This Christmas was my daughter's first "real" Christmas.  No she is not a baby, she is 17 and a senior in High School.

The reason I say it is her first one, is that this year she is working and decided to buy presents for all of our family herself, and in doing so, she went all out.  And it was a joy to behold.

First some history.

Throughout Kayla's early years, times were somewhat hard.  I was military, recently divorced and remarried, and frankly we had little money for many years.

Kayla never lost her holiday spirit, and always took great delight in Christmas, even when there were only a few presents under the tree.

When she reached an age to want to give presents, we often didn't have the resources to help her buy presents for the other kids, so she made her own.  Her present of choice for many years was to take scraps of cloth (she loved to sew and collected fabric) and batting and make mini pillows, some only a few inches long.  She would spend hours making them by hand, then wrapping them, so no one was forgotten.

They are treasured gifts.

She more then most kids her age "gets" Christmas, the spirit of giving and of sharing love.  This year was no different, as she has Christmas lights in her room.

so armed with a paycheck, she set out to spend more money on us than I wanted her too.  Her response was that this was her first real Christmas of buying her own presents for people, and she wanted to do it right.

So, when I think about Christmas this year, she occupies much pride in my thoughts.  What she bought me is not important, it is the thought and love she gave it.

I saw this at Hot Air.  I agree with their assessment, it is cheesy but irresistible.  

But aside from the warm and fuzzy factor, I believe this glimpses and reminders are important, regardless of politics and ideology, because no matter what you think of the war, the reminder that our soldiers are human and that they not only risk their lives, they sacrifice their time with their families to serve a cause they believe.

Thus it has always been, and always will be.  This transcends this war.  This is a fact of Military life, and is something these soldiers share with Military men and women of all ages, eras and conflicts.

So, here is extreme cuteness, with the best saved for last.

And another one...

...and another...

...even another...

...and the granddaddy of them all, from last year.

Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Stop the ACLU, The Virtuous Republic, Mark My Words, Rosemary's Thoughts, Right Truth, sTIX bLOG, Shadowscope, The Amboy Times, Chuck Adkins, Adeline and Hazel, third world county, , Woman Honor Thyself, DragonLady's World, Pirate's Cove, Celebrity Smack, The Pink Flamingo, Dumb Ox Daily News, Stageleft, Right Voices, Church and State, Blog @ MoreWhat.com, The Random Yak, 123beta, guerrilla radio, Adam's Blog, Cao's Blog, Big Dog's Weblog, The Bullwinkle Blog, Conservative Cat, nuke's, Wake Up America, Faultline USA, Allie is Wired, , The World According to Carl, Blue Star Chronicles, Republican National Convention Blog, CORSARI D'ITALIA, High Desert Wanderer, OTB Sports, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Well even the students know how to take a concept and twist it completely out of proportion.

The students in the LA area again protested the proposed immigration laws, and decided that immigration wasn't necessarily the issue, nor was illegal immigration.

Their issue is apparently conquest.  From Michelle Malkin:

Go to her link for more pictures.

Honestly I am trying to be objective about this but this just irritates the veteran in me.

The kids think they are trying to make a point, but even at it's most basic levels, immigration policy does not mean turning the US into North Mexico.

I have no issue with national pride in one's heritage, but since when must your heritage and roots drive American policy more then any one else's?

If I were to be feeling really belligerent I would ask them "If Mexico is so great, why are you expending so much effort to come here?" but I am not, so I won't. 

One bright spot. Apparently truancy is not trumped by free speech:

I have been light on my writing, due to some serious events here.

The first was fairly mundane, I started my new job last Monday, and I have frankly been too preoccupied with learning the processes to spend a lot of time writing.

But much more serious, was hearing my uncle had died of emphysema the 15th, 2 days before I started that job.

As a matter of background, my father's family is very large. He is second eldest of 13 children. The children arrived from around 1932 to 1953, and all 13 lived and grew into adulthood, despite 3 of them serving in the Marine Corps in Korea (my dad included); despite a much high mortality rate from childhood diseases; and despite having 11 rowdy boys, a feat that I consider to be somewhat blessed all on it's own.

My grandmother is, or should be, a certified saint, having raised these 11 boys and 2 girls. (don't pity the heavily outnumbered girls, they are today two of the most amazing and strong women I know) Grandmother was named Mother of the Year in San Jose California in the mid 50s, a title she earned many times over.. She was also on her own from the mid 60s or so when my grandfather died. I hardly knew him really, but she remains a firm memory.

Allen, my departed uncle was the 4th oldest, age 69. He had been a smoker since high school, apparently, and it caught up with him. I wont repeat his obituary, but suffice to say he marched to his own drummer. For example, he loved motorcycles, and after leaving the Marine Corps he rode for a while with the Hells Angels in LA. Allen never did anything in a conventional fashion. He later became a tax assessor, the only family member I know of to serve in a public office. Consider the extreme changes from Marine, to biker to politician. This was the complex man Allen was.

He eventually married, raised three great kids and upon his death had several wonderful grandkids.