thedrifter
06-26-07, 06:16 AM
Troops, families celebrate the 'Christmas' they missed
By: SHANNON WINGARD - For the North County Times
SAN DIEGO -- Although six months have passed since the holiday season, Christmas was recreated Monday morning for approximately 350 moms, dads and children who were separated during the holidays because of the war in Iraq.
Military families walked past snow machines sputtering flakes and into the Murphy Canyon Youth Center, 4867 Santo Road, where they could open presents, decorate gingerbread cookies and sit on Santa's lap.
With red and green crepe paper lining the walls, the building was also decorated with live trees, homemade ornaments, newspapers and magazines from Dec. 25, 2006, and a white sheet cake that read "Welcome Back/Merry Christmas/Thank You."
The event was organized to give junior-enlisted families a chance to make up for the holiday they missed, said Brittney Catton, director of development and public relations for the San Diego Armed Services YMCA.
The facility hosted the event and joined the KSON 92.1 Morning Show as a co-sponsor.
"The holiday times are such a tough time to be separated, because you miss a lot," Catton said. "We kind of just wanted a do-over."
The event allowed families to watch movies that were released during the holidays, make ornaments and sit down for breakfast.
During the celebration, 17 babies born during recent deployments took center stage, said Paul Steffens, executive director of the Armed Services YMCA.
He said the Armed Services YMCA was a fitting host, because the organization offers 40 programs for military families, including in-home, confidential counseling.
The organization has a program to support military families that have loved ones deployed during the holidays.
"We'll find out what they need, and match the family with a corporation or an individual," he said.
It was through that program that Ivette Lopez, the wife of a Camp Pendleton Marine, said she learned about the Monday event. She said her husband, Marine Sgt. Michael Lopez, and teenage children decided to attend so they could create a holiday memory together. Ý
Since they married 10 years ago, Ivette Lopez said, they have missed countless birthdays and anniversaries, but have never been apart during the winter holidays.
"It didn't seem fair," she said.
What she missed the most, she said, were family traditions such as staying up all Thanksgiving night with her husband to get an early morning start on holiday shopping and putting up the Christmas tree as a family.
Last year, Lopez said, she tried to be in the spirit, but admits it was hard.
"I didn't feel motivated to go shopping the day after Thanksgiving or motivated to put up a tree," she said.
Just months before the deployment, Lopez said, her family moved to Camp Pendleton after being stationed for nine years at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. The move made the holiday even more difficult, she said, because she and her children no longer had the support network they'd created in North Carolina.
"On Christmas, we stayed home and watched movies, just hoping he would call or e-mail," she said, adding that they did receive an e-mail.
While it was difficult being away from his family, Michael Lopez said, last Christmas was "just another work day" in the Anbar Province of Iraq.
He said he was excited about Monday's event because "it was something I missed, but it is something I can make up on."
For Sgt. Andrew Dykes, last Christmas was the second he has spent separated from his family. He said he missed the first Christmas for his son Braxton, who is now 4, and his year-old daughter, Hailee.
"You almost want to think that time stands still while you are gone," he said. "You never get that time back."
Dykes said he started getting his son excited days ago by telling him that "Santa was making a special trip," because dad didn't get to see Braxton open his gifts.
His wife, Natalie, said she was happy for the chance to make up for spending last year's holidays apart. Although she was with her children, she said the holiday didn't feel the same.
"Usually, you're excited for your children to open their presents," she said, but instead it felt "just like a normal day."
Determined to create a fonder memory, she said her family prepared for the event while driving to it.
"We sang Christmas carols all the way down."
Ellie
By: SHANNON WINGARD - For the North County Times
SAN DIEGO -- Although six months have passed since the holiday season, Christmas was recreated Monday morning for approximately 350 moms, dads and children who were separated during the holidays because of the war in Iraq.
Military families walked past snow machines sputtering flakes and into the Murphy Canyon Youth Center, 4867 Santo Road, where they could open presents, decorate gingerbread cookies and sit on Santa's lap.
With red and green crepe paper lining the walls, the building was also decorated with live trees, homemade ornaments, newspapers and magazines from Dec. 25, 2006, and a white sheet cake that read "Welcome Back/Merry Christmas/Thank You."
The event was organized to give junior-enlisted families a chance to make up for the holiday they missed, said Brittney Catton, director of development and public relations for the San Diego Armed Services YMCA.
The facility hosted the event and joined the KSON 92.1 Morning Show as a co-sponsor.
"The holiday times are such a tough time to be separated, because you miss a lot," Catton said. "We kind of just wanted a do-over."
The event allowed families to watch movies that were released during the holidays, make ornaments and sit down for breakfast.
During the celebration, 17 babies born during recent deployments took center stage, said Paul Steffens, executive director of the Armed Services YMCA.
He said the Armed Services YMCA was a fitting host, because the organization offers 40 programs for military families, including in-home, confidential counseling.
The organization has a program to support military families that have loved ones deployed during the holidays.
"We'll find out what they need, and match the family with a corporation or an individual," he said.
It was through that program that Ivette Lopez, the wife of a Camp Pendleton Marine, said she learned about the Monday event. She said her husband, Marine Sgt. Michael Lopez, and teenage children decided to attend so they could create a holiday memory together. Ý
Since they married 10 years ago, Ivette Lopez said, they have missed countless birthdays and anniversaries, but have never been apart during the winter holidays.
"It didn't seem fair," she said.
What she missed the most, she said, were family traditions such as staying up all Thanksgiving night with her husband to get an early morning start on holiday shopping and putting up the Christmas tree as a family.
Last year, Lopez said, she tried to be in the spirit, but admits it was hard.
"I didn't feel motivated to go shopping the day after Thanksgiving or motivated to put up a tree," she said.
Just months before the deployment, Lopez said, her family moved to Camp Pendleton after being stationed for nine years at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. The move made the holiday even more difficult, she said, because she and her children no longer had the support network they'd created in North Carolina.
"On Christmas, we stayed home and watched movies, just hoping he would call or e-mail," she said, adding that they did receive an e-mail.
While it was difficult being away from his family, Michael Lopez said, last Christmas was "just another work day" in the Anbar Province of Iraq.
He said he was excited about Monday's event because "it was something I missed, but it is something I can make up on."
For Sgt. Andrew Dykes, last Christmas was the second he has spent separated from his family. He said he missed the first Christmas for his son Braxton, who is now 4, and his year-old daughter, Hailee.
"You almost want to think that time stands still while you are gone," he said. "You never get that time back."
Dykes said he started getting his son excited days ago by telling him that "Santa was making a special trip," because dad didn't get to see Braxton open his gifts.
His wife, Natalie, said she was happy for the chance to make up for spending last year's holidays apart. Although she was with her children, she said the holiday didn't feel the same.
"Usually, you're excited for your children to open their presents," she said, but instead it felt "just like a normal day."
Determined to create a fonder memory, she said her family prepared for the event while driving to it.
"We sang Christmas carols all the way down."
Ellie