Swimming in Kuwait

What runs but never gets tired?

I'll give you a hint: I went swimming in a pool full of it tonight!

It was so nice. I had almost forgotten how much I love to swim. The water wasn't too hot or too cold. Just right. The only thing that wasn't perfect was that I was alone. Dads should swim with their sons. 

Look how chunky Joseph was when he was only nine months old! I went swimming with him last time I deployed, because the Army let me go home for a short vacation. When the Army finally lets me go home this time, it will be for a long time! 

Which Book Sounds the Best to You?

Today I'll tell you about six books! But I'll be brief. This list is all about thriller novels (do you remember what they are?).

 

Free Fire

A novel is a long story of fiction with many characters. Ready Player One is a novel, and so is Free Fire. One thing I like about these novels is that the main character, Joe Pickett, is a good man and a good dad. So even though he's not a real person in real life, he is a good example. I think I'll read more Joe Picketts. Plus this novel takes place at Yellowstone National Park. We went there with your cousins Eliza, Ben, Josh, and Sam a couple of summers ago. Now I want to go back and explore some more.

 

On the back of a book called, Bad Luck and Trouble, a reviewer calls the Jack Reacher series, "utterly addictive." I agree. Thrillers never really interested me that much. But Jack Reacher is different. He is the main character in a bunch of different books. Each book tells a different story, but the man Jack Reacher is the hero in all of them. The four that I've read out here so far are:

• Killing Floor
• Persuader
• The Enemy
• Bad Luck and Trouble

The name of the first book kind of tells yout what they are like. People get killed. But what I like about these books is that Jack Reacher always does what's right. So if he kills someone, it's because that person was a really bad guy who hurt others. In one of the stories, Jack goes with his brother Joe to visit their mother in France. She is dying, so she tells her two boys important things. To Joe she says, "you don't need to solve all the world's problems at once." To Jack, who is really big and strong, she says, "you will use that strength to do do the right thing."

Hidden Order
The hero in this book is named Scott Harvath. He figures out who is behind some crimes that are really nasty. It turns out that the leaders of a really big bank have killed some people to make sure that the bank gets to keep it's power. What I like about this book is the dialogue between Scott and the woman character. It is smart and sometimes funny. "Dialogue" is the word that refers to how people talk to one another. So if Joseph and Gabriel are having a conversation-- talking to one another-- they are in dialogue. When I write a novel or a story, I want to write fun dialogue between my characters.

 

Thanksgiving and Beautiful Weather

I really hope you ate lots of Turkey. Because if you ate lots, it means the Turkey was good. And as the central feature of the holiday, if the Turkey was good, it means the day was probably a success.

It was pretty good here. Though not a total success. I'm still packing, because we are leaving Afghanistan soon. Packing to leave a country forever is kind of hard. It's a bit stressful, even though I am excited to leave, because it's such a big change. I'll probably never come back. So I can't forget anything.

And knowing that I'll never come back, I have to say goodbye to a lot of people. And then we'll be travelling for a few weeks, moving from one tent to another, one barracks to another, living out of a duffel and sleeping on used mattresses. I won't be comfortable again until I am home with you.

But the thought of that makes any hardship bearable.

The weather is still great here. This video is of sunrise here at Bagram on Thanksgiving Day.

More Books-- I'm Really Enjoying the Reads

It made me so proud to hear Joseph is going to first grade for reading. I know Gabriel will be a great reader, too. When I was younger, I didn't like to read as much. Of course, I did read some books. But now I wish I had read more.

But I'm making up for lost time!

Here are three more books that I have read out here in Afghanistan.

The Charlemagne Pursuit
It's a thriller novel, which means that it is supposed to be a little scary and have a lot of surprises. This one did have a few surprises, but they weren't that fun. It was about a guy whose dad was a sailor. The sailor had died when his submarine never came back from Antarctica. The man wants to find out about how his dad died, so he investigated and got caught up in an adventure. He learned about an ancient civilization that lived in Antarctica. But that part is fiction, meaning it was just a made up story.

How Children Succeed
This one is non-fiction, which means that it's all true. Or at least it's based on facts. How Children Succeed is a book about what makes kids do really well in school and life. As I read, it makes me think of the things we can do to help you boys do well in school. And it helps me understand that doing well in school is sometimes more about what we do as your parents than about how smart or hard workign you are. So we'll be talking more about this, believe me.

Moneyball
Now onto a classic. I don't know if you'll ever play baseball. I never did. And even though I kind of like watching it, I don't love it. Even so, I do love this book, and it's a baseball book. But it's also about how to solve problems using your imagination and creativity. So one day I hope you'll read it and I think you'll enjoy it as much as I have.

Now I want to know what books you both have read since I've been gone. We'll read your favorites together.

It's a Beautiful Day!

Sixty degrees, sunny. It's wonderful. Life here, and especially away from you, can be really hard. But it is a beautiful day, and it makes me smile. Then smiling makes me think of you.

I have to take my laundry to the cleaners. Here they call it a "laundry point." Basically I load all my dirty clothes (they get stinky really fast) into a bag with my name and ID number on it to this building where I fill out a paper form and give the people there the bag.

They drive it somewhere else and wash it all, put it back in my bag and bring it back to the laundry point. Three days after I drop off dirties, I pick up the cleans.

It's a long walk to the laundry point, but I enjoy it, especially in this weather. I've been sick for the past week, and I'm feeling a lot better now. It makes me feel like I'm not sick anymore when I can enjoy the weather.

When I get home to you, the weather will probably be really cold, but we'll still enjoy it. 

Do You Know How Cool Your Mom Is?

You better. She's a Queen.

A woman that is foremost or preeminent in any respect.

She is a woman, of course. But what does that mean? It means she gave you life, and nurtures you. She cares of you and makes sure you are safe and healthy. Do you boys ever go hungry? Do you ever have to sleep without blankets, or take yourself to the doctor? Nope, because of your mom.

She is foremost. That means she is first. You can always go to her when things get tough, or when you need help. It also means you need to think of her first when you are doing something special, or nice.

She is preeminent. This is a tough word, but it means she is at the top. You can look up to her, but you should also remember that she will always be at the top, so you need to respect her. And when people ask who is the best mom ever, you reply, "my mom, Esther, the Queen."

Give her a kiss for me.

What I Miss About You

What I miss most about you.

Your smiles. I have a picture at my desk of you two stinkers. You're not stink-y, but just stink-ers. Anyway, it was a near miracle that we got both of you to smile at the same moment to take that photo. But I am so glad you did, because it brightens my day every time I see it.

Of course I miss wrestling and tickling and racing you.

I also miss reading to you, and having you read to me.

Cuddling, especially at church, where I would tickle Gabriel's face to try to make him fall asleep.

Speaking of church, I miss hearing Joseph give a talk, read a scripture, or bear his testimony.

And I miss eating cereal with both of you.

Driving to McDonalds, eating at McDonalds, and watching you guys run super fast up and down the slides there. I miss watching you play with the toys we bring home. (Do you miss the toys after I throw them away?)

Taking bath, swimming, and going hot-tubbing at Papa and Gramma's. And eating dinner there with you, because the way you explain things to your grandparents is just different enough from the way you explain them to me. And I miss the way you get excited to go there.

I also miss you stories, the way you play in your fort, and the messes you make (though I don't miss cleaning them up).

I miss watching you sleep, and the way you wake up all groggy, confused, and quiet. I miss cuddling you when you're not quite ready to get the day started.

I really miss you guys.

When I get home, I wonder if I'll miss missing you.