easter being in the second week of April, like closer to my Dad's birthday (April 12). This year I've been so busy with working nights, then days for 2 weeks and then nights, I didn't have a inkling the holiday was right around the corner. Whoosh, here it is! Wow. We are going to my parents house for fish and potato salad. I made my famous cherry cheescake bars and my 7-layer bars (aka, Naughty Bars). I had them done by 8:30 pm which is a record for me because in the not-so-distant-past, I was usually up cooking them until 2:00 am or 3:00 am, or the next day, just hours before we go to dinner. Now that I have my chemicals in balance, I don't want to put off anything anymore. That makes the Hubby very happy, because one of his biggest pet peeves with me has always been my procrastination. I'm not perfect yet, but I'm working on it. :)

The weather has been great, a little windy, but we are praying for rain. We had a bit of a sprinkling on Friday, but it was just enough to clean the dust off the birds and green the grass up. We need a couple of days of "Million Dollar Rain" the kind that will come down nice and gentle and just soak right on in. Fires are popping up all over, even close to home. I saw a huge black cloud of smoke north of us this afternoon and on the evening news, it turns out it was closer than I thought. Here's the story: Central Minnesota Grass Fire

Sadly, fires did more than just claim some acreage outside of Princeton. In Minneapolis, six people died in a devastating fire in Minneapolis. It's been the worst fire since 1986. Three of those who perished were children. Please pray for those who died and for their families this Easter holiday. Hug your kids a little closer and please be thankful for all the blessings you have and all the blessings you are receiving, not just in this life, but in the next. And remember Easter is about a lot more than just chocolate eggs and bunny rabbits. Remember why we celebrate it in the first place.

This will be another holiday passing without Alex home to help us celebrate, but I did receive an email that he is getting closer to home. He will be in San Diego, California, very soon and then shortly after that, he will be home. I can't wait to see him again, and I can't wait to have him home. My prayers and blessings to all of you who have loved ones in the military or who are far away from home. My prayers to all of you who have lost a loved one and miss them terribly.

Thanks to all of you for keeping me, Alex, and my family in your prayers since the deployment of the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). We truly appreciate all the kind and wonderful thoughts and those who have just said, "Thank your son for his service." I'm so proud to be a Navy Mom, and hearing that makes me even prouder of my son and this country.

Enjoy the weekend and the weather, and I'll post again soon. Until then, have a very Happy Easter!

Alex In Pictures

100220-N-2953W-182 USS CARL VINSON- At Sea- On board USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), Hull Technician 3rd Class Alexander Crawford cuts studs using a grinder in the shipfitter and machine shop. Carl Vinson is currently taking part in Southern Seas 2010 as part of a scheduled homeport shift. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Adrian White/ Released)

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As you all know, I've been looking for my son in all the photos posted to the USS Carl Vinson page on Facebook. I checked tonight and the photos have been updated and a lot of patience later, I found Alex in the last photo (above) in the album posted there.

In an update tonight, they will be crossing the equator, but won't be going through the ceremony for the "first timers" until they cross it again on the other side of South America.

Alex's last email said the ship would port in Rio. I'm hearing DuranDuran singing in my head right now. My friend Sandy Lender, the fantasy author, is now laughing in Florida, because she knows what I'm talking about. :)

I was so excited to see him, since he hasn't been home since January, and he may not be home until May. It's a great picture, showing the work he does, and I've just completed the second article on his trip to Haiti for the local paper. The first article made the front page and took up two more pages in the paper. I was pretty proud of that, but not as proud as I am of Alex.

This has been a great week. It's good to be back to work again. I'm working at a local plastics company, and it's third shift, but my body seems to be acclimating to the schedule much easier than I have from previous times I've worked these hours. I think part of it has been my attitude. I was ready to go back to work. I was driving myself crazy not working. I didn't really have anything that anchored my days or my nights. I felt adrift and lost. Now it's like everything else is falling into place, and my writing has improved much more than it did when I had all the time to write during the day or night.

I'm blessed I've been given this opportunity and it must have been meant to be for it to come so out of the blue like it did. I'm working as a temp for right now, and once my contract is fullfilled with the temp service, I have the opportunity to be hired. I'm excited by that. The people I've worked with have been very gracious, kind, patient and a lot of fun to work with. They have also been extremely helpful in making sure I understand all the procedures and paperwork. I have a lot to learn, but I have a great vibe from this place. I hope I don't disappoint them.

As for my writing, I am writing more, like I said, and planning on selling more e-books and writing some print books as well. I have to update my websites, and figure out exactly where I want this career of mine to go next, but I'm still determined to be a paid, professional writer. I will be announcing some of my plans very soon, so check back later for further details. ;)

In the meantime, please support our troops and pray for them and their families who have sacrificed so we may have the freedoms we have.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I have the best man in the whole world.

He's the one who gave me the beautiful bouquet of flowers in the picture above. He is thoughtful, kind, caring, loving, helpful, and he has a really warped sense of humor, like me. We've been through so much together, and while there have been times where it's been rough, we managed to stick it out and stay together.

I can't tell you what would happen if he was out of my life, I don't ever want to think about that.

This Valentine's Day I want the world to know how much I love and appreciate him and all he's done for me and Alex. Thank you, honey, for everything. And I hope there are better and bigger ways for me to show my love and gratitude today and everyday.

I got the flowers on Thursday, when he brought them home after work. They were a combo of "Congratulations" and "Happy Valentine's Day."

I found out on Thursday, I got the job I was interviewing for the past 2 weeks. I start tonight, and I'm excited to be going to a new place and learning new things and meeting new people. I have a really good feeling about this opportunity, and I am grateful I have a steady job now. I'm going to continue writing, I have a lot of things planned in the next few weeks, so don't worry, you will be hearing from me. :)

Since my last blog post, my son has emailed me that they will be in Rio (Yes, that Rio!) in a few weeks. His ship, the USS Carl Vinson, left Haiti on February 1, 2010, and they went to Mayport, Florida, to resupply. They left for the remainder of their journey this last week, to their final destination of San Diego, California. They should arrive there in April, if all goes well. Thanks to everyone for the prayers, best wishes, and good thoughts you have given him and my family while he is deployed. Please continue to support our troops.

I hope you all have a great Valentine's Day and you show and tell the ones you love how much they mean to you, not just today, but everyday.

USS Carl Vinson Leaving Haiti

As of yesterday, February 1, 2010, the USS Carl Vinson was released after completing Haiti relief efforts as part of Operation Unified Response. If you want to read more, here is the link to the Facebook page and the article:

Carl Vinson Completes Haiti Relief Efforts

http://www.facebook.com/notes/uss-carl-vinson-cvn-70/carl-vinson-completes-haiti-relief-efforts/281376722033#/notes/uss-carl-vinson-cvn-70/carl-vinson-completes-haiti-relief-efforts/281376722033

This means my son, Alex, and all onboard the USS Carl Vinson are enroute to San Diego. I am so proud of my son and this country and all the things that were accomplished in the last few weeks.

Wish them all a safe journey and please keep them all in your prayers.

This Is My Son

It's been a little over a week since my last post. I've been through a lot since then, and I won't get into the details here, but I feel now the worst has past me.

Everyday I look online to find articles about my son and his ship, the USS Carl Vinson. Here is the lastest link that tells what those fine young men on that crew have been up to during their time in Haiti assisting in Operation Unified Response. It's coming straight from the Department of Defense website.

Here's the link: http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=57691

I cannot tell you how proud I am of my son and those fine young men and women who are serving onboard all our American vessels in the Carribean giving assistance to those hurt and starving. To those critics who are out there saying the Americans are "taking over" and are knocking the job we are doing, I say, "Shut the hell up!" WE were there to help secure and organize a place that was thrown into utter anarchy, and I don't see anything about YOUR contributions to the people of Haiti.

I am proud to be an American Citizen, and most of all, I'm proud to be the mother of a fine Navy sailor named Alexander Thomas Crawford serving aboard the USS Carl Vinson.

I will keep everyone posted on Alex and how he is doing as we hear from him. Our only communication right now is via email, so I hear from him every couple of days or so. He's been keeping very busy, doing his job on the ship and off, so I'm thrilled when I see his name in my email inbox.

Thanks most to all of you who have sent prayers, good thoughts, blessings and well wishes to us and to my son. His Dad and I truly appreciate each and every one of you.

Until next time...

ADDITIONAL NOTE: The USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) can also be found on Facebook and on Twitter. Give those fine young men and women a boost and drop them a nice, positive, encouraging comment or two. I'm sure they will gladly appreciate it after all the long hours and hard work they are all putting in. :)

The USS Carl Vinson Enroute To Haiti

If you have been watching the news, you have heard Haiti was hit by a 7.0 earthquake. This morning, President Obama announced at his press conference that the USS Carl Vinson is enroute to help with humanitarian aide.

For those of you who read my blog, my son, Alex, is aboard that aircraft carrier. It was originally supposed to be going to San Diego, California, but with the disaster in Haiti, it will be going there instead.

Please, everyone, pray for the safe return of Alex and his shipmates and all who are going to Haiti for this mission. From what I've seen from the news reports, the country is devastated, and dangerous with the aftershocks.

Thank you. Here is a link for more information:

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local-beat/US-Navy-Sends-Help-to-Haiti-81481732.html