Happy Birthday (to me!)

Thursday made the second birthday (#29) that I have spent away from home due to deployment. Loni and I use to laugh because it seemed that the first few years we dated, were engaged, and eventually married I could manage to consistently miss out on the 4th of July...this was typically due in part to the Army, but no hard feelings. Obviously spending a year here means that I will miss every holiday for that period, some holidays are harder than others to miss out on though.

Even though I was over here in the desert I managed to have a really good day. From the moment I got up I told myself that nothing was going to bother me! My typical day includes seeing at least 10-15 local Afghans and dealing with their problems and concerns...well not on my birthday, they couldn't make me mad if they tried.

First off I had a bunch of 'Happy Birthday wishes' on Facebook and that's always nice. Also, I received a big package from my mother which not only had some cool shorts and a t-shirt...it also had a pan of Otis Spunkmeyer brownies! We cracked open the brownies and had a miniature party (I mean it when I say miniature, that was literally all we did). Even though it was a day late, today I received a few birthday cards in the mail. Loni sent a few pictures and even a little horse made from Ava Claire's handprint at VBS!

So, even though tonight's update was short it is filled with happiness. It's wonderful to know that I have a church family that prays for me, friends that write me, a family that misses me, and a wife that is so much more than I ever could have imagined.