Iraq or Bust!

Blogging... What has the world come to? I must be out of my mind. However, I made Tiff a promise, so here I am! Plus, she promised you pictures of my tree that she can't deliver, so I can't go and make a liar out of her.

This is self-explanatory. The answer is: Yes. I am always this goodlooking.

Who knew that at this time of the year, I'd be wearing a sweater in my CHU (housing unit; get used to the acronyms while you can) at night? I realize it's not nearly as cold as it is back home, but after dealing with 130 degree heat, 55-60 degrees is freezing! Still, aside from the weather and other things that I can't control and didn't predict here in scenic Iraq, I can't complain. It definitely could be worse. I have my own room that I have decked out with every luxory I could find, and if I haven't been able to find it, it seems like Tiff or Mama Lunnen have already sent it.

Some of you may have heard about this tribute of mine. And, in light of the, "block heard round the world" (literally, I was listening to the game... and I'm... on the other side of the world... get it? NM) I figured this was a good time to gloat! And, no. Those are NOT acorns surrounding the "U," they're claws... obviously.



None of those things do anything for me in the "lonliness" department though, so I've taken up a number of things to occupy all of my spare time. I recently read Harry Potter 6 (en espanol) and have moved on to book number 7 in preparation for the "Hajji" copy of the movie that I will later buy which will include a few scenes where random shadows stand up and return with newly filled popcorn and drinks. I'm excited. Also, my brother-in-law, Devin, will be happy to know that I continue to keep a journal, eventhough the entries seem to be less frequent as of late because of a general lack of new or interesting things happening around me. Other than that, I work out. Matter of fact, aside from my much anticipated Skype sessions with Tiff and Noa, getting out of my CHU and to the gym is about the most exciting part to my day. Granted, the things that my job entails can be exciting on occasion, but why bore you with stories about a war that's ALREADY OVER! Suffice it to say, I believe that I have already met the Iraqi 007 and even it's equivelant of Mcgiver, yet I feel that none of these stories are as interesting as the decoration Tiffany sent me to cover my baby sized X-mas tree! With any luck, Tiff's new child-like fanaticism with X-mas will take hold of me soon and my next post will include pictures of me dressed as "Sand"a Claus, driving my own mock/armored sleigh pulled by 8 tiny/armored HMMVs or Stryker, you choose, delivering X-mas joy to all of good little Iraqi boys and girls....

Or not... Until then, these pictures will have to do. Enjoy.

The purtiest tree in all of Iraq. Not that there was much competition...

I declare to all of Iraq, that if they will allow me to personally put an "actual" stop to this thing whole "war" business, I will personally make sure that all public restrooms officially become "CO-ED!" Name me one world leader who wouldn't drop what they were doing to have that promse implemented... Didn't think so!

Santa Claus is Coming to town...

So you may all be wondering why I am all cheery and in the holiday spirit...well let me fill you in. I have already packed up and sent off two large and I mean LARGE packages for Christmas to Jamison.

I feel like Santa's helper and have been planning his Christmas for a month and a half or so already. He is officially the only hooch with christmas lights and mistletoe and a Charlie Brown christmas tree (loaded with decorations and the BIGGEST star topper...pictures will come soon)

I wrapped all of his presents before sending them but knew the bows would be squished...SO...Jamie has a bag of them with instructions to put them on himself! Sorry babe!

I have also been listening to Christmas music and for those of you who know me well know that I don't ever bust that out until the week of! I have all of my presents bought and have them wrapped and ready to go!

Yay for the holidays and the sense of love and family and thoughtfulness it brings. How amazing it truly is when you are able to have your whole world focused on the people you love and what will make them smile. So to all of those that I love out there, thank you for letting me share this wonderful time with you and keep my thoughts and prayers and heart with you. May this find you happy and healthy and put that smile I am picturing onto your face!

My love to you all!!

Tiffany

Monsters and Messes and Laughs, OH MY

So as I said Jamie was home recently and I decided I should talk a little

more about what we did.

He first of all fell right back in love with Noa.

(Who can't? He is pretty amazing!)

We hung around for a few days and went on our first family road trip!

So being the perpetual over packer that I am, packed everything but the kitchen sink.

Thinking that I had done an AMAZING job, we set out.

Noa's first feeding comes around and I am ready, I have my thermos of hot water to warm the breast milk and peas that we were staring for the first time that day.

I heat the peas thinking Noa would adjust great and gobble them up...

I was sorely mistaken!

He not only spit them out I think that it is safe to say he despised them!

He spat them out, choked on them between blood curdling screams and would put his tongue on the roof of his mouth to be sure I could not get that spoon in there even a little. So I am so distraught that I decide to feed him the bottle. I

begin to warm it up and have it all ready and he is grabbing for it.

So I put it in his mouth and...

it come spewing out of his mouth with more chokes and screams.

As you can imagine I was so confused.So I try again with the same results.

I check the nipple and guess what...it just so happens that I brought the one that I had cut a hole in to more effectively feed him his cereal and milk.

PERFECT!!!

So feeling like an A+ mom I tell Jamie that we have to pull over at the next exit I had brought some pears and we would try those.

We get to the next exit and who knew that gas station didn't have baby supplies!?!

They have every odd food you can think of, kitty litter, dog food, bumper stickers, plush monkeys but no and I mean NO baby supplies.

So we heat up Noa's pears and he gobbles those down so quick you would have thought I hadn't fed him all day.

Jamie in the mean time asks where the nearest town with

some sort of store is and it is of course 20 miles down the road. So we hop in the car with Jamie singing and doing all sorts of crazy things to keep our little man happy. So long story short...

Even if you think you are overly prepared you don't have any idea what the first family vacation will bring!

On to happy things we got there after 9 hours of driving and lots of stops and breaks.

Jamie and Noa loved hanging out here are a few shots to show what we did.

Noa on one of our many stops enjoying being in the drivers seat!

Our little family with the vegas sign.

If you look really close its an ad for the Holly Madison peep show, Jamie thinks it is never too young to start.

The boys swimming

Daddy feeding Noa sour patch kids...he LOVED THEM!

So you may now be wondering where the monster part of this tile is going to be added to my post. Well in the Lunnen family we celebrated halloween early and Noa's first halloween costume was you guessed it a monster. I will post one picture and the rest will have to wait until I can fully describe the events.

I'm back

So it has recently come to my attention that I suck at blogging. I have been told by certain

people (Jessica Swenson) that I need to be better.

So...

That being said here is the latest and greatest of what is going on in our life.

Jamie is currently deployed, he has been gone for 4 moths so far and it is crazy. I have been dealing the best that I can. I have my good days and my bad.

Jamie is amazing and so strong and hardly ever complains, he is such a trooper.

He is busy working and said that it has finally started to cool down...mid 80's instead of mid 120's.

He like the people that he works with and had fun things happen every once in awhile.

Funny concerts and the U of U game parties.

He is currently painting a giant mural dedicated to the Utes.

I will post pictures as they come.

He just cam home for leave and it was 15 and 1/2 days of pure bliss!!

We went to the airport to pick him up with a sign made and everything but he snuck around behind us and we were so disappointed that he didn't see our sign properly.

Noa just kept kissing his daddy.

This is us so surprised.

Waiting for Jamie with his dad.

So, through out our trip we went to Vegas and movies and shopped and just lived life

like it was normal.

It was so nice to have help with Noa at night and they were so in love with

each other. Jamie was amazed everyday at his son and couldn't play with him enough.

He quickly decided that he didn't want to go anywhere really without his boy.

It helps that he looks exactly like Jamie when he was a baby.

They are so much the same in every way.

Their laugh, their personality, their crooked smiles their eyes,

EVERYTHING!!

It makes me so happy, I love it!

Jamie made it his personal mission to get Noa from getting into the push-up position

to full out crawling.

He worked with him everyday, making his hands move as great as his legs.

Noa tried and tried and slowly started getting it.

But try as he may Noa just didn't quite

get it. So....We have recorded everything and

DA DA DUM DA

He did it today he did it!

He crawled across the room for the computer where his daddy was.

We were skypeing and he did it!

Jamie screamed and clapped and was so proud.

You could see the the twinkle in his eye.

I don't think that he has ever been prouder!!!

I couldn't stop screaming and kissing him either!

I love my little family!

It has happened...

So, I decided since I have a baby and all it is time to have a more

accurate way to show everyone how he is growing and changing.

So alas I join the world of blogging...

how exciting and great this day is.

I will be adding fun things soon this is just to say

hello blogging world, here I am!