I am a single parent with 4 awesome children; Cpl Robert Bautzmann, who after serving three deployments to Iraq is now out of the Marines, Demi who is a freshman at ASU, Kaila who is the social butterfly of the family and Drew who at age 12 dreams of playing professional baseball one day. I teach at Ottawa University, University of Phoenix and for Washington School District. I am also a free lance writer with three stories recently published in the Chicken Soup for Soul Books. 

Being the mother of a brave Marine who has been placed in Iraq for three deployments has been a test of my inner strength! Lots of worry, sleepiness nights, worrisome days yet I am proud of my sons choice to become a Marine. His courage to face terrorists thugs threatening the safety of humanity has given me the strength to face my worries and fears. This book was written to help new Marine Corps parents who will be facing some of the same challenges in the near future and to help give some awareness to others what military families at home face everyday. Proceeds from the books, journals and pens will be donated Operation Santa.

Operation Santa/AZ sponsors 1-2 companies of Marines deployed over the holidays. Many of our brave heroes receive little or no mail from home. Our goal is to send comfort items such as candy, cookies, peanuts, books, frisbees, etc., from home to the Marines to remind them we support them and miss them.