Jillellen

Year Later

2011-06-28T10:44:00.004-06:00

YIKES!!
A year gone by - how did that happen?
Thinking back it seems we did have a busy year.
I started a new job in September teaching Kindergarten at Stillwater Christian School.
What a great experience! I have missed being with young kiddos, and I am excited to say that I get to go back in the fall and do it again... YAY!!
I am currently taking a technology class at the college to pick up 2 credits I need to finish my certification. Blogging is part of the class, so I get to catch up on things, and get credit.
Gotta get going, class is moving on to something new to learn...

Kitchen Re Do

2010-07-26T12:14:00.003-06:00

We started our kitchen remodel this morning. Knocking out walls, removing cabinets, pulling up carpet and wood floor.

I don't do well with change, so I am trying to hide in the other rooms of the house so I don't have to really know what is going on out there. (I will look when it is finished)...that is not entirely true, I have looked and I have taken some pictures, which I will post when I get my camera cord to plug into the computer.
My son is so excited about swinging a hammer and putting holes into the walls we are removing. He has been up in the rafters loving life. (His mother is worried about him falling through the ceiling - so yet another reason to hide and not watch).

All of this is happening in then midst of me starting a new job in the Fall...I will be teaching Kindergarten at the Christian School here in town. I am very excited about this opportunity. God has been so good through the process of this job change. One of these days I will have to share this process with you.

Gotta run - I hear walls coming down

Not Sure What To Say

2010-04-17T21:33:00.003-06:00

A year ago I was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport trying to make it back to Virginia to see my friend, Beth, before she died...I didn't make it in time to say good-bye.
I did make it to grieve with other close friends and to offer support to Beth's family for a couple of days.
I am having a difficult time coming to grips with the fact that a year has gone by, it doesn't seem possible,...

Life has gone on,
The earth has continued to spin,
And
God is still in control.

I still don't understand why Beth's time on earth was done when it was,
but I do know that His purposes are higher than mine and I do know that she knew Him and is with Him today. I rejoice in the fact that I knew was able to know Beth, that I laughed and cried with her and that I will see her again someday.

Just Thinking

2010-02-19T09:47:00.002-07:00

I am sitting here at work, alone because the entire class and staff have gone skiing.
Someone had to stay behind in the classroom and I was tagged it.
At first I felt as though I were being punished, but now I am felling like it is sort of a rare treat.
The room is quiet, all I can hear are the sounds of the heater clanking and cars driving by.
I may have to turn on the radio just for some background noise.

My plan, after I get some work that needs to be done finished, is to read the first few chapters of Beth Moore's new book So Long Insecurity, you've been a bad friend to us. I signed up to be a part of the blogging discussions 2 weeks ago, but I have not managed to find the time to sign in and make a comment about what I have read. Maybe I will have time on Friday's if I end up staying behind each week...could be yet another blessing or treat. :0)

WOW

2010-02-01T19:17:00.004-07:00

What's up with it being so long since I have visited this space and actually taken the time to write anything down?

Where have I been you may be wondering, or perhaps you don't wonder at all, which is fine too...

I have been here, in Montana now for over a year and I guess "Life" has finally settled in on us and taken over in our household. I am now working full time and loving it.

Both children are swimming full time on top of school and church activities. I had no idea swimming could be a full time gig, but indeed it can be. Our son is close to having a B time to where he could compete at the state level in one of his strokes. Our daughter still views swimming as a social activity and so her times are not as fast as they could be...lol

We spent a fabulous vacation this summer travelling across the country for a month with my parents. The kids had an amazing time and saw many things. The best time they had was returning to Virginia for a couple of days to hang out with their swimming buddies for a day and going to Vacation Bible School for 1 day at our old church.

We were able to spend Thanksgiving with my husband's family and Christmas with mine. We took the train from Whitefish, MT to Everett, WA. The only downside to the train was that it travelled at night so we couldn't see anything. But, we had a fabulous time on Whidbey Island for 10 days.

Winter has set in and we are seeing lots of snowy days but the days are finally getting longer and the sun will shine upon us soon. I am so looking forward to spring.

Finally Summer

2009-06-15T16:01:00.002-06:00

Summer is finally here. The weather is great (snow is finally gone). Everyone kept telling me it could snow on the last day of school. Instead it was a beautiful day filled with sunshine.

Things are jumping around here...

This week is Drama Camp at church. My son signed up to only play the percussion instruments and ended up with a speaking part in the play. My daughter, who is too old for the camp is watching 2 of the leader's children. It is fun to watch each of my kids finding a place here and coming into their own.

Next week is Vacation Bible School, which back in January when I wasn't thinking clearly, agreed to direct. That isn't completely true...Vacation Bible School is one of my favorite things to do each year. I look forward to it eat, drink and sleep it the month before it is to happen.
It has been difficult to get volunteers, mostly because people are having to get 2nd jobs with this economy, or Mom's who have stayed home previously are heading back to work. I know that God will provide the workers, it would just be nice to have them all in place before Friday. Once again He is teaching me that I am not in control and all will be worked out according to His plan, not my own.

As soon as VBS is over the kids and I are headed out on a 3 1/2 week trip across the US with my parents in their trailer. The kids are excited about the trip and looking forward to our stop in Virginia where they will get to see their friends again. I have to admit that I am looking forward to that too.

It's Been A While

2009-05-28T12:12:00.002-06:00

It's been a while and many things have been happening. The biggest would be that Beth passed away in April. I caught a flight out to Virginia to try and see her before she left this life, but unfortunately I didn't make it in time. I say unfortunately because I would have liked to have seen her one last time, but in some ways I think I am thankful to have my memory of her where she is healthy and well.

Spring has finally arrived in Montana. The flowers are all in bloom and the sun has been shining down on us. It has been marvelous. We are in the final stretch of school. 1 more full week left and then 2 1/2 days. I am looking forward to Summer.

UPdate

2009-03-17T17:06:00.001-06:00

Beth came through surgery fine and is recovering in the ICU tonight.
Thank you for your continued prayers for her and her family.

Prayers

2009-03-16T20:20:00.002-06:00

Please offer up some prayers for a friend of mine (Beth) who found out this weekend that she has 2 tumors in her brain. Many people have already begun to rally around her and her family, showing amazing support, praise God!
Thank you for joining me in praying for her.

SNOW

2008-12-22T08:46:00.003-07:00

The snow has kept us from travelling across the mountains to spend Christmas with our families. We have chosen to stay home and have Christmas here. There is a lot more snow since this picture was taken and one of the mountain passes we were going to have to cross was closed yesterday.

I have been sad the last couple of days because I was looking forward to spending time with my mom. But in some ways, not being able to go anywhere has been a good thing. The kids are looking forward to doing some things around our new town that they haven't been able to do and we are getting a chance to see how this house handles winter.

It has been fun being all together too. This is the first time that David has not had to take leave to spend time with us. His schedule matches our schedule now. This alone is a huge blessing to our family.

Well, I am off to shovel some snow off the driveway so I can get out to run some much needed errands.

The In-laws Are Coming! The In-laws Are Coming!

2008-11-23T05:25:00.002-07:00

Sound the alarm!
The in-laws are coming!
I have 12 hours to get my act together before my parents arrive for Thanksgiving and another 72 hours before my husbands family descends upon our humble abode. I'm not worried about my parents, they appreciate my various stacks of organized stuff. (I'm not sure they really do, but they love me).

This is the first Thanksgiving we have been together with both sets of parents since 1990. It is bound to get interesting. We might even have a few snowflakes.

New Job

2008-11-18T01:22:00.003-07:00

I started my new job yesterday. I am not 100% sure of what it is I am doing yet, but I know that I like it. I spent the better part of my morning grading math papers and realized that I really needed to bone up on some of my unused math skills. The morning was gone before I knew it. I worked with a young man in the afternoon on math and literature. He was much more interested in taking breaks to play on the internet, but I kept reminding him that the game would be there after he finished reading with me. :0)
I am waiting to see if I will be working with the kids at home or if I will stay at the school.
I also have Monday's off from now on, so I will be able to pay attention to home things at least one full day.

My heart is heavy for a girl I met yesterday morning. She has such an attitude and doesn't seem to care about anything, least of all school. She is also pregnant with twins due in June. Please keep her in your prayers.

God IS Good

2008-11-11T10:38:00.002-07:00

I hope this makes sense and is not just ramblings from my head.

I haven't posted anything in awhile, mostly because I have been stuck. Not in a good place at all. I had applied for 4 different teaching jobs and went to 3 interviews that I thought were pretty good and that I had done well on. I also thought they were jobs that God wanted me to have because they fit into our schedule of having to transport Jakob to and from school. I have to transport him to and from school because he was displaced to a school outside of our housing area because of overcrowding.

They were not the jobs that God wanted me to have, even though I thought they would be perfect for me and for my family life. The 4th application served me a letter to say thank you for applying, but we went with someone else. These rejections made me sad and they made me doubt my abilities and what God was up to in my life.

Here is the kicker. I decided I was just going to stay home and be happy about it and this was going to be my life this year. I was totally okay with that. In fact I had started to plan some activities to do, like make some ornaments for the Christmas tree, maybe do a little scrapbooking, stuff like that. And I thought I would go down and turn in my paperwork to be a substitute teacher. So I did that yesterday. Had my fingerprints done, went to the Health Department to have a TB test, was given a stack of papers to finish filling out and bring back on Wednesday.

So, I get home from all of this and the phone rings and it is the person in charge over at the Alternative school in town asking if I might be interested in working with them at the school. So I got back in my car, drove over to the school to meet with her. The job is working with special needs kids or with kids who can't go to school because they medically cannot attend and so they do their work at home and turn it in for credit.

And you know what? The hours fit my son's school schedule.

I am so excited about this opportunity.
God is so good.

Football All The Time Here

2008-10-14T12:12:00.005-06:00

It seems as though we have entered into football mania.

I thought it was bad enough to watch the games on the TV, but we have entered a new dimension of sight and sound. Jakob is playing the game.

Thankfully he is not playing tackle football. He is playing Flag Football with 8 and 9 year olds. They still try and tackle each other, because, well, it's fun.

We play every Tuesday and Thursday night. They incorporate practice into the game schedule so we only have to be out 2 nights per week for this sport. Much different than baseball season in Northern Virginia. This is not nearly as competitive either, which I like.

Here is a photo of Jakob getting the flag, holding it up proudly in the back:

Thoughts On Time

2008-10-06T13:10:00.003-06:00

Time is a funny thing. It goes by fast, it goes by slow, but it does go by.
We have been in Montana for 2 months now. Some of that time has gone by way too fast and more of it has gone by at turtle speed.
I look outside and I can't believe that when we arrived here, it was hot and sunny and today it is cloudy, rainy and a little chilly, and they are calling for snow on Thursday. SNOW! I am not ready for snow.

The stores are full of Halloween items and I am sure that before the 31st Christmas will start appearing on the shelves. When did this happen? When I was a child, Christmas decorations did not come out until the day after Thanksgiving. This was the first appearance of Santa in the malls, green and red ribbon and twinkle lights. This is when it was okay to watch Christmas movies like Rudolph or Santa Claus is Coming to Town and pull out the Christmas albums (CD's).
I must admit that I watch these year round and listen to Christmas music whenever the mood strikes, much to my husband's dislike.

So, before I know it, my parents will be here for Thanksgiving turkey and Christmas will be right around the corner. YIKES! I need more time.

A Relaxing Day

2008-09-24T10:42:00.005-06:00

A couple weekends ago the family went for a drive around the area just to see what was here.

We ended up in Big Fork, which is around the lake from us about 20 miles down the road. We stopped at the State Park to stretch our legs and wander around a bit. The kids discovered the fine art of skipping stones on the lake, while I found a sunbeam to sit in. Jakob didn't want to leave the lake and kept begging to "throw one more rock."

It was nice just to get away for a few hours and sit in the sun, watch the kids play and enjoy each other.

I Love Fall

2008-09-12T10:37:00.003-06:00

I love Fall. The crisp mornings where you can see your breath hanging in the air, the colors of the leaves changing. I love it. It is a call to slow down a little bit before winter and hibernation mode. To slow down after the rush of summer and the constant running and doing. It is a signal of change (which is the part I don't love so much).

First Day of School

2008-09-07T15:20:00.003-06:00

These are late in coming, but I just got them off my camera and onto the computer.

This was the first day of school, which they both survived.

Helper

2008-09-03T11:23:00.005-06:00

Jakob wanted to be right in the thick of things when my dad was covering the hole on the deck. Dad finally agreed to let him be a helper and turned him loose with the drill and screws.

Jakob loved every minute of it. Maybe I can get him to paint. Hmmmm

I Got the Blues

2008-09-02T10:07:00.003-06:00

The house is quiet.
Everyone is gone.
The kids are in school.
David is at school.
My parents left this morning before the sun came up.

I am just feeling blue today.
It is the first time I have been in this house alone since we got here. (Big sigh.....)

I guess I should turn on some music and get moving instead of feeling sorry for myself.
Thanks for letting me vent a bit...I feel a little better now. :0)

The Most Awesome Parents Ever

2008-08-29T21:31:00.003-06:00

I have the most awesome parents ever. I really do.
During the past 20 years, they have visited us at least 2 times per year and sometimes even paid for me to come to visit them when they wanted to see me and we couldn't afford a plane ticket. I have been fortunate to not have missed very many holidays or special occasions with them.

Just in the past 2 months alone they travelled out to Virginia from Washington State (they even drove), to celebrate retirement from the military with us. They then stayed on and extra 10 days to help out with Vacation Bible School at our church, which they went above and beyond the call of duty for. They left Virginia and travelled to visit with other family members in North Carolina and then Indiana and then on home again.

Shortly after they left, we got ready to pack up and move to Montana. We arrived in our new home the beginning of August. My parents came over 2 weeks ago just to make sure we made it safely and to see our new home. They stayed a couple of days and then headed home again with a list of things to bring back so they could help us. Our household goods arrived last week and my parents came back Monday to stay until Labor Day to help unpack boxes and get us settled in. Dad is building a step up addition to the deck to cover the gaping hole left by the hot tub the previous owners took with them. Mom has been opening boxes, cooking for us and being a huge support to me. I do love her so.

Did I mention that I have the most awesome parents ever? I do.

Promised Pictures

2008-08-13T10:38:00.020-06:00

I am posting pictures from our trek across the country as promised. I will post more of Montana and our new house in a day or so.

The St. Louis Arch and the Mississippi River.

We thought about going up to the top, but it was so hot that day and I am not fond of closed in spaces, so we chose to look through the museum and move along to visit with David's mother.
We had a nice visit with her (I posted pictures earlier of that part of the trip).

After our visit, it was off to our next destination.

The Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota.

They were getting the palace ready for 2009. They have a festival the first week in August to put up the design for the following year.

It is a pretty neat process.
We left The Corn Palace and headed to Wall Drug.

Wall Drug, South Dakota.

You start seeing the signs for this place 400 miles away asking you to stop in and get a free glass of water.It started out as a small drug store and boomed into a huge tourist stop.

The kids mined for jewels and then did some panning for gems and rocks. Rebekkah found an arrow head in her bag of dirt.

Mount Rushmore! What an awesome site.

We walked around for quite a while looking at it from different angles.

From Rushmore, we went to Crazy Horse. I learned that the entire monument of Mount Rushmore fits in the head of Crazy Horse.

So far they have only completed the head portion of Crazy Horse. The statue in front is what the mountain will look like when the project is completed.

This project is privately funded. This is one of the reasons it is taking so long to do. It is also a very large monument to carve.

The last 2 pictures are of one of the forest fires that is blazing outside of Yellowstone National Forest.
The last picture is of Old Faithful inside the park. We only had to wait 45 minutes for it to erupt. The kids were amazed! I want to go back and see some of the other geysers in the park.

We Are Here

2008-08-09T17:41:00.002-06:00

Well, we finally made it to our new house.
I will post pictures on Monday when we get our Internet up and running. I am currently on limited time using Wifi elsewhere.
So, I just wanted to let folks know I was still kicking and would check in and post much on Monday.
Till then, have a great weekend.

Almost There

2008-08-04T08:19:00.003-06:00

We are almost to our final destination. I am sure this post will be mostly ramblings and fragments of what is on my mind.

Today we are still in Bozeman visiting with friends (Nancy, Billy, Tina, Kayla and Esther) that are more like part of the family.
David is planning to head up to Montana State University to talk to the admin folks in charge of the program he is in for his teaching certification. We will play one more day with our friends and then head off tomorrow morning to our new home.

We stopped at many places along the way and will post pictures once we get to Kalispell. I do not have access to my photos because I am not using my computer. So, the pictures will have to wait.

We went to church yesterday morning and I had a hard time getting through the service. One of the songs we sang was particularly difficult because I could hear the worship team from Virginia singing it and I was really missing their musical talent and voices. Don't get me wrong, the worship was wonderful where I was, just different.

After church, we celebrated Nancy's birthday with a picnic in the park. We had just finished eating when the sky opened up and poured down on us. The day ended with games being played by candlelight at Billy and Tina's because the power had gone out.

I miss my friends in Virginia more than they will ever know.

Travel

2008-07-30T20:38:00.004-06:00

Okay,

So we have seen the St. Louis Arch, and the Grandma so far on this trip.

Here are a few photos:

Tomorrow we are off to see the Corn Palace and then Mt. Rushmore. Will post pictures of those adventures as well.

On The Road

2008-07-28T21:51:00.003-06:00

We are on the road.
Headed to Montana.
We have stopped in Indiana for the night and are off for a visit with Grandma tomorrow. We should be in Missouri by dinner time and then Grandma is taking the kids for the night and David and I will be spending an evening together alone.

We left Virginia this morning after saying goodbye to our friends yesterday, have I mentioned that I have the most wonderful friends in the world. They are hand picked by God. He knew who I needed most in my life to survive and thrive in Virginia. I have grown in so many ways as a result of knowing them.

In the 20 years of moving from place to place, this is the hardest move yet.

Cleaning

2008-07-22T04:44:00.002-06:00

I am hoping that one day soon I will have something more exciting to write about than moving and cleaning my house. But, that is what I have been doing for the past week. Yesterday I cleaned the carpet in the family room...today I will hit the basement.
We took Jakob to the Dr. yesterday to check for Strep throat, he doesn't have that, but a nasty case of tonsillitis. His tonsils are "kissing". I think he is in store for some tonsil removal later this year. We left the hospital with the pharmacy for him.
Last night we had a lovely dinner with some friends we have made at our community pool. The kids played, the adults chatted and we had a relaxing evening. Tonight I am so excited to be having dinner with my girlfriends. I can't wait.
I hate to cut this short, but the kiddos need to get up and get swimming.

Thoughts

2008-07-19T14:08:00.003-06:00

The packers have come and gone, the house is empty and echoes can be heard throughout....
I am sitting here at a table where my desk once stood and I am typing on my husband's laptop while the rest of the family is watching Looney Tunes or napping downstairs.

My daughter is handling the move pretty well, but my son...let's just say, "not so much". He is having a difficult time with it. He is a lot like me. (I'm not exactly handling the move very well either, I just know how to deal with it better than he does). Pray for him (and me).

I am hoping for a little bit of down time this week. I have a Dr. appointment on Monday, but other than that, no big committments. I would like to have lunch or dinner with my girlfriends before I go (this is a must do). And of course I have to clean the house and turn the keys over to the landlord.

Moving Day

2008-07-16T08:58:00.004-06:00

The packers are here and they are busy putting all our things in boxes. The girl is away at camp and the boy is walking around the maze of boxes in a daze. He is going bowling this afternoon, which will be a good distraction for him.
The packers have completed the kitchen, family room and living room and are working on the bedrooms and basement today.
I have come to the conclusion that we have too much stuff, I knew this of course, but it is even more appearent when things are going into boxes. YIKES!!!
Oooops, gotta go, I just heard the sound of breaking glass.....

Been Gone a Long Time

2008-07-07T19:54:00.008-06:00

I just took a look at the date of my last blog entry and realized it's been a while.

I guess the saying "time flies when you are having fun" is partly true. Time does fly, but it flies whether you are having fun or not.

We have been in the midst of much activity here at our house:

Swim meets every Monday night and Saturday morning.

Keeping up with laundry (mostly towels).

Thinking about what needs to be packed away to keep out for when we are here at the house without our stuff, but still here for a week longer.

Retirement Ceremony.

Lots of Family from out of town.
Trips downtown to tour with said family from out of town.

House Cleaning

House to be packed next week.

I am just a wee bit overwhelmed.

Here are a few pictures from the Retirement from the Air Force after 28 years of service.

A Sibling Moment

2008-06-20T07:09:00.004-06:00

Here is a shot I thought I had put in the other night of the kids along the Potomac River.

This is what they look like when they are getting along with one another.

Hangin' With Grandma

2008-06-18T15:28:00.005-06:00

Last night we skipped cleaning and mowing the lawn (and boy does it ever need it) and met my Mother-in-Law at the hotel she is staying at while she is attending a medical conference and took her to dinner. After dinner we grabbed some Cold Stone, Yum.

We were headed back to the hotel, when my son said he wanted to go down to the Potomac River and see the statue in the ground. The statue is called "The Awakening." The kids had a great time running across the sand and climbing on the statue pieces.

I was caught by the sound of the waves hitting the rocks and the sunset that was beginning to take place. It was a peaceful moment and I left feeling a bit more refreshed.

Weekend

2008-06-17T11:47:00.002-06:00

I can't believe it has taken me this long to get back here and post about the wild weekend.

After school on Friday we went to Raft Night at the pool. I hadn't planned to stay until the pool closed, but it felt good to just sit and visit with other adults while the children were occupied.

I love that they can swim well enough to not have to get in the water with them anymore or to watch them every moment.

Saturday was time trials for swim team. Both kids took time off of their times from last year.

We ran from the pool to the baseball field where Jakob played in the Championship game for the Single A - B bracket. His team came in second, but because they were awarded trophies, it didn't seem like such a loss to the boys.

That evening we spent at Susan's house to celebrate the graduation of her son.

Sunday was church, the music was great! And then we spent the day together as a family doing what David wanted to do for Father's Day. Later that evening we celebrated graduation with a young lady that we met when we were stationed in California. I cannot believe that she was in the 2nd grade when we met her and now she graduates. Where does the time go?

Graduation

2008-06-14T04:53:00.007-06:00

Rebekkah graduated from 6th grade yesterday. I didn't realize what a huge deal this would be.

They all processed in as a full class of 2008, sat together in chairs. The principal opened with a speech and then each of the teachers presented their class with awards and achievements of their time in Elementary school. There were many tears from the teachers, students and some of the parents. I was doing well until the class stood up, turned to face the parents and sang a song about being their heroes. The kids left the gym and made their final walk through the halls of the school, being cheered along the way by the teachers they had grown up with.

Then it was time to party!

It's HOT!

2008-06-09T02:59:00.003-06:00

It's hot here.
The past couple of days have been unpleasantly hot.
To make matter worse, our air conditioning decided to go out last night.
I'm melting

Check It Out

2008-06-06T19:40:00.001-06:00

Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer is hosting a giveaway from Wow Hits 1 for seventeen (17!) CDs of Christian music!

Go over there and check it out!Or go to WOW Online for more info!

Fabulous Women

2008-06-03T16:43:00.005-06:00

I went away this past weekend with this group of fabulous women:

They have meant more to me the past couple of years than they will ever know. We have laughed together, prayed together, cried together and played together. We have shopped for the perfect sunglasses, eaten many a meal together and poured over scripture with one another. These are the ladies responsible for my enjoying a cup of coffee, eating an occasional piece of dark chocolate and introducing me to Cracker Barrel and southern food. They are like the sisters I didn't have growing up. God placed them in my life when I needed them the most to teach me some very valuable lessons that I would have otherwise missed.

Weekend

2008-05-27T05:01:00.003-06:00

Busy week, busy weekend.
Friday was the last day of school for me. I said goodbye to my pre-school class, packed my room and headed home from there for the last time.
Picked the kids up from school, met hubby at the Metro and went to see Speed Racer. This was not a movie I wanted to see, but my son, who is 7, was all over it. All in all, it was not a bad movie.
Saturday we started cleaning out the garage. We filled David's truck up with things to take to Good Will. The pool opened and the kids wanted to go. The pool is not heated and it has not been overly warm this May. The water was COLD! I sat happily at the table and watched. I love that they can swim and don't need me in the water anymore. We left when the lips were blue and we could hear chattering teeth from the pool.
Sunday was church.
Monday we headed back to the pool. The family swam while I baked and visited with people.

It was a busy weekend, but at last it is beginning to look like summer.
Baseball is winding down, school is almost out, and swim team will begin next week. We can be found at the pool every afternoon until school is over and then every morning until the end of July.

Moving to Montana

2008-05-16T04:50:00.002-06:00

We found out Wednesday that we will be moving to Montana in July.

My husband was offered a teaching position at a high school to teach Chemistry.

He is very excited and is already rushing around making plans about buying a house, getting us packed up, talking about all the things we are going to do there. He IS excited.

I have very mixed emotions about the whole thing. Don't get me wrong, we have prayed about this and I believe it to be the right move. However, I am sad. My heart hurts everytime I think about it.

I ask that you would pray with me during this time of transition for our family.

Go West

2008-05-14T04:04:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was Western Day at school in honor of Spirit Week and because the sixth grade chorus was doing a play called Go West. My children dressed up in western gear and headed off to school. When I picked up Jakob from school he asked if he could go and play with a buddy. I told him sure and off he went. Because Rebekkah was staying after school, I took off for a bit on my own to browse Tuesday Morning. I had never been before and had heard many things about it. I found nothing I needed or really wanted, so I headed back to the school to pick up my girl.

We came home, quick did some homework, and were off to get the boy from his friend's house and run to get a fast dinner before Rebekkah had to be back to the school for the play.

We ran over to Subway for sandwiches and fun conversation with my children.

As we were heading to the school, my son piped up and said, "Do I have to go to the play again? I already watched it at school and it was really boring." To which Rebekkah relpyed, "Thanks a lot." "Yes, we have to go to the play and watch your sister, I brought your homework, you can work on that." He was less than thrilled.

We found our seats, saving one for Daddy, and the homework was finished before the play started. It was a cute play and the kids did a great job.

I Love The Rain

2008-05-13T13:16:00.003-06:00

I love the rain. I love the sound it makes, the way it smells, the feel of it when I walk in it.
I really do love the rain. I especially like the way it turns everything green. Being from the Northwest, I miss the rain. It doesn't rain very much here in Northern Virginia. This past week has felt a little like home for me as it has rained for 4 days straight.
Now it is over and the sun has reappeared, the ground is drying out and the bees are buzzing around again.
The kids are eager to get back outside. They have been "bored" because they have been stuck indoors. I have enjoyed the time with them inside. We have made hot chocolate, played games together and have a puzzle half way completed.
Ahhh, I love the rain.

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T10:45:00.001-06:00

To all the moms out there.

A teacher gave her class of second graders a lesson on the magnet and what it does.
The next day in a written test, she included this question:
"My full name has six letters. The first one is M. I am strong and attractive. I pick up things. What am I?"
When the test papers were turned in, the teacher was astonished to find that almost 50 percent of the students answered the question with the word "Mother."

Have a great day.

A Meme

2008-05-07T05:38:00.002-06:00

Favorite Movies of All Time: Anne of Green Gables, Sound of Music, 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, Footloose, Princess Bride, White Christmas

Favorite Musical Group or Artist: Selah and FFH

Favorite Sports Team: Don't really have one.

Favorite Thing to Do on a Saturday: Swimming, at least that is what I do every Saturday.

Favorite Scriptures: Jeremiah 29:11

The Last Thing I Do Before Bedtime is: Brush my teeth

A Historical Figure I Would Like to Meet: Abraham Lincoln

In High School I Was Most Likely to Be: At the beach watching the waves roll onto the shore, thinking.

These Days I Am Most Likely to Be: Teaching Preschool, being a taxi driver to my children or at school or church working on a project.

Busy Day

2008-05-05T06:16:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was my daughter's 12th birthday.

We decided she could choose what she wanted to do for the day, this was of course after church.

It was Agape Feast at church and she wanted to stay for that.

Because I do not enjoy potlucks, this was somewhat of a sacrifice for me.

I don't like my food touching and I am fairly picky when it comes to food.

But, we stayed, which made my family happy.

After church we went shopping for the big birthday present.

She has wanted a Nintendo DS for some time now and she wanted an IPod Nano.

After much hemming and hawing, we convinced her to go for the IPod Nano because she doesn't play the Gameboy she had to have.

We ended our day with dinner at Macaroni Grill (her choice).

All in all it was a great day.

Happy Birthday Rebekkah!!

2008-05-03T22:00:00.002-06:00

Rebekkah is 12 years old today.

I can't figure out where the time has gone.

She has been a source of joy, laughter and love for us. The past 12 years has not been all roses and sunshine of course, but I cannot imagine my life without her in it. We waited 8 years before she arrived. And she took her sweet time in getting here (1 week over due). She made up for lost time by learning to walk by 9 months. She is artistic, creative, and is a dreamer in every sense of the word. She loves horses, dogs and children (in that order) and can often times be found playing with a younger child at church, in the neighborhood or at the park while her brother is playing baseball.

In the blink of an eye she went from this:

To this

To Big Sister

To student

To the beauty she is today!

My sweet girl, I love you more than words can say. You are precious to me and to your daddy. You are even more precious to your Heavenly Father who loves you so much more than we can.

I am so thankful that He trusted us to raise you to love and serve Him.

One Word

2008-04-30T06:11:00.004-06:00

I got tagged by Susan. You may be next.

Twenty-two questions, one word answers It’s harder than you think to keep it to only one word. I really had to think. I tagged one person at the end...but I'm tagging YOU. And you know who YOU are! Let me know when you do it!

1. Where is your cell phone?
basket

2. Your significant other?
David

3. Your hair?
okay

4. Your mother?
Pat

5. Your father?
John

6. Your favorite thing?
children

7. Your dream last night?
Strange

8. Your favorite drink?
Diet

9. Your dream/goal?
Joy

10. The room you’re in?
Living

11. Your hobby?
Reading

12. Your fear?
Alone

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years?
Home

14. Where were you last night?
Shopping

15. What you’re not?
Short

16. Muffins?
Blueberry

17. The last thing you did?
Shower

18. What are you wearing?
Jeans

19. Something you’re not wearing?
Sunglasses

20. Your mood?
Worried

21. Your summer?
Crazybusy

22. Person you tag?
Teri

Slow Down

2008-04-23T04:38:00.004-06:00

Simon and Garfunkel sang:

Slow down, you move too fast
You've got to make the morning last
Just kicking down the cobblestones
Looking for fun and feeling groovy

The bible study I just finished talks about being still before God so that you can hear Him speak. Being still in your body, in your mind, in your attitudes.

As I have said, I am not still very often. I want to be, I crave to be and I am learning (slowly) to be still.

I have been looking over my calendar and it is FULL!
Full of work, baseball practice, baseball games, bible study, RA's, GA's, prayer service, doctor appointments, volunteer in school library, girl scouts, worship team practice, church, swim team practice, vbs prep, weekend conference.

Just typing all of that makes my head spin.
How do I "Be Still" when all of this is going on? I want to, I try to, I think about things to remove from my plate.

At the end of May, a few of these items will fall from my calendar and I won't have to pick them up again. But you know, when we take something off of our plate to make more time for the things that matter, don't we tend to pick something else up?
At the end of May, my school will be finished, baseball will be finished and girl scouts will be close to finished. But at the end of May, swim team begins everyday.

In the midst of the busyness I have to make the time to slow down and be still before God.
To let Him pour over me, His grace, His mercy, His wisdom and understanding just to make it through the day.

Still Sorting

2008-04-18T05:42:00.003-06:00

I'm still working on the piles of paper in my house. I have managed to get the past bill statements saved down to the past year and they are neatly in a binder.
I had my daughter sitting on the floor last night shredding a basket full of old statements, she lasted until the motor burned out on the shredder. I guess I need a new shredder. :0)

Overwhelmed

2008-04-14T16:25:00.002-06:00

I just spent 3 hours sorting through the papers on my desk and other locations to shred old mail, throw away junk mail and organize billing statements. I am looking at my living room floor and it is still a mess with piles here and there. I did manage to throw away a garbage sack and a box full of paper.

I am a stacker by nature, which means that I have many stacks of papers, to do lists, and stacks of things I will get to eventually. Don't move a stack, for if you do, I will not be able to find what I need. I know what is in each stack, even though my husband tells me I couldn't possibly know what is there.

God has been speaking to me about getting organized. Going through things. Throwing away things I really don't need. (Mostly the stuff in the garage). My desk is a good beginning, but I have sooooooo far to go. Please pray that I will be able to get a handle on this soon.

Neat Video

2008-04-08T10:23:00.002-06:00

This is a wonderful video from YouTube: If I knew how to upload video, you could see it here, but I am still learning this. If you can advise me on how to get the video to show, I would appreciate the help. :0)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT7x3VnrqbA

Field Trip Part 2

2008-04-04T13:02:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was the BIG field trip to Philadelphia, PA for my daughter's 6th grade class.

The bus ride up was not too bad, 3 hours, the children were tired and so they slept most of the way to Philly.

We went on a walking tour of the historical area, Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Christ Church, Benjamin Franklin's house (or where it once stood) and a walk past Betsy Ross' house.

To Constitution Center for lunch (Yummy Philly Cheese Steak), movie and gift shop and then back on the bus for a 4.5 hour bus ride home. Much longer than the ride up.

I spent most of my day looking for the 4 children who were supposed to stay with me (which they did for the most part) in a bigger sea of children and keeping up with the marathon running tour guide. She could move in that long dress and bonnet.

I came home and poured myself into bed and was asleep before 10pm which is a rarity for me.

Here are a few pics from the trip.

Field Trip

2008-04-03T03:52:00.003-06:00

This morning I am off on a field trip with my daughter. We are headed to Philadelphia, PA.
I am looking forward to the trip all that we will see. I am not looking forward to the 3 hour bus ride each way with a bunch of 6th graders. Maybe they will all fall asleep on the way up and back. I know, wishful thinking, but I can dream can't I?
More on the trip when we get back.

Sitting Still

2008-04-01T10:03:00.002-06:00

Sitting still is not something I do well. Even when I am watching TV, I am doing something, cross stitch, crochet, something with my hands.
Last night at bible study, we are studying He Speaks To Me by Pricilla Shirer, she said during the feeding of the 5000, Jesus told the people to "sit down." It wasn't until they sat down that they were fed. I found that interesting, but even more interesting was that the disciples were busy working and feeding the 5000 that they missed being fed. Now, they were doing a good thing, but they missed out on the feeding.
I have been thinking about that a lot, last night and then this morning. How often am I so busy doing "good things", Godly things for the kingdom, that I miss being fed? Am I too busy with stuff that I am not being filled up with Him? I think the answer to that at times is, Yes.
One of my favorite verses is Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God."
I think I will go sit with Him for a while...

Cherry Blossoms

2008-03-29T15:50:00.015-06:00

We got up this morning and decided to head downtown for the Cherry Blossom Festival. After driving all the way downtown instead of taking the Metro, we found a parking garage and then walked along the wharf and over toward the tidal basin to the Jefferson Memorial where the blossoms are prevalent. Just as we are heading into the trees, I hear a voice behind me shouting, "Oh, my goodness, is that you??" I turned and saw a friend that I met in California that I have not seen in 9 years. It was so much fun to chat and catch up on what they were doing.

We walked over to the World War 2 Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, The Lincoln Memorial and around to the other side of the Basin to the Roosevelt Memorial, which I had never seen before. The kids complained at first, but were glad we went when all was said and done.

And here are a few other pictures of the day:

Our Friends from California, now stationed here for a few more months.

The Jefferson Memorial

We had a good day together as a family!

I Am A Snapdragon

2008-03-25T13:07:00.004-06:00

There is a quiz that one can take to find out what kind of flower you might be.

I went out to this site: http://www.thisgardenisillegal.com/flower-quiz

to take the quiz and it appears as though I am a snapdragon. Who knew?

I know there is a way to get the info with a nice picture into your blog, but I am a newbie at all of this and haven't figured that part out yet.

Answer to Prayer

2008-03-24T12:33:00.004-06:00

This is an answer to a lot of prayer.

Both of my children were baptized yesterday. Hallelujah!!!!

20 Years Ago

2008-03-24T06:07:00.003-06:00

20 years ago this month I was picking out a wedding dress, planning for the biggest day of my life.
Last week I was sitting in Air Force Retirement Briefings with my husband, planning for the biggest day of our life.

Reality is setting in quickly about this retirement thing...So many decisions to make about medical insurance, TriCare Prime, TriCare Standard or Extra, survivor benefits, VA benefits, SGLI, VGLI (too many acronyms to list). I walked out of the briefings, my head spinning and my husband saying, "I know you didn't enjoy this, but thank you for attending." I guess I earned some points on Friday. :0)

I looked over at him while we were having lunch in the bowling alley at Bolling Air Force Base and said, "Has it really been 20 years? It feels like yesterday we were signing me for an ID card and visiting the base hospital for all the inprocessing stuff." He responded with a quiet "Yes."

At times it seems so long ago and yet it was only yesterday.

Meme

2008-03-15T05:41:00.002-06:00

Thought this might be fun. Found it when I was out visiting.

Here are the rules...
1. Pick up the nearest book of at least 123 pages.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the 5th sentence.
4. Post the next 3 sentences.

My book is...Songs In The Key Of Solomon by John and Anita Renfroe

"Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children! (Ps. 127:5)
Children are a blessing from the Lord. If you have them, you know this. If you're anticipating them, you'll learn this. If you can't have them, you know that heartache all too well."

Rest?

2008-03-15T05:26:00.005-06:00

Spring is in the air, it was absolutely beautiful yesterday. Even when the rain started, the air was still warm. I haven't poked my head out the door yet, but I see wind blowing in the trees and I see traces of rain falling. I am sitting here contemplating a peaceful day of nothing to do but rest and catch up...did I say rest? Catch up? Ha...

This morning I am headed off to the Christian Book Store to share what I like about Group Vacation Bible School.

My boy is supposed to have baseball practice this afternoon, but if the rain continues, that won't be happening, (come on rain). I mean, I hope it stops raining.

There are multiple piles of laundry near the washer and dryer. How is it that I can get all the laundry done and then turn around and find more????

Dishes
Bathrooms to clean
Bedrooms to go through and sort
Vacuuming
Shopping

And then the kids have swim practice this evening.

In the words of Scarlet, "Tomorrow is another day."

Have a good one!

Gift Card Give Away

2008-03-13T11:42:00.002-06:00

The folks over at Kidazy are giving away a gift card. Go over and check it out at http://www.kidazy.com/

It's a fun site!

Ultimate Blog Party

2008-03-10T14:21:00.003-06:00

Hi there,

I am an Air Force wife, Mom and lover of Jesus.

I have been married nearly 20 years to my best friend and have 2 children. My girl is 11 almost 12 and my son is 7 almost 8.

I am very new at this blogging thing, but have enjoyed getting to know a few folks as a result. I look forward to meeting more.

Head over to http://www.5minutesformom.com and check it out.

Living 6th Grade Over Again

2008-03-07T06:00:00.003-07:00

I have done 6th grade! I completed it more than 20 years ago, so why do I have to repeat it?
I guess the answer to that question is because I have a 6th grader of my own now.
I am learning about the Revolutionary War, fractions, decimals, percentages and ratios. I am learning about the Periodic Table and the beginnings of Astronomy. I am learning new vocabulary and practicing my spelling once again. As I think about it, I didn't learn some of these things until Jr. High or High School.
I have to sit by and watch the pain and frustration that come from learning to deal with other girls in 6th grade. I have to begin the process of letting go of my girl and let her begin to make choices of her own. (Wow, that hurts).

I have to pray for both of my children daily for strength, for protection, for them to be kind and helpful to others, to be respectful of the authorities placed over them, to love one another and to grow closer to the one who protects them.

Have A Happy Thursday

2008-03-06T06:20:00.002-07:00

Wishing you all a very happy Thursday.
Will post later, rushing off to play with children.

Ooops

2008-03-04T05:30:00.003-07:00

Got up this morning.
Took a shower.
Wandered downstairs.
Kissed husband goodbye.
Ate a bowl of cereal.
Fixed a cup of coffee.
Checked email.
Wandered back upstairs.
Dried my hair.
Woke the darlings for school.
Watched segment on Longaberger on the Morning Show.
Spilled coffee all over self, bed and floor.
Cleaned up spill.
Started to get dressed.
Reached for the deoderant.
Sprayed hairspray on pits.
Going back to stick deoderant and
Going back to bed.

You Know You Are Living In 2008 When...

2008-03-03T10:19:00.001-07:00

1. You accidentally enter your PIN on the microwave.

2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.

3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three.

4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.

5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.

6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.

7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the
bottom of the screen

8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't even have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.

10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.

11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )

12. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.

13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.?

14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.

15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list.

~~~~~~~~~~~AND FINALLY~~~~~~~~~~~

NOW U R LAUGHING at yourself.

Discouraged

2008-03-03T09:11:00.003-07:00

Ever feel so discouraged you don't know which way is up? I have been in that place since last night and this morning. But as I was sitting here at the computer woking on a task that needs to get done and listening to itunes, the lyrics to this song hit me like a ton of bricks:

Breathe on me, breath of God,
My spirit yearns for You.
Hide me in Your fathering arms
Fill up my longing soul.
Flood over me like a river, my God
Immerse me in Your living streams
Awaken the song You placed in my heart
Spirit breathe on me, Spirit breathe on me.

Breathe on me, breath of God,
Burn bright Eternal Fire
Father draw me near to Your heart
You are my one desire
Flood over me like a river, my God
Immerse me in Your living streams
Awaken the song You placed in my heart
Spirit breathe on me, Spirit breathe on me.

So I stopped what I was doing, cried out to God and gave it to Him...He can take it.

Nervous Knots

2008-02-27T12:54:00.002-07:00

I have had a nervous stomach all day...
Started out with a conference with my daughter's teacher.
That went okay, I knew exactly what the teacher was going to say, "your daughter seems to have a lack of focus that is necessary for learning the material this year for the tests in the spring."
I am well aware of the "lack of focus" in my daughter, we have been dealing with it for a very long time. I have gone down the sticker route, been kind and encouraging, yelled until I am purple, threatened loss of privilege, everything under the sun and NOTHING seems to work.
She has been check from top to bottom and still nothing.

So, as I am driving to work this morning to play with 12 3 year olds, I hear a still small voice whisper, "Tell Me." Of course this just reduces me to tears. Not a surprising result, I can cry over a Hallmark commercial, but this was different. They were tears of frustration, crying out, "I Just Don't Know What To Do Anymore." I parked my car and told Him what he already knows.
1 Peter 5:7 says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." I have to remember the word ALL. I also need to "Be still and know that He is God." -Psalm 46:10 He is not finished with who my daughter is or will become and he has plans for her that I know nothing about.

Count Your Many Blessings

2008-02-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

We are home from school today due to foul weather. Actually I was just out on the roads which are not too bad at the moment. I had to get my Military ID card renewed today before it expired tomorrow. Nothing like waiting til the very last minute.
I was going to have to take off from work in order to accomplish this task, but school was closed and so I didn't have to lose a day after all. God is good. :0)

Last week we had to put 2 new tires on our van because the tread was gone...my Valentine's present, nothing says love like safety. Drove home, had a lovely weekend, took van back to dealer to fix something else on Monday, drove home and somehow drove over a huge bolt which chose to go right into brand new tire. Tuesday, van went back to dealer for new tire...

Timing is everything, snow started falling on Wednesday...God is good.

I am blessed with a family that not only loves me but likes me.
I am blessed with friends that like me and some that even love me.
I am blessed with a home and food to put on the table.
I am blessed with a vehicle that works and has new tires.
I am blessed with good health and with children who are healthy.
And as my husband is standing over my shoulder, of course I am twice blessed to have him in my life. :0)

My loving husband just found out he can stay home instead of trek into work and he doesn't have to go to class tonight either. Another blessing, he can play with the kids this afternoon. I can hear the sounds of Hot Wheels and Legos in the basement.

Oh, What a Beautiful Morning.....

2008-02-21T06:25:00.000-07:00

Oh, what a beautiful day.

A great song. I woke this morning with a song in my heart. Hasn't happened in a while.
It is a beautiful day, cold and brisk with the smell of snow in the air, but the sun is shining and there is hope on the horizon of Spring. I can't wait!
I love winter, but this year it seems to be dragging on and on. I think it is because we have been teased with sunshine and warm days only to be let down with a cold snap.

Hmm, I think there is a lesson there...more later.

I'm Thankful for Friends

2008-02-12T17:27:00.001-07:00

"A joyful heart makes a face cheerful." - Proverbs 15:13

I am thankful for many things, family, good health, a home, a job, healthy kids...but I am very thankful for my friends. Being an Air Force spouse has given me an opportunity to meet lots of women and make many acquaintences and friends.

Friends, I believe are those individuals who know me. Know my expressions and can tell when I am having an off day even if I haven't said a word. A friend knows who I am on my worst day and likes me anyway. If they are a good friend or a bff, they might even call me on having that kind of day and ask what is going on. I am thankful that I have some friends like that. I had lunch with one of them (my bff Susan) today.

The pizza was great, the salad, not so much, but the conversation and fellowship were wonderful. Friendships grow us. Gloria Gaither said, "I'm not what I want to be, I'm not what I am going to be, but thank God, I'm not what I was!"

Thank God, I am not what I once was. I am not yet what I want to be. I am being changed every day into what God wants me to be. I guess when I am done changing, I will just be done.

Baby It's Cold Outside

2008-02-12T17:21:00.000-07:00

Goodness it's cold outside. Just last week we were experiencing a warming trend and it looked a little like Spring. Even the flowers are starting to break their way through the hard ground to show their beauty. Yesterday ended the warming trend. It was COLD. Today it is cold and the freezing rain has begun. It is the kind of night that would be great to curl up beside a crackling fire, sip hot cocoa and read a good book.
I just may go snuggle with my Honey instead.
Good Night.

Picture of Fuschia

2008-02-09T19:33:00.000-07:00

In front of Fuschia plant with my girl when she was 3.

Pruning Hurts

2008-02-09T08:30:00.000-07:00

John 15:1-2
The Vine and the Branches 1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful.

Pruning does indeed hurt. I have been thinking about this for the past week, since our bible study on Monday night. I got to thinking about how as a gardener, (which I am most definitely NOT) one would cut back their plants to promote new growth. Sometimes this requires massive pruning, taking a plant down to the bare nub in order to produce growth. One might think that this would kill the plant and it would certainly not survive. This is not the case. The plant will come back stronger, fuller, more vibrant than before and will produce more fruit than it did before its pruning.
I evidenced this when we lived in California. The base was allowing housing occupants to obtain bushes, flowering plants and other growing items from the houses that were being torn down for use in beautifying their yards. I, with a friend drove around looking for Birds of Paradise, Calla Lily, and other flowering plants. We found the perfect specimen, a Fuschia bush. Now in California Fuschia plants grow to be huge bushes, not just hanging pot size plants. Their roots grow horizontally and send out runners to start more plants. We started to dig up the plant and realized that the roots had grown under the foundation of the house and were not going to come up. In order to get this plant we were going to have to cut its roots with an axe. We did, took it home to my yard, planted it in the front flower bed and beheld its beauty. Ahhhh.
Two days later, every leaf, bud and flower fell to the ground and all that was left was a bush of sticks, which turned brown and very stick like in a matter of days. It was so ugly and I was sad. I left it alone, mostly because I didn't know what to do. My friend, who had a lovely garden and front yard, told me to cut it back and wait. I wasn't so sure about that advice, but I did what she suggested. Winter came, it looked a lot like Fall and Spring was soon there as well. My Fuschia had grown a bit and was beginning to sprout green leaves. Soon it had pretty pink buds that turned into flowers. It turned out to be a favorite place for the hummingbirds to visit.
All that to say, sometimes God has to prune us back and there are times he takes us all the way down to what might seem like nothing. But there is Winter and then Spring and we begin to come back, healthier, fuller and more lovely. Pruning hurts, but it is always for our benefit.

coming soon

2008-02-08T06:03:00.001-07:00

Will be back later this afternoon with something that is swirling around in my brain.
I am not a writer and it takes time for me to formulate the words I want to say and even then I am not sure they come out the way I necessarily would like them to.
So, stay tuned.

My First Post

2008-02-05T12:16:00.000-07:00

So, here I am, new at the whole blogging world thing... I have been told that this is the thing to do and the place to do it.

I have been an Air Force Wife for the past 19+ years. I have been picking up and moving to new places for the last 19 years. That is a lot of moving for someone whose hometown isn't really a town at all, but a grocery store, post office, gas station, a bank and a restaraunt. There is much more there now, but growing up if you blinked while driving past, you would surely miss it. :0)
Shopping was so much more than a quick run to WalMart or a trip to the Mall. If we wanted to go to the Mall, it was an all day venture and we didn't have a WalMart.

So, when I married the man I love and set out on the adventure of a lifetime, my eyes were opened to some amazing things. We have lived in Texas, Washington (which is where we are both from), Alaska, Colorado, California and Virginia. Each place we have lived has had its ups and downs, but we know without a shadow of a doubt that the Air Force assignments were God's vehicle for placing us where He wanted us to be for that time. I have met some amazing women across this country. And I have seen some of the most wonderful sites, God is an awesome artist and the colors and designs He comes up with are inspiring. I really do love the ocean and the mountains and I think that is what I miss most about home.

My loving husband decided this year was the year to retire. YIKES! I wasn't sure how to respond to that. But after the initial shock wore off, wait, it hasn't completely sunk in yet, I have begun to do what Air Force wives do, plan a move. Think through what items stay and what items must go to lighten the load. This is no easy task for me as I am a pack rat at heart and have stuff, stuff and more stuff. My wise friend told me that this was "The year to get your 'stuff' together". I have taken her seriously and am trying to do just that, but I find other things to occupy my time and put it off.

This is my first Post...I shall get better with time.