November Post

Hello to everyone.  Rheanna says she is always excited when the 1st of the month arrives as she knows it is one month closer to getting home to Adam and Ryann Faith!  It has been a busy month here as Craig and I left on the 3rd to go to Minnesota and then to Arizona.  Kris, Rheanna's mom was here to get her Ryann "fix".  Ryann had a great time with her and was excited to be able to spend time with Grandma Kris.  Altho she was making attempts before Kris's arrival, Ryann started officially crawling on November 4th…so yes watch out Moose! Kris really had a great visit and we know it was hard for her to leave.   We will be spending Thanksgiving here in Colorado Springs and Adam has the whole week off of school.  The other boys are arriving later this week so Ryann will continue to be spoiled and get lots of teasing from her Uncles.  Adam is gone for a few days this week to a conference in Albany NY, so he is looking forward to time off from school.  Adam and Ryann are really lonesome for Rheanna and look forward to Face Time each day.  We are sure the holidays will be tough on all of them, but especially for Rhe being so far away.    Thank you all for the support that you have shown her so far, as  her and Adam really appreciate it.  Rheanna shared some thoughts this week and sent lots of pictures so I will let her take it away now…

Thanks to Tom & Iris and Georgia & Craig for the gifts to Abdul's children! He is so excited and I will have pictures of him with the stuff next time.   I am staying busy cleaning out old files since our base closes in a few months. I am looking forward to my new job. I will be assisting the afghan prosecutors to prepare cases against detainees. You can google task force 435 to learn more about the mission I will be working on. I would like to thank my Mom and Steve for relieving Craig and Georgia for a week to care for Ryann and moose. As always, I am thankful for Craig, Georgia, and Adam. I miss everyone. Love, Rheanna

We completed a really hard work out on v-day. The workout was dedicated to our lost service members.

Jamila is one of the few afghan women who is allowed to sell her art at the aghan bazaar. She creates beautiful water color paintings and hopes to earn a degree in art.

Our Mongolian class threw a going away party for one of the soldiers who was finished with her tour. They served milk tea and buuz. The buuz are delicious and are akin to dumplings.

Our favorite pumpkin and Moose

Best Friends!

Trying to get the hair under control!

Standing by her horse Cocammo

It was a fun Halloween

A Post From Rheanna

Happy October everyone!  It has been a busy month here in Colorado.  Craig's brother and wife were here visiting and now Uncle Bboy and Jordy are here for the week.  We also went to a beautiful wedding in Chelan Washington.  Adam was in the wedding of his good friend Ryan and sweet wife Noelle.  Ryann Faith proved to be a wonderful traveler once again and enjoyed all the attention she received from everyone at the wedding. The wedding was close to where Rheanna's mom and dad live so they were able to come over and play with Ryann Faith.  She was excited to see them and we had a great visit.  It was definitely grandparent overload for her!! The weather has been beautiful and Ryann has been invited to a neighbors Halloween party and parade next week...busy social calendar all ready....and now for Rheanna's news:

I received four packages a few days ago and would like to publicly thank the individuals who

 sent them.  First, thank you to Craig's sister, Lori and her family for the care package.  The treats and magazines definitely boosted my morale!  I also wanted to thank my great-aunt Sharon and her husband Tim for the care package with tons of goodies!  The pumpkin cheesecake cookies definitley made my day! Thank you also to Joanie Moses,  Susan Weiner and Cathy Armstrong  for the incredibly generous gifts that they sent for Abdul's family.  He honestly was in tears on the that I presented the gifts to him.  It was perfect timing too because they were celebrating a holiday called Ede here. When he came back to work he said his family was so happy and grateful for the gifts!

 

Other than that, nothing new to report except that it looks like I will be staying through next July. It was tough to hear that I won't be home as early as we originaly thought but I will be working in a new area of the law and believe it will be rewarding.  It will be harder on me then on Ryann since she is receiving tons of attention and love from Grandma, Grandpa, and Adam.  Thank goodness that Craig and Georgia said that they will stay with Ryann, Adam, and Moose.   Hopefully I will take R&R in March. I am also thinking alot about Scott and Kaelee and can't wait to meet my newest niece or nephew!  Thank you everyone for your love, prayers, and support to myself and Adam.

Love, Rheanna

Ryann Faith enjoys seeing her mommy on Face Time each day.  She is so close to crawling..she has two teeth and just celebrrted her 8 month birthday!  Moose continues to be patient with her and lays outside of her crib every morning after Adam leaves for work!    Please continue your prayers and possitive thoughts for Rheanna, Adam and Ryann Faith.

Note that Moose is still...amazing!

Smiling after waking up!

Traveling with Daddy!

Bedtime

Basket ball jersey from Uncle Bboy and Jordy

Finally An Update!

I apologize for the lapse in the blog. Family events have taken over our time.  Our very special cousin John passed away in North Dakota after a tough fight with a brain tumor.  I feel honored to have been able to be with him and his wonderful family the last few days of his life.  He was a wonderful man who adored his wife and daughters.    He was a very successful, compassionate and caring man who loved the family farm, the Montreal Farm, where I grew up, and where his grandfather was born.  Craig was able to bring Ryann Faith to ND which raised everyone's spirit during this very sad occasion.  She was an angel and everyone fell instantly in love with her...she was a trooper though it all.

Ryann got her first tooth while in ND and is so close to crawling.  She remains happy and healthy...Adam and her went on a long hike today with friends and she loves being with her dad.  I may overload you with pics on this post but it was hard to choose just a few.  She gets so excited when Mommy Face Time with her...pretty cute.

Rheanna has great news to share so I will let her take it away...

I made it to October! I miss Ryann, Adam, and Moose so much.  I am amazed every day at how fast she is growing. I am so thankful for Craig and Georgia.  They are wonderful Grandparents to Ryann and I am so lucky to have them as in-laws. I have been praying for and thinking about Christina and the girls during this extremely difficult time in losing their husband/father. I'm so glad Ryann was able to visit the farm and it sounds like she was able to lift some spirits.

 

I have been pretty busy the last couple weeks. I was fortunate to be asked by a commander to give a military justice brief in Northern Afghanistan near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif. We flew in blackhawks to the base. We had to spend the night at a German base on our way to the North. The German base had amazing food and an espresso bar in their Dining Facility.  Once we arrived at Mazar-i-Sharif, we were taken to the palace that the book "Horse Soldiers" is based on. The palace was the site of the first American death during the start of Operation Enduring Freedom.  It was amazing to walk around the palace, a piece of history that few Americans will have the privilege of touring. I thought about the fact that Mike Spann's family probably has not been able to tour the area or see the monument dedicated to him in real life. It was an amazing experience. I tagged along as part of the Guam National Guard Infantry unit. Most of you are probably thinking, Guam? Are they actually a part of country? I felt the same way when I heard that Guam had a large NG presence here in Afghanistan. They are very good at their jobs in the Army.  The Soldiers are extremely hospitable and polite.  The Battalion Commander who invited me to give the Brief lives in Guam with his wife and is where he raised his children. Two of his daughters attend Gonzaga University and one daughter is in GU Rotc.  Small world!  One of the best things about this deployment has been the opportunity to work with different people from different cultures and nationalities. 

 

I recieved care packages from my mom and my Aunt Sharon. Thank you! My mom also sent some matchbook cars for Abdul's son and some baby toys for his daughters. We snapped this picture of him holding the toys and me wearing the scarf and jewelry his family gave to me.

 

Thank you everyone for your love and support. I am still counting down the hours until I see Ryann and Adam but am enjoying the amazing experiences and people.

Rheanna on her way to N. Afghanistan in a military vehicle

Rhe is ready for anything!

With her fiend Abdul...Kris sent matchbook cars for his son and baby toys for the twins.  Rhe is wearing the scarf and jewelry his family gave her.

At the range where she qualified!!! No surprise!!  Rheanna is with the only other Captain in the office..he is from Texas.

Adam and Rheanna ready to go hiking!

Who could not love this face!

Moose is always sleeping by Ryann when she naps!

Ryann Faith at the Montreal Farm!

Uncle Joey was at the farm to be with Ryann and she was so happy to see him!

UPDATE FROM RHEANNA

Rheanna sent this today so wanted to get it out to all of you .....thanks for your support of Adam, Rhe and Ryann...they so appreciate your prayers and positive thoughts....and now Rheanna....

I would like to thank everyone for the tremendous reponses and support that I have received since the previous posting. 

 

Abdul's wife is out of the hospital now and is recovering at home with relatives caring for her. Abdul came back to work one day after her release from the hospital with the same smile on his face that he always has, albeit looking a little tired.

 

I have been staying busy working out and earning my military driver's license.  We have several military bases in the Kabul area.  Our office has to complete missions at other installations and so we travel to the other installations via convoys every so often.  Driving in Afghanistan feels a little bit like I'm in a video-game or movie. (Mom, don't worry about me, I am safe! :)

 

I was able to eat lunch at an Afghan restaurant on Camp Phoenix today.  The Afghan dish palou.  The dish consists of a big pile of rice on top of pork (at least I thought it was pork).  The dish has a really tasty spice. The dish came with a big pile of Naan and a chutney type sauce. I ate until I was stuffed.  It was nice to eat something different than what our diniing facility has to offer.

 

I continue to miss Adam, Ryann, and Moose every day. Thanks again everyone for your support and prayers. The attached pics are of me earning my deployment patch. My boss told me to make a "big cheesey grin." Orders are orders. Another picture is a group photo of our office in our battle gear.  The small group picture is of myself and my office mates in front of an MRAP.

 

\

 Ryann and Adam get to Face Time with Rhe daily and that helps everyone so much.  Ryann is making changes on a rapid pace.  She finally could roll from her stomach to her back much to her relief...she was getting a little frustrated with herself.  Her favorite game today is peek a boo with her blanket.  She always wakes up with a smile on her face and is ready to go.  Moose continues to be her buddy and is always helpful when we cannot find her pacifier...usually he has taken it!!!
Uncle Joey and Brad were here for a visit last weekend so Ryann put Joey "over the moon"!  He could not get enough of her and loved being with her except when diaper time came.  They are anxious to come back to be with her and spoil her more...
No problems with all of the rain here, but the area around us were  really a mess.  It has been a beautiful fall otherwise so lots of walks with Ryann and Moose.

Congrats to Rheanna's very dear,close friend Kelly, on the birth of her healthy baby girl, Brooklyn!  Her and Ryann will also be best of friends I am sure.

Uncle Joey and Ryann

It was love at first sight!

Mommy sent a car walker and she loves it!

Mommy also sent a bouncy swing which is so much fun!

QUICK ADDITION...

Sorry, I did not realize Rheanna's last couple lines were cut off so just want to quick add them....

Thank you all for the love and support! Happy bday to Grandpa Craig! I'm so thankful to have such a wonderful father-in-law.

NEWS FROM RHEANNA!

Thanks to all of you that sent such nice,

sweet notes to Adam and Rheanna for their anniversary.  Ryann got her dad an ice cream cake to celebrate so as Rhe knows he was happy with that!!!

The info for the blog is pretty much from Rhe with her latest news..sometimes I paraphrase and get the info out to you.  Today I am just going to post exactly what Rheanna said...I think it is truly from her heart and I want you all to know we could not be prouder of her.

This week we had a 9/11 ceremony where we had a moment of silence for those who had died fighting in oef/oif. I thought about our friend and ROTC classmate, Forrest Ewens who gave his life in Afghanistan at the beginning of OEF. I have met so many wonderful Afghan people whom are truly appreciative of the help the Soldiers are trying to give them. No matter how anyone feels about politics and the war, the undeniable thing I have learned being here is that the Afghan people

( at least the ones i've met) have huge hearts and they have hopes and dreams for their children like we do. A glaring example of this is that our office has an Afghan janitor named Abdul. He lives in Kabul and rides his bike through the crazy downtown traffic to work on our base. He works extremely hard everyday to clean our office. He always has a smile on his face and beams when he talks about his wife, twin 9 month old daughters, and 5 year old son. I try to speak a few words in Dari to him every morning. Luckily he speaks better english than my Dari. I know about 5-10 words. Out of the blue one day he brought me a scarf and some bracelets. He told me they were from his wife. He told me she wanted me to have a gift because I was  over here away from my baby to try to help them. I don't try to pretend that my job is actually helping the Afghan people. I'm just a lawyer doing lawyer stuff. However, I do see Soldiers leave the safety of our base every day to risk their lives to train the Afghan police and army. For people like Abdul and his wife, our presence here has helped his family. Or at the very least, they appreciate us for trying to help them. Again, this is not supposed to be about politics but rather about international human bonding. I couldn't help but feel bad accepting a gift from his family when I know he works so hard for every dime that they have. Also, recently Abdul's wife had to go to the hospital for an infection. So, many of you have asked my mom and Georgia if you could send me something. If you so send me something, please send baby toys or clothes (9 month old girl twins) or something for their 5 year old son. If you can think of anything unique to send for Abdul and his wife, that would be wonderful too. No pressure here. I am only throwing this out there because I'd rather you send them something instead of me.

 This week, I am thankful for Soldiers like Forrest and Adam's friend Luke Wullenwaber for paying the ultimate sacrifice for our country and for people like Abdul who has hope that one day his kids can live without the fear of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Waking up...always happy!

Mongolian class...smaller than usual as they had a training many students had to attend

Ryann and Moose on Sept 10

Looking for Moose..always

Send those emails...

Just a reminder that Adam and Rheanna will be celebrating their 2nd wedding anniversary on Tuesday Sept. 10.  I know there is nothing that would make Rheanna happier if she heard from all of you.  Please send her your anniversary best wishes.  I saw for 2nd anniversary the recommended gift is cotton, so  see how creative you can be in your wishes.  Her email address again is

feltonrj@gmail.com

Thanks again for all the support of the blog...will send news out on Rheanna later this week. 

Wedding Day 9/10/11 McCall Idaho

Moose the babysitter

First attempt with sippy cup

Ryann is enjoying food!

NEWS FROM RHEANNA

SEPTEMBER 4 NEWS FROM RHEANNA!

It is always so good to hear from Rheanna and what she is doing.  Face Time has been wonderful for her and Adam and we hope this blog helps you in staying in touch with her also.  Always know emails, letters, notes are so important to her.  Just her knowing we are all thinking of her means so much and helps her get through her days.

She told us the highlight of her week was she was able to watch an Afghan soldier's trial at an Afghan Army installation.  The soldier was accused of stealing ammunition from the Afghan Army.  The legal system she says is much different than ours and that the judge did most of the questioning.  The soldier declined a defense counsel and she said he essentially confessed to the crime.  His sentence was 10 years in confinement as they take theft of weapon/ammo very serious.

Rheanna has been getting a 30 minute deep tissue massage every Friday morning for $10...she says it is great and wonders what the cost would be here in the states...She also has been telling me about the great shopping and how the little Afghan girls are very "suave" with their selling techniques.  She says it just breaks your heart hearing their stories...hard not to get too involved.  

Her good friends Kelly and Courtney are approaching their due dates, so she is excited for them....she asks all of us for our positive thoughts and prayers for healthy babies..more friends for Ryann

Rheanna continues to miss Ryann, Adam and of course Moose and is so excited to hear all about their day happenings....or in Moose's world, what trouble he got into...no really he has been so good..especially to Ryann Faith!

Kris and Steve left their assignment on Monday and Craig and I arrived Monday after noon...we all are busy reporting for duty!!  They had a great time with Ryann and we could not believe how much she changed in the 2 weeks we were gone.  She had her 6 month check up yesterday  14lbs, 10 oz...happy, healthy and in perfect condition...all went well until those darn shots, but she was tough just like her mommy.

I think I have the comment section figured out...so if you would like to add a comment at the end of the blog I am sure Rheanna would enjoy it...if you have problem yet leaving one let me know...I think I have it tho...

Have a great week everyone and pass it on to someone you talk to this week that we have many soldiers serving for us all over the world and to take a moment to think of their hardships being away from family.  Thanks Rheanna for all that you do!

Watching the Afghan soldier trial

Game night!

With the Afghan Attorney General

Date night with his girl!

Grandpa Steve

Grandma Kris

At the Dr, office...no idea what is to happen!

The day after the shots!  So much better