Happy Birthday Honey

Today is my husband's Birthday. So, in his honor...here are 10 things I love about him.

1. His beautiful blue eyes

2. He always gives me a kiss before he leaves

3. Tenderness towards things of the Lord

4. His love for his children

5. His laugh

6. His intelligence

7. He is a hard worker

8. He is considerate

9. He wants Christ to be the center of our home

10. Aside from God, he is my best friend.

I am so glad he asked me to marry him :)

A chuckle

..or two, and then I couldn't help it...I laughed when Anjolie came out (looking like this) to the living room saying she was expectin' some babies..no wonder she keeps telling me I have babies in my "belly" lol. She was just walkin' around like nothin' was goin' on. I asked if I could get a pic- she swung her little blonde hair around Charlie's Angel style and said "sure" ....lol She was the proud mother of a frog and some other little monster thing...twins ;) Oh little Anjolie.

Thank you..

to Pam from Simply Trusting. She made this khaki split skirt for me and a denim one too!! The picture doesn't do it justice - I threw it on after the evening service on Sunday for this pic...so I'm lookin' a little rough (don't click on the image to see the circles under my eyes ;) and the oily skin) -I love it...it is so comfy and flattering, if I may be so bold to say myself ;) . The waist is finished with a side hidden zipper (or should that be a hidden side zipper :-P) and has darts in the front and in the back. What I love most is that it truly looks like a skirt with a cute pleat in the front and back...very cute. Most importantly, my husband likes them. They are perfect for AWANAS and everyday running around when I want to look casual but nice...love it.

Ayden's First Haircut

Daddy did it, and I think he did a great job considering it was his first time cutting a wiggly baby's hair. He looks like a mini Marine :)
Happy boy!! Happy it is over I'm sure.
I'm so in love with the men in my life - I just can't help myself :)
Ayden is amused by his giddy daddy trying to get him to smile at the camera lol :)
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Sorry the video gets so dark :( but you get the idea ;)

Happy Birthday POP-POP

belated...I regret. But we hope you had a wonderful day. We miss and love you!

Blog Slurper?

In case you wanted to make your blog into a book...The Blog Slurperat Blurb.com

Just an Ordinary Day

...with a couple of twists to make it unique. I woke up after a night of incredible muscle aches and a sore throat at about 7am...maybe a bit earlier. Brian was dumping handing Ayden to me who was wanting to nurse and snuggle with mama before starting his day. I felt some cold feet on the back of my legs...hmph, Oh, Lily somehow was in bed with me. I wondered when that had happened because, she has decided that she still owns the crib and toddler bed *ahem* (we have kept Ayden in the port-a-crib in our room until he is weaned) she wants to be in the crib which she is too heavy to hoist herself out of. ...well, at the moment, she is napping in the toddler bed, but I will share more on that in a minute. And yes, I NEED to be up before the kids...or I am fighting a losing battle the rest of the day! Brian fed me a cough drop and planted a kiss before he left mentioning something about hoping it will be a short day (yay, I'm thinkin' , 'cause I gotta babysit tonight).

I was up and at 'em then..promising myself a shower during nap-time (aaaand here I sit)- it sure felt like a Burger King morning to me. I pulled out my pony-tail to smooth back the frizzies and loaded the kids up, pjs and all...what a handsome looking crew we were literally *straggling* out to the van. I at least changed my sweats and washed my face for the venture out of the cinderblock (our typhoon proof house). Ok, everybody was loaded up and already fighting over toys that aren't allowed in the car in the first place because of fighting...and the car won't start hmmmmmm. I jump out of the van and hearing that the girls were still arguing, I decided to randomly treat my roses for some black marks on the leaves while deciding what to do. - Anjolie had her window unlatched and had her lips squished out enough to be heard through the crevice "Whart ur you doirng mmmmuuummmuu?!". So, I got back in the van and tried again..."hmm", I thought, "I'm out of gas, wonderful". I found the gas can, talked to Brian and ...lol.. I wonder what the neighbors think..emptied the can into my tank. You know it's bad when I tell you that I felt pretty handy in solving that simple car problem LOL...oh so sad. So, our health-nut breakfast consisting of cinna-minis, french-toast sticks, and a sausage sandwich oh...there WAS OJ..(I feel a little better) I am sure just boosted their little immune systems wonderfully ;D. We then drove around dumpster divin' and took a pass by the flight line to see some planes and jets and enjoyed the sunshine. The morning, though I still feel sick- turned ok. Lily sat on the potty for about 20min and had me sing to one of her books...then she was done..nada in the pada..*sigh*. I guess she got her quality time today. Brian called to warn me not to put Lily back in her crib because she had soaked it and so that was why she was in bed with me and oh, he was sorry he just stripped off her diaper and left it (yes, it was SOAKED..practically ready to spill out all that jelly stuff) on the floor- he was in a hurry to get to work LOL..husbands are so *funny*. Well, now 3 out of the 4 are napping...Brianna needs to do school-work (she is on the mend) and I need to stay on top of chores. In fact, I feel well enough to make a dent in the 4-6 loads of laundry that have piled up. And it is 1pm ;)Edited to add these photos that my dear ones took (one woke up from her nap) while I posted this....lovely...yes they were dressed in their Sunday best on a Friday afternoon ;)

PRAY FOR AMY

Thank you Ms Mishel for the "heads up" on Amy. I am in tears...Amy's link is on my blogroll, and she has received some very upsetting news concerning her fight with leukemia...Please read her latest post here and lift her and her family up in prayer.

Learning By Stickies

Brianna and Anjolie had fun figuring out their sticky clues. Brianna (Kindergarten) had some challenging words to read (for her) and had to stick them onto the appropriate places/things. I also put some addition problems in which she had to find the coordinating amount of "things" and put her sticky on the right answer. Anjolie (just turned 4) had letters and had to stick them onto things that started with that letter. She also had shapes and numbers...I gave her the number "6" and told her to collect that many items...she frowned so I thought maybe she forgot what the number was. I said "Anjolie, how many is that?" ..*sigh*" Alot" she scowled...lol "But what number is it" *scowl*..."6", she replied " that's too many things to get..." she pouted. Oh what am I going to do with her?

Polish Pottery

*ahem* Thought I would post this recent uhh purchase of Polish pottery...cute huh? Like the little tea warmer? mmmmhmmm Well, there, now maybe that will distract from my embarrassing case of mistaken identity ...major blonde moment on R estoring the Years... Sorry Grafted, I just thought that was you during uhhh maybe the GRRROOOOVY Years maybe that's what you were wanting to restore? Dunno what I was thinkin' ;)

Things that DATE me..

4th Grade-Trading "smelly stickers" was not as big as "gel stickers"...Cabbage Patch Kids were a must have...Brianna thought they were UGLY BABIES when they came back

5th Grade-Unicorn TrapperKeepers...ooohhh yeah.

6th Grade-Members Only jacket ...mine was pink!

7th Grade- Stirrup pants, perms, fanny packs -ESPRIT

8th Grade- I had perfected the "tight-roll" or pegged pants

9th Grade- "100% AU COTTON " Bike shorts with doll baby dress

10-12th...EXPRESS anything including ridiculous velour leggings with abstract art on them

Sisters in Christ...

..showing love. Yesterday, we had to do some running around that required both my husband and I...banking etc. We loaded everybody up ..sick and all and headed out. When I got home, these were at my door from 2 very dear friends...one is Pam from Simply Trusting. I could not go to Ladies' Visitation with Brianna and they were so sweet to think of me. God is so good. Please continue to pray for Brianna because the hospital called us at home and said there were some concerns about her x-ray- her pneumonia is in multiple lobes of both lungs...we have to take her back in this morning.

The BIG APPLE

This apple was called a Spartan...lol I guess because it is so BIG!




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God Leads Us Along

My trials are so tiny compared to many and I think of those missionaries and fellow Believers living under persecution...in prison for their faith, facing death- their own, a child's, a loved one...this song encouraged me in my small trials. I just thank the Lord that He cares for me and my trials both big and small. Some are facing trying times with their grown children, some are turning to drugs, alchohol and other addictions. Satan's lies have led you there...flee from his vices laid as traps to enslave you as he seeks to devour you with guilt, bitterness, sorrow...flee dear Believer!! God cares for you..He wants to heal you, lead you along and take you through fire, the flood...He takes you as you are with a repentant heart and a desire to trust and follow Him as your Lord and Savior. Have you truly trusted Him? Do you see His hand in your life? Have you departed from His light and walked your own path? Return to Him- He will show you the way when you forsake your own way. Notice in the song below that the word "lead" is used. He does not drag us or force us in His way...we must follow Him. His chastisement though it may seem harsh or hard to bear is a tremendous display of His loving us enough to get our attention and to wake those who "sleep" in their sin. He has opened my eyes to many destructive things in my heart by way of chastisement..things I refused to look at, He helped me "see". - Trust Him, in reverence, fear Him and love Him enough to know His way is the only way for a "full" life. Apart from Him, all is lost works are dead...prayers cannot be heard until one is repentant and their fellowship restored. I have felt such a burden lately for my fellow Believers and I can tell the evil one is raging against us now more than ever that we might fall into his carefully laid snares. Oh Lord hedge us about! Restore the prodigals...lead them and may their hearts turn to follow.

In shady, green pastures, so rich and so sweet,

God leads His dear children along;

Where the water’s cool flow bathes the weary one’s feet,

God leads His dear children along.
Refrain
Some through the waters,

some through the flood,Some through the fire,

but all through the blood;

Some through great sorrow,

but God gives a song,

In the night season and all the day long.
Sometimes on the mount where the sun shines so bright,

God leads His dear children along;

Sometimes in the valley, in darkest of night,

God leads His dear children along.
Refrain
Though sorrows befall us and evils oppose,

God leads His dear children along;

Through grace we can conquer, defeat all our foes,

God leads His dear children along.
Refrain
Away from the mire, and away from the clay,

God leads His dear children along;

Away up in glory,eternity’s day,

God leads His dear children along.-

George A. Young 1903

I must say, that at times...in the valley, in the darkest of night...the fellowship with my Heavenly Father has never been sweeter. He's there...and He is more than just a feeling or an emotional experience...His presence just IS unexplainable and not something light to be sought after or to satisfy a curiosity. The greater the trial and the heavier the circumstance..the more the grace is poured out and more apparent is revelation of His Almighty power and unfathomable love and mercy. Seek with all your heart for the right reasons and you will find Him in an indescribable way. His ways are beyond the grasping of my finite mind...I discover this more and more...my words just stop because of my human ignorance of what MIGHTY God we serve. What a true honor to even be allowed to speak of Him to praise Him. Again, there are no words just tears of expression for how He fills-overflows my heart... (comments are disabled for this post)

11:40pm Prayer Needed!

UPDATED!- 2:30am- Brianna is home- and thank you for your prayers -she has Pneumonia *sigh* how in the world can 3 out of 4 of my children have pneumonia...and Brian and I are perfectly fine?! What is going on here? Apparently is starts out viral, and it then turns into bacterial? Anyway PTL she was diagnosed properly thank you for praying!! You can't know what it means to me. They gave her Robitussin with codeine to quiet her cough so she can get some rest PTL. God is good.

Whatever virus is going around here causing pneumonia truly has me concerned...
I have always thought that Brianna had asthma- activity induced, but the last hospital we were at in 29 said she was too young to diagnose...

Well, Lily has had pneumonia, Anjolie had it, and now Brian has just rushed off with little Nana to the ER because she cannot catch her breath she is in such a coughing fit...coughing until she is vomiting and not even able to get a breath for the next cough...her little heart is just racing and she has a fever. She has been coughing for weeks especially after running around...now just getting up and walking sends her into fits...oh I am so frustrated and worried at the moment! Please pray...not that the symptoms will go away..but that she will be properly assessed and treated. Please pray.

A Dear Friend..

..shared this with me today, and she has no idea what an encouragement she has been to me. Ms Sandi, if you are visiting....thank you so very much.

I Peter 5:10 "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal Glory
by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you." AMEN!! God is so good...it WILL be worth it all.

These past two weeks the Lord has so worked through some very Godly women in my life in very specific ways to encourage me, sharpen me...point me to the Lord in a tremendous way- and all on very different issues in my life right now. Thank you so much Ms Mishel for opening my eyes, Ms Sandi for affirming the Lord works in mysterious and dramatic ways to reveal His love for us, and Ms Pam for your obedient and faithful responses to the Lord prompting you to pray...thank you for allowing God's love to flow through you that He might be glorified. Godly women humbly serving at home and sure to be considered great in the Kingdom of God for their love and service to their King...like so many of you ladies I read out there in the blogosphere. Your love and faith shines through as you share in your posts how the Lord works in your life. May He truly receive all the Honor and Glory.

She's Back!!

My Best friend here on Okinawa is back from the states and posting :) Yay!! I thought I would see a picture of this beautiful quilt she made recently hint hint nope too modest to post such a work (please post it!) but she did post some culottes she is working on for me! This lady is so inspirational to me...stop blushing Pam :) Anyway, I just wanted to welcome her back to Oki ( wanted to let you all know so you could encourage her like you do me ;) ) and back to the blogosphere. Keep the posts comin' you never know whose heart you are gonna touch! Did I mention her brother can preach!! I'll tell you truthfully he almost had me shouting in my house as I listened to a cd from when he was visiting the states. He is a missionary...but I will let my (probably terribly embarrassed) friend elaborate. Did I mention she got me involved in these Faith Bible Institute Classes? That will be another post. These classes are a tremendous blessing...I'll let you run along to visit with her...have blessed day!

Anjolie's Party

Well, we had Anjolie's Birthday Party this Saturday at a place called MonaKid's Jungle ...it is like a giant jungle gym with tunnels ball pits (clean ones), a zip line...the kids LOVE playing there. We rented the party room and had a great turn out! Anjolie said it was the best ever :)


The room at MonaKids
Me in ...uh yes pig-tails looking very rough, but that is my reality for this weekend LOL...it was a CA-RAZY busy day :)
Our little girl is growing up!
Anjolie and Daddy crash on the couch after a wonderful party filled with fun and fellowship :)


Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share PhotosI won't expand on this, but the evil one certainly was doing everything possible to destroy my spirit and anything good these past few days, but praise the Lord He is so good and for a praying friend (love you) whose prayers were heard and answered loud and clear. I really would not have been up to this if it were not by the grace of God. Though I was weary emotionally, my smile was truly from my heart because God is truly amazing...amazing.

GROSS!

Just quickly because I have def. exhausted a reasonable amt. of time on posting today. Brianna came home with a handful of little balloons that I assumed she got from church or her home school coop. Well, she has been bugging me to blow them up. All the other children were down for a nap so I decided to blow a couple up for her...I huffed and puffed on one. Between puffs, which stretched my poor cheeks but did not send so much as a stretch to the blasted rubber waste of a thing, I asked irritably who gave her these things- "Oh" , she cheerfully offered " I found them at the playground". Brianna's eyes lit up as she understood my disgusted face BBBBLLLECCCC! Oh, but this has just made Brianna's day as she laughs hysterically at her mommy blowing on already slobbered on balloons. *sigh* I wonder just how many people have exhausted their mouths on them before me...or worse stepped on them ...or worse some dog.....*whimper* gross, I feel sick.

A FIRST FOR ME!!

Get ready....this is just so exciting...for the very first time EVER in my entire 32 years of life I ironed a pair of PT shorts ...and about scorched them to bits I might add. Why in the world would I be doing this?! I'm just a perfectionist PPPwwwwaaahhhaa haa!! Riiighht, I could only dream...it is all I can do to get the kid's clothes ironed for church...ANYWAY. Brian is putting together a package to submit to a Warrant Officer Board and they are going to take a picture of him in uniform and in pt gear to submit with his paperwork. Marines are huge on appearance in uniform (and out most of the time). He was about to head out with these rumpled looking pt shorts (not the silky ones) and I begged him to let me get some of the wrinkles out...he let me...and now I am laughing that I would even post about such a thing! Like you cared! :) Oh well...your prayers concerning this last minute decision to submit this package would be greatly appreciated. We want the Lord's will..especially if it makes a difference concerning his recently received Prepare to deploy order.

Graphic from Broderbund Printshop

Sparkly Pink Piggies

Ok, well, the pic doesn't do 'em justice. Nor does it display the wonderful time I had getting them done. (That picture of my big toe is just crazy looking lol...it looks like a huge thumb or something).

So, Brian dropped me off and got the kids lunch...I know, how sweet. I was led to a huge comfy leather recliner while my feet were soaked and scrubbed, toes pedicured. Next she massaged my legs and feet while I sipped some delicious tea and ate cream puffs (all complimentary)...it was very relaxing and I am very grateful to my husband for the break :)

I Recalled...

...as I was rereading Lily's potty training post below...that at least Brian did not have a revisit of THIS little adventure with Anjolie ;) Thought I would repost this for those who were not reading a year ago :) Somewhere in the deep blue China Sea, there is a clownfish and it has Anjolie's paci...
Please enjoy this original graphic art piece by Jamie-inspired by the post

*SQUEAL* and *Twirl*

Brian, whose schedule most times seems like a fortress guarded by the King's best, has allowed for a little Pampering session to be squeezed in today!! He arranged...over his lunch ( a mega feat) to schedule me for an appt to go get my toes done at COCOK's (pronounced "Cocoe's" ) with a foot scrub and leg massage. It is a very popular place here on Okinawa, and I have been once before. It is wonderful...yummy tea, beautiful fountain, leather recliners ahhhhh. I can't wait! So, that is my V-Day gift today!! :) from him...my beloved. Thank you honey!! Ohh I better go take care of these legs! ;) I will post pics hopefully later!!

Anjolie's Party Invite

Printshop baby...love it. I used this sort of collage I designed for some of the invites...some- I still need to finish (in the mean time they got a party announcement) Her middle name is Rose..so I went with a rose type motif. Had a dandy time trying to save it as a jpeg..it almost stumped me!

Potty Training

Yes, the time has come where 25mo old Lilymonster needs to be potty trained. And, this sort of "sharing" may be a little more than you wished you knew...I don't know. what is it about mom's sharing their potty training humor that makes us feel- well, normal? Some issues we have had, uh *yes* I WILL spare you, but this was cute.

Brian kicked me out of the house on Saturday :) LOVINGLY, for a BREAK...had a wonderful time, I did, but that is a different story. He stayed home and got very ambitious about training Lily *grin*. He told me when I got home that Lily had told him many many times that she had to go poo-poo potty. He must have taken her in there and got her all set up about 5 times in which she would work and work, but nothing would happen. FINALLY she sounds desperate and tells Brian she needs to go...so Brian again gets her all set up...she works and waits and works and waits then.... it happened, well, sort of...
Lily braced herself then *TOOOT!* " "I DID IT!!" she exclaimed happily ...lol, oh my, the things that humor me.

A trip, a Birthday, Pneumonia..

...a ruptured eardrum and another pneumonia. There...that's the past 3 weeks in a bitty nutshell :) Now, here are some pics of the kiddies for the Grandparents. ;)

I have missed my blogging buddies!!!! Brian had to go to the states for a week for some training, and it was all I could do to keep up with everything...and then I still had to keep on top of things while the kids were sick...so as much as I would have loved to "escape from it all" I had to put my little blogging hobby to the side for a while. I guess what I can say, regarding my husband, is that his unit received a Prepare to Deploy Order...and that is about all I can say. All the whens and what-ifs and maybes about drove me nuts, but you know, the LORD IS IN CONTROL and I am just trying to not think about all the questions until I have to.

Lily revovered from a mild case of pneumonia the week before last, but at her well-baby appt we discovered that she had a perforated eardrum from an ear infection that we did not even know she had! She was fussy the night before, but she went to sleep when I gave her some tylenol since she was pulling at her ear...the Dr had just checked her ears the week before when she had the pnuemonia *sigh* she sure is a tough little cookie.

Ms Robin do you recognize the baby towel :)
Ayden has hung in there...probably because he is still nursing. He is such a cute little fella ;)
I think it getting to be "first haircut" time! Awwww my wittle wittle boy growing right up!
Anjolie turned 4 while Brian was in Quantico for a week. We are having a party for her this weekend :)
Brianna has been such a big help to me. It is truly amazing what a 5 year old can do to help her momma. Sometimes it involves just her precious little hand rubbing my back when she sees the going is getting tough. What a little trooper.Poor little Anjolie. She is doing much better now, but Brian had to take her in to the ER on Sat morning after running a fever all night..even on tylenol. She was over 103...even after tylenol. Her oxygen was low and the x-ray came back showing one very very infected lung. PTL she could be treated at home! (Recognize the t-shirt Pop-pop? :) )