seriously...

I just turned the Christmas music on the TV this morning for the first time (we've been listening to a few CDs in the car for awhile now).

And you want to know what the fourth song was?

Grown Up Christmas List by Amy Grant.

You remember how I feel about her and her Christmas songs, right?

this weekend... in review...

I got my sewing machine up and humming. She's a good girl, and bounced right back into action. Here is a before... and after... a little valance, nothing too fancy. I made a little dishmat to match, because I nearly-almost-always have a dish towel by my sink, loaded with the latest & greatest random assortment of plasticware that was dripping wet when I unloaded the dishwasher (or the pots & pans from dinner that shouldn't take up valuable dishwasher space...as documented above.)

I don't know if you can tell from the pics, but I picked a fabric to coordinate with our curtains in the dining room (that used to be in our last two living rooms). This picture was taken just before dinner...Koka always waits nearby in case someone drops some food on the floor!

This afternoon we went for a walk on the old-abandoned street we found adjacent to our neighborhood.

And I had to take a picture of the boys with all the colorful leaves surrounding them. I kept remarking about how wonderful it smelled on our walk. Weird, huh? It did smell delightful though.

This is what the boys have been doing with the majority of their free time. Playing with the legos they bought with their garage sale loot. Walker gets rather frustrated with them, but Wilson has been pretty patient building Walker various vehicles and what-not. (Which is abruptly followed with Walker groaning because pieces fall off and then Wilson usually gets sick of rebuilding... and we are still working out the kinks...but you can see in the picture, they are enjoying themselves...)

And I just had to share this. We've recently discovered that Walker is very literal. "Put your shoes by the front door..." I said after a trip to the playground. Later I noticed, he had indeed...

We have had a good weekend. God has been teaching me so much about His faithfulness, and also about how well He knows my heart. Remember we drove through this post on our way north this summer? And when we drove through, we only saw a smidgen of post, and all I could think was "Wow! Its so big!" But God reminded me this was where He wanted us. And I settled myself in with the thought that it would just be different... that I might not run into people I know as often as I did at Fort Sill (I rarely went to the commissary there without seeing a friend or two...) But funny thing, this week I went to Story Time at the Library with Walker on Tuesday - and Thursday at PWOC the lady sitting next to me had been at Story Time with us! And then in the class I picked, there was another military spouse that we had met at the first church we tried out. God knew my heart, and He reminded me that He can arrange encounters even in bigger places!

Oh, and we want back to "The Big Church" last night, because Brad had to work today. And we liked it again. Wilson got a hand-written post card in the mail from one of the teachers in his department. Once again, God reveals that He knows my doubting heart. And while its a bit humbling, its also so encouraging. He is so good. All the time.

little {big} things

There are a couple of things that I might have forgotten to mention about this place... they might seem little to you; but they are big to me...and I am so grateful that our Father knows the difference between the two =)

1. We have a mailbox at the end of our driveway. We have the same address for mail & deliveries!
2. At the neighborhood office there is a small fitness room, attached to it is a children's playroom. So I can go up there and workout, while Walker plays - in view! For free!!
3. Wilson gets out of school an hour and fifteen minutes early every Tuesday.
4. Oh, another thing about his school... they have a drop-off line. A teacher along with a few safety-patrol members help the kids out of the car. Yesterday, the gym teacher was helping and said, "Be careful, Wilson." And my heart lept because she already knows his name!
5. There IS space to leave my sewing table out in the computer nook (now I just have to use it)!

I continue to marvel at the details God has taken care of in getting our family here and settled. I don't think I mentioned the careful timing of our arrival. The week we came the post was preparing to demo an older neighborhood. The day we signed our lease one of the leasing agents told Brad that they were moving 20 families later in the week and that there wouldn't be any available houses. Then we found out that they changed the rank banding for our neighborhood effective 1 November. (which means Brad's rank would no longer be allowed to move in here). It has been a blessing to see Him take care of the big things, and the little things. As we adjust to our new schedule, it reminds me that He will continue to be faithful.

I'm not sure why at times, His hand is unmistakable; and at other times its hard to distinguish. I talked to Him about it. He just reminded me that whether I see Him clearly or not, He is. So if you are on a foggy path right now, know that He is with you. If your future is uncertain, know that He is in it. If you are waiting for something from Him, know that He is waiting too; for the right time, because His timing is perfect. He is holding you. Whether you 'feel' it or not, His hands are wrapped around you.

I will sing of the lovingkindness of the LORD forever; to all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth.

You have a strong arm; Your hand is mighty, Your right hand is exalted. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before You.

Psalm 89:1, 13-14

more on the weekend...

well, actually, I took this picture tonight. They have on their Christmas pj's from last year, this weekend, I bought the fabric for this year's pj's... I'm gonna have to get started on them pretty quick =) And Wilson got his own room... it still needs a lot of work, but its a start. He's sleeping on the sofa sleeper for the time being... Tonight he said, "I wish I was still sleeping on my top bunk." I told him he could if he wanted to... Brad and I talked last night and said we wouldn't care if he went back to his room, and we used the other room as a play room. We'll see... (those are the curtains that were in our office in Lawton, and in our dining room at Fort Sill...)

And I FINALLY used some uppercase living that I bought in the summer of 2008... maybe this is why Wilson feels like he has to stay in his own room... hmmm...

I liked it so much that I had to make sure I had just the right place for it... I really adore that stuff...

We tried out two churches this weekend. One church offers a Saturday night service, so we thought we should try it out because we knew Brad would have a crazy schedule, so we thought perhaps we would be able to attend together as a family more often... Of course, you might guess that a church that offers a Saturday night service is a BIG church. And it is. But I gotta tell you, Brad and I feasted on the Word of God Saturday night. There were a number of things I liked about the church, most importantly that the Pastor brought The Word. Prior to the sermon there was an invitation to pray over the pastor and his family. The pastor spoke directly about the tragedy at Fort Hood and prayed specifically for military families all around the world, with compassion and sincerity. And there were baptisms. I love watching baptisms. The boys both liked their classes. Walker had 30 minutes of "Preschool Worship" before his playtime. And Wilson's group had a Bible story and worship as well. They have an indoor playground. He skipped to the car after church. Honsetly, a huge part of me didn't even want to give the place a chance. I am not a big fan of razzle-dazzle at the church, and I would think by most definitions, this place has a lot of razzle-dazzle. But surprisingly, there was a lot of substance. And tons of opportunities to get involved... So we'll be praying about it.

Sunday morning we went to the contemporary protestant chapel service on post. The boys stayed with us for the first few worship songs, then they are dismissed to their classes during the meet & greet time. It was sweet because the youth praise team led the music this week. A drummer, keyboard, a bass guitar (or two), and a couple of vocalists. They did a great job, and I was so thrilled to see that there was a big investment in the youth. I liked the idea of looking around and knowing that everyone else was military. I love that we live in a country that allows for the military members to practice their faith freely. The boys both liked their classes again; and there was a boy from Wilson's school in his class. I think as much as I was skeptical about the mega-church, I was hopeful about the chapel. I just thought it would be great to plug in right here on post... I gotta tell you though, the sermon lacked. And that is all I can say about that without being harsh. The chaplains rotate who preaches each week, so I know it could be totally different the next time. Brad and I talked about it later, and he said that the hard thing for him is that he would always feel like he was at work. That the chaplain would always be "Sir" instead of a pastor. We will continue to pray about this as well...

(I might not have mentioned this, but after our experience last Sunday we decided to try out churches based on their regular service first, and then if it seems to be a fit; we'll try out the Sunday school/Bible study options. So that is what we are doing.)

week end...

...it was a good one.

Brad is officially at work today. He hadn't a clue what to expect this morning, if you are on Facebook, you might've noticed he had some serious PT this a.m. He came home for a quick shower and was off. I just got a text from him a bit ago that they were sending him to some camp for 24 hours, and that he would call when he got a chance. While Brad still works for the Army, it is a big deal to start at a new place. Many of you know the grief he got at his last place after being diagnosed with asthma and all the problems that brought about... And while it was hard to walk through that mess with Brad, we both know that God was victorious. I can't begin to fully understand what its like for Brad to start at a new place; which means explaining my take on it would be shoddy at best. But I can say that its a challenge. So would you mind praying this week for Brad as he begins to figure this place out? Pray that he would be listening to the voice of Truth, and that Satan wouldn't be allowed to even whisper words of doubt into his ear...

God has obviously gone before us in this move. He has shown His hand in so many ways, and I trust fully that He will do the same for Brad at work this week. I don't know how, but I trust He will make it evident.

I'll probably post more this evening about the rest of the weekend... you know, since I'll have the place to myself after the boys are in bed.

Thank you prayer warriors!

we got some new stuff for the house...

...our very own flag...finally. I have always wanted a flag to hang on my house, this post actually installed the brackets on every house, so all we had to do was go buy one. ...and a new sofa! I said it was just about time too... we got a matching armchair, but I didn't take a picture of it. Its the exact same color as the sofa-sleeper that mom and I recovered a couple years ago... We had walked around the Lazy Boy store and weren't really settled on anything, then I saw this one peeking out from the back... it was on clearance along with the chair. Brad and I both like simple, and casual, so it was perfect for us...

It is a little weird to sit on the sofa and not sink into it... You should totally come try it out!

wishing

Star light, star bright

first star I see tonight.

I wish I may, I wish I might

Have this wish, I wish tonight.

I guess I didn't realize I knew that whole poem until the other night. It has been getting warm here during the day, and then cooling off beautifully at night. The upstairs is a bit stuffy in the evenings, so we open all the windows up here before bedtime.

The other night, the boys' windows were open and their light was off. Walker came running out of his room to tell Wilson "That first star is out tonight." Then they both ran back in there to look at it. I was only half-paying-attention to what they were discussing in their room while star gazing.

A few minutes later, Walker ran out of the room and said, "I told that first star that I want that other pizza set!" And, man, was he excited about it!

Brad and I just laughed. Neither of us has really ever promoted 'wishing on a star,' but I think Winnie the Pooh and Dora have... Now I have to figure out what "that other pizza set" is...it just might be a good Christmas idea ;)

soup's on!

Remember last year, when we had our "joy" jars out? Well, tonight we officially kicked off our 09 Joy Campaign =) Every time that we have soup for dinner, we'll add money to our JOY jars. Then any money that we collect, we will give to World Vision. Eating soup for dinner is a bit cheaper than an average meal, so the money saved will go in the jars. It helps the boys (and us) connect giving to sacrificing. We'll have soup a few times a week through mid-December. (an added bonus, is that most soups are super easy to cook, so it takes a bit of pressure off during an often busy time of year!) Here are the guys adding some change to the jars, while Brad is looking through the catalog. It was sweet tonight because I explained to the boys that I didn't have any cash in my grocery envelope to add to the jars, because of just moving... but that I would add it later, once we get the envelopes back on track. Wilson piped up,"I have some money to give!" And he ran and got his little old piggy bank. I think both Brad and I had tears in our eyes.

We looked through the gift catalog and talked about what kinds of things we might like to spend on our money on this year. It was cute to hear their ideas...

and on an unrelated note... Brad has been busily hanging things around the house this week... and you can see the pilgrims replaced the Jack-O-Lanterns on the top of the hutch...

Wilson's {2nd} First day of school

Here are the guys this morning before we took Wilson to school... ...we were met by the school counselor and given a tour of the building before we met Wilson's teacher. The cafeteria/auditorium is HUGE! Which means Wilson won't be eating lunch in his classroom anymore. They have a 'special' every day. Music, Art, PE, and Spanish... Spanish is 2x a week. Here was Wilson in his classroom before we left this morning.

We are eager to hear how his day goes...

In other news, Brad is off this week. Hallelujah! His work schedule will start next week. We are still looking for a church. The one yesterday didn't work for us. I might not have mentioned this, Georgia is beautiful. We are pretty much mesmerized by all the trees...everywhere. Love it!

trick or treat!

once again, excuse the picture order... really wish I could just drag them around like the old days... moving on...

So, here are the guys trick-or-treating. I know you can't really see them, I just had to take this picture to show you these weird sections of our neighborhood where four houses share a driveway... these two houses are tucked in behind other houses... funny, huh? here are the boys in their "PCS 09" shirts from Aunt Becky... they traced our roadtrip out on the USA maps... I have no idea what Brad was saying to them when he took this picture, but it must've been funny.

Here they are... boogity, boogity, boogity, let's go racing, boys and howdy pardner!

Oh, and this was my solution for the over-the-cupboard-open-space-dilemma. I will probably put some Christmas stuff up there in a few weeks, and maybe come up with a permanent solution by January. Good goal-setting, huh?

We trick-or-treated around our neighborhood for a bit, then we went to something called "Ark in the Park" which was sponsored by a local church. I think we are going to visit that church tomorrow. On their flyers, they said their two emphases are 1. Sunday School and 2. Missions. The event tonight was fun and well-attended. It was drizzly and cold by the time we got there, so we didn't stay too long. We have a full candy bowl, so everyone is happy =)

a messy little tour...

well, our household goods were delivered minutes after we signed our lease... the driver was actually at our house before we were... so we've been unpacking boxes around here... excuse the mess, please, and I will give you a glimpse into our home. (but if you are going to comment on the mess, then you must stop reading now... NOW!)

Ahem, now on with the tour. Here is the front door... to the left is the living room, behind the door is a small powder room. Next to the stairs to the right is a coat closet, as well as the entrance to the kitchen and dining room... Here is the dining room... I was standing in front of the door to the back (side) yard when I took this picture. See the playground across the street?

and the kitchen... the laundry room is through the open door, and the other door is to the garage. There is a pantry just this side of the laundry door.

And the living room....

going up the stairs...

looking across the upstairs hallway/landing. The first closet door is storage, the next door is the mechanical room... Brad is in the computer nook...

Standing in the doorway to the computer nook, looking toward the 3rd bedroom, which may become "Wilson's Room", and of course, will be available for guests...

and the boys' room, which might soon be "Walker's Room."

Today I am going to see about getting Wilson enrolled at school. I haven't a clue what that entails... I would like to walk him through the school before he actually starts. He is a bit nervous/anxious, so please continue to pray for him and us as he transitions. It has been so great to see him giving God the credit for our house, and in turn, we've been able to remind him about how God is also taking care of the school details too.

Our first night here, Wilson asked Brad if they could wear their star pajamas because "God picked out the right house for us, and God made the stars." Sweet, sweet boy!

So school enrollment, and more boxes to unpack are on the schedule for today. I don't mind putting stuff away; but when it comes to the decorating part, its a bit of a challenge for me. Let me know if you want to come help...

Thank you for your prayers, we continue to appreciate them. We are so thankful to God for providing thus far. He is so good.

I hope you are sitting down for this...

...tomorrow we will sign the papers for this house!

This is the view across the street, from the front steps...
...and the garage. Oh my!
Also, the bus stops are painted on the curb throughout the neighborhood, and there is one just a few feet down from that playground.

We are tremendously overwhelmed by the provision of our Heavenly Father. Thank you for your prayers, we so appreciate them!

We don't know exactly when our moving truck will be here with our stuff. The driver called today and said he should be in town tonight... so with our 11am appointment; there is a possibility that things will go in storage. We trust God's timing as we wait again to see how things turn out. The boys were thrilled that we have stairs in our new house!

Jenn, I am thinking I might have to look for a UL "Welcome" in linen for that front door. Will be in touch soon, for that order ;)

Borderline-giddy here in Georgia, thank you Lord, for your good gifts!!

we have arrived way down yonder...

...on the Chattahoochee. We had three perfect-weather-travel days. The boys are excellent travelers, and our vehicles ran well. Thank you for your prayers. It is good to be here. When we pulled onto post this evening to check things out, the guard said, "Welcome Home!" So as we adventured around post we found a dog park for the big girl. She already made a few friends off-leash! We also found a playground for the boys to run around on...

Wilson declared it the best playground he has ever been to!

Here's a picture at Pinnacle State Park in Little Rock, Ark. We spent a little while there before hitting the road yesterday. It was really pretty... and their state parks are free!!!! Walker gave it a thumbs-up.

And this was at the Arkansas welcome center on day one. It was chilly out that day...

Again, we thank you for your prayers on our behalf. We were able to check-out of our house with no charges! Amen! And we arrived safely, with no troubles along the way. Thank you, Jesus! God is faithful, and we are encouraged to see His hand working in the big and small ways. Tomorrow morning we have our housing meeting. We really don't know what to expect, but we fully trust that God has all the details worked out already. We will let you know, when we know. Its reassuring to know that God already knows.

lessons from the run

So most of you know that I have been attempting to become a runner. Brad printed out a work-out titled "Couch to 5k." So, thankfully, it has been gradual. I've been learning some things along the way.

Like last week, I found out that Muskoka is scared of those -light-up-inflatable-halloween decorations...at least when it is dark outside...she nearly took me down trying to avoid one.

I also learned that running is hard. This might sound naive, but I thought after awhile, it would just get easy. Maybe its because I have read articles in Runner's World about incredible distances some people have run. Or maybe its because one of my sisters from PWOC runs marathons, and she has three kids! Whatever the reason, I have discovered that after 7 weeks, running is still hard. Granted, I am gradually getting better at it, and if I went back and did the Week 1 Day 1 work-out, it would probably be relatively easy. But why would I want to go back to week 1?

I didn't really have any lofty goals when I started running. I just wanted to be healthy and also to understand the ups and downs that Brad faces in running - since it is part of his job. Now that I realize its hard, its going to take a little more focus to keep going.

I finally got over the 2-mile mark last week. I had run two miles at the end of week 5, but I hadn't successfully run more than that. I would always walk a little bit here and there. But leave it to Brad to inspire me, last Thursday he simply said, "Don't walk." And I didn't.

As I ran, God pointed out the parallel between running and this life. Neither are easy. And we aren't all capable of the same thing. It was naive of me to assume that this would get easy, just because some people make it look easy. Its naive of me to assume those people don't work super hard every day to accomplish what they do.

James tells us that we will face various trials. Not only are the trials within my own life 'various,' but the trials I face vary differently from the trials others face. Nobody gets a free pass. We all struggle. As we grow in our Christian lives, our struggles remain difficult. But we press on. I'll keep running, and we'll keep living...knowing that the hard work will pay off. Knowing that it requires a firm focus on eternity to keep us going.

Does that make any sense?

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." James 1:2-3

"Struggling successfully and profitably brings a deeper joy than even trouble-free living." - From Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas

last lawton weekend...

the boys 'helped' Daddy take down the swing set. Thankfully they all got the memo for jeans and grey-hooded-sweatshirts for the work day. Earlier in the day they were dazzling me with their puzzle skills. Geniuses, these two.

And some Sunday morning pictures. Just because they're all so good-looking.

And because Daddy thinks if he gets his picture taken with the boys, than I need to as well.

Now we are off to the park, thankful some nice sunny weather to enjoy this afternoon!

For Julie...

Queen of Hearts and Alice in Wonderland Costume Set GIVEAWAY!!!!

I entered the above contest in hopes of winning this little set for you, Julie. =)

moving right along...

we are spending part of Fall Break getting ready for the big move. Yesterday we moved everything out of the storm shelter so we can use it as our "Moving HQ" On the day the packers come, there will be a big sign on the door that says, "DO NOT PACK" Remember, it used to be the "Reading Room." Granted, it was much fuller and messier than this yesterday, but it was the first picture I could find of the storm shelter in our picture file this morning. {Look how tiny the boys are!}

Thanks again for all of the prayers. I have to share a little reminder God sent me this week. Sometime last week, Brad and I were talking about our next church, and we mentioned that it might be kind of fun if we find a church that has Awana. We think the boys would love it! Of course, Wilson wanted to know all about what this thing called Awana was... His eyes lit up when Brad told him about it. Of course, after that discussion I said, "But, we don't know if there are any churches that have Awana, ok?" Wilson never forgets anything, so I feel like I have to remind him that we don't know for sure, so he doesn't get his hopes up too high...

Earlier this week when I was looking on Fort Benning's home page to find out some stuff about the schools, I found this article. (click here.) I love that we know a personal Savior that willingly reminds us that He has all the details taken care of!

Jehovah-Jireh - The God who Provides

Our move is next week! Already! God has graciously given me a sense of excitement as we prepare for our next place. He is ministering to my spirit daily and reminding me of the good and wonderful things He has done, is doing, and will do. He is good, all the time. He is the God that provides and we are trusting Him to provide for us in big and small ways.

I know many of you have been faithfully praying for us in preparation for our move. I thought I would offer some specifics that you can be praying about over the next two weeks...

• Pray that Brad can easily finish his 'clearing' (signing off with all of the agencies on this post).
• Pray that we can clear housing here, without too many fees.
• Pray for our housing. God knows exactly what we need, and He also knows exactly what we want. Pray that we will trust Him for the best; including our neighbors and which school Wilson will attend. We would love on-post housing that we can move into ASAP so that we don't have to unpack twice.
• Please, please, please pray that there are a few Godly men in Brad's next unit. Pray that Brad will be well received as a hard-working leader with integrity and wisdom. Pray that he would have a mentor that he respects.
• Pray for Wilson's transition. Y'all know that boy keeps his thoughts and feelings inside. Help us to be sensitive to his needs and please pray that his new teacher will be fabulous!
• Pray for our next home church. Pray that there will be an opportunity for Brad and I to minister together there. Pray that the kids would quickly feel at home there.
• Pray for health and safety as we travel. I don't remember the last time I have driven a car for more than a couple hours at a time... Brad and I will each be driving a vehicle, so I'm gonna have to do my share of driving =)

It means so very much to know we have people praying for us. I know so many are facing much bigger issues than moving; know that you are in our prayers as well. We fully trust and believe that God will provide... in better ways than we can guess or imagine. He is faithful.

after school special

While Wilson and I were sipping hot cocoa this afternoon at the dining room table -- he was finishing his homework, while I was working on my meal plan/grocery list -- he asks me, "Mom can I watch a grown-up show with you?"

"Like what?" I ask, wondering what on earth kind of show he wants to watch and who on earth is talking about these grown-up shows at school anyway.

"Like, This Old House or House Hunters," he replies with his little grin.

I smiled back, relieved.

Now Walker is awake and they are playing with a Pez dispenser, maybe we'll catch a grown-up show after dinner.

So, do you think this means he is over the cartoon scene??? Doubtful.

confidence booster

have you ever had one of those days where you sort of mentally beat yourself up? it seems as though you just can't do anything right, and your judgement seems questionable at best...

If so, then bookmark this post, because playing this old game with Walker will boost your confidence in your decision-making skills. every. single. time.

Here he is, hiding the trains in his little fists... Now the tricky part - guess if you dare - which hand are the trains in???

YOU got it!!!!

He has marveled at my mental prowess every time that I have guessed right. Brad too. Right now, this kid thinks his parents are the smartest in the world (or possibly the smartest in the west, if I were to ask him).