Ah....DS's newfound love is playing Uno.  We play and play and play.  It has been incentive for him to get chores completed quickly and get a quick game in before we start school!  *grin*  We have started a challenge that really began when we sat down one rainy day last week to play and I said, "Hey, best two out of three.  Waddaya say?"  It has turned into DS 16 games to my 4.  In the name of all things sane and real how can my son be beating the socks off of me in Uno of all things?!?!? 

So the saga continues.  I am working on coming back from behind in a stealth attack he'll never see coming.....I think.

Here is yet another reason in my already full bag "of reasons we homeschool" bag.

Politics aside this is actually scary to think about.  We should sing praises to our Lord and the God of the universe not a man or any men.  Sigh....

Honestly I don't know how time slips past without posting.  I mean so many interesting, funny, or just plain crazy things happen on a daily basis but I never get the time carved out to sit down and share them.  DH has been reading Ordering Your Private World, by Gordon MacDonald.  I used to be the Organization Queen but methinks I need to read this book.  It happened right after DS was born that organization went out the door.  Homeschooling sure has helped with getting my organization back somewhat but it goes much slower than I care for.

But what follows is a collage of our life over the past few weeks.  Enjoy and have a few laughs on us. 

DS with his kitty, Fresca

DH as "The Mummy"  Yes I am hot-natured and he isn't.  Note the rug, Dusty, at his feet to keep them warm.  So glad Dusty obliges.

The Mummy Returns.  That is one sheet, one thermal blanket, a comforter doubled over, plus a robe over the feet, and an Army cap all for good measure! 

 Give you all one guess what DS is getting for Christmas.  His own camera.  I keep finding these on mine.  The kid is pure silly.

Though I am seriously envious of his lashes. 

Talent abounds in our family.

Aaaah, classic Mac.  He sat p-e-r-f-e-c-t-l-y still as if we couldn't see him.  Even while I snapped away with the camera I believe he was firmly convinced he was invisible.   

This went on for at least 5 minutes, too.

One way cool moth we found.  Of course I need to get more organized so we can take time to look up what kind it is.  Gorgeous. 

DS after his first piano recital.  He did awesome!  I would download the video but I have no idea how to do that here.  Techno-challenged strikes again.

Fresca sleeping how we find her most days.   

This is the other way we find her.  Too funny!

"Does this make my butt look big?"
 

The calm before the next Mac attack.  Oh yes, 7 months old and already 9 pounds.  He is gonna be a BIG cat!

My crazy brother.  There are no words.  He was dropped on his head as a baby I am sure of it.  Yes, that is him in DS's batman cape and mask.  There are so many stories about this guy that truly defy anything remotely rational and that he has had an influence on our son is truly scary.  If you aren't sure just go check out all the many self-taken pictures DS does. 

That about sums our life up.  DS is loving Scouts and is eating up all his time with Daddy doing his Bear Scout stuff.  DS goes to work with Daddy as much as he can.  We shoot for one afternoon a week but it doesn't always work out but when it does they have a grand time.  DS always does his work better for Daddy, does Scouting things, they work on his "manhood" training, and DS partakes of the goodies in DH's office.  He runs a little "coffee shop" for the soldiers with snacks and goodies.  It is a good ministry.

Well I am sure there is more to share but for now this should do.  Till next time....

So here I sit realizing yet again that it has been awhile since I posted.  Oh I have had many good thoughts or things to share but my brain jettisons the information about 10 minutes after the thought first enters.  Which makes posting next to impossible unless I just happen to be sitting near the computer without DS telling me yet another story.

DS is definitely artsy and all that.  I am not.  He LOVES his piano and lessons.  He loves to draw and draw and draw.  He also adores making up stories.  Lots of stories.  And they have sequels, prequels, new episodes, etc., and I have to keep up with them.  He gets so put out with me when he walks up and says,"Mom, remember my story about so and so?"  I have learned not to say,"Uh, no." Or "I'm not sure.  Refresh my memory."  Or "Let me see.  Is that the one where such and such happened?"  Nope, all the above responses from me are losers.  I just answer,"Yes, honey." 

His stories are becoming much more elaborate and the days of me writing them down for him are over.  I just can't keep up.  Plus I would like to get some other things done during the day.  Oh say, like brush my teeth or get dressed.  You laugh but you don't know my son.  This kid can "talk up a blue streak" like we say in the South.  So what did I do the other day?  Why I dug my hole a little deeper.  I told him about Eragon and the boy that writes those stories.  Oh the little fire that has been lit.  Inferno more like it.  Yeats said,"....Education is like lighting a fire."  Did anyone bother to explain what to do when it burns out of control like the fires in California during the Santa Ana winds? 

Where was I going with all that?  Oh.  My thoughts aren't my own.  Heavens, my brain isn't my own lately.  So hopefully soon DS will have learned enough cursive writing strokes to begin working on writing his stories down.  Soon I hope he is more confident in his spelling to write without me having to be literally right by his side.  Not complaining.  Just sharing that when I fall off the face of the earth you can just drum up this little picture in your mind of me sitting, quietly mind you, while DS is sharing another saga in another story of his.

Other than that life rolls along.

DS saw this and laughed so hard.  I mean, really.  This is so funny.  And I have to admit I agree with Spidey on this one. 

DS was saying his prayers tonight.  He was praying for some things and then said,"If it be your will, Lord.  Let it be."  Okay so I want that kind of faith.  I see now each day what "faith like a child" looks like through DS.  I sure needed it today when we found out that we will most likely be moving again next June.  I feel like we just got here and we had hoped to stay 3 years here but that is not the Army's/ Lord's plans.  Hearing DS's prayer surely caused me to pause and realize that his prayer should be mine.

Yes I am disappointed we will be moving and another school year will be interrupted.  Yes I love our home and don't want to leave.  But I should not love or want these things more than I want the Lord.  I should desire Him more than any of it.  And that uninterrupted school year?  Well I need to remind myself that God surely knew about this before we did and He will equip me if I only lean on Him.  Right?

So, let me see if I can do it.  "Lord, you know our hearts' desire is to stay here.  Help us to accept the coming move with eager anticipation of what you have in store for us.  Let your will be done.  Let it be."

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.

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.

I was lost on what to title my post so since so much going on was related in some way to our deployment I figured it is all part of the journey.

First of all I have to share with you all about this wonderful company called Daddy Dolls.  They have this awesome ministry to military kids and their families.  Please check them out.  What they offer is truly amazing and wonderful.  Well, needless to say we ordered a Daddy Doll for DS and it arrived right before Christmas.  For reasons I will share below, we decided not to wait to give it to DS.  And I glad we didn't wait!  He was so pleased and hugged and hugged his Daddy Doll.  Below DH's picture, I had them print "My Daddy" but DS thought we should have had printed, "Bald-i-locks."  Yes, like Goldilocks.  DH's hair is falling out at an exponential rate so the joke around here between DH and DS is that DH is called "Bald-i-locks" and DH calls DS "Heredity."  Oh what I live with. 

DS had reflux as an infant and then had a stress-related recurrence when Daddy was deployed last time.  I was on guard for it this time and sure enough it's back.  So after a trip to the Dr. and appropriate medicines for him, DS is doing much better.  DS also started with the crud a few days before our Dr. visit and she found the beginnings of an ear infection.  Again more medicines and he is on the mend.  Poor kid.  He is so rarely sick and this sick at that.  And he has only ever had one ear infection when he was 10 weeks old that we truly feel was due to reflux.  He is a champ, though.  So like I said, we felt it best to go ahead and give him his Daddy Doll.  DS was thrilled!  He hugged and hugged on his Daddy Doll.  I told him that he could give Daddy a hug anytime he wanted and Daddy would get it.  His response?  "How can Daddy get my hugs?  Is it electronic or something?"  I said, "No honey, Daddy knows your heart and knows that you send hugs anytime you can.  This way you can really hug him."  DS still wanted to know HOW that happens.  I just gave up.  lol!  The other funny story about our Daddy Doll is that they take full length pictures to make the dolls.  I did not know about Daddy Dolls until after DH had left so I had to make do with any pictures I already had.  The only one I had that might work was this one that was taken last deployment and the guy that put the CD together cropped DH's legs off and super-imposed his picture in front of a flag with the words "One Nation Under God."  You can see that picture at the end of this post.  The wonderful people at Daddy Dolls worked with me and had their graphics gurus "make" DH new legs for the Daddy Doll.  You should have seen all the funny emails back and forth about "making" DH "new legs."  Even DH said they did a great job "on his legs!"  Funny, funny.

We have also been very blessed with frequent communication with DH.  It has been such a blessing and his unit has also scheduled video tele-conferences monthly.  We had our first right before Christmas.  It was fun to get to see Daddy on TV and DS enjoyed Daddy trying to give kisses through the screen on his end.  DS also left a sweet little note on the board in the room we were in.  It definitely recharged our batteries for the holidays.

Took DS to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra again.  Oh wow.  It was awesome again.  I am starting to get the story in the music.  It is a beautiful story and the lyrics tell of many stories relating to Christmas.  They also play favorite Christmas hymns as well.  I have no idea if any of the musicians or the producers or the people behind TSO are believers.  But I do know that God tells us His Word will not return to Him void and He can use whatever means to send His message out.  So we are already making plans to attend next year's concert.  Perhaps next year DH can be there to see for himself what an experience it is.  Till then I will work on reading lyrics and finding out more behind TSO and the stories.

Christmas was actually really nice all things considered.  DS got lots of Star Wars stuff plus some other nice surprises.  We went to our church here in town for the Christmas Eve service.  I always like to go to church on Christmas Eve to get my focus right.  And did it happen this year.  The peace and comfort I had in my heart as we headed home was truly priceless.  I think one thing that touched me deeply was towards the end of the service.  We had sung Silent Night with lighted candles.  That also always put my focus on Christ.  But at this point the bells rung very slowly 6 times.  Then, after the last of the 6 slow rings died away, they pealed with joyful rings .  This was a medieval tradition where the 6 slow tolls symbolized the demise of satan at the birth of Jesus Christ.  Then after the demise the joyful tolling symbolized the joy of the earth at the birth of its Savior.  It almost brought me to tears.  How can I forget that sweet baby's birth was the birth of God made man that would so soon die on the cross for me?  It was a lesson in not separating the two for me.  And it put everything in perspective.

As I look toward getting back on schedule and back to school, the Lord is again teaching me so much.  I will share them later.  For now I have to wake DS from a rare afternoon nap.  But I promise to share them.  So many times there are things I want to share and time gets away from me and then the post seems to never happen.

Though it is belated, Merry Christmas to all.  I pray your Christmas was blessed and the peace in our hearts and the lessons from this season will carry us through the new year. 

Wow.  It has been already one whole month since DH left and it has flown.  My Mom has come twice and helped me finally finish this house.  I know.  It is truly pathetic that we moved here in June and I still hadn't finished.  3 moves in less than 3 years was more fun than I cared to have.  And it showed.  DH will come home to a nicer looking, more put together home.  No more pictures lining the walls.  Curtains are hung.  Corners and closets cleaned out.  Nice.

DS and I have been busy to say the least.  All good, but busy.  I decided to do Christmas baking for the first time in more years than I care to admit.  Use your imagination.  We have moved 2 out of the last 5 years during the holidays and now twice DH has been gone during the holidays.  Don't even talk to me about Christmas cards.  What's that you say?  I can't hear you!  lol!  But I am prepared for January.  Usually about 6 weeks (give or take), into a deployment life can slow to a crawl, the daily grind gets...well, to be a grind.  Put that with it being winter and cold and probably yucky and we will needing some creativity to get the days moving along again.  DS should be thrilled when he learns I am adding a couple of extra things to our school schedule (note the sarcasm).  I am still fairly relaxed but feel the need to start moving him along to get ready for 3rd grade.

DH is doing well all things considered.  Pray for his unit.  Always pray for all our military and their families, but please pray for his unit and for his ministry to them. 

Well I had great plans to write more but most days I sit and read all your blogs and my little mind goes blank.  I hope to write more words of encouragement but perhaps those will get blogged when I can think them out into some kind of sense.  But in the mean time.....Welcome one of my dear friends to the blogging world at HSB.   I wish I could explain how we met but suffice it to say the Lord was all over it.  Through her we found our incredible church family and home.  Her DH is the pastor.  How cool is that?!  She is always so encouraging and supportive and funny.  Plus she is a fellow animal lover so that puts her up high in my book.    In just a short amount of time we have grown to be good friends and I count her as one of my few sisters that always keep my eyes pointed to my Lord. 

Okie dokie.  If I don't get back to sit down and do more than peruse your blogs before...Merry CHRISTmas! 

Yes you read correctly.  To homeschool a cat.  See, one of our cats has decided that she likes to hang around while we school.  I don't have any pictures of that per se.  However her newfound love along with being with us while we school is watching TV.  Not just any TV show mind you.  Only "educational" TV.  Would Meerkat Manor be considered educational for a cat?  Mmmmm.

Pretty much anything on Animal Planet she tunes into quite eagerly.  But Meerkat Manor is truly her passion.  She even asks for it.  Take this morning for example.  She begged me to turn the TV on.  Yes begged.  Kept coming to me and meowing then running to the TV and back again.  And only the TV in our bedroom.  She prefers that TV so she can learn in the lap of luxury.  I think she may be addicted.

The other day we were watching TV in the living room.  A commercial for Meerkat Manor came on with the Meerkat Manor music.  She just happened to be walking through the living room at that moment and this cat stopped dead in her tracks and her head swung around with amazing agility to see the TV.  Literally one paw was in the air mid-step.  Once the commercial was gone she went on her way.

Wonder how to document all this?   
I guess pictures might do for her portfolio.

I am in for a treat today.  DH and DS left for a fishing trip this morning.  It will be DS's first.  He is so very excited.  There was a bit of a tug at my heart when 'my boys' pulled out of the driveway.  However I know this is good for them and it is definitely good for me.  I will miss them no doubt.  But this is a good time for them to build some memories together.

So what am I going to do, you ask?  What every woman wants to do on her day alone.  Clean house!  Actually things have been so busy lately the house has only gotten superficial cleaning if that.  So though sitting on the couch eating bons bons appeals, I will be cleaning house.  I actually enjoy watching my house take on the shape of something when it becomes less cluttered and more clean.  This will actually be an enjoyable day, as much as it can be cleaning.  I can put whatever I want on the radio and sing as loud as I want.  See, I don't have the gift of a lovely voice so DS begs me not to sing (see # 17),  when he is around.  I love to sing but rarely get the opportunity without watching the pained look on my son's face.

I will join my boys tomorrow for a family get together.  A sort of "Thanksgiving" before Thanksgiving.  Since DH will be gone for that this year his family will celebrate early.  But for today Mommy will play.  Don't worry.  I plan to have the house finished in short order.  I have my own treat.  Popcorn and 'Sense and Sensibiliity' waiting for me on the other side of housework.  Sigh. 

Well I had better get on with my day.  I am already enjoying listening to music and singing to myself while I type.  I hope each of you has a wonderful day and a blessed holiday weekend. 

Okay everyone.  I am still here.  I have posted several times over the past few weeks but have lost every post I have written.  There is so much I want to share but some of it I just plain can't remember now.   But here goes another try.

Things are going well with us.  We are finishing the final touches on getting things settled in the new house.  School is going well.  One of my big news items is we have found a wonderful church family in our new city.  It has been so exciting to be attending this church and on Sunday, I joined.  Of course, DH cannot join since he is a minister in our denomination.  But he is as welcomed as DS and I are.  We love our new church.  The people are warm and welcoming.  The vision the pastor has is wonderful and I am glad and excited to be a part of watching God work through him. 

We have been busy building lots of memories for DS for when DH leaves.  They have been lots of fun, too.  It is amazing to watch "my men" together.  I will try to post some pictures.

Helping Daddy with yardwork

Reading with Daddy

Painting with Daddy

It has been fun to watch DS changing and growing into this sweet young man with a heart for the Lord and a desire to be a lot like his Daddy. 

If I haven't mentioned before I have an awesome husband.  It doesn't matter how tired he is when coming in from work he is always ready to spend time with DS.  Take last night for instance.  There has been a lot going on in his unit and this week has been particularly tough.  He hasn't gotten home before 9 pm for a few nights.  Last night was no exception.  But he came in and immediately went to DS's room and read to him.  That he loves us so much to selflessly give of himself like that teaches me alot about God and it doesn't escape DS's notice either. 

Let's see.  What else has been happening I have wanted to share....I guess that I am still loving homeschooling, loving being a military wife...most days.   

Oh, I guess one thing is that since I have not been able to update my sidebar or anything like that, let me share with you that if you have not read The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis, you need to.  I am reading it now and have I been challenged in ways I never expected.  I hope to share some of what the Lord has shown me through this book in the days to come.  But if you haven't read it, do pick it up.  Trust me, it is well worth your time.

Well let's see if this will post.  If so, then you will know I haven't fallen off the face of the earth.  Then perhaps I can get some more posts out there on those things I have desired to share recently. 

Continue to pray for our troops and their families.  The need is great and they need our prayers.  Remember our country and our leaders in prayer as well.