1 Month Down 11 More to Go

Today Drew and I are celebrating our 1 month anniversary! Well, not that kind of anniversary but Drew has already been gone for one month. Good news is that it is going by quickly. We only have 11 more of those to go. Definitely doable! This year was a special Thanksgiving for us and we had a lot to be thankful for. Of course I got choked up at both Thanksgiving dinners when I said that I was thankful for my husband. It's neat to me that regardless of your political views, Drew (along with tons of other men and women) are selflessly sacrificing to serve their country. This year I was thankful and proud. Drew and I were also very thankful for technology. We have been able to see each other and talk to each other everyday this week. It may not continue like that but we soak up that time whenever we can get it. He had a nice Thanksgiving too. I hope I get this right... (I know Drew is reading this) but they had crab legs, turkey, all the sides, ice cream, pecan pie, and coffee. He said it was great. He is really happy with all of the food and they also let them take more things back to their room. His chu (or room- it stands for combat housing unit) is great. He is right there with all of his guys and his roommate is a good one too (once you zone out the singing while we are talking). :) Having that little bit of privacy each day really helps Drew to unwind. He has been watching movies on his laptop too. Again, thank God for technology! But he is doing his thing and really liking it. He is working with the guys that are getting ready to go home and he says they are super excited to get back home. I sound like a broken record, but I am happy my husband makes that possible. Drew will be showing the new guys how to take over his role so he can come home before we know it!

I have been super busy with my marathon trip home to St. Louis. Each leg of the trip was great. From deer camp to KC to visiting with close friends to our friend's wedding... loved seeing everyone. I am flying home tomorrow morning but will be back soon for Christmas. Can't wait to see everyone soon.

Drew hasn't sent pictures yet but I will share when I get them.

The Margarita Night Group:

First Skype Date

Here's the most recent picture of Drew from this morning. It is soooo great to be able to see each other and talk at the same time!

All Settled In

Drew has made it safely and is all settled into his new room. He arrived on Thursday and quickly began the cleaning and organizing process. He will share a room with only one roommate. This is a HUGE improvement!! He has been living in one large room with tons of guys so he was more than excited to have his mini-dorm/apartment, not to mention a flushing toilet! He built himself a front porch with things the previous soldiers had given him or that he found. He also set his little room up nicely with a coffee maker and... his own internet! We are sooooo excited that he has internet in his room. We are looking forward to talking and being able to see each other. It makes us feel even more connected. I must say that with Thanksgiving coming up I am very thankful for technology. It has cut the gap between our countries and we feel so close. Today his mom and I were talking to him from the dock at the farm and he was in Iraq. How neat?! I was telling my family today that I feel so lucky and privileged when I can pick up my phone and send my husband an email. I usually have to wait for him to call me but I feel empowered that I can send him a note when I want to. I know, I know, my sister always tells me I am easily amused, but the little things like that are priceless.
Besides getting settled, he has continued with training and working out. They have met up with the team they will be replacing and will spend the next 2-3 weeks transitioning into their role and getting briefed on what they have been doing. I have said this before, but I am proud and honored that my husband's presence in Iraq means that another soldier goes home to his family.
As far as I go, I am doing well and keeping busy. I have been home for a week but I have been all over the place. This week I traveled for business, had margarita night with the girls in Drew's family (cousins and aunts) and went to deer camp this weekend. This coming week I am getting ready to go to Kansas City and come back to Illinois for a wedding. It is great to see everyone and catch up!
Also, I have been given the green light to begin sending mail. Drew continues to say he doesn't need too much because he has everything over there that he can buy. Like I said before, please let me know if you would like to send him something and we can coordinate it. Now that he is there I am sure he will start thinking of things that he would like to have so I will let you know. Drew should be sending me some pictures soon so I will post some of him when I get them. :)

Iraq

The time has come for Drew to leave Kuwait. He will be in Iraq by the end of the week! I talked to him today and he is talking a mile a minute because he is so excited to be going. Unfortunately I did not get to talk to him for as long as I would have liked because I was in work meetings but he is excited to head out and get set up in Iraq.

This past week, Drew has been fully immersed in training. Among other things, he has learned how to operate a MRAP which is a really big, neat looking vehicle, call in back up with specific grid coordinates, and run his entire team. Yes, Drew took the lead role in his group training. He brought back his motivational speeches among the privates which he has not done since basic training. While they were waiting to run through a training, Drew stood up and gave a motivational speech in hopes to unite and refocus his team, and it worked! After that speech they had the best training ever. Drew is also getting good exposure with the higher-ups in that he was challenged with leading his entire team and did great! They challenged him, he rose to the occasion, and he loved it. He has also been going to the gym and eating with his sergeant and lieutenant which Drew enjoys. They are already talking about how to improve their gym once they get to Iraq. Drew likes working out over there because he feels like he is at home. He said he forgets he is in Kuwait which I’m sure it is nice to feel removed from that sometimes.

Many of you are anxious to send things to Drew for good reason!! I am too. And we are thrilled that so many people want to send him things. But we have been told that because they only have so many people to operate the mail room and Drew only has so much space over there, it is best to organize the packages through me. I have still not been given the green light to begin sending things but will do so as soon as I can. Do NOT feel like you have to send him anything, but if you would like to, please let me know and I will coordinate that with you. (I feel like his secretary!) :) I mean that in a good way. I see it as a huge compliment to Drew that so many people love and care about him and want to show their support. Thank you! I will keep you posted. Onto the next chapter of deployment... time for the mission!

Happy Birthday to Drew!

Wanted to quickly say that today is Drew's birthday!! I talked to him this morning and he was doing well! He was getting ready to go to dinner when I talked to him. He has been training all day and has a night training exercise tonight as well. It just so happens though that tonight at the dining facility is steak and scallops night. Even though we can't celebrate together at least he will have a nice birthday dinner. :) I passed along all the warm birthday wishes for you too!

Kuwait Update

Drew was originally supposed to go to his FOB (forward operating base) this coming week. Drew was excited and thought it would make a great birthday present (his bday is Tues) if he could go to Iraq then. Unfortunately, they found out today that their battalion is being redirected to a different FOB in Iraq. This change of plans equals more time in Kuwait while they sort out the details. Drew and his team are not too happy about this just because they are ready to get to where they are going. As many of you know by now, Drew is very excited to get the game started! He is not one for waiting around but prefers to be working hard. But even with the changes, he is still doing well and remains focused on the task at hand. This weekend Drew was out in the field for two nights training. In Kuwait, "out in the field" translates into Drew was sleeping in the middle of the desert. And yes, he loved it! That's my husband! (And your son, brother, cousin, nephew, friend...) :) He also received a great compliment during training in that Drew and his partner identified and eliminated a target on the course that everyone else had missed in his class and previous classes in the history of the training course. The trainer was extremely impressed with how sharp Drew was which is neat to hear. But I think Drew was more excited about what he saw while he was on night guard. He was sitting in his truck with the door open when he saw movement in the desert. He then watched as a fox ran all of the way up to him and ducked under his car door to look in. He then ran off. Drew thought it was so neat that he came that close to one! Oh the experiences he will have!

Drew and I are also doing well. We have been able to talk everyday this week except this weekend while he was out training. We have quickly transitioned from getting excited to see each other at the end of the day to getting excited to talk to one another. For lack of a better word, it is comforting. It's comforting to hear each other's voices and connect for that little bit of time. If nothing else, this experience makes you appreciate every little thing and you miss little things that you may have overlooked. For example, when I was struggling to stand on the back of our couch while trying to hang up our deer head mounts above my head after I had taken them down for the family room demolition, I really missed my big man! But I managed. :) And yes, the house is finally put back together again! The week long event wrapped up yesterday with the carpet being put back into place. I have a new found appreciation for our family room!

This weekend I spent time getting to know my new friends even better. It is nice to be able to get to know the wives whose husbands are right next to Drew day in and day out. We've found our husbands not only have a lot in common but we do as well. Even with the new friends, I can't wait to come home and see our family and friends soon! For Drew's sake, I hope he is able to leave Kuwait soon!

Here's another picture from our last hooray night in Savannah. Lindsay and Jason are on the left. Johnathan and Ruth are on the right. Johnathan and Jason are best friends from previous assignments and both ended up here. Jason (left) is not in Drew's group but deploys soon. Johnathan (right) is in Drew's small group of three guys. Both couples live in our neighborhood.

Kuwait

Drew has arrived safely in Kuwait and is enjoying it. He has been able to call everyday since Saturday and thinks he will be able to call me everyday this week. Woo hoo!! It is a short conversation but I LOVE that I get to talk to him!!!! He has been doing more difficult PT and more training which he loves. He says the guys are in good spirits and they are excited to be there. It looks like he only has this week in Kuwait and will be on his way to Iraq next week.

Even though our conversations are short, I have been trying to fill Drew in on everything that is going on here. He has not even been gone a week and things keep happening!! Early Sunday morning I woke up feeling horrible. I knew I had a fever, my throat killed, my head hurt, my body really ached... so I went to the urgent care. I usually don't rush off to the urgent care but my mom wanted me to start on antibiotics if I needed them. I knew something wasn't good when I could see the white patches in my throat just by opening my mouth. So long story short, it looks likes I have strep. I started on meds yesterday and am already feeling sooo much better. Poor Drew called me only to learn I was sitting on an exam bed at the urgent care... No fun!

Then today he calls to learn that guys are at our house tearing up our carpet and using a jackhammer on the concrete foundation to get to a leak in our water pipes. I had called the property manager because the carpet in the family room was randomly wet and they were here immediately. All I can do is laugh though! The last thing I wanted with being sick and Drew gone was a torn up family room but what can you do?! Drew and I got a good laugh out of that one. :)

Hopefully when Drew calls the rest of the week I will have a much more boring report! But things are going well with Drew and he is looking forward to his time in Iraq. So proud of that man!

This is what they found when they first pulled up the carpet.

Then they started digging.


And they continued to dig.


Then they decided the leak was really in the kitchen.

They are still here and it is 6 pm so we'll see!