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!

Happy Easter!

 Because He lives!

Christie with Gator, Monkey, and Bull

Hubs leading worship at the Sunrise Service in Iraq

Happy Father's Day

to my Daddy

and to my Hubs

and to Grandpa, Dad, Papa and brothers-in-law!

Granddaddy

Though he was not killed in action, Memorial Day always stirs memories of my grandfather, a veteran who came home. So, in honor of those fallen, I am remembering my grandfather. Because of their sacrifice, I have had the privilege of life lived with my Granddaddy!

He left us just a few days before we knew we were expecting Gator. I see his money sense in his first great grandchild. "Never invest money in the stock market that you can't afford to lose," he said. Hubs and I bought our first car together just a few days before he passed. I like to think he was tickled that we paid cash for it. I was sure to tell him too.

I see his tenacity in the one who bears his name (Bull is named for him), though some may call it stubborn or strong-willed. These traits can serve a person well, if used properly.

My eldest niece has his twinkling eyes - bright blue, calm, piercing. In fact, all of his great-granchildren (so far) have blue eyes, but hers are the most like his.

He had beautiful silver hair and his favorite color was yellow.

He spanked me once for sassing him (I deserved it).

His hands were the lined, calloused hands of a working man - a farmer and mechanic. Yet they were pristine, clean nails neatly trimmed.

He used his small pocket knife for everything. The crinkle of a peppermint wrapper instantly takes me back to Sunday mornings at my grandparents' Church. He always had a pocket full of peppermints that he would send down the pew just before the service started. We learned quickly how to keep that cellophane quiet.

His pecan trees still bear fruit every year, though the rows of his garden have been fallow for a long time. Those acre peas were the best tasting ones ever! I used to snap beans from his garden with my grandmother.

Even though the house was on city water, he still had a well for irrigation. I remember watching him turn on that faucet to get a swig of cold, delicious water after mowing his lawn with a riding lawn mower. There's a picture of my sister and me sitting with him on that mower.

His perfect teeth always held a toothpick between them.

He let me shift the gears in his truck when I was little. It was fun and nerve-wracking at the same time!

He wore ankle boots that zipped up the inside and short sleeve, metal snap-up shirts with chest pockets on both sides.

He hated bluejays and squirrels because they pestered his songbirds. He always had the bird feeder full of seed, and the bath full of water and knew the name of every bird that visited.

He loved the Braves, cherry cordials, and McDonald's (spoken MAC Donald's). My sister and I loved going there with him for lunch.

He served in the Pacific during the Second World War. Hubs finally got him to talk about his experiences - he never would tell us much. We made a shadow box for him the year before he died. He was so proud of that.

How I miss him.

10 years

and what we have to show for it...

Happy Anniversary to us!

Mothering

It's what I do.

It's what I've always wanted to do, from the time I wore pigtails and had ringlets, and diapered baby dolls.

It stretches and soothes.
It hurts and heals.
It exhausts and energizes.

It breaks down and builds up.

It takes everything I have and yet gives everything back.

It's what I've always wanted to do.

Happy Mother's Day to the mothers who inspire me and have taught me how to raise this brood of blue-eyed boys: my mother Gail, my grandmothers Margie and Wil, my sister Angie, my mother-in-law Pam, her mother Beth (our first Mother's Day without her), my sisters-in-law Melissa and Sheila, and countless other aunts, cousins, and friends.

For some more inspiring and challenging words, may I direct you to these posts written by one of my favorites - Ann at A Holy Experience? Please take time to read them...her words are sure to encourage you!

Homemade Christmas

I had such fun this year making lots of Christmas presents. Between these gifts and Monkey's quilt, my sewing machine needs to be serviced now!
A knitting needle case for my mom from this pattern:

This buttercup bag

and a Mama's Bag from Amanda Soule's book Handmade Home for my sister:

This Mama's Bag for a dear friend:

"Millie's hot pads" for a number of different people, also from Handmade Home using quilting scraps:

Crowns for my nieces and our god-children from Amanda Soule's Creative Family:

These jingle bell fabric balls/cubes for all the new babies in our family (beach ball pattern, pentagon ball pattern using quilting scraps, and cube pattern from Creative Family using wool felt from here):

Portrait bookmarks from Handmade Home (Gator drew the picture, I stitched, and Bull helped assemble):

We also made some ornaments and a mug using the kits that you can get at just about any craft store:

I have truly enjoyed crafting these gifts for those that we love. I hope that the recipients are enjoying them as well!

waiting

waiting, longing, anticipating

skin stretched taut over growing womb, itching

riding a donkey, walking, at least three days

hilly terrain, rocks, desert sand, dusty trails well-worn by others

approaching the City of David from Nazareth

singing, aching, breathing, contracting

stopping, stretching, resting

swelling, contracting, breathing, pushing

He comes in the night

stench of animals, voices of shepherds, songs of angels

the Gift

nursing, swaddling, cuddling

God with flesh

pondering, rejoicing, praising

small babe sent to save the world

for now crying, suckling, sleeping

waiting, longing, anticipating

labor pains, signs, rumors

twinkling, a thief, rapture

in the clouds

witnesses, Antithesis, remnant

alert, sober, searching, preparing

His return

sons of light, of the day

faith, love, hope

set all things right, Faithful, True

establishing, justice, wrath

saved, redeemed, alive

praising, worshiping, eternity

King of Kings, Prince of Peace

Christmas Tour of Homes

The Christmas Tour of Homes (formerly at BooMama) is now hosted by The Nester.
Welcome to my home!

Our outdoor decorations:

We didn't get all of the decorations up before it started snowing, so this, along with a wreath on the door, is all we've got outside. The reindeer were made for us by some dear friends of ours.

This is my console/sewing table just as you enter the door:

I was so excited to finally finish all of my sewing projects so that I could dress this table. That's our first Jesse Tree on the left. The small Nativity was a gift from Bull's preschool teachers last year.

Here is the kids' bookcase:

There used to be a whole lot of chocolate in that sleigh. Alas, it is right at eye level for the kiddos. We've been finding lots of empty candy wrappers around the house!

My dining room (with my olivewood Nativity given to me by my grandparents):

I also have a Precious Moments Nativity from my childhood (forgot to take a picture) on top of our TV armoire.

Our Christmas tree and stockings:

We don't have a mantle in this house, so the stockings are hung by the window with care. My mom is bringing Monkey's stocking when she comes. Do you see the blanket of snow still on the ground outside the window?

This nativity is in the boys' room. I let them set it up. When I saw it the first time, I was struck by the statement that my children had made in the way they did it. Look closely at all of the figures...each of them is looking at Baby Jesus, gathered as closely as possible.

What a poignant reminder of the reason for all of the celebration.

...but [Jesus] made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. Philippians 2:7

Things I've learned...

1. It takes at least 7 minutes per child to get a hat, gloves and a winter coat on my kids in the morning, and approximately 15 minutes for the van to get warm.

2. I don't think that it's fair that women who begin their pregnancies in sundresses and flip flops have to end their pregnancies in sweaters, jeans and boots. Can we get a 5 pound deduction from our weight for the clothes factor?

3. Monkey must be growing because he is slowing down in his movements...please, Lord, let him come early!

4. Winter time in a cold climate produces a great deal of dirty laundry.

5. I am deeply disturbed by the way Ruby treats her younger brother Max (Max and Ruby). I'd like to publicly apologize to my younger sister if I ever treated her that way (and I'm fairly certain that I did). Love you, sis!

6. I am also deeply disturbed by Paw Pilot (the floating purple head) on Special Agent Oso. My kids don't watch either of these shows anymore.

7. Even though he acts tough sometimes, I still have a sweet little boy in Gator. He recently asked me for four kisses (he meant Hershey's). So, I held him down and gave him four real kisses and he still giggled!


8. I am really enjoying sewing lately. It's a lot of fun to create Christmas presents instead of just going to a store and buying them (though there's something to be said for that too!).

9. Bull is still a great daytime hanging out buddy, even if he has started referring to himself in the third person. I'm not sure where that is coming from.

10. There are few things more beautiful than watching snow fall by the glow of the Christmas tree with a cup of hot chocolate.

Christmas came early! - part 2

I wrote about my Christmas present here. The boys also got to choose and then open their gifts from my parents. We're not sure when we'll all be together again. So, they decided that now was as good a time as any!
Some new swords (they're NERF!):

Indoor sports equipment to stave off cabin fever:

And Diego stuff:

Christmas has never lasted this long around our house! It will probably stretch all the way into January!

Christmas came early!

Hubs and my parents got this camera lens for me for Christmas last Saturday. I can't even begin to tell you how incredibly excited I am. Now I won't have to change lenses anymore!


Here's 18 mm:

100 mm:

270 mm:

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's a beautiful, crisp, fall morning, with the sun shining brightly and no clouds in the sky. I'm used to being stubborn about wearing a sweater on Thanksgiving Day. Because It's Thanksgiving! It should be cold! I'm wearing a sweater (or at least a long-sleeved shirt)! Today there's no doubt that I'll be wearing a sweater. And I have a warm home to stay inside if I choose.

As I was thinking about it last night, I realized that this is the first Thanksgiving that I've ever spent away from family. It's a bit strange to not be traveling to Georgia today. Since I was a kid, we have spent nearly every Thanksgiving in Georgia visiting all of my Mom's extended family. Then on Black Friday, we hit all the amazing shopping opportunities. I sure do miss being with them today.

But I have much for which to be thankful. I have an adopted family living all over the world because of this military life we lead. I live in a country worth defending. My husband's livelihood is caring for the soldiers who defend our Constitution. In fact, today he (along with the other officers in his Battalion) will be serving Thanksgiving dinner in their dress blues at the Dining Facility (DFAC) where most of our single soldiers eat every day.

Our meal will be simple today, but it will be more than enough (though I would love some of my grandmother's Divinity). My pantry, refrigerator, and deep freezer are full of delicious food and ingredients to make filling meals for my family. And all of these are located in a house that we don't pay for, on a street filled with families of heroes.

My family slept until 8:45 this morning, a VERY rare occurrence in this house. We are still in our pajamas, watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I "put my foot down" this morning and told this house full of boys that since I was going to watch hours upon hours of football over the next few days that we were going to watch this parade! I am thankful for the comforts that we enjoy.

As I wrote yesterday, I am thankful for the little one who continues to grow and get stronger in my belly. I'm thankful for this house full of boys in which I live (even with all of its craziness). Right now my little guys are pounding on my biggest boy. I'm thankful that he's home today, and not deployed. I'm thankful that one day, some day, there will be girls around when my sons bring their wives and families to visit.

Most of all, I am thankful for a God who lives to bless His children, who loves like a hurricane, and showed the depth of that love by sending His Son to take my place.

May you know the depth of His love today.

Veteran's Day Parade

What a privilege to be surrounded by a civilian community that supports our troops and by an Army community that participates in its' hometown! Our Division Commanding General is always invited to be the Grand Marshal for the local Veteran's Day Parade.
There was a flyover by our Combat Aviation Brigade, lots of troops, marching bands (including our Division Band), school groups, Veteran's groups, and numerous flags flying!

Gator's school marched (his first time marching!) and sang "Grand Ole Flag" about 1000 times. Bull had a great time watching from the sidelines. (We decided to just watch. I figured that Braxton Hicks contractions for the remainder of the day was not my idea of fun!) It was really a fun day!

Happy Veteran's Day!

Some pictures of my veteran through the years...
On the Bridge (2002):


In the Torpedo Room (2002):

Change of Command (2003) with Gator:

Navy Birthday Ball (2004):

Airborne Graduation with Gator (2008):

CH-BOLC Graduation (2009):

Air Assault Graduation with Bull (2009)

We are so fortunate as a family to be surrounded by veterans all the time. My boys have a very real understanding of the day-to-day sacrifices necessary to ensure our freedom. But they also understand that this military life has lots of great things too - including the privilege of living with our very own, real-life hero! Happy Veteran's Day, Hubs!

Thank you to all the veterans who have sacrificed for our freedom!

Here are some ideas for supporting military families that I posted a couple of years ago!

Boys and their toys...

Here are some of the presents the boys got for their birthdays. Gator had a marathon day of putting Legos/Bionicles together.

Lots of fun! He did most of them on his own. Bull has reaped the benefits of his brother's hard work (especially when Gator is at school).

I'm having to keep a close eye on him so that he doesn't break them.

Gator, like most older siblings, would be very mad if his kid brother messed them up!