Update: This layout was published in the Summer 2023 edition of Creative Scrapbooker Magazine (page 92)!

What a year this has been! Our son Sean deployed to Latvia in early January as part of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group. This Battle Group is comprised of 9 nations whose role it is to deter any possible aggression, should the need arise, and to promote peace and security. The Battle Group in Latvia is one of four Battle Groups currently in the Baltic region. The Canadian contingent is the largest of the 9 in Latvia. We couldn’t be prouder of our son and his commitment to serve and protect, but it sure was tough waiting out his safe return in a year where all we knew was turned on it’s head!

With very limited communication with our son, I took to creating a scrapbook page to express how deeply proud I was of his commitment and sacrifice to serve his country. Now that Sean’s home safe and sound, I am thrilled to share it with my scrapbooking community!

Sean is stationed out west and returned to his Fiance Tanis just two weeks ago. His quarantine is officially over today – and he is now able to walk past his front door. I can only imagine how great that must feel!

Deployments mean big sacrifices for both the military member and the loved ones they leave behind. If separation wasn’t stressful enough, COVID pushed it to a level none of us could ever have imagined. As I worked on this layout, I tried to highlight some of the words that came to mind when I thought of the sacrifice Sean was making. I could have gone on much longer than space provided.

The foundation for this page was a patterned paper called Rain Storm from the Serendipitous collection from 49 Market (I’ve had it in my paper stash for some time). I used a free cut file from Paper Issues called “Right on Target”. However, I choose to use the negative space in the cut file, and cut each circular section from coordinating cardstock papers, providing a great space to journal. The circular Canadian flag came from the O Canada, embellishment collection by Photoplay. The metal accents are a combination of Tim Holtz’s “sprocket gears” and Finnabair’s Mechanicals “Steampunk Blades”. Before adding the title, I splattered the layout with black paint to create a weathered look that would match feel of the photo. I created the title by combining the large words from a Cocoa Vanilla collection with black Thickers.

I am so grateful to all our military members and their families. They make sacrifices every day that many of us never think of. We are so lucky to live in a country where we are free, safe and protected. My heartfelt thanks to our military members, past and present – your sacrifices are deeply appreciated!