USO

How we have come to love the USO as a family. It's not because of the inexpensive tickets to fun things that we can get, but the outright love and care they as a group have for military men and women and their families.

Recently, during Chris' deployment, the USO has given us a special gift. They gave us Chris. I know - what does that mean?

Well, on the way to Chris' deployment base, he was waiting in a USO sponsored area. These areas are so nice (I hear). They offer a comfy place to wait, often free or inexpensive food, play areas for kids in the larger ones, and entertainment areas. Well the one in Baltimore where Chris was waiting also had a special treat for families of servicemen. Chris surprised us with a pkg the week after he left and we've been reusing the gift every week since.

This package contained three children's books and a dvd. I had not one idea as to what it could be until I turned on the dvd. It was Chris and he was reading the books to the kids! He read a specific book for each child and the USO recorded it and sent it with the three books. So every Wednesday (that was the initial day it arrived) we read with daddy!

Lizzy got a book all about animal mothers. Joseph got a Dr. Seuss book which he loves. And Evie got a book all about a hard working spider. It was so cute. I only took pix of the first time, but we do this every single week. The kids adore it and often switch books. Chris, as most of you know, is a fantastic storyteller. Even the boring parts of a book are funny with his voices, facial expressions, and how excited he gets just reading it to the kids. I've always said that it's important to marry a man with at least a little boyishness inside. It is a wonderful help with the kids.

So every Wednesday we see my sweet husband being a great daddy. The kids adore it, I miss him terribly every time, and, now that Chris has seen the results (I sent him a dvd of pix and video), you can see some of it too.

One of my favorite part was seeing Lizzy's rapt attention on her daddy. Had no idea she was so aware of who he was, but each time she saw him on the screen or heard his voice, she got all excited and shook with emotion.

Another favorite part is when Joseph tried to "show" daddy that he was on the same page. It was totally cute and the longest I've ever seen his attention stay on the tv.

Evie was a whole other story. She knew daddy couldn't talk back, that it was a recording, but that didn't stop her from answering all his questions and laughing at all his jokes.

The military continues to be a great blessing for our family. The sacrifice can be measured, but the experiences we've all had just in our first year and a half can not. Never in my life have I been blessed so much by a job!

Catching Up 4

I know it's been forever, but here is one of the very last catch up times.

HALLOWEEN FOR THE FOSBURGS AT HOME

So, because it was only like the second week Chris was gone and, therefore, the kids were not quite up to par, I really outdid myself on this holiday. I like the holiday usually, but this year I went nuts with stuff to keep my kids from missing daddy too much. Thankfully, the busy week kept me from getting too unhappy too! It was a great idea and we all had so much fun!

October 25th, 2010 - October 31st, 2010

MONDAY: this was our first opportunity to really begin reaping the benefits of Chris' deployment. Chris has often been gone for military purposes, but this is his first official deployment over seas. We were therefore invited to the Deployed Spouse's Dinner that's held every month at the base. I was so nervous!

It was so much fun. From the moment I walked in with my three little ones in tow, someone was there to help and see to our needs. One kind woman helped me to a table and grabbed me a high chair. Another woman, Angie, came over and began to chat. She stayed the entire time with our family. She stayed with the kids while I entered the line for the food. Another kind woman helped me with the three plates of food so I could get to the table without dropping anything. Angie fed Elizabeth so I could eat hot food and take care of Evie and JC. They had hot dogs and lots of other good things kids like to eat. They even had a bouncy castle-like thing and games for the kids put on by the local high school ROTC. There were treats and deployment information, and free books, and dvd's - all for those of us who happen to be parenting alone for a while. Honestly, the Air Force takes almost as good care of us military families as the church does - and that's saying a lot!

I also met my "First Shirt" that night. This person, for those of you unfamiliar with the title, is like my military equivalent of a home teacher. Mine happens to be female, but the responsibility is the same. She answers questions, helps out in emergencies with the family, and will basically make sure I'm taken care of while my husband is gone. I've got double coverage! Anyway, the kids had a blast, we got home late, and I not only ate hot food, but had wonderful uplifting adult conversation while my kids played.

(By the way, so proud of JC this night! One of the ROTC young men wanted to make sure my little one knew where his mommy was. JC took the boy all the way to our table pointed at me and said, "mom". He then smiled and ran back to the bouncy castle with the young man trailing behind him.)

TUESDAY: well, it was late, but we finally decorated our house inside for the holiday. Not tons of stuff, but we had a little pumpkin patch on our mantle, a fun witch door hanging, some neat decals for the windows, etc. I let the kids pick what we put up and where everything went. They had fun. We also tried on our costumes. This was important for me because I wanted to find the Halloween bucket and make sure every costume had its parts. I also wanted to see what else I needed to buy. Then that evening, we made rice crispy treats. I know, what for? Well there was this very convincing commercial on tv (hulu) that showed a mom and her kids making shapes out of the treats. So I tried it. We had a lot of fun, mostly during the cooking part.

WEDNESDAY: we didn't do much this day except one thing. After dinner we all loaded into the van with our treats from the night before, and delivered them to my visiting teaching sisters. The kids did a great job watching us moms chat and give treats to our ladies. I even got to teach Evie a little about the principle of visiting teaching so it was a productive, if not a long, evening.

THURSDAY: oh my goodness what a day! This was Halloween party day at preschool and of course, the whole family went. Each mom had designed a craft/food to teach the girls and we had so much fun. There were lots of goodies, they all wore costumes (Evie a princess and Joe a pirate), they read books about Halloween, had a costume parade,

Eating a food craft!

and learned how to make a lot of fun things. Kudos to our preschool moms for a really fun Halloween lesson!

Evie, Emily, Katelyn - best friends

After some nice long naps (thank goodness) the kids watched a Halloween cartoon abt a girl who lives in a hotel and her adventures that Halloween night. Then after dinner we colored some Halloween pictures I printed from a parenting website I follow. They were great and we put them up on our windows to scare away the "bad guy." Have no idea where this "guy" came from, but every night during dinner now JC whispers that a bad guy is watching us eat! Silly children!

FRIDAY: by this time I was starting to wear out, but we still had plans, so I kept on. This was the afternoon we had costumed story time at the library on base. The kids donned their Thursday costumes (after a quick wash) and we headed over there. It was great. They listened to another two Halloween stories, but opted out of the craft for picking their own books. My kids love the library. Then they trick or treated at the check out desk, after getting their books, of course! It was a lot of fun.

Finally, we ate dinner at Ihop. Why Ihop you ask? Because all the kids got free "scary face" pancakes that night! These are pancakes you decorate with candies. So my kids ate for free, we did something Halloweeny, and I got to skip cooking that night! Great all around.

SATURDAY: finally the day had arrived! The kids could barely contain themselves! We got all dressed up quite early in our Halloween costumes.

Evie-a mermaid with purple hair (this was such a fun thing to do) and face paint

JC- a tractor driver (minus the 12pm shadow, he wouldn't let me do it)

Lizzy- baby bunny complete with tail

and me- mommy bunny complete with long white ears.

We headed to the church for the trunk or treat. I love this tradition in the church. My kids have fun, get dinner, and stay safe. We played the carnival games, ate the yummy food, and trunk or treated till our bags were way too full for little kids!

Such good aim, my mermaid

Evie wins a prize!

Oh my Goodness! A fire truck just for me!

Look who won at the cake walk!!!

It was a blast and one I was glad was finally come and gone! We were all so tired that night and the next day we had church!

Lizzy enjoying her prize!

After the big haul on the couch! Yummy!

SUNDAY: didn't think we forgot the actual day of Halloween did you? Nope. For a treat after dinner, I turned on "The Great Pumpkin" Charlie Brown cartoon. Kids loved it and it was a great way to end our very long and full Halloween week.

Week #6 - Dep/Mar Project

Okay, so here we are, the official last week of our project! How's everyone doing so far? I hope it's been a wonderful experience for you as it has been for the two of us. Chris just gave me the latest and the airman replacing him should make it to their base sometime this coming week. All he needs to do after that is train him and finish up his own work. I'm super excited, but like the last principle stated, "just endure to the end of today." Each "day" I endure brings me one day closer to the day my family is all together again!

So just for fun - I learned this week that my lack of sincerity in this project, though I am still very involved has been due to my lack of sincere prayer. So that changed this week. Nothing miraculous occurred for those of you wondering. I just felt better, I felt more like enduring each day was no big deal. I kind of do that anyway, but after a while it just feels like surviving if you're doing without the Lord's help. I always feel so dumb for not seeking the Lord when I'm having a hard time. I don't know why I forget that he's there and ready to help me. I mean seriously, how many of us sit there slaving, starving, and surviving, when we could be having our burdens made light, fasting with purifying experiences, and enduring with the grace of Christ? I mean, really, how many of us do that? Well, I'm not exempt from "slothfulness and forgetfulness" every now and then, and I doubt any of you are either. So this week, I remembered that I needed to rely on the Lord even when I'm just doing what I'm doing. Enduring doesn't feel like enduring when you're being blessed with happy moments, accomplishing goals, and learning a great deal, does it?

Well that means the first part of my week I was surviving and the second part of my week I was enduring. Do I really have to go into the difference? I thought not.

Now, welcome to week #6!

Letter:

Hello again my husband!

So, we’re almost there! I know it’s been a long haul and you’re tired and probably very ready to come home. Just remember I’m very ready to have you here. I am so excited and I’m sure working like mad to finish all those projects I set for myself when you left. (I’m also sure that I’m stressing at having to mark off several for another time as my list grew to be quite large by the day you left!)

Anyway, so this is our last letter, our last week, our last study apart for a while. I really hope you’ve enjoyed this and that it’s been not only beneficial to your work and your spirituality (which you always say you want to be better), but that it’s also been fun and enlightening and challenging. Who doesn’t love a good challenge. I can’t wait to sit next to you and talk about this one.

So week 6 – The topic we’re going to study this week is “excellence.” I know it sounds like we should have done this at the beginning and I’m sure it would’ve been great there too, but as I thought about the other weeks and what might be happening for you this week I thought about our missions. You were so blessed to know exactly when you were coming home, while I was unpleasantly surprised. I often have thought how I might have spent the weeks before I came home if I’d known I was never going to see the people or the country as a missionary again. Well, you’re in luck. Just like your mission, you know that your deployment is almost up. I’m sure by now you know what you need to do to be ready to leave and what you still have left to accomplish. Well this week, we’re going to end on a super high note, as they say.

This week we are going to not only be grateful and magnify our faith, we are not only going to love like Christ and actively pray for miracles, we are not only going to be enduring with grace and strength, we are going to strive for all out excellence in all we do.

As I searched for an accompanying talk to go with this topic I ran into something unexpected. I ran into excellence as a principal, but not one on which whole talks are usually given. Honestly, I found talks about being excellent in something, about something, with something, but not just excellence as a topic itself. I wondered for a bit weather or not I should adjust my topic, until I realized that the talks were supportive material not the whole system of study. So I found a talk I believe focuses appropriately on what I felt we should do and I will leave the rest of the study to us. I know the spirit will guide us in this topic as he has with the rest and maybe he will lead us to what we need to know about excellence in our own areas of effort.

Good luck and know that I love you so much. I can’t wait to see you and the kids as always send loves with big slobbery kisses, icky noses, sticky fingers, and little goofy grins super big and happy. See you soon!

Note: with the addition of this week's article, one of our previous articles will have to be removed to make space. If anyone wants to read it, please let me know and I'll send you either the link or the talk itself.

Grateful Turkeys

Well, we hope everyone had a wonderful and very filling Thanksgiving Day!

We sure enjoyed our day. It wasn't a very different day for us considering I didn't make any food, Chris wasn't home and we didn't do much. We did have a fun Thanksgiving preschool on Tuesday and were invited to the Putnam's for dinner on Thursday. Barry Putnam is my home teacher and his wife, Michelle, is not only a very good friend of mine, but also my VT companion! We had so much fun and stayed way too late, but they were very generous with their food, their home, and their time. The kids loved playing, I loved talking (hence the late part) and we all loved Barry's cooking. Oh, a man that can cook, what would that be like? It was a great time for all of us!

The kids made these turkeys for the table. The feathers showed so much personality. Even Joseph picked what he was grateful for. I would mention things and he would say yes or no.

On Joe's turkey feathers: I'm grateful for - cartoons, blanket, outside, family, pacifiers, turkey

On Evie's turkey feathers: I'm grateful for - Joseph, coloring, dress-up, Momma, my toys, Elizabeth

Isn't that so cute!? I love my kids.

Thanksgiving Preschool

Like the Halloween preschool (catch up #4), the moms were invited to participate. This time it was at my house and I tried to stay pretty simple. We had outdone ourselves for Halloween, I was wanting something a bit more low-key for this holiday.

We discussed what Thanksgiving is and why it's important to be thankful and to say thank-you. Then we read two thanksgiving books that showed how much fun the day can be and how it's all about sharing.

Then the kids flew to the table for crafts and made themselves Pilgrim-Indians. Yes, they wanted to be both all the time. It was great. Maegan had gotten great vest ideas for the pilgrims and Mary had all the Indians prepped and ready.

Even Joe wore a feathered headband for a while. With costumes complete, we read and acted out, of course, the first Thanksgiving. The girls were so funny and the story was cute and short.

Then we had a carpet picnic to finish acting out our first Thanksgiving. We had turkey sandwiches, muffins, and pumpkin pie. It was so much fun. After that it was free for all outside. It ended up being a fantastically beautiful and warm day. They played for a full 1-2hrs before everyone went home. Boy were my kids ready for rest time at that point. It was a fun day. I so love our preschool group!

Something Interesting

Okay so I have two random bits of info I wanted to share.

I have a quick and very proud update on Joseph. We recently found a toddler bed that is perfect for our family (used and cheap and might last) and put it in Joe's room. He laid down for a total of 20min and then asked to get into his crib. So after three days, I just removed the crib all together. The only option for sleeping now is the toddler bed, or the big boy bed (you should hear him say that!). Today, he not only slept for nap time in the bed, but went to sleep tonight in the bed. So my little boy is now sleeping in the big boy bed and I'm both elated and so sad. I love seeing my little ones progress (and this was a smooth one), but it's so hard to see my little boy growing up. I seem to love the growing up with my girls, but it's been really difficult with my boy. I don't even have another boy on the way to mitigate these feelings! Oh well, that's life right? So I am rejoicing and lamenting at the same time. Hey, prerogative of a mom.

I also noticed something horrible tonight. Every night before I go to bed, I put up the baby gate in the hallway. Evie has been big enough to climb over or even take it down by herself for some time. It's up not to keep her from going too far, but to remind her it's not allowed to go past the gate. She does a great job and now that Joe is more free it will help him too.

So anyway, the baby gate goes up when I go back to bed. Well, with Chris deployed I spend all my time in my room on projects, phone calls, emails, blogs, etc. I go out to the kitchen for snacks, but that's it. Well tonight something awful occurred.

The baby gate had somehow gotten really high looking! No, I didn't change it's location or how high I put it when I secured it in the hallway. I usually just straddle it and step over, but tonight I was a bit nervous. So I got right up next to it and realized it wasn't what had changed. I am fatter and now more unbalanced and the idea of stepping over anything that is that high, even slowly, is a bit nerve wracking. So it's official for those of you who are wondering: I'm pregnant and I very much look it and I'm looking it more every day as my recent gate experience will attest.

It just happened so quickly, going from nothing to a huge bump (okay, not huge to you), that my self-concept is a bit off. It takes a while for my idea of me to register that I'm a bit lopsided now and need to take the appropriate measures. By the time I do get it, I'll have a baby in my arms! That's the way it goes. One day I look not pg, the next day I have a large belly, and my poor mind with all it's difficulties can't keep up. That's why I fall over nothing, or get stuck in smaller places, or get super tired so quickly. I forget what I actually look like or that I'm in the third trimester. It's one of those weird side effects of the kind of pg's I have!

Well, there you go. My "something interesting".

Catching Up 3.3

Okay, so as we were saying (I know it's been a while. I've been a bit busy!), the 15th of October was the funeral, and then we really had some fun.

On the 16th we all met at a local restaurant for breakfast and a final goodbye to all our east coast family and friends. It was so nice and the kids even ate relatively well. I was really happy. They also weren't the most rowdy at the table which was a nice change. I do, however, see that being the course we follow in a few years. Four (or more?) kids will make anything rowdy. So we enjoyed a very yummy breakfast, took more pictures, gave lots of hugs, and then all met up at the Fosburgs house to go from there.

We all then headed up to Green Bluff's apple festival! We used to go all the time and to be honest, I had missed it. We had so much fun as you'll see from all the pictures. So this one is a picture blog, with a bit of commentary as well.

Who knew my little brother would hang with my little girl? Buddies!

A giant pirate ship is never to be ignored! Especially when it has a slide and all these other fun things to do on it!

Her tongue is never inside her mouth!

She loved corn husk - yes, that's what she's chewing on!

the princess had to climb to the top of the oversized castle and look over her kingdom. JC was allowed to go too.

A rare sharing moment on a very large tractor.

Guess who was doing the sharing? Not EVIE!!!

JC was too scared to try this the last time he had a chance.

So glad to see he enjoyed it this time!

See...buddies! She was cold and worn out and Uncle Jim stood in the sun until she fell asleep. What a great help he was that day - he didn't even seem to mind it! He'll make a good daddy one day!

Who knew my little boy would love carmel apples as much as me! Couldn't leave the "Apple Festival" without at least one! (I had two, I think)

Seems we all had our favorite festival food! Mom loved and was very patient for her funnel cake! Awesome by the way! Isn't her little boy so cute!?

Awwww....aren't we cute?

Nope, just very cold!

Not used to the weather in Spokane anymore!

We sure enjoyed every minute of this trip, but it was certainly nice to come home since this is what we did the next day.

Notice the clothing change and the sunshine? mmmmmm......sunshine! 78 degrees to be exact!

Week #5 - Dep/Mar Project

Okay, so here we are again. We begin week #5 this week with a great set of articles and another beautiful principle. So exciting!

I hope this last week was one of miracles for all of you. I was able to pick a specific miracle and begin making it happen. I did realize, as I hope you did, that making a miracle happen usually takes more than a week's worth of prayer and work. I believe that because of our project, I am so much more prepared to seek the Lord's will in helping to cause a miracle in the person's life I have chosen. I realized that though the miracle may be big, it starts out small. I chose to help bring someone to church. This person is wonderful and someone I really admire and enjoy, but for some reason can't quite make it to church. As we all know, going to church is how we are able to grow and learn in the gospel. We need that extra something that can only be gained by worshipping together. So that's my chosen miracle and this week. I began not only by praying for this person, but by also thinking about the person and planning some specific things I could do to encourage the choice to attend our meetings together. I was able to keep my word, finally, on something related I had promised and I noticed other things that were happening in my life to feel closer to the Lord.

An example of those "things" is the little miracles one of our articles discussed. My life is so full of those right now. Every time I can find a babysitter at the last minute, I have experienced a miracle. It's not big to anyone else, but that is one of the hardest things for me to do while Chris has been away. Every time an activity goes really well, even when the kids are tired, like this last Friday, I feel a miracle has taken place. Things don't HAVE TO go well, but they do because I need the help and the Lord loves me and wants me to know that. Take a minute, those of you who will read this, and think of the "little miracles" or maybe a big one that occurred in your life this week. I'll bet there are more of them than you might think!

So that was our last week's study. Good luck with this week and remember: write down your experiences; it is important to be able to remember so that you can learn and be grateful.

Letter:

Good evening my cutie!

I know it’s probably not night or who knows, maybe it is! Anyway, I got tired of just saying hello.

So how’s it going? I know by now you’ve had some remarkable experiences and if not, why not? You’re the one person I know who can make the ordinary extraordinary. So if you haven’t had something great happen, make it happen! Every topic we’ve had requires effort on our part to make it the amazing principal that it is. Follow through and bring those principals to bear in secular life.

Endurance

“My son, peace be unto they soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.” – D&C 121:7-8

Okay, let’s get to it right? This week is week 5 – we will be studying “enduring to the end.” I know, how cliché right? No, it’s not for a matter of fact. Enduring is something we do well sometimes, but not all the time. If we understand the need for endurance it’s often easier to do it, but it’s the most important to apply when we are in the darkness, when we don’t know where to go or why we need to endure our circumstances. It is especially difficult to do when we are far from God or unsure of the outcome of the situation.

This week our study will focus on the actual enduring part, but more the need for endurance and obviously, according to our scripture, the blessings of enduring in the right way. Don’t forget, enduring is done with grace, while doing something without that effort is merely surviving the situation.

Well that’s it. I know, short. They can’t all be long discourses can they? Before I say goodbye for another week, I just wanted you to know how this one came about. I realized that after all we’ve done the previous weeks we most likely have been on a relative spiritual high culminating in the miracle topic last week. After that though, comes the hard part: enduring after the miracle. Once the blind man had received his sight the Lord then said he was to continue in faith. He had work to do, though his life had been changed. We’ve been working up to so much and now here we are in the end time of your deployment, but not at the end. I think this is going to be the hardest week. You’re almost done, but not quite. I’ll have too many projects still undone and be stressed as to which should wait for another time and you’ll have work to prepare to hand over and some to finish yourself. Knowing which work is whose might prove tricky. You like to finish what you start, but six weeks is a short time to do a lot of things. With all this in mind, I found myself thinking that this is where this principal might really be needed.

I noticed that this week is rather like the month before you went home in the mission. You recognized your time was limited, but you still had so much to accomplish. You also began thinking of home more and the thoughts of future plans began to creep in. This is a difficult time to remain focused and applying the effort you have been making. It is highly possible though, knowing you as I do, that you’re not feeling any of this and this topic will just be a nice reminder for you. You do that sometimes you know. I think you’re doing one thing and really you’re doing another and my thoughts don’t apply. Either way, this week’s study will be beneficial somehow or other as long as you study with the Spirit. He will help you learn and gain what you need.

And that concludes this week. Well, off with you now. Get going on your duties and especially remember to pray and do your studying. Also, don’t forget to write everything down. I’ll want to talk about all that you’ve learned when you get home.

I hope you are doing well and learning so much. I love you bunches and miss you as always. Kids are doing great, belly is big, Lizzy is too, and they can’t wait to see you again. I don’t know if it will happen before you come home, but maybe Lizzy will be able to walk to you when you get off the plane! I’m so excited to see you, but I will try to endure with grace as I’m sure you will.

Love you!

Week #4 - Dep/Mar Project

Okay, so how is everyone doing? I hope there are some of you doing this with us or at least reading the articles. They are so good and I have to be honest, they are helping change my life, little by little each week. I think I'm going to really miss this when it's over. Having a goal every week of self-improvement has been amazing.

Well, this last week was all about love. Not just love in general, or trying to be charitable, but having a plan or a goal to put this specific type of love described in our article into practice. To love in general is as the article said more like, "lip service".

I really loved how Elder Goaslind, Jr. described that real love requires action on our part. His example of Peter saying to the lame man to rise up and walk was not effective in the man's life until Peter reached out his hand and lifted him up. That was when the man's limbs received their strength.

My personal experiences have been a bit surprising, but I learned much about how saying, "I love you" is as important as showing that you do. I've always been about the action, but the words are just as important. Don't forget that! We need both the words and the actions inspired by those words. Too much one way or the other and it doesn't do what we are hoping it will do.

So I hope you've had similar uplifting experiences with love this last week. It's been a blessing for both Chris and me.

Here's this week's letter and articles located in our "pages" section to the right in case you've gotten lost! Good luck!

Letter:

Hello honey, my best friend and husband,

Today is a hard letter to write. I have been thinking so much about you. I’m nervous and worried because I am not there to take care of you and yet the Lord keeps reminding me you were his before you were mine. It’s hard sometimes to trust the Lord even though I know he’s the one in charge. I know he can do it better, but it’s hard being out of the loop. I like to see or hear or touch to confirm that everything’s okay. I can’t do that right now, but I want to. So I kneel down and pray or I stop in the kitchen and pray or I sit on the couch and I pray. I pray that the Lord keeps you in the “hollow of his hand,” that he is mindful of us at home, and that you can feel how much we are proud of your service and sacrifice and of course, that you know how much you are missed and loved.

Wow, I feel better. It’s always good to write things down. I hope you are doing that every chance you get. These experiences are once in a lifetime and these blessings are easily forgotten. It’s sad, but true. Our memories are so short no matter how hard we work to make them longer. Thankfully, we have the Holy Ghost to “bring to our remembrance” the important things and the final judgment when “all things will be remembered.” I look forward to remembering every detail of how much the Lord has done for me, big and small. I think that’s why we started with gratitude; to get into the habit of “seeing.” Now, we are being grateful and magnifying our faith and hopefully loving as the Lord loves. Today we begin an exciting week.

Miracles

“For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith.” – 2 Nephi 27:23

This week we are studying miracles. The miracles of Jesus are obvious beginning points, but I want us to go a bit further. This week as we study we will pray. We will pray to make a miracle happen in our lives. I want you to think hard about what kind of miracle and who will be involved. Then I want you to, like faith, do all in your power to help bring the miracle to pass. It might be an open opportunity to share the gospel with someone or to get past some feelings that are holding you up. I’m queen of that one and you’ve seen how miraculous the change in my life has been. Do your pondering thing that you’re so good at and with a faithful heart, pray to Heavenly Father to have a miracle occur during your time there. That doesn’t mean that the entire miracle will unfold in your presence or even during your deployment, but if it’s the Lord’s will, you will get to experience the miracle begin.

Now the accompanying article this week was extremely difficult to pick. Every time I began scanning, I ended up reading! Then I was crying as the spirit bore witness of the miracles of God, great and small. It was so hard! So, I have not read these, but I sure wanted to when I was picking them. The first one is a general beginning that I thought fit. The second is a closer look at one aspect of the topic. And the third is a powerful and very specific example of the principal that I had to include. Good luck!

Loves for always and be careful. I know you like adventure and you’re excited about all the amazing things you’re doing, but remember to listen for the “still, small voice.” We both know the military is not the church. Be brave in standing for your principals and be patient with others who do not have your foundation in goodness. Love the men and women with whom you associate and be the shining example for them that you are for me at home.

Now, close your eyes and picture Evie with her silly grin and her sparkly blue eyes that light up when you’re around. Do it now. Okay, now feel her bony, adorable little arms wrap around your neck and squeeze as hard as she can. Okay, you can let her go, she’s turning blue!

Now, close your eyes and picture Joseph with his chubby cheeks and grin from large ear to large ear. Okay, now feel him tackle you at full Joseph speed for a giant 2yr old hug that has him growling and giggling his little bowl-full-of-jelly laugh. Okay, now get up off the floor.

Now, close your eyes and picture Lizzy with her tousled brunette hair still in her pretty blue eyes and her tongue sticking out as she sucks on her pacifier. It’s okay to laugh, she’s too little still to know it’s at her. Okay, now put your arms out low and see her crawl quickly right into them as she peeks up every couple of seconds to make sure she’s going the right way. Now, pick her chubbiness up into those big daddy arms and squeeze the baby, squeeze the baby, squeeze the baby. Oh, goodness, let me grab a towel. That’s what you get from squeezing after she’s just eaten. You know I tell you that every time and still you just have to squish her! Oh well, she likes it.

Now, close your eyes and picture your wife. I know that’s going to be tricky, but please don’t give me too much of a belly in your imagination. I like the idea that you think of me as my thinner, less irritated, non-pregnant self. Okay, now picture the blonde hair in the ponytail as always, the cheeks a little rosy from laughing and playing with the kids, and blue eyes glittering with happiness at seeing my family love each other so much. Okay, now carefully, being soft around the middle, put your arms around my small body (you always forget how tiny I am compared to you!) and give me that hug that you’ve been wanting me to have since you left.

Doesn’t that feel good?! I know it felt good to me and you’re lying on the couch asleep right next to me as I write this. I hope you are happy and tired every night that you fall right to sleep with good dreams. We miss you as always and are counting the days as I know you are.

Pregnancy Update

Just a quick update. We got our third and hopefully, final "for sure" on the sex of our newest addition. Our new little one is going to be very spoiled. SHE will have so many toys and clothes I don't know what she'll need. We are planning to go with the zoo animals like JC (since they're in the same room and it's already decorated that way), but I'm hoping to get some bedding that's a bit more pinks and yellows, maybe purple, vs. the greens, browns and blues we originally decorated with.

I'd love to say we have a beautiful name picked out, but since we'd been told almost 1 1/2 mos ago we were having a boy "for sure", we have nothing at the time. Any and all suggestions are welcome!

The ultrasound also showed that all is well and healthy with both the baby and mommy so no worries so far for Christmas travel! Yeah!

Wish us luck on both!

Chris' Blog

Don't forget to check out Chris' blog! He finally posted something and its pretty interesting. I loved it, but then I'm biased. Make sure and support Chris in this and you might actually get more!

Loves to all!

Week #3 of the Dep/Mar Project

So here we are in week number three. How are you doing? I hope well. Here you go for our next week. Continue to be grateful and faithful as you progress with us. We don't leave a principal behind we just add to it. Good luck and hope you're learning as much as we are!

The Letter:

Hi Handsome!

Well now we’re in the swing of things, or the thick of things, or we’re just into things now. Just kidding! Hope all is going smoothly. I assume some “things” have gone well and others probably not so well. Either way I am here to brighten your day, morning, evening, night…well you get it, whenever you get it : ). Of course, the miss you part is still very much in tact and though we miss you more the longer you’re gone, I hope we’ve been productive at home with projects, projects, projects, and maybe a little fun too!

Okay, so how’s the studying going?

You’ve had amazing success? That’s wonderful.

OR

Not so great, you keep forgetting? Well, get off your cute bum and change that!

(Choose the appropriate answer. Don’t lie – I think that’s one of our topics.)

I am 100% positive you’re closer to the success answer. You’ve always been a smart cookie and a spiritual one too. I hope these letters and the project is helping you to not only get through each day, but to make each one count. You know, I was thinking about life in general and I realized that one of the things I’m most grateful for about you is how you helped me see the value in each day, each hour, each moment. I’m great at planning, preparing, and perfecting, but I’m not so good at relaxing, enjoying, and recognizing the blessings of small moments of laughter, love, and companionship. That’s all you. Because of this change in perspective I’ve recognized how short each day really is to accomplish something. With this project I’m hoping that we both are using our time to our advantage and really making the most of this opportunity to grow. I don’t always like growing, but wow, I love the grown part! More to the point – use your time wisely. When we get to the end of our lives I want to have really earned every gray hair, every wrinkle, every achy muscle and old bone. I want my body to show on the outside how much my heart and spirit have been used on the inside.

Love

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear…we love him, because he first loved us…and this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also.”

– 1 John 4:18-21

So to the project of your deployment. This is week 3 – Love. I know, that’s such a big topic. Love what, love who, love how? Well I think the above scripture choice is pretty good at clarifying and narrowing this topic. Isn’t it neat how these things come together? I’m a little surprised myself! So I figure we will focus on our love for God and of God by working on loving when it’s hard, or we don’t want to, or we don’t feel love. I thought that would be using our week very productively. Now, I know you’re thinking, “I like everyone here.” You are that way, but what about the sergeant you left behind in Shaw? You know that guy, the one you wanted to get stuck holding all the crappy cards. Well, it’s time to love him too. It’s time to love the colonel who’s pushing you too hard and the enlisted guy who stole your book because he thought it was funny. This is the time to really search our hearts to get rid of all those unkind, nasty feelings toward anyone or anything that may keep us from truly loving God. So that’s this week’s assignment and I know you’ll have wonderful experiences as you seek to really love those around you. I know with all my heart that you are a loving man and that those who are required to be around you will seek out your presence and delight in your attitude.

I wish you luck on this new one and now that you know the drill, you can search out your study so much better. Granted I know that you’re a busy guy, but I also know that this project we’re doing together is a blessing from Heavenly Father to a wife who wanted to stay in close contact with a husband who is now thousands of miles away. I also know that the experiences and lessons we learn during this will be as beneficial a point in our marriage and in our lives as was reading the Book of Mormon together across the miles during your first year of school. We have been blessed with so much and I know it’s because we seek after the things of God and his presence in our lives, marriage, and family.

Love you bunches, miss you tons, a billion kisses and that’s just from the KIDS!!!

I love you too : )!

Special Sumter Friends

I know who you're thinking of and you're wrong. This is a post about those "friends" that I'd just rather not know much about. These include the red ants, the spiders and those weird worms that live here.

First, we recently had some significant experiences with these friends of ours. A little bit ago I took the kids on base for an appt. Well Evie likes to run around once out of the van and to preempt that I told her she had to stay on the curb while I got Lizzy out of the van. I said, "stay right there, don't move." She did great until, while on the side of the van where I couldn't see, she started jumping up and down and yelling. Well, anyone who knows my daughter knows this happens pretty much 1oo times every day so I ignored her until I brought Lizzy to the other side. Of course, this time she had good reason. The exact spot I told her not to move from was a string of red anthills! I hadn't even noticed and obviously neither had she. She was jumping up and down and crying because they were all over and biting. She had on open sandals and little shorts and the ants were taking advantage.

So I stopped messing with Lizzy, told Joe not to move (scanning the place before I left) and then picked Evie straight up in the air and brought her down hard enough next to me that she lost her balance. Then I did it again and stripped off her shoes. I got every one of those little suckers off my baby girl. (ok, not baby, but mommy instinct don't care how old she gets) We checked every inch of her and overall, she had only two bites! Thank goodness. I don't think I could've handled more. It was my fault she was standing there. And she had listened so well. I was grateful though to hear her quote me when she said, we leave them alone, they leave us alone. So she does listen, she gained a good lesson, and she's no worse for ware.

Honestly of all the time we've spent here and with all the hills in our yard and the way both the kids like to mess with their "homes," I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner. Of course, if I went outside with them it'd probably happen a lot.

Our next friend was a large spider in our garage. I've been really careful about my cleaning and junk just sitting around because insects in warm places end up inside a lot easier than other places (courtesy knowledge of a mission). So when I found a rather large spider (and I mean with legs out, he was as big as my hand) I was concerned. I'd done enough research when we first got here to know the major ones to stay away from. Well, this one looked not happy. He was content where he was, but the kids go in the garage near where he was to get their bikes and toys at least a couple of times every week. So, it couldn't stay there.

My philosophy about bugs is if it's in my space, it's my choice. If I'm in their space, I give them plenty of it. Well, most bugs I just put outside. They don't really want to be inside anyway. But I wasn't 100% sure if this was a bad one or not. So I called my reliable home teacher. I know - how pathetic right? NO! My experience had taught me that God made some spiders big for a reason. The last one that was close to this size in my personal experience could jump at you and send you to the hospital! (again, thanks mission) So, I felt a little stupid, but not enough to ignore a possible danger to my kids.

He was so sweet! He came over, looked at it, and .... stepped on it. Yep, that's it. No scurrying, no jumping, no nothing. And of course, at the time he came to look at it, it was colder so the guy had curled up nice and little. Now, I felt stupid. He was great though. He validated that what I had was a wolf spider (definitely not the same look as the ones in Spokane), but that they're often mistaken for the local Brown Recluse which is extremely poisonous. He said they're almost identical. Ok, so no points on the scale for overreacting just a bit, but awesome points for being like most other people and not knowing the difference. (honestly, I looked. I couldn't find a positive id on the net).

So, if you think I'm super girly when it comes to spiders, you think that. But I regularly kill beetles, cockroaches, flies, bees, wasps, and lots of other stuff. I even kill spiders. Big spiders get special consideration just like big stinging insects. If it can come at me or move things on its own it gets more space and thought before I just kill it or think I can kill it.

Finally, the weird worm of Sumter. This worm is so odd. When we first got here it creeped me out big time. I thought they were spiders. This thing hibernates like bears or something, but in trees. Not a big deal right? Nope, it makes a spectacle of itself by making these huge webby nest things in the trees. It kills the whole branch, stem, or even a whole tree (it was a smaller one). It's weird, gross, and I've never actually seen the worm! It's hard to miss though when you see them.

So there you go. Our special Sumter friends and how we cope. It's just another part of life in a place that I don't always understand. That's why we leave home though right? New experiences are priceless, just don't tell that to Evie till she's much older.

Catching Up 3.2

So for our next post: the funeral

Well after some much needed rest the night before we got our kids all gussied up (is that how you spell it?) and holy cow, they were cute! I know, I'm biased, but they looked classy! We drove to the National Cemetery - never been to one besides Arlington - and made it before anyone else in my immediate family. One of the only people to beat us there was Grampa's little brother, Roy and a few others who had driven from the coast just to be there. Grampa would've loved all the support.

I think what I liked best about waiting in that line of cars, was that I knew every face and enjoyed warm hugs from every car. Thank you Grampa for inviting my family to all the reunions and showing me how important they are. It was almost perfect: you just weren't there to make funny comments and Grama wasn't there to say "Jim!" with protestation. Your spirit was felt quite strongly though, don't think anyone could've missed that.

After we were all there, they escorted us to the "shelter" on the hill. It was small, but clean and nice glass and stone enclosure. Thank goodness, it was quite windy that day and though sunny, very chilly. We all sat down and were greeted by Grama and Grampa's smiling faces from some beautiful framed collages mom and dad had made for both her parents long before this. I had never seen them, so I really liked looking at the collections of pictures and awards. Grama was beautiful and Grampa was totally cute! I know, but geez, put that man in uniform and who wouldn't want to date him? Grama didn't have a chance. That's how he felt about Grama in her red dress and I have to be honest, it was her color. They were great together.

Anyway, so the program started and I know it's not the right order, but we listened to the gun salute (Lizzy didn't cry, whew!) and the bagpipes play "Amazing Grace" and I was solemn, but fine. That is until they played Taps and I saw my big little brother crying underneath his dark shades. Then I couldn't help but cry too. Some men!!! I loved when they handed mom the crisp colored flags and expressed their gratitude for her parents' service to our country. It was such a nice recognition of all they had done all their lives. They stopped working for the military, but they never stopped living the military. It was who they were and such a support for the men in our lives, my husband, Beckie's husband, my husband's family (also previous military). They had a profound effect on all of us.

After the ceremony we watched as they put them both into the wall, side-by-side, as they always were. Grama ornate and lovely, Grampa simple and strong. That's when I noticed that my oldest nephew couldn't stop the tears and then I got all teary again. Some men!!!! They sure make it hard on us weepy women.

We followed everyone then to the memorial service at the funeral home. The program was simple and nice, but the part I loved was the video mom had done. Oh, how wonderful it was. Every picture of my grandparents they were looking at each other like the whole world had no idea how wonderful their marriage was. They were so in love, before kids, during kids, after kids, during military, after military, during sickness and death, and afterward. A love like that is not seen in real life very often anymore, but having been the recipient of a love like that (and I hope for it to continue in such a way) I can tell you, it's real and it happens! The pictures included their grand kids, great-grand kids, nieces, nephews, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles and almost anyone under the sun who fell within the radius of the Nix's all giving love and devotion. I loved it.

Not many got the opportunity to express how they felt about them due to a miscommunication, but I wanted to tell you how I felt, if you can't tell already. Grampa was the kind of guy that was at first, intimidating and a bit scary. Come on, I was a little girl! He always pushed for more effort and better work than I thought I could give. There was a time when I just really didn't like him, but as I got older I saw how much he cared. He pushed because he knew I could do it, he asked for a lot because he knew I had more to give, and I didn't like him because he chose to love me and be an example instead of my friend. It's what real love is like. As I got older I realized the only thing I really wanted from him was his approval on something important. Some choice, some action, some award, something that made him aware that I had listened to his lessons. I never felt like I had gotten it until he met my choice in husband.

He met Chris long before we were married. He and Grama hosted us in Texas for a few weeks when we were in high school. Then he saw him again after Chris' mission and again a while later after we were married. Then one day he pulled me aside after Chris and I had experienced some setbacks in the job world and were discussing what to do next. He looked me right in the eye and then looked at my sweet husband sitting across the room chatting with Grama. Then he turned back and said, "he's a good one Tamy." That's it. My heart danced. I knew he liked who I had chosen because he saw in my husband the kind of man that he had always tried hard to be. A man of integrity and honor. A man of sacrifice and love. A man willing to do whatever was needed for good. And a man who loved his family and God above all else. Not saying Chris is perfect or that Grampa was, just that both men have/had the potential to be all that and more. He never said another word about Chris like that, but I caught him watching how we were together a lot and I saw him smile at Chris' jokes or share things with my husband he'd not shared with anyone else I knew. He respected my husband and I always felt he respected me because he knew I knew a good one when I saw it.

I loved my grandfather so much. He was a kind and gentle man. He was the kind of man I want my son(s) to be and my daughters to marry. He's the kind of man who loved deeply, worked hard, sacrificed much, and best of all, laughed loud and hard. Even up to the very end he laughed, mostly at our kids, but you couldn't help laugh too when you heard it or saw it.

Later, we all met at the church for a small dinner, some great family pix I hope I get soon, and conversation. It was a good day. I cried, I laughed, I missed, I loved, and boy, did I hug!