Friday's Favorites: Veterans

Today is Veteran's Day! I've been emotional and weepy all day. This is the first Veteran's Day I haven't been able to call my grandfather and thank him for his sacrifice during WWII. I also can't be with my Coastie. He is away sacrificing his sleep, rest, land hobbies, and time away from family so you and I can continue to sleep easy at night.

So, here's to my two all-time favorite men!

My Dandy:

The sweetest, sometimes crabbiest old fart, I've been privileged to know. He and my grandmother helped my mother raise her two daughters. He taught me how to drive a car, learn plants and trees, how to swim, the best places to hike, how to check the oil and change a tire on my car, how to invest in the stock market, and how to love family, God, and country.

That's me - the one with the perfect form in aerial and aquatic acrobatics.

Dandy was part of the "Black Magic" crew of a B-29 bomber out of Saipan in the south Pacific. He was a navigator, or radar tech.

He didn't talk much about his time in the Army Air Corps. But I know he was honored and humbled. He thought every boy should serve his country - it would make him a man, teach him respect, and give him a better perspective on the government, work, and loyalty.

Thanks to this man, our family is patriotic, loyal, and fiercely devoted to our independence and individuality, all while remaining dedicated and loving towards our family.

And, here's my Coastie:

I could gush about him for pages, but I won't bore you with that. Just know that I am honored to know him and feel blessed beyond measure that he chose me to be his wife. His positive attitude, his relaxed approach to life, and his willingness and passion for serving his country are truly amazing. He has taught me more about sacrifice, compromise, and living for something greater than ourselves. He is truly unselfish in love and in work.

So, thank you to my two brave, wonderful men. Thank you to all the other men and women who have sacrificed their safety, comforts of home and family, and their own agenda to be a part of a greater purpose. Thank you for allowing me to have my rights and freedoms. I do not take them for granted.

This Friday, my favorite thing is the veterans I have been blessed to love and know.