Day 5 - "Leta Week" The Big Finish!

I cannot thank my friend enough for making this last week with them so special in many ways.  Yes, the food was incredible but all of the emails, cards, phone calls, gifts and well wishes meant so much.  It is not going to be easy to leave this group and move on with my life but I am forever grateful that I had this wonderful time with them.  We accomplised so much because of their hard work.

The Chefs for Day 5 - Amanda, Marie and Paula.  Not pictured is Zach

The lunch menu - Homemade chicken and dumplings, broccoli & rice casserold, chicken strips 3 ways (Hooter sauce, bbq sauce and plain), corn and strawberry cake.  Oh so yummy!

Paula spent three hours making the dumplings.  Holy cow!  I have so much admiration and respect for mothers who find/make the time for everyone other than themselves.

Lunch was just delicious!  The most difficult part was having to smell the yummy food all morning until lunch time.  OK, I confess, I sampled a little throughout the morning.  But when the dinner bell rang...

My lunch plate

And then there was desert.  The first round of desert.

Strawberry cake

Then at 3:00 we had an ice cream sundae bar. 

Ice cream and toppings

Blue Bell ice cream with fresh bananas, fresh strawberries, Hershey's syrup, hot fudge, Reese's topping, caramel topping, nuts and whipped cream.  OR you could go for the root beer float option.  A perfect ending to a very special week.

Here they come!

My sundae.  It was delicious.

The Operations and Service Center Team

Pam & Connie with a very special gift

I almost made it through the week without tears.  UNTIL Pam and Connie "stalked" me after everyone had left on Friday afternoon and I was packing up my office.  They presented me with the blanket in the photo above.  The two of them along with a friend of Pam's, Sharon, made the blanket for me.  I guess they know me all too well because they told me it was for me - to keep me warm - and that I'm not allowed to give it to a Soldier.  Ha ha ha ha ha.  I will keep that promise.

Again, my deepest gratitude to all of you for making my last week so special. And my sincere thanks to all of you for the great team work during my tenure with you. It has been a pleasure.