Valhalla Ranch, Matt and Kristen

With Independence Day arriving my thoughts have been with Matt Littrell of The Long Trail Home. I still follow The Long Trail Home facebook page and keep up with Matt an his new wife, Kristen through social media. Matt and Kristen have been quite busy since they settled in their new home.

Horse Nation published a nice article in December of 2014 about Matt's journey.  

It will bring you up to date.  

Recognizing that the VA is backlogged and not properly staffed Matt started Valhalla Ranch as a retreat for veterans.  This retreat is everything dreams are made of including beautiful sunsets.  

Kristen established a gofundme page for Valhalla Ranch to help raise money to complete the ranch. Your donation would be greatly appreciated.  

If you find that you're questioning about donating directly to benefit Valhalla Ranch, please donate to the Semper Fi Fund.  Our veterans need our help to regain their independence.

Thank you.

Personal note: I first learned of Matt's mission in May of 2014.  

I just shake my head when I think of learning about him because I 

do not want to admit that I was the fool, but I was.

Seriously, I watch Cops but always know the answer 

before the criminal says a word!

(Reference my blog blog of August 2014.)

 In Matt's case, I am sure that if he had made the 

slightest wrong move I would have caught it.

I will forever call attention to the fact that

Matt Littrell continually exceeds my expectations.

I could not be more proud of the fact that 

Mr. and Mrs. Littrell are continue to focus on 

their mission to help veterans.

The Long Trail Home Leads To Valhalla Ranch

Matt Littrell of The Long Trail Home has been on my mind.  He is now working to construct Valhalla Ranch, a small sanctuary for veterans that are affected by PTSD.  You know how I feel about that term but Matt doesn't care because he knows that post traumatic stress is a problem and he wants to help other veterans grow beyond it.

The other day I told somebody that they needed to get MADD to correct a problem they were having and that's exactly what Matt did.  He got MADD when one of his friends took their own life.  I didn't advise Matt to get MADD but that's what he did, he made a damn decision and started to work on Valhalla Ranch.  Good for you, Mr. Littrell!

I'm assuming that this was quite a shock to Matt's soon to be wife, Kristen.  Sure, Kristen was fine with supporting Matt in his dream of building a ranch where veterans could visit to clear the cobwebs from their mind, but the shock and pain pushed him beyond his having a dream and he started to work to turn his dream in to a reality.  Not an easy job for a young couple, but they have a mission.

Matt and Kristen could use your help.  Kristen has set up a gofundme page for Valhalla Ranch and it would be great if you would donate.  Seriously, they're needing 30K for this mission.  You're supporting the construction of bunk houses and fencing for the horses that Matt and Kristen have trained.

Thirty-thousand dollars and yet we sit around and say, "What's wrong with the younger generation?" Maybe the answer is that we have isolated ourselves so much that we won't believe in anybody from the younger generation.

C'mon, Matt set out to cross the United States on horseback and he did. Need more proof? Okay, it's on Kristen's shoulders.  She believed in his mission, stuck with him on The Long Trail Home and is training the horses that will be used on the ranch.  I guess she does some of that domestic dolly junk like cooking and cleaning too because it appears to me from the pictures she posts that there isn't a pizza shop very close to the ranch.  You can follow them on Twitter at MK Horsemanship or keep up with Matt and Kristen on facebook to watch their progress.

Most importantly, please donate to Valhalla Ranch through the gofundme page.  It's about freedom from miserable memories.
 

The Long Trail Home and Semper Fi Fund Anniversary

I do not know where people gain their inspiration, there are times that I do not even know where my own comes from. I do know that sometimes frustration causes me to take action. Today is one of those days.

Today my husband had his 90 day check-up for the intracranial aneurysm that he had repaired. The doctor told us that he was very pleased to see that all test results showed that the procedure had been successful and he did not need to see my husband for another year. What amazing, great news for myself and my family! How could I possibly complain?

Well, I can. I have been following The Long Trail Home since May, 2014 and though Matt Littrell and his team have been through various perils, he is no where near the 7 million dollars he wanted to raise for the Semper Fi Fund. Every day this man and the Semper Fi Fund crosses my mind.

On the way to the hospital today my son was telling me about a friend of his that claims the government and the military have done bad things. The friend thinks he would have a better life if he were to live in a different country. I can't imagine.

First thing that comes to my mind are my First Amendment rights. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof: or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press: or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

By voicing his opinion to my son, this kid just used one of these rights. He used another while he and his small group of friends were peaceably assembled discussing the unconscionable wrongs of the world. You've probably met a kid like this, one that is forming opinions based on their limited knowledge of living their entire life in these United States. He doesn't have any idea what life would be without these rights and Matt was willing to defend them with his body and soul. Matt's okay with that but he really wants to help soldiers that were not as fortunate as he.

Tonight I ask you to please stand up for your rights and prove this kid wrong. He is young and doesn't understand.

This November, the Semper Fi Fund is celebrating its 10^th anniversary with the 10 for 10 Challenge which is a matching campaign with the possibility of raising $10 million for wounded, critically ill and injured veterans. This challenge which was issued by The Bob & Renee Parson Foundation with support from GoDaddy and will be one of the largest matching campaigns in the history of veteran nonprofits. Through December 31, 2014, all donations to the Semper Fi Fund and America's Fund will be matched, dollar for dollar.

Please donate to Matt's Semper Fi fundraising page.  It's a great way to show we care and a wonderful way to help make history.

As of today, there is no news to report about the recovery of the saddle stolen from The Long Trail Home.  The media in Phoenix did a report about the missing saddle but I guess somebody needed it more than Matt, even though it was very personal to him.  The team is less than 400 miles from Camp Pendleton and I am sure he has raised awareness of veterans and their needs after returning home after deployment.  

Before Matt started his ride I hadn't really heard much about the Semper Fi Fund.  In the past few months I have taken the time to learn more about the organization.  It was refreshing to learn that the Semper Fi Fund has been awarded the highest rating from watch dog groups for charities and though some may immediately assume that they only provide help only to Marines, they actually work with all service branches and retired service members.  

Please donate to The Long Trail Home fund raising page.

Missing Saddle, Believed to be Stolen From The Long Trail Home

While camping in Payson, Arizona a saddle belonging to Matt Littrell of The Long Trail Home was stolen from a campsite at the Payson Rodeo Grounds sometime between 1:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 21, 2014.

If anyone has information in regard to the missing saddle please contact Chief of Police Donald B. Engler at (928) 474-5177.

Please share so the saddle can be recovered.

The Long Trail Home fundraiser for Semper Fi Fund

The Long Trail Home facebook page

~Thank you

Take on the Bear for Semper Fi Fund

As you know I have been following The Long Trail Home and trying to help promote them so that Matt Littrell will have a successful mission of raising money for the Semper Fi Fund. I am completely impressed with Matt. He started this crazy journey on a wing and a prayer when he left from just south of Camp LeJeune, NC in the spring. He did not have a publicist, an established schedule and I do not believe he even had much food. He did have a good friend, a facebook page, a horse and a destination, Camp Pendleton, CA.

Initially, I thought Matt was following a dream and I questioned how he expected to have success. I even wondered if in fact he would be able to accomplish the mission that he had assigned to himself. Sure, he was a Marine but I live in Georgia and it gets really hot. He planned on camping but I am afraid of the bear in my backyard and that is not even mentioning the mosquitoes, nor the poisonous snakes.

Matt has been a great sport about his long trail home. Actually, he did complain about the mosquitoes but he wasn't in Georgia when that happened, he was a little farther west. Even then he made mention that it was bothersome to the horses and he was concerned about their well being and comfort. Matt is a gentleman. He knows that his horse is his means of transportation and prioritizes the animals.

As I have sat back and watched the news from the safety of my home I have wondered why the media didn't recognize this Marine at every corner he passed. Why were people not noticing that this gentleman had a mission? It finally occurred to me that there is a strong possibility that others in this country may be more afraid of that bear in my backyard than I. Matt was out there with it! He also served over there where we are okay with our children not knowing about. Using the bear as a metaphor, we never want any child to be out in the backyard with the bear but Matt didn't care.

When Matt got home after his two tours in Iraq he knew that rejoining society would not be easy and he soon realized that others needed help too. Rather than waiting for the government to take action he decided to do something. Once again, Matt wasn't fearful of that stupid bear. After all, he had been part of the few, the proud, the Marines.

I would like to challenge you today. You already have the only tool you need, yourself.

I challenge you to share Matt's story with everybody you know. It doesn't matter if you like the person or not, share his story. Our wounded service members and their families need everybody to help. It's your turn to take on the bear!

Please donate to the Semper Fi Fund

and challenge others to take on the bear.

https://fundraising.semperfifund.org/fundraise?fcid=249300

You can follow The Long Trail Home on facebook through the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/Thelongtrailhome

Cowboy Matt Littrell's Long Trail Home

This weekend I had a moment of fearlessness when I offered some help to Matt Littrell with The Long Trail Home.  Please let me explain.

I adore horses and have since the American Quarter Horse Association sent me a free poster but I do not own one.  This may have something to do with the two near death experiences that I had as a child after I had received that awesome poster but I'm not really sure.  I still adore them and over the years I have fallen for different breeds.  The Clydesdale Horse rates high on my list, followed by Percheron and Shire, then American Paint and finally the Mustang.  

As I wrote in my last blog, the men with The Long Trail Home were brought to my attention in a round about way.  My daughter works at a horse rescue.  She and I discuss the horses daily and the conversation usually revolves around difficulties that the horses are overcoming.  When she arrived home full of excitement it was strange to me and there was no hiding it.  Look, I was raised in the suburbs and attended well groomed county fairs.  She's shoveling horse manure.  I spoil the cat and dog.  She takes me to the rodeo.  

The second rodeo I attended was a really cool, free-spirited crowd.  The excitement was contagious from the minute we entered the gates.  The weather was beautiful, the horses all appeared pristine and the vendors were busy with the crowd.   My husband and I decided to sit in the third row of the stands since I have a bad knee.  

Intermission arrived and the people around us started to talk to us.  Seems most of us in the lower rows of the stands have bad knees.  The lower the row, the worse the injury?  Anyway, a man about our age came along with his wife and they sat in front of us.  We welcomed them to the party!  The more, the merrier!  We laughed and joked and carried on and suddenly a teenage girl approached.  We all became politely quiet. 

The wife asked the girl what she was doing?  The girl told her mother that she was just going to go visit with one of the guys with the rodeo.  The man, in a deeper voice than I remembered, said, "You don't need to be hanging around with those cowboys."  The girl's eyes grew large as she looked at her dad.  The man turned around in his seat, belted my husband in the arm and said, "You know I'm right about that."  We all shook our heads and smiled trying to hold back our laughter.  The wife moved over a bit so the daughter could sit down next to her.

I commend Matt with his success in raising money for The Semper Fi Fund.  His dedication and compassion for his brothers-in-arms is extraordinary.  Please support Matt's effort by making a donation at The Long Trail Home.  

Matt, I'm sorry that my suburbian upbringing made me leery of cowboys.  

I know my fearlessness pales in comparison to yours,

 but I would put money on it that you would have

 told that sweet, young girl the same thing.  

The Long Trail Home

I have been following The Long Trail Home since May, just a few weeks after they left out from Surf City, NC near Camp LeJeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina on horseback. This wasn't something that I had planned on but when my daughter came home from work one day and said that Iron Gait Percheron Horse Rescue was expecting two men to arrive for an overnight stay, every bit of me that's a mother kicked in. I guess moms will understand this. No police officer in the nation will do detective work better than I. The who, what, where, when and why will all be answered!

My daughter had been excited and I had been told all about the coolness of somebody finally doing something of worth to help our returning soldiers and best part for her, these men were using horses to get their message out there. Who are these men?

That evening I pulled my chair up to my computer. It didn't take long at all to find Matt Littrell's name.  I was even able to find his riding partner, Raymond Avery's name too.  Matt and Raymond are from Elbert, Colorado. These two good, honest men are on a mission to help the Injured Marines Semper Fi Fund. It makes sense that they were traveling across Georgia to get to Camp Pendleton.

Okay, I'll admit that I over reacted a little. Matt and Ray are simply trying to help others that need to be reminded that they did not serve their country in vain.  I do not think anyone should ever be needing reminding but I cherish my freedoms and am thankful to have them and I am especially thankful that Matt has reminded me of what an incredible country this is.  Matt updates The Long Trail Home facebook page regularly so I get to enjoy the horses and the cross country trip.

Please visit The Long Trail Home and make a donation to the Semper Fi Fund through his page.