Welcome 2007! Original Post 03 January 2007

Well, the New Year has arrived. With it the promise of peace and joy abound. We closed the office for the last week. We were so exhausted after trying so hard to get every ones orders delivered in time-we just needed a break!
I placed a call to Derek Christmas Eve on his Iraqi cell phone. To my astonishment-he answered! It was so good to hear his voice-even if I did wake him up. It was Christmas morning for him-and I got to be the first to wish him Merry Christmas! Momma cried after that one! We had talked to him during the day on Sunday. Their unit commanders and staff took over the duties of the soldiers for the weekend-their present to the soldiers for a job well done. They spent their time delivering presents that were sent from back home-playing "santa"-and just being jolly! I understand that their was an awesome Spades tournament going on!
I want to personally thank anyone and everyone who sent packages/cards/letters to the troops this year. It doesn't matter to me to whom they were sent-I know how much it meant to "my soldier" to receive these packages. He received a lot from the members of "soldiers angels". I registered him in October and the response was simply overwhelming! He had contacts from as far away as Australia and Canada-as well as MANY from the US. Please know that this brought my soldier and his buddies much comfort. Derek is trying to personally contact each and every person who sent something by email (those that included email addresses). I told him that I was sure that folks didn't expect a "thank you", but he said he wanted to. It is just taking him some time to do it. But, perhaps this will keep him "busy" for the rest of his deployment.
We made it through the holidays okay. We didn't get too depressed. Decided that isn't what Derek would have wanted, so we tried our best. We went to my moms for Christmas Day. I had arranged with Derek that I would call him at 3 p.m. our time (12 midnight his). this was a surprise for our family-each and every one of them got to talk to him. There were tears being said-jokes being told-and it was good. Some comfort for the family since he couldn't be with us.
We have had numerous obstacles with our new printer. It is now again "fixed" and we are in the process of finishing the orders that were still hanging from "before Christmas".
I will close now. But before I do, I was concerned about our soldier that was injured Thanksgiving weekend. I hadn't talked with his mom for almost two weeks. I called their home Christmas Eve, in the hopes that they would be home from Walter Reed Army Medical Center-and Troy himself answered! I was so excited! He sounded good. I was im'ing with Derek at the time, so I was able to act as the go between for the two of them. Their local news did an interview with him. It can be found at: http://cbs2chicago.com/video/?id=28708@wbbm.dayport.com
Thank you. God Bless! Happy New Year