Sentimental Sunday-History in the Making

Family History in the making, that is combining with American History in the making.
I have been absent the past few days, and making this post brief for a good reason. My 3rd son, who just turned 21 a couple weeks ago, is preparing to go to Iraq. This weekend he came home for the last time before he deploys. He's been in training the past few months, and mother nature has decided to help prepare the troops as well. So for those of us suffering in the heat, just know it's helping our son, daughters, brother, father etc...get ready for the real heat of the desert.
My son got home Friday, after spending some time Thursday with his girlfriend and college friends out of town. We decided to combine his birthday party and going away party, into one big party yesterday. My husband smoked ribs and chicken, I made cake and salads, and the house was full of friends and family. It was a great day.
But this morning I woke up not wanting to face the day. Today our son heads back to his training post. I don't know when or if I will see him again. And that is a very difficult reality to wake up to.

My son is with the troops who will be part of the troop extraction in Iraq, and we are told they should be back by the end of the year. So that is where American history comes in. His big brothers, my two oldest are in the Navy, and they have also found themselves in the midst of making history while serving in the Pacific the last couple years. That was hard enough too, but not near as hard as seeing one go to Iraq.
My sailors are ending their term of service soon, and the best I can do for my mental state is look forward to the next year, when all my boys should be home again (by spring!), and to keep digging into family history.

My cousin Valerie has been emailing me information on the Fredericks/Rhinesnmith (from New Jersey) line on my dad's side, and her info contains more surnames and puzzle pieces to try to put together. So I hope that will help keep my mind on better things.
I hope to get back into the swing of blogging my family tree more this week. I expect/hope to find something new this week!

(new surnames that are being suggested are Speaker, Merrio or Marion, Richards, Metzenback. These tie in to my Van Ordens; Mary Ellen Fredericks and Harmen Van Orden. So if you recognize any of these names please shoot me a line! We can use all the help we can get)