Merry Christmas!

We're thoroughly enjoying a wonderful visit with Kelly here in California. She arrived last weekend, and Scott's girlfriend Anne was able to come down from Healdsburg, so we had our Crittenden family Christmas a few days early. Then Kelly headed off to spend time with her dad, mom, and grandparents, and will return here for a couple more days before heading "home" to North Carolina next weekend.

Dave's phone access has improved some, and he was able to call Kelly TWICE on Christmas day. What a blessing!

The battalion's new chow hall opened in time to serve Christmas dinner. In addition to better food, the guys also now have heat in their sleeping rooms, so living conditions are really improving at the new location.

And best of all . . . we're almost to the point where can begin to count the time til Dave's return in weeks instead of months.

They've Moved

After almost two weeks with no communication, Dave was finally able to call Kelly and let her know the entire battalion (around 900 Marines & Sailors) had moved. He was one of the last few to transition to the new location, which is more remote than before. We're grateful the move was accomplished without incident.

The food and new living conditions are not as good as the previous location, but the commander says they'll be getting a dining facility soon, hopefully in time for Christmas dinner.

Dave's mailing address did not change, but his email address did. If you want the new email address or a list of what he'd love to receive in care packages, please email me. Most of all, Dave would appreciate letters and cards from folks back home.

Thank you all for your prayers and support. We can't wait to have our Doc stateside again!

We can hardly wait to see Kelly! She arrives in California Saturday evening, and will be in the area for almost 2 weeks. (It will take her that long to get around to hugging all of us who love her!!)

Promotion Time!

Deployments are always hard on everyone involved, but one blessing this time around is that Dave has had reasonable telephone access. He's able to call Kelly fairly often, and occasionally we get to talk to him. Two weeks ago he called to tell us he's received a promotion to Petty Officer Second Class. What a joy it was to hear his voice! We're really proud of Dave and happy for him. He worked so hard for this, and scored extremely high on the written advancement exam.

Unfortunately, stress levels are really high. Please pray for Dave and all his guys, that they're able to stay focused on their task and come home safely. They're more than half-way through this deployment now. Just a few more months . . .



Above, Dave during one of his night shifts.


In early November, I was blessed to spend several days with Kelly in North Carolina. It's always a special treat to be with Kelly, and after raising two sons, it's so fun to have girl time! The two pictures below are at home with the cats and at the riverfront park in Wilmington.





We're so excited that Kelly gets to come home to California for the holidays. She'll be here for almost two weeks, making the rounds between parents, grandparents, cousins, friends, and us, of course! Yea!!

Combined Medical Engagement

We love being able to get emails from Dave, and it's a joy to also be able to share the pictures with friends and family. Here's the latest batch.

The caption on these first two pictures referred to being out with the chaplain and some of the marines on a "CME." When we googled CME to find out what it meant, we found an article about Dave's battalion. Check out the link called "CME" on the left.




Dave captioned this picture: "More of your handsome son in his MRAP (Mine-Resistant Armor-Protected)."



These are pictures of the Marines passing out bags of food to the people and of Dave hanging out with some of the locals.




Dave often provides patient transport to the Combat Stress Clinic where this donkey lives. To avoid the "No Pets" rule, the donkey's official title is "therapy tool."

Another Great Photo!

The photo above just arrived this morning. The man in the center is Dave's chaplain, Mike Tomlinson. On the left is another corpsman. The chaplain sent the picture to his wife, who sent it to Kelly, who sent it to us. Such a great picture, we just wanted to share!

Notice the bandana that the chaplain and the other corpsman are wearing. Kevin and I volunteer with Adopt-a-Chaplain, sending care packages to deployed chaplains. The group has received a large number of study books on Psalm 91, the "Soldiers Psalm." Along with the books came a supply of camo bandanas. These bandanas have the text of Psalm 91 printed on them, and that's what the chaplain is wearing.

"Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare of the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I am trusting him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from the fatal plague. He will shield you with his wings. He will shelter you with his feathers. His faithful promises are your armor and protection." - Psalm 91: 1-4

BTW . . . As we enjoy the transition into autumn here, so do our guys "over there." Highs for the next week are predicted to be just under 100 degrees, nighttime lows just over 70.

Pictures from Iraq

We don't hear from Dave too often, but he touches bases when he can. Recently he was able to send us a few pictures to share with family and friends. In addition to working at the Battalion Aid Station, Dave is now driving ambulances to transport patients between locations. As you'll see in the photos, these are pretty big vehicles. Dave says the road feel is a lot like the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland.

Communications were down for a while, but Kelly was able to talk to Dave recently. He said he spent a week out on patrol with a rifle company, and the group included one of the doctors and a physician's assistant. They shared medical knowledge with Dave, and he was able to teach them some patrolling techniques and Iraqi customs.

Recently, Dave and some of the Marines in the line company were able to have dinner with a local Sheik, which he said it was "very different, but a really cool experience."

Work at the Battalion Aid Station has been really busy this past week with sick calls. He doesn't have time to respond to all the mail he gets, but sends his appreciation to all of you.

The letters and emails and packages are all wonderful expressions of love, which is a great boost to morale. (And not just Dave's -- he shares his bounty with the other guys.) Please continue your prayers for our Doc!

Things are Better the Second Time Around

Temperatures are still pushing 120 degrees, and it's still a war zone, but living conditions for Dave's battalion are tremendously better than last summer.

Dave says you can immediately tell the first-timers from the veterans. The newbies talk about how terrible it is, and the returnees like Dave are saying, "Is this really Iraq? It's so much better!"

They have a chow hall (three cooked meals a day instead of MREs), real beds (Dave shares a room with two other guys), some air conditioning, internet access, phone access, and a lounge with foosball and a television.

Dave said he has built himself a bookshelf in his room, and we've sent a bulletin board to go with it. He loves to display pictures from home.

His current assignment is working the night shift (7 p.m. to 7 a.m.) in the Battalion Aid Station. Sleeping during the day is difficult, but he's beginning to get used to it. (Except when the roommate comes in to watch a DVD on his computer.)

We are thankful that so far most of Dave's work has involved small accidental injuries and minor illnesses. And we pray that things remain relatively peaceful.

Dave continues to appreciate our prayers, and would also enjoy receiving things to help his time away from home go by quickly, like letters and photos from friends and family.

Back in Iraq Again

Dave's battalion left on Saturday for Iraq, by way of Bangor, Maine. Just like last year, they were greeted by the Freeport Flag Ladies, who took lots of pictures and loaned cell phones to the troops so they could call their loved ones. Here's Dave mugging for the camera with two of his buds.



After a very short time in Kuwait, they pressed on to their final destination. On Tuesday morning, Kelly received a call from her hero saying that he had arrived safely. The conditions are much improved over his last deployment - he even has access to the internet and has been able to e-mail us a couple of times! Their current location has a chow hall and even some air conditioning and a recreation room. Much better, I think, than his last deployment where his first objective was to plan the latrine.

Due to the extreme climate change, a lot of the guys (including Dave) are suffering with URI issues. (That stands for Upper Respiratory Infection - and yes, Kathleen had to tell me that.)

He'd love to get cards and letters from friends and family so if you need his address, please contact us. Thank you for your prayers for both Dave and Kelly.

P.S. If you are in the mood, check out the link on the left (Military Humor).

Deployment Time . . . Again

The time we've all known was coming is now upon us. By the end of the month, Dave will be back in Iraq taking care of his Marines. Hopefully this deployment will carry with it somewhat less danger than last year's tour. Dave will be assigned to the Battalion Aid Station, rather than walking daily patrols with a rifle company. There will still be a good deal of movement, but not continuous.



Dave's great friend and Kelly's cousin, Dave Lindahn, who is an Army medic stationed in Germany, also heads for Iraq this week.




Good-byes are always painful. But Dave and Kelly have the comfort of knowing that there are so many of you out there - friends and family alike - who are encircling them with your love and holding them up in prayer. The Lord is good, and he keeps us sheltered under his wing.