God is great!!!!

Thank you for all your prayers! God is amazing! God totally took away my headache and allowed me to do my "important" thing. The kids and I flew to California to surprise Amanda for her bridal shower!!!! My mom met us there. It was a great weekend. One of my favorite parts was seeing God's creativity in all the beautiful GREEN scenery. The palm trees were magnificent. I had so much fun laughing with and AT Brandon. He is such a goofball. I will have to share some pictures with you all sometime.
We made it home on Sunday. It has been a busy week so far. God showed me His love again today with a fairly positive experience at the doctor's today.
Will write more later, headed to bed.... hoping to sleep... HA!

Prayer

I have something very important to do today, and as life would have it I woke up at 3am with a serious migraine. I am doing all I can to fight it right now. I am so sad and frustrated and in pain. PLease pray that God would immediately take this pain away so that I can accompliah what i need to today.
THanks

And yet.... a calmness

Yet, they seem so happy and calm in these colors...... hmmmmmmmmmmmm

Horrifying thought.....

It was horrifying to my children..... even from the very beginning......... to think that they would have to be U of I fans! You can see the fear and confusion in their faces.

What happened to the good ol days?

I remember when my mom brought in cupcakes for our birthdays and treats and snacks for different theme parties when we were in school. To me, that is part of the image of a fun and great mom..... one that stays up to all hours of the night wrapping popcorn balls in saran wrap to stuff in homemade stocking for the whole class (yes mom, I do remember!)......... but here is the note that I got from the kids' classes.

Each child has been assigned a day to bring snack. This will happen once every month. Please keep the following in mind when bringing a snack:
Nothing with peanut products - we have students with allergies
It must be store packaged - nothing homemade
The snack can not be full of sugar - we will not serve cookies, crackers or sweet treats
You must provide a drink - the drink must be 100% juice, NO red, purple, or dark colored juice

hmmmmmm, what is left? Not much..... so I took in a bag of baby carrots! I felt so bad for Dimitri..... can you imagine if you were the kid who's mom brought in a BAG OF CARROTS for snack!

I think that there are just as many, if not MORE, problem kids in school now as there were when I was in school. All these restrictions can't make that much of a difference. Isn't funny to see how times change. It is really kind of sad. So much of the fun of school has been eliminated.

Saturday

What fun is a Saturday in the early fall without your best friend to watch football with you? Not much fun at all. I miss my man. I am still trying to enjoy the games, but it isn't quite the same. It just doesn't feel quite right to yell at the refs all by yourself. There is no one to give a high five to or to say "Oh my goodnees! Did you see that?" Well, I suppose I could ask myself, but that would be kind of weird.
I remember last year, I would go over to Tony's place and we would watch the games together. He would BBQ and we would hang out with the patio door open, enjoying the fall in Boise. We also had a lot of fun going to the BSU games. There is a feeling that comes over you when you are surrounded by 30,000 other fans in Blue and Orange..... and no mom....it isn't fear! .......it is SO fun and exciting.
Ahhhhh, the good ol days.

The big stinker!

I tried to light a cigar last night, but found out that Tony had taken ALL of them to Iraq with him..... can you belive it????? He didn't even leave ONE for his dear wife! Guess he was afraid he would come home to this.....

Another Week is coming to a close

It is almost Friday, and where our dear Tony is, it is already Friday. I have a scrapbooking date tomorrow with some of the other wives here that have husbands deployed. It is through a group called Protestant Women of the Chapel. And since the Army loves to have acronyms for everything, they call it PWOC. This is also the group that has the Bible study. We will be making "back to school" pages.


Today was a pretty good day. It was nice and cool when we woke up and left for school. It started raining on the way there and continued on my way home. It was a bit of a gloomy day, but I have to admit that I really like days like this. When it is sunny and bright here, it seems fake. I guess because I have come to realize that there are so many sad hearts around here. So, rainy gloomy days seem to fit better. I was able to do some things around the house. The kids had an early release day, so I picked them up around noon. The rest of the day was fairly quiet. I was able to get some of my Bible study done.


I just got the kids to bed. I opened up some windows. There is a really nice breeze blowing through. I was just overcome with sadness though. I can hear a lot of helicopters tonight........


The sound of helicopters stirs up my emotions. I have so many things that come to mind, just by hearing them. I think of my dark nights in Haiti in 2003 and 2004 when the country was in unrest and the helicopters flew all night to shoot and protect. I think back to those times. Those first few months in Haiti were so wonderful, with Dominique and the other children. Life seemed so simple. All I was expected to do was love on a darling baby. That's it! Sure, life was a little challenging with no water, little money, etc, but overall it didn't matter much. Sometimes I wonder what I did wrong to cause God to take me out of that situation, then as quickly as I fall into that thinking, I remember that it was my selfishness that led to my destruction. .........


When I hear the helicopters I also think about Tony. I wonder if he has gotten used to hearing them all the time, at all times of day and night. I wonder what he is doing at that moment.


Right now I am just sad, wishing that he was here. I know that tonight would be a perfect cigar night...... nice and cool, very little breeze.....we would sit out on the back patio and talk about life, wonder what God has planned for our family, laugh at silly things people in our lives do, I could unwind with him about the challenges of raising Denaiza.......


Yes, it is hard....not having him here. I think I will end it here and head out back with a box of kleenex and I will light a cigar to set on the table.....at least it will smell like he is here.

Honeymoon sunset in Mexico

Oh so SAD!!!!

I had to say goodbye to a close friend today. To truly understand the deepness of our relationship, I have to take you back to my 6th grade year. You see, we spent many days together, rocking my parents' house. Listening to all kinds of music together. When I was down this friend would lift me up, and when I was tired, I would be energized. Moving from house to house, to California and back to Idaho, then Texas. Yes, it was a long and fufilling life.
So sad.....
My stereo, of 19 years, finally gave out and died today.

Unfortunately, the stereo didn't have a will, so no memorial fund has been set up at this point.

:)

A Cold day!

OK, so most of you are going to laugh at me, but I know the folks in NC will be sympathetic. Last night on the news, the weather lady suggested wearing a sweatshirt this morning because it was going to be down to a cold 63 degrees. Well, I immediately laughed and called my parents to tell them the humor I saw in this.
Sure enough, when the kids walked out the garage this morning, Denaiza started shivering, holding her shoulders whining about how cold it was. Then Dimitri asked if it would snow now because it was so cold! HA
After dropping the kids off at school I came home to do my Bible study. I decided to sit out in my hammock chair in the back yard to enjoy the cool breeze....... and guess what! I ended up going and putting a sweatshirt on because I was a little chilly!
Guess my Idaho blood needs to be revived.

IKE

Well, we were well prepared, but didn't need it. Ike brought minimal winds and a tiny bit of rain to the kids and I. It hasn't really even cooled off very much. Please keep the folks in eastern Texas in your prayers though, as they weren't as lucky. There was a lot of damage done over there.

This stinks!

Ok, I tried to get it together before I came on here to post, but I couldn't. SO you are going to get the bad attitude me....
This really stinks. ALL the aspects of it. I just want him home! I don't like to be sick alone. I don't like to discipline the kids alone. I don't like to prepare for a hurricane alone. I don't like sleeping alone. I don't like to wake up alone. Poop on Osama! or maybe poop on Sadam? Oh well, such is life.

As far as the hurricane.... we will probably get a lot of wind and a little rain, but everything should be fine by Sunday. So, now worries. :) We shall survive.

Thank you Jesus!

I am so thrilled! I got to talk to Tony just now. We were able to talk for almost 15 minutes!!!!!! It was so nice....so so so nice. He was calling from his final destination! HE MADE IT!!! I am so happy for him. I know it will still be quite stressful for him, but I think that just being able to have his own space and settle down will help him feel better. He sounded good too. Oh, I just love him!

Too much Estrogen?

Well, I must admit that I have betrayed the trust my husband had for me.....I don't know if he will ever leave me alone with the children again. Look what happens when Dimitri is stuck with two girls! He said, "Wook mommy, I am da Major Queen!" ummmmm, yeah....no other words are needed.

**Make sure you click on the picture to enlarge it to get the real effect!**

Wednesday

Yesterday went really well. I went to the Bible study and was pleasantly surprised to enjoy myself! The ladies there were all really nice. The setup was comfortable, and most importantly I got a lot out of the study. I am looking forward to continuing for the next 9 weeks!
Today it is really cloudy, and it rained last night. I have a few things to do that require some driving, so I will be on the road a bit.
Hope you all have a great day! Half way through another week! YEAH!

Another Week

We made it through our first week.....but some how that isn't too comforting considering how many weeks we still have left. I wish this whole thing would hurry up and be over; I don't really care to build my character through trials and tribulations.
So far this second week has proved harder than the first. I am not sleeping. Denaiza is being a real pill, to say the least. Dimitri is sad about Daddy a lot. I miss my husband like crazy. We haven't been able to communicate much.
Ok, sorry for the bad attitude. Had to get it out.
On a better note, I will be starting a Beth Moore Bible Study today. It is the "Believing God" study. I am looking forward to learning more, but am also quite nervous about meeting new people and being in a vulnerable situation. I wish I was as socialable (?sp) as my brother Bryan. But, I will trust that God has something great in store for me.
Will write more later.

Some crazy things on the internet...

I have found several interesting links regarding countdown tickers on the internet. However I found one today that didn't really seem to brighten my day.....
ONLY
31,193,572.23 seconds until he will be home

ummmmm, yeah, that is ALOT!

Would someone be willing to donate a dollar for every second I make it through....I really think that would help get me through 31 million of them.

Just a little something

The Military Wife: One of God’s Masterpieces
The good Lord was creating a model for military wives and was into his sixth day of overtime when an angel appeared. She said: “Lord you seem to be having a lot of trouble with this one. What’s wrong with the standard model?” The Lord replied: “Have you seen the specs on this order? She has to be completely independent, possess the qualities of both father and mother, be a perfect hostess to four or 40 with an hour’s notice, run on black coffee, handle every emergency imaginable without a manual, be able to carry on cheerfully, even if she is pregnant and has the flu, and she must be willing to move to a new location 10 times in 17 years. And oh, yes, she must have six pairs of hands”.The angel shook her head. “Six pairs of hands? No way”. The Lord continued: “Don’t worry, we will makes other military wives to help her. And we will give her an unusually strong heart so it can swell with pride in her husband’s achievements, sustain the pain of separations, beat soundly when it is overworked and tired, and be large enough to say, “ I understand, when she doesn’t, and say, I love you, regardless”. “Lord”, said the angel, touching his arm gently, “Go to bed and get some rest. You can finish this tomorrow”.I can’t stop now, said the Lord. “I am so close to creating something unique. Already this model heals herself when she is sick, can put up six unexpected guests for the weekend, wave goodbye to her husband from a pier, a runway or a depot, and understand why it’s important that he leave”. The angel circled the model of the military wife, looked at it closely and sighed: “It looks fine, but it’s too soft”. “She might look soft”, replied the lord, “but she has the strength of a lion”. You would not believe what she can endure”.Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the lord’s creation. “There’s a leak”, she announced. “Something is wrong with the construction. I am not surprised that it has cracked. You are trying to put too much into this model”.The Lord appeared offended at the angel’s lack of confidence. “What you see is not a leak”, he said. “It’s a tear”. “A tear? What is it there for”? Asked the angel. The Lord replied: “It’s for joy, sadness, pain, disappointment, loneliness, pride and a dedication to all the values that she and her husband hold dear”. “You are a genius!” Exclaimed the angel. The Lord looked puzzled and replied:“I didn’t put it there”.

Adonai

I love this song by Avalon. God has used it to speak to me in amazing ways. I don't know how to connect the actual song to the blog, but here are the words......... try to find it and listen to it....you will get goosebumps! I feel like it says so much about where I am at right now.


Adonai - Avalon
One single drop of rain
Your salty tear became blue ocean
One tiny grain of sand turning in your hand
A world in motion
You're out beyond the furthest morning star
Close enough to hold me in your arms

Adonai
I lift up my heart and i cry
My adonai
You are maker of each moment
Father of my hope and freedom
Oh, my adonai!

One timid faithful knock
Resounds upon the rock of ages
One trembling heart and soul
Becomes a servant bold and courageous
You call across the mountains and the seas
I answer from the deepest part of me

From age to age you reign in majesty
And today you're making miracles in me

Talked to my man today!

Well I talked to Tony today. He is so tired and worn out. He has been getting about 4 hours of sleep each night. Right now he is staying in a huge tent with about 80 other people......sleeping on a cot. They will be headed to their final destination sometime soon. Once there he will be blessed to have his own room! We sent lots of NC stuff to decorate it with, but if you see anything Tarheels Blue, I am sure he would love to add it to his collection! :)
If you think of it, please take a moment to lift Tony up in prayer today. He is getting frustrated and worn out. It sounds like his job has gotten even more demanding over there, and if you add the stress of leaving us behind, he is rather irritable. Please pray for strength and wisdom to complete the tasks that are put before him. Also, pray for really deep sleep. You could lift his leaders up as they work with him and also his soldiers as Tony tries to be a good leader for them.
Thanks!!!!!
As for the three of us left in the states.........
Denaiza is doing good. She has tried to get away with some things since Daddy is gone, but hasn't had much luck.
Dimitri is more emotional than I had expected. He is very clingy and often sad. He had a pretty hard time when I dropped him off for school today. He asks about Daddy all the time, almost every conversation leads to the topic of "daddy" which I don't mind.
I am doing amazingly well. The title of our blog is "living strength to strength". What that encompasses is that God will give us the strength that we need to get through whatever it is He puts in front of us. At some point we may say "OH! I don't know how I am going to be able to do that", but God always gives us the amount of stamina we need to get through each day and each situation. I am a living testament to that!!!! If you would have asked me a month ago how I thought I would do with Tony gone, I would have been very tempted to say that I didn't think I could possibly do it. However, God has blessed me with a very peaceful heart and strong mind. I have been able to handle these first few days without too many tears. I know that it is God at work in me, because there is no way I could do it on my own.
Well, that is all for now. Thank you for caring for our family and lifting us up in prayer!

----Oh, some of you might be wondering if we are seeing any of the hurricane here......we are hoping to see some rain starting tomorrow, but the outlook seems bleek. ---------