Exciting News!

We finally received our confirmation from the IRS acknowledging us as tax exempt.  We now have our 501 (C)3 status and we are so excited.  We were very fortunate that we reached out to an accountant to help us fill all the paper work out to start with and he did such a great job that we didn't have any hiccups in the paper work and no additional information was requested.  I know there are many groups that wait for up to 18 months to get their 501 (C)3 so we are so thankful that ours went through and is finalized so quickly.
All contributions are tax deductible so keep your receipts when you give and if you happen to lose it or don't receive one always let me know and I will make sure you get one for your taxes. 
Thank you to everyone who has already given and we will be posting a calendar of events coming up in 2012 so if you are in the area you can join us.  Right now we have a baseball tournament scheduled for the end of Feb. called "Freezing For a Reason" and a portion of the money will go to our foundation.  We also have a chicken cook coming up in Rogers, AR and a special 1 year birthday party for a special little girl "Nora Necessary" where her parents have requested that in lieu of gifts they make a donation to our foundation for Chad.  This is one of Chad's buddies from high school.  How precious is that?  We are  so lucky that Chad has so many people out there that love him so much.  Thank you never feels like enough to us.

Happy Veteran's Day!

It's very surreal that on this day last year I celebrated Veteran's Day very differently and with a different heart.  Tebo and I still celebrated and participated in the honoring our Veterans today at work, but this year it was very bitter-sweet.  I'm still a very proud mom of a Marine.  I'm a sad mom as our blue start turned to Gold and no parent wants that to happen, but my son died an honorable man and doing what he wanted to be doing to protect and help his brothers.  I know my son best and I know without a doubt that he would not change a thing about December 1, 2010 if it meant one of his brothers would have had to take his place.  This I know without doubt.  Would he change the heartache that resulted on that day, absolutely, but he told me personally that he would lay his life down for his brothers and that is just what he did along with every American that has the privilege of living a free life today (including me).  I won't tell you that I haven't cried most of today (all week really), because I have.  I miss him.  My heart hurts in a way that I guess I never knew was possible, but at the same time of all this grief and sadness, I'm so proud.  I'm proud of Chad and I'm proud of my bonus boys that carried on the fight in spite of their broken hearts as well.  They not only carried on the fight, they kicked ass that day and they continue to take care of Tebo and I faithfully.  Hmmmmm.... Marines live by Semper Fi (Always Faithful).  Let me tell you, they are!  I hope I didn't miss telling even one of his brothers in arms thank you for their service and sacrifice today.  I tried to reach out to each and every one of them just so they know that we are still supporting them and loving them for not only loving Chad like they do, but for loving us and taking care of us even today almost a year from the day my precious baby boy went to be with the Lord.  I know he is in a better place and has no pain and no sadness, but it sure is hard not to allow the mommy and human side of me slip out and want him right back so I can let him crawl into freshly washed sheets (with extra Downy fabric softener) and watch him eat up a 2 lb steak that Tebo hand cut and grilled for him.  I long for that crooked smile and that precious sense of humor of his.  I will get that again one day in heaven, but I won't lie and say that I don't take a breath each day wishing it was today. 
If you have not taken a moment to thank a Veteran or any military person currently serving yet today then make it your goal/mission to do so before you lay your head down to sleep tonight.  Unless you have lived with or around someone in the military it is truly difficult to understand what they truly do sacrifice to do this voluntary job and to me it's one of the most honorable jobs a person can do and I will forever be grateful for their service and sacrifices (all of them).  My heart breaks for other Gold Start families, because I know how their hearts are feeling today, but right along with their sadness I know they are full of pride as well. 
Thank you to every Veteran and currently serving military man or woman.  Tebo and I truly appreciate your service and the sacrifices you make and we think of you daily and what you are doing.  If I ever see you in person, I am the one that has no problem coming up to you and giving you a hug or a hand shake and saying thank you.  Sometimes it may come along with a tear or two, but I have a feeling you won't mind. 

We are still moving...

I know it doesn't seem like much is going on, but I promise we are still moving forward.  We've gotten (what we hope) is some of the finally paperwork to the accountant to complete this 30+ page application for the 501 C-3 and once it's completed it can be filed.  Of course, once it's filed, it can take up to 18 months to actually be accepted, BUT, lucky (I hope) for us, I've made friends with a lady that works for that department and she is from a military family and loves this idea that she said she would help push our application through.  I hope she is able to do that and we don't have to wait the full 18 months, but even if we do it will be worth it in the end. 
There is another fundraiser being planned in Asheville, NC on October 8th by my sister and it will be partnered with friends of hers for a wounded warrior.  It already sounds like it has been a huge success just with the participation they've received so I can't wait to hear all about it and share the details and pictures with you. 
Tebo and I were also invited to Memphis, TN to do an interview with a local station there (I will give more details once the interview is complete) to discuss this foundation.  It's exciting and very scary to say the least as it will be a live interview (Eeek). 
People love our military and they want to help.  We just need to get this vehicle up and really running to allow them an avenue to help.

Thank you again in advance for all your support and encouragement.  Some days it can be quite the challenge for me to feel the motivation I need to continue pushing forward with this or anything else for that matter, but you all make it so much easier to take that next step each day.  Even the hard days, you find a way to make it a little easier and I thank you for that.

Good things are coming so just hang on! 

Remembering 9/11 and Chad...

I purposely didn't blog Sunday, September 11, 2011.  It wasn't because I was in a dark place or anything like that.  I got up really early that morning and watched about 2 hours of the 9/11 coverage and it was sad. I'm absolutely blown away by the memorial in NY and would love to visit there one day.  There is a petition circulating around the Gold Star Families to try and get a memorial for fallen soldiers added to the site, but not sure when/if that will happen.  So rather than be sad and have a sappy blog regarding 9/11 or Chad I decided I would wait until I completed my baseboards at home and had my cleaning therapy on Sunday and write a more upbeat blog.  So here goes...
The first thing I thought of (like most Americans) was, where was I when I realized what was happening on 9/11/01.  I was working the front desk at the doctor's office I was working at and my first thought immediately went to Chad.  Oh gosh, is he safe?  Is something going to happen at the schools?  That's really all I could think of at that moment.  Then, once I realized I'm sure we were fine here in NW Arkansas, I immediately started thinking of my family on my mom's side that lived in NY very close to the Twin Towers.  Once we were all informed that our family was safe the reality of what took place was so surreal.  Chad was in high school and just focusing on friends and driving and hunting.  Nothing else much mattered at that time for him.  Once he enlisted into the Marine Corps I immediately thought, will he go to war.  Well, at the time, his recruiter really didn't think he had a huge chance of being deployed to a war zone so I didn't allow myself to worry about it.  When we were told he would be deploying the first time in 2009 to Iraq I thought oh no!  They said he probably wouldn't have to go, but I knew he signed up for this and it was his duty.  I could have signed some paper work to keep him from being deployed since he was an only child, but I knew my son couldn't live with himself had that happened and anything happened to one of his buddies so we took it like we were suppose to and it went better than expected.  It is never good when someone is deployed especially in a war zone, but if you had to be fighting in a war at that time, Iraq was the place to be.  He saw some action and he did experience casualties, but nothing like he would eventually experience.  He returned home from Iraq and got married and they started their married lives in CA when he got the news that he would deploying again and this time to Afghanistan.  I was just sick.  Yes, he called to see what I thought he should do and I did not tell him not to go.  I simply told him he had to do what he knew was best for him and what he could lay his head down at night and be at peace about.  With that being said, he chose to go.  I admire and respect him for making that decision, because I know he didn't make it lightly.  He wasn't even at his final destination in Afghanistan a full 6 weeks when his accident took place and he lost his life.  It is a day and time I will never forget the rest of my life and honestly, had the events of 9/11 not taken place there is a very good chance that my son would still be alive today.  The one thing I will not let myself do is 2nd guess the advice I gave Chad on that day he called to ask me what he should do.  I will not regret what I told him nor will I regret the fact that he chose to go.  Chad did what he felt in his heart was the right thing for him to do and since I gave him my word that I would support him 100% when he enlisted it is my obligation to continue to support him now. 
It hurts, don't get me wrong for a second and like the song says, if heaven wasn't so far away I would pack my bag right now.  There isn't one second of my life that I'm not thinking and missing him.  That will never change, but I am still so very proud of him.  My heart breaks for those families that lost someone in all the attacks (not just at the Twin Towers) that day, because they had no warning.  No idea that they were putting their lives on the line that day when they left their homes.  We knew Chad would be in danger.  It's not like you can prepare for something like this, but you at least know that possibility lurks around the corner.  These poor people did not have that.  It was a normal day like any other day and that's all they knew. 
I pray daily that we truly have an end to war.  I don't know if that is realistic or not, but it's what I pray none the less.  I never want another family to ever experience what we have experienced.  It's a sadness that truly is difficult to put into words. 
Tim McGraw has a song about "If you are reading this, I'm already home".  Well, like that song says, Chad use to play like he was a Marine and fighting the bad guys when he was younger and I never dreamed the true brutality of war and that my baby boy with the curls on his head would ever be a victim of such a thing.  I just figured like all other parents that he would get through high school, go to college (or not), and get a job and get married and one day have children of his own and that will be that.  I just knew he would have to help take care of me once I developed Alzheimer's and I would see him turn into a grown man that would almost 100% mimic my daddy.  That's just what I thought.  Well, that wouldn't be the case now and now I have to somehow figure out a way to erase some of those future plans that "I" had in my head would happen for Chad and figure out what I'm suppose to do with the rest of my life for as long as the Lord plans to keep me here.  I know our foundation plays a huge role in this "new normal" life I have and one day if I'm lucky it will be all I do full time, but right now it's just a part (although a huge part).  Every day is basically a training day for how I will get through until tomorrow and I will get there.  Right now happens to be a period where I'm not sleeping much and when I do wake up all I think of is Chad.  Maybe the night will come when I can actually close my eyes and actually sleep and rest, but right now that doesn't seem to be the case.  In the meantime I will continue taking one step and one breath at a time like many other families are doing and try to get to tomorrow.

Sad heart for another family

I had a family reach out to us this weekend to see if we could assist in getting them out to NY from NC to see their son before he deploys and I had to tell them we weren't at a point where we can actually purchase a ticket yet.  It broke my heart.  There is so much red tape involved in setting up a non-profit correctly and legally and to have to tell this mom I couldn't help her through WFOT just broke my heart.  I've had a heavy heart since I read her email.  I don't know how to help her right now since we aren't at the point of being able to purchase tickets yet and not for other military branches outside the USMC.  How frustrating is it to be so close and yet so far away at the same time?  Let me tell you, VERY! 
To update quickly where we are with things right now... We are still in the process of compiling all the necessary paper work for the IRS for our 501C-3 status and then we will file with the IRS and state of AR.  We are recognized by the state of AR right now, but since we are not officially in 501C-3 status we can't start disbursing funds yet.  In addition, since we had to focus on one military branch to start with we aren't able to branch out to anyone other than Marines right now.  The plan would be that other groups involved with other branches will join us in this effort and take it to other branches.  I know this will happen and most everyone will require the 501C-3 status before they will either donate or accept the disbursements to take place.
We truly are close.  I know I keep saying that, but we really are.  It's almost like when you are watching a ballgame and they say there is only 6 minutes left in the game and it still takes 45 minutes for the game to actually end.  That's how it feels right now. 
If anyone out there knows how to help this mom and her husband to get to NY from NC please let us know.  She is trying to get there by September 22nd.  Her son has two small children and they desperately want to get out there to see him before he leaves. 
Thank you in advance for putting your thinking caps on and helping us find a way to help them. 

More than a name on a wall...

A friend of mine sent me this link of a son by the Statler Brothers and it couldn't describe how my heart feels any better.  Thank you LT.  Please listen to this song and know that there are many other moms and dads that are going through this as well (too many) and I am certain it will speak to them as it did me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENpGllHo2k8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

So you get a feel for Chad (if you don't know him) so you can see he is more than just a name on a wall, I thought I would share a "memory" in the shape of  a few pictures that I just love of my sweet boy.  I have this t-shirt in my closet (thank you Katie) and I look at it every day and it makes me smile.  I probably bought that t-shirt for him over 6 years ago and that boy wore it all the time.  He just loved it (and it shows).  :)  Then I have the picture of his Titlist hat which I also have (thank you Katie) that as you can tell in the picture that he wore it out too.  You have to see the picture of daddy kissing Chad.  He does this a lot, but he couldn't get enough of kissing that boy.  I just love it.  Chad was always a good sport about it too.  He did love him some BoBo.  Then the memory wouldn't be complete without a little picture of him with his bouncing curls that I loved so much.  He was so dang cute (if I must say so myself).  :)  I hope each of these pictures brings a smile to your face like they do mine. 

His favorite TN t-shirt

His "Titless" (as we call it) hat with Tebo

Getting a kiss from BoBo (again)

Baby Chad with his ringlets

For all Gold Star families, this song is for you as well.  Thank you to all our armed forces for their service and sacrifices and to all the families of these military men and women, thank you as well.  We know it's a commitment that extends throughout the entire family and for that, Tebo and I thank you all!

Update time!

Well, we have now gone over $5,000!  We currently have $5,436.91 in our account for Wings for Our Troops "in loving memory of CPL Chad S Wade".  I couldn't be more thrilled.  We are still pulling everything together for our 501 C-3 and hopefully that will actually be sent to the IRS within the next 30 days (I hope)...  Once that happens we better hang on tight, because we will be rolling then.
We continue to hand out our brochures and share the word and spread the news of our website at http://www.wingsforourtroops.com/ as well as just reaching out and educating people about what our Marines actually have to pay out of pocket.
I will say I don't feel quite so bad for not knowing they had to pay for their own ways home and back to base before and after deployment, because almost everyone I talk to about this didn't realize it either.  I guess unless you are actually a part of that military world you just do not know.  I was one of them like so many others.
That is another amazing thing about this foundation.  It will bring attention to the fact that these men and women don't make much of a living (less than a first year school teacher) and out of that modest paycheck they still have to purchase and dress out uniforms, pay rent, food, and plane tickets home.  It doesn't go far that's for sure.  I don't know about you, but the thought of a service man or woman not being able to afford to go home and see their families and friends before or after deployment breaks my heart.  It's one thing for parents to fly out to see them, but there are so many other family members that they would love to see and spend some much needed time with and it's impossible to get all those people to these bases all over the country so let's help these young men and women get home without the burden of a plane ticket or bus fare.  Let them enjoy a little R&R and just love on family and have their families love on them.  Isn't that what it's all about anyway?  That's the very least I feel we can do when they are giving up all the comforts of home to fight for our freedom.  Thank you in advance for all I know we will do!

CPL Chad S Wade (taken when he was still LCPL)