tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20004661702090173842024-02-20T06:13:01.332-08:00Partyof61 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13281387554932290712noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2000466170209017384.post-2743567221438452012014-04-02T19:04:00.001-07:002014-04-02T19:14:19.467-07:00A JourneyOur family is on a journey right now, one we have never been on before. We are a military family, so we have moved…a lot, from coast to coast four times and back and forth from Hawaii. We have dealt with numerous deployments. Back when Tink was in kindergarten, God called us to homeschool…another journey. But this…this God has never asked of us before. So we were quite surprised when it all came about.<br />
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One day I got an email from a friend, telling us the exciting news that they were hosting an orphan from Eastern Europe this summer. I remember hearing something about this organization a few weeks before. So I went back to the website to look again, <a href="http://www.newhorizonsforchildren.org/" target="_blank">New Horizons for Children</a>, and I called my friend. After that phone call, I texted Mr. M about it, and said, "What do you think about hosting an orphan this summer from EE?" His response was, "Through what program?". And that was the beginning of our journey.<br />
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Initially, I signed up to just see pictures of the kids. But once you see their faces, there is no going back. Any excuse we thought of, just sounded like that…an excuse. Each face that we saw, represented a child and a life. A life that was hard, without the love of a family. Each picture has a little paragraph written about them. Not about their life, but just a little get to know you and something about their likes and dislikes and their hopes about coming to America.<br />
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I scanned through the faces on the page and came to one in particular, "I". Her paragraph was sweet and she sounded a lot like our Princess. As we looked through others and read their stories…we just prayed. Lord, is this what you have for us? I remembered that just a few days before, our church posted this on their Facebook page -<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> Others-Focused - </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">We will seek to follow the biblical definition for "pure and undefiled religion" and direct our focus beyond ourselves to those generations in need around us, especially the "orphans and widows." (James 1:27; Matthew 25:34-40; Luke 14:21-23)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">We felt like we were right in the center of God's will. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">A lot comes with this decision. We have to raise quite a bit of money, through our fundraising </span><a href="http://www.youcaring.com/nonprofits/b0445-may-family-fundraiser-new-horizons-for-children-/150399" style="line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">site</a><span style="line-height: 18px;">. We have to go through background checks, training, piles of paperwork, home safety checks, etc. Many have asked why host a teenager, why bring them here when you have to send them back, isn't the language barrier going to be difficult? We put together a missions letter to explain. I did have to take out some info that is in our original letter, due to rules about what can be posted on the internet. No pictures, no names, no ages, no exact country that she's from, etc.</span></span><br />
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">This summer for five weeks our family will be
hosting an orphan from Eastern Europe through a program called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New Horizons For Children </i></span><span style="color: #1f1b14; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">(<a href="http://www.newhorizonsforchildren.org/">www.newhorizonsforchildren.org</a>).
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">For 12 years <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New Horizons</i> has worked with orphanages in Latvia, Ukraine, and
Asia to bring thus far 3,500 older orphans to </span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">stay with Christian host families across America. This can be a
life-changing experience for the orphans who have never been a part of a loving,
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">functional family. It is on our hearts to
be a part of this work!<span style="color: #262626;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">We have chosen to host "I". Here is a little bit of what her paragraph said. She </span><span style="color: #1f1b14; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">likes school,
especially art and music. Her dream is to be a music therapy teacher. She is
currently learning to play the piano, and dances the national dance of her
country.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1b14; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">The statistics for </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">orphans
like "I" are heartbreaking. Most<span style="color: #1f1b14;"> end up on the
streets and almost 15% of them commit suicide within two years of aging out of
the system. Over 60% end up in crime, prostitution, or human trafficking.
Astonishingly only 1 in 10 live to see their 21<sup>st</sup> birthday. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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semesters of English classes and will give her more opportunities to make a
living as she enters adulthood. Also, we have the opportunity to share the love
of Christ with her while she is here. She is no longer adoptable due to her
age, but we can show her the love of a family and the love of Jesus that will
stay with her for all her life and give her a better future!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1b14; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">We want to be the hands and feet of Jesus! Our family has
already committed to prayer and finances on behalf of "</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">I". Will you partner with us through prayer
support and giving as well? Please pray for our girl, that her heart will be
open to the things of the Lord and that she will enjoy her time here with our
family. By God’s grace this young woman will embrace the Savior and return to
her homeland with the hope we have as believers.<span style="color: #1f1b14;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1b14; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">The expenses for all travel-related costs will be $2,700.
Donations for her travel can be made directly to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New Horizons For Children </i>and will be tax deductable. In addition
we need to raise at least $1,000 for special expenses while she is here. We
will of course supply the daily items – meals, local transportation, outings
and so forth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She cannot travel here
with any luggage so we need to provide all clothing, shoes, and personal care
items for her, things a teen-age girl would enjoy. We also need to take her to
an eye doctor and a dentist. Your generosity will be a blessing toward these
special costs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1b14; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">In closing, please send me a picture of your family so I can
show "I" the many American families who gave of their own treasure to bless
her here in America. </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: #FDFEFF; color: #001320; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and
forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.</span></i><span style="background: #FDFEFF; color: #001320; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"> Matthew 19:14</span><span style="background: #FDFEFF; color: #001320; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: #FDFEFF; color: #001320; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Thank
you so much for any consideration and do keep us in prayer!</span></div>
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<span style="background: #FDFEFF; color: #001320; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">We are so excited for our journey to begin!</span></div>
Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13281387554932290712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2000466170209017384.post-6956934907430191392013-02-22T10:42:00.000-08:002013-02-22T10:42:59.994-08:00Do You Trust Him?<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">If God has taken an eraser to your story...are you trusting Him to pick up the pen? I read a blog <a href="http://www.laurencasper.com/2013/02/19/when-god-re-writes-your-story/" target="_blank">here</a> that really resonated with me. It talked about how we have dreams and a plan for how we think our life is going to go and then God picks up an eraser and erases them...and it hurts!! We don't always understand why God has asked us to walk the path that He has laid before us, it doesn't always seem fair. But then God picks up His pen and starts to rewrite our story. So, do we trust Him with the re-write?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">This has been an area that God has shown his faithfulness to us over and over again. I felt like this was the story of my life!! I did not think when I got married that I was going to spend so much time of our marriage away from my spouse. I mean, he was in the military when I married him, so I'm not really sure what exactly I thought that was going to be like! I just knew I was marrying the man of my dreams and I was moving to Hawaii!! Then we spent our entire 3rd year of marriage apart, I was not prepared for that. After that year, deployments started!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Then we had kids. Many things did NOT go as we thought they would! A major thing was when Little Man was born with a birthmark and then at 2 years old, had to have it surgically removed. That was a very scary thing and not part of the story that I wanted for him. He has a long scar on his back and every time I see it, I am reminded of God's grace and mercy and I am so thankful that my child is ok. We've had other scary medical things with our kids over the years...pneumonia, lymes disease, allergies, Sensory Processing Disorder, a dresser falling on one of our kids...all these things were NOT in the story I had written for our family! Thankfully, in God's re-write...the story has been full of His mercies and grace!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">When it came time for Tink to go to school, that didn't go at all as planned. It was a miserable year for all of us, but then God brought some other homeschoolers into our lives. So we started homeschooling. God erased my dreams of what I thought our lives were going to be like, but he picked up the pen and rewrote the story...and it's SO MUCH BETTER!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">When we were stationed in NJ and picked orders to go to CA, we were SO excited!! Then we found out we were moving to Washington state instead. This was difficult news to take! I did not want to go to WA. You can read about that <a href="http://redmay323.blogspot.com/2011/03/answer-1.html" target="_blank">here</a>. God erased MY dreams of sunkissed skin and palm trees and beaches. But then He picked up His pen...and rewrote our story. We LOVE it here in Washington!!! Our church is amazing! The friends that we have here are amazing! I've never loved anyplace we have lived as much as I love it here!! The weather leaves a little bit to be desired, but the friends we have made make it not even matter! </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">So we prayed for God to let us stay here! His answer was no. He once again has picked up that dreaded eraser! So in 6 months, we are now moving across the country, again, back to VA. Of course there are many great things about VA! But we SO love it here in WA!! Now I have to find my faith, again, to trust HIM to rewrite our story. And I DO trust Him. I know that He has a plan for us! We already have seen some of the blessings in the time Mr. M will have at home with us once we get there. It's ship duty, but he will be home quite a bit! I'd rather live ANYWHERE with Mr. M, then in my favorite place, without him!! </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">We also have been praying that God would direct us in choosing a church in VA. I do a lot of research before we move so that when we get there, we can just jump right in to life in our new place. God has been giving us so much direction in this. I found this one church that has a service that is called a Household Worship Service and it is a family integrated service. That means no kids programs, everyone goes to church together. This intrigued both Mr. M and I. What would this look like for our family? We have always put our kids in the programs? But lately, God has been leading both Mr. M and I in a different direction then that. Also, in the past few weeks, God has been putting in our path blogs, articles, people, situations, etc, that all lead us to the same conclusion...the family integrated church. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Yesterday, I had the opportunity to speak with one of the women at the church and it was amazing! First of all, it was like we have always been friends and were just catching up after not talking for awhile. God led our conversation in so many different directions and through that, I was able to ask about things I didn't even think I would be able to ask. Through her, God gave me peace and put aside all the reservations I had about it!! We talked for a REALLY long time, I just did not want to get off the phone! The conversation just flowed and it was so nice to know that we will find a place for us at that church in VA. I told her that I feel like God is practically hitting me in the head with a brick about this church. That I keep asking for more confirmation, and He keeps giving it! Mr. M and I will continue to pray about it, but I am pretty sure God has given us our answer time and time again already. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">As God rewrites our story from what I thought it was going to be, I will continue to trust Him with the rewrite. Do YOU trust Him with rewriting your story? Have you trusted Him as your Savior? God can and will do amazing things in your life...all you have to do is trust Him!!</span></span></div>
Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13281387554932290712noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2000466170209017384.post-87570621249079502482013-02-07T23:14:00.000-08:002013-02-07T23:22:33.161-08:002012 in ReviewWhat a wonderful year we had, full of activity and God's blessings. The year started with a fun practical joke! Mr. M and I spent the entire day on New Years Eve moving all our clocks forward. Slowly, just a little at a time, until we were on NY time! That is 3 hours later then we are. We even invited friends over and they played along with us! So when my kids thought it was midnight and it was HAPPY NEW YEAR'S...it was actually only 9pm local time. The kids were in bed by 9:30 and were not grumpy at all the next day from staying up so late! We did let them in on the joke at breakfast and had mixed reactions. Tink thought it was hilarous since I am not generally a practical joker, and Princess thought it wasn't funny at all cause she really wanted to stay up till midnight. The boys didn't really understand what was going on! Either way, it was a fun New Year's Eve spent with great friends! HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012!<br />
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The month of January was great! We went skiing twice up at Mt. Baker and that was a lot of fun, the kids and I all took ski lessons and Princess was quite the natural. We also had a great snow fall and we were able to go sledding right down our driveway and into the culdesac. In WI we are so used to only being able to sled for a little while cause it's so cold, but the temps were mild and we had a wonderful time!<br />
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February was fun with Pinewood derby, that you can read about <a href="http://redmay323.blogspot.com/2012/02/pinewood-derby.html" target="_blank">here</a>, and the boys had swimming lessons. It made for a very busy month with lessons at 2 different times, twice a week. Little Man has come so far and no longer is terrified of the water. Scooter did a pretty good job too and was still at the stage where Mom had to go in the pool with him. I decided that we will wait till after his next birthday before we do lessons again so that I don't have to do that. He's very independent and wants to do it himself!<br />
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My very good friend, Darice, came to visit us in the month of March! It was so fun having her here and showing off some of our local favorites, including Pikes Place Market and a ferry ride to Kingston to get crepes, so yummy! While she was here, I introduced her to green smoothies, and although she is not a vegetable eater, she was pleasantly surprised. I also got to make her some fresh homemade whole wheat bread. I have been making our own bread (and grinding our own wheat) since November and this was the first time I had an audience. Of course, I messed up the first batch and totally had to throw it away!!! No clue what I did wrong, it was hard as a brick! The second time was a success and she loved it, and I loved being able to share our yummy bread!<br />
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April was a very busy month in our house...or out of our house, I should say. The first weekend was Easter and we decided to go away for this since Mr. M would be starting his underway periods soon. We decided to go stay at the Great Wolf Lodge for the weekend. We had a wonderful time Easter morning of family worship time and Tink told the story of Jesus' death and resurrection, and even had some visuals. The following weekend was Tink's first time participating in Fine Arts. She entered 4 categories and did such a great job! She learned so much and had a great time. The weekend after that, was JBQ (Junior Bible Quiz) districts. Princess did SO great!! She came in 2nd over all and her team came in second as well! I am so proud of how well she has done this year and how she came out of her shell compared to last year. She earned all her seals and even her Master Quoter!! She is on B level so Districts was the last competition for her team this season. The last weekend in April, the kids and I drove to Idaho for TBQ (Teen Bible Quiz) regionals for Tink. She also did marvelously!! Her team came in 1st place, she came in 8th place over all, and then she came in 1st place in an individual quiz off. It was a fun weekend and the other kids liked being at the hotel pool! This was also the last meet for her level for TBQ.<br />
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The month of May was filled with baseball. Tink and Princess both played on girls softball teams and Little Man played t-ball. It was a very busy season with practices on 3 different nights, but thankfully all games were on Saturdays. We love watching the kids play sports and learn about sportsmanship and teamwork. Scooter just had fun playing at the field! Scooter was also the big birthday boy this month, he turned 3! He also got potty trained! Our last one to potty train, it's a little sad, but boy it's nice to not have diapers anymore! He's such a big boy now and I wonder where my little baby boy went?!<br />
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June meant it was finally summer! No more school! I didn't realize that June is one of the gloomiest and rainiest months around here. So even though we finished school, we still couldn't enjoy ANY sunshine! Even Little Man's 6th birthday had to be held indoors at the end of the month, we've never had that happen! At church, the kids participated in a kids choir called Hiz Kidz and Hiz Lil Kids and they had their end of the year production called Project Joy. Princess really came out of her shyness here too as she participated in a recorder group and she sang a solo! I never thought I would see the day where she would stand up in front of a group of people and sing a solo, she did so great!! Tink and I were both team leaders for 4 year olds in Hiz Lil Kids and enjoyed being a part of that. June also brought my parents 40th wedding anniversary! I am so proud of both my parents and my in laws who set such a great example to Mr. M and I about sticking it out and loving one another through it all. At the end of June, we left for family camp...but I'll tell you about that in July!<br />
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We started out July in the great state of Montana at Glacier Family Bible Camp. Mr. M was not able to go with us due to his schedule, but we decided to go anyway! We are so glad we did!! We had such a great time! Filled with God's word, Worship, family time, and great friends. I really wished I would have written an entire blog post about our trip to Montana, it was so great! We loved the service times and Bible study, we went and visited Glacier National Park, went swimming in a freezing cold lake, watched the fireworks in a farmers' field, played cards and watched movies with friends every night, and the kids loved riding their bikes all over camp and down to the snack shack with their friends. After family camp, we still had a lot going on in July. We went raspberry picking and made freezer jam, I took the kids camping by myself (no easy feat!), and we celebrated Princesses 10th birthday!<br />
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August was a wonderful month!! We had a record of 80 days with no rain from some time in July till October! It was crazy! I decided to put the kids into a summer swim lesson program, 2 weeks, every day M-F. It was a tough schedule to keep but the kids loved it! Scooter was so happy to be in the water without Mommy! My parents came to visit us in August, also, and it was the best visit we've ever had. Back in April, my Dad had gastric bypass surgery and when they came in August, he had lost 80 lbs already!! He was like a whole new man! He had so much energy and loved playing with the kids and helped me do some craigslist furniture shopping. It was so fun having my Dad back again!! While they were here we went blueberry picking with a bunch of our friends and that was so much fun, it reminded me of when I was younger and my Mom used to take me strawberry picking. Mom and I also got a chance to meet a long lost relative, her niece, my cousin. My Mom's sister had died during childbirth and after the funeral, everyone lost contact with her and her Dad. I found her this year, on her birthday, and she lived 3 hours away from me! God is so awesome!! It was so wonderful to reunite them and get to know her. It's amazing how much she had in common with our family! The most wonderful thing that happened in August, though, was that Tink received a calling to be a Missionary! As her Mom, I am proud and excited, and also a little scared for her! That is a huge calling and I pray that God will continue to speak to her and guide her on the path that He has for her.<br />
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September brought many things to us, Packer fever, new renters in our house in VA (Praise the Lord!), preschool for Scooter (that only lasted till Christmas!), and Mr. M came back to us again! We have missed him so much! We knew he'd be leaving again soon so we tried to pack as much as we could into this month. We were able to go to a Packer game in Seattle, that was a difficult game to be at with those replacement refs and one of the worse calls in NFL history, but we still love our Packers! We also went on the May Family Camping Trip 2012, which included Mt. Rainier, the Olympic Mountains and the western shore, Deception Pass and the San Juan Islands, and the North Cascades. Again, another trip I wish I would have blogged about! Everything we saw was SO amazing!! God is awesome in His creation! We ended the month with saying goodbye to Mr. M again.<br />
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We started school on October 1st. I will know for next year to end at the end of June (not May) and not start until October, cause the weather was so amazing! I got to go on a fun field trip with just my little Scooter to a pumpkin farm, we had a great time and of all the wonderful orange pumpkins in the whole field, he went straight for a white one. None of my kids have ever picked out a white pumpkin, so for Thanksgiving I made a white pumpkin pie, it was very good! Mr. M and I celebrated our 18th anniversary this month! Even though we could not be together on this day, we are so very thankful for the grace and mercy and love that God has given us and that we can love each other through it all! We also celebrated Tink turning 14!! She celebrated the night of her Bible study with another friend whose birthday was the same week. This past summer, Tink started a Bible Study and Book Club for middle school, homeschool, girls and it has really been such a huge blessing for not only the girls but also us Mom's who have become our own little encouragement and prayer group. This also gave us the chance to get to know some missionaries who were visiting for awhile and I know that we are now life long friends!</div>
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Finally in November, Mr. M came home for awhile after a total of over 5 months of being away, we sure did miss him and I know he missed us too! As soon as he got home, he got right to work on making up our applesauce for the year. All the kids helped, but I had to include this cute shot of his little guy! I ordered some apples from a friend who went over to eastern WA and then they sat on my back patio, waiting. I don't know why on earth I thought I was going to have the time or the desire to tackle making that applesauce! That has always been Mr. M's thing! My friend, Darice, and her hubby, Rob, came to visit us for Thanksgiving. It was so great having them here and we wish we could spend every Thanksgiving with them! It was so much fun! Good food, good friends, and a great service at church thanking the Lord for all He is and all He has done in our lives. I've never belonged to a church that had a service on Thanksgiving morning, and I LOVE it!<br />
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Last but not least, December. The girls are both in their JBQ and TBQ programs again this year and doing really great. This year is a little harder for Princess as she has moved up a level, but she's getting faster on that buzzer every meet. Tink has been doing amazingly well, they are doing the book of Matthew this year. She has quoted chapters 1-7 and completed chapter 7 with no mistakes! Her team continues to take 1st place at all their meets and she is learning so much about God's word. Mr. M's parents came to visit and I never get tired of showing everyone this great new area we live in. It was interesting that when my parents visited, it was sunny every day and they joked about me saying that it rains all the time. Then when my in laws were here, it was cloudy every day and they never once got to see the beautiful mountains that surround us! When choosing the kids Christmas outfits this year, I ended up making Tink's skirt...sort of. We just could not find anything appropriate for her at the stores so I bought a dress the same as her sisters and then took the top off and made it into a skirt!! So thankful to the Lord for technology so I could skype with Darice and her sister to learn how to do this! One thing we really love about December is reading the advent book. This year we read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tabithas-Travels-Family-Story-Advent/dp/0825441722" target="_blank">Tabitha's Travels</a>, and we loved it just as much as we did <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0825441749/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2/187-2088839-1723837?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_r=1DZBWR4DDC9JXEXWHHWA&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_i=0825441722" target="_blank">Jotham's Journey</a>. It's such a great time with our family and I can feel God pulling us to do this more then just at Christmas. God has really been leading us toward a time of family worship in our home and I am excited to see where He leads us next year! We found out this month that we are going to be moving back to VA for sure. As I opened Christmas cards this year, I found myself in tears over the friends that God has given us over the years across this great nation. We opened cards from people here who don't want us to leave, and then opened cards from friends in VA who can't wait for us to get there, and cards from others that say, I know what it's like to move once again. How very blessed we are. One of my favorite services at church of the whole year is the Christmas Eve Candlelight service. To hear all the voices and see all the lights shining for our Lord in unity, it's just always an amazing moment to me.<br />
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Our family scripture has always been Phil 4:13 I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.<br />
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God has been leading me to a new verse, 1 Thes 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.<br />
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I pray that 2013 brings us closer to God, closer as a family, and that we will reach out to those around us in love and support. That no matter what we go through in life, that we will be joyful, prayerful, and thankful!! I pray that 2013 brings you love, joy, and peace!<br />
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Happy New Year 2013!!</div>
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<br />Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13281387554932290712noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2000466170209017384.post-39529706229239348022012-12-28T11:21:00.000-08:002013-01-29T10:30:51.529-08:00The MountainsI know it rains a lot here, I mean...really, a lot! But when the skies clear...it's amazing!! Today is one of those days! The skies are clear and I can see all 3 mountain ranges, the Cascades, the Olympics, and Mt. Rainier. They are so beautiful! I have tried numerous times to get good pictures of what I see from my house, but a camera can not capture the same greatness that the human eye sees. The intricate details are lost. God made our eyes so amazing!!<br />
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The mountains are one of the things that I LOVE about living here in the Pacific Northwest. When Mr. M's parents were out here visiting for 10 days in early December, they didn't get to see them once! I was so disappointed, because I wanted them to truly see their beauty! When my parents were here in August, it didn't rain once and we could see them almost every day! You just never know what it's going to do here...but most days, it just rains, lol.</div>
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I just remind myself that I'd rather have rain then for it to be 6 degrees outside and sunny!! Being from Wisconsin, I have dealt with some pretty cold winters in my life...I do not like the cold! So rain, doesn't bother me so much!</div>
Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13281387554932290712noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2000466170209017384.post-7266443456872221492012-12-27T23:15:00.001-08:002012-12-27T23:15:42.291-08:00ResearchIt seems that I am always talking about moving on this blog! It's not time to move yet, but we did find out where we are going next...which makes me start "nesting". That's what Mr. M calls it, nesting. I start researching the area, looking at churches, looking for Junior Bible Quiz, looking for a home, researching homeschooling laws, etc. This move will be interesting as we have lived there before...3 times in fact! Yes, we are going back to Virginia!<br />
<br />
Since we've spent 7 years there, you would think this would be easy...but it's not. Our kids are different ages now, we are different people, our needs have changed. The first thoughts go to our house there, we own a house in that area that is being rented right now. The family is not military and I am pretty sure they have intentions of staying there awhile. We also know that one of their children has a medical issue, which is why they moved there, to be closer to the hospitals he has to go to. We are only going to be there for 2 years. So do we really want to take back our house just because it would be the most convenient thing to do? Or do we want to keep good tenants and rent closer to the area that we would like to live this time? I mean, their lease would be up at the exact time that we would be moving there. What if we rent somewhere else and then they don't renew their lease? If we don't move back into our house, where should we rent? I would loved to be closest to whatever church we end up at but that's a little hard since we don't know where that will be yet! So many thoughts!<br />
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The church situation. We already know that there are no churches in that area that have Junior Bible Quiz...I'm so sad! My prayer is that we can find a church that would be interested in starting the program...but we'll see.<br />
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When we lived there last time, we visited or researched every Assembly of God church in that area and just could not find one we liked, so ended up at a different church. We have found over the years since then, that we really do like the AOG for our family. We like there to be leadership above just the church itself. In just the research I have done today...my feelings are confirmed on that issue. One church we checked out that I remembered driving by a lot had some articles about them in the local paper and major things have happened at that church since we left, none of them good. So we checked out the church that is now at that same location and got some huge red flags while reading their Core Values. We know the AOG Core Values and Statement of Faith and we agree with them. So nothing against other churches, but AOG is the one for us!<br />
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So now we are researching all the AOG churches in the area. Hoping that we find something different then we did 8 years ago...wow, it's been 8 years since we moved there last?! It seems like just yesterday! We have found a couple of churches that have some interesting things and one church in particular we keep coming back to. So we just have to continue to pray about it and follow God's leading.<br />
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We may be moving in about 8 months. That is so far away, yet the last 15 months has flown by!! We love it here in the Pacific Northwest and we love our church family! When we were opening up our Christmas cards this year, I was brought to tears. I had some friends telling us they don't want us to go away and to please choose to come back here again. Then other friends that were saying can't wait to see you! We feel so very blessed to have so many friends across this great country of ours. Separated by distance, but connected by love and being a part of God's family!<br />
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<br />Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13281387554932290712noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2000466170209017384.post-58178890815505960082012-10-31T11:28:00.001-07:002012-10-31T11:28:23.988-07:00Light of the World
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">For you were once darkness, but now you are light
in the Lord. Live as children of light. Ephesians 5:8 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise
but as wise,</span><b><span style="font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">making the most of every opportunity, because the
days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in
view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and
pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the
pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then
you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and
perfect will. Romans 12:1-2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to
what is good. Romans 12:9 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">I will not look with approval</span><span style="font-family: Courier; font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Courier;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">on
anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in
it. Psalm 101:3 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies
with contempt</span><b><span style="font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">but test them all; hold on to what is good,</span><b><span style="font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">reject
every kind of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5: 19-22<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness.
Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in
Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you,
then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your
ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose
land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua 24:14-15<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt
loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for
anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of
the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a
lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives
light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before
others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Mathew 5: 13-16<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is
true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is
lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think
about such things. Philippians 4:8</span><!--EndFragment-->
Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13281387554932290712noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2000466170209017384.post-71170035625567590342012-10-29T13:18:00.000-07:002012-10-29T13:19:43.651-07:00Dairy Free<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">This summer we realized that Little Man had a bowel problem. We weren't sure what exactly it was but after talking to some friends, we decided to go gluten free and dairy free. After just 1 day of this new diet, he improved 100%. It's hard to argue with that! After weeks on this new diet, we decided to add back in dairy. Day one we had no issues, day two was terrible. Right back to square one. So we went back on the diet. Mr. M and I were really hoping that dairy would be the only problem and that gluten would not. Gluten seemed so overwhelming, but we thought dairy would be easy! He loves both almond milk and coconut milk. We found coconut milk ice cream! He has never liked cheese all that much. So after a few weeks back on the diet, we added back in gluten and he was fine! We were so happy! So now we had our answer, his bowel issues were totally fixed, and life was good! Until the weather started to cool down.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">You see, for breakfast, he could have cereal with his coconut or almond milk, toast, oatmeal, eggs, there are many options. I did run into an issue with pancakes since most pancake mixes have dairy in them, but I found one that didn't. For lunch he has homemade bread with peanut butter and homemade jelly, or meat and mayo, coconut yogurt, homemade applesauce, fruits and veggies. Over the summer for dinner we would grill a meat and then have steamed or grilled veggies, a salad (with dairy free dressing), and maybe rice or cut up fruit. Then as the weather started getting cooler, I got out the recipe book and started looking through all our usual fall recipes. Almost every single recipe has some sort of dairy in it. Then I started reading labels at stores...I can't believe some of the things that have dairy in it that I would have never guessed! I mean, you know to stay away from things like cheese, milk, ice cream, yogurt, anything you buy in the dairy section! But then I find that there is dairy in chicken broth, in pretty much every snack food, all soups, and many other things that I just didn't know had dairy! Even croutons have dairy in them!!! I find myself still having to shop in the gluten free area since many of their items are also dairy free.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I don't even know how to cook for my family now. I really want to just stick my head in the sand! But I won't. Little Man deserves to eat without issues. And dairy free isn't going to hurt the rest of us...although I think it's against some kind of code being from Wisconsin and all!!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">So, now I am on the search, for good, dairy free recipes for dinner! I already found one for pumpkin pie and whipped cream!! So Thanksgiving should be great!</span>Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13281387554932290712noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2000466170209017384.post-76622751182517859602012-10-20T11:46:00.001-07:002013-02-22T11:40:10.876-08:00Dear Dad<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I am so proud of you. You have now reached the 100 lb mark in your weight loss journey, and I know you will just keep on going. I wanted to let you know how much your weight loss has meant to me. I have always dreamed of the day when you are retired and hanging out at the Stout/May family homestead. Putzing around the shop, teaching my sons how to build things and how to fix things. As time went on though, I worried, your health was deteriorating and I wasn't sure if you were going to make it to retirement or if you would be able to enjoy it.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">When you first mentioned having the surgery, I was really nervous about it. What if you didn't even wake up from the table? I was not ready to lose my Dad. But the reality was, I was losing you already. Once you made the decision to have the surgery, I decided to support you 100%, because if you didn't have the surgery...you were going to die. Your weight, diabetes, infections, edema, everything was out of control. This was your only option. As the surgery drew near, I was so scared. I really wanted this for you but I was so scared too. Diabetics take longer to heal, what if he gets an infection, what if his heart stops? I prayed and prayed. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In the week after your surgery, I know that was one of the hardest weeks of your life. None of us were prepared for how much pain you were going to be in, how hard it was going to be for you. But in time, it got better. You healed, you lost weight, you stuck to your diet, your meds were majorly reduced, and your outlook got better. As time went on, I was so excited to hear about the change in you. I couldn't wait for you to come visit me so I could SEE!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">When you walked through security at the airport, I couldn't believe my eyes! You looked SO different!! You had lost 80lbs!! I was amazed and so proud of you! In the 10 days that you were here visiting, I fell in love with my Dad all over again. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">You are a different person! You were engaged in conversation, you played with the kids, you helped me do some shopping and going to get new furniture for the kids bedrooms and helped me move stuff in and out of rooms. You only took 1 nap!!! You used to sit and fall asleep all the time and just watch tv. Now we sat around and talked and laughed and told stories, and hung out and just enjoyed each others company. I SO enjoyed our visit!!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Your surgery has given you a new lease on life! I again can picture our dream of the homestead and having you and Mom there with us. I picture you hanging out with my kids, I picture us having healthy meals together, I picture you being there when my kids get married! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I wasn't ready to lose my Dad! Now, I don't have to. I am so proud of you, Dad, for taking this step to better your health. You are a great example to us all. I am so happy that this has already affected YOUR life so much! I'm glad that you bought a motorcycle again and are enjoying your life. I'm glad that you don't have to be so tired all the time, and I'm glad that some day you will be off ALL your diabetes medications. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">So on this day, Dad, I want you to know...I want the whole world to know, that I am so incredibly proud of you! You are a great Dad and I love you so much!!</span>Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13281387554932290712noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2000466170209017384.post-14753898053818912842012-10-06T15:43:00.000-07:002012-10-06T15:43:28.735-07:00Joy from the Lord<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
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</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">My 3 year old, after watching the
movie Tangled, walks around saying, "This is the best day ever!!".
It's SO cute! All the little things that happen in his day, he proclaims,
"This is the best day ever!!" I had posted about this on facebook and
a friend had said, "Just think if we all had such a great attitude toward
life!" </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">This got me to thinking, we should have this attitude, I should
have this attitude. So I decided that this would be my new motto. This is the
best day ever!! Even if it's not, that will be my motto! Fake it till you make
it! If you are feeling down in the dumps, and you are wallowing in your self pity, you
aren't going to feel any better. But if you are feeling down and you try and
change your attitude by being cheerful and thankful...pretty soon you aren't
feeling so bad! </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">Last Saturday morning, we took Mr. M to his ship and he sailed away.
He's been gone for 1 week today. It was sad, I miss him. But I am not going to
walk around for months feeling like that! Every day is a brand new gift from
God!! Every day, there is a blessing to be counted! </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">On Sunday, we had a bit of
a rough morning cause we overslept and were a little late getting to church, I
hate being late. I served in JBQ and then helped with check-in in kids church
and by the time I went to service, I was feeling great! Every time some one
asked me how I was doing...I said, "This is the best day ever!" </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">Pastor
Joe's message on Sunday was amazing!! It was called Remember, Appreciate,
Anticipate. It was all about remembering what God has done for His children
(and for me) in the past, appreciating it, and anticipating the blessings that
will come in the future. God loves us so much and He will bless us! The whole
message was SO in line with what God had been telling me! Even though we are
going through a hard time right now, with Mr. M having to be away from us, we
can anticipate the blessings that God has for us in the midst of this. Instead
of focusing on the hard time we are going through, we need to focus on the
positive things. I am so blessed to have such an amazing husband who loves me
and is such an amazing Father to our children, I am blessed that my husband
will come home again, I am blessed that we have a warm home, food to eat,
family and friends who love me and support me, a church where we are free to
worship the Lord, and a church family who has come along beside me to walk this
road with me. And many more! I am overwhelmed with the blessings that God has
given to us! </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">I went up to the altar to pray and a friend came over and asked
what she could pray with me about. I told her that I was filled with so much
joy and thankfulness right now and that I pray that God will help me to have
that every morning! That when I start to feel like I am going into the
pit...that I would remember the joy that God has given me!! While we were
praying, Pastor Joe came over and laid his hand on my shoulder and prayed for
me, in front of the congregation, with his mic on. Honestly, I'm not even
entirely sure what he said. I was so filled with the presence of the Holy
Spirit. I just felt surrounded by peace and goodness and joy!! It was an
amazing morning! </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">I have had my ups and downs this week. We started school and
the first couple days were a little rough, but then after being able to talk to
Mr. M and receiving some great advice from a good friend and fellow
homeschooler, the rest of the week went great! Some days have been filled with
busyness, others have had a little sadness mixed in. Today, I am a LITTLE
sad. But I have found I can be a little sad and joyful at the same time! Cause
my sadness comes from my human emotions, but my joy comes from the Lord! So
even though I miss my honey like crazy, I am filled with so much love for him,
and that is something to be joyful about!! I feel very, very blessed that God
chose me to be Mr. M's wife. He knew that I could do this! He knew that I would
turn to Him for my strength! The joy of the Lord is my strength!
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">The Lord is my strength and my shield;
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">My heart leaps for
joy, </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">and with my song I praise him. Psalm 28:7</span></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment--></span>Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13281387554932290712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2000466170209017384.post-55954480525744573172012-06-05T16:05:00.000-07:002012-06-05T16:05:03.213-07:00I Pray for My ChildrenLittle Man said to me the other day, "Mom, I have never heard God speak to me." He's 5! Almost 6, but seriously! It was a deep thought. Not just a random child like thought. I told him that when he prays, he needs to be quiet and listen for God's still, small voice. Later at bedtime, he prayed one of his amazing prayers and then he asked his Dad to be quiet with him so that he can listen for God. Then he said, "I still don't hear anything." Mr. M went into a deeper discussion about what it's like to hear God. I don't know if he understands or not, it's something that a lot of adults even struggle with.<br />
<br />
When Little Man was younger, a Pastor gave us a word that God had something big for him. God has a calling on his life. When I listen to his prayers, I believe it! I can't even explain it. He prays with his whole heart, he prays about things that God lays on his heart. He prays for his Dad when he is gone, that he will be safe, that he will do a great job, that he will keep America safe, and that he won't miss us too much and be sad.<br />
<br />
I wonder if by him wanting to hear from God, if he is looking for some reassurance. To know that God is listening, that He hears him. Tonite, I will be talking to him about how one of the main ways that God speaks to us is through His word. I will be sharing some scriptures with him that I hope will comfort him and give him peace in his heart.<br />
<br />
Yesterday was also a rough day for Princess. She has been teary all week. She really doesn't want Daddy to leave again. Her heart is broken. She has a list of things she wants to do before he leaves again and she was feeling like her list was getting longer and none of it was getting done. I feel like no matter how much we do or how much of the list gets checked off...it won't be enough. He will still miss her birthday, and family camp, and camping, and everything fun that we will do this summer.<br />
<br />
Mr. M and I went with her on Sunday up to the altar to be prayed for. I thought she would feel better after that but she said to me, "Mom, I'm not afraid, I just don't want him to leave again. I want him here." So we are going to look up some scriptures for her that God will give her comfort. That He will take away the sadness and the ache in her heart.<br />
<br />
Tink has really been vying for his attention this week as well. She just wants him to herself. She wants to talk to him and share her heart and what's going on in her life. It's hard with 3 other siblings who also need him. She is a little more withdrawn and I worry that she doesn't talk about her feelings at all. She spends a lot of time reading her Bible and I am hoping that she is finding comfort in that.<br />
<br />
Scooter is just so happy Daddy is home and wants him to do everything with him. But he doesn't really even understand that Daddy will be leaving again, or for how long. When Mr. M is gone, Scooter cries for him.<br />
<br />
Lord, please comfort my children. Speak to their hearts and let them know you are near. Help me to guide them in your word and in their lives. Take the sadness out of this house and bring us a joy and a peace that passes ALL understanding. Amen.Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13281387554932290712noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2000466170209017384.post-89300013035940115292012-05-30T11:45:00.000-07:002012-05-30T11:45:12.345-07:00Pre-deployment PhaseI was reading a <a href="http://rachellatham.blogspot.com/">blog</a> that I found today and on her page she talks about the 3 stages of deployment. Pre-deployment, Deployment, and Reintegration. We are in the Pre-deployment stage, and this is what she says about it, which I thought described it very well.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Pre-Deployment</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">This is that uncomfortable time frame when you are preparing for deployment. Mindsets are shifting; practical preparations need to be made, nervousness and questions abound as the calendar ticks down to good-bye day.<span> </span>I have found this to be a very difficult time. My husband would be going back and forth for multiple training missions for a few weeks at a time, so he was in and out for months prior to deployment. While this may have seemed to some as good practice leading up to deployment, it was actually harder because we were unable to settle into a routine. Neither was he, and we would finally get to<span> </span>a point of just wishing the deployment would start, so we could start counting down to the end.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">If you find yourself in this time frame, I would encourage you to remember just a few things. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><i>Look at the big picture.</i><span> </span>Understand that your feelings are normal and that it is all part of a process. Just knowing that there is a predictable cycle can be helpful in taking the sting out of your emotions.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><i>Educate and prepare yourself.</i><span> </span>Be proactive in reading about deployment issues. This information is readily available on many websites, books and through the military. Educating yourself about deployment will remove some of the power of fear.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><i>Grace.</i> For yourself and your family. It will be a roller-coaster of emotions. Be ready to be forgiving and patient.</span></div>
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The pre-deployment stage is HARD. Unless you are military, you don't understand. During the training cycle (pre-deployment), I have had people ask me how long is he going to be gone? I usually can't give a very accurate answer and since we shouldn't really be talking about ship's movement...I usually give a very generic answer. Sometimes, I might say, "a week or two." To which I get a response, "Oh! That's not that bad!" To which I just want to say, "Really? You think it's not that bad? How about next week when he leaves for 2 weeks, or a couple weeks after that when he leaves for 10 weeks, or how about when he gets to come home after that for only a few weeks and then leave again? How about when he misses 3 of his kids birthdays...is that bad enough? How about when after all these not too bad LITTLE away times he leaves for 8 months or more?" I'm not mad or anything, I know that if you are not military, you don't know you shouldn't say things like that. So I just smile and say, "Nope, not too bad." One week may not seem bad, but when you add it all up...even one week is hard. These shorter underway times are not good practice...they just make it harder. You know they are going to be leaving for a long time and all you want to do is spend every moment with them. Instead they are gone more then they are home and you get very little of them at all. And when he is home, he's trying to do things around the house to make life easier for me when he leaves again...when all I really want is for him to snuggle with me on the couch and talk.</div>
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It's hard to get into a routine when he is coming and going so much. When he's home, we don't want to do anything with anyone else...we want to hibernate! But we can't always do that every time he comes and goes. The kids have end of the year stuff going on at church and baseball and we can't just back out of everything because Daddy is home again. It's different when he comes home from deployment, it's great to take a break from everything then...but we can't do that during pre-deployment...it's just not practical!</div>
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During the moments that he is home, I need to make sure that we are taking care of business stuff too. We have to get a Power of Attorney and make sure all the bills are in my name and discuss car stuff and lawn stuff and money stuff and figure out how much money he can take out each month to have with him and talk about expectations for communication.</div>
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So that brings us to her 3 steps. Look at the big picture - my feelings are normal!! That's good to know! Lol, I know that they are and that we go through this before every deployment. It's a little harder this time around since we just had 3 years of shore duty. But I know that all this is normal and this too shall pass.</div>
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Educate and prepare yourself...now this one I am really good at!! This will be our 5th deployment so I know the ropes, but I still read everything as a refresher!</div>
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Grace. Such a little word that means so much. Have grace with myself and my family. Have grace with my friends, who maybe don't get it, but they love me so much and just want to support me in any way they can. And grace that God has for me too. I wouldn't be able to do ANY of this without the grace of God. His mercies are new every morning!! When people ask me, "How do you do it?" I know that it's because God gives me what I need every morning to get through that day...no matter which stage of the deployment we are in! I thank the Lord for my wonderful husband whom I love and who is patient with me when times are hard and emotions are overflowing, I am thankful for my children who bring so much joy to my life, I am thankful for my family and friends that support me emotionally from afar, and I am thankful for my new friends here who will support me during each stage of this new deployment and be my Aaron and Hur when I feel like I can't do it anymore.</div>
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I don't like this pre-deployment stage, it's hard, but I know that with God's grace, we will get through this and deployment and reintegration. </div>Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13281387554932290712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2000466170209017384.post-23595821811425601832012-05-28T13:49:00.000-07:002012-05-28T14:10:38.746-07:00What Memorial Day Means to MeWhen some people think of Memorial Day they think of cook outs with family, beautiful weather, planting the spring garden or flower beds, and doing yard work. Many think of the military and say kind words about appreciating their sacrifices. I'm sure some people don't think much about it at all, it's just a day off.<br />
<br />
When I think of Memorial Day...only one thing comes to my mind. Ricky Nelson.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUwQYH8VncqJR_tjH2CYKQWE0gH2-PpHST-ZlzyfqRbTw_1cJMqnF9OE5gK67OD7SwQUliQuwr3ujSKQ52UpZF6EQzSYPQzRQB7fhptXFQpMVO30o_v6g03BcZptksg5Anj62oIDeu64/s1600/rjn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUwQYH8VncqJR_tjH2CYKQWE0gH2-PpHST-ZlzyfqRbTw_1cJMqnF9OE5gK67OD7SwQUliQuwr3ujSKQ52UpZF6EQzSYPQzRQB7fhptXFQpMVO30o_v6g03BcZptksg5Anj62oIDeu64/s1600/rjn.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I didn't really know Ricky Nelson well, but I know his family. On April 14th, 2008, at the age of 23...Ricky was killed in Iraq. He was newly married...his wife became a widow. His parents lost their son. His 5 brothers and 1 sister lost their brother. Many lost an amazing friend. He was so many things to so many people...and they lost him. Thankfully he is not lost forever, because of our hope in Jesus Christ, we will see him again one day.<br />
<br />
Exactly one month from Ricky's death, my husband came home from Iraq.<br />
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One year later, our 4th child was born.<br />
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One year after that, on Memorial Day weekend, our family placed a flag at Ricky's grave.<br />
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Life goes on. Because of the sacrifice that Ricky gave, our life goes on. Because of the sacrifice that so many have given, we can have our picnics and our get togethers and our 3 day weekend to plant flowers and hang out with our loved ones.<br />
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Because of their sacrifice, we have freedom...and it is NOT FREE. So on this Memorial Day, I WILL enjoy my children and my day...and I will remember their sacrifice.<br />
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<span class="text John-15-13" id="en-NIV-26713"><span class="woj">Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13</span></span> <br />
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Rest in Peace, Ricky, you will never be forgotten.<br />
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<a href="http://richardjnelson.com/About.html">http://richardjnelson.com/About.html</a><br />
<br />Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13281387554932290712noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2000466170209017384.post-71584734651127749312012-05-24T21:34:00.001-07:002012-05-24T21:34:38.859-07:00God's Promises<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">It's amazing how God works. Even through facebook, lol. Mr. M left April 16th and was supposed to be gone for 3 weeks. They had to pull into San Diego for a day and ended up being stuck there for the whole time. Which delayed them coming home, so they were gone for a month. It was tough but we, of course, made it through. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Yesterday I started feeling kind of anxious and I thought to myself...I can't do this. I can't be here and him not be here. He can't leave me for 8 months or more plus all the training time beforehand. I can't do it again. I don't know how I did this before and I can't do it again. And I felt so lost. There is nothing we can do. This is his job, there is no out. I am a military wife and this is my job. To stay here and hold it together. But how can I do it?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Today I woke up and had to take him to the ship to leave again. I am not feeling good and then had to say goodbye and my feelings from yesterday surfaced again. This afternoon I went on facebook and these are the posts I have seen in my feed today.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">This hard place in which you perhaps find yourself is the very place in which God is giving you opportunity to look only to Him, to spend time in prayer, and to learn long-suffering, gentleness, meekness - in short, to learn the depths of the love that Christ Himself has poured out on all of us.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Isaiah 54:10, "'Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,' says the LORD, who has compassion on you." </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">We all have something to overcome; don't think that you're the only one. God will be you strength if you let Him.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Romans 15:13<br />May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Thank you, Lord, for the reminder of your promises.</span></span><br />
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<br />Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13281387554932290712noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2000466170209017384.post-14159828517856591852012-05-01T15:59:00.000-07:002012-05-01T15:59:12.972-07:00Love Languages<span style="font-size: large;">Years ago, I took a test to find out what my love languages were (<a href="http://www.5lovelanguages.com/">http://www.5lovelanguages.com/</a>). I don't totally remember where all of them fell, but I remember my top one and my bottom one. My top one was Acts of Service. This was obvious to me and I didn't need to take a test to tell me that I like to be a team with my husband. I like him to help me with things around the house and things with our child...we only had 1 at the time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The bottom one was physical touch. The other ladies in the Mom's class that I was a part of were shocked. Not only was it at the bottom...but it got a big ol' fat ZERO! It wasn't that I did not like physical touch, which was their interpretation, it just wasn't my love language. I felt like the test was rigged against me!! If you ask me a question like, do I like my husband to hold my hand or do I like my husband to help with the dishes...of course I am going to put help with the dishes!!! Holding hands isn't going to get the dishes done by either of us! But if we do the dishes together, then there is plenty of time for more then just holding hands!! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The other ladies made it their goal that they were going to help me change my love language and make me more comfortable with physical touch by giving me a hug every time they saw me, I mean, my poor husband! I must never allow him to touch me, right? This is where I roll my eyes. If only I would have been bold enough to say, "Trust me ladies, my husband is not complaining when it comes to the bedroom!" But I was young and didn't think it was appropriate to talk about such things at church! And doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of the Love Languages? You are supposed to figure out what they are and how to communicate with your spouse through that...not change them to make someone else happy!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Learning about the five languages has definitely helped me in my marriage, my parenting, and in other relationships too. If you know what someone's love language is, you can love them in their own language and improve your relationship with them. Or if I am having difficulties in a relationship, I can almost always contribute it to that we are speaking a completely different love language.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">There are times, though, when you can figure out someone's love language and try to love on them in that way...and it still doesn't work. Some relationships just have a complete disconnect no matter how much you love them or how much you try.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Today, I decided to take the test again. I was curious if my love languages have changed over the years. This was the result: Acts of Service (11), Quality Time (9), Physical Touch (5), Words of Affirmation (4), Receiving Gifts (1). So Acts of Service is still at the top, which again, doesn't surprise me. Quality time doesn't surprise me either, I feel loved when people spend their time with me. Physical Touch has moved up!!! I think part of this was because it got matched up with questions about receiving gifts. I also think that with now having 4 children, there is not as much daily physical contact...therefor it's appreciated a bit more. And I do love my honey's massages! I'm actually surprised that Words of Affirmation is as high as it is since usually it makes me uncomfortable, but I do like it when Mr. M says he is proud of me or when someone thanks me for doing something for them, so I guess it makes sense. The bottom one this time around is Receiving Gifts, and the only thing that surprised me about this one was that it got anything! Lol. I'm not big on gifts at all! I'd rather not get gifts for my birthday or Christmas or any other holidays for that matter. I would much rather you spent time with me then buy me a gift. So some things have shifted around, some remain the same. We grow and change and love changes us too!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The one thing that really struck me about my top 2 love languages, Acts of Service and Quality Time, is that my husband can not do either of these when he is away with the military. He can't give me Physical Touch either. So my top 3 are totally impossible for him. NOW I say, my poor husband! It's really amazing that we have such a wonderful marriage after 17 years of him being in the military. It would be much easier for him if my love languages were Words of Affirmation or Receiving Gifts...but they just aren't. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So how does a marriage not only survive, but thrive, even when your love languages aren't being met? The answer is simple for me...God. God is the language of love!! No one can love me like Him.</span>Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13281387554932290712noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2000466170209017384.post-82773206739429848272012-03-06T15:41:00.003-08:002012-03-06T16:11:47.404-08:00HomeschoolingWe started our homeschooling journey 7 years ago! Hard to believe it's been that long! Tink started out in Kindergarten in WA state and then at Christmas time we moved from WA to VA and Mr. M deployed. That 6 months of school in VA was horrible. I watched my beautiful butterfly who loved to learn wilt away into nothingness and not want to learn anything. I didn't know what to do! We had numerous meetings with her teacher, the school counselor and other school officials. Nothing mattered. The teacher was terrible. When I tell my teacher friends about how Tink was treated, they are appalled! It certainly wasn't the idea I had in my head of what school was going to be like for my child. It wasn't just the teacher either, the whole school administration did not match up with the education we wanted for our child.<br /><br />I knew people who homeschooled, they all had pretty great kids. But I couldn't homeschool...I had no idea how to do that! I don't know how to teach! I mean teaching her to talk and walk and go to the bathroom on the toilet and the abc's and counting and reading... really didn't count! Did it? So after much prayer and being scared to death...we took the plunge!<br /><br />We chose to go with ABeka. I love ABeka! It has been a wonderful thing for our whole family, for the most part. The last couple of years, the girls have done the DVD lessons, which was great for a time. This year, we are all really bored with it! So we are thinking about changing it up next year entirely and trying some other curriculum's! This is terrifying! I almost feel like I did when I first pulled Tink out of school!<br /><br />The most wonderful thing in the world though, is being surrounded by an amazing group of homeschooling Mom's who are encouraging, helpful, and FULL of information!! I am SO looking forward to learning about all the other wonderful curriculum's that are out there and choosing what is best for our family! We love homeschooling, I am SO glad that God chose this path for us, and I am really looking forward to bringing our family even closer together!Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13281387554932290712noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2000466170209017384.post-17249113124684049152012-03-03T18:20:00.005-08:002012-03-03T19:19:08.333-08:00I forgot how it feels...When Mr. M first got commissioned, he went right to a ship. It was out here in WA and we were only here for 9 months before it did a 'round the world' tour and ended up in VA after their deployment. He was on that ship for 2 years and then went right to another ship in VA and was gearing up for a deployment cycle when he got picked for an IA to Iraq. That was a shocker! He was gone for that deployment for a year. After he got back from there, we got to go to shore duty and we were stationed back home near WI. It was a wonderful 2 years of refreshment for our family! Then he got picked to go to NY for a tour of recruiting, which got cut short...thank the Lord!! Then he got the job he really wanted and he is back on another ship out here in WA again. <div><br /></div><div>He's not on deployment yet, but he's just, well, gone. He'll be gone a lot this year...and next year...he's on a ship! There are 2 sayings you hear a lot in the Navy, "Haze gray and underway" and "Sailors belong on ships and ships belong at sea". Many non-military people don't understand that it's not just the deployment. Ships are gone A LOT and it doesn't always mean they are deployed, but it does mean he is away from us. Also, many non-military people do not understand that I can not talk about ships schedule. So you can ask me if he's home or not and I can tell you, but if he's home, I can't tell you for how long... and if he's gone, I can't tell you when he'll be back. And I definitely can't tell you when the deployment is! Plus a lot of the time...I don't even know myself! It's really hard in today's social media age to not talk about it. It's really not safe for me to talk about him being gone all the time. Plus, we just aren't supposed to!</div><div><br /></div><div>But what I CAN talk about are my feelings! </div><div><br /></div><div>I forgot what it was like for him to be away! I forgot how I go from feeling like I have a pretty normal life to feeling completely cut off from my spouse. I can not call him and most of the time, he can not call me. We can not skype. I can email him, and hopefully he will get it and hopefully he'll have time to respond...but usually he only has time for a quick I love you note. So I can email him this long email talking to him about all the things going on here with the kids and how much I miss him and talk about things I have been wanting to talk to him about like which preschool should we choose, and maybe we'll change homeschool curriculums next year, and what do you think about going away for Easter if you are home, and many other things that you would just talk to your spouse about when they get home from work or after you have the kids all tucked into bed at night. When I tuck my kids into bed at night...my house is eerily quiet and lonely. And if and when I get a response to my email it usually says something like this, "Beautiful, thank you so much for your email. I love and miss you so much. Hopefully we'll talk soon. Love, Mr. M". And I will tear up and I will be so grateful that he had a moment to let me know how much he loves me.</div><div><br /></div><div>I forgot how hard it can be on the kids. The first couple days are great! We just plug along and stick to our routine. Then about day 3 I notice the kids are being pretty crabby with each other and pretty crabby with me. They miss their Daddy. When he comes home at the end of the day when he's here, it's a big celebration! Whoever hears the garage door or sees him walk in the door first yells, "Daddy's home!!" And all the kids go running to him and hug him and cheer for him...this is EVERY day. So when he doesn't come home, I don't hear much about it until bedtime. Then I hear things like, "I really miss Daddy." "Will Daddy be home soon?" "Dear God, please take care of Daddy while he is away from us." Sometimes there are frowns, sometimes there are teary eyes. But as I tuck them into bed, I just remind them how much their Daddy loves them and I pray with them and kiss them goodnight...and hope that it can be enough. </div><div><br /></div><div>But I have not forgotten how blessed I am. Blessed that I have such an amazing husband who loves me so much, blessed to have my wonderful children, blessed to have family and friends who love me and support me as best they can when he is away, blessed that my husband has come home to me when so many others have not. This I have not forgotten. </div>Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13281387554932290712noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2000466170209017384.post-74073840750874016802012-02-27T11:15:00.022-08:002012-02-29T16:05:10.252-08:00Pinewood Derby<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFXxTOY0gVs36gixRg1baIv3yYZCGf6or6tgv6qgjpzR8tFin1mt93NCEv9vKG9oR9jEg_TeCo4Xf7k1cp9-VcChpwO8Rx0hKR-adH7s_qDdvghjAK7VrMAGhMiAGR3oQ1zYFTdgXrNg/s1600/DSC_0087.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFXxTOY0gVs36gixRg1baIv3yYZCGf6or6tgv6qgjpzR8tFin1mt93NCEv9vKG9oR9jEg_TeCo4Xf7k1cp9-VcChpwO8Rx0hKR-adH7s_qDdvghjAK7VrMAGhMiAGR3oQ1zYFTdgXrNg/s320/DSC_0087.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713896255884870226" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">This past Saturday we took part in the Pinewood Derby at our church. This is our 4th year and our 3rd state to participate in. We LOVE Pinewood Derby!! This is an opportunity for us to work together with our kids on something fun that we can ALL help in. We buy the kits with the block of wood, wheels, axles, and instructions in December usually with a big plan to work on them over Christmas stand down. (Christmas stand down is the time around Christmas when Mr. M has shorter hours and more time off then usual due to the way they schedule every one's vacation time.) We usually don't start the cars till February though, lol.<br /><br />The kids pick a theme for their cars and then pick out the design for the frame. Mr. M then cuts the block of wood. I couldn't tell you what he used to cut them with, but this year he finally bought a new power tool to cut them...I couldn't tell you what kind either! All I know is what a difference it made!! He was happier, the cars turned out nicer, and it went a lot faster!!<br /><br />Then comes the sanding. I don't like this part. Just when the kids get them sanded down to perfection, Mr. M breaks out a finer sand paper to start all over again! We went through this 3 times before I finally said enough! They are fine enough and I have wood dust all over my kitchen!! Lol, but the kids do have fun doing it and even Scooter did some sanding on his car.<br /><br />On to the painting! I think this is the kids favorite part. They pick their main color for their cars and we get all set up at the table and paint away. Then they have to let it dry before they can put on the 2nd coat, and sometimes it even needs a 3rd or 4th. This year was great cause we have finally built up quite a collection of paint colors so we didn't have to buy any! Although next year we may try spray painting. We saw some friends cars this year that looked pretty cool and shiny! Princess for sure liked that! But I don't know if spray painting will produce these smiles!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm0QUPTVKKAuhlC-YtNHZZ6DPaQqsgl2Wz_pjFK28QS4FGUYuYZelGRcpSsrq0umblGe8dfWO4om2hHdGDsLkuGOej95EMJvA5gwG42LBcACQe1Z9_K9LLqAh-OwWdnkXD13Psdal1L5g/s1600/IMG_9393.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm0QUPTVKKAuhlC-YtNHZZ6DPaQqsgl2Wz_pjFK28QS4FGUYuYZelGRcpSsrq0umblGe8dfWO4om2hHdGDsLkuGOej95EMJvA5gwG42LBcACQe1Z9_K9LLqAh-OwWdnkXD13Psdal1L5g/s320/IMG_9393.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713900354748023474" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZ_tTJqeFBTmoQQmR3koAMoCruueyJKxqiecwRb_P7qHgoNx7RDWVemSBP7lTQPJNcjn8fpSc6Zoq5ZtjTcsgsnDJW5LpVZEsXuVTYFAj3XuTb7A4WLWYakYfw3odZIWVavPLfPWZDb8/s1600/IMG_9395.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZ_tTJqeFBTmoQQmR3koAMoCruueyJKxqiecwRb_P7qHgoNx7RDWVemSBP7lTQPJNcjn8fpSc6Zoq5ZtjTcsgsnDJW5LpVZEsXuVTYFAj3XuTb7A4WLWYakYfw3odZIWVavPLfPWZDb8/s320/IMG_9395.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713900360364704146" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizkqz2v1TeXHQSDJ397f9VjB2C7tkelCqkhyphenhyphenwIxM1m4nLI4zP9IVkWJmvqmri0pIg-xDjK7xVVpMoiK-mrydD2elLjptUJ3sZSHcmoAqGz57YJg0uIZGR0I9gdWrmy6PYIgIIqd7LrODE/s1600/IMG_9394.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizkqz2v1TeXHQSDJ397f9VjB2C7tkelCqkhyphenhyphenwIxM1m4nLI4zP9IVkWJmvqmri0pIg-xDjK7xVVpMoiK-mrydD2elLjptUJ3sZSHcmoAqGz57YJg0uIZGR0I9gdWrmy6PYIgIIqd7LrODE/s320/IMG_9394.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713900374438525714" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1R_J0_wEG0AitKMoZAmWC2tWGQC07a9gIop0cpNxyCz-_svW8wISAVPT5bV-TrnqkqNumVTsLRt6twqNkxgQ-mCh7zn4TibrQiQTy6Kt96lN_4cwydMRBjXaTCK352e7CMaN001Jl80/s1600/IMG_9391.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1R_J0_wEG0AitKMoZAmWC2tWGQC07a9gIop0cpNxyCz-_svW8wISAVPT5bV-TrnqkqNumVTsLRt6twqNkxgQ-mCh7zn4TibrQiQTy6Kt96lN_4cwydMRBjXaTCK352e7CMaN001Jl80/s320/IMG_9391.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713900381103482866" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;">So after all the painting, we then put the design on the cars, the names of the cars and anything else special. Once the cars themselves are totally done, it's time for the wheels. This is probably the hardest part of the car. You want to make sure the wheels are on the axles tightly enough...but not too tight! Then you want to make sure the axles go on the car straight and centered. However, our cars had slots for the axles that were not straight...so we had to adjust the axles for that and I don't think it worked great...since a couple of our cars didn't do so great! We even used one of our table leafs on the floor propped up to make sure the car would run straight! Lol, wish I would have gotten pics of that! We had a great time though!<br /><br />Once the cars were totally done, we did our photo shoot and then put them up so there was no playing with them before check in! We also included pics of their previous cars.<br /><br />Tink's car - The Bubbler - She wanted to put a motor in it so that it would actually blow bubbles as it went down the track. She has such creativity! We did not do that as it's probably not allowed to get the track wet! Her other cars were: Star Car, Hummingbird Dasher, and Flower Power.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOIVEmOqKzPTyapYqda7w-M9nCz2279TH-hBq9yZNt7QtutcCuUFymCu-GHaWffoPtdEJYCWoOJPkIGAg7QnCCb1xFmgYCUJPY4AI_jHHYTYVsza9IqU2Xw1W5mC8XK_-J4kXeyFCDQs/s1600/IMG_9410.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOIVEmOqKzPTyapYqda7w-M9nCz2279TH-hBq9yZNt7QtutcCuUFymCu-GHaWffoPtdEJYCWoOJPkIGAg7QnCCb1xFmgYCUJPY4AI_jHHYTYVsza9IqU2Xw1W5mC8XK_-J4kXeyFCDQs/s320/IMG_9410.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713907573287141906" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7rncZUeaivQmVwlxtJLZBfilFdYkShuj55qfgvduXqF4WMemfNGyIOWeG-7YQGy8iZ-MQSfcNp34ObyfWiWkxltOB7bpHv_2O1pW8m0kev3p3Jdx9HfndNe5OsLHm-cVdsNDJ133f2g/s1600/IMG_9406.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7rncZUeaivQmVwlxtJLZBfilFdYkShuj55qfgvduXqF4WMemfNGyIOWeG-7YQGy8iZ-MQSfcNp34ObyfWiWkxltOB7bpHv_2O1pW8m0kev3p3Jdx9HfndNe5OsLHm-cVdsNDJ133f2g/s320/IMG_9406.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713907580727766722" border="0" /></a> </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXLvUTslQMdQxbzpI-HW3STxfWgsUd0u3jBb7mep0q9UQsAyZG_p4oOrN5cFgFrXkYSI1_Y400o835wDZFu-IuJ_dnz2M8VvOmll9bu8sl8bjwMM8RhwNnyoCpzgXdwWCavWv8UnQCYo/s1600/IMG_9418.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 189px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXLvUTslQMdQxbzpI-HW3STxfWgsUd0u3jBb7mep0q9UQsAyZG_p4oOrN5cFgFrXkYSI1_Y400o835wDZFu-IuJ_dnz2M8VvOmll9bu8sl8bjwMM8RhwNnyoCpzgXdwWCavWv8UnQCYo/s320/IMG_9418.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713907588399815618" border="0" /></a> </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Princess's car - Scissor Flash - was fun for both of us! She really, really wanted a scissor-tailed fly catcher painted on her car. I told her she needed to do something that she could do herself, but she was very persistent! I had done it for Tink when she did her Hummingbird Dasher, so I finally said yes. It is only by the Grace of God that it looks like it does!! I am not an artist by any means and have NO IDEA how it looks as good as it does! Tink also wanted us to put a sound chip in it for Princess so it would sound like a scissor-tail fly catcher. Yeah, that didn't happen either! Her other cars: Princess Rocket Car, Speedy Num Nums (which looks like a Zhu Zhu pet), and Peace Dasher.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOp6nwQH2DW8JFnznVTobbtOIfP7lInaYjumDgWoQC99vFuHvU3cq_8c3-h1-2KCKvh2MgLZIyhVa5l3dtpauNQANqEIYaax6n0es_Povs3q4HgQpzRbp46FsGWIlCaAc2mKQkKBtHj-w/s1600/IMG_9429.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 203px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOp6nwQH2DW8JFnznVTobbtOIfP7lInaYjumDgWoQC99vFuHvU3cq_8c3-h1-2KCKvh2MgLZIyhVa5l3dtpauNQANqEIYaax6n0es_Povs3q4HgQpzRbp46FsGWIlCaAc2mKQkKBtHj-w/s320/IMG_9429.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713908674441652066" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi73QAGx1i2WUuvSaQ7euoLVEa1Ee8vgo8tDMlQBMKb-c88mf8l8RSZYxwQ-WBY2vIvhwBGkdKhopeS2bJWfAhXj6Hx5YJFf45rMGNg2cDMcbAWjkJlBiXbSMtC2m3Bux_MiAGVBTCrq0/s1600/IMG_9430.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 262px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi73QAGx1i2WUuvSaQ7euoLVEa1Ee8vgo8tDMlQBMKb-c88mf8l8RSZYxwQ-WBY2vIvhwBGkdKhopeS2bJWfAhXj6Hx5YJFf45rMGNg2cDMcbAWjkJlBiXbSMtC2m3Bux_MiAGVBTCrq0/s320/IMG_9430.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713908668646867378" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2ziU8iq9FhHCREoyrAsiw8wo_l101FNEmfmkFxqMsFBLv_IBv0EK172vqeCYRxNjtd0L84aM1lxUW3LNXz2wY9IZ33tBeMcFtIVh72_qYiurWRIfkdNo51jOP6bkBusxoUlYg0f-5jk/s1600/IMG_9431.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 169px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2ziU8iq9FhHCREoyrAsiw8wo_l101FNEmfmkFxqMsFBLv_IBv0EK172vqeCYRxNjtd0L84aM1lxUW3LNXz2wY9IZ33tBeMcFtIVh72_qYiurWRIfkdNo51jOP6bkBusxoUlYg0f-5jk/s320/IMG_9431.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713908677824506658" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Little Man's car - Night Fury - turned out really good! He wanted a jet car. You can't put wings on a car or it will be too wide for the track, so we had to figure out how to make it look like a jet. He was very happy with the results. He named it Night Fury after the dragon in How to Train Your Dragon. His first car was one that we did mostly for him since he was only 3, then his 2nd one I did the shield and the outline on the sides for the wings and he painted them in, this one he did much more of. I look forward to how much more he'll be able to do it next year! I love watching their cars grow with them! Previous cars: Lightening McQueen and Captain America.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJAphPQyVBB9Ps04KQSVEfObFOhyphenhyphenicZ_Gy733n3LL7uMr_iZd9XD_JGGCb9dXTgiOz1qeoA3qjcSxuz98gc0F6LRZbkuYcmfW4o6SZiLucXw48GyGtgNLzQMRTTwTzd7c2ePZK4a7NR6Q/s1600/IMG_9439.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJAphPQyVBB9Ps04KQSVEfObFOhyphenhyphenicZ_Gy733n3LL7uMr_iZd9XD_JGGCb9dXTgiOz1qeoA3qjcSxuz98gc0F6LRZbkuYcmfW4o6SZiLucXw48GyGtgNLzQMRTTwTzd7c2ePZK4a7NR6Q/s320/IMG_9439.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713911773171991570" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIN9nCRIFJuDCV9jKynICj03g0KHFj6es0qYG6XHHNReeeFrxe9zSPVY4kMCZMpEIHMTHOf66WRVv-ppuIc9GupigZpe_FHNw898O6ryryx7ASGDUvvK0RBkK0b4IRyoiziE6SMchnOk/s1600/IMG_9438.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIN9nCRIFJuDCV9jKynICj03g0KHFj6es0qYG6XHHNReeeFrxe9zSPVY4kMCZMpEIHMTHOf66WRVv-ppuIc9GupigZpe_FHNw898O6ryryx7ASGDUvvK0RBkK0b4IRyoiziE6SMchnOk/s320/IMG_9438.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713911762237411794" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw45KRRZDL8_M4nu3DPV7ScqF-6-dPnkRs8BIQagP89ABWqx2Q23CAEN6al_tnDMqIpWZfFEUw9_PAtgVElUkzVzmAdMwUdBtYqUqif5EHRLEKnItfTwPLrxLopK73fTYdIWK-qvqXdLQ/s1600/IMG_9440.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 169px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw45KRRZDL8_M4nu3DPV7ScqF-6-dPnkRs8BIQagP89ABWqx2Q23CAEN6al_tnDMqIpWZfFEUw9_PAtgVElUkzVzmAdMwUdBtYqUqif5EHRLEKnItfTwPLrxLopK73fTYdIWK-qvqXdLQ/s320/IMG_9440.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713911775537683858" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Scooter's car - Thomas the Tank Engine - was so much fun! Last year we just bought a little wooden train for him to paint while his siblings were painting their derby cars. When we were at race day he was very upset and had a total melt down that he didn't get to race that train! So this year we decided to help him do a car. I was surprised at how much he did do of the car, he really wanted to do it. He painted a lot of the main blue color and he even did some sanding! Then I had fun doing the rest! We used wooden dowels for all the parts that are round and just glued them on. The face took me 6 tries!!!! As I said, I am NOT an artist! But I finally got it to look ok! The best part? Scooter LOVES his car!!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7XT49hD7Y0bZkVDPbkNO3BA0xr9d1HTbg3F3ILVH-n2FvjF3TrNCOwgMNhIJfdoqY6z1TgUEQ_IaWMceXWLMBe5Sh_O26UWdygV4dm9vN0DJCpktmNgWFlPiGLrMmQuIzZCKOaZcRVQ/s1600/IMG_9445.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7XT49hD7Y0bZkVDPbkNO3BA0xr9d1HTbg3F3ILVH-n2FvjF3TrNCOwgMNhIJfdoqY6z1TgUEQ_IaWMceXWLMBe5Sh_O26UWdygV4dm9vN0DJCpktmNgWFlPiGLrMmQuIzZCKOaZcRVQ/s320/IMG_9445.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713913904328243394" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvfxegUjzkJn_2n5BrooCI6uLXZsGWsFbrSwSpoQGpPdgelTdLLfU0k68yx3fWk9ywWgPOc1e76JUjJCitodXk7ThMz70VjzVVm_0HZlMQxH0wFqSoijciDsaNZQo-L1Ggx1kElkAw6w/s1600/IMG_9444.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 188px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvfxegUjzkJn_2n5BrooCI6uLXZsGWsFbrSwSpoQGpPdgelTdLLfU0k68yx3fWk9ywWgPOc1e76JUjJCitodXk7ThMz70VjzVVm_0HZlMQxH0wFqSoijciDsaNZQo-L1Ggx1kElkAw6w/s320/IMG_9444.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713913900718790322" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDZJebTPGSULjZKvXLAMJHCNgMPGv0FNqrA9KUZcZ_05UgY70Ykx0NiMW5ZbdPuJysPmzVCY7SApsLokMT6QjDtFJxUCRRzBw6GWB4w11jia4lU7Bu4UcqNII3Li-L1NXnkk1in3Qr4s/s1600/IMG_9442.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDZJebTPGSULjZKvXLAMJHCNgMPGv0FNqrA9KUZcZ_05UgY70Ykx0NiMW5ZbdPuJysPmzVCY7SApsLokMT6QjDtFJxUCRRzBw6GWB4w11jia4lU7Bu4UcqNII3Li-L1NXnkk1in3Qr4s/s320/IMG_9442.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713913891483822466" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipeNUvYyf-ZEaMN1lddtlfWfdZ1D-0SbZwKFEqkB9vrhZj6UZ5BbVvCKCY8YS-kGCbvDSUiaOj0BEAdPu1Q1TSogD-I_9yyJgfyb5Ku9YLggYoW5rApyD-9MFXVNFBd1Nrp-dwYYTxJhw/s1600/IMG_9443.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 202px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipeNUvYyf-ZEaMN1lddtlfWfdZ1D-0SbZwKFEqkB9vrhZj6UZ5BbVvCKCY8YS-kGCbvDSUiaOj0BEAdPu1Q1TSogD-I_9yyJgfyb5Ku9YLggYoW5rApyD-9MFXVNFBd1Nrp-dwYYTxJhw/s320/IMG_9443.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713913887049454610" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;">This past Wednesday we helped with check in for the cars. They can weigh up to 5.0 oz on the "official" scale and if they are over or under you can request for the team of guys there to help get them to standard. I did the paperwork side and Mr. M helped with the cars. It was a lot of fun! We added some graphite to the wheels and said goodby to our cars till Saturday.<br /><br />Race Day! We got to church at 9am and got seats right up front. We got to hang out with great friends and just had a wonderful morning! Little Man's car was one of the first to race and it was doing really bad!! I think his was one of the worst with the axle issue. I mean, his car was like a foot behind everyone else. He was SO disappointed! The last run, one of the guys sprayed the bottom of the car with silicone and then it came in first!! Little Man was ecstatic!!! The guy came over to apologize for not doing it sooner but it didn't really matter, we were having a great time and that one race was enough for Little Man! He was all smiles! He didn't need hardware to make his day!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-L2LAcj6AC4KlK_X6fQj7BZaTr5YWEA22M0b90J98S7ujbjyAu13qrwaRkgnARdGY5ucPLjInHED8dCAo0xpiMw8KNiIEO0tAf7uGEIXmMWmN17_mAzNGxieNZ7vo6djQumTFyqZ_6kk/s1600/IMG_9452.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 294px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-L2LAcj6AC4KlK_X6fQj7BZaTr5YWEA22M0b90J98S7ujbjyAu13qrwaRkgnARdGY5ucPLjInHED8dCAo0xpiMw8KNiIEO0tAf7uGEIXmMWmN17_mAzNGxieNZ7vo6djQumTFyqZ_6kk/s320/IMG_9452.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713918038697347874" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;">After a few other groups it was Princess's turn. Her car didn't do so well either, but she came in about the middle of the pack. She was a little disappointed but still had a great time and loves her car! We got a nice shot of her race.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQcREu8tXNeOl0bS3e4smQQrF_m3mTxuJ8teNWvnAMQFHDJxUPVioseBu7YL_hKZLvlrWqDK31a4I0Y9gaEMsaUICGdTJs42MODTtlsCNm9ai2ZqB0xNKxpILIzJ-FbICqI-flJ8AsP0/s1600/IMG_9465.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQcREu8tXNeOl0bS3e4smQQrF_m3mTxuJ8teNWvnAMQFHDJxUPVioseBu7YL_hKZLvlrWqDK31a4I0Y9gaEMsaUICGdTJs42MODTtlsCNm9ai2ZqB0xNKxpILIzJ-FbICqI-flJ8AsP0/s320/IMG_9465.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713919392710702674" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb1I99XSdP5G7k2xVhSgmLmlHSRT7thzdRPZTMul-9NPK2w965uqDpQ5YrkUrmInrGiMrij_GlcV19vaasPxgbF25eSvrmnuKimylDo6G_ZTFh2a4sBFWLhaCISgPm1MF4i6SaqUVl8JI/s1600/IMG_9480.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 241px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb1I99XSdP5G7k2xVhSgmLmlHSRT7thzdRPZTMul-9NPK2w965uqDpQ5YrkUrmInrGiMrij_GlcV19vaasPxgbF25eSvrmnuKimylDo6G_ZTFh2a4sBFWLhaCISgPm1MF4i6SaqUVl8JI/s320/IMG_9480.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713918611114009458" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Then one of the last groups was the 13 and up open category. Tink is in this category and so was Scooter. They don't have a category for 2 year olds, and since I did most of the car, this is the group it went in. We got some great shots of this race, as did another friend whose pic was my opening picture at the top. Each car had to run in each lane so that is why they are in different lanes every time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKTmFu9a6hD2kIKeVcmkCQhS2IHKMMKaSNK12fjX35OmVERPgAThKFk7j_m9yZmGtonnH4WrTXMqAZ3CFM7oiMnIX2am8jThi7WCEcf-PPi0POB97mDNAcqSDWVYFLU40XzDjtobeNAU/s1600/DSC_0030.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKTmFu9a6hD2kIKeVcmkCQhS2IHKMMKaSNK12fjX35OmVERPgAThKFk7j_m9yZmGtonnH4WrTXMqAZ3CFM7oiMnIX2am8jThi7WCEcf-PPi0POB97mDNAcqSDWVYFLU40XzDjtobeNAU/s320/DSC_0030.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713920355468462914" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL0HzcN1WUboI5YyAEFzJQUSmGz_n7KJ-ACUfNaNqg25j0dYz3keNcJpRSN0aK_OzFzx25hOSleZ3gY0b5zIPxv8NmMXFucPs1OxC99Q-eiJ-YCxH5bi1UM0iyPa4O7pIj6bm67sU8dN0/s1600/IMG_9490.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 174px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL0HzcN1WUboI5YyAEFzJQUSmGz_n7KJ-ACUfNaNqg25j0dYz3keNcJpRSN0aK_OzFzx25hOSleZ3gY0b5zIPxv8NmMXFucPs1OxC99Q-eiJ-YCxH5bi1UM0iyPa4O7pIj6bm67sU8dN0/s320/IMG_9490.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713919392806085170" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1rmuk8CZRlUZbvBPhlpTfLBmRnzzPyxsegxjkfq5SkHxzw1PTUyqA44A54I-Xq9mzs_ZTNfRmXAvfE_GS9N5MX_Jk8Tjw4tsl_3MngO5TjOy5Ap5kZfiIl81RI7scUtrUaFpzLxy9P0/s1600/IMG_9498.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 205px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1rmuk8CZRlUZbvBPhlpTfLBmRnzzPyxsegxjkfq5SkHxzw1PTUyqA44A54I-Xq9mzs_ZTNfRmXAvfE_GS9N5MX_Jk8Tjw4tsl_3MngO5TjOy5Ap5kZfiIl81RI7scUtrUaFpzLxy9P0/s320/IMG_9498.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713919398679611634" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;">Tink's car did ok and was in the middle of the pack like Princess's. She was disappointed too, lol. They have always done pretty well...but people here take the Derby pretty seriously so we got some great tips for next year!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0l-Q9TpchoAJcJeffig0E4R2RtUKMXgqzGD1zy_mddbYbvFUgFFi1BdUnTfUxOnX1SJAjZLXZ4yY-8CDAOgP6dKFbuOXxhprWkdZEMS1zF3bnCHu0G0D7A1ps9QyyhkT2VzoFjzhGY4/s1600/IMG_9500.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 273px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0l-Q9TpchoAJcJeffig0E4R2RtUKMXgqzGD1zy_mddbYbvFUgFFi1BdUnTfUxOnX1SJAjZLXZ4yY-8CDAOgP6dKFbuOXxhprWkdZEMS1zF3bnCHu0G0D7A1ps9QyyhkT2VzoFjzhGY4/s320/IMG_9500.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713921363976618242" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Now Scooter's car did pretty good!!! He got 1st in show and 3rd for the race! He was SO excited!! We let him go up there himself and get his car and his trophies. He was so cute and took home trophies for both! He marched up there and took his car and his trophy and got in line with the other teens and grown ups. I wish I had video taped it, it was so funny!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZIqyiekt2yb4dc8NwMXmtLPtVtSCok7vulCapLTRijFAJ6JOA_fr7c12boO5_qbvIRIpEdVs0sddKuBMSsMY6aq7ozXfCtxuDAobXxJQ7xAvT3RFVZwAYT3r-2yGR4M4oaZcZP0Qu9bU/s1600/IMG_9506.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZIqyiekt2yb4dc8NwMXmtLPtVtSCok7vulCapLTRijFAJ6JOA_fr7c12boO5_qbvIRIpEdVs0sddKuBMSsMY6aq7ozXfCtxuDAobXxJQ7xAvT3RFVZwAYT3r-2yGR4M4oaZcZP0Qu9bU/s320/IMG_9506.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713922123660744242" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />A great time was had by all! And we can't wait till next year! Maybe I will make my OWN car next year! :o)</span>Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13281387554932290712noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2000466170209017384.post-59885199702253264462012-02-14T10:02:00.001-08:002012-02-29T16:11:54.030-08:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family:Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" ><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family:Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;font-size:130%;" >I decided for Valentines Day to</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family:Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;font-size:130%;" > re-post our love story. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family:Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">This is going to be a long post so get a cup of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, etc. and settle in.<br /><br />It all started when my friend Reece called me from California. She just moved there and she told me that she had met the man that I was going to marry. I told her that I am not coming to California to meet some dumb guy... yes, those were my exact words. (Later I I found out that he saw a picture of Reece and I together and he told her that he was going to marry me!)<br /><br />A few months later, my friend (and coincidentally Mr. M) moved to Hawaii. She called me and asked me if I would consider coming there for awhile. She was expecting her first child and wanted a friend. Hmmm, move to Hawaii...ahhh, yeah!<br /><br />We met the day after I got there, late December 1993. We went to pick my friend's husband up for lunch and Mr. M and his friend came walking out of the building. She called him over to say hello. We shook hands and said nice to meet you and all that. He was pretty cute! I was like...so that's the one huh? She was certain!<br /><br />A few days later at the New Year's Eve party we went to on base, he danced with everyone there but me. He said later he didn't purposely not pay attention to me...yeah right Mr. Hard to get!<br /><br />So the next day a bunch of the guys came over to my friends house and we were playing cards and such, just hanging out. That's when he and I both started flirting terribly with each other. He started coming over almost every day after that to see me. We would hang out with my friends or go for long walks and sit at the park on the swings and just talk. He really wanted to know me.<br /><br />Our first actual date was Magical!! It was Jan. 15th, 1994. He took me to Chi-Chi's, which was my favorite restaurant. He had a rose waiting at the table for me, we had a wonderful time! On the way home we were listening to the radio and 'I love the way you love me' by John Michael Montgomery came on. I was like..."oh I love this song!!!" He asked if I minded if we stopped at the NEX (a Navy store) real quick, I said it was fine. I waited in the car and he came out with the John Michael Montgomery CD with that song on it. He opened it up and put it in and we listened to it again. Of course later this became 'our song'.<br /><br />For Valentine's Day that year, he bought 4 tickets (2 for us and 2 for my friends, how nice is that?!) to a dinner cruise in Waikiki. This should have been the most romantic date ever! Candle light, 7 course meal, dancing, a dinner show, the waves going up and down...yeah, I spent almost the entire night in the bathroom...I didn't get to eat anything! You'd think he would have run after that huh?! Nope, he just kept telling me it was ok to all my sorry's. I never knew I would get so sea sick!<br /></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">We were practically inseparable after that! In March, my friend went into the hospital to have her baby, then it was time for me to go home. Our time together was bittersweet. I felt like we were saying goodbye forever, I didn't see how this could ever work...long distance relationships don't work! He knew that I was the one. I pretty much cried the entire flight home. I even fell asleep at the airport in Chicago on my 2nd layover and missed my flight! My Mom and friend had to pick up my luggage in Milwaukee and then come pick me up in Chicago. I still haven't lived that one down!</span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">The first time he called me, I was really surprised. Then we started spending hours on the phone...computers weren't that rampant back then! We spent a lot of money on those phone bills! We would talk for hours just like we used to when we would walk around housing in Hawaii. In May of 94, he came to visit me in Wisconsin as well as his parents and siblings from NY. He was planning a proposal! His first idea didn't work cause it involved me being pulled over by the police and that day, I got into a terrible car accident. Then his next idea didn't work out either for various reasons. His family went back to NY and still no proposal...I didn't know all the details of why he hadn't proposed yet...I thought he changed his mind! Finally, he proposed when we were miniature golfing with some friends, it was really cute!<br /><br />So he went back to Hawaii and I started planning our wedding! We were married in Wisconsin that October (1994). He came in from Hawaii and his family came in from NY and we had other family and friends from all over the place! After we were married I moved to Hawaii with him where we lived for 2 years. Some honeymoon huh?!<br /><br />So 17 years, 4 kids and 8 duty stations later...we are still splendidly in love! Not that it's always been perfect. After all, you can't have a perfect marriage with two imperfect people! But we still love each other. I still get butterflies when he calls to tell me he's on his way home from work and I still miss him like crazy when he is away from us.<br /><br />Today when I was looking for a wedding picture, I came across my wedding vows. When I read them, it's so great to know that I love him even more today then I did that wonderful day. I decided to share them with you. Before that though, here's a crazy picture! He's supposed to be helping me onto the bus but by the look on his face...you'd think he was kidnapping me! Too funny!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-LKwovXqfhL3p4OHKkhnFLbSUaiyW4bbNMYYh1oyf0tndunb9f8Gv-NzxDMZkZ_44jeiTcLFPvydbVYeAWQM2OH86YpXO-c9OqTn3oEaz6wO8QuftoS-79hPAculhilkMhR13C1emy4/s1600-h/Untitled-1.jpg" style="text-decoration: none; "><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165782284066068722" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-LKwovXqfhL3p4OHKkhnFLbSUaiyW4bbNMYYh1oyf0tndunb9f8Gv-NzxDMZkZ_44jeiTcLFPvydbVYeAWQM2OH86YpXO-c9OqTn3oEaz6wO8QuftoS-79hPAculhilkMhR13C1emy4/s400/Untitled-1.jpg" style="border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; position: relative; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; " border="0" /></a></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br />Here are my wedding vows!<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#ff0000;">When we first met, I certainly wasn't looking for love, but your friendship intrigued me. You took the time to get to know me, and on one occasion I read you a poem, I'd like to read that again now.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#ff0000;">"I promise you my love...without any limits. To accept the things you believe in and to always try to understand you. To be near you whenever you need my presence. To trust in your love for me and pray that it grows stronger every day. To watch our love grow together through the years. I promise to soothe your mind and body. To plan with you, dream with you, to do my best to show you how much I love you. For you have become my world, my heart, my life, and my future for ever. "<br /><br />I told you that one day I would feel that way about someone and then, I would marry that person. Little did I know that I was looking into that very person's baby-browns. Every day since then I have felt our love & friendship growing. People say when you fall in love it seems your whole world turns upside down. When we fell in love...my life turned right side up again. With each passing day, a piece of our puzzle falls into place. Every time we find something in common, every time our differences compliment each other, a puzzle piece is put gently into place to bring us together in God's great plan for our destiny. Now, today, the final piece of our puzzle is being placed.<br /><br />I take you to be my husband, and these things I promise you: I will be faithful to you and honest with you; I will respect you as you have always shown me the greatest respect; I will trust you, help, and care for you. I will share every part of my life with you. I will forgive you as we have been forgiven. And I will try with you better to understand ourselves, the world, and God: through the best and worst of what is to come as long as we both shall live. I love you!</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family:Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family:Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;font-size:130%;" >It's funny to me now, reading those vows I wrote so many years ago, how I mentioned that the final piece of the puzzle was being placed. Little did I know that it was only the final piece of the frame work of the puzzle. Through out our lives we continue to place more puzzle pieces. With each child that was born, every sorrow, every joy, every time he came back to me safely from deployment, with every kiss...we place another piece.</span></div>Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13281387554932290712noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2000466170209017384.post-85589254550062039382011-12-07T20:36:00.004-08:002012-01-04T13:42:15.974-08:00Random Acts of Kindness<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">For Thanksgiving, I was trying to find somewhere that my whole family could volunteer together. I was very discouraged that it seemed every idea I came up with and checked into...my kids were too little. Then a friend from church contacted me and asked if we would be interested in staying after the Thanksgiving service to help separate and organize the food donations that every one would be bringing that day. I was very excited about this and we decided we would. Scooter and Little Man only made it about 20 minutes carrying food to the different areas with me helping them and then they were done...but they did it!! The girls did it to the very end and we had a great time with our little family and with our new church family volunteering for Thanksgiving!</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">The last day of November, my sister-in-law emailed me and asked me what I thought of <a href="http://katherinemariephotography.com/blog/archives/7437"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#ff0000;">this</span></a>. It reminded me of another blog I had seen <a href="http://ticklestogiggles.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-birthday-was-awesome.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#ff0000;">here</span></a> that I knew I wanted to do on my next birthday. My family just started reading a book about advent called Jotham's Journey and in the beginning of the book it talks about showing kindness to others during Advent. So I decided VERY last minute that we were going to do this too! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">25 days of Random Acts of Kindness for Avent! Here is the list we initially started with.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 16px; font-family:'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><strong>1st </strong>(Thu) Fill up someone’s gas tank</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><strong> 2nd</strong> (Fri) Tape coins to vending machines</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"> <strong>3rd </strong>(Sat) Give a gift bag of food/drink and a blanket to a homeless person</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"> <strong>4th </strong>(Sun) Buy a hot cocoa or latte for Salvation Army bell ringers </span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><strong> 5th</strong> (Mon) Purchase toys for kids in need</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><strong> 6th</strong> (Tue) Tape candy canes and happy holiday notes to ATMS</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><strong> 7th</strong> (Wed) Take a set of holiday books and leave at a mall play area</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"> <strong>8th </strong>(Thu) Offer to buy a pack of gum or mints for checkout clerk at grocery store</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><strong> 9th</strong> (Fri) Hand out pretty Christmas flowers</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><strong> 10th</strong> (Sat) Bring Christmas cookies to all our neighbors</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><strong> 11th</strong> (Sun) Help someone put their groceries in their car</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><strong> 12th</strong> (Mon) Bake & deliver Christmas cupcakes to library employees</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><strong> 13th</strong> (Tue) Bake a deliver Christmas cookies & bread to the fire department</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><strong> 14th</strong> (Wed) Bake and deliver Christmas cookies & bread to the police department</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><strong> 15th</strong> (Thu) Collect canned goods for food pantry</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><strong> 16th</strong> (Fri) Pass out candy canes to folks mailing off their Christmas cards at the post office</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><strong> 17th</strong> (Sat) Take back shopping carts, hold open doors for rushed and weary shoppers… </span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><strong> 18th</strong> (Sun) Leave small Christmas treats/gifts in shopping carts for folks to find</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><strong> 19th</strong> (Mon) Take presents to hard working post office employees</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><strong> 20th</strong> (Tue) Call animal shelter and find out what donations they need. Make a contribution & visit animals.</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><strong> 21th</strong> (Wed) Leave basket of Christmas gifts on doorstep of a family that needs it</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><strong> 22nd</strong> (Thu) Buy coffee for stranger at Starbucks</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><strong>23rd </strong>(Fri) Leave present in mailbox for mail carrier</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><strong> Christmas Eve:</strong> (Sat) Take all night drug store employee a Christmas surprise (because it’s no fun to work on Christmas Eve!)</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"> <strong>Christmas Day:</strong> (Sun) Deliver something special to folks who are working and/or recovering at local hospital.</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">I am not letting this stress me out at all! We haven't done the 3rd one because there is a particular man we want to bless and it hasn't worked out yet. We also changed the 6th one. We had gone out to dinner that night and when we were leaving, we saw the lights on at the military recruiting office. I said, "We should give them the candy canes instead!" Every one was excited about it, so we did! We went into each of the offices for the Navy, Army, and Marines (the Air Force are at a different location) and gave them candy canes and told them that we appreciate what they are doing and we know how tough their job is since before we moved here my husband was recruiting. They were so nice and really appreciated us coming in and then showered my kids with gifts! Balls, bracelets, pencils, and stickers! It felt really great and it was REALLY random, since we decided to do it so last minute!</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">I read about others on my facebook or other blogs doing the same thing! To know that there are so many people all over the place doing random acts of kindness for others...it just makes me so happy! Today a friend pointed me to<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#ff0000;"> <a href="http://lillightomine.com/light-em-up-2011.php"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#ff0000;">this</span></a></span> blog and it was just another smile for my day!</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">I love being able to teach my kids about giving to others! As they say on Yo Gabba Gabba...try it, you'll like it!</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "><br /></p></span></div>Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13281387554932290712noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2000466170209017384.post-34036172838470578552011-11-08T10:44:00.004-08:002012-02-29T16:15:11.458-08:00Making Every Day Special<span style="font-size:130%;">Every thing we do, every day...I want to make special for my family. As Mr. M and I celebrated our anniversary, I wanted it to be really special. When we celebrated Tink's birthday, I made sure that Mr. M was a part of it and tried to make the best memories. For Thanksgiving and Christmas, I want us to just have super quality time...as a family. When he is home on the weekends, I try to make every thing we do really special. I'm sure most families do these things, but this year, I have a purpose. Next year, Mr. M won't be here for these things. He will be deploying.<br /><br />So I want to make memories for my kids...and for their Dad, so that when they are missing each other...they can remember all the awesome things they did. Is it going to make them any less sad when Daddy isn't here for their birthday, probably not, but I still want them to have those amazing memories to hold on to.<br /><br />A couple of weeks ago, I was singing in church during praise and worship and God spoke to me. He showed me that He wants OUR time together to be special. He wants me to make everything count! He doesn't just want my best on Sunday mornings, he wants every moment of every day to be special for Him and I. Hubby and I love our children and love to spend time with them, God loves us even more and wants to spend time with us.<br /><br />We don't have to be on our knees in prayer every moment of the day...but we are supposed to pray without ceasing! God wants to be at the for front of our minds at all times. He wants us to share things with Him that make us happy or sad. He wants us to turn to Him in everything and include Him in everything.<br /><br />Imagine if you will, standing in a group of people and being totally ignored. Sitting down at a table with your family, and not one person talks to you. Holding someones hand while they are going through a trial, and they let go to turn to someone else. Giving someone the best gift they have ever gotten and they act like they got it for themselves. Is this how we treat God? He is right there beside us, yet we do not acknowledge Him.<br /><br />I pray, Lord, that as I go throughout each day, that I make it a special day that I spend with you...every day. Amen.</span>Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13281387554932290712noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2000466170209017384.post-37089841376844854142011-11-07T09:52:00.008-08:002012-02-29T16:17:56.373-08:00Seasons in Him<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">On the way to church yesterday morning, there was a frost on the ground and the leaves are changing beautifully this time of year. Mr. M said his favorite part of fall is watching the leaves fall and being someplace quiet where you can actually hear the leaves hitting the ground.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">That is the one thing we both miss about our house in NJ, it was surrounded by nature! Tons of trees and a lot of animals. Mr. M used to step outside with his morning coffee and listen to the leaves hitting the ground while watching the deer roam through our yard and the park across the street. It was so beautiful and peaceful.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">So back to our drive to church. I told him that when I think of the leaves falling from the trees, it makes me think of how God strips away our sins and imperfections. When we allow God to do this, it can really be a beautiful thing.</span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0sPiUTIEdEl-EYqQoD9oFiUfhTQzhoqvp9cJyKCIl4bUFQQmqfAoZufsZE3p617M7TCIyf7PjY426bNCMY2gaz2PVpS5f_a8mEfpq33L7ptOTOeT6uOcKN26Kz-BxXWvm-U7oaWigTzI/s1600/falling-leaves-picture.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0sPiUTIEdEl-EYqQoD9oFiUfhTQzhoqvp9cJyKCIl4bUFQQmqfAoZufsZE3p617M7TCIyf7PjY426bNCMY2gaz2PVpS5f_a8mEfpq33L7ptOTOeT6uOcKN26Kz-BxXWvm-U7oaWigTzI/s320/falling-leaves-picture.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672330276556112770" border="0" /></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Then when all of our sins have been washed away, we feel bare and naked.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rirZ1d3OnqoS_wqxz9-RHfq056JOHPrexa4h2CVIY5fKu-gJB88TrIMg0SQXncZkbmtnoodcJ44dFB0BAnKAdp1ZO-W6YuGZk80wQHrZZIa8xw5wN6jGaamFzWyUh9N5tyxUqhiEeqI/s1600/Blue_Sky_Bare_Trees-grey.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rirZ1d3OnqoS_wqxz9-RHfq056JOHPrexa4h2CVIY5fKu-gJB88TrIMg0SQXncZkbmtnoodcJ44dFB0BAnKAdp1ZO-W6YuGZk80wQHrZZIa8xw5wN6jGaamFzWyUh9N5tyxUqhiEeqI/s320/Blue_Sky_Bare_Trees-grey.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672331048652914498" border="0" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">But then God covers us with his mercy and grace! He washes us white as snow!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdyOIbMYf6oAcWn-yT6-EK6_zlBvHFJaxvFKYWQPJ2KAKG3xJIGPYav4qbm0-1Q7hRcYDrX1L99M9USvVS52-X8dqzduS6DvVv7HypkZOYLrmrFm4OTBxG9eZf_dLwKHR30_FAHmBWQyo/s1600/river-tay-winter.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdyOIbMYf6oAcWn-yT6-EK6_zlBvHFJaxvFKYWQPJ2KAKG3xJIGPYav4qbm0-1Q7hRcYDrX1L99M9USvVS52-X8dqzduS6DvVv7HypkZOYLrmrFm4OTBxG9eZf_dLwKHR30_FAHmBWQyo/s320/river-tay-winter.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672335228725760546" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">And then after God covers you with his mercy and grace...he covers you with his beauty, splendor, and love. He gives us new growth in Him, we are born again! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkf8xKx-ePAYc_bsEhiTALW2v8SDbihFgaba8qnbXC5nDfYzU_mj3FapgZdxZPgPopHkXacXVdgmewhh8CK8B6i2CR-XkuaKEnpmmBV2U2_S5yVV8fXEGsPKXHNTTrvUXk2YMTqCiVT_Y/s1600/Spring.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkf8xKx-ePAYc_bsEhiTALW2v8SDbihFgaba8qnbXC5nDfYzU_mj3FapgZdxZPgPopHkXacXVdgmewhh8CK8B6i2CR-XkuaKEnpmmBV2U2_S5yVV8fXEGsPKXHNTTrvUXk2YMTqCiVT_Y/s320/Spring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672335928303998370" border="0" /></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">I pray that God will strip away my sins and imperfections, cover me with his mercy and grace, wash me white as snow, and give me new growth in him!! I pray the same for you today.</span>Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13281387554932290712noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2000466170209017384.post-89344100834947593022011-11-04T10:43:00.005-07:002012-02-29T16:20:27.392-08:00Orthodontists and Dentists<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">So this week I took Princess to the orthodontist. I had taken her 1.5 years ago in WI and they told me she would definitely need ortho care and that it would be extensive. We weren't in NJ long enough so as soon as we got here to WA, I knew I needed to get on the ball. So I found an orthodontist through a friend and set up an appointment. They said Princess had 4 different problems they would have to address. Some of her molars were stuck due to overcrowding so they needed to straighten the top teeth to help those come down, then they would put in a guard to help her stop sucking her thumb, then she has a cross bite, and finally, her lower jaw is very prominent so they want to try and bring her upper jaw forward. So we made an appointment for the very next day and they put on her upper braces. Everything happened SO fast! She looks really cute with them on! This has made brushing in our house quite the event. It's really hard to keep braces clean, but thankfully, Princess is very diligent! </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">After she got her braces on, that same afternoon, all 4 kids had the dentist. This is our new dentist, and while I really like him and the office, perhaps it was a bit much for one week. I got the big lecture on helping the kids brush their teeth. The girls were fine, but the boys really still need help...like I didn't know that. They are 5 and 2. No more grazing all day long on food...ummm, we have 3 meals and 2 set snack times...and we eat healthy snacks for the most part. And I have to ask...how many people have 2 year olds that cooperate with teeth brushing time? We started as soon as he had a tooth, yet now that he's 2...he doesn't want help! Yes, I know I still NEED to do it...but it's certainly not fun! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">So I wonder then about all those people I know who give their kids soda, fruit snacks, sugar cereals, gum, etc...what does their dentist have to say to them?! Because I don't give my kids any of that stuff and I get quite the lecture at the dentist. I left there feeling like a pretty bad Mom. So now teeth brushing time has become quite the event at our house for everyone...not just Princess! I have to stand over Tink to make sure she isn't rushing and that she is getting along her gum line, I have to help Princess because of her new braces (3-4x a day!), I have to help Little Man cause he's only 5 but at least he cooperates, and I have to help Scooter cause he's only 2 and he's very stubborn. We spend most of the time with him biting on the toothbrush and I can't get it out of his mouth!!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">And ALL of this is SO fun for someone who has anxiety about dentists...that would be me!</span></div>Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13281387554932290712noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2000466170209017384.post-42362997447557588112011-09-30T15:00:00.003-07:002012-02-29T16:23:28.183-08:00Getting Settled<span style="font-size:130%;">We are now in Washington! We love our house, our location, our church, everything! We are getting used to Mr. M's new schedule and are so happy that he doesn't have to be in California.<br /></span><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Our church here is amazing!! We have met so many wonderful people and have just dove right in. Tink is doing Teen Bible Quiz (TBQ), a Sunday School class that is talking about creation vs evolution that she is really enjoying, a middle school small group, youth group, youth choir, and serving with me in the little kids choir. Princess is doing Junior Bible Quiz (JBQ), Kids Church, Impact (a Bible club), and kids choir. The boys have their little Sunday School classes and Little Man has Royal Rangers and kids choir too. So we are staying pretty busy!!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">A couple weeks ago, a new friend was going over to the east side of WA for a fun weekend of homesteading type activities and one of those was getting some apples. So I bought some too and she brought them back for me! So over the last 2 weekends, Mr. M and I have made over 50 quarts of applesauce!! It is so yummy!!! Hopefully it will last us till next fall...but we'll see!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">This Thursday I am going over to a friends house to learn how to make my own bread. Not like the type you get from a bread maker...blah! But homemade, whole wheat bread!! I am really excited to start making my own! Mr. M and I have researched kitchen mixers and can't wait to get our Bosch Universal Mixer with it's 800 watt motor!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Next summer we are definitely making our own freezer jam again too! I know, I am sounding like a crazy homesteader right?! I hope so! Pretty soon I will be sewing all our own clothes!! Just kidding...not that there is anything wrong with that! Been there done that. I have made a few dresses for my girls and I have found it takes way too much time and money and I can buy things much, much cheaper!!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">I am still trying to finish up unpacking. Downstairs is looking amazing! I hung up all the pictures and everything down there is unpacked and put away. So, now it's upstairs time. I feel like I never get to it cause I am always trying to keep up with cleaning the downstairs and doing laundry and doing school. But now I have a time limit...which always helps! This Friday is Tink's birthday party!!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Now I feel like saying blah, blah, blah...cause that is how I feel like I sound!! Lol. This is part of why I haven't blogged in so long! </span></div>Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13281387554932290712noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2000466170209017384.post-62035792392275615712011-08-12T10:18:00.011-07:002012-02-29T16:29:26.611-08:00Answered Prayers<span style="font-size:130%;">Wow, last night I finally had time to sit down and look at my blog after a very busy summer so far. In my latest blog I talked about having faith and being able to wait on the Lord. I was stressed about choosing the right church in WA and finding the right house and Mr. M having to go be in CA for 4 months. Reading it, I was almost giddy! Because God answered ALL of my prayers!!<br /></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;">I had been staying up late every night scouring the internet for rental houses out in Washington. I knew we were going to have to pick a place to live without going there first to see it. We've done this before, we actually bought our house in VA without ever having seen it in person. Sometimes this is just the way it works out with the military. I also have been in prayer. Knowing that I shouldn't worry about it cause God has ALWAYS provided the perfect place for us to live. So I kept praying and I kept looking!<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;">Even though I knew it was too early to be calling about houses, there was one house that really caught my eye. So I decided to call the property manager for it. She told me it definitely would not still be available when we were looking to move. She asked me what I was looking for and I told her and I also told her we wanted to be south of Everett to be near the church we plan on going to. She asked which church and when I told her, she said that it's a great church and she grew up in the Assemblies of God churches. So she took my number and said she would let me know if anything came up. I was like, wow, what are the chances that of all the property managers I would call in all of WA, it would be someone from the Assemblies of God?!</span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;">The very next evening, she called us and said that one of her tenants gave notice that day to vacate August 31st and she thinks the house would be perfect for us! So she sent some pictures and I had to call her back cause I knew there was no way this house was going to be in our price range...but it is!! It's 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 2 story, 3 car garage, 2800 sqft!!! So Mr. M and I took the evening to talk about it and pray about it and definitely felt like God was saying, "Here you go, here's the house I have picked out for you."</span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;">When we talked to her the next day she said that this is "God's house" and it's for "God's people!" The people that are in it now are a Pastor and his family, and now us! She's never actually had to put it on the market since the owner moved out. Because of the distance and timing, we asked if there were any other applications in on it that we were going up against and she said that she has the house set aside for us! They would not be accepting other applications for it!</span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;">It is in the perfect location, 25 minutes to Mr. M's work, 15 minutes to church, 5 minutes to shopping and food, great neighborhood, and we are just super excited and feeling SO blessed!! We have been praying that God would direct our paths and show us the perfect house for us and He did!! Praise God!! </span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;">As far as the church, God has given us complete peace about that as well. With the wonderful people I have been emailing with from there and making contact via facebook, and watching their services online on Sundays...I know we are going to love this church!<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;">The last part of my prayer was about Mr. M having to go to CA for 4 months, 2 weeks after our arrival in WA. He received word from the guy he is relieving that now it looks like he will only have to go to CA for a week or two and then he'll be working up in WA!!! I mean, seriously?! God, you are so awesome!! We would have gotten through it...but I am so thankful we won't have to! This will still mean some stress for Mr. M as the commute from Everett to Bremerton everyday is 1.5 hours each way. But I know God will bless us and even if he's not around much during the week...he'll be home on the weekends! There is SOME talk about a possible 3 or 4 day work week and that is what we are praying for right now.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;">I am simply amazed at God's love for us. At how He provides everything for us each and every time we move. His love for me is greater then the highest mountain!! And deeper then the deepest sea. Thank you Lord for answering my prayers in such an amazing way!!</span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;">Here are pics of our beautiful new home!</span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXJWVPYPSiQQYi0PKCGTOgIw6o7jvc0bbxs8lH_dkcXs5_3GiTFXuqCOp7ubtXRidEAD4AJFND6KAN7K4Yhh23c0doTeVg8z9Jmas7LUJof_8FSiB4zhMMS_5tjStcwn_QDRfkqpyFGM/s1600/Front.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXJWVPYPSiQQYi0PKCGTOgIw6o7jvc0bbxs8lH_dkcXs5_3GiTFXuqCOp7ubtXRidEAD4AJFND6KAN7K4Yhh23c0doTeVg8z9Jmas7LUJof_8FSiB4zhMMS_5tjStcwn_QDRfkqpyFGM/s320/Front.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640026507353798690" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_uYMwIzQLOMF74SCRYyIIbHHD1bZgp-mMsDsblPvkSsSgKR33106kO9uE8XAiZohIFuSskJOhVdqSVx7NUxWeWMq54svf3SmScKhocH7ChpVHjsdq03NRJyB287KMCKSn__QQkQ8Fxk/s1600/Yard+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_uYMwIzQLOMF74SCRYyIIbHHD1bZgp-mMsDsblPvkSsSgKR33106kO9uE8XAiZohIFuSskJOhVdqSVx7NUxWeWMq54svf3SmScKhocH7ChpVHjsdq03NRJyB287KMCKSn__QQkQ8Fxk/s320/Yard+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640026509234667330" border="0" /></a></span><p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmoBJyVwFJzHIgm__4Weq5uvNUJ5iuiCuRqd9nprK0vgkicN04n5RcgorqDJ9J_FRKY9wcYsdSvy_WlrsOETrLcnyKn4T1MHOkuothabBQCumwN1g00ikfkoIgCaYPKIwBbxVGidB-_PA/s1600/Dining.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmoBJyVwFJzHIgm__4Weq5uvNUJ5iuiCuRqd9nprK0vgkicN04n5RcgorqDJ9J_FRKY9wcYsdSvy_WlrsOETrLcnyKn4T1MHOkuothabBQCumwN1g00ikfkoIgCaYPKIwBbxVGidB-_PA/s320/Dining.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640026512602536338" border="0" /></a></p><p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifawD6_gWa3YvsA4LwI0QCTeWjq1btC4Kn6QfoBw0_PiJe4fervM1TD1Ntk3NQruOR2Ut_wtGLpxCv2V8FApFwB62XIrdolE0FlfUmeepKbxDERDZ8uhdEF6v-mMsd0MLB_9rGWhLTpHg/s1600/Kitchen_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifawD6_gWa3YvsA4LwI0QCTeWjq1btC4Kn6QfoBw0_PiJe4fervM1TD1Ntk3NQruOR2Ut_wtGLpxCv2V8FApFwB62XIrdolE0FlfUmeepKbxDERDZ8uhdEF6v-mMsd0MLB_9rGWhLTpHg/s320/Kitchen_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640026533492818514" border="0" /></a></p><p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMI_33WJ0jx3F7rIvEibJHAlIaBF0OAqkKQA1yHZEjBZ1CCGDJTdBFG3ifrBHeftfY5YTIL0ghY9_8ANqb3He-aidlVF2rUHy9pbPq0LqcJdIvCRNwaa2A-yd73RjV1KW8Vdce_-xGaa8/s1600/Living+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMI_33WJ0jx3F7rIvEibJHAlIaBF0OAqkKQA1yHZEjBZ1CCGDJTdBFG3ifrBHeftfY5YTIL0ghY9_8ANqb3He-aidlVF2rUHy9pbPq0LqcJdIvCRNwaa2A-yd73RjV1KW8Vdce_-xGaa8/s320/Living+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640026535631703810" border="0" /></a></p><p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBr2_m-LIqi0EkOxkZ-_5t7V6Gx1VI1BXdy4JWomosk8B3SmTovWENg2xK271KhQwMvgTCG2777Li-n8uoOMWccnOhQXqvCsqKvpNAI7_NFKthvXA8sO4iwnI5fPgQWEMtMY9wuAUd-PY/s1600/Master.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBr2_m-LIqi0EkOxkZ-_5t7V6Gx1VI1BXdy4JWomosk8B3SmTovWENg2xK271KhQwMvgTCG2777Li-n8uoOMWccnOhQXqvCsqKvpNAI7_NFKthvXA8sO4iwnI5fPgQWEMtMY9wuAUd-PY/s320/Master.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640026653860731762" border="0" /></a></p><p></p>Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13281387554932290712noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2000466170209017384.post-6838012680240712242011-05-30T21:53:00.001-07:002012-02-29T16:44:58.575-08:00Having Faith<p><span style="font-size:130%;">I like to think of myself as an optimist...some would even say to a fault! I don't just think of the glass as half full...I think of it as completely full and running over!! I always want everyone to win! When I used to play on our church co-ed baseball league in Virginia Beach years ago, I used to cheer on the other team. The teams needed to have a certain number of females to play, so they begged me to play, even though I really can not play baseball! So the only place they could put me was as catcher, then the pitcher would run up and cover my spot if needed, lol, sad, I know! But when I would sit up there in my catcher gear, and the other teams girls would come up to bat, I knew that some of them, like me, were only playing to fellowship and to fill a spot on the team. So I would give them a word of encouragement. My team used to crack up at me! But they loved me for it too. That is just who I am, it's how God created me. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;">If you are my friend, then you already know this about me. If you have ever been through a trial, then you know that not only am I on my knees before God, but I am in your corner. Encouragement is one of my spiritual gifts. A gift that is from the Lord and I try to use it to glorify Him!</span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;">Another spiritual gift that I have, not quite as high, but it's still right up there...is faith. I have little faith...like that God is going to help the time go slower when I am running late for piano practice with my kids so that we won't be late! Or that I will find a close parking spot so that I won't have to walk through a busy parking lot with 4 children in tow. I also have BIG faith! The kind that made me know that my husband was going to come home safely from Iraq, or that a friend is going to be healed from cancer. And REAL faith, that when God doesn't answer my prayers the way I wanted Him too...that I still know that He knows what is best and that He has bigger and better plans...or just different plans.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;">Sometimes I think it's easy for me to have faith cause I have never had to deal with anything tragic or terrible happen to me like being abused as a child, or to go through a divorce or the loss of a loved one, or a miscarriage or the loss of a child. So maybe it's easy to sit in my naive little world and have my faith cause everything always works out for me in the end. Well, not everything, Mr. M and I have been apart A LOT in our marriage due to the Navy and I certainly didn't want him to go to Iraq...but again, he always comes home safely to me.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;">So the area where I struggle the most with faith...is waiting. Trusting in God that HE WILL PROVIDE! So, now we know we are moving to Everett...but where? Have I chosen the right church? I haven't even been there...how do I know this is where God wants us? What if we find a house close to the church and then we don't fit? It seems that most Navy families live north of Everett but the church is south so I want to live somewhere in between, is that the right decision? Now Mr. M may have to live in California from September to January while we are in WA...how is that going to work during the move? Will I have to unpack and settle us once again by myself and with 4 kids this time and no one to lean on for help? How are we going to take a long trip across the entire country and then find a house to move into before Mr. M has to report to his new command? What if we can't find a house in the 10 days we have for house hunting leave? Should we spend the $500 on a ticket for Mr. M to go out there early to look for a house? Should we move right at the beginning of September or more mid-September? Will I make good friends? Will we be apart for Christmas? </span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;">My mind is reeling this evening and I can't sleep. Why is this so hard for me? God always provides the perfect house for us, He always takes care of us, and He always gives me the strength that I need to carry on in whatever task lies ahead. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;">On Sunday my Pastor was talking about some missionaries that live in an area where they are under constant persecution and their words really hit me, "Do not pray that God would take this away, pray that God would help us to withstand it". Wow! Now that is faith!! BIG faith!! </span></p><span style="font-size:130%;">So, Lord, help me to withstand this move once again. You always give us what we need. You especially always provide for me to be able to get through whatever I need to get through. Give me rest Lord. Help me to know what decisions to make and help me to be submissive to my husband and trust him in the decisions that he needs to make for our family. Help us to really enjoy these last few months we have here in New Jersey. Amen</span>Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13281387554932290712noreply@blogger.com1