Happy Birthday to You...

Ah, well today is The Boy's 4th birthday. I can't even believe it. Happy Birthday (not so)Baby Boy! Take a stroll with me down memory lane...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUBBA!

You are the sweetest little boy and I am so blessed to be your Mommy!

Overheard

So today is The Boy's 4th birthday. The kids' little friend from down the street came over and I told her that The Boy's birthday was today. She ran in the house towards him.

Friend: "Wow! How old are you now??"

The Boy: "Wait for it... take a bow... I am FOUR!!"


Comedic timing cannot be taught, you must be born with it...

Best Shot Monday

EEK Sorry I haven't posted in a week... life with 3 kids is crazy!

My shot for Best Shot Monday... I was trying to take pictures of the kids in their "Easter" clothes this Sunday for church, and this was one of those in-between shots. You know, while I was trying to get them situated, smiling etc. They just both loved on Bitty and it was too sweet to not take the picture. I love my Brats. :)

Check out more BSM shots over at Tracey's.

Overheard

The Girl and I were watching Tv while I was feeding Bitty. Her favorite show, What Not To Wear. I know... gotta teach the kid that structured jackets really help define shape, accessories really make the outfit, buy some good quality basic pieces... but I digress.

All of a suddent a commercial comes on for some Olay product/wrinkle creme. The Girl is entranced with it. After it is over she turns and looks at me.

The Girl: Mommy, do you have some of that Olay?
Me: No Honey, I don't think so.
The Girl: You should get some.
Me: Why, do I need it?
The Girl: Yeah for your lines.
Me: (Thinking, hoping, PRAYING she explains herself...) For what lines, Sweetie?
The Girl: The ones on the palms of your hands.

Ahhh. Sigh of relief. I mean, I am Army Wife ALMOST Grown Up. I wouldn't want to have to change my blog title or anything... yet. LOL

Four Little Thoughts

I must share with you my four thoughts for the day....

1. The new Diet Dr. Pepper Cherry is super delicious. I have already consumed 4 of my 12 pack I bought yesterday. Go out and getcha some right now. Yum-O.

2. The Pioneer Woman's Garlic Cheese Bread is probably the best thing I have ever tasted in my LIFE!! I made it tonight to go with our spaghetti and I barely touched my noodles. All I wanted was this bread!! It made my life complete. You can take me now, Lord....

3. Why must ALLLLL the lightbulbs in the house burn out when my husband is gone?!?! Seriously over TEN lightbulbs have burnt out in the last 4 months. Here's a little tidbit for ya, I researched it, turns out I probably have a voltage spike problem. I need to buy 130 volt bulbs instead of 120 volt. You learn something new everyday. Like how awesome Cheesy Garlic Bread is. Oh yeah.

And finally 4. I am going to start Flylady again. Seriously if you have never tried it, her plan is AWESOME for jumpstarting your cleaning/decluttering habits. Babysteps. It worked wonders for me during our first deployment in Germany. And with 3 kids, I need my life to be as neat and organized as it can me. You know, me and my ADD. If it isn't well organized with lists and plans, I'll get distracted. And along with my ADD I also have a touch of OCD when it comes to organization. Lately I have been getting the heeby jeebies(yes that is the official medical term) when I walk into my kids rooms knowing their toys are NOT organized in labeled bins like they usually are! This third kid has turned me into a slacker! But no more. Flylady here I come. Watch out world. And watch out soap scum. I'm comin' for ya!

Best Shot Monday

Here is my installment for this week's Best Shot Monday. It was taken at our local Easter egg hunt at the lake(which BTW was CAH-RA-ZEE!!) It was just begging for Phaunt's Bleached Action. Take a looksie over at Tracey's for other entries.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! I hope your day was blessed with much love, joy and peace! I had such high hopes for the day. I stayed up late making bows for The Girl to wear to church that matched her Easter dress. All three of my brats had the CUTEST coordinating outfits to wear to church today. But the day didn't go as planned(does it ever? lol)...

I was woken up at 5am with three screaming kids. There was a huge spring storm rolling through. The Boy and Girl are deathly afraid of thunder so they came rushing into my room, where I was already nursing Bitty in the bed. It took a good 1.5 hours to get everyone back asleep and in their bed after the storm was over. So I was already sleep deprived when my alarm went off at 8am. Oh well... nothing a little, er, A LOT of coffee can't fix.

So I get up, change Bitty's diaper and walk into the living room where the big kids failed to notice the baskets on the kitchen table. I show them the error of their ways and they become so excited and start opening the basket and seeing what treasures they have accumulated. When suddenly, without notice, The Boy throws up ALL OVER his candy and basket! GROSS!! (And BTW, WHY do my kids ALWAYS get the stomach flu when GI Joe is deployed?!?!) He starts freaking out. I am holding Bitty so I quickly put him down. I get a wet washcloth to wash The Boy's face with. He is crying saying his belly hurts so badly. I get him cleaned up and lay him down on the couch with his blanket and Lambie. Then I turn around and see the task ahead of me... a puke-filled Easter basket. Oh Joy. After dry heaving an innumerable amount of times, I get it cleaned up and everything sanitized. The Girl then asks when she can put her Easter dress on and when we are leaving for church. I give her the bad news that we wouldn't be going to church today because of her brother. She wants to wear her dress anyway and I oblige. So while I am still trying to air out the house, she is twirling and swirling around the living room in her pretty dress and new white shoes.

So no church for us today. And I was so looking forward to it, the sermon, the praise music, everyone dressed up. I mean, THE TOMB IS EMPTY!! JESUS LIVES!! HE HAS RISEN!! Who wouldn't want to sing for joy?!?

But God obviously had other plans for me today. The kids and I had a lazy family day at home. We colored eggs and enjoyed cuddling on the couch watching cartoons. I got to read some blogs while they napped. I came across MckMama's post about The Truth About Easter. WOW. What an amzing post. It was like attending church online! LOL So I listened to some soft praise music and really just reveled in the awesomeness of the day.

Sometimes we don't need fancy dresses, loud music(even if it is about Christ), or a loud booming sermon from a wonderful God-loving Chaplain. Sometimes God has other plans for us for that day. And unfortunately, sometimes those plans involve a puke-filled Easter basket.

1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.

5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.

6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

8 Come and see the works of the LORD,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shields with fire.

10 "Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."

11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 46

Day in the Life of this Army Wife...

I had a plan for the day. I made a list. A timeline, if you will. And boy was it a busy one. I managed to get almost everything done I wanted to, but whew. What a day. Anyone who says military wives have it easy is just a silly billy!

0600-0830 Feed Bitty Boy every 30 minutes while trying to get last few possible minutes of sleep.
0831 Get up from bed and find The Boy and The Girl making a huge mess in her room. Tell them to clean up.
0832-0845 Change Bitty's hugely poopy diaper. Wash hands. make cinnamon sugar toast for older, crazier children.
0845-0915 Feed and rock Bitty to sleep. He is fussy and still tired.
0915-0945 Check email, myspace, twitter etc. while savoring a few nice cups of coffee. Mommy time finally.
0945-1000 Separate laundry, throw a load in the wash.
1000-1020 Iron kids clothes for bluebonnet pictures and my clothes for the day. Get big kids dressed.
1021-1045 My Mom calls... talk to her about my crazy week and crazy kids. Crazy kids talk to Grandma about their crazy Mommy. Crazy crazy crazy.
1045-1100 Get diaper bag ready for the day. Pump a bottle. Thaw a bag of frozen breastmilk for another bottle.
1102-1108 Shower, get dressed, brush teeth, etc. (I have this down to a science now... it's called Mommy of 3 Hyperspeed)
1109-1115 Wake Bitty up, change his clothes and diaper. Put him in carseat. Out the door.
1125-1132 McDonalds drive thru to grab Happy Meals for kids.
1145 Bluebonnet Pics... well worth the effort!

1200-1225 Drop kids off at AWESOME Super Saturday daycare on Post. LOVE it! 16 hours FREE per month when your hubby is deployed!
1240 Arrive at Olive Garden with my BFFs. Stuff myself silly with delicious food.
1310 Find wierd conjoined twin cherry w/ two stems in my cherry coke. Take picture of it and send to Twitter.
1410 Leave Olive Garden and arrive at mall.
1420-1445 Get relaxing super quick pedi at local crappy-but-it'll-have-to-do pedi place
1450-1500 Try on ginormous nursing bras at Motherhood. 38F?? GEESH!
1503 Realize we are late for hair appointments. Begin mad dash through Dillards and food court.

1507-1825 Get hair cut and highlighted. I am a blonde again!! And yes... it took over THREE hours!(Meanwhile in that time I had to have my BFF go and pick up my kids or else I would have been way late. GOD BLESS HER!!)
1835 BFF and I realize we do not want to cook dinner and clean up horrible mess that our crazy kids will undoubtedly make. Deployments suck. McDs gets our business yet again. Yeah two Happy Meals in one day. So what?! Come over here and say that to my face! :)
2012 All kids start having horrible meltdowns and we start packing up to head home.
2013 GI Joe calls in the middle of the chaos. His sixth sense for knowing when the worst time to call is very keen. He has the "Unagi" that our beloved Friend Ross speaks about.
2014 Tell GI Joe to call back in 15 minutes. He promises to do so. Mmmhmmm, well see...
2025 Arrive home. Tell big kids to get ready for bed.
2030 Tuck kids in bed. Feed Bitty.
2055 GI Joe calls back. 40 minutes... not 15 minutes, but not bad either. :)
2125 Get off the phone with GI Joe, Put Bitty to bed.

Nice conversation with my husband. Three kids in bed sleeping. Currently in comfy PJs and slippers. All is well with the world.

Food Friday: Meatloaf

So I've been thinking... what do I have a craving for lately? Last week it was Taco Soup(and yes with the help of my pregnant friend who was craving it also, we made it and it was delicious!) This week it is... drum roll please... MEATLOAF! And boy do I have a flippin fastastic recipe. It is my mom's, but I make mine slightly different. I like my meatloaf to still be soft and juicy and not so, well, loafy lol. So enjoy!

MMMmmm Meatloaf

1 1/2 lbs hamburger
1 egg
2/3 can tomato soup
1/3 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1/4 c. green pepper
1/4 c. onion (though, like sour cream, I LURVE my onions so I add A LOT more lol)
breadcrumbs(around 1/4-1/2 c. just eyeball it)

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.In large bowl, combine hamburger, egg, cream of mushroom soup, 1/3 can of the tomato soup, pepper and onion. Mix well.

3.Add breadcrumbs until the mixture is more solid and not so sticky/gooey.

4.Place into an ungreased loaf pan. Add remaining tomato soup on top.

5.Bake at 350 for 1 hour.


I like to serve it with some homemade mashed potatoes and peas, just like Mama makes! :) Enjoy the deliciousness!

Waiting....

It's been 5 days since I have heard from my husband. Bah. I hate waiting. I miss him :(

Overheard

I love reading Rachel's little posts about things she has overheard from her 5 energetic kids. Here is one from The Boy from about 5 minutes ago.

The scene: The Boy walks in from playing out back. He asks to do an art project.

Me: You can do an art project when you clean up your beads.
The Boy: But Mom. You just don't understand. I can't.
Me: Why can't you?
The Boy: Because it's just too awful. Booooooorrriiiiing.

World's Cutest Baby

I know, I'm a little biased. ;)

Where is Tall Man?

We had to go to Wal-mart today and I informed the kids that this was to be a quick mission. In and out. Stay close to me and not get left behind. I like to lay down rules before we go inside somewhere. Then they have been sufficiently warned and should they disobey, they deserve the terrible wrath of Overtired Cranky Mommy. So while I was walking with Bitty Boy in the stroller, The Boy and The Girl hurry behind me. I can hear their conversations as I shop for the few things I needed. Conversations about toys and various animals and songs. Then I hear the Girl start singing "Thumbkin." You know... "Where is Thumbkin, where is Thumbkin. Here I am, here I am." Etc. And you know how they have specific hand motions for that song... well... can you see where I am going with this? My kids begin to delve into the very serious topic of Tall Man. A discussion follows about which finger "Tall Man" is and whether his name is in fact Tall Man. The Boy insists his true moniker is Tall Man. The Girl thinks his name is simply Middle Finger. The kids start arguing loudly, yelling out,
"TALL MAN!!"
"MIDDLE FINGER!!!"
"TALL MAN!!"
"MIDDLE FINGER!!!"
I turn around to tell them to be quiet and what do I see? Each of them flipping their birds very prominently at each other with scowling faces while they are yelling. I quickly grab the milk, snap something quickly at the kids in one breath that sounded like "either-name-is-fine-but-we-don't-stick-our-middle-fingers-up-in-public-because-it-means-something-not-nice-now-stop-fighting-and-let's-go!" and hurrily march toward the checkout, trying to get away from the scene of the crime.

I finally think we are in the clear when suddenly at the checkout The Girl starts in again, "Where is Thumbkin, where is Thumbkin..."

Excuse Me Mommy!

Bitty Boy had his 2 month checkup today. And he's not so bitty anymore... he has almost doubled his birth weight. My teeny 7lb 3 oz guy has grown to a whopping 14lbs 3 oz. (Maybe we should call him Beefy Boy..??) He is also 23 inches too, which explains why he is now fitting in his 3-6 month clothes. He got 3 shots and I think I cried harder than he did... I really don't like seeing my little ones in pain. Of course I had The Boy with me also, and he decided to be a pain-in-the-yes-you-know-where the whole time. So when his baby brother had to get shots, he just HAD to climb all over Mommy(while I was trying to hold Bitty's arms down and console the poor pin cushion) just to see if he could see any "blood squirting outta his legs from the holes in the shots." Ah, good times, good times.

Well, for those who may not know, Bitty has reflux which causes him to spit up more than usual. He also has a very hard time sleeping and is just generally fussy and fidgety from being in pain from stomach acid creeping up his esophagus. So we had to get a refill of his 'script while we were there. While I was talking to the pharmacist and holding Bitty because he was still upset from his shots, I hear The Boy behind me.

"Excuse me! Excuse me Mommy!"
Honey, just a sec, Mommy is talking to the Pharmacist.
"Excuse me!! EXCUSE ME! MOMMY!"
What Honey, what is so important that you need to tell me right now?
"Um, I farted 78 times. Excuse me."


*sigh* At least he said excuse me.

Best Shot Monday

So today is Monday and it's the first installment of Best Shot Monday. I got the idea from Tracey, and boy does she have some awesome shots. So from now on, every Monday I will post my favorite recent shot. I haven't really been that focused on photography lately, but GI Joe and I will be buying the new Canon T1i dSLR camera soon(yay!!). Hopefully I can devote some more time to photography and learning new techniques. So for today, here is my best recent shot with our crappy old point-and-shoot. It is from a couple weeks ago when GI Joe left back to Iraq and The Girl and The Boy were walking him into the airport. Such an emotional photo for me.

Palm Sunday: A Time for Birthdays, Easter Eggs and M4 Sherman Tanks???

Ah yes, Palm Sunday. It was on Palm Sunday back in 2004 that The Girl crawled for the first time... to a Pepsi can. But in all seriousness, Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week in the Christian calendar. It is when Jesus rode into Jerusalem as the King of Kings. He was praised and loved. People shouted "Hosanna!" which means "save us." And then just one short week later, He was put to death, humiliated and beaten, spat upon like trash. What a difference a week makes.

Today started out great. We were only 5 minutes late for church(practically a record...) and they handed us those little palm fronds. I made them into little crosses like my Dad used to do for me every year(and still does when I am with him on Palm Sunday.) We sang some great worship songs and the message was very touching. Bitty Boy slept through the entire service so I really felt like I was able to have some one on one time praising the Lord, which was awesome.

Which, speaking of my Bitty Boy, he is 2 months old today!! Look how handsome my little man is! Such bright blue eyes... ahhh I'm so smitten with him! This is him in the Mai Tei carrier.

After church we did the usual trip to Burger King where my fellow army wife friends and I and all our plethora of young children go wild in the playplace. Then it was a (not-so) quick trip to Wal-mart (blech) and then we raced home. Only by the grace of God was I able to make deviled eggs in 10 minutes flat so we could be out the door and head to the Battalion Easter Egg Hunt and BBQ. It was held at the uber-military 1st Cavalry Division Museum which the Brats just L-O-V-E-D. So when it was time to search for the eggs, they were hidden among tank tracks and Howitzer canons. Ahhh such sweet childhood innocence.

April is Month of the Military Child

For those of you out in Normalville who may not know, April is Month of the Military Child. It's a time to honor our kids in the role they play to support our military men and women... their moms and dads. Especially nowadays with long, frequent deployments, they have to endure so much. I know my kids have sacrificed a lot for their country, probably without even knowing it. They just think of it as a "normal" life. But it is definitely far from that. My kids have spent more time living without a daddy that they have living with one. Hopefully, God-willing, that will change soon and GI Joe will get to spend more time at home with us as a family, like he should be. But I digress..

So today we celebrated this auspicious occasion with a trip to Kids Fest 2009. Free food, free activities, free games, free giveaways, free music... sounds great right? Well, I mean it was pretty neat all the free things the Army had for the kids. But, it is already the beginning of April... and we are in Texas... so that means summer is creeping it's nasty little head closer and closer. And yes... I mean NASTY. Summer here is 110 degrees with 100% humidity and just plain grossness. So, while I LOVE warmer weather and summer activities and swimming and ice cream and all that goody goody gumdrop fun, I DREAD the heat. Well, today was a reminder of why I loathe Texas summers with every fiber of my being.

The day started off ok, mid 70s with a nice cool breeze. But after waiting in live for 45 minutes for a hot dog(...but it was FREE) in the scorching sun, that 70 degree weather quickly rose to 90. I had 3 kids all sweating and complaining and I was starting to melt. I didn't put sunscreen on my shoulders so by the time we left, my shoulders looked like candy canes... complete with red and white stripes.

The kids got to make a bracelet, get free ice cream, jump in a jumpy jump jump and see a real firetruck and monster truck. All in all it was fun, albeit tiring day. We can home, I put the kids down for a nap and I took a nice chilly shower.

Not really looking forward to the Fourth of July Festival...

Sample Size of Heaven

Wow 3 posts in one day... amazing! :)

This is the first incident of what I am going to call a Sample Size of Heaven. It's just a taste of what God's glory is all about. Just a nibble to wet our appetite. These happen all the time and I want to post them to share them with all of you. They are just short and sweet little posts.

I put Bitty Boy on my bed while I brushed my teeth and he saw the drawing that GI Joe had done for our first wedding anniversary. It's a chalk drawing of our wedding picture. Bitty Boy saw it and gave a big gummy grin. He saw his Daddy. Made my heart flutter. Sample Size of Heaven.

What Happens When a Creative Person Has ADD

While I have never been "diagnosed," it's pretty apparent to myself and GI Joe that I have ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder(Although I like to call it Always Distracted, Darnit.) I get started with one task and then quickly get distracted and begin another. Just yesterday this was the sequence of events in about 3 minutes at my house while I was making lunch:

Need to boil water for noodles. Oops there a bowl out on the counter from breakfast. Begin washing it. Realize there is no paper towels. Leave water running to go grab some in the laundry room. Walk in there and remember I didn't put the laundry in the washer into the dryer. Oops almost out of dryer sheets. Walk into living room and begin making shopping list. Add dryer sheets. Wonder if we are out of bathroom cleaner? Walk into master bathroom to check. Oooh a scale. I wonder if I have lost any weight...

Meanwhile, the kitchen faucet is still running, the dryer has not been turned on and I still haven't started the stove to boil the water.

See what I mean? Drives GI Joe bonkers.

Well, I am also a very creative person. I always need an outlet to create... something. But I often get distracted with ANOTHER creative thing. I have a lot of hobbies, all outlets for my creative brain. These include, but are certainly not limited to, scrap-booking, sewing, bow-making, baking, photography, graphic design, card-making, stamping and now of course, blogging. I get started and get REALLY into one of these, and then get distracted with another one and it's just a vicious little cycle of Creativitus Distractus. Just call me a modern Renaissance Woman.

So now I have 3 half completed scrapbooks, tons of ribbon for un-made bows, fabric and patterns ready to be made into various projects, cardstock waiting to be created into birthday cards and my list goes on and on.

I wonder if I will ever finish them all? Will I ever be able to concentrate on just one hobby? Probably not. I love them all, each with the same amount of child-like enthusiasm. When I get bored with one, another one that seems shiny and new will distract my unfocused brain and I will get all bright-eyed-and-bushy-tailed about that.

I should get a part-time job at Hobby Lobby just for the discount....

Food Friday: Taco Soup

So here is the first installment of Food Fridays. I have been dreaming about this soup all week, so I figure I'll post about it in hope of actually mustering up enough energy to go to the store and buy the ingredients. We'll see... Bitty Boy was up A LOT last night. I think he wanted to make sure my boobs were still there. Nope, they didn't fall off. Yet.

I got this recipe from a dear friend of mine when we were stationed in Germany. She would serve it up with some fresh homemade french bread for dipping. It is like a heavenly party in your mouth! :) And the best part?? It is SO super easy! Perfect for any busy Mommy. It also freezes well for those days that the crayons melted in the dryer, moon sand has found its way all over the house and you have about enough energy to lift a pinky.


Pam's Taco Soup

1lb ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
3(15.5 oz) cans Mexican-style chili beans, undrained
1(15.25 oz) can whole kernal corn, undrained
1(15oz) can tomato sauce
1(14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1(4.5 oz) can chopped green chilies
1(1 oz) envelope Ranch dressing mix
1(1.25 oz) envelope taco seasoning
2.5 cups water

Toppings(as many as you like... I add them all, I have a deep unconditional love for sour cream):
Corn chips, shredded lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped tomatoes, sour cream.


1. Cook beef and onions in an extra large saucepan(think dutch oven size) over medium high heat until meat is browned and onions are tender. Stir until meat crumbles. Drain.

2. Stir beans and next 7 ingredients into beef mixture. (Yes you have to count, I'm sorry. I didn't promise there wouldn't be any math involved. If Train A left this station going 30 miles per hour...)Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Spoon soup into bowls and top with whatever toppings float your boat. Although I have to say that the chips, cheese and sour cream are musts.

4. Enjoy! But please, don't steal my sour cream away. It completes me.

I'm Back from Deployment because My Hubby Deployed... Huh, Wha??

Ok so it only took me 11 months to blog again... not bad for a mom of three small kids? Ah yes, you caught that did you? THREE army brats now. Yes, we are planning to start our own Brigade, basic training begins in the womb. So now we have The Girl, The Boy, and The Bitty Boy. If you think my hands are full, you should see my heart. Awwwww.....

Well, what's the reason you are blogging again MarriedToTheArmy? Well it's because GI Joe has left on a long adventure to the Nether Lands. No, not Holland... Iraq. He is on his third tour there now and has left me as Rear Detachment Commander of our growing triple-stack of Brats. So now that I am Mommy and Daddy, and a full-time college student(don't ask...) I have sooooo much time to blog! *Insert snarky sarcasm here* Really it's just because I always have Deployment Insomnia. I figure I'm up til the butt crack of dawn anyway, so I might as well blog about it!

So hopefully from now on there will be at least weekly posts from me chronicling the comical and chaotic daily occurrences that take place here at Camp Camouflage. I am sure this year has so much in store for me. God is always in control and the Army definitely makes sure you always know that. Even though the fear of my husband being in a war zone could literally cripple me, I give it to God. Daily. Hourly. I know He has so much He is going to teach me this year. I can't wait. We Army wives have it hard, yes that is true. But God has called us each to this life. And he gave us this gift of separation. And yes you read right... GIFT of separation. No it isn't because I LIKE being apart from my husband and taking out the trash and killing bugs, it's because it's a time where God can work on us individually. Where we are carried by him. How then would we ever know what God is capable of if we never are brought through the fire? How would we ever realize that the only set of footprints in the sand were not our own. Only because we simply could not walk any longer on our own two feet. Deployments FORCE us to rely on something. The Army teaches us our families to be strong. THERE'S STRONG AND THEN THERE IS ARMY STRONG. I know you all have seen the cheesy commercials that still manage to make me cry. Deployments are an in-your-face reminder that we CANNOT go through this life without God. Try and you will fail. You will crumble when life's pressures come barreling down. I speak from experience. God is solid. More solid than you and I are. Even more solid than my GI Joe's 6 pack abs ;) Only on HIS solid rock I stand, because ALL OTHER ground is sinking sand.

So it back and enjoy the show... you'll laugh, I'll cry, we'll all revel in God's awesomeness... it'll be a hoot! :)