Happy New Year

Happy New Year! Drew and I are excited it is not only a new year but it is already January! Although I wish Drew could have been with me on New Year's Eve, he planned it perfectly to call me right when the ball dropped. I was at a neighborhood party and literally saw the ball drop on tv with everyone and my cell phone rang. It was so cute! I know it sounds dumb to get so excited about a phone call but you get creative and happy with the little things when we are so far away. So Drew was the first person I talked to in 2010. I also told him Happy New Year when he was going to bed the night before because he didn't stay up until midnight. (Remember he is 8 hours ahead of me so New Years came much sooner for him.) He had a nice relaxing day off which is always nice.

We are so excited that it is already January because... he will be coming home in March! Meaning, we get to see each other in 8-12 weeks depending on when it is in March!! WOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Saying we are so excited to see each other doesn't even describe it!!!! That will be considered his mid-tour leave which is meant to give the guys some R&R time and rejuvenate them to come back for the rest of the year. Drew and I are going to save the visits and parties for when he really comes home in October next year. When he comes home in March we are going to do a whole lot of nothing and it will be great! We likely will go on a short trip but Drew is more excited to sit on the couch, sleep in our bed, and play with the dogs. I can't wait to ask him what he wants for dinner! Little things like that are what we really miss. So that is our main focus and highlight to look forward to right now. He was actually surprised when I told him I was going to take vacation time from work when he was home. I told him HELLO- I see my husband for 2 weeks for the entire year!!! I think that is vacation time well spent!!! :) :)

Drew continues to work and workout. As far as work goes, they have been helping the community to rebuild and continue to work towards independence. Much of Drew's missions consist of humanitarian work and supporting the Iraqi Police (IPs). Drew has some funny stories about the IPs and the different characters he meets. He is impressed with their skills though and says they are good guys.

Here's a picture of the IPs with our soldiers. And no, Drew is not in this picture. He finally will have his camera charger this week so I should get some more of OUR soldier! :)


I thought you would want to know too that Drew once again had an AWESOME Christmas Day spread. His only complaint is that they tend to overcook the fish and meat to prevent foodborne illness. He is looking forward to some sushi and a little grilling in our backyard where he can cook it the way he likes it.


Here are a few pictures from New Year's Eve. We cannot wait until our husbands come home!






This picture is from this past Saturday. My friend's daughter Alex loves that we both have the same birthday in July. Well, she was so excited she told our waiter at the Mexican restaurant but he misunderstood. He thought she was telling him it was her birthday so he brought the Mexican Hat. Drew loved this picture! Probably because he misses the Mexican food and the margaritas. Soon enough!!



P.S. If you notice the "Be Warm" blog background, it is not too cold in GA but it is surprisingly cold in Iraq and where most of our family are friends are. So warm wishes to all! :)