This Just In....I Heart Beth.
23 hours ago
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Praise Him!
I posted this video on facebook, but wanted to share it here too...just in case some of you don't have a facebook account. I saw this video for the first time when Pastor Fred showed it over a year ago at church. It never fails to give me goosebumps, especially around the 3:30 mark. Please take the time to watch this video if you've never seen it...and if you have, you will most likely want to watch it again.
Let's remember to be conspicuous and never ashamed to praise Him...no matter where we are!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Yes, It's TRUE!!
I have been waiting to post about this, simply because I don't know too many details as of yet. I guess I will go ahead and spill what I DO know for those of you who are confused :) Here goes...
I received a phone call from Justin early this week. When I answered the number with a VA area code, I was not expecting it to be him. Much to my surprise, his voice replied "Hey...we have a lot of decisions to make." My first thought was "uh-oh" and my second thought was "shoooooot". Both were pretty accurate reactions to what was to come. Justin found out that the only orders for shore duty included Sugar Grove, WV and Groton, CT. At first, I didn't really care. My response was something like "We'll make it work wherever we end up, at least we'll be together." Then I did some research. This is what I found...
WV
--only about 800 people on the base (in comparison to the 50,000 here)...could be a good thing, depending on how you look at it.
--no commissary, only a "shoppette" which they compare to a 7-11
--nearest Walmart (OR ANYTHING) is a good 45 minutes away
--limited (if any) cell phone service
--in the middle of the mountains
--no colleges close enough for me to even think about attending
--2 churches, neither one a denomination we would attend
--the elementary school admits they are not academically advanced, but small enough for lots of one-on-one attention
CT
--WAY farther north than we ever want to live
--see above, too far from our family
--COLD COLD COLD
--has a college that I might be able to go to, but the one closest only has degree programs relating to marine/aquatics
--the housing looks nice, which would be a must because I would never leave the house haha
--Did I mention how COLD it is in CT?
The other option that the Navy gave Justin was to do back-to-back sea duty, which would mean that for the next 3 years he would spend much of his time deployed again. My husband, crazy as he is, told them he'd go to the squadron and do just that. The squadron he'd join would be attached to the Ike. This would also mean he would be staying until the end of THIS 8-month deployment.
It's really really hard to make these kind of decisions when you are oceans apart. We spent the next 24 hours emailing each other back and forth with our ideas and suggestions. I looked at everything I could find on the internet, and I tried to give Justin the most unbiased portrait of each place...I know I failed at the unbiased part. The more we thought about it the more confused we felt. We both decided to just spend the following night praying about it. I know that I personally prayed for peace and wisdom. I prayed for clarity in our decision-making. Overall, the thing we have wanted most is to follow God's will, and I found myself asking (and others) how I know if it's God's or not.
Fast forward to the next morning.
I woke up EARLY. Couldn't go back to sleep...I prayed some more and then came downstairs to go back online and do more research. There are a few things that flashed in my mind the entire time. The answer was right in front of me. It wasn't what I wanted it to be...but I knew that the decision was the right one. And then I wrote this email:
"Hey baby...Get out of the Navy. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. We will work it out. We will make a way. I love you xoxo."
Ok, maybe my words weren't those exactly--but they were close. I waited ALL day to hear back from him. The response was hysterical:
"Hey baby...are you for real? Don't play around. I'm going to personnel now to start the check-out process. See you in 28 days."
Again, a bit of a paraphrase...but this is pretty close I'm sure.
Anyone who knows me knows that I have been telling Justin that he's "not allowed" to get out of the Navy yet...I have done nothing more than beg him to stay in. After all, where would we go? What would we do for a living? What about my school? And Alana's? As I spent so much time in prayer, really asking God for that direction, I realized that my problem has been trying to micro-manage everything. I say that I trust my God and my husband, but yet I try to control the situation too. I can't do both.
Justin has been living on a ship for the past 4 years. He has been gone from home more than 2 of those years. He is surrounded by worldly people, and it is difficult to be a light in that darkness after a while. Alana cried herself to sleep the night before Justin called to tell me his order situation. She sobbed. She played her build-a-bear that Justin made for her before last deployment. As his voice said "Hey Alana, it's Daddy...I miss you and I love you so much. See you real soon," she hugged it and cried louder. I miss my husband terribly when he's gone. It breaks my heart to see Alana heartbroken. We all miss our family...so why am I being so adamant that this continues?
One word...FEAR!
I'm tired of being fearful. Justin initially told the Navy he would go to the squadron and do another 3 years of sea duty. My initial reaction was "YOU DID WHAT?!" I couldn't figure out why he would do such a thing...Then it hit me. He did it because he thought it was best for Alana and me. When we were trying to weigh the options with WV and CT, Justin finally asked..."What would make you and Alana the happiest?" It was these unselfish things that ultimately made me realize that no matter where we are...no matter what we are doing...I have a husband (and Alana has a daddy) that is going to make sure that we are cared for.
It's such a beautiful reminder of how God loves us, too.
We don't know exactly when Justin will be home, but we are thinking it will be around the 20th of February. Our plans are to move back to Nashville and start a new chapter of our lives! We are excited and nervous...but overall, we know that we will be together at the end of each day and that we can conquer anything!
I will update with more details as I get them! But please keep us all in your prayers as we have a LOT of planning to do in the next month or so...
Peace, Love and Trusting God
I received a phone call from Justin early this week. When I answered the number with a VA area code, I was not expecting it to be him. Much to my surprise, his voice replied "Hey...we have a lot of decisions to make." My first thought was "uh-oh" and my second thought was "shoooooot". Both were pretty accurate reactions to what was to come. Justin found out that the only orders for shore duty included Sugar Grove, WV and Groton, CT. At first, I didn't really care. My response was something like "We'll make it work wherever we end up, at least we'll be together." Then I did some research. This is what I found...
WV
--only about 800 people on the base (in comparison to the 50,000 here)...could be a good thing, depending on how you look at it.
--no commissary, only a "shoppette" which they compare to a 7-11
--nearest Walmart (OR ANYTHING) is a good 45 minutes away
--limited (if any) cell phone service
--in the middle of the mountains
--no colleges close enough for me to even think about attending
--2 churches, neither one a denomination we would attend
--the elementary school admits they are not academically advanced, but small enough for lots of one-on-one attention
CT
--WAY farther north than we ever want to live
--see above, too far from our family
--COLD COLD COLD
--has a college that I might be able to go to, but the one closest only has degree programs relating to marine/aquatics
--the housing looks nice, which would be a must because I would never leave the house haha
--Did I mention how COLD it is in CT?
The other option that the Navy gave Justin was to do back-to-back sea duty, which would mean that for the next 3 years he would spend much of his time deployed again. My husband, crazy as he is, told them he'd go to the squadron and do just that. The squadron he'd join would be attached to the Ike. This would also mean he would be staying until the end of THIS 8-month deployment.
It's really really hard to make these kind of decisions when you are oceans apart. We spent the next 24 hours emailing each other back and forth with our ideas and suggestions. I looked at everything I could find on the internet, and I tried to give Justin the most unbiased portrait of each place...I know I failed at the unbiased part. The more we thought about it the more confused we felt. We both decided to just spend the following night praying about it. I know that I personally prayed for peace and wisdom. I prayed for clarity in our decision-making. Overall, the thing we have wanted most is to follow God's will, and I found myself asking (and others) how I know if it's God's or not.
Fast forward to the next morning.
I woke up EARLY. Couldn't go back to sleep...I prayed some more and then came downstairs to go back online and do more research. There are a few things that flashed in my mind the entire time. The answer was right in front of me. It wasn't what I wanted it to be...but I knew that the decision was the right one. And then I wrote this email:
"Hey baby...Get out of the Navy. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. We will work it out. We will make a way. I love you xoxo."
Ok, maybe my words weren't those exactly--but they were close. I waited ALL day to hear back from him. The response was hysterical:
"Hey baby...are you for real? Don't play around. I'm going to personnel now to start the check-out process. See you in 28 days."
Again, a bit of a paraphrase...but this is pretty close I'm sure.
Anyone who knows me knows that I have been telling Justin that he's "not allowed" to get out of the Navy yet...I have done nothing more than beg him to stay in. After all, where would we go? What would we do for a living? What about my school? And Alana's? As I spent so much time in prayer, really asking God for that direction, I realized that my problem has been trying to micro-manage everything. I say that I trust my God and my husband, but yet I try to control the situation too. I can't do both.
Justin has been living on a ship for the past 4 years. He has been gone from home more than 2 of those years. He is surrounded by worldly people, and it is difficult to be a light in that darkness after a while. Alana cried herself to sleep the night before Justin called to tell me his order situation. She sobbed. She played her build-a-bear that Justin made for her before last deployment. As his voice said "Hey Alana, it's Daddy...I miss you and I love you so much. See you real soon," she hugged it and cried louder. I miss my husband terribly when he's gone. It breaks my heart to see Alana heartbroken. We all miss our family...so why am I being so adamant that this continues?
One word...FEAR!
I'm tired of being fearful. Justin initially told the Navy he would go to the squadron and do another 3 years of sea duty. My initial reaction was "YOU DID WHAT?!" I couldn't figure out why he would do such a thing...Then it hit me. He did it because he thought it was best for Alana and me. When we were trying to weigh the options with WV and CT, Justin finally asked..."What would make you and Alana the happiest?" It was these unselfish things that ultimately made me realize that no matter where we are...no matter what we are doing...I have a husband (and Alana has a daddy) that is going to make sure that we are cared for.
It's such a beautiful reminder of how God loves us, too.
We don't know exactly when Justin will be home, but we are thinking it will be around the 20th of February. Our plans are to move back to Nashville and start a new chapter of our lives! We are excited and nervous...but overall, we know that we will be together at the end of each day and that we can conquer anything!
I will update with more details as I get them! But please keep us all in your prayers as we have a LOT of planning to do in the next month or so...
Peace, Love and Trusting God
Saturday, January 2, 2010
It's 2010 and JP's gone AGAIN!
This is my most amazing husband. He is not dressed like this for fun, nor is he planning for next year's Halloween costume. He is a sailor in the US Navy...and I love him!
Pretty much everyone knows by now that Justin just left on his THIRD and final deployment this morning. I am sad, because he is my best friend and when he leaves half of my heart goes with him...however, I am also a lot of other things. I am PROUD. He is fighting for our country, and that means he is fighting for you. I am LUCKY. Justin would rather be home, but he is selflessly doing this for our family and our future. I am HAPPY that this is his last cruise...then he will be home with us every night thanks to a little thing called shore duty.
Even thought it was hard to ring in the new year knowing what was right around the corner, we managed to make the most of each moment we had together...One of Alana and Justin's favorite thing to do together (among many) is to wrestle. Our bed is the ring, and the pillows are their opponents. They join forces as "the PORTAS POSSE" and then decide to battle each other :) I took some pictures last night before he left of their final match of the season...
Pretty much everyone knows by now that Justin just left on his THIRD and final deployment this morning. I am sad, because he is my best friend and when he leaves half of my heart goes with him...however, I am also a lot of other things. I am PROUD. He is fighting for our country, and that means he is fighting for you. I am LUCKY. Justin would rather be home, but he is selflessly doing this for our family and our future. I am HAPPY that this is his last cruise...then he will be home with us every night thanks to a little thing called shore duty.Even thought it was hard to ring in the new year knowing what was right around the corner, we managed to make the most of each moment we had together...One of Alana and Justin's favorite thing to do together (among many) is to wrestle. Our bed is the ring, and the pillows are their opponents. They join forces as "the PORTAS POSSE" and then decide to battle each other :) I took some pictures last night before he left of their final match of the season...
Alana's got him in a head lock lol
A knee to the chest!
Super GIRL!!!(This can't end well lol)
And again!
Ok, time to hug it out
Smiles
Giggles
Alana took this picture of me and Justin.
What can I say it'd been a long day :)
Our futon was taken over by the piles of clothes and uniforms...
itchy sheets and such...
More stuff to take with him...
The seabag and boots by the door...
Always make it real.
I never ever ever ever ever go up to see the ship leave. It's just so sad. I feel like it's torture to drag it out very long. Justin and I have figured out how to keep our "see ya laters" short and sweet to save us both heartache. This morning, I woke up wanting to go up and see him off. He left last night about midnight. Angie and Jeremy were gonna go up there, so I asked if I could go along for the ride and drive the Beetle back. I'm glad we did...even though it was FREEEEEZING.
Alana getting ready to go see Daddy off!
Haha, Angie took this picture of me on one of my many SHORT trips out of the car!
They were getting ready to push off.
Turning the ship out of the pier.
Alana was wondering if she should brave the cold too...
We moved the car to another spot to get a view of the ship once it was away from the pier.
Angie again...from the WARM car!
Alana and I trying not to blow away but going down to the rocks.
Haha you can't even see my head :)
Alana trying to keep her hat on and wave goodbye to Justin at the same time :)
Bye Ike, you have my heart!
I used my new Flip video recorder to tape the ship pulling out. It was literally in the teens or below with the wind gusts down there. I'm not kidding when I say I could hardly stand up out there. So you have to bear with the sound of the wind and the shaking of the camera...it was too hard to hold the thing steady when I could barely stand up myself! The videos below are just random clips i recorded...they are actually in reverse order. Note: Alana can barely stand up lol.All I know is that this next 6 months or so better go by fast! Continue to pray for our family as we are still awaiting orders...We don't know where "home" will be in the next year, but we do trust that we will be wherever God leads us. After all, He is the true Commander in Chief :)
And to Justin--I miss you already, baby...I am so proud of you and all you have accomplished. We will be ready and waiting when you get home to us! Your girls (and Scooter) love you!
Peace, Love and Lots of lonely nights to come :)
Monday, December 28, 2009
Merry CHRISTmas and some!
Christmas is past, and New Years is coming soon...one of my resolutions is to get back to the blogging regularly again. It was such an amazing holiday, filled with lots of family and friends and fun...I know that Justin and I feel so completely blessed this year, even more than usual. There are a ton of pictures in this post, so bear with me!
Alana had last week and this week off of school, so I tried to come up with lots of creative ways to keep us busy during the days...One day we made ornaments. On Wednesday, we made gingerbread cookie pops to use as place settings for our Christmas dinner. It seemed like a good idea when I bought them, lol. Actually...it was a lot of fun, just more work than I had planned.
Alana was so proud of our creations
They look sorta special, I know :)
We even specialized the ones for the guys...
Justin's was purple and yellow for the Vikings.
Jeremy's was red and yellow for the Noles!
The McKinneys also came over on Thursday, as did the Groths. We had a mini gift-exchange before our families got here.
Alana got Trouble and an Easy Bake Oven!!
My mom and my grandma (also known as Grammy and Gigi) made their way from SC to our house on Christmas eve. Before they got here, Justin, Alana and I ate our traditional "Breakfast for dinner on Christmas eve". It was yummy, if I do say so myself :) Once the grandmas got here, we got the real party started!
Grammy let her open one from her too...
Strawberry Shortcake!
Me and Justin...ready to play Santa!
Alana had put a present for Jesus under the tree (which she got at church)...
She had to open it on Christmas Eve and is supposed to keep it in her room as a reminder of her gift to Jesus this year.
It says "Jesus, I will help poor people this year"
Here's what Alana left for Santa this year...
CHOCOLATE milk (she said he'd want that) and peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies!
In turn, Santa left her lots of Barbies with wings...
Look at all those presents!
Nothing left but crumbs here...
Christmas morning, Justin was the first one awake. He was up at 5 a.m., and so of course I was too :) He was so excited! That, and he had to be at work at 9:30, so he wanted to get the day going!
It was full of all kinds of goodies!
Gigi was ready to roll too!
Alana got Pixos and she literally hugged the box :)
This picture makes me laugh!
I got my mom these shoes...it's a long story, but I think she liked them :)
Justin bought Alana a bat and some balls...
How cute are these two?!
Christmas cheese :)
And more love...
Such big presents!
And another!!!
Justin was happy...
and all it took was a GI Joe and a Vikings jersey :)
This is Alana's gift from Grammy!
A THREE story dollhouse, which I put together with lots of love and frustration :)
Jalen brought over some of his gifts to show Alana!
Time for food!
Helping Alana get situated so I could make my own plate!
The guys table...
Jeremy, Justin and Chris
Gigi!
Angie and Me
These are Alana's presents from Papa...so far :)
So the day after Christmas, we all went bowling. It was fun, but we decided not to quit our day jobs anytime soon. Before we left, my mom asked Justin to take a "four generation picture"...(we have quite a few of these now)...well, this is our best shot!
My PBA bowler...hahahahahaha
I like to refer to this as "big butt, little butt"
Can't believe how big she is getting!!!
So sweet.
It's been such a great year, and it's coming to a close. We are also getting ready to say goodbye to Justin AGAIN, hopefully for the last time. I hope everyone else had a blessed Christmas, and that you find even more blessings in the new year!
Peace, Love and 2000 and what?!
Alana had last week and this week off of school, so I tried to come up with lots of creative ways to keep us busy during the days...One day we made ornaments. On Wednesday, we made gingerbread cookie pops to use as place settings for our Christmas dinner. It seemed like a good idea when I bought them, lol. Actually...it was a lot of fun, just more work than I had planned.
Alana was so proud of our creations
They look sorta special, I know :)
We even specialized the ones for the guys...Justin's was purple and yellow for the Vikings.
Jeremy's was red and yellow for the Noles!
On Thursday, Alana made cookies for Santa. While she was helping, she said "Mommy, Christmas is my favorite holiday because it's Jesus' birthday. It made me smile :)
Here she is putting the criss-crosses on the peanut butter ones!
The McKinneys also came over on Thursday, as did the Groths. We had a mini gift-exchange before our families got here. Jalen got a G.I. Joe!
Alana got Trouble and an Easy Bake Oven!!
My mom and my grandma (also known as Grammy and Gigi) made their way from SC to our house on Christmas eve. Before they got here, Justin, Alana and I ate our traditional "Breakfast for dinner on Christmas eve". It was yummy, if I do say so myself :) Once the grandmas got here, we got the real party started!Alana chose one gift to open from Mommy and Daddy...
Princess Tiana (and frog)!
Princess Tiana (and frog)!
Grammy let her open one from her too...
Strawberry Shortcake!
Me and Justin...ready to play Santa!
Alana had put a present for Jesus under the tree (which she got at church)...
She had to open it on Christmas Eve and is supposed to keep it in her room as a reminder of her gift to Jesus this year.
It says "Jesus, I will help poor people this year"
Here's what Alana left for Santa this year...
CHOCOLATE milk (she said he'd want that) and peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies!
In turn, Santa left her lots of Barbies with wings...
Look at all those presents!
Nothing left but crumbs here...
Christmas morning, Justin was the first one awake. He was up at 5 a.m., and so of course I was too :) He was so excited! That, and he had to be at work at 9:30, so he wanted to get the day going!
Justin helping Alana get her stocking
It was full of all kinds of goodies!
Gigi was ready to roll too!
Alana got Pixos and she literally hugged the box :)
This picture makes me laugh!
I got my mom these shoes...it's a long story, but I think she liked them :)
Justin bought Alana a bat and some balls...How cute are these two?!
Christmas cheese :)
And Christmas love...
And more love...
Such big presents!
And another!!!
Justin was happy...
and all it took was a GI Joe and a Vikings jersey :)
This is Alana's gift from Grammy!
A THREE story dollhouse, which I put together with lots of love and frustration :)
Jalen brought over some of his gifts to show Alana!
Time for food!
Helping Alana get situated so I could make my own plate!
The guys table...
Jeremy, Justin and Chris
Gigi!
Angie and Me
These are Alana's presents from Papa...so far :)
So the day after Christmas, we all went bowling. It was fun, but we decided not to quit our day jobs anytime soon. Before we left, my mom asked Justin to take a "four generation picture"...(we have quite a few of these now)...well, this is our best shot!
My PBA bowler...hahahahahaha
I like to refer to this as "big butt, little butt"
Can't believe how big she is getting!!!
So sweet.
It's been such a great year, and it's coming to a close. We are also getting ready to say goodbye to Justin AGAIN, hopefully for the last time. I hope everyone else had a blessed Christmas, and that you find even more blessings in the new year!
Peace, Love and 2000 and what?!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Turkey Day!!!
Happy Thanksgiving! I have so very much to be thankful for this year, as always! I know I have not been the most faithful blogger, but I will try to make up for it :) We hosted Thanksgiving dinner at our house for the first time this year. I was a little nervous, because let's face it--I've never cooked a turkey before. It was an amazing time with family and friends!
While the grown-ups do all the work :)
Marko working on the ham
This was our "appetizer" table...which later became our dessert table!
Proof (as awful as the pic is) that I actually was "cooking" haha.
And Angie cheesing while she helped me :)
Our finished products...Mmmmm.
Jalen with his puppies!
Uncle Noah and Alana...and Scooter
The girls' table
(Angie, Me and Hillary)
The guys' table
(Mike, Reggie and Chris)
Brotherly love
Judy and Marko
We are all in some deep conversation here lol.
And then back to the Wii...but where is Justin?
Found him!
The sugar highs running rampant!
I...can't...stop!!!
Angie and Sadie
Angie and Jeremy...once the Navy let him join us!
This was Bradford pretty much all day...I swear if we had washable markers, I would've had some fun. We wanted to make sure he could get back on the ship tonight, though lol.
Hillary and Mike
Yeah, I am cool.
I am thankful for him :)
Along with all of the cheesy elementary school decorations we put up (on purpose), I made these posters. Everyone had to write at least one thing they were thankful for on it by their name. I'm a dork, yes...but it made everyone HAVE to think about it.
I am so completely thankful for my God and everything that He has blessed me with. I am thankful for my family and my friends...the ones that were here today, as well as those I haven't seen in forever! I am thankful that I had so much food to eat that I shouldn't have to eat again til next year. I am thankful for my little girl that I had to carry up to bed after her turkey coma kicked in and she passed out on the couch. I am thankful for my amazing husband and his friends that serve our country so that we can be free. I am thankful that he also loves the Lord with all his heart and makes me want to be a better person. I am thankful for the newest additions to our home, Scooter and Sadie--who have brought all of us a little more joy. There are so many things I have to be thankful for. If you are reading this...YOU are one of them!
I...AM...THANKFUL!!!
Peace, Love and Gobble gobble.
The guys started the gaming right away...Mario Kart!
While the grown-ups do all the work :)
Marko working on the ham
This was our "appetizer" table...which later became our dessert table!
Proof (as awful as the pic is) that I actually was "cooking" haha.
And Angie cheesing while she helped me :)
Our finished products...Mmmmm.
Jalen with his puppies!
Uncle Noah and Alana...and Scooter
The girls' table
(Angie, Me and Hillary)
The guys' table
(Mike, Reggie and Chris)
Brotherly love
Judy and Marko
We are all in some deep conversation here lol.
And then back to the Wii...but where is Justin?
Found him!
The sugar highs running rampant!
I...can't...stop!!!
Angie and Sadie
Angie and Jeremy...once the Navy let him join us!
This was Bradford pretty much all day...I swear if we had washable markers, I would've had some fun. We wanted to make sure he could get back on the ship tonight, though lol.
Hillary and Mike
Yeah, I am cool.
I am thankful for him :)
Along with all of the cheesy elementary school decorations we put up (on purpose), I made these posters. Everyone had to write at least one thing they were thankful for on it by their name. I'm a dork, yes...but it made everyone HAVE to think about it. 
I am so completely thankful for my God and everything that He has blessed me with. I am thankful for my family and my friends...the ones that were here today, as well as those I haven't seen in forever! I am thankful that I had so much food to eat that I shouldn't have to eat again til next year. I am thankful for my little girl that I had to carry up to bed after her turkey coma kicked in and she passed out on the couch. I am thankful for my amazing husband and his friends that serve our country so that we can be free. I am thankful that he also loves the Lord with all his heart and makes me want to be a better person. I am thankful for the newest additions to our home, Scooter and Sadie--who have brought all of us a little more joy. There are so many things I have to be thankful for. If you are reading this...YOU are one of them!I...AM...THANKFUL!!!
Peace, Love and Gobble gobble.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Zoo Day!
This past Sunday was a free military admission day at the zoo. They also had face-painting and bouncy things for the kids to play on, clowns, music...all sorts of fun stuff! Alana and I haven't been to the zoo here since last year, so there was lots of new things to see. Angie and Jalen haven't been since OH last week :) We all went together this time, and enjoyed a beautiful day!
Butterfly...Gosh, I hope this washes off :)
Jalen and Alana holding hands and waiting in line to bounce!
They love each other!
Crazy picture of Alana in the bouncy house!
Time for a lunch break!
Riding the train
Alana was petting the goat :)
And feeding a different one...
They are dancing to "Just Dance" by Lady Gaga lol.
Alana tried to pick up Jalen, like all of her friends at school do to her.
Jalen's turn to pick up Alana
Maybe I can pick her up better from behind...
or at least stop her from choking :)
Jalen found something he could pick up :)
Alana got some too!
I was teasing Jalen, telling him he missed one :)
Just a few more...
I think our kids have a future in lawn maintenance!
Angie and I might have the only two kids in the world that go to the zoo and collect leaves! Hey, at least they were having fun doing it :) We also got to see lots of animals...the elephants, giraffes, the monkeys...all the creepy crawlies...the farm animals! The best part of the day was just getting some fresh air with two of our favorite people!
First stop, the face painting!
Butterfly...Gosh, I hope this washes off :)
Jalen and Alana holding hands and waiting in line to bounce!
They love each other!
Crazy picture of Alana in the bouncy house!
Time for a lunch break!
Riding the train
Alana was petting the goat :)
And feeding a different one...
They are dancing to "Just Dance" by Lady Gaga lol.
Alana tried to pick up Jalen, like all of her friends at school do to her.
Jalen's turn to pick up Alana
Maybe I can pick her up better from behind...
or at least stop her from choking :)
Jalen found something he could pick up :)
Alana got some too!
I was teasing Jalen, telling him he missed one :)
Just a few more...
I think our kids have a future in lawn maintenance!
Angie and I might have the only two kids in the world that go to the zoo and collect leaves! Hey, at least they were having fun doing it :) We also got to see lots of animals...the elephants, giraffes, the monkeys...all the creepy crawlies...the farm animals! The best part of the day was just getting some fresh air with two of our favorite people!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Be Still...
I know I've promised a few of you a new post with pictures from our trip to the zoo on Sunday--and I will post those soon!!! I just wanted to share something with everyone tonight...It's an amazing testament of God's not-so-subtle way of reminding us that He is in control. And trust me folks, I can't even make up stuff that's this good!
First let me share a little bit of background for those of you who I don't talk to on a regular basis. Life has been wonderful in the Portas household lately. It has also been extremely busy for each of us. Alana is in school five days a week, I am taking six college classes PLUS volunteering at Alana's school, and Justin is in the Navy--enough said. On top of everything that is already on our plates, it is time for Justin to either re-enlist or get out of the Navy. We have been unsure about this next step. Justin wants out, but we know that this is not the best time for our family for that to happen. It's been weighing on us both...and most likely, consequently, Alana as well. The past week has been especially tough on Justin. He has been working strenuous, long hours despite his new position in cargo. We're talking major manual labor for 12-14 hours a day. He hasn't had a chance to call the detailer for order options, etc...and all the while he's been questioning what the future holds for him. We know what I'm doing, as far as a career. Alana is in Kindergarten, so we know what she's gonna be up to for the next 11 years or so. Justin doesn't quite know what he wants to be when he grows up, though :) He just knows it does not include retiring from the military. Justin and I have been very open with our communication about all of this. Last night, after a few rough days, we had another deep discussion. It was a sort of break-thru in that we both really accepted that we had to relinquish the control and realize it was gonna be alright no matter what. Justin said something that prompted me to say "We have to 'Be still'..." Then he repeated "Be still and know that I am God" a few times. He said that was his old mantra, and needed to become his new one--especially while at work.
Fast forward to today...Justin picks up his "Our Daily Bread" devotional book (you probably know what I'm referring to, but just in case you don't I've included graphics) :)
He opens it up and turns the page to today, Wednesday, October 14th. And this is what he saw...
The best part yet is what the bottom of the page reads...
Can I get an AMEN? Seriously. I told you this was good stuff! "God knows the future, so we are safe in His hands." Justin brought this home to me and I began humming the Twilight Zone theme...I mean, WOW. Justin went on to share that he finally knows that it doesn't matter if we don't know exactly what our future holds...because Someone does--and that Someone will keep us safe!
Peace, Love and Being Still
First let me share a little bit of background for those of you who I don't talk to on a regular basis. Life has been wonderful in the Portas household lately. It has also been extremely busy for each of us. Alana is in school five days a week, I am taking six college classes PLUS volunteering at Alana's school, and Justin is in the Navy--enough said. On top of everything that is already on our plates, it is time for Justin to either re-enlist or get out of the Navy. We have been unsure about this next step. Justin wants out, but we know that this is not the best time for our family for that to happen. It's been weighing on us both...and most likely, consequently, Alana as well. The past week has been especially tough on Justin. He has been working strenuous, long hours despite his new position in cargo. We're talking major manual labor for 12-14 hours a day. He hasn't had a chance to call the detailer for order options, etc...and all the while he's been questioning what the future holds for him. We know what I'm doing, as far as a career. Alana is in Kindergarten, so we know what she's gonna be up to for the next 11 years or so. Justin doesn't quite know what he wants to be when he grows up, though :) He just knows it does not include retiring from the military. Justin and I have been very open with our communication about all of this. Last night, after a few rough days, we had another deep discussion. It was a sort of break-thru in that we both really accepted that we had to relinquish the control and realize it was gonna be alright no matter what. Justin said something that prompted me to say "We have to 'Be still'..." Then he repeated "Be still and know that I am God" a few times. He said that was his old mantra, and needed to become his new one--especially while at work.
Fast forward to today...Justin picks up his "Our Daily Bread" devotional book (you probably know what I'm referring to, but just in case you don't I've included graphics) :)
He opens it up and turns the page to today, Wednesday, October 14th. And this is what he saw...
The best part yet is what the bottom of the page reads...
Can I get an AMEN? Seriously. I told you this was good stuff! "God knows the future, so we are safe in His hands." Justin brought this home to me and I began humming the Twilight Zone theme...I mean, WOW. Justin went on to share that he finally knows that it doesn't matter if we don't know exactly what our future holds...because Someone does--and that Someone will keep us safe!
Peace, Love and Being Still
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)