7 Weeks Down - 45 To Go

More than seven weeks have passed since Nate left for Iraq, and it has just flown by! I have spend the past three weeks in Texas, where I finished my last class in law school and hung out with my family a lot. Last weekend, I decided at the last minute to go to a John Mayer concert in Dallas with most of my siblings (Landon was in Oregon with Whitney's family and Kara was at home withe my sweet nephews). We had a great time at the concert, and then made the late night drive from Dallas to Abilene. Reminded me of the many times I made that post-concert drive in college. Great memories, but I have to say that I had a better time at this concert with my bros and sisters than I ever did in college. They are my best friends. What a blessing to have such amazing family!

Now I'm back in Phoenix enjoying the hot, hot desert summer! I'm working from home for a lawyer in West Texas. I'm liking the work so far, and LOVE the flexibility it allows, and I have some future plans up my sleeve, so stay tuned! My sister Shelley is coming to visit in a week or so and I can't wait to hang out with her! Yesterday, my parents, along with Gini, Cori, and Heather left for Zimbabwe, Africa. Please pray for their safety, and for energy. There is so much work to be done there.

I wish I could say more about what Nate is doing. Unfortunately he can't really tell me all that much. He is doing very well and loving his job, which he says is fascinating. He's still working long hours, but is not overwhelmed as he was in the beginning. He loves getting to take little trips outside the IZ. I can tell those are the highlight of his time there. I'll leave you with a few photos he has sent.

This is Nate shopping for my anniversary gift, which I love by the way!

Provincial Iraqi Control Handover Ceremony

Here is a picture of Nate and some Iraqi kids at a Provincial Iraqi Control handover ceremony last week in the northern part of Iraq. I think this is his favorite part of the job - getting to meet the Iraqi people and be a part of giving their country back as they are ready. He is getting more rest these past few days, and is enjoying his work and the people he works with. We have been overwhelmed with support from so many people and can not express our thanks. Thank you to everyone at WVBC for all you're doing for us. We can't say enough thanks. And thank you all, friends and family, for your many prayers. Keep them coming! I'll keep posting pictures as I get them.

Pictures of My Hero

I finally have a couple of pictures to share. This is Nate sleeping on a transport aircraft that was taking him somewhere inside Iraq. Nate was trying to write in his journal, when his body decided to catch up on some much needed sleep. Notice the guy next to him, sleeping soundly with that big gun slung across his lap. I think that would make me nervous! I just got off the phone with Nate and he is doing well. His new boss arrived last week, so things have been extra busy lately. Hopefully things will normalize in the coming weeks, but this is Iraq we're talking about so I'm not counting on it.

Here is a picture of Nate in a helicopter being taken somewhere...I can't remember which trip this was, and he can't tell me half of what he does anyway. We've been able to talk a lot still, and we both thank God for that. It is the highlight of our day each day and makes things so much easier. God bless all of those Marine wives - they deserve our thanks. They are the really tough ones. Please keep the prayers coming for Nate's safety. He also wanted me to ask people to pray that he will be able to make it on 4-5 hours of sleep a night without getting sick. He's been on the verge for a week or so. Please pray that he will have ample energy to do his job well. I think I'll have more pictures coming soon. Until then....

Waiting on Pictures

I keep waiting for Nate to send me some pictures so I can post them on here. But it seems he has more important things to do. I'll give him that. So far, he has been working 18 hour days and seems to be loving his job, which is absolutely fascinating. I admit - I'm a little jealous (of the work, not the work hours!). I take my last final tomorrow, and then who knows what. I'll post pictures from Nate when I have some.