Proud Mommy

Congratulations are in order for Bailey. He made the A honor roll this 6 weeks!! First time ever!!!!! We are so proud of him. He has worked SO, SO hard and his grades certainly show it.



I am so proud of you Bailey. You work so hard every day..including Saturday and Sunday! As long as you try hard and always do your best...you will always be a STAR to me!!

Precious Moments

David emailed this picture today. He was out on patrol and saw these two girls. They were hungry and asked him for food. He was so upset by their request he returned to the FOB where the Marines are and got them some food. In this picture he is throwing candy to them. You can imagine how delighted they were. He brought back enough for them to take and share with their sisters.

They have red hair! He said it was heart wrenching...especially since he has a red head right here at home waiting for him to make it back safely. (He is such a softie when it comes to lil girls...i mean we have 5!!)

**And yes, I asked him how he knew it was safe. We have all heard how the enemy will use women and children. He says I shouldn't worry and that these little girls are very sweet. But the barbed wire kinda ruins it for me...

The votes are in...

and Ashlyn did not win class president. It turns out the boys ruled in this election. She ran an awesome campaign and we are all very proud of her. Good job Sunshine!!

New PJ's

Mommy said she wanted me to look pretty for the camera, so I picked out these pj's...
But first, I gotta put my mey-mey on...(make-up/medicine)
Now, this is the smile I ALWAYS give Mommy when she tells me to smile pretty....

Marine Corps Terms

Being married to a military man, I was introduced to a whole new language. I still hear terms that leave me dumbfounded, but I do pretty well now. Last summer, my friend Helen and I went to California to visit her cousin who is in the Marine Corps. We had a great time with her (she is deployed to Iraq right now) but I had to translate for Helen the whole time. So, based on her comment on my post below, I thought I would educate you civilians on a little Marine Corps lingo. Here are some of the most common...

Devil Dogs: The German Army coined this term of respect for U.S. Marines during World War I. In the summer of 1918 the German Army was driving toward Paris. The French Army was in full retreat. In a desperate effort to save Paris, the newly arrived U.S. Marines were thrown into the breach. In June 1918, in bitter fighting lasting for weeks, Marines repeatedly repulsed the Germans in Belleau Wood. The German drive toward Paris sputtered, fizzled, and died. Then the Marines attacked and swept the Germans back out of Belleau Wood. Paris had been saved. The tide of war had turned. Five months later Germany would be forced to accept an armistice. The battle tenacity and fury of the U.S. Marines had stunned the Germans. In their official reports they called the Marines "teufel hunden," meaning Devil Dogs, the ferocious mountain dogs of Bavarian folklore. Also the mascot of the USMC.

Jarhead: For roughly 50 years, sailors had little luck in their effort to insult Marines by calling them Gyrenes. So, during World War II sailors began referring to Marines as Jarheads. Presumably the high collar on the Marine Dress Blues uniform made a Marine's head look like it was sticking out of the top of a Mason jar. Marines were not insulted. Instead, they embraced the new moniker as a term of utmost respect.

Leatherneck: The nickname Leatherneck has become a universal moniker for a U.S. Marine. The term originated from the wide and stiff leather neck-piece that was part of the Marine Corps uniform from 1798 until 1872. This leather collar, called The Stock, was roughly four inches high and had two purposes. In combat, it protected the neck and jugular vein from cutlasses slashes. On parade, it kept a Marine's head erect. The term is so widespread that it has become the name of the Marine Corps Association monthly magazine, LEATHERNECK.

The Marine Corps adopted Semper Fidelis as its official motto in 1883 (Semper Fidelis is also the title of the official musical March of the Marine Corps). Translated from Latin, Semper Fidelis means "Always Faithful." U.S. Marines use an abbreviated verbal version, "Semper Fi," to voice loyalty and commitment to their Marine comrades-in-arms. Previous mottos of the Marine Corps were (1) To the Shores of Tripoli, adopted in 1805; (2) Fortitude, adopted in 1812; (3) From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli, adopted in 1848; and (4) By Sea and by Land, adopted in the 1850's.

Greetings from Bailey's class

As you may recall, Bailey's ENTIRE 4th grade class adopted David and his unit while they are deployed. He has received numerous care packages and says they always have GREAT items in them. (He opens them first to see what he wants, then he shares...guess it pays to be the 1stSgt!) Anyway, these are some pictures of the men and the cards they have received.

Libby tells us that the school is having these pictures developed so the 4th graders can see them and they will add this to the display case at school!

**Libby pointed out...that in one of the pictures a Marine is making bunny ears behind a fellow Devil Dog!! See above.

OMG! Are you kidding me??

Okay friends. I just need a moment to vent. I feel like I rate a rant every once in a while. I mean, I try not to complain a lot about my situation. Because, really, I don't have a reason to complain. I knew when I married David there would always be a possibility he would have to go to war. In fact, I know for certain that he wouldn't have chosen me to be his wife if I weren't completely supportive of his military commitment. With that said, I do my best to keep life at home as normal as possible until he returns. I don't think about how hard my life is right now because I KNOW his life has got to be a bizzilion times worse. At least I sleep in my own house, in my own bed, with my family around me. He doesn't have that luxury. In fact, he doesn't have any luxury at all. AND, out of respect for him, I do not complain about the day to day crap that goes on here because it can't possibly surpass the amount of crap he has to deal with. I mean really, can you imagine being in his boots right now?? I didn't think so...

So here's the rant part:
I am SO TIRED of hearing how life is so hard for people around me. Now for those of you who read this, I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT YOU. I'm talking about the people I hear at the store, or on the radio, or on television. Is their life really that bad? Is it really so awful that their husband went to play golf with his buddy and stayed gone all day Saturday when there was obviously yard work to do? (DO IT YOURSELF-LADY!) I mean, is it really that bad that you had to put gas in your car? And puh-lease...he's gone on a hunting trip and won't be back for a week...REALLY?!? Is that so bad??? Because my husband has been gone since September and isn't coming home for a y-e-a-r. My husband would love to do yard work. And the hunting trip...well, he's hunting all right. He's out there fighting to protect you and your rights. Oh yeah, let's not forget those women who "can't be alone" and find some other warm body to fill their void. COME ON!! He's sacrificing his time, family and life to fight for the blanket of freedom for which you get to sleep under each night while he sleeps with one eye open at all times. He would love to hear the sound of the kids arguing, he would love to have to run to the grocery store to get that one item I told him not to forget and he forgot it anyway.

Yes, I chose this life and I am not about to complain about it. In fact, I would choose it over and over and over again as long as David is in it. You can choose to be a victim or you can choose to be a strong, independent woman. Maybe I owe this all to my parents. They have raised very independent children who respect God and Country. They have always preached to us that you do what is right, and you don't complain about it. (Well Mom and Dad, I'm complaining now...but I mean well. Oh, and thank you!)

SO PLEASE---STOP WHINING!!!

When you lay your head down tonight. Think of what it must be like for our service men and women. I dare you to stop and think of what life must be like for them....

And one more thing...I go to bed alone every night. I know there are no guarantees in life, but the odds against my husband are far worse than yours. So the next time you think your life is so bad, THINK AGAIN LADY! At least you know your husband is safe and sound...no matter where he is...

(Sigh! OK, thanks! I feel much better now...)

Bailey's First Speeding Ticket!

Okay...I know it sounds really strange. But, it's actually awesome news!! Most of you know that Bailey's bonus mom, Libby, also teaches where Bailey and Ashlyn go to school. Here is the message we got via Libby's Shutterfly updates. (I'm too lazy to write my own and since she has already done it...)

Hi! Bailey got his first speeding ticket yesterday....& it was broadcast on our morning video announcements today! Usually in our culture this would not be considered a positive thing, but at Boon it is big stuff! Bailey's speeding ticket was from his speed reading in his Alpha Phonics class (dyslexia therapy). This is his second year in the program & he'll graduate this spring. His growth has truly been phenomenal & he was very excited to show this off to the camera!

Bailey practices speed reading word lists each night, since dyslexics struggle with their visual memory. On the current list, he improved from 58 words per minute to 116 wpm in a week. He got the Speeding Ticket & he was the most improved in the group for that day!

Congrats Bailey! (After graduating from AP classes, I will not be sending excited speeding ticket emails....luckily our driver's license is still 6 years away!)Have a great week!Libby

Sand Storm

I'm not sure if you know or not but there are sand storms in Iraq. Here is what David sees when he looks out his window right now...and I didn't edit the color. This is really what it looks like!!

Prayers Needed

The families of TF Mayhem received a letter from Lt. Col. F.W.Charlonis. Here are a couple of condensed paragraphs of the letter. Please keep these families in you prayers, and please pray for our men and women serving there and for their safe return home to their families and friends. David was able to call me today. It was so sad and so reassuring all at the same time.


Classification: UNCLASSIFIED

Families and Friends of TF Mayhem,

"It is with a heavy heart that I write this message to you. Yesterday, we had 2 Marines from Fox Company Killed as the result of enemy action. The vehicle they were operating struck an IED resulting in the death of Corporal Richard J. Nelson and Lance Corporal Dean D. Opicka. Lance Corporal David Doyle was injured in the attack and is recovering at a local Coalition Forces Hospital ."

"The Marines will continue their mission. We will pay our respects to our fallen brothers and like Marines have done in the past, we will complete our mission. We would dishonor the memory of these two warriors if we did not."

Special Thanks

David's dad has been so kind to make sure the yard is kept up while David is gone. While I promise his dad that I can do it, I just didn't have a mower to do it with. The one we had didn't work any longer and David had such short notice before deployment that he wasn't able to get to the hardware store to purchase one. So...since September his dad has done it for me. Mel even had to ask our neighbor to borrow his mower TWICE while his dad was out of town.

Well, after the all the spring like days my yard was looking like a jungle. I knew his dad had his own yard to worry about and the last thing I want for him to do is worry about mine too. So, I asked Chad if I could borrow his mower. I had it all planned out. I would mow while the baby was sleeping and if it took 2 days, then so be it. Chad was kind enough to let me borrow his mower. He even loaded it in the truck for me.

Saturday morning I woke up and thought through my plan. I went to search for the gas cans and noticed a stranger was mowing the grass on the perimeter of my fence. Now, I don't know this man, and I don't think he knows my situation. I think he was so tired of the weeds that he decided to help me out a little. Then, David's dad called and told me he was on his way to tend to the yard. He didn't even come to the door. He just started mowing and weed eating.

Okay, I know this is long and boring, so here is the best part. After he finished all of the yard work, he showed me our new mower!! Yep! He bought us a mower and it works great. I am so thankful. Now I can mow my yard and not have to bother anyone else to do it. And the even better part is...it has an electric start. I can start my push mower with a key!! (Dad, I know you are disappointed, but please know that I can still pull start a mower.) Thanks Mike!!

Farewell Flowers

Anyone that knows me, knows my favorite guilty pleasures. Snickers, Coke, Reeses, and Funyons and of course-my husband (note the American flags!) Obviously my Endo staff knows me all too well!! Thanks Ladies!

Final Commute

Well, my last day in Irving was Friday. As I made the last commute I began to think back on the great times I have had working there and how each practice has grown. I started to think about the decision, and while I have always been sure, there was that moment of sadness when you realize that you will not see the same faces every day.

The commute seemed to be a little faster than normal. Maybe everyone took the day off to work on cleaning up the mess the "tornadoes" had caused. Great! A perfect start to my last day. There was lots to do and any extra time would be aprreciated....AAHHH,NO! Over my AM station, yes...AM, came the traffic report. (Did I ever mention that I get the FM stations about 25% of the time?) Accident on west bound George Bush!! Damn it! There was at least a 45 minute backup. Now, I am truly sorry for the motorcylist that was injured in the accident and had to be Care Flighted to the nearest hospital...but really, when I heard that report I knew I had no regrets!!

Can you see the disgust on my face??

Elementary Elections

Tomorrow Ashlyn is running for Class President. She has her poster, her speech and her outfit already for the big election. Good Luck Sunshine!!

Pictures from the sandbox

David and the Chaplain

David and the Chaplain's bodyguard or RP. He is known as the Religious Person.

David and a mortar tube. I know-don't even ask...

Congratulations!!

Congratulations, Aunt Mel, on the new job!! We are so excited for you. We know you will do well. We are so happy that you are working so close to home and wish you the best of luck in your new position.

Missing Daddy

As most of you know, Dayden and I have a morning and night ritual where we say good morning and good night to Daddy and kiss his picture. We talk to his picture just as if it were him standing right there. I try to make sure he stays fresh in her mind so that he won't seem like a stranger when he gets home. I don't think she will react that way, but just in case...

So this morning I go to wake her up. Typically, she is still asleep and I just speak softly and tell my little angel it's time to rise and shine. Most of the time she is as happy as a bug in a rug and usually asks for Bailey and "Ashen" (Ashlyn) Rae. This morning though, through very sleepy eyes in the sweetest little voice she says...."Mommy, Daddy Iraq..(sigh!)" It was so sweet and so sad all at the same time. I don't know if she was dreaming of Daddy or not, but choose to believe she was. Hopefully it was a wonderful dream and it made her feel like he was home.

Update from the sandbox

I talked to David today. He called to let me know he will be on a mission for the next couple of days. I can't tell you where he is going...because he can't tell me. We speak in code. I am pretty good at figuring it out. We use birthdays, anniversary, and "work" speak to communicate when he talks of travel. While I can't give away too much of our code (because when he reads this he will freak if he finds out I put it out there for all to know), he is out of the office on an overnight stay. He won't need a rental as he his traveling by air. He hasn't booked his return flight yet...you get the idea.
I get incredibly nervous when he tells me this. I am so limited as to what I can ask and he is so limited as to how much he can say. Now don't get me wrong. I want to know. This way I know when to expect to hear from him. We have been able to set a routine, if you will, and if there is any interruption I tend to really worry. This way I know to expect the interruption and can deal with it a lot easier.
He also mentioned he may move. I don't like that either, but really, do you think what I think matters...uh, NO!!
He is in good spirits and is healthy. He has had such a different experience this time than with the first two tours. We have finally passed the halfway mark. We have something like 132 days left. Cross your fingers they will move up the return date.
Thank you all for remembering him in your prayers. He loves being a Marine and I am so proud of him...

Solemn Communion

Ashlyn made her Solemn Communion this past Sunday. She is such a blessing and is growing up so fast. I'm very proud of you Sunshine!!