Terribly tired and bored!

So as of right now both Zach and I have the same feelings. He is exhausted!! He wakes up everyday around 5 o'clock and works out twice a day and goes on missions...so in short the boy is tired! :) But on the other hand when he isn't doing his job he is doing NOTHING! So he is bored too but like my mother always told me only boring people are bored!! hahaha Well as for me and my sunny home of Temecula I am tired also. Thursday night I spent 5 hours in the ER with my poor mommy who had a kidney stone and then I worked all day around the house on Friday never stopping and THEN low and behold my poor brother Mitchell needed to go the ER last night...so my weekend was to say the lest a disaster! But all is well now my mom feels much better and Mitchell is on antibiotics! I have been very blessed with the fact that my husband as been able to call me every night for the past week which I'm sure is a product of my constant nagging! But I'm proud of it if it means I hear his voice that much more! As you can see below are some of the first pictures Zach has been able to get to me from Iraq! I was happy to receive them and post them up for everyone to see but I saved a few to add to these post and talk about them a bit!

When Zach got these photos online for me to see I was anxious to say the lest...I wanted to see where my husband was, what kind of condition he was living in and how he was living. When I come across these pictures I had the strangest feelings. I never thought that my heart could share these two emotions at once. At first glance my heart broke for these beautiful little kids but then as I studied it another emotions came to me...my heart was filled with love. Love for my soldier in a way I have never experienced and love for the kids here! The look on the little girls face is what truly touched me. She was happy. She has the most beautiful smile I have ever seen and I felt so proud to know my husband put that smile on her face. In that moment she felt safe, cared for and spacial! And its made me think further on what kind of men our US soldiers really are. When you think of a soldier, you think of a strong, brave man who will stand up for whats right. When I look at this picture I see a soldier who is loving, giving and will kneel to put a smile on a little girls face. Our US soldiers are more then just men with guns...they have some of the biggest hearts that are filled with the most compassion that we may never truly understand! I am so grateful for my freedom for all the blessings that the Lord has given me through our great nation. And I am so grateful for all our soldiers who have given freedom to other nations! Because of so many men and women these children will have a future there parents never dreamed possible!

the first pictures from down range!

September 11...We will not Forget!

8 years ago today terrorist who fought against our country and our believes took down 4 US planes,killing thousands. And because of those actions it sent in motion so many things to come. A war in Iraq and Afghanistan that still rages on today, thousands of husbands,wife's, brothers, sisters,sons and daughters leaving our home to protect and serve. I remember watching the news that faithful day knowing that our country, our people, our way of life would be altered forever. At the age of 12 something grew inside me that shaped me for my life today. I felt hope, pain, anger, respect and a love for our country, our soldiers and for so many others that were going through the worst event in American history. As a look back on that time and how utterly it changed me, I have come to know that I was meant for this life. My Zachary James Riddle is a soldier of the United States Army. Our lives did not just randomly cross paths for we were ordained to each other. Our lives and the events in our lives shaped us for each other. I knew a long time ago that I would be with a man strong enough, brave enough and selfless enough to fight, defend and protect our country and our believes. I am so proud to be called Army wife, the strength behind the strong. So please do not forget that September 11 when our lives were changed for us. And pray for the families, the loved ones and all those touched by that day.
"Remember all the brave ones who fought the battles, won the wars. Remember all the hero's who wore the colors bore the scars. Remember every patriot and what their loved ones gave. Remember every life lied down to keep our country free and Put your hand over your heart when the flag goes."

Nothing New from Down Range!

Well Zach is doing fine and getting settled in as much as possible. He has been called as a church leader down there and we feel extremely blessed for him to have this opportunity! It will keep him close to the Lord and to the Gospel. He says that he isn't doing much but watching movies...so it cant be that bad can it?! ha ha well I ask you keep us in your prayers and all soldiers and their loved ones in your prayers.

Gratitude!

So as said by a good friend of mine, Iraq its the place to be.Well if you have to be somewhere then yes she is right for the most part. Zach is very blessed to have never deployed before now and to now go on and serve his country he is also blessed. Yesterday, I received an email from our Family Readiness Group stating that Zach's commander had had the opportunity to eat dinner with a family in Iraq and the man who hosted them pulled the commander aside and informed him that what he and his soldiers was amazing. He explained how he is so happy that his grandchildren would grow in a land that free and getting better everyday thanks to the men and women who serve! What an amazing feeling to know that Zach isn't just appreciated here but where he is doing his duty. On my way home from running some errands today a man that was stopped next to me at a stop light motioned to me to roll down my window. I was thinking to myself "dang, I must have a break light out or something." When my window was finally rolled down all the way the man looked at me and said "I just saw the stickers on the back of your car and I wanted to say thank you for what your doing and what your husband is doing for my country." I thanked him and said I would be sure to tell my husband that he was appreciated. As the light turned green and he drove by me, I pulled over and began to cry. I wasn't crying because I miss my husband or because that man was so nice to say that, I was crying because I have never been more proud of my husband, of my country and more grateful for the things in which I have been given! So now I urge you to go out thank a soldier or a soldier's wife, after all we are the strength behind the strong!

Mailing address!!

Hey everyone...Zach finally got the mailing address, so we can send him all sorts of goodies now!! The only thing you have to remember is that you have write it exactly how i've shown you. And be careful what you send sand can get into anything!!!

SPC Riddle,Zachary
HHC 1-23 INF
FOB Grizzly
APO AE 09391

Happy sending!!

Iraq!

Zach officially entered the country of Iraq around 11pm last night ,our time. He says he is already much happy there then Kuwait. The weather is better and not as humid. That's all he got to tell me but I hope I get to here from him soon and learn more about how he is doing and what he is doing.We love you all...Pray for him and all our troops!