Davy, Hillary and the adorable Oliver

Crossfit

2011-03-09T10:06:00.004-07:00

A friend of mine, and a huge crossfitter I might add, left last week and before he went, he had one last puke fest, compliments of me for creating the workout...

JBD's Last Work Out:

3 rnds of 17 reps (3 x 17 = 51 which is Jim's age)

J - Burpee box Jumps

B - Back Extensions

D - Dips

S - Strict pull-ups

L - Leg Levers

S - Weighted squats (45lb plate)

Here we all are... smiling at first.

I was the first victim...

Lovin every minute of it... smiling after dry heaving

Dreading more burpee box jumps... they did me in

Matt was the second victim... and it got him the worst

Last exercise... notice Matt cursing my name for making him do the WOD

Jim finished in 23:50 and I was at 25:51... the old man killed me. Roy stood next to me to make him look bigger and the other guy didn't want any part of our exercise.

Gotta love Crossfit!

Happy Birthday Ollie Boy!

2011-03-07T15:00:00.003-07:00

Happy Birthday Oliver!! You make our hearts melt daily. Our lives are so full of joy and happiness because you were born.

A true chocolate lover just like his Daddy.

Blowing Off Steam

2011-03-02T11:24:00.004-07:00

Where do I start... it's been over a year since I posted last and really, this deployment doesn't allow me adventures as did the last one. However, some things have happened recently that I thought I'd share with the world and keep you all updated as to what goes on here.

Most of you know, especially Hillary, that I can't and won't talk about specifics of the work we do over here. Not that it's super secret stuff, it just shouldn't be talked about over a blog... if you want to talk specifics, lets get together when I'm home and I'll answer any questions you may have. However, for the time being, I'll be vague, but try and get the point across. My primary job over here in Afghanistan is working as a counter-IED analyst... which means I look at the IEDs, trends, facilitation, etc and help the units here try and... "be left of the boom" so to say. Well, my main problem is just that... every time I make a suggestion for them to do something which could potentially save lives, they instead are more worried about the "rules of engagement" and winning the "hearts and minds" of these Afghans rather than protecting their own lives and those of their comrades. I have to preface this and say that we are doing some great things in this country and killing a lot of bad guys... well, not enough really, but at least some. Recently, an IED went off and killed two US soldiers. Not 24 hours later, we observed 8 individuals digging on a road not even 1km away from where the IED went off the previous day... So what do we do? we fire a warning shot. yeah, talk about intimidating... that's not the end of it though. The 8 guys disperse and then come back soon thereafter. So a bird flies overhead and observes them digging again... so they fire flares at them to scare them off!!! Are you kidding me? These animals just killed two US soldiers and what do we do? We continuously slap them on the wrist and tell them to stop doing such bad things! Are we here to win or are we here to please the Afghans? We need to start showing the Afghans that we're a force to reckon with, not someone who will back down when confronted with adversity. These people are animals... they've been at war their whole lives and know no different. All they do is take from us and now they expect it!

Breathe Davy... breathe... I enjoy my work and trying to make a difference here, but it can be EXTREMELY frustrating at times (kind of like right now).

Alright... another topic that gets me riled up as well. I read this recently online... this is from Muslim Cleric Anjem Choudary who is in charge of this movement: "On 3rd March 2011 From 1pm to 4pm (local time), at Pennsylvania Avenue, outside the White House, the Muslims will let the tyrant Barack Obama and the American people know that a new constitution beckons the US called the Shari’ah, and that this worldwide revolution will see it implemented inshaa’allah (God willing) very very soon." I actually just got sick to my stomach when reading this (cite: Sharia4America.com). I don't want to hyperlink it cuz I don't want this cite to get flagged or anything. Here is one thing I wish our nation would do... be like the Australian President and stand up for what we believe in. Here is what he said recently regarding Muslims in his country.

'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians. '
'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom'
'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!'

'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.'

'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.'

'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.'

'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country that accepted YOU.'

Well said Australia. Well said.

Ollie Boy is 10 months old!

2010-12-26T22:40:00.004-07:00

Oliver is 10 months old! I missed doing a post when he turned 9 months so I'm gonna catch you up on this wonder boy.

-he crawls everywhere, nothing is safe when Ollie is on the prowl
-he pulls himself up on whatever he kind find...stable or not. I love how proud he gets when he stands up.
-he has 8 teeth!! top front 4 and bottom front 4
-he loves food...to a point and when he's done he'll let you know...the baby with the iron jaw
-he loves milk and hates any kind of juice and will only drink water from a cup. i guess he gets it from me since i drank a gallon of milk every 4 days when i was pregnant with him
-he makes the funniest noises all the time, I wish I had them recorded so you could all hear it
-he's still a good sleeper
-everywhere we go people are drawn to him....his blue eyes and wavy blond hair and contagious smile.
- he's all boy...rough and tuff. Loves to be scared, thrown in the air, flipped and bounced all around.
-he loves our dogs and feeds them all the time
-lately he likes to rocked to sleep again...i am loving it and will treasure it while it lasts

I love this little boy so much....my love for him grows stronger every day. He is amazing and I love that every time I see him I see my sweet husband...he is a carbon copy of Davy....Oliver makes this separation from Davy slightly easier on the heart because he reminds me so much of his dad.

SHOUT OUT TO MY HOT HUSBAND

2010-12-26T22:08:00.004-07:00

Here's a shout out to my hottie husband!! Davy you are so missed!! Life just isn't the same without you here by our side. I know Ollie misses you and knows you...the way he instantly turns and looks at the computer when he hears the skype ring and how he crawls right to the laptop with a huge smile. He loves his daddy and can't wait for him to come home and hold him and play with him. I can't wait for you to come home to hold me and play with me too:) And i admit I miss your cooking, your singing, you cleaning up after your messy wife, watching you make our son laugh, playing with the dogs, your back rubs and your front rubs too(just kidding...okay i'm not kidding). Alright, you got me....i miss everything about you. You truly are my best friend and the best husband anyone could ever ask for. Be safe and know that we love you very much and miss you like crazy!
Love, your wife and son
Hillary and Oliver

Oliver's first snow!

2010-12-26T19:59:00.006-07:00

It snowed over a foot in one night in Alpine, where we are currently residing. I bundled up my bundle of joy and plopped him in a big pile of snow. He wasn't too sure about it at first. Kinda confused of what he was sitting on and why it was so cold ( i had a plastic bag under him so he wouldn't get soaked). I made a little snowball and gave it to him...of course it goes right in his mouth...after that he seemed okay with the snow once he realized he could eat it without getting in trouble.

Water and Wiener

2010-11-17T17:24:00.002-07:00

Oliver has discovered that he has a new toy and that he takes it with him where ever he goes. Funny thing is, he's had it with him since he was born. Now he just needs to learn when it's okay to play with it and when he should put it away.

Day at the Park

2010-10-25T12:52:00.002-06:00

Oliver 8 months old!

2010-10-25T12:38:00.004-06:00

Mini Me of Davy!! He looks just like his dad, but with Jackson Family ears.

Oliver has been such a great baby since he turned 8 months old! I know that it has only been 4 days, but this week he has been awesome. Sleeping great at night and actually taking long naps...that's a first. He is always happy and i think has a few notions towards at least thinking about crawling now!

The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley and Stonewall Jackson

2010-10-22T23:41:00.001-06:00

Let me start off by paraphrasing a conversation Davy and I had.
D- "Do you want to go see some of the historic sites around here?"
H- "Not really. My attention span doesn't do to well at those places."
D- "We have some of the greatest historic places of our country at our fingertips here. Don't you want to experience the past?"
H- "Ummm, I'd rather go shopping at TjMaxx and a movie."

So to show my husband I do care about our country's past I decided to surprise him on his business training thingy that Ollie and I were tagging along on, I looked up online what some of the best historic places in the area were. The reviews on Stonewall Jackson's Headquarters made it sound like it was better than the Grand Canyon or chocolate.

We arrived at the "Headquarters" and I thought, "it's a house" We go inside, didn't know you had to pay $10 each. Our guide was an old lady who was ancient. This woman was obsessed with General Jackson. She would take us over to a chair or a mirror and say something like "Stonewall himself sat here. Go ahead and look in this mirror...you are looking in the same mirror as Stonewall did every morning...can't you just picture it?"
Davy and I kept looking at each other, then at our watch. Oliver hated the museum and was over it within 10 mins. Too bad Stonewall's wanna be lover made an hour long tour of a house the size of my salon. To keep Ollie calm and quiet I nursed him while walking through the house. I was covered up but the tour guide wouldn't look me in the eye...it was kinda funny. BY then I didn't care if she was uncomfortable...i had just been carrying a 20 pound baby up and down stairs and the lady just wouldn't shut up about the random old crap that was not cool or impressive, it was antique furniture. She had also revealed her true southern hatred towards the North. She had mentioned that a certain artifact was from the story of "John Brown" and pause dramatically. I asked who John Brown was....she stopped, sighed and angrily said "I do not have time to explain who he was, you'll have to study that on your own. But he basically was the extend of the terrorist our country is dealing with today!"
We looked him up later that day. He was an abolitionist that was against slavery. He did start a raid that ended in a lot of blood shed, but i wouldn't compare him to the terrorist of our day. The old woman finally ended the amazing tour. On our way out back to the car the craziest little animal ran past us. It looked like a black rabbit/squirrel/rat/cat. Both me and Davy saw it.
D- "that was a crazy animal."
H- "that was so much cooler than that tour."
D- "Totally."

2010-10-22T23:23:00.005-06:00

The Museum of Shenandoah Valley, had rave reviews as well. One person said that they had to spend 2 days there to get it all in. Not sure why, we were ready to leave within 15 minutes. They have "beautiful " gardens there. I'll just let the pictures and our facial expressions speak for themselves of how beautiful we thought they were.

Davy was on the phone most of the time in the gorgeous gardens. Seriously so pretty here. Not

I didn't know the Chinese had a big influence in the Shenandoah Valley

Back in the Stan!!!

2010-10-21T03:48:00.002-06:00

For all of you who don't know, I recently deployed again to Afghanistan with a contracting company to be an intelligence analyst. Before any of you hate on me for leaving Hillary once again, she agreed to me taking this job in the first place and knew that the deployment would be in the near future... she just didn't realize how fast that future came. However, this time is a little different. There won't be any pictures of me shooting rockets, or camping up in the mtns with goats, or naked santa (ok, that might happen again... Santa did love coming to AF). Actually, there probably won't be any exciting pics, only those of the base I will be stationed at and anything that goes on there. I'm not even issued a weapon on this deployment, so I will not be going off the base (I promised Hillary I wouldn't). This deployment I'm basically reading a bunch of reports and putting products together, specifically geared toward the IED (Improvised Explosive Device) fight. The organization that I'm with is specifically geared to fighting the IED fight here in AF, since that is the number one killer to Coalition Forces here in AF. Unfortunately, I can't be detailed in the things I do once again. When you're in the intelligence world, it's best just to leave things unsaid.

I had the option of heading back to where I was previously stationed at (Khowst Province), but I opted for a new opportunity in going to a little smaller base in Logar Province. I'll be there in approx 2-3 weeks after I complete some training here at Bagram. So really, I'll only be in my area for approx 5 months, then back to DC to continue my job. Hillz and I are crossing our fingers that the FBI will have made a decision by then and will send me to their Special Agent Academy down in Quantico, VA. I'll keep you all posted.

As for now, it's back to the daily grind of working 12 hours, working out, eating this nasty cafeteria food (yeah, being a foodie isn't the best here), and trying to sleep in a tent full of 100 dudes. Heaven right? Can't wait for these 2 weeks to be over.

Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts. BTW, Hillary is moving back to Utah to stay with her mom for most of the deployment. But I'll let her update you since she's a good blogger now. Love you all.

7 months!!

2010-10-11T22:36:00.006-06:00

Ok so I'm 3 weeks late on Ollie's monthly picture post, but that just means you get two this month, so quit your bitchin'! :) What's crazy is that when I post his 8 month pic in 2 weeks, he will have already changed again. It really is amazing how fast they change and grow. Every morning there is something new that Ollie shows us. His newest trick is making raspberries noises with his mouth. He does it when he's happy when he's mad, super low noises and super high ones too. It's hilarious.

-He has 2 teeth on the bottom
-He is the roll over King, both ways, all around the room! (annoying when changing a poopy diaper)
-Sits up all by himself now
-Loves to drink out of mine and Davy's cups.
-Loves any kind of squash and yams
-Breaks out in red splotches on his head and face anytime he eats any kind of fruit, totally sucks cause he loves them!
-Still loves "Baby Einstein" and now "The Incredibles"
-Loves being hung upside down and thrown in the air
-Not good at church at all
-Smiles and laughs all the time
-Total ladies man!! Seriously, he'll be super honery to me then some chic pays attention to him and he's all smiley and happy, then looks away like he's shy then back again to make sure he still is being adored. Totally works, the ladies love him!
-Has nasty man poo now.
-Still hates his arms being shoved in to sleeves
-He is super ticklish on his back, sides and under his chin

He is the center of our world and we love him and are slightly obsessed!

AT THE RIGHT PLACE, AT THE RIGHT TIME

2010-08-24T21:02:00.010-06:00

WE WENT TO VISIT DAVY'S SISTER, JULIE AND HER FAMILY, IN WEST VIRGINIA LAST WEEKEND. IT IS ONLY 3 HOURS AWAY, BUT CAN TURN INTO LONGER WITH TRAFFIC....WHICH IT DID. 5 1/2 HOURS LATER WE WERE AT THE WEED FAMILY'S FRONT DOOR. THE WHOLE WEEKEND WAS SUPER FUN. THANKS JULIE AND MATT FOR BEING SUCH GREAT HOSTS !!! WE WENT ON A BEAUTIFUL BIKE RIDE WITH THE WHOLE BUNCH. MATT HAD CAROLINE HOOKED ON THE BACK OF HIS BIKE WITH ONE OF THOSE TAG-A-LONG BIKES...HER PEDALS KEPT FALLING OFF SO SHE HAD IT EASY, JUST CRUISIN' BEHIND HER DAD. JULIE HAD GAVIN IN A BIKE SEAT ON HER BIKE. DAVY HAD SAM AND OLLIE IN THE CHARIOT BEHIND HIS BIKE, AND I HAD MY FAT BUTT AND MUFFIN TOPS HANGING OFF THE BACK OF MINE...SO NEEDLESS TO SAY WE ALL WERE HAULING A BIG LOAD.

THE BEGINNING OF OUR BEAUTIFUL BIKE RIDE THROUGH WEST VIRGINIA COUNTRY SIDE WAS NOT SO FUN...(.YES, WE DID SING THE JOHN DENVER SONG, "COUNTRY ROAD" A FEW TIMES) OUR LITTLE MAN WAS SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS. HE HATED BEING STRAPPED IN. HE'D FINALLY CALM DOWN, BUT THEN SAM (ONLY 1 YEAR OLD) WOULD TAKE HIS TEETHING RING OR OTHER TOY HE WAS HOLDING AND THE CRYING WOULD START ALL OVER AGAIN. HE FINALLY FELL ASLEEP AND THE RIDE BECAME FUN AGAIN. I WISH WE WOULD HAVE TAKEN A PIC OF HIM ASLEEP, BUT WE WERE TO SCARED HE'S WAKE UP IF WE STOPPED AND GOT THE CAMERA OUT OF THE CHARIOT. SO HERE'S AN ANGRY FACE PICTURE INSTEAD. CHECK OUT SAM, TOTALLY CONTENT EVEN WITH A CRAZY, CRYING BAY NEXT TO HIM.

ON OUR WAY BACK, DAVY PULLED OFF THE TRAIL AND SUGGESTED WE GO DOWN TO THE RIVER TO CHECK IT OUT. THE BABIES WERE BOTH FAST ASLEEP, SO WE THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE TO STOP. THE PLACE DAVY DECIDED TO PULL OFF LED DOWN TO THE RIVER WHERE THERE WAS THE PERFECT ROPE SWING JUST WAITING FOR US!! IT REALLY WAS THE RIGHT PLACE, AT THE RIGHT TIME. WE TOTALLY NEEDED TO COOL OFF. THE REST OF OUR BIKING GANG STOPPED, THEN THE BABIES WOKE UP (LUCKILY CHEERFUL) AND OF TO THE RIVER WE WENT.
DAVY WENT FIRST TO MAKE SURE IT WAS DEEP ENOUGH AND THEN I WENT. THE WATER WAS SOOOO WARM, IT FELT LIKE LAKE POWELL WATER TEMPERATURES IN AUGUST. DAVY WENT AGAIN AND DID A BACK FLIP, I WAS IN THE WATER SO I DIDN'T GET A PIC OF IT. THE 2ND TIME I WENT, MY HEAVY BOTTOM HALF, WAS A LITTLE TOO MUCH FOR MY WIMPY ARMS AND I GRACEFULLY DRAGGED MYSELF THROUGH THE WATER. IT WAS SO FUN! I FORGET HOW THE SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE, LIKE A COOL DIP IN A RIVER ON A GORGEOUS BIKE RIDE, MAKES YOU LOVE LIFE AND ALL THOSE LITTLE MOMENTS AND LOVED ONES THAT ARE A PART OF IT.

Only half a year old, but a whole lot of cute!!

2010-08-24T20:26:00.015-06:00

MY NAME IS OLIVER, I'M SIX MONTHS OLD AND I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT I HAVE THE CUTEST SMILE AND LAUGH IN THE WORLD. EVERYONE ALWAYS TELLS ME THAT I'M HUGE FOR MY AGE (20 LBS, 28.5 IN), BUT REALLY I THINK IT'S BECAUSE MY PARENTS ARE PRETTY MUCH TALL MIDGETS...SO IT JUST MAKES ME LOOK BIG. I HAVE ONE TOOTH ON THE BOTTOM AND ANOTHER ONE CLOSE BEHIND. MY MOM CALLS ME "SHARP TOOTH" BECAUSE I THINK IT'S PRETTY FUNNY TO MAKE HER JUMP IN PAIN AND YELL WHEN I GET BORED OF NURSING AND CHOMP DOWN. SO FAR I HATE CARROTS, ABSOLUTELY LOVE AVOCADOS AND TOLERATE RICE CEREAL.....BUT AS LONG AS BABY EINSTEIN IS ON THE TUBE, I COULDN'T CARE LESS WHAT GOES IN MY MOUTH. I'M TOTALLY PRO AT ROLLING OVER NOW, BUT ME AND ZOOLANDER HAVE A LOT IN COMMON, BESIDES FROM BEING RIDICULOUSLY GOOD LOOKING, WE BOTH CAN'T TURN/ROLL LEFT. I STILL HATE THE CAR SEAT, AND STILL LOVE MY STROLLER AND BEING OUTSIDE, EVEN IF ALL THE VIRGINIAN MOSQUITOES ARE TRYING TO DRAIN MY WHOLE FAMILY OF ALL THEIR BLOOD. I LOVE HAVING MY MOM HOME WITH ME EVERYDAY, IT'S JUST THAT MUCH EASIER TO GET HER WRAPPED AROUND MY LITTLE FINGER. MY DAD IS AROUND A LOT TOO, CAUSE HE GETS HOME AROUND 2PM EVERY DAY. LIFE IS PRETTY MUCH AWESOME RIGHT NOW.

MMMMM....AVOCADOS AT AUNT JULIE'S HOUSE

Eating our words

2010-06-27T12:15:00.006-06:00

Hill and I both remember looking at blogs of our friends and complaining, "why do they always just post pics of their children and not them?!... We are friends with them, not with their kids!" Ok, so now we realize why parents post pics of their children... one, because both the parents are sleep deprived and aren't the most photogenic, and two, your own children are so dang cute. It's amazing how fast they change and how much joy (and frustration sometimes) they bring into your life. So without further ado, here are more pics of cute little Ollie.

Little Ollie, growing and changing so fast every day!

2010-05-06T20:45:00.000-06:00

Davy and Davy jr.

Little Ollie with his new buzz cut. We were going for the Brad Pitt look from "Mr. and Mrs. Smith"Baby chick hair. I know, I know.....I should've left his hair alone, but it was the stylist in me that couldn't handle the random bald spots/stick up hair in the back/mullet due he was sporting. Now he kinda looks like a baby cop, with his little flat top...his hair still won't lay down, even this short!

Cute and somewhat dangerous...but at least he wasn't frying bacon.

He always grabs his binkie like this. I just love it, so cute.

Ollie

2010-03-28T14:24:00.001-06:00

Is it child abuse when you take your 10-day old baby to a photoshoot and he cries the whole time? He told us he was ticked off by peeing and pooing over all the photo props... but we continued the shoot until we were finished. Poor little guy... he slept for approx 5 hours afterward. So we're trying to decide on an announcement photo (even though it probably won't be sent out for another year or so). Which one is your favorite?

We think he's pretty cute.

Die-Hard

2010-03-27T19:10:00.003-06:00

Our friend Blake bought a new boat over the winter and wanted to take it out on the water to test it out... Don't worry that it snowed here yesterday and the high today was only around 53 degrees. The boat started without any problems and ran like a champ... But the true test was the wake to surf on. We did out best to start off the back of the boat and go the whole time without getting in the water. Blake, on his second go around, was not as fortunate as I was.
Yup... that's a beanie to keep my head warm.
Air temp: 53 degrees
Water temp: 48 degrees
On the lake in March: Priceless

Bring on the summer!

Look-a-like

2010-02-22T19:01:00.003-07:00

So we're still bored in the hospital and only wanting to take pics of our cute little guy. We know that they change quickly within the next few months, but everyone keeps trying to compare him to us... so? What do you think? Everyone says that he has Davy's mouth and Hill's nose and neither one of our eyebrows! We're shocked that he had no eyebrows and a full head of hair. We were thinking that he would come out with more hair on his face than his head! We'll see if he inherits that in the next few months.
Anyway, Hill is doing great and quickly recovering. We go home tomorrow and we know we're in for a big shock that first night at home... but we're excited. If anyone would like to visit, just give us a call before you come over to see the little one. Thanks for everyone's prayers, support and congratulations.

Oliver David Gillespie

2010-02-21T19:42:00.005-07:00

So we had 9 months to prepare... and still weren't ready. Who knew that the water would break a week early? It just wouldn't be us though if we were ready for the birth. After the water broke unexpectedly, we rushed to get things in order and went to the hospital. We arrived around 10 p.m. and were trying to stall so that Hill's sister could join us (and she made it from Boise in 5 hours!). The contractions were spread apart, but after a little coaxing from some modern day medicine, baby Oliver was itching to get out. Hill started pushing around 7:45 a.m. and Oliver was out at 8:15 a.m. Surprisingly enough, Hillary and I both watched the whole thing and didn't even get queasy! It was an incredible experience and he is just the cutest little guy. Hillary is doing great and recovering quickly. We can't wait for all of you to meet this handsome guy. He was 7 lbs. 14 oz and 21".

Foodie's Welcome

2010-02-01T20:48:00.004-07:00

Well, I think it's time to get back into the whole "blogging" world. Although I don't experience explosions and life threatening missions as when I was in Afghanistan, I've decided to start blogging about another interest of mine... food. Growing up, I would constantly hear the words, "We eat to live, not live to eat." (and obviously we lived by that motto showing the physical size of our family). However, over the years I have gained an appreciation for food... I still eat like a bird, but this bird has quite a picky palette. I actually hate going out to eat because I'm way to critical of the restaurant, the way they cook the food, the quality of their ingredients and their presentation. Hillary can't remember the last time she enjoyed a meal with me where I was completely satisfied (ok, maybe Nick's Fishmarket in Maui... which was over 2 years ago, or perhaps the Mesa Grill in Las Vegas - Bobby Flay's restaurant).
Many of you know that I love to cook... not the typical "soldier" profile I know. I just have gained an appreciation for the beauty and art of food... it's incredible. Unfortunately I live in the land where chain restaurants flourish and our selection of good food is VERY scarce. So in this blog, I would like to share with you some of my favorite food/recipes and hopefully enjoy some feedback from your experience (if you decide to venture into the kitchen and trust my recommendation).
First of all, I have a new love recently... and his name is Thomas Keller.
I bought a new recipe book recently called Ad Hoc and it is pushing new limits with me in the kitchen. I attempted to make dinner on Sunday and ended up cooking for over 3 hours! We ate around 10:30 p.m. and I realized that the taste was not worth the effort. But, there were lessons learned and that's what counts. I made another one of his recipes tonight... (see below).
Unfortunately, I'm a better cook than I am photographer. This was a potato hash with bacon and melted onions. It was excellent (a heart attack waiting to happen) and would be excellent for a morning breakfast with eggs. See below for recipe.
12 oz applewood-smoked bacon
Canola oil
3 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes
Kosher salt
1 thyme sprig (leaves only)
1 cup melted onions (recipe to follow)
1 tlbs minced chives

Melted Onions
8 cups sliced onions (about 3 large onions)
Kosher salt
8 Tlbs unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
Sachet (1 bay leaf, 3 thyme sprigs, 10 black peppercorns, 1 garlic clove smashed and peeled - optional to wrap in a cheese cloth)

Put onions in a large saute pan, set over medium-low heat, sprinkle with 2 pinches of salt, adn cook, stirring from time to time for about 20 min until the onions have released much of their liquid.
Stir in the butter, add the sachet (I didn't use a sachet but just added the ingredients straight into the onions), cover with a parchment lid (parchment paper cut in the shape of the pan with a hole in the middle to release steam) and cook slowly over low to medium-low heat for another 30 to 35 minutes. The onions should look creamy at all times. The onions should be meltingly tender, but not falling apart or mushy.

Cut the bacon into 1" long and 1/2" thick pieces.
Pour about 1 1/2 Tlbs of oil into a large saucepan and heat to 300 degrees. Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet and line the rack with paper towels.
Meanwhile, dice the potatoes into a 1/2" dice. Add half the potatoes to the hot oil and cook for about 8 minutes, until tender and rich golden brown. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on the paper towels. Repeat with the remaining potatoes.
Pour 2 Tlbs water into a medium saucepan and set over medium heat (water keeps the bacon from crisping as the fat begins to render). Add the bacon, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let the bacon render its fat for 30 min. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Drain the excess fat from the pan and leave a film of fat to cook the potatoes.
Add half the potatoes to the pan, sprinkle with salt, and add half the thyme. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes to crisp the potatoes and heat through. Add half the onions and fold in one-quarter of the bacon. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl. Cook remaining potatoes with the remaining ingredients. Season with S&P.
Transfer to plate and garnish with chives and remaining bacon.

This was a repeat for us... even my pregnant wife loved it!

I recently made a chili that was delish... I can't take credit for it (thanks Bobby), but it was divine. Instead of lamb, I substituted pork shoulder and I also didn't do the fry bread at the end. But see what you think... (that is if you want to go buy about a million southwestern spices that the recipe calls for).

Lamb and Black Bean Chili with Cumin Crema, Red Onion Relish, Avocado Relish and Native American Fry Bread

Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
2 1/2 pounds lamb from shoulder, boned and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 large Spanish onions, finely diced
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and pureed
1 tablespoon chipotle puree
3 tablespoons ancho chili powder
1 tablespoon pasilla chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
5 cups chicken stock
1 (12-ounce) bottle dark beer
Dash ground cinnamon
1 to 2 tablespoons honey
2 cups cooked or canned black beans
Chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish
Cumin Crema, recipe follows
Avocado Relish, recipe follows
Red Onion Relish, recipe follows
Fry Bread, recipe follows

Directions

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the lamb, in batches, season with salt and pepper, and cook until seared and browned on all sides. Remove the lamb to a plate with a slotted spoon.

Add the onion to the pan and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, chipotle, and spices. Return the lamb to the pan, add the stock and beer; cover and cook at a simmer for over medium heat, about 1 hour, or until the lamb is tender and the mixture has thickened. After 30 minutes, check seasoning and add honey. During the last 15 minutes, add the cinnamon and cooked beans. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Ladle into bowls and top with a large dollop of Cumin Crema, Avocado Relish, and Red Onion Relish. Serve with fry bread on the side.

Cumin Crema:

1 pint creme fraiche, Mexican crema or sour cream
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Whisk together ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Red Onion Relish:

2 tablespoons canola oil
2 red onions, finely diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 serrano chile, finely diced with seeds
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves

Heat oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and chile to the pan and cook until soft. Add the lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro.

Avocado Relish:

4 Haas avocados, peeled, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup red onion, minced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
2 serrano chiles, minced with seeds
2 limes, juiced
Salt and pepper

In a large bowl, combine avocado, red onion, cilantro, chiles, lime juice, and salt and pepper. Fold until incorporated.

Fry Bread:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons dry milk powder
2 teaspoons salt, plus more for seasoning after frying
5 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups canola oil, for frying

Combine flour, baking powder, milk powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut the shortening in until the mixture is crumbly. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together. Place on a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until smooth. Cover with a dishcloth and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

Heat the oil in a large high-sided saute pan until it reaches 350 degrees F.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll each piece out into a 4-inch circle. Fry the bread in the hot oil until golden brown on both sides. Remove to a sheet pan lined with paper towels and season with salt.

P.S. this blog won't just be about food... our baby boy hasn't been born yet, so we have to find something else to blog about before the baby comes! Stay tuned for the birth in a month or so!

What's better... skiing on glass or powder?

2010-01-05T22:59:00.005-07:00

My brother Greg is truly the man... not that I had any question that he was prior to this event, but he did something for me that I'll be in debt to him for a long time. He took me snowcat skiing in Oakley and it was the best day of skiing ever.
Hillary and I went to Denver to spend our Christmas with Mom, Dad, John, Shauna and family. No need to go into detail because it was wonderful and that's all that matters. Hillary surprised me with a new pair of shoes (which I was drooling over at Nordstrom's a week prior but decided not to get it because we needed to save money... naughty Hillary). And, I decided to splurge on the present as well and surprised her with diamond earrings. We already bought each other presents prior to our trip... my gift to her was a new sewing machine and her gift to me was a season pass to the Canyons. It was a wonderful holiday and we had a great time spending it with our amazing family.

Now as for the skiing part... this was my first experience back country skiing... and it will not be my last! I can't tell you how amazing it was. Waist deep powder, skiing with my bro and tearing those mountains up. We were in heaven for the few hours that it lasted. Now, back to the Canyons I guess... boring.

Here's us enjoying some lunch that they provided us.Deep PowLoving every minute of it Greg rippin it
The cat that took us to heaven!

So the question is, what is better... skiing in waste deep, untouched powder? Or rippin through glass on the lake behind the boat? Tough decision.

Halloween in 2066

2009-11-03T23:46:00.002-07:00

To be honest, we really don't know what to say about this post. Hillary and I decided to be old people this year. We got the idea from our cousin Greg Hansen and his girlfriend Rachel (they were old people last year). And for your viewing pleasure, here are a few from that night.

We went to a comedy show and then out to eat... except nothing was open so we opted for Fridays (sick). Greg and Rachel came with us dressed as Kate Gosslin (from Jon and Kate plus 8) and Willie Wonka.
Things got a little crazy and wigs started to be passed around.

And of course, things just became weirder as the night went on... some black out for teeth was found and Hillary became prettier...

and prettier... really, we don't know how she can be so photogenic in one picture and then look like a 300 lbs down syndrome homeless person in the next... sheer talent.

Then it was my turn for the wig... and yes, that's a real stache

And by the end of the night, I felt like I was 84... but check out that make up. Didn't Hillary do an amazing job? Talented girl... both in looks and make up!

Our friends Katie and Garrett were Jemaine and Brett from Flight of the Conchords

And Fergie even dressed up... by force. A little sheep... and not a happy one.

Hope you all had a HAPPY HALLOWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!!!!!

THE MEXILLESPIE VACATION!!

2009-10-05T22:13:00.005-06:00

SO WE ARE DOING SOME BACK TRACKING FOR 2009. STARTING FIRST WITH OUR TRIP WITH THE WHOLE GILLESPIE CLAN TO MEXICO BACK IN MARCH. WE MET UP WITH ALL OF DAVY'S SIBLINGS IN MEXICO TO PICK UP DAVY'S PARENTS FROM THEIR MISSION IN ACAPULCO. IT WAS PERFECT WEATHER, AND A PERFECT FAMILY VACATION! ENJOY SOME PICS OF OUR MEXILLESPIE VACATION!

So my brother Gregory was doing a practice for his photography class and Hillz and I were the subjects... we really couldn't stay still for a photoshoot, but these are some of the shots he got.

The Party's Over

2009-02-07T14:06:00.005-07:00

Well, that day has finally arrived... most of you will probably say that it seemed like yesterday that I left on this deployment. However, for Hillary and myself, it's been a long, anticipated 12 months away from each other. I can't believe that I'm actually going home and getting to reunite with Hillary and all of our family and friends. I can't tell you how grateful both Hillary and I are for such supportive friends and family members. Thank you for all your prayers, for your thoughts, for your letters, emails, packages, and keeping Hillary company while I was gone. We could not have done it without all of the help and your support. Thank you a million times over... We love you all and can't wait to spend time with everyone once again!
Now, as far as the deployment's concerned... we've had a little fun for our past couple months here. We went to the range the other day to burn some extra ammo that we had... Well, it just so happened that we had two extra AT-4's or Bazooka's or Rocket Launchers... whatever you want to call them. I took a turn on one and my buddy fired the other one... as you see from the picture. (I'm trying to upload the video, but it's a little too big and my internet's too slow!)

Check out the back blast! It almost knocked me off my feet!

On this deployment, Hill and I have both been through a lot... but here's a list of the best/craziest things that happened to us.
1. Surprisingly enough, Hillary and I are closer than we've ever been in our marriage! Even after spending one year apart, we've fallen more in love than we have been in our 2 years of marriage! Hill and I definitely suggest a deployment to make your marriage stronger! (Even though we hope to never do this again!)
2. Hill worked at Williams Sanoma and hooked us up with all new kitchen supplies!
3. I managed to stay safe and avoid serious injury while fighting in Afghanistan
4. I gained first-hand experience about how a war is fought and has given me a different perspective on life, marriage, the Gospel, and especially Government and politics... I'm sure there might be some political discussions/debates later on... but just know that I'll still love you no matter your views! What's a debate without 2 opposing sides?
Of course I have more, but I shouldn't really divulge more than necessary over the internet (sorry). However, I'd love to share with you all of my experiences and first hand experience that I've seen while being in Afghanistan. And I ALWAYS want to hear your opinions of the war, government, politics, etc... even if they deconflict with mine.

Again, thank you for all of your support. Hill and I are so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends. We both can't wait to spend time with each of you this next year! See you soon in the greatest country in this world!

Okay, okay...i give in.....I'll blog!

2009-01-02T01:16:00.004-07:00

Since it says "Davy AND Hillary" on this blog, my sweet, computer savvy husband suggested I add little tid bits from my life here in good 'ol Provo. I don't really think my life can be as interesting as his experiences he's having in Afghanistan. He said making balloon animals and playing rock band isn't too impressive, so quit being a blogging wussy and share! So here is my first attempt. Peace out, Hill

Hair by Hillary

2009-01-02T01:01:00.002-07:00

This is Tara, my voice teacher, she asked me to do her hair for her bridal shoot and wedding.
She made a beautiful bride. Here are some pics of her updo.

2009-01-02T00:17:00.005-07:00

I love it when people bring in pictures of what they want their hair to look like. I LOVE IT EVEN MORE when it turns out exactly like the model in the magazine. This is my cousin Helen...who actually happens to be a model (that always helps). She has always been a dark brunette, she said she wanted to try "platinum blonde" and asked what i thought of it. I told her she would look beautiful even with a big lump of dog poo on her head.......I told her..."well you'll
never know if you look good blonde unless you try it. I think she looks like a Swedish ice princess. Here a before and after.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-31T10:49:00.004-07:00

Merry Christmas to all from wonderful Afghanistan. I'm trying to keep a positive attitude since there's only a few more weeks left! Just thought I'd update with a few pics of what's been going on here. This isn't a venting session like the last post, just some random things to keep our minds off the war.

So, a package was sent to us with a bunch of random stuff for kids here. Being the greedy soldiers that we are (jk) I saw these balloon animals and thought I'd try my hand out at being a clown... I think I found my new calling in life!

I don't know why Hillary thinks I look like a pedophile...

Yup, amazing... I know. A giraffe and Darcey, our daschund.

I don't know if last year's Christmas Eve Prime rib meal was better or this year's Cookies and Cream Ice Cream and carrot sticks. Toss up.

This was a step up from the chow hall Christmas Eve dinner. Little brown... kabobs as they call them (even though they look like something else) and some Afghani bread. Merry Christmas.

We were watching movies all day on Christmas (decided to take the day off) and something was stirring...

But I made sure that didn't last long... Nothing was stirring, not even this mouse.

Davy and his fluffy beard... so hot right now

Thanks to everyone... 7 packages to open on Christmas. The best Christmas ever! (as good as it can be in Afghanistan)

Looks like Santa does visit Afghanistan even though they don't celebrate Christmas here. But, he doesn't want to wear a shirt cuz... it's hot here? Not really, maybe he doesn't want to get paint on his red outfit.

Yup, even the Taliban are after Santa here. But the Taliban's not gettin this Santa Claus!

Ricky was fooled and really thought I was Santa Claus! Maybe the Afghans do believe in Santa Claus! (just kidding, Ricky really isn't a local, he just gets mistaken for one every day)

I was trying to be mad at him, but when he started telling me he wants a rifle like mine and a new toy truck for Christmas, I couldn't help but smile... cute little Afghans

Now, before any of you read on (including parents, sister, sister-in-laws, maybe some brothers and anyone who is offended by some of my shock factor)... we get really bored here. Hill sent me this white spray paint for my beard. Things got a little crazy and I decided to be a little sultry Santa... it doesn't show anything, but just forewarning you. Merry Christmas from one sultry Santa who loves you all in Afghanistan.

Defending Freedom

2008-12-18T15:00:00.005-07:00

So it's 2:30 a.m. and I should be in bed; however, I lay in bed waiting for the rockets to land in our base and just can't sleep. This used to be a regular routine during the summer months here in Afghanistan; however, since the weather has cooled down, the Taliban have slowed down operations. (Don't worry Mom, Hill and anyone else, we're not in danger and a rocket attack isn't scary... it just comes with a deployment... and I'll get to that) Now the rocket attack isn't what I'm worried about. It's the thought of DEFENDING our country.
Let's look back at September 11th, 2001. Was Al Qaeda defending their country with those terrorist attacks? Were they defending their homeland by attacking us on American soil? Granted, I'm glad we defended our country after that attack took place. But, being in the intelligence field, didn't we have some reports that something like that attack was going to take place? And what did we do about it? We WAITED for them to attack us and then REACTED to their attacks!
Same thing in a war-zone. We were talking today about how we're fighting this war... Now I'm not a general or in any position to change the way we go about operations; however, let's use some common sense people! It is the same story over and over again. We are merely reactionary rather than fighting to eliminate the threat!
Let's use a sports analogy. Growing up, being coached on a team sport, you always hear the phrase "the best offense is a good defense." Very true. However, turn it around and it is just as important... if not MORE important. A football team does not win games by only having a good defense. They HAVE to score points with their offense in order to WIN the game. You get the point. There has to be a strong offense in order for that team to obtain victory.
Now back to fighting the war. I have been here almost 9 months now in Afghanistan and have seen this numerous times, especially due to the field of work I'm in. We are DEFENDERS of our country. We are not FIGHTERS and do not have a good offense. We are merely reactionary to what comes our way. If we were to be deployed like in the days of WWII when the soldiers did not go home til the war was over... we would DEFINITELY be fighting the war differently. Unfortunately, and I'm guilty of saying this too, we "do our time" here in country and then go back to our families. I'm not complaining about going home, because it's only a couple months down the road. However, I am complaining about how we are fighting this war. When we receive a report of a suicide bomb attack, or a rocket attack or an ambush, we send up the report. However, deep down inside we know that the attack will happen and we will be there to REACT to what has already taken place. Why don't we go after what's been reported on? So what if it's not true? So what if it's a dry hole? At least the enemy sees that we are ACTING on information and they see we have a strong offense! Instead, the enemy knows our tactics. They know how we fight and they take advantage of us. No, we are not in imminent danger and I'll be able to enlighten most of you with stories when I return. However, we are strictly a reactionary defense here when there is a dire need for an offense.
To sum up the rocket attack, it unfortunately will happen with every deployment. Until we can stop the rockets BEFORE they are fired, it will be a routine experience for every deployed soldier. So I lay in my bed, knowing nothing will be done with my report, other than a reactionary counter-fire once the explosions are heard.

This was from a rocket attack back in the summer time (hence the short beards). This was the only time a rocket attack came close to causing damage. That's shrapnel from a rocket that hit a truck parked near our office.

So, rather than saying "thanks for defending our country," I think what soldiers would prefer to hear is "thanks for fighting for our country/freedom." However, maybe you should say thanks for defending our country since that IS all we do here. Just a thought.

For All You Cougar Fans

2008-12-18T02:40:00.003-07:00

I was talking to Markell the other day and he referred me to a new blog about Cougar Football. (I don't know why you didn't tell me this earlier Kell!) You can either click on the link to the right (Cougar Blog), or you can go to http://deepshadesofblue.com. It's articles written by former Cougars Quinn Gooch and Markell Staffieri. And to help support them (because they're in need of funding), click on the APX link to the right and fill out the form for them. If APX sees this, they will be more willing to support this blog and BYU. Just a little fyi for all you cougar fans out there. I personally have spent the last day reading all the old posts and enjoying the comments made by all the "die-hard" and "fair-weather" fans. Enjoy.
And also, FILL OUT YOUR PICKS PEOPLE!!! Bowl games start in 2 days!!!

Christmas in the Northwest

2008-12-16T11:38:00.002-07:00

So, this post goes along with my sister's post of her Christmas video lip sync. A few years ago, our family started a crazy tradition... At first, we all thought it was lame and didn't want to do it. But, after we had made our videos and watched them, we all realized how fun the tradition was. Each member of the family makes a video lip sync-ing to a Christmas song (My first one was Amy Grant, "All I want for Christmas is You"... and unfortunately, you all will NEVER see that one). We've realized that as the years go on, the videos get better and better. Just after Hillary and I were first married, we made our first video to the cheesiest song we had ever heard. We were driving to Vancouver to spend Christmas with the Gillespie's and heard on the radio "Christmas in the Northwest." For those of you non-granola's that didn't grow up in the Northwest, you'll soon realize how cheesy this song is as you watch the video.

Because Hillary and I are apart this Christmas, we are unable to put on another show for everyone. So, we're lame and are re-posting "Christmas in the Northwest" for a good laugh. We actually posted it on youtube after we made it and since have had over 6,000 views! People make the funniest comments and some actually think the song is quite touching and can't believe we'd make fun of it! Anyway, we hope you all enjoy and wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

The Clock is Ticking

2008-12-09T00:41:00.005-07:00

So, it's been awhile since I've posted. As you'll see from the pictures, we've been VERY busy here... To be honest, we have been really busy. No missions lately because we've been too busy with source meets and writing reports.

Here's us being busy... yes, that's ricky in his underwear, but we're in the comfort of our own room playing Rock Band!

We've had a lot of success lately with the maneuver units actioning our reports, leading to killing/capturing Taliban commanders in our area. It's caused quite a stir in the area and has caused a slow down in offensive insurgent activity. We've had some really great experiences lately, unfortunately, they will have to wait until I'm home because of the sensitiveness of the matter. But that just gives everyone an excuse to come visit Hill and me! (or we'll come see you guys!)
Everyone has been asking me how Thanksgiving was here... Preparing meals for over 2,000 soldiers? Probably not going to have the flavor and goodness like you'd hope for on Thanksgiving. However, the highlight of the day was the Turkey Bowl that morning. We played flag football for a few hours with a few friends.

Then, went to a meal at the chow hall... which was good, for cafeteria food. Yes we had turkey, but it was dry and bland... listen to me... complaining that I didn't have a good tasting turkey when I'm halfway across the world! I was grateful that we were eating turkey instead of MRE's! When we're sick of the chow hall, which is pretty much every day, we go down to our friend's compound and grill.

This picture was taken the day BYU got killed by the U... (thanks Max). I hadn't changed out of my BYU paraphernalia

I was missing Hill and family and friends, wishing I was back home for this holiday season! Hill went to L.A. to be with her dad on Thanksgiving and had a fun time. She has also been working like crazy lately with the salon and Williams Sanoma.

There's only 70 days left in this deployment before it comes to a close... and it can't come soon enough! It's hard being away from Hill and everyone, especially during the holidays. But I am grateful to be able to be out here, trying to make a difference so that we all can enjoy our safe, beautiful country that we live in. Thank you for the prayers, packages, thoughts and support from everyone. It always is appreciated over here! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a great Holiday Season!

This is what I'd rather be doing right now... Thanks to Greg for taking this pic skiin in chest deep pow at Honecomb Canyon!

Ode to Hillary

2008-11-17T12:02:00.003-07:00

Whether you are male or female, brother or sister, friend or co-worker, dog or cat, I know you all are thinking, "why didn't I get to marry Hillary?" We've all thought that question at least once in our lives because of the many qualities she possesses and the wonderful woman that she is. Well, 2 years ago this day, I was the lucky one who was able to tie the knot with this beautiful girl and I'm realizing, now more than ever, how lucky I am to be her husband. Being away for an anniversary is definitely not recommended for any couple; however, being in our position we don't really have a choice. Here are some reasons why, because I'm married to Hillary, I might be considered the luckiest husband in the world...
1. She's beautiful and one of the most photogenic girls I have ever met (as you can see from the above picture... but really, she is beautiful in every picture she takes)
2. She is a hard worker and dedicated to the task at hand
3. She manages a wonderful salon (ok I'll say it... she's the bread winner!)
4. She is self dependent and self confident
5. She is hilarious and always makes me, as well as everyone else, laugh and smile
6. She can get along with practically any type of personality (most likely due to being a hairstylist for 10+ years)
7. She loves to waterski (us Gillespie's know, that's a HUGE bonus)
8. She loves to be active
9. She is strong in the church and has a strong testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
10. She loves her family and loves my family too
11. She loves to be social and spending time with friends and family
12. She loves to dance and sing (yes, she surprised me and is taking voice lessons while I'm away!)
13. She is an AMAZING hairstylist and a wonderful salon manager
14. She is so supportive of me out here fighting the war in Afghanistan and whatever else I decide to do with my life and career
15. She is a wonderful hostess and always makes you feel welcome and are sure to be entertained!
I'm sure you don't want me to go on and on, bragging about my wonderful wife... Above all, she is what keeps me motivated out here. After 2 years of marriage, we just keep getting happier and growing closer together. Happy Anniversary Sweetheart... Sorry I'm not there to celebrate it with you!

Synophrys

2008-11-12T12:11:00.005-07:00

Many of you know that my wife Hillary is an extremely gifted hairstylist. Being such, she usually takes care of her husband by keeping him well groomed and up to date on the latest hairstyles and fashions. Ever since Hillary met me, she thinks I'm the "hairless wonder" as she likes to call me. However, everyone who knows a Gillespie knows that we have VERY distinct eyebrows. Ever since I can remember, my brothers and I (mainly just Greg and myself) have had to tweeze or wax our "unibrow" in order for us not to look like Wolverine. Hillary thought it would be funny if I were to grow my "unibrow" out since she doesn't have to look at me everyday. I have met quite a few Afghans who must have been challenged by their wives as well because they've got quite the unibrow goin on. Ever since I left Utah coming back to Afghanistan from leave (August 30th), I have not touched my unibrow with any sort of tweezers, wax, razor, nair, lighter, etc. It's growing in with all of it's glory.
And that's only 2 1/2 months! Can you imagine how long it will be once I get home? By that time, my eyes won't even be visible!
Actually, if you do your research, a unibrow is a bodily disorder and is scientifically referred to as "synophrys." Reason I know that is because we were writing a report about a Taliban member here and we had to describe his physical features. Well, the Taliban member, like myself, had a very distinct unibrow. We wrote that up in the report; however, didn't know that unibrow was a slang term, so the report was rejected. We looked and looked for another way to describe "unibrow" and discovered the scientific term synophrys. We sent the report back up and now that Taliban member is dead... just kidding. I don't know what happened to him, but at least the report was published.
Now I'm not so much the "hairless wonder" with my wonderful hairstylist not being at my side... and the beard... don't get me started. I'm so tired of it. I know how much everyone hates it (especially my mother... she always says my beard looks AWFUL in pictures and on the webcam). But for some reason, Hillary is still attracted to the synophrys Wolverine... thanks hun. She's also still beautiful with her hairy armpits... oh yeah, forgot to mention that was the other part of the deal... I grow my unibrow out... I've got to have Hill do something in return!

As for other news, we've been very busy here the last month. We haven't been on any crazy missions lately; however, we have had a lot of our reports actioned on. Let me first explain that a lot of our reporting just goes into a database and never gets looked at again. That being said, since we've been in country we have been reporting on several different Taliban commanders. Within the past month, we have had nearly 7 Taliban commanders killed, all of which we have had significant reporting on. This has created a huge disruption in the Taliban network here and we've seen quite a slowdown in the number of attacks, ambushes, IED's and propaganda in our AO. So, we are a bunch of happy campers here and have decided to take the rest of our time here off to play Halo and Rock Band.
Just kidding. But this is what we do in our spare time... Hill thinks I'm slightly addicted to Rock Band... and in my defense, anyone who has played it knows that it is VERY addicting!

As for our Halloween here, it was very scary for the Taliban, but just a normal day for us... just like every other holiday we celebrate here. Hill had fun with her sister in Idaho... but we were both bummed because, as most of you know, Hill and I LOVE dressing up for Halloween. Can't wait for next year!

Sorry for the random post! We love you all and thanks again for your prayers and support.

Mountain Men

2008-10-22T10:55:00.005-06:00

Ever since we arrived here in country, I have been reporting on a certain area within our AO (area of operations), consisting of multiple Taliban camps and training areas. We've had reports of sometimes 200 to 300 Taliban members in the camp at one time... Well, someone had the bright idea to insert 25 soldiers at the top of a mountain (9,800 feet... just to give you an idea, the tram at the top of Snowbird is 11,000 feet) and have them hike down the mountain and clear the training camp. Here we are about to load onto the Chinook Helicopters to insert us on top of the mountain
Again, without divulging too much information, we did just that. However, the Taliban are cowards (or just smart because they realize how powerful American Forces are) and fled their area once they heard the helicopters roll in.
Here I am pulling security on top of the mountain looking for the Taliban... but they were nowhere to be found

Here's where we slept, underneath ponchos to shield us from the rain, snow, hail, and cold. We were freezing, but 5 guys cuddled together keeps you warm all night! There's no shame in staying warm in the mountains... however that may be!

A lot of the Afghan National Army soldiers didn't pack enough food and water, so we had to get a resupply while we were up there. Can you see the Blackhawk up there?

This goat found us up at our patrol base and climbed into a shelter with the other soldiers and laid his head on their chest while they were sleeping! He then followed us a few miles down the mountain to where we were again picked up by the helicopters. He probably was a spy for the Taliban or something like that...

Fortunately (or unfortunately for most of the infantry soldiers) we did not come into any contact with the enemy. We did realize though that the mountains here are CRAZY steep... and hiking with 150 lbs of gear and ammunition on your person doesn't help both the assent and descent.

On a goat trail hiking to our patrol base... it looks like Northern Cali and Nevada doesn't it?
This was a steep climb to the ridgeline... the picture doesn't do this justice. We were climbing on all fours!
On the Chinook flying back from the mission... smiling because it's finally over!

Before we went on the mission, we were staging at another base and decided to relax a little bit by taking a dip in the pool. There used to be a large construction company on the base and they built a real pool... it was freezing, but well worth it. I don't think I've relaxed like that the whole time I've been here.

Me relaxing in the freezing cold water... Almost paradise!

As far as the better side of me is concerned, Hill is still busy with the Salon and now her new job at Williams Sanoma (if you haven't heard, they always need help with their holiday rush, and we always need help with more kitchen supplies! So Hill thought we'd do both us and Williams Sanoma a favor!) She is doing great, but missing her husband as we both are counting down the months till we're finally together again.
We're sorry we couldn't be together for this Halloween! This is Hill's favorite holiday (and slowly becoming mine) as you all know because she always has the best idea for costumes! But, Hill is going to see her sister in Idaho so at least she'll be with family! Happy Halloween!

4 months and counting!

2008-10-11T08:34:00.003-06:00

Here are a few more pics of the last mission... the first one is me pulling guard. However, I'm not the one in the turret. I had to try and catch some z's from trying to sleep in the MRAP all night. This was around 5 a.m.

Here's Garrett and myself after arriving safely to a district center. I was cramped up from having slept once again in the cab of the truck.

And here's us... happy to be going back that day. from left to right, me, our terp Azizi, Ricky (he's not a terp or Afghani or Taliban), and Jordan.
So I decided after the last post that I got a little too detailed and decided it's probably not the best thing to post all of these experiences. However, I just thought I'd give you all a taste of our exciting lives out here. Exciting really isn't the word... since experiences like that don't always happen (which is fine with me... I prefer to come home in one piece!). But, when this deployment is finally over, we can all catch up and I can fill you in on all the crazy details of this messed up war. I say messed up because of all the red tape political nonsense we have to put up with... Here's an example.

Approximately one week ago, I received a call from one of my sources I work with who said that a Taliban commander was at his house and that he could see him. Not 10 minutes later, I received another call from another source who said the same Taliban commander was at his house! (By the way, this doesn't happen very often because the Taliban are smart and usually don't allow themselves to become vulnerable to be taken out). We had two "eyes on" the target watching him, a 10 digit grid coordinate of where he was, who he was with and his plans for that evening. So, knowing that we've been after this commander since we arrived in country, I called up the Special Forces unit out here to see if they could target this commander. They said that they could not because he wasn't on the "active targeting" list. It had been approx one month since we had any reporting on this commander, so they shoved him to the "standby" list. Well, apparently we can't directly target someone who's on the "standby" list. They could only go after that commander if they were going after some other target and just happened to come in contact with that target. (Did that make any sense? Sorry... trying to be as specific as I can be without divulging too much information) I called up the other entities, but no one would go after him that night... it's because of all the "rules of engagement" and red tape nonsense that we have to put up with. So, instead of acting on actionable intelligence, we had to let the commander slip through our fingers once again. To top off the evening, I was driving back from a meeting that night and an MP (Military Police) pulls me over. He told me I "rolled" the stop sign I had just passed. I couldn't believe it. I was on my way back to the office, acting on time-sensitive information and this retard pulls me over for barely rolling a stop sign? What kind of war are we fighting? Unbelievable.
Besides that, I'm proud to serve. Really, I know it's hard to believe after I've complained so much, but I feel honored to serve our wonderful country. As scary as this upcoming election is, it is still an honor to be able to try and make a difference out here. This is a noble and honorable war we fight here, even though it's a political war amongst ourselves. We are slowly making a difference in war-stricken country, which will eventually effect the whole world as we slowly take out the Taliban.
As for my wonderful Hilly, she's still busy at home. She just hired another stylist at the salon (after 2 other stylists left for their reasons) and has now picked up a little night job on the side. It's hardly a job, more like a hobby. As you all know, we both love to cook and are in need of some new cookware. So Hill went and interviewed for a little "Holiday Help" at Williams Sanoma and got the job! So, instead of putting all our money into savings, we'll just be helping Williams Sanoma stock go up. She's so wonderful to work so hard and be so supportive of me at the same time. Did I get lucky or what?
One last random thought. Recently I read and re-read "The Alchemist," by Paul Coelho. Unbelievable. The second time I read through it, I wrote down the passages that were inspiring to me. One of the quotes in the book is "Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own." I try and be a leader wherever I'm at; however, I've realized that I sometimes am too quick to give advice. It's better to live your life in a way that leads and inspires people, rather than telling them how to live their life. I'm trying to work on it myself, but I just thought I'd share that little "life lesson" I've learned recently.
Once again, sorry for the long post and thank you, thank you, thank you for all your prayers and support. It makes a deployment a whole lot easier knowing we have such wonderful family and friends who care for us, pray for us, and do so many wonderful things for us. We love you all and can't wait to catch up once this crazy time is over.

Hating the Taliban... but still loving life

2008-09-20T12:10:00.004-06:00

On 15 September 2008, my team went on a mission up North. Our plan was to talk to some villagers in a supposed "hostile" village to gather some intel about the village and surrounding areas. Without going into too much detail, we did just that and it was a crazy experience. Our team, which consisted of two trucks, along with four other trucks acting as our security element, drove approximately 45 minutes to the village. As we arrived at the village, shots were fired at us from a nearby mountain. We returned fire, but the shooter had fled. We decided to dismount with our security element and left a few soldiers to man guns on the trucks. We walked into the village and it was a complete ghost town.
When our team goes into villages, usually the villagers will flock around our crew because we don't look like a regular soldier. We have beards and street clothes and that attracts attention. However, this time, the village was a complete ghost town (as you can see from the pictures). We walked through the town and as you turned the corner, you would see doors shutting and gates closing. It was strange.
So we had the Afghan National Police (ANP) officers knock on the doors and practically drag the men outside to talk to us. Once outside, I had about 5 men I spoke to, prying them for something of intelligence value. Nothing was valuable.
(me=white shirt with my interpreter=orange shirt)
We crossed to the other side of the village, but everyone was in their homes, avoiding us.
(that's me in the white shirt walking down the hill back to the other side)
As the rain began to fall, we regressed back to our trucks and decided to head back. On the return convoy, things went south. The ANP truck following ours hit an IED and killed one of the police officers. Later on down the road, the truck in front of ours hit an IED and disabled their truck. Luckily, no one was hurt. However, since the truck was disabled, we had no way of towing the truck back to our base. So, we spent the night and waited for help to come the following day. We pulled guard duty all night... the rain poured as each minute crept by. After taking 2 to 3 hour shifts of guard duty and gunner duty, each soldier tried to get some sleep sitting in the back of the truck, loaded down with a kevlar and bullet proof vests full of extra ammunition.... Needless to say, the minutes crept by and it seemed the night would never end. As the morning came, help was on the way. However, once again, the Taliban got the best of us and the tow truck that was coming for the broken down vehicle struck another IED. Just our luck. But we made due with what we had and luckily dragged the two broken down vehicles to a nearby base. Like I said before, without going into too much detail, the mission ended up being 5 days instead of 2.
A lot of people ask me how it is over here. I consider myself a positive person and have a good outlook on things. However, when I think of how things are going here, it's mixed emotions. I love our country so much and am so proud of being able to serve as a soldier over here... whatever small difference I can make. However, we can't fight the enemy this way. They emplace these IED's everywhere to distract us from our main focus... to disable the terrorist networks. If we're always worried about IED's wherever we go... the Taliban wins. They take the focus off of what's important, they kill soldiers who can't even fight back because no one is around when the IED goes off. It's sickening and frustrating. Recently, a good friend posted an article on his blog that gives a glimpse of what life is like in Afghanistan... here's the link if you're interested. (it's from a British perspective on a small FOB, but it gives you an idea of how things are for some soldiers over here. http://onlifeandlybberty.blogspot.com/2008/09/youd-better-be-reading-michael-yon.html
On a better note, I'm safe. My team is safe. The Lord protected us from harm and brought us back safe to our base. I'm alive and am grateful for His protection and guidance. Please don't worry about me (Hill and parents) because of this experience. I'm safe and am not in harms way... most of the time.

Back on the other side of the country, Hill is doing her best to stay afloat. The salon has bogged up all her time and therefore school will have to wait another season. What we both fail to realize is a deployment causes an unseen/unspoken of stress and wears down on both of us... especially the spouse at home. But she is amazing as you all know and is always happy doing whatever she is doing. She supports me... not only emotionally but financially as well... as hard as that is to say.

Sorry once again for the long post. We love you all and thank you for your prayers and support.

Home again...

2008-09-05T23:41:00.001-06:00

Ok, so I guess I better get into this "blogging" thing since Hill or should I say "H"? anyway, Hill is incredibly busy being a hair stylist, salon owner and manager, full time student at UVU, and an incredible supporter of her lonely soldier in Afghanistan (AF)... So I guess I better take on the role of updating our family's activities as of late
As some of you may know, I have been in AF for approximately 5 months now. However, the last month, I spent traveling back home to the states and spending 2 weeks with my incredible wife. I traveled from AF to Kuwait which I believe is the most miserable place on earth. It was an average of 130 degrees and sand blowing in your face... yeah, save the visit to the Middle East people... not worth it. After spending nearly 36 hours there, we traveled to Germany to touch down and refuel, then the grueling flight to Dallas (10 1/2 hours in the air). After 2 pills of nyquil, it was definitely tolerable. I caught a flight from Dallas to SLC and there met my beautiful wife at the airport. After having been surrounded by soldiers for the past 6 months, she looked more beautiful than ever (she always looks that way though). We went back home... I'll leave out some details... and enjoyed being together again. Hill gave me one of the best surprises though... being an interrogator, I usually suck the surprises out and ruin the surprise... but Hill held her ground. She bought me a brand new top of the line slalom ski. We had been looking around at skis, but she went above and beyond this time (She bought me a GOODE 9800 SL if anyone cares... so Powell '09 anyone?) It was an incredible surprise.
Later, one of Hill's clients and long time friends let us their boat to use for a few days. Thanks to Cindy and Ryan, they let us borrow their truck as well to pull the boat with. We tore up Utah Lake for the next few days skiing, wakeboarding, wake surfing and swatting mosquitoes as the sun set. Thanks to our friends for making that possible!
We then set off for Vegas for a little romantic getaway. Hill made reservations at the Ritz Carlton at Lake Las Vegas which was gorgeous... the hotel was anyway. It was a melty 111 degrees in Vegas. While there, we hit up our favorite chef Bobby Flay's restaurant at the Ceasar's Palace, Mesa Grill... However expensive it may have been, and it was quite pricey, it was well worth the money... incredible food. And yes, I tried to throwdown with Bobby with his Chocolate Truffle Cakes; however, Hill and I decided that his would have won... I need to make some of my own improvements for the next throwdown!
We then went up to St. Jorge for a little golf getaway with some great friends who decided to make the trip down! BTW, thanks everyone for coming! It was great to see you all there! We golfed Sky Mountain and Coral Canyon... Congrats to Taylor for beating us all at Coral!
Back in Provsky, we spent some good quality time together just soaking up the moments we had to spend with each other. Hill was courteous enough to let us go to the BYU vs Northern Iowa game on our last day together. Thanks to another one of Hill's good friends and clients, we sat in the Press Box to watch the Cougs beat up on Northern Iowa.
After a long and tearful drive back to the airport, Hill and I reluctantly said goodbye for another 6 months apart. However, the trip was such a good rejuvinator for the next 6 months of deployment... Hopefully it will go quickly!
One caveat to this post... Hill and I are absolutely HORRIBLE when it comes to taking pictures! We have an incredible camera; however, are a little protective to take it anywhere for fear of damage and theft. But, we're trying to get better at this blog thing. I'll take some pics of Afghanistan to share with everyone!
Until next time, please excuse the long post... if you've even made it this far! Thanks everyone for your support of both Hill and myself! We love you all and thank you for everything you do for us!

DANCE YOUR HEART OUT A.D.D. ELF

2008-05-08T22:37:00.000-06:00

ME HAVE A.D.D......I DON'T THINK SO

2008-05-08T22:26:00.000-06:00

SO THE NIGHT BEFORE DAVY LEFT TO START HIS DEPLOYMENT WE STARTED TO PACK UP ALL HIS THINGS. OF COURSE LEAVING IT TO THE VERY LAST MINUTE. THIS IS WHERE THE QUESTION OF MY ATTENTION SPAN APPLIES. IF YOU HAVE EVER TRIED TO PACK FOR A TRIP WITH ME, I GET TO A POINT WHERE I EITHER GET OVERWHELMED, BORED, OR JUST ANNOYED WITH MAKING DECISIONS..... SO I ALWAYS END UP PUTTING A WEIRD OUTFIT ON AND DANCING AROUND THE HOUSE. JAIME OF ALL MY FRIENDS KNOWS THIS BEST. THIS WAS THE OUTFIT DAVY WAS ENTERTAINED WITH. STRIPPED PANTIES, WORE SHIRT AND HIS ARMY BARRET. HE GRABBED THE CAMERA AND SNAGGED A FEW ACTION SHOTS OF MY AMAZING TALENT. OK SO MAYBE I DO HAVE A SLIGHT CASE OF A.D.D.....