Tales to Tell

Recovery

2010-02-19T10:05:00.009-05:00

Well, I can mark off one more thing I did while my husband was deployed: foot surgery. I sit here laid up on the couch thinking of all the things I could be doing. So for me this is very fustrating watching eveyone else do things for me. I do not like losing control. :) My Aunt decided to come up to visit while I had my surgery and help out. She will be here for the next 3 weeks. Hopefully by then I will be up and about and feeling no pain.

The meds make me feel drowsy and sick to my stomach. There is no way I will allow anything to come up through my mouth so I just rexlax, pray, and take some deep breath. I can feel my foot starting to throb a bit and don't look forward to when the real pain sets in.

The kids are being very helpful and caring. They have been busy playing games, cooking, cleaning, laundry, and grocery shopping with Aunt Mel and laughing up a storm. I cannot help but laugh myself.

So here I lay on the couch watching everyone else do stuff. I know I should not be complaining about this but it is so hard for me to sit still. :) After a week or so of this I may just go mad. Thank goodness the kids are older and are able to do dishes and everything.

I did make things easy for them and prepared all the meals for the next three weeks. Most of the prep work has been done and most of the meat has been cooked. All they have to do is follow the menu and pull out the right meat. Feels good to have it all done. I use to do this when I was homeschooling and it made life so much easier. The hard part is cooking all the meat in advance. I came home last Friday and cooked about 6+ pounds of chicken, 4 pounds of turkey burger, 4 pounds of turkey susage, and pre made chicken pot pie, and twice baked potatoes. It was a long night. Usually, Hubby helps me with all this but with him deployed it was up to the kids to help out a bit. They worked the sealer bags and labeled the food. :)

I will do this all over in a couple of weeks in preparation for Marlins 2 week R&R. This way I am not stuck in the kitchen and we can spend more time as a family playing games and just being together. We only have about 40 days left and he should be home. CANNOT WAIT.

Until next time........

Fort Drum Mountaineers

2009-12-13T19:27:00.003-05:00

Below is a little video of Tyrin's football season.
Enjoy

Time for an Update

2009-12-12T18:38:00.011-05:00

Well, hello everyone! I cannot believe it has been five months since my last update. My kids are constantly after me to write on my blog. So this entry is for my children.....

My last entry was right before Marlin left for his year deployment to Afghanistan. He has been gone since July 10th and the kids and I are doing fine. There are days that are harder than others but we also know this time apart will not last forever.

To help the time pass by quickly we try to stay busy. Maybe what I should be saying is, "If you want time to pass you by sign up for football". Tyrin decided that he wanted to try out for the Fort Drum football team and so I signed him up. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. He started the season with a one week summer camp in July. I was using this as a test to see if this was something he really wanted to do. Well, if I thought he would change his mind; I was sadly mistaken. He was more excited than ever.

You should have seen me at Dicks Sporting Goods trying to buy football equipment. I was clueless to the items that Tyrin needed. I mean really.....why would a football player need a girdles? Isn't that something women wear? How tight is tight? Oh, and how about the cup? How is that suppose to fit? I mean really. lol In the end I managed to get him everything he needed with the assistance of some very helpful customers.

August 3rd, began his two hour, weekly practice schedule. We learned quickly that he needed to eat at least an hour before practice. We also learned that you shouldn't drink 48 oz of Gatorade in an hour and then run suicides. lol

The season was only suppose to last until the beginning of November. However, this team did so well that they made it all the way to the Eastern Division Championship game in NJ undefeated the week before Thanksgiving. They may not have won the game but in my eyes they overcame much more. This team if very unique because they are a team of military dependents. Not to mention the majority of the Dad’s are deployed. No matter what school the kids go to, if they live on Fort Drum they are required to play on the Fort Drum team. The kids on the team attend three different schools and come together every night and form a bond that was essentially unstoppable.

Tyrin usually played left defensive tackle but would also fill in anywhere on the defensive line if needed. I watched Tyrin gain more and more confidence each time he played. It was a bittersweet experience because Marlin wasn't here to watch his son play. I tried to take lots of video but I am not sure how much of it was of the sky or ground. :)

I have to say I really enjoyed watching Tyrin play however, sitting in 30 degree weather to do so was not my idea of fun. We learned many tricks to staying warm for a game. Next year, Daddy gets to experience that. Now, do I tell him our little tricks or let him figure them out on his own. lol

Not Ready!

2009-07-09T09:02:00.003-04:00

Well, the time is approaching rather quickly. I know I am not ready for the changes that the next year hold, but knowing God is by my side will make the difference. Tonight is Marlin's last night in the house. I feel like since we moved up to NY life has moved on to fast. It has been one thing after another. Not only will I take the next year to put our priorities in line but I will ultimately do it alone. I know I am not completely alone as I still have three children here with me but with them going to public school in the fall the house is going to be to quite. I am not good with quite on a daily basis -- makes my mind wonder and allows the devil to pry on my fears.

I am going to miss my husband very much. I will even miss the disagreements where I am usually right and well he isn't. Ok, there have been a few times when he was right but how can I admit that to him. LOL I will miss his smirky little grin and those dimples... or wrinkles they have become. I will miss our late night chats and banter. I will miss having him by my side in church! Most of all I will miss the way he holds me tight and kisses me goodnight.

As the days approach, I pray that God will wrap my family in his protection and hold us tight. I pray he will give us comfort like only he can. I pray that he gives me the strength to help my children through this time in our lives. I pray for patience as the Lord knows I need now more than ever. The courage to face all that is ahead. I pray that he walks with my husband as he embarks on this path. That as a soldier of God he will make a difference where ever he may go. I pray that God would give Marlin strength and protection as he does the job that he LOVES. I pray that God would give him courage and direction as he leads his men. Above all Lord protect him and bring him home safe. In your heavenly name....Amen.

Game Time!

2009-05-09T15:29:00.011-04:00

It has been many years since Marlin and I have allowed the kids to play sports. I think it may be like 6 -7 years. We decided a while ago that we didn't want to be running around and pressuring our children to play sports. We thought we would wait until they showed an interest and than do what we can to make it possible. Well, that time has come. Trey has expressed an interest in playing baseball for the last couple of months. I found him a team that plays off post, in a little community called Black River. There are a total of 4 teams and they will play each other till the end of June. Trey only had 2 practices before the game today.

He was very excited and couldn't wait to get on the field. He actually has a very strong desire to be a pitcher. However, due to the age group (8-12 year old) he was told he probably wouldn't be able to pitch. Coach started Trey on third base and he did awesome. I am telling you he total surprised his dad and me. For him just to get out there and give it a try really made me proud. Especially, since the last time he played ball with a team was when he was 4 or 5 years old. I am not sure what inning it was but I saw Coach take Trey to the side and had him throw some pitches. I thought surely they aren't going to let him pitch......but they did.

Trey getting ready to pitch!

I will admit it brought a tear to my eye. To see my son get a chance to do something that he wanted to do was just plain cool. He looked so happy to be on pitcher mound. He was able to throw some strikes and he only hit one boy (not on purpose and he does feel bad about that). He looked really good standing up there. He has a lot of practice to do but I know if it is something he wants to do he will work at it.

I would have to say the best thing we ever did for our family was to stop all the activities and running around when the kids were younger. They are now at the age that if they really want it they are more focused and are willing to work hard to achieve their goals. I am looking forward to supporting them all in their future endeavors.

The Castle Ball

2009-05-02T10:07:00.019-04:00

Well, yesterday I realized that there are some things in life I am just no good at. For example, I spent all day Thursday trying to figure out what to do with my hair for the ball. No matter what I tried it just didn't look right. I was so frustrated. Then after heading to New Attitudes Spa and Salon for a much needed eye brow wax it hit me. There are people in this world with gifts that I don't have, I will never have, and never care to have. So after getting in my car to drive home I put it in reverse and went back in and made an appointment for a updo. Amazingly enough they actually had an appointment for Friday afternoon. When I got there on Friday for my appointment the lady asked me if I had any ideas of what I wanted her to do. I said, "No, at this point I am so out of my element that you can do what every you want just make it look nice and make it last all night". LOL She was like no problem, I love doing stuff like this. God bless her, because I could never create what she was able to. The kids couldn't believe that that was my hair.

So, with my hair done, all I had to do was paint my nails and do my make-up. By 4:30 pm I was slipping into my dress and putting on my heels. I felt like such a princess. LOL I felt so pretty. Not to mention my date looked pretty hot too. Something about a man in uniform. This man in particular makes my heart melt. :) With us dressed and ready to go, Cheyenne took charge of the camera and started the photo session. Some of the pictures didn't take really well, but we will work on that for the next dance. LOL For some reason the camera made a lot of the pictures grainy. No, big deal.

I was getting a little nervous as we headed to the ball. Well, it was my first ball. We have never been with a Battalion that had a ball before. So for Marlin and I this was the first. It won't be the last because from what we heard this Battalion likes to have balls. The next one is slotted for when the guys get back next year. So, that means I have one year to fit into the other dress I have. LOL

I will tell you once we got there and I saw what some of the other wives were wearing all my nervousness went away. I couldn't believe some of the men would let their wives walk out of the house wearing what they had on. First of all this was a formal......dress code: below the knee or to the floor gown. Some of the ladies had on short (above the thigh), see through, and even dress pants. Some of the ladies had huge tattoos over their entire body, piercings all over, and some just looked down right trashy. I had to laugh at the ladies who were pregnant. It was like they tired to squeeze their now body into a dress made for their before body. It was a sight. Now, I the majority age of Marlin's Battalion is between the age of 18 and 25. That could explain a lot. LOL

Needless to say, once again I didn't really have the opportunity to meet anyone that was my age or with children the same age as ours. We were seated a table with 3 of Marlin's soldiers 2 of which were single and one young married couple. With the majority of the company being so young a lot of them are just beginning to have families or are still in the party mode. Marlin and I are so different than we were 13 years ago. I am sure I will make connections soon. I must be patient.
We spent the evening listening to speeches, traditions, and enjoying some good food. The formal part of the ball was over around 9:30 and the dancing began. At this point Marlin and I were just sitting around the table by ourselves. I told him I wanted to dance and he wasn't sure. I had to coax him a bit but finally he got up and shook his thing on the dance floor. LOL It was so funny because I have never really seen him dance. I really don't care to dance but give me a line dance and I am in. LOL They played a lot of dance club music that I am not familiar with but we danced and worked up a sweat. :) It was all good. I love him for just getting up with me instead of sitting around the table all night (that would have been boring). It would have been a lot different if we had made some friends before attending the ball and were able to hang out there with them, but that's not what happened so we just enjoyed each other's company.
Around 11:30pm we headed home to the kids. They were still awake but clearly very tired. We tucked them in, prayed with them and I think before we turned out their lights they were asleep. LOL It has been so weird being able to go out and have a date with my husband without children. It has taken me some time to get use to this new way of life, but the kids are older now and with that comes some freedom.

7th Engineer Battalion Castle Ball

630th Clearance Company

Some things are meant to change.

2009-04-30T22:46:00.012-04:00

Well, the kids are registered for fall classes at Carthage Central High/Middle School. This was not a decision that I took lightly by any means. I was actually quite shocked when Cheyenne mentioned that she had been thinking about attending public school. All these thoughts started going through my head. Yes, all the self-doubt notions. I am very pleased that Cheyenne opened up and expressed her feelings to her dad and me. I know it wasn’t easy for her to tell her mommy that she wanted a new teacher. LOL

From the very beginning, I have told the kids that when they were ready to go to pubic school they could. As long as the school was acceptable. Of course, with Cheyenne toying with the idea of attending high school, I opened the discussion with the boys. It was a very funny conversation. Trey’s first response when I told him Cheyenne was thinking about going to public school he called her a “Traitor”. LOL Then his next question was would he have to be in the same class as his brother. I told him I wasn’t sure but probably not. His response was “YESSSS”! Of course he wanted to know if he would get his own locker.

When I talked to Tyrin about the whole idea his first response was, “Don’t you want me to stay home with you, Mommy”? I told him I wanted him not to worry about me but to tell me what he wanted. His next question was, “Will I have to be in the same class as Trey”? I said, “No”. He said, “YESSSS”! Of course the next thing he asked was if he was getting his own locker. Cheyenne and I about fell on the floor because those two boys are so much alike.

I told the kids that we should pray about the decision and after spring break I would call the school and see about getting a tour and an appointment to meet with the guidance counselor. On Friday, of last week the boys and I sat down with the middle school counselor and learned about the different classes that the middle school offers. They also had the opportunity to walk around the school for a tour. They were pretty excited. Cheyenne had to wait until this past Monday to meet with the high school guidance counselor. She was so excited. I could see that she was not going to decided to stay home another year. They counselor sat her down and did a four year plan with her. She basically picked her classes for the fall and the only thing holding her back was me putting the registration paperwork in. The thing the school has that I cannot provide is theater and sports.

If the laws up here weren’t so strict; and if the kids could participate in the school sports nothing would have changed. However, I know that they want to make new friends and I believe that God will watch over them and allow them to be a light. As weird as it may sound, there are not many kids where we are. Yes, we live on a military post and yet we cannot find the kids. Mind you there are little kids but not many their age. We just have to give it some more time.

Like I said before, this was not an easy decision. However, with God’s help I will make it though this transition. I love being with my kids and enjoy homeschooling them and I never really thought the day would come when they would want to go back to school. Things change. LOL I think I may be experience some abandonment issues. LOL Especially since Marlin will be deploying and the kids will be heading off to school. What will I do? I will be alone for the first time in 13 years. OH MY!!! That thought scares the day lights out of me. I know I will eventually get use to it. LOL For starters the idea is to go back to school myself and finish my degree. Only have 12 classes left for my BS degree.

Well, I better head off to bed. It is getting late and tomorrow is the military ball. I also have to register my baby for football…….why did he have to choose football. They run into each other. LOL Tyrin better run fast and never let anyone touch him. LOL

Below are the lyrics to a song Cheyenne shared with me. She was trying to explain to me why she wanted to go to public school and she told me to listen to this song. It broke my heart. I love you Cheyenne!

"Let Go" Check out the video:

Changing,Everywhere I am
I been stuck in a rut,
I been caught upYeah, it happens fast
Moving,
To where I wanna begin
I wanna find new life and see new eyes
And breathe again
(I'm gonna) stop now, take a breathIt's all so crazy

[Chorus:]

But I'm ready to let go
Looking forward to don't know
Forget about yesterday, get away
And live in the right now
Yeah, I'm ready to let go
And I'm ready follow
Anywhere the road bends
Where it ends I don't know
So let go

Oh, we live in the future
We got our regrets
Cause we don't live in
The present tense
(It's) hectic in my mind
(Gonna) leave it behind

[Chorus]

Don't wanna over think it
Don't worry so much
Gonna live this life
And not lose touch
I'm gonna let go

[Chorus]

Date Night

2009-04-28T22:57:00.018-04:00

This past Thursday, Marlin and I had a so called date night. It was a little work related but in the end we were out together with no kids. Therefore, must have been a date. LOL

Marlin’s company was hosting an 80’s and below Spring Dance. I was initially going to do the whole poodle skirt thing but with the Military Ball a week after I wanted to keep the cost to a minimum. I’ve never attended a function like this and was afraid I would be the only one dressed up. So, I opted for the 80’s theme. Didn’t want to venture to far out of my comfort zone. Plus, I thought this shouldn’t be a problem since I lived through the 80’s. All I had to do was think about all the things I wore back in jr./high school. You know the MC Hammer pants, bunchy socks, florescent belts, jellies, bracelets, and don’t forget the faded/torn jeans. If only I would have held on to all my old clothes (provided I didn’t have children and weigh more) I could have worn them. The amazing thing is all these things are back in fashion now and you can buy it anywhere. So I decided that the History lesson for the day would be shopping for 80’s clothes. The boys had fun for a little while but after about an hour and 4 stores they were done. Cheyenne on the other hand was trying to pick out things that she knew she could wear as well. She would say, “Mom, it’s ok if you don’t want it anymore. I will gladly take it off your hands when you are done with it”. Wasn’t that nice of her?

It would only be fitting that I found just the right clothes at the same place I use to shop 20 odd years ago…The DEB Shop. So with much help from my children, who encouraged this way too much, here we are some pics from our Oldies Date Night. Cheyenne was our photographer for the evening.

The dance itself was a lot of fun. I even managed to Marlin to dance with me. Yes, he got up and did the twist. Mind you a man with a bad back should't really do this dance as we discovered. We both laughed so hard. We also slowed dance together for the first time in about 13 years. Way to long.

This Friday is the ball so I cannot wait to dance some more.

By the way the shirt Marlin is wearing his daughter picked out for him. It says,"Kicking it Old School". LOL She can get her dad to wear anything. LOL

Finally Connected Again

2009-04-03T21:51:00.006-04:00

Well, we are finally finished moving around. I don't think I will get all the boxes unpacked as fast as I did the first time though. Starting to think maybe it could be part of my new decor. LOL

Life up here in New York is good. It has been an adjustment for me living this close to army life once again but it is much better than living alone. We really haven’t met anyone yet except for people at church and our neighbors. I actually attended a Women’s Conference last week and was determined to meet some moms with older children but that didn’t happen at all. It seems everyone is just having babies and I am so done with that. LOL For the most part the kids are adjusting well. I know it hasn't been easy for them and they are so eager to make new friends.
We have come to realize that there may be some big changes taking place in the next couple of months. I have always told the kids that when they are ready or want to go to public school that they could. Well, Cheyenne has voiced that concern to us and in the process have her brothers thinking as well. If we were living in Maryland that wouldn’t even be an option but up here in NY there isn’t a lot of support for homeschoolers. There are no local co-ops that I can find and the Homeschooling laws here are pretty strict. Before any one else says it ….I don’t want to start one. LOL Been there done that!

I know I could teach them and manage for the next couple years but I also have to listen to what my children are asking. The biggest thing is they want to play sports and meet new people. The youth services don’t offer sports for the teens because they don’t want to compete with the schools. They cannot participate in sports if they are not in the school. It really is a tough situation. I absolutely love to home school (this is our sixth year) and love being with my kids but I have also come to realize that I must listen to what they want as well. So right now we are going to pray about it and after we get back in town we are going to set an appointment up with the school and see about going in and checking out our options. I want us to have all the information before we make a decision. So please pray for God’s guidance on this matter.

Well, like I said we are heading to Pennsylvania tomorrow to see family. This is Marlin’s block leave and we will be going home for him to see family before he heads to Iraq. I am still in denial about the whole thing. I just don’t want to think about. However, our time together is very limited.

Have a Blessed Easter!

Moving Again

2009-03-10T11:14:00.010-04:00

Well, I guess our first home was really temporary since we are moving yet again. As most of you know I do love to move. But usually it is every 3-4 years not every 18-20 days. This is crazy. I just unpacked my last box on the 27th of February and received a call from Fort Drum on the 3rd of March informing us of a house on post. There was no way for us to say no. When we walked in we couldn’t believe this was government housing. It was so beautiful and brand new. Did I mention beautiful? I am so excited to move into this house which is clean, pet free, and a front porch. The new place has a living room, dining room, a family room, a kitchen (with an island and lots of counter space), 4 bedrooms, 2 ½ bathrooms, a two car garage, laundry room, computer room, and spacious closets. I couldn’t be happier. I even told my husband I could live here forthe next 5 years or so. LOL Scary to think of moving from this house to dump we just came from. Cheyenne said it best, “Mom, we don’t have to share a house with other peoples germs. Our germs are the first ones here”. LOL Once we are settled again, I will post some more pictures. Picture on the left is the new house we have the side with the large front porch.

Well as for life here in New York…..it is good. We like the area and things are looking up. We found some really good restaurants and have realized the mom and pop ones are the best. We like to drive around and explore. On February 28th the kids wanted to go and do something. Really they just wanted to get out of the house. Cheyenne could not make up her mind so Trey made the decision and we headed to the New York State Zoo at Thompson Park (just up the road). Let me start by saying Trey hates being cold. The kid would much rather be in the south then to be in the snow up here in New York. Nevertheless, he decided on the zoo. It would have been fine any other day except that day it was only five degrees out. So here we are all bundled up with gloves, hats, scarves, coats with layers of clothes underneath, and hand warmers. We must have looked like true out-of-towners. We were so cold. The animals were so cold they were shivering. Cheyenne probably complained the most followed by the rest of us. Trey to our utter surpise didn't complain once. Trey was enjoying himself and didn’t seem to mind the cold like he usually does. It was so funny.

There weren’t that many animals out but we did get to see the zoo’s new additions: the white wolf and black wolf. From a distance we could seem them huddled together trying to stay warm, so I thought. That really wasn’t why they were so close. As we walked around the fence they walked up to us and were still very close but for another reason……yes, my children had a short class on animal reproduction that day. Not the zoo trip I was looking for. LOL

We also explored Sackets Harbor, which is very small. It sits right on the Lake Ontario. You could see the guys on the ice fishing. It is a whole other world up here. We have also had our fill of snow since being here. Some of the piles are bigger than Tyrin. Lately, the snow has started to melt and the other day it was actually 59 degrees. It was definitely warm enough to put on a sweatshirt with no coat.

I would also like to let you all know we have found a church home after three weeks of trying. We have settled in at Cornerstone Family Worship Center in Watertown, NY. We really felt a sense of peace and comfort when we walked into the building. We were actually invited out to lunch with the pastor and his family on the first day there. We spent about 3 hours with them and just felt welcomed. There was only one other kid besides our three in the Sunday school class this past week. However, they enjoyed the lesson and structure. Marlin attended his first ever men’s breakfast on Saturday and had a great time. It was good for him to get to know the other guys in the church. Next month there are having a dinner and a movie and will be watching “Fireproof”. He is planning to attend.

Things are just really falling into place here. Trying to spend time together as a family and get settled before Marlin gets deployed. Not looking forward to that day and in a way I am still in denial about it. I don’t like to talk about it because I just want to be a family without the added stress.

Let me take just a moment and thank you for your prayers this past month. Our prayer request now is for our children to meet some good friends and to have nice neighbors. Oh, did I forget to mention we are the only ones moved in so far and we don’t have a neighbor as of yet. What is God trying to tell me? LOL

I better run and get my house somewhat organized before the movers arrive tomorrow.

Blessings Everyone!

Oh, on a side note if you were wondering if our stuff made it in one piece to New York the answer is NO. We had a lot of things broken including our bed and desk. We also had 9 of our Wii games stolen. The funny thing is the person who stole it was in a hurry and didn't notice that three of the games he took were system games. Yes, looks like we will be getting a new Wii Fit, Wii system, and Outdoor Challege in addition to the other games they took. Let me just say it would have been cheaper for the movers to break our piano than all the other stuff they broke.

WE FOUND A TEMPORARY HOME

2009-02-14T19:55:00.007-05:00

Guess what.....we have found a home. It has been a very stressful time but knowing we will have a place to live next week is such an answer to prayer. Thank you everyone! It will cost us more than we really wanted to pay but we know it is only for a short time. The places we have looked at were not worth it. One was so gross the kids and I thought we would be sick. The funny thing is the realtor that showed it tried to tell us it was clean. It had a fly strip hanging in the corner of the living room and beer cans in the storage area. Not our idea of home sweet home. LOL So off to the next house and while that one was clean it had gas wall heaters. When we left we had a headache and smelled. Decided right there that was not the house for us either.

Yesterday; we went and took a look-see at a townhouse in a development. It turned out to be old military housing that was off post. It was nice but we weren't 100% sold. The kids were already making their plans and with 4 bedrooms the boys were happy. Who was going to sleep where and all that. So we hop in the car and drive to yet another house.

We were a little early for that appointment so we stopped at a gas station for a snack. Turns out they had local homemade ice cream. The kids just had to have ice cream.....they have been going through withdraws since leaving Grandma's. LOL So there we sat eating ice cream in about 20 degree weather.

Once we were all finished with our cones we went to check out the last house on the list. Turns out to be an old house with a leaky basement and only 3 bedrooms. The house was cold and dust not to mention we would have to use the bedroom on the first floor for all our stuff we stored in the garage making the kids share one room. There was also the issue of doing wash in the basement. I hate unfinished basements that have cob webs hanging from the beams. It wasn't my cup of tea at 12 and it isn't now.

So after some thought (not much) we decided on the townhouse that was willing to do a month-to-month lease. They were even willing to wait and hold the place for us until next week with a deposit of course. Hopefully our household goods can be delivered on Thursday or Friday.

So things are looking up. Tomorrow we are going to church at the same one we tried on Wednesday to see how service and Sunday school is. This I know will be hard for Cheyenne and I am preparing myself for the heartache. All we want more than anything is to find a church home. So please continue to pray that we will find where we need to be to grow closer in Christ.

Oh I almost forgot to tell you.... the townhouse we will be moving into has well.....no neighbor. LOL The other half of our duplex we will be moving into is empty. What is up with that? I am sure it will have a tenant soon but it is pretty funny.

Blessings

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours" (Mark 11:24)

Sometimes easier said than done.

Ramblings from Cheyenne

2009-02-11T21:32:00.006-05:00

Today we tried a new church. It was very interesting. I had to choose between Friends or youth small groups. The small groups are held at one of the youth’s homes every week so I chose Friends. The lady's name who taught the friends class was Ms. Diane!!! They where even working on the prayer unit. I thought that was funny and that was probably the highlight of the evening. I even know how Chloe felt since I was the only one in my class. There was this circus going on at one of the schools and there was a heavy fog so it was very empty. Knowing me the night would not have been complete without crying. When the lady went out to check on the other groups, I think for collecting offering and that stuff like Ms. Juli does, I lost it. It was just so different. The church was small, I met no one, and I kept thinking about Maryland. We are going to try the church again on Sunday and see what we think of that. Trey and I are also going to try their youth group called Unashamed.

MISS U ALL BUNCHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

~Cheyenne

Well what more can I say......Tonight was HARD! So much is going on and so much for me to process. Marlin can home today and mentioned the dreaded word "DEPLOYMENT". Yes, he is going to go away for a year in the very near future. His company told him to get his family in order and well how do you do that when we are living in a hotel. Made two phone calls today about a house but haven't heard anything back. I even went as far as posting a request on Craigslist. This is the part of ARMY life I dislike.

Church was the straw that broke the camels back you could say. The boys had a good time, of course. Cheyenne on the other hand not so much. All she wanted to do was meet some new friends and being the only girl that didn't happen. It was hard to see her cry. I cannot stand to see my children sad or upset. As their mom I just want to fix everything and there are some things I just cannot make better. The church itself was smaller than we are use to but the people were very friendly. We met the pastor and he reminds us of a big Teddy Bear. LOL The whole experience made us miss our church family in Maryland... you guys will forever be in our hearts. It also made me think a lot about the our Friends class back in MD. Cheyenne and I started talking about all the little things we missed....the fun, personalities, the expressions, and of course dodgeball.

We have decided to go back on Sunday and check out Sunday School and Service. We will also go back for evening service as well.

Please continue to pray for us and that we find a home soon. Homeschooling in the hotel is not my idea of fun. Oh and by the way the weather has been really weird here. Can you believe tonight it was 44 degrees. The snow is melting like crazy. They say the snow is coming.....will let you know if it does.

Chel

Welcome to New York

2009-02-09T20:28:00.007-05:00

Well, we made it. We only had to pull over twice for potty breaks.....let me just say it wasn't the kids or I who had to go! It was a beautiful drive and will be even better when we travel the roads in the fall.

So I guess you could say we are officially living in New York now. Even if it is Guest Lodging. We arrived yesterday evening and the excitement in the kids' voices was refreshing. We are looking forward to the new adventures that God has for us. The snow isn't as high as we thought it would be. Turns out they had some rain in the last couple of days and the weather has been warmer (as if 30 degrees is warm) than usual causing the snow to melt. Today it actually reached 40 but quickly dropped to the 20's when the sun went down. Oh and guess what we even saw three deer. I am certain they followed us from Maryland. LOL We also saw a number of wild turkey. At one point we had to stop in the road o let them cross.

We spent the day driving around and looking at the post, it is pretty large. We can already sense a difference in the attitudes of those around us. Soldiers and family first......what is that like.
Trey helped navigate us around. He got us a little lost but was able to get us to the library eventually. Yes, my kids wanted to know what the library looked like. They were a little disappointed. Ok, Cheyenne wants me to rephrase that.....a HUGE disappointment. Yes, they are reading over my shoulder and the need for accuracy is driving them nuts.
The library is rather small and not what they are used to. It will have to do for now. There is a movie theater that actually has new movies playing for kids and the entire family. There are also lots of snow activities nearby. The kids want to go skiing so we will have to check that out as well.

We ventured into Watertown for dinner and found the MALL! Cheyenne is happy....KOHLS here she comes. LOL The boys could care less.

Cheyenne wants me to note her disclaimer....."I do not love NY........yet!" She needs some time.

Oh my!

2009-01-26T12:31:00.002-05:00

Ok, the movers are here. My question is why are there only two men. Where is the rest of the packing team. I have never experienced this before. I am starting to worry just a little bit. The way he is throwing my stuff in a box is driving me nuts. Don't want to tick anyone off becuase I want my stuff to make it to NY. AHHHH! Can you believe Jr. is upstairs helpding the other guy pack up the boys room. Yes, he is filling boxes. LOL

Pray for us!

MOVING TIME

2009-01-26T10:15:00.005-05:00

Well, as you can tell it has been a while since I updated last. Things got really crazy at the beginning of January. I am sitting here waiting for the movers as I type. I sure hope they haven’t forgotten about us! That would not be cool.

Our family had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed every minute of it in Pennsylvania. The kids liked the idea of coming home to Maryland after Christmas because they had presents waiting for them. Of course, it was the standard underwear and socks. Ok, that’s not all they got. Cheyenne got a camera which she was really excited about. She has taken pictures non stop, especially with the upcoming move. Looks like I will have to share my scrapbooking space with her after all. There goes my alone time.

Trey received a software program to work with his green screen. He likes messing around with videos and so forth. The kids were actually working on a project for their God and Church medal and put together a cool video. Trey still needs to add some background, credits, and music. When he gets it finished I will have to upload it. You will roll!

Tyrin got a Mega Blok castle set. He loves to build and play with that sort of stuff. For a little person he sure does make a BIG mess. We have to stay on him to clean up or we would have LEGOs all over the house. Let’s just say that Trey is looking forward to having his own room.

This past Sunday, was our last Sunday service at our church. It was bitter sweet. We have grown very close to many people and it will be hard to say good-bye this Wednesday. I know for a fact Cheyenne will be a mess which in turn will make me a mess. I hate to see my kids sad and upset. I am sure all you mothers can empathize.

I just want to send out a little shout to our Fiends here in Maryland....Thank you! Thank you for being a friend and helping us in our walk of faith. You have been a blessing to us and our children. Our family has made some everlasting friendships.

To the friends we will meet…we are ready!

On that note, I want to ask you all to pray for us as we begin our new adventure. Pray that we will have safe travels through the snow and that when we get there housing will be available. Pray for our sanity as our accommodations in NY will be a one bedroom box. Pray that we find a new church family quickly and the kids make new everlasting friendships.

So until we get resettled in NY…………
God Bless

Christmas Letter 2008

2009-01-03T14:57:00.001-05:00

For those of you who didn't receive our Christmas Letter this year check out the following link to read it now.

http://www.geocities.com/chelleebean/index.html?1231012493379

My Holiday Joy

2008-12-23T08:47:00.002-05:00

Well, I think I am ready to celebrate the birth of our Savior. My house may not be the cleanest, the beds are not made, the bathrooms could use a little elbow grease and the carpet could use some TLC, but does all that really matter? I am looking forward to spending Christmas with family and reflecting on God's gracious love.

This past Sunday in church, our pastor was talking about "JOY" and what brings us joy. Well, I have to say the one thing during this Holiday season that brings me the greatest joy is going to Christmas Eve service with my Mom. Over the years there have been times when I wasn't able to go to service with my mom but just being at a Christmas Eve service where ever we happen to be living always made be feel like we were together.

Another reason I love Christmas Eve is the singing of the last song, "Silent Night." This song always brings a tear to my eye. It is a beautiful song but for me it is more than that. Growing up I have the greatest memory of my mom singing to my brother and I that very song. I can picture myself on the bunk bed right now with my mom right there. I am tearing up just thinking about it. Mom you are the greatest!!

This will be our last Christmas home for a couple of years as we are heading to Fort Drum, NY. I heard they have lots of snow so I don't think we will be driving anywhere during the holiday season. However, you can guarantee that I will be at a Christmas Eve service somewhere.

God Bless and have a joyous Holiday with your family and make lasting memories!

Merry Christmas!

Our Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

2008-12-15T10:10:00.019-05:00

We normally put our tree up the weekend that follows Thanksgiving. This year has been a little different. We actually just put our sad, little tree up last night. The tree is a little joke in our family. I bought this tree in 2004 when Marlin left for Iraq. By the looks of the box it would be perfect, right? Looks like a really full tree. Not even close.

This tree is so sad looking. You can see through every layer and the ornaments make the branches droop. Therefore, we decided to only put the ornaments that my Aunt sends us year after year along with the one Hallmark ornament I buy. The height of the tree is not what is declared on the box. Marlin is 6 ft. and he is clearly taller than the tree. We have decided as a family this will be the last year we are putting our Charlie Brown tree up. He is going to a better place........the dump. Ok, not the dump since that wouldn't be safe for the environment. We will take it to the Thrift Store or find a new home for it. As sad of a tree that it is.....it still serves the purpose with a little humor.
While decorating our Christmas tree we had to take a break and have a little snack. Trey and his Dad made Rice Krispies Treats earlier. We also opened a Christmas present from our friends and put it on top of the treats. YUMMY!

Thank you Sowers Family for the delicious peanut butter. I had to put the jar away or else the family would have licked the jar clean.

This was a great way to end the day after church. Church reminded us what the true meaning of Christmas really is and how important it to make sure that our children know that as well. When I asked the kids what Christmas means to them they all said, "It is the day that God sent his only son to walk on this earth and save us from our sin even though HE already knew Jesus would die in the end." I always smile when Cheyenne says to us, "Think about it...we will never really die and we will live forever.....doesn't that just make your brain hurt. Think about it, we will live forever with Jesus." It truly is Amazing.

Christmas isn't about getting lots of presents for them. It is about something much, more.

Cleaning Up

2008-12-14T23:15:00.008-05:00

Well, I am almost done. I have been busy cleaning out every room upstairs in anticipation for our big move. This will be our seventh move with the Army and I have learned many lessons along the way. I started with Cheyenne's room and made it through there pretty quick. The boys, well that was another story. Tyrin gets so sidetracked. I tell hi m to sort, he plays. I tell him to clean something up, he disappears. In the end, we got the room cleaned out and I worked my way to the game closet and my bedroom. The bedroom was all my mess. I had to go through all my clothes. Look at this mess....

I do find myself reminiscing about the past. I find old letters from my husband and letters I sent him when he was in Iraq. You cannot help but stop and read a little of the past. Then you come across old memorabilia and share it with the kids. I love times like these. Don't get me wrong I love to purge as well. This is a benefit of moving with the Army. We are only allowed so many pounds and never have the space to store lots of stuff at our new home. I have learned over the years that if you don't want it, like it, or use it get rid of it. My kids will either turn out to be horders or clean freaks. LOL

Now it is time to direct my attention to the downstairs.

Attention!

2008-12-14T22:56:00.008-05:00

I said.......

Attention Soldier!

Looks to me you soldiers are out of mommy regulation with that haircut!

Ahh... That's more like it!

Aren't my soldiers handsome? Girls stay away, These boys are taken!

Weekend Happenings

2008-12-07T21:20:00.006-05:00

Friday night our children participated in an all night Missions Fundraiser for BGMC (Boys and Girls Missionary Crusade) at our church. They were so excited to stay up all night. Cheyenne and Trey were attending as volunteers and Tyrin was going to participate.

Tyrin raised $164.00 to donate to BGMC. He was very active in asking people to pledge money. He was very excited to ask both our Pastor and his wife. See there was an incentive that the boy or girl with the most money pledged and the most sponsors would win a big prize. When I picked Tyrin up the next morning he told me he won the gift card to Target because he raised the most money. I told him he should give me the card since I donated money as well and then it would be like paying me back. He proceeds to tell me, "Mom, I cannot do that it would be plagiarizing". I couldn't help but chuckle.

Tyrin managed to stay awake until at least 4 am and Cheyenne and Trey stayed awake all night. They were exhausted the next day. The funny thing is... Since we are fixing to move we decided to sell the boys bunk beds and it just so happened the lady was coming on Saturday morning to pick them up. So when the boys come home from church exhausted they didn't have a bed to sleep in. Don't worry their Grandma brought some cots down for them. But don't they look happy. LOL They only need to sleep on them for 53 more days.

Today, was very cold on the way to church. However, it still isn't as cold as it will be in NY when we move. I like to check the weather report on occasion and compare it to where we are going to where we wanted to go. Right now the temperatures are:

WHERE WE ARE: Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD: 25F feels like 12F

WHERE WE WANTED TO GO: Fort Wainwright, AK: -15F feels like N/A (must be cold)

WHERE WE ARE GOING: Fort Drum, NY: 3F feels like -7F

FORT DRUM ISN'T LOOKING TO BAD!

2008-12-04T21:17:00.004-05:00

I told the kids how I started this blog and now they ask me, "Mom, did you blog"? They are so anxious to see what I write about and what pictures I post. Here is one of Cheyenne acting like a nut before bed.

Past to Present

2008-12-04T19:44:00.007-05:00

When I was 14, I had a pair low black moccasins and a pair of brown
moccasins that came up to my knees. I loved them. I would wear them to school quite a bit and even aquired the nickname Cherokee.
Funny, how times change and now look who is wearing my shoes.....

Yes, that would be my 13-year-old daughter. She even wore them to church last night and everyone was commenting on how they loved her shoes.

Wait a minute those are MY shoes.

Ready, Set, Go!!

2008-12-02T15:16:00.003-05:00

Well, I decided it was time to start my own Blog. I've wanted to do this for some time but could never find the right moment to start. Then I had to realize that if I wait for that perfect moment to do anything, I would never accomplish a thing.

Now, I must figure out how to set up my blog. I already managed to delete all my pictures off my computer. Thank goodness for that "undo" button or I would have cried myself to sleep tonight.