TA came!!!!!

We got that coveted call today that our TA arrived at Wasatch! Thank you Marilyn for putting up with the Martinell family thru this journey. It finally feels real that we are going to get our baby girl!

I have had to remind myself today that this is our happiness and I can't let negative words get in our way of this special time. Lily, we love you more than anything in the world and we are on our way to bring you home.

God, please give me peace with this whole journey. We are so excited and know this your will for us but we have some negative going on. You are the one who can take this pain and hurt away. Please heal my broken heart and give us great peace as we get our precious gift from you! In your Holy name!!!

My favorite Veteran.... My husband

How do you thank someone who volunteers to put their lives on the line daily for our country's freedom??? I don't know but I will try. 

Shawn, You are the love of my life, the best father ever, the most amazing husband, a wonderful soldier and a fantastic cop. You have heart, compassion and drive that is really hard to find in a person. God has given me an amazing gift of you. Thank you for all you have done for our country and foremost our family. I married you knowing this was the path you had chosen. It was super difficult but well worth it in the end. I never had our first pregnancy planned the way it turned out. Thanks for giving me that "going away gift" of pregnancy prior to your second deployment to Iraq. It was the longest year of our lives. I am thankful that God allowed you to be home on R&R for Mason's birth. I wish you could have been there for all the IV's, multiple hospital stays and were able to physically care for me but that was not in our cards. Thank goodness for my mom :) I am sorry for giving you heck when you had to deploy. I really only did it because I couldn't see living a moment with out you around. I cried a lot but those tears kept me going. 14.5 years later we are still going strong. 7 of those were active and the last 7 have been reserves. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!! I love you more then ever!!

 Shawn, myself and Mason 5 days after his birth. Shawn was headed back to Iraq to finish his 2nd tour.

 Shawn on the right and a fellow soldier on his 1st tour April 2003 on the boarder of Iraq and Afghanastan 

 Ready to roll into Iraq during the first invasion.

 Recent drill photo at Mt Rainer in WA

 Shawn and Mason playing play station after work one day

 Our wedding day July 22, 2000

Family photo Christmas 2007

Mason 3 and Landon 7 months

Tentative Travel dates are here!!

We got an e-mail today stating that we have tentative travel dates!

Fly to China December 7
Gotcha day December 10
Consulate appt December 18
Fly home December 20

We are still waiting for our official TA but this is the closest we have ever been.