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"We want to say we are extremely thankful and give God all the glory that he got to come home," said Lynn Particka of Argyle.

Lynn and Doug Particka's son Jordan served in the military police in Iraq for 12 months. He came home safely in October.

The family will join Lynn's parents, Chuck and Gwen Gagnon of Marlette, for Thanksgving dinner, although their soldier-son may be late. "They'll probably be out hunting," chuckled Lynn.

Since firearms season opened Nov. 15, "he's been deer hunting with his uncles and cousins."

As for the Thursday's holiday meal, "he doesn't want anything special. He just wants it to be normal," Lynn said.

Carol Szymanski and her husband John of Argyle welcomed daughters Chelsea and Lacey back from service in Iraq this summer.

"It is just going to be great, so much better than last year. We have so much to be thankful for," said Carol Szymanski.

"Last year I spent (Thanksgiving) in the guard tower...My tower partner and I talked about our favorite holidays," recalled Chelsea. "They made us a big turkey dinner, but this year will be 10 times better."

"It is great to get to see my family every single day and not have to stand in line for a phone, we're back to being a family again," she added.

"I was in the middle of a mission (last Thanksgiving)," said the other soldier-sister, Lacey. "I got in late in the morning and slept all day and had to get back up and get back in my truck. They brought us a to-go dinner."

The best part of being home again is "I get to do what I want when I want. It is taking time for me to get back in the flow of things," Lacey noted after getting in from an unproductive morning of hunting.

The sisters plan to spend Thanksgiving Day with the family Ð and in the kitchen with Mom.

"We're going to help my mom cook," said Chelsea. "Everyone's coming over to my parents' house. I can' wait. I'm a horrible cook - my mom's going to give me my some lessons."

Specialist Chelsea Szymanski, 22, and Sergeant Lacey Szymanski, 25 enlisted in the Army National Guard in 2002. They were sent to Iraq in 2006, where they drove trucks, primarily delivering armor and trying to avoid explosive devices.

Thanksgiving will be much better this year for Sgt. Tim Ball of Sandusky, who is a member of the Army National Guard. Last November he was in Baghdad eating turkey dinner off the back of a trailer.

"It's nice to be back and see my kids again...The youngest was eight months old when I left," said Ball. His children are 14, eight, five and two years old. Ball and his wife Bonnie own an Adult Foster Care Home.

On the other hand, Peggy and Paul Gilmour of Marlette are still living day to day, waiting to see and hear their 20-year old son Brian Redman on the Web cam or chat with him on e-mail.

"It is so nice to be able to see his face and to know he is okay for that moment...Before he left he got married to his high school sweetheart...I talk to her everyday and she says he is fine," stated Gilmour.

"My husband is a vet also, he was in Saudi Arabia in Desert Storm. He said they had to line up and wait for a phone and wait for snail mail," she stated.

"I informed (Brian) we will have Thanksgiving at our house with our family...Our computer is on 24/7, and when I hear a little ding I go and talk to him or (his wife) Danielle," Gilmour stated.

PFC Redman is serving with the Army Military Police out of Fort Lewis, Washington, which is where Danielle is living. He is deployed in Rustamiyah, which is in eastern Iraq. Redman is scheduled for R & R in March and to get out of the service in August.

"He joined right out of high school. I said to him you realize there is a war and he said ÔI know Mom, I want to do this'. I'm proud of him, my husband Paul and I are so proud," she said.

She helped organize a local troop support group in Marlette. The group -Keep the Honor, Keep the Faith- was scheduled to pack cookies to send to the troops at their Nov. 19 meeting at CC's Cyber CafŽ in Marlette.

Gilmour and friend Michele Levandusky have also teamed up with Tom Miller, who makes yellow wooden ribbons. Contact Gilmour at 989-635-7767 or Levandusky at 810-223-6517 to have your soldier's name printed on one of the wooden ribbons or to make a donation.