Time to post again, though I really am not in the mood to do anything! I hate this time of year; I really do...
However,
+ The hubster got promoted which is our most exciting news from November! It was a very exciting time for him and I was so happy to be a part of his happiness! Zane got to remove his old rank and put the new rank on. It was precious! :) Because of where we were, I couldn't get good pictures but I will eventually post what I have. That is what I hate about blogging...adding pictures....it's so annoying.
+ the bunnies are now litter box trained which is very nice...no more little balls of poop rolling off the newspaper around the garage! :) They are so cute though...and I still don't have pictures of them! :/
+ We had a nice Thanksgiving, with people from my husband's work. I did some of the cooking and my friend Michelle did some of it. We played on their Wii, which was fun, but I wasn't really impressed....I am NOT a video game type of person though I do actually enjoy Farmville on Facebook. :)
+ We are going to Idaho for Christmas. I have most of my shopping done for my side of the family and I am really excited to see everyone, especially my sisters! :) We need to find a round bale of hay for Hope while we are gone and hopefully it will stay warm enough that the bunnies water bottles won't freeze, ...or Hopes water trough. I can't find her tank deicer, so i guess I need to buy another one unless James knows where it is...I hate winter and dealing with animal watering. It's a pain in the butt...
+ Homeschooling is going well....same ole same ole there. I am looking forward to Christmas break, though. Abbie is starting to read which is exciting! She is definitely ready for Kindergarten!
+ It's cold but not as cold as Idaho. I guess they were -8 this morning and we were about 9 degrees here. It's usually about 15-20 degrees colder there. I'm glad I am not there.
+ My friend Michelle and I did the Black Friday shopping thing and had fun! :) We didn't go super early, since we were tired from Thanksgiving, but we did go and it was a nice time away.
+ Our Ladies Bible Study wrapped up last week and we had a tea party later in the week. I had a blast ...I just love those ladies! :)
+ My husband has a few more new horseshoing customers! :) That's a praise! I have been praying that more would come! :)
Well, that is ending on a good note...I haven't had a very good day and nothing is seeming to help, so I am going to get off here and find some chocolate.... :/ God Bless and Merry Christmas!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
My Personal ABC's of Thankfulness 2009
Everyone is doing one form or another of the ABC's of thankfulness...some are doing a daily status on Facebook, some are doing increments on Live Journal, but I wanted to do them all today and post it here so I will always have it...and all in one place. I LOVE this kind of thing. Soon, I will be assessing my 2009 Fruit of the Spirit, and studying for my 2010 one (which is self-control) and I am really looking forward to it. I always do it in January. For now, I want to relish and hold close to my heart what I am thankful for.
A: Abigail. My only little girl. She is precious to me. When I am in her room, playing barbies or My Little Ponies, or helping her organize, my heart just overflows with thankfulness for her. She is a mini-me and it is so fun to watch our similarities. I love her. The only thing I regret is that she won't have a sister, unless we reverse James vasectomy (which we are thinking about....JUST thinking). Even then, there would be no guarantee.
B: My Bathtub....most people probably don't think about their bathtub much but I love bathtubs and I am thankful for mine every time I use it. When you have to live without one, you become thankful for that among many other things.
C: Children. My life is my children. Yes, I have other hobbies but none are as important to me as my children, being their mother, raising them correctly. My home is my life. Most might find it boring or un-fulfilling but I definitely do not. I love it here. I love teaching them here, love being with them. I would gladly get rid of any of my hobbies rather than going out into the workforce. I also would never be guilty of making my own child be the mom. It is MY job and I love it. Some days are hard, but everyday that I learn more about being a better mom, lessens the days that are bad and increases the days that are good. Mothering takes practice. Patience takes practice and there is nothing more fulfilling than conquering impatience, being a great mom, and running a household with order and ease. Yes, no matter what anyone says, to me, children are a blessing. They are highly prized in my book. Now, I don't necessarily like other people's bad-behaving children but I sure do love mine...even when they have a bad day! :)
D: DOD. The Department of Defense supplies my husband with a job, provides for our home and ultimately provides me with my freedom. I am super thankful that my husband is involved in keeping me, our family and yours, free. This country has an all-volunteer military. Isn't that wonderful? Many, many men find job fulfillment in the military because they are involved in something bigger than themselves. Yes, sometimes what the Commander in Chief decides isn't what our men would decide. Sometimes in the military you have to do things that seem like a waste of time (and I'm sure some of them are), or do things that don't make sense to civilians. But it is all, ultimately, for you all. For your freedoms. And I am thankful for these things. I am thankful that my husband isn't a truck-driver, anymore. I am thankful that I get to be an Army wife. I know his job is hard. I appreciate that he decided to come back into the Army. I understand that he may have done it, mostly for me. I don't know. All I know is that if you think being a military wife is hard...try being a trucker's wife. It stinks with a capitol S.
E: In my home-schooling/preschool revolving brain, all I can think about are Elephants...so I need to come back to this one! :)
Yes, electricity! :) I am so thankful for the little things that I, at times have had to go without. Hot running water, lights, refridgeration, and electric heating. I LOVE a wood stove but only for EXTRA heat! :) Someday when we build or remodel a home there will be a wood stove for extra heating and a real wood cook stove. They are so nice to have when the power goes out. Electricity is a wonderful blessing that we have in this country that other countries don't have and we shouldn't take it for granted.
F: Fine Chocolate. I am not an "any-kind-of-chocolate-will-do"girl. It has to be expensive! :) I don't need to explain why I am thankful for this. I think most women know that sometimes you just need a hunk (doesn't have to be big) of melt in your mouth fine chocolate, to make a stressful day seem better. Now, for some reason a handful of milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips will do the trick, as well! :)
G: Grace, from my Lord Jesus. I wouldn't make it through a day of motherhood, marriage, deployment, homeschooling, heartbreak, financial stresses, etc without the grace of God. I would be a complete failure, wandering aimlessly through my life. I thank god for His grace in my life and his mercy, too.
H: Horses. I love horses and even though my life with them is sort of on the back-burner, by my own choice, I will always be thankful that my parent's bought Hope for me. Even though I don't get to ride her very much, my children do get to. They are learning to ride on the same horse that I did. Someday, when we are out of the military, retired and most of my children are gone, I will jump cross-country again, but until then, a ride on Saturdays, in the summer is enough for me! Horses are wonderful. They smell wonderful, too! 8)
I: Internet. It makes Army life easier, definitely! There is no way I could call all of the friends I have left in various places. I need Facebook if i want to keep in touch with anyone. And when my husband is gone, it helps a lot, too.
J: My husband James. You know, there really are jerks out there and he's not one of them. He's not perfect. We clash about a lot of things. Mostly it's because we pretty much had to start our marriage over again, after the three years that we barely saw each other. Both he and I grew in different ways while we were apart, so coming back together has been hard and it has had it's issues. God will be glorified in them, eventually. James is the love of my life. That fact will never change. Even when we were going through hard times (that couples eventually go through), I still loved him. You're naive to think you have a great marriage if you have only been married for 1-3 years, and it's been all smooth sailing. Hard times will come, if they haven't already. But you better LOVE that man, no matter what happens!
K: Kitties. I love my kitty, Katie. She's so sweet to all of us, even the kids. She's a wonderful pet and it will be sad when it's her time to go. She's already seven years old, now. I wish I could have a houseful of cats, but I wouldn't be able to handle the mess. Notice that "D"was NOT for dogs! :) The mess our dog creates is worse than a child, I hate dogs. They are disgusting.
L: Love. I am LOVED by so many people, but especially by my husband. Why, I don't know? Sometimes I say things that I can't take back. He still loves me. It's amazing. I am thankful that the Lord loves me and has great plans for my life. He loves me even when I keep doing the same stupid thing over and over again! My children love me and it seems that they have a better grasp on loving unconditionally than I do. They are so forgiving of me that it amazes me!
M: Meals. Mealtime around my "well-loved" dining room table is my favorite time of the day. I love that table. I will never get rid of it! It's just too precious to us all. Meals shared with our entire family, that I cooked from scratch and labored over when I could have been doing something else, are well worth the effort. Not only do we share a meal, but little tib-bits of news from the day or the latest funny thing, from Sheldon, usually. We share hopes and dreams; we share heartache and hurts. We train our children during meals, in lessons that they probably wouldn't get otherwise. I am thankful that we have three meals a day...and they are well rounded. We are rich in America. There is an abundance of food in this country that some people can only dream of.
N: Natural Medicine. I love natural medicine, especially herbs. God created every herb for our use (in some way). He provided us with hundreds of plants that heal us. I am truly thankful for medical doctors, their wisdom and to the people who discovered antibiotics. I gratefully go to them when I cannot heal myself or my child. They have their place and rightfully, so. But oh, the love I have for the times when I can heal or comfort my child from the plants in God's creation! :)
O: Open pages...whether it is the empty sheet of paper waiting to be touched by the pen in a letter to a penpal, friend or relative, a thank you note or a hodgepodge poem of mine, or the open pages of a book, the soft, crinkly pages of my open Bible or a letter to me, from a friend....I just love them. I love Opening mail! I love it when the envelope spills out little things my penpals send to swap (called FAT mail) such as recipes, bookmarks, tea, friendship books and Slams, stickers or whatever the fad is at the time. Slips of paper with the scribbling of a poem from Bobbi Jo, a magazine article from another, instructions to a craft that looked interesting, pictures, confetti, address labels, or who knows what else. I know....i am very weird, but it's something I love and am thankful for!
P: Piles of Laundry. I never buy clothes (except underwear, socks and shoes) for me or the kids, but somehow we always have plenty and I am thankful for that because clothes are way too expensive...
Q: Quiet. I am so thankful for the quiet after my children have gone to bed. My body refuses to sleep until I have soaked up at least 15 min of it! I relish those times when all is quiet. When I can think, pray and just relax. For a homeschooling mom, the quiet is great! Add a chunk of chocolate and some coffee or tea, a good book or an empty page of paper to fill and a kitty on your lap and that is heaven! :)
R: Rainy Days. Even though I love summer and the warmth it brings, I am thankful for rainy days when I can stay inside and not have to go out much, except for feeding Hope. I like the relaxing sound of rain and the comfort it brings...but most of all, it isn't snow! LOL!
S: Sisters. Sisters are truly a huge gift and I am so thankful for mine! I love it when Sarah calls just to tell the latest funny thing to happen in our family, or at her work. I love it when we call to share recipes. This is called the SRN (Sister's Recipe Network....also stands for Sarah, Rachelle and Naomi). I love getting together with them and laughing. We always laugh and it's usually something that no one else would find funny. Sisters are great!
Sheldon. I have to add him on here! He is extra special to me. If you read his birth story on my blog, you'd know why. Not that he had a miracle birth or some type of amazing story like that but just the fact that God knew I needed him at the time he came, even though it seemed like the worst time! Sheldon is sunlight, a whirlwind and just absolutely, wonderfully, precious! :) Ask Donna Neale. She says he is D-lish! :)
T: Tea. Whether a cup of steaming green tea in the morning or Chai with Organic Sugar and a ton of half and half, it soothes my soul. I never forget my HUGE pink mug with white polka dots when I go to church, or bible study. I love trying new tea. I love coffee, too, but I will usually choose tea over it. Anyway, tea is awesome.
U: The United States. I know I am getting redundant BUT we are blessed beyond belief in this country and I am so thankful that God chose me to live here! :)
V: Victory in Jesus! I am SO thankful that I have victory over my personal sins, habits and tendencies. I am so thankful that it is richly available to us. If we would just take the time to see it, to realize that it is there for our use, and use it. So many times we try to conquer things on our own strength when victory is right at our fingertips. I wish I would remember that more often! I want to live my life for Christ. I know He can give me victory over the things in my life that seem like they will never change. It's right here for me (and you), and I overlook it so often!
W: Well Water. I love the clean, sweet taste of well water! :) I am thankful we have it!
X: UneXpected eXtra money. Usually in the form of a gift, or a new horseshoing client. We are ALWAYS thankful for a little extra!
Y: Yard. Our yard is big and it is a place we have gathered with family and friends to just have fun. We have a trampoline, BBQ, fire-pit, hottub, picnic table and more ideas to come, that make it wonderful for our family! :)
Z: Zane. I am so thankful for this first child of mine! Where Sheldon is a whirlwind of activity, Zane is my calm, steady, kind, obedient child! It's amazing that the two are so different, but that they compliment each other so well. When I was pregnant with Zane, the ladies at my baby shower laid hands on my tummy and prayed for our son. Everything they prayed has come true. They prayed he would be sweet, obedient and that he would come to know the love of Christ in a personal way. They prayed that he would do great things for God, and his father and I are waiting to see what they will be! :) Most of all we are thankful that he KNOWS God, at such an early age. It is apparent everyday that the Holy Spirit dwells in his little heart! What a great place to end! :)
I know there is so much more I could be thankful for, but I will save them for next year! Happy Thanksgiving!
A: Abigail. My only little girl. She is precious to me. When I am in her room, playing barbies or My Little Ponies, or helping her organize, my heart just overflows with thankfulness for her. She is a mini-me and it is so fun to watch our similarities. I love her. The only thing I regret is that she won't have a sister, unless we reverse James vasectomy (which we are thinking about....JUST thinking). Even then, there would be no guarantee.
B: My Bathtub....most people probably don't think about their bathtub much but I love bathtubs and I am thankful for mine every time I use it. When you have to live without one, you become thankful for that among many other things.
C: Children. My life is my children. Yes, I have other hobbies but none are as important to me as my children, being their mother, raising them correctly. My home is my life. Most might find it boring or un-fulfilling but I definitely do not. I love it here. I love teaching them here, love being with them. I would gladly get rid of any of my hobbies rather than going out into the workforce. I also would never be guilty of making my own child be the mom. It is MY job and I love it. Some days are hard, but everyday that I learn more about being a better mom, lessens the days that are bad and increases the days that are good. Mothering takes practice. Patience takes practice and there is nothing more fulfilling than conquering impatience, being a great mom, and running a household with order and ease. Yes, no matter what anyone says, to me, children are a blessing. They are highly prized in my book. Now, I don't necessarily like other people's bad-behaving children but I sure do love mine...even when they have a bad day! :)
D: DOD. The Department of Defense supplies my husband with a job, provides for our home and ultimately provides me with my freedom. I am super thankful that my husband is involved in keeping me, our family and yours, free. This country has an all-volunteer military. Isn't that wonderful? Many, many men find job fulfillment in the military because they are involved in something bigger than themselves. Yes, sometimes what the Commander in Chief decides isn't what our men would decide. Sometimes in the military you have to do things that seem like a waste of time (and I'm sure some of them are), or do things that don't make sense to civilians. But it is all, ultimately, for you all. For your freedoms. And I am thankful for these things. I am thankful that my husband isn't a truck-driver, anymore. I am thankful that I get to be an Army wife. I know his job is hard. I appreciate that he decided to come back into the Army. I understand that he may have done it, mostly for me. I don't know. All I know is that if you think being a military wife is hard...try being a trucker's wife. It stinks with a capitol S.
E: In my home-schooling/preschool revolving brain, all I can think about are Elephants...so I need to come back to this one! :)
Yes, electricity! :) I am so thankful for the little things that I, at times have had to go without. Hot running water, lights, refridgeration, and electric heating. I LOVE a wood stove but only for EXTRA heat! :) Someday when we build or remodel a home there will be a wood stove for extra heating and a real wood cook stove. They are so nice to have when the power goes out. Electricity is a wonderful blessing that we have in this country that other countries don't have and we shouldn't take it for granted.
F: Fine Chocolate. I am not an "any-kind-of-chocolate-will-do"girl. It has to be expensive! :) I don't need to explain why I am thankful for this. I think most women know that sometimes you just need a hunk (doesn't have to be big) of melt in your mouth fine chocolate, to make a stressful day seem better. Now, for some reason a handful of milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips will do the trick, as well! :)
G: Grace, from my Lord Jesus. I wouldn't make it through a day of motherhood, marriage, deployment, homeschooling, heartbreak, financial stresses, etc without the grace of God. I would be a complete failure, wandering aimlessly through my life. I thank god for His grace in my life and his mercy, too.
H: Horses. I love horses and even though my life with them is sort of on the back-burner, by my own choice, I will always be thankful that my parent's bought Hope for me. Even though I don't get to ride her very much, my children do get to. They are learning to ride on the same horse that I did. Someday, when we are out of the military, retired and most of my children are gone, I will jump cross-country again, but until then, a ride on Saturdays, in the summer is enough for me! Horses are wonderful. They smell wonderful, too! 8)
I: Internet. It makes Army life easier, definitely! There is no way I could call all of the friends I have left in various places. I need Facebook if i want to keep in touch with anyone. And when my husband is gone, it helps a lot, too.
J: My husband James. You know, there really are jerks out there and he's not one of them. He's not perfect. We clash about a lot of things. Mostly it's because we pretty much had to start our marriage over again, after the three years that we barely saw each other. Both he and I grew in different ways while we were apart, so coming back together has been hard and it has had it's issues. God will be glorified in them, eventually. James is the love of my life. That fact will never change. Even when we were going through hard times (that couples eventually go through), I still loved him. You're naive to think you have a great marriage if you have only been married for 1-3 years, and it's been all smooth sailing. Hard times will come, if they haven't already. But you better LOVE that man, no matter what happens!
K: Kitties. I love my kitty, Katie. She's so sweet to all of us, even the kids. She's a wonderful pet and it will be sad when it's her time to go. She's already seven years old, now. I wish I could have a houseful of cats, but I wouldn't be able to handle the mess. Notice that "D"was NOT for dogs! :) The mess our dog creates is worse than a child, I hate dogs. They are disgusting.
L: Love. I am LOVED by so many people, but especially by my husband. Why, I don't know? Sometimes I say things that I can't take back. He still loves me. It's amazing. I am thankful that the Lord loves me and has great plans for my life. He loves me even when I keep doing the same stupid thing over and over again! My children love me and it seems that they have a better grasp on loving unconditionally than I do. They are so forgiving of me that it amazes me!
M: Meals. Mealtime around my "well-loved" dining room table is my favorite time of the day. I love that table. I will never get rid of it! It's just too precious to us all. Meals shared with our entire family, that I cooked from scratch and labored over when I could have been doing something else, are well worth the effort. Not only do we share a meal, but little tib-bits of news from the day or the latest funny thing, from Sheldon, usually. We share hopes and dreams; we share heartache and hurts. We train our children during meals, in lessons that they probably wouldn't get otherwise. I am thankful that we have three meals a day...and they are well rounded. We are rich in America. There is an abundance of food in this country that some people can only dream of.
N: Natural Medicine. I love natural medicine, especially herbs. God created every herb for our use (in some way). He provided us with hundreds of plants that heal us. I am truly thankful for medical doctors, their wisdom and to the people who discovered antibiotics. I gratefully go to them when I cannot heal myself or my child. They have their place and rightfully, so. But oh, the love I have for the times when I can heal or comfort my child from the plants in God's creation! :)
O: Open pages...whether it is the empty sheet of paper waiting to be touched by the pen in a letter to a penpal, friend or relative, a thank you note or a hodgepodge poem of mine, or the open pages of a book, the soft, crinkly pages of my open Bible or a letter to me, from a friend....I just love them. I love Opening mail! I love it when the envelope spills out little things my penpals send to swap (called FAT mail) such as recipes, bookmarks, tea, friendship books and Slams, stickers or whatever the fad is at the time. Slips of paper with the scribbling of a poem from Bobbi Jo, a magazine article from another, instructions to a craft that looked interesting, pictures, confetti, address labels, or who knows what else. I know....i am very weird, but it's something I love and am thankful for!
P: Piles of Laundry. I never buy clothes (except underwear, socks and shoes) for me or the kids, but somehow we always have plenty and I am thankful for that because clothes are way too expensive...
Q: Quiet. I am so thankful for the quiet after my children have gone to bed. My body refuses to sleep until I have soaked up at least 15 min of it! I relish those times when all is quiet. When I can think, pray and just relax. For a homeschooling mom, the quiet is great! Add a chunk of chocolate and some coffee or tea, a good book or an empty page of paper to fill and a kitty on your lap and that is heaven! :)
R: Rainy Days. Even though I love summer and the warmth it brings, I am thankful for rainy days when I can stay inside and not have to go out much, except for feeding Hope. I like the relaxing sound of rain and the comfort it brings...but most of all, it isn't snow! LOL!
S: Sisters. Sisters are truly a huge gift and I am so thankful for mine! I love it when Sarah calls just to tell the latest funny thing to happen in our family, or at her work. I love it when we call to share recipes. This is called the SRN (Sister's Recipe Network....also stands for Sarah, Rachelle and Naomi). I love getting together with them and laughing. We always laugh and it's usually something that no one else would find funny. Sisters are great!
Sheldon. I have to add him on here! He is extra special to me. If you read his birth story on my blog, you'd know why. Not that he had a miracle birth or some type of amazing story like that but just the fact that God knew I needed him at the time he came, even though it seemed like the worst time! Sheldon is sunlight, a whirlwind and just absolutely, wonderfully, precious! :) Ask Donna Neale. She says he is D-lish! :)
T: Tea. Whether a cup of steaming green tea in the morning or Chai with Organic Sugar and a ton of half and half, it soothes my soul. I never forget my HUGE pink mug with white polka dots when I go to church, or bible study. I love trying new tea. I love coffee, too, but I will usually choose tea over it. Anyway, tea is awesome.
U: The United States. I know I am getting redundant BUT we are blessed beyond belief in this country and I am so thankful that God chose me to live here! :)
V: Victory in Jesus! I am SO thankful that I have victory over my personal sins, habits and tendencies. I am so thankful that it is richly available to us. If we would just take the time to see it, to realize that it is there for our use, and use it. So many times we try to conquer things on our own strength when victory is right at our fingertips. I wish I would remember that more often! I want to live my life for Christ. I know He can give me victory over the things in my life that seem like they will never change. It's right here for me (and you), and I overlook it so often!
W: Well Water. I love the clean, sweet taste of well water! :) I am thankful we have it!
X: UneXpected eXtra money. Usually in the form of a gift, or a new horseshoing client. We are ALWAYS thankful for a little extra!
Y: Yard. Our yard is big and it is a place we have gathered with family and friends to just have fun. We have a trampoline, BBQ, fire-pit, hottub, picnic table and more ideas to come, that make it wonderful for our family! :)
Z: Zane. I am so thankful for this first child of mine! Where Sheldon is a whirlwind of activity, Zane is my calm, steady, kind, obedient child! It's amazing that the two are so different, but that they compliment each other so well. When I was pregnant with Zane, the ladies at my baby shower laid hands on my tummy and prayed for our son. Everything they prayed has come true. They prayed he would be sweet, obedient and that he would come to know the love of Christ in a personal way. They prayed that he would do great things for God, and his father and I are waiting to see what they will be! :) Most of all we are thankful that he KNOWS God, at such an early age. It is apparent everyday that the Holy Spirit dwells in his little heart! What a great place to end! :)
I know there is so much more I could be thankful for, but I will save them for next year! Happy Thanksgiving!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
What We Did In October....
Sheesh, I am late posting for October! I will have to post today while we are doing school, when I get a minute here or there. I am using my laptop right now, as my desktop kept crashing and turning off every few minutes (another reason I am late in posting).
The rainy season is here and most of October we got a lot of rain although we've had a week without much of it this first week of November. We will get a lot more, I'm sure. I like it; it's better than snow! :) My mom already got some snow in Idaho and I am so thankful I am not going to have to deal with it, here. I think I have said something along this lines in every monthly post! Ha ha! I really am thankful! :)
I was down with the flu twice in October. It was awful. Before I could get better from the first one, I was sick again. No one else got it, so that was wierd but nice at the same time. Here I was expecting everyone to get it while i was sick and couldn't take care of them. I was wiped out, totally. I should have gone to the hospital for the dehydration but I decided to just drink what I could hold down (small sips of water or juice). I lost ten pounds. Luckily, James was able to get off early one of the days and that was nice. Sheldon got a bad fever, and Zane and Abbie got runny noses but no one got the symptons that I got.
Somehow I made it to AWANA every week to lead, and only missed one night of Bible Study. I made it to church each Sunday. It was the homeschooling that got skipped. We did what we could. God is good, and we were able to somehow catch up. The joy, ease and flexibility of homeschooling...I love it!
We didn't end up going trick or treating. We had a fun Halloween night at church that the kids dressed up for earlier in the week. I was a farmer, Sheldon a cow, Zane a Transformer and Abbie a Princess (Cinderella). It was fun. We meant to go trick or treating on post, but that day James had horses to shoe and came home with three rabbits (one for each kid). They were neglected at this barn and our friend Katie was trying to get rid of them because their owner didn't care about them. We had been wanting to get three girl bunnies in the Spring for the kids, so we ended up getting them early! :) They were free and came with cages and feeders, etc. We made the three cages into one big cage with a nesting box and they are a lot happier. Zane's is named Penelope. She is white-ish cream with copper spots. Abbie's is Rosie. She is white with pink ears and eyes. Sheldon's is named Chloe and she is solid black! My kids are in love with them! We plan to buy a big hutch for them, when we can and put it out in the backyard. Then we also want to put some woven wire fence around the bottom of our trampoline so that in the Spring, summer and fall the bunnies can be out for exercise AND the kids can play under there with them. It will be shady and cool under there and the grass grows really well under there. I had rabbits when I was little and have always liked them. :)
Jimmy went to the e-6 promotion board this month and scored a 147, so we're waiting to see if he gets picked up on December first. We hope so! It will be nice and he deserves it. He has a LOT of promotion points! :) Maybe next month I will be posting that my husband is now a Staff Sergeant! Yippee.
Not much else is going on really. I have just been doing the homeschool thing, the church thing and staying inside a lot, which is fine with me! I'm doing a beautiful, whimsical 1500 piece puzzle of Noah's Ark. It is gorgeous and I plan to frame it for the boys room. I am also reading the Chronicles of Narnia series by CS Lewis and am enjoying that.
OH>>>> My sister Naomi is PREGNANT again! :) She is 7 weeks and feeling really good so that is great news (she is the one who miscarried in August)! Sarah's baby will be born in March and Naomi's should be due around July. So, really it's not that far after Sarah's and they can still have a double baby shower and share baby clothes, and such! :) Great news!
Well, I think thats all for now. I will add some pictures to this once I find some BATTERIES for my camera! Ugh. I don't even have pictures of the bunnies yet!
Blessings to all, Rachelle
The rainy season is here and most of October we got a lot of rain although we've had a week without much of it this first week of November. We will get a lot more, I'm sure. I like it; it's better than snow! :) My mom already got some snow in Idaho and I am so thankful I am not going to have to deal with it, here. I think I have said something along this lines in every monthly post! Ha ha! I really am thankful! :)
I was down with the flu twice in October. It was awful. Before I could get better from the first one, I was sick again. No one else got it, so that was wierd but nice at the same time. Here I was expecting everyone to get it while i was sick and couldn't take care of them. I was wiped out, totally. I should have gone to the hospital for the dehydration but I decided to just drink what I could hold down (small sips of water or juice). I lost ten pounds. Luckily, James was able to get off early one of the days and that was nice. Sheldon got a bad fever, and Zane and Abbie got runny noses but no one got the symptons that I got.
Somehow I made it to AWANA every week to lead, and only missed one night of Bible Study. I made it to church each Sunday. It was the homeschooling that got skipped. We did what we could. God is good, and we were able to somehow catch up. The joy, ease and flexibility of homeschooling...I love it!
We didn't end up going trick or treating. We had a fun Halloween night at church that the kids dressed up for earlier in the week. I was a farmer, Sheldon a cow, Zane a Transformer and Abbie a Princess (Cinderella). It was fun. We meant to go trick or treating on post, but that day James had horses to shoe and came home with three rabbits (one for each kid). They were neglected at this barn and our friend Katie was trying to get rid of them because their owner didn't care about them. We had been wanting to get three girl bunnies in the Spring for the kids, so we ended up getting them early! :) They were free and came with cages and feeders, etc. We made the three cages into one big cage with a nesting box and they are a lot happier. Zane's is named Penelope. She is white-ish cream with copper spots. Abbie's is Rosie. She is white with pink ears and eyes. Sheldon's is named Chloe and she is solid black! My kids are in love with them! We plan to buy a big hutch for them, when we can and put it out in the backyard. Then we also want to put some woven wire fence around the bottom of our trampoline so that in the Spring, summer and fall the bunnies can be out for exercise AND the kids can play under there with them. It will be shady and cool under there and the grass grows really well under there. I had rabbits when I was little and have always liked them. :)
Jimmy went to the e-6 promotion board this month and scored a 147, so we're waiting to see if he gets picked up on December first. We hope so! It will be nice and he deserves it. He has a LOT of promotion points! :) Maybe next month I will be posting that my husband is now a Staff Sergeant! Yippee.
Not much else is going on really. I have just been doing the homeschool thing, the church thing and staying inside a lot, which is fine with me! I'm doing a beautiful, whimsical 1500 piece puzzle of Noah's Ark. It is gorgeous and I plan to frame it for the boys room. I am also reading the Chronicles of Narnia series by CS Lewis and am enjoying that.
OH>>>> My sister Naomi is PREGNANT again! :) She is 7 weeks and feeling really good so that is great news (she is the one who miscarried in August)! Sarah's baby will be born in March and Naomi's should be due around July. So, really it's not that far after Sarah's and they can still have a double baby shower and share baby clothes, and such! :) Great news!
Well, I think thats all for now. I will add some pictures to this once I find some BATTERIES for my camera! Ugh. I don't even have pictures of the bunnies yet!
Blessings to all, Rachelle
Monday, September 28, 2009
It's Fall!
MY BEAUTIFUL HORSE20 1/2 YEARS OLD HERE
MY HUSBAND AND JACKSON ATTHE UNIT FORMAL
THE KIDDOS ON HOPE
FRIEND SARAH, ABBIE, SHELDON
AND ZANE THROWING GRASS! :)
HOPE IS SO SWEET TO THEM!
FRIEND SARAH, ABBIE AND SHELDON
JAMES AND RACHELLE AT THE 2009 FORMAL
BEFORE THE FORMAL, LOOKING SASSY!
"I DON'T WANNA DO SCHOOL"....LOL!
~IT'S FALL ~
I feel so bad that I haven't been able to blog but once a month, but I just haven't felt the desire to pour out my heart online much these days. Mostly, that is because my husband is home now and I can pour out my heart to him when I need to! :) Still, I wish I could post more often and not just my monthly report, but something with more depth and feeling...hmm...maybe this winter!
What a glorious season Fall is, especially in Washington! :) It's warm during the day and cool at night. I love it! Mostly I love it because I don't have to worry so much about surviving horrid winters, here, like I had to in Idaho.
Well, we've been doing school, doing the church thing and we started AWANA this month. I am now the Sparks Director and it's a hefty job, so please pray for me as I go about this endeavor and ministry! I am NOT a good speaker and like Moses, I feel inadequate. Maybe you all could pray about that when you think of me. It's a very big responsibility and there is a lot of weekly preparation, so it takes time and much studying and prayer, on my part. I need it though. I love children's ministry, so it should be even better for me than when I was a Color leader for Sparks. I need to grow in the Lord and this is a way for me to come out of my shy shell (shy when it comes to presenting the Gospel, anyway). I have SO many color leaders, though! I am so blessed with their willingness to serve God and to help me. Our Sparks team lacks organization, so I am definitely thankful for these willing members of our church, in this whole thing! I have more than enough leaders, so I think we'll have a great year!
Church is going well...we are SO INCREDIBLY blessed at McKenna Community Church!!! I cannot say it enough. Each Sunday I am blessed, filled to overflowing, taught, drawn out, and just happy! I love our church. I'm so glad and thankful to God that he has led us to this particular one. What a LOVING, KIND, CARING and ALL-KNOWING God we serve! WOW! I have made so many good friends, too, many of which who have become dear to my heart already.
School is going smoothly! :) Zane is doing very well and I get better each day it seems. Homeschooling takes practice and I know it will be a few years before I reach my potential, at this whole thing!
Our Unit Formal went well! I will post pictures of that! We had a great time. The food was wonderful and the ceremony meaningful ( especially so soon after Terry's death). We enjoyed watching the drunk people. It was hilarious. We will probably go again next year. I had fun and felt like a Princess!
Oh, the first week in September my husband's Grandfather and Step-Grandmother came for a visit, while on their RV trip across the US. It was great to see them and give them a nice home-cooked meal! The kids enjoyed seeing them and they enjoyed meeting Sheldon for the first time.
This past weekend I got to meet a facebook friend that I've known for a little over a year but never got to meet. Amy and Sean and their little girl, Sarah came over for dinner and we saddled up Hope for them. They seemed to enjoy it and I just loved meeting their family. They are an Army family, too, and just got stationed here at Lewis.
My Ladies Bible Study group starts tomorrow night! I am so excited to have some one on one time with my girlfriends without the children around. :) I think James might be doing the Men's Bible Study (at the same time) but they have child-care at the church, so that will be great.
Really not much else going on to report about. I stay super busy doing all the things I do around here! :) I do want all of you to know that I think of you often, love you and care about what is going on in your lives! Let's keep in touch! <3
Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us".
If you are a believer, never forget what Christ did for you....where he pulled you up out of....that he saved you when you were still in sin! If you aren't a believer and have never been converted, know that God cares, that He loves and that he saves the lowliest of sinners along with the little child who has hardly sinned yet in his/her lifetime...we have ALL sinned and we have all fallen short of His Glory.
Rachelle
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
August
Terry...a follower of Christ, a soldier, a husband, a father, a friend...loved,
respected and honored by the many who knew him. Missed by all.
r
Abbie riding Hope
Me leading cousin Carson on Hope
Us Girls in the kitchen! Left to right: Ashley, Me, Cierra
Playing in the hot tub
At the Seattle Aquarium: Left to right Zane and I, James and Sheldon
Cierra, Clayton with Abbie, Ashley and Emma
Sheldon, Emma, Abbie and Zane
Abbie and Sheldon (with a blackberry face)
Daddy and Sheldon
Stair step kids! Sheldon looks to be catching up to my petite
Abbie
abbie and I
The first week in August brought much of James's side of the family for a small family reunion. We had my mother in law Sherri, my father in law Jim, my SIL Ashley and her two children as well as one on the way :), my BIL Clayton and his wife Cierra. It was a great time! We visited the Seattle Aquarium, the Pacific Science Center, The Space Needle, and The Museum of Flight. The guys all went Golfing twice and one of the times, Zane went along with his own Junior Golf set and apparently he has a great swing! :) Us Girls (and Clayton) all went to the Pike Market and had a glorious shopping experience! I bought, some very nice Lavender, Egyptian Geranium and Vanilla Bath oil, some Organic Muscle Rub for James, many things to taste :), candy for the kids and a few other things! :) Sherri surprised me with some AMAZING raw Blackberry Honey! I love honey! My dad was a bee-keeper when I was a baby. Once he joined the Army, he had to let that go, but he always had MANY flavors of honey in the house! :) It was hard seeing everyone leave and knowing that it will be awhile before we see them all again!
I have many pictures to share from the reunion so I'll get those posted as soon as I can.
The next two weeks in August I spent being very down with Migraines that were so bad that it felt like I had the flu, plus a cold that was mostly a cough, and other "things" to complicate the matters. Then a bad eye infection. I was perfectly miserable and became very behind in my housework.
On the 20th I got a phone call early in the morning from LaNette. She's a good friend of mine that I knew before I was married, and got to know even better while James and I were stationed at Campbell. Her husband is retired Army. At the church we went to, we got to know Gina, an Army wife who's husband worked with my husband. She is LaNette's best friend and a good friend of mine. Anyway, LaNette called to tell me that Terry, Gina's husband had been killed during a training exercise in Colorado, when his Blackhawk crashed. It was a very, very sad day/week/two weeks for everyone who knows them. It was just so untimely, so unthought of, so horrible....and so unexpected. It was Terry's last trip before retirement, having served for over 22 years (I think). He left Gina, their son, Braden (8) and their daughter Emma (5). His children are so young and they had already sold their home and were planning to move to Kansas. Terry had, had his retirement party as well. He always dreamed of owning his own ranch and Gina was looking forward to their new life outside the Army. They were more than able, financially to make his and her dreams come true and all came to a screaching halt. Three other soldiers were killed, as well. Prayer is appreciated for all of them. James knew all of them. Very sad...
Terry and Gina were members at the church we attended, while stationed at Campbell. Terry was devoted to Christ, his family and to the Army. He was honored with two memorials and his funeral. He was one of the best pilots in the Army, and will be greatly missed by the whole Grace Bible Church family and his affiliated Unit in the Army. If you would like to listen to the message that Pastor Mark Totten gave at church, the following Sunday go to: www.gbctn.org Go to Messages and search for "When Life Throws You a Curve". It was AWESOME! It is a great sermon for anyone. It will help you learn how to deal with the unexpected or just with things that don't make sense. I encourage you to listen!
So, I think we all had a hard time functioning, initially. I imagine it will take a very long time for Gina to.
We bought all of our hay for the winter. A load off of our minds. Hope is nice and fat this fall, so I'm sure she will do especially well this winter.
The children are doing well in school, so far. Zane started his first grade and reading is about 1/2-way clicking! I cannot wait until it fully clicks for him, so he can enjoy it more. Abbie is doing preschool again, this year. She turns 5 in April, so she will start K next fall. In some subjects (Math, Phonics, Science) she'd be ready right now for K, but in others (Reading and Writing, she isn't ready. I think waiting until next fall will be best and I bet she will fly easily through K! :) She is very, very intelligent and a very fast learner! :) Sheldon is doing a little preschool. I am working mostly on colors, shapes, numbers and letters. He has a very short attention span and causes a little disruption and distraction for Zane so, we are working on a play schedule for him and Abbie. What I have been doing this week, is he and Abbie have a playtime in their rooms alone, and then later in the day they have a play time together in Abbie's room. I use these times to help Zane with Reading and Math, when he needs the quiet. I am still not too fond of Art, and am doing it once a week again but plan on doing it twice a week in a little while. I just don't have the patience for Art. I love the idea of it, but when it comes down to it....ugh....I just don't enjoy it. At least they are getting it once a week and the projects are meaningful! :)
My friend Amy is getting stationed here and will be here in the middle of September, which is very exciting! :) She has a three year old little girl who doesn't talk well, so I think she and Sheldon will really hit it off, since he doesn't talk either! LOL!
Oh.... :) My friends at church! I am so happy with our church and the wonderful women I have met there! They are all treasures and I am learning from them each time I am with them! :) We are all starting our Ladies Bible Study on Sept 29th! It's a Beth Moore on Esther! I am SUPER excited! I love that book of the Bible, so I am excited to get started. I always become a lot closer to the women in our churches when I participate in the studies! :)
We have a lot of Blackberries this year, so I made some Jam and some homemade Icecream with them! Yummy! :) Our garden has done really well, although I am sick of cucumber, and no one likes the summer squash but me. We got about 12 gallon freezer bags full of corn. I blanched it all and it is super good! I also blanched a lot of green beans and the other day I saw lots of new beans starting, so I should get a lot more!
My little sister, Naomi (who was pregnant at the same time as my middle sister Sarah) miscarried this month. She was 6 weeks pregnant, I think. Everyone was so excited and looking forward to the double baby showers and just the fact that both sisters were pregnant at the same time. It was so sad for her, since it was her first pregnancy and everyone was so thrilled. I talked to her a few times on the phone to give her some support. I know how hard that type of thing is and people forget very quickly how hard it really is. :(
Naomi did say that she wants to try again, so Lord-willing she might be pregnant with Sarah again, after-all! :) A new pregnancy is always a healing balm after miscarriage, so I hope it is God's will!
I have a feeling that Sarah will be having a girl! :) I hope I am right! She wants a girl really bad since she already has a boy and only wants two children! Keep your fingers crossed!
Well, I don't think I have much else to report on. James is doing fine at work. He's trying to get ready for his Board in October and Lord-willing again, maybe he will be promoted to e-6. He already does the job of one and really deserves it, so we are praying for that!
Have a glorious fall, everyone! And I'm sure all of you can understand how happy I am for winter to come! I'm sure it will be an easy one here in Washington! I feel so much better about it! God Bless!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
~ Rachelle's Housecleaning Secrets ~
*Would anyone else care to share some of their housecleaning or time management secrets? Would you like to add anything to mine? You can be a working woman, a working mom, a homeschooling stay-at-home mom, a mother of preschoolers, a stay-at-home wife without kids or even someone who isn't married! I would love to hear from you! :) Just leave a comment(s). *
This summer I have pretty much been stuck at home. We don't have a lot of money left over for me to be driving around all over and when I drive around I end up spending money at thrift stores, yard sales or whatever. I am pretty much limited to church on Thursday and Sunday and grocery shopping twice a month.
So, this summer I have been doing a lot of cooking, cleaning and sorting. It's been nice to be able to sort and get rid of things on Freecycle, since we just moved here. I've been wanting to post a few housecleaning secrets on here. Sometimes housecleaning becomes too important to me, so I have to be careful. I also know that having a clean, comfortable and uncluttered home is a good thing, too...so...about 90% of the time my house is clean, picked up and running smoothly. I have a few secrets for all the people who ask me how I do it with three kids! :)
I remember working for a little while, while I was pregnant with Zane and I know it was harder to keep my house clean. We lived in this rickety house that was infested with mice. It was horrible and I was so glad when we moved out of it! That was the only time I think my home was gross...
When I lived in the camper for 18 months I kept it really clean, too, though it was hard. I had to de-clutter every month and I had to clean twice as much (or more) as I would have had to do had I been in a normal home. It was concentrated mess! :) I sweep once a week here, whereas in the camper I swept twice a day. Living in the camper with three children showed me that I can live in any size home and run that home, smoothly. So, here are some of my secrets for keeping a clean, uncluttered home:
1) PICKING UP THE HOUSE: My biggest secret, is really something very simple indeed! The kids and I pick-up (not to be mistaken with clean ) the house every night before bed. The whole house must be picked up before bed, including the yard. Why is this my biggest secret? The reason is because, in the morning I can clean. I don't have to deal with the discouragement of having to pick up messes, so I CAN clean! :) I get up and I can vacuum after breakfast. I can even vacuum the kids rooms if I beat them in there, before they start playing. There is nothing better than waking up to a picked up house every morning! :) There is also nothing better than being able to go out and mow grass in the morning and not have to waste my time and energy picking up toys in the yard. This is my biggest time-management tip, ever, I think!
2) CHILDREN: Kids MUST clean up their own mess. My kids have been trained to clean since they could walk and now it doesn't take them long to get it done. I have a bit of trouble with Sheldon. He knows how to do it, but thinks since he's little he can get away with playing, while the others clean. I have watched him clean, though, and I know I trained him well, (and the same as the other children) because he knows where everything goes. Every so often (maybe once every two months) I go through the toy boxes and containers and put misplaced objects in the right places. Usually things get put away in the wrong places when kids come over to play and don't know where things go. I must say that organizing the kids toys has helped them immensely to get their cleaning done quickly. For a very long time I would keep large diaper boxes and certain toys would go in certain boxes. You can line them up in closets or along a wall. It's best if they are in a closet because they don't look very pretty. If you can afford to buy organizing boxes that would be nicest (I finally do have some, now). Anyway, trains in one, Barbies in another, baby dolls in one, doll clothing in another, army men in one, cars in another, etc....you get the picture. We have one toy box for misc toys. We have one larger toybox for all manner of swords, indoor balls, very large trucks and construction trucks, play guns, etc. What I am getting at though is that EVERY toy needs to have a place. It doesn't take long to teach a child where they all go. My kids have come to me before with a piece of trash to throw away or a new toy without a home, and told me they didn't know where to put it. This works very well! I rarely clean up my kids messes. If they want to watch a movie they have to clean the livingroom, or if they have made a huge mess elsewhere they have to clean it up, before they can watch a movie! NO slumming allowed!!! I don't know why it bothers me so much when they watch a movie and they are surrounded by their mess. I can't stand to watch a movie amisdt my own mess, either. Anyway, they know the rules about movie watching. My house usually has toys scattered all over it, all day long. It doesn't bother me; as long as they are cleaned up before bed.
3) CLUTTER: I think we all know that clutter is the biggest enemy, when it comes to keeping a clean home. The reason is because you have to move it, to clean, and it wastes so much precious time and energy. Mail needs to be sorted daily....open it...throw envelopes and flyers away...file the statement...put the bill portion and sending envelope wherever you keep your bills...and throw out the junk mail. Or recycle it. Join Freecycle.org to get rid of larger items or just take them to the Goodwill. I took so much stuff to the Goodwill when we first moved here, and got rid of an old washer, and two tv's on Freecycle. Don't make piles! I have one designated area for pile-making. I puts odds and ends, papers, lists, etc, on one place on my island and before bed I try to sort the pile. You could also use a basket. Having a designated area for your pile works really well. A lot of the clutter I have seen in people's houses is trash, plain and simple. Just throw it away as soon as it becomes trash! :) Get after your kids BIG TIME for leaving candy wrappers or whatever somewhere other than the trash.... If you don't, they won't learn to throw things away. If you have major issues with clutter, a good website is: www.flylady.net I've never had to use this, per-say, but I like what she has to say on there, and she has good steps to take! :)
4) MEAL CLEAN-UP: Somehow, I got into the habit of cleaning as I cook/bake. After I am done, it doesn't look like I even made anything! :) There are just dishes in the sink to load in the dishwasher. Some people are REALLY good and load the dishwasher as they cook, but I'm not that good!
My dishrag is my best friend, ever. I use two a day usually, cleaning up my kitchen as I cook.
5) LISTS AND SCHEDULES: If it helps you, make a cleaning schedule for the days of the week. Such as: Mon:bathrooms, Tues: Vacuuming, Wed: Dusting or Windows (I've found that these need done every two or three weeks and so I alternate them, accordingly ), Thurs: Mopping, Fri: Mowing/yardwork/clean Garage, or whatever your unique needs are. Do dishes, laundry, picking up the house, bedmaking, etc, everyday. Make a list of things you can do monthly and bi-monthly, and every so often pick one of them to do. Some of the ones on mine are: Washing all the sheets, Vacuuming the car out, washing walls (if you have any that need it), my husband's shower, organize the Tupperware cabinet, organize the bathroom cabinets/ drawers, Refrigerator/freezer, wash doors and doorways. I also have a yearly list that contains: mini Blinds, window frames inside and out, clean behind stove, fridge and washer and dryer, etc. You will have specific things that are unique to you. My summer house cleaning list is different than my winter list. No gardening or yardwork. A daily list helps, too! :)
6) LAUNDRY: Do all your laundry everyday. I do one or two loads a day and that's it. I wash it, dry it and fold it. I fold it right out of the dryer and set the piles on the washer and dryer. I leave the piles there (usually three days at the most) until I have enough to put them away. I hate putting away laundry so this is a way I can skip out on it. Plus, the piles are not in the way of anything. They would be in the way if I folded on my bed or on my couch, which is what I used to do. I would end up moving the piles to the dressers or wherever and I wouldn't put the clothes away. By putting them on my washer and dryer, I can go for three days without having to put them away, but also not having them in the way. You can sometimes find loop-holes for your procrastination! :) This is one of mine! I have a rack above my washer and dryer with hangers on it for shirts, too, which I would never use if I folded on the couch. So, I get to use them now, since I fold in the laundry room! :)
7) MORNING ROUTINES: I get up with my husband, pack his lunch, eat a snack, read my bible and work out, check my email, and go back to bed (usually). When I get up the second time, I make my bed, gather laundry from every room and put a load in. I eat breakfast, shower if it's hot, and start my daily cleaning. The rest of the day I have free, pretty much, except for meals and dishes. My kids have to make their own beds, too. When school is in (we homeschool), I still have the same morning routine, and that free time I would have had is when we do school. Your situation will be different from mine. Some days if it's busy I stay up in the morning after my husband leaves and sometimes I don't. During school time, I won't be doing that. In fact, I may have to start getting the kids up earlier.
8) CLEANING SUPPLIES: Why clutter up your shelves and under your sinks with things you use to clean with??? That doesn't make sense! As a stay at home mom and an Army wife, I can't really afford to buy all the latest cleaning innovations, but my house is still clean! I have found a few products that I really like. I have ONE (I repeat ONE) shelf that has cleaning supplies on it and none under any of my sinks besides dish soap and automatic dishwasher detergent. My favorite is Windex Multi-surface. I use a bottle of it every month, on every surface. My other favorite is Mr Clean Magic Erasers for walls, crayon, and smudges. The only other cleaning supplies I have are: Scrubbing Bubbles (we have hard water, otherwise I wouldn't use it, but I need it for the tubs and sinks), a bleach based cleaning spray which I use on many surfaces (I actually use the Walmart brand Great Value), bleach for doing the white laundry, concentrated Carpet Cleaning solution, Murphey's Oil Soap for cleaning my linolium floors and Comet for cleaning toilets. And that's it! If you don't have an oven with an automatic cleaning cycle you would need oven cleaner, also. But why collect all kinds of cleaning supplies when you only need basic things. All the things I listed besides the carpet cleaning solution, I use for multiple things. Take Murphey's Oil Soap. It is CHEAP and concentrated and I use it to dust, clean floors and polish furniture. Minimize the clutter but get the job done nicely! :)
9) TRACKING: Dirt gets in from animals, kids, adults, the breeze, etc. I think we all know that taking shoes off helps, but i go farther in the summer. The kids don't come in unless they have washed their feet off at the spicket. I have big beachtowels on the floor at each doorway (and we have 4 doorways) and the kids wipe their wet feet on that before they go on the carpet. When the dog runs in the house (which is ALL day long) he ends up wiping his feet on the towels as he runs in. It really helps. It looks stupid to have these beach towels all over but it really works, so I don't care! If you care about color coordinating, you could buy towels to match the decor. I use towels rather than rugs because they are easier to pick up and wash because I wash them every week.
10) PRAYER: I pray that I will do in the day, what God would have me do...HIS agenda. Not mine. God wants our homes to be comfortable, not stressful, overwhelming and depressing. At the same time, He also wants us to be nurturing our children. Spending time with them in the best ways possible. We need to be making healthy meals for our husbands and ministering to them at the end of the day. I wouldn't have the energy if I worked like a mad woman all day long. Neither would I be able to function and enjoy life with a house that looks like a tornado went through it. There is a BALANCE!
No excuses, no blaming it on the kids or lack of space (we have a big house now, but we have also lived in camper, so none of you have an excuse!). No blaming it on your husband, too much yardwork, not enough money, not enough storage space, not enough time, not enough organizational skills, or whatever it is. You can do it! :)
Anybody want to add to this???
This summer I have pretty much been stuck at home. We don't have a lot of money left over for me to be driving around all over and when I drive around I end up spending money at thrift stores, yard sales or whatever. I am pretty much limited to church on Thursday and Sunday and grocery shopping twice a month.
So, this summer I have been doing a lot of cooking, cleaning and sorting. It's been nice to be able to sort and get rid of things on Freecycle, since we just moved here. I've been wanting to post a few housecleaning secrets on here. Sometimes housecleaning becomes too important to me, so I have to be careful. I also know that having a clean, comfortable and uncluttered home is a good thing, too...so...about 90% of the time my house is clean, picked up and running smoothly. I have a few secrets for all the people who ask me how I do it with three kids! :)
I remember working for a little while, while I was pregnant with Zane and I know it was harder to keep my house clean. We lived in this rickety house that was infested with mice. It was horrible and I was so glad when we moved out of it! That was the only time I think my home was gross...
When I lived in the camper for 18 months I kept it really clean, too, though it was hard. I had to de-clutter every month and I had to clean twice as much (or more) as I would have had to do had I been in a normal home. It was concentrated mess! :) I sweep once a week here, whereas in the camper I swept twice a day. Living in the camper with three children showed me that I can live in any size home and run that home, smoothly. So, here are some of my secrets for keeping a clean, uncluttered home:
1) PICKING UP THE HOUSE: My biggest secret, is really something very simple indeed! The kids and I pick-up (not to be mistaken with clean ) the house every night before bed. The whole house must be picked up before bed, including the yard. Why is this my biggest secret? The reason is because, in the morning I can clean. I don't have to deal with the discouragement of having to pick up messes, so I CAN clean! :) I get up and I can vacuum after breakfast. I can even vacuum the kids rooms if I beat them in there, before they start playing. There is nothing better than waking up to a picked up house every morning! :) There is also nothing better than being able to go out and mow grass in the morning and not have to waste my time and energy picking up toys in the yard. This is my biggest time-management tip, ever, I think!
2) CHILDREN: Kids MUST clean up their own mess. My kids have been trained to clean since they could walk and now it doesn't take them long to get it done. I have a bit of trouble with Sheldon. He knows how to do it, but thinks since he's little he can get away with playing, while the others clean. I have watched him clean, though, and I know I trained him well, (and the same as the other children) because he knows where everything goes. Every so often (maybe once every two months) I go through the toy boxes and containers and put misplaced objects in the right places. Usually things get put away in the wrong places when kids come over to play and don't know where things go. I must say that organizing the kids toys has helped them immensely to get their cleaning done quickly. For a very long time I would keep large diaper boxes and certain toys would go in certain boxes. You can line them up in closets or along a wall. It's best if they are in a closet because they don't look very pretty. If you can afford to buy organizing boxes that would be nicest (I finally do have some, now). Anyway, trains in one, Barbies in another, baby dolls in one, doll clothing in another, army men in one, cars in another, etc....you get the picture. We have one toy box for misc toys. We have one larger toybox for all manner of swords, indoor balls, very large trucks and construction trucks, play guns, etc. What I am getting at though is that EVERY toy needs to have a place. It doesn't take long to teach a child where they all go. My kids have come to me before with a piece of trash to throw away or a new toy without a home, and told me they didn't know where to put it. This works very well! I rarely clean up my kids messes. If they want to watch a movie they have to clean the livingroom, or if they have made a huge mess elsewhere they have to clean it up, before they can watch a movie! NO slumming allowed!!! I don't know why it bothers me so much when they watch a movie and they are surrounded by their mess. I can't stand to watch a movie amisdt my own mess, either. Anyway, they know the rules about movie watching. My house usually has toys scattered all over it, all day long. It doesn't bother me; as long as they are cleaned up before bed.
3) CLUTTER: I think we all know that clutter is the biggest enemy, when it comes to keeping a clean home. The reason is because you have to move it, to clean, and it wastes so much precious time and energy. Mail needs to be sorted daily....open it...throw envelopes and flyers away...file the statement...put the bill portion and sending envelope wherever you keep your bills...and throw out the junk mail. Or recycle it. Join Freecycle.org to get rid of larger items or just take them to the Goodwill. I took so much stuff to the Goodwill when we first moved here, and got rid of an old washer, and two tv's on Freecycle. Don't make piles! I have one designated area for pile-making. I puts odds and ends, papers, lists, etc, on one place on my island and before bed I try to sort the pile. You could also use a basket. Having a designated area for your pile works really well. A lot of the clutter I have seen in people's houses is trash, plain and simple. Just throw it away as soon as it becomes trash! :) Get after your kids BIG TIME for leaving candy wrappers or whatever somewhere other than the trash.... If you don't, they won't learn to throw things away. If you have major issues with clutter, a good website is: www.flylady.net I've never had to use this, per-say, but I like what she has to say on there, and she has good steps to take! :)
4) MEAL CLEAN-UP: Somehow, I got into the habit of cleaning as I cook/bake. After I am done, it doesn't look like I even made anything! :) There are just dishes in the sink to load in the dishwasher. Some people are REALLY good and load the dishwasher as they cook, but I'm not that good!
My dishrag is my best friend, ever. I use two a day usually, cleaning up my kitchen as I cook.
5) LISTS AND SCHEDULES: If it helps you, make a cleaning schedule for the days of the week. Such as: Mon:bathrooms, Tues: Vacuuming, Wed: Dusting or Windows (I've found that these need done every two or three weeks and so I alternate them, accordingly ), Thurs: Mopping, Fri: Mowing/yardwork/clean Garage, or whatever your unique needs are. Do dishes, laundry, picking up the house, bedmaking, etc, everyday. Make a list of things you can do monthly and bi-monthly, and every so often pick one of them to do. Some of the ones on mine are: Washing all the sheets, Vacuuming the car out, washing walls (if you have any that need it), my husband's shower, organize the Tupperware cabinet, organize the bathroom cabinets/ drawers, Refrigerator/freezer, wash doors and doorways. I also have a yearly list that contains: mini Blinds, window frames inside and out, clean behind stove, fridge and washer and dryer, etc. You will have specific things that are unique to you. My summer house cleaning list is different than my winter list. No gardening or yardwork. A daily list helps, too! :)
6) LAUNDRY: Do all your laundry everyday. I do one or two loads a day and that's it. I wash it, dry it and fold it. I fold it right out of the dryer and set the piles on the washer and dryer. I leave the piles there (usually three days at the most) until I have enough to put them away. I hate putting away laundry so this is a way I can skip out on it. Plus, the piles are not in the way of anything. They would be in the way if I folded on my bed or on my couch, which is what I used to do. I would end up moving the piles to the dressers or wherever and I wouldn't put the clothes away. By putting them on my washer and dryer, I can go for three days without having to put them away, but also not having them in the way. You can sometimes find loop-holes for your procrastination! :) This is one of mine! I have a rack above my washer and dryer with hangers on it for shirts, too, which I would never use if I folded on the couch. So, I get to use them now, since I fold in the laundry room! :)
7) MORNING ROUTINES: I get up with my husband, pack his lunch, eat a snack, read my bible and work out, check my email, and go back to bed (usually). When I get up the second time, I make my bed, gather laundry from every room and put a load in. I eat breakfast, shower if it's hot, and start my daily cleaning. The rest of the day I have free, pretty much, except for meals and dishes. My kids have to make their own beds, too. When school is in (we homeschool), I still have the same morning routine, and that free time I would have had is when we do school. Your situation will be different from mine. Some days if it's busy I stay up in the morning after my husband leaves and sometimes I don't. During school time, I won't be doing that. In fact, I may have to start getting the kids up earlier.
8) CLEANING SUPPLIES: Why clutter up your shelves and under your sinks with things you use to clean with??? That doesn't make sense! As a stay at home mom and an Army wife, I can't really afford to buy all the latest cleaning innovations, but my house is still clean! I have found a few products that I really like. I have ONE (I repeat ONE) shelf that has cleaning supplies on it and none under any of my sinks besides dish soap and automatic dishwasher detergent. My favorite is Windex Multi-surface. I use a bottle of it every month, on every surface. My other favorite is Mr Clean Magic Erasers for walls, crayon, and smudges. The only other cleaning supplies I have are: Scrubbing Bubbles (we have hard water, otherwise I wouldn't use it, but I need it for the tubs and sinks), a bleach based cleaning spray which I use on many surfaces (I actually use the Walmart brand Great Value), bleach for doing the white laundry, concentrated Carpet Cleaning solution, Murphey's Oil Soap for cleaning my linolium floors and Comet for cleaning toilets. And that's it! If you don't have an oven with an automatic cleaning cycle you would need oven cleaner, also. But why collect all kinds of cleaning supplies when you only need basic things. All the things I listed besides the carpet cleaning solution, I use for multiple things. Take Murphey's Oil Soap. It is CHEAP and concentrated and I use it to dust, clean floors and polish furniture. Minimize the clutter but get the job done nicely! :)
9) TRACKING: Dirt gets in from animals, kids, adults, the breeze, etc. I think we all know that taking shoes off helps, but i go farther in the summer. The kids don't come in unless they have washed their feet off at the spicket. I have big beachtowels on the floor at each doorway (and we have 4 doorways) and the kids wipe their wet feet on that before they go on the carpet. When the dog runs in the house (which is ALL day long) he ends up wiping his feet on the towels as he runs in. It really helps. It looks stupid to have these beach towels all over but it really works, so I don't care! If you care about color coordinating, you could buy towels to match the decor. I use towels rather than rugs because they are easier to pick up and wash because I wash them every week.
10) PRAYER: I pray that I will do in the day, what God would have me do...HIS agenda. Not mine. God wants our homes to be comfortable, not stressful, overwhelming and depressing. At the same time, He also wants us to be nurturing our children. Spending time with them in the best ways possible. We need to be making healthy meals for our husbands and ministering to them at the end of the day. I wouldn't have the energy if I worked like a mad woman all day long. Neither would I be able to function and enjoy life with a house that looks like a tornado went through it. There is a BALANCE!
No excuses, no blaming it on the kids or lack of space (we have a big house now, but we have also lived in camper, so none of you have an excuse!). No blaming it on your husband, too much yardwork, not enough money, not enough storage space, not enough time, not enough organizational skills, or whatever it is. You can do it! :)
Anybody want to add to this???
Monday, July 20, 2009
~ July Jot and Tittle ~
Zane on his birthday in June...he turned 6
My cute husband!
My cute Sheldon!
Zane's birthday cake with Army Men on it...
if you look closely you can see that one is dying! :)
Abigail with the Pillowcase Dress I made for her!
+ Our broccoli is done producing and we have gotten some cauliflower. Our Squash plants are huge and I am anxiously awaiting seeing some fruit on them. The Corn, Potatoes and Tomatoes are doing well, too. I have been able to freeze so many herbs from my herb garden! :)
+ VBS week went well. It was stressful. I helped in the 3-5 year olds since Sheldon and Abbie were both in there. There were 25 kids in that age group but I was able to help and minister, so that was great. The kids LOVED it, as they always do! I made a new Army wife friend, there, named Rachel. Turned out she lives on the next driveway past our house! :) I am about to go email her and see if she wants to come over on Wednesday to let her little boy play with my kids and just to get to know each other! She seems really nice! :)
+ James is done with Cross-fit so we finally don't have to get up so early! His shoulder was really bothering him towards the end of the program. I think he has a torn rotary cuff , and the workouts really irritated it. He is going to the e-6 board in September. I hope they pick him up. It would be a very nice pay-raise that we could really use!
+ I have gotten a lot done on Abbie's scrapbook, and am looking forward to doing Sheldon's!
+ Cash got stung by a bee on his butt this morning. Poor dog. I told all the kids to go pet him and make him feel better because "he got stung by a bee on his butt and it hurts real bad!" They all felt so bad for him.
+ My in-laws are all coming on August first so I have a lot of housework, meal planning and shopping to do. I am so excited! They will be here for a week! I think we will go to the aquarium in Seattle, but not sure what else we will be doing. We will have 5 kids and 7 adults between us.
+ My sister Sarah called the other day to tell me that my sister Naomi is pregnant! I was so excited and then very super excited when she told that she is also pregnant!!! Sarah is due in February and Naomi is due in April! I am so happy for them, even though it makes me sad that I am still young enough to have another baby, I want a baby, and I could be included in their special time, but it can't happen. I am praying for contentment and just a sense of peace with where we are in our life right now....including how many children we have. Even though I am struggling with my own feelings, which are none of my sister's faults, I am extremely happy for them, in this joyous time in their lives, and I am thankful for my own dear children. My kids are so good. My kids are healthy, happy, obedient and exuberant. I need to be grateful for that and keep asking God to take the baby ache away, or do something about it. :/
+ It's so nice and hot! I love it when it's 75 to 80 degrees. It's actually been 90 lately, which is fine, but we don't have air conditioning so the house does get pretty hot. We don't have any trees around the house. We keep the windows open all night and close them in the morning and that helps for most of the day.
+ I have been trying to try out more summer recipes. Just more recipes that are main dishes, but cold, instead of hot. Tonight, I made Salmon Stuffed Tomatoes. They were really good. I have a lot of main dish pasta recipes that I have tried, too, but the kids aren't too fond of them.
+ I am amazed at how patient I have been with the kids and how rested I feel. Even though I get a lot done throughout the day, I am not pushing myself too hard. I've really been enjoying my summer. God has really done His work in me, the past few months. I feel like a better mom, everyday. I am confident concerning homeschooling next year. I am very sure that it's God's will right now that we continue to homeschool, and that I can do it and that I am ready to take on another year. I feel very adequate! I have a lot of homeschooling support at church, and the kids have made so many new friends. It's so nice to know that they are being able to enjoy being around other kids and that I can go to several different moms at church if I have homeschooling questions.
+ Yes, church! I am in love with our new church. I am making my own friends and socializing a lot with other military wives. We are at church on Thursdays and Sundays, and I think we both feel very confident that it's where God wants us right now. Our pastor is very blunt and really lays it down for us, which I really like! :) It's my favorite style of preaching. Every Sunday I am challenged anew. I think my husband is, too. Our pastor cries quite often, also, so I know he feels very, very deeply about what he is doing and what he is preaching! I love it! I am looking forward to helping in AWANA, soon.
Well, I think that's all for now! I don't have any spiritual ponderings to close with right now, unfortunately. I would love it if I did. I am staying in God's Word and keeping my ears open to His messages, but I have none to share at the moment.
Except maybe... :) Did you know that there is nothing that YOU can do to become saved? There is nothing that God requires of you, but a heart that sees its own sin. A heart that believes and a heart that breaks when it discovers that it is lost and can't make it alone!!!
Titus 3:3-11
For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, decieved, serving diverse lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one-another.
But after thatthe kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man, appeared.
Not by WORKS of righteousness which we have done, but according to His MERCY he saved us, BY the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost.
Which he shed on US abundantly THROUGH Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Being justified by HIS grace we should be made HEIRS according to the hope of eternal life.
This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that though affirm constantly, that they which HAVE (past tense) believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are right and profitable unto men.
BUT, avoid foolish questions and genealogies and contentions and STRIVINGS about the law; for they are UNPROFITABLE and VAIN.
It is only by grace and mercy that we are saved. What we do with it after that, shows that we ARE saved and points others to Jesus. God prepares your heart, calls your heart and leads your heart to HIM. There is a point when you are unconverted, asleep to your personal sin, and ignorant to your need of Salvation. And then, there is a point when you are awakened, your heart is broken because of your sin, you see no way out, you don't know what to do, and then God pricks your heart. After this, God converts your heart to Him, causing you to believe UPON Him and UPON His blood, and not just IN Him. Most people believe in God. Even the demons do. That's easy. But do you believe ON Him??? There is a difference!
I love you all and just wanted to pour that out to you for some reason! :) Have a blessed rest of the week! :)
Thursday, July 2, 2009
The Military Wife
I got this off of : http://awtr.blogspot.com/2009/07/military-wife.html
The Military Wife
The good Lord was creating a model for Military Wives and was into his
sixth day of overtime when an Angel appeared.
She said, "Lord, you seem to be having a lot of trouble with this one.
What's wrong with the standard model?"
The Lord replied, "Have you seen the specs on this order? She has to be
completely independent, possess the qualities of both Mother and Father,
be a perfect hostess for four or forty with an hours notice, run on black
coffee, handle every emergency imaginable without a manual, be able
to carry on cheerfully, even if she is pregnant or has the flu, and she
has to have six pair of hands."
The Angel shook her head. "Six pair of hands? No way!"
The Lord continued, "Don't worry, we will make other Military
Wives to help her. And we will give her an unusually strong heart
so it can swell with pride in her Husband's achievements, sustain
the pain of separation, beat soundly when it is overworked and tired,
and be large enough to say "I understand" when she doesn't and
"I love you" regardless."
"Lord", said the Angel, touching his arm gently. "Go to bed and
get some rest. You can finish this tomorrow."
"I can't stop now", said the Lord. "I am so close to creating something
so unique. Already this model heals herself when she is sick,
can put up six unexpected guests for the weekend, wave goodbye
to her Husband from a pier, a runway or a depot, and understand
why it is important that he leave."
The Angel circled the model of the Military Wife, looked at it
closely and sighed. "It looks fine, but it's too soft."
"She may look soft," replied the Lord, "but she has the strength
of a lion. You would not believe what she can endure."
Finally, the Angel bent over and ran her finger across
the cheek of the Lord's creation. "There's a leak," she announced.
"Something is wrong with the construction. I'm not surprised that
it has cracked. You are trying to put too much into this model."
The Lord appeared offended at the Angel's lack of confidence.
"What you see is not a leak. It's a tear."
"A tear? What is it there for?", asked the Angel.
The Lord replied, "It's for joy, sadness, pain, disappointment,
loneliness, pride and dedication to all the values that she
and her Husband hold dear."
"You are a genius!" exclaimed the Angel.
The Lord looked puzzled and replied,
"I didn't put it there."
-Author Unknown
The Military Wife
The good Lord was creating a model for Military Wives and was into his
sixth day of overtime when an Angel appeared.
She said, "Lord, you seem to be having a lot of trouble with this one.
What's wrong with the standard model?"
The Lord replied, "Have you seen the specs on this order? She has to be
completely independent, possess the qualities of both Mother and Father,
be a perfect hostess for four or forty with an hours notice, run on black
coffee, handle every emergency imaginable without a manual, be able
to carry on cheerfully, even if she is pregnant or has the flu, and she
has to have six pair of hands."
The Angel shook her head. "Six pair of hands? No way!"
The Lord continued, "Don't worry, we will make other Military
Wives to help her. And we will give her an unusually strong heart
so it can swell with pride in her Husband's achievements, sustain
the pain of separation, beat soundly when it is overworked and tired,
and be large enough to say "I understand" when she doesn't and
"I love you" regardless."
"Lord", said the Angel, touching his arm gently. "Go to bed and
get some rest. You can finish this tomorrow."
"I can't stop now", said the Lord. "I am so close to creating something
so unique. Already this model heals herself when she is sick,
can put up six unexpected guests for the weekend, wave goodbye
to her Husband from a pier, a runway or a depot, and understand
why it is important that he leave."
The Angel circled the model of the Military Wife, looked at it
closely and sighed. "It looks fine, but it's too soft."
"She may look soft," replied the Lord, "but she has the strength
of a lion. You would not believe what she can endure."
Finally, the Angel bent over and ran her finger across
the cheek of the Lord's creation. "There's a leak," she announced.
"Something is wrong with the construction. I'm not surprised that
it has cracked. You are trying to put too much into this model."
The Lord appeared offended at the Angel's lack of confidence.
"What you see is not a leak. It's a tear."
"A tear? What is it there for?", asked the Angel.
The Lord replied, "It's for joy, sadness, pain, disappointment,
loneliness, pride and dedication to all the values that she
and her Husband hold dear."
"You are a genius!" exclaimed the Angel.
The Lord looked puzzled and replied,
"I didn't put it there."
-Author Unknown
Friday, June 19, 2009
No Title...Just Pure and Simple Thankfulness
Snow while we lived in the camper...2007/2008 winter
Our Trampoline in Jan 2008 before we got the
rest of the snow! :)
These pictures are just to prove that weactually did what I wrote in this post! :)
I don't mind that I look stressed and horrible...
I was! :) The condensation is even there on the windows...
though, thanks to bleach the black mold was under control! LOL!
Sheldon, a new born, in his bassinet without legs! :) At nightI would move the bassinet to the couch where it was warmer,
or he would sleep with me on especially cold nights. During the day
I would put his bed by this window if there was sun! :)
This is our camper with the addition, behind the horses, there.
My kids were always happy, despite how I felt!
Me, right after James left for Korea and right before wemoved out of the camper!
I still look around, I still assess my surroundings and our wonderful circumstances, in complete THANKFULNESS, to a Holy and Living God who saw us through the biggest valley in our life, yet. I still do not know how I made it through my trials, practically alone on Earth (it felt like). Not alone spiritually...I would have never made it without the Lord and amazing friends from my church who spurred me on, yet I still felt humanly alone, miserable, stressed and worried. At one point, suicidal, to a small degree. I am still in utter disbelief. I don't think people realize how hard it was. Most don't even know my story. And yet, I can still think of MANY who had it worse than I did, then. But, when you are amidst those trials, it always seems like no one knows what you are going through and no one cares, either. I am excluding my church friends ( they didn't know how bad it was but they DID care! :) I still thank God for my bathtub every time I get in it! I am amazed at running water. I am thankful for a shower that provides more than 2 min of hot water! I am amazed that when we flush the toilet we don't have to see it again. I am thankful for a low maintenance heat source, good insulation, thick windows, plush carpet, a shelter for my horse, beds for my children that are not wet with condensation, and a husband who keeps me warm at night. I am thankful for food other than beans, eggs and homemade macaroni and cheese (these are great foods but think about eating them everyday). I am thankful for my washer and dryer. I am thankful that I knew how to live on less and economize. I am thankful that I could live in the wilderness and probably survive due to what I learned and taught myself during these times. I am thankful that God made me strong. That God taught me to be more faithful...(think about the word Faithful....it does NOT mean loyal, only.....it means simply....full of faith). I am thankful that God prepared me to be a better military spouse than I was prior to 2006. I am thankful for my children, my husband and my marriage. I am thankful that we are all together now, and not drifting aimlessly about in a sea of bad decisions and debt that we could have easily begun to drown in. I don't think many people can so easily be SO thankful for these COMMON AMENities! :) Can you all say AMEN to amenities??? I doubt that many of you can find such comfort in the things that I do, now!
You know...our camper is in our backyard. I see it everyday. I see the remainder of foam insulation on one side where we had the addition...failed foam insulation, by the way! :) I see all the places where the snow and ice and blowing wind peeled the emblems and decals off of it. I go in and smell the familiar smell of the furnishings and wallpaper. Our camper was brand new when we bought it. I probably wouldn't have survived in an old one in North Idaho...so i AM thankful that my husband had the wisdom to buy a brand new one. But you know...it doesn't look brand new inside or outside. We didn't trash it but it looks lived in because I lived in it for 18 months (12 of those months we were almost buried in snow) with three kids, two cats and a dog (for part of the time). I used to hate that camper. Up until today I wanted to get rid of it in any way that I could. Today, I am kind of starting to love it. How is this possible that I don't really want it to go anywhere? I don't want anyone else to live in it. Even if I never sleep in it again, I don't want anyone else sleeping in it, owning it or taking it. I want it to stay in my back yard. I want it to be a constant reminder of how thankful i am for the common things. For life. For love that withstood. For bad decisions. For debt. For lessons. For marriage. For perseverance. For my Living God.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Tut Tut
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We had been getting slightly annoyed with driving 40-50 minutes to church, so we had kind of thought about trying to find a new church. I was very worried about not being able to serve in AWANA as a leader for the simple fact of the drive, the gas prices, and the fact that AWANA is during the winter and there is no way I can make that drive in the dark on icy roads. So, I was just stressed out about that and worried that the kids wouldn't get to go because of all that. We were annoyed that most of our Sunday it seems like we are driving, and that by the time we get home we are starving. I took the kids to the park in McKenna on Wed. last week, and on the way back I saw a sign for McKenna Community Church. I turned and went to see if it was an open and operating church...much to my happiness it is! They have a little park there, and the outside reminded me so much of my old church in Idaho. So I got out to read the sign and low and behold, they have AWANA there! :) They will also be having VBS in July which I REALLY wanted my kids to go to. Anyway, the church was open because a boy was mowing grass so I went in and grabbed some flyers. There was one for a Family Fun Night, that they do every Thursday when AWANA isn't going on. They have outdoor games, fellowship and a BBQ/Potluck. So, the kids and i went on Thursday and we are going to go today! James couldn't make it to the last one because he had to work late but he is planning on coming tonight. We went to church there on Sunday----(which is why we weren't at church, Sarah). We loved it! Sheldon would consistantly cry at Emmanuel....like, shrieking....which he had never done before. Well, this past Sunday he didn't utter a sound when I dropped him off BOTH times! I couldn't believe it. I think he was scared at the other church because there were so many people. He just walked right in and started playing at this one. The other kids loved their class, too....not that they didn't love their other one, but you know... Also, I forgot to mention that the added bonuses of this church are these: it is THREE miles from my house....there are several military wives and about 80% of kids there are homeschooled....there about 100 kids there....and probably half of the kids are very mature (it seemed like) teens, and the other half kids my kids age. All seemed very nice. I already made several friends and I only went twice! :)
We liked our old church, but in practicality it just wasn't working. And gas prices are going up. Another thing...my friend Brandi and her husband have been wanting to go to church with us, but said it was too hard for them to make the drive (she lives a mile away from me). Well, she came with me this past Sunday and loved it, and it is only 4 miles for her, so it is working out for both of us! :) So, praise God for that!
Two more days of school and we will be out for the summer! Hallaluliah! :P
My father in law is driving up for a visit (from KY) and bringing some of our things that they have had in storage, and a flat screen Plasma tv that my sister in law didn't want anymore! Another good thing, because we hate ours and would never be able to afford a new one right now!
Then August first we are having a family reunion (a small one) here at our house. My sister in law will be coming...her husband, Randy just left for Basic Training last month, so it will be nice for Ashley to come over and spend some time with family. She has two babies and one on the way, so she will need a distraction by August. She will be 8 months pregnant when she comes (also from KY), so pray that everything goes ok and that she can come. I have never seen her kids! :(
I've been mowing my heart out, and sprayed weeds the other day...lots of yard work to do.
James is in Cross-fit right now, a very strenuous work-out that he goes to, that the Army pays for ....I think he has like 5 weeks left of that, but will be able to be an instructor and use it for PT at work. He is getting very muscled up. I liked him before and I hope he doesn't get too beefed up! :) I like men with slender, slightly smooth-muscled arms. I'm not into the beefy look, but he looks wonderful right now! :)
Life is good right now. I am getting a lot done....being very productive and just enjoying my summer! :) I hope you guys are too!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Military Seperations
This was written by my friend, Amy Brigham...a fellow army wife with a husband soon returning from a one year deployment. She says it better than anyone else could...I've tried to express myself in this way, but she always has the right words! ...
Not All Seperations Are The Same
Dear Well-Meaning Friend,
I understand you would like to empathize with me; to support, encourage, and lift me up, but comparing your husband's business trip or a long distance relationship to our experience of war is not going to do what you intended, for myself or any other military spouse. Separations of all kinds are hard, I will never deny this fact; however, this doesn't mean all separations are similiar or cause the same upheaval and adjustments in one's life.
When my husband walks away to board that bus or plane or ship, we are saying goodbye to more than just each other. We're saying goodbye to innocence, goodbye to normal, and, a very small chance, goodbye for good. The next time I see my husband, he will be a changed man; older and different than the man he was the day he left, on a warm sunny day, that now seems so far away. He will have seen things--terrible things--things we all hope we'll never have to see. The bodies of children lying dead in a field hospital. Blood running alongside the road, after an IED attack. The remains of human beings--men he knew--scattered all over the ground in the aftermath of a bombing. He may have out processed coffins, as they left the country, with the body of a young person his age, perhaps even somebody he knew from high school or basic training, contained within. Maybe a soldier he shared a meal with that very week.
My husband will have witnessed the lives of comrades destroyed, when a Dear John letter arrives in the mail or divorce papers are served over R&R leave. He might comfort one of his men, as he learns his wife has committed adultery and that the baby she's carrying may not be his. He'll watch all of this pain unfold all while miles away from me, hoping, praying, and trusting that none of this nightmare will come true in his life. Even with the utmost of trust, a long separation causes insecurity and questions in the minds of even the most emotionally strong men.
When he comes home, after a long time away, it will be a joyous time to be sure, but an anxiety ridden one as well. What happened while he was gone, he will wonder. Where is his place in this family anymore, if life went on without him for a year, while he was essentially replaced. Will his children know him? Will the littlest ones recognize his face? Will his teenagers still need him? Will his wife love him as much as she once did, knowing what he's seen, what he's touched, the experiences that have scarred his heart and psyche, just as the shrapnel once scarred his hand? Will she still love him? Will that something special have been lost during his absence? Much anxiety indeed.
He'll look around his world, needing to adjust to American culture again, needing to learn to navigate our roads, needing to re-learn how to be part of family life again. The dangers of war won't just lift off his mind, the moment he sets foot on safe ground. There will be boxes to avoid on the sides of the road. Abandoned backpacks in sporting goods stores, from which he'll need to protect his family. He'll jump at the crashes of plates falling at the restaurant, or the screech of the kettle, perhaps ducking under the table, and he'll avoid crowded public places possibly for years to come. For months, he'll feel unsafe without his body armor and weapon at his side and he'll call out all of the possible hazards on the side of the road as he drives.
There is the marriage contract to be re-negotiated, as you learn to live with each other again, to accept the numerous changes that came during the year's time, to adjust to the new people you have both become. Many changes of which cannot be fully appreciated until you have come together again, thanks to oftentimes questionable communication during the time he was gone. Roles have shifted and what once was can never be again. You're both older, wiser, different, and changed. There's no going back, just moving forward, together, hand in hand. Even the most intimate parts of the relationship will need to be entered into slowly, re-learned, and explored anew again. Everything doesn't necessarily fall into place right away but takes time. He's been gone for a year. That is a very long time.
My husband isn't coming back from a brief jaunt to a city across the country. I'm not seeing him after a few months spent apart, with adequate communication possibilities, including a phone that rings both ways, and his being in a safe location. No, my husband is coming back from a war or time spent floating around on a naval ship, a city at sea. From a year of frustration, emotional upheaval, a time when he couldn't adequately address hygiene needs or always have access to a flushing toilet and time spent living through the bodily abuse of twenty four hour shifts. The reality we have lived through, and the road that lie ahead, are mighty different than what you have experienced, my friend.
If you desire to help us, to extend your hand in love and friendship, this is a reality that you must appreciate. You don't have to have lived through the realities of war yourself, to be a blessing to those who have, but you do need to understand where we're coming from, to appreciate the differences between what was yours and what is ours. This isn't just a happy time but a frightening one as well. Everything doesn't fall into place again, easily picked up from where life left off, but must be worked on to find "normal" once again. This isn't going to be easy or going to happen overnight. My husband isn't fully "home" just because he's walked through our front door again. To best be there for me, my friend, all of this I need you to understand.
With Love,
Your Military Wife Friend
Not All Seperations Are The Same
Dear Well-Meaning Friend,
I understand you would like to empathize with me; to support, encourage, and lift me up, but comparing your husband's business trip or a long distance relationship to our experience of war is not going to do what you intended, for myself or any other military spouse. Separations of all kinds are hard, I will never deny this fact; however, this doesn't mean all separations are similiar or cause the same upheaval and adjustments in one's life.
When my husband walks away to board that bus or plane or ship, we are saying goodbye to more than just each other. We're saying goodbye to innocence, goodbye to normal, and, a very small chance, goodbye for good. The next time I see my husband, he will be a changed man; older and different than the man he was the day he left, on a warm sunny day, that now seems so far away. He will have seen things--terrible things--things we all hope we'll never have to see. The bodies of children lying dead in a field hospital. Blood running alongside the road, after an IED attack. The remains of human beings--men he knew--scattered all over the ground in the aftermath of a bombing. He may have out processed coffins, as they left the country, with the body of a young person his age, perhaps even somebody he knew from high school or basic training, contained within. Maybe a soldier he shared a meal with that very week.
My husband will have witnessed the lives of comrades destroyed, when a Dear John letter arrives in the mail or divorce papers are served over R&R leave. He might comfort one of his men, as he learns his wife has committed adultery and that the baby she's carrying may not be his. He'll watch all of this pain unfold all while miles away from me, hoping, praying, and trusting that none of this nightmare will come true in his life. Even with the utmost of trust, a long separation causes insecurity and questions in the minds of even the most emotionally strong men.
When he comes home, after a long time away, it will be a joyous time to be sure, but an anxiety ridden one as well. What happened while he was gone, he will wonder. Where is his place in this family anymore, if life went on without him for a year, while he was essentially replaced. Will his children know him? Will the littlest ones recognize his face? Will his teenagers still need him? Will his wife love him as much as she once did, knowing what he's seen, what he's touched, the experiences that have scarred his heart and psyche, just as the shrapnel once scarred his hand? Will she still love him? Will that something special have been lost during his absence? Much anxiety indeed.
He'll look around his world, needing to adjust to American culture again, needing to learn to navigate our roads, needing to re-learn how to be part of family life again. The dangers of war won't just lift off his mind, the moment he sets foot on safe ground. There will be boxes to avoid on the sides of the road. Abandoned backpacks in sporting goods stores, from which he'll need to protect his family. He'll jump at the crashes of plates falling at the restaurant, or the screech of the kettle, perhaps ducking under the table, and he'll avoid crowded public places possibly for years to come. For months, he'll feel unsafe without his body armor and weapon at his side and he'll call out all of the possible hazards on the side of the road as he drives.
There is the marriage contract to be re-negotiated, as you learn to live with each other again, to accept the numerous changes that came during the year's time, to adjust to the new people you have both become. Many changes of which cannot be fully appreciated until you have come together again, thanks to oftentimes questionable communication during the time he was gone. Roles have shifted and what once was can never be again. You're both older, wiser, different, and changed. There's no going back, just moving forward, together, hand in hand. Even the most intimate parts of the relationship will need to be entered into slowly, re-learned, and explored anew again. Everything doesn't necessarily fall into place right away but takes time. He's been gone for a year. That is a very long time.
My husband isn't coming back from a brief jaunt to a city across the country. I'm not seeing him after a few months spent apart, with adequate communication possibilities, including a phone that rings both ways, and his being in a safe location. No, my husband is coming back from a war or time spent floating around on a naval ship, a city at sea. From a year of frustration, emotional upheaval, a time when he couldn't adequately address hygiene needs or always have access to a flushing toilet and time spent living through the bodily abuse of twenty four hour shifts. The reality we have lived through, and the road that lie ahead, are mighty different than what you have experienced, my friend.
If you desire to help us, to extend your hand in love and friendship, this is a reality that you must appreciate. You don't have to have lived through the realities of war yourself, to be a blessing to those who have, but you do need to understand where we're coming from, to appreciate the differences between what was yours and what is ours. This isn't just a happy time but a frightening one as well. Everything doesn't fall into place again, easily picked up from where life left off, but must be worked on to find "normal" once again. This isn't going to be easy or going to happen overnight. My husband isn't fully "home" just because he's walked through our front door again. To best be there for me, my friend, all of this I need you to understand.
With Love,
Your Military Wife Friend
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