Iraqi Thanksgiving

Greetings All,

Tonight we completed a successful Thanksgiving celebration with our Iraqi Counterparts. A tradition on our little FOB (Forward Operating Base) is to bring in a ton of food and then invite the Iraqi officers to share in a Thanksgiving celebration. Many of the Iraqi's already started their "leave" cycle(they work either 21 days and then go home 7 days or 10 days on 10 off). They take leave so they can drive home and give their paycheck to their wives (just like in the states except there are no checkbooks and credit cards).
Anyway, since there weren't the normal number of officers around we talked the General into letting the senior Iraqi NCO's to eat with us too.Of course, my guys picking up the food got delayed so we started dinner a little late but no one seemed to mind. We had the Iraqi conference room set up with tables, chairs, etc. so all we had to do was bring inthe food. There were a few short comments, a historical narrative, and a prayer. Then our officers served everyone as is the American Army Tradition.
The Iraqi's were a little worried that the well done prime rib was ham but once their fears were appeased they all ate with a vengeance. We had Iraqi rice, well done (sad) prime rib, roast turkey,turkey parts, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, sweet potatoes,salad, Iraqi custard, corn on the cobb, chitlans, and cranberry jelly.There was also carrot cake and pumpkin pie. The Iraqi ate some of just about everything and raided the deserts heavily. They also guzzled down the sparkling red grape juice.
After the officers finished, most left the area so the jundi (soldiers)could come in. The Arab custom aligns with stratus eating. The muckitymucks eat first, then the next level officials/guests, and on down to the lowliest individual. Little goes to waste. After dinner my guys and some of the NCOs took advantage of the general's pool table and ping pong table. Not something the junior guys get to play on since it's reserved for the chosen few. It was a nice event.
Couple things missing to make it a real Thanksgiving include helping my girls make plates, listening to all the old family stories, and drinking wine and talking politics with my liberal family members (since all the right wingers are to stiff in their views).Oh, and since I haven't sent this out yet. I'm in my Iraq home. My job is a little different then I thought. I'll be spending more time working team issues as the XO instead of working primarily with the Iraqis. I'll still be a part of the advisor effort but more of my time will be spent ensuring the US guys get the support they need, synchronize operations,and beat up individuals who aren't producing. Still better then beingstuck at the Division HQ though.

God Bless to All.
Robert

Can anyone say "jazz hands"

Well, the home photo shoot was such a success that I even got Cannon to smile while wearing a BOX on her head. I know, what is that thing? I can only say that the dance teacher thinks it's CUTE. I think it is cruel and ridiculous torture.

She would look cute in anything. Now she has to dance in it!

I thought I would share the cute photos of the girls in their first dance costumes. I love that they are Christmas colors. Too bad I already have my holiday photo done.The girls are getting so excited about the show. They are practicing and love to dance. Pray for the bobby pins to defy gravity for 5 minutes.

We also did the birthday photos today. They are all posted here today. Check out all the photos below.

Birthday girls

Today we did Cannon's 4th birthday shoot and Thorin and Sorenna had birthday milestones since we moved into the new house. Thorin turned 8 this summer and got some new glasses. Sorenna just celebrated her 6.5 birthday. We thought we would do the official photo shoot day and save a little of who they are for our future.

They look so much older in these photos. I love photo shoot day!

My sweet Cannon turns 4

Today was photo shoot day. There were many reasons, but mostly because Cannon turns 4 this month and it will be a little crazy at the end of the month. I thought she had such a sweet face and attitude today, so I figured I would capture it.

These are the many faces and crazy ways of my shy miss Cannon. It is hard to believe that the girl in these photos is a quiet, shy little pixie. She is no bigger than a 2-3 year old, but is amazing and fun like her big sisters. She is very independant and just a joy to have in our family. I am so glad God blessed us with this fabulous girl. Can't imagine our family without her.

Our Hawaiian Home

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIWdn2DN6rQ

It was too large to load, so I hope this works!

Well it is finally here. The video tour of our home. I tried doing it with sound, but the girls were too excited when I was talking. I had to be silent and just walk through the house or I had the girls commenting and jumping to get in the video...very distracting to say the least.

I hope you enjoy the tour. There are 2 rooms you were not able to see because one is a storage room and the other really looks like one now!

The video starts in the front of our house. You enter the lanai (enclosed patio). We recently cleared that out and this will be where the girls do art projects, crafts and I do crafty things too.

Then you enter our open area living room and dining room with the built in curios! LOVE THEM!

The tour goes to the right wing with the 3 bedrooms. The middle one is ours and the back one is all three girls' room. The main bathroom is there too.

The other side of the house is the girls' playroom, the kitchen, the laundry room, bathroom and 2 maids' rooms.

It is a very nice house and it is finally a home!

Change?

Last night, America made history. We elected an african-american. Ok, that is not my take on it, but that is what the papers and news reports are telling us to think. I feel like we should have been voting on AN AMERICAN....not one that sees himself as less america by still identifying himself as an outsider.
I know many who are Italian, jewish, hispanic. I never hear them distinguish this trait. When asked where they are from, they simply say I am an American!
They are an american who happens to be irish....not an Irish-American.
That small difference is what seems to divide so many in conversations today. The voices were heated and defending. You could not speak without offending. I am not saying that McCain was perfect, but he has fought for his country, almost died for his country. He wants to see our country succeed.
If anyone was aware, the last 4 years have been controlled by the Dems. They have majority in the Congress! Of course if it flips and the Reps are in the majority it will make it look like our new Dem leader is doing what he promised!
All this talk of new hope, change and a new day...that has me quite scared. He promised people he would pull the troops out. That worries me too. If he starts pulling our troops out. The ones still over there will be in more danger than when the war started. That will be my husband.
I hate hearing people say "it's about time", and "black power", but what I hate most is the comment I read that said "I am so proud of all the people who suffered so that this day could come".
Tell me he didn't win the election on reverse racism!
I also looked on line and some of the states have not reported 100%. The 54-46% makes me want to understand this process even more. How can the election be decided if all the votes are not in and none of the absentee voters overseas have been tallied?
Our guys in Iraq didn't get a voice. When I read that they don't count those votes unless the vote is close....how much closer can you get?
I want a president who is proud of the American flag. Hawaiians can be very Anti-american for what I have seen here. They fight about their own race within the islands and our president comes from that way of thinking.
I just pray that it is a good change and my husband isn't putting his life on the line so that our president can give all that he's earned to someone not willing to work because they can get a hand-out instead of a hand-up!

FINALLY a rainbow!

We are in what they call "the rainbow state." We have rainbows on everything....almost like we should be in San Fran!

We would see them so often that it became boring after a while, I was beginning to believe that you were not allowed to photograph them. It was like there was a forcefield around them. Every time we saw a rainbow it was pouring down rain or we had no idea where the camera was ...or both! There was one where we saw both ends and it was so pretty.

This photo was taken while I was waiting around for the girl's dance class. It took 4 months to get it, but there it is...FINALLY!

I am still trying to get a good one, but this one will do!

Cannon makes a friend

I know many of you who know Cannon knows that she is a real "chatterbox".
My father-in-law doesn't get to talk at all when she is on the phone with him. She sometimes does come up for air to ask " are you still there pepere?", which he promptly says he yes.....she carries on!
But, when this cute girl is at school, she can't remember her own name from the complete shyness. It is sweet and silly, but I had no idea if she would ever make any friends to have enough to invite to her birthday party. In the last few weeks she has been talking about some of her friends and how they are so funny and crazy. I have asked her to point them out and I have yet to see her warm up to anyone when I dropped her off...so much of a loner.

At the Halloween party I stayed to help and she had this one little girl who was so fun. They decided to do the MUMMY station together. Cannon calls her "anna banana"....but it is not like the word banana....it actually is pronounced as AWE...... so it is awe-na ba-naw-na .....so it is cute when she calls her that.

Here is her fun mummy time.

Our Halloween fun

Here are photos of some of the fun things we did this month to celebrate Halloween. Robert and I went to a party at (one of ) the General's home. It was decorated with so many cool things and we had a blast at the first grown-up costume party we have ever attended with ZERO kids!

Robert had this entire line made up about how he was a chicken farmer who met "rave" city girl on line and his email was chicken lover and mine was Rave CHICK!

get it??? The general laughed...I thought he was nuts!

SO .....it was a really fun party. We didn't get the full effect in this photo. He had his boots on and I looked like something out of beetlejuice with striped hose, and black mini and pattened leather boots!

I gotta find a photo!


Robert carved his first pumpkin with the girls on Monday so they could have a fun memory together. It was very cute and the girls loved pulling out the GUTS!

Thorin is in the background of the photo looking a little weak from a headache....and like past deployment pre-parties, she puked the rest of the night.

Even better: Friday morning she tells me the pumpkin has a web in it. I am thinking "how can a spider be so quick?"

Well, it wasn't a spider. It was some sort of black and white foamy looking MOLD!!!! I was freaked out! It was completely disgusting. By the end of the night, it had collapsed the pumpkin and was starting to grow on the outside...GROSS!!!!! and DOUBLE GROSS!!!

This is the front porch with my Jessie (from Toy Story) and her 2 barnyard cats!

They were the funniest cats. Don't ask me how they both ended up being cats, I really have no idea when that conversation happened. The girls had a blast going through our new neighborhood. We even decorated a bit. Cannon swayed her hips back and forth so she could feel the tail move. For a girl who should not have a hip sway....she can knock it out of the park!

The sign on the porch (surfboard) I made at a craft day. It makes the porch look homey. The only thing I want more than anything....to paint that green door RED!