Christmas a month early

Fayetteville Observer photo by Raul R. Rubiera
Capt. Matthew Canada, who will deploy to Iraq next week, celebrated Christmas early with his wife, Kristi, and three daughters. From left are Elise, Emily and Eden.


From the Fayetteville Observer:

Holiday, any day: A military family adapts

By John Ramsey
Staff writer

Kristi and Matt Canada tried to stick with family holiday traditions this year even as he was set to deploy to Iraq before Christmas.

On a Saturday three weeks ago, Kristi Canada closed all the blinds in her home to shut out the rest of the world.

Her husband, Capt. Matthew Canada — a self-described “little boy at Christmas” — cranked up the holiday music and got to work with his three young daughters: Emily, Elise and Eden.

Inside the four walls of their beige and brick home, Santa Claus himself would have had to check his calendar.

Boughs of holly raced up the staircase handrail. Wreathes hung above the sofa.

And Daddy was home for Christmas.

The war in Iraq has been pushed off Page 1 for many families in America, behind Barack Obama’s election and concerns about the faltering economy. But here in Fayetteville, for Fort Bragg families, it’s still a part of their daily lives.

You can read the rest of the story here.