Family visits

We've been blessed by several family visits while dh has been deployed. First my sister and her little one Tanner came out from Kansas in October.

Next, mother-in-law flew out from Florida over Thanksgiving. She kept the kids distracted with bocce ball (friend Jackson joined in with that) and card playing and anything else they wanted to do!We just returned from taking my parents to the airport to head back to Texas, after spending a wonderful Christmas vacation with them.  Lots of card playing, movie watching, walks, oh and eating of course!Mom-- I have a difficult time getting a photo of you with your eyes open! That woman will play Phase 10, anytime, anywhere ha! From the bottom of our hearts, thanks to all of you who helped the last few months go by a little more quickly. We love you and are so grateful for our wonderful family. We are blessed!

Christmas weekend

Bear with me for another round of photo updates.

It's been 15 weeks since Steve left for this current deployment in the fall. We are down to the final 4-5 weeks, PTL!  We will be together as a family again by the beginning of February, Lord willing. If anyone is counting (and trust me, I am!), between this and the last deployment, we have been apart a year total out of the last 2 years.  Longer, if you add in TDY time. It's a very real--very likely--possibility this won't be the last deployment either. I try not to think too much about that. One day at a time!

At any rate, here a few shots from our past weekend. It was a busy one for us as I played piano for 3 services for the chapel. Christmas itself was nice and quiet, involving lots of food and naps. <g>

All the children on Christmas Eve:

The girls and I. I never got around to taking one with all the kids! They changed their clothes too quickly after church <g>

The traditional reading of the Luke 2 Christmas story with Grandpa and little Anna

Grandma and Anna watching a movie--complete with curlers

Anna showing some of her new duds:

 Grace doing same--she makes me laugh!

Gabe sleepily opening a Christian tee

Steve was so sweet to send some gifts for the kids to open. The neat thing is, we got a call from him right as we were opening gifts. Matt spoke with him while opening!

Here are the boys modeling the Oakley sunglasses Steve sent them

For the siblings--Mom and Dad were SO surprised and absolutely loved the digital camera!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

December happenings....

We had a nice surprise from the base this week. We got a call from Steve's work that there were a 'few things' there waiting for us and could they bring them by? Turns out that the base is making sure gifts get out to the children of every deployed service member. We were overwhelmed. Though we don't feel 'in need', it was nice for the children to know they are remembered while their dad is deployed through the holidays:As if that wasn't enough.....just how many skittles does one girl need? Anna won the big jar full at Awana club, after successfully guessing the total amount in the jar. She was pretty excited. Unfortunately (or fortunately, if you're the parent!) she managed to spill half the jar the next day....If you ask me, this girl looks a teeny bit too happy to have this cast.   Grace managed to fracture her pinky finger right at the base on its growth plate. Which bought her a month with a half cast. She was excited at first, since she's never broken a bone, but it is quickly getting old. And, cast or no cast, the girls did a fine job making a gingerbread house with Grandma. My folks are here visiting over Christmas and we're thrilled to have them!I bought this kit at Michael's. Here are Grandma and the girls just starting:

I felt a little uninspired at first, doing a gingerbread house from a kit, but it turned out very nicely. And I have to say I think they had plenty of fun, and made some great memories!

A season of waiting

Advent is a season of waiting by its very definition. We celebrate the anticipated arrival of our Messiah, Jesus. The girls and I are making an advent wreath this morning (a little late, but that's par for the course around here!) with my hope to keep this season focused on Christ.

We military wives are pros at waiting.

Most of us are far from home--the friendly comfort of where we grew up, and we would much rather spend the holidays among the familiar, with family. But for many of us, it's not an option.

So we wait.

Some of us are overseas, many in countries actually hostile to Christianity. There are no Merry Christmas signs, lights, trees, manger scenes, candles or anything else signifying there is anything special to this season. What we wouldn't give to hear a good old fashioned "Merry Christmas!" from a store clerk or the sound of a Salvation Army bell ringing. But for this year....it's not to be.

So we wait.

For still others, it's close to moving time again. We celebrate Christmas with a partially packed or unpacked house, do the best we can to help the children have a good Christmas and think to ourselves "It'll be better next year".

And we wait.

For many of us, we will celebrate Christmas--whether for the first time or one of many years- without our beloved spouses.  They may be on an extended remote tour, or deployed in harm's way every single day. There is nothing we can do but pray.  We hope and cling to faith.

And we wait.

For those who wait along with me, please let me offer a simple Merry Christmas to you. My prayers are with you every single day.  You're not forgotten.

Perhaps having all the comforts and things we loved stripped from us reminds us Who is truly our hope--Jesus.

Know that He will not let you down as you continue to wait.

God bless you, my sisters.