God's cares about how we make/spend our money

So I definitely need to push myself to start applying for jobs but I think it just feels so surreal that this long journey of being in school is coming to a close. Plus, I have been shown so much lately that God is looking out for me and providing what I need to feel confident that He has not forgotten us. When the primary (pretty much only) family that I babysat for moved to Korea this January I was so sad to see them go because for one thing, I really cared about them and enjoyed seeing them on a regular basis, and for another, they paid really well and it hardly felt like work. I put feelers out for more babysitting jobs but in this economy, people just didn't seem to be going out and certainly don't seem to be interested in paying for it. I was amazed when the day the Barker's left, I got an e-mail from a lady saying that Pattie recommended me and she and her husband were in need of a regular sitter. Then I was pleased when that turned into one card making job for her twins birthday and now I just got a call that she wants more for a different party...woohoo. Then today I got an e-mail from her regular nanny saying her friend needed a last minute sitter and he was willing to pay extra so fortunately I was free tomorrow and here's to hoping his kids are good, but at what he is paying it doesn't matter. All that and guess how I am spending my Friday night?! Filling out paperwork for the new job. Yeah, I'm cool. So, maybe not, but with all of these extra jobs I haven't had time this week and would love to turn it all in Tuesday so I can get started with a "real" part time job in addition to babysitting and card making.

All this is to say that God is good and I think He's pretty much on board with our commitment to paying off all of our debt this year. I am also feeling very hopeful that He has a job lined up for me in His perfect timing. I have a few leads thanks to family friends like working at Hospice, as an advocated for Wounded Warriors, or possibly joining mom's team at the community service board. In this economy having family and friends in places that are hiring in areas that fit my skills is so nice!

I just thought I would share that in a world where all the news talks about is people losing jobs, there is hope. I left my job as an Assistant Pastor at the end of August 2008 because I realized it was just going to be too much with school and my internship and I wanted to actually see my family. It was perfect timing for the church because the budget was getting really hard to meet and my leaving freed up some room for other great programs at the church to continue. It was probably the scariest decision in my life and yet I would make it again in a heart beat. The truth is between my summer and side jobs I probably have made at least half of what I would have killing myself at the church the 21 months it will have taken to finish up my dual degrees. God has been so faithful to us in providing ways to save money and managing surprises that have come up along the way. We are so fortunate to have been able to continue giving to others during this time too since it is such a big part of who we are.

I am not writing this post to brag or rub it in, but to encourage you that no matter what your financial situation, God wants to be involved and a part of your budget. Whether you need to curb your spending, start saving, pay off debt, look for another job, or start giving more, He's interested. If you have a job and don't feel fulfilled by it or if you don't and are tired of looking, He's interested. I hope you will join him in giving thanks for whatever you have and in being responsible with that which comes from his blessings and bounty.

Here is one possibility for the next card order from the twins mom:

Bird-day cards

I have expanded my card making business for the first time in a while since I usually just do them for friends and family. The twin's mom happened to be talking about looking for invitations for the first birthday and I love her style so this card was modeled after their bedroom theme of pink/green flowers and birds. I just got that bird punch and it could not have worked out better with her order.

Today has been really great at school and I am finally taking my lunch break so I thought I would share this since I am excited about how they turned out. I have been doing so much scheduling stuff today my brain is about to burst. There is a lot of school/internship stuff to fit into the next 10 weeks (I have a love-hate relationship with group projects). I am trying to fit as many meetings as possible in when Ryan is gone since he has two drill weekends a month and a two week Army class in April and we both want to spend as much quality time with each other and friends/family before he heads to his first stretch of training. He will get to come home for two weeks in June before he officially deploys and I am so excited that we will actually get to spend our fourth anniversary together since he was at Army schools for the 1st and 3rd and will probably still be deployed for the 5th (noticing a trend on the odd years?!). I think we are going to keep the get togethers to a minimum when he comes home for that short bit because 14 months is a long time even with an R&R at some point.

Off to go meet with some more students and here's to knocking out some papers tonight. I am hoping for another snow day tomorrow but I know that is probably unlikely. Sure would be nice to have the extra time to fill out the massive pile of paperwork for my new job (but you won't hear me complaining).

Update from prayer requests

My cousin's baby finally got to come home today. She is a week old and adorable. I hope they are enjoying their first night at home as a family of three. I can only imagine what an incredible feeling that must be.

And...I took the job! I was concerned about the time commitment before Ryan left but it turns out we get to choose what clients we take on and the hours are fairly flexible. Some clients may need only 4 hours a month where others may need 30. Even then you work with the family to decide which nights and weekends so that is nice. The pay is way better than I thought it would be and it just sounds like a really great opportunity. It's a new program that was just starting when I was finishing up my internship with this therapeutic foster care agency last year. They offer home based mentoring, counseling support, and family visitation supervision to varying degrees. Each client has different needs for services and different treatment goals so those are all disclosed before I would take on a case. There is the possibility of my running some social skills groups which I have enjoyed at my internship this year and the mentor position comes with a stipend for taking the kids to do fun things. I think it's fantastic to see the agency stepping up to the call to provide more in home support to offer the kids the best chances possible of staying with their families. In the cases of supervising family visits it sounds like it is mostly observing how things are going and taking advantage of teaching moments when appropriate. All case notes are court records for those and I might have to testify in court depending on the case but even that would be an interesting experience.

Overall, I just feel really fortunate to have something other than babysitting and cards to help pay off all of our bills. Everyone on the team has a full time job or in my case, full time school/internship and they find it manageable/worthwhile to do this so I am excited to be on board and I hope to keep up with it after I start working. I'm not sure when exactly I'll start but I have a lot of paperwork to fill out and a few things to make sure I am up to date on.

On another note, my first dual degree class was definitely worth the drive to Richmond. I am really encouraged by others who have felt called to pursue both degrees and by the discussion that we had today about integrating the two fields and the challenges we face by wearing both hats. I love how the professor put it: "you are called and privileged by God in a peculiar way." We are the minority in both fields and yet the two fields need each other and feed into each other so well.

Back to making some cards and finishing a paper. Here's to hoping the kids are good for me tomorrow.

Here is a picture of Laura with her finished wedding invitations:

God among us

My mom always said that God was sending a message that he was among us when we saw deer. Today as my parents were leaving my house after a visit with the Samster after church, Sammy started barking and sure enough, there were deer across the way from us. They were beautiful and strong and a nice reminder of God's presence among us. Today's church service was a reminder that we cannot go about this journey alone. Another great point was that we are called to be peace makers, which is different from peace keepers. Our call is to bring peace but not to bend over backwards or compromise ourselves and our values to keep it. I love how honest the pastor is about the things that we all struggle with and the ways that God can use us and our imperfections. I was reminded of how God uses our trials to teach us things, to grow us, and that we ought to use our testimonies from our trials to encourage others. I don't think we can hear that message enough. I am really excited to get more involved in the church and to be starting a small group at the house soon. I am so thankful God brought me there and that it has helped me get to the place where I am right now. I feel mostly at peace and I am working to get all the way there. I feel like many of the hurts in my life are healing and that I am recommitting areas of my life where I had drifted away from God. I am also so thankful that God brought my parents to this church with me and that they are getting so much out of it as well.

I just had to share that testimony before getting back to paper writing and then working on wedding invitations with Laura and her sister-in-law for a few hours. I need to find my motivation for these papers and finish strong at school and not sloppy as I am so tempted to focus on other things. I would also really appreciate prayers about my starting the process of sending in job applications. Part of me just wants to go back to work where I did this summer and then start looking but I know I need to give God the opportunity to work in finding me a great real full time permanent job before deciding if that is the best option for me or not.

Review in Blessings for the Week

Sammy and I enjoyed a nice Saturday while Ry was at drill. After catching up on some chores since this past week was kind of crazy, Christen, Tom and Carter came over. Tom fixed our shower so now everything in the townhouse is perfect and Christen and I played with Carter downstairs. Sammy was thrilled to have his favorite baby over but Carter isn't going to be a baby much longer. He is such a good walker already and I just can't believe how fast the last 10.5 months have gone by. I had so much time with Tate when he was a baby but my move and injury happened right after Carter was born and even though I have seen him a good amount since my ankle got back into shape in September, it still doesn't feel like enough since he is growing up so fast.

In any case, I better get back to paper writing, but I just wanted to share some praises from the past week:
1. My first research interview went really well.
2. My kids were great this week and a student I was concerned about is holding up really well since her husband left for basic training.
3. My first time babysitting the twins went fairly well. I think parents of multiples are saints after just a few hours with them but they are great babies so it will be good training in case Ryan and I have twins one day.
4. I have more card projects than I know what to do with. The mom of the twins wants birthday invitations and I have Carter's birthday invitations, my grad party/Ryan's sending off party invitations, and Easter cards coming up.
5. I got to see a picture of my cousin and her husband with their new baby Claire and all look so happy and wonderful. I am really looking forward to meeting her and I hope she can come home soon.
6. I had a great night out with Mom and Diana.
7. I lost four pounds since last week and am really enjoying some new workout DVDs I got. I definitely recommend Kim Kardashian's Fit in Your Jeans By Friday. I love using my new step and I am really feeling it.
8. A beautiful Ash Wednesday service at church. Ryan was exhausted but he still came and we were both very thankful for the midweek worship and the reminder that it is from ashes that we came and to ashes that we will return. What we do in the middle is for God's glory and not our own.
I forgot to get a picture of him while he was walking but it was too cute I just couldn't look away to grab the camera.

Ash Wednesday and reflections on life

Since our weekends always seem to get full with other stuff, my mom, Diana and I decided to have a girls night last night. It was so nice to catch up over a bowl of soup for dinner and to go shopping at Home Goods together. We kept losing each other in the store because they have so many cool things to look at. I love going there and I managed to walk away without buying anything so that was nice too.

We went to see Dear John after that. The movie had made my little cousin mad and I realize why now. The girl makes some interesting choices and I try not to judge, but it is hard to rationalize them. It is a reminder that we don’t know what other people go through and why they make the decisions they do and sometimes what looks selfish is the most unselfish thing and vice versa.

The movie sent some strong messages about the military. It showed how hard it is to have them go, what it is like being away from each other, and the challenges of the soldier choosing service over their loved ones. I hope that people who go to it will think about what the soldiers and their families have been through since this country has been at war for almost a decade now.

Diana was worried about my seeing a movie in which we all suspected the main character, a soldier, would die. The truth is every soldier’s loved one knows that could happen and they also know their loved could come back a completely different person physically and mentally. It is something you can’t let yourself think about but for me, I had to accept that God would give me the strength come what may and push those thoughts from my head and heart.

Today is Ash Wednesday and Ryan and I are looking forward to going to church tonight to see how they commemorate it. I have never given anything up for Lent. I don’t see the point because I don’t believe God wants us to suffer for our sins but rather desires for us to reach out in love and service to others. I know others may feel differently and that this may be a significant part of their journey. As for me, I plan on continuing to stop eating after 7 and to think about what I am eating and whether it is good fuel or not. Taking care of the temple of a body God gave me is the best gift I think I have to give right now. In addition, I hope to get the small group started before Easter and to finally adopt a child through Compassion International. We became regular donors to the ASPCA on Sunday after feeling like we could not see another sad commercial without doing something. We love Sammy so much and wish we could take other animals in but one is plenty for us and at least this way we know we are helping animals get ready to be adopted. Animals are God's creation too and Ryan and I feel so blessed to be in a place where we can give back to two organizations that do so much good.

Last night Ryan and I started doing devotions together again. It’s been too long. He had his Bible on the dresser when we woke up yesterday and said this was something God put on his heart to do. That meant so much to me and we read three chapters out loud to each other last night. I asked him if we could record these times so I could hear him reading the Bible to me while he is gone and he said he would do some separate sessions so I could hear different parts of it. I am fully capable of reading the Bible myself but I think getting to hear his voice while he is gone will be so meaningful.

Last thing, my cousin had her baby girl yesterday. She was 8lbs 14oz and my cousin had her naturally after 17 hours of labor. I am so proud of her and I look forward to hearing what she thought of natural labor after she is rested and recoved from it. Hopefully she will get to hold and bond with sweet baby Claire today since there were some complications yesterday and here is to praying they both come home soon.

Prayer Request

Last week I decided to check in with my old supervisor to see if the therapeutic foster care agency I have done home studies for in the past was in need of any more. They are really interesting to do and a great way to make some money on the side while also getting to do most of your work from home. Well, they don't need any right now but they offered me a job as a part time counselor or mentor for their home based program. I'll find out more details when I meet with the coordinator Tuesday but I am definitely going to be praying about whether this is God's will for me or not. It would be great in terms of extra cash as I finish out school and after I get a full time job but with Ryan leaving soon (even though he is frequently gone or busy with Reserve stuff until then) and then with no one else here to spend time with Sammy when I am at work after Ry is gone, I have to pray about whether it is worth it. I used to think that we should take advantage of every opportunity God sends our way but I have gotten smarter about praying about what the opportunity is supposed to teach me and if it is really a good fit.

In other news, it looks like I am going to be hosting a small group here soon for our churches youthgroup. They have a group that has been wanting to meet but hasn't had a leader or home and I think it would be nice to fill the house with kids and the Lord. Here's to hoping that works out and that I can manage my schedule wisely with these new opportunities arising.

Back to the grind with some fun on the side

On Saturday I went to see the movie Valentine's Day with one of my friends and I definitely recommend it. It is pretty funny and has a good message about being honest with our friends and ourselves. Sometime we get so caught up in our image or in being afraid to hurt someone but it hurts them more when we don't speak the truth in love. I rarely go to the movies but I am headed to see Dear John with my mom and sister of the heart tonight. My cousin said it was good and all I know is that they are comparing it to The Notebook and we walked out of that one sobbing even though it is still one of my favorites so we'll see.

I am not a huge fan of Valentine's Day because it always reminds me of high school and everyone comparing how many carnations or roses they got with everyone. I always felt so bad for the people who did not get any when flowers were delivered to class and also remember thinking how silly it was to carry the flowers around with my books all day. I am not saying I disapprove of the holiday, that is just how I feel about it. I love being in love and my husband, but I also acknowledge that every year when Valentine's Day comes around there are people whose loved ones are away or who don't feel like they have someone they could celebrate it with. In that light, I hope that our church continues the tradition of doing a small mission project for Valentine's Day because to me that makes more sense than buying roses and diamonds. We bagged hygiene kits to be sent to Haiti on Sunday after church. It was nice to feel the love in the room full of fellow believers who want to do what they can for the people over there who are still hurting and who have lost so much.

After that we had a nice lunch and then I went with my parents to introduce them to Trader Joes. They found so many healthy things they wanted to try and I really think this is going to help them with the turn around too. I am excited to report that since shopping there and working out more I have lost three pounds since last week and I feel like I am going to be able to achieve my goal of getting back to a healthier me.

Yesterday was my first day back at class in over a week and it was a bit overwhelming. We have a lot for group projects and papers that require doing interviews that should have been pushed back for missing a week but we're just going to have to find a way to cram it all in. I have two interviews this afternoon for my research class and I am a little nervous about them since it has to be fairly structured and I am an informal kind of person but I'm sure it will be fine in the end. I probably should come home and do homework after that but a girls night will be so much more fun. I know everyone is feeling the crunch after our snowcation but it was so worth it to have so many days to just have fun with my loves and forget about the world.

Last thing before I get back to writing my paper, please pray for my cousin Colleen because it looks like her baby girl is coming today. She is two weeks overdue and I pray that both mom and baby are healthy and happy in each others arms very soon. I know she would appreciate your prayers as well.

I love planning

My best friend from high school and I always joked about running away to Mexico. It was just a joke and a fun thought when things were stressful or not so hot. Well, I don't know how or when the idea originated, but we are going to Spain to celebrate my graduations in May and for her to get that experience since she is going to be a Spanish teacher and she has already been to Mexico a few times since high school. I am so excited. I wasn't sure it would actually happen, but we are finally ready to set dates and buy our tickets (we had to figure out our finals schedules first and I have to confirm I have a Sammy sitter since my parents will be on a cruise). I wish Ryan could come but we already had our fabulous trip to London and Rome together for his graduation and the fun doesn't stop just because he'll be gone. This will be my last hoorah before I hopefully start my new full time job or worse case scenario (which isn't that bad) before I go back to my summer job from last year. I figure I will save all of my vacation days once I start working for when Ryan comes back and we can use his post deployment leave and my saved up vacation to fix up the house that we pray God has in store for us. We're already lining up the parents to take some days off and join us for the renno party. We figure doing some of the dirty work before we move in will help in the long run (flooring and making sure the walls are well insulated and de-paneling as necessary are at the top of that list since the rest can be done later). Anyway, these are just two of my dreams, one for the near future and one for in the next year and a half God willing. I think it is so important to have dreams and goals but also to be flexible to God's plans for us because ultimately He knows whats best for us.

Food is snowbody's friend

So this snow break has been great for my taking the time to discover the good healthy natural foods that I have recently purchased. In the past I would have made banana bread and cookies to enjoy while curled up with my love. Now I pop in some gum and think about how nice it will be to be fit and healthy again. I was just talking to my mom and she is going through the same process of realizing that food is the fuel that helps us enjoy life, not just for pleasure. We may want certain comfort and delicious foods, but we want healthy bodies more.

Some new (to me) healthy foods I am discovering are actually not so bad:
Pistacios
Granola in yogurt
Whole what mac n cheese (okay so not healthy but better than the alternative)

Some foods I am doing my best to avoid except for a few times a week:
Cheese
Chocolate
Anything not whole wheat

So that is my boring update of the day other than the fact that my legs are killing me post all my work outs yesterday but I still fit in a work out and a walk with my loves today. Here is to meeting my goal so I can enjoy pulling out the summer clothes.

Anniversary teaser

My parents will be celebrating their 25th Anniversary this April. I am so proud of them for sticking through the ups and the downs and for growing stronger together. These snow days have been great for researching fun things for them to do on their weekend getaway that Ryan and I are planning for them. They said they would prefer a romantic getaway over a party so I plan on making it the best possible getaway to celebrate such a milestone. I can't give away any details but since my mom will read this at some point, I had to tease that things are really coming together:) Less than two months until you get to enjoy all the fun planning I have been doing. Love you!

Weight loss challenge

So summer is coming and I refuse to buy new summer clothes. Post my injury last June I have gained way too much and in general just enjoyed life a little more the last few years than my should be small frame deserves. So I am publicly declaring that my goal is to lose 20 pounds by my May trip to Spain with my best friend from high school. I have more to go after that but that is within the 1-2 pounds a week that is healthy to lose and I think it is definitely possible. I plan on keeping you all updated as I achieve this goal if nothing else but to keep myself accountable.

How I plan to do it:
1. Eat healthier- whole wheat, fruits, vegetables, little to no chocolate and cut carbs like crazy
2. Stop eating after 7pm
3. Work out at least 30 minutes a day
4. Keep taking vitamins daily
5. Keep pumping the water

If any of you have any other simple tips I welcome them. Today was a great day with 35 minutes on Wii fit, 20 minutes of a workout DVD with Ry and 15 minutes on the Elliptical. I know this may be completely boring to read so you can just skip these posts in the future but I think it will help me stay on track. Thanks for indulging me and if you feel like you can be a healthier you, please join me because there is no time like the present:)

Not snowver it yet...

Apparently this winter marks the most snow the DC area has had since 1898-99. I just found out that FCPS is closed the rest of the week so I will officially have off over a week since I was off Friday off last week when the snow started. I was a little annoyed that I was not going to have a week for spring break since VCU and FCPS have different spring breaks but this more than makes up for it. I wanted quality time with my love and I've got it:)

I just had to share this picture from Sammy right before I started my Wii fit work out. This is not posed and probably one of his funniest to date. I've got so much unused energy I think I'll do at least one more wii workout tonight if not a Jillian Michaels workout DVD with Ry.

Snowed in still/again

Yesterday we took as long a walk as we could seeing as not many sidewalks are plowed and our usual trail is too high for our boots. Sammy loved jumping through the snow while we took the easier route on the sidewalk. Yesterday was the two year anniversary of our getting him and it was really fun to get to spend the day with him and remember when he was small. While we were out we ran into some of the neighbor dogs and they invited us to join their play group. Sammy definitely looked stunned when he saw three dogs playing and enjoyed getting the extra attention from their owners. One of them was the dog walker I had heard about in our neighborhood and I am really excited about getting to know her more. With Ryan going and my going to work full time, I was really praying God would provide a solution for a spoiled puppy who grew up going to work with me then in day care. He would be okay on his own for 9 or so hours everyday because he was fine this summer when I was full time but I would feel bad for him not having at least one day with me which is what he has now and one day with Grammy since she telecommutes on one of my internship days. In any case, I think it would be great if she could walk him two or three days a week and if Grammy or I had a telecommute one day a week. Below are some pictures of his playdate with two old friends and one new one.


He was so worn out and cold after all that excitement. Today it is so windy out there and with the new snow that is still coming down hard it looks like he will have plenty of time to rest up. The trees do not appreciate this latest storm as they fight to stay in one piece. We still have power and plenty of supplies so bring it.

On a nerdier note, I have always had issues with people wasting time on video games mostly because Ryan used to be one of them. He still plays, but when all the other work is done and we have had enough quality time or while he is on the road. That said, with this snow, I have become one of them. My mom needed more neighbors on farmville so I made Sammy her neighbor (yes, Ryan created a facebook page for him). Then I saw how cool it was and how many people played and I joined them. It has kept me from going crazy during these snow storms and now that I can earn and spend money on the farm, I am less tempted to spend the real thing on amazon. This farm thing may save the day while Ry is gone and my job is to live cheaply and save up for our first home. Thanks mom for introducing me even when I made fun of you for all of those months and thanks friends for helping me create a pretty nice farm.

Off to do some wii fit. It's so humbling but good to here that obnoxious "oh" when I weigh in so I remember why I am trying to eat better and to help me fight off the urge to bake. Sammy actually snubbed his favorite popcorn today when Ryan threw him a piece and I was eating an apple. Love that even my dog is eating healthier since we switched over to Trader Joes and more organic real and healthy food stuff.

Surprise meet up at Trader Joes

Fairfax County Public Schools are closed through Wednesday and with another foot or two on the way I imagine I will be off of my internship all week. I just hope the federal government gets off too. This time together is such a blessing!

We decided to venture out to Trader Joes to make sure we are well stocked through the week and because we used up some of our favorite things (we are officially obsessed with their pizza bread and their chicken is amazing too). While there we ran into old friends. I was the wedding planner for Sharon and Bill and we always say we need to get together but I know I could make it more of a priority. In any case, it was a real treat to see them and their sweet pup. They are such a kind couple and I was so blessed to have so much time with them during their wedding planning process. Here's a picture from their wedding in August 2008:

Bill was a life savor during the renovation prep at Saint James and I learned so much from Sharon as she shared about her life. It was her first wedding and they are such a wonderful couple. God's timing is perfect and I am so thankful he brought these two together and into my life.

Ryan was on the news while we were out for getting gas at the Shell on Rolling Rd. We thought that was kind of random when my mom called to tell him that he was famous:) Now that we are restocked at home and had a little bit of socialization for the day, I am hoping to try to see Christen and the nephews tomorrow and possibly even get together with another friend who lives close by. I was supposed to have a girls night with Mom and Diana tomorrow, but the storm is supposed to hit tomorrow night so we'll have to see about that. I feel so fortunate to be close to my loved ones and to have Ryan home for all of this. I am definitely praying for those without power or for whom this could be a very lonely time.

Still snowed in...well kind of

Yesterday Ryan was out shoveling snow ALL day. We only have one shovel so I took Samson out and walked around but wasn't able to contribute to the group effort on our court. It was really nice to meet even more neighbors and to see them all working together. Ryan shoveled out the truck and then the neighbors loaded up the back of it and Ryan took the snow away from our area which has no more room for snow. I had a long conversation with one of our neighbors who is retired Army and a DOD civilian who seemed really eager to pass around Ryan's resume while he is deppoyed so that he can find a new job quickly when he gets home. That would be really helpful since he will still have his job when he comes back, but he will have to make the trek to Aberdeen, MD to get to it at least two days a week and that is not our ideal. It's really sad that his job got bracked to MD because while it is his perfect job and his co-workers are great, it's not worth moving two hours from our family.

Last night we made the three mile trek to his boss's house for a Super Bowl party with some of his other co-workers. They are all so funny and so nice. Ryan has only been in this division of the agency for a year and a half but it seems like they have all been friends forever. His boss's parents were there and they were pretty hilarious too. We got to hear some pretty great stories of Jamie growing up and I was once again reminded of my future of gray hairs if I have boys. The co-worker who is expecting twins was there and they are due any day. I am so happy for them. The other co-worker who is deploying got some extra time with his family because of the snow and flights being grounded so that was great to hear. He is also a Saints fan so he got to see his team play a pretty great game before he goes too. I was a little nervous about heading out on the roads and coming back late at night when it could freeze and while they were terrible, thank God for an AWD Subaru and the fact that no one else was on the roads. It was so worth the ride to get out and get to spend some time with his co-workers.

We both have snow days again today and with another storm coming we may be here a while. You won't hear me complaining about that:) As for today, we are staying inside all day since all of the shoveling we can do is done. It's nice not having anything we have to do.

P.S. If you missed church because of the storm, ours posts a video of the sermon online when it has to close. It centers on the wonderful message of forgiveness and a look at why it is so challenging for us to forgive when we are desperate for forgiveness ourselves. Check it out by clicking the next word here or by going to the link for our church to the left.

And last but not least, please keep my college roomate, Alyson, and her husband Chris in your prayers. On Sunday she said goodbye to him for the last time before his deployment. They have only been married 17 months and by the end of this they will have been apart half their marriage. Alykins and I spent most of my college years wondering when we would get the call that Ryan was deploying and here her husband is the one who is going first. She sounded good when I talked to her today. Their faith is going to be what gets them through this as with Ryan and I with our turn coming up. I am glad we can at least be there for each other throughout both of our journeys as Army Wives.

Officially snowed in

Staying home yesterday was a bit of a joke. It wasn't that bad out, but we could, so we did. We didn't really have any relax days before he goes on the calendar as we try to pack everything we possibly can in so snow days are a nice surprise. I was shocked when we woke up this morning to as much snow as we did and it is still coming. Now we really are snowed in. I am not sure when we will get out of here. We are very fortunate to still have power and to be well stocked up. Apparently a lot of people are without power right now and I hope they are okay. Prior to this past week or so, we had been working on emptying our pantry of things that had been in there for a while and just trying to make the most out of what we had. Our supplies had started to get low which was a good thing, but something told me to stock up while I had time and I am so thankful I did. I thought I was saving myself the stress of not having to worry about grocery shopping with school and my internship getting intense but it's a good thing because we are set for this snow storm with a good variety of new things from Trader Joes to try too.

I know a lot of people don't enjoy being at home and part of me is nervous I will be one of them if this happens next year and I am alone but for now I am forgetting about what we are missing out on and enjoying the gift we have been given. Friday night was going to be my first time babysitting the twins by myself but we have another date lined up. Today we were going to meet my best friend from high schools new boyfriend but hopefully they will come up again soon. Tonight we were going to have a game night with Nikki and Jeff, Christen and Tom, but we already have a back up date. Tomorrow we were supposed to go support Dad playing the trumpet at a service in honor of the Four Chaplains who gave their lives in WWII so others might live but I doubt that will be happening now. We were going to be hanging out with Hill and her boyfriend before a superbowl party at Ry's boss's house but I can't see those happening either. Hillary's boyfriend is preparing to deploy around the same time as Ry and they have exact opposite drill schedules and that rules most weekends out. Here is to praying we can find some time to get together before they go. The good news though is that even if we are missing out on that fun stuff, I probably won't have school Monday and Ry will hopefully have a snow day too. Yay for a surprise four day weekend. I expect the house will be spotless (not that it wasn't close to it already since I am a nerd who likes to clean), my homework will all get done and maybe some in advance, and hopefully I can get some cards done in advance too.

I am kind of bummed that we only have one shovel so Ryan is hogging it for now but hopefully I will have a chance to get out there and help the neighbors soon. There is a lot of snow out there! Sammy wouldn't go out on the deck until Ryan cleared it off but I got some good pictures and a video of him once he did get out there. So cute!!! I love how he can make anything fun, including shoveling the deck.

Shopping for Ry's deployment

Since we are getting close to the big D, I started doing some research on what other soldiers recommend taking with to stay entertained, in shape, and prepared. So far I have added about $1100 worth of stuff to our wish list and it seems like a lot but he will be gone over a year and won't exactly have all of the conveniences of home. So far the list includes:

• TRX Force Kit
  
• Netbook with an external DVD drive and case (rather buy that than worry about his nice laptop getting lost or ruined and it has a webcam and wireless capability)
• A digital voice recorder for him to send home with stories so I can hear his voice (I already got one for my research project interviews that I plan on having people talk on so he can hear all of his loved ones voices and the nephews playing, etc.)
• A camera with video recording capability. We have a spare but it's a little worn out and I want it to be good enough to capture all the experiences he will have over there but not so expensive that it won't matter if it gets completely banged up and gross. Here is what I am thinking right now, Canon Powershot SD1200IS.
  
• A football and frisbee
  
• An ab wheel
  
• Paperback books and DVDs to take with him

We have travel games to send with him and of course he will be taking his PSP and has an excuse to buy some more games for it. He may end up being completely busy all of the time, but its better to have things to do than go crazy with boredom. He's been out shoveling forever and apparently has done half of our neighborhood so we'll see what he has to say when he comes back in. If anyone else has any ideas of what he should or shouldn't take let me know. I'm sure the list will be refined a few times and we'll buy some stuff for him to get used to now (like the netbook and TRX Force Kit) while other things can wait, but I thought I would share since I never really thought about all of the extra stuff soldiers should think about taking with them. It's a good thing Uncle Sam took care of us with their new benefits for those paying for higher education:)

So thankful for another snow day

Yesterday was not one of my better days at my internship. The kids were almost perfect last week and I should have know. Yesterday they were tweaked and we had an "injury" during hot potato (I tried to make talking about feelings more interesting). Oh the drama caused by getting hit in the head by a stuffed potato. I know it wasn't pleasant but really?! Some good conversations happened with my kids because of this incident and I think they will be on their best behavior next time, but jeeze.

All of this was forgotten when I found out last night that today would be a snow day. Ryan works as an Army civilian and the federal government got off four hours early so he only has to use four hours of comp time for staying home today (which all of his co-workers planned on doing apparently). It has been a fun day so far. We had a lazy morning even if we were too excited about a snow day to sleep in. Then we took an hour long walk on the trail behind our townhouse. It was so beautiful. The snow on the ground was hard and uneven and provided good strength training for my ankle. The hills gave my legs a good workout too. Sammy had a lot of fun and didn't seem to be bothered by the cold. We came back home, made a pizza and watched Who's That Girl? It's a cheesy but great movie from the 80's with Madonna in it and Ryan actually enjoyed it. Now what to do with the rest of the day?! I am guessing a Jillian Michaels work out or Wii Fit and Scrabble, we'll see...I hope you all are safe and warm and enjoying this time off from the world.

Co-worker love and another snow day

When I found out LTC Golden was deploying I was kind of sad because he has been such a great co-worker for Ry and he has a wonderful family with some kids with special needs who really look to him. I am thankful to hear that he will be in a pretty safe area but it's still sad. It feels like everyone we know in the military is deploying right now and it feels pretty helpless. I was already sending a baby gift with Ryan today for his co-worker who is about to have twins before I found out it was his farewell lunch so I knew I had to send something with Ry but there isn't exactly a deployment registry out there. So after wracking my brain I came up with the obvious option: cookies. I heard that LTC Golden always loved when I would send in chocolate chip cookies so I am hoping he enjoys having four dozen just for him. This was the first time I made them with almost all organic ingredients and they were so delicious. I wanted to write Hero cookies on the ziploc bags but Ryan nixed that idea. He thought of LTC MREs as a joke. MREs are the meal packages soldiers get in the field.
Ryan and I both had care bear crib themes when we were babies so that is my excuse for using care bear wrapping paper for the twins. I am wondering if this will get Ryan teased at all but baby wrapping paper is pretty girly too. I just thought the penguin was a cute way to package the LTC MREs that I made.
This was the card that I made to send with the cookies. I wish the flag was bigger but I love the words included in this stamp set. The front of the card says "As you bravely watch over us, may God watch over you." Unfortunately I will be using this stamp set a lot in the coming months, but I think it is great that Stampin Up created a few options to use for deploying soldiers and their family members.
I don't have any twin stamps but I figured I would just put two animals on the card and keep it gender neutral since they are expecting a boy and a girl. I think its funny that I just learned this simple knot technique for ribbon to keep it smaller in the envelope but still add a little something to it.
We woke up to a fair amount of snow. This is the first snow we got during the week and my first snow day from school. I am loving it even if I woke up early and couldn't fall asleep again. This is the prettiest yet since it isn't too overwhelming.
Ry still had to go to work though. At least he got to take the safer car since I wasn't going anywhere and he said the roads were nice and clear for him. Hopefully his co-workers can make it in safely to get their gifts but I would understand if they choose to take advantage of the unscheduled leave option for a snow day with their families before the big changes that are about to occur for them.

I hope you all are safe and warm whether you get to stay home or had to go into work.

Second Tate Tuesday

I decided to save my trip to Toys R Us to get baby stuff for Ryan's co-worker until Tate could go with me. I don't know that I have ever taken him shopping but boy was he a trip. He was so excited that they had a Thomas table with trains there (not that he doesn't have every Thomas thing ever at home). Then he helped me pick out the bottles and other small things. I thought he would get bored as I tried to make sure it was the right stuff from the registry but he was so patient. He kept showing me things in the baby section that Carter would like. He said Carter needed a Jeep walker because he needed to learn how to drive. How cute is that? He is such a good and considerate older brother. Then we went back to Thomas for a while before checking out all of the other cool toys he likes. He enjoys having toys and characters explained to him and we made quite the list for the Easter Bunny and Santa Clause and managed to walk out with one toy for Aunt Erika's house (a miracle because we both probably wanted to buy out the whole store).
The next stop was Chuck E Cheese. We got to use up some of the coins Pattie gave me. He is so funny about only doing each game once (with maybe three exceptions for his favorites) but he is definitely getting better at them. He is even getting used to Chuck E Cheese (he used to be so afraid).
He usually gives his all to smiles and you see all teeth and sometimes no eyes. This is the first time I am noticing a more grown up smile on him for pictures. It's kind of sad but oh so cute.
Last stop before a trip to Trader Joes (right next door) for Aunt Erika's and Uncle Ryan's new obsession of flat bread pizza crust and his mommy's new obsession of chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches. I love this "I'm the coolest" look he was given. I probably shouldn't let him ride standing up on the outside of moving rides but it's slow as anything and I'm not his mom so I can let him break some rules:) I am loving having this quality time with him before the regular 9-5 starts. Hopefully next week I'll get some time with the napping one too. I'm glad for Christen that he takes so many naps but I miss seeing the little guy.

I love Sundays

I loved going to church growing up. I would even get up at 7am on a Sunday (my choice) during high school to go to my favorite service at the Ft. Belvoir Chapel. When I worked at churches this changed because there were a lot of extra demands on a Sunday and while I loved my job, it was hard to be away from Ry a whole day he was off other than the service he attended, but even then I was hardly with him. Now, Sundays are mine again and I appreciate them more than ever.

This Sunday my parents and my "sister" Hillary joined us for church and it was so nice to almost fill up a row at our church. Worship was amazing as always and we are all getting a lot out of the series on breaking free from the hurts that hold us captive. I am hopeful that I won't have to sit alone when Ryan deploys because I know this church has really struck a cord with my mom and I think some of our friends may come from time to time.

After church Hillary and I did healthy shopping at the Commissary (possibly my longest trip ever) and then came back to the house to make cards. I really enjoy making cards with her because I think we feed off of each other really well as we design the cards. Then we watched some chick flicks before she headed back to her place in DC. It was a full and fun 12 hours with her and I could not be more thankful she took the time out of her busy schedule for it.

Today I woke up to find out that my first class was canceled so I have been able to pay the stack of medical and other bills that have been stacked up. Some of these bills were from things back in September that we are just getting so it's nice to be done with them. I can't complain that we had extra time to pay them but it's nice to be able to check them off the list. I also got to do the reading for class that I probably would have avoided otherwise and to put in my quarterly order for Stampin Up so I will have the supplies I need for my grad invitations, Easter cards, and my cousin's graduation announcements. They are having a special right now so I got tons of free stamp sets which is always exciting.

Here are two of my favorite cards from yesterday, sorry they are a little blurry:

Simple elegance with the stamp I used for our wedding invitations. I am tempted to steal inspiration from this for my grad party invitations.This is a fun birthday card with some stamps I have been waiting for a good excuse to use. It's hard to tell but I colored parts of each drink and it really looks fun in person.

Here is to hoping that classes go well tonight and that my meeting with my research group after class isn't too long. Love them but I want to get home to see Ry. It was so nice having a date night with him Friday then a lazy snow day Saturday with him, but the truth is I just can't get enough of him now that we are getting close to his sailing trip. I hope you all are having a good week and enjoying the snow too!