Moving Step One: Packed Up...NOPE

We scheduled the movers to be here Wednesday, December 16th and Thursday, December 17th. Today is Wednesday, December 16th. I spent last night running around stressing, woke up WAY to early this morning to continue running around stressing. Only to call the company moving us at 9:30am wondering when they were coming and getting a call back at 10:00am saying there had been a mix up and that they were not coming until tomorrow. Sweet. Just what I needed, another 24 hours to stress out. :) On the other hand, I did get a few things done that I probably would not have been able to otherwise, and seeing as how I am one of those people who like to do as much as possible myself, it was nice. So now I am sitting here with everything around me dissembled, taken of the walls or "organized" into piles. This is both Jonathan and I's first time having someone else move us, so neither of us are quite sure how to organize or go about it. Not to worry though, we will get to do this again in 6 months, just to make sure we get in lots of good practice! The Army is thoughtful like that.

Anyhow, I hear little voices upstairs so I better get going. Hopefully tomorrow all will go well and I will have a mostly empty house that should be much easier to clean!

Devotional by Rhonda Davis

A family friend of ours (Nancy Butner) sent this devotional to me while my husband was deployed and I loved it. I hung it on the side of the refridgerator and would read it often, sometimes twice a day. I thought I would share it here in hopes that it will help someone else.

. . . In His Shadow
by Rhonda Davis

It's early. A sharp sound pierces the darkness. He rolls over and hits the alarm. It's 4:30 in the morning. Trying not to wake me, he starts his day. In a little while he will come to kiss me bye, and I'll count off how many morning kisses I have left before he is gone, and my mornings will be lonely and quiet. He kisses me and whispers, "I love you." I say a prayer of protection as he leaves, "When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid" (Psalm 56:3-4a), and there I lay quietly . . . in His shadow.

The rush of the morning is usual. The kids scurry around. Backpacks ready, lunches packed, the van loaded up, and we are off again. We drive past the airfield and see another plane ready to leave with soldiers aboard. I noticed my oldest son look that way. He catches sight of a helicopter taking off and points out the details of its components to my youngest son. Such is the life of an Army child. I take them to school, a hug, a kiss, and a prayer for my children to live in Christ; "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13), and we begin our day . . . in His shadow.

I sit in training with other Army wives and listen to strategies, to what if this and what if that happens, and dates and information. We prepare. We plan, teach , mentor, and pray. We talk about household problems that may occur, and what directions to give to those in need. We discuss phone rosters, points of contact, financial training, powers of attorney, and wills. I catch him walking by the conference room and I smile with pride. He sees me and smiles back. I thank God for him, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstance, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18), and I sit still . . . in His shadow.

The church is quiet. Prayers for safety are said. A family kneels and holds hands. The laying on of hands and sealing with oil. Peace that passes all understanding comes, and there we kneel . . . in His shadow.

The formation stands, instructions laid out. Names are called. Lines are formed. A kiss goodbye and a turn to leave, a quick glance back, and a wink of confidence. A prayer of protection, "He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you" (Psalm 91:4-7). And there we watch . . . in His shadow.

The plane lifts off. The families depart. Life continues with love and support. I look up into the sky as the plane flies away. "My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken" (Psalm 62:1-2). God opens the clouds and reaches out to protect and comfort . . . in His shadow.

We Are A Family Again!

On August 18th 2009 the twins and I picked up Jonathan from the Special Events Center on Fort Carson! We are a whole family again, and it could not feel better. It is wonderful to have daddy home. The twins are doing really well with him, for the most part it's like he was never gone. Lanna warmed right up to him and plunked down in his lap with her puzzle the moment we got home. It took Austin a little longer but by the end of the day he was cuddling with daddy like he had never left. Chaos, of course, had no trouble getting used to having his daddy home and is enjoying the fact that he is getting a little extra attention now. And I, for one, am enjoying having the extra help! It's wonderful to be a family again!

Here, There and Everywhere!

The twins are walking....and I am running! It seems like it happened overnight. One day they would take a few cautious steps and fall, and the next day they were walking across the living room. The best thing about it is that they entertain themselves for much longer than they used too. :) It's pretty cute to watch. They have such a wide stance, they more waddle than walk. Austin looks like he is drunk pretty much everywhere he goes, but when that man wants to move he can make some pretty big steps happen.

In other news....it's Father's Day! Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there, especially the ones serving in forign countries. I pray that you will feel extra loved and extra blessed today.

Well, I hear little voices coming from upstairs....I better go get them before they become screams!

Someone catch that dog!

Today was particularly crazy. At one point I was carrying Austin in one arm and Lanna in the other arm and heading out to the car, all of a sudden our dog, Chaos, comes sprinting past me and out into the great outdoors. I could almost hear him yell "FREEDOM" as he ran past. The plan was to go to Costco, but I did not know if I should leave with Chaos loose, but it's not like I could chase him down with two kids in my arms. Heck, I can't chase him down without kids in my arms. I put the kids in the pack n play that I keep in the garage and went to investigate. It was obvious he was in a playful mood, he would dart pass me just daring me to try and catch him. After a while of playing this game I had an idea. I put the kids in their car seats and then opened the door for him to jump in like he got to go. He jumped in and was cornered. I grabbed him and drug him back into the house and off to Costco we went. Crazy pit bull 0, mommy 1. I think it's the only point I got all day though!

I miss my husband.

I miss my husband. I am sick of checking my email every 10 minutes hoping to hear anything from him. I hate waking up at night in a cold lonely bed. I hate putting the twins to bed every night by myself. I am sick of faking a smile and pretending to be strong. I hate that I don't have the energy to be the mom the twins need but I need to get away from them and can't. I hate that I have forgotten how it feels to be wrapped in his arms. I have had it with the time zone difference. I can't stand the major delay on the phones. I hate trying to be mom and dad all the time. I am tired of trying to push the "what ifs" out of my head all the time. I hate not feeling like I am complete. I miss my husband and I want him home.

Military Spouse Appreciation Day

Yesterday (May 8, 2009) was Military Spouse Appreciation Day. Yesterday was not a good day for me, I can't say I felt appreciated, but I did read a poem that made me cry. Here it is:

A Day for You, the Military Spouse
by Sara Horn

A day where no uniforms need mending or patches sewn on;
A day where nothing breaks down when you are all alone;
A day when children listen and there are no tears to dry;
A day where there are no questions and you don't have to answer why;
This is the day I wish for you, the Military Spouse.

A day filled with peace and love and solidarity
A day where a phone call is just the start of the great day you'll see
A day when you realize that what you do has fantastic enormous worth
A day where for the first time in months you can breathe without the hurt
This is the day I wish for you, The Military Spouse

A day that's 24 hours closer to your loved one coming home
A day for webcams and Skype and soft I love you's before dawn
A day where there are no silly arguments, just constant mutual grace
A day filled with blue skies, happiness and faith.
This is the day I wish for you, The Military Spouse


If you know a military spouse, especially with their other half deployed, give them a hug, I guarantee they need it.

Catching Up

Well, I have not been the best about keeping up with this...but that's ok since I don't think I have actually told anyone about this. So since no one currently reads it, I guess it's ok that I am bad about keeping up with it! ;)

Anyhow....we are almost to the half way point of the deployment!!! WOOHOO!!! The twins will be one year old in a month, eek! And Jonathan should be coming home for 2 weeks for his mid-tour leave. Needless to say...I have a lot of excersizing that I should have been doing and a lot of cleaning and organizing to get done!

Austin has been crawling since about 9 months and Lanna started at about 10 months. Lanna is still not too profecient at crawling, but she can get where she wants to go. They both pull up to a standing position and loving knocking things off low tables. :)

I think that's about all for now. These past few days have been a little crazy for me, but we will get through it, I am sure. :)