12 Happy Years

We celebrated our 12th anniversary today. We have had a lot of fun along the way. We still laugh a lot (at each other mostly). I am truly thankful for my marriage.

Seth thinks he still looks the same. I know I don't because I was not 5 months pregnant when we got married!!


Then


















Now

Thursday Thanks Tank #6

I haven’t blogged since my last Thursday Thanks Tank. It has been a busy week. I think we may have several busy weeks in the coming weeks!

This Thursday I am thankful for the following:

1. Motivation: I have been surprisingly motivated to clean lately. I am cleaning, organizing and getting rid of unneeded items. My husband suggested I was nesting but I have never nested like this! I told him it is because we are moving and I don’t want to move our junk with us. It is probably some of both but I am thankful to have the energy to do all I am doing.
2. Army Life: I am thankful for the last 10 years (minus a couple months) of Army life. We have been blessed tremendously by our experiences, the people we have met along the way, and the awesome growth and challenges in Seth’s career. Seth is “clearing” this week, going on “terminal leave”, and will be putting on his uniform for one of the last times tomorrow.
3. My Marriage: In a few days, we will celebrate our 12th anniversary. I am thankful for my husband and for the constant support and love he shows me. I am thankful for our commitment to each other.
4. Good Sleep: In comparison to the last items, this seems like a small thing. I am so thankful for last night’s good sleep.
5. Praying with my husband: We are being challenged by the transitions in our lives and the unexpected events (i.e., a broken arm). This morning after just a few sips of coffee I prayed with my husband. There is no better way to start the day—it has filled my heart with joy (so much better that what I usually long for – solitude to wake up or a big breakfast).
6. Friends: I am constantly blessed by friends. I think I will have to start a few posts about how my WA friends have blessed me. For now, for today, I am thankful for the encouragement, prayer, and even babysitting my friends are giving me this week.
7. Thanks Tank Thursdays: I am thankful that I ran across this posting on the With Out Fear blog. It is amazing how it has reminded me to be extremely thankful. I spend much of my Thursday feeling thankful. It encourages me to feel thankful other days, too. This exercise continues to put my heart in the place to recognize blessings. You should do the same! Whether on a blog or in a journal- it really helps to write thankful thoughts down.

Thursday Thanks Tank #5

*Sigh* I cannot think about much today besides Jonathan. Jonathan fell down our stairs last night and broke his arm. It was a really bad break. I will spare everyone the details. Right when it happened, there was no doubt his arm was broken. He broke both bones in his arm an inch or two above his wrist. He spent about 5 hours at the hospital last night. Then, he had a pain-filled, uncomfortable night of trying to sleep.

My thanks tank for today:

1. No surgery: If the break had been just a bit closer to the wrist or if the broken bones had not been just the way they were, Jonathan was headed for surgery. The doctors really weren’t sure until the Orthopedic bone surgeon came in and did X-rays and was able to set his arm.
2. Seth was in town: Okay, this seems a bit selfish but I am very thankful that Seth was not deployed or traveling.
3. Prayer:This seems like a standard answer for my Thursday Thanks Tank. I was just bathing Jonathan and Seth in prayer last night. Also, I know my family was praying. There is nothing more comforting than that.
4. Cooler Temps: I couldn’t’ be more thankful that the temp dropped significantly today. It was around 99 degree here yesterday. It is not supposed to be that hot in Washington. If it was, all the houses would have air conditioning (most don’t). I think it is only supposed to get in the 80’s today.

Oregon Bound

Some of you have guessed this already (and yes, this is the answer to my State Research post). We are moving to Oregon. Seth is taking a fantastic job with Target (on the distribution side of the company). We are thrilled about the job and the opportunities that go along with it. We are embracing the new adventure of Oregon. I will admit that it was not my first choice of a new location. I am concentrating on the blessing of a great job and a family unit that will not be interrupted by deployments or remote assignments. Please pray for us as we make the transition. Seth could tell you (and might readily) that I have been quite emotional lately. I am attributing some of it to my pregnancy and some of it to how much I had it in my head that we would either be staying put or moving to the SE. We visited Oregon this last weekend. It was a good visit, despite our sick-of-being-stuck-in-the-car, arguing children. It was a nice state, despite finding out that I was told incorrectly that there are Cracker Barrel restaurants there. Again, keep us in your prayers as we have much to do in the coming months. And, by all means, pass on any good info about Oregon!

Thursday Thanks Tank #4

Okay, it’s late and it has been quite a day! I started the day out exhausted with my body aching from 2 nights of being up way too late for a pregnant woman. The day went from being rough to pleasant. I have so much to be thankful for! I am, however, tired and another day is around the corner. Here’s what I am thankful for this Thursday:

1. Vacation Days: Vacation days are so wonderful. We had a long 4th holiday as my husband had the day before and after off from work. With him off from work, I got some extra time to relax and we had a lot of family fun time.
2. Getting Rid of Clutter: It is so freeing to clean out! We have been working on cleaning out our garage. I am thankful for the joy of having less stuff.
3. Encouragement: I have had several friends and family members encourage me lately. Sometimes a simple word can change my attitude or give me a different outlook.
4. Summer Fun: The last few days I have enjoyed seeing my boys play in the kiddie pool, the slip-n-slide, and the sprinkler. The joy on their faces is delightful to me.
5. Pizza Delivery: I hesitated to write this one… no, I wrote it and then deleted it and now I am back to it. I was really thankful to order pizza tonight and not have to stop cleaning and start cooking. Plus, there wasn’t much clean-up afterwards!
6. My husband: I was worn out- he let me sleep in and brought me breakfast in bed. He took the kids to the park and let me relax into the early afternoon. When I asked for help- he said, whatever you need. Our kids were overtired due to late night 4th activities and he was very patient and understanding.

Change

"Yet, that's the thing about change. It's God's way of surprising us, and reminding us that wherever we go, his blessings go too."

Aline Alexander Newman, Guideposts July 2007

Jennifer

Happy Birthday, sweet Sis!

My older sister's birthday is today. This week is always such a family week because of July 4th. It is even more so because of the fun memories I have of celebrating my sister's birthday. I wish we lived closer. In fact, I have been quite homesick for the SE lately. More than the geography, I miss my family. I am working on my homesick heart by focusing on having a thankful spirit. I thank God for giving me such a wonderful big sister.

State Research

I have been doing some geography research... Here are some interesting facts-no, these are just questions...
Do you know the answer without looking it up in Google?

What's the 9th biggest state in the US?
What's the 28th most populous state in the US?
What state is the only state to have a design on both sides of its flag?
Which state's state beverage is milk?
Which state's state animal is the beaver?

I'll write more about this interesting state soon.