Day 322

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

It’s the beginning of the harvest season. The cooler temperatures, the breezy days, and the slight change in the color of the leaves all testify to it. I have been watching the various stages of harvest. Fields are still green, some are ripe, some are being cut, some have just been cut, and still others have already been turned under. I have needed the reminder.

The first waves of Soldiers are just starting to arrive. And I am so thrilled for them! They have served well, and their families have waited patiently for them to come home. My head knows that their proper time is now. My heart is longing for it to be my turn!

Honestly, my desire is to put my head down and plow through the next few weeks. The temptation is so strong! But I would miss so much. I know that I need to slow down and look around me. We are back in the swing of things with school and activities. I could easily just get the stuff on the list checked off. I’m trying to remind myself to be present with my kids.

These boys are a wonder to me: Gator’s sweet nature, Bull’s sense of humor, Monkey’s explosion of personality. Gator has grown taller, stronger, and more coordinated. I’m curious to see how that translates onto the soccer field. He’s also in third grade and things just seem to “click” for him in an exciting way. Those a-ha moments are one of the best perks of home schooling.  

Bull is playing his first team sport ever and doing a great job! He’s in the proverbial dustball surrounding the soccer ball with his teammates, kicking toward the correct goal! He is making incredible progress in general, showing improvement in speech self-correction, strength and muscle tone, coordination, longer attention span, and improved fine motor control. His first attempts at reading are music to my ears.

Monkey has a deepening desire to communicate with us, and is starting to exert an independent spirit. While this causes some frustrating moments, he is right on track developmentally! His facial expressions rival those of Bull (which is quite an accomplishment). He’s such a wonderful, busy, happy toddler.

To think that I could miss all of this “stuff” mourns my soul. I am praying to have ears to hear and eyes to see all that is going on around me. I can’t afford to rush through these last few weeks, because I have so much to miss. So, here I am, slowing down, asking for the presence of mind to take in every moment and tuck it away. Because really, it will be over sooner than I think. 

Happy Fourth of July!

Today, I am thankful for freedom bought for me by the sacrifice of One and of many.

We miss you, my love! We are so proud of you!

Multitudes on Mondays

As we traveled over the last three weeks, I shared a room and sometimes a bed with my sons. None of them share nicely while sleeping, but one in particular (the one with whom I'm usually paired) is particularly greedy. You see, from birth, he has always been a cuddler. He naturally gravitates to the source of warmth in a shared bed. Usually, that's his brother. But on a handful of nights, it was me. As any mother can tell you, sleep is a valuable commodity. It's easy for me to be annoyed by this behavior, especially when I am travel-weary. Sharing a bed with this one can be painful. At the very least it's uncomfortable!

Really, it mirrors my relationship with him. He is the one who stretches and pushes me as a parent. He challenges me at my very core. He is passionate and physical. He needs me to be intensely calm. All too often, I allow his intensity to spin me out of control. But if I meet his depth of passion with the same depth of gentleness, he settles.

So, as he batters against me while he dreams - his arm across my chest (which barely missed my cheek), his knee in my side (just left of my kidney), and his sweet cheek on my shoulder - I'm reminded to be a firm and calm presence in his life, a rudder of sorts, helping him to navigate the thrashing and tossing to which he is prone.

#71-82 of the gifts of sleeping close to my sons for nearly three weeks

- sweet sleeping lips
- soft snores

- the oldest one still wanting me when he's scared

- the smell of the second one's hair

- a big enough bed
- a bed not empty

- mumbling as they dream

- big beautiful eyes staring at me when I awake
- being the first thing they see when they awake
- sleepy smiles and big stretches
- hands of the smallest one reaching up to me
- the reminder that others (two families particularly close to my heart) would give anything to see their little ones sleep again

Day 183

OHHHHHH! We're halfway there...

To be honest, I've had better months.

It was really great to see Hubs for two weeks in March. After we dropped him off at the airport, I asked the big boys what they were thankful for. Bull said that he was glad he could give Daddy some "squeezers" (Bull's tackle hugs that nearly squeeze the breath out of you). Gator said that he was glad that he didn't cry as much this time (as compared to Day 1). Really, that has been true of the last five weeks for the boys. They have done really well - no real drama to speak of.

I'm a different story.

Maybe it was the busy-ness of our calendar, or the pile-up of unexpected things. I'm still not quite sure. Whatever it is, I have not been on top of my game. I've been grumpy, harsh, and abrasive. The gremlins have shown up in various forms: a dead battery and A/C going out in the van, unexpected surgery for a kiddo, cancelled practices that I didn't know about, medical bills that arrive at my house by mistake, crazy weather swings, a clerical error that postponed our move for a month, blah, blah, blah. It's not any one thing. It's all of it happening at once.



I'm glad that we're on the upswing. Sanity showed up in a Honda driven by a gorgeous brunette accompanied by two really cute blondes. Comfort comes with laughter over dinner with new friends whose hubbies are deployed too. Encouragement arrives in an unexpected card in the mailbox. Solace is found in the steady (albeit slow) pounding of the pavement behind a jogging stroller. Healing balm flows from fellowship with this amazing sisterhood of wives surrounding me.  

Bull, C, Gator, A, and Monkey hangin' out

We still have a lot to look forward to in the next few months. Our new house will be great - I will have a dedicated school room for goodness' sake! We have a few exciting trips coming up and the summer looks to be full of fun. We'll start school in August. And Hubs will be home before we know it!



Happy Easter!

 Because He lives!

Christie with Gator, Monkey, and Bull

Hubs leading worship at the Sunrise Service in Iraq

A New Tradition

Fat Tuesday.

If we were still in New Orleans, this would not have snuck up on me like it has this year! We have been so very busy (as evidenced by my absence from this space).

However, when I saw that Ann's son, Caleb, would be offering his wreaths again, I jumped at the chance to own one. And look what came today! It is truly a beautiful work of art!

I am looking forward to adding the celebrations of Lent and Advent to our family traditions. I have mentioned before that these celebrations were new to me. I am hopeful that we will be able to slow down and recognize the steady rhythm and careful reflection that such celebrations offer.

Now to prayerfully consider my personal sacrifice...

One Thousand Gifts

You have to order this book! Ann Voskamp - farmer's wife, homeschooling mother of 6, and my favorite blogger - shares her story of learning to live a life of gratitude. You will laugh and cry and marvel at the poetic beauty of her words. There's even a book club that you can join! Angie and Jessica discuss each chapter of the book with Ann, and you can join the discussion too (intro video, chapter one video). What a wonderful new habit to embrace for 2011! What are you waiting for?

82 Days

Last week, we set a new record for the longest we've been apart. Mind you, this is not a record that I wanted to set and then break with each passing day. But each day apart means one day closer to him coming home.

The past 11.5 weeks have been both easier and harder than I expected.

Easier - There hasn't been as much drama as I expected from the boys. They are adjusting without many issues. Most rough spots are resolved with a reassuring hug and a Skype call. By the way, if I ever meet the people who invented Skype, I may embarrass myself. I am so thankful for this mode of communication. My boys love it too. Bull leaves the funniest voicemail messages for Hubs. Gator enjoys showing Hubs all sorts of new tricks and things he's created. And Monkey is so cute when he points, waves and babbles at his Daddy. I love that my baby knows his Daddy's voice and his face. As long as I have my phone, we can video chat anytime!

Harder - I am tired and rely on Diet Dr. Pepper WAY too much. Oh, how I wish I liked coffee. It's much warmer than DDP! The boys require a great deal of energy, as one may expect. The big boys miss their Daddy's physical presence. They've started beating up on each other (and suffered swift and appropriate consequences)! They soak up any attention they can get from our guy friends. Monkey has gotten a bit better about sleeping through the night. I thought that this weekend would be our breakthrough. Alas, we all have the sniffles and coughs/wheezes, so no one is sleeping well these days.


Easier - There are days that I really do forget he's on the other side of the world and fully expect him to walk through the door in time for dinner. Does anyone else experience this phenomenon? Maybe it's because the rhythm and busy-ness of our lives didn't change much when he left? I don't remember this happening before though, and it's a bit disconcerting.

Harder - The gremlins typically de-rail my day. Shoveling snow, dead car batteries, losing my keys for four days, rabbits/mice in the garage, snowstorms, viruses....the list could go on. I've accepted that these things will happen (thank you U.S. Navy for teaching me this at the beginning of my marriage!), and just try to roll with the punches.


Easier - It's been much easier to loosen my standards than I thought. Really, I haven't had a choice. There aren't enough hours to get "it" all done. Bedtime has gotten a bit later as has wake-up time. The house is much messier than I would prefer (it's winter though and we spend a GREAT deal of time inside right now). I've let dinner planning slide big-time (being remedied this weekend though!). I chalk all of this up to adaptation. I'm ok with it and working through it.

Harder - Everything takes more time, especially in the winter. The coats and the gloves and the hats and the snow and the boots and the mud...It seems that it takes so much longer to get anywhere and do anything. Maybe I'm understanding what the really important stuff is.


Easier - The boys are much better this winter than last with getting themselves ready to get out the door. They even get Monkey's jacket on him and get the dog in her kennel. I also know to start 15 minutes before we actually have to leave. Really, the kids have been amazing. They have stepped up with helping me more than I expected.


Harder - We have been really sick (for our family) this winter. There was the birthday trip to the ER in October for wheezing, the 2 weeks of Norovirus that got all of us in December (while on the road no less!), the sniffles, runny noses and cough that have plagued all of us at different times. Monkey still hasn't had his shots because he's been sick off and on for over a month!

Easier - We have hit our stride with school. Gator is accomplishing more in less time than before, and with a good attitude. Bull started pre-school this week, and I'm able to use free childcare for Monkey.

Harder - It's really tough to see guys in uniform all. the. time. They look so similar to one another (in uniform that is) that it's easy for my mind to play a trick on me and think that my soldier is walking toward me. I don't resent them or pout when I see them. I am looking forward to him being home though.

Easier - The community of which I am a part is absolutely amazing. I can't get over the support and the camaraderie that exists with this group of people. Though I have my "surviving" days, mostly we are in "thriving" mode. And when it's really hard (like it was a couple of weeks ago when our unit lost a Soldier), I know I have people who can sympathize and walk me through it.

I've heard that many hit a wall during months 4-6. What say you? Any ideas for making it through?