Coming home and other news!

It's Tuesday morning in Afghanistan. Seth leaves Bargram Air Field today for a couple of days in Kabul. He will be at the Presidential compound assisting with security for the Afghan president. Seth was unsure if this was a routine rotation or if there is something special going on that requires additional security. At any rate, he called today to tell us that he would be out of touch during the time he is in Kabul. And again, short on details he's unsure of how long he'll be there.

Good news.....Seth has informed us that his leave will begin on February 13. He anticipates two days of travel time, arriving at Dulles on Tuesday, February 15. He'll probably be home about ten days before returning to Bagram. He's given us a list of foods he's looking forward to eating, beginning with a his mother's traditional Thanksgiving turkey with all the trimmings. We'll gladly pamper him for the time that he's home.

When he returns from Kabul he will be going on QRF (Quick Reactionary Force.) During the two weeks of QRF he'll live in a hanger with his squad and some helicopters. They are on call for any emergency or incident that requires a quick response. Since they stay in the hanger they can be airborne in a matter of minutes. A couple of weeks ago he went out on support of the QRF when a helicopter crashed in bad weather. He said they set up a perimeter around the wreck while they stripped the copter of usable equipment, then blew it up. Any time there is suspicious activity of any kind near the air base they call the QRF to respond. Overall, he's looking forward to the next couple of weeks - going to Kabul then doing QRF - because it's a change in routine. QRF also has the added benefit of being able to watch more TV while they're sitting the hanger - just in time for the Super Bowl! He's looking forward to the opportunity to see the game. He was able to listen to both playoff games this weekend as he stood guard in the tower.

It now looks like he will be going to Ghazni sometime this spring. As I've said before, nothing is ever certain with the Army until it done. Ghazni has been an on-again, off-again kind of thing. It now looks like it's on-again for sometime this spring. He's happy about going in the spring. Ghazni currently has about 3 feet of snow on the ground. The weather should be breaking about the time he has to go. Bagram's climate right now is very cold, but dry. They don't usually see much snow, although they did have about 4 inches last weeks. He was amused to hear about our recent days out of school due to our one-inch snowfalls.

I'll close for now with thanks for listening and thanks for your continued support and prayers. Seth thanks God every night for his family and friends and for the many blessings he has received.

East meets west

Post-Holiday messages

We've heard from Seth a couple of times since the holidays. We shared one long phone call last Sunday (talked for over a half hour) and Jan had a long conversation with him the middle of this week. His spirits are very good - I think attributed to the fact that Christmas is over - and he seems pretty content to be doing his job (even night towers!) He even noted that he expects a second deployment before his hitch with the National Guard is over and that wouldn't be so bad. He's hoping for a 2 week leave in April and has plans to meet with the middle school students at my school to thank them personally for their tremendous support. He's hoping to get his computer back so he can do a couple of powerpoint presentations with his pictures.

Some Christmas Thoughts......

Christmas is over, and in many ways, we're glad. Christmas without Seth left a lot to be desired. As the four of us sat and opened presents, there was a hole that couldn't be filled. We talked to Seth on Christmas morning when he called about 10 AM. It was 7:30 PM his time and he was planning to watch a movie and go to bed. He had the entire day off as the officers manned the towers allowing the enlisted men to have the day free. Seth opened presents in the morning, watched some movies, ate a decent meal of turkey, lobster and shrimp and generally did not much of anything. Talking to Seth is a double-edged sword. It's good to hear his voice, but leaves you feeling so empty. The pictures below are from a disposable camera he sent home this week. When we picked up the pictures at Walmart, Jan couldn't look at them because she started crying. She waited until we were in the car to take a look and cryed the whole way home. Upon arriving home we had a Christmas Card from Seth that I'll put on the Blog soon. As I read it to Jan we both cryed. In both our conversation with Seth and in the card he continues to sound good and seems to be keeping a positive outlook.......We know though that he just wants to come home and we also know that that day will arrive soon. Enjoy the pics.

All things considered.....I'd rather be in Virginia for Christmas

Armed and Dangerous

Seth on Patrol in Afghanistan

Most recent family letter

Here's the latest family letter:

Dear TF Normandy Family Members,

I apologize for this being delayed. It seems I say that too often. I hope everything finds you all well for the holidays. I know your loved ones are missing you very much this holiday season.

There was such a great response to the letter from the soldiers at Bagram, I have again included a letter from them. In the future, we are looking at possibly including letters from the individual companies or platoons. These “soldier letters” are created by the companies or platoons together and are specifically for you back home.

Everything continues to go well at BAF and at Ghazni. Thanksgiving was a big success with all the trimmings, both at BAF and in Ghazni. In fact, in Ghazni some local officials even brought us some turkeys to help us celebrate. The only problem is they were still alive so we didn’t have time to prepare them for dinner. There are plans now to use them for Christmas. At Bagram the officers and senior NCOs stood guard duty for the day. This allowed us to give some of the lower ranking enlisted the day off. We plan to do the same thing on Christmas day.

On December 7^th, the Afghans had a historic day. The first democratically elected president was inaugurated to office. And more importantly, there was virtually no violence to mar the inauguration. Several of our units supported security for the inauguration by helping local police with Traffic Checkpoints along the main roads to Kabul. At Bagram we conducted surge patrols near the base as part of the extra security required by the presence of Vice President Cheney and Secretay of Defense Rumsfeld at the inauguration. Two days before the inauguration our patrols helped to discover rockets that were aimed at Bagram. They were safely disarmed. This incident serves as another example of the contribution that our Soldiers are making to the security of Bagram. Several of our Soldiers even had the opportunity to have breakfast with the Vice President. All in all the inauguration was a great success.

We have been receiving additional heavy weapons and vehicles to better support our missions at Bagram and Ghazni. New armored vehicles have been provided for the Soldiers patrolling at BAF. The heavy weapons will be divided between Ghazni and BAF. We have also received some additional protective items to help us against IED’s and new body armor gives greater protection to the arms and sides. This was issued to us at the same time it was issued to all the active duty units.

In Ghazni we have started to get more and more rain. On occasion, it has turned to snow. One of our patrols had to return to base because they could not get through the mountain passes because of the snow. We are actually tracking the rainfall to compare it to previous years to see if the drought might be lessening. Ghazni Province needs water almost more than anything else.

The weather in Bagram is getting colder but we still have some nice days. A new system for manning towers and conducting roving patrols is providing a little relief from pure tower duty. Some of our Soldiers rotate between towers and roving patrols during their shift, providing them with some variety during the day.

Rotations of units between Ghazni and BAF are almost complete. There will be one more rotation after Christmas, and then we should be stabilized for a couple months.

As we prepare for the holidays, I want to thank you all for the support you have been giving your loved ones over here in Afghanistan. There has been such a great outpouring of support from you all, it reminds us all of how great America is.

Take care, may God bless you and your family and God Bless America.

LTC Blake C. Ortner

Battalion Commander

From the Soldiers at Bagram

Dear Family Members:

At Bagram Air Field, we have been very busy since the last letter. Various dignitaries here for the inauguration of President Karzai, including Vice President Cheney and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, recently visited us. Their visit necessitated increased patrolling in the area as we searched for rocket sites and any anti-coalition activity. Thankfully, the visits and the inauguration went off without a hitch. The local villagers are starting to be more helpful, and we have been finding weapons caches and rockets before they have a chance to use them on us.

When not guarding the perimeter, we have been taking advantage of the time to conduct training at the Urban Warfare (MOUT) site, which allows us to practice searching buildings and taking hostiles into custody. The training is very realistic thanks to the use of simunitions, which are like paintballs specially made to work with our rifles. The site has sound effects, as well as cameras and microphones to record our training so we can review it later. This training is both valuable and quite enjoyable to the troops who need a break from the monotony of guard towers.

Several platoons have rotated up from Ghazni and everyone is adjusting to life here. The amenities are certainly nicer here, and the schedule is far more challenging, but we make do as best we can with the mission we are given. The new MWR building is now complete, thanks to the efforts of several of our soldiers who volunteered their limited time to construct the phone and computer areas. We are now waiting for the base contractors to install the computer and phone lines for it to become operational.

With the holiday season upon us, the number of letters and packages rolling into BAF for our soldiers is astonishing. We are all very grateful, and it makes missing our families during the holiday season slightly more bearable. Know that we miss you all, and wish you all a very happy holiday season.

Sincerely and respectfully yours,

The 3-116^th at Bagram Air Field

Mountain view through the scope

The local Walmart for all your shopping needs.

On patrol

Dressed for success

I don't think we're in Kansas anymore!

Recent article in local on-line paper

A Lovell was coaching the freshman boys' basketball team at Wilson Memorial High School last night when the Hornets opened their season.

It just wasn't the same Lovell that accepted the job in August.

Seth Lovell took the job as head coach for the freshman squad. It was the first step toward accomplishing one of the dreams of the 19-year-old Fishersville man.

"He always had it in his head he was going to be a basketball coach," said Seth's twin brother, Eli, last week.

But when Stuarts Draft came to town last night, it was Eli, not Seth, calling out the plays and huddling his players during timeouts.

And while Eli was trying to figure out how to defend the Cougars, Seth was busy defending something a little more important - his country.

Seth is a member of the Virginia Army National Guard. In May, 2003, as a high-school senior, he signed up. So did Eli. The brothers looked at their decision as a way to help pay for college.

But Seth had another reason. In September he was asked why he enlisted in the National Guard.

"I was a mediocre student. Mediocre athlete. I wanted to challenge myself at least a little bit. Do something worthwhile," said Seth, who is a member of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 116th Infantry based in Lexington.

Following a semester in college - Seth at James Madison, Eli at Bridgewater - the two headed for basic training in early 2004. This past summer, Seth got word he was being deployed to the Middle East. In early September, he boarded a bus at Staunton's Thomas D. Howie National Guard Armory and was off to Fort Bragg, N.C.

A month later he was on a plane to Germany and, from there, Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, where he's currently stationed. He'll be there for a year.

One of his first jobs after arriving in Afghanistan was to help secure election sites in the country. Recently, Seth's family received an American flag that the soldier carried with him during one of those missions.

That caused a few tears to flow in the Lovell household. As did the absence of Seth at the Lovells' Thanksgiving dinner and the annual cutting of the Christmas tree last week.

Said Eli, "The holidays are always tough."

And that goes both ways.

"He has his ups and downs," Eli said of his twin. "But he keeps a real positive attitude."

Before college, the two hadn't been apart for longer than two nights. Even that first semester, they made sure to see each other at least once a week. And they talked on the telephone every day.

While Eli misses Seth, he knows that it could just as easily be him in the Middle East. Eli is a member of a medical unit based in Charlottesville. Gov. Mark Warner has declared that the unit, as a whole, can't be deployed overseas. They're needed stateside to assist with emergencies, like hurricanes or other natural disasters.

Still, individual members of the unit can be drawn out for deployment. While Eli doesn't think he’ll find himself in the Middle East, he knows it could happen.

For the time being, Eli remains in the Valley. After all, he has a job to do.

Seth's deployment created an opening for a freshman basketball coach. Even though he was taking 18 credit hours at Bridgewater College, Eli asked for, and got, the job.

"I kind of thought this would be a way to keep me connected to my brother," said Eli, who spends his spare time watching his girlfriend, Katy Herr, play basketball at Bridgewater and sitting in for Seth when his brother's girlfriend, Brittany Campbell, takes the court for her senior season at Wilson Memorial.

Eli knows his coaching gig is temporary, calling himself a long-term substitute. He's merely holding a spot for his brother. When Seth gets back to the United States next fall, he will be in charge of the Xs and Os for the Hornets' freshman team.

While Eli can't wait for that day, for now, he's enjoying the role of coach.

Said Eli, "I'm having a ball."

Almost a puppy!

It's been awhile since I posted......lots going on and nothing going on at the same time. Seth continues in the towers and patrolling when needed. He's currently doing five days of patrols in the area around Bagram. When that finishes he has four more night towers and then goes back on days. He's been complaining of sleep problems and problems with his stomach. Mayber a combination of crazy hours and stress? I'm hopeful that a return to a more normal(?) schedule will make him feel better. We spoke to him Saturday afternoon (late Saturday night his time) and he told us that for 10 minutes today he was a happy guy. While on patrol his squad purchased a puppy from an Afghan national for $1.00. Seth sat in the Humvee for about 10 minutes holding the puppy before the LT told him that he couldn't turn a blind eye to the dog....it was against regulations and Seth had to return the dog. Holding a puppy.......what a wonderful feeling for 10 minutes in a crazy world!

The Christmas Treee is decorated. Wish Seth were here!

We spent time in the Poconos recently with our dear friends.

Family letters

Here's a copy of the latest family letter and a bonus letter from Bagram Air

Field. The Battalion Commander's letters seem to be more about Ghazni than

Bagram, so this time he attached a letter specifically about Bagram. We

continue to hear from Seth on a fairly routine basis (although Brittany

hears from him more than Jan and I - go figure) and depending on the day he

s either tired and grumpy or tired and sounding pretty good. The constant

seems to be tired. Night towers have caused a little biological time clock

confusion and he says he's averaging about four hours sleep per day. On his

day off (yeah right) earlier this week he was out on patrol, however today

it sounds like he had a real day off and spent the time hanging out with

some other soldiers watching movies all day. With the rotations back from

Ghazni he's managed to run into some people he knows from around home and

some guys he was at Fort Bragg with. I think that's lifted his spirits a

little. As mentioned in the letter that follows, he now has a combat patch

to wear on his uniform signifying that he's been in combat - a patch he

could happily through his life without. He continues to express sincere

appreciation for all the wonderful support he's received from family and

friends and he's trying to get cards out to as many people as he can. Even

if you don't hear from Seth, please know that he thanks God each day for the

wonderful people who have surrounded him with an incredible amount of love

from an incredible distance.

Here are the family letters we received today:

21 November 2004

Dear TF Normany Family Members,

Operations continue successfully here in Afghanistan. We have

begun to move into some areas that have not had a lot of US or Coalition

presence. It is very interesting to go to these areas. When we arrive the

population is very suspicious. There are no waving or smiling children and

the people stare at us. It is a great feeling that by the time we leave,

people are waving and smiling and asking us to come back soon. As I have

said so often, we truly are making a difference… in people’s attitudes if

nothing else.

We are also making a difference at Bagram. The work our

Soldiers are doing at Bagram is vitally important and they are doing it

extremely well. I have attached a letter from our Soldiers at Bagram that

describes their accomplishments. I could not be more proud of their

professionalism and dedication to duty.

This has been a big week for the troops at BAF. We had a visit

from a virtual constellation of generals. LTG Blum, the Chief of National

Guard Bureau, MG Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia and MG Wyman,

the Commanding General of the 29th Infantry Division. Though they had only

a short stay, they took the opportunity to talk to several members of the

security force at BAF. They were able to speak to two sets of guards

preparing for duty (both the day and the night shifts) as well as most of

the leaders.

Both LTG Blum and MG Williams said they had received great

comments about the work all our Soldiers were doing. In addition, they said

we were just as capable in our abilities as any other active duty unit.

This is possibly the highest praise that can be given to a reserve forces

unit working with regular Army units.

Though LTG Blum had to leave early the next morning, MG Williams

and MG Wyman were able to remain to participate in two important ceremonies…

the dedication of Camp Cherry-Beasley and the Combat Patch/CIB ceremony.

The dedication of the camp was to name it in honor of SSG Cherry and SGT

Beasley, two of our soldiers who died in an IED attack in August.

For the “Combat Patch” ceremony, the generals, as well as COL Simpson, the

Stonewall Brigade commander and COL Cheek, TF Thunder commander, awarded our

unit patch for our right shoulder to indicate that we have been in combat.

We had conducted the ceremony for Ghazni soldiers on November 2. The

generals also awarded Combat Infantry Badges and Combat Medical Badges to

about 30 soldiers.

The rotation of troops between Bagram and Ghazni continues. By

December, we should have completed this round of rotations and will be set

for the next few months.

In Ghazni, we have added additional water heaters so that we

should now have more hot water. In addition, the new well is almost

complete so we should have a generous supply of water soon. We have also

completed all the Tier 3 tents, so the living conditions should be set for

the winter. We are adding new generators which should give us more power as

well as more reliable power.

My last letter talked about Christmas mail. To be sure we get

it before Christmas, you will need to get it in the mail in the next two

weeks. Remember, it must be mailed no later than 6 December and we

recommend mailing by 28 November for Soldiers in Ghazni.

I also wanted to thank so many of you for the words of

encouragement you have been sending to the Soldiers… not just your own loved

ones. We receive a lot of letters from schools and churches and some who

just want to write and tell us how important what we are doing is. It is

always a good reminder of how great our nation is and why it is so critical

for us to be here.

Thank you all.

Take care, may God bless you and your family and God Bless America.

LTC Blake C. Ortner

Battalion Commander

Letter from the Soldiers at Bagram

Dear Family Members:

We (the soldiers of B Company, 3-116th INF, and attached platoons from A, C

and HHC Companies) are writing this in response to the number of growing

questions and concerns about the soldiers posted at Bagram Air Field (BAF).

It has been brought to our attention recently that very little is mentioned

about us in the monthly e-mail updates and that you wish to hear more about

our activities here. It is our wish that this letter will shed some light

on our missions here at BAF and also list some of our achievements, of which

you can be proud.

First and foremost, please accept our gratitude for the support you have

shown us. The care package drive has been a huge success and has provided

many necessary supplies to the soldiers here at BAF. We also thank you for

your contributions to our coat and clothing drive, supporting our effort to

provide humanitarian aide to the local population in the villages

surrounding BAF. These people are very poor and their common complaint is

that there are not enough jobs to sustain them in this area of the country.

The over-all mission at BAF is perimeter security. This mission

consists of several parts – all of which are equally important to the safety

and security of this installation and the military and civilian personnel

stationed here.

The first part consists of manning the guard towers that

overlook the fence surrounding this post. This is the hardest task that we

have to accomplish here at BAF because it’s the one that requires the most

manpower. The towers have to be manned 24/7, two soldiers per tower. To

accomplish this, we have four platoons on the towers at all times, two

during the day and two during the night. Each shift is twelve hours long.

The soldiers on tower duty have a rough schedule. In addition to a twelve

hour shift, posting the soldiers to the towers takes an additional hour, and

reciprocally it takes an hour for a soldier to be relieved from his post.

So by the time a soldier is done for the day, he’s already worked 14 hours.

Add to that time to unwind or do PT, eat and conduct personal hygiene and

the soldier has now had a 17 to 18 hour day.

The perimeter security company also provides a Ready Reaction Force squad to

the post commander of BAF. This usually consists of a squad and an attached

machine gun team to respond to any emergencies here on BAF – usually in

support of a security breach along the fence line. The platoon on RRF duty

is on call 24/7.

About two months ago, we were tasked with conducting patrols through the

surrounding villages. These patrols were in response to rocket attacks on

BAF and were a means of deterring insurgents from setting up launch sites.

The squads met with leaders and spokesmen from the villages and the local

Afghan Militia Forces (AMF). Even in light of their poverty, the locals

we’ve visited have been very hospitable and have opened their homes –

inviting soldiers in for tea. The squads on patrol have been responsible

for marking the positions of numerous pieces of unexploded ordinance and

mines (mostly left over from the Soviets) – which greatly assisted the Air

Force Explosive Ordinance Disposal teams in their efforts to make the

surrounding countryside safer for everyone. Several weapons and munitions

caches have also been discovered, seized and disposed of.

The patrols also identify problems in the villages and pass these concerns

on to Civil Affairs. School supplies and candy are passed out in large

amounts to the local children. To date, the soldiers on patrol have

identified two villages that are requesting visits from the Afghan National

Army recruiting teams. During the elections, patrols were conducted to

prevent anyone from disrupting the polling sites.

As you can see, we here at BAF have been, and continue to be, very busy. We

still find time for important things like phone calls, e-mails and letters

home. We will try and get letters like this out to you more often so that

you may stay informed of the day to day of the soldiers at BAF. Again,

thank you for your support. Thank you for all the letters and packages from

home.

Sincerely and respectfully yours,

The 3-116th at Bagram Air Field

Happy Thanksgiving to all and as always, thanks for listening.

Ed

Night time towers

We talked to Seth on Saturday and Jan talked to him today (Monday.) He continues to do well and maintains a positive attitude. He is finishing his first round of night tower duty and finding that there is something more boring than standing towers during the day. He is looking forward to a December move to the forward operating base at Ghazni and apparently this will be a good move for everybody involved. When the 116th was sent to Afghanistan their mission was base security at Bagram. The original plan involved the 550+ soldiers working at Bagram. Apparently the Battalion Commander volunteered the 116th for additional duties. Seth notes that most folks think he did this because it would look good for him and the Guard. Motivation aside, this split the 116th with approximately half the troops heading to Ghazni and Camp Tiger. Instead of 550 men for perimeter security at Bagram, we now have half the number needed. That has meant longer and more shifts in the tower and less time off. Of course the conditions at Camp Tiger were so primitive that all the men eventually ended up at Ghazni. Conditions at Ghazni are not quite as good as at Bagram (although that is changing). Those troops spend more time on patrol, but don't have to do the endless hours of tower standing so there is a trade-off on both sides. They have begun rotating troops from Bagram to Ghazni and the other way around. Seth is scheduled to head to Ghazni sometime in December and is actually looking forward to that move. Once the move is made, I don't think we'll hear from him as regularly. Here is the latest family letter from the Battilion Commander:

Nov. 4, 2004

Dear 3-116 Infantry Family Members:

I would like to welcome our newest Task Force members from the 229th Engineers out of Fredericksburg and augmentees from around the state.

The engineers have made an immediate impact by helping with construction on Camp Ghazni and by conducting operations. The new maintenance team was put straight to work fixing vehicles. The new staff members have jumped right into operations. All of our soldiers are benefiting from the skills and hard work of our new team members. They are very welcome arrivals.

Winter has arrived in Afghanistan. The weather is turning cold, especially up here in the mountains of Ghazni.

However, some areas are heating up.

In a province where we recently began operations, we have had some direct fire engagements with the enemy. There were no casualties on either side. When our soldiers were fired at, they responded with overwhelming firepower including mortars. We also called in A-10 attack aircraft and B-1 bombers and the engagements ended quickly. Our soldiers performed exceptionally well.

At Bagram [Air Base], our soldiers continue to perform the perimeter security mission. Their efforts will soon be enhanced by surveillance technology that will improve security. They continue to patrol in the vicinity of Bagram.

The rotation of troops from Bagram to Ghazni has begun. This will benefit every soldier. One of the greatest dangers we face is the potential for complacency when we do the same things in the same place day after day. Putting soldiers in a new environment keeps them alert. Changes throw off the enemy who looks for patterns of behavior in patrol areas and at Bagram. New soldiers seeing things for the first time, notice things people who have been in a place for a long time stop seeing. It is tough to pick up and move, but it is something we expected and are trained to do.

Yesterday was an important day for our battalion. We conducted our "combat patch" ceremony. We placed our unit patch on our right shoulder to indicate that we have been in combat.

This was a very proud moment because the 29th Division patch has not been awarded for combat since World War II. Even more profound, there will only be about 650 soldiers in the entire Army who will wear our combat patch.

In addition, we awarded Combat Infantry Badges and Combat Medical Badges to those who have been approved. The division commander made a very important point. He said that awarding the 29th patch was a historical moment, but we were taking part in even a more historical event. Last month, for the first time in its 5000 year history, the people of Afghanistan elected their leader.

I have received questions about Christmas mail. To ensure that mail is received in time for Christmas, it must be mailed no later than 6 December.

But if your loved one is in Ghazni, it takes about an extra week to get it from Bagram to Ghazni. You should mail gifts for soldiers in Ghazni by Nov. 28.

We are making plans to get all the mail that we expect to see down here. It will be a challenge, but we face challenges every day and never fail to meet them.

Living conditions in Ghazni are improving. We have placed heaters in all the permanent buildings and about 75 percent of Tier 3 tents. Within the next few days, every soldier will have heat. Additional water heaters are coming, which should give us more hot water, and so is a new shower facility. They are also going to start enlarging the dining facility and gym. Plans for more internet computers and phones are moving forward.

I know there has been a great deal of concern about vehicles. We just received five more up-armored HMMWVs [Humvees]. Other equipment is coming as well.

We are about three months into our 12 month deployment. I have talked to many soldiers and some say it has gone quickly, others say it is dragging on forever. All I can say is that we are one-quarter of the way through with a long way still to go.

The holidays are often lonely times for deployed soldiers, so the more you can write and keep in touch, the better it will be for them.

We all wish we could be home, but we will be home soon. Please know that our shared sacrifice is making a huge difference in the lives of the Afghan people and for the security of our country. Your loved ones are doing an amazing job.

Take care, may God bless you and your family and God Bless America.

As always, Thanks for reading. Ed.

Brittany trying her first bite of Ham Loaf.....ummm, ummm good!