Update on Paul from Erin!

Hi everyone,
I know Paul has not put anything on here in a while. I don't know if he is just too busy, or if he just is forgetting. I will try to remember to tell him to come on here more often.
He had to go on a mission over night Christmas Eve. The mission was a success, however they almost had to stay over night because of an IED on the road. He did end up making it back safe. When he got back and was taking off his gloves and his wedding ring flew off. That's how much weight he has lost. He was in the vehicle when it happened so they searched it, but didn't find the ring. He said when they took the vehicle in for maintenance they would take it apart and try to find it. He was really upset about it, but I just told him to do what he could to find it and if he couldn't then we could get a new one. There was no point getting mad about it. Well, just now he called and said they found it. Two of the soldiers took it to where they work on vehicles and started taking it apart. They found it in hydraulic fluid and wedged between hoses! He has decided to wear it around his neck on 550 cord an buy a cheap ring to wear on his finger.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Paul tried to call to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, but the phone lines were clogged up. He did get through to me and said to tell everyone Merry Christmas, he loves you, misses you and appreciates everything that has been sent to him.
That is all I can think of for an update! I am still in Dallas until New Year's Eve, then will be heading back to Lawton. School starts again on the 2nd.
Love you all,
Erin

Merry Christmas from Grandma

I wish you a Merry Christmas, etc. Didn't get to send earlier. We spent the afternoon with Miss Mady and the rest of the gang around here. Christmas is for kids and she had a splendid day. And so did I.

We spent just a couple of days in Michigan with Tannie's family and Andy's too. Visited the cemetary and the stone looks fine. But it was so windy out there. And as usual, we had to fight the wind all the day to Indy. Some things never change. Coming home from Mackinac is usually the same on a windy day. But, it was a nice day.

I imagine you day might have been lonely. Thinking of you anyway. Last week I sent two boxes. The lines into the Post Office were long, long. But, would you believe, the office actually had five clerks and no one was at lunch. I sent two this time because my family room was beginning to get crowded with all the goodies I pick up here and there. The mind is always planning. I usually have two or three boxes filled with sendables and it's just a matter of putting together. And the darn customs declarations are a fuss. Never get the weight right. And most of the clerks don't seem to care about correcting the weight but last week the clerk was grumpy as heck. Too bad, it's his job to assist in mailing. He must have had a shortened lunch.

Hope Hedgie had a good Christmas. Would be nice if we had an update. Take care and sending prayers and lots of love. Grandma Brown

Merry Christmas from Grandma

Name of new Dog

Paul & Erin,

How did you come up with the name for the dog? I asked because we (Brown Family, Paul Sr., Deb, Gail, Pete, Beth and Ma B) had a german shepard 40 years ago with either the same name or something very close. I dug through a box of picture, but could not find one of the dog.

But with it being Christmas I found a couple of my favorite pictures of Paul Jr.

Even as a boy he wanted to do Logistics!


The next couple are the Last time I would wrestle with Paul Jr and Andy. Because I could still win. It was a very fun Christmas when Paul Sr, Paul Jr, and Andy came down to Mike and Deb's house in Indianapolis.


The Brown Family.


Last but not least. I still have some friends in the Military. Remember when Paul first got to Iraq and there was some incident with a bloody nose. Well I had my friends look into it and found a little different story than the one Paul told. It seems Paul made a deal with a friend to take a Tank for a drive. Well the picture tells it all. If you look closely I think you can see a smile on Paul's face, after all HE did not sign for the Tank.



Keep your head done and be careful. Let us know when your coming home.

Pete

Update on my Update

Hey Paul,
How is our Hedgie? I opened your email about his ransom and hoped you received my email to you. Two others I had sent were returned undeliverable yet Deb had no trouble sending you one. I did have problems with the email on the better computer. Hope this one is better.

Let me know if you need something for his ransom. I usually can find most desirables around here. Just wanted to update you on Hedgie. Love, Grandma

Note from Grandma

Hello Paul,
Haven't written for a bit because my computer was down. What a headache. Surprising how much I missed that machine. Mr. Mike (the computer guru) took my tower apart last Sunday and decided it was one of the components that needed replacing. So, to be kind to me and not make me wait for a new part (if it is even available), he put together an older tower that had been used at his workplace and transferred as much of my information on to it for me. It's dated '04 so it is comsiderably slower, but what a treat to have something to work on. And, even some of the so-called updated systems don't respond any better than this.

On to other things. The Charlow ladies and Sara were here last week-end and I so enjoyed their visit. We scattered in different directions and Sara and I did some shopping for her birthday. While searching for goodies for Tannie we found a T.J.Maxx where Gail had found all the Kona coffees. So, we went inside and we found some too. When we checked out, the checker said the Kona coffee comes in regularly but sells out fast. So, I will make it a priority to check for the coffee at the store. T.J.Maxx does have some interesting goods, but to find them I have to spend lots of time hunting. Even with plenty of time at my disposal, I hate to sort through racks and shelves. But, for you, I will make the surpreme effort to get more coffee. Anyhow, I have three packages to send in your next box and I sent a box just the other day. And I will keep up on the Lipton tea. Must be popular because it is completely out.

And, what's with the hairdo - or lack of it. Yul Brenner and Kojack could pull it off but I'm not so sure of others. Soon enough hair thins. And your Dad took after me with his thinner hair. Ah, I do miss him. He was a gem. Maybe it is easier to keep clean with all the dust over there.

Mady was here for a sleep-over with Grandma and she brought her snow clothes so she and I (!) could build a snowman today. Thankfully (for me) it rained today and no snowman. I love snowmen, I collect them all year for Christmas but building snowmen is no longer fun for me. We crawled around earlier this year and I still feel the cold occasionally. But we did build a farily fine snowman. So she scoured my fridge for carrots and outside for sticks for his arms. I found something newish this year called chocolate coal. I had a bag or two to send and she quickly put them aside for herself. She did take them home to have for the next snow.

You know why coal, I hope? One of the older traditions in Europe was to place a piece of coal in the stocking of a child who was not good. My mother told me years ago that this was not just a story but something that was actually done. Her big remembrance of Christmas was the year she and her siblings were given an orange and her Mother actually had enough money to bake a coffee cake for Christmas morning. Mother's life must have been bleak.

I know your Christmas will be lonely, but remember you are in our thoughts and prayers. Oh, how often we say that to you, but believe, we do just that. I will finish. Have to do a house cleaning now that Mady has left. Hard to believe one small girl can leave work to be done. But, she is worth all the effort. Take care, and more boxes will be on the way. Have quite a bit of the white chocolate and just finished a bag of pretzels awaiting shipment in the next box. Love once again, Grandma B.

New Puppy

Well, for those of you who have not heard, I bought a new puppy on Sunday for Paul and me. She is a nine week old German Shepard. Like all of the German Shepards Paul has had her name is Machiko. However after Paul sent me the link to the meaning of her name, I pointed out to him that he is pronouncing it wrong. So after much discussion we changed the spelling to Mechiko. You will have to ask Paul to explain the humor in her name. We all know how he loves his history! So far, she is doing pretty well even though I keep thinking, "What have I gotten myself into." She is a chewer! Anything and everything she will put her mouth around. I really have to keep an eye on her. It does help having Trotsky though. They play all the time and then they sleep! Here are a few pictures. This is Mechiko sleeping under the Christmas tree. Cute, but I have tried to break her of the habit of going under the tree. Trotsky would try to go under there too and she didn't exactly fit. I didn't want the tree falling over!
Mechiko in the kitchen
Mechiko and Trotsky. Before we know it Mechiko will be bigger than Trotsky!

Hope everyone is doing well. Love to all,

~Erin

Paul, I miss you so much, especially with the new puppy. I love you and can't wait until you are home.

Hi everyone,
Paul asked me to post these pictures about a week ago, and I was so busy I kept forgetting to do it. So, here they are now. He was having ahard time posting them because of the slow connection over there. The captions are written by him not me! Listening to some more instructions. (this was during an Officer Professional Development)

This is me being awarded an Army Acheivement Medal by COL O'Connell for my work on planning a High Priority mission that even General Petraeus was tracking closely.
Another picture of me being awarded my AAM. In the background you can see the huge "MAKE IT HAPPEN" sign on our building.
Me watching some instructions. (this was during an Officer Professional Development)
This is me on top of an armored HMMWV helping out another officer with the .50 Cal Machine Gun (this was during an Officer Professional Development)
Me standing infront of an ASV (this was during an Officer Professional Development)

Christmas in Fallujah

Merry and I saw Billy Joel last night, great concert! He had Cass Dillon with him to sing 'Christmas in Fallujah', very moving. The song is available on iTunes, check it out. Here's their blurb about the song...

"Christmas in Fallujah" is an exclusive track sung by soulful newcomer Cass Dillon. Written by Billy Joel, the lyrics were inspired by correspondence from soldiers who have been serving in Iraq. Proceeds from song sales will be donated to Homes for Our Troops, a nonprofit organization that builds specially adapted homes for service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with severe disabilities.