Downtime in Thailand ...

We were relieved to receive a middle of the night phone call from Quinn.  It's so hard having your child on the other side of the world, especially in these uncertain times.  He's working hard at his training in Thailand and making time for a little fun too ...

Quinn is in the white tee shirt.  While on their "ride", they saw a cobra and a crocodile ... pretty fun stuff for a kid from the cornfields ...



A very special thank you ...

to all my friends and loved ones that have e-mailed about my son, Quinn, who is stationed in Okinawa, Japan.  First let me say that he is fine and on a temp duty assignment in Thailand.  The island of Okinawa wasn't affected by the tsunami that has so devastated the mainland.  Our hearts and prayers go out to the Japanese people.

Wishing you all ...

peace filled holidays ... the joys of family ... and quiet moments of reflection ...



A great BIG thank you ...

to my two boys ... my heroes ... from a grateful mom

It still sometimes takes my breath away when I think that my two handsome sons felt this calling ... they truly are my heroes ...

An arrest has been made ...

http://www.daily-chronicle.com/2010/10/29/dekalb-man-gets-murder-charges-in-case-of-missing-niu-student-antinette-toni-keller/a6w5f2u/

I'm stunned ... my community is stunned.

There is really little to be said.  It can happen anytime, anyplace ...

My heart and prayers go out to Toni's family and I ask that yours do too ...

Horrible news on our missing student ...

http://www.daily-chronicle.com/articles/2010/10/23/54156888/index.xml

Our hearts are broken ...

Something you think only happens in the "big cities" ... not in the middle of a cornfield in the middle of nowhere, USA.  Five Three (correction:  I think I wanted it to be longer ago than it actually was) years ago Valentine's Day, we lost five students to a gunman in a crowded lecture hall.  Something you think only happens somewhere else ... not in the middle of a cornfield in the middle of nowhere, USA. 

Not a good week for my community ...

As many of you know, I work at Northern Illinois University.  This has really been a long, tough week.  One of our students went missing eight days ago and there has been no sign of what happened to her.  We hope, we search, we pray, and try to hold each other up.  I cannot for the life of me imagine what her parents are going through.  Such a beautiful young woman ... gone without a trace ...