A day in the life of...

Light

2011-10-03T22:43:00.000-05:00

Well we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, although we are still a little over a month out. We had a set back a couple of weeks ago when Joe received an extension on his deployment. Talk about a HUGE letdown! We have since moved past and we are thriving again.

Things are busy here as always between school schedules, me working part time, medical appointments, MOPS and my training program, we are NEVER still for long. We are hoping this will aid in the time flying by :)

Hope all is well with you all and you will be hearing from us soon. Stay tuned for the homecoming pictures, I promise they will be worth it ;)

Appalled!!!

2011-07-25T20:51:00.000-05:00

I am appalled that its been so long since I have posted!

Well this being mommy and daddy, maid, cook, driver, handyman, gardener, toy finder, you name it and I have been doing it has just taken too much of my time!

And all I really have time to say is that we are alive and HALF way. Yes, you read that correctly we are half way through this deployment.

Now I must bid you all farewell as the laundry is calling my name.

Murphy's Law

2011-05-06T21:05:00.000-05:00

I had such high hopes for a nice relaxing evening with the kids. Picture this the kids and I watching a movie and eating pizza. Sounds nice, right?

Well here is how the afternoon went...Josiah was getting in the car from school when one of the teachers informed me that, "He might have small rock in his ear. Have a great weekend." (Then she closed the door.) Wait what did she say?

Yep, you read that right! Josiah apparently was playing with a small rock, he was pretending it was a "phone" and putting it up to his ear. Well at some point he put it in his ear. Then FREAKED! One of the teachers tried to help him get it out but they weren't certain it was out.

So I did what any other mother would do and tried to call the dr for an appointment. Of course it was 3:30 on Friday afternoon so there were NO appointments available, there suggestion was go to the ER. Those words are a nightmare for a tired mother. Thankfully one (ok actually many) of our friends here are doctors. Thank you Lord!!!

So I called and Brandon was able to see Josiah. After lots of looking Brandon determined that the rock was not in his ear. However there was one in there at some point. Brandon cleaned Josiah's ear with some saline and triple checked.

Moral of the story...do not put rocks in your ear!

Right before our eyes!

2011-05-04T17:20:00.000-05:00

We are having such fun with our garden. I just took the kids out there today and we had fun finding all the produce.

We now have 3 tomatoes growing! A bunch of strawberries, the squash and cucumbers are taking over the house! If you don't believe me look for yourself.

Our strawberries

A peek at our tomatoes

Come and check on us again!

What did you say?

2011-05-02T16:32:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was a little rough on mommy! I have been sick in one way or another since Joe left. No fun! Just when I started feeling better and my ear-whatever was cleared up, I started having side effects from the medicine. Go figure you get something to help one thing and it creates another. I digress...

Today was one of those days when you REALLY don't want to get out of bed. You know the one I'm talking about. But when there is only one you have to :(

So I did and of course today is the day where you made that early appointment for an oil change. Bummer can't cancel that. So I drug myself up and got everyone ready and out the door.

After a very long and tiresome day I went to get Mak from MDO. She loves school and is alway talkative when we leave. Today she kept saying something very softly and I couldn't understand. I kept asking her to "tell me again" and then it finally hit me...

"I'm Daddy's girl! I'm Daddy's girl!"

I'm not sure where she heard this but she can sing it as often as she wants.

Mommy or Daddy

2011-04-29T23:35:00.000-05:00

Every night I have asked the kids this question...Who would you like to read to you, Mommy or Daddy?

Every night they choose Daddy! Hands down he is the better choice and here is how. Hallmark sells these recordable books so before Joe left he made a book for each of the kids.

I LOVE how the kids light up when they get to hear Joe's voice. Here see for yourself...

This melts my heart every night! She can't get close enough to her Daddy.

Josiah is trying to figure out how everytime he turns the page, Daddy is reading the correct page. I think he'll have if figured out soon.

Check out Makayla in action she spotted me too soon...

Garden Peek!

2011-04-29T19:07:00.000-05:00

My cucumbers are OUT OF CONTROL!!!

The cucumbers are at the top of the picture and the bottom are my squash. I can't believe how big these are getting!

My peppers are doing well, all four have started to bloom.

I'm getting a little excited about my watermelon, he is really starting to grow.

My strawberries are doing well still. They are all starting to bloom and I think we will have some shortly after Mother's Day.

I'm a little surprised but our new peach tree is also producing. They might not taste very good this year but we'll just have to wait and see.

Last but not least...

Can you see it???

That's right, I have my first tomato!!!!

Can you tell I'm a little excited? I can't even eat the dang thing but I am so excited to see it grow!

Oops!

2011-04-28T19:59:00.000-05:00

I left one very cool thing out last night! The kids have these to sleep on every night.

The USO was here a few weeks ago and had a kids readiness day. They offered LOTS of great tools for both parents and kids to use during a deployment. Josiah got a special "with you all the way" kit, it was full of interactive things to help him pass the time.

These pillow cases were offered there too. It was quite a surprise to both Joe and the kids. I emailed pictures and when we arrived there were 3 pillow cases waiting so they could all snuggle up together.

I really can't tell you how much the USO does for military and their families. Just the week before Joe left we were blessed enough to attend a USO concert at the base. Not only was free but it was CRAIG MORGAN!!!

We had a wonderful time! Most people don't know but our first date was to a concert, we love them. Concerts were hard to come by the last few years so I am really glad we got to enjoy one.

THANK YOU USO!!!

FOR THE CONCERT AND FOR A RELAXING PLACE FOR MY HERO WHEN HE TRAVELS!

For those of you unfamiliar with Craig Morgan here is one of my favorite songs.

Counting

2011-04-27T20:41:00.000-05:00

Many have asked and I'm sure many have wondered, how are we keeping track of our days? In the mornings after breakfast the kids get to take one of these

There are 400 M&Ms in the jar and its really neat to see the kids choose their color for the day. Its a "sweet" reminder of Daddy for them to start their day. It just so happens that Daddy loves M&Ms and so do his little kiddos!

Secondly, I have a very sweet friend, Brittny, who is another military wife and she made these for the kids. She didn't make just one, she made two because she knows just how important it is to the kids. On a sad note her family will be moving this summer while their daddy is deployed. But we are thankful they are only going a few hours away. And the kids and I are going for a visit!

Every night before bed we take one ring off our chain until daddy is home.

Tonight after Josiah and I said our prayers, he looked at me and said, "those look like smiles." I love how God helped him turn something that could have been overwhelming into smiles. I am so thankful!

YELLOW!!!

2011-04-26T15:24:00.000-05:00

Goodbye orange and hello yellow!

Last week Josiah testing for his yellow belt in Taeknowdo. I am surprised at how good he is but I know I really shouldn't be. He takes after his daddy so much in this area. Josiah has an amazing about of focus and drive when its for something that he wants.

Now for every ones favorite part...

Congratulations to our new yellow belt!

Easter

2011-04-24T22:59:00.000-05:00

Easter was a bit laid back here today. We of course started our morning with the hunt for our Easter baskets.

What do we have here?

Josiah found Makayla's basket first but he was so sweet telling her "hints" on where to find it.

Her basket was a little heavy for her to hold.

Our Easter Bunny is a little sneaky, look at what was in one of their eggs

Makayla does what every girl does when she is given an accessory

She put them on!

After our baskets we ate breakfast and opened our last "Resurrection Egg" they were very excited. Josiah said "yep its empty! Now we have to go to church." Makayla replied, "amen amen amen." I'm not 100% sure where she learned that from but why not? AMEN!!!

Here are a couple of pictures of my cuties all dressed up for chruch.

Happy Easter!

God's Speed

2011-04-24T12:48:00.000-05:00

I went to bed dreading the 3 a.m. alarm that would go off. I tossed and turned most of the night, got up with Makayla and was just tired in general. But when the alarm sounded we were on our way. I must say it was a mix bunch of feelings; sadness, relief, anger, fear, love, you name it and I felt all of them in those 30 minutes.

We loaded all the bags and kids in the car and headed to the airport. There was heavy fog and it seemed like forever as I drove to the airport. Once inside we waiting for Waco to get all settled with his baggage and then we got the pass for the kids and I to go back with Waco. I was holding it together pretty well until the sweet lady behind the Delta counter told me "it will be ok" and then the water works were open.

Our friends Megan and Corey meet us at the airport to help with the kids and take a couple of pictures. Yes we have some sweet friends who would volunteer to get up that early and meet you at the airport.

We all made it through security and got settled in at Waco's gate. His plane was delayed so again more time to be thankful for. While waiting the kids played with some of the fun things in his bag...

Our time was up and they were beginning to board when a lady offered to take our picture. Here is what she took...

I think this picture turned out FANTASTIC!

Last Day

2011-04-23T12:46:00.000-05:00

Here is a glimpse of our last day with Waco...

Getting ready to wash the car. This was actually quite fun with our 2 little helpers.

Lunch at Five Guys. I'm pretty sure there is NOT a Five Guys in the "sandbox"

Haircuts for the men.

Helping Daddy pack and trying on his cool stuff!

Six months worth of uniforms, shoes, chapstick, sunscreen, toiletries, some gum and a couple of pictures of the family all sealed inside waterproof bags. It all fit in these two bags!

A little fun with the kids.

The ladies.

Dinner on the beach.

Dessert!

See you later...

2011-04-22T03:29:00.000-05:00

We don't say "goodbye" we say "See you later!"

And that is just what we are heading to the airport to do.

God's Speed on your return to us!!!! We love and we already miss you!!!

Garden-Update

2011-04-19T11:55:00.000-05:00

So far so good! My garden is growing well and everything looks healthy. I noticed a little burning on some of my strawberry plants, I think it was caused from some of the leaves having direct contact with some manure. To fix this problem I spread more top soil all around the base of the plants and created a "safe" layer of dirt.

So far we have been pretty "weed" and "pest" free, I am hoping to stay that way. However I am thinking of planting some marigolds around as a natural pest control. I'll let you know how that works.

I think everything has at least doubled in size and some have tripled! I think we should we be harvesting our first fruits at the end of May.

Overview of the garden.

Side view of my cuccumbers, squash, and peppers.

Side view of my watermelon and strawberries.

My tomato plants and my grapes are also doing quite well. I will get some pictures of those soon.

A friend asked for me to share how much we spent on our garden.

Border: 17x $1.01= $17.17

Top Soil: 5 x $1.33= $6.65

Manure: 3 x $2.00= $6.00

Plants: 15 x $2.48= $37.20

Metal fence: 2 x $4.00= $8.00

Grand Total: $75.02

Next year it will not costs quite as much for me to have this garden as long as we are still here. The investment will be in the plants and some soil. Let's see if I get a good return for my money. If not its still fun to grow your own food and Josiah is enjoying watching the plants grow.

Garden

2011-04-03T21:12:00.000-05:00

The camera has been FOUND!

Over the last couple of weeks there has been a great deal of RE-landscaping happening around here.

We had an 8 foot Sago Palm removed from our front yard, which makes me VERY happy! We also shrunk our front flowerbed by about 40 sqft, removed about 4000 lbs of granite rock. We added a few plants and a nice fresh covering of mulch. (Pictures to come)

Now our backyard looks like a whole new yard! We brought in about 2000 lbs of dirt and regraded half of our yard. Thankfully now you can take a small step off our porch instead of having to jump down to the grass. We laid 2 pallets of sod, which is looking very nice! We also planted a peach tree and a pulm tree, they are small but hopefully they will bare some fruit next year.

However I think I am most excited about my first vegetable garden that we finished today. Its not very big but I think its a good start for the kids and I. I have never tried my hand a growing anything other than some flowers so I am hoping for big yields.

Before

Josiah planting cuccumbers.

Makayla's turn!

In our garden we have planted "hot house" cuccumbers, zucchini, crooked neck squash, red and yellow bellpepper, watermelon, strawberries, and in pots we have tomatoes & grapes.

Our grapes.

Finally my little helpers!

Check back for more pictures of the re-landscape.

Time...

2011-03-29T13:56:00.000-05:00

Where has my time gone????

Also where did my camera go???

Just a couple of weeks left and I want to post an update but we have been so busy. Between re-landscaping our yard and just trying to spend as much time together as possible, I can't seem to find any extra time.

I'll post some pictures when I find my camera. In the meantime pray for us!

Tornado

2011-03-09T13:02:00.000-06:00

As I type this I'm sitting in my closet because we are under a tornado warning. I thought to myself what better to do than update my blog :)

Well the last couple of weeks have been VERY busy! The kids and I are doing our usual everyday stuff which keeps us on a tight schedule. In addition I have been working on Wednesday evenings behind the welcome desk in our Children's Ministry. I LOVE IT!!! I work with some amazing women back there.

The kids are doing very well. Josiah finally got 5 punches on his bear at school! This is very exciting we have not had all 5 since before Christmas. He is doing amazing with his reading and was even moved up to the next reading group. He is doing well in Taekwondo. Yesterday he was the first in his Tiny Tiger class to receive a stripe on his orange belt. I am very proud of how focused he gets doing his Taekwondo. He reminds me of the times I got to watch Joe when he was taking class back in Tampa. I guess the saying "Like Father Like Son" is very true for my two.

Makayla is a very busy little lady! She loves to pretend whether its with her kitchen, babydoll or her makeup, she is very serious about it. She LOVES to color and will sit for hours coloring. Recently I have allowed the playdough to come out from hiding in the closet and she loves to make "snakes."

Joe is very busy getting all of his stuff in order and currently is training up in New Jersey. Its a bit of a bummer that he is away but I pray he is fully ready for his next endeavor.

Well my tornado warning has been lifted and I'm moving out of my closet. Have a great Wednesday!

Test

2011-03-03T08:11:00.001-06:00

I’m testing out Windows Live. Let’s see how this works…

I can't get enough!

2011-03-02T21:42:00.000-06:00

I love these two!

Spin Cycle

2011-03-01T10:43:00.000-06:00

I recently started reading "Out of the Spin Cycle: Devotions to Lighten Your Mother Load." This book is fantastic! It seems to go hand in hand with our MOPS Momology.

I want share with you this very cute and true poem that Jen Hatmaker opened this book with:

A (Fairly Lame) Ode to Mothers

An ode to the marvelous woman called "Mother"

Though not one of us is exactly like another.

From the second we're born to the minute we die

Our preferences areas limitless as the stars in the sky.

We might have been perfectly gracious before

But childbirth entered us in the Mommy War.

Rather than letting everyone else be

We criticize parenting that isn't exactly like...me.

So once and for all let me put this to rest

None of us owns the title of "best."

Natural childbirth does not make you a hippy

Epidurals are not just for women who want to feel trippy.

In a bathtub with a doula or in a hospital bed

We all got a baby with limbs and a head.

Nursing is great if nothing goes wrong

But some nipples turn inward and refuse to play along.

This is a choice for each mom--its her route

So it's just A + B and everyone else can C their way out.

Schedules and timers do not make you curel

Feeding on demand does not make you a fool.

In the nursery with a monitor or in the family bed

Every chick gets to pick where her baby lays his head.

If I see one more mom rool her eyes at "organic..."

"Partially hydrogentated" throws some of us into panic.

But niether judge Sonic burgers and fries

Some of us just want to enjoy food before we die.

Preschool, home school, public, or Montessori

Listen, my friends, and I'll tell you a story:

Two moms differed on favorite school trends

Their kids turned out pretty much the same. The end.

If a girl gets the title of "mom" accidentially

The worst thing we can do is treat her judgmentally.

How about some love, some help, some advice?

She needs our love and we shouldn't think twice.

Discipline through various methods will prevail

Look, we're all just trying to keep our kids out of jail.

These things are just preferences, not right or wrong

What matters more is teaching our kids to get along---

To love and to share, to speak gently and kind,

To obey so that mom won't go out of her mind.

Showing them Jesus is our common ground

Teaching them how he can always be found.

He's present in public school and Waldorf (so trendy)

He's over at Whole Food but also at Wendy's.

Jesus never cared about these sorts of things

It's our hearts that he wants and the worship we bring.

It's time for us moms to declare a truce

Regardless if we buy Capri Sun or 100 percent juice.

My way is not your way, and your way isn't mine

But both of our kids will turn out just fine.

Rather than judging and looking down our noses

Let's enjoy the common ground motherhood poses.

As believers, we all love the same good Lord

We all have children who tell us "I'm bored."

We all need more sleep than these ting five hours

Most of us struggle to find time for a shower.

We haven't been to the bathroom alone in an age

Our mothers have all told us, "Relax, this is just a stage."

We all love our babies so much we could die

We'd take a bullet for each without batting an eye.

Though we are different, we're in the same tribe

Motherhood requires a similar vibe--

Love and affection, sacrifice and grace

Laughter, which keeps the whole mechanism in place.

Though different, by the grace of God, I suspect:

ALL our children will rise up and call us...collect.

Today's verse is a great reminder to me. Matthew 11:28-30

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Like Father Like Son

2011-02-28T20:20:00.000-06:00

I love this picture of Josiah!

Big Kick

2011-02-27T19:09:00.000-06:00

This is one of my favorite videos from Josiah's TKD testing.

Orange Belt

2011-02-25T22:05:00.001-06:00

Why yes that is an orange belt!!!

He is how Josiah earned it...

Pencil

2011-02-24T08:13:00.000-06:00

We had this great devotional on Tuesday at MOPS and I want to share this with you.

The Parable of the Pencil

A pencil maker told each pencil 5 important lessons before putting them in a box:

1. Everything you do will leave a mark.

2. You can always correct the mistakes that you made.

3. What is important is what's inside of you.

4. In life, you will undergo painful sharpenings, which will only make you better.

5. To be the best pencil, you must allow yourself to be held and guided by the Hand that holds you.

I think its so cool how God uses these small lessons to make HUGE impacts on our lives. My prayer for today is that I can be the best pencil God made me to be.

What's your prayer/requests so I can be praying for you?

One Week-warning may offend

2011-02-16T08:36:00.000-06:00

In the last week our world has been ROCKED!

A deployment, a death, and lots of sickness...so we have had tears, sleepless nights, more tears, stress about having everything prepared and have I mentioned tears.

I have had some amazing woman come behind me and give me the lift that you sometimes need. I have also had the tears of a bestfriend, to help me remember that I am not in this alone.

But then there are those who have said things such as, "Why are you so surprised?" "You knew this would happen." and "Why is he in the Air Force anyway?"

NONE OF THESE ARE HELPFUL SO PLEASE KEEP THEM TO YOURSELF!

Yes, we are very aware this happens! We are surprised because you would be too if you found out your spouse was headed to a war zone! Lastly he is in the Air Force serving for your freedom and so you don't have to!

One of my amazing friends pointed me to a blog that puts a lot of my fears, hopes and realities into words better than I can...Please check it out here.

He's Awesome!

2011-02-11T10:00:00.005-06:00

This post is about my best friend, father of my children, Daddy of the Year and my Hero...

The last 11 years have been amazing! I remember plain as day when we were driving on I-75 and you said you felt the call to the military maybe the reserves. I responded with well you might as well join fulltime and be active duty at which point I thought you might drive off the road! Right now I am kinda kicking myself for that. Actually I wouldn't trade it for the world. I know we made the right decision and God has blessed us and He will through this next endeavor!

I love you Waco!

Here are a few things I cherish...

I am so proud to be called your wife. Thank you for all you do for our family.

WE LOVE YOU!!!

A Boy & His Dog

2011-02-06T13:29:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the poor quality photo its from my blackberry but I didn't want to miss it.

Storm...

2011-02-01T19:16:00.000-06:00

I would really like to be posting something more positive but my heart is hurting! And I am trying my best to "Praise Him in the Storm."

In the last few days I have received bad news but also good news. On Friday night I received an email for a precious friend telling me that her Grandmother went home to be with Jesus. On Saturday morning I received a message that a friend's mother went home to be with Jesus. Then Saturday night I received a call telling me that a friend/co-worker of Joe's was not doing well and he probably only had a couple of days. Well today I got the call that he went home to be with Jesus.

So I feel very torn to have a hurting heart when I know they are not suffering anymore. But I am finding it hard not to. I think of all those left behind and some of the struggles they have to endure in the coming days and weeks.

Martha- I am so thankful for your Grandmother! She raised your Dad to love my Jesus and your parents raised you to love Jesus. And you have been a sister to me and I am thankful for you!

Josh-Your mother was an amazing Jesus loving woman! She's touched more lives than you can even imagine. She was a very special lady to my little sister. I know she can be proud of you.

Laura and Landon-It has been a blessing to me to watch yours and Eric testimony of God's love even through Eric's battle with cancer. I remember when you all shared the news and how devasting it seemed. But through Eric's entire battle you never blamed God and that has spoken louder than you will ever imagine.

So for now I will just meditate on the words in the Casting Crown song...

ALL THE LOVE

2011-01-28T19:57:00.002-06:00

This post to remind my little sister that Mom still

LOVES ME MORE!

How I am spending my Friday night...

2011-01-28T19:49:00.000-06:00

So I know you all want to know what I did on my Friday night while my husband is TDY, right???

Here you go...

We started with these

Add some of these

With some help from one of these

Then you'll have some of these...

Lets not stop there because once both kids are in bed I am going to enjoy one of these

Happy Friday and don't forget to make the best of those nights you have to yourself!

Valentine's wreath

2011-01-25T19:33:00.000-06:00

I saw this on a blog that my friend posted on facebook and I fell in love.

I don't have enough time or patience to make it exactly the same way so I did this instead...

I use a straw wreath because I could not find a foam wreath and I covered it will red ribbon. I made the flowers out of felt and they are really simple.

I was so happy with how it turned out that I made one for a door prize at my MOPS group.

The Reveal...

2011-01-24T13:16:00.000-06:00

As I promised I have an "after" picture from Josiah's surgery.

What I didn't expect was how difficult it is to teach someone how to stick their tongue out!

So here is the best we could get...

Taking the LEAP!!!

2011-01-22T19:53:00.000-06:00

We are finally taking the leap...

Living COMPLETELY debt free!

Joe and I started Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University.

We joined the class two weeks ago and our budget is all written and we are truckin' along full speed ahead. Its very exciting to only have my car left to payoff!

We are now "living like no one else, so later we can live like no one else."

2010 Highlights- Last 6 Months

2011-01-18T10:14:00.000-06:00

July-4th of July with my Mom and Ken

Wedding dress shopping with my lil' sister

Celebrating his 5th Birthday at Disney!

Cousins finally able to play together!

OUR NEW HOUSE!!!

August-Makayla's first day of school

Josiah's first day of Kindergarten!

My friend Megan came for a visit!

September-Another trip to DISNEY!

My first sewing project.

October-Cruising without our kids!

Makayla turned 2!

November-Farm Day

My Pilgrim and Indian

December-Niceville Christmas Parade

Feet to Faith 5K and fun run

Christmas Eve

Christmas Morning

GO BULLS!!! WE WON OUR BOWL GAME!

Stay tuned for an update on Josiah's tongue...

2010 Highlights-First 6 Months

2011-01-04T10:06:00.000-06:00

January-Papa's Polar Patch Bismarck, ND

4-wheeler sledding

February-Frozen frost! Its so beautiful

March-Cruizin' the streets of Minot AFB

April-Walking with the Dinosaurs

Annual EW Party-Minot AFB

May-LOTS

Joe's Fini Flight

Moving out of our house 116 Tangley Rd.

Thank you for the memories!

June-A picture is like a thousand words!

Minot in the rearview mirror!

Adventures with an AMAZING family!

Finally...

2011

2011-01-03T12:36:00.000-06:00

Well around here we like to start things out with a BANG!

So to ring in 2011, Josiah went in for surgery this morning. It was a minor surgery albeit but any surgery is concering for a momma.

He had a frenuplasty because he was tongue tied. So to fix that surgerically they have to cut the connecting skin under the tongue. He is very excited because it means that he can finally stick out his tongue!

Before

Stay tuned for an after picture. We have to wait a couple of days so we do not pull any stitches.

At a loss...

2010-09-09T19:50:00.000-05:00

I have lots to update but I am at a loss for words tonight. I will be updating later after I rest from the trip.

Hope all are well and I am looking forward to getting back to my blog!

Miss Independent

2010-08-09T20:34:00.000-05:00

Today was Makayla's first day of Mom's Day Out! (my little girl is going to be at school for 4.5 hours **tear**)

Here is Miss Independent walking right into class and saying "bye" (with a southern accent) to us. She NEVER once shed a tear!

Here is what she did when we got home from school...

BIG DAY!!!

2010-07-21T21:47:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is the BIG DAYwe are closing on our HOUSE!!!

After 2 months of living in and out of hotels, we are finally going to be settled.

Florida

2010-06-08T21:04:00.000-05:00

This is my last post before we arrive in Florida!

We have had a very eventful drive across country!

Tomorrow we will finish up our 2207.43 mile/35+ hour journey from Minot AFB to Eglin AFB. Please continue to pray for us as we are all tired and ready to be there.

Check back with you as soon as we have internet :)

Many Blessings to you and your families.

A quick view!

2010-06-03T23:45:00.000-05:00

And so our journey begins...with ~~goodbye~~ I will see you soon to a best friend!

Minot in the rearview mirror!

Drive down the Enchanted Hwy.

Entering South Dakota.

Vacationing with 8 kids and 4 adults!

Checking out the "Faces."

This really cool GIANT slide.

And this was all in 48 hours!!!

Check back for more updates, we hit the road in the morning!

Our Other Family

2010-05-27T22:33:00.000-05:00

Our OCF Family...

Will be greatly missed!

Overwhelmed...

2010-05-26T22:22:00.000-05:00

With Emotions!

Happy

Sad

Nervous

Excited

Heartbroken

Fear

Loneliness

Pride

These are some things that I am feeling right now about our move but more importantly these are some things that my fellow Baron Spouses are feeling.

As our Barons deploy please keep them in your prayers and their spouses as well. For us we are moving on to a new job, new place, new school, and a whole new life again but here they are moving to a new temporary life. Its a HARD walk that many families have ahead of them and our prayers go out.

My prayer is...

for marriage to be strengthened in the distance.

for kids to adjust quickly.

for those who will be feeling lonely to be comforted.

for the safety of our guys and their families.

for their missions both abroad and on the homefront.

May God Bless the Bomber Barons!

Fly, Fight, Win!!!

WW-It's Gone...

2010-05-26T10:04:00.000-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesdays check 5MinutesForMom.

Mommy and Me #11

2010-05-23T23:53:00.000-05:00

Makayla's first time bowling!

And she was really having a GREAT time...

Hosted by Krystyn

Fini Flight (Warning: LOTS of Pictures)

2010-05-17T22:27:00.000-05:00

The pictures are in...

Joe's Fini Flight from the 23d Bomb Squadron.

Mommy and Me #13 but only #10 for me.

2010-05-17T10:01:00.000-05:00

This week I was able to get the whole family involved in Mommy and Me!

In the midst of all the craziness around here we decided to light the fire pit and have pizza pockets and s'mores for dinner. I means who doesn't do that in the middle of packing?

And the aftermath of eating the s'mores...

Hosted by Krystyn

MIA

2010-05-10T14:55:00.000-05:00

You may notice that we will be MIA (missing in action) for the next few weeks. Sorry but we have 21 days till we roll out and 11 days until our movers come! Its getting really close and we are really excited :D and maybe a bit stressed too!

But here is a little update...

First, Joe had his Fini (last) Flight on Friday. That was very exciting! We got to go and watch his plane land from the flightline. Then we were able to "soak" him down with FREEZING cold water and Sparkling Cider. Pictures will be posted as soon as I get them back. And here is a special THANK YOU for our photographer Liz, who came with us to capture this special moment.

Second, we awaiting word on a house that we are buying in Florida. Please join us in prayer that this transaction will be completed quickly as we do not want to live in temporary housing for too long.

Third, we seem to finally have everyone well in our house. Please join us in prayer that everyone stays well as the next few weeks are going to be a little on the crazy side.

Fourth, we have a couple of farewells this week and next week. Tomorrow night will be my last social with the WONDERFUL ladies of the 23d Bomb Squadron, by far the best bomb squadron in the Air Force!!! I am looking forward to this, I know its going to be a good time!

Mustard Seeds

2010-05-08T14:49:00.000-05:00

The Miracle of a Mustard Seed

Matthew 17.20

Jesus said, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Thanks for the reminder Grandpa Robert and Grandma Nancy. This bookmark is hanging on our fridge and will act as a daily reminder.

Really???

2010-05-07T10:48:00.000-05:00

Josiah woke me up this morning saying...

OH NO SNOW!!!

I guess summer isn't coming!

Only 24 more days here!!!

Helpless...

2010-05-05T15:54:00.000-05:00

Well today is wrapping up day 12 that we have been dealing with sick kids. And HELPLESS is just how I feel!

I can't do anything to take this away from Josiah nor is anything I am doing seeming to help. Yesterday after spending most of the day at the Dr with him while he received 600mL of fluids and was pumped with sugar, we thought it was behind us. Until around lunchtime today...when it all started again.

So please join us in praying that he will begin to take fluids and keep them down. I really don't want to go back tomorrow or Friday with him for more fluids.

Thanks,

Feeling Helpless Mom :(

Mommy and Me #10

2010-04-25T22:01:00.000-05:00

It's really hard to take a picture with your blackberry while holding your 18 month old and sitting in an arena waiting to watching "Walking with the Dinosaurs."

We had so much fun at "Walking with the Dinosaurs," we highly recommend it to anyone who has dino loving kids!

Check out more Mommy and Me at

Hosted by Krystyn

WW-Broke

2010-04-20T22:02:00.000-05:00

This is what your camera looks like when it is run over by many cars!

So tomorrow we are camera shopping :(

For more Wordless Wednesdays check out 5MinutesForMom.

Already Gone

2010-04-19T23:36:00.000-05:00

Something that I really struggle with when it comes time to PCS is being done when its not quite time. By this I mean mentally checking out and finding myself not caring anymore.

Sadly I started on this path last week and its been a downhill spiral ever since! It is difficult for me to care anymore and that is not who I want to be. I don't like the process of PCSing and in the coming weeks I can't avoid it. I do not enjoy preparing for the movers. I do not enjoy trying to foresee what we will need in the next few weeks/months we are stuck in temporary housing. I do not enjoy saying goodbye to friends.

But this is my end of the commitment that Joe and I made together almost 7 years ago. I committed to follow and accept the orders we were given by the United States Air Force. I will make each place, whether its an apartment, a six-plex, a duplex, a house or even a hotel room (and yes we lived in a hotel room for 4 months!) our home for the time that we are there. I may not like every assignment or location but as a family we will learn to live there and survive. Because sometime just surviving is all you can do!

So for now I am resigning to return to Minot and complete our commitment here. And I will try my hardest to enjoy it too.

Mommy and Me #9 with a Bonus!

2010-04-18T20:34:00.000-05:00

Mommy and Me this week is actually Mommy and Daddy!

I know that you may be wondering about out matching shirts??? Well we are actually at a squadron function called an Ew Party. More on that at another time.

Joe and I had a fantastic time at our last Ew party here in Minot. We were even able to go out with everyone and enjoy some karaoke and Minot night life.

Hope everyone has an AWESOME Monday. And on a final note...MY LITTLE SISTER GOT ENGAGED TONIGHT!!! WELCOME TO THE FAMILY KJ!!!

KJ and Lindsay :)

Check out more Mommy and Me...

Hosted by Krystyn

Lets Celebrate!

2010-04-12T21:01:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we celebrated two birthdays around our house.

I celebrated my last birthday on Friday!!! I enjoyed a day with my best friend here, Lindsay. Lindsay and I had pedicures, lunch out, some shopping and to round out the day we had a bird fly into the windshield of her car. Yes, you did read that right a bird busted a hole in the windshield of her car!!! (I will post a picture later if I can get it off my phone.)

Later that night Joe and I went to dinner at the only nice restaurant here in Minot, 10 North Main. This restaurant is co-owned by Josh Duhamel (guy from Transformers) and it has REALLY good food. So we enjoyed nice dinner and the went to the hardware store. I know you might be wondering why I would want to venture into the hardware store on my birthday...we are trying to buy a house in Florida at our next duty station. So why not look at somethings when you do not have your kids around and you can actually think.

I had a very nice last birthday! And check out these shoes that Joe got me for my birthday and you can also see the bracelet that Lindsay got me to match!

On Saturday Joe turned another year OLDER!!! We had lots of fun things planned and some not planned. Josiah is so sweet that he woke him up with a nice "Happy Birthday Hug" and can we give Daddy his presents now? So we did! Joe seemed to enjoy them but not nearly as much as the kids and I did!

We then went to lunch and had a nice relaxing day. We closed out with a YUMMY dinner of filet mignon, sweet potatoes and roasted asparagus. And no birthday meal is complete without a cake...

I love these pictures of Joe and Josiah!!! Josiah was so excited to sing "Happy Birthday" to his daddy. Joe's present from Josiah was the "team Mario" shirt that he is PROUDLY wearing in this picture. He is such a GREAT Daddy!

Mommy and Me #8

2010-04-12T10:30:00.000-05:00

Sadly this is the best we got this week! It was "our" birthday weekend and as usual the camera was not a high priority for us.

Check back next week for a BETTER mommy and me.

Hosted by Krystyn

HAPPY...

2010-04-10T10:17:00.001-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

To my wonderful Husband

I love you!

Thankful Thursday

2010-04-08T11:41:00.000-05:00

Thankful Thursday has been hard for me to write this week...not because I'm not thankful for LOTS of things. I am truly thankful.

But this week I am especially thankful for my legs! Yes, yes my white haven't seen the sun since last summer legs.

I have had the opportunity to get out twice this week and run. It has been a while since I have been able to run outside and its been amazing. Sometimes I find I need a little more convincing to get my butt in gear and that's when I remind myself that bathing suit season will start in 52 days for me! Yikes that is coming soon!

So thank you Lord for blessing me with legs so I may run and enjoy the beautiful weather outside!

Mommy and Me #7

2010-04-04T22:29:00.000-05:00

"Happy Easter" is our 7th edition of Mommy and Me. The kids and I taking a picture with "downtown" Minot behind us. I know its hard to imagine that the tallest building in Minot is behind us! Also please put on your sunglasses because my legs are BLINDING! That's what 8 months of winter will do to you.

Hope everyone had a very blessed Easter. And for an added bonus here is a Daddy and Me...

Hosted by Krystyn

It's Friday

2010-04-02T09:57:00.000-05:00

BUT

Sunday is Comin'!!!

You can find this image here.

Happy Easter and God Bless you and your families!

With Love,

The Ehrenfelds

Thankful Thursday

2010-04-01T09:46:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am very aware of the irony here to be thankful for a place that has been awful. But I know my God put our family here for a reason, one that we may not know right away or even ever for that matter. As we received our orders this week we (both Joe and I) were reminded of all the things that we will miss here.

As all moves have been bittersweet this one will to be that way. We are going to miss our friends here because as we have said before they really are more like family to us. Just the other night I was reminiscing with my mom about our friends all over the world. I know that I am blessed to have had each one of you in my life.

This will be the first move where Josiah is more aware of leaving friends. He is already talking about how much he is going to miss them. This is not easy on a momma!

We are going to miss Mi Mexico, our small little family owned restaurant that knows our kids. A place that has become a home away from home for us.

We are going to miss our OCF group. Now I could put this under friends but they are MUCH more than just friends! These are our brothers and sisters in Christ and without them we would have really struggled here. Its has been our pleasure to have our bible study meet in our home every Thursday night. I think our home will feel empty on Thursday when we move. It will not be the same. And my prayer is that God continues to grow our group and keep His light shining here in Minot.

Finally we are going to miss the 23d Bomb Squadron, Bomber Barons! Joe is going to miss flying for a couple of years and I will surely miss my fellow spouses. We have had lots of fun times with the Barons and they will not be forgotten.

So this Thankful Thursday is for you Minot!

WW-PCS

2010-03-30T21:19:00.000-05:00

62 Days before we PCS (Permanent Change of Station!)

OUR ORDERS ARE HERE! LOOKOUT FLORIDA WE ARE COMING HOME :)

For more Wordless Wednesdays check out 5MinutesForMom.

10 Ideas: Remembering Everyday Moments - FamilyLife.com

2010-03-29T14:38:00.002-05:00

10 Ideas: Remembering Everyday Moments - FamilyLife.com

Posted using ShareThis

This is what Joe and I have been working on around our house! So here is some encouragement for you to do the same :)

Mommy and Me #6

2010-03-28T19:15:00.000-05:00

Josiah and I outside on Sunday afternoon (without jackets!) playing and drawing with sidewalk chalk. If you notice I am wearing my white blockers but today they are actually used to block the sun. Also we are starting to see our backyard, even though the grass really didn't come in before the snow, I am still happy to see mud!

Hosted by Krystyn

Lots and Lots of Numbers!

2010-03-27T09:25:00.000-05:00

Numbers?

These days numbers are really important to me. Temperatures outside, number of days until we move, length of deployment, number of times we have moved. All of these things have been running through my mind lately. Some nights I even dream in numbers!

Well the temperatures this week have been less than desirable around here. It was quite cold again with snow flurries for 2 days. But that seems to be moving out of here and making way for a very pleasant week. On Tuesday we may even have temps in the low 60s which is something to celebrate!

66 is the current count of days that we have left here in Minot. Its very overwhelming when you look at it that way. I/We have 66 days to get lots of inspections done and schedule movers and finish cleaning things out and organizing what we are moving in a 5x8 trailer, packing for 4 people and 1 dog, planning our 10 day drive passing through 8 states, staying 2 days at Mt Rushmore, 2 days in Louisiana, eating roughly 30+ meals in restaurants, all while listening to our 2 children! As well as finding house, school, new church and friends all 2000 miles away. At times it is very overwhelming but I am trying to step back and thank God for all that He has already provided instead of dwell on what is left.

6 months...this is weighing very heavy on my heart right now. This is the length of time our squadron will deploy. I know that deployments happen all the time and I know that our spouses here will pick themselves up and do just fine. However my heart is still hurting as I watch the process unfold again but this time I also have to say goodbye to the STRONG ladies.

Lately Joe and I have had to rehash all the places we have lived. In our married life together we have had 9 different addresses in just 7.5 years! In just a couple of weeks we will be making that number 10!

Thankful Thursday

2010-03-25T09:23:00.000-05:00

Thankful Thursday again! This week I am Thankful to FamilyLife, they have a very resourceful website and some great products.

One product that I am truly Thankful for are there Resurrection Eggs!

They are a fun and interactive way for me to teach Josiah about the real story of Easter. So far he is loving it!

Each egg contains an item that corresponds with part of the Easter story. For example day one is the story in Matthew, when Jesus tells two disciples to go into the town and bring Him a donkey and a colt. So inside egg 1 was a small donkey.

This is proving to be a great teaching tool for us, hope you find it useful!

WW-Cruisin'

2010-03-24T12:22:00.000-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesdays check out 5MinutesForMom.

Easter Wreath

2010-03-23T08:11:00.000-05:00

After searching around here I was unable to find a wreath for my front door that I liked. So I made one instead.

What do you think?

Shoes

2010-03-22T14:41:00.000-05:00

Do you know any woman who does not love shoes?

Well this one does! I have an unhealthy love for shoes but living up here in the frozen tundra has slowed my ability to purchase new fabulous shoes. Mainly because you can't wear them for 6-8 months.

All of that has changed in the last two weeks!

In a couple of weeks I will share with you my shoes I purchased during my trip to Fargo. (Because Joe hasn't given them to me yet. Seeing as my birthday isn't for a couple more weeks so I wait!)

This past weekend I had a lot of fun hunting down some pink Converse for me and also some for Makayla. Because as you know if they look great for me, they will look 1000 times better on little Makayla.

See what I mean?

Of course we didn't forget Josiah! He got his Converse back at the beginning of the school year. And they are like new because he won't wear them in the snow!

Daddy also has some Converse but we did not get any pictures of his.

Now I couldn't resist putting Makayla in her tutu, Converse and her princess crown. I only wish my camera had not died before I could get all the pictures I wanted. Here is what I got and we will be trying for more very soon!

Mommy and Me #5

2010-03-22T08:41:00.000-05:00

Just playing around the house with my kids!

Hosted by Krystyn

Thankful Thursday #2

2010-03-18T07:44:00.001-05:00

These last two weeks I can say I am sooooooo Thankful for this

I borrowed this image from here.

This is not just water but it has electrolytes in it. In the last two weeks my husband, daughter and I have all had a terrible stomach virus (similar to the norrovirus). So at home I was using smartwater to rehydrate all of us.

All in all thank you creators of smartwater for thinking to add electrolytes to your water, you safely re-hydrated my family!

WW-I can dress myself

2010-03-16T20:07:00.001-05:00

Ok, so I can't dress myself but I did pick out my own bow!

For more Wordless Wednesdays, check out 5MinutesForMom.www.5minutesformom.com

Mommy and Me #4

2010-03-14T20:43:00.000-05:00

What's missing? Oh well this "Mommy and Me" seems to be lacking my children. That is because I spent the entire weekend without my babies. My girlfriend and I spent the weekend in Fargo, shopping and eating! It was so nice to get-a-way. I am so blessed to have a hubby who took wonderful care of our kids so I could relax.

I feel refreshed and ready for this winter to be OVER and to welcome some sunshine here.

Hosted by Krystyn

WW-Memory Lane

2010-03-09T23:13:00.000-06:00

2 years ago this week, when Josiah was hospitalized for an unknown illness. I think this picture is sweet of him sleeping in the wagon.

For more Wordless Wednesdays check out 5MinutesforMom.

SNIRT

2010-03-08T20:32:00.000-06:00

Oh snirt!**

Some may ask, what is snirt? Others may just think that I have missed spelled a word.

But snirt is the mixing of melting snow and dirt. Its the season that we are living in up here in the frozen tundra. Its not really spring yet and winter hasn't quite ended.

Its not a pretty time here. In fact here is a look around the base...

Turning into our neighborhood off the main road.

The view just down the street from my house.

Nice, huh? I am not particularly fond of snirt. I have to remember that this to shall pass because all in all it just DISGUSTING! Snow and dirt should never mix because when they do you have to live in this.

**We cannot take credit for this great word snirt. Our friend Kathy and her boys came up with it. This is their 4th tour through Minot and they're really pros!**

Mommy and Me #3

2010-03-07T19:42:00.000-06:00

Everyone is healthy and happy! Our house is back to normal.

Hosted by Krystyn

Case of the Missing Hairbrush

2010-03-05T09:45:00.000-06:00

I never complain about Makayla having too much hair its most definitely the other way around! Well in the last week or so her hair has finally decided to make an appearance. Now I am still not complaining about it, I am simply wondering where her hairbrush has gone?

I know it seems simple to just buy another one but this one is special. It belonged to my other hairless child! I really didn't complain too much about Josiah's lack of hair because I didn't have an overwhelming desire to put bows, flowers or pig tails in his hair.

The hunt is on for this hair brush because yesterday Makayla looked like this when she got up from her nap!

Thankful Thursdays!

2010-03-04T07:58:00.000-06:00

My friend Martha has started a nice Thursday blogging tradition. And I think I will follow suit and use it here.

I am VERY thankful for these lately

Picture taken from the Clorox.com website.

The plague has visited my house this past week! And I use these to keep everyone from spreading the germs.

Its seems as though we might be on the up swing of things. So that is my Thankful Thursday!

WW-When Mommy is Away

2010-03-02T20:28:00.000-06:00

This is what happens when Mommy is sick in bed and Daddy is "watching" the kids!

For more Wordless Wednesdays check out 5MinutesforMom.

Mommy and Me #2

2010-03-01T11:11:00.000-06:00

A quick snap shot. Good thing I took this Friday because it was our only chance this weekend.

Hosted by Krystyn

Answers

2010-02-26T13:42:00.000-06:00

Apparently the sun is reading my blog, at least someone is!

The sun is all its glory has decided to make an appearance today! Even though all the weather reports called for cloudy, overcast and blah, blah, blah.

Its still a little cold to play outside so instead we...

played shadows in the warmth of our home! All the while enjoying the sun :)

Josiah enjoyed showing Makayla her shadow. She wasn't too sure but she played along anyway.

We also had a little car race around the house.

Makayla definitely won that race!

Fond Memories

2010-02-26T09:39:00.000-06:00

Dear Sun,

Please come back and never leave. I know we are in North Dakota and its cold here even for you. But as a Floridian who has been placed here against my will, I am ~~asking~~ BEGGING you to return!

I have a memory of what you look like, is this correct? And as for my sunglasses I have renamed them my "white blocking glasses." I no longer need them because you are so bright and beautiful, I need them for the blinding snow that stretches as far as the eye can see. Please return so I can once again use my sunglasses to enjoy your beautiful views!

With love,

A vitamin deprived follower!

Reminder

2010-02-25T12:28:00.000-06:00

A military wife's life is easier than you think. All you have to do is accept the impossible, do without the indispensable, bear the intolerable, and be able to smile at anything. ~ Anonymous

WW-House Guest

2010-02-24T08:13:00.000-06:00

For more Wordless Wednesdays check out 5mintuesformom.

On a side note our friend's daughter was released from the hospital yesterday. They still aren't sure what caused her illness. But she is much better!

Endurance

2010-02-23T09:40:00.000-06:00

Endurance is my prayer for this week.

On Sunday just before midnight some friends called because their 2 month was being admitted to the hospital. Oh, how we have been through our share of high fevers and unknown illness with our children. So of course we said we would watch their 3 yr old. I mean he is like one of Josiah's brothers.

I feel very blessed to have the means to help out friends who have actually become more like family. Yesterday evening I got to spend a little time sitting with Elizabeth while John and Alicia took their son to get some dinner. I was able to hold her and feed her and just love on her. You forget as your children get bigger and older how dependent on you they were as small babes. I just tried to imagine God cradling her and whispering that everything is going to be just right.

I actually came home from the hospital feeling a little rejuvenated, tired still but feeling God's over whelming love nonetheless!

But this morning I just talked to Alicia and they are STILL waiting for the 24 hour blood cultures. 36+ hours after they were taken! So I am not only praying for endurance for me with these rambunctious boys but for John and Alicia as they wait. Waiting is never an easy game.

Mommy and Me!

2010-02-21T19:32:00.000-06:00

Mommy and Makayla

A visit to the museum at the State Historical Society of North Dakota.

Hosted by Krystyn

UNDER

2010-02-18T17:38:00.000-06:00

the weather. So it is true that moms get the cold last when everyone else feels fine.

Expect me with my stuffy head, runny nose, headache and nagging cough!

WW-Blocks

2010-02-16T21:51:00.000-06:00

Watch me stack!

For more Wordless Wednesdays check out 5MinutesforMom.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

2010-02-13T18:53:00.000-06:00

Just Because

2010-02-12T15:36:00.000-06:00

Just because my best friend is here to spend Valentine's Day with me :)

WW-Full Heart

2010-02-09T22:25:00.000-06:00

Our family vacation!

For more Wordless Wednesdays check out 5Minutesformom.

Recap

2010-02-08T13:26:00.000-06:00

We had an uneventful yet very busy weekend!

Friday we enjoyed the company of Joe's Crew Dogs at the squadron for our "First Friday." "First Friday" is exactly what it sounds like, all the families meet up at the squadron for the first friday of the month and hang out with food and fun! Then we returned home for Joe and I to have a stay-in date. It seems as though our babysitter is too busy this month for us to have an actual date so we had the next best thing! Chinese take-out and the movie 17Again, I know we are behind on our movies but hey it was really cute.

So Saturday morning Joe and I got to working on stuff for our big move, its only 112 days away! We started church hunting and house hunting, while we were doing so Josiah became very nosy. What are you doing??? We decided to tell him, the conversation went something like this...

Me: Josiah, we are going to be moving in June.

Josiah: Are we moving our house?

Me: Not exactly, we are going to be moving to a new house thats really far from here and we are going to go to a new church and a new school. We will be closer to all of our family, Grandma and Grandpa, and your Aunts and Uncles.

Josiah: I am going to miss our house.

Me: Well there is a Moe's and Chick-fil-a there.

Josiah: OK! Daddy there will be "Welcome to Moe's there!"

After all of that he was okay and we got back to work.

I discovered on Saturday night that Makayla shares a love for food, that did not come as a surprise to us but what did is this...

Makayla does NOT like to have her meat cut off her ribs, she ~~prefers~~ demands to eat straight off the rib!

Last weekend Josiah and I started a project, I call it his "man box." He needed a place to put his watch, chap-stick and other misc man things. So off to Hobby Lobby we went :) We found a box and went home to start painting it.

And here is the finished project!

Which catches everyone up to Monday. Today we went to the dr. fully expecting to hear that our children have ear infections and we were NOT disappointed! They each have an ear infection and they're both blah however I did catch a very cute brother/sister moment of them watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse together. What do you think?

A New Look!

2010-02-05T15:14:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I have decided to give our blog a new look and I would love some recommendations for blog designers.

Who did you use and what do you love most about your blog?

Love

2010-02-04T09:51:00.000-06:00

Yes, can you believe it there are a couple of things I love here in North Dakota!

We have a GREAT Mexican restaurant and we eat there often!

My house! Everything but the flooring.

My friends! We have made some friendships that will last the miles.

And this...

Frozen Fog! I know is sound kinda weird but its BEAUTIFUL!

Josiah and I think it makes everything look furry.

10-20

2010-01-21T07:51:00.000-06:00

We are awaiting another "Winter Storm" here in the frozen tundra. To make this one just that awesome they have predicted 10-20" snowfall.

On a brighter note only 130 days before we move back to Florida!

Job and Joy

2010-01-13T21:26:00.000-06:00

Our OCF group has decided to study Job and I couldn't be more excited!

So last night I jumped right in and began reading the book again. I just love the story of Job. I think its the amount of PURE faith that he has and its refreshing.

So I have made it a goal to try and find joy and to thank God in my trials. Well wouldn't you know that the trials start coming right away.

I was flying solo tonight for dinner and Awanas because Joe was mission planning for tomorrow's flight. I try my best to keep our schedule whether Joe is with us or not. So we headed in town for dinner and after I drop Josiah off at church and he has Awanas. While he was there Makayla and I went to have the oil changed and of course there is something wrong with our car. I feel like every time I go to have the oil changed that is something additional. Well you all know the feeling, right? So I immediately start to stress because that is always the first step, right? Then I ask the all important question, "Is that covered under our warranty?" Thankful they believe that it is so tomorrow Joe will be calling Ford.

But as I got in the car and of course called Joe to share this fantastic news, Job popped into my head. I was not feeling like finding any joy at this point, instead I pulled into Starbucks and ordered a coffee. While waiting for my coffee I just keep asking God to help me find the joy. In this moment I learned a valuable lesson. Sometimes you do not see the joy in what you feel the problem is but in something total unrelated. When the young lady handed me my coffee, she paused and told me that she wasn't positive that it was decaf. Instead of just letting me leave, she re-made my coffee and then handed me a certificate for another free coffee.

So, I might not have joy right now in my car needing fix but I sure do feel blessed to have a free cup of coffee :)

Sad New...

2010-01-13T10:02:00.000-06:00

Our friend who was fighting for her life lost her battle yesterday.

Please keep all those affected my Erin's death in your prayers. She has a husband and two small boys who are hurting deeply now. Also there are a multitude of others who loved her dearly and are also hurting.

Thank you in advance for the prayers.

Under Attack.

2010-01-10T20:46:00.000-06:00

For a while we have felt like we are under attack, not just us personally but our friends, our base and Minot.

I am talking SERIOUS spiritual attack. This has been happening for a good solid year now but we know its been going on a lot longer than that.

There have been Air Force related things happen and I am not going to get into the exacts on that stuff. However now we are seeing serious health attacks.

Just around Christmas we had a spouse go to the ER for a migraine and end up being airlift to Minneapolis for blood clots on the brain. She is now recovering at home and still taking meds to dissolve the last clot.

Just today we got word of another spouse (Erin) to is FIGHTING for her life in the ICU. She has Krohns Disease and just had some surgery at the Mayo Clinic and on her air flight home she started having severe stomach pains. When they landed they did 2 more surgeries and now they believe that she has a blood infection. Currently she is not responding to any medications and the drs. have given her a 50/50 chance of survival in the next 24 hours.

Also this week our guys are preparing for a MAJOR inspection. Tension is HIGH and LOTS of people are hurting. Please pray for Erin and the rest of us here. We have a long couple of weeks ahead of us and we could use all the extra prayer.

Feel free to leave any prayer requests in the comments that you or your family might have. Have a blessed week!