I am always awed by the unselfishness of our Armed Forces! The fact that they volunteer and willingly sacrifice being with their own families and missing holidays and putting themselves in harms way makes me eternally grateful. And it's not only their sacrifice, but the sacrifices of their Moms, Wives, Husbands, Children, Siblings, etc., etc. The LEAST I can do is show them that they are not forgotten and that I am thinking of them and appreciating them.
My Team of Stampers has always made Cards For Troops – we stamp cards and leave them blank, put them in a stamped envelope and then put that into a clear envelope. They can then use these cards to write home to their families. My neighbor is deployed right now. I love baking for him and his Platoon and sending the cards to them. This is a picture of "The Boys" (as I affectionately refer to them) eating the famous Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies I sent them. (If you want the recipe, it's HERE.) I know you're not supposed to send chocolate to the desert, but they love them! LOL!
Here's a close-up of the cookie! They're enormous! LOL! You drop them on a cookie sheet with an ice cream scoop! They are really DELICIOUS and I haven't met a person who doesn't like them!
The cards don't have to be elaborate. This is a simple yet beautiful card that Lesli-Ann Masella made – along with about 75 others! – that one of "The Boys" used to write me a thank you note for the cookies. 🙂
If you don't personally know someone, there are lots of organizations that will collect these cards and send them out to the Soldiers that need them. (Operation Write Home)
So – if you are a soldier, have a soldier in your family, or know a soldier, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!