Day 30 of 30 Days of Thanksgiving

Day 30: I'm thankful for Jesus Christ. I am unworthy, but he says I am. I'm a sinner, yet he says I'm forgiven. I am broken, yet he heals my heart and soul. I would like to think that I could be like Jesus. I'd like to think that I could go to that cross, yet the reality is, I coudn't The gift is, he did. I love, but he CREATED LOVE. I am conditional, he's UNCONDITIONAL. I'm imperfect, he's PERFECT. I'm Human, He's GOD.

I would be nothing without my Lord. Each of you are nothing without Jesus Christ. I am guilty of this and I know without a doubt many if not every single one of you are too....when it comes to our children we try to give them everything we can, when we find it appropriate and can afford it. The fact is the only thing we need to WORRY about giving our children, is salvation. It is OUR JOB and DUTY to teach our children about Jesus Christ.

 

I am going to be challenging myself and would like to challenge each of you that starting on Sunday to memorize one bible verse a week. I will be posting it here and every single day I'll post it as a reminder. I urge you to write it out on an index card, sticky note, high light or underline it in your bible. Tape the verse up in your bathroom, on your mirror of your dresser, on your stove cover, by the sink, and on the fridge. Tape it on the remote control, on the computer. Say it over and over again. Carry it with you always. Let me know if you're going to do this with me. I have not dedicated myself to memorizing verse, yet GOD has convicted me of this. We're told to hide his word in our heart. There are people who do not understand that. It means to memorize his word, this way anytime you need it you can pull it out, without needing to pull out your bible. I believe each and every one of you can do it.

For those who don't believe in GOD at all, for those who do not believe that JESUS is the one TRUE GOD...I challenge you as well to read the bible. I challenge you to read the book of Mark. I challenge you to open your heart to the truth. There IS absolute truth in this world. JESUS is that truth. HE LOVES YOU even when you are unloveable.

 

I hope if you're going to join me in this challenge you'll leave a comment and your journal link so I know who's doing it.

God Bless and I'll see you at the challenge!

Day 29 of Thanksgiving

I'm thankful to be part of bible studies and not have to fear for my life to be part of them, to worship the one and ONLY GOD...JESUS CHRIST. On Wed. mornings I have PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel). PWOC was started 51 yrs ago in Germany on an Army base (not sure which one, I'll have to look that one up), but spouses who wanted and needed to have fellowship with other ladies who were half a world away from their family, friends, and all they knew. As with most military families, your husband's are often gone quite a bit if not deployments, there's training that can take them away for 1 day to weeks at a time.

PWOC has grown to not only Army wide but all military wide. It was truly a saving grace for me this last deployment. I was surrounded by wonderful, Godly women, who many were going through a deployment too, quite a few had just finished up, and others were about to enter. There's no "I'm worse off than you, feel sorry for me" stuff, because well you can't pull that junk when you're surrounded by women who are praising JESUS and also going through the same seperation. I'm so thankful that God led me to PWOC last yr when we moved here, that I got involved. Now I'm on the board for our chapter and I love it!

I am also thankful for Wednesday Night Alive, it's an evening bible study for all. The little ones under 5, go to childcare during the bible study, 5-12 go to children's choir, and then there's also the youth group that has a bible study. They feed us dinner first, then we split up into our study groups.

 

Today God showed me over and over how he will use our circumstances to draw us closer to him. That he will push us to our limits and beyond, because he knows we can do it. He demans us to love those WE as humans deem unloveable. He holds us accountable when we sin. God doesn't let us off the hook. God also does not tell us "well if you're a GOOD Christian, I will not give you any challenges." Many people live in the illusion that if you give your life over to Christ that life will then become easy, you will no longer face challenges, or struggles. The fact is, it's just the opposite. You'll be tested, questioned, challenged, and sent sometimes through what feels like the ravages of hell. Yet, we must continue to praise JESUS. Let me repeat that.....We MUST Continue to PRAISE JESUS! When we tell ourselves the lie that we just can't take anymore, we are to not only walk away from that statement, but to PRAISE Jesus for having the faith in us to understand what load we can carry. One huge misconception is that the whole load we carry is from Christ. It's not, so often we take on challenges that are not ours to take on. We need to be prayerful in all we do. We need to seek God's wisdom and then we MUST be PATIENT. Ladies out there, read that again we MUST BE PATIENT. Just because I ask for something tonight, does not mean tomorrow, or Friday, or Saturday, or Christmas, or by New Years, etc, etc, etc it does NOT mean that GOD will give it to us right then. We are to wait and be still.

My thanksgiving today is that I am thankful for God's blessings of bible studies which challenge me and convict me. I give thanksgiving for the challenges GOD gives me and places in my path. How I react to those challenges is all up to me. I can either see how God's placed it in my life and I'm to grow closer to him, to seek him more so, and lean on him, wait on him, and realize that he will answer us at HIS PERFECT TIMING. His perfect timing is alive when it hits us. We need to so often be still. We will pray for hours without cease. It's not just praying for you or about you.

 

I will leave you with this thought ...It's easy to praise GOD when life's going our way. The true test of our faith is when we're prasing GOD when life's not perfect and not the way we want it or thought it'd be.

 

Well this has gotten longer than I intended! I need to get to bed, it's after 3 am here in Germany!

 

God Bless

28 days of Thanksgiving

Day 28: I just called one of my oldest friends and although she wasn't home for a moment I talked to her son, who turned 11 in August. We were 18 when he was born and I was honored to be one of the ones to be at the hospital when she had him. I wasn't in the room, but she was the first of us to have a baby (she also had cancer at the time, Hodgkins Disease). She was induced 4 weeks early and at 26 weeks he came in at over 6 1/2 lbs which stunned EVERYONE especially when you look at his parents who are both petite. He's still a tall and sturdy boy. When he heard it was me his whole voice changed from a dreary voice to a much chipper and excited voice! He's such a sweet boy and although I haven't been directly in his life like I was the first couple of years, how blessed I am to know that little boy who's not so little and so close to no longer being a "boy". He still has so much innocence though. His mom has done a wonderful job with him. I give thanksgiving to being allowed to be in the room when his younger brother was born, I literally watched him come into this world. It was amazing. Such a gift from GOD. I honestly don't know how any woman or man who's experienced the birth of their own child or watched the birth of a child could EVER deny GOD exists. It's nothing short of a miracle.

 

Day 27 of 30 Days of Thanksgiving: Grab some tissues

I'm thankful that Chad's home this year for Thanksgiving and Christmas, with that I leave you with these two Youtubes:

The first is a news broadcast giving you the "story" behind the song:

 

Click here to listen to the song without the news:

Day 25 & 26 of 30 days of thankfullness

Day 25: Thankful we got the Christmas Tree up. I love putting up the tree and all the decorations. Chad still has to put the lights up around the windows, which he'll do tomorrow. The boys hung up the majority of ornaments, with Chad and I helping and hanging a few ourselves! :)

 

I'm not sure why all the ornaments don't show up in the picture, it's loaded, yet doesn't look like it. I remember last yr I had the same problem. I may have to play around and try taking pictures with the lights out.

Jack getting ready to hang a Hulk Ornament! :) We do a mish-mash of ornaments. No theme here! If you go back an entry or two, you'll find the entry about Jack's obsession about being Hulk...he's worn this custome for 3 days in a row now, well I did put my foot down on him wearing it to church, but as soon as we came home he stripped! LOL

Jacob hanging his 1st ornament on the tree.

 

Jacob and Jack after the tree's all done!

 

Day 26: I'm thankful for naps. I suffer horribly from insomnia. I know there's at least a couple of you who read here who also suffer. Let me explain that a night or even a few nights have having problems getting to sleep is NOT INSOMNIA, that's problems sleeping. Most likely you're stressed over something, excited, etc. When it ends after a few nights because of drinking tea or finding a way to relax it's honestly not considered insomnia. I'm not writing this to say I don't apperciate your prayers (I desperately apperciate them) and I apperciate your thoughts, but please realize that I've tried so many things over the YEARS! This has been going on for over 6 yrs now. I've had shorts spurts over those years of not having as horrible of insomnia...normally when the boys were infants and the exhaustion took over, but otherwise I'm up for hours and hours through the night. I'm not sure if I'll be able to take any medication or not since we're hoping to get pregnant, but we'll see.

 

God Bless

Stripping it down to be... HULK

So I thought I haven't been doing really personal updates, so thought I'd give one since I'm wide awake anyways! So my 3 yr old, Jack has this new thing...he likes to be naked when he's at home! Now Jacob went through this when he was potty training (at the age of 2). It didn't matter to much to be with Jacob, it was fairly warm when he started doing this, plus he didn't have accidents when trying to get to the bathroom! LOL...so anyways, back to Jack.

Not long after Chad came home he started stripping, now don't go getting all "worried". He just was please as could be with himself as soon as we'd get home from where I'd turn my back and the next thing I know I have a streaker running around me, giggling that naked little tushy off!. He is a cute thing! So, finally last week as he's undressing himself I ask him, "Jack why do you always want to be naked" and he replies "I am Incredible Hulk!". I said "Jack, Incredible Hulk isn't naked" he replies " Yes he is, Mommy. I AM Incredible Hulk...grrrrr.grrrrrrrrr". ROFL! How can you argue with that? Now we do have an old Halloween Costume of Hulk that he wore all day today and insisted on sleeping in tonight and something tells me he'll be wearing tomorrow! LOL If he does, I'll snap a picture of him. No naked pictures on here! When we have company I insist on underwear at least, although I can normally get sweats on as well. We've all talked to him until we're blue in the face that incredible hulk wears pants (including Jacob) he doesn't believe us! LOL I think he just likes to be naked! LOL

 

Oh to be 3 again, be able to get away running around naked as a jaybird, and cute as anything, and have no intubitions about it!!!

30 Days of Thanksgiving

 

I pray your Thanksgiving was wonderful, ours was!

Day 23 of Thanksgiving: Wonderful friends and food! What a gift yesterday was for our family. We had friends over for dinner. The food was great! It was wonderful not having to stress over every single food item and there was no stress in not having everything done at just the right time, we're such a laid back group! :)

We had a great evening of relaxing and playing Spades for hours! LOL We're an exciting bunch. Our table and just home in general was full of laughter yesterday and last night. As our friends left at about 11 last night I was exhausted, but it was great!

Day 24 of Thanksgiving! That the Chiefs BEAT Denver yesterday! Yahoo! LOL Hey I LOVE football and most of all I love the Chiefs! It's always a good day when we beat Denver as well! My crazy husband stayed up last night and watched the game, since I just physically could not do it! He came to bed he said at 6 am! It was already a late game in the states and it was insanely late here, I think it came on at 3 am! I'm sure it'll be replayed here today at some point so I can watch it!

For those of you who braved the crowds, my prayers with you! I didn't bother dealing with any of that at the PX, even though it'd be nothing like what it is in the states I was too tired and just didn't have the motivation! :)

This little graphic reminds me of my boys! :)

 

God Bless and Happy Thanksgiving!

Day 22 of Thanksgiving

I'm thankful for Thanksgiving. A day in our nation that was proclaimed it's a day of Thanks to our Heavenly Father, our GOD, Jesus Christ. Oh what a blessed nation we are part of.

Tonight we are about to start preperations for dinner tomorrow. My friend is making about half the meal. I'll be making the turkey, stuffing, gravy, home made noodles, and chocolate pie, and bread. My friend will be making a ham, corn, broc casserole, Pumpkin, Pecan, and Apple Pie, oh and cranberry sauce.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow. A day of blessings, but most of all of thanksgiving to our Lord, our Savior.

 

To each of you, I pray that you'll have a Happy Thanksgiving! Please remember what this day is truly about.

 

 

Christian Glitter by www.christianglitter.com

Prayers

 

Christian Glitter by www.christianglitter.com
Please will you all keep me in your prayers. I struggle desperately with insomnia. I thought it was getting better when Chad got home, because I was able to fall asleep easily, but it was short lived. Since we returned from Garmisch 2 of those nights I was up until 5 am and the other nights I've been up anywhere between 2-4 am. I have an apt next Wednesday for another issue and I'm going to ask the Dr what we can do about it. I've tried many things and I'm just at the end of my rope. We're hoping to have another baby (no I'm definately not pregnant), so if I can do it without medication that'd be the obvious best choice, but if I need something in the form of medication that could at least help me get on tract and maybe back into a healthy way of sleep. I apperciate the prayers. God Bless and Thank you

21 of 30 days of Thanksgiving

Day 21. Wow I can't believe how fast November has went by! Today we went to the library. I am thankful for the gift of reading.  I love to read and my boys love to be read to and Jacob loves learning to read. I love libraries. They're such a wonderful gift!

Day 20 of 30 days of Thanksgiving

Today I'm thankful for my parents. Today they are celebrating their 31st Wedding Anniversary. I think they're probably more in love today than the day they were married. Although my parents are not perfect, and I wish they would have done some things differently with raising me (like raising my brother and I in the church and made sure we developed a relationship with Christ). They did set a wonderful example of marriage. They would disagree in front of us and settle it in front of us, but not very often. They taught us the value of hard work and most of all dedication.

 

I grew up seeing a great example of a happy marriage! I'm so thankful they taught me the value and sanctity of marriage. Today for many if not most, it's just one more throw away issue.

November 19, 1999

This day was a day of new Hope and possibility of rebirth for our family, but most of all a chance for a long life for Jordyn. It was the day she recieved her new bone marrow. Because of misinformation of "HOW" a bone marrow transplant is performed, many times you'll hear the word "surgery". Let me be the first to tell you it's NOT surgery, ok let me repeat that AGAIN....IT's NOT SURGERY. HUGE pet peave of mine when I hear a person IRL or on tv say operation or surgery when talking about a BMT (Bone marrow transplant). It's actually an infusion. Think of a blood infusion, it's like that.

 

That day was so full of hope for us. That this would cure the leukemia that was ravaging her little tiny body. The leukemia ended up being more powerful than the new bone marrow which came from an unrelated (unknown) 39 yr old man. We're forever grateful to this man. He gave us hope. He gave us 6 more months with Jordyn that most likely we would not have had if she hadn't had the BMT.

I'm changing my Day 19 Thanksgiving: I'm thankful for the 2 yrs 1 month 8 days we had Jordyn. I'm thankful for those who are so kind and generous to place themselves on the bone marrow registry and who when they get that call they give the blood, they go through the tests, and if they are blessed enough to be a perfect match, they go in and allow them to take some of their bone marrow (which regenerates itself a few days later). Bone Marrow Donors are HERO's in my book.

If you're not on the registry I URGE and well frankly BEG you to get on it, you could save someone's life!

 

www.marrow.org

go there to find out more information about getting on the registry!

Day 19 of 30 days of Thanksgiving

I know this may go off the beaten path a bit, but well it's what I'm truly thankful for right at this moment!

I'm thankful for not living close to a former neighbor. We still chat online, but that's about all I can handle of her! :X

 

 

Pictures, Pictures,Pictures!

I had a long and I mean long update all written and stupid thing is just gone. I just don't have the energy to write it all out. I'll sum it up.

Monday night we went on a Horse & Carriage ride around Garmisch. We saw some beautiful homes and learned which were newer and which were older. The driver was born and raised in Garmisch (lived his entire life there and my guess is he's in his 60's). He told us the paintings on the homes and buildings are not cheap. They often cost just for one picture between 20-30,000 euro's (you do the math, but the other day One American dollar bought .80 euro cents...so very expensive and this is for a painting, but they're beautiful!!!).

Tuesday we spent a good portion of our day swimming. We went downtown for lunch and a little shopping. It was a nice and relaxing day.

Wednesday we went to Partnach Gorge. I'd been there in August, the boys were in different programs so they didn't go there with me and Chad of course was in Iraq. Chad and Jacob loved it. Jack did not, it scared him. I think it was the rushing river and being so close to it and the darkness that we walked through so much. But he did really great. I think honestly it was prob. Chad's favorite thing we did during the week. Wednesday night, Jacob ended up getting really sick. Flu or food poisoning, not sure which, but it was a very long night for my sweet boy. :( We were up a lot, the last being at 4:30. He woke up Thursday morning feeling great though!

Thursday we went to Schloss Linderof (Linderof Castle). It's the only castle that King Ludwig lived in and there for was his favorite and is most who visit his castles, their favorites. The castle is nice, but it's the grounds that I love. Well when they're open and are blooming. It's November and I never thought of most of the grounds literally being closed off. It was a gorgous day Thursday (in the 60's!) but really the only thing we got to enjoy there was the castle and the pond. Chad still liked it and is looking forward to going back in the spring (most likely when my parents come). We went swimming in the evening and just over all had a great evening.

Friday Chad took the boys swimming at 7:30 am! I know, early! LOL We decided to head home Friday. We'd had a wonderful week, but ultimately we were tired and thought we'd go ahead and save a little money! :) The boys loved starting their day at the pool and hot tub! We had a good trip home. It was really nice to get home.

 

I hope you enjoy the pictures. :)

30 Days of Thanksgiving

Well as I wrote last night we're home! I'm going to go back to Monday when we left and do my missing days of Thanksgiving! :)

Nov 13: Thankful for our time in Munich and over all smooth and easy drive down to Garmisch

Nov. 14: Thankful for a relaxed day of swimming and enjoying the city of Garmisch.

Nov. 15: Thankful that Chad and Jacob enjoyed the Gorge that we went to (Jack did NOT like it, but he was such a brave little boy and never cried, just held my hand tightly!).

Nov 16: Thankful for amazing hotel staff. Jacob got sick Wednesday night. We had to have bedding changed AND a new matress and they were so nice. They also allowed me in the gift shop after they were closed for some pepto bismol (I never, ever have given my children medication to STOP an illness, but my gosh being in a hotel with a very sick little boy away from the comforts and ease of home...of course it didn't help, he vomitted it up as well). Also very thankful that Thursday morning Jacob woke up perfectly well again and we had a very nice day!

Nov. 17: Thankful for an easy trip home, and simply being home. There's ultimately no place like home! :)

Nov 18: I'm thankful for lazy days of not having or needing to leave the house. What a gift it truly is. I have a couple friends who apperciate this particular gift like I do and we see it as a gift. To not have constant obligations away from home, is simply nice!

 

Home Sweet Home

We are home. It's 4 am and we've been home for about 12 hrs and I should be sleeping. I guess the 2 hr nap in the van did more harm than good. Ugh! Chad's got a basketball coach's clinic in the morning so I will HAVE to be up by at least 8:30.

 

We had a great week. I have over 200 pictures that I took! I will share a few with all of you. Got a great family picture, if it weren't for Jack with his finger up his nose! Got to love being 3 and just simply not caring (plus a man took the picture and I guess a finger up the nose didn't register! LOL)...I have the pictures downloaded (that's what I've been doing for the last few hours). I am feeling tired so I'll do that tomorrow at some point, prob. after everyone goes to bed!

 

 

Day 12 of 30 days of Thanksgiving

I'm thankful for living in Germany and the amazing opportunities of travel! We're leaving in about 8 hrs (I know I should be in bed! ). We are heading down to Garmisch in the morning. We'll be stopping in Munich (we drive right through there, so it's conviently right on our way there!). We're going to explore the city for a few hours, I know we'll leave feeling like we didn't get to see nearly all that I wanted and vowing to go back again! Monday evening I have booked us a carriage ride through Garmisch! Chad and the boys have no idea! I'm excited. We've always wanted to do this everytime we've went down there, but it's either been booked or wasn't happening on the nights we were there.

I'll have lots of pictures when we come home that I promise to share! I will come back and make up for my missed days of Thanksgiving!

Have a wonderful week and God Bless.

30 days of Thanksgiving Day 11

Today's Veteran's Day, so I hope you thank a Veteran or have.

Today is day 11 into my 30 days of Thanksgiving. Today I'm thankful for beauty of freedom, but not the type you're thinking. I'm talking about the freedom to just go when we want to go. We got up and ready and we went. It's nice to not be tied to a constant schedule. I have friends who are slaves to them and they're miserable. We have to be able to relax and just let go. I'm glad I'm not a slave to a schedule and that my husband when he can is not either! (He IS in the Army so there when he's working he kind of has to go to work or there's that little thing called AWOL we don't want to deal with). We're not what one would call free spirits, but we're not what one would call "uptight" either, we're in between.

 

Veteran's Day/Thanksgiving Day 10

I'm Thankful I'm married to one of the, I believe it's 1% of American's who's actually brave enough to be in the military.  I'm thankful for my husband and his CHOICE to be a Soldier. He's amazing and he does deserve the wonderful, kind, and loving words many of you have given him. He's a very humble man, one more thing I'm thankful for with him, his humility.

 

 

 

Many don't believe that our soldiers today fighting in Iraq are fighting for our Freedom's...I disagree. They're fighting not only to perserve our Nations freedom, but to give Iraqi's freedom that most if not all of them have never had before.

 

Today I honor my own personal Veteran, who's served in Bosnia, Kuwait, and Iraq twice....I love you Chad and I'm so proud of you. Thank you for all you have done and will do for our country. Our family has had to make sacrifices because of your BRAVE and HONORABLE CHOICE to be a Soldier and I couldn't be more proud of you for that!

 

This picture of Chad was taken while he was in Iraq. He's been home for just over 2 weeks now! Just writing that brings tears to my eyes. I'm so thankful to have him safely home in our arms!

 

 

Thank a Veteran That's in Your Life today (if not everyday)....and remember all of them those alive and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice and those who've died in other ways. If it weren't for them, we would not have the freedoms we have today.

 

 

 

*****Do NOT LIFT these Graphics****They are linked back, so make sure you click on the graphic to go to the website I got them from and get permission before using. **************

 

Guess who got a new camera???

Me!! I have had my Kodak EasyShare 5.0 for about 2 1/2 yrs and have truly LOVED it! The other day though the battery lid broke and now it won't stay closed, unless I get some super duper duck tape and well although it's also grey, I'm thinking it might look a little white trash for my liking. It's been a great camera, taken thousands of wonderful pictures, but today I've moved on! We went into Power Zone to gift a birthday gift and wandered on over the the camera section and well I just couldn't help it when I asked to see if the guy could let me handle this one camera that was behind locked glass. It was a 10.0 mp and the price was under $400.00! There was another canon that was bigger and had a bigger lenz bigger optical zoom, but it's mp was only 6.0. I went with the 10.0 after playing with both of them in the store and after we discovered that the 10.0 one the lenz will come off and I can add a larger zoom lenz! SCORE! The camera's were the exact same price ($349.00) Here's a link of my camera!

PowerShot A640 Top Page

 

I LOVE it! I've already taken a few pictures! I'm so excited that I'll have it when we go on vacation! I'm looking forward to getting some great and amazing shots! Chad's been teasing me that I ruined his Christmas gift to me, but I told him he can still get me the a new zoom lenz for it or an IPod or MP3 player (anyone have any opinions on which one?  Keep in mind I just plan to listen to it when working out and scrapbooking and maybe when online), and of course there's always the option of buying me scrapbooking items! :) I better start going through different scrapping things that I want! LOL!

 

Well I really need to think about getting to bed. I had a stinking Pepsi this evening and I'm just wired! I guess I'll go read my manuel on my new camera and learn all the fun new things I can do with it!

 

30 Days of Thanksgiving Day 9

Today's a great day! I'm thankful for new friends and money in the bank! We're going to dinner tonight to celebrate the birthday of a new friend of mine/ours. They're one of the new chaplain families and Aimee and I connected almost immediately. Her husband, Mike is throwing a small intimate surprise party/dinner for her at a wonderful Italian resturant near by tonight! I'm excited. We also have been waiting for travel pay to hit our account and it's in there as of this morning!!! It was a good size of money! We were really hoping that it'd hit before we left Monday morning for Edelweiss! I have to say it just feels good to know the money is in the account. We're transferring the majority of it to savings. We will get paid next week while we're on vacation and when we get home we'll be tranferring 3/4 of that to savings too! We can and will be living much more frugally. We plan to get Christmas shopping done in the next 2 1/2 -3 weeks. I hope to get gifts picked up while down in the Garmish area for friends and family who we buy for and hopefully find some wonderful things for the boys as well. We're going for less is more this year for Christmas. A few computer games, a few toys, some arts and crafts for the boys, and some clothes which Jacob especially needs. With him being older not so many hand me downs comes his way, Jack's the one who's loaded with those! :)

 

Well, I'm off to get ready. We're going to go to the bank and transfer money, pick up a cd for Aimee, and get a money order for an ebay purchase I made!

Letter From Iraq (in response to John Kerry)

I got this from a friend and it's just too good not to share.

 

Letter From Iraq
A MARINE IN IRAQ RESPONDS TO SEN. KERRY.

{This was written by my husband, Aaron, who is currently deployed to Iraq, in defense of a recent comment made by Senator John Kerry. Pass it along, it might inspire someone else to speak up! ~ Michelle}

Yesterday John Kerry said, "You know education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well, and if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq...

So I wrote him a letter:

I am a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. I am currently on my second tour in Iraq, a tour in which I volunteered for. I speak Arabic and Spanish and I plan to tackle Persian Farsi soon. I have a Bachelors and an Associates Degree and between deployments I am pursuing an M.B.A. In college I was a member of several academic honor societies, including the Golden Key Honor Society. I am not unique among the enlisted troops. Many of my enlisted colleagues include lawyers, teachers, mechanics, engineers, musicians and artists just to name a few. You say that your comments were directed towards the President and not us. If we were stupid Senator Kerry, we might have believed you.

I am not a victim of President Bush. I proudly serve him because he is my Commander and Chief. If it was you who was President, I would serve you just as faithfully. I serve America, Senator Kerry, and I am also providing a service to the good people of Iraq. I have not terrorized them in the middle of the night, raped them or murdered them as you have accused me of before. I am doing my part to help them rebuild. My role is a simple one, but important. You see Senator Kerry, like it or not, we came here and removed a tyrant (who terrorized Iraqis in the middle of the night, and raped them and murdered them). And we have a responsibility to see to it that another one doesnt take his place. The people of Iraq are recovering from an abusive relationship with a terrible government and its going to take some time to help them recover from that. We can't treat this conflict like a microwave dinner and throw a temper tantrum because we feel like its taking too long.

Senator Kerry, you don't have to agree with this war. You don't have to say nice things about those of us who choose to make sacrifices for the rights of every American rather than sit back and simply feel entitled to it. But please, Senator Kerry, if you're going to call me a stupid murdering rapist, stick by what you say. Don't tell me that I misunderstood or that you would never insult a veteran because you are one too. Having been there and done that does not give you a free pass to insult me.

My suggestion for you, Senator Kerry, is to remember that your speeches are recorded, and broadcast to us simpletons over here. You may want to write down what you want to say before you say it, maybe have somebody look at it before you say it and tell you what others might hear. Remember that we can't read your mind, if there are any misinterpretations in what you say, it's because you didn't communicate clearly.

Good luck to you Senator Kerry, if nothing else it's always entertaining to watch you try and climb out of the holes that you constantly dig for yourself.

Sincerely,
Somebody who is watching his daughter grow up in photographs so that you can have the right to say whatever you want about him.

Thankfullness Day 8

Today I would love to just give a whole list of things I'm thankful for, today I'm giving 2 things I'm thankful for!

I'm thankful for a great day of home schooling with Jacob. He's learning to read and write the words out! He got so excited as he read the sentences in the Explode the Code (book 1) that he's working in! He's been slowly getting it, but today it just seems to really clicking! I am so truly thankful that I am the one who gets to experience this with him. I am glad that he's not coming home from being away from me during the day and having experienced such an exciting thing, and me having missed it. He's also really getting his math. He loves math and just really does so well with it. He's been working really hard on subtraction and today he was so excited as that just clicked in a whole new way that finally made complete sense to him!

The other thing I'm thankful for is: PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel) it's the women's bible study in military chapels. I believe all military branches offer it for their ladies. It was started 51 yrs ago here in Germany! It's a women's bible study. It's such a blessing for me. It truly helped substain me during our recent deployment. I was surrounded by ladies who love me and love Jesus! Some of my dearest friends I've met here I met through PWOC. I'm on the board as the Outreach Rep and just truly enjoy it! We have 3 different studies going on and I'm in the class for the book: Lies Women Believe...and the Truth that Sets them Free by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. I've been convicted definately and I've learned the truth. So many lies we believe are encouraged by the culture we live in and yet GOD has the truth out there for us to live. It's not always the easier choice, quite often it goes against what's natural for us. Yet it's freeing to know the truth and to live by the truth!

 

Great Video....Great Song

This is one of my favorite songs. This was shared with me tonight and I had to share it.

 

 

Thankful for my Dad

Today November 7 is such an important day for me, it's of course Election Day and I hope all of you either are or have cast your votes. Go VOTE, there is NO EXCUSE not to, none. We're FREE American's yet 100 other countries have a better voter turnout than us, so quit making excuses, whining about how everyone's just a "politician" etc...you can not expect to make a difference if you do nothing, so do something and make your voice heard and count.

Ok now onto what I am thankful for today! I'm thankful for my dad. Why just him and not my mom (well I am thankful for her too, but today is about my dad!). Today is my dad's birthday! He's a strong man physically, opinionated, strong willed, light hearted, loving, solid, a wonderful provider, and a devoted and loving husband for almost 31 yrs (later in Nov!!). He showed me that men can love their wives, be a provider, be faithful, true, respectful, gentle. He showed me that he can disagree with his wife and work it out. He taught me to have my own opinions (and boy do I! LOL), to work hard in school and in play and in chores. He taught me that hard work and dedication will get things accomplished. I learned how to work cattle, deal with idiotic chickens, ride horses (I was on my first horse by the time I was 6 months old!). He taught me how to drive at a young age, I think I was 11 when I learned how to drive our hay truck which was a standard. He told me that if I could drive a stick shift, I could drive anything! (He's so right!).

Today I celebrate my father and I look back over the years at the many wonderful things he taught me.

I'm so thankful for my Dad.

Thankful Entry plus some

Day 6 of being thankful....I'm thankful for good friends

We had friends over tonight for dinner (I think I mentioned this last night). I made lasagna and bread via my bread machine! Oh I love that thing! My friend made brownies for dessert. We had a great time! We were done with dinner by 7 and got out the cards and played spades. I hadn't played for 7 yrs! Chad taught me when Jordyn was first dx with leukemia and she was still in the German hospital. She'd fall asleep so we played spades! I hadn't played since then, until tonight. It was so much fun! I wasn't the best at it, and kept getting distracted and having a hard time concentrating. The boys were in and out (our living room and dining room is one great room ). For a while they were all in the playroom. Jack was extra grouchy aka very very tired, because he didn't get a nap today. Oh he was just all over the place! Anyways, they taught me how to play Spades. We spent a lot of time laughing. They're getting out of the Army in February and moving back to Florida. He's going to go to college and will be in the Active Reserves and he's planning on coming back active duty as an officer. She has said though that if she ends up pregnant before February he's not getting out! I'm rooting for the pregnancy! LOL We still have 2 yrs here and we all get along so great. I talk to her almost everyday. Before the guys came back we talked normally 4 or 5 times a day on the phone and also normally chatted online, and saw each other a few times a week too. We finally have a couple who we get along with and they're leaving. Michelle (the wife) said they've been searching/waiting for us for nearly 3 yrs and now they're leaving. :( Michelle would definately be my "best" friend as far as women goes, here. I honestly can't imagine what life will be when they leave. We plan to get together often over the next few months. I'm going to suggest every couple weeks we take turns at each other's apartments taking care of dinner, etc. They have a 13 yr old son, who the boys love. He's great about playing with them. They also have a 7 month old little girl, who LOVES her Momma, is starting to really like her Daddy, and really likes me! LOL When we go to Venice the boys will be staying with them! I know they'll be well taken care of. Michelle loves my boys and they love her!

Ok, I'm off to cuddle up by my hubby.

 

Oh...I'm getting a cold. My eyes are nice and itchy, my nose is all nice and stuffed up. I took some medicine so hopefully that will help. I don't like taking meds, and try not to, but sometimes I just feel the need to breath. It could actually be allergies, because my teeth are also hurting, and that's normally my cue for allergies or I have a sinus infection. I'm going to call and see if I can get in with a dr this week. We're going on vacation next week!!!

God Bless

Oh Don't forget to go and VOTE tomorrow!

Praying

One please make sure you check out the entry before this, it's so extremely important. If you have children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or your friends have children....this is truly a MUST see. So scroll down.

 

Ok now onto my post. I have never hid how I stand in my political or religious views. I'm a very Conservative Republican Christian. Jesus Christ is my Savior and I strive to follow his word everyday. With elections coming up, I am asking you all to pray before you go and vote and I do pray also that you do your DUTY (it's not just a right, this is your American DUTY) and go VOTE. We are the most powerful nation, yet we have fewer voters than most if not all democratic nations, this is a SHAMEFUL fact. If you don't vote, get off your tushes and start.

Do your research. Also keep in mind that if our GOP changes look and see where the leadership will then fall. Here's a great journal I just came upon tonight that will help you in this. Yes it's biased, but it's TRUTHFUL. This is NOT the time to stick your head in the sand and just vote to the left. Make SURE you know what's REALLY at stake.

No apologies- Biblical perspectives on world events

 

Ok, so moving on....today during chapel the elections were mentioned and I had such an overwhelming feeling to pray. Pray for President Bush. How many of us do this on a daily basis? Whether you like him/support him or not, he IS our President. I DO like him and I do support him, but I don't pray for him nearly as often as I should. I NEED to be praying for him and all our administration every single day. I sat there beside my husband and prayed and prayed. At one point I was so deep in prayer, Chad thought I'd fallen asleep, I hadn't I just was praying for GWB and my heart was so full for Jesus, that I couldn't stop until I had prayed faithfully and completely for this man who has so much pressure and burden on him. None of us can possibly imagine the strain and stresses he must deal with every single day. I am going to make a committment to pray for him and all our administration daily. I am going to pray for our Congressmen and Senators daily as well. I feel so strongly about this and I URGE each of you to do the same. We ALL need prayer. If you don't like someone, doesn't mean you shouldn't pray for them. On the flip side, if you like them it doesn't mean they don't need your prayers as well. They do. I'm challenging each of you to pray for our Elected officials every day until the end of the year. I'd love to hear how many of you are going to take up this challenge. I'd urge you to go to your journals as well and encourage others to pray for them.

Our nation needs our prayers. We put these men and women into a position to make decisions that effects every single one of us, so how can we NOT pray for them? Praying isn't political. It's not about this party or that party. It's about GOD. It's about taking the focus OFF the junk, and putting the focus on our Lord. Trusting GOD to lead them and lead US. It's taking the focus off of us, and putting the focus on Jesus.

 

I hope you'll join in.

If you have children, you need to watch this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ

 

 

Day 5 of Thankfulness & a little this and that!

Day 5 of Thankfulness: I'm thankful that I did not have to cook lunch today and that our family got a wonderful, fulfilling, delicious lunch! Our church normally once a month has a pot luck after service. This month it was today. We did a Thanksgiving Theme. The church provided the turkey's and asked everyone else to bring a side dish, main dish, and/or dessert. I was going to make greenbean casserole (one of my favorites!) but discovered I didn't have enough green beans! Ugh! so....I made mashed potatoes instead! :)

There was a ton of food! Tons and tons! I should have made us all up a plate and brought it home and I wouldn't have had to worry about dinner tonight, but that's ok, because I have a turkey breast in our deep freezer and Thursday I'm going to make it along with all the trimmings! Our family LOVES turkey and all the trimmings and although Thanksgiving isn't that far away, we'll be having the delicious meal twice this month and of course at Christmas as well!

 

 I told Chad to invite a few single soldiers over for dinner, we also have a couple that we get along with really well and I'm going to call her tomorrow and invite them for Thanksgiving too. We really need to buy a card table or something, because we won't have enough table and chairs for everyone, but we do have a couch and chair and tv trays so if nothing else that's what we can do! I'm sure I could actually borrow table and chairs from the chapel, which now that I just thought of that I may just do that! Then we could have all the food on one end of the table and more than enough places for people to eat at. Lets hope they'll let us borrow them. I'll talk to our chaplain Wed and see if we can do that or the company may have tables and chairs, just be easier to borrow than buy if I don't have to right now at the beginning of the holiday season!

 

For Christmas I'm going to invite my friend Michelle and her family for dinner. I really love cooking holiday meals. With Chad home this year, it'll make it so much easier than it was last year and doing it with Michelle I know that I won't have to do everything like I ended up doing last year.

I don't spice things up for the holidays, we have the same thing for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Simply put I don't like ham, so if Michelle and them do, I'l have her make a ham and I'll make a turkey. I'll make the dressing and the home made noodles. I'll see if Michelle can bring mashed potatoes and a veggie (if they like green bean casserole I'll have her do that). I'll make a chocolate and pumpkin pie. I know she makes apple pie. Cranberry Sauce I can provide as well. I will make bread in my bread machine. I already have the whipped cream! The commissary's been having it on sale, so I already bought that! Michelle only drinks water and that's what I prefer as well. I don't like egg nog, so we may buy some of that if anyone else likes it.

I think I'll have Chad and Michelle's husband invite a couple soldiers each over as well. We'll have more than enough food so we can have left overs and I can send plates home with the soldiers too and will even have an open invitation that if they want to come back the next day or two for left overs they can. I'll also make plates up for the guys who have CQ from our company and take them up a plate each, and check and see if any of the soldiers pulling staff duty are married or single (if single we'll bring them dinner too).

 

Ok, so this started off as simply a "thankful" entry and turned into Christy thinking out loud! :)

Tomorrow I'm making lasagne and home made bread and a salad and Michelle and her family are coming over for dinner and she's bringing dessert! I make a mean lasagne! It's Chad's favorite meal! I'm looking forward to them coming over! Tomorrow Chad and I and the boys will all be busy cleaning and hopefully rearranging the living room! :) The boys will be picking up their playroom, although Chad said he'd help the boys with that this evening. Chad's sleeping on the couch right now. He had CQ last night and he came home and started getting ready for church. We got home from the pot luck about 1:00. He and the boys laid right down and started snoozing and I went to the commissary (grocery store those who don't know!). I got everything I needed for this weeks meals and spent $30.00! I just had to pick up odd and ends for the meals but I got quite a bit of stuff so I was happy with myself! Ok, so see there's another thankful thing...that I'm a good bargain grocery shopper!

 

The aftermath of deployments

Chad's got CQ tonight (lovely 24 hr duty aka babysitting the soldiers who live in the barrack's!) Yes we still have rear d, but they pull Staff Duty. With all the soldiers back, they have to have the guys who just came home pull duty as well. Chad thankfully starts leave (aka vacation for you civilians) on Monday and he'll be on leave for the next month.

Oh please pray for our Jacob. He's had a really hard time with Daddy on CQ. He just has had a hard evening. He finally talked to me and told me he doesn't like that daddy has to work and that he just wants him home with us. We talked it out and he went to bed in a much better mood. I accept that deployments are a part of our life as an Army family. It still though has it's aftermath.

Jack had a hard time the first full day Chad was home at naptime. He didn't want to take one because he was scared Daddy was going to be gone when he woke up. We layed with him for a while reassuring him that Daddy WOULD be home when he woke up and he finally after I think 20 or so minutes went to sleep.

I hope that by the time Chad goes back to work in December the boys will be ok.

 

Ok, I need to get to bed. Tomorrow after church we're having a potluck (at church) it's going to be our Thanksgiving meal. They're providing the turkey and everyone else is to bring a side dish/dessert. I'm going to make green bean casserole and "maybe" mashed potatoes. I don't think I'm going to end up making a dessert. I wanted to make a chocolate pie, but I don't think I will have enough milk. I've been to enough of our potlucks to know that there will be a ton of food all around!

 

God Bless and for those of you in the states have a great Saturday evening/night!

30 Days of Thankfullness

Ok so I saw that Heather was doing this a few days ago and meant to start it on day 1, but as life would have it, I got busy and forgot....so I'm going to try to make up for those missed days and will try hard to put up an update everyday, although the week of the 13-18 I will be MIA since we're going on VACATION and I may or may not have internet access.

 Day 1: I'm thankful for: Jesus. I would be NOTHING without my Lord and Savior. He has sustained me in my darkest of days. He gently held me when Jordyn died and the days, weeks, months, and years since then. He's showed me that joy can once again be part of my life. He's my all, my everything. I have the promise of tomorrow whether I wake up on this earth or in heaven because I believe in HIM.

Day 2: Chad....He's truly my best friend, lover, & partner in this life. I truly am thankful that we became friends first. To be honest I just wasn't interested in him in any other way for a short while. I told him EVERYTHING about me and he didn't judge me or look down on me. He told me EVERYTHING. We laughed and talked nearly everyday and over that time of becoming friends I started to see him in a new light. I'd went for the not always such a nice guy over and over and over. He's my "nice guy" and I was smart enough and blessed enough to NOT let him get away!

Day 3: My Jordyn...she made me a mother. I thought I understand the love one had for a child, as I've always loved children.But....until I became a mother, I just had no idea the love I could have for such a tiny little person. I knew love, but not a "mother's love" and she gave that to me the moment she was born. If I could have traded places with her while she was alive fighting cancer, I would have. She was only alive on this earth for 2 yrs, yet those are the most precious 2 yrs of my life and I praise JESUS for those 2 yrs.

Day 4: My boys. Jacob was the surprise baby of the century for Chad and I. We had both said "no more children" when Jordyn was dying. 8 days after she died, we got the biggest shock of our lives (when you take out the whole cancer thing, child dying, etc)....we were going to have another child and we had definately NOT planned on this child, yet he was growing inside of me. I feared everyday until he was born I would not be able to love him, yet the moment I heard his cry I was in love. 5 yrs later, I can't imagine ourlife without him. He showed me that I could love another child and he's brought our family so much love and hope. Jackson....oh my little Jack. He's crazy, funny, and oh so 3! He's stubborn and tender. What a mixture huh? He was the 1st child we really tried for (we'd decided to "wait" when we found out Jordyn was coming, which we were so thrilled about!! and I just told Jacob's story). It didn't take long once we decided to start trying that I got the news that I was indeed pregnant! He's taught me oh so many things! Our life would not be complete if Jack was not in it. The boys are best friends and love each other intensley! There's nothing more precious than seeing your children truly love and like each other!

Happy Halloween!

Jack was a "Monster" his costume looked like the Monster, Sully from Monster's Inc.

Jack our "monster" he loved to growl and Jacob an "Indian"

I think Jacob used up all his great smiles at the photographers that we went to earlier before Trick or Treating (those pics will be back in about 2 weeks and they're great!)

Jacob as an Indian who thought it was hilliarious when people would "beg" him not to "scalp" them! :)

Jacob,Jack, and a Giant Teddy Bear (there was someone in that suit!) and amazingly Jack LOVED that teddy and just hugged and hugged him!

He's on stilts and walks all over the post for at least 2 hrs! He was out last yr too! He handed out a bag of candy!

My 3 guys in front of all the insane amount of "loot" oh I mean candy. We're giving some to the single soldiers and a friend's son who didn't get to go out last night.

 

I'll post the professional pictures once I get them. The boys had a lot of fun, playing around with them and we had a lot of fun cracking up laughing at all the poses the boys did!