Pregnancy Update

A couple of weeks ago I had the normal pregnancy glucose test. My results from that came back high. Yesterday I had to do a 3 hour glucose test. It was tedious for me because I cannot stand to have my blood taken. I had to fast for 8 hours (not too big of a deal since I went first thing in the morning and the fasting was at night). Then, I went in and the lab drew blood. I drank the sugary solution (not sure what that stuff is-- I suppose I could look it up but if you have every been pregnant you probably know what I am talking about) and then they took my blood every hour.

I am thankful (oh so very thankful) to say that I found out today that my lab work came back normal and that I do not have gestational diabetes. I took the whole thing as a wake up call to start eating less sugar. I changed my diet a bit from the 1st test to the 2nd and I could tell a difference in how my body felt.

Thursday Thanks Tank #14

Today I had some trouble writing my list. I was tempted to forgo the Thursday Thanks Tank exercise and I realized that I must need it more than ever. I am pressing on…cultivating that grateful heart. Here are my thankful thoughts for this day.

1. You: Each and everyone one of you that read my blog. I always smile when a friend says they read something on my blog. I blog because it is fun and I sure appreciate you reading my thoughts. I appreciate your friendship.
2. Calling a dear Friend: I am not the best at phone time. I made time this week to call a dear friend of mine that I haven’t seen in years. The time was so refreshing! I am thankful that I made time for the call. (And, I need to do that more often.)
3. Children playing well together: Every mom knows this needs no explanation. I had a nice afternoon where the boys played well together.
4. Healthcare: It is so wonderful to find good doctors and dentists. I had to have some dental work done this week. I am thankful that I found a very caring and Christian dentist.
5. Sunshine and 70’s: We have had beautiful weather this week. I love the warmth of the sun when the temperatures are pleasant. It is so refreshing.
6. Music: Music can be soothing, refreshing, and uplifting. It has blessed me several times this week. It was especially calming to be sitting in the dentist’s chair listening to the local Christian radio station.
7. Honesty: It is incredible to have a friend with whom you can share your heart. It is amazing to be able to be real and share struggles and be honest with each other without hesitation.

I am thankful for so much more than this.

Family Friendly Flights Act

If you recall, I was astounded by the in-flight movie on our flight back East to visit family. My sister passed on information to me today about the Family Friendly Flights Act. The bill calls for airlines to create a kid-friendly zone on airplanes. The bill was proposed by Democratic Rep Heath Shuler and Repulican Rep Walter Jones, both from North Carolina. In one article I read, Jones was quoted as saying, "This legislation will be one avenue to help parents take back their right to determine appropriateness of content to which their children are exposed."

Beyond the article my sister forwarded me, I found this NY Times article that specifially mentions the movie Fracture that was shown on our flight. (Of course the Continental rep claims that the movie shown is an edited one. Whether it was or wasn't, what I saw was not appropriate for my kids.)

I couldn't be more thrilled about the new legislation. Of course, I have to hope it will get passed and that the airline prices for a kid friendly section aren't higher than regular coach. At the least it is good to know that there are concerned parents out there and congressmen that care!

(Thank you, Carrie, for passing this info on!)

Thursday Thanks Tank #13

I enjoy Thursday mornings because I take the time to write down my thankful thoughts. This morning I am thankful for all of the little things in my life that bring me joy. Here are my happy thoughts for today:

1. Coffee in the morning
2. Spending one on one time with the boys: Playing Checkers with Jonathan, Blowing bubbles with Thomas, and Playing the Pop-up Pirate Game with David
3. Watching a funny movie with my husband (We watched RV, which made me really think about our long term camping plans!)
4. Having a playdate at a new friend's house
5. Reading a book
6. Seeing my 6 year old get excited about learning to read
7. Candles
8. Baking

Words for Wednesday

"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." Proverbs 16:24

I read these words yesterday and they are weighing heavy on my mind. They are such a good reminder how much of an impact our words have on others. I am trying to remember that pleasant words are powerful. I am trying to focus on positive thoughts, words, and tenderness right now. After all, if pleasant words can be sweet to the soul and heal the bones, surely (after some period of time) they can encourage my boys to be kind to each other!

ROLLIN AGAIN!!!

I am SO happy! There just aren't words to express it. ROLL TIDE

I am thankful and proud

Today we cross a milestone for our family. September 15 is Seth's official end date of his army career. I must say that we both have so many feelings associated with this milestone. For him, it is a change in a choosen career path, it is letting go of military terminology and prestige, it is not wearing a uniform to work, and it is a loss of the military comradery. This is a decision that took hours, days and months of soul searching and prayer. It was a decision that was not made lightly. Seth is confident that he is where he wants to be. The practical parting happened about a month ago when he went on 'terminal leave' and took a new job. Still, this date marks a letting go for him. It is really hard to put into words what it is for me.

I have had so many feelings this last month that I didn't expect. I didn't realize I would feel as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I didn't expect to feel a different joy about being together as a family. I have shared with Seth that it almost made me feel guilty to feel so happy to be out. I didn't ever long to be out of the Army life. Oh, I can't say that I didn't ever wish I wasn't going through the Army trials (deployments, especially) but I always felt confident about my role as an Army wife. I loved supporting him and being in a position to support the military. Army (or all military) spouses are in a special position. They have a special strength. I am thankful that I got to grow in that role. Military spouses have to be strong. I know some have been taken to their breaking point and have asked their spouses to get out. That was not my feeling. All I truly wanted or want, is for my husband to be happy and to be where he believes he should be. Some days I still find it unbelieveable that he choose a new career. But, I do find an amazement at the joy and comfort I feel knowing that he will not deploy and he is not training for war. I will always honor and support the military. For now, I am thankful that we are living (as a friend of mine in TN put it) a "normal life."

I thankful for my husband's Army career and I am so proud. I am proud of Seth for what he was able to do in the Army. He was an amazing officer. He led his soldiers by serving them. He treated his missions with utmost importance and he did everything with a high regard for the people he was working with. In addition, he never made my feelings seem unimportant. He was able to work at his job with all his heart and giving love and support to his family. As an Army officer, he made me so proud. I am proud to be his wife.

Seth took the time to chronicle some of the highlights of our Army life on his blog. If you can, hope on over to Popping Smoke to read about the last 10 years.

Thursday Thanks Tank #12

I hope you are having a great day. My morning is starting off relatively quiet so I am going to try to get my thankful thoughts down before the house gears up with noise.

Here are a few of the things I am thankful for this week:

1. Church: We visited a church in our new community on Sunday. It was a blessing to be back in church. Everyone was so kind and friendly. It was such a reminder that we are all (no matter your location) a part of a much bigger church.
2. Eating at Home: After traveling, moving and just having a totally chaotic home, I have gotten back into the swing of cooking our meals each night. (I am so tired of fast food!) Nothing tastes better than homemade food (even if it is my own). My kids have even been extra complimentary.
3. A Prayer Calendar: This week, I found this Calendar and I am thrilled with how it is giving me a direction to pray for my kids.
4. Starbucks Coffee: I know, how many times can I be thankful for this?? But wait, I was at the only Lebanon Starbucks (at Safeway) last night and I asked if the barista new if we would be getting another Starbucks in town. According to her, we should be getting a DRIVE-THRU Starbucks – possibly in about 6 months. I am so, so thankful!!
5. Problem Free Bus Riding: Jonathan has been riding the bus for 5 days now. He was very nervous and I was very nervous. It has gone smoothly.
6. My Parents: My parents celebrated their anniversary this past week. I am so incredibly thankful for them and their dedication to each other.
7. Finding a Doctor: I went to the doctor last Friday. My pregnancy is going well but I was quite nervous about finding a doctor once we moved. I am so thankful that I feel at ease with the new doctor and clinic.
8. Nights with my Hubby: One of my favorite parts of the day is at night when I sit around and just talk to my husband.
9. Flowers: I have a few flowers right now (in my bedroom, in a pot on my table outside, and some day lilies in our yard). I am enjoying their beauty this week.

What makes us want to stay on Earth?

I hope just the title of this post caught your eye. Please hop on over to Especially Heather - Question #1 to see what Heather had to say on the topic. She opened her blog up to questions from her readers. Her answer on this was profound and thought provoking. After you check it out, take a minute and lift Heather up in prayer. Her writings have been touching me for a while now. I want to share her site with you and ask you to be in prayer for her and her family.

This Comic's Too True

This comic reminded me of my house of boys! (Click on the image to see a larger version.)

Thursday Thanks Tank #11

I began my day thinking about this post and concentrating on being thankful. Now it is pretty late but I wanted to share a few items from the list I made this morning. I was fortunate to have an opportunity to journal this morning about being thankful. I'd encourage you to do that--make a list of what you are thankful for-- even if it is just a mental note.
Here are a few things I am thankful for today:

1. The Psalms: Even when I don’t feel thankful, the Psalms have a way of putting everything into perspective. (Psalms 56:10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens, your faithfulness reaches to the skies.)
2. Kindness: Kind people are so refreshing. It doesn't matter if it is from a stranger or a good friend, kindness is uplifting.
3. Unsolicited Gratitude from my Children: Whenever my kids offer a compliment without being encouraged to do so, my heart feels quite happy.
4. Teachers: It amazes me how much work teachers put in just to prepare to teach. I am thankful for Jonathan's teacher.
5. Back to School Shopping: I am thankful I had the opportunity to take Jonathan out shopping because it allowed us some valuable one on one mom son time. It was obvious he appreciated it and I really enjoyed seeing him shine from getting my attention.
6. Kicks, Aches and Pains: This sweet child of mine moves all the time! She is very busy growing, kicking and moving. I am really not sure what she is doing in my womb... wow, it is wearing on my body! But, I am very, very thankful to feel her moving.
7. Email: I have had several friends email me lately. I am so thankful for the ease of email. (Bear with me, I will email you back. I have just become slow at email lately.)
8. Bubble Baths: No explanation necessary.

The Packed Lunch

Jonathan started first grade today. I didn't expect it to be as big of a deal for me as it was. After all, kindergarten breaks the school milestone. Seth and I were really nervous last night and this morning. Most of our concerns were about Jonathan being in a new school where he wasn't confident about the procedures or expectations. He had so many questions for me yesterday that I couldn't answer. As I tried to reassure him that his teacher would tell him what to do, I wondered how he would handle his uncertainty. Jonathan seems to thrive on knowing the rules, expectations and being early. Anyway, Jonathan got to class just fine (though we were in and out of the building trying to figure out where we were supposed to be). We were plenty early. When I came to pick him up, I wondered if he would be out front. I told him I wondered if he knew where to go and he casually said, "Oh, I didn't but I figured you would pull up to get me." (He was, of course, in line with a group of kids with adult supervision and direction.) The day went great! One of the more exciting things for Jonathan is that this year he gets to go to school all day. Last year he was in half day kindergarten (which is pretty standard out here - or at least in WA and OR). Today was a half day because every Wednesday is an early release day. The difference between this half day and all of last year is that he ate lunch at school. He was very excited to use his new lunch "box." In fact, as he was eating breakfast he jumped up from the table and pulled the lunch out to see what he was going to have. I grabbed the camera as quick as possible. It was adorably cute to see him so excited but it was even more meaningful to me as a mom. As I was packing the lunch, I was blown away by the "packed lunch milestone." I packed my first packed lunch for one of my children! I had never even thought about packing lunches for my kids- or at least how it would feel. It was fun! I think I was totally cheesy about the whole thing-- taking extra joy in packing a pirate napkin and lego fruit snacks. Am I the only mom who has been surprised by this milestone? Am I the only mom that gets sentimental about these things?! It doesn't matter. It sure made me feel something special as a mom. This is a big week for me (and maybe Jonathan, too!). Today was his first day of 1st Grade. Tomorrow is his first full day of school. Friday will be his first day riding the bus (though he is trying to convince me to let him wait until next week). No doubt, I will have the digital camera on hand at all times!