I'm Stacy - a disciple of Christ, an Army wife, and a homeschooling mom to our 7 year old daughter. I spend my days doing fun science projects, going on field trips, cooking gluten-free meals, taking photos, reading, blogging & managing the home. I'm constantly behind on scrapbooking and want to learn how to crochet more than scarves, but there are only so many hours in the day.
I believe that shoes should always be optional, life is better at the beach, and chocolate is a necessary food group!
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So I had this post ready to post yesterday, but got busy and forgot to post it You’ll understand why.
Aug. 31, 2010 – Rob was sworn into the Army (again), and left to begin his training as a “prior service” soldier first going to WTC (Warrior Transition Course), and then to AIT (Advanced Individual Training).
He was gone for 5 months. I saw him for a couple weekends during that time.
January 28, 2011 – We moved our family to Fort Bragg, NC
February, 2011 – We spent the month together! Hubby worked ‘normal’ hours.
March 1, 2011 – Hubby left to attend pre-deployment training at JRTC for one month.
April, 2011 – We spent the month together! Hubby worked for 2 weeks, and was off for 2 weeks.
May 17, 2011 – Hubby left for his deployment to Iraq
TODAY – December 22, 2011(also the 11th anniversary of the day he proposed to me!)……
The U.S. troops have exited Iraq and crossed into Kuwait. Watch the video if you haven’t seen it. It’s awesome to see that gate close. The next step is HOME! I am so ready for my husband to be home again. Today marks the 219th day since I have seen him, and the closer we get to him being home, the harder it is to wait! I had prepared myself for a much longer deployment as we were originally told, but ever since Obama announced that they are coming home “by the end of the year” – I have been on pins and needles!
Every time the song “All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth” comes on, Lovebug sings,
“All I want for Christmas is my Daddy!” with a huge smile on her face! She is just giddy with excitement, as am I!
Tonight I told her that the only present I want for Christmas is Daddy, and she replied “That’s one present you can’t unwrap!”.
I had to laugh! Oh, the joys she will one day learn about marriage!
In the meantime, we are keeping busy as we count down the days till his arrival.
Clean house – check.
Welcome home sign made – check.
Laundry done – check.
Groceries purchased for his favorite meal – check.
Clean house again because we’ve lived since the first time – well, not quite ready to check that off, but we are getting there.
Yesterday a good friend of mine had a miscarriage. Recently, Michelle Duggar also had a miscarriage. I know this happens to so many women and it is one thing that as a mere human, I struggle with understanding. I am anti-abortion, but I can grasp that God gives us free will to make choices and deal with the consequences. Infertility is a pain and a heartache I know all too well, but I can even see how God uses that to lead people to adoption, or to other plans He has for them.
I just can’t wrap my head around why a woman would have to find out she is carrying a child, only to lose it before they ever have a chance to meet.
I guess I never will, at least not this side of Heaven.
It is times like this, where I just keep asking “WHY?” that I have to surrender my thoughts to the Lord. I have to choose to trust and believe that He has a better plan and a bigger understanding than I could ever have. I have to rely on my faith.
Isaiah 55:8-9 says,
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
It’s more than just surrendering my understanding to the Lord though. When trials come in our life and we can’t see the plan through the pain, again we must go back to His word.
Romans 5:1-5 says,
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
Rejoice in our suffering? That is hard to comprehend, but indeed God wants us to rejoice – not that we must be excited about our pain, but rather because in our suffering we grow closer to God and we learn to lean on Him which develops our character and refines us so that we can be more like Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says,
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Rejoice when? ALWAYS. Give thanks in ALL circumstances, not just the ones we like. We give thanks because we serve a God that is holy and righteous and GOOD. We rejoice because our Savior Jesus Christ died for our sins so that we can live for all eternity in Heaven with Him.
Life on Earth is complicated and often painful, but it is also temporary. There is something bigger and better awaiting us.
This makes me think of one of my new favorite songs. I heard this a few months ago as I was really struggling with issues of my own. I hope this song speaks to you as strongly as it did to me.
The topic for Day 2 was my “Favorite Christmas Dessert”, and we were supposed to share the recipe. I don’t have a specific recipe, but I do have a dessert tradition that is definitely my favorite to share with you all! Every year at Christmas, we make a “Happy Birthday” cake for Jesus and sing Happy Birthday to Him. Every year we choose a different flavor or shape to keep it interesting. One year was a chocolate cake, another year was a white-chocolate layer cake with fruit, and a few times we’ve used a fun tree-shaped pan I have. I think we need to try a brownie or cookie cake, or maybe this popcorn cake! Doesn’t that look fun?
Lovebug and any other kids that are around get the job of decorating the cake. We use icing, and then an assortment of decorations – sprinkles, chocolate chips, candy coated chocolate candies, coconut – all fun for little hands!
Here is our tree-shaped cake from a couple years ago!
It’s a special tradition and something we all look forward to every year. I love watching my daughter get so excited as she helps me plan and prepare for the most important birthday party of the year!
This week Wives of Faith is hosting a Christmas Blog Carnival! I loved participating in this last year and am excited to do it again because it’s a great way to meet other wives through their blogs.
Today’s topic is: Favorite Christmas Movie
It’s so hard to pick just one favorite, so I’ll have to give you my top 3.
I love to watch this old classic movie every year with my husband! It’s a great story about a man who thought the world would be better off without him, but he was shown how untrue that was. He realizes that even though his dreams for himself didn’t come true, he truly had a wonderful life!
This is just a great classic that I love watching with my daughter. I love the story behind the misfits and the lesson of loving each other for who they are. Plus, it has Burl Ives singing!
This is a fairly new movie, but I love it! It shares the story of the real Saint Nicholas without telling kids that there is no Santa, so it doesn’t “ruin it” for those that still believe. My daughter doesn’t believe in Santa – she just asked so many questions that she learned very early that he wasn’t real, but we love the real story of Saint Nicholas and how the modern Santa is a way for people to carry on Nicholas’ tradition of giving gifts to others anonymously.
December is upon us (did that seem to sneak up on anyone else?), and we are now in the season of Advent. Advent is the time of waiting and preparing to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, on Christmas Day. In order to count down this period of time, our family uses a wooden calendar with little doors that are opened one at a time each day leading up to and including Christmas Day. It was a gift from my parents years ago and one that we treasure still.
We’ve hidden all sorts of things behind the doors – candy, ornaments, pieces of paper with activities to do, pieces of a LEGO set to put together on the last day – all great fun! This year each box holds a mini ornament for Lovebug’s Christmas tree in her room and a piece of paper with a scripture for us to read from her Bible. A few of the days might hold a candy or activity surprise, too!
Lovebug opening door #1 on December 1st:
If you haven’t already started an Advent calendar, it’s not too late! If you don’t have one, you could even make one with envelopes in a basket, each numbered with the dates remaining till Christmas.
If you are interested, here is our list of Bible verses that we are reading each day:
You’ll understand why. 
