Bagdad 2:45am

Boy did that 10 days go fast. I cant believe it is already over and I'm on the go again. I'm stuck in Bagdad there are no flights to were I am going till friday. (it is 2:45am thursday) There are no words to express how greatful I am for everything everyone has done for Dina and I. I was stunned to how nice my house and garage looked. And how many people came to my party. It was so nice to see everyone. The comfort so many provide for Dina Provides so much for me as well. My poor puppies looked like they are starving. Except for the 50 extra pounds they have around there belly they look like they dont eat. Iraq does not look any diffrent. It is still just dirt. The people here have a long road ahead of them. Getting over years of bitter fighting will not be easy. I had the oppertunity while I was at home to do some fenceing mending of my own. It was long over due. Some times admitting when your wrong is harder than you think. I had not talked to my friends Wynn and Tamar for many years. I really missed them but was to pridefull to step up and due the right thing. I'm very greatful that I have such forgiving friends. I have learned being 6000 miles away and in my old age good friends are few and far between. Pride is not a good friend or comforting when you are alone. I am half way done with my contract almost. I was so sure I was going to do a second year. Now all I want is to get home to my wounderful wife for good. I'm still very appericative for the oppertunity God has given me to come here and learn and see how lucky we are to live in America. I will be praying in the future that I really appericat my country and life that I live. Compared to so many around the world we have so much. Well I am going to try and go back to sleep. I have a 7am meeting just to tell me I'm not flying today. I already know that. But I want to thank everyone who has done so much for Dina and I words can not express the gratitude I feel for all that has been done.
LOVE Jim

Homeward Bound

Here I am waiting for my flight. I leave Kirkuk go to Bagdad than to Doubi than Alanta than finally Louisville. I cant wait to see home. I am almost half way done (if i dont extend) with my adventure. It is nothing like I anticipated it would be. However right now all I can think about is home and my wounderful wife. (well my rotton dogs) I will only have 10 days, but boy am I looking forward to being home. I cant wait to go to my church. And I know my puppies will have lots of complaining to do. Dina is now Elaina's favorite and I need to get back in the number one position. I'm thinking a shopping trip, the park, what ever she wants. Maby she want a new puppy. Oh well what ever it takes. For the next 24 hours I will be flying or switching planes. I hear we have a great party planned. I am so looking forward to it. I evan get to attend a Baptisim. This will be a nice break. Wow they are already calling us. HOME I GO
Love Jim

Gratitude

"Gratitude is a Spirit-filled principle. It opens our minds to a universe permeated with the richness of a living God. Through it, we become spiritually aware of the wonder of the smallest things, which gladden our hearts with their messages of God's love. This grateful awareness heightens our sensitivity to divine direction. When we communicate gratitude, we can be filled with the Spirit and connected to those around us and the Lord. Gratitude inspires happiness and carries divine influence."

This made me think of my Jimmie. I am forever grateful to my husband!!!

It has been so long since I have blogged, I am ashamed :-(. We have been busy at the Smith home. We have gone from having to get a new water heater to my deal of the century of a new couch. But of course Quigley is still mourning from the loss of his old couch.

We have made it through Christmas, Valentines, Easter and lets not forget Elena Kennedy's Birthday. General Conference was just Divine and I received much needed comfort from. Which leads me back to that Gratitude thing. I am so grateful for having the gospel in our lives. For having the Priesthood restored here on earth. To have a Prophet, a revelator and a seer. I am grateful for the relationship with my Heavenly Father and my Husband's relationship with Heavenly Father. You know I could not do what I do as well as I do without the strength of my Husband. Jimmie you have taught me well :-)

We are planning a Day of work here at the house. Jimmie Darrell is in charge so do not worry. We are going to concentrate on the family room. He is going to help me finish the molding and columns. I am so excited to have the help.

Most of all I am counting the days. I am so looking forward to having you home. Hopefully the dogs will share.

Luv Ya

Giirrlll

JJB's Great Brake. 15 days and counting

Well I have been at the new base 1 month. This has been an intresting month. The questions about the church never end. Which is a good thing. My new nick name is the Storming Mormon. I never bring up the church since it is agnist the rules. But it come up constantly. What is really cool is I have given out a 1 Book of Mormon and one of the other guys wants a copy of my audio version. 2 in one month thats my best record. My boss is a member that has fallen away. Ever since he found out I was a member we have had many talks. I think he is starting to remember. He came here close to the first invasion. Things were tough and I guess he drifted away. I am starting to see the reason I was sent here. I knew there would be a catch to me getting the promotion. This seems like a strange place to be doing missionary work, especialy considering the type of guys I work with. Oh wait when the missionarys walked up my dirveway I was at least as bad as anyone of them. I am so greatful to be here and have the oppertunity that I have. This base evan has a Sacrament meeting I can actually make. There seem to more members evan though this is a much samller base. I still miss home but this is a much easier place to be.
Abe I did not know there was another way to stop one of those trucks. I prefer the hard object method. Let me know as soon as it hits the wall. I have wanted the 4tec nitro car for a while. I can order it right away and have it for when I get home. Oh wait Dina reads this blog. I mean AAAAHhhhhhhhhuuuuummmmmmmmm. that would be a bummer if aaaa it hit a wall.
I come home in just over 2 weeks. I have 10 days. I CANT WAIT. It sounds like we have a big party planned. I am pretty sure the time will go by fast. I have lots of pictures. I have been getting them from anyone who will give them to me. This place is big mess. Some of the pictures from town reflect it. However I dont have any pictures that show Iraqi people being afrade of our solders. Evan when our solders are busy working. They let the little kids crawl all over the vehicles all over the soldiers. In one pictur there are abunch of kids getting there picturs taken with solders and one of the kids is sticking his finger up the barrel of the solders gun. What ever you think of the war it is truly an honer to be represented by such great men and women. We truly are a Blessed nation.
All my love Jimmyjoebob

New Base New Adventure

Well here I am at the new base. It is very diffrent. I was so far out in the middle of no were That evan the insurgents felt sorry for us. Now the city of Kirkuk is right outside one of the borders of the base. I can see the city clearly. I get radio sations from there. I dont understand a single word the say but I get the stations. I really like this base alot better. I had a great experance today. The guys I work with found out I was Mormon. At first they seemed to be shook up. But today at work one of the guys asked me to ansure a list of questions his wife had for me. Everyone stopped what they were doing to listen. This was a welcome change of conversation from hookers, alcohol, and cheating wifes and husbands. They evan seemed to stop swearing for the conversation. We ran out of time before he ran out of questions and they plan to team up on me again tomorrow. The best Part of my trip so far was when the said there was something diffrent about me. I explained I need to be a symble for our church and while I make mistakes I try my best. This is turning out to be a great adventure after all. It is funny that I was not nervus at all, evan when everyone stopped and gathered around to hear my ansures. The Spirit was with me and I knew it.
Dina make sure Phillip does not get ahold of any of our accounts. He seems to be ordering computers and big screen TV's. Elaina needs all our spare money to buy dirt bikes, and quads. She may need other stuff like computers and big screen TV's. Mr. Quiggles has needs to and we dont want Phillip to suck up the cash.
I come next month. I cant wait. It will only be 10 days. But I will be at home. I am really gald I came here but I reallly miss being home. Holly has not posted in a while I hope all is well. The kids will be so sorry when I get home. No more Mr. Nice guy. It will be all rules. And by the book. I just havent written the book yet. I will post again soon
Love Jimmy

A Great Day In JJB's G A

Well today was a day God made his presents felt. I got a promotion that was a 1 in a 1000000 shot. I have to be here 90 days before I am evan elageable for promotion. I applied to a diffrent base at 85 days. I got the promotion 5 days ago I wish they had told me. Management kept asking me when I was leaving. I told them I did not know I was. I will be going to Kirkuk. ( I am not sure i spelled that right ) We have a sayng were I work. ( they call were I work the Cove ) "What goes to the Cove stays in the cove" Everyone says you have to be here a year at least to get out. I prayed for this promotion and God gave it to me. The new base should be a little more lively. And it is significently more money. I am really excited about this. This will open up a hole new chapter in JJB's GA. And hopefully a little more interesting one. I am truly thankful for this oppertunity.
My mommy did such a great job when she posted. I was very touched. It was not what I had in mind for me either but this is were I belong. When I met My wounderful wife I told her " I am NOT moving to Kentucky and definetly NOT becoming Mormon" Moral of the story, If you want to make God Laugh tell him your plans.
Cindy I am just as mentaly unstable as I have ever been. I am just older and slower. It takes me longer to get to were the trouble is. By the time I get there I have time to rethink what I am doing. Ok so I chicken out. But it is not that I dont try and do the crazy stuff that everyone has grown to expect. I just lack the necessary ambition. Holly I always appericat your post. It was so nice when I got the box with all the card from the kids in it. Tell them they are in BIG trouble when I get home. I have had no one to pick on.
Phillip the Marines walk around here all day long with M249's straped to there side. There are 100's of them. But boy do they get an attude when I ask them for one. I tell them my son wants a sovenier. They just dont seem to be sold on the idea. They would not loan me an F18, or an abrams tank either. It is kind of hard to argue with a guy holding a M249. You may have to settle for dirt or dirt. Or maby some Iraqi money with Sadam on it. It is not worth the paper it is printed on.
Dina Stop picking on my puppies. I will be home in may and they will tell me all the mean things you do. Those poor babies dont like the new rules. I can't wait to get home. I really miss you and Kentucky ( evan though I will never move to Kentucky ) Being here makes me realize how blessed we are. We have so much to be thankful for. My goal is to be more appericative of what God has given us. I appericat you most of all. I hear so many sob stories here. I love you and thank God for you.
My next post should be from another base. I miss everyone so.
All my LOVE Jimmy

90 Days In JJB's GA

Well I have been gone 90 days now. What have I learned so far. Iraq is mostly dirt. Iraq has a unique odor that is not all that plesant. The flys are ruthless. And they are not evan out in full swing. Winter is freezing and it snows. It is only march and it is already starting to get HOT. I find my self all the time thinking " what was I thinking????" I am still thankful for the oppertunity to be here. I am more thankful everyday that home is the United States of America. I talk to our troops everyday and walk away think we are privliged as a nation to have such great men and women defending us. They know bombs and guns won't provide education which it the only way to achieve freedom and peace. They all say the same thing when I ask what they want to remember most. They talk about the schools they built, the play grounds they put were insurgents used to keep victims. They talk about how when the American flag shows up People Run to it. We are still the beacon of hope. People run up to our troop evan when it is a bad idea. Like when they are conducting combat operations. Imagine walking around with a loaded gun look for bad guys to kill, and having locals run up and ask them to help the sick children, or the kids wanting candy, or a hole list of other things. I am not sure what is more amazing that people would run up to our troops while they are on a combat mission or that the troops stop and help. The example they set is probably what will achieve final peace if it is to be achived. I hope Dina and I can some day return here as teachers. And that we will have the chance to teach the talants the God gave us so richly. If not here I am hoping to go somewere were we can put our talant to work. I have applied for every promotion that is at a diffrent base. I hope I can travle around to more interesting bases. But I will go were God wants me.
May is now 2 months away. I really am looking forward to going home for 10 days. My puppies need attention. Dina picks on them all the time. They have rules and eat dog food. The poor babies I think they are losing weight. My grand babies need someone to pick one them. I am scared of Steph so I will duck and cover were she is concerned. Phillip and Anna have to be straghtned out to. They have problems. I love and miss everyone so espacially My wounderful wife Dina (AKA Chickenlittle)

All my love Jim