Busy Days

Nathan told me that his fast forward button for this deployment was sleep. To which I promptly told him to shut up, because I get very little sleep. But, I guess that my fast forward button for this deployment is business. Because, that is what I am...all the time. I think that the only times I even sat down today were to drive the car, feed the baby, or eat. But, it is good...it really does make the time go by faster.

Yesterday was Mom's morning out, and I spent that time running a couple of errands and grocery shopping. Then, since we had such a bad night of sleep Wednesday night, we all took naps in the afternoon. That was wonderful. Then, we just had a relaxing evening hanging out upstairs together watching a movie. Oh, except for the fact that I had to bathe all four kids. And put them to bed by myself. That wasn't relaxing. Only 52 more baths to give before Nathan gets home...

On to today. Today, my friend came and cleaned my house, as she does every two weeks. It is so wonderful to have someone come and clean for me. I am so thankful for the provision to have this done. I worked on cleaning up as well, because there were several small projects that I needed to clean up. After picking Brianna up from school, the kids played outside in the little pool for most of the afternoon. The guys came to mow the yard this evening, and Brianna's little friends came with their dad to play. And then, their mom came to pick them up and stayed for a while to visit, along with another friend who came over for dinner. It was lots of fun having some friends over to visit with. And, I made another couple of recipes from the "Kitchen Boss" for Nate...which again, he did not eat. But, they were great! I'm getting better at this cooking thing.

I was supposed to skype with Nathan this evening, but it is looking like he isn't going to make it. His internet connection must be bad or something like that.

I'm not going to cry! I'm not going to cry! I'm not going to cry! OK...maybe a little...

Quick Updates

Its late, and I still have work to do before I can go to bed, so this is going to have to be quick.

Brianna lost her second tooth yesterday. I actually got to pull it, which is a first for me...but I didn't tell her that! Today, she slammed her fingers in the car door, so I had to take her to the doctor this afternoon. No broken fingers, but her middle finger is going to be very bruised and she might lose the finger nail. I also didn't tell her that.

Nate...he is handling things pretty well. He gets tired and cranky, but no real news with him these days. Watch me say that and he will be the one I am at the doctor's office with by the end of the week.

Kinley is still not sleeping well and clings to me like glue. I'm just trying to be patient with her.

James, praise God, is the best baby ever. He actually cut his first tooth this past weekend and didn't even run a fever or get too cranky or anything like that. I just felt it in his mouth one day. And, he is only four months old! Almost five...

I'm hanging in there. Thanks so much for the prayers of support. I can really feel the Lord's peace through these tough days.

A Busy Day!

Today was a busy day. And, I am tired, so I am going to try to keep this short.

Obviously, this morning I heard of the news that we killed OBL. Great news!!! It was fun telling the kids, because when we talk about Daddy being gone, we tell them that he went to fight the bad guys, because that makes sense to them. So, today I got to tell them that we killed the "baddest" guy, and they were so excited!

We are having someone tile around our shower in the master bathroom, so this morning I had to go pick out the tile and get all the supplies and let the guy in the house to work. Then, I had to run a couple of errands before picking up the kids. At one of the places, they were laying new asphalt in the parking lot, and the fumes immediately gave me a headache which just got progressively worse throughout the day.

After picking up all the kids, I had to take Kinley to the doctor, and by the time we got home, my headache was terrible and I was feeling so sick. Since my babysitter is so wonderful and a friend and her kids were all at the house, they continued to watch my kids and I went and laid down for about 45 minutes. I felt so much better after that. And, my friend cleaned my kitchen countertops, emptied the dishwasher and cleaned the kids bedrooms and bathrooms, without me even asking her to. What a blessing!!! You really have no idea how much my kitchen countertops were bothering me.

Anyway, we ordered pizza and let the kids play until their dad was done working on the tile. When they went home, I gave the girls baths, but Nate had fallen asleep on the couch, so I just put him in bed.

Hopefully, after all of that playing outside, they will sleep all night long. I can always hope and pray!

Happy Anniversary- to ME!!!

That's right. Today is mine and Nathan's seventh wedding anniversary. I am so blessed to be married to such a wonderful man who seeks to serve the Lord in all he does. I miss him so much, but I know that the Lord has given us this time apart so that we can grow more in Him and so that we can appreciate each other even more when we are together.

We were able to talk to each other over skype this afternoon for a little while. Of course, Nathan sent me a link to one of our favorite songs which made me cry. And then he made me laugh by sending me a poem that was serious with a funny twist at the end- one that only we would think is funny. It was good to share a few moments with my best friend today, on our special day.

Besides that, I went and got a manicure and pedicure this morning. Just a little pampering to make myself feel better today. The kids played outside all morning in the little swimming pool that we have. They are a little sun-burned, but hopefully it won't be too bad in the morning. And, this evening, I made Chicken Piccata and Roasted Potatos for dinner, per the request of Nate. I know this is crazy for a four year old, but he likes to watch Kitchen Boss, and he begs me to make some of the recipes. So, I indulged my little man and made some for him. It was actually pretty easy and was a good, nutritious meal. And, of course Nate and Kinley had to sit on the counter tops and watch me cook everything.

Other than that, it was baths and bedtime. I am down to only giving 60 more baths by myself until Nathan gets home. YAY!!!! (But at the same time, kind of depressing.)

Strawberry Patch

This morning, I went with Brianna's class at school to the strawberry patch, and I took Nate with us. We had so much fun picking strawberries!














Yummy!!! Big, red juicy strawberries!














They also had an area where the kids could feed the animals...that was Nate's favorite part!














They served us some wonderful strawberry ice cream!

The 5K from Covenant Academy! It has been a wonderful school year, and we have been so pleased with the school and teachers and have made awesome friends. I can't believe that Brianna will graduate from 5K in just three short weeks. Then, I will have a first grader!

It was good for me to get out and do something with just the two big kids. Kinley and James demand so much of my time every day that I feel like Brianna and Nate have to fend for themselves a lot. And, I know that they miss their dad just as much and that they need that individual attention as well. We had a blast today, and I was so thankful for our time together!

The Important Stuff...

Today...well, it started last night. As I was about to go to bed, Kinley woke up crying hysterically. I went to get her, and she was just burning up with fever. Poor Kinley! I honestly think that all of these sleepless nights are catching up to her. They are definitely effecting me. So much that I had my babysitter come over yesterday afternoon just to ensure that I got a nap. And, it was a good thing.

So, back to last night. Kinley wouldn't even take any medicine, which is not unusual for her. The only think I could do to calm her down was to put her in bed with me. So, I started the night with Kinley in bed. She slept fitfully, and I had to reassure her that I was there quite often.

Then, about 5am, a storm rolled through, and the thunder woke up Nate. He was in his room screaming for me, which woke up Brianna. So, soon, myself and all three kids were my bed. Kinley was the only one who actually went back to sleep. After awhile, I just told Brianna and Nate to go upstairs and watch TV until I came to get them to get ready for school.

So, I got up and got myself ready and got a few things done in preparation for my day, made biscuits for breakfast, etc. It was kind of nice getting all that done first thing in the morning, except for the fact that I was really tired.

Then, we went about our normal morning routine, getting everyone ready for school and mom's morning out. Except for the fact that Kinley would be spending the morning with me. She did take some Motrin this morning and was acting much better, and her fever came down. All good things. I think she if fine now, but she still has a runny nose. Kinley and I spent the morning running my errands and going to the grocery store.

After picking up all the kids, a friend from church came over to fix my shower head and talk about how we were going to fix the drywall. We got all that planned out, and then it was time for naps! Yay!! After the short night that we had, I figured we would all sleep great!

So, James went down, then Nate, then Kinley. And then James woke up. Are you kidding me? This is the kid who sleeps like clock work. And, on the one day that all the big kids are actually napping, he wakes up. AAAHHHH!!! (Brianna went to sleep shortly after James woke up.) So, I got him up and fed him and played with him a little, then I just put him in bed, and he fussed a few minutes, and then went to sleep. So, I go to bed...and then Kinley gets up not long after. (I'm thinking, "Seriously God? I need some sleep here.") But, she just crawled into bed with Brianna and I and the three of us slept for about an hour and a half in my bed.

I woke up first and just laid there, wondering if I should wake the kids up because it was about 5:30. But, I didn't wake them up. James woke up about 6pm, and that got all of us moving soon.

Dinner, a couple of shows on TV for the kids, baths and then bedtime.

You know, things may not always go as I would have planned. Bedtime may have been later than I planned. I may still have three loads of laundry to fold and put away. But, at the end of the day, my kids are fed, clean and they know they are loved by me, their dad, and their Heavenly Father. I know that is the most important thing. All the rest can just wait.

My All in All

Well, I'm posting tonight, but I don't have much to say. Well, I know what I want to say. Do you really want to hear it? Really? OK- here it is...


AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

I am so sick and tired of cranky, whiny kids.
I am tired of being the only one to do EVERYTHING.
I am tired of always having a kid sleeping in bed with me.
I am just TIRED!!!
And, I'm lonely. (Even though I have my wonderful church family and I am so thankful for them. It still isn't the same as having Nathan here to talk to or being around family.)

So, as you can see, I have been having a bit of a difficult week. I've cried a lot. And, I haven't had the best attitude. And, yes, I have even lost my cool a time or two with the kids.

But, as I was thinking about all the things I am so tired of, I was reminded by my heavenly Father that...

He is my Helper.
He is my Redeemer.
He is my Strength.
He is my Provider.
He is my Comfort.
He is my EVERYTHING.

And, I can rest in that. If nothing else, I can rest in that.

And, I'm still gonna cry...because it helps to just get it all out.

Brianna's First Lost Tooth

Happy Easter! This has been kind of a difficult Easter for me. I guess without Nathan around and not being around any family, it has just kind of been a bummer. But, I have just tried to focus on the true meaning of Easter, and remind myself that it is because of what Christ did on the cross that we even have this special holiday.


But, the fun thing for us was that Brianna lost her first tooth today! It was actually really, really loose this yesterday and this morning. And, since one of Brianna's Sunday School teachers just also happens to be our dental hygenist, we were able to have the tooth pulled this morning at church. Mrs. Allison was so sweet to pull that tooth that has been giving us problems. And, if the tooth next to it lasts until next Sunday morning, I bet Mrs. Allison will get to pull another tooth for us!



Here is a close up look at her mouth. Kind of gross, I know, but hey...this is really so her Daddy can see it. You will notice that her two big teeth have already come through, and we have been waiting for the baby teeth to come out. And, I am glad that they are coming out by themselves, and that we don't have to go to the dentist to have them pulled!





And, here is the tooth that came out. Check out the root on that tooth!











And, of course Kinley had to have her picture taken too, and show off her beautiful teeth and smile! What a cutie!

Easter Egg Hunting

Today was filled with candy filled Easter eggs.

This morning our church had its annual Easter Eggstravaganza, which was tons of fun. The kids had a blast hunting eggs, eating candy, hot dogs, candy, chips, candy, cupcakes and more candy! I was blessed to have had the help of so many people at church with the kids. There is just no way I could take all the kids out like that by myself. I was met at the car by Miss Adrienne, who stayed with us the whole time without me even having to ask her to help. She just loves on my kids, and I truly appreciate that. And, while we were eating, so many friends helped hold James while I got food and ate and everything. After all that, we went outside to get some pictures made. It was a valiant effort, but I don't know if a good one turned out. We shall see!

After that, we came home and James, Kinley and Nate all took naps. Yes, I know, I got Kinley to nap...it was a miracle. And then, we went to a friends house who was having a big Easter Egg Hunt and party. The kids played outside and then enjoyed hunting eggs again, and then they played some more. And, again, I was so blessed to have people from church there to help watch my kids.

So, the kids were absolutely filthy, exhausted and hungry when we got home this evening. So, PB&J sandwiches for Nate and Kinley, banana bread for Brianna (because she has a very loose tooth which is coming out tomorrow), baths and bed. It is a lot easier to get them to sleep when they are so tired!

I can't help but think that in all the fun of hunting Easter eggs, we should really focus on the true meaning of Easter. That Jesus Christ died on the cross and ROSE AGAIN so that we can have eternal life. He PAID the penalty for all of my sin. I am so unworthy, yet I am so grateful.

Tomorrow we will have more Easter fun, but my main focus is not going to be egg hunts, but instead I am going to tell the kids the Easter story using the Resurrection Eggs. I always pray that my children's hearts will be softened to the calling of the Lord. I pray that as I plant these seeds that their hearts will be open to the truth of what Christ did for us all on the cross.

A Fun Day!

Today was a fun, productive day. It is almost 10pm, and my house is clean and all the kids are asleep, and I have showered and I am getting ready to go to bed early. YAY!!!!

Today we had two sweet little friends come over to spend the day. The kids played outside almost all day long. The only time they came inside was to eat lunch, and then I told them that I needed them to play inside while I put James down for nap. They were into playing baby dolls, so they played a while inside, and then went back outside until dinner time. We dyed easter eggs and had an easter egg hunt and I got the kids a new blow up pool, and they spent hours in that thing. Especially Nate and Kinley...they loved it and have little sunburns to prove it.

Tonight was the easiest night to get Kinley to sleep. She fell asleep while watching a show on TV, and I just carried her downstairs and put her in bed. I even had to put her pajamas on her, but she even slept through that. Maybe she will sleep all night in her bed...we can only hope and pray!!!

Also today, my friend came and cleaned my house for me. So, despite the fact that I had six kids here today, I still have a clean house. It is absolutely wonderful.

I am so thankful for my Savior who died on the cross for my sins. I pray that all who read this will know the love that the Savior has for us. I love Easter! I can't wait for Sunday!!!

Crazy Days!!!

Today was a busy day.

First, I must start with the fact that Kinley slept all night long in her bed. It was wonderful. I actually woke up a few minutes before my alarm went off at 6:30, and I have been going ever since.

Had to get all four kids fed, dressed and ready to go this morning. That in and of itself is always a challenge. While getting ready this morning, I also had to call the nurse back about Nate's leg, because it was still red, swollen, warm, etc. etc. I scheduled an appointment for him in the afternoon, and continued the routine of getting everyone ready and in the car. Brianna was only a couple of minutes late to class.

Then, off to drop the others off at Mom's Morning Out. You would think that this wouldn't take too long, but by the time we get there, I usually have to stop and feed James before I leave. So, I usually don't get out of there until 9:30 or so. That only leaves me two hours to get stuff done before I have to leave to pick up Brianna from school.

I had to go back home because I had left my cell phone there and I had to get all my stuff to go grocery shopping. I headed to Walgreens for a couple of things, Toys R Us, and then didn't even have time to go to the grocery store. AHHH!!!!

I picked up Brianna, got her some lunch, dropped Brianna off at MMO so my friend could take her and Kinley home while I picked up the boys so we could head to the doctor's office. The doctor checked his leg, and so far, while it looks bad, he doesn't think it is infected. But, we still have to keep an eye on it.

Home we went where I had to feed James again and put him down for nap. Kinley was cranky, but I was supposed to skype with Nathan, so I let her stay up. I did get to skype with Nathan for awhile, and I loved every minute of it. It is just never long enough. Sigh.

Then, Heather came over to watch the kids so I could run to the grocery store, where I was behind a very slow lady in the checkout line...but that story will have to be for another day.

Back home, I had to put away groceries, feed James, fix dinner, bathe all four kids and put them to bed. This all took four hours. Ridiculous!!!

After that, I made banana bread, cleaned the kitchen, folded three loads of laundry, washed another load, and now I am finally sitting down to blog.

And, now, I am going to sleep. Tomorrow promises to be another fun filled, action packed day. Brianna is out of school and we have two of the sweetest little friends coming over to play for the day.

Pray for Nate

Nate is having a reaction to the shots that he got, so we are keeping a close eye on it. I have been on the phone with the peds nurse a couple of times today and if it is any worse in the morning, I am going to have to take him back to the doctor. Also, it looks like he got stung by something on his foot yesterday, and it is red and swollen as well. Please keep him in your prayers!

Besides that, this morning my neighbor came over for a cup of coffee. She is a really sweet older lady and we have just gotten acquainted lately. She goes to my church, which is how we met, and she is home most of the time, so we like to get together every once in a while.

And, this afternoon Kinley got to go play with one of her friends, Lily, for awhile. Lily's mom is one of my friends from church and she also is one of Kinley's teachers at mom's morning out. So, it was a good opportunity for Kinley to get to play and for me to have a little break. I was just excited to get to take a shower without Kinley present!!!

Church was good tonight. It is always wonderful to get together with other believers and study Scripture and sing praises. I absolutely love my church family!!!

Doctor Appointments

Today, I had to take the boys in for well baby/child appointments. They are both very healthy little boys, although according to the growth chart, at this point it looks like Nate doesn't have a chance at being tall. He is in the 59th percentile for his weight (37 1/2 lbs), and the 17th percentile for his height (39 inches). But, he is such a cutie...maybe he will get taller later. James is growing like a weed. He weighed 15lbs 15 ounces, and was 25 inches long. Not to bad for a four month old.

The bad thing is that they both had to get shots. YUCK!! But, Nate was so brave. I was so proud of him. He only cried a little bit when they poked him. And of course, the CARS stickers and the promise of an ICEE helped quite a bit. James also did really well. He only cried for about 30 seconds or so, and then he was fine. Both boys legs are a bit sore tonight, and I am worried it could be a long night with Nate. He was really hurting when I put him to bed. I did give him some Motrin for the pain, so hopefully that will help.

The rest of the day was sheer chaos, and I am just glad that the kids went to bed easily. They played outside almost all afternoon and evening, so maybe they will be so exhausted they will all sleep through the night. We can only hope and pray!!!

Catching Up...

...on sleep. That's right folks. Today I slept so much!

But first, you have to know that I was up most of the night. I was sick!!! UGH!!! But, I have to be thankful that whatever it was, it was only during the night when I didn't have to worry about taking care of the kids (except Kinley who was in bed with me). I was back and forth to the bathroom all night long, and that is all the detail we will give. But, by the time 6am rolled around, I was pretty much over it, just really tired.

Thankfully, today was Mom's Morning Out. So, I took Brianna to school, took the other three up to the church, and then I came home and slept all morning. I woke up at 11:20 to go get Brianna from school, then we picked up the other kids at church, and then we came home. I put James to bed, put the others in front of the TV, and I crashed on the couch and slept for a couple more hours.

Even when things look bad, like what I went through last night, I can still see the goodness of God, and His provision for me today. Thank you Lord for taking care of me today and helping me get the rest I needed.

The Weekend

It has been a busy weekend. I actually missed a day of blogging. Sorry about that to all of my faithful followers, but I was tired last night, and had a little toddler hanging on me.

Saturday morning was weird, because although Kinley actually slept until about 6am, James woke up at 4:30. I just had to feed him and put him back down, but he has slept through the night for me for the past two months, so it was just uncommon. I think it is about time to start some rice cereal before bedtime.

And then, Kinley threw a MAJOR fit at breakfast time, because I guess she didn't like the kind of juice I gave her. She threw her cereal and juice across the room!!! I was so mad...I didn't know where to start, with Kinley or cleaning up the mess. I started with Kinley...and she was so in trouble. When I looked at her, she just put her little hands on her bottom because she knew she would get a spanking. I had to calm myself down a bit, but I did contain myself and was very much under control when I spanked her and made her wait on her bed while I cleaned up the rest of the mess. But, I think I am going to have to do some touch up painting in the dinette area.

So, after all that Saturday morning I had a babysitter come over so that I could get some errands run. I actually had a lot of places to go, so I was glad to not have the kids in tow. Then in the afternoon, I tried to spend as much time with them while also picking up a bit, doing a little laundry, and also getting ready to go out with my girlfriends Saturday evening.

That's right...it was Girls Night Out. I just decided since I couldn't go out with Nathan, I would get our Sunday School girls together for a girls night out. We had a great time going to dinner, seeing "Soul Surfer" and then going to Dunkin Doughnuts after the movie. I am so thankful for the ladies in my Sunday School class for being so fun and supportive and encouraging to me while Nathan is gone. We had a blast!!!

And of course we had church today. And, you know, Satan always attacks us when we try to do the right thing. So, this is one of my weeks this month to sing on the praise team at church. So we had to be at church at 8:30 this morning. Not really a big deal because we get up and leave for school every weekday at 7:45, so we can get to church by 8:30, no problem. But, when I got home last night, Kinley woke up. And, WOULD NOT go back to sleep. I was tired and frustrated, so by 11:15, I just said forget about it, and put her in bed with me. Which means I didn't sleep great, but I did get a fairly decent sleep. Except for the fact that Nate woke me up about 1:30 because his foot hurt. I checked it out and didn't see a thing wrong with it, but he wanted Neosporin on it, so I applied it, put bandaids on it, and then I prayed. I know that Satan was attacking my sleep because the next morning was Sunday and we had to be at church early. I determined that no matter what the rest of the night held for me, we would still get up and make it to church on time. And, we did...even though I had a horrible night of sleep and was really tired. And, you know what? God sustained me through the whole day. Although I am going to bed earlier than normal.

Another blessing from this weekend is that one of my neighbors came down Saturday evening right before I left and asked if there was anything he could do to help out around the house. You know, stuff that Nathan would normally do for me. Well, there were a couple of things...like changing a flat tire on the mustang and putting up some weather stripping on the garage door. And so he came back this afternoon to work on that, and he also found an exterior light that had come loose and fixed that as well.

We are so blessed!!! Everyone is just taking care of us...which means that really, the Lord is taking care of us.

"I lift up my eyes to the hills, from where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth."

Field Day

Well, I know that you are all waiting for some great post tonight, but I don't have much. This morning we went to Field Day at Brianna's school and watched them play all kinds of fun games. Nate and Kinley got to participate a little but mostly just played on the playground. It was good to be outside with the kids and let them burn lots of energy.

Subsequently, we didn't do much this afternoon. Of course, Kinley slept on the way home and therefore did not want to nap, so I dozed a little on the couch while they watched a movie this afternoon. Not much else to our day. I kinda like that it that way.

Oh, and I meant to take pictures of Field day, but I forgot to put the memory stick back in the camera. So, sorry, but no pics today!

I'm tired, its late...I'm going to bed! Good night!

And, she slept...

I just have to say thank you to all who have prayed for Kinley to sleep. Last night, even though she did not go to sleep until almost 10pm, she did sleep until almost 7am. Praise the Lord!!! And, please continue to pray that she will sleep well...that this was not just a one time thing. I actually got to sleep until my alarm woke me up at 6:30 this morning, and I was just about done getting myself ready when Kinley walked in. That just makes everything go so much smoother.

And, today was Mom's morning out, so after taking Brianna to school, I took the kids up to the church. I only got two things accomplished during my morning off, but at least I didn't have the kids with me! I had to go to base to do some kind of thing with my ID. Nathan had said it wouldn't take too long...but obviously he just went at the right time. I did have to wait in line for about 20-25 minutes, but with no kids, it was actually kind of peaceful. There was a lady there who had her toddler with her, and it just made me all the more thankful for mom's morning out. After that, I had to go to Best Buy and get Nathan an IPod Shuffle, and then mail it to him with a few other things that he requested.

But, after picking up Brianna from school, we went straight to the church because Mrs. Pam from church was taking the three big kids for the afternoon. The kids have been so excited all week to be able to go to Mrs. Pam's house. She has a swimming pool, and four dogs. And, according to Brianna, her house is way better than ours. Anyway, they had a great time playing while I got a much needed nap. I brought James home, put him down for a nap, and then slept the afternoon away. I woke up about fifteen minutes before Pam called to tell me she was on her way with the kids.

So, that was my day. Nothing too deep or inspiring, but I have been pondering some things that I am hoping to put together into a post soon. While driving around today, many of the songs talked about being a child of God. There are so many parallels between God and his children and myself and my children. I'll have to give that topic some more thought before I write about it.

4:30...

That's right, she woke up at 4:30 this morning. But, we still had a pretty good morning. She fell asleep in the car when we took Brianna to school, so that helped her have some energy.

This morning went well. I actually got some laundry done and did the dishes. It always feels good to have things cleaned up. We were able to skype with Nathan for a little while this afternoon.

And then, it was nap time. I tried my hardest to get Kinley to nap. I laid down with her, we sang songs, I rubbed her back, but all to no avail. She would not go to sleep. And then, James woke up, which is odd, but he did take a longer morning nap. Anyway, I was completely fed up with Kinley, so I just told her not to get out of bed, and I locked her in her room and went to get James. BTW, Brianna was sleeping in my bed and Nate was sleeping in his bed. So, I have James upstairs watching a show, and Kinley must have realized I locked her in her room, because she LOST it. She was screaming and throwing a good ole fit! I just let her throw her fit. It lasted about 20 minutes or so, and then there was quiet. I got up to see what was going on. And, she was sound asleep in her bed. And she slept until it was time to leave for church...about an hour and fifteen minutes. But, it was a glorious hour and fifteen minutes. Too bad James was awake or I could have had a quick nap. But instead, I did get a quick shower without Kinley...that was nice too!

And, I just love going to church. I am so thankful for my Bible study group of ladies. They are such an encouragement. And I am so thankful for Adrienne, who always meets me in the parking lot to help me get the kids in and help me get them fed. And I love being a part of the choir and for the music that we sing. I could not go through this deployment without my church family. You guys are the best!!!

How About You???

Today, Nate got to visit the K4 classroom at Covenant Academy. We are putting him in the three day program next year, so they invited him to visit for about an hour this morning. We started out the morning with him not wanting to go. So I told him we would visit for a little and if he didn't want to stay, he didn't have to. Well, he started playing and loved it. He did end up staying for the full hour, and when it was time to leave, he didn't want to. And, he proceeded to tell me that over, and over, and over, and over, and over for the next twenty minutes straight. All he said was, "I didn't want to leave." I about lost my mind!! On one hand, I guess that it was good that he liked K4! But on the other, he did have to get spanked for throwing a fit.

Besides that, we were supposed to get pictures of the kids done today. But, both Kinley and James have runny noses (from allergies) and considering the mood Nate was in, I cancelled. And, since Kinley ended up sleeping in my bed most of the night, and I didn't get much sleep, yet again, I was REALLY tired. I almost fell asleep in the car when picking up Brianna from school, twice. I just prayed that the Lord would help me get my children safely home. And, He did. He is so faithful to protect us. And provide for us. A friend from church came over this afternoon and just watched the kids so I could take a nap. And, I took a very good nap for close to two hours. It was glorious!!! And, the kids were worn out, and they were all in bed by 8:30, giving me some much needed quiet time, when I got to skype with Nathan for awhile.

So, I am just curious. How has the Lord been blessing you this week? Leave me a comment and let me know. It is always good to reflect on the goodness of the Lord.

Just Another Day...

Well, Kinley woke up at 5:12 this morning. That was just great! (Sarcasm) Actually, I put her in bed with me, and it took awhile, but she did go back to sleep. But, I didn't. Nate woke up at 6am. I told him to go back in his room, shut the door, turn on the light, and that he could play quietly. I really did try to sleep for a few more minutes...but then my alarm went off at 6:30. So, not so much sleep for me again last night.

But, the Lord is always faithful. He somehow gave me the strength to get through the day, again. I don't really know how I do it, because there are times that all I want to do is crawl into bed and cry myself to sleep. But, I was able to make it through the day and still laugh at the end.

Thankfully today was Mom's morning out at church, so I had a few hours this morning to myself. I went to the chiropractor and had my back adjusted and also got a massage. As I was getting my massage, I almost fell asleep...but not quite. I was laying there pondering how often I could afford to get this done. I decided that I could afford it a couple more times while Nathan is gone.

And, since I want to focus on the good things, and not the things that frustrate me, I just want to mention how thankful I am that my baby, James, who is only four months old, sleeps all through the night like a champ. I usually even have to go wake him up in the morning. How much more blessed could I be? And, he even takes a really good afternoon nap as well. Praise the Lord!!!