Stay Safe, Brother

Today my younger brother, P, is flying to Afghanistan for yet another deployment.  This one will last until February, but hopefully it will be his very last deployment.  Like all military families, we always hold our breath and pray like mad until he's back home safely, and this time it will be no different.

About 10 days ago we all got together to see each other again to say good-bye to P.  It was bittersweet, but I'm so glad we were able to gather before he left.  Unfortunately P's wife Karen wasn't able to make it, and neither was MJ.  But here's a family pic of the rest of us (P is next to me, top center):

Our family will celebrate several milestones while P is gone.  Obviously, he's missing Otto's birth (by just a few weeks -- argh!).  When P gets back, our baby will be almost a year old!  And P will also be promoted to Major during this deployment, which is a big accomplishment we will celebrate when he returns.

Be safe, P!  You will always be in our thoughts and prayers.