Time for an update!

I was talking to Dee yesterday and she said "why haven't you posted a blog in a while?" Because i've been busy with school and waiting on some pictures from Darleen & Samantha. So here we go!

On 9.11.10 Darleen and her 650th company was assigned to guard the flags. In honor of it, she recived a flag and a certificate (yet to be mailed home) and we are so proud of her.

On 10.10.10 she got to go to the shooting range and kick some butt!

Some photos of her and her friends hanging out.

Samantha has been busy with school at UNLV and is in Anniston, Alabama at Fort McClellan for two weeks of Chemical Corp training. Before she left we had a girls day at the salon then to eat at Joes Crab Shack.

Eddie has been so busy working, I have to go see him there.

She got a phone!

Darleen is awesome and has tried to call her dad everyday and me every other day by borrowing Sgt Hansens phone. Yesterday/today she finally got a cell phone in Afghanistan and also should be hooked to the internet. Those where her plans for the morning before their convoy.

She is with a few comrades from home and Sgt Young is her army mom. They spend time together every day and comfort each other, laugh and have a good time. She is awesome and I can't really thank her enough, or all the others in Dee's unit that are supporting her.

Her FB post 2 days ago was "I WANT TO GO HOME" and everyone encouraged her to be strong and keep going. She is keeping her spirits up, and being able to talk to us every day is great, although the phone calls end with tears and lots of love.

Sorry there are not more pictures, but she hasn't been able to use her computer wifi. She will get them going soon! She was on a convoy today and we hope to hear from her tonight :)

She has skype and we text on it for now dee.sunflower13 she has a webcam on her laptop. Also here is her address in case you missed it on FB:

Darleen Dolbee
NTMA CSTC-A CJ4
APO AE 09356

I have ordered APO/PPO boxes from the post office and it only cost $12.50 to ship them to her. You can even pay for the shipping online and the mailman will pick up from your door. The boxes are free and with the help of my FB friends this is the site to order them from:

https://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10052&categoryId=10000036&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=10000002&top_category=10000002&WT.ac=10000036

If you have friends and family that like to send care packages to soldiers then I have some addresses for you! Also as a reminder Patriot day is 9/11 and I belong to a group that sends cards to soldiers. So send our soldier girl a card for Patriot Day to show you support her. One of her friends said:

Wish u could send a soldier a care package but not sure what to send or who to send it to. Well now u do! And it's so easy too! just throw a bunch of crap in a box and send it to me. Cuz it really sux here and getting mail is like finding gold. So....if u decide to, check my wall on my profile for my address. Thanks SPC Oblek

Joseph Oblek
CFC
Camp Black Horse
APO AE 09320

Darleen and her beu Jeremy Drake are seperated by miles and miles of desert durring this year. He send me a message that they saw each other on Friday when he did a convoy to Camp Eggers. He hasn't sent me his address yet but I will fill you in when I get it!





Before they deployed they had a 4 day off post in Texas, and Samantha and Cousin Lisa flew in to see them.

They went to Waco and saw the memorial.

Went to the Dr Pepper Museum.

Went to Austin and saw millions of bats at sunset also ran over armadillos, got lost and poor cousin Lisa got a speeding ticket for going 7 miles over the posted speed. She tried to play it off telling the officer they were lost and trying to find Austin, didn't help.

Day 353

Darleen called Monday night before they flew out, to wherever. Tuesday she text me from Sgt Obleks phone to tell me she was in Frankfurt, Germany! WOW! All I got was a text saying:

"Hi mommy its Dee we're in Frankfurt Germany. I love you and miss you tell everyone hi!"

Best text ever! 353 days to go!

Samantha our UNLV Rebel

Samantha went on a 2 week AT with her Army Chemical Company to Ft McCoy in Wisconsin

This is a day in the life of Samantha working at Joes NY pizza

Yesterday she went to her SOAR orientation at UNLV and was enrolled for Fall 2010! Rebel Yell!

371 days left for Dee!

Our soldier girl has 371 days to go! They ship out to Afghanistan soon, they can't release the date to us yet due to military homeland security rules. But heres a little of what she's been up to so far.....
Super Army Girl! http://hipposunflower.blogspot.com/ her blog, beware!
What a bed for and Army Girl
Stabbing dummies








Drake and Dolbee at the lake with their friends

What else is there to do on a military base?
Bowling!
I love that they wear bowling




shoes and ACU's~






Samantha and Cousin Lisa are going to Ft Hood, TX for Darleens companies 4 day leave next week~ they should have LOTS of pictures when they get back! I will keep you all posted with the events and her address when we get it!

650th Regional Support Group to deploy

This is from the Channel 8 news 6.21.10 as Darleen's unit prepared for the airport and deployment.

This one is from FOX 5 news 6.21.10, they did a much better cover of the story.

And this is an article from the Las Vegas Review Journal 6.22.10. She is quoted

Eighteen-year-old Pfc. Darleen Dolbee, of Las Vegas, is leaving her parents, Ed and Bonnie Dolbee, and twin sister, Samantha Dolbee, who is also an Army Reserve soldier.

“I think the main thing is that I’m going to be missing my family,” she said. “It’s going to be really hard but I can stick through it.”

So very proud of my Army girl! Her boyfriend Specialist Jeremy Drake (whom she met at work) is in her unit and is deploying as well. They may not be stationed at the same post and will keep us posted.

There is also a slide show in the RJ article online. Get out the kleenex for the slideshow.

400 days

Darleen came home from her unit yesterday and told me they started 400 days. She then said its 399 days and a wake up, that's Army talk.

She leaves on Monday for Fort Hood. I hope to be able to visit her on her 4 day leave before she ships out.



She will be stationed at Camp Eggers Military base in Kabul, Afghanistan



















Thanks to all of you who came to her Dee-ployment party! Here are some photos I liked:



and our red velvet soldier cakes were a hit! Literally!