This was my facebook post today.  I feel like it pretty much hits right where my heart is on this day each year.

The major thing that sticks in my mind from 9/11/01 was dropping off Carter at day care, he wasn’t even 2 yet and hearing the word terrorist come on the radio. I was like “no way” that wouldn’t happen, it was a mistake. Terrorist wasn’t a common word at the time and we never thought something like this would happen HERE. Since I worked at the Kansas City Business Journal we were very much watching the story unfold. I stood there, 9 months pregnant watching the tv in the newsroom as the towers fell and then as the pentagon was hit…the sky was raining giant airplanes. It was terrifying and I couldn’t fathom how the world would change, what was ahead for all of us but especially my babies, one at daycare and the other in my stomach. Then I felt terrible for my husband…this all happened on his birthday. I know his mom really hated that for him too. So we allowed ourselves to watch a summary of the information then turned off the tv and concentrated on our family. It was a year later when we really let ourselves be affected by this extreme tragedy. We watched the documentaries and weeped. We tabled the grief and worry so we could focus on bringing our daughter into the world. We shielded our son who loved planes, trains and cars too much to introduce the fact that airplanes could crash into buildings and kill thousands of people. We kept our cocoon safe from terrorists and the scary things they make us think about. Carter is now watching a documentary about that day and is fascinated. At almost 15 I think it is time for him to understand the events leading up to that day and what has followed. He will better understand the extreme bravery his Uncle Kyle Brown showed when he enlisted in the Marines and protected us on their soil during three deployments. And he still fights as a Reserve. This is a day to honor all of those people who protect our country, those who have died for our country, the first responders all around the US and the families of those lost but also the families who love those brave men and women. I appreciate and thank you from the bottom of my heart.

9-11-14 and 9-11-01 ***borrowed and reposted from tumblr

Kyle and the guys