Together Again- Eighty-One through Ninety-Three

" Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life." Philippians 2: 15-16a


Friday, November 12th

81) New Beginnings- This blessing is true on so many levels, but today I am looking at it through the eyes of an Army wife. Some people think about the frequent moves related to a military life and see that as a big negative, and honestly, there are moments when I give in to that mindset. Most of the time though, I enjoy the opportunities and new beginnings that come with the moves. Since Drew commissioned just shy of two years ago, I have lived in four different locations (five if you include the place we lived at the time of his commissioning). That fact is a bit extreme even for the Army but occurred because of our circumstances and the fact that Drew had additional, long-term training for his eventual career path with the Army. Living in five locations has allowed me to see some beautiful land and sights and meet some amazing people. We have worshipped with several wonderful church families as well. As we settle in and really begin another chapter of our life in the military, I am enjoying the new scenery and sights, the new culture and foods, the new area to explore and most importantly, the new relationships we are building.


Saturday, November 13th

82) "Mamen" - For the last month or two, Drew and I have been regularly praying with our daughter before every meal and having her repeat "Amen" at the end to let her know the prayer was finished. While the deeper concept hasn't set in, she does know to fold her hands and generally knows she should remain quiet until we say Amen. Just last week, she found a doll that says the common child's evening prayer when you press on it's belly. Our daughter has become attached to this dollie and will often repeat the word Amen after the dollie- except she says "Mamen." So this morning when I set her bowl of oatmeal in front of her, it was so wonderful to see all of the ideas and practice coming together as she immediately folded her hands and said "Mamen." We still have work, but what a start!

83) Little grins- Drew has had a training schedule for the past few weeks which has meant that our daughter has not seen him. Finally after two weeks, they have been reunited and what a wonderful day it was! I have thoroughly enjoyed watching all of her interactions with him. She has this endearing way of tilting her head to the side and shyly grinning at Drew. The look could melt ice in an instant. It is so wonderful to see how strong the bond is between her and Drew despite the period of time they have been separated. I couldn't ask for much more. I am so grateful.


Sunday, November 14th

84) Drew's involvement- After two weeks where our daughter was solely in my care, I could see a difference in her. It was nothing too extreme. She was still a good girl, but there were minor changes. Today during church service, though, I could see the effect that Drew's presence had on her. It was a reminder to me of how thankful I am that Drew desires to be present and involved in her life. I have always felt so strongly about the importance of the presence of both the father and mother, when circumstances allow, but I also know that some people view involvement in difference lights. I am grateful that Drew takes the role he does, especially given the work schedule he has had to maintain thus far during our daughter's lifetime.

85) Each moment and day with Drew- Time is precious. This lesson was one that Drew and I learned early in our relationship, but it is an important one to remember. Military life has made this fact only more clear to me. It is not because of the every day tasks he performs or the relief from childcare he can provide me; Drew brightens my day. He understands me and helps keep me grounded in a way that almost no one else here on earth can do. I can live a day without him, and often have to do so, but I prefer the days when he is near. Days when he is away remind me just how precious and special each moment with him is. Tomorrow is not guaranteed; in fact, the next hour, even the next minute, is not guaranteed, so do not take it for granted.


Monday, November 15th

86) Confirmation- When our daughter started showing additional food sensitivities/allergies, my biggest worry/concern was that despite what seemed to be a healthy diet she might be eating poorly or more specifically, not eating enough of certain food groups or getting enough of certain vitamins/minerals, etc. I was, therefore, very grateful that we had an opportunity to sit down with a pediatric dietitian to discuss her current diet and go over the best diet for a child her age. What was even more unexpected and exciting was the amazing confirmation we received from the dietitian. She was so pleased with the manner with which we had approached our daughter's sensitivities and the variety of foods in each food group that we were still offering her. She really offered us great encouragement concerning how we were addressing any issues that arose and how we addressed the limitations we face given the diet restrictions. What a wonderful blessing as  diet is such an important issue for any child and parent, especially at this young age when doctors are constantly discussing how a child's diet can aid or hinder them in other developmental areas.

87) Brown Dressy Cardigan- Okay, so this kind of seems silly and insignificant, but it really made my morning. When I thought about it more, I realized it's the little blessings that we often overlook and probably shouldn't, so I am going to include it- no matter how silly it seems. Yesterday morning as I was getting dressed for church, I thought to myself how much I could use a brown or white dress cardigan. For some odd reason, I have several cardigans, but only one in a neutral color (black). Given my current wardrobe, brown or white would be really useful right now. Of course, I didn't mention that specifically when family asked about Christmas/birthday gift ideas so I thought it was probably too late. Then today, I went to Kohls- with a 30% off everything coupon (gotta love those!)- to do some Christmas shopping of my own. Besides the other great sales I found, I also ran across a nice brown cardigan. After applying my 30% off, it was also a very, very nice price, which was the only reason I ended up buying it, and all I could think was "Isn't it interesting that just yesterday I was thinking how much I could use a brown cardigan?" As silly as it may seem, I am still very thankful for my well-priced brown cardigan.


Tuesday, November 16th

88) Perseverance- There will always been events in life, big and small, that require your perseverance. Right now, we are trying to find a way to get our daughter's sleeping schedule all adjusted after Daylight Saving's ended. It's a small thing in the grand scheme of things, but right now it is making big waves in our house. No matter what the circumstance, though, perseverance will always be a blessing.

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1: 5-8

89) Jumping in to help- I always look forward to the time when Drew comes home from work, but today I was anxiously anticipating it. I woke up with a migraine, and despite all my best efforts throughout the day, the migraine only grew worse as the day went on. By the typical end of the work day, I was at my breaking point and our daughter seemed to be at her chattiest (though it seemed much louder than a chat). Of course, Drew has been working late this week. Today was no exception. He had no idea what I was dealing with at home but just happened to call on his way home to give me a piece of information, so I warned him that I was not feeling well at all. From the moment he walked in the door and had taken care of his work clothes, he took charge and jumped in to help. The next thing I knew, he and our daughter were back in her room quietly playing, which meant I could turn the lights off and sit in quiet. The rest of the evening went along a similar path.


Wednesday, November 17th
90) Pain free- There once was a time when every waking moment I felt some pain. I would go from migraines to lesser headaches, but I really never could recall a moment of the day or week that I didn't have some kind of pain in my head. All that varied was the intensity of the pain and what kind of side effects went with that pain. I am so grateful that, although, I may still get migraines I no longer vary solely between different levels of pain. When the migraine subsides, there is true relief from any and all pain. It is a blessing. It is one I went years without knowing and one many people with illnesses still do not have. I am grateful for each and every moment I have that is pain free.

91) Clean counters and sink- Now this blessing may have you concerned about the general cleanliness of our home, but please let me explain. I typically try to keep our kitchen counters clean of clutter and I try to keep the sink cleaned out as well. If all else fails during the day time, I always try to clean up the kitchen before I go to bed so I awake to a tidy space in the morning. However yesterday thanks to the migraine, all non-essential tasks went to the wayside. This means besides watching our daughter during the daytime and then just trying to keep my own pain levels from worsening, I did very little and tidying the kitchen, although I did think about it, did not get done. It's hard for me to go to bed knowing things are not cleaned up, but I knew what was necessary yesterday- and cleaning just wasn't on the list. Today the migraine slowly went away and I was able to resume my normal functions. With that, my kitchen is tidy once again. Yay for clean counters and sinks!


Thursday, November 18th

92) Drew's appreciation- The other evening I was stuck. I had one blessing and was trying to think of a second so I asked Drew to help me think back over my day. He quickly mentioned my crafting abilities and how I often have and continue to use them to make Christmas gifts. I quickly dismissed the idea because "I am only making two of our Christmas gifts this year." The conversation went on, but as I thought back on that conversation today, I realized I had done Drew a huge disservice. Drew was showing his great appreciation for my contributions to our family- not only by taking care of the house, groceries, laundry, errands, etc. but also through my crafting skills. He was complimenting me on the "job well done" on my latest project, a Christmas gift for my nephew, and instead of thanking him for the compliment, appreciation and help with my blog, I dismissed the idea outright. Drew shows this kind of appreciation often, but I am afraid I fail in this manner too frequently. I am grateful for his continuing appreciation, despite my poor reception.

93) Seeing myself in my toddler- This is both a blessing and a curse because what I see is both the good and the bad, the pretty and the ugly. However I like to look at the "curse" side of this as a blessing in camouflage because really I am seeing a miniature version of me. Like any child, she is honest to a fault, so what she depicts through her personality and traits is raw and unhindered, and those aspects which she has inherited or picked up by observing me are true and fair. So if they frighten, frustrate, bother or trouble me, perhaps I should take a second look. A second look at our daughter as we help her learn how to work with these personality traits and reactions so that she can handle them in good ways, but at the same time, a second look at myself, as well, so I can address those traits that my daughter inherited or picked up from me. My little girl is, at times, a little mirror reflecting both my good and bad character traits, showing me areas that shine and others that need to be mended, molded and find tuned.