Welcome Home Matt!!

Sunday night was fantastic. My boyfriends brother, Matt, finally returned from Afghanistan after 6 1/2 long months. Matt was our team's Round 25 and 26 recipient. The time changed a couple of times through out the day but once we got the final time, the excitement really set in.

Matt's son, Tyler, and cousin Amy decided to make Matt a "Welcome Home" sign. They were having a little trouble with the bubble letters so my inner-Martha came out and I drew the bubble letters for them. Tyler is 11 and Amy is around 10. So, because they clearly know everything at that age they instructed me on how to do the letters.

Amy: We want a red and blue pattern
Me: So every other letter?
Tyler: Yeah yeah and it has to say 'Welcome Home Sergeant Moon'. That's 'S' 'G'...
Me: haha yes I know what the abreviation is
Tyler: ok but it has to say Sgt Moon, not Matt

 After they were done decorating the sign, they had everyone in the family sign it.

Matt arrived at MCAS Miramar around 9:30pm. Their plane was greeted by a large group of cheering family and friends. Matt's son, Tyler, was beside himself excited. He kept saying to his cousin Amy, "Is that the plane? No! I bet it's that one!" It was cute. It was a very exciting and unforgettable night. We are so thankful he made it home safely. Thank You, Baking GALS, for your support, prayers, baked good, dedication and love. Here are a few more pictures from the evening:

Here's the whole group!

Me and my love

Matt's mom. Think she is excited?

Matt seeing his son for the first time!

The ginormous plane

Coming Home!

To everyone that has baked for Team Fire and Icing during Matt's deployment, thank you. From Matt, his family and myself... Thank You , Thank You, Thank You.

You all made a huge difference in the lives of MALS 16 during their stay in Afghanistan. You brought light to the darkness and joy when it felt like there was none.

I am happy to say that Matt is coming home!!!! They should be home around the last week or so in Februray.

The shipping dates for the next round are later than what they would need to be for us to send them packages so they will not be recipients this round. Please continue to remember them in your prayers while they are getting ready to come home.

Round 26: Final Stats

First of all, I am a slacker. I apologize for that. I've been meaning to writing about "Operation Christmas Blessing" on this blog but time has just gotten away from me. Somehow I managed to write it on my personal blog but not the Baking Gals blog. I think I got my wires crossed. Oh well.

Here's the blog about Operation Christmas Blessing.  I hope you enjoy reading it and looking at the pictures. I had a good time writing it.

So do you want to know just how many boxes we sent between the 2 teams?

Between "Team Fire and Icing" and "Team Baking Blessings" we had 32 team members. Of those 32 team members I've heard from 23 people. Are you ready for the grand total?

I am.

Are you?

Are you sure?

Have you been good this year? Oh wait, that's Santa's gig.

ok ok I will tell you.

maybe.

OK for realsies...

Drum Roll Please.....................................

47!!!!!!

I am shocked and blessed and overwhelmed by your generosity. I hope you realize what kind of impact we have just made on the lives of those we sent boxes to. 

Take a moment to imagine being in a desert, away from your family and friends. Freezing cold temps. Thanksgiving has passed, Christmas is coming. Probably no Christmas Lights. No tree. No (or very little) Christmas music. Then you get a box in the mail. A box from a total stranger. They have sent christmas cookies, much needed toiletries, hot chocolate, apple cider packets, hand warmers and kind notes, among other things. Can you imagine how you would feel? Humbled, blessed, joy and thanksgiving. Take a moment and think about how you would feel and multiply it by atleast 2 or 3. That is probably what they are feeling.

Thank you , from the bottom of me heart, for taking the time during this busy season to be part of such an amazing organization! Hope to see you all in the next round!

It has begun!

Round 26 Shipping has started!! Some of you over-achievers have already shipped your boxes. Wow! I am impressed. I am putting together stockings on sunday night and (hopefully) shipping my boxes out bright and early monday morning. I am soe xcited about the Christmas round. I think we will be making a huge difference in the lives of Matt, Josh and all of their co-workers.

Thank you so much for being part of Teams "Fire and Icing"  and "Baking Blessings!"

Hopefully some of your will email me pictures of you, your baking friends and all of the goodies being sent. I would love to post some on here.

Thank You Notes

Matt wrote thank you notes to everyone he recieved boxes from for the last 2 rounds. It sounds like everyone is starting to get the notes in the mail. I am excited to hear the reactions of our team members. No one involved with Baking Gals really expects to hear back from the people we send to but it is nice when we do.

If any of the team members read this and have gotten a note back from anyone we have sent to, please leave a comment and let the rest of us know! It is always fun to hear your reactions.

Round 26: CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

Here we are folks! The Christmas round. I love this round. I love Christmas and the spirit of giving. There's something extra special about blessing someone at Christmas, isn't there? Imagine being thousands of miles away from your spouse, kids, parents, friends, and extended family. I think I would shrivel up and die. Honestly. My family is everything to me.

I've always loved to bake so when I heard about Operation Baking GALS I was all in. What a great way to combine my love for baking and my love for giving. I'm not sure how many rounds I have baked for but I never tire of it. It is just as fun each time. I'm not sure who it blesses more: me or the recipient.

I am excited to be hosting 2 teams this round.
1)Team Fire & Icing. Reciepent is my boyfriends brother, Matt. We've already sent him packages the last 2 rounds. They are having fun with it for sure. Matt was in Iraq when I first started dating his brother so I didn't meet him right away. Shortly after his return we found out he would be deployed to Afghanistan in 2010. Now here we are. I've emailed Matt back and forth and he is definitely missing home right now. I hope we can make this round extra special for him and his unit.

2) Team Baking Blessings. Recipient is the brother of someone I met in college. I believe this is Josh's first deployment. He is a christian and has a huge loving heart. This shouldn't surprise me because his sister and my friend from college, Angie, is one of the sweetest people I know. Their family is close-knit and I know he will really be missing home this holiday season.

I am encouraging everyone on my teams to make/write our christmas cards to each of the recipent. I am also hoping they will get their friends and family involved by having them write out some cards too.  I've started Operation Christmas Blessing through my other blog. I have high hopes for this round!

Round 25! Baking for Matt

Well its been a while since I wrote anything on the team blog! I took a break from hosting a team but good news:

I'm baaaaaaaaaccccccckkkkk!

My boyfriend's brother, Matt, was just deployed to Afghanistan in mid august so guess who is the recipient for the next few rounds? ;). Don't worry, I save a few of the cookies for the boyfriend. He still gets some of the cookie love. Matt and his unit are pretty excited about the packages they have been getting. Matt says they all appreciate more than we will ever know.

Every time I get an email from one of my team members, I am blown away with the generosity people have in their hearts. First of all, some of these ladies are packing machines! They list everything they have put in a box and I wonder to myself "how in the world did they fit all of that into one box?!" simply incredible!

Thank you Team Fire & Icing for showing Matt's unit so much love! You are all amazing!