Oh, my gosh! I wish you were here so you could be laughing as hard as I am
November 30, 2008

because my husband is the funniest person on the planet! I can hardly type I am laughing so hard!

posted by Sara Hickman at 03:46 pm
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A Christmas Poem

Anyone who knows me would know that I don't agree with the horrors of war. However, I am humbled by people
who choose to defend others they do not even know. I know I would earnestly give up my life to save those I
love, so I can understand those that choose to sacrifice their lives in honor of others. My fervent wish for 2009
(and beyond) is that the human race can find peaceful alternatives to war all over this world. Perhaps we will
learn how to communicate and work together in new ways that resolve conflict. That is my hope.

But for now...My mom sent me this poem, and I wanted to share it with you.

Love,
Sara

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.

The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.

Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

'What are you doing?' I asked without fear,
'Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!'
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.

To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said 'Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night.'
'It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.

No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,'
Then he sighed, 'That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers.'
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.'

' So go back inside,' he said, 'harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right.'
'But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
'Give you money,' I asked, 'or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son.'

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
'Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.'

PLEASE, would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many
people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to
our U.S service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let's try in
this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe.
Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.

LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum, Iraq

posted by Sara Hickman at 02:16 pm
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Please vote for AFTERMATH, my friend, Livvy’s, band!
November 25, 2008

Ok, y'all...Many of you helped vote for our good friend, Robin Macy, when she was in the running for
the $25, 000 award to help fix up her arboretum.....which she won! So thank you a thousand times
and a zillion cupcakes of love for that support...Now, I'm coming to you to ask you to help Livvy (who
plays bass and sings in Super Pal Universe) with her other band, AFTERMATH, to gain more exposure by
winning the Texas School Jam contest.

Livvy's band AfterMath was great enough to be picked as one of the semi-finalists! The deal is this: the top six bands
with the most votes goes to the finals. If they make the finals and win, then they will be going to Germany to perform on MTV!!!
And Livvy's school music program would get a terrific grant.

So please vote! Registration is simple and quick (your name and your email) and then follow instructions below:

GO HERE: http://namm.promo.eprize.com/schooljamtexas/

GO TO PAGE 4: Look for "AfterMath" , select their star rating and push the vote button for them.
You can vote once a day for one band.
Voting continues until Jan. 31st and each time you vote you are entered for prizes. You can vote everyday!
I'm going to vote once a day!
The band would really love that and it increase your chances to win a prize).
So please vote early and vote often!! wink

And please feel free to pass this along to anyone who might be interested.

Thank you for taking the time to read this email and for supporting kids' music as wonderful as my friend,
Livvy's!

Love,
Sara

posted by Sara Hickman at 04:51 am
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And now…drumroll…a joke from my Mom!
November 20, 2008

A young man named John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a
bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the
bird's mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity. John tried
and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only
polite words, playing soft music and anything else he could think of
to "clean up" the bird's vocabulary.

Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The parrot
yelled back. John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even
ruder. John, in desperation, threw up his hand, grabbed the bird and
put him in the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and
kicked and screamed. Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep
was heard for over a minute.

Fearing that he'd hurt the parrot, John quickly open the door to the
freezer, the parrot calmly stepped out onto John's outstretched arms
and said, "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and
actions. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions
and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and
unforgivable behavior."

John was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude. As he was about
to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his
behavior, the bird continued, "May I ask what the turkey did?"

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

posted by Sara Hickman at 02:37 pm
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Fun Way to Help CARE COMMUNITIES/Austin Capital Area Food Bank!
November 19, 2008

Hey, All!

I know everyone is probably already helping a variety of charities
due to the problems with the economy and so many groups needed
additional assistance this year....BUT...if you are looking for
a fun way you and your kids/family can help, please check this out:

Care Communities has a Christmas tree decorated at the South Austin Lacks contest...The tree that gets the most canned/boxed food goods under it's tree by December will win a cash prize from Lacks, and the foodstuffs gathered from under all the trees on display will ALL go to Capital Area Foodbank.

This year, there are only THREE trees competing, so Care Communities has a great chance of winning...if you can help, please visit the tree and put your canned goods underneath!

The Lacks is behind Furrs Cafeteria at South Lamar and Ben White (near the Target).

Thank you!
Love,
Sara

posted by Sara Hickman at 05:24 pm
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