Been a bit

Okay, so after having so many posts the previous two months, I know you're all wondering what happened to us!

Well, being sick seriously slowed down the projects, outings, activities, and basically anything else that we were up and doing. We haven't had much to post about unless you want to know what medicines we've been taking or thousands of cartoons we've been watching. It's been pretty boring.

Until this last weekend. With Chris coming home this last Sunday (yes, he's home - post to come), I was getting really anxious about being healthy. Well on Wednesday we celebrated Chris' 32nd birthday ourselves by singing him the happy birthday song. That was it. I sent him a nice email and we texted, but it wasn't really a big deal for our family. I gave him his present before he left because it was a book I thought he might enjoy while being deployed.

Lizzy's 1st birthday was a little bigger deal, but again, we're all still a bit sick and couldn't really do a lot. So we had her well-child check up and guess what? She's the first Fosburg baby to reach the goal of tripling her birth weight by her first birthday! Yes, that means she weighs 18lbs! I'm so proud of her. Dr. said she looked great and developmentally was doing wonderful. Then he took a quick look at the other kids since we'd all been sick for so long and gave them a clean bill of health! So my kids are back to rights again. We still have some sneezes and a little coughing in the morning, but overall they're good to go!

So, for Lizzy's birthday and to celebrate the fact that we were finally able to leave the house, we went to McD's for dinner and playtime. The kids loved it. Being around other kids was so nice for them. Lizzy ate real well and the kids behaved so well I looked like super mom! What a nice change. When we got home we had some ice cream and sang to Liz. She loved the treat. Then it was off to bed.

We are looking to do some major celebrating more appropriately when we get to Spokane. A cake and everything so that will be a later post.

The last day before Chris came home was all about preparation. We made a sign and cleaned real well. When the kids went to bed I worked hard to finish anything unfinished, as far as projects went, and then to get to bed at a decent hour so I could wake up without wishing I hadn't.

Sunday finally came! It was so exciting. We woke up, ate breakfast, and then went to get daddy at the airport. Chris was texting the whole way until I told him to stop so I could drive! Turkey! He was having a conversation and wanted to talk while I was on the freeway. I do not do that! Texting and driving are a horrible mix. I have a hard enough time staying on the road and looking at my map for directions.

We eventually got there a bit later than I wanted. Instead of standing in the airport, we sat on the floor of the van with our cute poster that even Lizzy helped color. Dad popped out and then it was all downhill from there.

It's been two days now, Chris has been to the base twice, borrowed my car both days (messed me up badly!) and stayed up until 3am last night on his PS3 and laptop. See, who says you need a few days to adjust? He needed his electronics and adjustment happened! We as a family are getting there.

We only have another two days before we're on our way to Spokane so adjustment has been interesting. Chris is tired and a bit out of practice, I'm relieved to have another adult around, and Joe can't get enough testosterone. Poor kid has been with girls for the last two months and only girls for the last 3 wks!!!

Well that's us up to the minute! We'll have more fun stuff to post about when we get to Spokane. Keep checking in and see what we're up to! Loves!

Week #7 - Dep/Mar Project

Well, we're almost there. For those of you counting this is week number seven of Chris' six weeks. It's the military. I expected it, didn't you?

Because I expected up to eight weeks, I was prepared with another letter for our project that would cover any "extra" time he might be spending deployed.

So, now it's tell time. How did this week go for those of you out there? Mine was quite the week. Excellence was a wonderful topic and I learned a lot. One of those lessons was that excellence is a process not an event. I can't say, "today I achieved excellence." But I will be able to say, "my life has been one in the pursuit of excellence." I learned from the companion article that excellence isn't going above and beyond by leaps and bounds in everything you do. Excellence is spending those extra few minutes to listen to a loved one or friend. It's planning and carrying through with a project even when you don't want to do it anymore. It's being patient just a bit longer than you had hoped. It's saying that extra prayer, doing a small act of service only you will notice, reading an extra chapter in your scriptures, saying yes to helping someone when you really want to say no. Excellence isn't a giant step, it's a lot of little ones that make up "going that extra mile". Not one person who talks about the extra mile ever gives a time limit on how long that mile might take. It might take a few minutes; it might take a few months. It might take your whole life to go that one extra mile. It's not how far you go or how long it takes you to get there, it's did you strive to do a little more every day.

Now, I won't say that I did this every day. I did keep it in my thoughts, and I worked hard to keep my steps small. I tend to only do things really big and then I'm too exhausted to do any more the rest of the time. So this challenged me. That's what it's supposed to do right? Doing things in moderation or a little a time are not my strengths, but that's what was asked of me this week. So, for example, I read in my scriptures until I felt like putting it down - allowed it to be as long as I wanted and didn't focus on being obedient to my goal, but to really just enjoy what I was reading. I flew through Alma and Helaman this week! I desired to read quite a bit more than my five chapters a night. The story was so good and the people's experiences so fascinating. I'm so glad that I didn't limit myself by specific constraints. I ended up reading over 15 chapters one night. That sounds great doesn't it? But what you don't understand is that because I allowed myself to just read until I was done instead of limiting myself, I didn't do any chores or projects that night. I allowed myself to strive for excellence in reading my scriptures, but it did have a price.

Staying to talk to a friend might mean we're excellent friends, but it might make us miss other things. It's important to keep things in a balance. Excellence doesn't require us to forgo our responsibilities or our other goals. It just asks us to squeeze in a little "extra". I don't regret that night I was excellent in the scriptures - it set my whole week off on a great footing. I was blessed later in the week to finish what I would have done earlier. I was blessed.

Well, I hope you learned some good lessons too!

Letter:

Well hello, I’m super excited to talk to you my amazing husband.

Bet you didn’t think you’d hear from me again, did you? Thought you were done, huh? Not quite!

Well here I am; ready and prepared. You know me, it’s not hard to imagine. So I looked at the calendar when I got your deployment date for leaving and I noticed that if we counted exactly 45 days it left us in the middle of the week. I also know that if the military actually sent you home the 46^th day, I would be very surprised. So, this letter covers the last topic or section of our project. We may get to do it, we may not. Either way, I am prepared and excited for this letter even though you may never read it during the deployment. If however, they keep you another week to two weeks you will still be joining me in our project uninterrupted.

Ponder

“Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.” – Proverbs 4:26

“Wherefore you are left to inquire for yourself at my hand, and ponder upon the things which you have received.” - D&C 30:3

As the bolded word indicates week 7/8 is to ponder. This is the time when we look back on what we’ve learned, studied, experienced, and how we’ve changed. This is one of those moments that are so rare in this world. You seem to be able to do it, but I need the practice. Some of the best lessons learned have not been when the teacher was talking or the student was writing, but when that student took it home and thought about it a bit, turning it around in his/her head until all sides had been observed and investigated. Not many students have the inclination nor the time and attention such pondering takes. We are going to be among those rare few for this one. During the next week – next two weeks – we will be those students who re-read, pray again, search again, and remember what has been during this adventure. I know that we will be blessed for taking the time and making the effort to follow through all the way to the end of this study. Sometimes the most important knowledge is just waiting in the details that are so easily overlooked. That’s why the scriptures need to be read again and again – we miss things all the time. Let’s not miss anything if we can help it!

So now you know – over preparing can be good sometimes! See, that’s why God gave us partners. You enjoy today, while I prepare for tomorrow. You need both to live the gospel and to live life happily. Aren’t we great together?!

Hugs, kisses, missing you every day! Kids say hi, of course and we are trying to be patient! See you soon.

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 #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.

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 : )!

Week #2 of the Dep/Mar Project

Okay, so how did everyone do? I hope you all had wonderful weeks full of love, gratitude, and spiritual experiences.

I think for me, it was a really good way to stay focused on what's important. Overall, I found that I had a hard time remembering to write things down at first. As I got going though I got more consistent. I also found that my lists were huge!!! I found that some things made it on the list every day (my kids, inspiration, energy, the gospel) not because of the general stuff, but because each day there was something that my kids did that made me laugh or helped me grow; there was not one day that I didn't need or receive inspiration and energy, and every day I was grateful for the blessings of the gospel. (My list was of course, more specific).

I hope you had some neat insights too. So this is week #2 - FAITH. Hope you're up for it and don't forget that the companion article(s) are listed to the right in the "pages" section.

The Letter:

To my SB (I won’t even spell it out),

Oh, best friend of mine, how awesome you are! You’ve now been gone a whole week and geez, if I think about it too much I‘ll miss you terribly. So I’ll just say we miss you, we’re doing fine, I’m sure, and we all hope you’re doing as well there as you’ve always done here.

I know that by now you’ve gotten into some sort of routine. Hopefully the food is good, the bed is soft/hard enough for you to really sleep, your back doesn’t hurt, you’ve made a friend or two, and you’ve actually felt the spirit. I really hope that last week’s study helped get you through the initial difficulties of adjusting and catching up. I know how hard it can be to jump into something new (weather it’s very new or just a little new) and to not have us to come home to in order to help you recoup from the day. Yes, I know you miss us too, right?

Magnify Your Faith

“And Alma cried saying: How long shall we suffer these great afflictions, O Lord? O Lord, give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance. And they broke the cords with which they were bound; and when the people saw this, they began t flee, for the fear of destruction had come upon them… and the earth shook mightily, and the walls of the prison were rent in twain…” – Alma 14:26-7

So to keep us going on our little spiritual experiment, we will be starting another study. Don’t forget to continue recording your grateful moments and those blessings you’ve already received as the spirit continues to remind you. The point of these all is to build on the previous, not to stop and start. For week 2 – we will be studying faith. I know, you’re thinking holy cow, why are we studying something that you’ve already put so much study into on your own time. Well for one, principals are infinite in their vastness so I’m sure there’s stuff you haven’t learned yet, for two, as your life progresses your perspective changes so you have more to learn now, and finally, for three, we’ve not studied it together and you’ve never been deployed either. So there is a need to study faith again.

Okay, so our assignment this week is to grow in our faith. We are going to focus on magnifying our faith not gaining it as I know of a surety we both are faithful people. As the scripture I’ve chosen demonstrates quite clearly, we both know that faith is a principal of power and action. Alma and Amulek suffered greatly before they were delivered and yet their faith remained in tact. So much so that when they could no longer bear the wickedness of their captors (not the hardship of the imprisonment) they prayed and then were blessed with power to walk free. So first, we study the magnifying part and then we apply it to what we already know or are currently learning about faith. Let’s pray for the power of faith to do something and then do what we can to help it come to pass.

You are in a situation you’ve never been in before. You are meeting people you’ve never met before. You are doing things you’ve never done before. These are great times to be demonstrating your faith to Heavenly Father and by just being near you others will see your faith and the attitude that it brings. You are at your best when your faith is strong and you are practicing it. I love to watch you demonstrate your faith in the priesthood or the plan of salvation. It makes me so proud to be your wife, your helpmeet in this life. I know others have felt your strength and your confidence. That is why you have done so well in your career thus far. You have walked into the darkness of life with a sureness that comes only from the Father and you have been blessed as He has lightened your path. I know He will do it again.

You are wonderful. You are strong. You are my husband, my best friend, and my eternal companion. Remember who brought you to where you are and you cannot fail.

We love you so much and are so proud not only to be an airman’s family in the US military, but, more specifically, to be YOUR family. Have a little fun this week, be goofy, work hard, and pray often. Know you are dearly missed and loved deeply. Be good.

Deployment/Marriage Project

So this is a special post. For the next couple of weeks, once a week we will do this post. That way if you choose, you may do our project with us.

This was inspired by a time early in our marriage when we were looking into an abyss of almost 9 mos. apart due to the constraints of both going to school, only two cities apart. We heeded Gordon B. Hinckley's challenge to read the Book of Mormon. We read our parts separately and were in different places quite often, but whenever we had a conversation we made sure to discuss any spiritual experiences, questions, comments, or insights we had with one another. Our phone calls were often quite involved and lengthy, but so enlightening. We had a wonderful experience that made our separation not only easier, but edifying. We both completed the Book of Mormon and at the end of our time, I joined him as he finished his education. But our marriage was different. It was stronger for the time apart, not weaker as is the way it happens so regularly. We appreciated each other's perspective not only in gospel matters (as we always did), but that respect grew in other areas too. Looking back on that time, I wouldn't want to do it again, but it was an experience that became a defining and glorifying time in our marriage. It helped create a very stable foundation upon which our family has been built. After this experience is when we began our family - having kids. We and they, have been blessed in so many ways because we listened to the prophet.

When I found out Chris was going overseas the Holy Ghost whispered this project-idea to me and I felt strongly that this could be another one of those building moments for our marriage. Chris suggested (maybe it was someone else) that I post our project as we do it for those of you who would like to participate. I've already noticed how just being excited to begin it together has already given us a leg-up as they say.

So each week is begun with a letter I wrote before he left and a talk or two from the LDS publication, the Ensign. Each article will be posted in the "pages" section of the blog (to the right). Outside study is definitely encouraged, but I didn't know how much he would have access to at the time, so I included all he needed to complete each week without going past the envelope. Good luck and I'm sure, he'd love to talk with anyone about it if you so choose. We will surely be discussing it.

WEEK #1 - letter

My dear, sweet husband,

You will just be unpacking or finishing out your first very whirlwind-type day. I know you’re tired and hopefully, missing us already. I’m so excited for this next step in your career even though it’s taking you so far from us. Just know how much we love you, think of you, and miss you every day.

Now, on to the purpose of this letter. For the next six to eight weeks we are going to do a fun little project. This idea struck me about a month or so ago and as we go, I’m sure you’ll be able to tell that I worked on this a bit. I’m so excited for it to get going.

At the beginning of each week you will open a letter with instructions and materials that will tell you what we’re going to be doing for that week of your deployment. Of course, this only works because you’re only gone for a little while. Anyway, this is week #1.

GRATITUDE

“And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindles, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.” – D&C 59:21

In Week #1 – after lots of thought and prayer, we are going to be studying “Gratitude.” I have included a small notebook and pen, this letter, and an accompanying talk by a church authority. Our goal this week is to be more grateful. I know, you’re asking why in the world would we do this now when Thanksgiving is during you deployment? I wondered that too until the spirit spoke to me. He reminded me that to be grateful during Thanksgiving is not hard, everyone is doing it, and while everyone is doing it then, we will have missed an important opportunity by not doing it earlier. So, we are studying gratitude this week because it’s hardest to be grateful when you’re tired, lonely, stressed out, and just plain not feeling grateful. So, since I know we’ll be missing each other and needing that little extra spiritual help to get going on this adventure, we are going to use our notebooks (I have one too) to write down every single thing we are grateful for. Every time you think of something or an occurrence takes place that you’re feeling grateful, I want you to write it down in your book. Of course, I started it for you and put our family and the gospel, I figured those were no-brainers. Now I want you to really think of what has happened today and write down a few things you are truly grateful for, things that helped you, or reminded you how important you are or that someone is looking out for you. Okay, now stop reading for a minute and do it. No, seriously, stop and DO IT!

Okay, now that you’ve been reminded of the Lord’s love for you today (and of course, mine) I want you to take your first read of the talk that I’ve included. I looked at several and while I didn’t read it (I wanted to do this with you) I did scan it and felt strongly it carried the message the Lord wanted us to hear at this time. You have two options now: one – begin by reading it again and either taking notes, underlining, or picking out where you want to begin your study or two – let it sink in for tonight, let the juices flow while you sleep and ponder, and then tomorrow you can begin your study. Make sure that each day you are looking for things for which you are grateful and write them down. I did get you a small notebook so that you can keep it in your ABU’s and I know you always have your favorite pen. I would encourage you to keep it with you as much as possible. It will be a tactile reminder of the spiritual while you are dealing with the temporal.

So that’s the project. Each week we will open a new letter, a new talk or two, and begin a new study. What’s so cool for us both to look forward to is that I noticed as I was putting these things together how well each focused principal of study will build of the previous one. Good luck and I’m sure this will be fun. Make sure you keep track of your study and insights in your journal. I want to know what you thought about either when you get home or through blogging, emails, etc. We’ll figure that part out later.

I hope this helps get you through this time with a positive attitude and another spiritual leap in your progression. You never do things in a small way.

Love you, miss you, and think about you every moment of every day!

Tamy Lynn - Downy ; )

First Deployment

So, many of you know that Chris has now "left the building." In fact, he not only left the building, he's left the state, then the continent, then the hemisphere, and now is in his new home for at least the next 6-8wks. While Chris does not consider this a deployment due to the short term nature, the fact that his new "home" is more likely to get bombed than ours, makes it one for me. He's so excited and by now has completed a day or two. He's only 7 hrs ahead of us so that makes him almost done with a day when we start.

He sounds good and loves to receive emails and texts. His address for both is the same, but the connections are a bit spotty so be patient. He has access to a little media, but not much and what he does have access to he says he has better things to do. So far, he's right in line with our family. We just mailed back our DVR and cancelled our subscription to Directv. We save money and actually get off our bums to do things.

The kids are doing very well. Evie is pretty much guiding the behavior of the other two. She's been through this before and though a little bad behavior is manifesting, it's not like the last time at all. We had a lesson on where daddy went and why he's there. We even talked about his job and colored pictures of the countries in the surrounding areas of where he's working. They seemed to really like it and now look at our map a lot. They were surprised by a phone call from daddy this morning during breakfast and all three (even Lizzy) got all excited (she did that whole shaking like crazy thing). It was so cute.

Anyway, so we're several days into our deployment and we have just finished our "missing daddy" time. I give our whole family about 2-3 days to be bummy, miss dad, do nothing, and cry or talk about him as much as we want. Then, though talking doesn't stop, our days get "hyper-scheduled" and the kids settle down into a routine while I begin massive project mode. I usually do the projects that will take the most time or make the most impact when Chris gets home first. Then I do the projects that I've been avoiding and no longer have an excuse not to do. Finally, I do those projects that have a time-limit from when they are completed until Chris gets home (like massive cleaning, fixing up the car, whatever). It seems to work out well for us here at home.

That's about it for the moment. We'll keep you updated and Chris might even post a time or two!