Carol Alexander:  

A year has passed, turned 49 in Feb. My husband returned safely from Iraq in Jan., after a 14 month tour. Justin has yet to return home on leave from Iraq. He took the 1st R%R to Bratislava, Bulgaria and Eastern Germany. He just took his 2nd for 2 weeks in Thailand. Jeremey graduated from the EOD school in the Navy and I flew to FL to attend and we drove home together carrying all of his property in a Penske truck, towing his car. His dad was able to attend his jump school graduation at Ft. Benning, GA with my dad. Tim flew up and drove back with Jeremey, who once again rented a truck and loaded up all of his property which he had stored in our garage. He then took our 3rd son Josh with him on to San Diego to help him move and find an apartment, returning once again for duty assignment. Then he flew Josh back home. He is now assigned to the EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) Mobile Unit One. He was just selected as a Basic EOD Tech to join a Master EOD Tech on a month tour of duty with the Secret Service in D.C., walking the halls of the White House daily. It is terrific to receive his calls and hear all that he has done. He met and petted the First Dog the other day. Jesse, the youngest, graduated the Texas Culinary Le Cordon Bleu Program of Paris in Jan. and his dad was home to attend that graduation with me in Austin. We see him frequently. He is currently a chef at the number one wine establishment in Austin, Vino Vino. Josh is still finding himself, a year later, only now he isn't living in our home any longer since a week ago (today is 29 Apr) which my husband and I are both enjoying our time alone now. We are both taking a class at the local college. I'm taking Photo II and he takes refrigeration at night after work. We only have 3 days left of school. He will have surgery on 7 May for a bone spur behind his achilles tendon. For Mother's Day he purchased me a ticket to return to Madrid, my 9th trip over now. If the swine flu is under control, I fly on Mother's Day, 10 May and return on 9 Jun. Tim is giving me so much money, and for Mother's Day Justin is giving me $500 and Jeremey is giving me a good amount, too. So I plan to use it to return to Portugal. I want to see Lisboa, Bele'm, and Sintra again but this time, as a Catholic, I want to make a pilgrimage to Fa'tima. The sad part is that 13 May is the day that Mary appeared to the 3 children. I arrive in Madrid the 11th, but I don't want to rush off that quick. It would certainly be a sight to behold, all the people, as I witnessed the parade for St. Anthony of Paduah, the patron saint of Lisbon last year. I love the way the Portugese take their Catholicism so deeply and seriously. I think that is one of the reasons I'm drawn back there. Thanks to my boys, I'll be able to do it again. Only this time, instead of my photography teacher joining me and ruining my trip, a friend I have over there that I know well through my cousin is going to join me. He went to school with my cousin's husband as they both grew up in Portugal. He speaks the language and wh...Expand for more