We have some new additions to our little home.  Yay! 

As you all may remember I had to put DH's kitty to sleep while he was deployed.  So we knew we would be "replacing" her when he returned home.  Some dear friends' kitty had kittens so it seemed only natural to choose one from their litter.  You can't be too careful these days.  If you know the parents and the "upbringing" that is so important. lol. 

Yes note I also said not addition but additionS.  'Tis true.  We have added 2 kittens to the fold so we are now a 4-cat family.  One for DH and one for DS.  I thought at first I must be out of my mind but it has turned out to be a great thing.  Dusty isn't bothered too much, in fact, he acts more like a grandfather to them.  Sadie.  What can I say?  Sadie isn't very happy about it and wants everyone to know.  The noises that comes from that cat when the kittens are around are almost disturbing.  But eventually she will get over it.  I think.

So without further ado, let me present MacArthur and Fresco.  I give you all one guess which cat belongs to whom.  Is that right?  Or is it is who? Or?  Oh whatever, is it summer so my brain won't recall right now.  And yes, my military man named his cat after his favorite General.  And for now Mac is living up to his namesake.  He bosses Fresco around. 

Fresco

MacArthur

Passed out after playing

Wow, I wanna be like you when I grow up

Mac sleeping with Daddy
 

 Can we all say,"Awwwww?"  Yep, they are cuter than cute and our little home is definitely rocking now.

I just had to share these pictures with you all.  DH and DS were sitting on the patio together early the other day.  It warmed my heart to see my two men sitting together quietly enjoying each other.  Enjoy.

Yesterday DH's unit made it safely home.  All the soldiers.  Praise God they are all safe.

It was a sweet reunion.  DH gave the Invocation for the ceremony so he was able to visit us in the bleachers beforehand and that was a sweet and special surprise.  DS is thrilled beyond words.  Life already feels back to normal even with him just being home a little over 24 hours now. 

There were mixed reviews on the kitty front.  Dusty was pleased as punch to see Daddy.  Well, pretty much for him, if it is someone to pet him, he is happy.  Sadie was less enthusiastic.  Her enthusiam (not), dwindled when we went to bed last night and HE got in "her" side of the bed.  We were sitting there talking and kept hearing little huffs from her while she sat on the floor beside the bed.   She quickly got over it this morning when Daddy got up and fed them royally.  They each got their own can of food instead of the usual Mommy starvation plan of splitting a can between them.

God is good and we are enjoying being a family again.  Enjoy the few pictures I got of his homecoming.  I was so excited I forgot to take many.  *grin*

DH with another Chaplain

Unit marching in

Unit formation for ceremony

Wyatt with unit mascot

Daddy and DS

Family picture

Please stop by Josephine's blog and take time to lift her and her family up in prayer.  This dear sweet woman not only stopped by my blog and left such kind words of encouragement to me while I await my husband's return, she did this in the midst of having just lost her's. 

She and her family need our prayers.  Thank you all.

Well, we are almost at the finish line!  DH and Daddy is soon to be home.  Yay!  We are both excited and running around like crazy people getting the house and yard ready for the homecoming.

It has been a quick deployment as far as deployments go.  No time you are apart from your best friend and spouse and Daddy is easy or "quick" but it surely could have gone much slower.

I hope to have pictures of his homecoming to share when it happens.  Until then, I would love to leave you with some of President George W. Bush's words from his commencement address at the U.S. Air Force Academy graduation.

"In the end, despite challenges and setbacks, freedom ultimately prevails, because the desire for liberty is written by our Creator in every human heart."

Well as hard as it is to believe we are at the end of this deployment.  DH was due home this week but his homecoming has been delayed.  Nothing that isn't business as usual with the military.  So it appears it may be a while longer before we can celebrate.  DS is disappointed (which is expected) as am I.  So we look to the Lord for our sustenance and strength and know that DH's ministry will be wide open till their return.  Again I say we are blessed that, in Army life, our deployment is a short one.  We are blessed.

I will keep updates on the return as much as OPSEC will allow.  For all you civies out there that is Operational Security.  Life lived one acronym at a time.   Isn't it fun?

DS is totally awesome!  He has been working quite hard these past few months.  See he has been working on memorizing the Shorter Catechism as well as the Ten Commandments, Lord's Prayer, etc.  Our church recently had a Bible Olympics for the children.  He did so well and it was so good for him in so many ways. 

We feel strongly that he learn these basic tenents of our faith and to begin learning the Shorter Catechism so that he will lay that foundation for not only what he believes but why he believes what he believes.  So since DH left we have started our mornings with Bible reading and then working on memorization.

DS did so well at the Olympics and we are so proud of what he accomplished.  Enjoy the pictures of him and sorry for the gloating here.  He won trophies for reciting the first 20 questions of the Shorter Catechism, the Lord's Prayer, the 12 Apostles, the Ten Commandments, and Psalm 23.  How cool is that for an 8 year old?

DS with our pastor

His trophies

Well, he's at it again.  This kid is so funny!

I have been listening to TobyMac lately.  I have widely varied musical tastes but his is my most recent enjoyment.  For a girl who is in that over-40 crowd it helps to "hippi-fy" myself when I can.  *grin*  A recent release of his from his album Portable Sounds is called Made To Love.  It is slightly hip-hop with a reggae beat thrown in (hence the "hippi-fying" of oneself).  I find myself singing and singing with Toby.  This particular song speaks of losing your first Love, losing your passion for Christ.  The gist of the song is that we can forget that we were made for Christ and were made to adore Him and be adored by Him.  Truly a beautiful song when you look at the lyrics.

But I was stopped in my tracks when singing along with him the other day when it comes to a place in the song where he is singing, "Anything I would give up for You.  Everything I would give it all away."  I was singing as hard as I could and then I stopped.  Can I honestly be singing those words?  Would I, could I give everything up for Him?  Would I and could I give it all away?  

I think we can easily get distracted by enjoying our favorite Christian song or hymn and not pay attention to the words we are singing.  We love the way the words sound with the musical score or we love certain phrases that may speak to our hearts.  But are our hearts listening carefully as we sing?  God is.  I imagine He is saying, "Could you give it all away?  I can ask you.  You sing praises to Me and sing of giving everything up and giving it all away.  But can you?"  Sobering thought.  Not that God isn't sovereign and doesn't know what my answer would be.  Not just the answer of my lips but the answer deep in my heart.  And not that it would change Him and His love for me if I honestly said, "Lord, I can't."  Yet, I can continue, "But You can help me.  I want to but I need Your help." 

Oh that I can sing those words honestly and wholeheartedly to my Lord.  A conscious act of my will it would be.

Next time you are singing with your favorite hymn or song, take some time to really listen to the lyrics.  Are they the cry of your own heart or a cry that needs to find its voice? 

It is truly sad and pathetic that I still drive like a Korean though we have been back in America for over a year now.  Take today for instance.  Confession coming....I was slightly more than irritated at a fellow driver for almost pulling out in front of me and then hesitating and then deciding to pull out v-e-r-y  s-l-o-w-l-y after my having to slam on brakes.  I then, quite irritated, pulled into where I was trying to go with a miniscule squeal of my wheels.  From the backseat I hear a faint prayer, "Dear Lord, thank you for letting me live."   At least DS is learning what means to "pray at all times without ceasing."

Okay.  The last post was heavy.  We need to laugh now.  No. No more 'nekked kitties.'  Well, I should post pictures of exactly how slowly his fur is growing out but that will have to wait.

You ever wonder what your kids do when you aren't looking?  I know I do.  I got to find out today, too.  Seems DS took the camera when I wasn't looking the other day.  He had worked very hard at his schoolwork so I sent him outside to the beautiful spring day to play his heart out.  I had let some papers pile up so I was going through cleaning them out and organizing them.  Nothing out of the ordinary, right?  Wrong. 

Today, I had taken some pictures of DS's handwriting (which I must say looks awesome for an 8 year old boy), and downloaded them.  I also downloaded these.....Enjoy laughing your socks off like I did.

It has taken me a week to be able to post this.  Our dear little CeeCee had to be put to sleep last week.  She was DH's kitty and with him gone this was a bit hard.  DS was also devastated since, in Daddy's absence, he had become the human of choice.

We adopted CeeCee 13 months ago from a rescue shelter.  She was already 10 years old and had been at this shelter for 2 years.  She was really traumatized.  When DS and I volunteered there last year we couldn't stand to leave her.  She pretty much stayed in one or two corners of the cat room.  She couldn't walk well or really at all.  We knew bringing her home that her time on this earth was limited but we wanted to love her and give her happy times for her time left.  We were able to do that.  She had significant arthritis but by this summer was walking with a funny little walk, but walking.  By this fall she was coming for pets and brushings.  By Christmas, she was getting on the couch beside me at night.  So we did what we said we would do.  We gave her happiness and she knew she was loved.

I know there are many others who are facing much greater trials than this but for our little animal-loving family this is quite a loss.  I would like to share some thoughts and Scripture a dear minister and friend of our family shared with me to help with DS's grief.   It was special that DS was able to be a part of the decision-making and be with her as she left this world.  A difficult lesson but one that is a part of the sinful world we live in and one I am glad I was able to be there to walk with DS through.  My prayer is that these may bring comfort to the other animal lovers out there.

"We must remember the Bible was written for the salvation of humanity, not of animals.  Humans sinned and brought the wrath of God, not the animals.  Sin came through us.  The animals are like innocent by-standers (Romans 5:12)  In Psalm 145:-9-10,13,15-21  God loves all His creation and has made plans for all His children and the lesser creatures to enjoy His eternal Kingdom."

"Romans 8:19 says that the lesser creatures await Christ's return to redeem the sons of God so they, too, will be released from physical death to eternal life."

"Romans 8:21-22 says 'Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.'"

LUKE 3:6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'" (NKJ) 

ACTS 3:21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. (KJV)  

REV. 21:5 And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. (KJV)  

ECCLESIASTES 3:18 I said in my heart, "Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals”. (NKJV) 

ECCLESIASTES 3:19-20 Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath, man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust and to dust all return. (NIV)  

PSALM 36:6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your judgments are like the great deep; you save humans and animals alike, O LORD. (NRSV) 

REVELATION 5:13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
   "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
   be praise and honor and glory and power,
         for ever and ever!"

Wow time flies when I try to sit down to blog.  This is something I must share with you all though.  Last week, DS and I had the lovely opportunity to attend a ballet like no other.  Though in recent weeks we had attended a local production of Peter and the Wolf this one was quite different.  It is a ballet company out of Mississippi whose desire and ministry is to serve and glorify God through dance.  Called Ballet Magnificat!, it is something to see.  We attended their production of The Hiding Place based on Corrie Ten Boom's life and book.  It was a powerful and moving performance.  I had wondered what an 8 year old boy's perspective or even attention span would be at something like this.  He loved Peter and the Wolf but it was a production that was geared for children.  We had briefly studied about Corrie Ten Boom before going.  Well I am not sure who was touched more, him or me.  He honestly was moved.

What is even neater is that before the final dance of praise, the speaker for the group comes out and basically brings the message of the Gospel and offers people a chance to pray with the dancers after the show.  Wow.  Afterwards, DS wanted to meet the dancers.  We met one who was about the sweetest young lady in the world.  She was very eager to talk with us, even after an exhausting 2 hour performance, no less.  We had to opportunity for her to pray with us and for us and then us for her.  What started as something that I really used as a "check off this block" for exposure to the arts became a night of ministering to our souls.

So check them out here and find out if they are coming near you.  It is well worth a drive if you have to drive some.  I would go back in a minute.  I am eager to see their other performances.  I won't soon forget this one.  Neither will DS as he is still talking about it almost a week later.

My heart is a bit heavy today.  A dear friend of mine sent a news link about the burning of the Namdaemun gate in Seoul.  How often we passed this beautiful historical structure on our way to shop in the Namdaemun Market during our time in Korea.  What a privilege we had to be able to see it and actually visit the site.  I had not realized that it had only been opened to the public in 2005.  That makes this even more poignant for me.

I included some links above so you could see it before the fire and also to see and 'experience' the Market by photos, too.  But to see the gate in all its beauty and to see the true devastion of the fire, go here.

My heart is heavy for my Korean friends.  What a loss for their country.

Did I grab you all with the title?  Oh what a few weeks.  First and foremost I must warn you of a bit of gushing ahead.

DS turned 8 yesterday.  I know I said it last year but where on earth does the time go?  We had so much fun, too.  Grandmommy came down and we had some friends over for a drop in.  We decided not to do a full blown party but it was still fun.  I honestly can't believe DS is 8.  He seems so mature and handles our current upside down life so well.  Though he missed Daddy terribly for his birthday he handled it.  Good friends coming by helped, as well.  The coolest thing was our our pastor's family gave him a wonderful new Bible.  The one he has been using was a bit for older kids and he was having trouble maneuvering around in it.  So they gave him a great new Bible with a dry high-lighter, bookmark, and the tabs for the books of the Bible.  He was so excited.  Have I said lately how blessed we are God led us to this church? 

School has been on hold for about a week now but we will get back to it tomorrow.  I love that we can just take time to do things.  Last week we did go to a local science discovery museum for our first time.  It was completely awesome.  It will require many more trips to see and do everything.  Plus they are homeschool-friendly.  DS also was able to participate in a rocket lab.  How cool it was for him.

We also went to another local production of a children's theatre.  It was an original story and DS loved it.  I did, too.  We have had lots of fun lately with the arts.  He is enjoying his art classes still and I will have some pictures below of his work. 

Though my tendency is to worry about his academic progress I realize that we are homeschooling his heart.  He has grown by leaps and bounds but mostly I love that he is growing in his love for the Lord.  He amazes me sometimes with his insight and desire for God's Word.  That is more important and more needful.  I know that when I rest in the Lord and trust Him for our school and give Him the first fruits of our days then He will lead us and care for our needs. 

I know you all have been reading waiting to see what the "nekked kitty" thing is all about.  Well remember the last post with Dusty who is just so darn cute?  Well he may still be cute but in a strange new way.  Another fascinating but little known fact about our lives is DS can learn biology, etc., in new and different ways because Dusty has asthma.  All that to say that since Dusty has been under the weather recently he wasn't grooming himself very well.  So I took him to the groomer for a nice bath and a little shave of his bloomers (backs of his legs), if the small mats didn't brush out.  What I got back was this.

There truly aren't words, are there?  As DH said when he saw the pictures, "It is so wrong on so many levels."    I told you he is Arnold Schwarzen-kitty.  Though I doubt the real Arnold has a stomach that hangs like a cow udder.  Wait, there's more...

And last but certainly not least....This earned him his newest nickname....Piglet.  For obvious reasons.

The vet assures me his fur will grow back in a couple of months.  I sure hope so.  We are getting used to him but everyone who knows Dusty and sees him now is speechless.  Well, after they get through laughing hysterically. 

On to good news.  DS is loving his art classes.  Again we are so blessed to have met this incredible art teacher.  DS is taking a class called Meeting the Masters.  He loves it, loves his teacher, and it is a true blessing for me.  Let me share my favorite of his recent projects when they studied Georgia O'Keeffe.  I love his picture and the colors he chose. 

Now for a couple of birthday pictures.  The first is the small set up I had for his day with the cake, Star Wars theme, of course.  DS is munching on a cheese puff.  Yes, lots of junk yesterday.  I tried to redeem myself with a bowl of apple chips and a plate of grapes.  And yes they got eaten, too.

Gift from Daddy

So as you can see there continues to be no want for excitement in our home.  Though I have to say that as much fun as this is, I am ready for DH to come home so life can be a little boring.  Boring is good.  I like boring.....
Remind me I said that.