Can't help but smile

How can you look at this picture and NOT smile???  Yes, I'm a proud auntie, but even if we weren't related - I can't help but say this child is ADORABLE.  What a great picture to get (all the way over here) to show the joys of Christmas!  Love you, lil bug!

Traditions



Not from my service, found it online.  I contemplated taking a pic
tonight, but didn't want to give up my favorite moment of the year.



It's funny how I can be halfway around the world, sitting next to people I just met 7 weeks ago (or less) and surrounded by complete strangers - but yet feel so close to family and my roots.  Even though I took part in my Christmas Eve service half a day (duh, I'm halfway around the world) before most people I know, it made me feel the closest to home that I have since being  here in Affy.

Luckily, one of the church services here consisted of a candlelight service, so a group of us loaded up in a truck and took the trek there.  It was a wonderful service, with a couple oddities.  1) I don't know if I'll ever be able to attend a church service again without a pistol hanging from my hip - even for Christmas 2) the special music consisted of a 1LT playing the bagpipe.  I've never seen a bagpipe played up close (or in a closed building) - they are VERY loud and there is NO way to look attractive while playing a bagpipe.  But the music was special none-the-less.

My favorite part of any church service, however, is the candle light portion of a Christmas Eve service.  It's always the same - led into with lots of wonderful Christmas carols/hymns, the reading of the Christmas story and baby Jesus being born - then the lighting of the candles followed by the singing of Silent Night.  It doesn't matter what country I'm in or who I'm with, it brings me back home and reminds me of who and what I am.

While I'm not with family this Christmas, I am blessed that I'm able to communicate with them and that I'm safe and healthy.  Please pray for all the troops this holiday season, that we all can experience love, peace, support and purpose; even in being away from our loved ones =)

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Whirling Weather

Well for days and days it was just dry, once and a while we'd get a little sprinkling but nothing substantial.  However, last week it rained and rained and rained.

Then this week, I woke up and got ready to head to the shower (in my shower shoes).  I stepped outside into a pile of snow.  Quickly, after a pathetic little whimper, I turned about around and put on tennis shoes to begin my first snowy trek in Affy.

The medics wasted NO time in enjoying the snow.  I forget how fun it is to spend winters with people from warm parts of the world - such as Vegas or Puerto Rico...they get so excited, like children.  It's fun to see and it helps bring back that child-like joy back to me.  When I walked to the MTF first thing in the morning, there were two giant snowballs laying next to each other...When I left after my shower (half hour max), this is what I saw:

We had fun and only have more plans for the next snowfall =)

My down time

Big ones, Small ones and Honey AS BIG AS YOUR HEAD

There has been a shortage of honey (and it's not real or good honey) at the DFAC, so my specatular Crabtree Cousin came through and sent me TWENTY FOUR oz of honey...At first I thought this was way overkill, but a week later, the head is already gone.  My tea tastes so much better and all the medics appreciate the kind gesture as well =)  I love honey, especially when it's a bear as big as my head!  Thanks, cousin!

Affy Humor

It's a weather rock - with legend to know how to read it.  Soldiers are so helpful...

Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner

Or should I say: Nobody puts Beth in a bunker - to play off of the famous Dirty Dancing quote - which we've come to use quite frequently here - for various reasons - with mine being the most frequent while visiting soldiers out of my regular office (obviously!). 

I gotta say, all the way through college, grad school and my years at the VA, I never really imagined that I'd provide social work/therapy services out of a bunker...but that's exactly where I found myself.  It wasn't so bad - more private than the aid station was - but then it got dark and cold(er)...I drew the line when I could no longer see the face of my patient =)

Either way, I've now been told that I'm officially a combat social worker, and yup, we find ourselves doing therapy in non-traditional settings.  Not always ideal, but I always seem to make it enjoyable.  And after all, the the soldiers loved it - they could smoke or spit without any concern or hesitation.  Yay me.