MilSpouse (First) Friday Fill-In: July

Feel free to join in from here.

1. What’s one thing in the past month you would have changed?
I would change nothing about June, except the leaving family in Iowa part....again.

2. What was your favorite thing that happened in June?
Vacation to see family in Iowa. It was THE BEST vacation back home to date. It definitely made it that much harder to leave. :-/

3. What did you do to celebrate Independence Day?Since Independence Day just so happened to land on a Wednesday, I went over to a sweet friend's house to crochet. However, no crocheting got done. The hubs and kiddos came with to hang out with her husband and her kiddos. We planned to leave earlier than we did to watch fireworks at our regular location, but since we didn't, we went and watched fireworks with them. OH! And we got sparklers for the kiddos, too. It was perfect!

4. When you PCS, what items do you take with you and not let the movers pack (and if you do a DITY, what do you take with you and not box up) (thanks to Sespi at And You Never Did Think for inspiring this question)?
All of our important documents, to include last utility bills (printed off from the computer since we are paperless in this department). Dogs with their food and such. Eight days change of clothing. Small games that will pack in the suitcase. Swimsuits and beach towels for the hotels. And if we're traveling by vehicle -- a cooler with food and drinks. :)

5. What are you looking forward to in July?
Our oldest (Andrew) turns the magical 13 on the 11th. We are still ironing out something special and surprise-like for him. Getting together with my sweet friends. To be honest, since we live in Vegas, I am looking forward to July being over with. It's the hottest month out of the year. I like to be outdoors, and that just doesn't work in Vegas during this month. Starting and finishing a crochet blanket project for a sweet friend who found out she has a very rare and agressive form of Leukimia.

Attitude Adjustment

Have you ever felt like you needed an attitude adjustment? I have. Lately, my attitude towards living here has stunk -- ROYALLY! I miss the Midwest so much. I miss my family back home even more. In my heart of hearts, going home is the only thing I think about. It HAS to be in God's plan somewhere, right?

A sweet friend posted a link to her blog on FB on Monday. I cannot even begin to tell you how much that post has effected my heart, my attitude. It goes so much deeper than I can explain. Let me just tell you a few of the ways that her blog post touched my heart AND my attitude.

1. I whine and complain about living here. I LOVE the friends I have made, but my contentment to want to be here has dwindled. I go through phases of contentment, discontentment, unhappiness, contentment, discontentment, unhappiness. You get the picture. Right now, or should I say as of Monday and months prior to, I was very unhappy and discontented. It was getting to the point that ANYWHERE else HAS TO BE better than here, right? I don't know about that. I am positive there are worse places in the world. However, God has us here for a reason.

2. Our children are watching our every action, listening to our every word. Are the things I say really encouraging them to seek the LORD, if all I do is whine and complain about our current location? Absolutely NOT! I want to be that mother to our children who says to a contrite heart, "It's okay. God's plans are much bigger than ours could every be. Just trust Him. He knows what He's doing." Through all of my whining and complaining about living here, I have brought our children into this discontentment. Granted, I am sure it isn't just me. They also love being back home, visiting family, enjoying the weather of the Midwest. Although, I am sure my rotten attitude didn't help the situation any.

3. There is so much to be thankful for. Period. I know this. Every time I complain, I am definitely reminded that there are TONS of things to be thankful for.

Even though the third reason is more of a reminder that NO MATTER what is going on in life, there are many reasons to be thankful. Every. Single. Day. No if, ands, or buts about it. The first two things are where the attitude adjustment have come from. Or should I say "heart adjustment". I want my words and my actions to always be an encouragement to our children. I want our children to grow up in our home, where they know that we have always trusted the LORD, no matter where we have lived, no matter what was going on in our lives at the moment, or season, or years.

This adjustment to the way that I think and feel will be an ongoing process, no doubt about it. Each day, maybe even every hour, I may want to whine, stomp my feet, and even in my heart ask God if He is listening; BUT, I know and will trust the Supreme Almighty God for whatever and wherever He wants to move us. I am trusting that some day we will be back home; afterall, our parents will need us, just as we needed them in our growing up years.

So for now, in all things TRUST that God has a perfect plan -- because He does. Remember that you have children listening to your ever word. Is what you're speaking what you want them to repeat? Are your actions what you want them to repeat? There are MANY reasons around you that God wants to use you in. You have friends who need the Light in you, an encouraging word, your friendship. You have strangers who may need a brighter day, so use the Joy that is in you. And you have a family that needs to know that no matter where you live, as long as you're together -- THAT is what's important.

                

Vacation is over

Hello friends! Forgive my absense. My family and I were on vacation for (almost) the whole month of June. I should have left you a note, but spaced it. I am back and fully energized -- almost. It feels like I need one more week of vacation from the vacation we just took. Not because the vacation was anything riggerous, but the vacation would be for the torturous drive we take from Nevada to Iowa.

I have several blog posts I plan to work on over the month of July, so stay tuned. Plus, I definitely want to share a few things from our vacation with you, and our oldest turns that magical 13 on the 11th!

See you soon ........