I'm trying to remember what I haven't told you lately....

This weekend, Karl and I bowled in a Scotch Doubles bowling tournament, in which the girl and guy play as one person, alternating turns. So I rolled the first ball, and Karl rolled for the spare. Once I got a strike, he got the first ball on the next frame, and I rolled for the spare, etc. It was weird but lots of fun to play as a team. Some of the husbands were awfully competitive and irritable that their wives weren't great. That ticked me off. But we had a good time together even though we didn't win.

Sunday was church and then a relaxing afternoon together.....so nice. Matt had a great weekend at the Dare2Share conference. He heard Superchic[k] and StarField, among others. They even got a chance to go out and knock on some doors in the neighborhood around their church. He seemed excited about it. He kept pestering me to send Valentine's Day flowers to him at school....until I finally agreed. Should have done that in the first place! It was funny how quickly he retracted the request when he thought I might actually do it.

Today Karl's big training event started! He has people from all over the AF here to learn how to train new AFSO21 event leaders this week. It's the culmination of many weeks of hard work for him, and he's glad it's finally here. Garin and I went to the bowling alley this morning, so I could practice with Margaret, our league's best player. She's very nice, but not everyone is nice to her. I'm not sure why, except that she takes her bowling very seriously. I think maybe they don't realize that she competes with herself, not us. She is from Poland, and her English isn't great. Sometimes you have to look past the words people use and how they use them and see through to their intention and meaning. She really is a sweetheart. She coached me for over an hour today, and I got the best scores I've ever had.

I've been working on schoolwork this afternoon and have taken a break until Garin goes to bed tonight. Karl and I both need to write papers, so we'll engage in what child-rearing experts like to call parallel play.

It looks like our huge snowfall slated for the next couple of days has now changed to mostly rain. While I'd enjoy a pretty snowfall, I don't enjoy tromping and driving through it for days afterward. Plus, we're bowling on Wed. and Thurs. this week to make up for our snow day last week.

I'm having a whole lot of joint pain. Yesterday was horrible, but today is better. I'm hoping for a better week ahead!

Present, Past and Future

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

I love this verse. It has encouraged me through so many hard times and has proven to be true over and over again. Sometimes I feel like people recite it as if it were a magic pill for someone who is hurting, as if it should instantly bring complete acceptance at the sound of it, as if it will somehow absolve them of any further responsibility to comfort, pray with or otherwise sully their own cheerful day. God's Word is a wonderful comfort and help, and it is a very important part of healing to see God's promises and claim them, but I think we all have to be careful not to toss a Bible verse at a problem and piously walk away. But this is nonetheless a verse full of promise and encouragement, and it has been on my mind for many days now.

I should be packing a bag now, so that it would be ready when labor began. But I'm not, and I have found myself mourning the loss of our two little ones as much as I did last summer and fall. I haven't said much about it on the blog because I feel like I should be past it. I thought I was through crying a long time ago, but it is fresh as we approach the due date. I think I may have reached a turning point, though, in the last couple of days. Thursday night, one of my close friends confided that she is two weeks late and thinks she may be pregnant. They have been trying for several months, and she has been getting discouraged as each month passes and it hasn't happened. I have so many friends, here at Dover and in Illinois whose pregnancies were timed very closely to ours. I have been happy for them, but I haven't been able to really rejoice with them the way I want to because it is still painful. It has been hard to be around them socially because that is, of course, a very important part of their lives, as it should be, but those conversations are so hard. But Thursday night, I threw my arms up and started cheering and almost cried tears of joy. It was several minutes before I thought anything of my own desire to have another baby. I was totally immersed in the joy of her news. I was so thrilled to realize that I was able to fully share her excitement that it made the rest of my evening. I was relieved.

Since then, I am beginning to dream of trying again. I had all but given up in recent days as I read the statistics that are against me. But today I kept thinking of Memaw Risinger, whose baby boy died shortly after birth. She was told that she could not have another child that would survive. But she did. She trusted God's plan and wisdom rather than man's, and he gave her the desire of her heart. And I remember my mom's dream of my daughter and her vivid description of the child. She has an impeccable track record with her grandchild dreams. Now I won't tell God what His plan is; I'll let Him decide that. But I need to keep an open mind and a positive outlook until He leads me elsewhere.

Hard as it seems, standing in dreams, where is the dreamer now? Wonder if I wanted to try, would I remember how? I don't know the way to go from here, but I know that I have made my choice. This is where I stand until He moves me on, and I will listen to His voice.

This is the faith, patience to wait, when there is nothing clear. Nothing to see, still we believe Jesus is very near. I cannot imagine what will come, but I've already made my choice. This is where I stand until He moves me on, and I will listen to His voice.

Could it be that He is only waiting there to see if I will learn to love the dreams that He has dreamed for me? Can't imagine what the future holds, but I've already made my choice. This is where I stand until He moves me on, and I will listen to His voice.

(Twila Paris, "I Will Listen")

Aloha!

Hiya! I hope it's warm where you are! We have been fighting to stay warm the last several days, but it looks like it may be a while before we see milder temperatures. It's beautifully sunny, and the skies are as blue as can be, but we are expecting a big snow storm early next week, they tell us. I enjoy a pretty snow, as long as it doesn't stick around too long.

It looks like we may actually have a chance of living somewhere warm....just a slight chance. Karl is under consideration for a job as an aide de camp to the Lt. General at Hickam AFB, Hawaii. I am certain that there are probably at least a couple hundred more people who are also candidates, but even just the idea of three years in Hawaii is worth daydreaming about! We did also get some other good news. If this job doesn't pan out, which it probably won't if you consider the odds, there is a very high likelihood that we will go back to Scott AFB, Illinois, in the summer of 2008. That would mean being with Matt for his junior and senior years in high school. Another dream-worthy possibility, for sure!!! But God knows the plans He has for us, so we shall just trust, wait and see.

A little sweetie is wanting to play, so I'll run for now. Have a great weekend!

TA-DAAAAA!!!!

Here's the birthday boy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO GARIN!!!

The birthday boy is taking a nap, and I thought I'd stop and share the day so far. We woke up to a few inches of snow this morning, and it has stuck around thanks to the cold temperatures, but it is an absolutely beautiful, sunny, blue-sky day. We sang happy birthday to Garin when he woke up, and Garin and I have devoted much of the day to playing in the living room floor. He is growing up so fast. Yesterday he figured out the play button on his CD player, so he's in control of his own tunes! He has also discovered the secret of the shape sorter toy, and is very proud to put all of the shapes through the correct holes. We do a lot of nodding, head-shaking, ta-daaaing and clapping these days. The piano gets quite a workout, and we have to wave bye-bye to Daddy everytime he leaves. His words now are Mama, Dada, no-no, bye-bye, done, and as of today, peep-eye. (For those who don't know, "peep-eye" is the southern version of peek-a-boo. I grew up thinking everyone played peep-eye, but after living in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, I've learned that this strictly a Southern thing.)

It's hard to believe that a year ago this moment, I was in labor. I couldn't wait to hold him and see his face. The last year has made me realize that he is much more of a miracle than I knew at the time. What a blessing this little boy is!

Party Pics III

More guests.....As you can see, Garin had lots of help opening presents! They all wanted to help, so I told them they could each help him open the present they brought. It was a very quick way to get the gifts unwrapped!

Party Pics II

Our guests and the rubber duckie cakes....

Party Pics

Garin had a wonderful birthday party last night! If I counted correctly, we had 25 folks (14 adults, 11 kids) here to help him celebrate his first year. For those who know our base friends and are interested, here's the rundown: the Bibbs, the Weigners, the Soules, the Waltons, Mel and her girls, Stacey and her girls, Carla and Tammy. And if the first birthday party isn't memorable enough on its own, we also managed to start a grease fire in the kitchen just as the party was starting. Thankfully, I was standing right there with Kim S, Kim W and Quinton, and we got it out before it did any damage. Needless to say, I stopped frying the Mexican egg rolls. It was just as well, since we had plenty of food left over anyway. I always tend to make too much, but I figure that's better than making our guests go hungry. Garin loved his cake, all the attention, and his many presents which I told people they didn't need to bring, but they did anyway. By the way, whoever brought that talking lawnmower needs to know that we will get our revenge when their child's birthday rolls around!

I woke up in the night thinking that it was awfully rude of me to be blogging about this party when I didn't invite some of our non-base Dover friends. I wanted to invite all of you, too, but base housing makes it difficult to get people on. We just couldn't figure out a way to meet everyone at the visitors' center and still be here to host the party. Something else to consider when deciding where to live.

Hope you enjoy the pics!

Ducks in a row

Rubber ducky cake #3 is in the oven...the last one! It's probably overkill, but I'd hate not to have enough cake for our party guests. I'll decorate them tomorrow and finish the prep work for the food. Saturday will be dedicated to cleaning house and finishing the food before the guests arrive. We're really looking forward to this! I've had a few people over for lunch at times, but we've not had a real party since we moved to Dover.

Today was the OSC board meeting. The current president, honorary president and first VP are working hard to convince me to take on the position of president next year. My good friend, Kim Weigner, has agreed to be the first VP, which is one of the hardest jobs on the board. President is really simple by comparison, and definitely much easier than the craft show chairman. I'm considering it, but I really need to pray and think about it before I commit. Kim is very reliable and works hard, so I know that the welfare side of our board would be ship-shape. That's the biggest battle.

We had snow this morning, but it warmed up this afternoon enough to melt it. Karl, Garin and I all went to Wal Mart and picked up some things we've needed for a while. We enjoyed our afternoon together and got a lot done around the house. Well, Karl did. He was just a bundle of housekeeping energy today! He says it's because he doesn't have to do it the rest of the time, so it's easier when he does. I surely appreciated it; I was able to concentrate on getting food ready. We tag-teamed with Garin, which was great!

Hope you're all looking forward to a great weekend!

Very First Birthday Present Ever!!!

Garin's first birthday present from Grandma and Grandpa Risinger arrived yesterday via UPS - the Bounce & Spin Zebra we asked for !!! We had one of those days where the only time we were home, he was eating or sleeping, so we just got it opened and assembled today when Daddy came home for lunch. Garin definitely thinks it is very cool! The big brown box it came in is pretty awesome too! Here are some photos of him enjoying his gift.

(Oh, and added blessing today: Daddy passed his annual fitness test this morning!)

This and That

It's a busy week for us with Garin's party Saturday night. I'm headed to the grocery store this afternoon to stock up, and I have to run the board reports by the printer for the board meeting on Thursday.

Yesterday, I finally got my new bowling ball! I'm not sure the holes are just right yet. He drilled them and did some fine-tuning after I bowled a few frames, but I think the middle finger may still be tight. It seemed to be sticking a little, but I'm going to try again Wednesday. He can tweak it if need be.

Garin has new tooth number eight. It came in yesterday, finally. That should help his demeanor (and slobbering)!

Matt is just doing great these days. He's enjoying school (as much as a kid does) and has a hopping social life. He met friends at the coffee house Saturday. That seems to be a new ritual with Freeburg kids now that they finally have a place to gather. Friday night, he is going with the youth group to the Stellar Kart concert in St. Charles. Wish I could go!!! Next weekend is the big Dare to Share event in St. Louis for the youth, and I'm so glad he's going. I want him to discover the joy of being bold in Christ, and these are just the sort of things to point him in the right direction.

I got a grade on another paper finally. This time it was in my music class, but it was a 100 again! She said it was beautifully written and elegantly expressed! I hope I don't seem like I'm bragging, but I'm so excited, and it's still hard to believe.

Karl's had a rough week at work. He is too hard on himself, and when things don't go just right, he beats himself up. He is still learning his office job and needs guidance from time to time. I was up from 2:30-4:00 this morning, praying for him and for his boss because they were meeting this morning. He got some good, constructive criticism, given with compassion and concern and was relieved. Of course, he's a little stressed, but it helped him so much to know that his new boss seems to have his heart in the right place, so to speak. It will all work out just fine. I only wish he had the confidence to match his ability. He has taken Thursday through Tuesday off for party prep and family time. I think he really needs it, and I know I'm looking forward to it.

Cookie Monster

Here's a cute pic of our little stinker. I was working on the computer; he was sitting at my feet playing. The next thing I knew, I looked down and saw cookies everywhere. He had found the bag of cookies again, but this time he dumped them all out and was feasting! I should mention that I know his outfit doesn't match. We were homebound thanks to his cold and the snow, so we were dressed for comfort yesterday. Note the lovely hairdo. He often wakes from a nap with some of the wildest 'dos I've ever seen. Karl tells me that his hair does the same thing when it's longer than an inch.

We've had a great day! Garin is finally over his cold and is much more pleasant to be around, and we spent the day doing stuff around the house. We did a little shopping this evening at Tar-jaaaayyy and went to dinner at IHOP. Woo-hoo! All-you-can-eat pancakes this month! Garin ate more than I've ever seen him eat. We ordered Baby Cakes for him: scrambled egg beaters, a sausage link and five dollar pancakes. He attacked it as if he hadn't eaten in days and ate well over half of his meal. Considering how little he normally eats, I've decided that from now on, every meal will be pancakes, eggs and sausage. Okay, maybe not, but it was so funny to see him pig out. He flirted with all the ladies at the surrounding tables and scored us a buy one get one free coupon from the couple at the next booth.

I also did the last of the craft show nightmare and got the board reports done. The rest of the week will center around Garin's party preparations, and any spare time (haha) will be spent on homework.

It's WAY past my bedtime, but I've been waiting for my hubby to turn of the Saturday night anime cartoons. I give up. I'm going to bed!

Can't put my finger on it

Has there ever been a time in your life where you felt God moving in your life in a huge way, like you can almost hear the buzz or feel the electricity in the air? You know something big is happening and that it is going to change your life, but you can't put your finger on it, you don't know where it's leading, and you have no idea yet what it will bring?

It's constant for me right now. I am certain that it is largely because I am finally following through on a 23-year-old promise I made to God by going back to school for a degree in Biblical Studies. Now, I should say that I am not following through because I somehow think I need to appease God so He won't be mad at me. If I had made an emotional promise to Him as a 14-year-old that had no calling behind it, or if I felt that I had blown my chance and He was no longer calling me, the reasons and motivation would be all wrong. But I know that this is still what He wants me to do. I am just thankful that He is allowing it to happen, and He is already blessing me for it.

I have also been very inspired and forced to dig a little deeper because of the daily blog of a dear family friend and visionary in ministry to hurting children and broken families: http://www.bucknerprez.typepad.com/.

Finally (and I don't know where or even whether this figures in yet), there are the issues involved in growing our family and how we want to do that. As you know, we've had two miscarriages in the last six months, and it's been emotionally difficult. We don't know how the lupus stuff will figure into our future efforts, if blood thinners will fix the problem. Add to that the strong desire I have had for many years to adopt a child or children who would otherwise be difficult to place.

Now this is the first and will probably be the last time I mention this in my blog, but it is pertinent: I have a beautiful niece and nephew who, when they came to our family, were considered hard to place. Why? Because they were a sibling group, they were not babies and they were minority. So here's the deal....so what?! Do you have any idea how easily we forget the fact that they didn't come home from the hospital in my sister's arms? I only remember (and I do so proudly because they joined our family in a way that is no less miraculous than childbirth) when the subject of adoption or their birth family is mentioned.

Five years ago, I was a single mom and longed for more children, although I had no such prospects in my future. My brother-in-law and sister knew of two African-American baby girls who needed a homes, and there were articles in some Texas publications about them, asking for families. I began talking to a representative of the organization and learned that the cost was too much for my budget, and they had no funds available to offset this cost. After weeks of trying to work it out, I had to back away, and it broke my heart. I hoped that God had someone better in mind for the girls, but nearly a year later, I ran across another article about them. They were still looking for families, and the babies were still in foster care. I love and support the great work that the organization does, but it just seems so wrong to me that there are children out there without families and parents who want them, but money prevents them from being a family. I struggled with this for a long time, but the desire to adopt has never left me. Karl knows that it is one of the deepest desires of my heart and assures me that even if we do have another biological child, we can someday adopt a child or children in foster care, one of our society's forgotten children. Lately, the thoughts won't leave me. I have even started dreaming about it. I've fallen in love with two precious little girls named Jayshiawan and Ashanti on www.adoptuskids.com and wish I could just go get 'em! But it's up to God's timing, not mine. It is very important that God places it on Karl's heart as well as mine; it is something we must choose together. I know He will when He's ready, so I keep praying.

I sometimes think I use this blog to sort out my own thoughts as much as to keep you guys informed, but I hope maybe it strikes a chord with you too, somehow. I am so excited to see God working, and I'm even more excited to see where it leads me!

Busy Bee

Whew! Garin is a pistol! He is so much fun as he changes from baby to toddler, but he wears me out. He was just sitting at my feet, playing quietly, and I heard a funny crinkly sound. I looked down and discovered that he'd pulled a zippered baggie of cookies out of his diaper bag, figured out how to open it, and had a half-eaten cookie on the floor, one in his mouth, and one in each hand. We finally bought appliance locks for the toilets (let's hope no one needs to go in a hurry!) and yet another gate for the bottom of the stairs yesterday. He was furious about the gate, rattling it and screaming last night because he wanted to climb. This morning, while I was showering, he tried to send my panties down the drain...several times. Fortunately they didn't fit. I'll have to stay on my toes for the next....oh....20 years or so!

I had an awesome series (for me anyway) yesterday at bowling. I bowled 118, 122 and 143. I can sometimes bowl that well, but not for all three games; I'm not usually so consistent.

We're busy with homework....I'm loving it!....and preparing for Garin's birthday party next weekend. We're going to move some furniture around to better accommodate everyone in this little base house, and I'm pre-making most of the food. I need to clean well, of course, and I'm making his cakes. We'll need a couple for the guests and one for him. I found a great rubber ducky 3-D pan, and he loves his many rubber duckies. I think he'll be really excited when he sees them! And it is some fairly basic decorating with a star tip.

Memaw fell a few weeks ago and has been having a lot of back pain. The doctor thinks she may have a compression fracture of the spine, so she's on pain medication until they do the MRI next week and decide on a course of treatment. She may need an injection that fills the space and hardens, which is supposed to stop the pain permanently.

That's about all I know, I guess!

New Life

Many of you know know my dear friend, Amanda, from Illinois. She is the associate pastor of my church there and co-officiated with my brother-in-law at our wedding. She called me this morning to tell me that she's "officially a mommy," to quote her. Her water broke at 4-something Monday morning, and Mason Kahle Richards was born this morning at 12:37! He was a good bit early but is 7 lbs. 9 oz. and 18.5 inches long and perfectly healthy. Amanda and Brian are tired but elated. It's always such a miracle, isn't it?! I can't wait to get my hands on him!

I'm Such a NERD!

But I can't help it!!! I finished the first assignments in all of my classes this weekend and uploaded them to the professors. I just got my first grade back (hermeneutics), and I got 30/30!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited! He said I am a clear thinker and write well and that I show an excellent grasp of the material. WOO-HOO!!!!! This is so fun........so far, knock on wood, fingers crossed, etc.

A Burst of Genius

Isn't it amazing how much little ones learn and absorb?! In less than a year, they go from wriggly, pink, soft little bundles that do nothing but poop and cry to these incredible little people who are everywhere at once, exploring and learning and doing. It seems that several milestones come all at once, followed by a slow period of learning, then another bunch of milestones. I think we are entering another burst of genius. This morning, when Garin got up, he signed "milk" and continued signing it as he breastfed. I said, "That's right! Milk!" and signed it back, and he said "mil." Then he went to Daddy, looked up and said "light." Now, he's known the word for a long time, but this time it was perfectly clear and obvious. He waved goodbye to Karl this morning through the window (We were watching him scrape the snow and ice off the windows.) and said "bye-bye." Actually, it was more like "bah-bah," but with the wave it was clear what he meant. It's so exciting to watch him learn and change and grow! But right now, he's standing beside me with his hands full of junk mail from the trash can, so I'd better go before he has them for breakfast!!!

Snuggly Warm

I've been meaning to post some photos of Garin in his coat, hat and boots. He's so cute in them! We've had so little cold weather that they haven't seen much wear until this week. He's still got his cold, and now I'm catching it, but Daddy's still in good shape so far. I'm supposed to take Garin up to Philly tomorrow for his final visit with the pediatric urologist, but it's snowing right now. We'll see how the weather is and how we're feeling in the morning; we may decide to reschedule. Hope you've all had a great weekend!

Accomplishments

It's been an exciting couple of days! Garin has gained a whole pound. He slept through the night last night for the first time in MANY months, AND he has started signing back to us! We got a bit of a late start on it. The experts say to start around 7-9 months. We've done it hit or miss since then, but have only been vigilant about it for the last couple of weeks. It's amazing how quickly they learn! His first official sign is "done". He doesn't have the sign down perfectly, but it's recognizable. I understand that is quite common, as little ones don't always have the coordination to do them exactly right at first. After he finishes a meal, he signs "done". The sign starts with both hands parallel to the floor, palms up, and then you flip them over. It looks like that hand-slapping game. He just holds his hands out and waves them around rather frantically. Today it was funny, because he did it, and Karl asked him (while also signing it), "Are you done?" Garin gave him a big nod. I expect to see "eat", "more", and "milk" soon. Of course, he loves his giraffe, so that one could come any day now.

Unfortunately, Garin now has a cold. No fever, thankfully, but the most congestion he's ever had. YUCK! I hate snot. It's easier for me to clean up vomit than snot. I am so ready for this season of illness to be over. I can't seem to get my whole family well at once.

Karl's in the simulator this afternoon and tomorrow afternoon, practicing emergency procedures. Garin and I have sung and danced with the Laurie Berkner Band, and I guess now we'll go play and/or read. I'm hoping he'll take an afternoon nap, so I can finish my hermeneutics paper and my music homework!

Happy weekend, all!!!

Unnecessary Struggle

Wouldn't it be nice if loving your children was accomplished by fulfilling their desires? Wouldn't it be easier than true, Godly parenting?

I spent the hour from 12:30 am until 1:30 am today going over these thoughts in my head, as I listened to my 11-month-old son alternately screaming, groaning, crying and moaning in his bed. It is a necessary adjustment that we all have to make in life, the change from being a helpless, indulged infant to a person who understands cause-and-effect relationships and begins to accept that we can't always have exactly what we want. Child-rearing experts tell us that by about six months, our children no longer need nourishment during the night, and we should no longer continue to get up and feed them or even hold them every time they awaken from sleep.

When Matt was a baby, I felt the need to break his dependence on me to get back to sleep at the age of about six months. With Garin, I found it easier to continue getting up with him than to fight the painful battle of withholding something he wanted so badly, but I have realized that if I ever hope to wean him, these feedings must be the first to go because they are the ones that he most wants to continue. If he could speak for himself, I am certain that he would (as most children do) use the word "need" in place of "want".

Every parent knows that the pain of denying your children something that they desperately want is incredibly painful. It would be so much easier in the moment to indulge them, and many parents are more than willing to hold on to that "baby" phase as long as possible. I willingly admit that I am one of those. Unfortunately, change is often necessary to the process of growth and maturity.

I couldn't help but think of our Heavenly Father as I lay in bed last night, near tears myself. We, His children, are no different from our infant children when we face disappointment. We don't understand why things are happening; we don't understand why God doesn't let us have our way; we fight and wail and resist. We know from experience that He loves us. We know that He is trustworthy. We know that He won't abandon us or allow us to suffer needlessly. He tells us over and over again in His word, and He proves it over and over again in our lives. Still we fight Him, we fight His will, and we make the way so much harder for ourselves. He must shake His head and wonder what it will take for us to let go. If only we had the strength to be weak and to trust Him.

Just as my baby must learn to let go and rest, I want to daily let go of my own ideas and fall back into the loving arms of the Author and Perfecter (Hebrews 12:2), who will guide me safely through while making me more like Himself.

It's All Greek to Me!

I am knee-deep in Greek tonight. "It's all Greek to me" takes on a whole new meaning. I've been involved in a number of inductive Bible studies where I researched the Greek origins and meanings of words, but that is quite different from learning the language itself. Spanish is easy; the alphabet is relatively the same as in English. It is ordered similarly to English. I am thrilled and excited about learning Greek, but I'd be lying if I said I was comfortable or confident about it. Fortunately, the author of the textbook and my professor take a very purpose-oriented approach to the language. Their intention is that I will learn Greek for the purpose of better understanding the Bible in order to impact the world for Christ, rather than to become a scholar of the language.

Karl and I are both still fighting the stomach virus. So is the whole family next door. Karl got worse over the weekend but seems to be feeling better tonight. I have had a much milder case and my daily activities are not significantly affected, thankfully. Caring for children is not a job that can wait until one feels better.

Karl is dealing with some frustrations at work, so he needs prayer. I started to make a list of what I think he needs specific prayer for, but I think it's best to let you pray as God leads. He knows better than I do.

Bowling and pottery are tomorrow. Life is good. That's about it for tonight because I need to get to bed. Hugs to you all!

Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

Today is Mom and Aunt Pat's _ _st birthday. I hope you two have a great one!

We are, I believe, on the mend. I have spent the last two nights on the sofa bed in the hope that I will not catch this terrible stomach flu that waylaid Garin in the first half of the week and Karl in the second half. I am now certain that I was not born to be a nurse, as I am tired of playing one this week. I am so thankful that they are both beginning to feel better!

Last night, we had a sudden power outage throughout the housing area here on base. The Security Police said that it was a transformer. They drove around with their spotlights on, blinding unsuspecting residents sitting in their dark homes until the power came back on. We couldn't figure out why they felt the need to do this rather than shining them down the streets or something. It came back on about 2 am. This drama provided some much-needed excitement for our little housebound family.

Hope your week is off to a wonderful start!

First Haircut....After!!!

Boy, I'm handsome!!! Mama sheared me! She did her best, but it isn't easy to cut a wiggly little boy's hair. Plus, it was tough to see through the tears. She had a hard time saying goodbye to my ducktail. Daddy just said "Finally!"

First Haircut....During

Note Garin's elation and excitement!!!

First Haircut...Before

I was having fun and being silly. I had no idea what was about to happen!

Home for the Holy Spirit

Yesterday, I received one of the greatest, most humbling compliments of my lifetime. Interestingly, it was directed not at me, but at our home. I have debated about whether or not to share it, as I don't want to seem proud, but I don't think it speaks to any accomplishment of my own. It is the work of the Holy Spirit, and He deserves to be praised.

As I arrived at our OSC Social, one of my friends pulled me aside to speak to me. She is someone I like and enjoy, but I don't know her all that well. She said, "Your house must be bathed in prayer. I could just feel it when I walked in yesterday that God was there." I didn't even know she had been in my home! Her daughter babysat the day before while I was bowling, and she had stopped by on her way to run an errand. Her daughter has been dealing with depression for the last year and is struggling to regain her bearings and her confidence. I just felt like I needed to share with her that I had been in a similar situation at her age and to encourage her that it will get better and that she will get past it and create a great life for herself. It was totally a God thing because I only said a few brief sentences on my way out the door. Her mom said that she had no idea what I said, but when she arrived, her daughter sat down and started pouring out her heart, sharing things that she'd been holding in for a very long time, and they had a good, long talk. It was something that her mother and father had been praying for. They felt like it was a long-awaited turning point in their lives.

I learned something very important from this. When the Holy Spirit has an open invitation to reside and rule in our homes, we don't even have to be there for Him to work. He can use our faithfulness to bless people in our home even when we're gone. How awesome is that?!!

The Early Collection

My sister, Marci, requested that I provide photos of my pottery "masterpieces". I ask that you kindly remember that these are my first pieces. They are not of the highest quality, but I am still learning and am starting my third 6-week class this week. I have a couple of larger, more symmetrical pieces that are waiting to be glazed. Hopefully, they will be more worthy of admiration!

By George, I think I've got it!

I guess it was inevitable. You expect to be immersed in that kind of illness and not catch it. I can't be sure that it's the virus and not my antibiotics, but I'm having chills this afternoon, so it doesn't look good. Oh well, maybe it'll jump-start my weight loss!

I had a decent morning bowling, over-average all three games. A college-student neighbor babysat for Garin. He seems fine today except for some leftover symptoms, if you know what I mean. The fever and vomiting seem to have passed. I got up early to do some more laundry and get the house vacuumed before he woke up. Everytime I turn on the vacuum when he's up and around, he starts screaming bloody murder. He just hates it. The bonus is that I don't have much to get done this afternoon. I think I'm going to go hop on the elliptical machine while he's napping.

Karl has his usual post-cold cough that he can't shake, so he went to sick call this afternoon to get checked out. This time of year is horrible on the body, isn't it?! Thankfully, spring always arrives just in time!

YUCK!!!

Garin has had a nasty stomach flu for the last 24 hours, accompanied by a high fever. So far, Karl and I are okay, but I don't know how long that will last. My fingers are crossed! I spent most of the night up with Garin, changing diapers, clothes and sheets multiple times. Karl was up with us for much of that time as well. After a day of laundry and Lysol for me and a long day of work for Karl, we are all exhausted. I did manage to make it to our squadron social tonight since I missed the NY trip. It was good to get out for awhile. I have a babysitter coming tomorrow, so I can go to bowling. My Augmentin is doing its job, and I'm starting to feel better. That will have to be it for today's update. I'm ready to go to bed!

Plans Change

Well, once again, I am learning to practice flexibility. After weeks of planning, our girls' trip to NYC was finally happening. I was excited about going but also a little apprehensive about being so far away from Garin for the day. I kept asking God to give me a clear direction on this....whether I should take a day away with friends or stay home with Garin. I had finally made peace with going, and then I got a sinus infection and got Augmentin, which always does ugly things to my tummy. I started wondering again if I should go but decided it would be okay. Then tonight, Garin threw up all over himself and me. That was my answer. I love it when you ask God for clarity, and He wallops you upside the head (or in this case, all down the front of your sweater) with His response! I'm so disappointed to miss the trip, but I'm always so thankful for those times when it seems like God says, "I'm here, I'm listening, and I am interested in every moment of your life. Thanks for remembering to ask Me."

I am so in love with my handsome hubby and my incredible boys. In the last 24 hours, each of them has brought his own ray of sunshine into my life. Just wanted to say so.

Late Christmas Thoughts Worth Sharing

I was just catching up on emails, reading the longer forwards that I didn't have time for earlier, and ran across this one. It's one of the special ones that is worth the time it takes to read.

Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience. I had cut back on nonessential obligations - extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending.. Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.
My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six year old. For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's Winter Pageant. I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd be working the night of the production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She assured me there'd be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then.
Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise. So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats. As I waited, the students were led into the room.
Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song. Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as "Christmas," I didn't expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer. So, when my son's class rose to sing, "Christmas Love," I was slightly taken aback by its bold title.
Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snowcaps upon their heads. Those in the front row- center stage - held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song. As the class would sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the letter C. Then, "H is for Happy," and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, "Christmas Love."
The performance was going smoothly until suddenly, we noticed her; a small, quiet girl in the front row holding the letter "M" upside down - totally unaware her letter "M" appeared as a "W". The audience of 1st through 6th graders snickered at this little one's mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her "W". Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together.
A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen. In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities.
For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear:
"C H R I S T W A S L O V E"
And, I believe, He still is. Amazed in His presence....humbled by His love.
May His love and His presence grace your Christmas and your New Year

Things are a-hoppin'

Not only did I get registered for my college classes Thursday, things have also begun to take on a college atmosphere around here. All of my girlfriends are suddenly wanting to run around together and do impulsive (although not dangerous or inappropriate) things. I think it's largely because Col. Manske and Col. Murphy are both TDY for the next few months, and Carla and Stacy are bored. I don't know what excuse the rest of us are using. Thursday night, we went to praise team rehearsal. Just as we returned home, a car I didn't recognize pulled up. Out popped Kim from the back seat, telling me to come get in. Tammy had bought a new car and wanted to take us all for a drive in it, so here are five grown women, all mothers, crammed in Camry driving around in base housing. Then last night, Carla invited about 10 women over. We talked and played Karaoke Revolution and had a great time. At some point, it was decided that we absolutely must go to New York City this week, so Carla, Tammy, Mel, Kim and I are going to make a day trip on Tuesday. Emily, a wonderful young college girl, will babysit Garin, and Karl will be nearby if she needs him. I'm looking forward to it. Kim keeps saying that we're all going back in the spring for an overnight trip and a Broadway show. Sounds fun, but we'll see. Tuesday night is our squadron spouses' social, and Thursday morning is our OSC brunch. Should be an exciting week!

Back to my classes....I ended up taking Greek I, Biblical Interpretation (basically inductive study principles), and Music Appreciation. I had originally planned to take a Biblical Worldview class, but it was already full, so I substituted music. I'm trying to take one class that is more challenging (Greek) and two that will not require as much work.

Karl and I bought an elliptical trainer last night. We'd been wanting one for some time, but we found a Nordic Track Audiostrider 990 for a good sale price the other day and decided to go ahead and get it. We figure it will be our tax-refund splurge, and we'll save the rest. It's so hard for me to get to the gym. There is a nice kids' play area where you can keep an eye on them while you work out, but Garin is still too small and would get run over. And by the time Karl gets home from work, and I get everyone fed and the kitchen cleaned up, I'm in no mood to go. This will be wonderful, as it's my favorite equipment at the gym and the one I always do. I can hop on and watch TV while I work out or prop my book up and study for my classes while Garin takes a nap or when Karl is home to watch him. I'm not sure I can do it with Garin playing in the floor because I imagine he'd be trying to play with the machine instead. Anyway, hopefully it will help me lose weight faster. I've lost five pounds in the last week, just because the holiday eating is over, but I still have plenty to go. And I really want to tone up, too.

We are all still fighting this cold, but we are otherwise doing well. Enjoy your weekend!

The Ins and Outs of Life

My hubby got in about 3:30 this morning! He passed his Aircraft Commander upgrade and is on crew rest until Friday. He and Garin hung out this morning while I went to bowling, and we all took a nap this afternoon. We went to Staples, Lowes and Buffalo Wild Wings tonight and are now trying to stay awake a few more minutes before going back to bed.

Tomorrow I have an OSC Board meeting in the morning, and Karl and I are going to take turns watching Garin and going to the gym in the afternoon. Kari, our pastor, called today and asked me to sing this week in the praise band because two of the singers will be out. I have taken a leave of absence just because it was my most demanding activity, and I have got to give myself a chance to rest and get past this flare-up. I am excited to have a week back, as I have certainly missed it!

I think our weekend shall be otherwise rather uneventful. I'm looking forward to it!

I've had several thoughts running through my head this week that I'd like to share. In the next few days I hope to organize them and find time to put them into words worth reading.

I'm a college girl again!

I received my official notification this afternoon that I have been accepted to the Biblical Studies program at Northwestern College. I get to start taking classes in a couple of weeks! I am so excited to have this opportunity not only to go back to school but to follow God's leading and see where it takes me.

Karl is on his way home as I write and will hopefully be curled up beside me before the sun rises!

Matt goes back to school tomorrow and has had a great winter break. He's in good spirits and is happy, and that surely makes me happy!

Garin is losing his voice. We are sharing a yucky cold, and though he seems to feel better than I do, he sounds horrible.

That's short, sweet and to the point, I guess. I need to get the bed made and the laundry folded, so I can get some sleep! Love to you all!

Typical Turn of Events

Karl is still in Spain. They have located the leak, and they have the part(s) needed, but the jet won't be ready until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest. The soonest we expect him is very early Wednesday morning.

I guess it's back to normal life now that the holidays are officially over. Garin and I slept until 10:30 this morning! Then we had "brunch" and some play time before going back to bed around 2:00. I woke up at 4:30, and he got up, happy and playful, just after I did. We now both have the cold. It's really not so bad except for this headache that I've had on and off for four days. When it's on it's vicious. But Garin doesn't seem to feel bad, thank goodness, just stuffy. Tomorrow I have to get things together for Thursday's board meeting, and I hope to have the house as close to perfect as possible for Karl's return. Wednesday is bowling. Yay! Thursday, board meeting........Back to the routine. I have no strong feelings one way or another about it. I enjoy the holidays, but I like my everyday life, too.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!

2007 (from Garin)

We just got home from a great New Year's Eve party at our friends' house. We sure missed Daddy though. No one for Mom to kiss at midnight (except me, of course)! We did get to wear funny paper crowns and toast the new year with some very special people. We also played Pop 5 and Taboo and sang Karaoke Revolution.....Mom won! I stayed awake the WHOLE time and played with the other kids. Mom is hoping that this means I will also sleep late. We'll see! We're very tired, so we're headed to bed now. Happy New Year everyone! (And Daddy, we really, really miss you. Hurry home!)

Peek-a-Boo

Garin was on a laughing spree this afternoon and was playing hard. Here's a picture of him playing peek-a-boo with me, using the lid from his box of blocks. Of course, like his big brother, the minute he sees the camera, all play stops, and posing begins.

Farewell Photo

I forgot to post this last week. This was taken the morning Karl left on his mission. Garin likes Daddy's desert BDU hat!

Happy New Year!

We're about to start another year, and I hope it's a great one for each of you. Karl is back out of Iraq and should be home tomorrow. (Update: About 10 minutes after this posted, Karl called again. The mechanics found a fuel leak, so the earliest he'll be home is Tuesday, and that's not likely. Thank God for good, thorough mechanics! Those guys are truly awesome!!!) Thanks for your prayers! Garin is down for a nap. What a precious one! As I tucked him in, and he looked up at me with those big blue eyes and his smile peeking out around his pacifier, I thought how very blessed I am to have a wonderful husband and two sweet boys. I had another nice visit with Kim yesterday and bought a basket for Garin's toys in the living room. I was tired of our house looking like a nursery school all the time. Tonight I am going to a friend's house up the street. They're having a bunch of us over to ring in the new year. I don't know if I'll make it until midnight. That depends on whether Garin will sleep at their house and how well I'm managing this annoying cold I have. But I am thankful to have friends to spend the evening with and am looking forward to it!

Change of Plans

Well, Karl's jet needs repairs, so he is not in the Middle East tonight as expected. They aren't sure when repairs will be made, but they will still make the trip. It sounds as if the whole crew is relieved not to be on the ground at the time of the execution, but I would imagine that the danger would be higher in the days following. Please keep them all, as well as the Iraqi people, in your prayers.

Garin and I took Mr. Magoo to have his staples removed this afternoon. We also went to Target to pick up a few things. I was hoping to find a nice, big, woven basket in just the right shade of brown to serve as a toy box in the living room. After Christmas, the number of toys on the floor makes it difficult to find a spot for one's feet. They carry the perfect basket, but it was out of stock today. I'll try again later!

I've tucked Garin into bed. He's such a sweetheart, and he just gets cuter everyday. He loves to tease, and his laughter comes easily. He is starting to really practice the art of conversation. Not the words, but the sounds. And not just the sounds, but the mannerisms: the tilt of the head, the raised eyebrows and sideways glances, the head nods and shakes. Such fun! Now I'm ready to fix myself a little bit of dinner and have a relaxing night. I need to clean and had planned to do so today, but I've had a headache all day. It will just have to wait until tomorrow.

Justice....Peace

Had a great time yesterday with Kim and Shelbie! We went shopping at the mall and then to Lone Star Steakhouse for dinner. I got all of our Christmas decorations put back in the attic last night, except for the exterior lights, which will probably have to wait until Karl gets home. Today I have to take Mr. Magoo to the vet, and I plan to clean house....seems like I'm always cleaning house!

My spirit is unsettled this morning. All the news reports indicate that Saddam Hussein's execution is imminent and that it will create increased violence against Americans. There is certainly justification for and justice in his death, but there is no joy from it. Even he, consumed by cruelty and evil, is a person created by and loved by God, and God Himself will weep when Saddam passes into an eternity apart from Him. I fear for the safety of our men and women over there. My husband is on a mission right now that will take him back into hostile areas over the weekend, and I just want to hear his voice again, saying that he has safely landed back in Europe and will soon be home. My cousin (actually my mom's cousin's son), Eric, is over there on the ground, too. I guess we all know someone in harm's way. I pray that God will surround each of them with his angels and a hedge of protection will be placed around them. I pray that the predictions prove false and that the people of Iraq will finally begin to heal. I pray that those who continue to create violence will be quieted. I pray for peace.

Peace & quiet are overrated

Well, Karl is off on a mission. Matt has been delivered to the airport and is back in Illinois. Garin is tucked away in dreamland. And I am rattling around in this house after midnight, wondering when sleep will finally overtake me. I treasure my family time, and watching my boys together is a gift beyond words. Even with the time apart and the difference in age, there is a brotherly closeness that is impossible to explain. I feel grateful and blessed, and at the same time, I feel like they (and we) are being cheated each day that Matt is gone. I am so thankful that they have each other.

Garin has Roseola. Fortunately, the contagious period has passed without him exposing any other children. On the down side, his rash will stick around for several days. I can't imagine where he got it, but we've been out shopping, and he was in the church nursery around that time, based on the incubation period. It doesn't matter. It's just one of those childhood illnesses that kids get when they get together. After his illness and Karl's the weekend before, I'm hoping we'll have some healthy time now!

Tomorrow is a commitment-free day for me. I'll probably do some cleaning around here and maybe even nap when Garin does, since I am obviously not getting enough sleep tonight!

"This Awful, Beautiful Life"

I can't help but think of that song today. It's funny how life is never completely perfect or completely horrible, but is instead a crazy mixture of highs, lows and mediums all at the same time. This morning we said goodbye to Karl as he leaves on his Aircraft Commander checkride mission. We pray that all goes well and that he is once again an AC when he returns! It is emotional for all of us when he leaves on a mission. This afternoon, Garin and I will take Matt to the airport for his return trip to Illinois. Obviously not a joyous occasion either. But we are excited this morning because our dear old friends, the Marks family, are in town this week, and we are meeting them for lunch before we head to the airport. Kim helped me move when Tim and I separated, and they have been there through it all with us. Not physically present, of course, as they have moved from Illinois to Hawaii to Florida to Japan to San Antonio in the 10+ years we've known each other, but they were always close in heart and by email! When we were all in Illinois, we were just about inseparable, and our kids were close. They have an 18 year old, a 15 year old and a 14 year old with whom Matt loved to play. Of course, they were about 6 years old when they last saw each other, so this lunch will prove exciting!!! I'll catch you all up when I write again tonight or tomorrow.

We think Garin has roseola. The high fever for three days finally broke in the night Sunday night, and a rash started Monday evening. His symptoms (or lack of) fits the descriptions of roseola we've seen. We're seeing the doctor at 1:50 today to make sure, then we'll head to the airport.

Hope you all have a good day, and I'll write again soon!

Oh, the weather outside is frightful....

...but it's been a wonderful Christmas Day anyway! We got up a little bit late (around 8:30) to see what Santa brought. Then we opened all of our other gifts from each other, our extended family and friends. We all had a great time ripping into our goodies and were all pleased not only with the gifts we received but also with the thought and love that went into them. Thanks to all of you!!!

We were so thankful that Garin woke up without a fever this morning! He had the biggest stack of goodies by far. He didn't quite understand the whole unwrapping thing. I guess it is a little strange, when you think about it. His first gift scared him when he pressed on it, and it started singing; then he cried when Daddy took it to cut it free from the box. By the time we were done, though, he had it figured out enough to watch me unwrap each gift before he took it to examine and play with. Below is a photo of him surrounded by his loot (and his brother); some of it still didn't make it into the frame! Matt was quite happy with his gifts and can hardly wait to spend the money and gift cards he received. Karl and I had fun, too, not only watching our boys, but also surprising each other. This is the first year in a very long time when I had no clue what was under the tree!

We had the big Christmas dinner about 4:00 and then went to the Weigners' house at 6:00 for pie a la mode and egg nog. Melody made blueberry and pumpkin, Danielle made apple, and Kim made cherry. I took Pat Breville's now-famous egg nog, which has become a Christmas staple in our family. Mom makes several batches every year when the family gathers in Longview. I never make it (or drink it) that I don't think of Pat dragging huge jugs of it, well spiked, to work on the day before our Christmas holiday began and storing it in the huge "dairy" refrigerator. (Our company was owned by a wonderful Orthodox Jewish family. They required separate storage for meat and dairy.) We all snuck to the break room several times on that day each year! Those folks were such fun. We were always planning parties or bringing food for any occasion we could dream up, and everyone looked out for each other. I sure miss those guys!

But back to the subject.....Tonight, the teens and adults played Pop 5 by Cranium and had a blast! We were on teams of six, so it was loud and a bit chaotic, but very much fun. Garin got tired, and we finally had to say goodnight around 9:00. We came home and put Garin to bed; then we got out the dominoes for another exciting family Christmas tradition: chickenfoot!

It's been a great day! The only thing that would have made it better is having our families there with us. We miss you all and have been thinking of you throughout the day. We hope that you have had lots of delicious food, lots of exciting presents, lots of hearty laughter, and - most importantly - lots of joy and time for reflection on what this day is really all about.

Blessings,
The Heinrichs

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

It's hard to believe it is already here!!! We have had a nice day together, watching holiday movies, playing games and eating way too much. As you can tell by the pictures, Garin is working hard to show Matt that he is a big boy just like his brother. They sat on the couch and watched some good cartoons together this morning. Karl, Matt and I stayed up too late last night, flopped across our bed, talking and goofing off, and I woke up with a sick stomach in the night. Karl says my symptoms were the same as his last week, so I guess I've caught his bug. We all slept rather late and didn't eat breakfast until 11, so we skipped lunch altogether. I made a roast in the crockpot for dinner with rice, gravy and peas. Garin is still fighting a fever that goes up to 102-103 between doses of Motrin, so we stayed home and had our own little Christmas service tonight before we each opened one gift chosen for us by the other members of our family. Garin got a cool choo-choo train with animals (and wheels!) that sings songs, lights up and makes animal noises. He was a little scared of it at first but warmed up quickly! Matt opened a Guitar Hero II video game and practiced a bit tonight.

I'll write again tomorrow or Tuesday, but I just wanted to let you all be a part of Garin's first Christmas Eve. We miss you all so much and wish we could be there, but we are so thankful that Karl and Matt are both able to be home for Christmas! May the overwhelming love of Jesus fill you and give you joy and peace today.

It's Official: I'm Old, and It's Christmas

Well, it's official! I'm old. I'll give you one guess who this is in Karl's flight suit and helmet, looking like he's nearly six feet tall. (Okay, so he IS 5'11", but that's beside the point.) I'm old.

And it is officially Christmas now. It just wouldn't be a holiday in our family without someone getting sick, would it? Garin is just as cheerful as always, and nothing seems to hurt him, but when Karl passed him to me this afternoon, he felt hot to me. I took his temperature, and it was 102.2! I gave him a lukewarm bath and a dose of Tylenol, and we're hoping it will all go away by morning.

Otherwise, all is well with us. We had a fairly easy time of it Wednesday night when we went to the airport to get Matt. Yesterday, we all went to the Wing Christmas party at lunchtime, had a simple but nice family dinner and just hung out all evening. Today was cold and rainy, so we stayed home. The boys watched movies and such. I cleaned up around the house and cooked for my fellas. I also made some caramel that I can hardly wait to get into. We're going to pull out a board game after dinner and once Garin goes to bed. Tomorrow we'll deliver candy and Christmas wishes to a few friends here on base and, if I get my wish, go bowling. Sunday, of course, is church. We're going to have a quiet Christmas Eve at home with chicken and dumplings, cider and egg nog. We'll read Luke 2 together, play Christmas music and play games. We're looking forward to it! Our Christmas Day menu will be a big breakfast; a lunch of ham, cornbread dressing, new potatoes, green beans, and rolls; and a dinner of leftovers. Our activities will likely revolve around opening presents from Santa, followed by the unwrapping of presents under the tree. I'm guessing there'll be lots of play time and couch time during the day. Matt's eager to open presents and keeps asking us if we can pretend it's Christmas today. I remember being the tortured child; now Matt thinks I'm the torturer.

I hope that you all have a wonderful, blessed Christmas. We miss you and will be thinking of you!

A Very Special Thank-You

This afternoon, Karl and I were finishing up our shopping separately and planned to meet at a mall restaurant at 5:00. I arrived first with Garin, and he showed up shortly thereafter, looking sharp in his flight suit. We had a nice dinner - turkey burger for me, triple burger for Karl, stuff from home for Garin. There was a nice older couple in the booth diagonally across the aisle who smiled at Garin a few times during dinner and stopped to tell us on their way out that he was such a sweet baby. Shortly after their departure, our waitress came to our table and told us that our meal had been paid for by that couple, and they asked her to tell him, "Thank you for your service to our country, and Merry Christmas." Wow. You read about this stuff in sappy emails or Chicken Soup books, but it's not something that you ever actually see happen. It was so touching. I got up and stepped outside to thank them, but I couldn't see them anywhere. They were gone. I hope that they know how much it meant to us. I hope that somehow they will know what an amazing thing that is to a military family that is celebrating Christmas far away from family because of duty but is just thankful to be together for the holidays. I hope that someone in the area who hears OUR story of a stranger's kindness will know this couple, and our thankfulness will be passed on to them. But for now I'll just put it out there into the universe for anyone who has gone out of their way to say thank you to a military service member........THANK YOU!!!

Good News

Karl's Memaw is out of ICU and in a room. She's in a good deal of pain but has some pain medication that is apparently quite good!

I got an email from my admissions counselor with a course evaluation for my prior college classes. It looks like everything that I took as a core requirement that is also a core requirement at Northwestern will transfer. Some other classwork will also transfer as electives. Some will not, but considering the fact that it's been almost 20 years since I started as a freshman at Baylor, and most of the requirements for this degree are Bible courses that I haven't had anyway, I'm not complaining! Based on how many hours we think we can afford per semester, I should be able to finish in about 4 years. And I'm kinda stepping out on faith a little, too, that we will find it possible to do it a little faster. I figure I will have to go back to work at least part-time before then, as Matt will be starting college in 2010!!! OY!!!

My narcissus are blooming like crazy, and this whole room is filled with their fragrance. I love it! It's one of those scents that people seem to have strong feelings about, I've found. They either love it or hate it. It's understandable, as it is a very strong smell.

I've been making candy and enjoying my little boy today. He's been full of giggles and fun! I also got to straighten out an insurance mess....surprise! No year would be complete without at least one big medical snafu. Fortunately, I think it will be taken care of (knock on wood!).

I need to go grill our steaks and start some veggies, so y'all have a good night!

Quick Update

Karl's Memaw is in ICU but is recovering. She had a head-to-toe MRI, and she has 7 broken ribs, all on one side, and a punctured lung. They said that there was a lot of bleeding from the lung, and she coughed a lot and swallowed a lot of the blood. That was what was causing her to vomit blood. Susan said Peggy was wearing a helmet, thankfully, and that she lay in the pasture for a long time before the ambulance came because Dalton had to ride back to the house to call, and they live so far out in the country that it took awhile for the ambulance to arrive. Memaw will have a painful recovery, but it looks like she will be okay. It certainly could have been a lot worse.

Karl's Memaw

Karl's Memaw Peggy is on her way to a Texarkana, TX, hospital in an ambulance right now. All we know right now is that she was thrown from a horse this afternoon and has broken ribs, a punctured lung, and is vomiting blood. We are assuming based on this information, the time, and the fact that the ambulance is taking her to Texarkana, that she has already been to the hospital in Idabel for evaluation and is being moved to the larger hospital. Karl is on the phone with his sister now, hoping for new information. I'll post any news as soon as I hear it. Please keep her in your prayers.

HO! HO! HO!

Today was fun! Garin got to check out Santa "up close and personal". On the way to the mall, I told Karl what Garin would do: turn and look up at Santa like he had just dropped in from another planet. Sure enough, he plopped on Santa's lap, turned, looked up and gave him this open-mouthed, wrinkley-eyebrowed stare for a minute. Then the photographer started jingling sleigh bells, and Garin turned and smiled right at the camera. Considering the number of children we had seen screaming and wailing, we were quite pleased with the result of our endeavors. We will be mailing photos to the grandparents. The rest of you will have to be satisfied with this electronic copy, as Santa must feed his reindeer and all the elves for the entire year on the prices he charges for mall photos!

Karl was up most of the night Thursday night, feeling very ill. Friday was a long day for him, and he was ready for bed by the time we got to the squadron party. We had a nice dinner and sat with some fun friends and then headed on home early. Karl was in bed by 9:30, and I wasn't too far behind him. Garin kindly let us sleep until 8:30 this morning, and we were all feeling rather upbeat today. Hopefully, Garin and I will miss this bug, and we have a great week ahead to enjoy. Matt will be here Wednesday night! He has finals Monday through Wednesday and is nervous about a couple of them, particularly Algebra II. He would appreciate your prayers as he prepares for that one on Wednesday. My biggest pre-Christmas social responsibilities are done, I cleaned house yesterday, and I am looking forward to wrapping the last few presents and making candy this week. Of course, I also have bowling on Wednesday. I plan to go practice again on Monday (c'mon 150!!), and I also need to go trim a couple of my pots before they get too dry.

Weaning is hopeless, just so you know. That sweet baby boy is nowhere near ready to give it up. He becomes inconsolable when he wants to nurse, and I try to pacify him with other things. We will just have to wait to get pregnant and give him time to do it on his own. Let me just say it before somebody puts their two cents in.....I know that some may disagree with this decision and feel that I need to get him weaned and get on medicine for pain and something to thin my blood. I understand that, but I disagree. God has given me one primary, incredible job in this life, and that is being a mother. I owe it to Him and to my boys to make them a priority. While we want to have more biological children, they are not guaranteed to us no matter what we do. But I do have these two, and I am responsible for their well-being. If God wants to make another baby inside me that will grow to live outside me, He will honor my faithfulness to the ones He's already given me and make a way for this to happen when the time is right. If it is not what He wants, there is nothing I can do, no medicine I can take, that will make life happen. And if that is the case, there is a family member(s) waiting out there somewhere for a mommy and daddy to love him or her.

So here's the scoop....

Yesterday was bowling. Thankfully, I was feeling a little bit better than the day before. I scored over 100 every game, and my last game was 138!!! My average is now 100, and I'm excited that I'm getting better. After bowling, I had to go get x-rays: 2 chest x-rays and 12 hand and wrist x-rays. Ironic, isn't it?! The afternoon was spent wrapping presents that had been sitting in the attic for weeks. Last night was my final pottery class of 2006; then I came home and made Praline Toffee Grahams to take to the OSC Social this morning.

Today was the OSC Social, obviously. We goofed off and acted up and had a great time. Speaking of my favorite girls, I got a not-so-cryptic email from Mel on Tuesday that just outlined the rules of a come-as-you-are party. That's it - nothing more. She's been talking about doing one for awhile, and I guess she was just making sure we all know what's expected when she shows up....whenever that might be. Should be really fun!!! I've missed being 16!

This afternoon, I ran all over on errands and got all of our family's presents wrapped and off to UPS (You should get them around the 20th.), then met Karl at El Corralejo for dinner. Now he's writing his FINAL essay of the semester. YAY! I just finished some updates to the squadron website, and I guess I'm off to the bathtub and bed. Tomorrow night is the big squadron party. We have a babysitter and everything! I'm looking forward to it.

Yesterday was a bit of a blur. It was back to the office for Karl, so we were all up and at 'em early. Garin and I went to the med center to have my blood tests done then on to the bowling alley for a little practice with Kellie, Kristi and Shelley. Yesterday afternoon was spent catching up on things around here, and then I had pottery last night. Karl had a tactical simulator, so Garin got to go play at the home of our friends, the Weigners.

Today will be x-rays, various errands and a squadron social tonight. I am so tired, and I hurt. It doesn't seem to matter how much I rest or sleep. I am trying really hard not to let myself get discouraged because that doesn't do anything but make me crabby and sad. I figure if I just don't push myself too hard and try not to think about it too much....just ignore it....I will be better off.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

TA-DAAA!!! Orange you glad I didn't have carrots???

Garin has two new tricks. One is shaking his head no. At first, he did it to every question that was asked of him. Now he's become more discriminating, and he actually uses it to let his preferences be known. It's hilarious, and he's quite proud of himself for it. The other trick is raising one or both hands high over his head when he feels he's accomplished something worthy of notice. When he does this, he expects a hearty "TA-DAAA!!!" from whomever is nearby. Here are some photos of him ta-daaing tonight at dinner. He was eating green beans, and each bean was very special. Daddy and I were quite tired of the repetition by meal's end.

Another interesting occurence today: Some people at church were concerned by Garin's color because he is so yellow. Karl and I have been laughing about his discoloration for a while now. He eats a ridiculous amount of carrots, and as you may or may not know, the body changes the beta-carotene in carrots into Vitamin A until it has enough Vitamin A. Then the beta-carotene deposits in the skin and turns the skin yellow/orange. We felt certain this was the reason, as Matthew did the same thing, and my niece, Emma, was a very orange baby. I also did a little extra research today which confirms it. His eyes are very, very white, as opposed to the yellow of jaundice, and he is certainly not feeling poorly. However, just so we can know for sure, I am going to call the pediatrician tomorrow to get his opinion.

Studying and Snuggling

I just re-read last night's blog and had a good laugh about the way I described Karl's return home the night before. I didn't mention his lengthy absence or flying, so the uninformed reader might assume that my husband never comes home after work, but instead goes out an parties until all hours and comes dragging in after closing time. Obviously, this is not what I meant! When he isn't flying, he comes straight home from work, but it's his missions that seem to bring him home in the middle of the night. Just wanted to clarify!

Garin's napping, and I'm thinking of doing the same. I'm very achy in the hips, knees and hands this morning, and Garin was up three times in the night. Karl's getting started on his homework. What this really means is that he is sitting at the desk reading the Air Force Times and trying to avoid doing his homework, but knowing that he has to get to it. Bless his heart, he's so sick of the writing. He absolutely hates writing, and that is what both of his classes require week after week. The semester will be over in six days, and he'll get a short rest before his next class starts.

I'm still trying to get the Christmas cards out. I've had them printed for awhile, but addressing and signing them is proving a little trickier. Garin likes to "help" with them, and it makes it necessary for me to work while he's asleep. Couple that with my own unsatiable desire for sleep, and I haven't gotten them in the mail yet. I'm almost done now, and I think I should be able to get them into Monday's mail.

I'll just warn you now that next week's blogs may be fewer if things go as I expect. It is a very busy pre-holiday week. Monday and Wednesday nights I have a pottery class. I am the only person in the class that would be here for our Dec. 20th class, so we moved one class up to Monday, and our last class of this session will be on the 13th. That way, the other two, who are brand new potters, won't miss the glazing class. Tuesday night is our squadron spouses' Christmas party, and Friday night is the big squadron Christmas party. Thursday morning is our OSC holiday brunch, and the board members have to make a dessert to bring (with copies of the recipe). Suggestions would be appreciated. I still have candy to make, too, and I need to get to the medical center and have my x-rays and blood work done.

Harvey was lying all over Garin and me when Garin was nursing in the night. I wish I had gotten a photo. If you can imagine it, Garin was across my lap in the big comfy chair in his room. Harvey climbed onto my chest from the armrest into a position where Garin was basically spooning him. Then Harvey buried his head in the little opening beneath Garin's chin and my breast and started purring more loudly than I've ever heard him purr. Then Garin wrapped both his free arm and free leg around Harvey!!! It was the most precious snugglefest! Those two are something else!

Hehe.....Karl's still sitting in front of his computer, essay on the screen, reading the paper. Poor guy! He's going to be at this all day and probably most of tomorrow, and then he'll wonder why it's taking so long. I know he and Matt don't share genetics, but they are so much alike!

Last Flower Pic

Okay, is this not gorgeous?! The plant has another new bud coming up, too, so I may have as many as twelve flowers out of this one bulb.

So on to more interesting things....

Karl got in last night about 6:30. When he walked in with his hat on, Garin didn't recognize him, but the second Karl took his hat off, Garin broke out into a huge grin and started squealing. It was awesome, and it put a permanent smile on Karl's face as well. We had a nice dinner just the two of us after putting Garin to bed. I like it when he comes home in the evening, and we have time together. It usually seems like he drags in at 3 or 4 in the morning and doesn't get a proper welcome home.

Today was so great for me....well mostly. Some of the girls from the OSC Board met for lunch. We got to know each other pretty well working on the craft show together, but we were always getting together at meetings. Today was just a chance to have fun and laugh and enjoy each other, and I certainly did all of those things. Kim and I also did a little ornament shopping. Around here, if you're involved in any kind of organization, you can expect a holiday ornament exchange. I have three in the next couple of weeks.

I came home to my boys and learned that Mr. Magoo and Annie had gotten into an altercation, and Goobie's previous wound from Halloween had partially reopened. Karl took him back to the vet for more staples, and Garin and I went to the florist to buy congratulations balloons to welcome my next-door neighbor home this afternoon from her final chemotherapy treatment at Johns Hopkins. They have given her a great prognosis, although she will have to continue to have regular scans for two years, then every 6 months after that. I'm so excited for them that the treatments are over, and they can start to reestablish a sense of normalcy in their lives!

Garin played hard today and hit the wall at 6:30. Just sat down in my lap and fell asleep! That NEVER happens! We're sitting down to dinner for two now....a very healthy pizza. Okay, that's a lie. There's not much healthy about it, but it sure will taste good. I've been dieting again, and I stay hungry. I'm spoiling myself tonight!

We're looking forward to a weekend of not much going on. Karl has to finish some assignments for his classes. One more week to go in this overloaded semester!

Take care everyone, and have a safe, happy weekend!

We have blooms!

Christmas Stockings

Garin and I found the cutest little stockings at Target yesterday! Hanging them in this house is a challenge, but when you have little ones, you gotta have stockings!

Another Day....

We're getting closer! I'm off to bowling this morning. I'll try to write later!

Flowers and stuff

Such fun! It's like coming downstairs to see what Santa brought every single morning! I haven't had an amaryllis in years, but I plan to make it an annual tradition. Here's what it looks like today. It appears to have four flowers on this stem - the two big ones on the right and left, and two smaller ones in front and back. And there's still a whole other stem of blooms that has yet to fully develop!

Don't worry, I won't blog about my flowers for weeks, but I will let you see how pretty they are once they open!

Yesterday was good! We got to talk to Karl, Garin was happy, I got all of the craft show junk out of our garage and back into the USO storage unit. Today we'll take the minutes and board reports to the printer, so they'll be ready for the board meeting on Thursday; then we'll do stuff at home......There is ALWAYS something to do at home, isn't there?!

My Man

Just got done video chatting with my hubby online! I am still in awe that technology allows me to see his face and hear his voice in real time from the other side of the world. Sure beats how my grandparents corresponded during WWII. I can't imagine having to wonder all the time. Even when they got a letter, it was so old that anything could have happened since it was sent. So Karl is safe and in his room for the night, thankfully. There were some issues that had to be resolved before the alert yesterday, and they kept him busy up unti flight time, so he wasn't able to call. Of course, he felt awful about it, but there was nothing he could have done. He flies again tomorrow and then will stop for another period of crew rest....day or night, I'm not sure. If all goes well, they will be home some time Friday, but there are some jet issues (what a surprise) that need repair tonight. To sum up, I'll see him when I see him. I'm just so glad to hear his voice, see his handsome face and know he's alright. Thought some of you would like to know too!

Morning Sun and Amaryllis

I am obsessed with my amaryllis plant. It grows so quickly that I feel the need to check it often for changes, though I've stopped just short of measuring it for comparison. Yesterday, one of the buds got a little crack in the side that keeps widening, and I keep going back to see if it has exploded yet. Today, I could see red! I just loved the way the sun was coming through its leaves when I came downstairs this morning. There is something special about the morning sun that warms you from the inside just at the sight of it.

This and That

It's been awhile since I wrote again....sorry. I have just been beat all weekend. I try to ignore the pain in my joints, and I do pretty well at it most of the time. I'm not so good at ignoring the fatigue that goes with it. It has gotten to the point that I go back to bed almost every day when Garin takes his morning nap. I hope this gets better soon. There are so many things I want to do, but I don't have any energy. It doesn't help that Garin and the dogs keep waking me up at night. With Karl gone, I have such a hard time falling asleep. It was after midnight before I finally drifted off last night, then I was up six times in the next five hours, taking care of one or the other of them. I ended up staying home from church again, which I hate, but I was absolutely exhausted at 5:30, when I should have been getting up for the last time and getting ready. I knew it would be foolish to try driving back and forth that far and singing three services, as tired as I was. I did manage to find some energy this afternoon and vacuumed and dusted. That made me feel better than anything could have....well, except for Karl or Matt walking through the door.

I went to the new rheumatologist Friday. He seems like a really great guy, and his nurse was sweet. I think it will be worth the drive to Lewes to see him. He is fairly confident that the miscarriages are because of the Lupus anticoagulant. I was taking daily aspirin when we got pregnant with Garin and continued taking it until well into the second trimester. He says that if I have another miscarriage or (God forbid) a blood clot, he will put me on heparin, but he wants me to try aspirin again once Garin is weaned. I am glad to at least have some hope. The doctor is doing the standard blood tests, plus a chest x-ray and hand and wrist x-rays. He wants to make sure it (the disease) isn't damaging my lungs, and because of the pain in my hands and the fact that this sometimes leads to rheumatoid arthritis, he wants to make sure I don't have it. If the x-ray shows any rheumatoid arthritis, he says he wants to "treat it aggressively". I don't like the sound of that, but I don't think I have it anyway.

Karl called from the other side of the world this morning at 1:00 am. He said he would call me again this afternoon before his next flight, but I never heard from him. I am trying so hard not to worry. He probably just got really busy or had a hard time getting to a phone, but it will be at least 24 hours before he gets another chance to call. It's going to be a long day tomorrow. This will be the (or one of the) demanding leg(s) of this mission. I miss him so much when he's gone, and I can't help but worry about him.

Tomorrow I plan to go to the bowling alley and practice a little while with my friend, Kellie, who is also in my league. Then I need to run a few errands, but afterward, I am going to finally get around to making Christmas candy! I'll heat up some cider, light up the tree and get to work! (This is assuming that I get a decent night's sleep and have the energy....I'm hopeful.)

Thankfully, Garin has been a joy today! Oh, and I spoke to Matt. They've been without electricity for three days now and are still waiting with thousands of others for the crews to get their lines repaired. For now, they're hanging out at his grandparents' house because they still have power.

I guess that about covers it! Hope you all have a great week!