Good Grief!

Well, you can see that I created this blog in March and I am now just figuring out how to log back in!!!!! Life is never boring with me!

I will give a little bit of information on Taylor, most of you know her story as it is. Taylor's life has been nothing but struggles, that is until one day when she got a special package in the mail from a Marine in Iraq. This Marine was so impressed with all Taylor has faced in her short time in life, he was so impressed by her love for her country and that at such a young age, she got what our military was about. In this package, he sent her a flag flown on a mission in her honor. Taylor held that flag in her tiny hands, lifting it to her heart and she had tears rolling down her cheeks. She read a letter from this Marine, he informed her he was making her an honorary Marine. Taylor's fighting spirit came roaring out that day.

We later went to a fallen soldiers funeral, as we heard that a certain protest group was going to be there and Taylor was not going to stand for that. That was the day the Patriot Guard Riders came into our lives, and our family of 4 grew to thousands. The PGR opened their arms to us that day, then preceeded to change our very meaning of being on this Earth. They were so taken in by Taylor and what she stood for, they put together Taylor Batten Day.

With Taylor's medical condition, she will never be able to join the military and serve her country. The PGR didn't let her medical condition stop them, no way. They made Taylor a real official Young Marine, Private First Class.

Taylor was no longer a sick little child who was scared to the very core to go to even just a routine doctor visit. She now was an 'official American Warrior' and she over night, became one very squared away Marine who was not going to back down from anything. It was then decided, Taylor needed a promotion and she now is a very proud Sergeant.

Taylor sends care packages, letters, and emails to our troops in Iraq. She has recruited her little brother Tanner in helping get other kids involved and has had his class make cards and send letters as well. Taylor has gotten her teachers to have her class mates write letters and she sends those to our Wounded Warriors at the National Naval Medical Center. Taylor had the very distinct honor of meeting some very outstanding heroes there when she herself had to go the National Institute of Health for a weeks worth of medical testing.
It is a day that will forever be with her. It was a day that she was shown, no matter what you are faced with, you can over come. She saw some very torn up Marines that day, some with life altering traumatic injuries. She saw how these men faced down their injuries, how they fought, how they were brave. My daughter grew up that day. She saw there is no glory in war. She saw there is indeed pain and suffering and death. My daughters love for her country and her military grew stronger that day, as well as her very own fighting spirit.

Many honors have been bestowed upon Taylor in a short time. She has gotten an award from the Daughters of the American Revolution for her patriotism, she was made a ride captain for the Patriot Guard Riders, she has been made a Marine. A special Marine gave up his own personal medal he got from his wounds while fighting for our country. She had the honor of visiting our wounded at NNMC, she has been able to meet two of her heroes by the names of Major Gary Bourland and Lt. Col. Tim Maxwell. She got a very special visit from some very sharp looking Marines from the 8th and I while she was in Washington. Many trinkets with such sentimental value has been passed onto Taylor from countless people. Most importantly, she has gained strength she so badly needs from prayers and from new friendships gained from all over the United States.

To Taylor, her honor is being a proud supporter of www.anysoldier.com and www.hopeforthewarriors.org Her honor is making sure that when she can, she goes to the funerals of our fallen www.patriotguard.org Her honor is making sure that she can do her best to let those over fighting the fight, never feel they are alone.

I burst with pride being Taylor and Tanner's mom. Taylor's path is life has been chosen, and she has taken her brother, her dad's and my hands and are leading us. Leading us to become better, to love more, to be compassionate. She has shown us just what strong is.