The Power Family

My First Week In Europe

2011-12-12T04:09:00.000-05:00

We made it through our first week in Germany! I am learning how different things are here compared to the States. Here are just a few of the things that I have learned:

1. If you order water, be prepared for it to be seltzer/sparkling water. You have to specify that you want "still" water.

2. The US dollar doesn't go very far over here. The exchange rate is about $1.44 to 1 Euro. I am very grateful that the Army gives us COLA (Cost of Living Allowance). I will just be thankful when it finally starts showing up into Joe's paychecks!

3. Most of the people here are very friendly and appreciate that you try and speak their language, if you're like me and aren't fluent...okay, let's face it, I only know a few common terms, but I have three years, so I am sure I will get the hang of it.

4. Unlike the States, pedestrians really DO have the right of way. You can be severely fined and sentenced to jail time, if you do not yield to pedestrians. I have found it really comforting to know that I don't have to worry about being hit, when crossing the streets here with the kids, because every car stops! :)

5. The food here is DELICIOUS! You definitely have to watch what you eat while living here, or you will be watching your weight creep to new heights!

6. When you go to a restaurant, you do not need to wait to be seated. In fact, if you stand and wait, they will assume you are waiting for someone. Once you are at a table, it is yours for the night. Here in Germany, they are not rushed for you to eat and leave. Their business is not dictated by the number of customers they can work in one night, it is based on the service they give to the customers they have. They will not bring you a bill unless you ask for it. It is a very relaxed atmosphere here.

7. The speed limits here are in km and the temperatures are measured in Celsius. Definitely takes some getting used to. I haven't used those conversion tables in a LONG time. Time to break out the old math books!! ;)

8. The outlets and plugs in Europe are different from the States. Anything you plug in has to have a converter, if it is 220w voltage. Most things in the States are made with 110w. If it is 220w, you can use a converter for the outlet and plug it in. If it is not 220w, you need a transformer, which makes your electricity run really high! It can be very frustrating to not be able to plug something in when needed...like my hairdryer here at the hotel...does not do a body good with wet hair and freezing temperatures.

9. Germany, especially Bavaria where we will be living, is a very pet friendly part of Europe. It is not uncommon to have your pets with you in stores and restaurants. They are very much considered a part of your family and are treated as such.

10. BMW, Mercedes, and Volvo are the main vehicles of choice in Europe. A lot of military families ship one car over and buy what people refer to as a "beater" car when they arrive. The standard of vehicle over here is top notch. You will not find cars with dents or rust here. Those so called "beater" cars are nicer than some of what middle Americans drive. It is a higher standard of living over here.

Alpha Bravo Charlie

2011-10-25T11:45:00.005-04:00

A dear friend recently blogged an ABC update on her life; I thought it was a fun idea so here goes nothing...or everything...

A- Adventure- We are about to embark on a new adventure as a military family. This new adventure takes us not only to a new town, but to a new country! Growing up in the same town, I never really experienced life outside of South Carolina, other than the annual trips to Mamu and Papu's for Thanksgiving, in Biloxi, Mississippi and the occasional vacations or random trips out of state! And let me not forget the BEST graduation gift I received after high school, a cruise to Mexico with my childhood best friend!! I'm ready to take on this new adventure, so let the new adventure begin!!! *quivers in her Uggs* :)

B- Birthday- Yes, yes, I am about to add another year to the ranks! One more year and I will hit the BIG 3-0! And let me tell you, I couldn't be more excited about putting my 20's behind me. (Don't ask...wouldn't want to bore you with the list of mistakes that I have made in this decade) But don't go making a fuss about my day of birth; birthdays certainly aren't as exciting as they were when I was younger. It most definitely doesn't help that my birthday falls on one of the most anticipated holidays of the year...Halloween. But don't get me wrong, I truly enjoy seeing the joy in my children's eyes when they get all dressed up! It's definitely worth sacrificing my celebration for...and that's what Mother's Day is for anyways!! *hint, hint* ;)

C- Christmas- I can't believe we won't be in the United States for Christmas this year, but how beautiful it will be in our new home! For the last 7 years, we have spent Christmas with my in-laws, in South Carolina and in Maryland, where they moved in 2004. Christmas had always been a bittersweet holiday for me, because I grew up in a broken home. It was difficult as a kid to put on a happy face when the mood on Christmas morning wasn't sheer excitement. It was an easy decision to choose to spend Christmas with my in-laws; not that I don't love my family, if you know me, you know that my family, (my parents, step parents, sister, step sisters, step brothers) are my life, and I wouldn't be who I am without them; but splitting a holiday like Christmas with my crazy big family is impossible without creating a TON of chaos and stress, especially on our kids. My husband's family goes all out for Christmas. I had never seen a Christmas tree as big as theirs. The oneness of their family union was a delight to experience. It has been my greatest privilege to share in their traditions every year, and I am not quite sure how I will fare without them this year. Think I can convince the in-laws to join us in Europe for Christmas?? Probably not, but a girl can wish, right?!? ;)

D- Diet- I know, I know...you shouldn't call it a diet. It's a lifestyle change! Yes, I know, but for some reason, my life style doesn't want to change to include giving up certain foods, mainly ALL sweets. I have to give a shout out to my sweet ole' Daddy who gave me this thing I call a sweet tooth!! To be honest, I have struggled with emotional eating for a long time. There hasn't been many times when I have been upset or under great stress that I didn't turn to the pantry to ease my pain. I desperately want to end this cycle so I can be healthy and confident; okay, honestly, I do want to be healthy, it is important to me that I live a long life, so I can be around for my boys, but I would REALLY love to be comfortable in my own skin! I've been praying that the fruits of the Spirit would become more and more evident in my life, I just pray that the self-control attribute becomes more evident quicker!! :S

E- Emotions- Which emotion would you like to talk about?? I have about 15 I can spew out at you right now that I am feeling, and yes, all at once! :) I have been a big ball of emotions these past few weeks. I got really spoiled while we were living at Fort Bragg. Like I said, I spent all my life, up until 2003 when Joe and I married, in South Carolina; I have what military families refer to as "roots". Like it or not, I have them, and I am very proud of where I grew up! My Daddy had the choice to serve active duty in the Navy, but he knew what that would mean for my sister and I, so he sacrificed his Navy career for us and served 20 years in the Navy Reserves instead. What that meant for us growing up was that my Dad was gone a lot of the weekends, but we had stability and a permanent home. Never in a million years did I think I would grow up and leave that home I once knew. I can remember being a kid and telling my Momma that I would never leave home, even when I was married. I told her that my husband and I would just live with her too! We lived just 3 hours from my family while living at Fort Bragg. We were blessed to be there for 7 years, not really experiencing the sacrifices military families make when they pick up and start over somewhere new. Moving to Oklahoma this past April just about killed me on the inside. Like I said, my family is my life, and I often feel like I can't breath when I am far from them. My family has suffered and conquered more than most families even dream about in their worst nightmares. I think that is what binds us together. Needless to say, it doesn't take much to make me cry these days!! :'(

F- Fall- Oh fall!! I love everything about fall!! I love the smells and the colors! I love fall festivals and carving pumpkins. I love the way the crisp air feels when you breathe it in and the way it cools your feet when you walk outside barefoot. I love the comfort foods that come with the chilliness of the season. I love the smell of bonfires and fires burning in the fireplace. I love snuggling under blankets because you don't want to turn on the heat and I love the way the heater smells when you finally break down and turn it on!! I love seeing kids jump into huge piles of leaves. Everything about fall gives me the warm, fuzzy feeling. When I think about fall, I think about togetherness. I think about families coming together for Thanksgiving. I think about traditions and the legacy I want to leave to my children, one of a parent who loves the Lord and lived her life accordingly. *still working on that legacy...I am a work in progress, what can I say?!?*

G- Germany- As I already pointed out, I am a big ball of emotions, but mostly I am excited for our adventure to Germany. We will be able to experience things and see places that most people only dream about...England, Paris, Venice, Prague, Florence, and the list goes on. Did I mention we are going to be living in a small German town, nestled in the Bavarian Mountains?? It just doesn't get better than that!! I can only imagine what Christmas will be like in Germany, maybe like a Thomas Kincaid painting. I am excited to take part in their culture and learn their language...let's just hope I can pass their drivers' test. ;)

H- Hmmm- I bet you would love to know what I am thinking right now...but I think I will just keep you guessing, maybe I will tell you Y later!!

I- Ikea- I don't know how I missed out on the craze that comes with a love for Ikea...until now!! I LOVE me some Ikea!! And I am very happy to announce that Ikea will be accommodating me in Germany! There are lots of Ikea stores in Germany, where I will be purchasing a few new things for our new home!! *does the cabbage patch dance several times over* (no need to roll your eyes, I know I am quirky, but I like that about me) :)

J- Journey- I have definitely been on a journey, a spiritual journey, that is. I might have grown up in a broken home and experienced some horrific things in my life, but I am lucky girl. For one, my parents love me, and I have never felt that I was too far to feel that. I, by far, think it is more important for your child to feel loved by their parents than for their parents to love each other. Sure, it would have nice to have a Godly example of marriage set before me, but God sets the example for us in the Bible, so I have no excuse there. Secondly, I grew up in a Christian home. I know that sounds weird since my parents divorced and some Christians judge harshly when it comes to divorce; but God forgives all sins when asked, and I have no doubt that my parents' failed marriage has long been forgiven. I attended private, Christian schools for most of my life, where Bible was a daily subject. "Hiding God's Word in your heart" was part of the curriculum. Because I attended Christian schools for most of my life, some could say I lived a sheltered life, and I guess in a way I did. Being a Christian was so much easier when I was younger, because I knew it all in my head. Transferring that knowledge to my heart has been difficult. I know in my head that Jesus loves me, but I struggle with feeling that I am not worthy of His love. I am glad that I am on this journey, because that means that I am still growing in my walk with the Lord...a work in progress... a work that I pray He progressively molds into the person He wants me to be, even with all my imperfections.

K- Kendrick Brothers- I don't think these two men will ever grasp the change that they have made in our world. One little movie project called "Flywheel", turned into "Facing the Giants", "Fireproof" and "Courageous". Flywheel was made on a $20,000 budget and as an outreach to their community in Albany, Georgia, but turned into a nationwide phenomenon. The Kendrick Brothers have gone on to making million dollar, hit movies that have changed lives all over the world. I haven't seen Courageous yet, but I CAN'T wait to see it! If you haven't seen their other movies, I encourage you to pick them up...they are worth the money to buy and re-watch from time to time!!!

L- Life- Life is so precious. One thing military families can truly appreciate is life in the moment. Most of us, at one point or another, have been on the waiting end of a long deployment, giving thanks to God that our soldier came home safely. Some of us don't get that chance. It absolutely breaks my heart when I see a widow cry the loss of her husband, or of that child who asks when her Daddy is coming home, when her mother knows he isn't. I have witnessed the tears of a mother, who shows pictures of her son to her precious grandchild, knowing that precious little person will never know their Daddy. I have seen so much death in my life. Life seems so complicated sometimes, but the truth is that living is the easy part, or at least is should be; death is much harder to understand. Death brings about questions that can never be answered. Life is too precious to let it pass you by.

M- Moving- Let's see, how many times have we moved now? We moved from Charleston to Oklahoma in 2003, moved from Oklahoma to North Carolina in April of 2004, moved out of our apartment in Fayetteville into on-post housing on Fort Bragg in October of 2004, moved to a new house on Fort Bragg in September of 2007, moved back to Oklahoma in April of 2011...so that's 5 moves...I should be an expert by now, right?!? RIIIIIIIIGGGGHHHTTT...did you catch the sarcasm? ;) But lucky for me, I am selling a lot of stuff, so that will give the Army less to break on our move to Germany!! Ha! Note: I am having a moving sale this Saturday, so if you live in the Lawton area...COME BUY MY STUFF!!!

N- Nathan and Noah- Oh boy, where do I begin!?! I love these two monsters more than I ever knew I could. Being a mother is THE hardest job in the world. And I have learned that looking after their spiritual needs is much harder than their physical needs. I don't know that I was prepared for motherhood at the ripe old age of 21, but I am so glad that God blessed me with my children. They truly teach me more than I could ever teach them. The innocence of a child can not be matched by anything in this world. I wish I could see the world through the eyes of a child again; it gives you a perspective on life that is so pure and clear. Nothing in this world warms my heart more than to hear the innocent prayers of my children. How lucky am I that I am the child of parents that pray for me!! Motherhood has given me an appreciation for my parents and how RIGHT they were, even during my rebellious, stubborn teen years!

O- Open Book- I want my life to be an open book! I want to be humble and vulnerable. I do, really....and here comes the but...but, there are few people in my life that I feel that I can be truly open with. I wear masks almost every day. Sometimes masks to hide the pain, sometimes masks to mask the embarrassment, masks to avoid the anger, masks to cover the truth and past....how many of you wear masks? I wonder at times who would still stand by me, if they knew the real me...the ugly parts of me that only God can love. It is so freeing to admit my faults, and one day, I hope to be open to sharing them with others, even those close to me. I hope my openness helps others not make the same mistakes I have.

P- Passports- Passports should be here in the next week!! There's a nice BIG hole in the bank as of today, so they must have processed our passports already!! Having the passports in hand will make this move to Germany all so real!!! *trying to shake off the jitters, but this cup of coffee at 5 p.m. isn't helping :\*

Q- Quiet Time- It is such a scary thing when your baby starts school. You feel like you have lost some of the control over your child. You put your faith and trust in the teachers and staff at their school to look after their safety and well being. I had tears with both of my babies starting school, but this was a little different, as Noah is my youngest.; but as saddened as I was when Noah started Pre-K this year, I have thoroughly been enjoying my quiet time. First of all, I have time for my quiet time!!! This is a new experience for me, as my life has revolved around one or both of my children for the last 7 and a half years!! Me time is a beautiful thing!! :) Quiet time is a luxury once you have children, and a luxury that I do not take for granted!!

R- Running- I have been training with the Couch to 5k app on my phone for several weeks...but I have been stuck on week 6 for about 3 weeks now...but I haven't given up, and I am determined to see this thing through!! I want to actually finish something I started, something I didn't think I would be able to accomplish in the first place. I may never be a long distance runner, but I am okay with that! Running for me is an outlet, a way to get my mind of things, and certainly a body shaper!! I love putting on music and getting lost in it while on the treadmill. I forget all about my worries and about how far I was actually trying to go, and before I know it, I've run a mile!! Here's to wearing out my running shoes and losing 10 pounds!! :)

S- Schenewark- This is the last name of my soul mate. Becky Schenewark is my soul sister. I truly think she walks around with half of my heart inside of her. I have been there for Becky through times that others would have run. I have witnessed and endured sheer heartbreak with her and witnessed pure joy!! She is one of those few people, outside of my family, that I can share my whole heart with and know that she loves me despite myself. Becky makes me want to be a better person. She gives me a push to be a better Mom, just by watching how she parents her kids. Have you ever met someone like that, someone that you just want to be around all the time...that's Beck to me. No matter where life takes us, we will always be joined at the heart. Every moment I have had the privilege of sharing with her is burnt into my memory. She is my Diana Barry and I am her Anne Shirley...kindred spirits!! :)

T- Thanksgiving Traditions- When I was little our Thanksgiving tradition was to travel from SC to Biloxi, MS to be with my Mom's parents for Thanksgiving. My Papu was a gruff, strict man, but I always knew he loved me; you could see it in his eyes. My Mamu worked from sun up to sun down to meet my Papu's needs. Thanksgivings as a kid were always so special. We would pile in the car and drive straight through all night and arrive in Mississippi in the wee hours of the morning. The smell of their house is still so fresh in my senses. My Mamu made a big breakfast every morning. Her homemade biscuits with a slice of fresh tomato is still my favorite breakfast!! I know it sounds weird, but it is SO good. After breakfast we all watched the Macy's Day Parade on NBC. I still remember the year Summerville High School was featured as one of the marching bands in the parade. While the adults worked hard to prepare the feast, all of us girl cousins played, since we only saw each other that one time a year. We were often getting in trouble, rummaging through our Papu's office. He always had the best ball point pens and we were always getting caught taking them! :) When it was time to eat, my cousin and I sat down on the organ bench that was pulled up to the table. Playing that organ brings back so many memories. After dinner, we would play board games, laughing with Aunt Mitzi and Uncle Eddie until we almost peed our pants and would watch The Ewok's Adventure. Thanksgivings in Mississippi were some of the best memories of my childhood. I miss my Papu and Mamu dearly.

U- Understood- Everyone wants to be understood, but frankly, I feel very misunderstood, all the time. I feel like my good intentions go bad, or they just aren't received the way I meant for them to be. And as I am not a confrontational person, I let my misunderstood feelings fall to the wayside. But I am learning that God is my greatest defender, even when I feel like I have no defense. I don't have to say a word. He has my back, all the time.

V- Visitors- I REALLY hope that we have LOTS of visitors in Germany!! Any and all are welcome, even if you just use our home as a stopping point to see other places in Europe!! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, not just for our family, but for our family and friends that have always wanted to travel. You have three years starting in December to make it happen! Don't let this opportunity pass you by. What are you waiting for??

W- Wish List- Um, this could get pretty long, but for starters I want the new iPhone 4s. I have had the iPhone 4 for over a year and LOVE it!! I think Siri is just what I need!! I also want a Mac...desktop and laptop!! I'd like new kitchen bakeware and cookware!!! I have found not only a love of baking but a love of cooking. I have been making new and difficult recipes for the family and find it so exciting to see a delicious meal come together so beautifully. I want a new wardrobe...need to lose that 10 pounds first though. I would LOVE to have everything in Pottery Barn that my heart desires and since this is a WISH list and not things I will necessarily ever obtain, I want my dream car...a LandRover!! :)

X- +- The only thing I can think of for X is that if you turn it sideways it is a cross. And I am so grateful for the cross. I know I don't always act in a way that honors what happened on that cross, but my heart's desire is to surrender to Him with absolute abandonment. I fall so many times, but because of the cross, I am washed clean every time I get back up. Thank you Jesus!!

Y- Y, you do want to know what I was thinking don't you?? Sorry to keep you waiting, I was just thinking that I am SO glad I almost through the alphabet. :)

Z- Zikowi- Zikowi is the plural term for Zikowitz. A Zikowitz is an Andrew, Diane, Julian or Haven. We have been close with the Zikowi clan for several years. We became friends at Bragg and all moved to Sill together in April. Diane and I endured a year deployment together, including visiting wounded soldiers at Walter Reed in our husband's absences. I was there for Diane during the loss of their unborn child and she was there for me during the deployment blues. It has been more like a family with the Powe' and Zikowi families. It will be very hard to leave here in a few weeks and say goodbye to our dear friends. We've watched each others kids grow up or be born, and it saddens me to not have that opportunity when we leave. I will miss our game nights!! Scattegories and Balderdash just won't be the same without you!! I hope your Army career continues so the hope of our paths crossing again will carry on. I love all of you, with the purest form of love, from the bottom of my heart!

Hohenfels

2011-10-14T09:28:00.004-04:00

MEET HOHENFELS

What will be our new home...

...in Germany.

Our Schoolers

2011-09-13T11:48:00.004-04:00

I commented on a friend's status yesterday that you can't wait on life, because life doesn't wait on you. Those words certainly do ring true. It sweeps past me, like the dust that blows on the plains of Oklahoma. My babies are growing up. Nathan started Second grade this year. Noah started Pre-K. These precious little boys are my life. They make me the person I am. They are the reasons I get up every morning. They make me want to be better, not just for them, but for me.

Summer Y2K11

2011-08-12T08:43:00.003-04:00

I can hardly believe, as I write this blog, that this will be the last weekend of summer 2011! What a great summer this has been, one of the best summers we have had! We kicked off the summer the last week of May, when the last school bell rang here in Oklahoma. You are probably wondering what we did this summer that made it so great, but the real question is, what didn't we do?? :) We have been to Oklahoma City numerous times, traveled to Dallas for a great weekend getaway, and I am currently packing for our trip to Kansas, to spend our last weekend with family and friends before school starts next week!

Speaking of family and friends, we have had many out of town guests grace our humble abode with their presence this summer. My Mom joined us for several days over the Fourth of July holiday, and what a wonderful treat that was! I will never be too old to need my Momma! We have had record heat and no rain, so fireworks were banned here in Oklahoma, but we had our own "fireworks" here soon after. Mimi flew in for an extended visit, just a short week after my Mom left. There were several reasons for Mimi to come, other than the fact that she just can't seem to get enough of us, but the main reason being that I had oral surgery the 3rd week of July! I have needed my wisdom teeth out for a long time, and I put it off during Joe's year in Afghanistan; unfortunately, putting it off only made things worse in my mouth, so instead of just my four wisdom teeth, I had 6 teeth extracted, 2 of which were impacted. I was more scared of being put to sleep than having the surgery, but everything went smoothly...other than a few cases of dry socket! :) Like I mentioned, we had "fireworks", just not the kind you are thinking of!! During Mimi's visit, Joe's sister Elizabeth and her boyfriend Reggie made a detour on their move to Kansas, spending several days with us here in Oklahoma. We had the honor of witnessing a truly magical love story unfold in our living room!! Reggie popped the big question to Liz in front of a room filled with family and no one could deny the sparks that were going off! It was a beautiful moment to witness!! :)

With the record heat we have been having (110+ degrees), we have done our best to stay cool this summer. Lawton might be a small town in the Midwest, but we aren't without our fair share of entertainment!! We bought season passes for the Comanche Nation Waterpark here in Lawton! It is a small waterpark, but it is just the right size for us! I definitely haven't felt overwhelmed when I take the boys alone, and of course, it helps that we made some new friends that we would meet at the park! :) We've also been out to the lakes here in Oklahoma for days of swimming and fishing! This is a great town for outdoor family fun!! Needless to say, we loaded up on sunscreen day in and day out this summer!! This coastal Carolina girl needs to be near water!! *missing Charleston*

It has truly been an amazing summer!! Both boys turned a year older; Nathan turned 7 in June and Noah turned 4 in July. Joe and I celebrated 8 years of marriage on the 3rd of August. The boys have grown in age but I think their memory box has grown more! We have made some unforgettable memories this summer!! It's been one incredibly fun summer, but it wouldn't be complete without a trip to Kansas...WORLDS OF FUN...HERE WE COME!!!! :)

Remodel

2011-08-04T11:57:00.003-04:00

SO, as you can see I've given the old blog on the block a new look...what do you think??? If you are wondering why I have updated the look and not updated the blog, then you would not be out of line...I am working on a new blog update!! Will post soon!! :)

Meet Gilbert

2011-06-08T21:12:00.006-04:00

Meet Gilbert! He is the newest member of the Power Family! I never in a million years saw us as a family with so many pets, but never the less, we are happy that Gilbert made his way into our home!! *We might actually owe our dog Gracie a big thanks for bringing Gilbert to us....straight from her mouth to the back porch* :) When Gilbert first arrived on our porch, I wasn't sure what we were going to do with "it". All I knew was I had two little boys who were very much in love with this turtle. Once Joe got home from school, we debated back and forth whether to return it to its outside environment and break the boys' hearts, or adopt it as a pet. By this point, Nathan had already named "it" Gilbert. We made it a temporary home in a crate for the night, and ventured to the pet store the next day. It was two days and three trips to the pet store later that we decided to bite the bullet and adopt Gilbert, which turned out to be a boy after all. I wasn't thrilled at the thought of spending almost $300 on a new "house" for Gilbert, but I also realize my children are growing up, and precious moments like these will someday come to an end; a few hundred dollars is nothing compared to the lasting memories that will come with our new pet. You should see the joy in the boys' eyes and faces when they hold and feed Gilbert!! *heart just melts* So, welcome to the family Gilbert!! May you always have plenty of warmth and comfort!!

Where's the Love??

2011-05-31T16:23:00.002-04:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about what others think of me, that is left unsaid, and what I would truly think if I had a friend, honest enough, to tell me what they really think! One would hope that a good friend would think the world of you, but let's face it, we all have faults, and many times, we don't see them in ourselves. *insert judgmental attitude, because it is easier to see faults in others before we see them in ourselves* I take great pride in the fact that I would do almost anything to be there for someone when they need me, often times, exhausting myself by bending over backwards for the people I care about. I tell myself that I am storing up my treasures in heaven, because a lot of times I don't feel that I have gotten back what I have invested in others. I do my best to have a "I am doing this for the Lord" type of attitude...the same attitude I try and have when I am feeling like nothing but a maid and a cook here at home, when I feel like everything I do goes unnoticed. Despite my best efforts, I have been feeling down like a doormat and since I am being honest with myself, I have been feeling sorry for myself too. Remember, I admitted that I, too, have faults! :) This afternoon I started thinking about how often Jesus is disappointed in me because He has done so much and I don't give Him anything in return, or He answers a prayer and I don't remember to thank Him. And if I am ultimately trying to serve Him, then my focus won't be on what others think of me, because my confidence will be in His approval! It's a good feeling when the Holy Spirit quiets you, so you can hear!! So, next time I am asking, "Where's the love"?, I just need to be quiet and listen, because He is whispering, "It's right here".

Ch-Ch-Cha-Changes

2011-05-23T17:52:00.004-04:00

There have been many changes in our family since my last post. We kicked off the New Year in true form by welcoming our hero home from a year at war!! Our soldiers finally arrived home early morning on New Years Day!! We already felt lucky, but we ate our annual New Years' Feast of ham, collard greens, and black eyed peas, just in case we needed a little more luck!! ;) January was a great month for us to reconnect as a family! Joe took his 30 days of leave and we were able to spend a lot of time together...24/7 to be exact!! February and March flew right by. We were busy getting back into our family routine, mixed with Change of Command inventories and ceremonies, wrestling tournaments, flu bugs, family visits....and the list goes on...not to mention...MOVING! We moved out of our house in North Carolina on the 31st of March. Currently, this blog comes to you from the plains of Oklahoma!! That's right...tornado alley!! :) Despite the weekly tornado watches, we are thoroughly enjoying Oklahoma and the new pace of Army life! We don't know where the road will take us when we leave here in October, but we are excited to see where our next adventure is!

D-Day -349

2010-12-17T09:53:00.000-05:00

Well, we made it to Maryland. We started off by making great time...we actually never stopped. We drove straight through, but due to my excessive talking, I somehow managed to get off on the wrong exit...which I have NEVER done in all my years of driving up here alone!! I knew I was in the wrong place when I passed the Pentagon and the Washington Monument!! Unfortunately, my little goof put us back at least an hour and a half because we hit rush hour traffic coming out of DC. :( The boys were so good, other than a few "are we there yets". I will have to be sure not to be on the phone going around DC in the future...just in case I decide to veer off the path!! We made it safely tonight and are enjoying time with family and friends!! The boys are sleeping in Mimi and PawPaw's room tonight, so I am very much looking forward to a good night's sleep ALONE in the basement!!!!!!!

D-Day -348

2010-12-16T09:46:00.000-05:00

Well, we had a "snow" day today and typically I would be ecstatic about not having to leave my house, but I had a million and one things to do today, and it didn't get done as smoothly with school out. The boys were quite bored today, as there wasn't really any snow to play in, and the ground was really wet, so they had no choice but to stay inside. I did treat them with a few movies purchased on the TV. We watched the new "Nanny McPhee" and the "Sorcerer's Apprentice". It helped pass the time today!! :) We didn't make it to the Battery Ornament Exchange tonight, as we had planned. Oh well...I at least got some things done around the house in preparation for our departure tomorrow!! One last night before we are with family!!! WOOO HOOOO!!

D-Day -347

2010-12-15T09:11:00.000-05:00

Wow...this week has been SO busy!! Today was another crazy busy day!! I had a meeting this morning to get things prepared for a bigger meeting tonight. We had our Battlemind Training tonight for the spouses and families. It is our "re-integration" training on how to handle changes in your spouse after they have been at war. The training was really helpful and some aspects were pretty funny!! :) I am thankful that the Army finds this training for families important enough to give us!! Maybe, just maybe, this training will help lessen the divorce rate among our military! We got home later than normal, so the boys went straight to bed. Tomorrow is the last day I have before we head off on our Christmas vacation at Mimi and PawPaw's. I hope I can get everything done tomorrow that needs to be done!!

D-Day -346

2010-12-14T09:04:00.000-05:00

Whew...what a day!! I watched my friend's daughter this morning, while she had a doctor's appointment, and had the pleasure of their company for a few hours after she got back to the house. My friend and her daughter hung around until I had to leave the house to get Nathan from school, then on my way to the school, another friend called and asked me to pick up two of her kids while I was at the school. So, I grabbed two more kids and had a house full of kids again until 5:45 p.m. The clincher was that I had a Christmas coffee to get ready for and by the time all the extra kids had left the house, I had about 10 minutes to get in the shower and get ready to leave!! BUT...I managed to get it all done AND get to the Christmas coffee with a few minutes to spare!! Who says I don't work well under pressure!!! :) And the added bonus to the day is that I spent it with friends...and Nathan spent his afternoon with his best friend...couldn't ask for more when you are missing your hero!! :)

D-Day -345

2010-12-13T18:48:00.000-05:00

I surely hope this week flies by! At the end of this week, we will be on our way to Mimi and PawPaw's for Christmas and that much closer to bringing our hero home!! :) Today was a busy day, filled with lots of meetings and events, all filled with information about that so called "reunion" we will be having soon!! I didn't have a moment to rest today, so I am heading to bed early tonight...who am I fooling...I go to bed by 8:30 p.m. every night!!! HA!! :) Goodnight!!

D-Day -344

2010-12-12T15:52:00.000-05:00

Today was another great day, despite the rainy, cold weather we've had the last few days!! Church was great this morning!! The kids had their Christmas performance today...it was SO cute! Noah really stole the show...LITERALLY!! ;) He decided at the last minute that he did want to be the lamb in the performance, so we got his little hat on and sent him in...only thing was, he went up when he wasn't supposed to be up...then wouldn't leave when he was supposed to!! He had the congregation laughing, so I guess he got what he wanted...their attention!!! :) Marmie and Poppy stayed for lunch and while Poppy rested after church, my Mom and I spent some much needed time together!! It was a lovely afternoon...and to top it off...the yeast rolls I made actually did what they were supposed to...they ROSE!!! :) Our church held its annual Christmas dinner at the church tonight and the Power Family Icebox rolls were a HUGE hit!! It was an eventful weekend!! A great way to end our last weekend alone without our hero!!!

D-Day -343

2010-12-11T15:31:00.001-05:00

Today was a GREAT day!!! We got up and out of the house this morning and headed into downtown for the Christmas Parade...no pictures this time due to the rain...but we still had a nice time. We grabbed lunch and coffee at my favorite "Rude Awakenings" shop and finished just in time to catch Santa at the tail end of the parade!! :) We made it home with enough time to wring our clothes out while we waited for Marmie and Poppy to arrive!! They arrived in the nick of time...we had just enough time to fly out the door and make it to the Hospice Center. A group from my church went caroling today at the Hospice Center and at the Nursing Home next door. What joy is was to bring a little bit of the Christmas spirit to them!! It truly is better to give than receive!! You should have seen the light in their faces, knowing we were there for them!! It really warmed my heart and brought my Mom to tears!! After all of the caroling, we headed over to our worship leader's house for a Christmas Dinner with the members of the church!! It was SO good...the food and company!!! :) We had a great time! It was a full day, full of fun, laughter, joy, love!! Only one thing would have made it perfect...soon, very soon!!! :)

D-Day -342

2010-12-10T15:15:00.000-05:00

The highlight of today was tonight!! :) We had our official "Welcome Home" sign making party tonight for Bravo, Delta and HHB Batteries!! WOO HOOO!!!!! I am definitely feeling like we are getting close now!! It was a really fun night...good food, good company, and the first of many celebrations as this year draws to an end!! We, as Army wives, have created bonds that will last a lifetime, memories that will never be forgotten and developed strengths that will withstand the test of time!! Although we all have had our moments of defeat, we have all endured through this year with grace and dignity. SO proud of all of us!!! Can't wait to ring in the New Year together...with our SOLDIER HUSBANDS!!!!!

D-Day -341

2010-12-09T15:14:00.000-05:00

One. More. Day. Until. The. Weekend. SO. EXCITED. :)

D-Day -340

2010-12-08T15:06:00.000-05:00

We are half way though the week!! Very happy about that!! The next week and a half is going to be really busy for me, so I really enjoyed not rushing around today! I am pretty exhausted these days, so I think I deserved a break!! :) We met Rachel, Glen and the kids at Chick-fil-A before church tonight. Noah was out cold the whole time during dinner, and continued to be very groggy on the way to church; so Nathan stayed at church, while I took Noah home for an early bed time!! I really DON'T know what I would do without Rachel and Glen!! They have been my saving grace MANY times during this year, and I can honestly say, that without them, there would have been much grief at times!!! Thank you to the Deckers for always being willing to help us out when we needed it!!! Not to mention, I really enjoyed the quiet tonight before Nathan got home!!! :) Looking forward to this weekend: a welcome home sign making party, my parents are coming to town, and the Christmas performance at church on Sunday!!!

D-Day -339

2010-12-07T15:04:00.000-05:00

Too. Tired. To. Blog. Tonight. Will. Try. Better. Tomorrow.

D-Day -338

2010-12-06T14:55:00.002-05:00

Today is a bittersweet day. Today reminds me a Beatles song, "You say goodbye and I say hello". Our day is a lot sweeter than others, but we have endured a long hard year, and I am happy to say that our year is almost over!! I am beyond ready to have our hero home!! It gets harder and harder by the day to take care of EVERYTHING here at home...even the smallest things that I would normally take care of, even when Joe is home, have become obstacles!! I am counting down the days!!! :)

D-Day -337

2010-12-05T19:12:00.002-05:00

And the blessings continue to flow today!! :) We went to church this morning and came home for a yummy lunch of rotisserie chicken and edamame beans!! The boys just love the soy beans!! *Thanks Diane for showing us what we were missing* After lunch we hung out for a little while before some great friends of ours came over to hang our Christmas lights for us!!! You really do learn who your friends are when your husband is gone for a year!! I didn't ask Julian and Kerrie to hang my lights for me, but they offered!! And to add the whip cream to the top of this piece of pie...Julian took us all out for dinner...and HE PAID! I should have been the one paying, after all the hard labor he put in outside in the freezing cold!! Just goes to show how awesome our friends are!!! :) Today definitely made up for the fiasco of yesterday!!! Now all I need is a money tree in the back yard to cover the cost of the tires on the truck!! :) (A girl can dream, right??)

D-Day -336

2010-12-04T13:13:00.002-05:00

I could have complained about how this first Saturday in December played out, but you know what, I am counting my blessings instead. God was truly looking out for us today and without my faith to cling to, today could have been A LOT worse!! It all started when out trip to the Airborne Museum didn't go as planned. Santa Clause was MIA this morning, so we decided to head to the mall instead, since the Santa at the mall seems more "real". On the way out of the museum, Noah tripped and fell, going head first into the stone memorials out front. His head just happened to hit the sharpest point of the memorial, causing a deep hole in his forehead. So...of to the ER we went. My BFF Diane was wonderful in that she took Nathan home with her, to avoid Nathan's boredom at the ER. Our first blessing of the day...given by my BFF. The second blessing was that the ER was EMPTY. We went straight back to a room when we arrived. The third blessing is that Noah's head was not major enough for stitches or staples, so they used Derma-bond and Steri-Strips on his head...thus avoiding any major meltdowns from Noah!! Noah was a trooper and handled the situation the best a three year old could!! :) We were in and out of the ER within an hour and a half...the fourth blessing!! The fifth blessing was that the garage attendant at the hospital was on lunch, so we didn't have to pay for parking!!!! Noah and I swung by McDonald's for a well deserved treat of chicken nuggets before heading to Diane's to pick up Nathan. The second catastrophe of the day started as soon as I pulled into Diane's driveway. As soon as I was out of the truck, I heard it....yep...that awful sound no one ever wants to hear...the air seeping out of the tire! Yep, that's right. Somehow, there was a HUGE rip in the front left tire. Diane quickly gave me directions to a tire company not far from her house and the boys and I prayerfully drove away...only to get a few miles up the road before the tire completely gave way. I pulled the truck over, trying to think quickly who I should call, as at this point, my cell phone was dying. I should mention that the part of town I pulled over in, is not the safest. At this point, I started praying. And when a man came to the car to ask what I needed, I started praying harder. There is a lesson in that you should NEVER judge someone by the way the look. This man or should I say angel asked if I needed help or if I had someone coming to help. I wasn't sure what I was going to do, so I told him I needed help. Blessing number six: this man used to be a mechanic at a car dealership and knew everything about the truck...where to find the spare...where the jack kit was- I didn't even know what a jack kit was...he had an industrial size jack to lift the truck to get the spare on...and the list goes on. I had nothing to offer this man, except the promise that I am a Christian, and I knew that God was going to bless him and his family for helping a stranger and child of God! I hugged him and told him Merry Christmas! I truly believe the Lord has been trying to tell me to trust in Him and ONLY Him, and the only way to do so, was to give me circumstances in which I Him and ONLY Him to lean on. I will rejoice and be glad for the blessings I received today! I am truly grateful that the Lord guarded and protected us from harm!! My angels were definitely working overtime today!!! :)

D-Day -335

2010-12-03T08:42:00.000-05:00

This is the last Friday that we will spend alone!! My Mom and Step-Dad, aka Poppy, are coming into town next weekend, and the following weekend, we are heading up north to be with Mimi and PawPaw for Christmas. :) The highlight of my day was having the opportunity once again to step out for some adult time tonight. Our Brigade Commander had his Holiday Reception this evening at his home, and thanks to Rachel and Glen, I was able to attend, sans the kids. It is definitely starting to feel more like Christmas with all of these festivities happening!! Speaking of Christmas, we have a weekend full of holiday festivities, including a trip to see Santa tomorrow and a Christmas party with old friends tomorrow night!! Very much looking forward to our weekend...our very last weekend alone!! Of course, with God on your side, you are NEVER alone!! :)

D-Day -334

2010-12-02T08:52:00.001-05:00

Today was another busy day! I had a doctor's appointment this morning at 8:00, so my wonderful neighbor Melissa took Nathan to school for me, so I could make my way across post for my appointment in time! A few months ago, I had the pleasure of...okay...I wouldn't exactly call it a pleasure...but anyways...back to my story...I had the pleasure of making an appointment with a new doctor at our health clinic here on post. She is not affiliated with the military at all; she travels around the world, offering up her medical skills, traveling to destitute locations, working in free clinics, etc, etc. She is VERY thorough...not leaving one thing un-turned. She also happens to be a devout Christian...just saying...sisters gotta stick together!! :) Needless to say, she is AWESOME!! So, I needed an appointment and would not see anyone, unless it was her!! And I won!!! :) She really puts me at ease and makes me feel like my health is important, which is a rarity and worth gold, especially when you are seen in health clinics on military installations. After my appointment, Noah and I headed home for a little while. I went ahead and decorated part of our Christmas tree...I felt I should go ahead and put the breakable ornaments on the tree myself!! :) Noah and I hung around the house for a little while before I had to head out once again for another appointment! We left my appointment with just enough time to grab Nathan from school. We did Nathan's homework then finished decorating the tree, before we headed down to the Decker's house. One of the ladies in our church got tickets for the Singing Christmas Tree here in town, so all of us ladies got together tonight to go!! It was a SPECTACULAR performance!!! If you weren't in the Christmas spirit before, you certainly were after!! I have seen several "singing Christmas trees" in my time, but I have to admit, this one by far was the BEST!! And it was SO nice to have a night out without my wonderful children!! ;) I am thankful for another busy day that has pushed us to the end of our first week in December!!! FULL SPEED AHEAD!!!!!!!

D-Day -333

2010-12-01T08:37:00.000-05:00

Happy 1st of December!!! Praise the Lord that we have made it this far!! Making it this far is a victory in and of itself!! What can I say? It's been a long year. So many things happen in the course of a year, the boys for one are a lot bigger, especially Noah. He still had so much baby left in his face when Joe left...not so much anymore. Nathan still looks predominately the same, but has grown incredibly. I understand the need to have soldiers serve a year at a time, but it sure is a long time to spend away from your family. It is bittersweet that we will celebrate the holidays without Joe, but I am truly thankful to have the holidays as a little distraction for us, as we await the arrival of our hero. As we await the arrival home of our hero, I am saddened for the families who's heroes will be deploying soon, who will serve as replacements for our soldiers. As our journey is now downhill, they are just beginning their uphill climb. I will be praying for them, that God will give them the same strength He has given us to endure through a year without their heroes. Let the COUNTDOWN begin...except I won't be giving you the official countdown...I know OPSEC well!!! ;)

D-Day -332

2010-11-30T21:19:00.001-05:00

Another busy day down in the books!! And if that isn't enough to celebrate...then let's celebrate the fact that today is the last day of November and tomorrow we enter into December...the month my husband comes home from a year tour in Afghanistan!!!! WOO HOO!! :) I had a couple of errands to run today, going by the store to buy wrapping paper and tape, plus making our weekly run to the Commissary. Noah was a real trooper!! He was such a good boy all day!! I had all intentions of making beef stew for dinner tonight, but we received a dinner invitation that we just couldn't refuse...Heather invited us over for Chinese!! :) She went all out and ordered every one of us our own platter!!! It was nice to enjoy a meal with another adult!! Plus, the kids went outside after dinner and burned off some energy!! They should sleep good tonight!!! These last couple of months have gone by rather quickly, I just hope time doesn't slow down this next month!! Here's to the last month that we will spend alone without our hero!! We love you Joe!! Can't wait to have you home!!!

D-Day -331

2010-11-29T06:44:00.000-05:00

Ah, Christmas time!! :) I wasted no time getting our Christmas decorations out today!! I got the front porch decorated then proceeded to put together our tree!! The tree is up, however the lighting job does not meet standard requirements!! HA! Oh well, hopefully once the tree is decorated, you won't be able to notice the horrible job I did on hanging the lights!! *Of course, if the pre-lit tree we have was still pre-lit, I wouldn't be having this problem* I worked straight through the day, stopping briefly to fold a load of laundry, before picking Nathan up from school. We came straight home, finished homework and made a quick spaghetti dinner before we headed out the door for wrestling practice. Noah, thankfully, slept straight through practice!! :) It was a good day!! I am looking forward to plowing through these next few weeks!! Excited for Christmas, but more excited to have our hero home!!! CAN'T HOLD IN THE EXCITEMENT!!!! It's been a long year...what can I say!!! :)

D-Day -322 through D-Day -330

2010-11-28T06:51:00.000-05:00

What an amazing gift to be able to spend Thanksgiving with my family this year!! I haven't had the pleasure of spending the holiday with my family in several years. Although it is quite difficult to split the time between my Mom and Dad, I get twice the love amongst them. :) We had a good week filled with lots of fun events! We saw two GREAT movies over the course of our stay...MegaMind and Tangled...the latter of the two being my favorite!!! We also went out and shopped for a live Christmas tree with my Mom...definitely brought back many memories of my childhood when my parents would take my sister and I to the tree farms and we would pick a tree and cut it down ourselves!! :) I love that feeling that Christmas brings!! Feelings of great nostalgia. We really enjoyed being in SC for Thanksgiving. I am saying a prayer that Joe gets an assignment at the Citadel next year that will bring us closer to friends and family for a few years. :) It was definitely a bittersweet farewell. It doesn't matter how long I stay or how long I stay away, I never escape the sadness that I feel when I leave. BUT...on a happy note. we are home from our trip and have less than 3 weeks before we head to Mimi and PawPaw's for Christmas, and it is all downhill from there!! Our hero will be home soon!!!! :) *insert BIG grins* It's about time!!!!

D-Day -321

2010-11-19T12:24:00.000-05:00

What a busy day! I had a lot to do today to gear up for our trip to SC...and I managed to get it all done!! I guess it helps that I woke up at 2:45 this morning with severe anxiety and couldn't get back to sleep until after 5:00. I got a lot done in that time! :) Nathan had his Thanksgiving Concert at school this afternoon....SO CUTE!!! I will check the school's website for the video and post it on the blog as soon as it is available! We left for SC right after Nathan's concert was over. We made it safe and sound to my mom's house this evening. We are very excited to be here this week! It's been a long time since we have celebrated Thanksgiving here in SC...nothing like a holiday in the deep South!! :) It is really late...I haven't stayed up to this hour in a LONG time!! Goodnight!!

D-Day -320

2010-11-18T11:33:00.000-05:00

I still wasn't feeling well this morning, so I did my best to rest for most of the day. I did work up enough energy to go outside and play a usual round of baseball with Noah...as he wouldn't let me rest until we had played! :) I started feeling a little better later this afternoon, then was forced to deal with how I felt, when Noah tracked a TON of poop into the house from the backyard...I've been pooped out...literally...so I haven't been picking up the poop from the yard!! SO...I pulled out the carpet cleaner and did my best to disinfect the carpets! All the while, Noah took it upon himself to rest for me...he fell asleep in the middle of the carpet cleaning frenzy! :) I was feeling a ton better by the time I picked Nathan up from school, but Glen still took the boys to wrestling tonight. I am very grateful for my friends the Decker's! I am going to attempt to get some rest...we will see!! :)

D-Day -319

2010-11-17T09:22:00.000-05:00

Don't. Feel. Good. I am praying and believing that the Lord will keep me healthy and shield me from getting any bugs that are drifting around. Going to bed to try and sleep this off. Goodnight.

D-Day -318

2010-11-16T09:02:00.001-05:00

His mercies never fail and His grace is sufficient enough for me. I just keep telling myself that. It was a rough night and I didn't get much sleep. In order to keep in line with OPSEC, I will not say anything, except to please ask that you keep my husband and his men in your prayers. As you prepare for your Thanksgiving this next week, please remember the men and women who are out there in harms way fighting to keep you safe, as you enjoy your time with your families. My anxiety is at a high and I, too, am in need of prayer, as well as the other families that are left behind need your prayers. Thank you to those that continue to pray for us and for those that are always showing your support of us.

Psalm 91

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress my God, in whom I trust." 3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. 9 If you say, "The LORD is my refuge," and you make the Most High your dwelling, 10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. 13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. 14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation."

D-Day -317

2010-11-15T08:48:00.000-05:00

Aye Yai Yai!! It definitely felt like Monday this morning. We were running late before we managed to get out the door to get Nathan off to school, which meant that I was running late for a meeting this morning as well. :/ The meeting went well...when I actually got there. I had all intentions of going straight to the Commissary on my way home, which I technically did...I went to the Commissary...I just didn't go in. I had a great talk with a friend I haven't talked to in awhile, and while I was talking, Noah fell asleep, so I pulled back out of the parking lot and headed home. There wasn't much time once we were home before I left to pick Nathan up from school. We came home, did homework and made a quick spaghetti dinner before Nathan headed out the door for wrestling. Glen took Oran and Nathan tonight, and I will take my turn on Thursday night. Noah and I played a few rounds of baseball outside tonight while Nathan was at practice. That kid LOVES baseball!!! He keeps asking if his Daddy will play baseball with him when he comes home!! :) CAN'T wait for that day!!!!!

D-Day -316

2010-11-14T08:03:00.000-05:00

We got home from our trip last night, so we could be here for church this morning!! Rachel and I have been practicing with the children on Wednesday nights for a special Thanksgiving performance, which the kids gave today after service!! :) Noah decided he was going to sit this one out, but Nathan gave a stellar performance!! Between songs, the kids all came to the mic and told the congregation what they were thankful for and Nathan said, "I am thankful for my Dad, who is in Afghanistan". SO sweet!!! These boys sure do miss their Daddy!! :) There was no AWANA tonight, due to the holiday weekend, so we stayed home and bided our time until bedtime. I hope this week goes by fast, because we are excited to go to SC for Thanksgiving next Tuesday and spend some much needed time with family!! I've been going to be bed around 8:30, as I am too tired to stay awake, and at this point in the deployment, sleep means more to me than "me" time...so goodnight!! :)

D-Day -314 and D-Day -315

2010-11-13T07:58:00.000-05:00

We had a GREAT time at Andrea's parents' house this weekend!!! We went to the beach, went out to eat, went into Beaufort and walked around, visited a museum, and my favorite part...we took a boat ride to Cape Lookout and had a tour given by Andrea's brother...aka..Uncle Munkle. :) It was ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!! We came home with a few bags of the most gorgeous sea shells you could ever imagine! Pictures coming soon!! :) Thank you to Andrea and her family for being so hospitable and for allowing us into your home. We had an amazing time and it was really refreshing to get away for a few days!! THANK YOU!!!!

D-Day -313

2010-11-11T17:25:00.003-05:00

Happy Veteran's Day! This picture was taken on the night our Veteran deployed to Afghanistan for a year, this past January. Some people say a Veteran is someone who writes a blank check to their country; and while some have written their checks for their lives, others still have written their checks for deposit. In my husband's withdrawl, he deposited in others, time with their loved ones, playing baseball with their sons, watching their son learn to read, seeing their youngest son potty trained, watching their son's performances at school, seeing their son salute the troops at a Veteran's Day Parade, hearing their son say they are thankful for their Dad, when asked what they are thankful for. My husband is a Veteran in every sense of the word. He loves his country, and I am honored to be the wife of a Soldier and the daughter of a Navy Veteran. Thank you to ALL Veterans for your past, present, and future sacrifices for our country. May God bless you all.

D-Day -312

2010-11-10T17:11:00.002-05:00

Another busy day on the books!! I had several things to do today, and I managed to just about get them all done!! I went to the school today for Nathan's parent/teacher conference, and accidentally confused our time slot with Oran's Mom!! :) So we went to the library and hung out with the Decker clan while we waited!! I checked out a few books, one that was my absolute favorite as a kid, "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day!!! :) LOVE IT!! Rachel and her husband Glen were wonderful to stay in the library and watch Nathan and Noah for me while I went down to the class for my conference with Nathan's teacher! Nathan is doing really well in school. His teacher, Ms. Gutierrez, has the sweetest things to say about our Nathan. It is really neat to see how much he has improved in school!! :) We didn't leave the school until well after 3:00, which is really late for Wednesdays, considering we have early release on these days! We managed to get home, get homework done, eat dinner and get to church on time this week!! Tonight is our last practice before the kids' BIG Thanksgiving performance at church on Sunday!! It is going to be really cute!! The boys and I are heading out in the morning for the beach with Andrea and the girls!! SO excited for a great weekend away!!!

D-Day -311

2010-11-09T16:46:00.002-05:00

Today was a busy day...which I am SO thankful for. :) I met my friend Heather at David's Bridal today to assist her in her choices for wedding dresses!! Thank goodness I was there...my choices for her were much more fitting for her than hers!! HA! :) I am still working on getting the pictures uploaded...will try and have them done soon...I promise Heather!! :) I had just a little bit of time left after leaving the bridal store before I picked Nathan up from school. We came home and let Noah finish up his nap before we headed out the door for Andrea's house! Andrea is such a dear friend!! She often invites us over for dinner, which I truly appreciate!! I have recently come off of my hiatus from cooking, but it is still really nice to not be eating alone for a change. People often remind me that I am not truly alone, as I have two little munchkins running around at all times, which is true, but it is just not the same as having another adult around. Having a conversation with a six year old and a three year old is completely different than having a conversation with an adult!! I appreciate you Andrea...more than you know...and we are VERY excited about our trip with you this weekend!!! :)

D-Day -310

2010-11-08T16:36:00.002-05:00

Another Monday down! :) That in itself is something to celebrate!! Today was just another Monday...very low key. I will not bore you with the details of our day, so I will sign off early tonight!! Goodnight!

D-Day -309

2010-11-07T16:28:00.003-05:00

I love Sundays...I really do. There are so many things I love about them...church, family meals, football, naps...it's like Thanksgiving every Sunday!! You fellowship, eat, watch football, nap, eat again...there's just one thing missing from our Sunday...JOE! :( Today was a good day, we are just really missing our hero. The afternoons are lonely, but we are grateful for AWANA on Sunday nights to keep our minds and our hearts occupied, while we ride out the last few waves of this deployment. I am tired, so it is time that I say goodnight...Goodnight!

D-Day -308

2010-11-06T19:14:00.001-04:00

Today was a really good day!! This morning the boys and I met Diane and Julian downtown for the Veteran's Day Parade! It was FREEZING...a perfect day for a parade and nice cup of Joe...a white chocolate mocha to be exact!! :) The boys were so well behaved and were being so sweet to each other! It is days like today that can really make your heart ache. Noah was so excited to see "soldiers" walking up and down the street. He is at the age where he understands that his Daddy is a soldier; and Noah has really been missing his soldier lately. He has told me on numerous occasions this past week that he misses his Daddy. :( My heart soared with pride at our boys as they watched and waved at the Veterans in the parade, especially when Nathan stood at attention and saluted the men and women in uniform. The bitter cold in the air suddenly didn't feel as cold anymore. At to top it off, we even made the local paper!! :) We spent the afternoon here at home, thawing out, I mean, watching TV and resting. We all loaded up in the truck and headed over to Diane's house around 6:00 tonight. Diane took it upon herself to throw me a fabulous birthday dinner party!! She cooked some delicious baked ziti!! Yummo!! We had a great time...and it was wonderful to be around friends!! And thanks to Kerrie, we have more hilarious stories to tell...even without Scattegories!!! LOL :) I can't thank Diane enough for the wonderful day we had!! I love you bunches Diane!!!

Halloween: Power Style

2010-11-05T11:06:00.002-04:00

Yes, we decorate gingerbread houses for Halloween!!

P is for POWER!!

Our little man!!

Our little boy!!!

Oh how I love them!!!

Halloween Continued

2010-11-05T10:55:00.004-04:00

EEWWWW!!!

What's that Mommy??

The "Michael Jackson" pumpkin!!

Oh SO cute!!!

Our sweet boys!!

Halloween Continued

2010-11-05T10:50:00.004-04:00

Meet Buzz Lightyear and Super Mario!!

Brotherly LOVE!!

BROWN eyed boy!!!

Trick or Treat!! Definitely a TREAT!! :)

D-Day -306

2010-11-04T10:41:00.000-04:00

Another busy day!! I met Andrea at our favorite little cafe' in town this morning for coffee and breakfast! :) It was a great morning for a visit to the cafe'...50 degree weather plus rain!! NO complaints here...the colder it gets, the closer we are to my honey coming home!!!!!! We spent the better part of three hours at the coffee shop before I headed home, with Andrea's two girls in tow. I watched her girls while she had a parent/teacher conference this afternoon...well I only watched one, I dropped the older one off at a friend's house!! :) I spent the rest of the afternoon steaming and pureeing veggies for my meatball soup recipe that I made for dinner tonight!! I thought I was doing good by starting dinner early...I needed a full day to cook it, with having to puree all the veggies today!! Andrea and both the girls stayed for dinner, since it seemed like the natural thing with them hanging out while I was cooking, but boy were we rushed to eat and get out the door AGAIN!! :) Nathan had wrestling practice tonight, so we scarfed down our dinner and out the door we went. We picked Oran up then headed into town! The boys had a lot of fun at practice tonight, except Noah. He was NOT happy that he wasn't out on the mats wrestling with his "brudder". :( He also didn't have a nap today, so after the whining stopped, he was asleep!! It was a good day!! I am thankful for the busy schedule that keeps us preoccupied!! God's smallest blessings have the biggest outcomes at times!! I am off to download our pictures from Halloween!! I will post a few of my favorites on here tomorrow!! ;)

D-Day -305

2010-11-03T13:34:00.001-04:00

I love short weeks!! It is already Wednesday and it feels like we have just flown through the week!! Now if the rest of the weeks in November and December will fly by, we will be in business!! :) Today was a little less hectic than yesterday!! Right after dropping Nathan off at school, Noah and I headed to the Commissary. I desperately needed groceries!! I am finally utilizing the cookbook "Deceptively Delicious" that Joe bought me a few years ago for Christmas, so I will be a pureeing queen this week!! :) Up on the menu tonight was "Buttered Noodles"...it's really "Squash Noodles". My children are good eaters, most of the time, but they still don't eat the leafy, green veggies that are the most healthy for you, like broccoli and carrots!! SO...I am adding those healthy veggies (squash, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes) to things they eat and they'll never know!! *insert cheshire grin* :) We had church tonight, so we had an early dinner, then headed out the door! We only have one more practice after tonight's before we have our Thanksgiving concert at church. Rachel and I worked on the props tonight!! It is going to be SO cute!! I will definitely make sure we have video footage!! :) Once again tonight, I could hardly keep my eyes awake after 9:00, so I am off to bed again!! I am not going to complain about not staying up later, as I have actually been experiencing solid sleep the last couple of nights!! WOOO HOOO!!

D-Day -304

2010-11-02T07:35:00.000-04:00

Happy Election DAY!!! Today was an insane day!! I dropped Nathan off at school, then came home for a short time before meeting Rachel down at her house so we could head to the polls together! After voting, Rachel hopped in the truck with us as we drove into town to drop Noah off with my friend Heather. Rachel and I then headed to another district, where we campaigned for Ronnie Mitchell, a great Christian, conservative man from our church, who was running for Superior Court Judge. We worked for a few hours before we had to head back to pick up Noah, then race back on post in order to get Nathan from school on time. Whew!! I am tired just thinking about it!! :) After I picked Nathan up from school, my plan was to run to the Commissary to quickly pick up what we needed for dinner tonight, but of course, Noah fell asleep in the car as soon as we were in the school parking lot!! So, I came home, let Noah sleep, and headed out as soon as he was awake. It was nearly 4:30 when he woke up, so we rushed through the Commissary and rushed home so I could start dinner. Dinner was done around 6:00, so we hopped back in the truck with dinner and headed to Heather's house once again to deliver the yummy dinner to her and enjoy it with her. Heather's mom recently passed away, so we are preparing a few meals for her this week as she grieves. We finally got home around 8:30 tonight!! Talk about T-I-R-E-D!! But it was a great day!!! :) Thankful to be sleeping in my own bed tonight!!!

D-Day -303

2010-11-01T07:16:00.000-04:00

Two words: LONG and DRIVE. That pretty much sums up how today went! As much as we LOVE going to Grandma Mimi and PawPaw's house, the drive can be excruciatingly long...especially when the DVD player decides to stop working 2 or 3 hours into your 6 to 7 hour drive. Excruciating is exactly how I would describe the drive home. BUT, we made it home safely, so that is the important thing!! :) We made it home early enough that Nathan didn't have to miss his first wrestling practice!! Oran's dad Glen took the boys to practice tonight!! Glen said Nathan did really well his first time. He won all three of his little matches!! Nathan came home, showing me the standing stance, and talking all about take downs!! :) It's almost 8:30, which means that it is time for me to sign off and head to bed!! One of these nights I might actually catch up on all of my shows!!! :)

D-Day -302

2010-10-31T07:03:00.000-04:00

Holy Toledo Batman!! Today was a lot of fun...and really tiring!! I think I am tired, I can only imagine how Reggie feels who ran the 26.2 miles!! :) We had so much fun watching the race!! A lot of the runners wrote or tapped their names to their shirts so people in the crowds could cheer them on! We hollered and yelled for just about anyone...Dad being the clown that he is was yelling random names into the crowds!! I totally felt like Joe was right there with us...he and his Dad are JUST alike!! :) Liz and I could hardly contain the laughter towards Dad...it was TOO stinkin funny!!! *rolling on the floor laughing* We finally caught a glimpse of Reggie on mile 16, but other than that, he was lost in the crowd of runners!! It felt like we waited FOREVER at the finish line for him...oh wait, we did wait a pretty long time!! :) We did squeeze in a scrumptious lunch at Chipotle while we waited though!!! Thanks Liz for the birthday lunch...that's right, today is actually my birthday!! Reggie finally found us and we made our way back to the Metro, that at this point was over-crowded with the 50,000+ runners and their families trying to make an exit, just as we were!! It was a very quiet ride back, as most of us napped on the way! We made it back to the house around 4:00. We were exhausted!! We headed over to Terri's soon after arriving back for dinner and trick or treating!! The boys had so much fun...and unfortunately for me, they got a lot of chocolate candy this year...not so good for my waist line!! I will post pictures soon of our sweet boys in their costumes!! We missed you tonight Joe!! Halloween just isn't the same without you!! LOVE YOU!!!

D-Day -301

2010-10-30T06:54:00.000-04:00

Liz, Reggie, the boys and I got up early this morning and had a delicious breakfast at Bob Evans with Terri and her kiddos! I had never eaten at a Bob Evans restaurant before, and let me tell you, I have been missing out!! It was SO yummy!!! And a BIG thanks to Reggie who got picked up the tab for all of us!! :) After breakfast, we headed back to the house. Reggie, who is running in the Marine Corps Marathon tomorrow, needed to go into downtown DC to pick up his runner's packet. So Dad and Reggie headed out, while us girls stayed behind and got things ready for the dinner party we were hosting tonight. Everyone got a nap in, except me!! :) But no complaints here...I got one yesterday!! Mimi made a delicious pot of spaghetti tonight!!! In fact, by the time we had served the extra guests we had this evening, there wasn't any left for those of us serving!! :) Mimi had to make a whole new batch just for us!! Definitely a compliment to Mimi on her DELICIOUS meal!!!! We had a good time tonight!! It was great to meet some friends of Liz and Reggie's!! I need to get to bed, seeing as I have to be up at least by 5 for us to get down to the Metro Station and into DC for the race in the morning!! Here's hoping for a good night's sleep!! :) Goodnight!

D-Day -300

2010-10-29T06:36:00.001-04:00

We had a lot of fun today. Noah wanted to be Buzz Lightyear for Halloween this year, so Mimi graciously bought the boys their costumes a few weeks back during her visit with us here. Noah informed me just the other day that he couldn't be Buzz anymore and I asked him why and he said because he didn't have wings!! So...Mimi took care of that today. We went to the party store and Mimi bought Noah the Buzz Lightyear wings that go with his costume!! :) TOO cute!! We all ran a few more errands, then had a yummy BBQ lunch at Famous Dave's!! :) When we got back to the house, the boys desperately needed a nap, so Mimi, being the giver that she is, volunteered to lie down with the boys!! :) I was supposed to go with Dad to the airport to pick up Elizabeth and Reggie, but I caved in and lied down too!! It doesn't take long to be sucked in to sleep, when you are lying in Mimi's bed...it's like pillows from heaven!! I got a short nap in, but any nap for me is something to appreciate!! Liz and Reggie arrived a short time later and we all headed to Ben and Terri's for dinner. We had a great time!! Terri had to drop her oldest son off on Fort Detrick for a lock in, so Liz and I volunteered to go with her. We realized as we were pulling out of the driveway that we had 45 minutes before he needed to be dropped off, so we did what anyone would do...we went bowling!! :) It was a fun night!! Even more so that we kept everyone wondering what in the world we were doing that was taking so long!! Fun, fun, fun!!

D-Day -299

2010-10-28T16:48:00.001-04:00

Well we made it safely to our destination at Mimi and PawPaw's house!! We didn't quite hit the road as early as I would have hoped...Noah has been waking up between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m., and the one morning I actually want to get up that early, he decided to sleep until after 6:00. :) Although I am not complaining, I am sure my body needed the sleep!! Traffic is not nearly as hectic on the roads up this way, when you leave early. The boys did pretty well on the trip, other than asking every 10 seconds if we were there yet!! :) Well, it was a full day and I am pooped!! SO glad to be up here!! Can't wait to see everyone this weekend!!
p.s. the weather is ABSOLUTELY gorgeous up here!! This is definitely God's country up here. The hills look like they have been painted with God's paintbrushes!! Pictures to come!! :)

D-Day -298

2010-10-27T16:42:00.000-04:00

Man oh man did I have a lot to do today!!! I got everything washed, packed and loaded for our trip this weekend, all before attending my first Willow House party tonight as a Design Consultant. Thank you Audrey for being my first hostess!! :) I hardly had a moment to sit down and rest today, but it was all worth it!! And I CAN'T HARDLY WAIT for this weekend!! I am really looking forward to being around family for Halloween...and my birthday!! ;) The boys are super excited...more about trick or treating than Mommy's birthday, but that is okay. I never dressed up in costumes when I was a kid, so now I live vicariously through them!! :) It is past midnight and I need to try and get some sleep, so we can wake up at O'dark thirty to hit the road!! I love you Joseph Robert Power. We miss you and wish you were here. We will be thinking about you!! Goodnight!

D-Day -297

2010-10-26T08:47:00.000-04:00

I definitely feel like we are back to some sense of normalcy this week!! FINALLY!! :) Noah and I stayed home for most of the day, other than taking a load to the post thrift store this morning. It rained a good part of the day, so it was a good day to stay home and inside!! We are taking off for Mimi's on Thursday morning, so I have had a lot to get done before then! We picked Nathan up from school, then hung out around the house tonight. Thanks to my wonderful neighbor Melissa, I was able to get dinner cooked. *I needed two cups of milk...the milk I JUST bought at the Commissary on Monday is rancid...will be taking it back ASAP* We watched some TV together before bedtime, then all crashed downstairs again tonight. I am not sure why the boys love to camp out downstairs...it must remind them of their Daddy!! :) I have a lot to do tomorrow, including my first Willow House party as a Design Consultant!! Wish me luck!!

D-Day -296

2010-10-25T10:47:00.000-04:00

Another Monday down!! :) Today was another good day! Noah and I hung around the house today, getting things taken care of for our trip this weekend. We are SO excited to visit Mimi and PawPaw...plus the added bonus of Aunt Bliblibiff, Uncle Weggie, and Uncle Aaron!! :) It feels really good to have October almost behind us!! I know time will start to fly once November comes and we gear up for the holidays...now to just decide what my plans are for those said holidays!! Anyone want to come here...or fly us out to you, so I don't have to drive?? Any takers?? :) Noah took a nap at a normal time this afternoon, so I am thinking we might have a normal night's sleep tonight!! I can deal with waking up at 5:00 a.m., as long as he isn't waking up at 2:00 a.m. also!! I am going to go finish uploading more pictures and watch some TV before I crash!! Goodnight!!

D-Day -295

2010-10-24T10:41:00.000-04:00

Today was a good day!! We headed home from Diane's house around 9:00 this morning...the poor dogs needed to be let out!! :) The boys and I got a few things done around the house before making a picnic lunch, and heading to Gross Farms for a day at the pumpkin patch with Di, Julian, and Memere! The weather was perfect...okay, it could have been a little cooler, but it was a great day to be outside; not to mention we arrived at the perfect time, before it got overcrowded!! The boys had a lot of fun...definitely got our money's worth...because let me tell you...it was OVER PRICED!! Anyways, we had a great time! The boys were both pooped by the time we left! We had a quiet night at home, just the three of us! I finally got our R&R pictures uploaded...it's only been since August!! :) Check my Facebook page to see them!! Goodnight!

D-Day -294

2010-10-23T10:28:00.000-04:00

Well we survived through this Saturday!! :) Weekends are always tough, so we always try and have something fun to do on Saturdays. Fortunately for us, we had a birthday party invitation that we gladly accepted. The boys had a lot of fun and we ate some really yummy food while there. We made our way home late afternoon, just to stop in the house, let the dogs out, and head back into town to Diane's house. The boys and I ended up crashing at Diane's house tonight. It was nice to be tucked away in a house full of people!! Diane's mom is down visiting from Maine, so we had a nice girl's night!! :) SO thankful for good friends!!

D-Day -293

2010-10-22T07:47:00.000-04:00

It's a good thing I have been going to bed so early...Noah woke up between 4:30 and 5:00 this morning!! This new time schedule he has gotten on is KILLING ME!! But at least I am going to bed early, so I am not waking up as grumpy!! :) Waking up early this morning suited Mimi just fine, since she wanted to get on the road to Maryland early. We said our goodbyes with Mimi before the sun came up!! Even though we will see Mimi again next weekend, it was still hard to see her leave. We did our usual morning routines, getting things ready for Nathan to head to school. We changed things up this morning and walked Nathan to school today! It was quite chilly out, but a beautiful morning for a stroll. It's about a mile and a half to the school, which makes for a great source of exercise for me!! :) I made a last minute appointment for Noah this afternoon, to make sure his ears were looking good after his 10 days of antibiotics!! Dr. Komandur said we are all in the clear!! :) Noah and I took it easy the rest of the day until we left the house to pick up Nathan...we walked again, this time with Rachel and her girls!! Rachel invited us over for the boys to play for a little while after school, and we, of course, graciously accepted!! :) The boys played for a few hours while Rachel and I visited. Nathan was very upset when we left, citing the fact that he already missed his friend Oran. :( Nathan is very much feeling the end of the deployment as well...I just hope the upcoming holidays will be a nice distraction for him!! Speaking of holiday distractions, we went to the Haunted Hercules here on post tonight!! Diane, Julian, Meme, Kerrie, Julian, Aaron and Tony all joined us!!! :) The boys had a blast!! It was so nice to be out with friends, even for just an hour and a half!! Noah actually stayed awake, so I am hoping that he will sleep right past his 4:00 a.m. wake up call!!! But, nonetheless, it is almost 9:00, which means that I am ready to crash!! Goodnight!!

D-Day -292

2010-10-21T07:40:00.000-04:00

Well, we might have had a pretty low key week here, but we certainly packed a lot into each day while Nathan was at school. It's been nice to not be cooped up in the house during the day. Mimi treated me to a pedicure today!!! :) I am so blessed. Mimi really takes care of...some would say I am spoiled by her...and I probably am, but I don't take it for granted!! I appreciate everything that Mimi does for me, but most importantly, her love and support, which I could not live without!! I love you Mimi!! I had truly hoped that Mimi and I could stay up and watch a movie tonight, seeing as it is her last night with us here in NC, but my poor body can't stay awake past 9:00. Sheesh...I feel old...but then again, Noah has been waking up around 5:00 a.m., so I guess I am entitled to feel tired!!! :)

D-Day -291

2010-10-20T07:11:00.001-04:00

Happy Hump Day!! The weeks sure do go a lot faster when you have someone here to share them with...I know, I know...I always have Nathan and Noah here, but having another adult in the house is completely different. Mimi and I went into town today to drop off both my car and Joe's truck for maintenance and while we were out, we went to a few of Mimi's favorite stores: JoAnn's, Tuesday Morning and Hobby Lobby!! :) We went to a few more stores before heading back to post. We were home in time for Mimi to have her daily nap before I had to pick Nathan up from school. It's been a very low key week for us, which we really needed after last week, but Nathan has not exactly appreciated our "stay at home and rest" week; so I called Rachel and Nathan was able to go to church with Oran and his family tonight. It was good for him to get out and have a little fun...not to mention, the house was nice and quiet...Noah didn't nap today, so he fell asleep between 4:00-5:00 this afternoon and has stayed asleep!! :) It's been a great week with Mimi here, and I can't believe tomorrow is our last day with her before she heads home again!! Going to get some rest and hope that Noah sleeps through the night, since he went to sleep so early!! Goodnight!

D-Day -290

2010-10-19T07:10:00.000-04:00

Today was the first day in a long time that I felt some sense of normalcy! Thank God for small blessings...they far supersede the big blessings right now!! Mimi and I went to a few thrift stores in town today. Mimi even landed a beautiful feather-weight Singer from the thrift shop on Pope Air Force Base!! :) Noah took a late nap and slept for several hours after we picked Nathan up from school. It's been a good week. Friday will be here before I know it, and it will be time to say goodbye to Mimi...who has been a GOD SEND!! I am truly blessed with wonderful parents and in-laws; and I don't take it for granted, knowing that not everyone can say that!! :) Off to watch Dancing with the Stars with my favorite Mimi!!

D-Day -289

2010-10-18T14:07:00.000-04:00

Well, we've made it to the third week of October. As I look back, I can't believe we already more than half way through October. Time does go by fast...the events that get us there though, sometimes, make time stand still. Last week was one of those so-called events. I am really looking forward to turning the corner and entering November. Even though we still have several milestones to pass before my honey comes home, we are that much closer!! Not to mention, starting in November, I can officially say "My husband will be returning from a year at war NEXT MONTH". :) Speaking of milestones, we had a BIG one today!! Nathan lost his very first tooth today. He was SO excited. I can remember losing my teeth when I was a kid...only the Tooth Fairy never visited our house!! :) I can't believe my baby has grown up so fast. I cherish these moments and can't wait to share these moments with my wonderful husband!! 4 more paychecks people, 4 more!!! *GRINS*

D-Day -288

2010-10-17T14:01:00.000-04:00

Well, we didn't make it to church today. We had another day of rest here. I think all my "veg" days are used up by now!! :) I normally love to have a few days to just lie around and veg, but after several weeks of being holed up here at home...I CAN'T WAIT TO GET OUT!!!! I am just so thankful to have Mimi here with me...it takes the edge off...more than the edge off...and it is just so nice to not be alone for a few days. I had definitely hit "that" wall in the deployment, and having Mimi here has definitely brought me to the other side. Now to just convince Mimi that she should stay past Wednesday!!! *I will gravel if I have to* :)

D-Day -287

2010-10-16T13:54:00.000-04:00

Noah slept great last night, so we got up this morning and headed out the door to walk the streets...there was a post-wide yard sale this morning and several of our neighbors were having yard sales!! :) The weather was crisp and cool!!!! A perfect morning!! After hitting up a few sales, we headed back to the house to rest. Nathan was not exactly thrilled that we were vegging again today, but we really needed to take it easy, as Noah isn't fully recuperated. We did take the boys for a short bike ride and a short stint at the park, all before the sun set. Interestingly enough, as I previously stated, Noah isn't fully recuped...he threw up again right after dinner. :( It has been confirmed that there is a upper respiratory infection going around that is accompanied by a nasty GI bug. Thanks to everyone that has been praying for us. Please continue to pray for us!! They are MUCH needed!! :)

D-Day -286

2010-10-15T13:46:00.000-04:00

Help is HERE...Mimi has arrived!!!!! :) I am BEYOND grateful that Mimi came down!! I was not running on all cylinders, and it truly helps knowing she is here. Noah and I hung around the house today, finishing up laundry and getting things ready for Mimi to arrive. Noah was so excited. He could hardly contain it!! Mimi came bearing gifts for the kiddos, including the new "How To Train Your Dragon" on DVD, so we all had a nice quiet evening here at the house. I think I might have forgotten what sleep feels like, so while I have the help, I am going to try and remember!! :) Good night!!

D-Day -283 through D-Day -285

2010-10-14T08:02:00.000-04:00

I am far too exhausted to re-type and re-live the horrors of all of the fevers, vomiting, diarrhea, snot and mucus that have gone on in this house over the last few days. Needless to say, I am beat. My poor body has nothing left to give. I am emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausted. BUT, I am so thankful that the Lord has spared me from this ugly virus...other than a minute sinus infection. Help is on the way tomorrow!! :)

D-Day -282

2010-10-11T19:49:00.000-04:00

I have been just a big ball of tears today!! I was really sad to see my Mom go!! :( I never get enough time with her, and this weekend certainly didn't go as planned. We took our time this morning, as we were all dragging. We headed out for a few stores that my Mom doesn't have in her area, that she had wanted to stop at before heading home! The boys were really tired, so we didn't stay out long, and they were both asleep by the time we pulled into the driveway. My Mom didn't want to leave without telling the boys bye, so I got a few extra hours with her!! :) I love my Mommy so much!! And I wouldn't be who I am without her. She's a hero to me. I had a tearful goodbye with her, then did my best to be happy around the boys!! It's been really hard for me, recently, during the evening hours. I am SO ready for my better half to be home!!

D-Day -281

2010-10-10T14:44:00.000-04:00

Today was a really rough day, but I feel so blessed that my mom was here with me, to help carry the load and burden. We went to church this morning...the message was really moving!! I am really glad that we were able to go. After church, we were planning on going to the park with the boys, but Nathan started complaining of an ear ache. Nathan rarely complains about pain, so when he does, I know he must be in some serious pain. Nathan started throwing up around 1:00 and didn't stop. Nathan hadn't gone to the bathroom and his eyes were looking sunken in, so around 8:00 p.m. we decided we had to get Nathan to the ER. My sweet friend Rachel took Noah down to her house, so we could go to the ER and not have to worry about Noah. The ER was really busy, but fortunately, we only had to wait less than an hour. Nathan was sick several more times before they started the IV. He was a real champ when it came time for the IV. He was really scared, but handled like a true hero!! :) Not to mention, he felt much better after they gave him the medicine to stop the vomiting!! He had chest x-rays and blood work done before we were discharged...he was diagnosed with a severe ear infection and an upper respiratory infection. We got home into the wee hours of Monday morning. Needless to say, we are all beyond exhausted!! Praying for good sleep for all of us tonight!!

I love you Mom!! Thank you for being here for me, when Joe couldn't!! :)

D-Day -280

2010-10-09T13:50:00.000-04:00

We had a change of plans today...my Dad didn't come up to see us, but my Mom did!! :) The boys and I hung around for most of the day, waiting for my Mom to get here. I called Rachel and asked if Oran could come down to play with Nathan, so the boys all played for several hours. When my mom got here, we just took it easy and let the boys continue to play. They played well into the evening. :) I walked Oran home around 7:30 tonight. The boys had a fun-filled day of playing!! My mom and I desperately tried to stay awake after the boys were in bed, but we aren't succeeding. We are heading to bed ourselves, in search of a good night's sleep!! :)

D-Day -279

2010-10-08T13:19:00.000-04:00

Today was a busy day, but turned out to be a really good day. I had a meeting with some ladies from PWOC this morning at my favorite little coffee shop, Cafe Espana. Since Nathan has a 4-day weekend, the boys came along, but thanks to my handy dandy iPhone, the boys were able to watch a movie on Netflix, right on my phone!! :) After the meeting, we headed home so I can could gather up a few things that I needed to take to the consignment store. The boys were pretty well behaved!! ;) We got home around lunch time, and quickly made our lunches and headed to the big park on Pope. The boys had a blast!! I even ran into one of our gals in the FRG. :) It was a beautiful day to be at the park!! We stayed for a few hours and had just enough time to head to Walmart to pick up what we needed for our FRG game night tonight. We didn't have a great turnout of ladies tonight, but we had a great time playing board games and eating our yummy dishes!! It was just nice to get out of the house and be around others who are going through the same emotions that we are!! Looking forward to seeing my Dad tomorrow!! :)

D-Day -278

2010-10-07T13:10:00.000-04:00

It's been a long week, so I took it easy today....didn't even bother to get out of my pj's. :) I am really looking forward to having company this weekend, especially on this long weekend. The boys and I are going to camp downstairs tonight...because we can..and because we miss our Joe!! :)

D-Day -277

2010-10-06T07:51:00.000-04:00

I got a lot done today while Nathan was at school, and Noah was a little sweetheart all day!! We really had a good day together...that is until we picked Nathan up from school. I do believe we have all hit that wall in the deployment, kids included. This afternoon was rough, from homework to the boys squabbling over anything and everything. The boys were both tired, and I knew it, even though Noah was fighting the urge to go to sleep and Nathan was just plain denying it. After dinner we loaded up in the car and headed to church. Even though I knew it could end in catastrophe with the boys, I also knew we needed to be there tonight. And as I had expected, both boys were exhausted, as they were both asleep after the 15 minute drive to church. So...I had a good cry, then woke the boys up and went inside. :) Things were a lot more calm after we left church. The boys went straight to bed when we got home. And I very much enjoyed some time to myself before falling asleep. We have a four day weekend, so I definitely need to figure out what we are going to do with our long weekend. REALLY missing our other half!!

D-Day -276

2010-10-05T21:06:00.002-04:00

One of these nights, I would really like to be able to stay awake long enough to have some time for myself...but most nights, my eyes and body dictate otherwise. It's been a long week already, and it is only Tuesday. Nathan was home from school again today...same symptoms as last night. We had a doctor's appointment today and everything looked good...no throat infections, no ear infections. The doctor did say there is a viral infection going around that last for 2-4 days with the same symptoms as Nathan. We didn't receive any antibiotics but Nathan did have to get a steroid shot before we left!! :( It broke my heart, especially after I had assured Nathan when we got there that there would be no shots today!!! SO, to make it up to him, we went to Chick-fil-A for dinner tonight!! The doctor gave Nathan the all clear to go to school tomorrow, so I am very much looking forward to some normalcy tomorrow...or maybe a long nap, if I can!! :) I am going to attempt to watch some TV before I nod off!! Let's see how far I can make it!! Goodnight!

Oh before I forget...we had two funny things happen today with the boys:
First: When I was instant messaging with Joe, Nathan told me to type to his Daddy that he missed him and wanted him to come home soon...so that Daddy could kiss Mommy
-I don't know where my children come up with these things, but yes, I would take a kiss from Daddy ANY day!! :)
Second: I must have been doing something that Noah found annoying because on the drive home from dinner, Noah said, "You're killing me Smalls". HILARIOUS!!
-Out of the mouths of babes!! :)

D-Day -275

2010-10-04T20:58:00.000-04:00

It definitely felt like Monday today! Nathan stayed home from school today. He was running a fever all night and was up a good part of the night struggling to breathe. Our poor little guy...I just hate it when the kids are sick. Nathan is always a real trooper though...hardly ever complains when he doesn't feel good...and always has a smile on his face for me!! I think he senses that I have major anxiety when he and Noah are sick, so he does his best to put on a happy face for me!! He is such a sweet boy!! Nathan felt good most of the day, not running fevers at all, so we gladly accepted a dinner invitation from Andrea. She made a delicious roast!! We all ate it up...well everyone but Noah, who slept through the whole thing!! :) I truly have amazing friends. I hope that I am as good of a friend to them, as they are to me!! I am blessed!! And tired!!! Did I mention that I will again be sleeping on the floor of the living room, camping out with the boys?? The things I do for my children!!! :) *I really don't mind...I can sleep anywhere with a pillow and a blanket*

D-Day -274

2010-10-03T08:31:00.001-04:00

Today was not the typical Sunday for us, and it felt a little off. Nathan woke up with the seal-like cough, aka the croup, so we stayed home from church. I really needed to make a trip to the Commissary, as I had put it off all week, and had no choice but to go today; because I wouldn't have what we need for school lunch, just in case Nathan is able to go to school tomorrow. I have been trying to print coupons for the organic foods I buy, but our printer is on the fritz, so I went over to my neighbor's house and begged to use theirs...I didn't have to beg hard...Melissa is the best!!! :) Nathan and Noah were having fun with Lexi and didn't want to leave, so Mel invited them to stay and play while I ran to the Commissary!!! THANKS MEL!!! I usually loathe grocery shopping, but it is a completely different beast when you are shopping without kids!!! Noah was asleep on Mel's couch by the time I had unloaded the groceries...he slept for 3 and a half hours this afternoon!!! Nathan started running a fever this afternoon, so it was a quiet one here in the Power House!! I am praying that whatever Nathan has, passes quickly!! We have all been dodging the sick bullet...Noah and I are both congested!! Nathan wants to camp out downstairs tonight, and because he is sick, I will oblige him!! :) It's only 9:00, but I am heading to bed...I mean the living room floor!! :)

Happy 30th Birthday to my beautiful friend Becky!! I am so blessed to have you in my life!! Love you friend!!! :)

D-Day -273

2010-10-02T19:49:00.000-04:00

Today was a busy day!! The orders from my Willow House party came in, so I spent a good part of the morning, sorting the orders and getting them bagged to deliver my friends...or should I say customers!! :) I also received my free items, so I, of course, rearranged a few things here in the house, to accommodate my new arrivals!! I ran a few errands this afternoon, then got a 911 call from my BFF Diane...she was feeling lonely, so I was more than happy to head over her way and spend the evening with her!! :) We ordered pizza from Elizabeth's Pizza and had a nice evening with the kids!! We headed home earlier than we normally do, but both boys were pooped. I'm going to try and stay awake to watch some TV before I crash...gotta clear some of these shows off my DVR. :)

Willow House

2010-10-01T19:45:00.001-04:00

You are now looking at the newest Design Consultant for WillowHouse!! :) Check out my website and let me know if you want information on hosting a party or becoming a part of this great company!!!

http://www.kimberlydpower.willowhouse.com/

D-Day -272

2010-10-01T10:21:00.001-04:00

HELLO OCTOBER!!!! Fall has finally arrived here in North Carolina!! I love everything about this season...the colors of the changing leaves, mums and pumpkin patches, apple cider, the crispness of the air...I could go on forever!! :) Today was a good day!! Spent the whole day with different friends!!! :) I am truly never alone!! I am very blessed to have such great friends!!! I cherish all of you, whether I have known you for years or for just a short season!! It is close to midnight and I need to head to bed...but not before finishing my latest episode of the Biggest Loser!! :)

D-Day -271

2010-09-30T09:27:00.000-04:00

I woke up this morning to the sounds of fierce winds outside. We were still under tornado watches and the sounds coming from outside were very scary. The storm outside only added to the "storm" that was brewing inside. Things didn't go as planned today, but I know God has a reason and purpose for everything, even for things that we don't understand. God's design is never wrong, so I will hold onto hope and faith in that God is in control. I was pretty drained tonight, and didn't feel like cooking dinner, so we went to "Old McDonald's" and the boys played for awhile. We came home and I gave the boys a bath and read several books to them. They are now tucked peacefully into their beds...well Nathan sleeps in his Daddy's office on the couch, but he is still tucked in!! :) I am ready for some quiet time tonight!! Good night!!

‎"God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in seastorm and earthquake, Before the rush and roar of the oceans, the tremors that shift mountains.". Psalm 46:1-2 (The Message)

D-Day -270

2010-09-29T08:57:00.000-04:00

Happy Hump Day!! This week has been dragging by...I don't know if it is due to the weather, which I absolutely love, don't get me wrong, or that I haven't been feeling well, or that I have hit that "wall" in the deployment!! I have taken it easy this week, because, as I said, I haven't been feeling well and wanted to try and rest. This week has rendered great weather for staying home and resting. We have been under flash flood watches and tornado watches for the last couple of days!! We have really needed the rain, though; it has been a few months since we've had rain. Noah took a late nap, then we met Diane at the mall for dinner!! It was nice to be out of the house, since we've been couped up all week! My DVR is finally getting full again, with all of my new fall shows recording, but I am usually too tired to stay up and watch any TV after the boys are asleep, but I am looking forward to some "me" time tonight...I might even have a glass of wine!!! :)

D-Day -269

2010-09-28T09:27:00.000-04:00

I knew I wasn't going to make it to PWOC this morning, so I took my friend up on her offer to watch her little four month old son, while she went to the dentist. I just love babies!! :)
Baby fix--check
Kristin and Si hung out with us for a little while after she returned from the dentist, and we thoroughly enjoyed the company!! Noah and I picked Nathan up from school, then came home to work on homework before dinner. Andrea invited us over for dinner, so we happily accepted her offer to eat with her and the girls tonight!! Andrea makes a great pot of chili!! :)
Time with friends--check
I am so exhausted, I can't even keep my head up to type this. Good night!!

D-Day -268

2010-09-27T08:17:00.001-04:00

A mundane Monday with LOTS of rain...sounds like a GREAT excuse to stay in my pj's all day...and that's exactly what I did!! I have been fighting a cold for a few weeks, but I think my pure exhaustion is allowing me to succumb to it...but I am resisting!! My body aches and I am drained, but I am pushing through!!
W-I-L-L- N-O-T- G-E-T- S-I-C-K!!! :) I am in need of some good sleep...praying that I get it!! Goodnight!!

D-Day -267

2010-09-26T20:42:00.002-04:00

RAIN!!!!!! :) SO excited that we are fore casted to get rain all week!!! I am hoping that this much needed rain brings in the fall weather I have LONG been waiting for!! The rain did hold off until after we were home from church!! We had a nice, quiet afternoon here at the house. We watched a little TV, then worked on Nathan's Bible verses for AWANA. Noah didn't cry nearly as much tonight as he has the last few weeks!! :) Nathan mastered another verse, so we are onto another one this week!! It was a great weekend. It definitely helps pass the time when we have things to keep us occupied!! We are heading into the last week of September...I am looking forward to October, as that is one month closer to our hero being home!!!

D-Day -266

2010-09-25T20:34:00.001-04:00

Whew...what a day...and I thought Thursday was busy!! Today we had two birthday parties plus a dinner and movie date with Andrea!! Our first party started at noon. I was pretty tired this morning, so I put the TV on in the office for the boys and I laid in my bed and watched some TV in my room!! It was pretty spectacular to lay in bed for a while this morning!! :) We left the house in time to stop and get a gift for the first party and get there just after it started!! We stayed a few hours, long enough for a few meltdowns from Noah. After leaving, we headed to yet another store for yet another birthday gift and made our way to our second birthday party. The party started at 1:00 p.m., but we were very late due to the first party. Everyone had gone, but the birthday girl was still happy to see us!! :) We stayed for a few hours before heading to Andrea's for dinner and a movie!! Andrea has a play room at her house, so it is great to send the kids upstairs for play or a movie, while we can watch a grown up movie downstairs!! We watched the movie "Remember Me" with Robert Pattinson...SO sad...but a great movie!! I did refrain from crying this time!! :) It was late when we got home, but I really had a great day!!

D-Day -265

2010-09-24T20:15:00.000-04:00

Today was a good day!! I dropped Nathan off at school, then headed to Andrea's house for breakfast and coffee...plus some FRG related things!! It was a lovely morning!! I really enjoy my time with Andrea and her apple crisp was divine!! :) After Noah and I got home, we didn't have long before we needed to pick Nathan back up from school. Noah fell asleep in the car, waiting to pick Nathan up, so we headed home after school so Noah could take his nap. Once Noah was awake, we headed to the Commissary to pick up a few essentials for my famous "broccoli salad". :) Diane and Andrew had a BBQ at their house tonight for a few friends, since Andrew is home on his two weeks of R&R leave. We had a great time tonight. Andrew is quite the grill master!! It felt so good to be doing something so familiar, like being at a BBQ with our good friends!! Less than 100 days now!! :)

Really missed you tonight Joe!! I definitely felt like a part of me was missing tonight when I was with our friends. I love you!! Can't wait to be in your arms again!!! :)

D-Day -264

2010-09-23T12:31:00.002-04:00

Sheesh...what a crazy day!!! Noah has been all out of sorts since Elizabeth left yesterday. He must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, because he threw down some fierce tantrums this morning...throw downs on the floor accompanied by kicking and screaming!! I didn't pray for patience this morning, so I was wondering why God was giving me so many opportunities to be patient!! :) After Noah finally settled down...for a brief moment...we headed over to Rebecca's house. Rebecca hosted a Silpada Jewelry party this morning from 11:00-1:00, so Noah and I eagerly attended!! I LOVE Silpada jewelry!! I ordered a nice necklace and earrings to match!! :) I will be hosting my own Silpada party the first week of October!! Speaking of hosting parties, I hosted a Willow House party tonight!! I was skeptical of how things would go down tonight...Noah continued to throw tantrums all day and managed to NOT take a nap after all of the wailing and screaming...needless to say, Noah was well acquainted with time out this evening. :( Regardless, I had a good time and enjoyed the company with all of the wonderful gals who came!! I am hoping to get a few more orders before I close the party out...so if you read this blog and want to order...let me know!! :) I will post the link to the website at the bottom!!

http://charissa.willowhouse.com/

D-Day -263

2010-09-22T12:22:00.000-04:00

Well, we took Elizabeth to the airport this morning!! :( Noah was not happy that he couldn't stay at the airport with Bliblibiff!! As a matter of fact, he wasn't happy the rest of the day...thus making Mommy not happy for the rest of the day. Noah finally crashed for his nap around 1:50 this afternoon, so I called my friend Rachel and asked if her husband Glen could just pick Nathan up for me, when he was at the school to grab their kids. Noah had just fallen asleep and I really didn't want to wake him from his MUCH needed nap. Rachel said Glen had already left to get the kids and hadn't taken his cell phone, but she kindly reminded me that today was early release day...I HAD TOTALLY FORGOTTEN!! School gets out at 1:55 p.m. on Wednesdays!! Nathan was one of the last kids to be picked up from school today and I am always early!! It has been one of those days!!! Fortunately, we had Children's Choir at church tonight to occupy some of our time this evening. I am definitely looking forward to some "me" time tonight...I NEED IT!!!

D-Day -262

2010-09-21T13:03:00.001-04:00

Day #5 with my sister in law tops the charts!! What happened this evening is so funny, I almost didn't believe it really happened...and it would have only happened under the supervision of Aunt Bliblibiff aka Aunt Elizabeth!! I had an officer's wife coffee to attend this evening, so I left Nathan and Noah with Liz for a few hours. The boys were finishing dinner as I was leaving, so I told Liz about a park down the street that they could walk to after dinner, if she wanted to take them. *Liz recalled this story to me, after I got home* Liz said they did, in fact, walk to the park, and not long after arriving, Nathan told her that he needed to go to the bathroom. The park down from our house is nestled in a large group of trees, so Liz did the natural thing, and told him to go into the trees and go potty. *A true luxury of having boys, I tell you* :) So, Nathan proceeded into the trees and the next thing Liz heard was Nathan telling her that he needed to POOP!! Liz told Nathan that he would have to hold it and they would walk the few blocks home and he told her, "TOO LATE" and that he needed something to wipe with!!!! She told Nathan to grab some leaves, in true boy scout manner and wipe with those!! I will, however, spare you the rest of the details!! :) As Liz was telling me this story, I didn't know whether to laugh or shake my head in disbelief!! :) It was HILARIOUS!!! Liz doesn't have kids of her own yet, so I can only imagine what was going through her head as she realized her nephew had just taken a huge poop in the trees at the park!!! I was rolling of the floor laughing!!! She did give the boys a bath when they got back...thankfully!!!! :) What a great story, that we will tell Nathan as he gets older...about the time he pooped at the park with Aunt Bliblibiff!! :)

*As funny as it was, I do intend to sit down with Nathan in the morning and tell him that it is NOT proper and VERY unsanitary to poop outside...*

D-Day -261

2010-09-20T13:03:00.000-04:00

Day #4 with my sister in law: I was slow moving this morning, so after dropping Nathan off at school, Liz and I sat down and watched "Letters to Juliet". It was really cute...a total girl movie, but definitely a new favorite for me!! :) After the movie was over, I took Noah outside to play some baseball. I tell you what, that kid is completely happy, as long as he has a ball in his hand and something to swing at it with, whether it is a bat, a golf club or a stick!! :) After a few rounds of ball, we came inside to get ready for lunch. We went up to the school and had lunch with Nathan today!! Noah was SO excited to see his "brudder" in the cafeteria! Nathan loves to show his baby brother off to his friends...I just wish he felt that same way about Noah at home!! After lunch we headed home for a little while before school got out for the day! Liz and Noah napped, while Nathan and I knocked out his homework! After everyone was up, Liz revealed her secretly planned trip to CHUCK E CHEESE to the boys!!! The boys were very excited!! We had a great time...we used up a lot of tokens and won almost 1,000 tickets!! Of course, Noah wanted a ball!! :) We had a great night!!

D-Day -260

2010-09-19T12:48:00.000-04:00

Day #3 with my sister in law: Weeelll, we were all exhausted from our trip yesterday, so we didn't do much of anything today!! So, we did what anyone would do when you have no plans on a Sunday, we got Krispy Kreme and watched TV!! :) The boys and I did run a few errands while Liz took her nap, but made it home with plenty of time to spare before we got ready for AWANA tonight. Noah decided that he didn't want to go, so he stayed behind with Aunt Bliblibiff!! :) Nathan and I headed over to the Tolson Youth Center to get ready to greet the swarms of kids gathering for AWANA tonight!! We had a really good time!! It was a lot easier on me, knowing Noah was home with Liz! Nathan did really GREAT tonight!! He fully memorized his verse and was awarded his AWANA vest and new handbook!!! :) SO proud of him!! Now we have to get crackin' on learning all of his new verses!! Now that we are home, it's time for some Sunday night football!!! I play Liz this week in our FF league!! Here's hoping that I whip some Liz booty!! :) *with total grace and humility* :)

D-Day -259

2010-09-18T12:25:00.000-04:00

Day #2 with my sister in law was a fun-filled, adventurous day. We got ready for the day and hopped in the car and started out for our day trip to SC. There was a baby shower being given to my sister Erin, so we made the 3 hour trip down to be a part of Erin's special day. We met my mom at Target and handed the boys off to her, so she could have some Marmie time with her grandsons, while Liz and I headed over to the shower. We had a good time...Liz even won a few games!! :) Before we headed over to my mom's to pick up the boys, we went to a really quaint yarn store in Summerville. Did I forget to mention that Liz works at a yarn store on an Alpaca farm in Oregon!!?? She had a great time looking at their yarn and a few of their patterns. She even walked away with a new bag!! :) We headed over to my mom's and spent a little bit of time with her before we loaded back in the car to head home. The 3 hour drive home went by fast...it's amazing how that happens when you have another adult in the car!! HA! :) We pulled up in the driveway around 10:30!! We had a really good day!!!

D-Day -258

2010-09-17T22:06:00.002-04:00

Day #1 with my sister in law included us staying in our pj's for most of the day!! Elizabeth cheated and actually changed her clothes later this afternoon, but I stayed true to the day and stayed in my finest all day!! :) We had a nonchalant day here, which was very nice and relaxing...no where to be...no obligations or appointments...just us and the boys having fun!!! It was a good day!!

D-Day -257

2010-09-16T21:54:00.000-04:00

...SHE'S HERE!!! :) We had a full day today, running errands and getting the house ready for our company. Elizabeth's plane arrived around 10:00 p.m. tonight in Raleigh and it is just about midnight, so we are heading to bed!! *Raleigh is an hour and a half from where we live.* We are beyond excited that she is here with us for a week!! The boys were both asleep when we got to the airport, so we will have to wait until morning to really see their excitement!! I don't know what we have in store as far as plans go, but I know one thing is for sure, it is great to be with family!!! Wish you were here Joe!! We love you!!

D-Day -256

2010-09-15T21:47:00.001-04:00

Today was a veg day!! I did my best to stay in my pj's all day, until I had to get Nathan from school. I actually attempted to take a nap, but the phone kept me from falling asleep...Noah on the other hand, fell asleep beside me on the couch, and was out for the count for a few hours. What I wouldn't give to sleep that soundly!! :) Children's choir at church was cancelled for tonight, so we headed up to Chick-fil-A for dinner with Rebecca and Brodan instead. We had a good time, and the boys were able to burn off some energy while playing!! My sister in law, Elizabeth, flies in tomorrow from Portland!!! We are SO excited...Nathan has been counting down all week!! We definitely need some company!!! :)

D-Day -255

2010-09-14T20:13:00.002-04:00

Have I mentioned that I love Tuesdays?? I love being a part of PWOC!! I don't know what took me so long to get involved...we've only lived here for 6 and a half years!! :) Noah still hasn't adjusted to being away from Mommy for that amount of time (2 and a half hours), but I thoroughly enjoy my time at PWOC!! After our group was dismissed, Noah and I headed to the Commissary to pick up a few things. Tracy makes this FABULOUS salad with mandarin oranges and feta cheese with a homemade dressing and I LOVE it...so much so that I have been craving it. So, I went to the store and bought the ingredients to make the salad here at home!! *My salad didn't taste as good as Tracy's but I guess I will need to do it a few times before I master it* Nathan had his friend Oran over after school for some boy time on the Wii. Oran's Mommy, my friend Rachel, stayed for awhile and visited while the boys played. It is such a wonderful thing to have friends who are fellow Christians. The hard times are easier to get through when you have good friends to lean on. Speaking of time, time seems to be going by rather quickly. Tomorrow we will be half way through another week already!! :) I don't want to rush through the rest of this year without enjoying the time we have, but I do long for the day when we will be a complete family again. I miss my other half!!! Some people say you get a "seven year itch" when you have been married that long, but I truly feel that our marriage hasn't been better and stronger than it is right now. I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful and encouraging husband!! I love you Joe and I am praying for you!!! Stay safe my love!!

D-Day -254

2010-09-13T20:53:00.004-04:00

Today was a good day, not many happenings during the day, other than Noah pooping on the floor!! :) Fortunately for me, I was in the middle of cleaning the carpets when he decided to be lazy and poop right on the floor, so at least I got it cleaned right up!! I happened to be chatting with Joe when it happened, and he found it quite humorous!! :) We had dinner with Tracy tonight...I grilled turkey legs for the kids and she made her famous salad for us!! We had a good day...and to make it even better...the fall lineup of shows starts tonight!! YES!!!! :)

D-Day -253

2010-09-12T21:33:00.002-04:00

We are inching closer and closer to being under 100 days!!! :) SO excited about that...speaking of excited...who is excited about some NFL football today!!!! Wooo HOOO!!! GO COWBOYS, BEAT REDSKINS!!!! Today was a great day. I really see God moving in my life and in the lives of my friends, and it is really amazing to see. We had a guest speaker named Nico from Africa at church today, who doesn't speak English; our message was delivered in French but was translated by an interpreter. French is such a beautifully spoken language, and even though I couldn't understand the language, you knew that he was passionate about the message he was delivering!! They told us that there were opportunities to do mission work with them in Senegal!! Sign me up!! I would LOVE to go to Africa!! :) Andrea and I took the kids to lunch after church then headed home for a little while, to attempt at resting before heading out again!! AWANA (Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed) started back up tonight, and this year, I am helping lead the kids in their groups. Noah even gets to be a cubby!! :) It is exciting to see our boys learning Scripture and what the verses mean in their lives. It was a great day!! Now on to watch my Cowboys whoop some Redskin booty...hopefully!! :)

D-Day -252

2010-09-11T23:07:00.002-04:00

September 11th, 2001. A day in time that will always stand still in my mind. I don't think any of us Americans will forget where we were on that day, nine years ago, when we heard the news that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. A great many lives were lost that day, but what happened, following the devastation, was nothing but grace from a country that had been shaken. We stood united as a nation after the attacks on 9/11. Even for just a brief period of time, we all appreciated other Americans and what our freedoms really stand for. We stopped getting angry because we were stuck in traffic, but thanked God we were alive to be in that traffic. The phrase "God Bless America" became a meaningful term, because we as Americans were in search of Him, in a time of great trials and crisis. Unfortunately, some of us have forgotten how we felt on that day. We are no longer patient at the drive thru, we are ready to cuss when someone cuts us off... I will certainly never forget the sacrifices of those that suffered and died on that day. My heart soars with pride for my very own husband, who is currently serving in our Armed Forces in Afghanistan, protecting the rights of the free. Freedom is not free. Always Remember, Never Forget 9/11/2001.

D-Day -251

2010-09-10T12:13:00.000-04:00

WOW...I have turned into one of "those" Moms!! :) I have been busy, busy, busy all week, and today has been the first day I have had to stay home. I had it in my head that I was going to relax, watch a movie, etc...yeah, right!! Because I have literally not been home all week, I spent the day washing clothes, towels, sheets...vacuuming, polishing...and the list goes on!!! I blinked this morning and it was lunch time, then I blinked again and it was time to get Nathan from school. I fully plan on resting on Sunday...of course I will be watching some football while I rest...gotta keep track of my FF lineup!! :) Tracy and I went over to Andrea's for dinner and a movie tonight. A good time was had by all. I was really tired, so we left before the movie was over. We have a packed weekend, so I am hoping for a better night's sleep than what I had last night!! Goodnight!!