Face Painting for a Marine's Welcome Home BBQ

On Friday I donated my face painting services to a "Welcome Home Marines" BBQ for the 2/4 Marine Battalion. It was sponsored and hosted by the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce, and they called me to see if I could help out. You bet! What a worthy cause to provide face painting for the children of these families. But, I think I painted more Marines that kids!! JK.

When I was painting this darling little girl, her dad (a Marine) had to take a cell phone call outside my tent. It was just me and her, no one was in line yet and we were quiet while I was painting her. Then in a tiny, cutest, most angelic voice she simply tells me:

"My daddy is home."

I about lost it when she said that. So to cover up me being choked up, I said in a high pitch voice "I'm soooo glad! Does that make you happy?" She said mmm-hmmm.

Then I went back to finish painting her. Wow.

That made such an impact on me, a realty of how much these military families are making huge sacrifices for all of us and our country. And I imagined how much this little girl had grown up since the last time her daddy saw her so many months ago when he was deployed.

As civilians, we all "know" that they are making sacrifices but until you are up close and personal with the realities it doesn't quite register the magnitude of it.....

This was the area where I was face painting at the Ole Hanson site. Gorgeous view, eh? I love living in San Clemente. We have such a sense of community here.

Thanks to Claudia, Norma and the other lovely ladies at the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce for inviting me to be a part of this special event!

UPDATE:
The next day there was an article in our Sun Post, and the Orange County Register:

Newsworthy Face Painting

Yesterday Rebecca and I did face painting at the Silverado Childrens Center's Chili Cook-Off out at Irvine Lake. I had just finished face painting a boy and a guy starting snapping away, and he was from the Orange County Register.

I took a photo of him, taking a photo of the boy:

And this is the photographer's image that was used online at OC Register's photo slideshow of the reported event:

Photo by Jebb Harris, Orange County Register

I had just gotten my new shatterproof, child-friendly mirror and this was the first gig where I was able to use it. I love it! It is big, and crystal clear (not like other acrylic mirrors that are cloudy and warp their image) so the kids can look as long as they like and make faces with their new look!