Mike Update:

27 July 2008

Dear families and friends,

It has been a very busy period since the last update I provided when we were about to off load the ships in Kuwait and commence our refresher training. If you have had the chance to read some of the stories or view the pictures that are posted on this website, you will see that our time in Kuwait was very well spent. The summertime temperatures, strong winds, and blowing sand presented some environmental challenges but the conditions certainly didn’t stop us from achieving all of our objectives. Our focus was on combined arms live fire and every unit had the chance to fire their weapon systems and integrate the effects of those weapons with the maneuver of forces. Just as an example, we accomplished vehicle mounted live fire convoy training, dismounted foot mobile attacks, mechanized attacks with tanks and AAVs, close quarters combat, artillery and mortar training, and enhanced marksmanship training. Battalion Landing Team 2/5 did a particularly noteworthy job in constructing a company-level, live fire and maneuver range that had complex obstacles and a wide array of targets to enhance the realism of their training.

We successfully concluded exercise EAGER MACE, a bilateral air and ground exercise with the Kuwait Air Force, Land Force andCommando Brigade. G Company 2/5 took the lead in partnering with the 69th Brigade of the Land Force and elements of the 25th Commando Brigade. HMM 165(Rein) conducted air-to-air, air to ground, and assault support exercises with the Kuwait Air Force as we partnered with Kuwait F-18 squadrons, Apache helicopters, and Puma/Super Puma transport helicopters. All bilateral exercises successfully culminated with integrated live fire events to validate the compatibility and interoperability of our planning procedures, communications systems, tactics, techniques, and battle drill procedures.
Upon conclusion of the training, a total team effort, spearheaded by the MEU embarkation and logistics section, put together a great plan to retrograde all of our equipment and personnel from Udairi range/Camp Buehring back to the Kuwait Naval Base and finally on to the ships. Again, while working in 125 degree temperatures, all the platoons and detachments did a fantastic job washing down their equipment, reorganizing and accounting for gear, and performing required maintenance actions prior to re-stowing the equipment aboard the ships. That process went very smoothly and very safely which is never taken for granted given the massive movement of vehicles, containers, and personnel. The MEU communications section, admin section and CLB port operations specialists did a fantastic job in ensuring the entire movement and re-embarkation was a smooth evolution.

Over the past couple of days, the ships arrived at ports of call for some well deserved liberty. The Pearl Harbor and Dubuque are in-port Bahrain while Peleliu pulled in to the port of Jebel Ali/ Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Select elements of the MEU remain in Kuwait to continue with their mission and will soon link up with the MEU at our next planned location. Overall, everything is going well and our schedule has stayed true to the plan that we envisioned prior to our departure. As we close in on our scheduled halfway point in this deployment, I hope the time has passed as quickly for you as it has for us. Thanks for your continued support, and thanks to the KVs across the units that provide such a tremendous service to the commands in helping us to remain focused on our deployed missions while they assist our families at home.


Regards,

Col B. D. Beaudreault

Summer Fun

We had another busy week, but packed with lots of fun! We went to concert in the park on Sunday which was the biggest concert of the season, jam packed with people, but the kids rocked out with The Rockolas until it was dark out (which is late by their standards)! We swam at the pool twice this week, hit the new splash park and tree fort near our house which is amazing, baked, biked, and more. The summer is going by quickly (I never thought I'd say that the time i flying, but it is, and I'm glad)! We're almost to our half way point and then can start the real countdown. The girls have their last week of summer camp this week, and Emmy's birthday right around the corner to look forward to!!!

Three little concert cuties...

Munching on breadsticks...Macy swimming on Sunday
Emmy played more than she swam....said the water was too cold.
Mrs. Will & Emmy

(luckily Emmy will have the same teacher in the Fall)Mrs. DeHan & MacyWait Mace....You forgot your bucket!!!

(they bring buckets to school each day to take their art and cubby stuff home)Banana bread baker....Look at me eating like a big boy...cup, fork and all!!!Macy climbing the tree house at the new water park near our house. Of course I can smile without winking...sometimes.
This treehouse is made for the big kids but I'm goin for it!
Riding bikes after naps....still asking for a "yeyyow" big girl bike for her birthday!
Macy loaded up about 7 babies in the wagon and we went on the longest walk with all the kids, babies and Morty around the neighborhood.....she pulled the babies the entire way!!!
Cuddle bugs... 12 Weeks Down

Last Week.....

Last week we started with Coop joining a "Waddlers" class at My Gym on Monday mornings....he loved every minute of it and was on the go the entire time. It was so much fun to have Cooper all to myself to play with and enjoy while the girls were at summer camp. The girls are loving their teachers as well as going to lunch bunch one day a week. It's a big deal for them....they definitely look forward to picnicing with their friends at school! They're growing up so fast it makes me really want to slow down and just play with them and enjoy the precious stage they're in now before it passes me by. Here's a glimpse into our week....

Coop sliding at My Gym...

Doing the zip line....what fun!!!Um, I'm not so sure I need a hair cut...
Dress up...Ems loves her witch costume

(notice the 'pack up'...they load more stuff in random bags and containers and stash it around the house for my surprise later)!!! We went on a nature walk and loaded up our bags...
...with flowers and leaves, (and bugs....which I later found crawling off everything we had picked and plucked)!

Making a collage with all that we collected...

The best quotes of this week were from Macy....on Monday morning Macy woke me up at 5:45am saying, "Mom you've got to come see this....it's amazing...there's ants everywhere!" Sure enough, despite our best pest control efforts each month the kitchen counters, floors, and pantry were infested with the amazing ants. Saturday morning (after I had been at a welcome home party the night before...and enjoyed myself)...Macy and Emmy woke me bright and early by flipping on all the lights in my bedroom, opening all the blinds, and Macy saying to Emmy..."Get 'er up!" "Get 'er up Emmy!" Mike assures me I get to sleep in come Novemeber...

11 Weeks Down

Opening Day at Del Mar!!!

Wednesday was Opening Day at The Del Mar Race Track. I've been to the races before, but never on Opening Day, and it's something I've always wanted to do. So the process started the weekend before with DeeDee and I on a mad hunt for just the right hat (which believe it or not was harder to find than we thought)! We had a great day people watching, sipping on Del Margaritas, people watching, making our way through the crowds to see a couple of races, and oh yeah...did I mention people watching! What a fun experience!

Where the Surf meets the Turf...

Walking in with the masses...

DeeDee, Keita, & Moi all decked in our hats!!! We didn't come out big winners, but we had fun!

Sippin on our Del Margaritas!

Love the hat D'ahling!
Finishing off the day at Pacifica in Del Mar....what a view!

What a day!

Another WeeK Down.....

This week we were back at our routine....with only a few minor hiccups along the way. Coop had Roseola for a period (rash and high fever), but is back in the swing of things. We visited friends at a water park near their house in San Marcos, the girls had summer camp, I spent half a day with DeeDee looking for a hat for Opening Day at the races this Wed. (who new they would be so hard to find!?!?), and we had a full day of being in our jammies on Sunday before we headed out to our favorite....concert in the park.

Wake Island

(Photo compliments of Russ Pool....thanks Russ!)

A little geography lesson (I had to do this for myself more than anyone)...

Wake Island (also known as Wake Atoll) is a coral atoll having a coastline of 12 miles (19 kilometers) in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu (2,300 statute miles or 3,700 km west) to Guam (1,510 miles or 2,430 km east). It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior. Access to the island is restricted, and all current activities on the island are managed by the United States Air Force and the United States Army. The largest island (Wake Island) is the center of activity on the atoll and has a 9,800 foot (3,000 m) runway.

Mike & Russ

(what a picturesque backdrop)

Girls Night Out

(DeeDee, Keita, Marla, & Moi)

Happily to our surprise we found out that Thursdays just happened to be

1/2 price wine by the bottle at Pacifica in Del Mar!!! Painting watering cans!
Sunbathing...Watering our plants....who knew watering plants could become messy.....

I guess that's what happens when you use water based paints!Lovin bath time!Eathing the cookie dough is what making cookies is all about!!! Coop enjoying his cookie at the concert (later I was told I had a huge chocolate chip handprint on the back of my white shirt!) Thanks Cooper!!!Abby & MacyBest Buds!
10 Weeks Down!!!

A Birthday that never ends!!!!

Saturday was full of Surprises!!!

On Saturday my girlfriends had a surprise planned for my birthday.....all they said was to be sure I had a babysitter scheduled for the whole day....bring a bathing suit and a ski jacket.....so no real hints there! Dee Dee, Marla, & Keita picked me up at 8am sharp, we stopped for a quick Starbucks run and then headed north. As we passed Temecula I really started to wonder where we were going??? An hour later and we pulled into The Glen Ivy Day Spa in Corona....where we were pampered all day! I had an 80 minute massage (and no it wasn't too long)....then we soaked by the pool with drinks.....went to the "Club Mud" to exfoliate and then to "The Grotto" to moisurize. We hit the sauna and then ended in the Roman soaking tubs! What a day! So much fun, so relaxing and just what I needed......truly one of the best birthdays and biggest surprises ever for me (minus Mike being home to help celebrate of course)....now I know where to take him for R&R when he gets home!!!

Club Mud Girls!!!We laid out like this until we started to crack!

Thanks to all my girls for making my birthday so special.....

and to Mike who was secretly behind it all!!!!

~9 Weeks Down~

Happy Birthday to ME!!!!

What a great birthday I had!!!!! My girlfriend DeeDee picked the girls up earlier this week to go shopping for Mom's birthday. They loaded their purses up with all the change from the change drawer and off they went! DeeDee did her rbest to coach them into choosing something that "mom would want for her birthday"........they assured her they got me just what I've always wanted! Early this monring, the girls woke me up, quickly said Happy Birthday and could we please open our presents. I said, "but it's my birthday, I thought the presents were for me".....Macy said, "sure, but I thought you would like to share them with us!" They tore through the wrapping knowing just what was underneath....I'm surprised they were able to wait as long as they did!!!

On their way to shop till they drop!!!!

Hmmmmmm.....what do you think Mommy wants for her birthday ???
I think this princess paper will work great!
Ta-Da!!!!

Happy Birthday Mom!!! My girlfriend Marla took me out for a day of shopping and lunch at The Cheesecake Factory! It was so much fun to shop and eat kid free!!!

The BEST birthday cake ever!!!!

Completely and totally measured out, poured, frosted, & sprinkled by Mace & Ems!

Happy Birthday to you....Happy Birthday to you.....Happy birthday Dear Mommy....Happy Birthday to you!!!!What a wonderful birthday.....the kids definitely live for the presents & cake!!!

Thanks to everyone for helping make my birthday so special!!!

Have a Great 4th!!!