I know I've left the blog very lonely these days.  I sat down the other night and wrote a lengthy update on all that we have been doing lately.  Blogger is not cooperating with me lately and the whole post was erased when I tried to upload it.  So here's another attempt.  Definitely won't be as lengthy though! The question everyone is asking is - when is Chad is coming home??  While I won't be sharing any specifics on here for security reasons, I can say that it is getting close!  We are all getting anxious.  The end is tough b/c you are so close and yet it feels like time is crawling.  There is no one more ready than Chad.  We would appreciate your continued prayers as his unit wraps up their mission and that they can stay focused in this time. The girls and I have been very busy.  Our FRG is keeping me very busy.  Between meetings, reintegration trainings, at least 1 social each week, supper club, and making preparations for t...

Is anyone else watching documentaries about September 11?  I just happened to turn one on called "Voices Inside the Towers."  Wow.  Its amazing how something that happened 10 years can still stir such emotions and can be so unbelievable. Haunting. In the last few days I've been reflecting on where I was that day.  I was riding in a van with other RA's from Cedarville University.  We had come back early to campus for RA training.  We were on our way to a high ropes course for team training.  We had the radio on and someone said something about a plane hitting the World Trade Center. We, like everyone else, thought of a small, misguided plane clipped the tower.  Its hard to imagine it, but we didn't have cell phones, iPad, etc... so we were completely unaware of what was going on.  We went about our normal day. Our window to the outside world was from the Dean of Students.  His wife was calling him on his cell phone and giving him updat...

Our first day of Preschool -  Addison was enjoying the pictures... Mya didn't want to miss out on the fun! Hard at work! We are only one week into this and I'm already changing curriculums!  Last spring I bought the  Letter of the Week .  Since I never got around to using it, I just assumed it would be fine for us this year.  I was wrong.  A lot of the activities are too young for Addison and since a lot of them repeat throughout the year, just focusing on different letters, I decided to make a change.  (Don't get me wrong, last year the activities would have been great!) I enjoy having a curriculum at this point just for the ease and organization.  Since her curriculums are only $10, upgrading to the  K4 Curriculum  wasn't a big deal.  I am excited that we will have a little reader soon! :)  Addison absolutely loves school time and asks everyday when its time to start!

Well, our countdown has been about the same for a few weeks now.  Every time I talk to Chad, the date has been pushed back a few days.  Hopefully now the date won't change too much and we can get rid of these Hershey kisses for good! If you've been through a deployment, you know what the title of this post means!  There is something about soldiers coming home from war that brings on an incredible urge to clean, organize and to do listing like crazy.  I can't really explain it.  This is always comical to me because we all do it.  I've never met one military wife who didn't care what the house looked like when her husband came home.  I mean seriously...they've been living in plywood boxes and eating the same food for a year...I'm sure they could care less if there is dust on the bookshelf or if the recipe book is organized.  I chalk it up to a couple things. While I'm pretty diligent about keeping my house clean (most days), for the past year, I ...

Please take time to watch this video.  This is an amazing story of my friend's journey through cancer. At the time I had no doubt that her sister-in-law, my friend, Krista would call me one day with funeral details.  It felt so hopeless.  Three years later I still stand in awe at something only God could do!

"Addison, will you clean the bathrooms for me when you get older?" "Sure Mommy!  When I get hair under my armpits, I will clean them for you! Yay!" After going too fast down the stairs and bumping into a wall... "Don't worry Mom, I'm ok.  I was just giving the wall a high-five." "Addison, I asked you to stop playing with your food." "But Mommy, I turned the catapult the other direction.  You mean, NO catapults at the table?  Aw man." "Mommy, look - its a combraro!"  "You mean, sombrero?"  "Oh yeah, sombrecro"  "Sombrero"  "oh yeah, sombrero.  That's the hat that people wear where they don't have anything to eat."   We may need to have Mexican culture awareness day during school this year...

Sunday morning at church the kids sang two songs they learned during VBS last week.  Addison LOVES being on stage and was excited to get to sing in "big" church.  More than anything, I was impressed that she stayed in one place the whole time!  All I had was my phone, so not great quality and not the whole song.  Still cute though!