There he grows again

This is my dad! Yep that's him while we was in Iraq a few years ago "trying to blend in!" I never got to actually see him like this but the picture is priceless. He worked over there in the green zones of Baghdad and Basra for about 3 years trying to revamp their oil systems. I guess he couldn't get enough of it so last week he passed all his physicals and hopped on a plain through Frankfurt right back to Basra. Maybe he just wanted an excuse to grow out the beard again. In all seriousness though, I talked to him yesterday at the airport and trying to keep it light I asked if it felt a little like he was going back home. He said NO WAY! It's never fun to leave family or in my case see family go so far away. And it's not like he is leaving for the tropics or even Europe. He took an indefinite position in an unstable war zone of Iraq. AGAIN. What a deal. I guess it's a little better than it used to be, but still! He has such a great attitude about it. As good as you can have I guess. He used to have long layovers in Kuwait traveling to and from home so he would call us and say that he is just Ku-waiting for his flight. Now we are ku-waiting to hear how he is holding up. Oh man I love this man. Beard and all.

These people are the ones who are going to miss him the most. Including the 2 babies that weren't here for this photo. These are just the most recent pictures we have with everyone in the family together. But of course we will see him as he travels back and forth. We love this Dad and Grandpa. And we will call and write often! And get an updated family picture while he is home one of these times!