Every day Jake Hausman is in Iraq his aunt ties a ribbon to her tree that's become a sea of yellow

Everything is ready for Jake Hausman to return. He has a car that he has never driven, a family ready to hug him and trees full of yellow ribbons to cut off.

Spc. Hausman joined the Army even before he turned 18, during a time when war was imminent, and has spent the last 177 days in and around Mosul in northern Iraq.

For every day he is gone, his aunt, Teresa Hausman, ties another yellow ribbon on the trees in her front yard.

"I do it just to symbolize that I remember him every day and say a prayer for him at least once a day. This is just a small way to show support for him and all our troops. They put their lives on the line for us," she said.

It began with a giant yellow bow on the day he left, Nov. 13, and every day a new ribbon is added to the sea of yellow outside Teresa's house.

"That was the first one. We have had some hard times since then but we nailed it up good and it's not coming down until Jake gets home," she said.

While Jake is able to communicate with his family regularly by e-mail, they still worry.

"He is surrounded by death - that's a lot for a 20-year-old to see and probably remember for the rest of him life," his aunt said.

Jake's parents, Terry and Gayla Hausman, agree.

"My biggest worry is that the things he is going through will affect him for the rest of his life," his mother said.

Their fears were not helped when on Dec. 9 several vehicles in his Stryker unit went into a canal and became submerged near the city of Duluiyah by the Tigris River.

"We almost lost him, but he got out and helped pull a sergeant out and saved his life," Teresa said.

Three members of Jake's unit were killed in the accident.

While his family misses him every day, family gatherings are the hardest.

"We are a very close family and we have a lot of family gatherings. It just feels like he should be there," Teresa said. "We are tremendously proud of him for signing up when he didn't have to - I think that's very admirable."

His family takes pride in the fact that the recently released Hero Bear, a new addition to the popular Beanie Baby's stuffed animals collection, has the same birthday as Jake, March 12.

"Freedom isn't free, and I'm so proud of what Jake is doing, he is our hero," his mother said.

Living on East Court Street has also caused Teresa's ribbons to attract a lot of attention.

"I had a gentleman stop and ask me if I could put on a ribbon for his brother who was leaving for Iraq. He said he couldn't put one up because he was living in a rental property and didn't have any trees," she said. "So I added another ribbon."

The interest in her son's deployment is appreciated, Gayla said.

"People have asked for his address and corresponded with him, people who have never met him," she said. "It's been phenomenal."

The practice of adding a ribbon has become so important in the family that even 14-month-old Xander Crooks, Jake's second cousin, helps out.

"You tell him it's time to put a ribbon on Jake's trees and he goes out and shows you where to put it today," Teresa said.

"I don't think there is a better aunt out there. She is constantly in touch with Jake and talking about him. We are so lucky to have her in our lives," Gayla said.

Teresa thinks it is important to support not only her nephew, but all of the troops fighting overseas.

"Even though people may be against the war, they need to support the troops. The troops are someone's loved one or brother or sister and we have no idea what they go through," she said.

Besides returning to his family, Jake has another reason to return home. A black 2001 Camaro he found online and had his parents pick up for him.

"He found it online while he was in Iraq ... and it is sitting in his garage, waiting for him to come home," Teresa said.

But, Jake's entire family is looking forward to the day he can cut down the ribbons put up in his honor.

"I told him he has to cut them down when he gets home. He is honored that we think of him and he knows that what he is doing is worthwhile and that his family remembers him," Teresa said.