You asked for it....

So you will get it... In all my non-MJ-dancing glory... Here is the much awaited Michael Jackson dance off in Mosul, Iraq. But just so you know. I DID NOT VOLUNTEER TO GET UP THERE... I was drug up there like a child being carried into a doctors office who know she's about to get shots. Unbelievably, it only took two of the band members to wrestle me up there...

1000 Gifts

Gratitude. It's something I don't verbalize enough. One of my blogging friends starts every Monday off with a post of things she's thankful for and I love following it. I've wanted to start doing the same thing because I think it's a great way to start my week off.... Expressing things that I'm thankful for and starting my week off with a heart full of gratitude. So here goes.

Things I'm thankful for this week:

0001- Reds, oranges, yellows, greens and browns all around letting me know that a new season is HERE!!

0002- The mystery of how God can make something dying more beautiful each and every day.

0003- The cool crisp air of fall while on a morning job during my day off.

0004- HAVING THE DAY OFF ON COLUMBUS DAY!!!

0005- Having two parents that love and support each other through the ups and downs that life brings their way... coming out stronger and closer when those tough times come.

0006- A humble Dad who's picture and team is in the Navy Lax Hall of Fame... and getting to enjoy that moment with him and Mom.

0007- Football games, fresh air, found memories and more....

0008- New parents starting a new season in their life... and all the adventures he will bring!

Thank you Lord, for all these gifts.

Wordless Wednesdays - Go Navy!!!

BEAT AIRFORCE!!!

Lesson learned - #2 from the delivery room...again.

I must say, I never thought I would stay in the delivery room when Amy was giving birth. There is just too much "extra" going on that I never thought I wanted to be a part of until I was the actual person giving birth. I'm not sure, maybe I assumed it would scare me to death and my poor husband (figuratively speaking right now) would never be able to convince me to have one of my own.

I decided to use some of my comp time (or call in sick, whichever makes you feel better) to be with Amy and David on Matthew's grand debut. It was my FULL intention to snap pictures of this special day so they would remember every moment. every. single. moment. Well that is except the actual "pushing time." I would simply give the camera to David and he could snap away until his little heart was content. As the time got closer, my heart picked up pace as I heard the dr say now david you're going to stand here and hold her leg to help her push... "hold her leg??? how will he do that AND take pictures?" I thought for no longer than a split second.... Answer - he won't.

But guess who wasn't holding anything and more than able to take pictures?? Yep, you got it... yours truly. I asked Amy if she wanted me to leave and she gave me about as definitive answer as a woman in labor could give.... "sure, if you want to. I don't care." right. If I want to? Is this a trick question? Of course I don't want to, but then who would capture the moment? ugh. no one. Poor little Matthew's arrival would be undocumented.....

So guess what, I strapped up, hid behind my camera, the IV's and Amy's round belly and started recording the moment. Matthew's moment. The day that the Campbell's life changed and will never be quite the same.

We cheered, encouraged, shouted and waited for a couple hours. At one point (I'm not sure what I was saying), the doctor looked up at me and said "you guys must come from an athletic family. I can tell by the way you're cheering." LOL. Then one of the nurses says, "who do you think will cry first??" I answered quite confidently almost in unison with Amy, "I'm not really a crier." Well, another hour went by and that little guy finally decided to make his grand entrance into this world.

While I was busy making sure to get this all on film (wait, what is it called now, digital, digits?), a bunch of thoughts whipped through my mind about Amy before David... and then her meeting David, and then marrying David and then when they told us they were pregnant... and now this beautiful, perfect boy is here waiting to be cleaned so he can be put in his mother's arms. My eyes felt hot. WHAT IS THAT?!?! Wait, am I... I turned to look at Amy and she had a tear running down her cheek. So I did what all normal (I mean what is normal anyway) sisters would do... I pointed at Amy and shouted "She's crying first!!"

eh-hem. I'm sorry, was that inappropriate? I'm gonna have to plead ignorance. I've never been in a delivery room while a mother is delivering a child. Plus, they wouldn't have known that I won if I hadn't pointed it out, right? :) Ok at this point, Mom's eyes should be about to pop out of their sockets because she can't believe how insensitive I'm being. Obviously, I realized that my comment was completely unsuitable for that moment, hence the whole point of this bl0g. I really didn't mean to say it, it was a knee-JERK reaction as I felt myself starting to cry (see, I do have a heart). So my lesson learned #2: Witnessing the birth of a child is almost an indescribeable thing that words really can not do justice. 2b: don't point at the new mom just after the child is born and shout that she's crying... it's just not nice. :) Sorry Ames! Love you!!! Congratulations Campbell fam, is what I meant to shout!!

(isn't he beautiful??)

Lesson learned - #1 from the delivery room

There are certain questions that one might not want to ask the delivery nurse if you or the parents-to-be aren't expecting blunt honesty.

Example numero uno:

Me: wow, I just can't believe all these contraptions you guys have for delivering babies.
Said nurse: Yeah, they really are great.
Me: So what did people do back in the pioneer days when they didn't have all this stuff?
Said nurse: A lot of women died (with a sympathetic shake of her head). Giving birth was very dangerous, that's why if you go to a cemetery and look at the head stones, you'll see a lot of men had 3 or 4 wives.
Me: Awkward silence... (thinking) not quite the answer I was looking for but for some reason I feel like I should've known that she was going to say that, doh!

Wordless Wednesdays - "A Gift From God"

Matthew Kemp Campbell....

"A gift from God"

No Place Like Home

I. Am. Back. I don't know where to start about how good it feels to be back in the U.S. of A, but some how the grass seems greener, the water cleaner and the air fresher. Maybe it's because 1. there is actual grass, 2. the water really IS cleaner and 3. well, I'm not breathing 30% sand when I take a breath of air deep into my lungs! I missed so many things about home while I was in Iraq but honestly after a while of living out there, you just kind of forget about the little things (or you make yourself forget about them so you aren't constantly thinking about what you're missing out on back home). So now that I'm home, I get to revel in all the little things that I missed.

And yes, I did just completely ignore the fact that I haven't written on this blog in almost two months in my intro paragraph. I really have no excuse other than the fact that I was tired. Any time I was laying in my bed (which is normally when I write), I was either sleeping, about to fall asleep, or trying desperately to fall asleep because I knew I needed the sleep. So there was no writing go on. But now that I'm back, I plan to catch all my readers (if I still have any lol) up on my trip. I figure I'll start with my trip home on my next entry and go from there as I see fit! :D


Thank you for all the prayers and support while I was gone. I had an amazing experience out in Iraq and met so many wonderful people whom I am hoping to keep in touch with! Iraq, as strange as it sounds, will always have a special place in my heart after my six month journey to the sand. It was eye opening and heart warming to daily walk along side of these Soldiers who sacrifice and defend our country whenever duty calls! Some of them are still kids, but they man (or woman) up and do what is asked of them to serve our great Nation!


Here are some pics of the Soldiers I worked with while I was there... I miss them already!!