"Here dad ... you can put my heart in your pocket!" Julie smiled, as she handed her soon to be IA dad a Love Stone, while packing his bag.
Love Stones are everywhere ... just meander out in the yard, park or a rocky beach to find a nice walnut-sized flat stone. With a permanent marker, have your child draw and color "their heart" on the stone. They can write their name on the back or the word LUV or HUG.
You could even draw an eye on the stone with the words I C U on the backside. Your deployed spouse can keep the stone in their pocket or on their rack as a constant reminder of the love that awaits for him/her back home.
And on the flip side, a land-based deployed parent can collect and decorate stones from various bases and ports, decorate and mail back to home. Grow your collection and grow the connection.
