Austin Adventures

I have slacked off for far too long. I started this blog not only to keep family and friends updated but because it has become a useful way for me to vent and to explain my thoughts. I think Jeremy has a hearing problem because when I talk to him I am either too loud or too quite. I ask him which one am I, it can't be both but he acts like he doesn't hear me. So, one day I hope he sits down to read this blog so that I won't have to repeat myself 3 times and he can understand the first time, ha Love you boo boo!

Two weeks ago Jeremy went scuba diving in Florida and he had a blast. Like I knew he would. He has accomplished so much in so little time, the big steps he takes now will affect him the rest of his life. His moral is at an all time high. To keep it up he extremely excited to know that his mom will be coming out to visit, a friend from Germany is flying in, at the end of the he will be visiting California to learn how to surf, and he is getting his first ever Harley Davidson Trike! At this point I'm not sure if we are pushing our luck but whatever he deserves it and we are in fast forward.

Lately Jeremy has been in stubbies and recently the doctors added feet to Jeremy's stubbies so that he can start wearing shoes. Now the stubbies are for balancing purposes so as he continues to buy tons and tons of shoes he has started to notice how heavy different shoes are. I wear different shoes and the only thing I can tell between each shoe is how uncomfortable they are or how much they hurt. I would assume when you're lifting legs, feet, metal, and fiber glass by just your thighs then you can probably feel just about everything.

This past weekend Jeremy and I had a weekend date in Austin. The first night in town we watched my brother play football, it had been awhile since we watched high school football. The next day we took a tour of downtown Austin with the Austins Duck Adventure. We were given duck noise makers to wear and when we were told we quacked, lol. It was a land and water excursion so we got a ride on Lake Travis as well. The last day/night in Austin we took a tour of the Texas History Museum and we kicked back and enjoyed ourselves at the UT v. Rice football game. The game was kick ass!

Not really that much going on over here lately but sure has been a ball.....:)

Quick Note:

  Through my years of growing up to the wonderful woman I am today :P, I have always been asked who my hero was and why. I remember other people always saying someone famous or one of their parents and their reasons were because of significant happenings or because they see all the hard work accomplished first hand. My hero was always mom because well she raised me. Now of course I have two hero's, the other being my husband. In curiosity, who has been you're hero and why?

To Scuba Dive.... Or To Not Scuba Dive? That Is The Question!

Since the day Jeremy was injured we have pondered on a lot of What Ifs.. We have questioned what his limits will be, will he be able to do this in the future with his kids, will he be able to do this for leisure time, or will he be able to do the activities he did before he got injured? I believe that over the past few months we have answered all these questions ourselves, there really is no limit for us.

The Rehabilitation Center offers so many trips for the Wounded Warriors; it helps keep them involved socially, it helps keep them motivated with activities, and it helps them see a different perspective on all aspects of life.

Jeremy has had the opportunity to take training for scuba diving plus take a week long vacation in Florida.

The first evening in training Jeremy was a little discouraged because he wasn't able to go down very deep. His ears were starting to hurt and he couldn't take the pressure. After the second day of training it has been smooth sailing. Can you believe it? He is carrying all this equipment on his back, has no legs, and is able to do somersaults under water! Really, he is my inspiration.

I am so glad that I had the chance to talk him into this class because I knew that he could do it and I know that this is another moment he will never forget. Tomorrow he is going to a near by lake to kind of get an idea of what Florida will be like. Then on Sunday I say "See You Later" until the following weekend.

FYI: The See You Later phrase holds a strong meaning for us. From the day Jeremy deployed I told him that I never want to say Goodbye because I always knew that I would see him again. Every phone call was ended with "I Love You, See You Later".

Once a Family of 5 is now a family of 4

So as if our family hasn't suffered enough lately more and more keep coming. I know that "things happen for a reason" but when is enough going to be enough.

Last weekend we had a lot to do with moving into our new house, Seth and Diesel coming home for good, and all the little extras to put our family back into the place we once were.

Sunday night was something else. Not really sure what happened or what triggered the madness in our brand new home but Diesel was not a happy camper. Diesel was to the point that he growled at Seth and when I went to get onto him he wanted to jump on me and attempt to bite me. He then turns to Jeremy and tried to attack him as well. What was this and where in the hell did it come from? Excuse my French. Our protector, our family member, and our pet that Seth would grow up with was not the same anymore. Maybe he was pissed or maybe he felt abandoned for the past few months not being with us? Not really sure and I am not sure  if it will ever make sense to me. The way he turned, the way he looked, and the way he had us scared was way out of left field. After this fiasco it was time to call the cops. The cops then called Animal Control and had Diesel picked up. Since he had attempted to attack he was no longer eligible to be adopted out and he had to be put down. I called Animal Control the morning of August 6th to ask what was going on, crying, and wanted to see Diesel one last time to say Goodbye because I didn't have that chance when they took him. I called a little too late because they had just sedated him.

Almost a week later and I still don't understand it. For the past two years he might have been a handful and sometimes a pain in the butt but he was our pain in the butt, he was our protector, he was our friend, he was our family. SO WHY, WHY US, AND WHY NOW?

We will never forget you. We have always loved you and always will. Missing you every minute of the day.

Anderson News!

Below is a letter that will be published in the Anderson, Indiana newspaper. Feel free to have a sneak peek:

As I recall Terry Bruning sent me an e-mail about Jeremy just before 5th District meeting and asked if I thought we could help out. Dept. CMDR Simons was in town on personal business and came by the post before the meeting and asked how feasable I thought the project was and outlined how he thought it should be handled. I told him we would do our best to make him happy.

I went to Mrs Creamer's (Jeremy's Grandmother) House to get a feel for the project and confirm the 2nd hand info as exactly what was needed as some of the info seemed contradictory as to the extent of his injury and his mobility. I then contacted Madison County Service Officer Jay Randolph who is also Post 266 and 5th District service officer for help in cutting any red tape we might run into. He had the go ahead that same day. Post 266 Commander Lew Goodwin assured me the post would cover any undonated materiel and he would round up some help. We met at the Anderson Lowe's store where when I explained the situation, showed them a drawing, and gave them an list of estimated materiel. We took the list to the manager who immediately gave us a 50% discount when we explained the situation. I promised some publicity to the store and was told that wasn't why they were doing it.

The ramp as built bore little resemblence to my sketch but ended up much better thanks to the ideas of the two men Lew brought. One was a professionalo carpenter who took the day off from making a living to help. When I asked his address to mail a thank you letter , he refused to give it. He said knowing he helped another vet was all the thanks he needed or wanted. Using his modifications we built the ramp with the idea of being able to salvage and reuse the pieces under similar circumstances. Five of us were able to complete a 30 foot by 46 inch wide ramp in about 6 hours in 90 plus temprature. Mrs Creamer and her sister kept us well supplied with ice tea, lemonade, and water. The liquids were a lifesaver.

The ramp was built on Monday the 25th as that was when the help was available. Jeremy and his family was expected in on the 28th but we didn't know which airport or the time of arrival as they had a donated flight and were dependent on another persons schedule. Commander Simons had arranged for Rolling Thunder as an escort but we didn't tell Jeremy in case something went wrong. It was a good thing we didn't tell because he ended up coming in at midnight and it would have been too dangerous to try to convoy that many bikes over several miles of country roads. Commander Simons, Post 266 Commander Lew Goodwin, State Purple Heart Association Commander Larry Shaw and I met his plane and drove him and his family to his Grandmother's house and left the family alone until it was time to leave.

Without telling him, we decided to try the motorcycle escort again when he left as he had to be at the airport in Anderson at 6 PM on Sunday the31st. We told him we would pick him up at 5 PM. I got there a little early and was talking to the family when we heard bikes. One of them said" What in the world?" . I said "Hope you don't mind. We have a little suprise For you." He put on a big grin and said "Cool". Lew had asked about bringing some of the Anderson ABATE bikes and said he thought he could get a dozen or so. I had told him to go for it and was stunned when I stepped outside and saw about 75 bikes and over 100 people lined up to thank Jeremy for his service and sacrifice. I noticed I wasn't the only one in a tough crowd with dust in the eye. The entire family was excited and happy, and Jeremy was in his element. Especially when he got a ride on the back of a beautiful red Harley trike. They were gone about 15 minutes and I began to worry about getting to the airport on time. No sweat. They got back about the same time Commander Simons arrived with Rolling Thunder. Final total on bikes was 97 with close to 150 riders and passengers.

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We got under way close to on time and the convoy stretched out nearlyto a half mile with Jeremy in my car in the middle. His wife, mother, and son rode with the bikers. The bikers left us at the airport and Commander Lew and I watched lift off before leaving. I talked to his grandmother the next day to make sure we had everything put back together properly and she thanked us again and said seeing the love and concern for Jeremy Helped her deal with her own grief over the loss of her husband.

Jeremy is a fine young man of 34 and will do just fine. His family is loving and supportive. At the airport we started to help him into the plane but his wife didn't seem to want our help. He was her husband and they would do it together. They did, and with that love and togetherness they can do anything. I admire them both. Jeremy stepped on a land mine pressure plate in Panjwai, Afghanistan on April 21st this year and lost both legs from just above the knees down. He expects another two years of rehab before being medically retired.

The pilot who provided the plane, fuel and time to make two round trips to San Antonio, TX very reluctantly agreed to have his name appear in print as like the carpenter he isn't in it for the glory. Upon reflection, I don't want to make him uncomfortable and will respect his feelings and identify him only as a very kind doctor from the Indianapolis area. We thank him from the bottom of our heart.

Remembrance....

The man that my husband looked up to, The man that helped raise him, The man that gave my husband advice, The man that helped my husband in time of needs passed away 12 July 2011. This passed Saturday in Indiana a beautiful Memorial Service was held for Jeremy's papaw (grandfather) and there was no way we were going to miss it. When Jeremy was first released from the hospital his Nanny and Papaw were able to fly out and see him for the weekend prior to having surgery. Jeremy's papaw cried when he saw him and saw his Purple Heart. You could just tell that he was very proud to have him as his grandson. Below is a conversation that Zachary and I had just today;

Zachary: Roxy
Me: Zachary
Zachary: You know daddy getting hurt was not a good thing but you know what? In a way it was because he got to see Papaw one last time before he died. If daddy wasn't hurt then you guys would still be in Germany and he wouldn't have gotten to see Papaw.
Me: I know honey, it's funny how life happens the it way does
Zachary: Plus, I got to see guys sooner
Me: Yup

 Nanny and Papaw

When we landed in Anderson, Indiana we were greeted by the VFW Commander of Indiana, the VFW Commander of Anderson, and the Purple Heart Commander of Indiana picked us up and drove us to Jeremy's Nanny's house. They also built a ramp for Jeremy's wheelchair. Our time in Indiana was something else, we made memories that will never be forgotten.

The neighbors there are a very kind hearted couple that looks after Nanny everyday. They also have a horse stable with beautiful horses and one Stallion. Jeremy was able to feed the Stallion an apple out of his hand. I don't know how but those horses brought happiness to us all and were very sweat. Saturday night we had the opportunity to ride a horse known as "T-Man".

Sunday rolled around very quickly. Had a nice brunch at Cracker Barrel, relaxing afternoon at the house with family, and then there was a phone call...

The VFW State Commander had called Jeremy to inform him that he would be at the house at 4:30 p.m. to have a talk with us and that at 5:15 we would heading to the airport. He had also mentioned that some bikers wanted to escort us to the airport. All I can do is post pics and a small video because I still have no words to express myself.

Janina, Zachary, and I were able to ride on the first three bikes of the pack. Jeremy rode in a car behind us. Every street was blocked off by bikers so that the 100 bikers could go by. Needless to say we led the way!

These guys were noticed of the ride Friday evening, they themselves didn't even know how many were going to show up. It was an awesome feeling to know that people on the other side of the states and people that didn't even know Jeremy appreciate him and are Thankful for him.

Another conversation between Zachary and I today:

Me: Zachary do you know why the bikers escorted us to the airport and shook daddy's hand?
Zachary: Yes, because they are proud of him

All Together One Last Time

When we as people find ourselves in difficult situations we always find out who our friends are, who has your back in the time of need, and who really are inspired by you! Our first afternoon in Germany was very emotional. As we pulled up to my husbands Company we see a crowd of soldiers in uniform, it was a great feeling. Jeremy got out of the van and wasn't able to move two feet before these soldiers stood in a line and started greeting him. We had soldiers hugging, crying, and laughing as they were reunited with Our Great Man. It was an experience that we will never forget!

Our time in Germany was great. The next day the Company held a BBQ for the Wounded Families and the Fallen Families. Besides the rain that interupted our time together, it was an amazing reunion. Hearing the laughter of times in Afghanistan and hearing soldiers question how Jeremy is doing being they are inspired by him.... Oh, and seeing all the pictures taken! It was nice to see everyone treat him as if nothing happened because as I said before he is still the same person we have all known to love.

In the picture above you will also see the man "Pops" that was injured at the same time Jeremy was. But you don't see anybody else in a wheel chair, right? And, you don't see anyone that looks injured, right? Well, let me point him out for you.... Front row orange shirt. He is also a Great American Hero that received alot of internal damage. The men in the picture are soldiers that looked up to Pops and Jeremy and are all inspired by these two men. But, what you don't see are the Fallen American Heros. After this deployment I was able to see how close these soldiers are now, the moral they hold with each other, and the proudness of being able to serve with the Wounded and Fallen.

Needless to say we had a great time! We attended one last German Volksfest with friends, we attended a brunch with the families of the Wounded and Fallen, and attended a Memorial Ceremony that just touches your heart so much. All the Soldiers of Vilseck were in perfect formation, Fallen families were in a tent near the memorial site, visitors and wounded families on the side, and the Firing Squad in the back. Towards the end of the Memorial each Fallen Soldiers names were called out, followed by the Firing Squad with the 21 Gun Salute, and then followed by TAPS.

We as people can be very selfish at times. It's not anything big that is just a way of saying we are all human. After experiencing this time in Germany one last time and dealing with our lifes challenges on a daily basis it really opens our eyes!

Thank you to all that serve, that have served, the Fallen, and the Wounded because without you America can not do what they are doing right now at this very moment.

The man/soldier that saved my husbands life because of him we were able to take this picture!

Our Proper Goodbye's and Thank you

Almost a month ago my husband and I were invited to go back to Germany for the unit's Welcome Home Ceremony. Of course with no questionable doubt we said "Yessssss! When do we start packing?"

We are actually enroute now to Germany. From what I understand we have a schedule of events and a lot of catching up to do.

The last time my husband saw his unit was when he was in Afghanistan on their last mission. Yes, I said it, Their LAST MISSION and 15 days away from coming home after a very long year.

I know that this trip will be good for the both of us. My husband will finally be able to have some closure and I will finally get to meet the man that saved my husbands life! I told Jeremy the other day that I don't know how I am going to react when I hug and shake the hand of the man that did everything he could to keep my husband alive. How do people react to situations like this? I have tried to roll play this over and over again in my head but everytime is different. What do I say? I can say Thank You but Thank You doesn't express how much OUR FAMILY is Thankful!

So, as I sit here drinking Crown and Coke #2 in the Airport I watch my husband talk on the phone to a dear friend and his Nanny, I am hearing him laugh, I am seeing his facial expressions, and I am hearing his thoughts! These little things are what mean the most to me.......... So a Big Hug and a Thank You to this Soldier and Man is not enough in my eyes!

I hope that this trip doesn't overwhelm us. My wish is that, people will treat him no differently, be able to talk about it but not over do it because at the end of the day Jeremy is the one that lost his legs but he is still human.

The Stubby's Are Home

After a week of being in-patient my husband had been so eager to stand again and walk again. Obviously, at the same time unaware of how much effort it would take, the surgeries that still needed to be done, and what extra programs he would need to take just to (learn) walk again. Walking is something he has been doing for the past 34 years (well 33), but how could something that has been so simple to him now be so difficult and taken away from him?

"Why did this have to happen to me?"  That is the question my husband asks himself over and over. What am I supposed to say that? You can only go so far with I don't know or anything else because I don't know why and I don't understand why. It's a question that I think about myself just to try to find that answer for my husband because I feel that someone somewhere owe's that to him!


After becoming out-patient and having some much needed training, whether it be physical or occupational training, it was finally time for him to pick out his new wheels (wheel chair) and be casted for his prostestics. Once he was casted it was about a week later before he could actually try them on. It's been a process that has taken some time but I think we are on the right track.

Jeremy's first day of standing and taking a few steps.

Second day of standing and walking!

It has now been a week and the stubby's are allowed to come home now!


Most individuals that stand for the first time in stubby's are not able to walk on the same day or even in the same week. They have so much regular pain or phantom pain that just learning how to balance for a few minutes can take more than a breath out of them. My husband has been told numerous times that people are impressed by his achievements in a short matter of time. I too am proud....

Phone Calls to Loved Ones

 When a loved one is deployed you always worry and wonder every minute of the day. When the phone rings at odd hours in the night and an odd number shows on caller i.d. you wonder if it's your loved one or if it's someone calling in regards to your loved one. Every time I received an e mail regarding Fallen/Wounded Soldiers my heart would drop, I could never imagine how the families would take such news. When I didn't hear from my husband for days I became worried. I always told myself, my husband, and my step son that our soldier was coming home no matter what. That he was safe and nobody was going to harm him.

I never ("never say never") thought or expected anything like this would happen to our family, I would tell myself this over and over again for almost a year.

I would like to say that I am pretty spontaneous for the most part but I also like to plan.... I like to plan for my future and my family's future. I don't like to live just in the present. So I and I am pretty sure other's that have been in a similar situation were completely caught off guard; not the caught off guard and pop back up kind but the Oh Shit with a million things running through your head and not able to figure out which one to focus on kind of one.

After receiving my phone call from my Bad Ass (BA) husband I waited a few minutes to semi-calm down before I had to do something that I "never" thought I would of had to do.

One of the worst things I have ever had to do in my life was to call my mother-in-law and tell her what had happened to her oldest son. I was nervous, shaking, and could barely talk but I needed to do this. I didn't want her finding out from some soldier that she didn't even know and I knew that it would be good for her to know that I heard his voice. She knew something was wrong the minute we said hello!

Ever since I met my husband he has never really had good luck. But, on 21 April 2011, we were lucky that the medic and a good friend were so near that they were able to control his vitals and apply tourniquets where needed in under a minute.

Luck or No Luck? We are just thankful forever and always for those two HERO'S, because we can hear his voice, see his smile, hug and kiss him, and drive him crazy still to this day!



Our Wounded Warrior Hero

On April 21, 2011 my husband was wounded in Afghanistan. This will always be a day that we will never forget and will never want to relive. This event has changed our life dramatically and all we can do is move on with our life! I have attached an article that was written about my husband the day it all happened. At the time he had lost both legs below the knee by stepping on a pressure plate IED while out on patrol;

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/04/at-frontline-hospital-afghan-wars-toll-is-deeply-felt/237787/

Since then, my husband has gone through eight surgeries and is now a bi-lateral amputee above the knee. He has been so strong and determined that he is progressing everyday. He is now starting to stand on block prostetics so that he can learn to keep his balance all over again and is even taking steps but a few at a time.

A lot of people don't realize how dependent we are on our legs and feet. I mean we use them everyday, right? Well, with him learning to walk again is like a toddler learning to walk for the first time. For normal people, we can walk like it's going out of style but with him it takes 3 times more effort just for one step.
I hope you enjoy the article as much as I did.

In the beginning

My husband and I met at the end of the year in 2007. We connected instantly! I was in the United States Air Force at the time and Jeremy was working with Border Patrol near Mexico. Jeremy had a 6 year old son at the time from his previous marriage and we just so happened to get pregnant in 2008. We got married, Jeremy enlisted in the United States Army, and I separated for the sake of our future child all in the same year of 2008. Now, some would refer to this as a "Shotgun Wedding" and those would deny, deny, deny until they were blue in the face. I am still denying and I have never been blue in the face because that is just not the case for us.


See having two parents serving in the military at the same time (in my opinion, for at least our family) is no bueno. I would have hated for us to both be deployed at the same time and have our son not have at least one of his parents there with him. Please don't get me wrong, I support dual military families and/or single soldier families. If it works for you and your family then I'm all for it.


For the past three years the Breece family has been stationed in Germany. Of course, being in a military family you always think about deployments; whether when and if they will happen, how long they will be, and what you are going to do??


This moment came to us and happened in 2010 which leads us to the challenging moments that have already occurred and what is to come in the future.....