Growing in Gods perfect grace

A couple of weeks ago (when the weather was amazingly warm) the kids and I planted some seeds for our garden this year. Since we live in on-post housing we have to do all container gardens. This makes my selection of things to grow a bit smaller but fun anyways. I love watching these tiny plants grow as much as my kids do. And its such an awesome tangible way to show them how awesome God is.

So this year we have planted carrots, lettuce, green beans, sweet basil, oregano, and lavender. I also plan on planting blue potatoes if I can ever get around to going back to Lowes to pick up the starters.

I have been in awe of just how fast they are all coming up!!!!! It has been a reminder to me this past week of just how quickly god can change something in our life. How one tiny seed of an idea, or thought, or emotion, can be so quickly transformed into something useful in His kingdom. How awesome is our God?!

For me, I see God really growing our faith as a family. I see Him really starting to use us for things that have been in the works for months. I am so proud of how our family has changed and grown. I am so proud to say that I know we will be ok.

How is God growing in you this week?

my sleepy child

So my close friends and family know that my daughter is notorious for falling asleep in random places and random times. No this is not a disorder of any kind, she falls asleep when tired (aka late afternoon nap) so I am not concerend but man when she is OUT she is OUT! Girl even sleeps with her eyes cracked open when really dead to the world. (Seriously she looks DEAD!) When she was little bitty I would have to put my hand on her chest to make sure she was still breathing, thats how gone she gets. So today she made me crack up with her exhaustion and I thought I would share some of her most awesome moments passed out. (She will probably kill me when she is 15 but oh well!)

Enjoy my sleeping beauty!

didnt even finish her lunch

this would be the creepy eye open thing!

yes she was REALLY asleep

oh the viking. this one was classic. she wore this to bed one night and actually fell asleep in it. mommys little warrior.

a friend pointed out that she is signing "I love you" after I posted it to fb. <3

She was still half wearing her spider-man costume

I think she was TIRED!

This was today. She woke up when I tried to move her. She was already rubbing her eyes when I took the pic.

So there is my sweet sleepy girl. Now of course She is bouncing off the walls and I am totally jealous of her energy. I think right now she is in a growth spurt. She is hungry all the time and sleeping a lot more than normal. And she is cutting her last set of molars. Poor thing. I hope you enjoyed a little peak into our life here. Please excuse any mess in the photos. I am all for the sign thats floating all over pinterest:  

I dont have a source, My link on pinterest was from Google. So if you can take credit pease let me know!

ROCK CHALK!!!!!

Ok gotta say this:

ROCK CHALK JAYHAWKS GO KU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

<3 my Jayhawks!!!!

THE BOYS ARE BACK!!!!

I meant to post these pics the other night but totally forgot (this is what happens when you go to a welcome home ceremony at 1:30am!!!!!) Main body 11 comes in today and just makes my heart swell to see so many of our guys finally home. 2 more flights and thats it! then everyone will be home!!! but for us, all our "boys" are home. its incredible. I had to share the pics of main body 10 because well.... you will see. ;)

Riley, Simon (my <3), and Dutton before the ceremony

Formation. I can see the Lt!!!!

Riley was just a little excited to see Carman

the Lt and his minions this pictures makes me so happy!

so there you have it. our little army family is finally all back together. I am so super excited for my friends that are getting their husbands back today and in the coming week. SO glad this deployment is over!!!!!!!!

March for Babies 2012

MARCH FOR BABIES 2012 IS HERE!

WOOHOO!!!!!  This is the 2nd year (and prob last) that I have the honor of being the captain of "Fort Drum Moms" in the annual March for Babies walk to support March of Dimes. I LOVE my team. We raised almost $800 last year right after our husbands deployed. We were (surprisingly) a top 5 team for our walk in Oswego, NY!!!! AMAZING!!!! So we up'd our goal this year. I have a personal goal of raising $1,000 and our team goal is currently set at $2,000. We SOOOOO got this!!!! ;-)

But here's the thing, I NEED your help. I cant do it alone. To start let me tell you a little bit of why I support this awesome cause. They helped save Brooklyn from being born too early. Ok not them IN PERSON but because of their life saving research and information that they put out to the community I knew I was in pre-term labor and got medicine to have my labor stopped twice. She tried to come at 33 and 35 weeks. Thankfully we were able to keep her safe and snug for a couple more weeks and she was born at 37 weeks. Our story is one that is so good, so easy. But I know too many moms with heartbreaking stories. Ones that make you believe in true miracles. Like little June who was born at just 27 weeks while her family was vacationing in Orlando. Her birth and story of survival is nothing less than amazing. If it wasn't for some of the research that March of Dimes has funded, she probably wouldn't be here. She is a beautiful testimony to why we do this. Head over to "Sweet Tea and Sunshine" to see more about this AMAZING family that I am so blessed to have as friends.

With all that being said could you please do me a HUGE favor and hop on over to my March for Babies secure webpage (CLICK HERE)and donate? PLEASE?! It would mean the world to me to have your support. EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS! Thank you all so much! Please feel free to share the blog or MFB link with all your friends!!!!!

THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Welcome home!

What an AWESOME St Patricks Day!!!!!

Yesterday was amazing. So great in fact that I felt called to share it with y'all! It started with an early wakeup call so that we could go help out some friends while they ran in the annual Watertown YMCA shamrock Run. I am so thankful to have such amazing friends that help support our local community. It helps that our kids are best friends! Makes it easy to keep them all happy together! I am proud to say that my bff ran the entire 2.2mi "fun run" and her hubby came in 2nd during the 5mi! WOW! So proud of you both!!! We had many other friends who also ran it and I am so proud of all of you!!!!!!!!!! The community up here is one of the reasons I am going to be sad to leave Ft Drum.

Jenny, Me, Jess, and Jess

Jess & Kell before the race.  Mr long legs came in 2nd!

Next we picked up another bff's darling daughter so they could go shopping for a new vehicle. She is seriously one of the easiest kids to take care of! So glad her daddy is finally home! ;-) 

While she was here, Jeremy and I worked on cleaning out the garage (still tons of work to do in there but we made a dent) while the kiddos played in the front yard. Nothing like 60+ degree temps to wear out the monkeys!

After our "other" child left we headed out for some ice cream. I cant believe our fav local place is already open for the season!! It was so nice to just hang out and watch the ice cream melt down the chins of our amazing children. I should have taken pics but I was in awe watching Jeremy push them on the swings and just thought how amazing our life here is. I was partly in awe because I knew what our next adventure for the day was....

We got to take the kids to welcome home another flight full of 3rd Brigade Spartans! And one of the soldiers on this flight is very special to us. You see PFC Bryce "Doc" Kampwerth was the medic who took care of Jeremy when he was first injured. In my opinion he may have saved my husbands life. It was an honor to finally get to hug him tonight and tell him thank you.

Jackson in awe of how big Kampwerth is!lol!

This is an AWFUL picture of me but who cares. I am so thankful that THIS soldier was with my husband on Sept 20th.

I am so blessed that my kids finally go to enjoy the chaos that is a welcome home ceremony. It is such a priveledge to get to help welcome home so many of our amazing soldiers. The love you feel in that room is electric. There is nothing like watching a daddy get to hold his baby for the first time in months, or a soldier kiss the bride he had barely begun a life with.... Not many flights left to come in but they are not all home yet so I ask that you please help us continue to pray for their safe return.

Moving on before I totally start bawling (oh the emotions of homecomings!!!)....ok so for dinner I decided to play up St Patricks day with a "wee little dinner". This is what happens when you are trying to make sure your kids eat all their dinner!!! We had little smokies wrapped in cresent roll dough, corn, and what I call sweet peaches (sliced peaches with some cinnamon and sugar all warmed up). Ok so not the HEALTHIEST meal I have served this week but it was still fun. For dessert I made some Rainbow cookies. I had decorated the table with gold coins so I thought it only fitting that we finally have some rainbows! They didnt turn out as nice as I had hoped but I was in a hurry ok! ;)

As this day comes to a close I am again just marveling in how awesome today has really been. I give God all the glory for this one. I cant believe that He has blessed us to live on such an amazing journey.

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Ok So as I was waiting for the video the upload last night so I could publish this post (it was taking too long! i will post the video later!), I got a text that required my full attention. An awesome friend of mine needed a ride to the ER because she had injured her arm. Because ya know stuff like that just doesnt happen when your husbands are home and not at JRTC right?! I was so blessed that I could be able to just leave right away and go take her to the ER, while another friend watched her kids. I love it when God gives you awesome opportunities to get to know someone better through the most unique circumstances! Im so glad you are ok K!!!!!! It was fun to stay up late and laugh at the crazies at Carthage ER!

When I got home, my daughter decided it was time for her to try and get up. See she fell asleep on the way home from ceremony (this is what happens when you have no nap!) at like 6pm. So when I got home at midnight she was WIDE awake. We spent the next 3 hours putting her back in her bed every 15 min or so. Needless to say there is a lot of coffee being served in my house this beautiful morning! No matter what I dont think I would have changed a thing about yesterday at all. God has truley blessed our family. Now off to get everyone ready for Church! Later y'all!!!!!!