You guessed it! We have electricity!!! And even better as of last Thursday we have AC! Addie and I worked up there this weekend staining the front door which turned out great. We actually met with someone yesterday to do a virtual tour of the casa and you can view that at http://www.EvolutionTours.com/1104eliberty. Now all it needs is a SOLD sign.
posted by The Gardners | 1:10 PM
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I have had these pics for a couple of weeks - here is Addison's completed nursery! 
nursery 
Nope 
Nope 
nn
posted by The Gardners | 12:57 PM
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Once again, I almost set a record for failure to update my blog. It has been a hectic week - it is hard work trying to make babies gain weight. But we are doing great. She is up to almost 8 lbs! Not quite there but almost and you can tell a difference - she actually has some padding on her little legs now and her face is a bit fuller.
posted by The Gardners | 6:52 PM
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Once again, it is time for a Hodge Podge report. Talked to Doug day before yesterday and all is well. I had emailed him telling me that Addie was his child, as she is now refusing to sleep. It may have something to do with the fact that she took my "don't grow until your daddy gets home" a bit too seriously. I took her to the doc yesterday worried that she looked the same as she did two weeks ago and sure enough she only budged an once - the wrong way at that. She has every woman's dream - as she eats she burns so many calories that she is loosing weight. So we are diligently working on plumping her up. She had her first nap today in her crib which she only cried the first 10 minutes in! And I seriously believe she had her first smile today! There were a few smiles one after the other - and no there were no diapers to be changes afterwards - it was a genuine smile. Of course I spent the rest of the day trying to make her smile again so I could take a picture and have proof but it did not work.
On Monday of this week, we mailed our last package to Doug which was very exciting. I finally sent off the video my mom took from her birth and a "day in the life of" video we had done. The "birth" video jumps from me walking into the hospital to Addie being born - so Doug is going to think it was a walk in the park.
Doug is ready to come home and the time is passing quickly. I think his guys are getting anxious as well. From what I hear from family and friends, he is going to get a rush of last packages before they head out. My sister and her company sent out 18 (don't know if I should but that down seeing as how last time I did that I made the US Attorney's Office feel inadequate - though they shouldn't - the smarties go a long way). One of her coworkers kid's class all drew pictures for the Marines. Some pretty funny depending on your sense of humor.
Oops - she's up now - gotta run and try for another picture : )
posted by The Gardners | 6:39 PM
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Hard to believe she is one month old today! I finally figured out how to take pictures from our camcorder so pics will come around a bit faster. 
One Month Today!
posted by The Gardners | 7:26 PM
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Thought it was about time for some good news. Get your packages in this week! As of Sept 1 any packages sent to Doug will be sent back to you. The battalion will put return to sender on anything received after 9/1. Given that it takes up to two weeks for packages to arrive, please send them no later than 8/15. Doug will still be there early September but I think it is one less thing for the unit to worry about during the transition over to the Marines taking Doug's place. He will be home sometime in October!!
posted by The Gardners | 11:26 AM
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Lance Cpl. Castleberry's Funeral was held at 3:30 yesterday just North of Austin. It was an honorable day and one that reminded me of the sense of loyalty that exists. Dale's father choose not to read from one of his son's letters, for reasons I do not know, but he did talk about Dale's passion for and love of his country. He came from a background of servicemen. His great grandfather was killed in WWII and his brother is still currently serving as a Marine. His mother died about 4 years ago and Dale now lies next to her.
The chapel was full of people whose lives had been touched by Dale. His immediate family was there, extended family, friends, several Marines from the San Antonio unit, several serviceman from other units, Texas disabled veterans, and more. There were people there who did not know his family but were touched by it. A vet walked up to salute Dale with two leg braces on. A woman walked up to Dale holding the Marine flag, paused for a moment with it open in front of his parents and said thank you and then turned with the flag to Dale and thanked him. I brought Addison to pay our respects for us as a family. And to thank Dale and his parents for his son's role in our lives. In the back of the chapel stood three Vietnam vets clad in biker attire who tailed the procession to the cemetery on their bikes. As the procession left the chapel, there was a couple standing in their shorts holding American flags in support.
The interment was with Military Honors and shortly after Dale was saluted by all Marines, it started to rain. He will be missed and remembered as a hero.
As his father said it best at the end of his eulogy - Semper Fi Marines.
posted by The Gardners | 6:01 AM
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After a long week last week, I heard from Doug today. He is safely back at Haditha after a tough week in Hit. The 6 marines that were killed on Monday 8/1 were his men. The one from Austin, Dale Castleberry, he knew quite well. He was in the San Antonio unit with Doug for about 4 years and Doug served as his Weapons Company Commander in Iraq. Needless to say, the loss has been tough. Dale's funeral is tomorrow and there was an article in the obituaries today about him. Doug knew him for the fine American that he was and apparently Dale had always wanted that role in life - to be a Marine. In grade school his dad had to tell the teachers that Dale had several pairs of camouflage outfits and that he was not actually wearing the same pair everyday. I went to the visitation today and spoke with his dad who was very grateful towards the Marines who served with Dale and those out of the San Antonio unit. His father said that Dale had recently sent him a letter full of pride that will be read at the funeral. The service will be held with military honors as it should be. I know I started this blog with the saying that Freedom is not Free. I just did not know how hard the costs would be to accept.
posted by The Gardners | 5:19 PM
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Today was Addison's official due date. Hard to believe that almost 4 weeks have passed since she was born. Time is flying by in many senses and creeping by in others. She certainly makes me appreciate every day. I have attached a picture from her afternoon nap. Despite my mom saying that she is getting bigger, I think she looks just like the day she was born.
Afternoon nap
posted by The Gardners | 11:20 PM
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As you may know, the Marines suffered a tremendous loss this week. Between Monday and today, 20 Marines were killed in action in or just outside of Haditha where Doug is currently stationed. I last spoke with Doug on Monday and he was in Hit after a short trip to Al Asad where his cast was finally removed. He was going to stay in Hit for a few days and then head back to Haditha. I have not heard from him since Monday but have been keeping up with the news reports. As of this evening, the families of the fallen soldiers have been notified which brings an overwhelming sense of sadness and guilty relief. Most of them were from the Ohio unit that Doug is attached to and were scheduled to come home in just a few short months. Please keep the families of those soldiers in your thoughts.
Lance Cpl. Michael J. Cifuentes, 25, of Fairfield, Ohio
Lance Cpl. Grant B. Fraser, 22, of Anchorage, Alaska
Lance Cpl. Aaron H. Reed, 21, of Chillicothe, Ohio
Lance Cpl. Edward A. Schroeder II, 23, of Columbus, Ohio
Lance Cpl. Kevin G. Waruinge, 22, of Tampa, Fla.
Lance Cpl. William B. Wightman, 22, of Sabina, Ohio
Lance Cpl. Timothy M. Bell Jr., 22, of West Chesterfield, Ohio
Lance Cpl. Eric J. Bernholtz, 23, of Grove City, Ohio
Lance Cpl. Nicholas William B. Bloem, 20, of Belgrade, Mont.
Sgt. Bradley J. Harper, 25, of Dresden, Ohio
Sgt. Justin F. Hoffman, 27, of Delaware, Ohio
Cpl. David Kenneth J. Kreuter, 26, of Cincinnati, Ohio
Cpl. David S. Stewart, 24, of Bogalusa, La.
Cpl. Jeffrey A. Boskovitch, 25, of Seven Hills, Ohio
Lance Cpl. Roger D. Castleberry Jr., 26, of Austin, Texas
Sgt. David J. Coullard, 32, of Glastonbury, Conn.
Lance Cpl. Daniel N. Deyarmin Jr., 22, of Tallmadge, Ohio
Lance Cpl. Brian P. Montgomery, 26, of Willoughby, Ohio
Sgt. Nathaniel S. Rock, 26, of Toronto, Ohio
Lance Cpl. Christopher J. Dyer, 19, of Cincinnati
posted by The Gardners | 7:48 PM
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Apparently I did speak too soon in my last post. Addison thought she'd stay up all night a couple of nights in a row just to show me that I can't dictate her schedule. Thought I'd send a couple of pictures of her to show that she actually is awake from time to time (and not crying).
Just Hangin Out 
Arm Sucking - Yummy! 
Buff Addie
posted by The Gardners | 7:30 AM
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