A Whole Lot of Love

I am weeks away from coming home now and the year has been amazing! Still, there is a lap left and I would be remiss to not ask everyone to continue praying for my safety as well as Rachel and the kids during these remaining days.

Still, I am thankful. I am thankful for the prayers more than anything else. They have sustained me through some very difficult and dark times since getting to training in November, 2008 and I know they will continue to sustain us as we prepare for a much longed-for reunion.

I am also thankful beyond words for the generosity poured out to Rachel and the kids while I have been away. Everything from lawn mowings to surprise baby-sitting just for Rachel's sanity has been more than we could have ever asked for. Thank you.

I would also like to say thank you to anyone who sent anything over to me. In some ways its a hassle - you gotta fill out the insurance/customs papers for the USPS and you gotta pay for the items and then pay for postage. And in a lot of cases you knew full well that the only thing I could really do was relish in the love that was sent over seas and then send it straight back to the house! Regardless, you sent it - and you sent a lot of it! The above picture shows only a fraction of the packages and letters I received over the last year. I debated over whether or not to publish a list (I've kept a pretty good one so far) of everything I've received and who sent it, but I know that no one sent anything hoping for any special notariety or privilege so I will let those who sent stuff know who they are and instead relish in the joy that comes from giving in love.

A few more weeks and (Lord willing) I will be on my way home. Thank you all again!

In Him Always,
David

Hannah's Two!!!

Somehow my little baby girl turns two years old tomorrow! We had her party tonight, though. She had a very special (not to mention delicious) Snowman Cake her mommy made for her. It was fun to make and even more fun to eat! We also pan fried some yummy Ling Cod (David's 2008 catch),which everyone enjoyed. Hannah had a really great birthday party. We missed David terribly, but he and Hannah got to do a lot of talking on the phone. After we sung her "Happy Birthday" she kept singing, "Happy Birthday, Hannah!" Then, "Song." explaining to us that she was singing the birthday song. She's really growing up, whether I like it or not. Right now, I think my vote is "not". I want her to stay my sweet, compliant one-year-old forever! She's starting to show signs of being a little bit too opinionated...I've learned that comes with turning two. She's a joyful girl and a blessing to us and all who know her. David's about out of his mind waiting to spend time with her! Thankfully, he doesn't have to wait much longer! "Hallelujah! Hallelujah!" Song.

Love,

Rachel

The Parlor Effect

Here is one of my favorite designs. However, the "Parlor Effect" quickly set in and many camp residents experienced a strange bulging at the waist just a few days after it opened. The gentlemen working it are local nationals who gladly scoop and serve with a smile, two meals a day.

You might live in Afghanistan. . .

If your daily ride is a Fordotari,
you probably live in Afghanistan.

If your wall electrical boxes look more like a never-ending pasta bowl,
you probably live in Afghanistan.

If you heat the inside of your two-year old office building with a wood stove,
you probably live in Afghanistan.

If your KFC serves mexican pizzas,
you probably live in Afghanistan.

Pig Latin

The kids were learning--or trying to learn is more accurate--the basics of pig latin tonight at the dinner table. We had quite a few laughs. They didn't catch on as quick as I thought they would. They understood taking the first letter off, and understood the remainder of the word left after the first letter is removed. It was adding "ay" to the first letter that threw them off. Pretty funny! Unfortunately, all the laughs ended when I had to send Elizabeth away from the table for continuing to put her head into her nightgown, and Andrew refused to try his dinner and Hannah cried to get down. Sigh. As my dear husband used to say all the time, "I love life!" And, I do! The good, the bad, the late dinner nights and all!

My tummy hurts!!!

OK.  So, I'm still kind of new to this whole "working out" thing and today I did something completely moronic.  I was visiting Camp Phoenix to drop off some mail, pick up some mail, get gas, etc. when I decided that I couldn't pass up a chance at a Snickers Blizzard - something I can't get at my home FOB, Camp Dubs. 

I should have known that God was trying to tell me something when the ice cream machine was at least five minutes from being ready but I didn't listen.  SO, I consumed my wonderfully-yummy small Blizzard and went on my merry way.

I have been working out every other day for a little over three weeks now and I wasn't going to miss it today.  I also try to do so prior to dinner so I can use that as an incentive. 

Anyway, near the end of my crunches (after already doing 90 situps and 40 inclined situps at various other points during my routine) I started getting a slight cramp.  Right now it feels like my entire gut is going to cave in and I've missed the dinner hours completely.  Ugh.

I guess it's another night of dinner a-la-sandwich bar for me.

Que cera, cera.

Out with the old, in with the temporary

We are building a new wall here (as you've read about in other posts) and I needed to build a temporary wall to make room for the new wall (confused?) Well, this excavator is doing the heavy lifting to make it happen and I thought it was pretty cool how it framed the Queen's Palace in the background. Sweet, huh?