Does anyone know what's wrong with me?

I must be crazy.....The first day the temperature reached 50+ and I heard motorcycles, I got antsy. In February, I went to a motorcycle show with Dave & Elaine. It got me pumped up to ride again. I sat on quite a few bikes (including a Harley Sportster) but the one Dave H. showed me that really got me excited was the Honda Rebel. Cute and sassy, it's a great bike to learn on and get my skills and confidence built up for riding with Dave when he gets home. I have been looking online and in the paper but they are hard to find. After saving up a bunch of my paychecks, I bought a 2009 Honda Rebel, black of course!

Laura watched me take my first ride...not very far but I rode around the circle down the block. She came out with me the next day too. I rode a bit longer then. One time, I took off and went around the corner and saw Jim Olson walking Willow so I stopped to talk. By the time I finished my route and turned the corner back on Lovejoy, Laura was halfway down the block. She said I was gone too long and she was coming to get me! I thought that was pretty sweet, she was worried about me.

I still have the Harley, which now has bags and a windshield. Dave is going to ride that until I decide how I feel about riding myself. So far, it's a real rush!!

Other than that, I've been very busy with work, working extra days. Busy with FRG - Family Readiness Group, our support system for families with deployed soldiers. Busy trying to relearn how to piece and quilt. I've got a baby quilt to make!! Busy with Thelma's house going on the market. All of that plus the regular day to day stuff.

Carrie's shower is coming up in April, and before that happens, she wants the nursery to be all done....ACK!!

Laura graduates May 15th with her Animal Science degree and is actively searching for employment, hopefully in that area. She didn't want to work with pigs though...I wonder why?

Last but not least, we are preparing for Dave's return. He is in Tallil now and has a job he enjoys much more than his other job. We still don't have a definite date for their return but when we do, I'll be shouting from the rooftop!

I leave you with a few pictures....

Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do....

Last week is a blur! I worked 2 extra days, did a month's worth of paperwork, errands, groceries, and bought a car. Hmmmmm...that part was really fun and a learning experience. This is the 4th car I've bought by myself when Dave has been gone. This time, I got some sage advice from my brother Dave and a few articles about what NOT to do when buying a used car.

So here she is....Lucy, our new used 2006 Buick Lucerne CXL!

It's a bit dirty but that's because we have such wonderful weather and melting.







This picture is one Dave sent me. A friend of Perry's gave Dave a UNI flag and wanted some pics of the guys with it. Dave is wearing his spiffy new flight suit. Double click on the picture to see it bigger.

I'm Back!

And I'm going to be a grandma of a baby boy!! I'm sure the majority of you have heard that Carrie's expecting, is due June 20, and today, she is 5 months along. She's just delightful as a pregnant woman. After the ultrasound last week, finding out baby is a boy, I think Mikey is getting excited about the baby. I'm so proud of those two.

Dave and I are counting time until he comes home. He should be back in the US by the end of May but not home 'til mid-June. He did have a nice 15 day leave over Thanksgiving. One week after he left for Iraq, him mother passed away so he came back on emergency leave. He says it was his mom's way of getting him back home for Christmas. Now, he wants to come home and I want him home. Just a few more months now.

Laura is in her final semester at Hawkeye and will graduate in May with an Animal Sciences degree. She hopes to get into grooming but will start out with anything animal related until that happens. She and Maggie are here so I'm not alone. That's a good thing.

I just got back Tuesday from Minneapolis where I went with Gretchen to the Minneapolis Mart, a market for retailers and lots of very cool stuff. There's some really awful stuff too but we ignore that stuff. It's fun to help pick new things out for the store. It's a bit different at this economic time although we believe the kitchen biz will be just fine.

I'm not getting much of the stuff done that I had planned at the beginning of this deployment. Some things got in the way. Hopefully, it will got much better and I will have something to surprise Dave with when he gets home, as if a grandbaby isn't enough!

Finally!!

This is a quick blog today. I just have to show you this picture.

THANKS TO; Mikey, Brad & Kandie, and especially my brother Dave. You guys are the greatest!

NOV. 5, 2008 SNOW DAY

Imagine my surprise when I looked out the window and saw a blanket of snow...over the blanket of leaves. Yep, first it rained for 3 days and then it snowed, all day. It was really strange to look out and see snow on the neighbors pine tree boughs. I talked to Dave and he says it's really great weather there right now. The rain they had has dried up. In fact, Dave said he wished it would rain just a bit so it would clear up the dusty air. He misses "green, Iowa green or brown or anything but sand color".

I started work yesterday (Thursday). It was sooooo good to be back in the shop with Gretchen! It kind of killed me though so I am waiting until Monday to return. The Christmas season has started already!












My sweet Ranger giving me his "Really?" look when I told him Laura was coming home.










Something you don't see too often. Simon and Ranger drinking out of the same bowl at the same time.

NEWS FROM IRAQ!!

NEWS FROM IRAQ!!
Dave is going to come home on leave for Thanksgiving! He is supposed to leave Iraq on my birthday if everything goes well. He said there could be a delay in leaving but that's normal. He will be home for about 2 weeks. We are all so excited to see him!! Thanksgiving is our favorite holiday. Dave figured the leave falls about halfway through his deployment.

I haven't gotten many pics from Dave but here is Shane Klein and Dave playing for the church service.


I know I haven't been blogging at all for 6 weeks. There just wasn't anything to write due to a totally boring life, not doing much at all. Things are looking up though. The test was last weekend. I pulled all the plants from the backyard gardens. I couldn't push the yard can back up the hill though. hehe. I really have not done anything that physical because I pay for it by not being able to walk for about 3-4 days. I was just fine that night, Sunday and Monday! I've decided it's time to go back to the kitchen shop. I don't want to miss Christmas at the shop! It's my 3rd holiday season.

I guess I had more to write about than I thought! My brother Dave and wife Elaine (my big sis) visited some this fall on their Goldwing. They were here for the Davis Rally (big motorcycle event) in New Hampton, bought a trailer and needed a place to store the old trailer. The next weekend, they came down to pick up the trailer. I'm not sure if it was the next weekend but Dave came down alone and spent nearly the entire time in my garage, building shelves so I can park my car in the garage this winter! He worked so hard! Everything is off the floor except my goodwill stuff, which is going this week.




The stuff in the middle of the floor is my goodwill pile. I just can't believe all he got done and how could he work like that? I didn't hear of any hospitalizations after he got home so I guess he's ok. hehe. Thanks Dave!!

From the Commander

Every once in a while, we get emails from the Commander of Dave's unit but today, we received one from the Battalion Commander. I thought you would all like to read some parts of that email.

"Attached is a picture of our battalion "T-Barrier" at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. There is a tradition that each unit that moves through the Camp gets to paint a T-barrier with a unit scene. Without a doubt, ours is among the most artistic in the entire Camp. We will also complete several here at Balad. Each company will get to do one, plus the battalion as well."

This is a good explanation of the Combat Patch...
"To mark our time spent thus far in the middle east, we had our "combat patch" ceremony on the significant date of 11 September. All of our troops had earned the right to wear the 34th Infantry Division's "RED BULL" patch on the right shoulder of their uniform to signify their service in a combat theater. It was a proud day for all of us."

It's a proud day for us at home too!