Wobbly First Steps

If you have spent any time with my 14 month old son, D, you would know that he is a super fast crawler that refuses to walk. He has been able to stand briefly without holding on to anything, but he would quickly fall to the ground to crawl when he needed to move. In fact, when we tried to get him to stand purposefully, he would bend his legs and immediately fall. He did not want to stand and he certainly did not want to walk. I referred to him as having "jelly legs."

All that was true...until this evening! He is now walking! I think it was because of a combination of external factors. His loving (read that as "in his face and won't ever leave him alone") sister is at her very first sleepover with her cousins, so the house is much quieter. Naturally, this made D the center of attention. He was in such a good mood this evening because my mom, dad, and myself were all playing with him and making him laugh. I even got the video camera out because he was being so silly.

My mom and I took the opportunity to try and encourage him to take some steps. After all, he is 14 months old! Up until tonight he wouldn't even budge when left standing for a second. But in his giddy mood, he fell for our tricks, and before we knew it he took a step...then two....then 6! By the end of our little playtime, he had taken 8 steps and was "walking" with confidence. His little wobbly legs taking steps with caution and lack of precision was so entertaining. Sometimes he kept his legs straight and sometimes he experimented with bending his knees. He got so excited while he was doing it that he was smiling and laughing the whole time. What a beautiful moment for my mom and dad to witness with me. And...I got it all on video for B :-)

Gratitude

Just a tiny number of blessings God has poured out on me recently...

77. A husband's willingness to create a customized blog template for me. :-)
78. Family members with generosity that overwhelms me.
79. Health for the kids over Christmas.
80. My mom's house fully decorated for Christmas. (trees in every room, snowflakes from the ceiling, snow scene on the mantel, spot light on the door....)
81. A dog who absolutely loves my children.

82. Blue eyes.
83. A preschooler with some serious personality.
84. A champion speed crawler.
85. Laughing with my mom so hard that we both cried.
86. A Vicks menthol plug-in that helps D sleep despite a slight cold.
87. Memories that were made this past week with my family.
89. A van to transport us (and all our stuff) in.
90. A few chances to run out without the kids.

Oh Glorious Day - A Study of God's Truth

It's B.

Although rare, there are some songs that at least for me really bring out the Glory of God. The lyrical content has to match proper Theology. When this happens, it gets added to my playlist and I listen to it constantly. Keep in mind my playlist is only 21 songs long. That's how particular I can be. Well, I found another one. The lyrics are rich with the Truth of our Great God. So I thought I would share it and also place next to the line a scripture verse for you to study and see the Truth. Soli Deo Gloria!

Casting Crowns - Oh Glorious Day: (click to hear the song)

One day when Heaven was filled with His praises (Revelation 4:8)
One day when sin was as black as could be (Psalm 51:5)
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin (Luke 1:31)
Dwelt among men, my example is He (Luke 2:52)
Word became flesh and the light shined among us, His glory revealed (John 1:14)

Living, He loved me (1 John 4:19)
Dying, He saved me (2 Thessalonians 2:13)
Buried, He carried my sins far away (Psalm 103:12)
Rising, He justified freely forever (Romans 3:24)
One day He's coming (Matthew 24:27)
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day (Isaiah 28:5)

One day they led Him up Calvary's mountain (John 19:17)
One day they nailed Him to die on a tree (Galations 3:13)
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected (Isaiah 53:3)
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Hands that healed nations, stretched out on a tree (Mark 1:34)
And took the nails for me (1 Corinthians 1:18)

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer (Romans 6:9)
One day the stone rolled away from the door (Luke 24:2)
Then He arose, over death He had conquered (Revelation 20:6)
Now He is ascended, my Lord evermore (Ephesians 4:10)
Death could not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him,from rising again (Romans 1:4)

One day the trumpet will sound for His coming (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
One day the skies with His glories will shine (Revelation 21:23)
Wonderful day, my Beloved One, bringing (Isaiah 4:2)
My Savior, Jesus, is mine (Luke 1:47)

Oh, glorious day (Isaiah 28:5)

Taking a Head Count

Sorry for the double post today... I haven't blogged all week so I am making up for lost time, haha. First of all, do you like the new blog look? My super talented husband created it for me and I could not be happier with it. Thanks, B! I love it!

Okay, next on the agenda is a blog census. Meaning...I want to know who reads this. Sometimes when I show up at family functions or talk to my friends, they tell me that they read my blog and cry or laugh at different entries. I LOVE hearing that you are reading and I love to hear your reactions to my stories and/or thoughts. I write this for me and my memories, but I love to share what's going on with us with you. But, I would still really like to know who reads this. So far, I have 13 "followers" on my blog although I KNOW more of you read this. I would love it if you could become an official follower or leave comments here and there so that I know that you are in my reading audience. Even if I don't know you, its okay. I know some of my friends have told their friends to read and that's great! I will entertain anyone who will read, haha. I am sure we would be friends if we met :-)

So, to my sisters-in-law, bff, sisters, aunts, strangers and friends..please become real followers so I can know you read. (Plus, having 20-25 followers would be way more exciting than having 13!) Thanks in advance for taking the time to figure it out....if my mom and dad can become a follower, so can you :-)

A Christmas Apart

I sure hope you all had a very Merry Christmas doing whatever it is you do at Christmastime. We sure did have fun here in Atlanta visiting with our family. My sisters both came in town, so there was a full house at my mom's and my sister-in-law and brother-in-law came in town at B's parent's house. It was so enjoyable to see my kids interact with their aunts, uncles, and cousins and be spoiled by the grandparents. We were incredibly blessed with a ton of wonderful gifts for the kids and for ourselves. I got a girly toolkit, a diaper sprayer (yahoo!), a swiffer vacuum, and a few awesome gift cards just to name a few. The kids were overwhelmed with toys, books, and new clothes. We are so blessed to have such generous families :-)

As fun as it was to visit with everyone and eat yummy goodies at parties, there certainly was a missing component - my sweet husband. B has been absent from Christmas for the past 3 years. The first year, he was actually able to fly home for a few days right at Christmas, but he missed Thanksgiving and the rest of the "Holiday season." So, we have grown accustomed to being without him. I can load the car, wrap the presents, put up the tree, play Santa, and bake cookies all by myself. It doesn't make it any easier though. Last year, I can recall crying on the way to the Christmas Eve church service. He should have been with me. This year I did alright until Christmas Eve again. I couldn't help but to think about B alone in another country with no Christmas tree, no family, and no church service to attend as I stood and worshiped at church. I thought of him as I teared up while watching a police officer get baptized. He should have been there to see it. I thought of how he hasn't been able to go to church in two months and how hard that must be for him. And I thought of him as our little C watched in awe as a grown ballerina danced on stage. I wished he was there to see her face and witness her little arms rise and fall in sync with the dancer. It was beautiful. B was so very missed.

Then I would think of how sad it was for me to be without him. I just wished he was here to see our kids open the presents I chose for them - to hear the pure delight and joyous squeals. I wanted him to share those moments with me. Then as I would think about how I felt, I thought about how he must have felt. He didn't have anyone there with him. Fortunately, his mom's package arrived on Christmas Eve, so he did have a large package full of goodies to open. But he was still alone. I just felt so sad for him. I truly can't wait until next year! God willing, he'll be here with us. We're going to do everything Christmasy...tree lightings, Santa visiting (he's never seen the kids sit on Santa's lap), christmas shopping, party hopping, etc. You get the idea. We're going to do it all. I just want him here to do it with us.

So, for now, I settle to talking to him online and brief stints on the phone. I love to see his face on skype and read his emails and text messages. Christmas was wonderful this year. The kids and I had so much fun - and still are having fun. We're going to be in Atlanta for another week visiting friends and hanging with family. It's going to be awesome! But there will always be a husband sized hole in the car, in the bed, next to me on the couch, around the table...but never in my heart. He's never absent from my heart.

I love you, B. Merry Christmas, my love. Next year will be different :-)

The New Look

Hey Everyone,

Merry Christmas!

It's B! I hope you like the new look of the blog. R said it was time for a change in the look. She said she wanted something fresh and relaxing. So she went ahead and hired a professional design company to update the look. BWBGraphicDesign took care of the update. I think they did a pretty nice job. You can check out their other work here, BWBGRAPHICDESIGN. Until next time...

Oh yeah, one more thing...I am BWBGraphicDesign. :)

It's a Stone Mountain Christmas

My sister, brother-in-law, and I took C to Stone Mountain Park to the Christmas celebration last night. We had taken her last year and had so much fun that I thought we really had to do it again. To my surprise, we had even MORE fun this year!! Check out our pictures that highlight some of the things we did. This was the perfect way to get the "feeling" of Christmas :-) I can't wait to go next year when my dear husband can join us!

The Bubble man made HUGE bubbles!

At the 4D Theatre

We had SO much fun!!!!

C loved the beautiful carolers

All smiles during the parade.

Then she got a light up butterfly wand. She LOVED this thing, haha.

On Uncle William's shoulders...staring at the butterfly wand.

Before we rode the train. It was getting colder and colder...

She got to visit the Snow Angel

In the Snow Angel's castle.

She was exhausted by the end of the night!

An Answer

Have you been following my drama on here of B's job situation? Well, if you have, you know that we have been waiting for about 8 months to hear if B has been approved for a job transfer (all within the Army). He has had to obtain some serious security clearances before we can get orders to move. Without being allowed to post anything too specific, B has now officially been "cleared" to receive orders to move and accept his new job. They even asked us when we want to move :-) How nice! Needless to say, we are totally thrilled!! We knew God had a plan the whole time and that He was having us wait for a reason. Not sure why we were waiting but either way, the answer was exactly what we wanted it to be! Praise God! I can't help but think of specifics like, where will we live? Will we live in a hotel until we get Army housing? On a side note, one of the reasons we are so excited about this is because it is a 4 year commitment and it is a NON DEPLOYABLE position! Seriously! He'll be home for all holidays and future birthdays and babies :-) Well, hopefully he will be, haha.

I can't help but to have some reservation about the whole thing since he hasn't actually received the orders yet. Hopefully we won't hit any more bumps in the road and everything will go just as planned. I am pretty sure God got him this far because He wanted him in this new position. Now its just a matter of getting the paperwork in all the right places and getting B home so we can move (hopefully late this Spring!) :-) Yahoo!!!! To Him be all the Glory!

Melting Moments

Much of motherhood is stressful. This I know is true. :-) Yet there are times in my day when everything else kind of disappears and I can just "enjoy" my children. These are the moments that make me melt. It happens everyday....

When I hold my sweet D and give him his nighttime bottle, he relaxes in my arms. Sometimes he holds his bottle with both hands and other tims he uses one and rubs his hair with his other. He closes his eyes just like a newborn does when they nurse. He loves his milk. He loves his snuggle time. We rock and rock until he's done. He hands me the bottle and I set it down at my feet. Then I sit him up to see if he needs to burp. He then tucks his right arm under my left arm and snuggles into the crook of my left elbow. He pops his left thumb in his mouth and nestles in between my arm and my chest. He closes his eyes and I kiss his little hand and forhead. We listen to the waves of his sound machine. It's so sweet. Its the same every night. I know that he may be up multiple times...or that he may sleep soundly all night, but either way, this moment is perfect :-)

Along with the sweet cuddly times, there are the funny ones that make me melt as well. Today he chose not to take a morning nap. He was quiet in his room though. I could hear him talking but not crying, so I left him in there to "rest." When I went in to get him this is what I saw...

"What?"

"This is where I got it from!"

As for my little girl, we have so many sweet melting moments. This morning when she woke up she came in my room like she always does if I'm not up yet. She crawled in bed with me and I could feel that her little nightgown clad legs were freezing...she must have been uncovered in her room. I laid her head down in the crook of my arm and she snuggled into my body. As she balled up, I could feel her bony knees pressing against my stomach. She closed her eyes and we just snuggled. I kissed her head and then I told her I loved her. She took both her arms and wiggled them around both sides of my neck and kissed me back. She's such a sweetie :-) I never wanted to get up.

Then this afternoon as she played out back all bundled up in her fleece coat, she came back inside and said, "Mama, I need you to kill that bug. It was a bee and I throwed sand at it..." Just made me chuckle that she thought that would be the best way to rid herself of this little pest, haha :-)

Gratitude

The past few nights have been hard here. D has been sick and up time after time...after time. C had blood in her stool and had to go to the ER Friday night. I am just plain tired. I tried to go to bed early, but when D awoke again last night at 3:45am, and just wouldn't go back to sleep after several times of rocking, medicine giving, and bottle feeding, I just crawled back in bed and prayed he'd stay asleep. He didn't...and I had a melt down. It was a needed one, but still it was a melt down. I'd already been up at least 6 times with him and just wanted to sleep - I cried real tears and called out to God, "Why does B have to be gone? Why do my kids have to be sick so much? Why can't D stay asleep?" I just laid there as I listen to him cry in his room. I prayed that Jesus would rock him this time and clear up his stuffy nose so he could breathe when he tried to suck his thumb. "Please Lord, just rub his back and hold him so I can get some sleep." I know that if B were here, he would have gotten up. I needed Jesus to be that for me just then. I needed help. I let him cry for 15 minutes hoping he'd settle himself, but when he didn't, I got up again and rocked him. He was exhausted by then, and he fell asleep and his nose cleared. I laid him back in his crib and he stayed asleep until the morning. Praise Him. I need Him now, I needed Him then. I'll need Him tonight as well.

I am so thankful for so many things, but its easy to loose sight amidst my hectic everyday life. I am finding myself to be weaker and weaker rather than stronger and stronger. I find myself leaning on Him more and more each week. It is only through His strength that I can press on each morning. I pray about everything. I see Him in everything. I ask Him to make Darby potty when I'm walking her late at night before I got to bed. It's cold and I'm tired and I just want her to go so we can head back inside. God makes her potty. I pray to feel His presence as I stare up at the stars and clear sky one night while outside with her. I tell my Father I need to feel Him because I need help. A gentle cool breeze blows across the trees and on my face. I smile and thank Him. I love my Lord. He always hears me.

67. A Creator who hears me every time.

68. A Father who comforts me in the middle of the night.

69. A Savior who died for me.

70. A King who keeps His promises.

71. A Jesus who came for me.

72. A God who loves me more than I'll ever understand.

73. A Spirit who whispers to me through my mind, through song, through others, and through His Word.

74. A Shepherd who daily guides me.

75. A Counselor who accepts me as I am.

76. A Lord who answers me and cares about my cares.

These are the blessings that I am most thankful for today. It is Him who makes me, wakes me, loves me, guides me, saves me, forgives me, holds me, and understands me. Thank You, Father.

Words of My Heart

Sometimes a song hits me just right. Sometimes its a love song that makes me think of my husband, sometimes its a song about being a mom that I can totally relate to, and sometimes its a song about my Jesus. Well, today I bought a new CD, the new Casting Crowns one. I knew none of the songs when I purchased it but it was marked down to a good price and I know I like the band...plus I don't buy CDs much and I am tired of listening to the ones I've been listening to lately.

Like a kid, I tore into it as soon as we loaded back into the car. The kids were buckled in and jibber jabbering in the back and I was trying to get that silly plastic wrapper off. Finally, I popped it in and cranked it up over the "noise" coming from behind me as I pulled out of the parking lot. I recognized the first song so I switched it to track #2. That one was good! But as I always do with any new CD, I do a quick flip through all the songs just to get a taste of what they're like. Well, when I got to #5 (At Your Feet) and started listening to it, my eyes welled up with tears and I found myself turning it up louder and louder so I could hear the words better (over my children). It was like it was the cry of my heart coming through the speakers. The song is a prayer of praise, promise, and thanksgiving. The lyric that got me the most was, "Here at Your feet, I lay this day down/ Not in my strength but in Your's I've found/ All I need, You're all I need." This is my daily struggle. Without B here to help me and knowing he's not going to be here for many months, I feel like all I can do is take each day on its own....one day at a time. It's a daily, "Lord, help me get through today...help D to nap, C to listen and obey, Darby to potty outside, me to not loose it in the chaos of it all." I think the Spirit was instructing me to "Lay this day down" today, tomorrow, and the next 8 months...the rest of my life - one day at a time.

Thank you Lord, for this song. Thank you for speaking directly to me. Thank you for the promise of freedom and strength through You. Thank you for allowing me to come to Your feet and lay it down. I will. Today, tomorrow, and each day.

Here at Your feet, I lay my past down

My wanderings, all my mistakes down

And I am free

Here at Your feet, I lay this day down

Not in my strength, but in Yours I’ve found

All I need, You’re all I need

Jesus, Jesus, at Your feet

Oh, to dwell and never leave

Jesus, Jesus, at Your feet

There is nowhere else for me

There is nowhere else for me

Here at Your feet, I lay my future down

All of my dreams (this is a hard one for me), I give to You now

And I find peace, I find peace

Here at Your feet, I lay my life down

For You my King, You’re all I want now

And my soul sings…

‘Cause I am free (here at Your feet)

All I need (is at Your feet)

I find peace

We’re at Your feet

We’re at Your feet

And I am free (here at Your feet)

All I need (is at Your feet)

I find peace

We’re at Your feet

We’re at Your feet

We’re at Your feet

We’re at Your feet

Here at Your feet

I lay my life down

Take my life, mold me, make me...

Listen to the song here.

A Must See!

Hey everyone,

It's B. I have highjacked Randi's blog again to write a little something. I just recently watched a movie that might be one of the best. It didn't win any awards, and to my knowledge it might have been straight to video, but none the less it was great. It made me really want to change the way I live my life with my family....Want to know what it is? Any Guesses?

Click Here!!!

I LOVE YOU RANDI!!!

- B

A Day in the Life

Here where I live, life is different. As I lay in bed at 6:15am, I hear a short trumpet song play as a "warning" that the day's first formation is approaching. Then at 6:30 the long one plays...and I know that all over post soldiers are in their PT uniforms in formation saluting the flag. Some days I am still in bed and some days I'm outside walking Darby when I hear this. This time of year it is quite cold in the mornings and as I walk the dog bundled up in my Pjs and coat, I think of them just on the other side of the trees in their black winter hats, tennis shoes and "swishy" workout clothes. Makes me miss hearing B get ready in the mornings in his "swishy pants" that are so loud as he walks through the house. Then I can hear the recording over the loudspeakers of the soldiers singing cadences. I assume this is just to add background noise and to build morale as they all work out and run.

When I drive around post, I can see the beaten paths in the grass up and down the roads where they run. B tells me they run everywhere. When he's here, he runs down in the woods on a trail that runs below the main high way. Sometimes he comes home wet from running thorough creeks. His wet shoes sit by the door to dry. I am always afraid bugs will crawl in them as they sit there damp and cold.

When I head out the door to take C to school at 8:40, these same soldiers are now cleaned up and heading to work. I see them walking in to buildings and up and down the streets in the ACUs (the "camo" uniform). Often I see soldiers heading out for a ruck march with their gigantic full backpacks on. Yesterday a soldier was walking with his body armor on (a big heavy "bullet proof" vest) and a helmet in his hand. He was probably heading out to a range. Somedays I see soldiers marching in formation down the street singing cadences. Their canteens hanging around their bodies distinguishes them as soldiers still in training. As I head out the back gates to get to the school, a long line of cars inches through the gates in the other direction. Each soldier getting their ID checked and scanned by a guard.

I love these sights. I love driving past the barracks and seeing a hundred soldiers in formation, or seeing them milling about while their rucksacks sit lined up ready to go somewhere. I love seeing them swiftly and flawlessly flip their berats on their heads every time they exit a building. I love seeing female soldiers walking on the sidewalk in uniform gabbing just like girls do. They may wear combat boots, berats, and ACUs, but they are still girls.

As I write this, I can hear the "booms" outside my house. I never know exactly what they are or where they are coming from but surely they are soldiers training for something. I tell C that the booms are just, "soldiers practicing." Sometimes its so loud my windows rattle, other times, its so subtle I barely notice. Then there are the planes that fly overhead. They fly constantly...some times very low and sometimes they fly in groupings. I will see one, then another, then another fly right over the house.

The sight of moving vans in my neighborhood is constant. Someone is always moving in or moving out. The cars in the driveway across the street haven't moved in over a month since nobody is home. He is deployed and she went home to be with her family for a few months. Next door, he is gone also. Just up the street, there was a huge "Welcome Home Daddy!" sign strung up across the front porch. He had been gone since last December. His daughter is now 5 months old. I can only imagine the reunion of that family :-)

It's different here. I hear the music again at 5:00, 5:10, and 5:15. I hum to myself as it plays. I could sing it in my sleep. I probably do since it plays again at 10:45 and then Taps plays at 11:00. This is my favorite. I love it here. I love my street. I love seeing soldiers. I love hearing the booms. I love seeing MPs patrol the streets. I love driving next to "Army trucks" as I take C to preschool, head to WalMart, or go get gas. I love seeing the different color berats and knowing automatically what unit they signify. I love getting my ID checked every time I go through the gates. I love meeting new women and not even blinking when they tell me their husband is deployed. It is so normal around here. I love being an Army wife. Hooah!

Gratitude

I have seen so many of God's blessings in my life this past week. It's been amazing :-)

51. The ability to stay calm and figure out how to put enough air in my flat tire to make it home from church in the pouring rain.

52. Roadside assistance by our car insurance provider.

53. The testimonies given by the moms at MOPS and how God used them to speak to me.

54. Operation Homefront and Walmart's generosity to help us provide a wonderful Christmas for the kids.

55. D's newly developing feisty personality.

56. Songs that make me think of...and fall more in love with...my husband.

57. Fifteen 3 year olds giddy with excitement in red and white tutus.

58. Their precious dance.

59. The way D grabs at my pants and shirt when he wants me to pick him up.

60. My in-laws coming to visit.

61. My camera that captures what my mind can't retain.

62. My husband's words of encouragement and praise.

63. My computer that connects me to the world and keeps me sane.

64. A new wool diaper cover that I love on little D.

65. Family that is willing to change cloth diapers...and rinse out the poop :-)

66. Mail and a mail carrier that comes early in the day.

Ballet Recital

Here is the much awaited video of C's ballet recital!! She did so great :-) I am so proud!

The blessings just keep on coming our way :-)

What a great blog title, right? Pretty much says it all. I feel so blessed today that I can barely stand it! First, B emailed the lady in charge of this "job issue" he's been working on up in the Washington DC area, and she actually emailed him right back...and said his packet has been submitted for a second opinion and everything is looking good so far. So, great news! Maybe they will review it, say yes, and give him the needed security clearance!

Then my in-laws came to help me this weekend with my kids and to come watch C's ballet recital tomorrow. We had the rehearsal tonight and I'll tell you about that in a minute, but first, I must tell you about what Operation Homefront did for our family today. They teamed up with WalMart to donate toys to 10,000 children of deployed soldiers. We had to meet a certain rank requirement and the kids had to be in the right age range, but after I applied, I found out that we got accepted into the program! So, today my in-laws watched the kids and I got to go to the National Guard Armory in town and choose 3 gifts for each of my kids. They had it all set up where the toys were arranged by age group and an "elf" went with me to show me what I could choose and where everything was. I was able to get C several Dora toys and a doctor Barbie. D got a Little People 50th Anniversary Commemorative Farm (the one with the little tin carrying case!), a cute little Tee Ball baseball thing where the ball never flies off, and another cute ball popper toy. Both kids received Dr. Suess books and we got a copy of The Hungry Caterpillar as well. I can't tell you how thrilled I am about these gifts for my kids. It is one of the biggest blessings to not have to purchase all their Christmas items yet still know that they are going to have a wonderful christmas. Thank you so much WalMart and Operation Homefront! I know they did it to "help out" military families who were without a soldier home for the holidays, but to me, God used them to help me provide the best Christmas possible for my kiddos. Praise Him!

Lastly, C's ballet recital dress rehearsal was the cutest thing ever! Just the sight of about 100+ little girls in cute little recital costumes made the whole night worthwhile and then to be able to sit back and watch these little cuties up there dancing (or not) to christmas tunes was even better! My little C did so well! She wasn't scared at all and just danced her little heart out to "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas." She spun, and jumped, stomped, and waved her arms just as she should. She waved to me in the beginning and then took a bow when it was over :-) Of course she watched the teacher in the corner most of time...except for when she was watching her shadow behind her on the backdrop. She just did so well. I am so proud of her! The "real thing" is tomorrow morning. I am going to video it to send to B! Yay!

Soldier Mom

They say "A picture is worth a thousand words." I think there are no words to describe this picture. Words do not do it justice.

I saw it for the first time a couple years ago in the newspaper and then stumbled upon it again on a blog the other day. Both times, it left me teary eyed and speechless. I couldn't imagine being away from my children for the length of time this mom probably was away from her daughter. It's her face, her back pack, her rugged boots...she's a mom though. This is the third Thanksgiving in a row my husband has missed and the third Christmas season in a row he has missed as well. Yet still, this picture gets me because she's a mom. Moms are different than dads. May God bless her and her sweet daughter. I hope they are together right now.

Thoughts and more thoughts

I feel like I haven't written in quite a while, so while my children are playing quietly in the next room, I thought I'd write a little bit.

I have spent the last 10 days at my mom and dad's house in Atlanta for the Thanksgiving holidays, and while I enjoyed getting away from my normal day to day stuff, I am ready to return back home to it tomorrow. I have my MOPS group Wednesday and C's ballet class on Thursday. This weekend my in-laws are coming to visit to watch C's first ballet recital Saturday morning. I have mixed feelings about this recital. See, it is her first one and I know it's going to be adorable and very memorable. I am sure I will take 100 pictures and then post them everywhere. I know I will be somewhat sad as well though because my husband isn't there to watch her first recital with me. I will video it for him, but I know it isn't the same. He's missing a milestone. He'll also miss her first Christmas singing program at school this month. Oh how it delights me when I hear her in the back of the car sweetly singing childish tunes of Mary, Jesus, and Christmas. I can't wait for this performance either - although I know I will feel his absence.

On a different note, I am very excited that thanks to Operation Homefront, on December 4th, I get to go toy shopping for free for both my children. We qualified for their Christmas program. This is going to help out with Christmas for the kids so much! I feel so blessed that we were one of the families that benefited from the generosity of others!! Praise God for this wonderful opportunity!

I still have B's job situation on my heart. It's pretty much constanlty there, haha. God is still having us wait...and wait. I am 100% sure He has a purpose for the waiting, but I can't help but wish we'd get an answer. For those of you that don't know this situation, B has applied for a job within the Army and is very close to getting it and then receiving orders for us to move to the Washington DC area. He and I both want this for him and for our family so much, and we know God knows our hearts. I know that the Lord's plan is without fault and in that I trust Him. I have recently furthered my understanding in, "have faith, trust Him" and mostly, "Do not be afraid." It is so much more than I ever grasped before. Maybe this will be the week that we hear a "yes" and we celebrate, or maybe a solid "no" and we can move on. Either way, today we wait with confidence.

Lastly, if you are reading this please pray for our travels back home tomorrow (Tuesday). We've had a difficult time of sicknesses these past few weeks. C has been on antibiotics for 4 weeks for an ear infection. We had to go twice to the pediatric urgent care clinic here in Atlanta for antibiotic shots since nothing oral seemed to be working. She is now on one more round and is having some bowel side effects. I am concerened about drivng 7 hours with a preschooler who has little control over her bathroom urges. D has also been sick and hasn't been sleeping well. Please pray he sleeps so I can sleep before we drive...and then once we get home so I can survive, haha. I just heard Michelle Duggar (mom of 19 children) say that she was sleep deprived because of a sick baby but that it was just such a blessing that the baby was recovering. She said, "I can sleep later." Well said, Michelle. I can sleep later too. Just remind me of that at 5am when D wakes up. :-)

Gratitude

41. A son that melts my heart.
42. Sisters that make me laugh and listen to me cry.
43. Silly moves while trying to take a picture.
44. Learning to stand...notice how he's gripping the floor with his toes.
45. A daughter following in my footsteps...
46. Cousins that share :-)
47. Child drawn pictures.
48. The wonder of the tree...and of the whole season.
49. Puppy kisses.
50. Baby boys for cousins!

Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving this year, I took the kids to B's aunt's house on the other side of Atlanta. Though it is a long drive, I knew we'd all have fun eating good food, mingling with family, laughing with each other, and letting the kids run on the large property. And as expected, we all had a blast! Rather than write about all the details of this fun day, I thought I'd just share some of the pictures. I think you'll get the gist of it...

C and her cousin enjoying some playtime outside.

Running, running, running...

C and D enjoying some love from family :-)

The food!!!

C and big cousin checking out the cows.

Enjoying the wide open spaces.

Pointing out the cows :-)

Here they come!!

Jumping in leaves.

A cousin and her new puppy...the best early Christmas surprise ever!

Generations

Playing in the Coca-Cola room :-)