December

I love our calendar. I love using colored markers and making it look like our chaos is mostly fun...and planned. I love being a family with things to do, even if sometimes it seems like too much. It's good to have places to go to stretch our minds, our bodies, our relationships. I like to serve, it gives me great joy, and I like to give my kids opportunities to do the same. 

December is always busy, I've tried to do as much shopping as I can before the kids get out of school. There are always last minute things, so as much as I can do the better for my state of mind. We've taken our time decorating for Christmas, doing a little every week. I love our tree and enjoy getting setting up our nativities, our snowman collection and other things we've collected over the years. 

Jordan has played in both a school event "Caroling in the Halls" and had a band concert. Sheridan has had two or three basketball games each week and a choir concert last week. Both Jordan and Sheridan are playing JO volleyball with the Golden Suns. This is going to be a great experience for them. Right now they have two-hour practices twice a week. Cameron will be singing in church next week with Kid Life. 

Erin is home from school. Lauren will finish her finals this week. The littles 5 more days of school and I will take Richard back and forth to LR for his winter work meetings this week. We have big plans for the week before Christmas...it's the most WONDERFUL time of the year...why? ...Because my family WANTS to be at home and the reason is JESUS. 

Missing Ryan

My firstborn is capable, confident and strong. If he didn't have the skills and the mental toughness I know he has, or he wasn't firmly secure in his relationship with the Lord, I'd definitely worry about him more. The last phase of Ranger school is swamps and he completed it 5 days ago. Unfortunately, with crazy circumstances, he didn't pass and will return to Florida after the holidays to brave the water, the cold and the training again. He can do it. I have no doubt.

Disappointment, discouragement and melancholy have filled my days here. He is my sill my boy. Not because we don't believe in him, or the USA, or Ranger program. But because when you don't get what you expect or what you believe you deserve, it can be a storm to get through, and family stands by you.

I'm thankful that we tried to teach our children (from early on) that they weren't going to get everything they wanted, every part they tried out for, every grade they expected. We taught them life wasn't fair but it didn't matter because God wants our best and that will always be good enough. It doesn't make things easier to take, but knowing that God has our BEST in mind, and He works through all things, and He works before us, with us and after us...well, it is comforting and gives me hope.

I can't wait to hug my son, and of course, Katelyn too. He's made every effort to be with us every single Christmas, well, except the first one when he was due, and I'm ready for us all to be in the same house again.

Quote of the Day

Cam: Mom, you know I want to be a spy, right?

Me: Yes.

Cam: You know Colton? Colton Babb in my class?

Me: Yes.

Cam: He wants to be one too. Where do we sign up for that?

Giving Thanks

November has been busy and I haven't taken time to post much. We've been going to basketball games to cheer on Sheridan, Richard has been traveling, and I've been shopping for Christmas as much as possible so I won't have to do much in December! We all looked forward to going to Mountain Home to be with my mom and dad and be THANKFUL for our many blessings! 

There's always going to be challenges packing and traveling with 8 people, finding a place for all those people to sleep, keeping everyone getting along and loving each other...but it's worth it when Mom tears up and tells us it's her highlight of the holiday. I'm not sure how many more years we can get everyone over the hills to MH, but I'm glad we got to be there this Thanksgiving. 

Another highlight, getting to see where Becky lives. She is my dearest friend and lives in the beautiful woods of Marion County. We weren't in a hurry to get home, so we were able to drive to see where she calls home. I love this precious friend and her woodland home is so beautiful. 

GOTCHA DAY!

NOVEMBER 6th. The day it became official that Jordan and Cameron would be ours. It's only been TWO years! They've lived with us three. It's kind of amazing! Our lives would be VERY SMALL without the addition of them to our family. Blending families is not easy, but the blessings far outweigh the difficulties. We laugh more, we see more, we think more and we do more with them than we would if they weren't here.

Today is election day in the USA and an HISTORIC vote is taking place.

No doubt here who wins here: family.

Fastest 8 hours...

We all anxiously awaited a call from Ryan on Thursday night. It was to be a 15 second call to say "GO," or "NO" which means he would have to recycle the first phase of his training. The call came in around 11:15 Georgia time and Kate called us to say he was a "GO!"

He passed his first phase, and was to be picked up on Friday for an 8 hour pass. SO thankful Kate is in Georgia to pick him up, take him to get supplies, food, laundry done and some sleep. We listened to him for about 30 minutes during the day. I've never been so encouraged about something so hard!

Ryan is EXACTLY where he wants to be. He told us that when he was in school in Fayetteville he would wake up and wonder what it would be like to wake up at Ranger School. All the physical training he has been doing for the last years has been leading up to this extreme challenge. He has made friends, he has kept his cool during the lack of sleep and food times and has a laminated card with verses in his front pocket.

He now moves to the "mountain phase" and may get to contact Kate at the end of the month. We are SO THANKFUL for his wonderful wife who is so supportive and loving and strong for him! If all goes as we expect, graduation is December 9th.

Still praying...

9am EST

9:01am EST

3:30pm CST

4:45pm EST

To remember...or not

Things I hope my kids remember:
Birthday parties
Playing games
Our Christmas trees
The love Richard and I have for one another
Nerf gun wars
Picking peaches at the orchard
Hot chocolate in the winter
Spotting the most colorful trees in the fall
Going to Razorback games as a family
Going to church together
Going to Grandma & Grandpa's for Christmas
Playing with cousins on holidays
The 2 summers we had a pool
Bible verses

Three things I hope my kids forget when they're older:

1. When I yell.
2. When I lose it.
3. How much we watch tv.