... with anticipation ...

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  • 

    16 hours ago

    Dale Dan Ramirez

    • coming home...
      Hi my family, Daddy is coming home Monday and I can't wait - seeing you on skype for the past 7 months was fun but it never replaces being WITH you, hugging, playing and laughing together. I know you all were helpful to each other and helpful to Mommy...this was a BIGGER job for Mommy as I was away defending our country and I thank you for helping her each day. It will be fun being together and getting used to being 'home' - my 'home' for the past 7 months was different so adjusting back to Guam will be a very nice thing. You'll have to remind me of the routine and take care of me too...I'll catch up I promise. I love you all and am very proud of your accomplishments - it's just the beginning of the great things you'll be doing. I'll write you more when I get to the Hawaii USO - I'm in the L.A. USO now....USO rules!  LOVE YOU family, Daddy!
  • 

    about an hour ago

    Dot Ramirez

    • Hi  The kids are excited... although driving me a little crazy (yes, i said that!)... they wrote you notes/letters about you coming home... I'll transcribe them for you...
  • 

    about an hour ago

    Dot Ramirez

    • from MORGAN:
      
      Daddy,
      
      Hi! Welcome back! We missed you so much! I remember the last time I saw you, it was in Pennsylvania. It was at Uncle Len's house, downstairs and I was sleeping on the couch. Then, you woke me up and that was the last time I saw you, that was a long time ago! 10 months! You've been gone for so long! We can't wait to see you! You're coming home tomorrow. It's too bad that I have to go to school the day you get back. I wish I could stay home, but I have the band exchange with Andersen. I can still spend a lot of time with you because you have the exciting two weeks off from working. We can go go-carting and eat meat! It's been so long since we had barbeque. I forgot what your juicy BBQ chicken tasted like. I'm craving it so much now. It was succlent and the sauce was so awesome! Hopefully, you can make some when you get back. It's going to taste so good! I remember when we went to Maryland 2 or 3 weeks before you and I remember how happy we were. Imagine how happy we will be seeing you after 10 months! See you in less than 24 hours! Bye. Love ya! Can't wait to see you!
      
      Love,
      Morgan
  • 

    about an hour ago

    Dot Ramirez

    • from RYAN:
      
      Dear Daddy
      
      Welcome back home from a long hard deployment. We know you've worked very hard for us. I also love that you're back and united with the family again.
      
      The thing I missed about you most was your fun singing, laughing, basketball dunking, go-cart racing and back massaging skillzzzz!! You are really fun and a very good person to hang out with. I love you a lot!
      
      Your son,
      Ryan
  • 

    about an hour ago

    Dot Ramirez

    • from DANI:
      
      Dear Daddy,
      
      I'm so glad you're coming home! It was so sad you had to miss Mommy's birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day and ALMOST my birthday, but you're coming 7 days before it! I can't wait for all the things we're going to do when you come back. I missed your grilling! You made THE best chicken, vegetables, and steak on the grill. I also miss you waking me up in the morning before you go to work. The last thing I would say to you was always, "Bye, Daddy - Love you!" I even said that before you went to your deployment to Kuwait.
      
      Thank you for the cool camouflage hats and bag you got in Kuwait. I use the hat for hikes. It's really useful.
      
      I'm so excited to go to sleep and then waking up to hear, "{Time to go get daddy". I will wake up like a FLASH! I can't wait until then!
      
      I  U!
      
      Daniella
      Dani
      DanDan
  • 

    about an hour ago

    Dot Ramirez

    • from Mia:
      
      she drew a picture of you with a mole on your face... and a scratch on your head... hahaha! and she is in it and Dani is on the drawing and she wrote...
      
      I LOVE YOU DADDY!
      
      She is very excited to show it to you!
  • 

    33 minutes ago

    Dale Dan Ramirez

    • these letters are the best, thanks for relaying them to me - thankfully the airport has free wi-fi so i can check on the messages while waiting...and draining my battery. this is a long-excursion for me...starting almost 72 hours ago - broken up in phases but a long process - it's okay since each phase is closer to Guahan. in LAX and in Hawaii, we've had several folks pull us/me aside saying 'thank you for your service' - it truly is a humbling feeling when folks do that - true Americans, these folks are. we live in a great country. for me i say, 'thank you' for YOUR service in keeping our family healthy and being my best cheerleader - you deserve the medal rather than me. love you
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You know who you are... THANK YOU!

It's hard to believe that Dale will be making his way home to us in less than 33 hours! There were times this deployment felt long and times it felt like it went by quickly... so I'm wondering why these last few days have felt like a lifetime? The anticipation of it all is so exciting and exhausting and frustrating and relieving... does that even make any sense? 

When I think about the last 10 months and close my eyes... your faces are the ones I see and the voices I hear and the messages I recall... and the love I feel from near and far. I am so grateful for my family, childhood friends, college friends, Navy friends, church friends... neighbors... YOU were placed in my life for a reason and I just wanted to THANK YOU for the big things and the little things each of you did to make this time bearable. 

So many of you on this list of family & friends are far far away... and even from afar - you made a difference! Especially this past summer and thanksgiving when we traveled back to the states... THANK YOU!

Your smiles, your gestures, your actions, your talents, your mentoring my children, your visits and opening up your homes, your notes/e'mails/phone calls, packages were so appreciated! Most of all... your prayers and encouragement! THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!  

If you are in the Guam area... I just wanted to let you know that Dale is arriving at a crazy early morning hour of 4:35am this MONDAY - March 7th! If for some reason you find yourself awake - you'll find my little family giddy with excitement and anticipation at the Guam Int'l Airport with BIG SMILES as we welcome home a very missed husband and daddy! 

In a few hours Dale will be waking up to head to LAX to wait and wait and travel and wait and travel and wait and travel... a terribly LONG journey - LAX - Honolulu - Marshall Islands - Guam. Please continue to pray for traveling mercies for him! Thanks bunches!!

... and again... I am so incredibly grateful for YOU in my life! God is good!

 Dot