Back to work!!!

Buddy,

What a great vacation we had!  All the travelling, all the friends, all the fun!  I'll remember it for a long time.

But now, I'm back in Baghdad, and back at work.  Some people say when you are hard at work, you have your "nose to the grindstone."  Like this guy:

It isn't quite that bad, but it is still less fun than travelling around with you.

I hope you are doing great and am excited about seeing you again soon!

Love you more than the nose on my face,

Dad

Headed home!

Hi Buddy,

I've gotten started on my trip home.  I'll be there really soon.  I've got a short plane ride, a long wait, a LOOOONNNNNGG plane ride, a short wait, and a short plane ride before I am back in Richmond.

It will all be worth it.

Love you love you love you love you,

Dad

Live from Baghdad

For your BIRTHDAY!

Getting closer!

Hey buddy,

Now we don't even need to turn a page on the calendar to see the day that I'm coming home for our BIG VACATION!!!  We're going to have so much fun I can't even stand it.

And you have so much fun stuff going on between now and then.  The last couple of weeks of school ...  Your birthday party ... Awesome.

Anyway, love you more than summer coming,
Dad

Getting there!

OK Man,

We're starting to get there.  Just under a month now until I get home again.  Maybe you can convince your Mom to start up your countdown calendar....  It'll be an awesome time too, because right about when I get back, it'll be your last day of school and first day of summer vacation.  Are you excited???  I am!!!

Love you more than a month of Sundays,

Dad

Words

Hi Buddy,

Sometimes people say "A picture is worth a thousand words."  I know that sometimes, though, words are worth an awful lot too. 

For me, there are some words that you wrote for me that a worth more than I can count.  You wrote me a note when I was home the last time, and I have it hanging up in my room and I read it every day (sometimes more than once).


Do you remember what you said?  You said:

OK Dad,

I'm probably in bed by now.  I want you to know that I'm having SO much fun and I want you to know that I love you.  Well, I did not have much to say. 

Good-night,
Patch

Buddy, you had a lot to say. 

Love you more than a thousand words could tell,
Dad

Your Dad can still shake it up a little.

Hi Bud,

I told you about our soccer tournament.  Here's a picture of me playing soccer.  I'm more athletic than I was playing dodgeball back in the Fall, that's for sure.

I like this picture alot because it has the US and Iraqi flags in the background and it was me playing on a US team against the University of Baghdad team and they are from Iraq.

Anyway, hope you like the picture.

Love you more than coming home,

Dad