Blog formerly known as Mediocre, Alaska

San Antonio Missions

2012-02-11T17:27:00.000-08:00

Today I finally took a few hours to visit the remaining four San Antonio Missions that I missed when we visited the Alamo. The first stop was the main visitor's center for the San Antonio Missions National Historic Sites at Mission San Jose.

San Jose was the first mission on my trip, though it was situated in between the other missions on the map with Mission Concepcion to the north and Missions San Juan and Espada to the south. My favorite part of the entire tour was the flour mill at Mission San Jose. There the San Antonio River is channeled to the oldest active grain mill in Texas where the water is held in a 9-foot deep reservoir before it is allowed to power the mill stone in an outlying building. Inside, the volunteer working at the site was actually milling actual grain into actual flour! It was basically awesome.

The next stop was Mission San Juan, on the south end of the Mission Trail. This mission was under renovations and it was difficult to get a decent picture with the lighting and the construction equipment in the way but I think this one turned out OK. What is interesting about the 200+ year old missions is that they all have an active parish with regular services. The parsonage for Mission San Juan is actually just to the right of this picture and is still serving as a private residence. Cool.

Between Mission San Juan and the next stop was a slight detour to visit the Espada Aqueduct. It's pretty amazing what cultures were able to figure out so many years ago to solve problems like irrigation and diversion. There are very few places in the U.S. to see this technology functioning as it did then.

Here is the "Where's Waldo" moment for you... See if you can find Mission Espada... These are mesquite trees and they are pretty amazing. If you look closely you can see the Mission peeking through the branches.

The last stop on the trail was Mission Concepcion, a few miles north from where I began the journey. Concepcion had amazing paintings that had been preserved on the walls inside several of the rooms. I did not take any interior pictures out of respect for the active parishes that these buildings represent. I also did not get any pictures today of Mission San Antonio de Valero (The Alamo) but I did drive by just so I could say that I saw all of the five San Antonio Missions in the same afternoon. And what a beautiful afternoon it was!

Hello Dolly!

2012-02-05T20:26:00.000-08:00

No one should expect a lot from high school performing arts. Usually a stand out upperclassman with reasonable talent will carry the spring show and likely never perform again. Or, a wannabe diva sings her vocal chords to shreds while the rest of the cast looks on with disdain, but at least earning the extra credit necessary to pass biology. The audiences are primarily parents, teachers, protesting siblings and at least one administrator to show "support for the arts."

There are exceptions, of course. For example, I attended a performing arts magnet school in Atlanta, GA where it was commonplace for our shows to be covered and reviewed by local media. Professional choreographers and private vocal coaches were employed to fine tune the county-wide talent that often went on after commencement to perform in NYC or get picked up by a traveling Broadway show after successful stints at some of the nation's finest collegiate arts programs. That is not typical of most high schools.

Churchill High School, in San Antonio, TX, proved that they aren't typical of most high schools either. Today I had the pleasure of seeing "Hello, Dolly!" and the surprise of being blown away. Every member of the cast performed their hearts out during a matinee showing to an almost packed house, and the cast was plentiful! A live orchestra accompanied beautifully and in perfect step with the players. The music and theater performers were supported during the closing number of the first act with a cameo from the school marching band and dance team, the latter of which joined the troupe during the second act as waiters during the scene in the Harmonia Garden Restaurant. These usually non theater performers augmented a cast that seemed to have a spot for every student willing to dress up in period garb and learn some basic blocking and dance sequences. In reality, this mix of school programs combined with the sheer number of players involved and the typical let downs that often come with matinees should have been a recipe for disaster. But it was far from it!

The choreography was simple, but striking. The set was sturdy yet elegant, and flawlessly manipulated from every angle. The humor was contrived (obviously - it is a script) but timed brilliantly! There were some challenges with ticketing it appeared, but the director held the show back about 10 minutes so that everyone had a chance to get in rather than kick willing patrons to the curb by snobbishly holding fast to a 2:30 curtain time as some directors might be inclined to do... And I haven't even mentioned the performers!

This classic show is about Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi, a widowed matchmaker who has hooked everyone up except herself. I had never seen it before and I had not seen the movie so I was looking forward to being surprised and enjoying a new story. Considering Dolly is the central figure, way beyond the involvement of most theatrical protagonists, Clark Stevens (Director) had to find the right "Dolly" out of Winston Churchill's student body or pick a different show. I have no clue where Bianca Phipps came from, but I know where she's going! As the total package, Ms. Phipps owned the stage. I was sitting about five rows from the back but she pulled me into her spell through a powerful voice and the timing and facial expressions to impress some of the best stand-up comics in the country. I loved watching her do Dolly's business and I only wished I had the opportunity to see her performing again, but sadly, my time in San Antonio will come to an end too soon.

One performer I believe I might hear from again is Meredith Trapp. As the widowed Mrs. Irene Molloy, Ms. Trapp carried an already challenging vocal role that alone would have prevented the school's department of theater from pulling it off. There is no doubt in my mind that unless she was singing to someone else's recorded voice, (which I highly doubt) Meredith Trapp has the ability already to write her ticket. Besides doing proper homage to the role as an actor, Ms. Trapp's singing was trained, mature, healthy and shining! I've already picked out her next role (if she can find a place to perform it) as the Narrator in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." Of course, as talent is usually evident in multiple areas of those who are most talented, she is probably also a terrific student and would do just as well working towards a doctorate and finding a cure for cancer. Seriously though, I had one word for Meredith Trapp's performance - Awesome!

I could name others (so I will, it is my blog after all!) to include the perfectly poised antics of Michael Coyle and James Rodriquez as Cornelius and Barnaby, respectively, or the surprise stand out performance by Jacob Wagner as Horace Vandergelder (a role that didn't need to impress, but certainly did; Jacob, "Guys and Dolls" just called and they said you need to hurry up to make the 7:00 show!) It would be easy to add the tap dancing feats, the backstage "ballet" or the excellence in costuming to the long list of why I never never never (pun intended) wanted this show to end, but then I would never be able to sit down and write up this review.

Still, what stood out most to me was the team effort that was put forth by so many. Everybody involved gave it their all and the director made sure to include as many to the group of "Everybody" as possible. This is really what high school musicals should be about - the School! I couldn't help but feel the excitement and energy of seeing so many involved from so many departments. To this effect, the true star was Winston Churchill High School and I can't wait to see another show by this terrific team.

http://www.neisd.net/churchill/academics/fine%20arts/fine%20arts.html

Funny Devotions

2012-02-02T12:02:00.000-08:00

This morning I read a few verses from Psalm 139 to the kids before we started school. It included verse 11, where it says, "I could ask the darkness to hide me" and on to verse 12, "but even in darkness I cannot hide from You." I asked the kids what those verses said to them about God. Andrew replied, "That's why you should never play Hide 'N' Seek with God when He's "It"!

Amen!

Bach'in it...again.

2012-01-27T15:54:00.000-08:00

Rachel and the kids are currently suffering through Lake Charles and the I-10 construction traffic as I sit back at Randolph alone, for the first time since getting back home from Afghanistan in August.

I miss them, but I'm thankful.

Since August, we have made two trips to Atlanta, one to Montgomery, a 4,700-mile road trip, two trips to San Antonio and numerous day/weekend excursions to get reacquainted with so many friends we met during previous assignments. And we have been together for all of it. We've laughed together. We've cried together. We've disagreed together. We've led together. It was so refreshing to finally do all of that - together!

In Him,
David

Hannah's 4th Birthday Party!

2012-01-16T11:45:00.000-08:00

Yes, we celebrated a couple of days early. She will actually turn four tomorrow, January 17 at 5:30pm. Yesterday, she was able to share her birthday not only with all of us, which is notable, but also our friends the Chambers who were in San Antonio for the MLK weekend. It is most notable that all five of us were together for the celebration, and will be for her birthday tomorrow, because David was not able to be present for her 1st, 2nd or 3rd birthday! He was very determined to give her a great birthday party! And it was great! Andrew was in charge of games and Elizabeth in charge of crafts. Andrew made an obstacle course and hid rocks for a rock hunt; Elizabeth cut out objects for girls to color and glue onto paper.

We asked her what kind of cake she wanted. After much deliberation, she decided on a dolphin cake. She called it A Dolphin Tale cake. (Side note: A Dolphin Tale is a great movie about choosing to respond positively to life when life deals you very difficult circumstances. We recommend it.) The pictures of her dolphin tale cake follow. And, yes, David and I were up kinda late on this one, but it was worth it!

Top Ten List for 2011

2011-12-24T23:23:00.001-08:00

10. Christmas Letter

The pain and suffering that goes into writing a Christmas letter is hard to fathom (we know you secretly agree!). Trust us though, when we say that getting this completed at all easily qualifies it as a "top ten" moment for our year!

9. Chapel

Despite waning numbers of families to fellowship and grow with as well as waning numbers of chaplains, along with the indefinite end to children's church, we committed to staying with the base chapel. God brought a new chaplain on staff, committed to our service and ready to work. Since then, the body has grown inwardly and outwardly, children's church has been re-established, and the Holy Spirit is moving. Praise God!

8. Dignified Transfer

The war(s) has taken its toll on our family as well as many others. This was more apparent than ever late April 28th when David stood in the rain with hundreds of other service members to honor eight fallen Airmen during a dignified transfer at Bagram Airfield. He remembers where he was when he found out about Bin Laden's death and where he was when the last Airman left Iraq, but no time stands out as poignantly as those cold moments that brought a pause to the six and a half month deployment he was engulfed in day and night.

7. Travelling/Visiting with friends

Arguably the best aspect of the military life is the potential for finding old friends just about anywhere one travels. This was certainly the case during a 4700-mile, 13-state road trip we took during October and November. Spending a week at the Sulhoff Family Cabin in South Dakota's Black Hills was a much needed respite for everyone. And seeing firsthand the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and rebuilding in New Orleans brought great perspective to us and the kids. Still, the true highlights of the trip came from visiting Rachel's Grandmother, many dear friends from our first assignment (the Rensch's, Cecilia, Leonard) and multiple families who have grown with us (the Chambers, the Eckarts, Geof and Kyle. Our only regret is that we could not visit with more!

6. Giving

Giving has always been a priority for us, but being released from the bondage of debt in 2006 provided more opportunities than ever to share our gifts with so many others. In that regard, this has been an exciting year for us as David promoted to the rank of Major, bringing home a little bit more "bacon" to share. In addition to financial gifts that will go without mention, David was blessed with the opportunity to give his time in service to the Bagram chapel as a Praise Team leader and Rachel was likewise blessed to share her time as a teacher for AWANA. This is a conviction and a joy for us and we pray that even in these lean times, your family will discover new and exciting ways to increase your joy through the sharing of your God-given time, talents, and "tokens."

5. School's In

Home education is a full time job with a crummy benefits package. There is no paid leave, no medical benefits, no additional staff to assist with the load and the hours are at best fluid and unconventional. The home educator is principal, teacher, hall monitor, nurse, lunch "lady", coach, cheerleader, and friend all rolled up in one – oh, let's not forget parent as well (makes for some interesting parent-teacher conferences…) This new year brought great growth by way of kids who have finally "bought in" to the idea and a fabulous homeschool cooperative we joined this fall. Here we met with like-minded and driven families once a week to provide some semblance of a structured schooling environment while capitalizing on the strengths and experiences of every parent to serve as subject-specific teachers.

4. School's Out!

For the first time in 28 years, David has zero school hanging over his head and keeping him from being available mentally, emotionally, and physically to the rest of the family. This happened after he completed Air Command and Staff College via correspondence, a mandatory Professional Military Education course that all Majors should complete. Halleluiah!

3. Homefront growth/healing

Rachel discovered the cause of several health issues she had been facing. God has begun healing her body through informed friends, even more informed doctors, medicine, nutritional supplements and changes in diet. This change alone has given her so much more energy and mental capacity, leading to a much more productive homeschool. After pushing a year and a half, Hannah Joy Sulhoff has finally decided to be completely potty-trained. Her parents are very relieved!

2. Family Gatherings

Over all the years and duty stations, we have only grown closer to our families. Though it is sometimes difficult, we make it a priority to spend time with both of our sets of parents and siblings. This year Rachel and the kids spent July in GA and AL visiting mostly family, but a few friends as well. Cousin's Camp was the highlight of the trip. Riding a four-wheeler, playing foosball and ping-pong in the "man-cave", shooting at targets, swimming, jumping on a trampoline, campfires, skits and just pure playing with their cousins could not be beat. BorderTown, a weekend retreat focusing on God and men/boys encouraging one another was an event this fall at which all of the male Sulhoff's were in attendance. Since moving to the southeast, we have always shared in Christmas traditions with both of our families and will this year as well.

1. Reunion

Living months on end without your spouse is difficult. Sometimes, living with them is difficult, too, and we (like everyone else) are not exempt from miscommunication or arguments. However, being together as husband and wife/father and mother and operating out of the same home, is the best thing in the world. Our family has begun a new chapter and David being home with us daily, being the man he is, has changed everything for the better. His homecoming was unequivocally the best moment of our year.

The Weekend with our Friends

2011-12-19T17:40:00.000-08:00

(This is Elizabeth's first blog post - dictated to David)

Our family at the Alamo

Our friends eating lunch with us at Whole Foods

My brother and his friend are hiking at the Friedrich Wildnerness Area.

In a boat on the Riverwalk.

Eating dinner at PizzaRitas

Concert / "Event"

2011-11-14T19:16:00.001-08:00

Two nights ago, Rachel and I had the privilege of attending one of David
Crowder Band's last concerts ever (as they are disbanding). Honestly just the fact that we were able to go was pretty amazing to start with, and someday I may tell that story as well.

Three artists opened up for DCB including John Mark McMillan (songwriter for current contemporary church standard "How He Loves"), Chris August (think "7 Times 70" or "Starry Night"), and Gungor ("Beautiful Things" was Grammy nominated).

McMillan presented a very raw style that was a little un- comfortable at first - mostly because

I had no clue what to expect. Also, his vocals were very difficult to understand. Still, his band definitely kept things very lively with some awesome riffs and mad skills on all parts. I look forward to getting to know more of his music.

Chris August provided not only a pleasant break from the bigger band by leading us in worship with himself, a guitar, and one light, but he also provided the comic relief for the evening. He actually performed solo twice - each time before and after Gungor. His music was definitely worshipful though it sparked of some of the more popular solo artists of my days. I couldn't help

but think of Michael W. Smith or Chris Tomlin as he played! Still, he was a lot of fun and his songs were very well received (probably because of the air time the stations provided as well as their proliferation among contemporary churches).

Gungor was the surprise of the evening for me. More and more I am trying to expand my musical interests beyond Third Day (though the boys still rank #1 in my book). I've grown to enjoy Bebo Norman, Andrew Petersen, Casting Crowns, Jeremy Camp, and this summer - David Crowder Band. Yes, I know that I may have picked up on those folks awfully late in the game, but still - I'm here and thankful. I might have jumped on the Gungor bandwagon just in the nick of time... This "collective," as they call themselves, is comprised of a wife/husband duo and several other instrumentalists/vocalists who did not appear. Instead, they had a cellist/beatboxer named Kevin Olusola (KO). Besides being out-of-this world talented, the lyrics penetrated the soul and reminded us of our weary and weak state and the fact the only Jesus Christ has to capacity to restore us and make us worthy of sharing God's company. I encourage you to look them up.

Now this was my first (and more than likely last) DCB concert, and like I mentioned, they are disbanding - for some admirable reasons - and I will not have another opportunity before their last show in Atlanta. Being the last chance I would have to see them live, I was very thankful that we had an opportunity after the event to shake their hands and thank them personally for their ministry and for sharing their talents. For that was exactly what we witnessed over the course of the evening - ministry coupled with talent. It was so refreshing and exciting. It made me want to get out my guitar and sing out (which is what I did tonight with the kids - that was even more refreshing and exciting!) God used DCB music to sustain me during my recent Afghan tour and I was blessed to share a couple of their songs with the chapel service I was leading, so I am thankful that I had that opportunity to see them.

David's Telling of the Trip

2011-11-11T19:40:00.000-08:00

Our recent tour of America's heartland is over and we racked up some serious miles and lasting memories. I am continually in awe of the great land that we inhabit and of the Americans who keep it great. Some facts from the trip:

States traveled through: Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana.

Friends/Family visited in: Sedalia, MO; Rapid City, SD; Albuequerque, NM; Clovis, NM; and Bossier City, LA.

Interesting detours: Bellevue Bridge over the Missouri River in Nebraska (my Grandfather's A/E firm designed/built that bridge over sixty years ago); Minuteman Missile National Historic Site (my AF Squadron forged the path to turn these facilities over to the National Park Service during my time at Ellsworth in the early 2000s); New Orleans, LA (we followed a driving tour of the significant Katrina event locations - a very sobering glimpse of a very devastating time)

The route we took was 4,000 miles even (by Google standards) and we actually covered a little over 4,700.

Seen throughout New Mexico and Texas, these wind generators dominated many of the horizons during several long drives.

The South Dakota Air and Space Museum at Ellsworth AFB replaced a previously displayed 1/3rd scale B-2 Stealth Bomber model with this full-scale B-1B Bomber, retired when the B-1B consolidation took place.

One of our huge tasks as the cabin was to replace a set of two 12-foot blinds with canvas coverings - the job was a huge one and Rachel was well up to the task to make it happen; we even lugged her sewing machine all the way from Florida specifically for this.

Crazy Horse Memorial, a monument to all Native American tribes still in the making after over fifty years, is an awe-inspiring carving of an entire mountain. The picture doesn't do complete justice to this massive project but to give you an idea of the size - imagine a four-story building fitting inside the hole in the mountain, because it could if they tried it.

The mountains of Southern Wyoming loom high at the end of a long two-lane highway that took us through the quaint town of Lusk.

No, it's not Las Vegas - this is the Memphis Pyramid Arena, aptly designed as a reminder of the town's Egyptian namesake.

Andrew and Hannah rake up leaves at their Great-Grandmother's house in Sedalia, MO.

The massive door, adorned with the art from previous crews, would seal off the missileers during the Cold War alert days at this Launch Control Facility for the Minuteman II Intercontinental Ballistic Missile outisde Rapid City, SD.

I loved the contrast from this picture take on the interior loop of Bandlands National Monument.

Distance signs from Wall Drug have adorned wooden signposts all over the world and here the kids are, riding a Jackelope at the infamous watering hole on I-90.

I took several pictures in the Badlands, but none were as seemingly "set up" as this one - the Bighorn Sheep is framed perfectly by the Badlands and the horizon - all I had to do was take the picture.

The Shrine of Democracy (known as Mount Rushmore) is one of my favorite attractions in the Black Hills of South Dakota. I've been visiting my whole life and it's a wonderful thing to share now with my own children.

Of course, nothing worth sharing is worth sharing without my favorite travel companion of all-time - Rachel. She has put up with my "detours" and crazy mileage days beyond my understanding.

Interestingly enough, it's not over yet - though we are back in Florida, we will leave in one week again to drive to San Antonio where we'll spend a month while I'm on temporary duty at Randolph. The fun never stops!

Where we sit tonight

2011-09-25T16:20:00.000-07:00

Well, there is a sewage leak near where we live and they are planning to shut off the water and David, being the civil engineer that he is, is responsible for making sure the repairing of the leak and the clean-up goes according to code. We are super thankful for Papa John's delivery and Air Conditioning and for the wonderful weekend we've had!

We had the awesome opportunity to watch five boys for a sweet couple who went on a marriage retreat this weekend! Aside from a couple of them still being awake at midnight Friday night, the weekend was a great success! It was really fun and a blessing to us to be able to give a little bit to a couple in need. So many people have blessed us in so many ways over the last 3 years of deployments and other hard times. I asked God to let us bless someone in need and He brought this family to us just a few days after I asked! Moral of that story: don't ask for something unless you really want it! We did.

David has been a huge help in the kitchen and in every way. We were a great team this weekend. I can't put into words the joy and amazement I am experiencing being David's wife in person! As we both grow and change, so does our relationship and our roles. Living together is new and exciting, and so rewarding.

So, where do we sit tonight exactly? We sit high upon such a pile of blessings of which His grace and love sent in His Son is the greatest, but so many wonderful little things as well--laughter, a messy house that everyone worked together to clean up, pizza, a family secure in Christ. We have more than we could ever ask or dream.

Home

2011-08-25T06:06:00.001-07:00

It is a difficult thing for folks to understand just how blessed we are as a country without spending 6.5 months away. I can say that I even become complacent and forget during the times I'm not overseas. Now that I'm back from my second Afghan tour I have a renewed sense of just how much I love this country.

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Happy Birthday, Rachel

2011-06-09T10:12:00.001-07:00

On June 9th, 1993 I attended the birthday party of my brother’s girlfriend’s best friend at Mt. Paran Church of God. My brother and my brother’s girlfriend agreed that we would get along pretty well. They were right!

Eighteen years later we are well into our eleventh year of marriage with the three most fantastic children in the world. Since that blessed Wednesday night, when Rachel wrote down her number on a torn off sheet of wide-ruled notebook paper, I was hooked.

Besides mesmerizing me from day one, she has been a light to me and others in what is now our circle of friends and she has provided a firm foundation of love and support when all else seems awry.

I am humbled to be her husband and I am richly blessed to have her as my wife. Today is her birthday and it grieves me to be 7,000 miles away though I know she is proud of my efforts. There is no doubt that I stand tall at the gates when recognized as her husband.

I love her with every fiber of my being and I miss being with her, certainly today, not only her birthday, but the anniversary of the evening when she took a chance and gave me her number.

Birds of the Gulf Coast

2011-05-01T21:36:00.000-07:00

The first two pictures are of a Little Blue Heron. It's a lovely bird, as you can see. A Little Blue Heron couple have been enjoying breakfasts in the ponds behind my house and across the street. I was pretty happy to get these shots. The third bird was pretty elusive, as it kept diving only moments after it would surface. It is either a Clarke's Grebe (which would be pretty significant to find it this far east as it's range is not well known) or a female Anhinga. Maybe I'll get another chance to get some better shots of it!
Other birds we see or have seen include Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Green Heron (have seen only once), lots of Ospreys, Hooded Merganser, Double Crested Cormorant, Male Anhinga, Black Vulture, several varieties of Turkey, and we do see Bald Eagles fairly often. I think there must be a couple with a nest nearby. It is both neat and scary to live in a place teeming with so much life! I clap my hands and yell, "Better watch out! I'm comin'!" every time I have to go to turn the sprinkler off on the side of the house after dark, for fear a bear or racoon or deer (mostly a bear!) will be ambling up in between mine and my neighbor's house!

2011-05-01T21:12:00.000-07:00

"I'm a natural on the stage," Elizabeth seems to say.
Andrew looks skeptically at his certificate of promotion.
Elizabeth is very tickled to have all eyes on her to listen to her as she plays "The Wishing Well" in which the first seven notes are exactly the same as the notes beginning the phrase in the song from Les Miserables "Do you hear the people sing?"
"I see you taking my picture, Mom! And I'm gonna getcha for it! But not right now. I have to settle down and play "The Zoo"."

Promotion Ceremony and Talent Show

2011-05-01T21:04:00.000-07:00

Our Andrew has been officially promoted to the third grade, and our Elizabeth has graduated from Kindergarten and been promoted to first grade! First of all, we know they aren't really ours (they're God's), but they are our responsibility for now. Our Homeschool Group (The Fellowship of Christian Teaching Homes or FCTH) had a promotion ceremony and talent show for those students who wished to participate. It was really lovely. Andrew and Elizabeth played a short piece they had learned on the piano--Elizabeth shyly, but confidently; Andrew with gusto, yet great care. This is a picture taken afterward in front of a kumquat tree.

God-less? Introduction

2011-04-27T11:30:00.001-07:00

There are only two books of the Bible out of 66 that leave out any mention of God – Esther and Song of Songs.

What is the intent behind their God-lessness? What theological gains can be had from studying a book that fails to make a single mention of the “Theo” from whom that particular science investigates?

The answer is: Huge.

The authors of those books, though maybe not fully cognizant of the messages they were about to convey, did not “slip up” by accidentally leaving out the Creator of the universe. In fact, God used them in this regard to send a message to His children. The message is simply this – “Through the darkest and brightest moments of your life, I am working through you, and I love you with a passion that rivals that of the greatest of lovers – essentially, I AM when you least expect it!”

This may be THE central theme of the entire canon.

I hope to prepare an exposition of Esther first, and then when the time is right, one on Song of Songs. Don’t worry, the header will give you plenty of warning in the event your kids read our blog over your shoulder (Song of Songs’ significance is diminished to the immature reader).

Until then, take some time to read through Esther and Job. Job may be long, but I believe the books are connected such that understanding of one builds greater understanding in the other. Take a week and I’ll try to convert the Word that has been laid on my heart into digits and we’ll meet again.

He is Risen!

2011-04-24T19:58:00.000-07:00

Easter morning was an early one this year! I really wanted to go to the 6am sunrise service on the beach. Then, I remembered that everyone had nice, new Easter clothes and had second thoughts! But to God's glory we got all dressed up and made it with no stress! It was cool and breezy and then got cooler and breezier and rather damp, as the cloud that had been over the water in front of us was blown onto the land on top of us! Some sweet parishioners at the chapel with us provided the kids with blankets to keep warm. I reveled in the joy of the morning, the moist cool air blowing over me, the knowledge that my Savior was raised to life for me and that His Grace is enough.

We then had a blessed time of fellowship at the base Marina, while a hot breakfast was served to us. Then, when we got home (at about 8:30am!) and changed our clothes, I gave the kids' their Easter baskets, er, I mean Easter lunchboxes. (Despite cleaning out my closet, the guest room closet and half of the garage, I never found their baskets!) Well, they had not remembered that part at all! They were so touched by the book they each got along with their tiny, hollow chocolate bunny and a few eggs with candy and a couple of pencils.

Saturday morning was to be the designated "egg hunt" time. Go get the silly eggs and then go home. Well, leave it to the Tyndall AFB Youth Center to make it a huge production! It was a blast for the kids with bouncy houses, crafts, free cookies and lemonade and an age appropriate hunt for each kid. Again, I was touched at how much fun the kids had! Sometimes, I feel we give them too much. They all were so thankful and expressed that this was one of the most fun things they've ever done! Of course, it was one of the 25 most fun things they've ever done, but the fact they said thank you made me feel like the kids and me and the world were a little closer to center than I sometimes think. Then, our neighbor hid eggs with prizes for our three and three other kids nearby. They had such a great, fun couple of days. AND, they still get that Easter isn't about the candy and eggs, but about Jesus rising from the dead after He saved us from our sins! Thank you, Lord, for your sacrifice and for loving us and the world every day!

He is Risen Indeed!

2011-04-23T23:24:00.001-07:00

Why did He become flesh?

Why did He teach?

Why did He surrender?

Why did He die?

Why did He rise?

Because He

loves.

Happy Easter!

Living on the Edge...

2011-04-18T12:41:00.000-07:00

...somebody pull me back to safety! In the last 48 hours I have had a child get stung by a Portuguese Man of War, a nine inch lizard in my house (harmless, thankfully!) and just almost lost one out an upstairs open window!!! I will leave out the details so as not to publicly incriminate the guilty parties. I'm not sure what's going on, but please continue to pray for us and our safety as well as David's! And, I echo every mother's prayer when I ask you: pray I can be the mother to these kids that God wants me to be!

First Piano Recital!

2011-04-16T19:35:00.001-07:00

Well, in addition to having birthdays and playing baseball, Andrew and Elizabeth also began piano lessons on March 1. The lessons are here in our home, which is wonderful for me for several reasons. It gives me an added incentive to get the laundry folded and put away that's been on the couch for a day, and secondly, I don't have to load everybody up and drive them to an activity. We actually eat lunch and keep living life while she is here! Having lessons in our home makes it so much more personal--so much more like a lifestyle than just another activity. As wonderful as this is, our teacher is even more wonderful! Mrs. King has taught piano for 62 years!!! She is sharp as a tack, has great communication skills, drives a big blue pick-up truck, adores the children, has several cats and at least two dogs and brought us fresh sugar snap peas last Tuesday! (I just finished the last of them as an after dinner snack!) Did I mention she adores children? She just laughs and laughs with them as they tell her stories from their lives. And she tells them stories from her life, or about her experiences with other students or about herself as a little girl! Hannah likes to dress up, showing her all her play dresses and likes to have her piano lesson as well, which lasts about 30 seconds. Last week, she ran out of the house after Mrs. King, saying, "I love you, I love you, I love you and I want to give you a hug good-bye!" For those of you who know Hannah, getting this personal with someone she's only seen once a week for 6 weeks, this is a huge stretch. It says a lot about this delightful woman. I posted their portions of their very informal recital on YouTube. They have four recitals a year. We did not know she would be announcing each song, and the kids were prepared to play through each song they were playing in a certain order with no interruptions. All the announcing their pieces and applause threw them off a little bit, but it's still delightful to see what they've learned and that they enjoy playing for others. Here's the site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd1S8jdA7JU Look to the left to see the option to watch Elizabeth's pieces! She's wearing a navy blue dress and is in braids. Enjoy!

Play Ball!

2011-04-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

Ok. Well, the plays aren't quite as exciting as the big leagues yet, but they are really learning a lot and seem to like it so far! The whole team listens to the coaches and the coaches patiently explain and re-explain where to stand, how to catch, how to throw, where to throw, how to bat, where to run, etc. It's a coach pitch league for 5-7 year olds. If the child doesn't hit the ball within 5 pitches, they pull out the tee. Andrew is technically too old, but he doesn't have a lot of experience and the older league was already full. The way I see it, God knew I wasn't ready to have kids on two different teams as a single parent right now! These are pictures from their game on Thursday. They have games every Monday and Thursday through mid-May. In the very top picture, Andrew is playing catch with his friend and his friend's dad (who happens to be his Cub Scout leader!). The last picture is of our little cheerleader!

Eclipse and Super Moon!

2011-04-14T19:43:00.000-07:00

The picture on the top, the yellowish one, is the picture of the Super Moon rising over the Florida panhandle treeline along the edge of St. Andrew's Bay. We were watching it rise from our docked boat. The picture on the bottom is a slightly fuzzy picture of the eclipse of the moon that occurred shortly before Christmas. It was the first eclipse I have ever seen in person and it was a really neat experience! I will not forget getting all bundled up and setting up my tripod and then laying on the kids' bean bags in the quiet cool, gazing up at the moon in the clear sky. I never could get too relaxed though because my ear was ever open for the sound of an approaching bear!!! That would have truly made the eclipse unforgettable, but thankfully no bears interrupted my moon watching that night! Isn't God's creation breathtaking?

Happy Birthday, Elizabeth!

2011-04-14T19:21:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth is now a very grown up six years old, as of April 4. She really had a wonderful birthday with some very special moments over the weekend before her Monday birthday. However, the big event was her "Tangled" birthday party last Friday. (If you haven't seen this movie, you definitely need to! There's some magic and a really bad lady, but Elizabeth thinks it is "Christian made" because of the powerful ending! I won't ruin it for you. Watch it and see!) So, we had a doughnut "tower" cake. That was the highlight of the party, I'd say. There were seven girls including Elizabeth ranging in age from four to ten years old. The party began with painting (just like Rapunzel) and making their own "Wanted" posters (another part of the movie). Then I braided everyone's hair and put silk flowers in the braids, just like Rapunzel. (You better believe I was braiding fast!) Then we played "Hide the Chameleon". Andrew somehow happens to own, not one but two toy chameleons, and Pascal, Rapunzel's pet chameleon, played a main role in the film. We finished up with the doughnut cake and raspberry lemonade and gift-opening. She was pretty worn out after all that excitement! She also received a Bible for her birthday. She made "official" the work God had been doing in her heart to me on February 15, praying to ask Jesus to be the Lord of her life since He had loved her so much He'd died for her sins. It doesn't get much better than that! She also loves art, so in addition to a neat art set she received from her grandparents, her dad and me and brother and sister gave her paints (washable!), paper and an easel. She's painted nearly every day since!

Happy Belated Birthday to Andrew!

2011-04-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

Andrew turned eight years old on March 7. He had a skating birthday party with three friends and their siblings (and parents!) in attendance. They got a little bit of video game money, plenty of lemonade, soda, hot dogs and cake and ice cream, and a ton of skating! The party was scheduled from 12-4! We were exhausted, so we quit at 3:30, after the last guest left, of course. As you can imagine, skating in low light conditions did not provide a very good environment for skating pictures. Even with my expertise (ha, ha!), it proved to be too great of a challenge for me! So, only cake and present pictures. He saw the cakes at the commissary and decided to go with a dinosaur cake with an exploding volcano. I know. That's really cool to an eight year old! I was a little sad that he didn't want me to make him a cake or cookie, but I was really relieved that the cake could be marked off the list just like that! The gift he has enjoyed the most has proved to be his Action Bible, from his dad and me. It's most of the Bible portrayed in graphic novel/comic book style. Some of the pictures and the general style of the drawings is a little offensive to me, especially in something as sacred as the Bible, but I've learned to look past that, and spent time reading it with Andrew. He's really learning a lot and we know that the truth is going forth and being planted deep within him. We believe it will grow a strong, tall tree one day and bear much fruit!

Why I Love Thursdays This Deployment

2011-03-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

Wake up, shower, work, work, work, work, eat, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, eat, work, work, scho...(usually school is an impossibility), sleep.

That is the gist of my typical day over here. Not Thursdays. Now, before I explain why I love Thursdays over here so much I must dispel any notions that my joy on Thursdays comes in any way from the cultural tendencies of this area. See, Thursday to a Muslim in an Islamic Republic is like Friday nights in America. Friday is their Djuma, or holy day, and so there is no work on Fridays (for the most part). Therefore, Thursday nights usually involve a lot of excitement among the Afghans. There are rumors of what they do, but I'd rather you do your own research rather than listen to my conjecture - needless to say, most of the rumors are not very flattering.

I digress.

So then, why is Thursday of such significance to me? Because for a few hours I am able to escape work, school, and my B-Hut (which I don't see much of) and worship the Lord at practice for the Chapel praise team.

The group of singers and musicians is dynamic and diverse but the music is wonderful, the fellowship is second-to-none, and the ability to play as loud as I want and sing however I want to praise God is without equal to me. I can't do that anywhere - not in my B-Hut (the walls are merely 3/8" plywood that seem to amplify rather than dampen sound) and not in my office (the office is truly occupied like, 17 hours a day sometimes). The Chapel on the other hand, provides a place where I can finally get back to music and open, uninterrupted praise.

Sundays are good too (when we actually foster praise and worship) - but it is occasionally too difficult standing on that platform to force that "performer" mentality out of my mind, and I seem to sometimes lose track as to why I'm really serving to begin with. Instead, Thursday practice is a judgment-free, worship-filled event with only the hours of the practice to contain our praise.

VFF: Everlasting!

2011-03-11T10:51:00.000-08:00

We are surrounded by the reminder of the Almighty - even in a place such as this.

"My heart and my soul,
I give you control,
consume me from the inside out.
Let justice and praise,
become my embrace,
to love you from the inside out."

It is incredible to think that the same power who created these mountains lives inside me and is consuming me from within!

"Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades!"

Even these mountains will crumble and fall eventually, but His love never ends.

"Neverending, Your Glory goes beyond all fame!"

The glories of war are bestowed with pomp and circumstance yet are as fleeting as the tides.
Conversely, His Glory arrived in unassuming fashion but will see no end.

(Above quoted lyrics are from the inspired heart of Joel Houston, From the Inside Out, 2006. Associated commentary by David S. on this 1st Valleys Fill First post.)

Back to the 'stan

2011-02-28T07:39:00.000-08:00

Yep. It's cold here.

This is my Bhut after a night of wet snow.

So, in case you didn't already know, I'm back in Afghanistan fulfilling my service obligation. Leaving the family was pretty tough, but I felt a little better this time because of several reasons - primarily because I knew where I was going and I had a pretty good idea about the job I was going to perform as it was essentially the same thing I did for a year on the last tour. Additionally, I was definitely more excited about being on just a 6-monther vs the 365 our family endured from '09-10.

The only surprise awaiting me ended up being serendipitous. See, I was expecting to go to Kabul again and work out of a camp in the downtown area - one I had spent some time at before. After leaving Manas AB, Krygystan, my wingman and I arrived at Bagram AB and shuffled our hundreds of pounds of gear from the fixed (airplanes) terminal to the rotary (helicopters) terminal. Thankfully, we were able to sneak on to a couple of UH-60 Blackhawks that flew us straight to a compound not far from our new home. Upon arrival, we waited just a couple hours before our predecessors showed up to drive us to our new home for the next six months.

I spent the next day settling in to the office (I would be in temporary open-bay billeting until a room opened up in 4-6 weeks) and the next evening my boss' boss shook my world a little by advising me that he really needed me at Bagram instead. I was really enjoying the setting and getting comfortable with the turnover but that doesn't really matter much in the military - so I saluted smartly and found the first trip to Bagram.

A few days later, the office dropped me off at Kabul International Airport and I was able to make it to Bagram that day. Interestingly enough, whereas a room was at least 4 weeks out for me in Kabul, the new team I was joining already had an available private room open for me! That improved my situation greatly and so here I am, at Bagram Airfield, engineering the future for the Afghans once again.

Highlights of the last 3 weeks

2011-02-24T19:31:00.000-08:00

The top left picture is of the kids in a model of a space shuttle at a museum here in PCB. The top right is a work of art. The finished picture can only be seen when a light is on and the shadow becomes the rest of the piece. Can you tell what it is?! Bottom left is David and me being silly. Bottom right is Hannah raising the sails and me driving the boat on a sunny winter day when David was home from training.

We are Alive and Well

2011-02-24T18:33:00.000-08:00

I just got an email from a friend from college whom I haven't spoken to in quite a while. The subject line of the email was "Rachel, are you still alive?" After I laughed, I read the email and she pointed out that we had only posted a couple of updates on our blog in the last year. With David deployed again, I think that the usefulness of the blog will present itself again and we will use it a little more often!

The picture on the top left is Hannah Joy caught red handed getting into an itty bitty spiderman tackle box! Top right is Andrew and his friend Andrew, both in Cub Scouts now. Bottom left is Andrew and our new pet, Goldie. Our neighbors moved, and she needed a home. Bottom right is beautiful Elizabeth.

Open Letter to Mark Zuckerberg

2011-01-23T20:11:00.000-08:00

Dear Mark,

Today I am announcing my intention to defect from the facebook nation. Please do not consider this a personal attack or even a statement regarding your creation. Rather, I have come to the conclusion that facebook has outlived its usefulness (when comparing benefits to costs) in my life. Don't worry, I do not intend on subverting the facebook culture by trying to convince my 391 friends to do the same - each of us must make our own choices in life; this one is mine alone.

Standing back and looking at the facebook phenomenon I cannot help but to be completely impressed at what you have done. Connecting over a half billion people in the world is a feat that may not be rivaled in our lifetimes. I applaud you and your efforts. I have a profound respect for your business model, and I've even adopted one of your own corporate mantras (with credit given to you, of course) - "Fail harder". I hope that you find much more than financial success in your endeavors and that you reach a point of true fulfillment in your family life and in your faith; after all - you can't take it with you.

Sincerely,

David S.

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Distance

2011-01-17T19:05:00.000-08:00

"Distance makes the heart grow fonder."

Hogwash.

I'm currently far from the woman I love most, and the limitless temptations surrounding me and the many other Type-A males in the same position are only increasingly facilitated because of the distance. See, the distance is merely a facilitator for growth or decay. Some choose to grow, others do not. Regardless, the choice to grow is often the by-product of a heart that understands that thru Christ, all things are possible.

As I mentioned, the temptations are fairly limitless - even in a training environment. Today we have media and images freely available that are a magnet to a wandering eye. Additionally, the mind itself is constantly seeking some satisfaction and infidelity can occur without any notice given to peers or passersby. This, Christ said, was equal to the physical sin.

The shame shreds self confidence as a sinful life lived internally gradually moves outward, breaking through the masquerade. Soon, there is nothing left and the mind is exposed. Relationships crumble and reputations are built. The "A" may never be visible, but its burden on the broken family will be impossible to ignore.

On the contrary, there is a moment when God calls to satan and says, "Consider my servant....(fill in your name)...he will not be shaken." Although the struggle continues in the mind, the successes of overcoming temptation taste sweeter than the greatest fulfillment imagineable. This success develops into a deep longing for the wife of one's youth and the joy unspeakable that comes with reunion - on God's terms. Then, the soul is not lost (as before) with nothing to show for it in the end, but freely shared. This is a great hope.

So, in reality, distance does not make the heart grow fonder. Distance does, however, facilitate the growth or decay of a heart hanging in the balance.

Holding tank headaches!

2010-10-11T19:16:00.000-07:00

Sunset over St. Andrew's Bay from the cockpit of our 1976 Irwin 28 MkIV

Rachel piloting the Irwin through the Gulf swells - that's Panama City Beach off her right shoulder

Hannah asleep in the v-berth, Rachel asleep on the starboard settee, and A&E watching a movie on the port settee

Rachel and the kids at the drop-down table after night fell

In case you aren't aware, we decided that one sailboat wasn't enough so we spent some savings on a craigslist post for a 28' sloop just a couple up the miles from our home. The boat is overall in great condition considering the price and the age (1976) but there were some maintenance things that needed to be taken care of and the toilet holding tank was at the top of the list.

The Irwin smelled even after a good airing out, new dehumidifier, clean carpets, and washed seat cushions. All that remained to clean out was the flexible holding tank which more than likely held sewage from when the boat was first commissioned 34 years ago. The problem is that you can't just dump that stuff overboard - you have to either find a dumping station at a marina or go three nautical miles offshore to be legal - guess which one I chose. . .

So, we left at around 2 PM and returned by 8 PM and although we didn't sail a whole lot, we returned with an empty holding tank and some valuable experience. See, the marine head on this boat has several "Y" valves which allows me to dump my toilet into either the holding tank or straight into the ocean or dump my holding tank into the ocean or a deck cap for dockside emptying. It is complicated and messy so we've decided that the six hour jaunts just to legally empty our holding tank are not worth it. We will be replacing the entire marine head system with a Thetford 155 Porta-potty with removable holding tank. Yes, we'll have to empty it every time we are gone for more than a few hours but we can empty it into any toilet rather than specific dumping stations.

I hope it all works out! I'm sick of telling my two year old, "no, you can't go potty".

Pictures!

2010-09-23T20:53:00.000-07:00

Civil Engineering squadron, a few of them, at the Ball. David is standing next to his boss, Lt. Col. Gilpin
Two of my very sweet neighbors, Kim and Jen, and me.

My handsome, amazing husband (and me)!

Precious Sisters!

We can't leave out David's 33rd birthday. We had strawberry shortcake with ice cream.

David and Hannah on Sundae's bow one lovely September evening.

Bidding a Fond Farewell to mediocrealaska.com

2010-09-23T20:03:00.000-07:00

A very much alive scorpion David found on the back patio--our first an only one so far!
A Great Egret breakfasting in our alligator pond

The first of many deer to walk through our backyard area. This one has a small rack, but I chose the worst picture to display it.

Well, all good things must come to an end. Remember when David changed the page to http://www.hoffssoul.com/ a little more than 6 months ago? That was because the something was going to happen to whoever the site provider was. Whatever it was happened, so now you will always have to go to the above address to read our blog. Not that anyone would want to read it lately! It has been way too boring! I apologize for not updating it in the last two months! We used to do a lot better!

One thing that happened was that we now get our internet through our phones--Droids. This is great except that we have to tether them to the computer and click a couple things on the phone and the laptop to get up and running. I haven't quite gotten used to the change, but am just about there!

Well, there's lots going on! Home educating our children is going well (most days!) and God is opening my eyes to how to teach the kids, what to teach the kids, and how to be more organized and do it all better all the time. Bread-making is going well! We'd been in a slump with loaves not turning out well--they were not fully cooked in the middle and had a hole in them--but the last batch turned out perfect! It turns out, I needed new yeast! We have all been healthy, praise the Lord! No colds or illnesses in the time we've been here. I am working on a time-consuming sewing project. Curtains for the living/family room! I have one out of six panels done for the 3 wonderful windows in this room. We are making friends and enjoying the beach and the sailboat! Also, the base and the base marina have quite a few activities to keep us busy, so that is always nice to hang out with neighbors and other sailors/boaters.

The Air Force celebrated its 63rd birthday last weekend. We participated in the festivities by attending the Air Force Ball that Tyndall hosted over in Panama City Beach, which is nearly an hour away. It was at a lovely beach resort and they were offering a discounted rate for rooms for the weekend, so we decided to take them up on their offer and see the PCB beaches and the resort pools. The gulf was crystal clear and the pool was perfect. Andrew even caught a tiny hermit crab, which we all played with and then let go back in the gulf. The kids had a great time and we did too.

I know a few months ago I said I would keep everyone posted about any bear sitings. Well, I've been terribly guilt-ridden over not reporting my most exciting encounter right away! The bad part is that I caught the bear on video, not photos, so, of course, it's too long of a video to put on the blog. I think I can put it on Facebook, though. I will try and you can see the big, black bear for yourself! The day after Labor Day I went on the back patio with some particularly potent blueberry pomegranate tea and I hadn't been there long when I heard crashing in the forest. I strained my eyes to see through the trees and bushes, but never could see the thing, though I listened to it for close to ten minutes. Then, it finally cautiously came out of its perfect camouflage, nose in the air, sniffing my tea, I assume. Did you know that bears can smell food from a mile away? Well, as he approached, I slowly placed my Bible over my tea cup, just in case he should get any ideas about climbing over my fence! He rooted around in the grass at the edge of the woods and then walked back towards the corner of my fence. I had decided I would get up and get the camera while he was at that corner which blocked us from one another's view due to the playset and a supporting column of the patio. He was moving too quick, though, because as soon as I had taken a step he was in view and looked right at me. He immediately turned around and walked away, but did not immediately go back into the woods. He walked around the fence to the alligator pond behind our house for awhile before going back in. I don't think it was afraid. It just very clearly did not want any kind of confrontation with a human. As prevalent as black bears have become in this area, there have been no reports, that I know of, of any bear attacks.

We welcome any comments or questions! We will do better keeping you updated on us and our life! God bless!

The Last Few Weeks...

2010-07-13T20:16:00.000-07:00

David's family to support him being awarded the Bronze Star

Cole and Nathan Bergren back from DC to visit us

Rachel cleaning her dirty kitchen floors--what a difference!

All three sleeping as we drive from one family's home to another.

Elizabeth riding a dirt bike with her cousin Caleb

How have we spent our time? Packing, cleaning, painting, swimming, traveling and visiting friends and family. We've had a really blessed time. Thank you, Everyone, for making time to work us in to your busy lives! We enjoyed our time with all of you! Here are just a few pictures. I really regret not having a picture with every single one of you!

Tyndall AFB, Florida

2010-07-13T19:08:00.000-07:00

Our three foot snake skin
The view from the back porch

Our new Home

Hello to one almost empty kitchen...

...good-bye to another.

Where do I begin? After three weeks of living out of suitcases, the day before we arrived we realized we'd be living out of them for two more. It has been a good experience to be sleeping on mattresses on the floor, having limited toys, and enjoying the wilderness of Tyndall AFB, FL. And by wilderness, I really do mean WILD! This morning, as I went out to our lovely screened-in back porch to enjoy the gorgeous, wild forest and pond that are behind our home, I looked down into the grass immediately outside the screen and there was a freshly sloughed snake skin wound through the grass blades. I carefully went out to get it (after putting tennis shoes and socks on!) before the ants devoured it. The ants around here are crazy! The other day, they devoured a wasp I killed in an hour. We saw deer out the front upstairs window this morning, along with a Great Egret. We have seen deer all of our six days here so far.
And the noise! All the bugs loudly buzz all day and into the night. And, not just bugs. At night, behind our house, we hear along with the bugs frogs and toads, a large group of some kind of wood duck or ground bird quacking madly, and then over it all, another unidentified (thus far) bird in the trees bugling/honking. Others around it answer for a little while and then all gets quiet except for a few bugs. Soon the whole symphony begins again, starting with more bugs, then frogs and toads, then the quacking then the bugling/honking.
I have failed to mention the enormous black widow spider that somehow got her body under our screen porch door sometime today and made a web in a corner behind a patio chair that we bought. That shook us a little, especially because I was making dinner and the kids were playing on the patio (in my sight) and Hannah is potty training and had just peed, and I hadn't bothered dressing her again quite yet. David found her hiding behind the chair, not more than a foot away from this 1.5 inch monster. The patio has virtually nothing on it and is very clean, so we're very puzzled why she chose that spot to make her nest. David squished her, we ate dinner, then he borrowed a lawn mower to mow the grass. We think the long grass is the root of the snake and the spider--along with the fact that we live 20 feet from the woods.
I also have not mentioned the gators or the bears, but we're still waiting to lay eyes on those! We'll let you know!

A Day for the Record Books

2010-06-03T20:39:00.000-07:00

The record books of our life anyway! Days where you have to call Poison Control and take someone to the Emergency Room and they're not the same person, are days to remember!
David was pretty sick during the night and early this morning with a yucky stomach virus. Hannah knew David was sick, and instead of watching Disney while I talked with a nurse on the phone about David's condition, she decided to get Daddy some medicine.
Well, it all went south from there. The nurse firmly told me that I must get David to the ER and right after that I found Hannah on the kitchen counter in the medicine cabinet there where she had very carefully put 20 Beano tablets into a cup for liquid medicine. She told me, "I get medicine for Daddy," very matter-of-factly. I asked her if she ate any, and she said, "Yes." I asked her how many she ate, and she said, "Four, five." I looked in her mouth (we had not had any breakfast as of yet) and there was clearly Beano residue in her teeth. I counted out the 20 remaining tablets (of a 30-count bottle), and as I only had taken 4 or 5 myself, I determined that she had eaten at least 5 of them. Thankfully, Beano is not a toxic substance! Poison control just told me to keep her hydrated with water, tea, or Kool-Aid. I don't know about the tea and Kool-Aid, but I gave her as much water as she would take!
Back to David, we got him to the ER at 10am finally and picked him up about 1:30. In the meantime, we made a picnic to take to a park and got ice cream cones at Chick-fil-A. David got an IV of saline to rehydrate him and he began to feel more like himself.
THEN, just when we'd somewhat recovered from the events of the day, it was time to get ready to go out to dinner with some good friends! And, WE GOT TO RIDE IN A LIMO!!! Of the eight of us, David was the only one who had ever ridden in a limo. It was so much fun. We had sparkling grape juice. stopped for coffee, took about a million pictures, and drove through some beautiful places in Montgomery, learning some interesting history as well.
Thank you, Ruth, for organizing it all; and thank you, Angie and April, for being two of my biggest sources of strength in my many times of weakness. God is good and He has shown His goodness to David and me so vividly through His people being so like Him in their behavior toward us. I pray we can reflect this love and kindness to others when they have a need we can meet.

2010-05-13T17:48:00.000-07:00

Belated Birthday gifts for Elizabeth.

Holding our new niece, Summer Elizabeth, David's brother John and his wife Melissa's baby.

Whew! Traveling Family

2010-05-13T16:57:00.000-07:00

My mom, Pam, me and my sister Julia at the Resilient Women's Conference

Our little model, Hannah Joy

A trip on the train at the Montgomery Zoo

A great symbol of our great nation

The last 5 weeks have been full of a lot of miles. We've had two conferences (one women's with my mom and sister; one Home School), two RV trips with David's parents (one of which we are on right now) and a trip to FL to look at housing on Tyndall AFB. Yes, for anyone who does not already know, the Air Force will be moving us there in June. We are excited! We've also made extensive improvements to the outside of our Montgomery home. The impetus for these improvements was, ironically, a root from our crepe myrtle growing into our sewer pipe and causing a sewer back up in our house. David's time home has gone so quickly and we've been so busy! For about six weeks we had a date night once a week. We'd eat together and talk and go shopping for various items. One week we went and saw "How to Train Your Dragon," which we enjoyed a lot. We are currently on our way to Lynchburg, VA for David to graduate from Liberty University with his Master's degree in Christian Leadership. He's been working toward it for quite a while and steadily persevered while in Afghanistan also. All in all, it was really a blessing for our family, being that David was required to read such a large number of books on marriage and family and God's Word. We are so blessed! But, we are thankful that this season is over, as well!

Birds, Beaches and Big Girls

2010-03-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

This morning, as I greeted the plumber in the front yard to inspect our drain for any more roots from our crepe myrtle, I was blessed to see a bird I have been wanting to see for 7-8 years. There was a lovely juvenile Cedar Waxwing eating some of the flowers off of our blossoming Bradford Pear in the freezing cold wind. I was amazed how it stayed in the tree munching and crunching away while the plumber, various children and I walked around on the ground under the tree for 10 minutes or so.

I was also blessed to see my dear children again today, as I do everyday. Believe me, those are not my first thoughts as I wake up every day; however, they are usually my thoughts once they're asleep in their beds. Hannah is pictured here just about to put her pants on all by herself. Elizabeth took the picture.

We went to the beach for a few days week before last and had a lovely time with our friends the Golarts who were kind enough to share their family's lovely beach home with us. The kids enjoyed playing in the water and sand even though it was a little on the cool side! One morning, Justin kindly came back to the house with Krispy Kreme doughnuts for everyone--yummy!

2010-03-08T20:43:00.000-08:00

One of Andrew's three birthday cookies/cupcakes.

The "holey" grin!

David's brother Mike and wife Staci made this sign, which is being proudly posted at his parent's home.

Here we are on one of our "downtown" dates, this one at The House restaraunt.

Reunion at the airport.

I know you're all just dying to hear how we're doing...

2010-03-08T20:27:00.000-08:00

...now that David is HOME!!! Well, we're doing very well, thank you! Thank you for all the prayers and support over the last 16 months! We are so thrilled to have been through the refining fire, and to have been purified through the process. That refinement has been evident in the last 3 weeks in so many countless ways.
We've kept quite busy! I think we felt a little bit wild and invincible. We've had a wonderful little getaway to dear downtown Montgomery while David's mom watched the kids, including one with the flu! We've gone to a concert, we've gone to a wedding and a birthday party; we've gone to Atlanta and had a new neice be born into the family, while reconnecting with both sides of our families. Andrew has lost a tooth and turned 7! That's just scratching the surface, really, of all the errands, trips to get pizza, cookies, and ice cream, and all of the home repairs, not to mention going back to work that we have done of late. Well, that last part is actually stuff that David has mostly done! Unfortunately, I fear the scale is seeing the result of my eating the pizza, cookies and ice cream, too!
Here are a few pictures of the last few joyful weeks!

Hooded Sweatshirt

2010-03-03T20:05:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while, an article of clothing comes along that is of very little consequence at the time but ultimately becomes a cherished item. That is the case with regards to a gray hooded sweatshirt that we bought at a small local dive in Northern Canada. We were driving through the Yukon Territory on our way to Alaska when we stopped to stretch our legs at a small diner/gas station at one of many continental divides throughout North America. The sweatshirt was hanging and seemed like a fitting purchase to remember our trip as it not only bore the embroidered logo of the place we had stopped but would also keep me a little warmer considering the more northern latitudes we were entering. So, I bought the shirt, put it on and we went on our way. That was the summer of 2003 and seven years later the sweatshirt is still keeping me warm and casual.

You may have seen the above picture in the slideshow on the right but there is really a lot more to the story that meets the eye. Yes, I'm in the photo with Rachel (my wife) and I am wearing what I now call my "concert shirt" - the aforementioned sweatshirt. From the picture you can tell that we were probably at a concert and we left with a few souvenirs. This is all true. What is not shown is that it is a Third Day concert - the first one ever in Fairbanks, AK and the second one ever in the entire state (the Anchorage show was two days earlier). We bought front row tickets the minute they went on sale without knowing we would be hosting the band themselves for a base tour on the eve of the concert. The tour went well and it was a real blessing to give back to a group of men who have given us so much. The pick, drumstick and program with guitar chords to "Cry Out to Jesus" were tokens of appreciation from the band that we'll always cherish.

The sweatshirt has accompanied me to several other concerts including Jeremy Camp, Bebo Norman and the Music Boat. I wish I could hear the stories of those days and nights from the sweatshirt firsthand - I imagine it would have a slightly different perspective.

In Him,

Bye Bye Afghanistan

2010-02-14T17:02:00.000-08:00

It is almost surreal. I feel the gravity of the last year may never really hit. So much has happened that there is a distinct possibility that getting home will seem strangely like just another return after a busy day at work. I have met umpteen-million Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Civilians and Afghans and been to so many places I never dreamed to visit that it may pass as a blur. I hope it isn't.

I hope that I can truly rejoice being back with my family and friends. I hope that my emotions are not too much in check that I can't respond like I should to my three small children who are bouncing off the walls awaiting my arrival or my freakin' amazing wife who gives me a refreshed perspective of a true hero. They deserve everything of me and I hope to provide.

I left Afghanistan two days early thanks to a surprise C-17 that was not being tracked except by a few folks at KAIA. Originally I was going to spend the night at KAIA, fly to another base, spend the night there, fly to Manas, spend several nights there, fly to the States, spend the night at our stateside destination and then finally fly to beautiful Montgomery. Instead, I'll be arriving home two days early! Praise the Lord.

Manas is OK but it's really cold. The bays where we sleep are huge and this morning several hundred Soldiers left, waking us up at about 4 AM. And yet, I am thankful.

Snowed In!

2010-02-12T09:45:00.000-08:00

Granted, Alabama's version of "snowed in" is a rather far stretch compared to most of the country's definition of that phrase! Still, we've resolved to do our excercising in creative ways at home and just enjoy the snow, fires and staying home. Let me just say two things about today before I close:

This is by far the wettest snow I have ever seen! It really hurt when Andrew threw a snowball at me, just because of the density of the water in it!

Secondly, as yummy as roasted marshmallows are, I have discovered that roasted strawberry marshmallows are even better!

Our little Life

2010-02-12T06:26:00.000-08:00

Whew! I apologize for being so neglectful of posting! I know we've been boring you all to tears! It's been a rather busy four weeks or so! Lots of colds and illness and trips to the doctor for all four of us, for starters, has consumed a lot of our time. I think we are all better now. We've also been trying to be much more active and eat a lot healthier. As a result, I have lost 6 pounds, and Andrew had too much fiber and not enough water which resulted in stomach pain and a trip to the Urgent Care doctor's office! Go figure.

I continue to be blessed by our babysitter Dorothy, giving me a break on Thursday afternoons to shop, keep doctor appointments for myself and generally just have a little break from the daily routine. She loves the kids, they love her and I always come home to a very clean house! I love it!

Here are a few pictures of the last few weeks. Dorothy dressed Hannah up in the cowgirl outfit...though it is 3 sizes too big, she was too cute for words! And the SNOW! We awoke to the snow, in what is being called one of the biggest storm systems since the blizzard of '93. However, I'm pretty doubtful we'll really see more than 3 inches here. I know everyone from central Mississippi to Georgia and down to the panhandle are getting the snow. Enjoy it! I know we plan to after we do a little spelling and math! My poor children! They don't know that everybody else is out of school today and I make them do work! We have to miss, though, for various other doctors appts and trip to the grocery store, so it all evens out!

Enjoy the snow and your extended weekend!

Random Afghanistan Pictures

2010-02-03T03:34:00.001-08:00

There is no doubt that one thing I will never forget from my 360 days in Afghanistan is the constant helo activity. These UH-60's (Blackhawks) are landing at a FOB on the other side of town and I have seen helos like this and many others landing and taking off day after day at my base as well and it never gets old!

Some Afghan National Army soldiers were playing cricket at the HLZ (helicopter landing zone) just prior to the Blackhawks' arrival.

We had a pretty mild winter this year which allowed some really great pictures with contrast. Here you can see the mountains immediately adjacent to my base with the King's Palace (Darul Aman Palace) in the foreground. You can also see that even in the winter Afghanistan is a very dusty place!

Dusty and dreary it may be, but occasionally a spray of color interrupts the typical Afghanistan picture. I am pretty sure two more balloons would have this guy in the air! Speaking of, congrats to "UP" for garnering a "Best Picture" Academy Award nomination!

A Whole Lot of Love

2010-01-24T09:35:00.000-08:00

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!!!

2010-01-16T20:06:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-14T10:28:00.000-08:00

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. . .

2010-01-10T09:49:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-04T17:42:00.000-08:00

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!!!

2010-01-02T06:48:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-01T10:07:00.000-08:00

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?

Pro-Bono Work

2009-12-29T10:50:00.000-08:00

This is my most recent work as the defacto FOB engineer. I draw up the designs and the operations and maintenance folks at the camp do the rest.

I thought of it after watching how many folks liked eating from the Ice Cream Parlor I had designed several months back. I guess I had about ten pounds of added guilt watching everyone enjoy the new dessert digs that I felt a produce stand would help me feel a little better . . . . unfortunately, a lot of space on our new "produce stand" is taken up by cakes and cookies as well. C'est la vie!!

In Him,

Christmas Away From Home

2009-12-29T10:36:00.000-08:00

The banners were flying high and plenty in preparation for the big day at the DFAC.

Employees placed sparkling grape juice on ice to make the occasion even more festive and tasty.

Just as at Thanksgiving, the center tables were full of goodies from special cakes to "gingerbread" houses covered in hot dog buns and bread slices.

We enjoyed the Holy day by watching Christmas classics on T.V. and in between meals I worked. Go ahead and scroll down to Rachel's pics of a much more exciting Christmas. God Bless you all!

In Him,

More Christmas Pictures!!!!

2009-12-26T14:37:00.000-08:00

Ryan (David's brother-in-law), Pam, my mom, and Sarah, David's sister (Ryan's wife).

More Christmas Pictures!

2009-12-26T14:23:00.000-08:00

Christmas

2009-12-26T13:32:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas Days were a culmination of remembering the miracle of the little baby God sent for us. The sunday before Christmas Day, I was blessed enough to be able to sing a couple of songs at church. Singing these as Mary humbled me greatly and helped me to really "get" Christmas in a way that sadly doesn't happen for me every year. What about you? When did you last really "get" Christmas? I pray, that even as the day has past, that you take the time to slow down and let Christmas happen in your heart. Trust me, it's a lot better than the hurry- scurry, bustling, trying-to-do-it-all-myself attitude that I tend to carry most of the time!

Well, Christmas fell on December 24th this year, oddly enough, at my parent's home. We all dragged ourselves out of bed while the kids excitedly bopped around, hurrying us through our chores! We had a really lovely morning with my parents, my sister and her husband Ryan, and my brother. We missed David sorely. but probably missed him even more the next day with his family! We had a great time with 2 of the five cousins and 2 of David's five siblings and their families. There were 12 of us total, but that felt small due to the normal 21!

Here are some pictures to share our days with you! The one on the top is my brother Spencer and my new brother-in-law Ryan.

"Fire Night"

2009-12-18T20:51:00.000-08:00

The kids call it a "fire night" when we have a fire in the fireplace. Last night we did this in addition to making cookies! They were really thankful, which says volumes to this tired Mommy! We had a great night together! I hope you and your family are working hard to make time for togetherness as well. Even if it's wrapping together, shopping together, or a quick cup of hot chocolate or tea together for a few minutes a day. Merry Christmas!!!

Rachel

Christmas Time is Here

2009-12-14T20:23:00.000-08:00

This is the lovely tree that was sent to me by some dear friends in Montgomery. I decorated it and put it in my office much to the delight of my office mates also longing for home.

These mountains are just outside our base and they have been dusted with snow for a couple weeks now - we are slowly seeing the white creep down towards the base and soon we'll be in the thick of it! That building in the middle on top of the shorter hill is an old Russian officer's club with a pool and a lot of marble. It's pretty fun to explore but a little cold to venture out to these days.

Real-world Engineering

2009-12-10T02:51:00.000-08:00

One of the perks of this deployment is that I get to actually build stuff! This wall is an example of some of the construction I've been doing over the last nine months. Of course, most of my work was at other locations so I travelled quite a bit. Thankfully, that has waned some and a very large project started at my base, so I finally get to monitor a project from the beginning - it is a good feeling!

The wall required a span that went over a small open culvert so the contractor proposed the shown design for a concrete beam on two piers that had to be approved. And, for the first time in my Air Force career I had to go to the drawing board (literally) and calculate the moments of deflection for the wall and the nominal moment capacity of the designed beam. I also had to determine the force per square foot on each of the piers and the transferred force to the ground to determine what possible settling issues we may face.

I can't lie. It was hard! It took me about five hours to determine everything, going back to Civil Engineering handbooks and the web for equations, coefficients, and standards. But it was actually fun, too. Who said those five years at Tech were a complete waste?

Where to start?!?!? Gifts in the Mail or Tampa?

2009-12-06T09:17:00.000-08:00

OK. I will start with the totally awesome care package I received today from my office back in Alabama. Besides an assortment of food goodies specially selected to meet my tastes, my office (and I can take a good guess who specifically) decided it would only be more perfect by plastering half of the items with the face of a personal hero - David Hasslehoff. Yes, the "Hoff" made it all the way across the Atlantic and several continents to bid me a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Does it really get any better?

How about this? We had to take a detour through a portion of Kabul we rarely frequent due to serious traffic issues and lo and behold, there's KFC! That's "Kabul" Fried Chicken, in case you were wonderin'. . . .

Finally, I'll leave you with this shot. The 2008 ACC Player of the Year consoles the 2009 ACC Player of the Year on the sidelines shortly after the clock ran out. The ACC Championship Game in Tampa proved to be a lot more exciting the the SEC Championship Game and brought out the very best in both teams. Thankfully, Tech's best of 39 points was better than Clemson's best of 34 points. How about them Oranges?

Groovy tunes to surf by - Pandora

2009-12-05T08:46:00.000-08:00

http://www.pandora.com/

I know that I am a little late in the game with this but I've got to say that Pandora rocks my world! Just put in your favorite artist and it automatically creates a streaming radio station perfectly atuned to the stylings and message of said artist. Try it out - you'll get hooked!

Ode to Skype

2009-12-03T07:44:00.000-08:00

Andrew & Elizabeth crowd the screen while Skyping with dad

Skype, Skype!

Why so much hype?

'Twas suggested by friends

Now the fun never ends!

Chatting with R

would seem so far,

but this app keeps us close

better than most.

Before Skype I found

other programs around.

Windows Live, ICQ,

and DSN to name a few

just do not compare

when checking on the home lair.

A, E, and H. J.

love spending the day

watching dad on the screen

and boy their smiles gleam!

I'm thankful for Skype!

(There's nothing left to type)

Thanksgiving Travels

2009-11-30T18:16:00.000-08:00

We've had a wonderful time traversing I-85 and some of I-95 for the last week! We've seen the capital of our great country, seen Mt. Vernon, the amazing home of our first president, eaten lots of yummy food, and best of all spent time with dear friends! Some other highlights included long walks, warm fires on cold nights. (However, I will lightheartedly comment that GT losing to Georgia was NOT a highlight! Neither was getting green crayon marks off of our white laundry and my friend's dryer until 2am!) Yet, in every outing and through every mile, we God has kept us safe. We have about 4-5 hours of driving left until we get home. I feel tired, but renewed, in spending 5 days with my dear friend Bonnie and her family. Here's just a few pictures to share our thanksgiving week with you! We are certainly thankful for you and all the prayers said for us on this trip and always!

A prayer for the last mile. . .

2009-11-29T21:16:00.000-08:00

"Flood" by Jars of Clay was first recorded on their self-titled debut album in 1995. I've been listening to this song for years but it wasn't until today that the lyrics hit me like a ton of bricks. They penetrated my heart and they have become a prayer for my final mile in this marathon of a deployment.

Flood
Jars of Clay

Rain, rain on my face
It hasn't stopped raining for days
My world is a flood
Slowly I become one with the mud
Chorus:
But if I can't swim after forty days
And my mind is crushed by the thrashing waves
Lift me up so high that I cannot fall
Lift me up
Lift me up - when I'm falling
Lift me up - I'm weak and I'm dying
Lift me up - I need you to hold me
Lift me up - Keep me from drowning again

Downpour on my soul
Splashing in the ocean, I'm losing control
Dark sky all around
I can't feel my feet touching the ground
[Chorus]

Calm the storms that drench my eyes
Dry the streams still flowing
Cast down all the waves of sin
And guilt that overthrow me
[Chorus]

Lift me up - when I'm falling
Lift me up - I'm weak and I'm dying
Lift me up - I need you to hold me
Lift me up - Keep me from drowning again

Tech is dropped 30-24; fall to 10-2

2009-11-28T20:33:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: Amazingly Coach Richt made the very difficult personal and professional decision to fire Willie Martinez (UGA Defensive Coord.) and two other Defensive staff members. This really surprised me due to the terrific performance the UGA Defense put on against Tech. In other news, Coach Paul Johnson received ACC Coach of the Year honors for the second year in a row; this was of course, no surprise.

You can see it on his face - Paul Johnson had an idea of what was about to happen at the beginning of the second half. (of course the score was a little telling as well)

1:22 from the continuation of a true rivalry. It was a true in-state showdown. Unfortunately, UGA left more on the field than Tech did. I won't blame Demarius Thomas for the dropped 1st down pass. I won't blame Coach Johnson for calling three passes in a row when we really needed to keep the game on the ground and run the clock down. I also won't blame the defense.

In the end, I think that I will blame noone. It's just a game. A game that I hate to lose, but a loss this year to UGA does something that a loss any other year would not have done. Nothing.

From the beginning, Tech's goal was to win the ACC Championship. That's the second item on the list - last year the first item on the list was to beat Georgia (check - they came from behind to win 45-42). Next year I imagine Johnson will place an even loftier goal on the top of the list. . .

It was not a fun game to watch at all but my hat's off to Josh Nesbitt who came back in after what could have been a devastating hit and subsequent injury. Yet the real winner in my mind is Willie Martinez. This win might have been just enough to keep his job as Defensive Coordinator at UGA. I will admit that I, too, chided Mark Richt for keeping him aboard - and it still may not be the best decision - but tonight he rallied his team together to take down the second-best rushing offense in the country. Not bad - especially when most were expecting a blow-out.

Revenge may be a whole year away, but the Yellow Jackets have much bigger fish to fry - first Clemson for the ACC title; then the Orange Bowl.

This dude in the middle of these UGA fans knows how I feel right about now . . .

The only thing I really am not looking forward to is the "good 'ole fashioned hate" and gloating that is sure to come from all of Georgia's 48th Brigade who are stationed with me. Yes, Georgia Tech is in Georgia, but most of the GA Army Guard don't recognize anything inside the perimiter as part of the state.

Go Yellow Jackets!

Wouldn't it be great?

2009-11-27T20:27:00.001-08:00

The Psalmist proclaims in Psalm 46:9 that the Lord "makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire."

It may put me out of a job, but wouldn't that be a nice?

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T05:39:00.000-08:00

God Bless America and God Bless the American taxpayer who made sure we had an awesome Thanksgiving, 7,000 miles away from Plymouth Rock. The spread was awesome! Every table had sparkling grape juice and carved food items for decorations was all over the dining facility. We had a great time as a team enjoying this welcome slice of home in the middle of Afghanistan. For dinner I had turkey (of course), prime rib, sweet potatoes, potato salad, green beans, shrimp cocktail, Coke, water, and sparkling grape juice. It was a "kingly" fare and I am very thankful. Here are a couple pics from the festivities.

PIGTAILS!

2009-11-23T00:27:00.000-08:00

Look at that hair! Hannah Joy is definitely living up to her name. I can't believe that when I left home for training Hannah was barely crawling! Now she's got pigtails! His wonders never cease. I can't wait to get home, see Rachel and the kids, and "squeeze their guts out!"

Flashback!

2009-11-21T09:21:00.000-08:00

Here is Andrew, age 2, chowing down at our kitchen table in Alaska!
(Yes, the picture was "staged" but it was fun nonetheless.)

Making life interesting

2009-11-20T09:46:00.000-08:00

My life here in Afghanistan is pretty good considering I am in the middle of a war-torn country thousands of miles away from Rachel and the kids. However, it can get awfully monotinous. In an effort to break the monotony, we'll do just about anything! Here are some examples with some respective remedies:

1. The meals are served on a 21-day menu; we have the same meals offered exactly every 21 days.
- Add pineapple to my cheeseburger at lunch every now and then; a little BBQ sauce and it's something totally new!
2. A typical workday is from 8:00 to 5:00 (of course we'll go back to the office after dinner to check on issues, but not to spend much time); this is our workday six days of the week (when we are on camp).
- Sleep-in without warning, miss the showers before they start getting cleaned at 9:30, and amble into the office 30 minutes before lunch starts! End the day by working 'til 10:00.
3. Armed Forces Network (AFN) plays the same commercials over and over again. We have four T.V.s in our dining facility and it's completely feasible to see the same commercial on two T.V.s turned to two different channels at the same time.
- Stop watching T.V. and bring up a completely untouched subject with friends at the table.
4. Mission briefs, convoy movements, and radio calls follow a specific pattern - every time.
- Use different voices over the radio, mimicking other team members or famous actors.
5. Phone calls to home can even become like a broken record sometimes asking a lot of the same questions and giving the same responses.
- Call at odd hours and ask to speak with the kids - they always have something new to talk about!

Well, that's just a flavor of the monotony that we face over here. Thankfully God provides breaks for us as well with seasonal changes, occasional rain, and the few earthquakes we've had!

In Him,

Welcome to hoffs' Soul

2009-11-17T03:23:00.000-08:00

Mediocre Alaska may show its face again someday, but I'll leave you to speculate how, when, and where. Anyway, it may seem like a lot has changed, but it really hasn't. All of the content is the same, just a little more streamlined. Instead of navigating to separate pages for Reviews, Fifty States, etc, you can just filter all comments by their appropriate categories.

There is no more "His Side" and "Her Side" but Rachel and I will both be posting and you will know who by the name at the bottom of each post.

You are free to go back to Mediocre Alaska anytime you want until September 2010, just know that the content will not be changing between now and then.

Thanks for visiting! We hope you come back frequently and share with us how your family is doing as well!

Nahum

2009-11-14T10:35:00.000-08:00

(MP) - I just started reading this Old Testament book and I can't help but feel the prophet is talking directly to America! I just wonder if a dude is going to be spat out of a large fish to tell us to repent any time soon. . . .

Weapons Training

2009-11-13T12:25:00.000-08:00

Kids, do not try this at home. Really - don't.

Ephesians 6:15

2009-11-12T21:40:00.000-08:00

The New International Version says, "and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace."

I really honed in on this verse today and thought more about what it says. Verse 15 is tucked in the middle of a well-known passage describing the "armor" necessary in spiritual warfare. Interestingly enough, only one element (the Word) is represented by a tool that is both defensive and offensive in nature (all other references are defensive).

Anyway, I digress. So, the Gospel of peace gives us readiness? Of course it does! See, Christ claimed that persecution was inevitable for believers. He told us that the road is hard and that the door is narrow. This, being a tough road, is not one for the leary. He understood the trials well-enough that He and the Father saw fit to send us a great comforter - the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit reminds us of Christ's gospel (his birth, life, death, and resurrection) and guarantees our peace in all circumstances.

These shoes that Paul wants us to wear are a product of the Gospel, when we embrace it. The Gospel will prepare us for the road ahead, regardless of what may come. This readiness, or preparedness, is indicative that the work of ensuring our peace is already complete - we are prepared! He has made us ready because of the Gospel, nothing more, nothing less. So, since the work is already complete, there is nothing more we can do to make it more complete! We can be at peace knowing full well that Christ, paying the full price for our salvation through His gospel, offers us the ultimate boots - His gospel. We are now at peace. We are now ready! Let our light shine of His love and be a constant reminder of this readiness and peace by allowing our lives to be an outpouring of His Gospel.

In Him,
David S.

Blessed

2009-11-10T21:13:00.001-08:00

I know that Mary, the dear mother of our Lord, is "most blessed among women" but I just want to share that I feel amazingly blessed myself! With David deployed, it has opened a lot of doors for people to step in and bless us. And they have walked through and blessed us tremendously over and over again! There's so much I want to say, but I have no clue where to begin! Let me just say that the Lord has used so many of you to "fill in" spaces in my life left vacant where David would usually fill them with his spontanaeity, his time, his labor and love in fixing things broken and maintaining the yard.
You know, I have realized, in my desire for perfection, that life is never going to be perfect. Cars will always break down. Children will always disobey (and try to get out of going to bed). Somedays you're really tired. Often, the to do list is left incompleted. But, you know, all that stuff is just life. And, God asks us to love Him and rejoice in the day He has given us, even with all the imperfections of it. You know why? Because He made it and it is perfect because God is perfect! We are blessed just to be alive and living in His love each Day! I am so thankful, so thankful! And, I will myself to remember this at 6am tomorrow when I am subjected to all the imperfection all over again--that He is perfect and I am blessed because I am loved by Him and part of His Day that He made! (Psalm 118:24)

The GAP

2009-11-10T20:57:00.001-08:00

Yes, The GAP. Has anybody shopped at The GAP in recent years? I normally do my shopping at quite a bit thriftier locales, but I did make a purchase there this evening. Now, 15 years ago, I used to shop at the GAPs in Atlanta much more often. I loved when I could hit a sale and buy their regularly priced $30 jeans for $20. (Unfortunately, their jeans are twice the regular price now!) However, though prices have changed dramatically, some things have stayed the same. Namely, the bag. I walked out of the store with the same bag I walked out with 15 years ago! Exactly the same bag. I asked if those navy plastic bags that say "GAP" in big white letters with the fabric drawstrings had just "come back". They didn't really understand what I was attempting to ask. I wondered because I haven't seen a bag like that in years and years. Back then, everybody who was anybody at school recycled their GAP bag into their gym bag, because carrying a bag like that from the GAP showed you were cool. Wow. Why bring it up? Because seeing that navy GAP bag on my bed again tonight brought all those memories of bygone days rushing back. Kinda funny.

Great Quote

2009-11-07T10:45:00.000-08:00

(MP) - Rob Bell, pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church, states that, "There is a dignity and an honor to being a human." I think that is a pretty profound thought!

Finally, Hannah says "Elizabeth"!!!

2009-11-02T16:45:00.000-08:00

(MP) -Hannah pointed to Elizabeth's cup and said "Yebby". I pointed to Elizabeth and asked Hannah who that was and she said, "Yebby". If "Betty" and "Bibby" and "Lizzy" can be nick-names for Elizabeth, I don't see why "Yebby" would not also be acceptable. Just now I asked her again who's cup she was holding and she said, "Yebby." It's official, folks! Elizabeth's new name is "Yebby".

Breaking News from Sulhoff Dinner Table

2009-10-29T17:16:00.000-07:00

(MP) -Rachel Sulhoff watched her daughter reach out a daring finger and dip it into the butter on the butter dish. Trying to dissuade her daughter from using such bad manners, she said, "Honey, butter is very fattening." Elizabeth replied, "But good!" as she smiled happily and took another finger-ful! Later, Rachel wished she had simply said something to the effect of, "Elizabeth, it is rude to put your fingers in the butter. Please do not do it." However, she did not say that, and hence the opportunity arose for a four-year-old to sum up every American's battle with food in two words.

Poetry in Locomotion

2009-10-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

The 2009 Georgia Tech Press Guide is titled "Full Steam Ahead". Tonight I found out why! My Yellow Jackets discarded a 19-year dry spell in style beating Virginia in Charlottesville in almost every aspect of the game.

They ran more.

They passed farther per attempt.

They scored more points from kicks.

They had more critical conversions.

(They unfortunately had more penalties).

And they maintained possession of the ball a full 25+ minutes more than the Cavs!

This was the first full Tech game I've gotten to watch in about a year and I couldn't have been more pleased! I definitely caught them in stride. Even when the emotions of being winless in Charlottesville since 1990 and the weather posed a serious hindrence to an option offense that relies on sure footing and excellent ball handling Georgia Tech demonstrated why they deserved to be at the top of the Coastal standings in the ACC.

Next week they are away at Wake Forest - definitely win-able, however I know CPJ well enough to know that he doesn't take any game for granted. His coaches and managers and trainers and video crew are doing everything possible (even now, just hours after a huge victory on the road) to ensure his players are fully prepared for the Demon Deacons and another important away game.

Go Jackets!
In Him,
David

Huh?

2009-10-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

(MP) - This post is benign and seemingly unimportant. Hi.

Weather

2009-10-14T11:20:00.000-07:00

(MP) - Oddly, the fall has brought colder weather to Kabul. Who-da-thunk?

Gecko Sightings

2009-10-14T11:03:00.001-07:00

I recently mentioned a gecko sighting in the garage when Elizabeth caught one and it lost its tail. However, I wanted to take a moment to tell you a true gecko tale!
About two months ago, just before Julia's wedding, one of the little buggers got into the house when I opened the back door to pick up some toys from the patio. To make a long story shorter, upon trying to catch it, it immediately disappeared! My neighbor was trying to help me and we both agreed that the thing just vanished out of his hand! So, I went to Julia's wedding, hoping for the best, which was that it had gotten back outside. Weeks go by. Then one night, when Elizabeth wasn't going to bed, her sharp little eyes spotted a gecko crawling on the floor along the edge of our entertainment tower, past the bookshelf and underneath the subwoofer. We pulled the tower and shelf out and even took apart the subwoofer, but did not find the thing. We found quite a few other odds and ends inside the subwoofer, though!
Well, today, at least a month later, I was hunting for a certain large and empty plastic coffee cannister in which to potentially store some school supplies. I thought it was on the floor of the pantry. It was. I shoved over the bag of bags to get said cannister and that's when I screamed. I knew it was just the harmless gecko, but seeing it crawling it's creepy crawl away from me still elicited that shocked reaction when one sees something alive in your house that isn't supposed to be there. I told Elizabeth, lizard-catcher extraordinaire, that she had to catch it when I lifted up the coffee canister that it had hidden under. Well, she did make several attempts before it crawled under her! She jumped to get it but missed and the darn thing scurried under the oven! It'll probably be another month before we see it again. At least we ended up doing a thorough cleaning of the pantry floor and a fairly decent cleaning out under the oven!
Here is the link to see a picture of our accidental pet (though ours is a little bigger than the one pictured). http://www.outdooralabama.com/watchablewildlife/what/Reptiles/Lizards/mhg.cfm

I am back in Afghanistan

2009-10-13T10:21:00.000-07:00

And I have been for almost two weeks.

The last 130 days are slowly ticking away and I am starting to finally get back into the "post-leave swing". I've started several projects lately and I have a few more left to start in the hopes of getting most of the concrete work done before winter sets in.

I am not travelling as far as I was before the break but I am travelling about as often. The air is getting a little clearer as the cold sets in, but it is still a drastic difference in air quality from the North Georgia mountains or the Gold Coast of Florida.

I have been exercising more lately, running almost every other day. I also use the stationary bike and occasionally workout on the rowing machine. In general though, I still feel like I need to lose a few pounds.

Every day I am comforted by my Creator and my life is made perfect by His grace. It is a hard concept, grace; but it gains importance in my life daily. I am constantly reminded that I am saved by grace alone and that anything good that comes from me, actually comes from Him - driven by His grace.

In Him,
David

Elizabeth, the reader, bike rider and lizard catcher!

2009-10-06T10:55:00.001-07:00

Yes, folks, she is something! She began reading with gusto last week! She said, "You tell me the letters to write and I'll write them!" and then she would read what I had told her to write. We started on some simple sentences yesterday.
Also, she has finally started enjoying riding her bike. She is a few inches taller than she was in April at her birthday (go figure) and can maneuver better.
And, at four years old, she is lizard catcher extraordinaire! We have quite a population of geckos around the house (we've watched it grow in the 2.5 years we've lived here). But, today, one youngster is now without his tail. He had found his way into the garage and was hiding in between a piece of cardboard and the garage wall. Andrew found him and then called Elizabeth to catch him! Well, she did, but she pulled off his tail in the process. It was great, though a little disgusting to see the tail continuing to wiggle around on the cardboard for the next five minutes! I was shuddering! I'm so so so glad, that even though we live in the suburban south, that my kids still get to experience nature and life all around them.
Speaking of nature around us, there is also this subtropical spider living in our front yard. We looked it up in Andrew's spider guidebook. It creeps me out to flip through the pages of that book, but this spider is not very creepy at all! He is very cool looking. He has a very hard, very large, oval-shaped, shiny white abdomen with 6 black spots and 4 spikes around the outer edge of his abdomen. He has this really tiny head and legs, but builds beautiful webs. The kids and I go check on him every other day or so.
So, Elizabeth is growing and learning so much every day. I wish she'd learn to take a nap on the days she had ballet, though! She's loving ballet and doing fine with it, though it's very introductory. She just focuses much better when she's had a nap. And so do I, for that matter. I think I'll get my 20 minutes in real quick!

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

2009-10-04T19:08:00.000-07:00

This may be my shortest review ever because I can't really think of anything more to say than what is already posted on PluggedInOnline about this animated film.

Still, here is my personal take:

They should have named it "Awesome with a Chance of Awesome!"
I though it was phenomenal and I think you will too.

In Him,
David

Why CPJ Rocks:

2009-10-04T01:00:00.000-07:00

(MP) - Coach Paul Johnson is a no-nonsense coach. In this true fashion, here are some great qoutes from the post-game press conference after beating Mississippi State on the road:

"I'm not sure everything clicked"
"42 is more than 31"
"Kicking the ball is atrocious"

Nice.

2009-10-03T20:50:00.001-07:00

Hannah walking on the beach.
David and the kids flying a kite.

Andrew helping Hannah as she is a little slow and unsteady at the bottom of the pirate boat water slide!

This is a good view of the hotel with David and the kids at the slide. Our room was behind me and on the right. On down were more pools and then the beach. See David's review of "Waterscape" under "Reviews" to read more!

Ft. Walton Beach

2009-10-03T20:22:00.001-07:00

As promised here are some pictures from our trip! Above: we went for a long walk geocaching! Look it up if you don't know what it is!

The kids very happy with their balloons that were made for them at dinner. E: Flower; A: Dinosaur; H: deflated Alligator

Playing on the luggage cart the day we arrived.

Andrew boogie-boarding! He had so much fun doing that!

It was like the happiest dream! I can't believe we really relaxed and played as much as we did! David was amazing with the kids and they were so enamored by his love and attention. Little Hannah really won him over, too. He hadn't seen her since she was 13 months, and as most of you know, there is a huge difference between 13 and 20 months!

Garage Sales & The Alabama Nature Center

2009-10-03T16:11:00.001-07:00

Well, today was a fun and fairly productive day. We woke up early and did some garage sale shopping in our neighborhood. It's a lot of fun because it's neighborhood wide and there's at least 1000 homes in our neighborhood! Obviously not everyone participates, but it's busy and fun.

Then we drove up to Prattville/Millbrook, AL area to a special place called the Alabama Nature Center. They have hiking trails where many schools come and learn about biology, rocks, habitats, all that great stuff. Today, they were having what they called "The Good Ol' Days". They had a blacksmith making horseshoes (the nice man gave Andrew and Elizabeth and old one), several woodcarvers, and pottery-makers. There was a refurbished home where ladies were spinning wool into thread, crocheting, and quilting. Then, there was a native American hunting tent set up where they were making Three-Sisters Soup (squash, corn, beans, rice and venison) over the fire. The woman was weaving these amazing baskets out of long needle pine straw. They had tomahawks, blow guns for the darts they made, and real arrows with arrowheads he had made. He had the fur and hides of beaver, possum, fox, rabbit, skunk and raccoon. They were dressed as they would have been in the early to mid 1800s.

Oh, and then there was this herding dog demo! The trainer blows commands on a whistle and the dog herded these really strange looking ducks into pens and over and under steps! The ducks were very tall--over two feet and yet walked and waddled like ducks, but they would fall on their faces fairly often, which made us laugh. They would get up so quick, if you blinked you'd miss it. It was fairly entertaining to watch and it was the kids' favorite, but my favorite was the Indian hunting camp.

After all that, we partake of the hot dog lunch and prepare to go home when I run into a woman I knew in Alaska! I got distracted and after we were done talking, loaded up everyone into the car to go home. Well, about 10 minutes down the road I realized that I left our cooler with our name on it on one of the tables. We'd brought some juice boxes and fruit along, but forgot them when we got to talking and watching the blacksmith and woodcarver again! So, I decided to go back and get it. Well, that was slightly annoying, but we did it and got home for some much needed rest time. I opened the van tailgate to make sure I had gotten everything out, and it was then that I realized, once again, that I am very fortunate my head is attached to my body or I would forget it. The back of the van was empty, which meant that after I had gotten the diaper bag, the camera, my purse and the baby out of it--and then gone back for the silly cooler!--I had driven off leaving the stroller in the parking lot.

Slice of Life

2009-09-30T19:07:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure when Hannah started pulling her shirt up to put her finger in her belly button while she sucks her thumb, but I've caught her doing it twice today! What enables a little kid to come up with such a combination? I've watched her growing fascination with her belly button, which is very common in babies her age, but when I picked her up from church and she was walking around with her right thumb in her mouth and her left fingers in her belly button with shirt up, I realized this was the real deal. Tonight, she pulled her nightgown up and and started fingering her belly button before popping her thumb in when I laid her in her bed. It's just so funny what makes a kid think these little actions up. I know you'll find this hard to believe, but I remember being two and wondering to myself why some of my friends sucked their thumbs. So, I was in my favorite teacher's class, "Black Ann's" class (as a two year old, I had two teachers named Ann, and of course, being two years old, they were simply and accurately known to me and all the other children as "Black Ann" and "White Ann". I know that sounds terrible, but it was not at all, and she still watches the two year olds in the nursery and has watched Elizabeth and loved her dearly also.) and I decided to try out sucking my thumb and see what the big deal was. I couldn't imagine enjoying it, but I gave it a half-hearted try anyway. The Ritz crackers and apple juice were being prepared when I popped it in, awkwardly, and tried a few sucks. It really uncomfortable and yucky! And while I always wondered why so many kids did it, I knew it would just have to be something I had to accept not understanding. Little did I know that a virtual family of thumb-suckers had already begun passing through that church nursery years before and their were two more in the family that would go through Ann's class. Now they are my dear, dear husband and in-laws!
And now my two daughter's suck their thumbs. Good thing I learned to accept thumb-sucking at an early age! Elizabeth does hers with her "Baby Bear" a very well-loved pink and white bear with a long cap. She is only permitted baby bear at sleeping times. I know everyone worries about their teeth growing out in the front and their bites becoming messed up. I even saw a neat device in "One Step Ahead" magazine that puts a plastic piece over all but the tip of the thumb that is attached to a bracelet the child wears on their wrist. You know, I'm just not worried, though! None of my dear siblings-in-law had to wear braces because of their thumb-sucking! They may have had a few crooked teeth here and there (who doesn't?), but did not have the gross mouth problems associated with thumb-sucking. So, I'm not worried! They'll grow out of it! And they'll have a wonderful memory of being a child in a very distict and tangible way.
I know each and every one of you appreciates me sharing this little slice of our life and my thoughts about it. The bottom line is that children are a precious gift and they only are little for such a short time. It seems long at first, but in light of the rest of their life, it is very short! Handle your kiddos with great care and use the time wisely! And hug 'em and kiss 'em like crazy!

Waterscape Condominiums

2009-09-30T11:37:00.000-07:00

Waterscape - the website sells itself! I love this place!

Rachel, the kids and I just spent our second vacation at this huge complex on Okaloosa Island, immediately of Hwy 98 after crossing into Fort Walton Beach, Florida. It is situated right on the Gulf and within a short drive to all of the main attractions in Destin and Fort Walton Beach.

The architects who designed this place had the upper-middle class family in mind and made sure accomodations would be comfortable and amenities plenty. The horseshoe shape of the building ensures that the main recreation area, complete with "Lazy River", waterfall, gym, BBQ grills, three pools, two hot tubs, and plenty of seating would be protected from most of the wind as well as a lot of the sun. Of course, being situated on the Gulf, the white sands of the resorts private stretch of beach are just a short walk over the wooden walkway. This proximity means that some rooms come with a grand view of the Gulf of Mexico. The architects designed every unit to angle towards the Gulf, so even rooms that are on the inside of the horseshoe on the bottom floor have a good chance of seeing the water. The resort offers free internet in seemingly all rooms (bring a Cat 5 cable just in case your unit doesn't provide it) and a free movie rental kiosk that allows each room to check out one free video at a time.

Here are some tips before visiting:
1. The best rooms for accessibility to the amenities are definitely the interior, bottom floor units. The largest units are closest to the Gulf, though they are a little further from the pools. When selecting a room, remember that the recreation area is two-levels, so the room you would want in the lower level recreation area would be a first level room. However, the upper level recreaction area has second level rooms opening out to it. The website has a terrific map that you can use to decide which room you want. Make sure you pick your own room with the ResortQuest agent when you call!

2. Go after labor day! These are very expensive condos and the rates drop significantly after the peak season. Plus, the amenities are more available due to a smaller crowd. You will lose some access to a lot of the fun things in Destin due to them closing their doors for the "winter", but you will not lose the sun or the relaxing.

3. Call the resort to see what they recommend bringing. Under the auspicious of saving money, they had not stocked the room we were in last time with enough toilet paper or liquid soap (powder dishwashing detergent is provided to wash the dishes in the full kitchen's dishwasher). I also recommend bringing laundry detergent for longer stays.

4. Because you are renting a condo, the management is not run like a resort. There is no daily maid service, room service, or a concierge. The front desk (when they are open) will help you with local area questions and local eateries will deliver.

5. Bring pool toys, floaties, etc as well as beach equipment (don't forget a kite!) Umbrellas and beach chairs are provided free of charge and kayaks are rented out. Also, it may be fun to have a cookout one night at one of the poolside BBQ grills, however an easier picnic with sandwiches is just as fun.

6. Sodas on site are expensive ($2/16.9 oz bottle)! Bring your own, but avoid glass bottles of any variety - they are not allowed on the pool deck.

7. Don't plan too many extra activities off-site. Relaxing by the pool or building sand castles is a perfect way for a family with young kids to save money while enjoying their time together. Other than eating out one meal a day, we went fishing from the pier, geo-caching, mini-golfing, and to a movie. I think anything else would have been too much for the time we were there (5 nights).

I hope you'll take my advice and stay there some day - it is really a nice place for young families to relax, refresh, and build memories.

In Him,
David

You Wait in Kuwait

2009-09-30T09:06:00.000-07:00

That's about it in a nutshell. I am currently in Kuwait waiting for a flight back to Afghanistan (not that I'm too anxious to return). My stay on the way over for R&R (Rest and Reconstitution) was very short - less than a full 24, but the stay on the way back has already passed 48 hours with no end in sight. My best guess is that I'll be on my way within 72 hours.

There is plenty to do here, however. I've got mutliple sources of internet access (obviously), a 24-hour DFAC (Dining Facility), KFC, McD's, Subway, movies, books, games, and decent transient sleeping arrangements. All in all, it's not a bad gig. The best part is that the weather has been very mild for the area due to being here in mid-late fall versus the middle of the summer.

Still, I'd rather be at home. The 15 days with Rachel and the kids was all too short, though very well spent and very appreciated. Rachel and I spent a week by ourselves in a cabin on Lake Blue Ridge with our sailboat, Sundae, tied up at the dock just behind us. Then we picked up the kids and shared some very terrific time with both her family and mine before heading to Florida for a week on the beach at one of our favorite vacation destinations. The resort we stayed at is called Waterscape and it is wonderful. It has five different pools, two hot tubs, and it is right on the Gulf with it's own white sand beach.

Thank you all for your support and encouragement over the last year since getting tasked, trained, and deployed. We have a few months left before being fully reunited. Until then, I'll try to keep you up to date.

In Him,
David

Reunion & Relaxation!

2009-09-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

(MP) -R&R
I'm not sure those words are exactly what R&R stand for, but that's what we had the last two weeks and it was such a wonderful time! (I'm not sure that anybody actually knows what R&R really stands for.) We will post pictures of the mountains and the beach soon!

The Soloist

2009-09-05T13:06:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles stands out as the principle character in Joe Wright's "The Soloist". Dynamic and alarming, the city of angels even upstages solid performances by mega-stars Robert Downey, Jr., Jamie Foxx, and Catherine Keener. Maybe it was the low-quality, gritty copy I had available to watch and maybe it was my current state of mind (over 200 days since seeing Rachel and the kids), either way, this movie really effected me.

As it is, I am already a sucker for movies involving music. Some of my favorites include "Ray", "August Rush", "Moulin Rouge", and "Singin' in the Rain". In all of those movies the setting made the music. In "The Soloist", however, it was the other way around. The gentle hum of the cello or two-string violin made L.A. L.A. is often decisive - without warning - and yet it can subtly blend from that into an ironically-warm morning hue. This was evident throughout most scenes of the film as Jamie Foxx's portrayal of the schizophrenic homeless Julliard dropout painted the brushtrokes which eventually revealed the portait of a landscape destitute with homelessness and little hope for the lost and wary.

Ultimately, there is some redemption through friendships and Steve Lopez's (Downey) L.A. Times Column, which takes on an interesting role as the film's narrarator. It is not a quick film and not a "date film". Deliberately set time aside to watch this film and don't worry about popcorn or a bunch of friends. The only requirement I will impose is that you definitely watch it with a great sound system and full bass.

Camel. . .check.

2009-09-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

Today a soldier who has been here for almost two years is celebrating an imminent return to the States. In honor of his service, an Afghan and his son brought this camel along a 12-hour journey to our camp for rides and pictures. So, I finally got a chance to ride a camel! As an engineer, I figured it would only be appropriate to ride it with proper PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), so I donned my hard hat and took a spin around the volleyball court.

I was very surprised at how quickly this huge animal raised up from sitting on its knees. I was also surprised I didn't fall off! See, only one set of legs goes up first and you need to watch your balance very carefully to make sure you don't fall off!

Anyway, I can finally add camel ride to my growing list of unique Afghan experiences!

In Him,

David

100 Posts!

2009-09-03T04:05:00.000-07:00

(MP) - "His Side of the Blog" has reached a milestone - the 100th post! I guess if I had put a little more thought in it, I would have waited until day 200 away from the fam to publish my 100th post and probably made the post more 100-relevant. Oh well. Que sera sera!