Just checking in

Hi! Wow - it's been a long time since I've posted. Let's see, we took Nick to North Carolina just before New Year's. He was even able to go up to PA for New Year's with a buddy of his whose mom lives 12 miles from Aunt Dot. Nick left for Iraq a couple of weeks later - I forget the exact date. He was sent to Ramadi and did have an address for us to mail him letters and packages, but he called us this past Monday (Feb. 5th) to tell us not to send anything more because he is being moved to Fallujah. He'll give us his new address when he gets there. While in Ramadi, he is staying in one of Sadaam Husein's palaces. He says it's not so nice anymore, but at least he has a roof over his head!

Tim leaves for Iraq on March 14th. He is also being sent to Fallujah, so he and Nick should be able to see each other. I am flying out to San Diego on the 10th to see Tim off, then I'll drive home with Jill, who is going to spend the seven months that Tim is deployed living with her parents in Dearborn Heights, MI.

Michael is still in California with Tim and Jill. He's still waiting to see if the military will take him. The Marine Corps. is definitely out. They won't take anyone with fake body parts. (Michael severed his right index finger in 2003. It was sewn back on, but he lost his knuckle, so a rubber one was put in in it's place.)

Kyle finished SERE school in Maine in January and is now at Camp Lejeune, NC at Air Crew School. He'll be there till the end of March, then he'll go to Camp Pendleton, CA (where Tim is currently stationed). He'll be in school there till the end of August, then he'll find out where his permanent duty station will be.

James is wrestling and doing pretty good. His record is now 18 wins and 5 losses. He wrestles in the 130 lb. weight class. In the picture, he took first place out of 16 kids at Napoleon H.S. in Michigan.

It's been pretty cold here lately. We didn't have school on Monday or Tuesday (Feb. 5 & 6) because of the cold temps. The high all weekend was 4 degrees F. Hopefully it will warm up soon!

Okay, bye for now. Barb