Day 254 of 365

“The secret to staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.”
Lucille Ball

Week 36 of 52/ Thursday 5

August Date Night

Dinner and Dancing with Friends

Before date night with my hunky man!

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Entry Word: happy
Function: adjective
Meaning: experiencing pleasure,
satisfaction, or delight

Entry Word: content
Function: adjective
Meaning: feeling that oneʼs needs
or desires have been met
My Five Things that have made me happy1. My birthday is this week. (It makes me happy to celebrate another year that God has given me even if it means getting older!)2. Seeing family (some of which I have never met) at a beach near us.3. The pool! I never get tired of going there for Mommy and me!4. Seeing friends get their Marines back from deployment & their families back together.5. Serving on our pre-school ministry at church to the best of my ability.

Day 253 of 365

Homecoming means coming home to what is in your heart. ~Author Unknown
(In honor of all the Marines and Sailors that came home to North Carolina yesterday & because of the special meme by www.usnchic.blogspot.com/ which I am completing today!)

Good morning Wednesday!

Circa 20052 girls, 3 dogs, 1 beach, guys on deployment, and sand vs truck!Draw your own conclusions on who won!_______________________________________Wordless Wednesday

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WORDFUL WEDNESDAY AT




I have been taking the kids to the "mommy & me" time at the pool but that is on Wednesday and Friday mornings so Ben can't go. We went to the pool this past Saturday so that Ben could see what a great job Kendall is doing going under water and swimming! Of course they needed to show off some of their jumping abilities too!
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1. When was the last time you laughed until you cried? You know I cannot remember. I guess I better work on that!
2. If you found $10 today, what would you do with it? Probably save it! I want to get the blog printed out into books for the kiddos (futuristic terms) It's a little bit more expensive than I thought it was going to be!
3. Do you volunteer anywhere? I volunteer at church (preschool ministry team & ladies ministry) and at Ben's squadron.
4. What is your favorite summertime veggie or fruit, and how do you eat it? Tomatoes. Sliced on toasted bread with miracle whip and a bit of salt. YUMMY!!
5. Is your social sphere (circle of friends) small, medium or large? Large and very thankful all of the beautiful people that God has brought into my life!
6. When was the last time you attended a family or school reunion? How did that go? School reunion 5 years ago (Fun!!) Family reunion last year for Ben's family (AGAIN lots of fun!)
7. When you're feeling blue, what is the best way someone can cheer you up? Be with me no matter what kind of mood I am in.
8. Have you taken a vacation this summer? Yes. Highlands, NC, Pennsylvania, and now getting ready for Gatlinburg, TN.
9. What is the most unnecessary item you carry with you all the time? Probably my camera :-)
10. What is the best summer flick you have seen so far?What there are movies out? hee,hee. We did see one movie this summer and I can't remember the name of it!
11. Describe a perfect summer day. Lounging by the pool, a shower, then picnic with friends
12. Please a share a favorite photo from the summer so far! Gotta check out all of them along the way :-)

Day 252 of 365

I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world. ~Mother Teresa

Completing him Challenge (Kiss him like you mean it)

Ok so here is the final Completing him Challenge of the summer and Marriage Mondays. I meant to get these done yesterday but life has a funny way of pulling you away from the computer. Without further ado......
This weeks challenge could be your husband's favorite - I know it's my husband's! This is a cherry on top of a great summer of warm love and respect expressed.

The challenge: "Kiss him like you mean it!"
(Just a warning for my family....we do kiss alot!)
Sex is a basic physical and emotional need that men have. God designed our men this way. It's a good thing! Not only do they need it often but they need to know that they are desirable (just as we wives need to know this).

A lot of wounds can take place in this area of our marriage if we are not careful. Too much rejection from either spouse can lead to bitterness.

So here's a few action items:
1. Remember every man is different. Ask your husband if there's any improvements he'd like to see in this area.

2. Listen. If you husband has already expressed some frustration, listen to what he has shared and think about ways you can make a change. Baby steps are fine - just open your heart up to change.

3. Make sex a priority. Plan to have it. Don't let life get so busy that you neglect this area in your marriage.

4. If this part of your love life has gotten boring, take time to spice it up a little. Plan something nice like putting on something you feel good in, giving him a back rub, taking a shower together, lighting candles and turning on music. Take time to make a special moment - then...Kiss him like you mean it! You can guarantee he will walk taller. Paula Rinehart says sex is like a silent cheer! It just builds our man up!

Treasure these moments with your husband...you will never have these days of your youth back. Enjoy your man and let him know that he is enjoyed. Is there anything greater than knowing that someone enjoys you?

Song of Songs 5:16 says "His mouth is sweetness itself; he is altogether lovely. This I my lover, this my friend."
Build your man up tonight with some sweetness and kiss him like you mean it!
(From Jamie) I can sincerely say that I love kissing my husband. I don't think that this will be a hard week for me :-) In all seriousness, I feel like this topic is so taboo that christians let it slide and for many it costs them their marriage. Maybe we (Ben & I) are fortunate because we have so many goodbye and hello kisses that it keeps our relationship fresh. (Or the fact that we will have only been married for 7 years in December....not sure!) I fully plan on taking advantage of this challenge and hope you will too! For more visit

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Ok so normally I cut & paste a few snippets but this week was just too good not to share! I hope you enjoy!
When my feelings were hurt last week, the last thing I wanted to do was reach out in some stellar act of kindness and affection. Instead, I wanted Jeff to read my mind, understand my feelings, and come to me. Starting with the "read my mind" part, there are problems with that scenario that make it rather unfair. In short, I didn't want to "go first" to smooth over the rough spot I felt. But a lot of the miracle of two becoming one is about being willing to "go first," even when it smarts.

Does it ever feel impossible to you to love your partner with a divine quality of love? He calls us to imitate His godly kind of love. The longer I'm married the more I'm amazed that God calls us to do it, but the more dependent I am on His strength to strive for that kind of love.

Ephesians 5:1 "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children."

1 John 4:10-12 "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." (emphasis mine)

He DOES call us to love divinely, and that means we GO FIRST. God modeled initiative when He loved us, described in 1 John 4:19: "We love because He first loved us."

His willingness to GO FIRST in the active expression of love caused us to love back. I want that in my marriage!! How about you? God went to the greatest extent, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." I want to be willing to GO FIRST in the active expression of love, and I want to be loved back.

Before we understood or cared about His love for us, before we asked for forgiveness of our offense, before we spoke lovingly to Him, before we gave anything back to Him, before we spent any quality time with Him ... He loved us. He was willing to GO FIRST.

When we receive love's action first, it affirms the unconditional quality of the love, it shows we have been chosen, and it invites us to respond. As we respond the bond deepens and the understanding grows and intensifies. And I'm not just talking about gals like me being loved by the God who went first; I'm talking about gals like me who get their feelings hurt and don't want to "go first" in relationship with our guys. Going first requires humility, humility like Jesus showed. So how does it look in a romance where we are trying to forge two into one?

-taking initiative to share (your stuff, your space, your time, your self)
-being willing to change (I'll roll the toothpaste the way you like it, Honey ;) )
-praying for your spouse first (even if what you long for is to be prayed FOR)
-making the first move intimately (showing your spouse you desire and want them)
-giving up what is yours (I can move that meeting; let's go ahead and go out that night)
-affirming your partner with encouragement (thank you for taking care of those bills)

Our tendency is to wait and let the other person make the first move, so we don't "stick our neck out there" and get burned, so we don't get taken advantage of, so we don't get ignored .... watching out for what the world tells us might happen if we dare ... to GO FIRST. But God's quality of love means we set aside our pride, love the other more than ourselves, and be willing to GO FIRST.

For more visit
http://comehaveapeace.blogspot.com/

day 251 of 365

I am perfectly imperfect, beautiful in my flaws, sure of my insecurities, absolute chaos..a beautiful disaster

Monday Mugs (cry baby)

Taking a break from Operation Clean House to do a few blogs.

Today is "Cry Baby" at Monday Mugs!
Here are a few of my favorites!

Day 250 of 365

It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it.
-- Lena Horne

Pics of the week (project 365 of my own)

Kendall's new back pack for school

Isaac's new backpack
Dress-up

Showing off her new cowgirl boots AGAIN

Sweet girl waiting for the BALL

I don't want my picture taken mom!

Day 249 of 365

Love, like paint, can make life beautiful when you spread it around, but it simply dries up when you don’t use it!

Friday is here!

This week’s questions are:

1.What is something you wished you’d learned to do earlier in life? Pray. (Really pray not like just when you are in trouble but an everyday conversation to God pray.) I would have learned so much more about myself and been much more grounded.
2.What is your biggest pet peeve with the military? Hmmmmm....I guess based on recent & pst events in our lives....not letting the service member come home for deaths in the family. I am not talking about your great aunt sally on your mother's side but people that you have geuninely been close to. I think that they deserve the closure that only seeing your loved one & being able to say good-bye can give.
3.What tourist attraction near you have you never seen? Not really sure....we haven't really explored the Outer Banks at all & some of those are pretty close!
4.What are you avoiding doing right now? Getting ready to take the kids to the pool. AGAIN!
5.Wine, beer or liquor?A nice dessert wine or a beer every now and then.

1. Are you a neat sleeper or a messy sleeper? Neat. Very rarely are the covers distrubed unless I am having to fight the hubs for the covers!
2. Fill in the blank. I wish I was more of a dynamic speaker.
3. What is something that you wish you had been warned about? CREDIT CARDS!! UGH...we would be so much better off if we hadn't had to pay for all of those!
4. What was the best thing you ever found at a garage sale/flea market? A 2 year old double jogger in awesome condition that regularly retails for $500 for $40!
5. If you could have any meal brought to you right now, what would it be? As long as it's not fish or liver bring over anything!!

2003

Our little family (before we became a real family!)

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And...here we go!

1. Life is beautiful.
2. My continuing education credits keep going.
3. My last text message (or IM) ended in these three words: C U soon love.
4. Seafood is what I'm thinking about for dinner sometime soon.
5. On the 1st day of August I was excited because my birthday is this month!
6. Some people would describe me as lively and energetic.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to small group with great friends, tomorrow my plans include church & life group and Sunday, I want to enjoy my volunteer work at the church nursery desk and try not to focus on the fact that Ben has to work!

1. Today for breakfast I haven't had anything yet. But I am thinking maybe oatmeal this morning. Ben has me craving it since he told the kids that if they didn't eat their dinner last night that is all that they would be having!
2. My go to/never fail recipe a really simple corned beef brisket in the crock pot. Easy and yummy!
3. Something I eat that other people think is weird is I don't think that I eat anything super weird but Benny thinks that I eat things strangely. I eat certain foods first, I don't like to mix my food, certain things can't touch on the plate, etc.....
4. My worst cooking disaster ever was when I made a pizza for us in California. I did really great adding all the ingredients that we like but put WAY TOO MUCH garlic on it. Neither one of us could really choke it down!
5. If I could only eat one flavor of ice cream the rest of my life it would be chocolate with peanut butter. Yum!
6. One food I hate and avoid at all costs is fish. Just really can't stand it!
7. What is your favorite meal? Breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Dinner especially if we have a date night!

Marriage advice

Marriage advice

No it is not coming from me! I only wish that I had this much insight. I found a blog yesterday at http://lysaterkeurst.com/ It is beautiful! Her title says it all "Leading Women in the Adventure of Faith." I am posting a clip from her post yesterday that I found very comforting and wanted to share. Happy Reading!

I shared with my friend that when I was single I thought marriage was all about finding the right partner. I thought if you find “the one,” you’ll be happy, secure, and fulfilled. I do think it’s good to have a list of standards that you look for in a spouse. However, it can never be with the expectation that if you find that special someone, he’ll right all your wrongs and fill up all your insecurities. The problem with this thinking is the pressure it will eventually put on your spouse.

To expect another person to make you feel happy, secure, and fulfilled will leave you disappointed at best and disillusioned at worst. Even a great husband makes a very poor God.

Only God can settle those deep heart-needs. A man can never do this. If a husband could meet every need his wife had, we’d have no need for God. Therefore, instead of just focusing on finding the right partner, let God work on your heart to help you become the right partner.

Getting married doesn’t instantly make you selfless… it makes you realize how very selfish you can be at times.

Getting married doesn’t make you feel loved… it makes you realize love is more of a decision you make than a feeling you feel.

Getting married doesn’t take away loneliness… it makes you realize true companionship comes not when you demand it but rather when you give it to another person.

So, what does marriage give? A beautiful chance to…

…make the choice to love.

…laugh whether or not the jokes are funny.

…fold his collar over his tie every morning.

…pretend like you don’t need flowers, but delight when he buys them anyway.

…cheer him on through both failures and successes.

…tell him he’s a great man everyday.

…thank God for the privilege of being his wife.

Day 248 of 365

Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years. ~Simone Signoret

Thursday Five

I am so happy that someone has picked this back up because I missed it!Here are my FIVE things that have made me happy this week.....1. Doing fun summer stuff this week: park, playdate, pool, library, & the pool again tomorrow if not the museum too!2. Having the hubby fly over the house twice this week! We have been married for 6 and 1/2 years but I still get butterflies and excited when I see him fly.3. Knowing that we are going to be staying put until next summer. I really wasn't feeling the December move to a new location!4. Getting a new bookcase for our bedroom to get it more organized and cleanly!5. Enrolling Kendall in her first sport ever (soccer) and man is she excited!

Week 35 of 52

Kendall and I before the water slide

Isaac and I in the kids water park section

With my friend and college roommate, Jamie. (I think great names make you like each other!!)

It's time to stop hiding behind that camera of yours. Your family is missing you in the picture. So it's time to post a picture of YOU (yes, you) every Thursday with your child, your spouse, your friend, your dog, or even by yourself. Just get in the picture, you'll be glad you did! And just jump in now with 1 of 52, you can do it!

Day 247 of 365 (I love this one!!)

I love being married. It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life. ~Rita Rudner

Time for Wednesday!

Wordful Wednesday

When we were back in Pennsylvania, Ben and I took the kids to my college campus to see all of the changes that have been occuring. (Man there are ALOT!) One stop on our tour was to the nursing building where I spent a large part of my college career. Here are the kids in the room where we had all of our core classes. So fun to see them in there!
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Wordless Wednesday (Fun with uncles)

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Way back in 2005 before the Kenny Chesney concert. I was listening to his cd earlier so that is why I hunted down this picture!!

Day 246 of 365

"Jesus came not to deny life, but to offer life, and life more abundant. We are not to retreat from life, pinning our hopes on "elsewhere", but to know that we will come to that final destination best by living fully here and now, be it through joy, pain, or a mix of both." - Madeleine L'Engle

What the "Army Wives" don't tell you.

I was reading a fellow military blogger's post from this morning. She was talking about a person that told her she knew "how military wives felt or what we go through after watching the show army wives." This fellow blogger was "speechless." (As was I after reading about it!) Now I was not there for their conversation & I am sure that this person meant well but comments like that leave military spouses all over the world feeling more lonely and irritated than ever. Being a military spouse is like nothing else that I have ever experienced.

Now it is not my intent to complain about "Army Wives" because I watch & enjoy the show myself or to belittle civilian wives. (Marriage is a hard job no matter whether it is military or civilian.) The show is entertaining and does show the public some of what we go through as military spouses. However, unless you have lived, ate, and breathed military life, there is really no way to describe it in words, a television show, or think that you "know how we feel."

This fellow blogger posed the question

What have you done, felt, learned as a military wife that you don't think you quite get from Army Wives?

So here are a few of mine in no particular order.....

how to prepare to have your firstborn baby by yourself with your husband in Iraq.

how to build a house for the two of you without your spouses input and opinions.

how to keep your husband in the loop of your children's lives through pictures and videos of their first steps, birthdays, words, and other activities.

how to hear your husband cry for the first time ever and not be able to reach out to hold him because he is at war

how to pull on base & not cry when you see someone else's welcome home banners and yellow ribbons when you know you have 7 more months to go

how to comfort your children when they cry for their daddy, look at you with tear filled eyes & say "I miss my daddy," or explain that daddy really doesn't live in the computer or phone

how to plan a vacation around deployments, training exercises, and the squadron's schedule

how to roll over at night and not sigh wishing that your husband was lying there next to you

why you carry your cell phone with you ALL the time even to the bathroom for fear of missing a precious call. Crying when you indeed MISSED one of those calls or crying just to hear his voice. Having so much to say and not having anything to say at all but not wanting to waste a single second

mourning family members passing alone because your husband cannot be returned home during a time of war

Murphy's law of the military that everything CAN and WILL go wrong when your spouse is not there to lean on

And mostly, hugging and kissing your husband (possibly for the last time) to watch him turn & leave to go to war.......OVER and Over again.