Tour Of Duty - Book Review

I'll never forget the "BLIP" my phone made that day.

I had just rocked our newborn daughter to sleep...  "BLIP" - an email from my husband at work.  Curious what he could possibly have to tell me just hours after returning to work from paternity leave, I quickly checked the message.

"I'm doing everything in my power to change this, but I wanted you to know as soon as I did" the email began... 

My heart sank as I scrolled down further and read that he had been given orders to deploy to Afghanistan again, much sooner than we could have ever expected.  My mind instantly began questioning "but I thought you had orders for training which made you non-deployable... I thought we were moving in a couple months...  I thought you were promised... "  I quickly realized it didn't matter what I thought was going to happen because every plan we had made had already been changed.  He was going to have to deploy again, like it or not and ready or not.

Later that day, I was browsing Facebook when I saw that Sara Horn was asking for bloggers to review a copy of her new Bible study for military wives titled "Tour of Duty: Preparing Our Hearts For Deployment".  Knowing how much I loved her previous book "God Strong" I felt like this opportunity couldn't have come at a better time.

Tour of Duty: Preparing Our Hearts For Deployment touches on essential key elements in preparing your heart as a military wife to go through the battles we all experience while our husbands are deployed.  We cannot "do" deployment alone and the great thing is that we do not have to because we have a wonderful God to help us get through it all.  This book gave me a completely new perspective on deployment and believe it has a message that all military wives need to listen to and believe!

Tour of Duty is broken into 7 chapters that go through all the stages of deployment - from the moment of saying goodbye to the lonely drive home to an empty house where we wait for news that our loved one has safely arrived at his destination.  Sara then goes on to discuss the detours that come along during deployment, such as the water pipes breaking, the car quitting and many other situations that just seem so much harder to deal with when our husbands are away.  Next comes the mountains and the desert - the middle of deployment.  Oh, how we wonder if we can possibly keep going!  My favorite chapter discusses "facing the giants" of doubt and fear.  The book closes by discussing how deployment can be your time to serve God and trust in Him in a way that you may never have before.  

"Nothing happens in our lives that God does not see.  Nothing happens that He can't turn into a beautiful piece of His master plan.  He has a purpose for deployments, and He has a plan for each of us." - one of my favorite quotes from Tour of Duty: Preparing Our Hearts For Deployment.

I love how Tour of Duty focuses on each of these stages we go through during the course of deployment and the fact that God has a bigger plan for us while you journey through what can be a really difficult time, as well as a time of great personal growth.  God uses the challenges of deployment to strengthen our walk with Him, to strength our marriages, our friendships and to strengthen our faith in ourselves!  If you're not sure how God can possibly take the challenges of deployment and turn them into a positive thing I really encourage you to check out Tour of Duty.  If you're going through your first deployment or tenth deployment I encourage you to use Tour of Duty to prepare your heart for the challenges before you.  Going through this book while going through a deployment is like having God there to personally hold your hand no matter what stage of deployment you are in!

"If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans..."  So here we go.  Deployment is coming again and we're embracing the challenging season ahead as part of God's plan that is so much bigger and better than anything we had planned for ourselves.  As my husband's departure date gets closer I find myself going back through Tour of Duty and praying that God will really help me to prepare my heart for this upcoming deployment.  It is my prayer that God will show me His plans and strengthen me as only He can, while my husband is away.  With God's help I know that we'll make it through this next deployment.

Soon enough, I'll have another kind of "BLIP" on my cell phone.  The "BLIP" that tells me that my husband has landed safely back in the US and I will soon be in his arms again.  Until then, I'll be doing my best to trust God in the journey.

Tour of Duty: Preparing Our Hearts For Deployment is available online at Lifeway.com or your local Lifeway store.  If you're interested Wives of Faith is also hosting an online Tour of Duty bible study that starts January 6th and goes through February 28th.  You can find out more information and sign up on their website!  You can also find Tour of Duty on Facebook - where excerpts are posted frequently to encourage, inspire and remind us that we are not alone on this journey!

Tour Of Duty - Book Review

I'll never forget the "BLIP" my phone made that day.

I had just rocked our newborn daughter to sleep...  "BLIP" - an email from my husband at work.  Curious what he could possibly have to tell me just hours after returning to work from paternity leave, I quickly checked the message.

"I'm doing everything in my power to change this, but I wanted you to know as soon as I did" the email began... 

My heart sank as I scrolled down further and read that he had been given orders to deploy to Afghanistan again, much sooner than we could have ever expected.  My mind instantly began questioning "but I thought you had orders for training which made you non-deployable... I thought we were moving in a couple months...  I thought you were promised... "  I quickly realized it didn't matter what I thought was going to happen because every plan we had made had already been changed.  He was going to have to deploy again, like it or not and ready or not.

Later that day, I was browsing Facebook when I saw that Sara Horn was asking for bloggers to review a copy of her new Bible study for military wives titled "Tour of Duty: Preparing Our Hearts For Deployment".  Knowing how much I loved her previous book "God Strong" I felt like this opportunity couldn't have come at a better time.

Tour of Duty: Preparing Our Hearts For Deployment touches on essential key elements in preparing your heart as a military wife to go through the battles we all experience while our husbands are deployed.  We cannot "do" deployment alone and the great thing is that we do not have to because we have a wonderful God to help us get through it all.  This book gave me a completely new perspective on deployment and believe it has a message that all military wives need to listen to and believe!

Tour of Duty is broken into 7 chapters that go through all the stages of deployment - from the moment of saying goodbye to the lonely drive home to an empty house where we wait for news that our loved one has safely arrived at his destination.  Sara then goes on to discuss the detours that come along during deployment, such as the water pipes breaking, the car quitting and many other situations that just seem so much harder to deal with when our husbands are away.  Next comes the mountains and the desert - the middle of deployment.  Oh, how we wonder if we can possibly keep going!  My favorite chapter discusses "facing the giants" of doubt and fear.  The book closes by discussing how deployment can be your time to serve God and trust in Him in a way that you may never have before.  

"Nothing happens in our lives that God does not see.  Nothing happens that He can't turn into a beautiful piece of His master plan.  He has a purpose for deployments, and He has a plan for each of us." - one of my favorite quotes from Tour of Duty: Preparing Our Hearts For Deployment.

I love how Tour of Duty focuses on each of these stages we go through during the course of deployment and the fact that God has a bigger plan for us while you journey through what can be a really difficult time, as well as a time of great personal growth.  God uses the challenges of deployment to strengthen our walk with Him, to strength our marriages, our friendships and to strengthen our faith in ourselves!  If you're not sure how God can possibly take the challenges of deployment and turn them into a positive thing I really encourage you to check out Tour of Duty.  If you're going through your first deployment or tenth deployment I encourage you to use Tour of Duty to prepare your heart for the challenges before you.  Going through this book while going through a deployment is like having God there to personally hold your hand no matter what stage of deployment you are in!

"If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans..."  So here we go.  Deployment is coming again and we're embracing the challenging season ahead as part of God's plan that is so much bigger and better than anything we had planned for ourselves.  As my husband's departure date gets closer I find myself going back through Tour of Duty and praying that God will really help me to prepare my heart for this upcoming deployment.  It is my prayer that God will show me His plans and strengthen me as only He can, while my husband is away.  With God's help I know that we'll make it through this next deployment.

Soon enough, I'll have another kind of "BLIP" on my cell phone.  The "BLIP" that tells me that my husband has landed safely back in the US and I will soon be in his arms again.  Until then, I'll be doing my best to trust God in the journey.

Tour of Duty: Preparing Our Hearts For Deployment is available online at Lifeway.com or your local Lifeway store.  If you're interested Wives of Faith is also hosting an online Tour of Duty bible study that starts January 6th and goes through February 28th.  You can find out more information and sign up on their website!  You can also find Tour of Duty on Facebook - where excerpts are posted frequently to encourage, inspire and remind us that we are not alone on this journey!

A Christmas Without Love

Christmas 2008
Our First Christmas Together

My first Christmas as a military spouse I was quickly forced to learn how to adapt to the fact that sometimes things just don't go as we plan... and sometimes the alternate plan can turn out to be better than you would ever imagine if you can just look past the fact that your plan has changed.  

We were involved in a car accident just before our first Christmas together. It left our car unreliable for anything other than staying very close to home.  The insurance company promised to cover the damages, however there was no possible way to get it fixed before the holidays.  We couldn't afford a rental car or even plane tickets so our holiday plans were thrown into a tailspin as there was just no way we would be able to travel home to be with family for Christmas.

To be honest, I pouted and moped and generally acted like a 3 yr old little girl in the days leading up to Christmas.  I even waited until the very last moment to get my Christmas shopping done because of my bah-hum-bug attitude.  I just couldn't seem to get over the fact that Christmas would be so different than all my Christmas' before.

Imagine my surprise on Christmas morning when I woke up to what will go down in history as one of the best gifts my husband could have ever given me. For several days before Christmas, he had secretly been giving my dad lessons on how to work Skype and his webcam. After I went to bed on Christmas Eve he took our big computer downstairs and set it up next to our Christmas tree.  He coordinated with my parents so that they were on the webcam when I came downstairs Christmas morning! My husband's thoughtfulness really made that Christmas special... but I can honestly say that I really treasure that first Christmas together more than I ever realized I would.  Being home allowed us the opportunity to start our own holiday traditions that are so special now I can't imagine having a Christmas without them!

Christmas 2009
Spent in our hotel room in Tennessee

Last year, we once again made plans to go home for Christmas.  These plans were derailed much earlier in the year when my husband received orders for his first deployment.  Thankfully, God works in mysterious ways!  Christmas fell during his pre-deployment training and since I had been fortunate enough to accompany him we were able to spend the holidays together.  As an added blessing his instructors gave everyone several days off to enjoy Christmas!  We traveled a few hours north of the training location and enjoyed a quiet, incredibly special Christmas with just the two of us in our hotel room outside Nashville, TN.  It was a bit non-traditional, being in a hotel room but it is again one of my favorite memories of special moments shared with my husband.

This year, we have again planned to travel home to Arizona to spend Christmas with my family.  It's extra special to get to go this year as we are bringing our newborn daughter home to meet family and friends!  They say the 3rd time is the charm, so I'm praying it all works out as we have planned.  I wouldn't have said this several years ago, but if things don't go as planned (again) I'm not going to let myself get upset and pout about it.  No matter where we are or who we are with, Christmas can still be just as amazing and sometimes even MORE so.

For me, the only thing that could be missing to make me say "Christmas wouldn't be Christmas" is not having LOVE.  Love is what made my husband come up with the idea to webcam my family in on Christmas day.  Love is what my husband and I felt so much that next year as we cuddled together in our cozy hotel room in the middle of Tennessee.  Love is what will make our first Christmas with our daughter special and memorable no matter where we are or who we are with.  Love is what is what the Christmas season is all about.  However you spend your Christmas this year, why not make an effort to show love to those around you.  You never know when you might change one person's whole world just by a simple gesture...

"For God LOVED the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life." - John 3:16  NLT


Join in with the Wives of Faith blog carnival and share your thoughts on "Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without _____."

A Christmas Without Love

Christmas 2008
Our First Christmas Together

My first Christmas as a military spouse I was quickly forced to learn how to adapt to the fact that sometimes things just don't go as we plan... and sometimes the alternate plan can turn out to be better than you would ever imagine if you can just look past the fact that your plan has changed.  

We were involved in a car accident just before our first Christmas together. It left our car unreliable for anything other than staying very close to home.  The insurance company promised to cover the damages, however there was no possible way to get it fixed before the holidays.  We couldn't afford a rental car or even plane tickets so our holiday plans were thrown into a tailspin as there was just no way we would be able to travel home to be with family for Christmas.

To be honest, I pouted and moped and generally acted like a 3 yr old little girl in the days leading up to Christmas.  I even waited until the very last moment to get my Christmas shopping done because of my bah-hum-bug attitude.  I just couldn't seem to get over the fact that Christmas would be so different than all my Christmas' before.

Imagine my surprise on Christmas morning when I woke up to what will go down in history as one of the best gifts my husband could have ever given me. For several days before Christmas, he had secretly been giving my dad lessons on how to work Skype and his webcam. After I went to bed on Christmas Eve he took our big computer downstairs and set it up next to our Christmas tree.  He coordinated with my parents so that they were on the webcam when I came downstairs Christmas morning! My husband's thoughtfulness really made that Christmas special... but I can honestly say that I really treasure that first Christmas together more than I ever realized I would.  Being home allowed us the opportunity to start our own holiday traditions that are so special now I can't imagine having a Christmas without them!

Christmas 2009
Spent in our hotel room in Tennessee

Last year, we once again made plans to go home for Christmas.  These plans were derailed much earlier in the year when my husband received orders for his first deployment.  Thankfully, God works in mysterious ways!  Christmas fell during his pre-deployment training and since I had been fortunate enough to accompany him we were able to spend the holidays together.  As an added blessing his instructors gave everyone several days off to enjoy Christmas!  We traveled a few hours north of the training location and enjoyed a quiet, incredibly special Christmas with just the two of us in our hotel room outside Nashville, TN.  It was a bit non-traditional, being in a hotel room but it is again one of my favorite memories of special moments shared with my husband.

This year, we have again planned to travel home to Arizona to spend Christmas with my family.  It's extra special to get to go this year as we are bringing our newborn daughter home to meet family and friends!  They say the 3rd time is the charm, so I'm praying it all works out as we have planned.  I wouldn't have said this several years ago, but if things don't go as planned (again) I'm not going to let myself get upset and pout about it.  No matter where we are or who we are with, Christmas can still be just as amazing and sometimes even MORE so.

For me, the only thing that could be missing to make me say "Christmas wouldn't be Christmas" is not having LOVE.  Love is what made my husband come up with the idea to webcam my family in on Christmas day.  Love is what my husband and I felt so much that next year as we cuddled together in our cozy hotel room in the middle of Tennessee.  Love is what will make our first Christmas with our daughter special and memorable no matter where we are or who we are with.  Love is what is what the Christmas season is all about.  However you spend your Christmas this year, why not make an effort to show love to those around you.  You never know when you might change one person's whole world just by a simple gesture...

"For God LOVED the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life." - John 3:16  NLT


Join in with the Wives of Faith blog carnival and share your thoughts on "Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without _____."

Shutterfly Offers Bloggers 50 Free Photo Cards

If you have a blog you can now get 50 FREE Holiday cards from Shutterfly!  It's simple, fun and easy to make happen.  Just write a 150+ word post on what card you like best, email them a link, and they will send you a promo code for your free cards!  This is a GREAT offer! 


With so many great designs to choose from it is hard to pick which one is my favorite!  I love so many of them for different reasons!

This one is simple and classy!  Just add a great family photo and let the card speak for itself.  When the holidays are over friends and family can even cut out the inside square and keep your photo on their fridge!


I love the way this one tells your family's story of the year!  I love how you can highlight 3 special events from the past year and include commentary to fill in friends and family.  This is perfect for those who want to share more than a photo but don't have time to write out a whole Christmas letter.


This one allows you to send a Christmas greeting with a simple reminder of what this season is really all about!


Not only does Shutterfly have plenty of great designs to choose from, but they make it so easy to add y our photo to a card.  Just upload your selected photo and click and drag it into the card.  I love this feature because I can really see how my photo looks with each card before deciding and if the card has multiple photo spots I can move them around until I get just the right order!

Not only is Shutterfly great for your holiday card needs but they offer a ton of other products to choose from as well!  These wonderful Snapbooks are so cute and you can customize them with 50 of your favorite photos!  Their customizable desk calendars make a great gift for Grandparents!  I also really love that they now offer canvas wall prints to display your favorite photos on the walls of your home in a stylish and classy way!


Thank you Shutterfy for offering so many great products to choose from, and for giving bloggers 50 free holiday cards!  If you're a blogger interested in getting free cards from Shutterfly be sure to check out this link!  Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly, follow the arrow à  http://bit.ly/sfly2010 

Shutterfly Offers Bloggers 50 Free Photo Cards

If you have a blog you can now get 50 FREE Holiday cards from Shutterfly!  It's simple, fun and easy to make happen.  Just write a 150+ word post on what card you like best, email them a link, and they will send you a promo code for your free cards!  This is a GREAT offer! 


With so many great designs to choose from it is hard to pick which one is my favorite!  I love so many of them for different reasons!

This one is simple and classy!  Just add a great family photo and let the card speak for itself.  When the holidays are over friends and family can even cut out the inside square and keep your photo on their fridge!


I love the way this one tells your family's story of the year!  I love how you can highlight 3 special events from the past year and include commentary to fill in friends and family.  This is perfect for those who want to share more than a photo but don't have time to write out a whole Christmas letter.


This one allows you to send a Christmas greeting with a simple reminder of what this season is really all about!


Not only does Shutterfly have plenty of great designs to choose from, but they make it so easy to add y our photo to a card.  Just upload your selected photo and click and drag it into the card.  I love this feature because I can really see how my photo looks with each card before deciding and if the card has multiple photo spots I can move them around until I get just the right order!

Not only is Shutterfly great for your holiday card needs but they offer a ton of other products to choose from as well!  These wonderful Snapbooks are so cute and you can customize them with 50 of your favorite photos!  Their customizable desk calendars make a great gift for Grandparents!  I also really love that they now offer canvas wall prints to display your favorite photos on the walls of your home in a stylish and classy way!


Thank you Shutterfy for offering so many great products to choose from, and for giving bloggers 50 free holiday cards!  If you're a blogger interested in getting free cards from Shutterfly be sure to check out this link!  Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly, follow the arrow à  http://bit.ly/sfly2010 

Come on out, Frosty!

Christmas carols play on the stereo as a fire crackles in the fireplace.  Dad brings in the big Christmas tree and holiday boxes from the garage.  Soon everyone in the family (even the dogs) gathers around to set up the tree, string on the lights and put out the decorations.  After the house is dressed up properly, we cuddle up on the couch with steaming hot cocoa and watch Miracle On 34th Street.  It's truly the most wonderful time of the year!

Being the youngest, and mainly the only kid at home when I was growing up, I was mostly in charge of putting all the ornaments in their rightful places on the tree.  I loved going through each and every ornament or decoration as I pulled them from their boxes.  If I had to pick one decoration that was my favorite, it would probably be Frosty.

I can't tell you where Frosty came from or how long he's been in the family, but he's been a part of Christmas in our house for as long as I can remember.  Every year, I would take Frosty out of his box and put him in my bedroom as my own personal Christmas decoration.  The bottom stand that Frosty sits on winds up and plays "Frosty the Snowman" while Frosty turns in a circle.  I had to have Frosty play his tune at least once a day!

I may be grown up with a family of my own this year, but Frosty is still an important part of my Christmas traditions. With my husband being in the military, we actually didn't spend last Christmas at home but Frosty still made his appearance beside our mini Christmas tree as we celebrated in a hotel in Tennessee.  This year he stands faithfully in his place once more next to our mini Christmas tree.  Perhaps in a few years, when my daughter is a little older I will pass Frosty down to her so he can be a part of her own Christmas memories.

Do you have a favorite Christmas ornament or decoration?

Join in with the Wives of Faith blog carnival and share your favorite or read about the favorites of others!

Come on out, Frosty!

Christmas carols play on the stereo as a fire crackles in the fireplace.  Dad brings in the big Christmas tree and holiday boxes from the garage.  Soon everyone in the family (even the dogs) gathers around to set up the tree, string on the lights and put out the decorations.  After the house is dressed up properly, we cuddle up on the couch with steaming hot cocoa and watch Miracle On 34th Street.  It's truly the most wonderful time of the year!

Being the youngest, and mainly the only kid at home when I was growing up, I was mostly in charge of putting all the ornaments in their rightful places on the tree.  I loved going through each and every ornament or decoration as I pulled them from their boxes.  If I had to pick one decoration that was my favorite, it would probably be Frosty.

I can't tell you where Frosty came from or how long he's been in the family, but he's been a part of Christmas in our house for as long as I can remember.  Every year, I would take Frosty out of his box and put him in my bedroom as my own personal Christmas decoration.  The bottom stand that Frosty sits on winds up and plays "Frosty the Snowman" while Frosty turns in a circle.  I had to have Frosty play his tune at least once a day!

I may be grown up with a family of my own this year, but Frosty is still an important part of my Christmas traditions. With my husband being in the military, we actually didn't spend last Christmas at home but Frosty still made his appearance beside our mini Christmas tree as we celebrated in a hotel in Tennessee.  This year he stands faithfully in his place once more next to our mini Christmas tree.  Perhaps in a few years, when my daughter is a little older I will pass Frosty down to her so he can be a part of her own Christmas memories.

Do you have a favorite Christmas ornament or decoration?

Join in with the Wives of Faith blog carnival and share your favorite or read about the favorites of others!

780 Hours Later...

780 hours ago my life changed forever.  That's when an adorable little girl, who had just moments before been growing in my belly, was placed in my arms.  As I looked into her deep blue eyes and introduced myself as her mommy, I felt something inside me change forever.  The last month has been a whirlwind... of emotion, overwhelming joy, activity, pride, and exhaustion.  Being a mommy is everything and nothing that I thought it would be.  I can't help but feel honored and not at all worthy of being half of the pair that God chose to raise this precious baby girl.

Welcome to the world "Monkey"

October 27, 2010 at 16:07

6lbs, 8oz - 20.5 inches long

780 Hours Later...

780 hours ago my life changed forever.  That's when an adorable little girl, who had just moments before been growing in my belly, was placed in my arms.  As I looked into her deep blue eyes and introduced myself as her mommy, I felt something inside me change forever.  The last month has been a whirlwind... of emotion, overwhelming joy, activity, pride, and exhaustion.  Being a mommy is everything and nothing that I thought it would be.  I can't help but feel honored and not at all worthy of being half of the pair that God chose to raise this precious baby girl.

Welcome to the world "Monkey"

October 27, 2010 at 16:07

6lbs, 8oz - 20.5 inches long

Remembering 9/11

Where were you when the world stopped turning on September 11, 2001?  It's a question that echoes throughout the country on this day every year since that terrifying day 9 years ago.


Today was just another ordinary day...  It's our dog's 10th birthday today so after our Bradley Birthing Class we took him to PetsMart to pick out some special treats.  We then took pictures with his birthday hat in the backyard.  My husband and I watched a movie in bed and napped this afternoon.  Tonight I've been enjoying feeling my daughter move and listening to her heartbeat on the doppler.  It was nothing like the day we all experienced 9 years ago... 

Nine years ago, I was 17 yrs old.  I'd gone to bed sick the night before.  My mom had already left for work and my dad did not have to be in the office until later in the day.  As usual, I remember hearing Good Morning America coming from the TV in the living room.  The next thing I remember is my dad coming into my room to wake me up and tell me what was going on.  I remember sitting on the couch with my puppies and my dad, in complete silence as we watched.  We called my mom at the office and asked if she knew what was going on.  To be entirely honest, the rest of that day and the following days were a blur.  I remember phone calls to family members, hugging my parents, praying, and being thankful.  I remember talking to friends and sharing our thoughts and fears.  I remember memorials and honoring services at church and in the community.  We went to them all.  The band I was in at the time played at a fundraiser.  A friend and I performed a "creative movement " at another tribute to a song that still brings tears to my eyes everytime I hear it... not just because of the song --but because of all the emotions and thoughts it brings back from those days. I can remember being scared about what was going to happen to our country...  I worried about what would happen next.  I remember wishing I could do something more to help.


It's been 9 years...  When I look back at the day I feel lucky.  I feel greatful to be alive and to know that my family is all safe.  I can't pretend to understand or even dare to find a reason for what happened.  God is really the only one who has the answers, and we just have to trust that He knows best.  Its important to honor those that lost their lives...  the everyday people that stepped up to the plate and became heroes, the family members who had to carry on without loved ones.  What happened that day has affected who we are and how we live... but we carry on.  We never forget -- but we carry on.   "... The human spirit is not measured by the size of the act, but by the size of the heart.  What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within."  Our country, for the most part, has faced this challenge with courage and strength...  There's too much controversy surrounding everything.  I choose to just trust that God has a plan.  Everything works out according to His plan and not our own.  Im proud to be an American.

I could keep going with my thoughts and feelings.  I could go on about how it feels to have been a flight attendant post 9-11 and to be trained for all the what if's and what could be's on a plane. I would never have guessed back then that I would fall in love with and marry a man in the military.  It's hard to put into words what I feel today...  I'm proud of my husband and all the others in the military who sacrifice so much to fight for our freedom.  I'm sad for the lives that were lost that day and in the days following.  I wish that something so tragic had never happened in our great country.  I find hope in knowing that God has a plan and even when bad things happen He is still the same God He was before.  I could re-write this 100 times and it still would not say exactly what I want it to say.  Instead, I'm going to leave what I've written and leave out what I haven't.  One thing that stands out for me...  Tell people how you feel.  If you love someone --  tell them.  Right now.  You may not always have another chance.  Someday may never come.  So act right now...  and don't wait.  A few minutes could change our lives on what seems like just another day.  I'll never forget that day or the way it changed our country and everyone in it.


"Did you burst out in pride for the red white and blue.  The heroes who died just doing what they do. Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer, and look at yourself for what really matters.  I'm just a singer of simple songs, I'm not a real political man. I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you, the difference in Iraq and Iran. I know Jesus and I talk to God, and I remember this from when I was young... Faith Hope and Love are some good things He gave us... And the greatest is love"

Remembering 9/11

Where were you when the world stopped turning on September 11, 2001?  It's a question that echoes throughout the country on this day every year since that terrifying day 9 years ago.


Today was just another ordinary day...  It's our dog's 10th birthday today so after our Bradley Birthing Class we took him to PetsMart to pick out some special treats.  We then took pictures with his birthday hat in the backyard.  My husband and I watched a movie in bed and napped this afternoon.  Tonight I've been enjoying feeling my daughter move and listening to her heartbeat on the doppler.  It was nothing like the day we all experienced 9 years ago... 

Nine years ago, I was 17 yrs old.  I'd gone to bed sick the night before.  My mom had already left for work and my dad did not have to be in the office until later in the day.  As usual, I remember hearing Good Morning America coming from the TV in the living room.  The next thing I remember is my dad coming into my room to wake me up and tell me what was going on.  I remember sitting on the couch with my puppies and my dad, in complete silence as we watched.  We called my mom at the office and asked if she knew what was going on.  To be entirely honest, the rest of that day and the following days were a blur.  I remember phone calls to family members, hugging my parents, praying, and being thankful.  I remember talking to friends and sharing our thoughts and fears.  I remember memorials and honoring services at church and in the community.  We went to them all.  The band I was in at the time played at a fundraiser.  A friend and I performed a "creative movement " at another tribute to a song that still brings tears to my eyes everytime I hear it... not just because of the song --but because of all the emotions and thoughts it brings back from those days. I can remember being scared about what was going to happen to our country...  I worried about what would happen next.  I remember wishing I could do something more to help.


It's been 9 years...  When I look back at the day I feel lucky.  I feel greatful to be alive and to know that my family is all safe.  I can't pretend to understand or even dare to find a reason for what happened.  God is really the only one who has the answers, and we just have to trust that He knows best.  Its important to honor those that lost their lives...  the everyday people that stepped up to the plate and became heroes, the family members who had to carry on without loved ones.  What happened that day has affected who we are and how we live... but we carry on.  We never forget -- but we carry on.   "... The human spirit is not measured by the size of the act, but by the size of the heart.  What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within."  Our country, for the most part, has faced this challenge with courage and strength...  There's too much controversy surrounding everything.  I choose to just trust that God has a plan.  Everything works out according to His plan and not our own.  Im proud to be an American.

I could keep going with my thoughts and feelings.  I could go on about how it feels to have been a flight attendant post 9-11 and to be trained for all the what if's and what could be's on a plane. I would never have guessed back then that I would fall in love with and marry a man in the military.  It's hard to put into words what I feel today...  I'm proud of my husband and all the others in the military who sacrifice so much to fight for our freedom.  I'm sad for the lives that were lost that day and in the days following.  I wish that something so tragic had never happened in our great country.  I find hope in knowing that God has a plan and even when bad things happen He is still the same God He was before.  I could re-write this 100 times and it still would not say exactly what I want it to say.  Instead, I'm going to leave what I've written and leave out what I haven't.  One thing that stands out for me...  Tell people how you feel.  If you love someone --  tell them.  Right now.  You may not always have another chance.  Someday may never come.  So act right now...  and don't wait.  A few minutes could change our lives on what seems like just another day.  I'll never forget that day or the way it changed our country and everyone in it.


"Did you burst out in pride for the red white and blue.  The heroes who died just doing what they do. Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer, and look at yourself for what really matters.  I'm just a singer of simple songs, I'm not a real political man. I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you, the difference in Iraq and Iran. I know Jesus and I talk to God, and I remember this from when I was young... Faith Hope and Love are some good things He gave us... And the greatest is love"

Rusty

This is my buddy Rusty.

He has been my most faithful friend for the last 6 years.

Good. Bad. He is always there for me and has even licked away my tears.

He's having surgery today to remove a potentially cancerous growth.

Please say a prayer for my little buddy...

Pray that the surgery will be painless, recovery easy and his body cancer free.

UPDATE:
Rusty came through the surgery very well!
They were able to completely remove the growth.
It will take from a week up to a month to get pathology results.
We are praying it is either non cancerous or surgery was curative!
Rusty is recovering pretty well, despite having ripped his stitches out walking upstairs.
He is soaking up the extra love, attention and cuddles.
Thanks for your prayers!

Rusty

This is my buddy Rusty.

He has been my most faithful friend for the last 6 years.

Good. Bad. He is always there for me and has even licked away my tears.

He's having surgery today to remove a potentially cancerous growth.

Please say a prayer for my little buddy...

Pray that the surgery will be painless, recovery easy and his body cancer free.

UPDATE:
Rusty came through the surgery very well!
They were able to completely remove the growth.
It will take from a week up to a month to get pathology results.
We are praying it is either non cancerous or surgery was curative!
Rusty is recovering pretty well, despite having ripped his stitches out walking upstairs.
He is soaking up the extra love, attention and cuddles.
Thanks for your prayers!

I Heart Faces - Week 34 Photography Challenge

This day is still one of my favorite memories of my time living in France.  We were vacationing in San Tropez and went for a beach hike a few miles down the coast from where we were staying.  

It was so beautiful and a perfect summer day to take it all in... 

the waves, the city in the distance, the people all around just enjoying life.

My favorite way to take it in was through the eyes of the 3 year old I was a nanny for.

I Heart Faces is a great website for challenging your photography skills, learning new techniques and connecting with others who love to take photos.

I Heart Faces - Week 34 Photography Challenge

This day is still one of my favorite memories of my time living in France.  We were vacationing in San Tropez and went for a beach hike a few miles down the coast from where we were staying.  

It was so beautiful and a perfect summer day to take it all in... 

the waves, the city in the distance, the people all around just enjoying life.

My favorite way to take it in was through the eyes of the 3 year old I was a nanny for.

I Heart Faces is a great website for challenging your photography skills, learning new techniques and connecting with others who love to take photos.

Cloth or Plastic? - The Diaper Controversy

When it comes to diapers I am totally set on cloth diapering.  I've got the brand I want picked out and as soon as the money comes into our bank account, we know exactly what we're ordering and even my husband is excited about it!

Unfortunately, the response I've gotten has been anything but supportive and most people just look at me like I have suddenly grown an extra eye in the middle of my forehead, asking why I'd want to deal with "the inconvenience of carrying around and washing gross cloth diapers" when I could just throw the "grossness" in the trash and move on.  There are many reasons and benefits for choosing to use cloth diapers.


The Environmental Benefit:
Based on a report from the Women's Environmental Network, The Real Diaper Association reports:

• Disposable diapers are the third most common consumer product in landfills today.
• A disposable diaper may take up to 500 years to decompose.
• One baby in disposable diapers will contribute at least 1 ton of waste to your local landfill.

Manufacturing of disposable diapers consumes energy, trees, and plastic and then can take hundreds of years to decompose. Each year, more than 80,000 pounds of plastic and 200,000 trees are consumed in making disposable diapers for American babies alone. The plastic and chemicals along with the untreated waste ends up in landfills where it can potentially contaminate ground water. 


Cloth diapers can be used 50-200 times and then gain new life when they are recycled as rags. Waste from cloth diapers is either flushed or washed into the sewer system where they can be properly treated at wastewater plants.


The Health Benefit:  
There are many health concerns associated with disposable diaper use, as these products are filled with chemicals and gels to absorb odor and moisture.  Some chemically sensitive children have allergic reactions and diaper rashes from these substances.  I have extremely sensitive skin and I can safely assume that my children may also have sensitive skin.  Protecting their skin from disposable diapers is just something I have chosen to do because it makes the most sense to me.

In fact, disposable diapers have been linked the development of asthma. The Archives of Environmental Health tested six leading cotton and disposable diaper brands for asthma effects. The emissions from one disposable diaper were high enough to produce asthma-like symptoms in mice. Tolune, xylene, ethylbenzene, styrene, and isopropylbenzene are all chemicals that outgas from disposable diapers. Not surprisingly, the study found that cloth diapers do not cause respiratory problems among the lab mice.  


The Cost Benefit:
The average parent spends $2,694.54 for 7,349 disposable, single-use diapers (source: Natural Family Online)  In contrast, my family will spend under $1,000 to purchase the name brand, top quality cloth diapers that we have chosen to be used for our daughter from birth to potty learning and reused for every additional child that we have.  There are cheaper options than what we have chosen, but this is what we feel will work the best for us.  In addition, we live in military housing so there are no energy related costs but even if we did we would STILL save money because it would cost literally pennies to run an extra 3 loads of laundry per week.   On top of that, when we are done using our cloth diapers if they are still in good condition we will be able to re-sell them to someone else, getting back some of our original investment.  The upfront cost for cloth diapers may  be higher, but the long term cost benefit is priceless!  You can use this Diaper Pin calculator to figure out how long it would take for your choice of cloth diapers to pay for themselves, and it goes on to show you how much you are saving after that!


The Cuteness Factor:

Would you rather have this on your bum?

 

or this on your bum?

  

The "Grossness" is not really Gross:
The only extra step involved in cloth diapers is washing the cloth diaper.  If it's a wet diaper, just take it off and put it in your diaper pail (no, you don't need to soak it so your diaper pail doesn't need to have liquid in it).  If it's a poopy diaper and your baby is past the newborn stage, just take the diaper to the toilet and shake the solids off and you're done.  You don't need to dunk it or swish it - just shake and done.  If the diaper is messy and the poop is not solid, just take it to the toilet, grab your handy diaper sprayer and spray the mess away.  You don't ever have to touch any poop and no matter where you change your child's diaper, you're headed to the bathroom afterward anyway to wash your hands!


The "Inconvenience" is not really Inconvenient:
Did you know that disposable diapers say right on the packaging that you are supposed to dump the solids out before disposing of the soiled diaper?  Human feces is NOT supposed to end up in our landfills!  Check it out for yourself (source Cloth Diaper Tips)

So the only extra step is a little extra laundry! I don't know about you, but it really takes me hardly any time at all to do a load of laundry.  It takes a maximum of 2 minutes to load my washer and set the cycle, then another (max) 2 minutes to switch the load to the dryer and (max) 2 minutes to unload the dryer into a laundry basket and about 10 minutes tops to go through that basket and put the items where they belong.  That's a grand total of 16 extra minutes!  I only need to do diaper laundry every 2 days so that's a total of 48 minutes per week spent on laundering my cloth diapers.  I don't know about you... but I think I can easily handle that!

Gone are the days of using giant safety pins to pin a cloth diaper onto a squirming baby!  Now you have options - from the Snappi to velcro to snaps - choose what works for you and it's as easy as putting a disposable onto a squirming baby!  If you don't want to mess with inserts, they even make all in one diapers that are exactly like a disposable except you throw them in the wash when you're done!

What about when you're out and about?  It's still the same process, except you just throw your soiled diaper into a wet/dry bag , zip it up and tuck it in your diaper bag and throw it into your diaper pail when you get home!  


What about wipes?!  Why bother with disposable when you can use cloth?  These Gerber baby wash cloths make great cloth wipes and you can even fold them so they pop up just like disposables in a disposable container!  Make up your favorite cloth wipe solution, grab a spray bottle and you're good to go!  You just store your used cloth wipes with your used cloth diapers (at home or on the go), wash your cloth wipes with your cloth diapers and there's no extra work involved and you're keeping even more waste out of our landfills!


The Bottom Line:
The bottom line is that I'm simply choosing to do what is right for our family - cloth isn't for everyone, but it has come a long way from what cloth diapers used to be and with a little research and an open mind you'll find that it can be totally convenient and not at all gross.  There are a ton of benefits to using cloth! 

Want to learn more about the cloth diapers we've chosen for our family?  Check out the website for Rumparooz or watch the video about how the company was started below:

Cloth or Plastic? - The Diaper Controversy

When it comes to diapers I am totally set on cloth diapering.  I've got the brand I want picked out and as soon as the money comes into our bank account, we know exactly what we're ordering and even my husband is excited about it!

Unfortunately, the response I've gotten has been anything but supportive and most people just look at me like I have suddenly grown an extra eye in the middle of my forehead, asking why I'd want to deal with "the inconvenience of carrying around and washing gross cloth diapers" when I could just throw the "grossness" in the trash and move on.  There are many reasons and benefits for choosing to use cloth diapers.


The Environmental Benefit:
Based on a report from the Women's Environmental Network, The Real Diaper Association reports:

• Disposable diapers are the third most common consumer product in landfills today.
• A disposable diaper may take up to 500 years to decompose.
• One baby in disposable diapers will contribute at least 1 ton of waste to your local landfill.

Manufacturing of disposable diapers consumes energy, trees, and plastic and then can take hundreds of years to decompose. Each year, more than 80,000 pounds of plastic and 200,000 trees are consumed in making disposable diapers for American babies alone. The plastic and chemicals along with the untreated waste ends up in landfills where it can potentially contaminate ground water. 


Cloth diapers can be used 50-200 times and then gain new life when they are recycled as rags. Waste from cloth diapers is either flushed or washed into the sewer system where they can be properly treated at wastewater plants.


The Health Benefit:  
There are many health concerns associated with disposable diaper use, as these products are filled with chemicals and gels to absorb odor and moisture.  Some chemically sensitive children have allergic reactions and diaper rashes from these substances.  I have extremely sensitive skin and I can safely assume that my children may also have sensitive skin.  Protecting their skin from disposable diapers is just something I have chosen to do because it makes the most sense to me.

In fact, disposable diapers have been linked the development of asthma. The Archives of Environmental Health tested six leading cotton and disposable diaper brands for asthma effects. The emissions from one disposable diaper were high enough to produce asthma-like symptoms in mice. Tolune, xylene, ethylbenzene, styrene, and isopropylbenzene are all chemicals that outgas from disposable diapers. Not surprisingly, the study found that cloth diapers do not cause respiratory problems among the lab mice.  


The Cost Benefit:
The average parent spends $2,694.54 for 7,349 disposable, single-use diapers (source: Natural Family Online)  In contrast, my family will spend under $1,000 to purchase the name brand, top quality cloth diapers that we have chosen to be used for our daughter from birth to potty learning and reused for every additional child that we have.  There are cheaper options than what we have chosen, but this is what we feel will work the best for us.  In addition, we live in military housing so there are no energy related costs but even if we did we would STILL save money because it would cost literally pennies to run an extra 3 loads of laundry per week.   On top of that, when we are done using our cloth diapers if they are still in good condition we will be able to re-sell them to someone else, getting back some of our original investment.  The upfront cost for cloth diapers may  be higher, but the long term cost benefit is priceless!  You can use this Diaper Pin calculator to figure out how long it would take for your choice of cloth diapers to pay for themselves, and it goes on to show you how much you are saving after that!


The Cuteness Factor:

Would you rather have this on your bum?

 

or this on your bum?

  

The "Grossness" is not really Gross:
The only extra step involved in cloth diapers is washing the cloth diaper.  If it's a wet diaper, just take it off and put it in your diaper pail (no, you don't need to soak it so your diaper pail doesn't need to have liquid in it).  If it's a poopy diaper and your baby is past the newborn stage, just take the diaper to the toilet and shake the solids off and you're done.  You don't need to dunk it or swish it - just shake and done.  If the diaper is messy and the poop is not solid, just take it to the toilet, grab your handy diaper sprayer and spray the mess away.  You don't ever have to touch any poop and no matter where you change your child's diaper, you're headed to the bathroom afterward anyway to wash your hands!


The "Inconvenience" is not really Inconvenient:
Did you know that disposable diapers say right on the packaging that you are supposed to dump the solids out before disposing of the soiled diaper?  Human feces is NOT supposed to end up in our landfills!  Check it out for yourself (source Cloth Diaper Tips)

So the only extra step is a little extra laundry! I don't know about you, but it really takes me hardly any time at all to do a load of laundry.  It takes a maximum of 2 minutes to load my washer and set the cycle, then another (max) 2 minutes to switch the load to the dryer and (max) 2 minutes to unload the dryer into a laundry basket and about 10 minutes tops to go through that basket and put the items where they belong.  That's a grand total of 16 extra minutes!  I only need to do diaper laundry every 2 days so that's a total of 48 minutes per week spent on laundering my cloth diapers.  I don't know about you... but I think I can easily handle that!

Gone are the days of using giant safety pins to pin a cloth diaper onto a squirming baby!  Now you have options - from the Snappi to velcro to snaps - choose what works for you and it's as easy as putting a disposable onto a squirming baby!  If you don't want to mess with inserts, they even make all in one diapers that are exactly like a disposable except you throw them in the wash when you're done!

What about when you're out and about?  It's still the same process, except you just throw your soiled diaper into a wet/dry bag , zip it up and tuck it in your diaper bag and throw it into your diaper pail when you get home!  


What about wipes?!  Why bother with disposable when you can use cloth?  These Gerber baby wash cloths make great cloth wipes and you can even fold them so they pop up just like disposables in a disposable container!  Make up your favorite cloth wipe solution, grab a spray bottle and you're good to go!  You just store your used cloth wipes with your used cloth diapers (at home or on the go), wash your cloth wipes with your cloth diapers and there's no extra work involved and you're keeping even more waste out of our landfills!


The Bottom Line:
The bottom line is that I'm simply choosing to do what is right for our family - cloth isn't for everyone, but it has come a long way from what cloth diapers used to be and with a little research and an open mind you'll find that it can be totally convenient and not at all gross.  There are a ton of benefits to using cloth! 

Want to learn more about the cloth diapers we've chosen for our family?  Check out the website for Rumparooz or watch the video about how the company was started below: