My apologies. Please do not interpret this in any way as anything other than a miss from trying to get all of these photos edited and loaded in record time.
WE LOVE POINT EDWARD!!! Enough to remove the "S" from their name. (Sorry, inside joke) Appropriate though to have all the jokes among us, as this visit is almost always filled with laughter.
This was such a cool stop. There are always fun & silly things we do with them, but this one had extra special moments that few of us will forget.
First thing that caught us off guard was the tribute wall inside their house honoring the HeroToHero.US effort.
We were all shocked and amazed to see the work they had put in to frame and hang items we have shared with them. Below the framed pieces are a small shelf with the kneeling 9-11 firefighter ... it really touched our hearts.This was the first of the repeat stops for us, and the Core Team had heard so much about them that this was a highly anticipated stop. Heck, they knew who Ron Sparling was without being introduced! Hmmm, something else I noticed is that Ron got by pretty unscathed as far as getting caught by the cameras this year. We won't let that happen again! Even John Surins was low-key on film this time. Note to team: We have two marked men for next year!
My young hero stepped up again for the now traditional shirt removal --
this is the only stop where the request is that I actually take the shirt off of him. He is a crack up and a great sport, though we had to wonder how many push ups he might have gotten for lifting the Chief. Guess it was just playful payback for the Chief sitting on his back during the push up contest. By the way, these guys have some upper body strength! They hung in there for a good long time!This stop had more emotion packed into it than our previous visit. The guys had chosen a couple videos to share with us about the experience for their Canadian troops, and dealing with their losses. It was insightful, and painful to watch, and sniffles coud be heard from several areas of the darkened room. I've been asked a couple times if it was okay, or too far. Reality is that it is a painful situation, and one no one wants to see. But it is the reality of families all over Canada, and America. We have lost so many wonderful men & women. Every new face added to the photos of the Fallen is another stab to the soul. There were tears ... there will be more tears until this is over. Don't turn away. Watch through your tears, and be there for the families whose tears do not dry. You guys did nothing wrong, you reminded us all of why we do this.
We then brought the room back up through shared memories and presentations to and from all of us. We gave them our yearbook from last year, and a calendar designed especially for them. They will be Point EdwardS for a year now. hehe
Afterward we went out for a great spread of food and fun. The firefighters made our Air Force Loadmaster, Shannon Spencer feel VERY special when they completely cleaned & serviced her car.
Of course then they "public domained" her when they found an unattended director's coin. She handled it pretty well as it was not hers, but a coin she was delivering to a troop who had stepped up for the program. Guess the guy will have to come to Point Edward to get his coin -- could be worse! ( ; She must still love them as she was more than happy to place her unit sticker on their rig. Niiiice!One of the more special moments was the reuniting of two far placed heroes. Chani came in all excited and said we had to hear something amazing, so we called everyone back in. Who could imagine that Larry would meet the very medic who had shielded his body with his own during a most dramatic emergency air lift after he had been blown up in the Mosul Dining Hall bombing!
Chani couldn't quit crying and when she hugged the man who helped save her hubby's life, I didn't think she would let go. Per his request we are not identifying him as he is still in the military, but they've both added the name "Super" to his first name and both are so happy for this unbelievable connection.
Not that we could top that one, but the day went on. and so it was that the push up challenge was issued and accepted ... Even
Brad got into the act, although he didn't stay long. Gotta give him kudos for the effort ... hmmm, didn't see Kevin down there with him. Neener!And then we decided to re-create the bunker challenge that Bo did at the PackOut a year ago. So we had Larry, Chani & Leta assume the position, and the bunker gear was laid out in front of them. Despite some challenges, we have to confirm that Leta won.
Not that she would gloat to her brother and sister-in-law, no, not her. Actually she jumped and bounced around with a glee we had never seen from her before. It was great, but I think Chani wants a rematch.
We had a wonderful time with Point Edward and hope they will forgive me the slip, but hey, it just keeps them up toward the top of the posts longer, right?Thank you all for another wonderful visit. Thank you for the coat, I will definitely wear it with honor! And Mr Sparling, thank you sooooooo much for a very special night -- We really enjoyed the light show you arranged to top it all off!
lj
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