CHESTERTON | When Jon Dudeck was unexpectedly deployed to Iraq in August, his family found themselves knee deep in a far-from-finished home renovation project with the holidays fast approaching. But thanks to some creativity and the help of friends and the community, the difficult time has been made a little more manageable.

Victoria Dudeck, Jon's wife and the mother of 7-year-old Lucas and 13-year-old Tucker, said Christmas will be celebrated with a life-sized photographic replica of Jon that is placed around the house to visualize his presence while he is stationed as an officer in Iraq.

"We call it 'Flat Jon,' or 'Flat Daddy.' It's a flat, life-sized photo of him from the waist up and he sits at the dining room table and scares the bejesus out of the dog. When we put him on the couch, the dog stays off of the couch. He's been to the family Thanksgiving in Wisconsin with us, and he's gone out to eat with us at restaurants," Victoria Dudeck said.

The Flat Daddy has been traveling with the family since Jon was deployed as a replacement for a discharged commander at the South Bend branch of the National Guard. Jon Dudeck worked at the Gary Armory full time when he was promoted and sent with the South Bend unit to Iraq.

Jon Dudeck, who serves in Baghdad's Green Zone, which still is riddled with rocket attacks, has been instant messaging the family each day since cell phone use is expensive, and the connection delay has proven frustrating and "more of a pain than its worth," Victoria Dudeck said.

The Flat Daddy is a way for Lucas and Tucker to visualize their father's presence, she said, and they even incorporated him into the family Christmas card.

"We thought it would be a good idea for Jon to be a part of the family Christmas picture even though he was only here in spirit," she said.

Victoria Dudeck and the children will travel to Jon's parents' house in New Carlisle for Christmas and will take Flat Daddy with them.

"Jon has four brothers, so there will be a lot of family and extended family there and he said he will try to call," she said.

But Jon Dudeck already has received the family's Christmas packages and promises he is waiting until Christmas to open them.

"I've made him some elk stew and dehydrated it for him," Victoria Dudeck said. "And the kids got him some Harley books and Hershey kisses."