Almost Wordless Wednesday

Care Package from the beginning of October 2011.
Sending care packages is one of my favorite things to do while my love is away.
Many say my husband is a bit spoiled: at least one box goes out every week. :-)

A Girl and Her Horse

One of our favorite weekly outings consist of taking Mariah to her horse riding lesson. She rides through the Horses 4 Heroes program. Her instructor, Carol, is absolutely amazing!! Her and Mariah work so great together.

The below picture is of Mariah on her horse, Pepper -- a.k.a. Peppy or Pep. Mariah adores Pepper. She even brings him a couple apples or an apple and a carrot every week. I am absolutely positive that Pepper knows Mariah because he is looking for those treats before Mariah has the chance to brush him out before she rides. They have a beautiful relationship! :-)

Two things that I love about the below photo: 1. Mariah is beaming with an ear-to-ear smile! 2. Pepper is sticking his tongue out! HAHA. I did not notice that until looking at this image a week ago.

Mariah and Pepper -- September 2011
I think the halter was left on Pep on purpose because he was having an attitude this day.
Hmm. Maybe he purposefully stuck out his tongue. ;-)

Mini Homecoming Preparation

Okay ... so I was thinking earlier, as I was talking with a dear friend, that we do some crazy things to get ready for the homecoming of our loved one. A LOT of crazy things. I get butterflies and the giggles really bad. But I can't help it. It's who I am. It's who God made me to be.

The other thing I was thinking about was the fact that when I have not seen my husband in a week (or even more), those butterflies and giggles come back. It is like a mini homecoming. Seriously. It gets so bad, that when I know he is back at his home base and/or the day is drawing near to when he could possibly be arriving at the home base, I cannot help but get ready. I do a workout, shower, and straighten my hair (either that night, or the following morning) and when I KNOW we will be on a video chat, I put a little makeup on, too. It plays out like a mini homecoming in my head, almost like a date.

I may not be able to wrap my arms around him or give him a kiss, but I still want to look my best when we see each other for the first time after a week being apart-apart. <--- if that makes sense.

Workout gets me fired up!

Part of the arsenal.

A shower makes me refreshed and hopefully makes me look not
so tired since good rest does not happen while he's out and about.
OH! And the cell phone is never far from me ... most of the time.

 Does any of you do anything that gets you ready to see your loved one on a video chat during a deployment? Look at it like a date. I am absolutely positive he WILL notice!

My husband does and  it makes my heart smile.

Thanksgiving

Today has been a great day, overall; regardless of the emotional-polar express I feel like I am on the last few days. There are so many highs and lows -- ALL due to missing my dear husband and the holidays being here.

For instance: Thanksgiving. I LOVE to cook. My husband LOVES to eat. It is a win-win for both of us. What is on our Thanksgiving menu this year, you ask? Hen, homemade mac & cheese, green beans, rolls, pumpkin pie and Hershey pie. This is it. Sure, this menu is definitely a lot more than what some will be eating, but this is possibly a quarter, MAYBE close to half of what we usually cook up. OH and speaking of cooking ... my husband is usually in the kitchen with me being another set of hands baking and cooking Thanksgiving dinner, side-by-side. Him being in the kitchen with me is one of my favorites.

It is always the simple things that you miss most when your loved one is not there to share in the time with you. I know I completely miss the little things, big things, and all the in between things about my amazing husband -- my best friend. We are counting down the days to his return. We all CANNOT WAIT for that special reunion day!! Which leads me to be so grateful that the time has gone by so quickly.

Here are a few of my counted blessings for this Thanksgiving:

1. Jesus. He is more than my Savior. He is my Best Friend. He feels every joy, pain, hurt, discomfort, and excitement I have. He knows me better than I know me -- and ALWAYS knows what I need, when I need it, before I know that I need it! He loves me, regardless of my short comings. I'm truly thankful that He WANTS me to be His child. Walking with Him in life is a pure adventure -- and that is truly an understatement!

2. My husband. My best friend. He's amazing in every way. Not perfect, but perfect for me. I miss him greatly and eagerly look forward to the day of him returning to our family. There is NOBODY else I could imagine spending the rest of my life with. I love him TO THE MOON AND BACK!

3. Our children. They are three of the greatest blessings God has given to my husband and I. They make us laugh (even to the point of tears), cry (literally), become frustrated, and even test our patience. They are definitely the best children we could have ever asked for!!

4. Best friends. I have two more -- besides my husband and Jesus; my mom and my best friend, Amber C. I love the fact that they understand me, don't judge me, can laugh and cry with me. I have learned so much from them. You know you have a best friend when you feel sad to miss their phone call -- that's how I feel when I miss either of their calls.

5. Home: for it's more than just a dwelling. Money: to pay our bills and put food in our cabinets and on our table. Reliable vehicles: to get us from point A to point B and back to point A.

6. Technology. Yes, even me who loathes electronics is truly thankful for technology. The computer/internet keeps me informed and in contact with so many that live MILES away. Skype/ooVoo have been absolutely one of the biggest blessings during this deployment. Smartphones: they're smart. Enough said.

Regardless of the emotions that may protrude from my being on a Thanksgiving day, there is one thing for certain: I am absolutely blessed and absolutely grateful the LORD's presence in my life. That alone gives me joy; EVEN if I feel sad <--- that's temporary. HE is my true joy <---- my Everlasting Peace! 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Passing the time

It's been a while since I have blogged; and believe it or not, I do have several writings started -- I just need to finish them. Maybe I should write a little at a time? For those that know me, I'm an all or nothing kind of gal. Writing here and there is a hard thing for me to do -- which means I could never be a real writer of some book. When I do something, 98% of the time (because from time to time I do get lazy), I really do give it my all!


Okay, so what do you do to pass the time? When you're waiting to be seen at a medical appointment, do you read, play games on your phone, or watch whatever the office may have on the television? What about you military spouses: what do you do to pass the time while you wait for your military spouse to come home and/or even just to talk to them on the phone or computer? Here are a few quirky things I do to pass the time (and in no particular order):

1. Every now and then I'll make note of how much of the countdown sticker chart we have gone through. This is what the kids use to countdown the time. For example: We had about a 5 foot section of our kitchen island wall covered in unmarked days. Now we are well pass the halfway point of the island! YAY!! :-) 

2. Sporadically check the countdown clock on the laptop. I TRY NOT TO check it every day, even though it is in plain sight, I do TRY NOT TO look at it every day. Then I can say, "WOW! 3 days has gone by already?!" Silly. I know.

3. I check the 10 day forecast. Even though most of the time I really am checking the weather forecast, I am secretly wow'ing at the fact that in 10 days, we're that much closer to the end of the month. For instance: Can you believe that in 10 days it will be 28 November 2011?! Where has the time gone?! OH! And FYI: the forecast in 10 days is 64 as a high and 41 as a low.

Sunny	Mostly Sunny	Sunny	Partly Cloudy	Mostly Cloudy	Mostly Cloudy	Mostly Sunny	Sunny	Sunny	Mostly Sunny
63°	62°	60°	64°	66°	59°	64°	64°	67°	64°
43°	42°	41°	43°	44°	41°	41°	44°	42°	41°

4. Each Thursday afternoon, except when a holiday falls on this day, Mariah has a horse lesson. Yes, even this once a week adventure helps me pass the time. I LOVE watching our girl ride her horse and learn new things. I also love that when Wednesday of the following week rolls around, somehow I always think to myself "WOW! It feels like we just had a lesson!"

5. Cleaning. Cleaning. And doing it all over again and cleaning some more. I know, how mundane, but to me cleaning is relaxing, helps pass the time, and it's also "quiet time".

These are just a few quirky things that I do to help pass the time. While I do still count each and every day as a blessing, and I look forward to the fun things and times and laughter the kids and I have together -- There is that part of me that lives in the future .... because that's when I can hug on my amazing man returning home from yet another deployment.

Seeking His Presence

**This is just a quick post on a couple songs that I listened to this morning...**

A friend of mine posted a song on Facebook that got my heart stirring and reaching for the awesomeness of God.

1. It is not just any song. 2. It is most definitely a song that brings true light to what it means to truly seek after Jesus.

He can only be found when sought after. I have lived a life for many years without Him. I know what it feels like to feel like there is no hope, no love, depression, a happiness that comes and goes. BUT, I have also lived and am living a life that knows what it is like to seek after God, who is absolutely REAL in every sense of that word! There's hope, peace, love, joy, friendship, promises, comfort, blessings, SALVATION, victory over your circumstances, and so much more...

                                                                Sung by Kari Jobe
Deuteronomy 4:29 -- "But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul."

I truly desire to live a life that does not just call upon Jesus' Name in troubles, but to call upon Him ALL the time, every day!

Romans 3:21-25 -- "²¹But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— ²²the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: ²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins."

I am human and make mistakes, every day ... this is why I KNOW I NEED HIM continuously to be present in my life! 

                                                           Sung By Kari Jobe

Bless the LORD oh my soul ...

This past week has been extremely trying. From kids' bickering, to situations in my friends and families' lives, to missing my dear husband something fierce --- I'd LOVE to just rewrite this past week. But, I can't and so God has seen all of my fails, struggles, tears, pains, and even smiles. He knows exactly what I need and has been patient and here with me through it all. What better way to get the necessary goodness than through prayer and from reading God's Word!!

The scripture passage that I read today was from Psalm 103 (in English Standard Version). The whole passage is awesome, but here are a few of the Scriptures that stuck out to me and I'll note next to them why: 
 
Psalm 103:1 "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!" *I should be praising the LORD with EVERYTHING that is within my being -- no matter what is going on around me. Period. There is no middle.  It's black or it's white -- not grey.

Psalm 103:8 "The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love." Soo thankful that I serve a God who is patient, though, because sometimes I fall into those grey areas ... *admittedly*
 
Psalm 103:11 "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him." Jesus' LOVE is unfailing. It's strong. Always there. Never gives up. Goes on forever!

Psalm 103:12 "As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us." SUPER thankful that He does not hold my sins against me. Nor does He dig them up to hold them over me. In prayer I say I'm sorry, repent and ask for forgiveness. He forgives and casts my sins so far from me. I would be lost, literally, without God's Word. It is full of goodness and love and correction!

What is your  current favorite Scripture passage? Do you have an all time favorite that you wouldn't mind sharing?