WW-Christmas

Sibling love!

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Blizzard Photos

Christmas morning after opening presents and eating breakfast, Joe and I went out to clear the 8" of snow.

Looking back we are REALLY glad that we did go out in the beginning of the blizzard and shovel because here is what it looked like the day after Christmas.

Checking to see just how deep the snow really was.

Our driveway was a solid wall of snow.

We are truly blessed to have wonderful neighbors with SNOW BLOWERS!  I am certain that we would not have been able to shovel ourselves out.

 

It took 2 snow blowers 45 minutes to clear the end of our driveway.

Joe and I did a little drift diving.

Sampson even joined in on the fun!

More pictures later!

Christmas Blizzard 2009

All is white!  Yes, all is white outside. 

The winds have NOT stopped and neither has the snow since Wednesday.

We ALL have cabin fever and I can't even get outside right now to take pictures.  My sister's return flight was canceled yesterday and its not looking good for today.  All the highways and interstates have been closed, as well as the roads on base and in town.  This is by far the worst blizzard we have been through here in Minot.

They reported that we got somewhere around 18" of snow yesterday and an additional 1" or 2" today.  Our street is currently blocked in both directions by snow drifts.

Counting our blessing:

We still have electricity!

We are stocked up on food and necessities!

We have spent countless hours, watching TV, playing games and looking out the windows!

We are all healthy and greatly blessed here!

Hopefully I can post pictures later.

 

Lost Art?

One of my favorite things about Christmas is sending and receiving Christmas cards.  I am not exactly sure then this happened?  But I just realized in the last couple of years how excited I get when we receive one!  Do you see yours?

I don't just like to receive them but I also LOVE to send them!  I feel its a great time to catch people up on the happenings with the Ehrenfelds.  You know all the ones who SHOULD be reading our blog.  This year however there was not an update from us :( I frankly just didn't have enough time.

So for all who sent us a card, we cherish everyone of them.  We read them and love the pictures and look at them everytime we pass through the kitchen.

So God Bless and Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

 

Conversations with Josiah

Lately, Josiah has been even more verbal than usual. So I think I will share some of our conversations.

Last night, he SCREAMED for me to come in his room.  So I came saying, "shhhhhhhh!!! You're going to wake your sister! What do you need?"

J: My flashlight is not working! Fix it.

Me: Ok let me see if there are any batteries. (about 5 min pass) I finally get it to work, so I head back in there.

J: Mommy are my eyeballs working?

Me: (with a complete puzzled look on my face) I think so, why?

J: Oh ok.

Me: Good night.

Then this morning...as usual he is talking non-stop. So I decide to ask him about his eyes.

Me: Josiah, how are your eyes working this morning?

J:Good.

I guess everything is okay then.

Then a little while later he says. Mom my eyes are not working.

Me: Huh?

J: I cannot see my face.

Me: I just turn around and carry on with what I am doing!

My Mom and Step-dad will be here tomorrow night so of course I am completely ready for them.  I am not cleaning and giving haircuts and getting the guest bed out of the garage.  Not me I am always on top of things and never let anything fall behind.

So today between cleaning and heading to the dentist, I give Josiah a much over do haircut (like I said I never let things fall behind).  During this he is talking the whole time, he tells me...

J: Mom I want my hair just like Daddy's.

Me: Sure we can do that.

J: Mom I want to be a Captain just like Daddy.

Me: Okay bud when you grow up you can.

J: Well I did grow up, I'm 4.

Me: Maybe when you are a little older and go to college.

J: Oh, ok.  Can I fly a different airplane than Daddy?

As you can see it never stops around here!

 

Fireplace?

I think this may shock most people who read this!

Here in North Dakota, we DO NOT have a fireplace.

Of all the places we have lived, this might be the one place that we could seriously use one!

Our weather here lately has been just FRIGHTFUL! This morning I checked the weather and it was -17 degrees with a windchill of -39 degrees.

What does that feel like some have asked? 

Its like walking outside and having all of the air in your lungs evaporate and then your nose hairs FREEZE.

Tonight's forecast is -20 degrees with windchill as low as -40.  I'll let you know how that is!  Last night our heat was running all night long!

White Stuff

This week we got covered!  

So I bundled Josiah up and we headed out to shovel and make a snowman.  All in all shoveling is a pretty fantastic workout but like all good things this one to gets OLD.

We had a great time playing in the snow and Josiah has improved his shoveling skills!

As the week went on we got more snow and even last night we got MORE snow.  So this afternoon we all bundled up for some family fun :)

 

 

 

Its beginning to look a lot like...

CHRISTMAS!!!

We have a fun family tradition where the kids have their own trees.  Josiah loves his!  He has it decked out with Cars, Buzz, Einsteins, Tigger and anything that is Disney.  We allow him to decorate his tree and we help if he needs it.  This year was the first year that we noticed his memory of who gave him each ornament. 

Makayla is not quite able to do any of this on her own or even with our help.  So Joe and I decorated her tree.  However, we did get her to pose for a couple of pictures before 

 she returned to this...

Apparently her new favorite game is "take all my toys off the shelf!"

Here are a few more pictures just for fun.  Tell me if you notice anything special about these pictures.

Always behind!

Our Thanksgiving was FANTASTIC!  We are so blessed to have our OCF group.  We spent Thanksgiving with all of our families together enjoyed our meal, let our kids play and have a good time while we played a few rounds of Catch Phrase.

 

 

 

Goodbyes...

If you read my blog regularly you would know that I have been saying goodbye a lot lately.  YUCK!!!  I really hate saying goodbye.

However, tonight was another sad occasion here in Minot :(

Today, Colonel Joel S. Westa retired after 25 yrs of faithful service to The United States Air Force.  In the last 18 months Joe got the pleasure to be under his command and I was blessed to have his wife, Deborah, as a friend/mentor.   Tonight at his retirement dinner person after person stood up and spoke of the true character of Col. Westa and his family.  Col. Westa has always said, character is what you are when no one is watching but tonight Col. Bell said it best..."character is what you are when EVERYONE is watching."



The Westa family has displayed an unmeasurable amount of character in the last couple of weeks.  At times I know it had to be hard but they never let it show.


Deborah has been a remarkable example of how to carry oneself as a military wife and woman of God.  She has supported Col Westa and our community and touched so many lives.  And for me personally, she has restored some confidence that I have recently questioned.


So one last time we bid you farewell and God speed.  I pray our paths cross again.

Monday

So what kind of Monday are you having?

This morning I showed up to a Dr. appt for Makayla that is actually scheduled for tomorrow! Isn't that awesome? Turns out that Joe and I had our schedules crossed and he had everything shifted one day in his calendar. I love when we do stuff like this. I guess it reminds me that I am just human and NOT perfect.

Team Edward!

Here is where I will be tonight at 12:01 a.m.

Where will you be?

Saying Goodbye

Today is one of those days that I hate :( We are saying goodbye to some of our dear friends here in Minot. The Friesz family is moving back down to Barksdale.

Adam and Joe have been on the same paths in the Air Force and we have been stationed in all the same places until now. Adam is going back down south to another squadron. Minot is losing a great family and Barksdale is gaining one!

In our time here we shared a backyard with Katie and Adam, both had babies (Katie's 1st), Adam's deployment, birthdays, good days, bad days and we have share many other things.

 

Mostly we have enjoyed having someone else to talk to besides our children!

(Sadly Adam missed this fun! But Nate did not.)

Joe checking on the kiddos!

We have learned in the Air Force that you can love it, hate it but all in all its up to you. So here is when we decided not to let Minot rain on our parade.

However our children sure do enjoy each others company as well.

 

And they're really going to miss each other.

 

 

 

So for now we say goodbye see you soon! We are really going to miss you!

 

By REQUEST

We're Back...

We arrived home last night on the mid-night flight. Needless to say we are all EXHAUSTED!

Give me a few days and I will post some amazing pictures and videos.

Not Quite but Almost!

Happy Birthday to my sweet little girl!!!

12 hours of labor and then an emergency c-section and we had our healthy little girl.

6 lbs 5 oz

20.5 inches

ten fingers and ten toes!

You have been such a blessing. You are a good eater and a fantastic sleeper.

You have a very LOVING big brother...

 Just 1 week after you were born, you had your first visitor.

Grandma!

 

 We have shared many firsts this year: smiles, baths, foods, crawling and now walking & talking. Nothing can replace this year but we are sure looking forward to the next.

 

 

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY MAKAYLA GRACE!

 

Military "In-Dependent"

This is something that a friend of mine tagged me in on Facebook. However I feel this is worthy of sharing with all of you. Here is a small glimpse into the life of a military spouse.

Military "In-Dependent"

Each one may look different and each is wonderfully unique, But this we have in common:

Lots of moving...
Moving...
Moving...
Moving far from home...
Moving two cars, three kids and one dog...all riding with HER of course.
Moving sofas to basements because they won't go in THIS house; Moving curtains that won't fit; Moving jobs and certifications and professional development hours.
Moving away from friends;
Moving toward new friends;
Moving her most important luggage: her trunk full of memories.

Often waiting...
Waiting...
Waiting...
Waiting for housing.
Waiting for orders.
Waiting for deployments.
Waiting for phone calls.
Waiting for reunions.
Waiting for the new curtains to arrive.
Waiting for him to come home,
For dinner...AGAIN!

They call her 'Military Dependent', but she knows better:
She is fiercely In-Dependent.

She can balance a check book;
Handle the yard work;
Fix a noisy toilet;
Bury the family pet...

She is intimately familiar with drywall anchors and toggle bolts.
She can file the taxes;
Sell a house;
Buy a car;
Or set up a move...
.....all with ONE Power of Attorney.

She welcomes neighbors that don't welcome her.
She reinvents her career with every PCS; Locates a house in the desert, The Arctic, Or the deep south.
And learns to call them all 'home'.
She MAKES them all home.

Military Wives are somewhat hasty...
They leap into:
Decorating,
Leadership,
Volunteering,
Career alternatives,
Churches,
And friendships.
They don't have 15 years to get to know people.
Their roots are short but flexible.
They plant annuals for themselves and perennials for those who come after them.

Military Wives quickly learn to value each other:
They connect over coffee,
Rely on the spouse network,
Accept offers of friendship and favors.
Record addresses in pencil...

Military Wives have a common bond:
The Military Wife has a husband unlike other husbands; his commitment is unique.
He doesn't have a 'JOB'
He has a 'MISSION' that he can't just decide to quit...
He's on-call for his country 24/7.
But for her, he's the most unreliable guy in town!
His language is foreign
TDY
PCS
OPR
SOS
ACC
BDU
ACU
BAR
CIB
TAD
And so, a Military Wife is a translator for her family and his.
She is the long- distance link to keep them informed; the glue that holds them together.

A Military Wife has her moments:
She wants to wring his neck;
Dye his uniform pink;
Refuse to move to Siberia;
But she pulls herself together.
Give her a few days,
A travel brochure,
A long hot bath,
A pledge to the flag,
A wedding picture,
And she goes.
She packs.
She moves.
She follows.

Why?
What for?
How come?
You may think it is because she has lost her mind.
But actually it is because she has a HEART and a love for her husband,
Who puts duty first,
Who longs to deploy,
Who salutes the flag,
And whose boots in the doorway remind her that as long as he is her Military Husband, She will remain his military wife.
And would have it no other way.

WordFUL Wednesday-Official yet still very Unofficial!

So Monday afternoon Joe came home saying something about good news and bad news. To a tired mom that sounds a lot like blah, blah, blah. 

I collected myself and said what are you talking about?

Which he proceeded to say, "we need to buy some stock in Coppertone." Once again, huh? Then all of a sudden it hit me...WE ARE MOVING TO FLORIDA!

To catch you all up, this process started about 2 months ago. Joe found out that we were coming up on the VML (vulnerable to move list) so we need to make a preference list and turn it in the next day to his boss. And so we made our list 1) Eglin AFB, Ft Walton Beach, 2) Naval Air Station Pensacola, 3) Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. After he submitted our list, we were told not to expect to hear anything until about the end of the year. So we filed everything away in the not currently important file in our brains.

So you can only imagine our SHOCK when we were told we should be expecting to move at the end of May 2010. Now for some bad news...looks like it might not be a flying job as of right now. So please join us in prayer for it to become a flying job. His commander is currently working to see if this can get changed. But still we know that my God is big and we have put our faith in Him to go before us and make our way.

We are very excited but we also know that this is the military and we are not currently holding orders, so we are still guarding ourselves and our excitement. If this be where God wants us, then bring on the orders and hold on to your hats because they're going to be blown off with excitement!

Spoiled?

Ok, so I might be getting used to Joe being gone. Used to it does not mean that I like it!

But this is the second Friday in a row that someone has rang my doorbell to deliver me BEAUTIFUL flowers. It totally reminds me of when we were dating. He used to send me flowers at work or pick me up with some.

Just had to share ;)

 

I have had a great time while he has been gone but I am very happy to have him home tonight!

It's Official

We have our first snow that has stuck around! Yes, I did check the date and it is October 14th! Sadly, I did break out the snow shovel this morning to clear the driveway. Only for it to start snowing again. Oh, the irony!

We got about a half inch last night and we are expecting another half inch today and tonight. Who know how much we will actually get before this storm passes!

I guess I will go on with some brighter news in just 14 days we will be leaving the frozen tundra for much warmer weather. We are heading down to Florida to spend a week at Disney. While we are there we will be celebrating Makayla's 1st Birthday as well as our 7th wedding anniversary! 

 

One more thing, Joe comes home Friday night! YAY!!! We are getting very excited not just me, who is now really tired of being both Mom and Dad but also Josiah and Makayla. Josiah is sooo excited he just wants to go to bed and make Friday come sooner. Makayla is becoming a little walker and I can't wait to see her walk to Daddy Friday.

Ok, seriously last thing...check out these pictures I just found of Josiah and Libby. We were soooo cute!

 

Hearts

So last night when it was time for our bedtime prayer, Josiah decided to deviate from his usually prayer. And here is what was prayed...

Dear God,

Please keep the deer safe.
Please keep Daddy safe. 
Thank you for us.
And please keep us safe.

Amen

I am pretty sure that he will never forget about the "Deer Incident of 2009."

Like Father, Like Son

I love this picture of the boys!

By the way here is our new car. Sadly we laid our "blue car" to rest after the deer incident of 2009. 

Mask or No Mask?

So I ask you, mask or no mask? Are you scratching your head, yet?

Tonight in OCF we started our new study, TrueFaced. Hope you are intrigued because I am and so far I am loving this study. Go here to listen to a clip.


So I ask again are you ready to take off your mask and join me on my journey in the "Room of Grace"?

For the next eight weeks me and my fellow OCFers will be venturing into a new place, one where most have not journeyed. This we pray will open our group up to be sensitive and real when we are hurting and not mask our pain because its the thing to do.

I ask that you please pray for us as we are attempting new things: we have changed locations, changed our format and we are adding new people every week. God is so faithful and we are seeing that here in Minot.

Please take a minute or 45 if you listen to the whole message, its really worth it. And I ask again mask or no mask?

Just Because

Just the other day I looked out my car window and saw this...

 Hope this made you smile, too!

A Little EXCITED!

Josiah and I are heading out on a little date to see this...

 

In 3D!!!

WW-My Little Pumpkin

My fall baby!

For more Wordless Wednesdays check out 5MinuteforMom.