Allison's Wonderland

Being a Mommy Rocks.

2010-05-10T12:50:00.005-04:00

Mother's Day was a happy one! I am one lucky lady to not only have the best mom in the world, but also to be mom to the most amazing little girl (and one on the way)!

Alana made this flower for me at school...such a cute idea! Her teacher took a picture of her "holding flowers" and then put these artificial flowers in her hand. I know this will be one of those things I keep forever and ever!

She also gave me a sweet card and some homemade art, just like she does every other day :) I am gonna have to rent a storage unit soon, just to house all of her little projects she makes. No one could ever say that she is not creative!

My mom surprised me with a beautiful bracelet, too! The picture does not do it justice, but it's really hard to take a picture of it! It is a Trollbeads bracelet! I was not familiar with the story of Trollbeads, but now that I have been schooled (ha) I think they are really cool. If you are interested click here to learn. Right now, I have 6 charms on my bracelet...The first one (from the left) is the faith, hope and charity charm. Next is my birthstone. The 3rd charm is called "endless". Next is a pearl which is Alana's birthstone. The 5th charm has a J with hearts (for Justin) and last but not least is the "baby girl" charm. It's pink with a little stone, hard to see here. All of these charms are meaningful, and I love my bracelet! And I have lots of room to add more!

The past 5 years have been special ones on this day, but this year I had one more reason to be excited and feel blessed! It's so nice to know that later on this year, I will be "Mommy" to one more.

Most everyone already knows that the newest Portas is a little girl, but most of you don't know what her name is!

Drumroll, please...

Avery Caroline Portas

And because Alana was rooting for a different name, she plans to call her "Sunny" :) I think it's kind of funny that she has taken it upon herself to name her baby sister...but I also think it is cute, so I won't be discouraging it!

I have definitely felt better this past month, as far as the pregnancy is concerned. Justin has started his job as a security guard for a federal building downtown, and although his hours are long and somewhat monotonous, we are thankful that he is employed!

Alana has really come around as far as school is concerned, too. We went through a couple of rough weeks, where she didn't want to go to school. Now she loves it, as she is making more friends and finding her place back in Tennessee! She only has less than three weeks to go and she will be a big first grader! I can't believe it--where did the time go?!

All I know is that life is good...and being a mommy is even better :)

Horrible Blogger!

2010-04-30T13:59:00.002-04:00

I know, I know...I should be hung by my toenails and beat with a wet noodle...or tarred and feathered...SOMETHING! I have been informed by plenty that I haven't posted a blog since before we moved back to TN. I would love to say that it is because I am so incredibly busy that I don't have the time. That is not true :) I have lots to say, I just haven't taken the time to do it.

I'm not even going to do it right now! Instead, I am promising that this is the start of getting back into it...

New post (with substance) to come SOOOOOON!

St. Patty's Day Goodbyes

2010-03-17T21:07:00.006-04:00

The fact that I am sitting down to post a blog is amazing in itself...Things have been super busy here the past weeks, especially the past few days! Justin and I have been wearing ourselves out getting things in order for our big move...The movers will be here in less than 12 hours! And then we will clean, paint and drive for two days :) There IS a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, though!

So today was Alana's last FULL day of school. She's going tomorrow, but it's an early release day. Justin and I took cupcakes (green ones, of course!) to her class this afternoon for a "goodbye" party. She also made special gifts for each of her classmates--a pencil with a note attached, asking everyone to be her pen pal.

Here is the finished product!
(I blurred out our new address for obvious reasons)

I had to throw this picture in...This week they are raising money for relay for life and yesterday was "crazy clothes" day...I think she looks kinda 80s, but super cute still :)

The yellow table...
This is Alana's table, munching down on cupcakes.

And the next table...

Last but not least!

Justin was trying to take a picture of Alana and her friend Jadin...
The boys kept trying to jump in :)
And today, by the way, was crazy HAT day!

Jadin T. and Alana
I can't stop laughing when I see her picture because Justin said today she looks
like a mini-Sarah Silverman...It's kinda true :)

Katla!
I think Justin was trying to take a picture of Aidan behind her...
He laughed hysterically because she had icing in every inch of her hair!

My big girl, making a silly face :)

Ms. Kimball and her star student :)

It was bittersweet, but we are excited about our newest chapter of life. It's always nice when you go to your child's school to get transfer papers and they say your daughter cannot leave :) Ms. Kimball went over some of Alana's math testing, etc with me and it made me SO proud. She missed ONE question (that she didn't answer at all) and when Ms. K. explained it to me, I didn't understand what she was supposed to do either haha. Very proud of my baby girl! Everyone keeps telling me how amazing she is going to do no matter where she is--and I agree!

Please pray for us these next few days as we travel to Columbia, SC (to visit Gigi and the aunts) and then on to Nashville. We are all worn out, but like I said...we have motivation to get there!

I have to get back to business...

Peace, Love and Lucky days

Baby Portas

2010-02-25T15:55:00.004-05:00

Here are the first pictures of Baby Portas. The doctor kept the best of the 3, so these will have to do. Alana says they are "boring"...you may agree :)

According to the dr, the baby is good with a strong heartbeat...I am 10 weeks, 2 days (now) and the Estimated Due Date is September 21st.

More to come!

Praise Him!

2010-01-21T14:26:00.002-05:00

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!

Yes, It's TRUE!!

2010-01-09T12:09:00.002-05:00

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

It's 2010 and JP's gone AGAIN!

2010-01-02T12:47:00.009-05:00

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...

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 :)

Merry CHRISTmas and some!

2009-12-28T18:33:00.010-05:00

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!

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)!

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?!

Happy Turkey Day!!!

2009-11-26T20:47:00.008-05:00

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!

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.

Zoo Day!

2009-10-15T09:32:00.005-04:00

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!

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!

Be Still...

2009-10-14T20:37:00.002-04:00

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

A Month in the Life

2009-10-08T10:49:00.007-04:00

I know, I know...It has been WAY too long since I last posted. In fact, it's been a month today! I am going to just make this into a mass post, probably all clumped together and confusing...kind of like my life the past month haha. No, life has been great! Life has also been busy, and we are getting used to our new routines. Alana has been more than amazing at school! She loves going every day. While most of us can't wait til Friday, Alana can't wait til Monday! She counts down the days til she gets to go back to school when it's the weekend. That makes life so much easier for me!

On her second day of school, we got this amazing cookie bouquet delivered to our doorstep! It was from none other than Grammy! She knows how to make us smile! I can't get over how cute these cookies were, and they tasted just as incredible...

Moving on...
Justin had an inspection last month, so he had to break down and actually BUY the new uniform. He doesn't have to wear this to work on a daily basis, so he has been putting it off for quite sometime. I just think he looks so cute so I thought I'd share...he will probably kill me later for this :)

Seriously is the BLUE camo supposed to make them blend in with the water?!

Next on my list of things I should've blogged about and didn't--Justin's birthday! My wonderful hubby turned 32 on the 17th. He actually had the day off, and Alana had an early-release day. Justin and I started off the day with a delicious breakfast at IHOP and then when we picked up Alana from school we continued our celebration. Alana and I sent Justin to "his room" upstairs and we made cupcakes.

Justin pretended like he didn't know what was going on ;)
Alana kept fibbing and telling him we were playing Mario World and he couldn't come downstairs because we didn't want him to see our secret tricks...

My favorites.

Kissy kissy

This is a typical Alana face...
She had just gotten a bath, so she had wet hair!

Alana took a picture of Daddy and Mommy

Self-portrait, we ALMOST got Alana's whole face in.
Justin's tongue took up too much :)

Alana got her haircut

Ok, so let me explain why I took so many pictures of Alana dressed for school. I love my child to death. I could not live without her. I could, however, do without her crazy restrictions on what she will and will not wear. She is quite stubborn and opinionated, but as I've learned in my Developmental Psychology class--she is also quite normal. She would only wear 2 skirts for the first few weeks of school...In a way, it was frustrating. In another way, I didn't care. It just made for lots of loads of laundry to make sure they were clean. Then, it got cold. I finally told Alana that she HAD to wear pants to school. It was amazing. She wore them without much of a fuss, and I took a picture for proof...

First day wearing jeans to school :)

Second day wearing pants...
And this days was even extra special because she wore those pink converse I bought her in Nashville...the ones she has not worn ONCE. She put up a fight and I told her she didn't have to wear them, that I didn't care...Then she said "Ok, I'll wear them!" Grrrr...

Silliness at it's best.

My own semester in school has been amazing as well. I am super excited about what the future holds for me. I feel like I am finally getting somewhere with my education. I am trying to make straight A's to get into a HIGHLY competitive program at my school...I'm talking only 15 people get in each year. So it's pretty demanding. That, and I have to learn things like this:

Justin was gone for a week this month, and hopefully he will be home for the rest of October before he has to go out for about a month...We miss him when he's gone. We also miss the rest of our family.

Alana ichatting with Grammy and Liam

Can you tell she was eating a brownie?
I took this and she said, "Mommy, I look like I don't have some of my teeth!"
Then I told her if she eats brownies and doesn't brush them, she won't!

Another success in the clothing department...These jeans we bought in Nashville about 4 months ago and she wouldn't even put them on. I told her they make her look tall...
Especially tall, when she's on her tippy toes!

My sweetness.

Alana is at school...Justin is at work...I am actually caught up on my own schoolwork. That's why I am blogging. I will soon return to my desk, where I spend the bulk of my time these days...I bought this one, and put it in the "dining" room so my butt didn't permanently indent the place I was sitting on the couch :)

Justin bought me this most comfortable chair, too!!!

I'm sorry that I have slacked on keeping everyone updated! I will do my best to post more regularly again. I am almost halfway through the semester, and Justin just got a new job in cargo. He works Monday through Friday, 7:30-he gets done...which is usually quite early. He is going to look at orders today, so I am kind of nervous. Please pray that God shows us what's next...

Peace, Love and Blogging Goulash.

Alana's First Day of Kindergarten!!!

2009-09-08T20:08:00.004-04:00

My life has changed forever! My baby is now a Kindergartener! Alana went to her first day of school today, and she did amazing! She loves it so much...

This morning she woke up and finished coloring a picture she was working on for Ms. Kimball.
(Thanks, Grandma Nancy for the idea!)

A true work of art!

This is the face she made when I asked her if she was excited about school today :)

All dressed and ready to go!
I let her pick out whatever she wanted to wear and she picked the "Girls totally rule" shirt. I learned in my Psychology class last week that it is important to let your children make decisions like what to wear because it gives them confidence...so yeah, today, Girls totally ruled!

Showing off her new iCarly backpack

Such a poser!
(And check out her new Abby Cadabby New Balances)

And her lunch bag...

Alana and Me!

Kissy kissy...

Alana and Daddy!

I think I did really well...The weather was horrible today!!! I'm talking torrential downpour here. We managed to get there without drowning, and I managed to take her to her class and get home without shedding a single tear! I felt completely at peace with everything, so thank you to everyone who was praying for me!!! Justin and I were seriously lost. I have spent the past 5 years with Alana, so it was definitely shocking. It wasn't BAD though. We went and ate sushi for lunch and watched some episodes of Lie to Me...Then we went and got some balloons for Alana and made her a sign!

She was so happy!

She did not stop talking for about an hour after we got home...She LOVES school. I couldn't be happier or more proud of my big girl!!!

Especially love her when she's goofy :)

Whale-come to Willoughby!

2009-09-06T18:00:00.003-04:00

This post will be short and sweet, I just wanted to share the pictures from Alana's open house with everyone! We had her meet and greet on Thursday, where she got to meet her teacher and see her classroom. I was pretty anxious about it, but it all went super! We love her teacher and her school is awesome. We can literally see our front door from the front of her school!!!

Me and Justin at Logan's before the Open house

Walking up to the school!

Willoughby Elementarty School!

And closer...

Alana and I were trying to find her name so we could see which seat is hers...
And that is Ms. Kimball, her teacher!

Found it!

Justin is showing Alana all the faces of SpongeBob.
Alana was all about this wall!

I still can't believe my baby starts Kindergarten in 2 days! She is ready, though and I know she will do amazing!

Peace, Love and All grown up!

Beach with the Crew

2009-08-18T21:19:00.004-04:00

Today was Adam and Ashley's last full day here, so we took advantage of the amazing weather and went to the beach. I don't know what I'm going to do when winter comes...I sure do love living 1/2 a mile from the beach...

Thanks, Angie for this one!
This is what we'll be doing when we are retired, too :)

Justin teaching Alana to skip rocks (or shells)

Ashley, Adam, me and Justin
(I feel like a munchkin next to all of them!)

Ashley playing in the sand with Alana and Jalen

Alana eating her Handi-snacks...She was anti-picture today :)

My favorite little Seminole!

Angie and me :)

We had such a chill time...Justin's friend, Groth was also with us, though he somehow managed to miss all the kodak moments :) And Jeremy had to work...Next time he will have to go with us!

Peace, Love and lots of sand!

TCLC Military Pool Party!

2009-08-16T20:42:00.003-04:00

We just got home from our church's annual Military Pool party. It's for all the military families in our church (there are a lot). The Hrishaks host it every year, and it's such an amazing time! They cook the biggest, best hamburgers you could imagine...I'm talking, fall-apart-in-your-mouth goodness! My brother-in-law (Justin's brother) Adam and his girlfriend Ashley are visiting, so they got to go with us today! We all had a great time fellowshipping and soaking up the sun!

Adam and Ashley

Me and Ashley

And of course,
Justin and Alana!

Alana has been in bed for an hour already! She swam her little heart out today...And we are all pretty worn out too! But not too worn out for some Tetris Party on the Wii! We live it up in the Portas household!

Peace, Love and Summer fun xo

Day Trip to OBX

2009-08-16T20:22:00.003-04:00

Justin decided he wanted to go on an "adventure" Wednesday...He said that once he got off work (from Tuesday night) that we should just get in the car and hit the open road. Well, we SORTA did that. We headed down to Outer Banks, NC (about an hour and a half from here)...It ended up being an adventure for sure! We had a lot of fun, just being together and doing something different.

Justin and Alana at the rest stop in OBXAlana at the NC Aquarium

Sitting by an alligator! Okay, it wasn't real shhhh.

Kissing a Frog.
(Insert joke here)
...and Alana took this picture!

Alana touching a starfish.

After the aquarium, we hit up Cold Stone...mmm.
Sharing hers with Daddy!

On the way back home!

We hit an insane storm on the way home and had to stop at a rest area...
We were being stupid taking self-portraits, while Alana was zonked out in the back :)

We made it home safe and sound...we hope to go back on a day that has more sunshine, but it was definitely a fun day trip!

Making the Most of Daddy being home!

2009-08-08T13:48:00.003-04:00

We've had the BEST time since Justin got home! Sometimes it can be tricky to get back into the swing of things after he's been gone for so long. Alana and I have our routine for when he's out to sea, and he gets used to being on the ship...I can honestly say this has been the easiest transition back to normal life yet! Justin got 2nd leave this time, so he still hasn't gotten any time off yet. His leave starts the 15th...but we have been making the most of the time that he IS home. He's been working nights, so we've had him home during the day for the most part (even if he is sleeping some of it!)

Monday night we went to the Tides game. This is a Portas family favorite :) We always have such a great time! Justin's shipmate went with us, too! It was a blast, as always! While we were waiting in line at the box office to get tickets, someone even gave us FREE tickets! Somehow Justin is always lucky like that :)

Justin and Alana showing their team spirit!

Gooooo Tides!

Watching so intently...

Today is the first chance I've really had to upload pictures and blog! That is because Justin took Alana on a date :) (Don't tell her I said that, though...she informed us that it "annoys her" when we say she's going on a date with Daddy...so we call it "Daddy time") N-E-Who. I had to run a long 10 miles today, so Justin took Alana to the movies and Chuck E Cheese while I sweated my life away!

Getting ready to leave on their DATE!

Not sure...They are silly!

I miss them already!!!
I LOVE THESE TWO!!!

Now I'm icing my knees and ankle, so that I can walk into church tonight :) I seriously do miss Justin and Alana already! I am ready for them to come back home...

Did I mention I ran TEN miles today?!

Peace, Love and Happy times!

Justin's "Surprises"!

2009-07-31T20:53:00.006-04:00

Justin is back from deployment, and it's still very surreal. We got to spend the entire day together as a family, just laughing and having so much fun. I am one lucky girl! Now, he is back at work...They have him working nights for the next 2 weeks during first leave. It's hard to get used to him being here when he is already gone again! Alana almost cried tonight when he left for work. She has been clinging to him so much it's ridiculous! She is definitely a daddy's little girl. She can't get enough...I have been so busy the past week or so getting a few "surprises" ready for Justin. I wanted to post about them, but I also knew if I did he would see them and it wouldn't be a surprise...I suppose it's safe now :)

First of all, when we got back from TN (literally THE DAY we got back from TN), Alana and I redecorated her room. I think it turned out super cute and she LOVES it! She has been sleeping in her room 11-12 hours a night, no fussing, nothing...it's amazing and worth every penny that I spent at Wally World to buy the stuff. As much as I hate going there, they have some pretty awesome stuff!

Here's her new curtains, bedding, and rug...
and polka dot walls!

And more polka dots on the other wall!

We also wanted to work on "Justin's room". It's kind of funny, but we also refer to our spare bedroom as "Justin's room" because he kind of staked a claim on it and likes to escape there. The only problem is that it hasn't really been very functional...I've said it's been more of a storage closet than anything. Well, I changed that this past week. I have the scars to prove it too :) I think a lot of my obsession stemmed from too many lonely nights watching HGTV!!! Alana and I both put our own touches on the room and prayed that Justin would appreciate it as much as we thought he should haha...

Alana painted her feet for a project for him...

An absolute artist!

I am a dork, so I wrote this poem and put it on the door (to his room)
for him to see when he got home...

A new futon!!!

And this super comfy chair!

I hung these curtains myself and used power tools to put up the curtain rod...
Special thanks to my amazing Dad who walked me through the parts of a drill over the phone.
I only drew blood ONCE :)

And you can't tell that great from the picture, but I painted the desk and the bookshelf black to match the rest of the room (they were dark wood)...I had to take them apart in a million pieces and figure out how to put them together, but they look SOOOOO much better!

Here are Alana's finished masterpiece canvas paintings!

We finished the room and then we had to take care of a few more things before Justin got home...

Alana eating the last tootsie roll!!!

Making a sign for Daddy!

Ta-Dum!

And of course, peanut butter w/ reeses peanut butter cup cookies!
Mmmm...

Justin was not only surprised by the room, he loves it! He couldn't believe how much work I had done--and Alana! He said we might have worked even harder than he did...yeah, I doubt that! I do have a lot of cuts and bruises, but it was every bit of worth it!

He's Home!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-07-30T18:06:00.007-04:00

Wow, what an amazing day! I know I haven't been blogging much, but I've been preparing for Justin's homecoming...and now HE'S HOME!!! I am so happy, I can hardly stand it. I'll take you through the day with pictures :)

Alana and me at the pier waiting for Justin

It was sooooo hot but luckily Angie brought an umbrella!

Our first glimpse of the ship rounding the corner!

Angie and Jalen

Me and Alana (she's looking up at the ship)

Finally it's here!

Angie and me...self-portrait, thanks Angie!

Boredom kicks in...so Alana colors.

And Jalen plays with his magnets...

Now they both play with dinosaurs...

It's like Where's Waldo?
Can you find Justin???

Alana did!

The loves of my life, loving on each other!

Alana and Daddy

So happy to be together again!!!

And already playing dolls...

It turned out to be such a great day...The weather turned out to be beautiful, not a cloud in the sky...thanks for all those prayers!!! And Alana hung in there, even if it was 100 degrees. Most of you might not know, but it takes them over an hour to secure the brow once they get in and then there are 6,000 people to get off one at a time! So it's a LOT of waiting! We are so thankful that Justin is home and we survived yet another deployment! And now we are home in our air-conditioning! Oh and yeah...Justin dropped 30 lbs while he was gone!!! He didn't even know it! I can't even believe it, he's straight skinny now :) Guess he was trying to keep up with me...we tied! Haha.

I'm gonna get back to enjoying my family...
Peace, Love and sunburns that are worth it!

Whole Lotta Catching Up!

2009-07-24T19:16:00.006-04:00

I know I have been neglecting my blog for the past bit, but things have been crazy busy in my world! We are back in Norfolk and I have been getting so much done! My internet is finally back up and running, so I could upload some pictures and blog again. Justin will be home in less than a week and Alana and I couldn't be more excited! We miss Grammy and TN, but gosh it's good to be home! Alana has been the most perfect angel since we got home, too...I don't know, maybe she left her grumpy butt at my mom's. I am not complaining, though! She's been amazing!

Before we left, Alana had a dress-up/birthday party to go to. It was for her best little friend (and Grammy's neighbor), Caitlyn! She was so excited to go, but mostly to dress up! She wanted to go as "Fancy Nancy"...I think she looked soooo adorable! See for yourself...

Such a poser haha!

Cheese!

Yes, it took forever to get the curls in her hair...
But she was super patient!

Got Caitlyn's present ready to go!

Caitlyn, Elizabeth and Alana

I always say that I hate Virginia, but I have really changed my mind :) We've been to the pool and the beach in the past few days, and I have enjoyed every minute of it. We went to the beach at the end of our street on Wednesday, and I sat there for two hours...I kept thinking to myself that I could honestly sit there forever. Just wished Justin was there, too!

Pigtails!

Playing with the sand

We made a sand turtle...work with me :)
We also made a Spongebob and Patrick, but I didn't bother wasting my pictures on that!

Sweetness.

I have been running around like a crazy woman trying to get this house in order and things organized before Justin's homecoming. I haven't had a chance to clean Cupid's bowl since we got back from TN. Well, I decided to do it this morning, and while I was washing it I somehow broke it. Yeah, that's right...glass shattered everywhere in the sink. What a way to start my day :) We went to Walmart to buy a new bowl for him and came home with a friend (or foe) too! Meet the newest addition to the Portas family, Violet. You can't tell so much from the picture but he is SUPER bright and pretty! This is a special double betta tank, so they can't get to each other...there is a shield that blocks them from seeing each other, but you can take it out and they can see each other and fan out their tails, etc...it's kind of mean to do that if you ask me--but I did it haha. I think Cupid is mad at me.

Violet and Cupid!

I'm off to get Alana bathed and ready for bed...She has transitioned back SO well! Sleeping in her bed like a big girl, not giving me any hassles. Hope it sticks when Daddy gets home! So excited that tomorrow is church! I've missed TCLC!!!

OH and before I forget AGAIN...Judy is home in Cedar Key and doing well. Continue praying for her as she relearns to balance/walk without her big toe...and also for her pain management!

Peace, Love and Updates

NOT That I'm Counting...

2009-07-15T12:22:00.002-04:00

***UPDATE***
For those of you who don't get it (ie, JUSTIN) it's a 15 not 6...and it represents a certain number of days :)

Nuff said...

Cow Appreciation Day!

2009-07-11T15:38:00.003-04:00

My last couple of posts have been pretty serious, so I thought I'd lighten the mood. Unless you live under a rock, you probably know that yesterday was "Cow Appreciation Day" at Chick Fil-A restaurants everywhere. Maybe I just know that because I go there every other day :) Anywho, yesterday the doorbell rang and I thought it was Alana's friend from across the street, Caitlyn. I was right, it was...but she was dressed as a cow! Elizabeth and Caitlyn apparently don't know about our Chick Fil-A addiction either, because they ran straight over to tell us about the "free meal if you dress like a cow" day. They even brought over extra cow parts for Alana!

Alana, Caitlyn and Elizabeth

We decided to make our way to Chick Fil-A for dinner, even though that hadn't been the plan. Alana put her spots, etc back on...and said...

"Mooooooo!"

She didn't want to wear the cow stuff, so we told her she didn't have to. Then once we got there and she saw all the other kids with their cow spots galore, she had an all-out meltdown. I should've known! She was crying and saying, "I can't...even...look at...any of the kids...because it makes me...want to have my cow costume on!" She is quite dramatic, but she comes by it honestly :)

Just thought I'd share these pictures with everyone! Especially you, Melanie!

Peace, Love and Free Chicken

Another Update.

2009-07-11T11:00:00.002-04:00

Just talked to Judy. I didn't post last night, because I wanted to wait until I talked to her personally :) I did talk to Marko last night and knew that her surgery was successful. They put a stint in both her right and left leg...It brought the pink color back to her toes on her right foot almost immediately. The doctors are pleased with the results and are sure that the plaque dropping off into her legs was causing her problems with healing, etc...That's the good news. The bad news is that Judy just told me they will be amputating her big toe on her left foot on Monday. They are letting her recover from one surgery to do another. It's such a scary thing, but she is being very strong (at least on the outside). I guess gangrene has set in and they don't want to risk it spreading to her foot or beyond.

Please continue to pray...This is a long, hard road for Judy. It's also hard on Justin, because he is so far away and feels helpless. Justin loves his mom, and she is his only parent...so when she is sick, he is worried. He'll be home soon and we are hoping that Judy will be sent home by the end of next week.

Thanks for all of the concern and prayers...It means the world to all of us!

Update on Judy

2009-07-10T10:09:00.002-04:00

Just got off the phone with Judy. She was signing consent forms for a procedure to remove a blockage in her upper left aortic valve (in her leg). There is plaque that has apparently been breaking off and going down into her leg and her toe, causing a lot of the issues we've been concerned with. The doctors are doing this procedure in hopes of saving her big toe. This, for obvious reasons, is a big deal. Judy is in high spirits, and she said she can feel all of the prayers. Her surgery will be this afternoon and I will post an update as soon as I know something. These are answers we have been waiting for...

Please continue to pray!!!

Prayer Request!

2009-07-08T23:28:00.002-04:00

Please pray for my mother-in-law, Judy. I don't want to go into all of the details right here and now...Partially because I'm tired, and also because some of it is not common knowledge at the moment. God knows her needs, and that's all that matters.

She is still in the hospital at Tampa General. We had to take her there unexpectedly the day before we came back to Nashville. We didn't expect her to be admitted at all, let alone still be there 5 days later. She's still waiting for answers...

Pray for the doctors, that they will have the wisdom and knowledge to deal with her disease--even though most are baffled by it. Pray for comfort for Judy, as she has been in pain for far too long. Pray for us (her family) that we would know the right words to say to her in this uncertain time.

Thank you ahead of time for the prayers. I know I have lots of faithful family and friends that will lift her up...and I will update as I can.

Alana's 5th Birthday at Disney!!!

2009-07-05T23:03:00.008-04:00

I realize that Alana turned five about 10 days ago...but I have been in FL and didn't have my USB cable for my camera OR my computer with me! The good news is that I have both of those things now, and I'm here to share a TON of pictures from our day at the happiest place on earth!

We had cake and ice cream the night before at Papa's house...

And off to the Magic Kingdom!

Grammy and Alana waiting for the tram to take us to the park.

The birthday girl, waiting once again...
This time for the ferry!

Finally, we made it...
And Alana was in awe of what she saw!

Cinderella!

...and Belle! (and Beast)

Let's not forget Ariel and Prince Eric!

And what would a trip to Disney be without the Country Bear Jamboree?!

Grammy and Alana on the teacups!

Before I was too dizzy...

Look at that smile!

Whooooooa, Mommy!

At Pooh's Playground

On Cinderella's Carousel

Let's not leave Grammy out :)

I told Alana she could pick a hat for a souvenir...
Of course, she picked this one!!!

Refueling with some H20

And then back to Pooh's Playground...

Still there...
You take a kid to Disney and they want to play on a playground :)

Don't believe the rumors...it's still there.
It's a Small World!

"Wow, Mommy look at all this cool stuff!"

Breaking for dinner, just in time for the rain to start!

But it cleared up in time for the fireworks to happen...
Me and Alana waiting for the fireworks to start!

Cinderella's Castle (from the back)

This was my favorite part of the entire day...maybe of my entire life!
Watching Alana, watch the fireworks!

Dumbo!

The front of Cinderella's Castle

On the tram back to the car...
At midnight, and she's still smiling!!!

And then about 5 minutes later...

Wow, what an amazing time we had! I have been to Disney more times than I can count, but it's never been as fun as it was when I saw it through Alana's eyes! We rode tons of rides (not pictured) like the Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan, a Goofy rollercoaster...We had ice cream and went to Storytime with Belle...We also saw not one, but TWO parades. Even I was impressed with the SpectroMagic parade. It was awesome! I have video of both that and of Alana watching the fireworks...I might have to post it on here somewhere before too long :) I'm so incredibly pleased with how our trip went, though. Alana was a complete angel the entire time...she walked the entire 11+ hours that we were there...and didn't complain even once! Must be because she's FIVE now!

Peace, Love and Mickey Mouse!

Splash Park!

2009-06-19T23:06:00.002-04:00

Smyrna has this really cool "splash park"...We went last year when my mom had just moved here, and Alana was pretty hesitant to really get into the action...Not so today! She got right in and had a blast! It was in the upper 90s today, so it was refreshing!

So happy (and a little wet)...

The bucket had just dumped on her and she was running to tell me how brave she was :)

And yep, I even got the bucket dumped on me...

Peace, Love and Water!

Alana's Hello Kitty Party!

2009-06-14T20:37:00.011-04:00

Today was Alana's 5th birthday party! It was so much fun! I am posting a million pictures...and they say a picture's worth a thousand words...or something like that. So here's a few thousand words to share our day! And thanks to everyone who came and helped make it so amazing!

Taylor and Alana "blowing up balloons"!

Alana's Hello Kitty Cake!

...and Hello Kitty cupcakes!

Goodie bags for all her friends to take home...

Me and Alana

The almost birthday girl!

Alana and Grammy

Britain, Taylor, Anna Ruth, Caitlyn, Rebecca and Elizabeth
(and of course, Alana!)

Vicki, Felicia and Macie

Elizabeth, Mary and Logan with my mom

Jonathan and Lindsay

Chowing down on cake and ice cream!!!

Madison, Anna Ruth, Britain, Alana, Caitlyn and Taylor
Showing off their Hello Kitty rings (off the cupcakes)

Liam trying out Alana's new Barbie scooter

Ok, Alana's turn!

Showing off his soccer skillz

Alana get it from Grammy!!!

Ok, the day is done...we are tired...no more posing!

This is all you're gonna get!

I will close with Alana's Happy Birthday and blowing out her candles...

Peace, Love and My Sugar High is gone...

The Sweetest Surprise

2009-06-13T00:44:00.002-04:00

Alana got a letter in the mail today...from Justin! Since he's not going to be here for her birthday party this weekend (or for her actual birthday), he sent her a letter with birthday wishes. It was soooo sweet! He even drew little pictures throughout the letter, to help her read it herself...and trust me, she has been reading it ever since she got it :) It warms my heart.

The first time I read the letter to her, she smiled the biggest smile ever and said "Daddy really loves me that much!!!" Then when she showed it to my mom a little later on, she told her "Daddy really loves me a lot more than that, but he didn't have enough paper to write how much he loves me on"...Sooo true, Alana! We said he couldn't have that much paper on the ship or it would sink ;)

Justin called again today, too! I miss him so much...

Peace, Love and Daddy Love

Got my Hairs Cut.

2009-06-11T21:54:00.003-04:00

I don't really have too much to say...other than I got my hair cut today. I went for some shaggy layers and bangs...I like it, but the dude cut a little more length than I wanted him to...

But I can still put it in a ponytail so that's all the matters :)

It's super hard to take pictures of the back of your own hair...

I'm hoping the length grows out a little more and quickly! But I like the layers. I'm gonna rock it :) Anyone who knows me, knows how crazy my boring hair has been making me haha...

Peace, Love and Shag-a-riffic.

Slippin' and Slidin'

2009-06-10T22:23:00.004-04:00

Alana had her first Slip n' Slide experience today :) The neighbors were out playing on theirs, and I told Alana to go ask if she could play too. They said yes, so we put her swimsuit on and voila! I managed to get a few pics of her trying it out in the beginning...and then Justin called. And being as I've only talked to him for like 10 minutes in 3 1/2 months, his call took precedence. And now he is emailing me (yes, he is up already and I'm not even close to going to bed)...So if this blog is crazy, I'm sorry!

Whoa, this is crazy!

Alana and Caitlyn colliding :)

Jeremy spraying down the slip n slide
(not Alana, even though it appears that way)

I'll try it this way and see if I get farther...

Ok...so that didn't work!

And, I made it!

I love slippin' and slidin'!

Peace, Love and Bruises

Tootsie Roll Countdown

2009-06-03T20:47:00.005-04:00

It started with a jar...

...and some Tootsie Rolls

...and a crazy pile of stickers.

So we sorted out some letters.

And carefully applied them one by one...

Exactly where we wanted them.

And voila!

"Count the Days"

"Til Daddy"

"Comes Home"

Our project is complete!

Now let me explain...The jar contains 2 Tootsies Rolls for every day Justin has left out to sea. I can't tell you exactly how many that is because that would go against OPSEC and from what I hear loose lips sink ships :) It seems like a lot, but we are on the home stretch! We will each take out one and eat it (or wait to eat 7 every free day if you are me, per Alana)...when the Tootsie Rolls are gone, Justin will be home! And we will be two very happy girls! We had a lot of fun decorating our jar, and I think it turned out really cute. For the record, the hearts glow in the dark!

Also...

Alana got a haircut!
The back is all one-length now...
Yay! (from me who has had to deal with the growing out stage)

I think she's happy about it, don't you?

Peace, Love and Midgees...Lots of Midgees.

My Little Fish

2009-06-02T20:55:00.002-04:00

Alana had her very first swimming lesson today! I, being the amazing mother that I am, left my camera in the car...but I had my Blackberry! Here are the few pictures I managed to get...

Waiting for swimming lessons to start

Ring-around-the Rosies with Ms. Morgan

Waiting her turn to swim (with her floaty backpack on)

Demonstrating her skills.

I admit, I was super nervous about how today would go...Anyone who knows Alana, knows she has those uber-sensitive moments. She did amazing! Her teacher even asked me after class if it was her first swimming lesson, and when I said "yes" she told me how great she did for it being her first one! We want Alana to get accustomed to being in the water...we do, after all, live at the beach--and hope to make it back to FL soon.

On a completely different note, I am feeling MUCH better than I did yesterday (and even this morning)...I was glad that I didn't have to sit out her first swimming lesson...

Peace, Love and Watch out Mr. Phelps!

Please Remember!

2009-05-24T21:56:00.003-04:00

I am warning you this post might be a bit melodramatic...but bear with me! I have been doing a very good job at being the strong, independent woman that I am--putting on the brave face, taking care of the house and kiddo...But then sometimes, I am reminded (like a slap in that brave face) that I miss my husband. Today at church was one of those times. I somewhat forgot that this was Memorial Day weekend, and then they decided to show this video montage of every branch of the military which included numerous homecomings...husbands and fathers embracing their families after so much time apart. I think this deployment has gone by pretty fast so far, but when I think about it...it's been THREE months since I've seen Justin. I've heard his voice for a total of about 5 minutes during that time. The worst thing is, I have it made compared to some wives! All I'm really asking is that while everyone is barbecuing tomorrow, remember those who have fought (or are fighting) for our freedom. The freedom that allowed me to go to church this morning and see that video. The freedom that allows me to post whatever nonsense I am feeling at any given time on this blog...It is not a right...It is an honor that we are free!

Justin...I love you very much, and I am SO thankful that you are making this sacrifice--not only for our family, but for our country.

Now here are some pictures from today :) (The picture of Justin is one he sent me via email from I believe the Suez canal)...

Me and my two favorite kiddos, Alana and Liam
(The sun was in their eyes!)

Me and Alana!

Cheese!

Peace, Love and Remembrance...

300th post...

2009-05-19T22:32:00.002-04:00

I thought my 300th post would've happened a long time ago...but I've been slacking since I got to Nashville. What better way to celebrate 300 than new shoes? Alana got some new ones today. She needed some tennis shoes to wear to the gym, now that the weather is warm and they are shuffling the kids outside all day :) Those wood chips don't do well with crocs and flip-flops. Anyways...here they are. Cute as a button. (Alana AND her new shoes)

She's such a poser :)

Her 2nd pair of pink converse!

Peace, Love and One-Stars

Sunday, what a FUN Day!

2009-05-17T21:37:00.002-04:00

Today has been one of the best days I've had in a while! We woke up and went to the early service at church...Then we had planned to meet up with my friend Brooke and her kids at the park for a picnic lunch, but it was windy and kinda chilly today, so we opted to just hang at her house instead. I'm so glad we did! First we made a trip to Cracker Barrel and headed to Franklin. For those of you who don't know, I used to live with Brooke and her husband, Chris, before I got married and all that fun stuff :) They are two of the best people I know still to this day! I thoroughly enjoyed every minute that we spent with them today...And Alana and Britain hit it off quite well, which didn't surprise me at all! I hope that we can do it again soon! After we left their house, Alana and I ended up in Nashville and met up with my mom, who was watching Liam...and we all went to dinner at El Sombrero (which is one of my Nashville faves) It was delicioso, as was the company...It's been a long day--but a great one!

Sunday morning pic
(We take these for Justin every week!)
There is a glare on my glasses, sorry...

Gotta have one of Grammy and Alana

Britain and Alana posing for us!

Silly wabbits, I mean squirrels, I mean GIRLS!

Peace, Love and FUN!

My Girls.

2009-05-16T15:00:00.002-04:00

While it really stinks that Justin is gone...I've really enjoyed the time I've got to spend here in Tennessee. It's not the state that I love so much as the people that live here...(Same goes for FL!) We had a girl's day out to Chick Fil-A and Target today--two of our most favorite places! Here's a few pictures from this morning.

Alana smiling pretty :)

Grammy and Alana

Doesn't my mom's hair look so cute?!

Alana and Me

On our way!

I try to take pictures for Justin as often as I can...Alana is growing up so fast that I don't want him to miss it! And he doesn't want to miss it, either!

I hope that everyone has a blessed Saturday!!! I'm off to another one of my favorite places...The Y!

Peace, Love and Smiles

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T10:46:00.004-04:00

Happy Mother's Day!!! Apparently there is no such thing as getting to sleep in on this special day, so we are all dressed and ready for church and still have time to spare. I was blessed with all kinds of gifts today! I got some new pajamas, a gift card to Old Navy, and a gift card to Massage Envy! Gotta love it! I also bought myself some new running shoes and used the excuse of Mother's Day to do it :) Possibly the best gift of all is that the SUN is shining today!

Gigi, Grammy and Alana

Grandma (Gigi), Me and Alana

The luckiest Mommy in the world!

Grammy and Alana

The three amigas!

I got an email from my dad early this morning, wishing me a Happy Mother's Day...He included this poem that I (clears throat) wrote for my mom for her first Mother's Day. I must say I was very articulate at 6 months old ;) I wanted to share it here...

The Very Best Mom

Allison Schneck

May 11, 1980

These last six months, since I was born

I’ve met a lot of ladies

Who, like my mom, get all excited

Holding little babies!

They’re nice, and soft, and cuddly, too,

Though some much more than others.

It’s clear they’ve gained experience

By being someone else’s mothers!

They coo and goo and smile at me,

Creating funny faces,

And hoping that they’ll make me laugh

By touching ticklish places.

I’m glad they love me – I love them too:

Those ladies who like to hold me

They’re some of my most special friends

Of whom my mother told me.

But I’ve come to this conclusion,

Having put them to the test;

That when God teamed up my mom and me

I got His very best!

Twenty-nine years later, I still have the same sentiments! I indeed have the BEST mom in the world...and if anyone wants to argue that with me, watch out. I've been working out!

Happy Mother's Day to all!

Peace, Love and Mommies

I'm Alive!

2009-05-03T10:13:00.004-04:00

I'm soooooorry that I have been neglecting my blog! I have been posting on my other blog, for anyone who is interested. I promise to return with something to write about soon...For now, I must get ready for church.

Check out my latest update here :)

Peace, Love and Slackers

Fun with Photo Booth

2009-04-18T16:02:00.002-04:00

Peace, Love and Bored Girls...

Justin's Easter Sunday

2009-04-14T11:54:00.006-04:00

While most of us were going to church in our Sunday best and hunting Easter eggs a couple of days ago, Justin was floating around in the ocean on the other side of the world. He barely knew it was Easter :) I am posting this to the best of my knowledge, so don't hold the lack of details against me...On Sunday, the granddaughter of Dwight D. Eisenhower was aboard the Ike. This was a huge deal, and the "big wigs" came through to make sure that the bake shop was in order. Her name is Mary Jean Eisenhower. She made a special trip to the bake shop (which Justin is now in charge of) and baked her grandmother's sugar cookie recipe with them. It was a really special thing...Justin said she is very nice, and he got praised on the way the bake shop was in order. This morning, Justin sent me some pictures. Bear with the peace signs he likes to throw up in every picture. I have had this discussion with him already :)

Justin in the bake shop.

Justin and his "crew"...
I forget their names, so sorry!

Making the sugar cookie recipe?

The bake shop crew with Mary Jean

Ike's Granddaughter, Mary Jean Eisenhower.

And the finished product?

I am making partial assumptions, because Justin told me the story the other day and sent the pictures today with little explanation. He did tell me people's names, but I have a bad memory :) He is getting some much-deserved fresh air today, so that is a blessing! I guess he gets a little excitement out there on the Ike-a-traz every now and again...

Peace, Love and Goofy red hats.

Hoppy Easter!!! :)

2009-04-12T16:14:00.006-04:00

Happy Easter!!! This is a mega-picture post, so bear with me! Today has been fun-filled already, and it's only 3:30 here! I don't really think I have to say too much, the pictures tell the story...

Yesterday afternoon, Alana coloring eggs.

All that work will wear a girl out!

Alana's Easter Basket!

The finished eggs!
She painted them with a paintbrush!!!

Easter Bunny PEZ!!!

Fun Dip makes me smile :)

SpongeBob, too!

Alana and her loot!

Gigi (MY Grandma), Grammy (Mom) and Alana before church.

The girls.
(We couldn't get all 4 generations in one without an extra person!)

Alana posing pretty in her new outfit.

Time to hunt the eggs!!

She's good!
She even found the one in the mailbox!!!

Another!

In the tree!

Counting them all to make sure we found them!

Here's a video, though again not the best quality...of my mom and Alana hunting Easter eggs.

Alana is STILL outside hunting them...First I hid the eggs and they found them. Then my mom hid the eggs and Alana and I found them. Then Alana hid the eggs and Grammy found them...so yeah, it's been a lot of egg-hunting...Now the little neighbor girls are out hunting them too! We went to church this morning and it was a nice service. The eggs and candy are fun, but truly not what Easter is about. Alana told me in the van leaving church, that Jesus died from the cross and He's alive! That's what I'm talking about!

Peace, Love and Eggy Eggs xo

Happy Birthday, Judy!

2009-04-11T23:18:00.003-04:00

Birthday wishes to my mother-in-law, Judy...better known as Grandma Judy :) We love you and hope that your day is filled with lots of happiness and love!!!! xoxoxoxoxoxo

Pele Portas

2009-04-08T18:48:00.003-04:00

Nothing makes me happier than Alana...except Alana on a sunny day outside :) We started going to the YMCA here at my mom's. It's been fun...Alana loves it, and today the weather was nice enough for her to get to play on the playground outside! 72 degrees and sunshine! A week or two ago, Gigi (my Grandma) gave Alana $15. To a 4 year old, that is like $100! Well, we've been shopping quite a few times since she gave it to her, but Alana didn't spend it...until Sunday! We went to Dick's and she picked out this pretty pink soccer ball! We've been playing in the front yard this week, so I thought I'd share some pictures and VIDEO with you! Keep in mind, the video was taken on my camera haha. I love this little girl...SO much!

On the swing with her ball!

Showing off her moves.

Laughing at Mommy kicking a dandelion!

Action shot!

My attempt at a self-portrait, haha

With our flowers in our hair...
Again, my horrible photo skills :)

So cute...

Alana brought me this and said, "Mommy, isn't this the TINIEST flower you've ever seen?!"
Yes, Alana...it is!!!

My sweet girl.

Sorry for the quality of the video! And for my awful kicking haha...
And ah, the wind chimes!!!

Peace, Love and Pele Jr.

My Mom's Foolish Birthday Bash

2009-04-02T19:14:00.003-04:00

Yes--I'm still alive...in the midst of tornado watches...but alive! Yesterday was my mom's birthday! She's an April Fools baby, just like Andrea and lots of other people. We didn't have a huge celebration or anything, but the night before her birthday Lindsay and Liam joined us for some cake-eating! Jonathan was stuck hanging out with Vince Gill all day and couldn't make it...poor, baby :) We love our Momma (Grammy)!

Alana and Grammy with the balloons she gave her.

Pretty presents...
She got a new sewing machine from Gigi!!!

Alana putting the chocolate sprinkles on the cake!

Grammy with her two favorites.

Yummy!

Lindsay let Liam have some cake, too!

It's been such a good time here in Nashville...I don't want to go home. In fact, I might just stay here longer. I don't have a return flight...no real reason to go back to VA yet. I'm looking forward to spending some more time with my family...and seriously, how could I not want to be near Liam? I want to eat him up, just like he ate up that cake! I hope all is well with everyone, and that I haven't lost ALL of my blog readers :)

Peace, Love and Sweetness

And we're outta here...

2009-03-20T23:32:00.004-04:00

Alana and I are flying out to Nashville tomorrow for some much-needed time with Grammy. It's been a long day and tomorrow is sure to be even longer...I'm excited, though!

Justin on the flight deck, earlier this week...

Please pray for Justin and all of the people who are serving in our military...We are blessed. The truth is that most people (including myself at one point) live their lives completely unaware of what's truly going on in this world. Our freedom is not free, just remember that!

Peace, Love and Feeling Patriotic xo

Swamp Norfolk & The Urology Results & more...

2009-03-17T11:15:00.005-04:00

I'm alive...It's been a while since I've blogged. My dad was in town for a week, and this week just started and has proved to be busy! We have not seen the sun since probably Wednesday of last week...and to top it off, it has only stopped raining for maybe a few hours during that time.

Our "front yard"
This is what I have to walk across to get to the car!

Our backyard...
Not sure whether to go swimming or fishing.

All is well in the Portas house. I took Alana to the urologist yesterday. It was a fairly painless experience. I wasn't sure what to expect...but I was sure there would be nothing good about it :) The diagnosis was good and bad all at the same time. The good part is that her organs and her system are in perfectly good shape and everything works properly. They did an ultrasound and showed me that her kidneys are great, etc...The bad part is that I have a child full of poop. I know that's gross, and I hesitated to even write this on here...but I know there are a lot of people that have been praying for Alana and want to know what we found out yesterday. She has a great deal of "stool"...it is actually pretty ridiculous. She goes "#2" pretty much everyday, but apparently she is not going enough! The stool is pushing on her bladder, as a baby pushes on a pregnant woman's bladder in like the 8th month...I saw it on the ultrasound, how much pressure it is putting on her bladder. She also has something called "dysfunctional elimination syndrome". Basically, her brain doesn't tell her to relax enough to empty her bladder completely...so we are having to go potty on a timed schedule, every 2 hours...to "void" and then sit for a few more minutes to try and "double void". She has also been put on a high fiber diet and has to eliminate all fruits and fruit juices for the time being, as well as certain other foods that are acidic because they irritate the urinary tract. She is to drink water...and even has to take Miralax each morning...

So this is my life now. Poop and Pee. On a schedule.

Justin is now officially back in the Bake Shop. He is gonna be working LONG days again...I think for the most part he is excited about it. He will be busy, and therefore time will be going by faster. It's hard to stand for 12 hours, though...so pray for his back and his knees! :) Thank you to all of you who said you would write him...I apologize if I haven't gotten back with you with his info. I have been a bit overwhelmed with things at home, but haven't forgotten any of you!!!

Peace, Love and the sun'll come out...

Day at Ocean View

2009-03-10T16:31:00.003-04:00

We enjoyed some beautiful weather in Norfolk this past weekend! On Sunday afternoon, Angie invited Alana and I to go to the beach at the end of our street...Of course we accepted! It was SO nice out...I could've sat out there for hours. The water was literally painful to go into. I put my feet in just to rinse them off and thought I'd die! And there were actually people out there in it! Alana was content building her sandcastles, but Jalen decided he doesn't like the sand anymore. It was entertaining for Angie and I, if nothing more. Maybe next time he'll enjoy it a little more!

Alana getting some of that ice water!

Jalen thought it was funny when Alana poured the water out...

But the sun is in my eyes!!!

Our two favorite people in Norfolk...
Jalen was saying, "Mommy hold me" over and over haha.

More water!

Jalen refusing to look at my camera :)

Scooping up wet sand now.

Cheese!

Home from the beach, bathed, and ready to go pick up Papa from the airport!
Yippee!

Yesterday was amazing weather, too! It got up to like 86 here! And then today, it dropped 40 degrees...seriously. It was 45-50 degrees.

Here's to wishing for that warmer weather to come back!

Peace, Love and Springtime!

The Next Taylor Swift?

2009-03-06T13:18:00.003-05:00

So Alana got her first guitar (a very PINK guitar) for Christmas from Grammy. She asked me today if she could play it...I recorded this with my camera, not my camcorder...She is singing, even though it's almost impossible to hear her. I asked her what the name of her song was and she said "The Love Song". Of course, it is...

Let's hope she takes after the men in the family and actually inherits some musical talent :) Regardless, I see music lessons in the near future!

Peace, Love and Prodigys.

Care Packages!

2009-03-05T15:26:00.003-05:00

It's that time...I'm back to carefully selecting things to send to Justin in care packages. It's the least I can do for him, right? :) Today, Alana and I have been going from place to place trying to check things off his "list". I can't believe he's been gone almost 2 weeks, but at the same time it seems like FOREVER. My dad is coming to visit this coming week, and we are SOOO excited! It will be a nice change of pace, and we always love having Papa here. Alana is already lining up things for him to do...SpongeBob Operation, anyone? It's warming up, and we are contributing that to the fact he is bringing the sunshine with him. I can't wait, because I am looking forward to being able to spend time outside without freezing! Off to one more stop, where hopefully I can finish up this scavenger hunt :)

Peace, Love and dill pickle sunflower seeds.

Just Punch!

2009-03-03T12:46:00.003-05:00

Hello all of you faithful blog readers :) Just wanted to inform you that I now (in addition to this one) have a new blog. If you want to check it out, click here.

It's pretty self-explanatory!

Peace, Love and Kicking Butt.

Does this Count?

2009-03-02T08:58:00.003-05:00

This is how it looks when it snows in Norfolk :) Andrea is always posting these beautiful snow pictures...here are mine haha. I guess we can't compete with Germany! They've been saying it's gonna snow today for a few days now, but I didn't believe them...It never sticks even a little bit. But this is what I saw when I woke up this morning...

The wind was up to 60 mph here last night. Angie can attest, it was brutal. Hence the chairs on the ground. I laid them down after they hit the door a few times! I'm surprised they are still there at all...

Peace, Love and Wind Chills.

The Kid's Museum

2009-02-28T08:43:00.007-05:00

Yesterday, we went to the Children's Museum--or as Alana calls it "the kid's museum". Angie and Jalen joined us, because we are always looking for an escape from home :) Alana and I have been before, but Angie and Jalen had not. We got there, only to be greeted by what had to be a billion little rambunctious kids running in every way possible. It was clear they were on a field trip, as they had little matching shirts...It was a mess. We couldn't even walk through there, let alone let the kids have their turn on anything without getting pushed off. After being unsuccessful at getting our money back, we were informed the groups were leaving. This convinced us to stay...and I was re-convinced that Alana is never going to school here :) Here are the pics from our day...

Grocery shopping.

Jalen driving the fire truck.

Alana on the motorcycle

Strumming the geetar

Uncovering fossils

In the 3 and under area (shh don't tell)

Jalen playin'

Building with blocks

Lovin' on each other :)

Aye Alana!

Taking time out to read.

Jalen's in a daze.
Alana wants to climb the ladder :)

Jumping on the huge keyboard.

Alana in a bubble, watching the train.

All aboard!

Alana, bring some of that money home with you!

How many moneys tall am I?

Alana in "the beetle"

Don't rock the boat!

Climbing to slide.

The blocks before Alana and Jalen got them.

And after...

We had loads of fun, post field trip groups :) I'm sure it won't be the last trip we make there. We just have to remember to go after 12 p.m. apparently!

Until next time...
Peace, Love and Homeschooling.

Exhausted!

2009-02-27T19:25:00.003-05:00

7:45 a.m., 7:52, 8:27, 8:42, 8:57, 9:23, 9:30, 10:01, 10:20, 11:01, 11:21, 11:52, 12:26, 12:51, 1:13, 2:53, 4:09, 4:26, 4:41, 5:00, 5:27, and 6:47...

No, these are not the times I thought of Justin throughout my day today...To find that number you would have to multiply it by 10 and times that by 1,000. These, my friends are the times that Alana went potty today...and the day is not even over! Actually, today was even mild for how the last week or so has been. SIX of these trips to the potty were even during our trip to the Children's Museum (pictures to come, when I'm not so tired--of the museum NOT the potty breaks!)

You may wonder why I took it upon myself to write down these times. I want documentation! I want to go to the urologist in a couple of weeks with proof in my hands...not to just go in and say "Yeah, she pees a lot" and them blow me off. I have actually called and pleaded with them to let her come in sooner...she is on a waiting list for cancellations. I don't know what is going on with her, but please pray for her to be healed. It's so draining for both of us right now. She is such a trooper, but I know it's hard. I want to travel while Justin is gone and be able to visit family, but at this point I dread even a trip to the grocery store. It's THAT bad! The other thing is that she is not drinking very much (12 oz of juice total and a small thing of milk from McDonalds), so I'm afraid she is going to get dehydrated if this goes on much longer. For this reason, I am contemplating (and shuddering at the thought) measuring her "output" too.

I know this might be TMI for some of you :) I just wanted to keep everyone updated on what's going on...

Justin is doing well, after a man overboard and a fire in his berthing in the past 24 hours. The important thing is he is safe...and we are one week down!!!

Peace, Love and TP

Time Zones Apart

2009-02-24T18:50:00.005-05:00

We are almost through our 4th Justin-less day. I can't believe it's only Tuesday :) Please continue to pray for him and Jeremy and the rest of the crew...We cannot possibly fathom what it's like to live that life. I heard a rumor that they are (or will soon be) in a different time zone. Here we go!

Alana seems to be adjusting well. She goes through her moments...The ones where she says "Daddy" in the saddest voice possible and then fake sniffles. She's taking care of me like Justin told her to, though--Except for the fake spiders she's been tormenting me with all day :)

Peace, Love and Time for a certain little girl to get a bath and go to bed

ALSO!!!
If any of you would like to send Justin an encouraging note via email or snail mail, please email me (allisonportas@gmail.com) and I will pass his info along.

Daddy Prayers.

2009-02-22T21:12:00.003-05:00

(Yes, this is Justin's actual rack)

Alana just gets sweeter by the minute. Tonight when I was getting her ready for bed, she decided to start praying (unprompted) for Justin. It went a little something like this:

Dear Jesus,
Please help Daddy rest good tonight on his ship in his little rack. And please help him feel real comfortable.
Amen.

Ah, the faith of a child!

Please remember Justin in YOUR prayers as well tonight!

Peace, love and little words with big meaning

The Ike Deploys!

2009-02-21T15:45:00.005-05:00

*Pause the Playlist music first!*

And there you have it, folks. I didn't go to the pier this morning because I didn't want to provoke anymore sad feelings than were necessary! Angie went, because she is bad like that :) She has some really good pictures on her blog, so check them out here if you want to!

No tears today. Maybe tonight. But for now, we are getting ready to head to church...Jesus--now there's something to celebrate!

Peace, Love and Deployments = Poo

It's Official...

2009-02-20T21:13:00.005-05:00

Maybe the ship hasn't actually left port yet, but as far as we're concerned...he's gone. Today has been a day full of lots of love and emotion. It doesn't get any easier to say goodbye. You'd think that after being apart for 8 months the last time, 5 would seem like a breeze...it doesn't and it probably won't. The only thing we know is that our God is bigger than any deployment...and our love has withstood so much already, this can only make us stronger.

Alana loving on Daddy when he got home from work today

Does he think he's gonna be gone for a while?
Look at all this stuff?
Maybe if I sit on it he'll take me with him...

My two favorite people.

Alana is getting better at her photography skills

Gotta make those last minute phone calls!

Portas Love

And some more...

No Wii for 5 months either haha.

Beary can make it all better...

And if not, Daddy's kisses will...

It's ok, baby...Cry your heart out!

Cuddle times

Sweet dreams, Daddy.

I'd like to say I was all strong and tough today...but that would be a lie. I cleaned and did laundry til there was no more in sight...and then I did other useless stuff like play the wii to keep my mind off of Justin leaving. It didn't work. None of it. Wanna know why? Because Justin is my heart and the love of my life...He might be gone in the flesh but he is with me in spirit.

I love you, baby...We miss you already xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Peace, Love and Lonely Girls

Quick Update

2009-02-18T09:18:00.003-05:00

I'm alive. I'm well. As well as you can expect me to be anyway :) I found out yesterday that Justin actually has to be on his ship by Friday night...so you would think that the fact he's leaving in less than 72 hours for 5 months would've hit me by now. It hasn't. I'm not sure it will until I am leaving him at the pier. I remember the emotions that welled up inside of me when I dropped him off in October 2006. It was super early in the morning, and I wasn't very familiar with the base. I got lost, in the dark, and all my "strength" somehow went down the drain. Funny how that happens! When I think about that, it kind of prepares me for what's to come...but at the same time, I know that it will be different. I am not looking forward to being away from my husband. Not even a little bit. However, I hope to use this time to grow and spend time focusing on things that I might neglect when he is here.

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song." Psalm 28:7 (NIV)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T21:14:00.003-05:00

Let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

1 John 4:7-8 (NKJV)

Happy Valentine's Day! And yes, I look a mess...but hey, it's reality :) I am SO thankful that I got to spend today with my two sweethearts. We had a nice day, filled with love! I haven't been blogging much because Justin is on leave, and I am trying to enjoy every moment possible with him. I will probably be doing a mega picture post soon, catching you up on what's been going on! Today we baked special Valentine's Day cookies, thanks to a package from Grammy with all the special cookie cutters :)

Here's Alana with the bear Justin gave me and her Valentine bear and chocolates from Jalen!
Thanks, buddy!

Tonight we had church...It was kind of rough, knowing that it would be Justin's last service for a while. He leaves next Saturday...not sure how I will handle next week's service! Note to self: Waterproof mascara and tissues. So during worship, Pastor Fred came up like he normally did to pray and kind of get things rolling, and he said he had been awaken from a dream earlier this week. What I wasn't expecting was to hear the names "Justin and Allison Portas" roll off his tongue next! *Mind you, he's been in Niger, Africa for the last 2 weeks* He said he felt God speaking to him about us, and then he shared it with everyone. He let us know that no matter how "controlled" we feel by the Navy sometimes...how they tell us where to live, when we can be together, etc...that GOD is in control of the Navy. We may not control the Navy, but he knows Who does. It was very powerful, and I can't explain it...other than it was profound because it was something that we face every single day. I was totally caught off guard. I think Angie might have had some tears rollin', too! That's why I love her ;) We had a guest speaker tonight, and even he used us as part of his sermon! It's always awesome when God works in the ways He does, especially those that we least expect.

I hope that everyone has had a wonderful Valentine's Day! I'm going to get back to spending time with my hubby while I can!

Peace, Love and more LOVE xo

Sunny with a High of 75

2009-02-09T08:38:00.003-05:00

It's true, the weather as of late has been bipolar and consequently so have I :) That's for all you RKers. SOOOO yesterday...we had 75 degree weather with lots of sunshine! I was thrilled!!! We spent the morning at the movies (best time to go now, with Saturday night church) and then had lunch with the McKinneys at the mall...it was so nice out that we decided to get together outside when we all got home. Chris Bradford came, too...we will soon forgive him for not bringing Felicia and Macie--maybe :) Anyway, it was a beautiful day and a fun time just hanging out with friends.

Alana and Jalen playing with the basketball

Justin and Jalen

All the guys playing football
(Jalen, Justin, Jeremy and Bradford)

Jalen and his cute self :)

Alana, the poser :)

Today is an even better day than yesterday, because this morning Justin picked up his leave chit! He is officially home for the week...and I couldn't be more excited!

Peace, Love and Happy to be alive

Our "Super Party"

2009-02-03T10:59:00.004-05:00

I know I'm a couple days late posting this, but a trip to the dentist yesterday left me feeling less than capable of writing a blog :) We spent the afternoon/evening Sunday at the McKinneys having a Super Bowl get together...or as Alana called it, a "Super Party". I promised Alana Saturday night that if she slept all night without waking me up (this is a huge issue right now!) we could bake cookies the next morning. She made it through the night without a hitch, so I had to stick to my end of the bargain. These couldn't be just any cookies, she wanted to use cookie cutters and make them. So much for my favorite go-to break and bake cookies :) They turned out pretty cute, considering I'm not a baker...

Rolling the dough out

Sprinkling some with football sprinkles!

And ta-da!

I must say that Justin once said he knew he picked a good wife when I could spell "Roethlisberger" :) It also made him proud that I knew his jersey number...I can't say I knew the Cardinals one without a little help from the internet...And as much as Justin loves the Steelers, he really wanted Arizona to win this one. He is a fan of Fitzgerald...

Here's Justin and Alana in their Cardinal colors before the game!

Jalen in his cage...
JUST KIDDING!
Goofing on the stairs :)

Goooooo team, GO!!!

So the Cardinals lost, but not without a good fight at the end. We came home during the 3rd quarter so Alana could get some much needed sleep in her own bed. It got exciting in the last 5 minutes or so, right? I could really care less about football, but I totally enjoyed the time that we spent with our friends! I told Angie that pretty soon we will be wishing to watch games with the guys!

18 more days...not that I'm counting :(

Peace, Love and Football fun

Fireproof

2009-01-29T21:30:00.003-05:00

**Be sure and pause the music in the toolbar before watching the trailer!

Justin and I bought the book The Love Dare a while ago, not really knowing what it was all about. Mainly we just wanted something to read together, to help us grow as a couple. We soon figured out that it's not exactly something that is meant to be read together but it still had a lot of really good material. After a couple of failed attempts to see the movie Fireproof--one of which included getting stuck on a bridge for over an hour due to debris in the tunnel and missing the movie when we finally had a babysitter, I decided to just pre-order the dvd. I guess it was in November or early December sometime. Well, it finally came out this Tuesday and I went straight to Lifeway to pick up our copy. I was so excited to watch it last night, but then by the time Justin got home from the ship it was too late. Oh and to top it all off, my friend Felicia texted me last night during our dinner to tell me that we should see it and went on to explain how awesome it was. Nice way to rub it in :) Just kidding, she had no idea. Tonight, Alana went to bed super early (due to sleepy tantrums) and Justin and I finally got to see this movie we've been anticipating for so long. Before it started, I said "This BETTER be a good movie after all this"...and let me tell you, it was! I would strongly recommend it to anyone who is married, but even to people who aren't. It is such a great story of learning to love, the way Christ loves us. I literally sat and watched until the last credit was finished rolling...with a smile on my face! Justin said that EVERYONE should see this movie. I'm so thankful that people like Kirk Cameron (he's 38, by the way, we wikipedia-ed it lol) are willing to step out on limb and make movies like this one...

Peace, Love and I Dare ya to watch it...

My Whole Life is a Fog

2009-01-28T10:20:00.003-05:00

I am posting this with the hopes that Justin actually comes home today...because if not he will see this before he gets home and the whole "surprise" will be ruined :) (His internet only works after 6 p.m. or so) But whatever, I'm posting it because I am being confident that the ship will return today. Once again, the day he is supposed to be home it is nothing but fog outside. Angie and I said our whole lives are a fog these days. We were only partially joking. If you've never been in a situation where your husband is here and then not for long periods of time, it's hard to understand...but we have to prepare in so many ways when they leave, but especially when they come home! A lot of the preparation involves cleaning and almost nesting...and a lot of it is also mental. So it's difficult to get your brain into the correct mode when there's so much uncertainty in the arrival...HOWEVER...we are hoping that the tides will bring them in :) I learned something new today...(thank you, Angie). Justin emailed and told me that they were gonna try to catch the tide later, and I was clueless as to what that meant. Apparently they can't come in if the tide is low because the ship could actually hit the tunnel. SCARY, right? I think I might never drive through it again...Oh wait, I have to!

Alana insisted we decorate for Daddy's arrival!

We tend to get a little goofy right before he gets home :)

Alana is making him a card...

And of course, we need fresh baked cookies...
Mmm...Peanut butter cups :)

Please baby, come home today...Because we miss you, but also because I can't afford to eat all of these cookies by myself. And if you don't come home, I might have to :)

Peace, Love and Praying for High Tides

Happy Birthday, Liam!

2009-01-27T13:20:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday, Liam! Wish I could be there, buddy :)
Aunt Allison LOVES you!!! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Alana's First Trip to the Dentist

2009-01-27T13:07:00.002-05:00

This morning, Alana had her very first dentist appointment...well, the very first one that she actually went to :) Some of you know what I'm talking about, and for those of you who don't we will keep it that way haha. Other than the fact that it was time for her to go for her first cleaning, I wanted to talk to the dentist about her teeth-grinding. It is UNREAL how loud she grinds her teeth at night. I have had to wake her up to get her to stop...and trust me, if I wake her up for anything you know it must be bad :) I was concerned (as was Grammy) that her teeth were going to be worn down, even broken. I was most worried about it affecting her permanent teeth somehow.

So we went to my dentist...They are very nice, and I knew she'd be in good hands. She got to pick her flavor of toothpaste--she picked raspberry! Then the nice lady let her touch the brush and see how it would work and everything...She really took her time with her, explaining all that she was doing and why. Then she cleaned her teeth! The worst part for Alana was the light shining in her eyes haha. They counted her teeth--she had all 20 :) And they checked for cavities--none there! They also said her teeth are perfectly spaced. The dentist praised her for brushing her teeth so well (she brushes them herself, so I was proud too!) Then she got to pick out 2 prizes, 4 stickers and a new toothbrush!

As for the grinding, the dentist and the hygienist both assured me that it is normal (as awful as it may sound)...And they said it has something to do with the way baby teeth come in, and usually is outgrown with permanent teeth back there. I really hope so! They told me that her teeth don't show any signs of being worn down, but even if they were worn down to nothing she would be fine. So I can take a sigh of relief...and just have to sleep with ear plugs or something if she's next to me :)

After the dentist, I took her to Chick Fil-A for breakfast and to play on the playground...I told her that I was going back to the dentist on Friday to get my teeth cleaned. She immediately asked me what flavor of toothpaste I was gonna pick. I told her that I didn't get to pick because only special little girls like her did. So she told me she will go with me so she can pick for me then :) So sweet...and so clever! Oh, and next time she's totally picking orange!

Peace, Love and clean mouths

Nashville with Sweetikins.

2009-01-26T11:06:00.008-05:00

We're baaaaaaack. Today I am trying to recover from the hysterical sobs that poured out of Alana's little body last night. We left Grammy's...what more can I say? It gets harder every time we leave. I love to go, but I hate leaving! While we were there, it was snowing and then warm, and then freezing again, but the time we spent there was full of all sorts of fun. It was lovely as always to be there with my family. My mom had to work some of the week in Philly, and we hung out at home with Grandma. Here's a few of the pics from the week...

Taking a picture for Justin :)

Ok, so this is Alana in her baby swing.
She sat in it more this trip than she did when she was an infant...She's a trip!

Grammy bought Alana this Horton Hears a Who game and it was SO fun! You had to pick up the clovers with your trunk and get back to the board before time ran out...Best $5 clearance buy ever! :) And sorry there are no pictures of me or my mom wearing the Horton hat!

Alana and I went to lunch with the Schnecks Thursday and then to the mall with Uncle Jonny and Liam. Those kids move too fast for my camera, so this is what you get :) It was fun...While we were sitting there, I thought to myself this is what life is now! I love me some Liam, too...
Friday night, we went to Pei Wei which happens to top my list of favorite restaurants. Alana is showing off her chopstick-ing skills. She was even eating the edamame two at a time!
Saturday we had lunch with Jon and Lindsay and Liam and then went to hang with them for a while. We won't be there for Liam's birthday tomorrow, so we took his gifts but he zonked out before getting to open them...On the way out of the neighborhood, we stopped at this fire hydrant. This is at the end of the street where my mom used to live. We took many-a-picture of Alana next to this fire hydrant to show how much she'd grown :) Let's just say the last time she was shorter than it...How time flies!
I am home now...Back to Port Norfolk. I haven't heard from Justin for 3 days now. It seems like a lifetime, though. It's bad enough when he's gone for so long, but when they take away our communication...let's just say I am hating on the Navy right now. I think he will be home in a couple days. I am ready to see my husband, and I am also ready to start planning my next trip to Nashville.

Peace, Love and Family Fun

My Friday Night Date :)

2009-01-17T09:02:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry I don't have any pictures to guide me along as I tell you about my "date" with Angie last night. I guess this is what you do when your husband is gone and you need to get out of the house. You plan a date with your favorite friend instead. Angie and I had decided Thursday just what to do. We agreed upon Walmart pizza and a movie. Walmart pizzas are yummy, in case you haven't tried them. Then again, I've met but few pizzas that I didn't like :) I told Angie that I would buy and she could cook. Deal! Yesterday around 4 p.m., Alana and I packed up the ready-to-be-cooked pizza and movie (I'll get to that in a minute) and headed to Angie's. We just kinda hung out for a little while and then Angie decided to put the pizza in the oven. The kids were "cooking" for us in Jalen's Elmo restaurant, and I guess it got the tummies growling. Jump to about 20 minutes later. The oven starts beeping. Is the pizza done already? No! The oven is just on the fritz, no longer heating, and will not stop beeping even when turned off. It's now 5:05 p.m. on Friday. Right...like anyone is going to be able to come fix this. Angie turned the breaker off. It was quiet. Well, the oven was anyway :) The pizza was only halfway done, so I decided to take it (in the 20 degree weather) back to my house to finish cooking it. I laughed at the thought, because I knew once I took it back outside it would be cold in a flash...but hey, at least the cheese would be melted! When I got back to Angie's with the pizza (yes, I admit I felt a little like a delivery girl), we were then greeted by one of the maintenance people for our property. While he is quite possibly the nicest one of the bunch, he seemed to have been getting his weekend fun on a little early...that's about as much as I will say about that, but it gave Angie and I some good laughs for the night. He left and came back, saying that he had a brand new stove to put in Angie's apartment, and asked if it could wait til morning...Then he mumbled something about pipes and left :) We ate, (the pizza was basically cold again by now) and then decided we should try to watch the movie before the kids got too out of hand. What movie did we rent, you ask? Ha! Well considering our first, second, and probably a bunch more choices were out, we settled on The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. We'd both seen the first one, but I realized how much I forgot what happened in the 1st one about 20 seconds into the 2nd haha. I really wish we had like a camera crew to follow us around (not really, but) to show how ridiculous our lives can be at times. Angie had the tv turned up at the loudest it would possibly go, and we still could not hear it over the kids! They wanted Angie to blow bubbles during it, Jalen brought me a movie saying "ga-car, ga-car" (Madagascar)...Alana was tattling on Jalen for not sharing and Jalen was body slamming the dogs. It was a trip. Somehow we managed to finish the entire movie...luckily I don't plan on being quizzed on it anytime soon :) It's always a fun time hanging out with friends...Sometimes it's just a little more exciting than others. And that is not always a good thing! At least last night's drama is bringing Angie a new stove today! (hopefully it is NEW and not just new to her)...I still say I was slighted. The deal was I buy, YOU cook Angie :) JK! I woke up bright and early this morning to check-in for my flight to Nashville in the morning. Alana and I are spending this last week of Justin's trip to sea, at Nashville with Grammy and Gigi (my Grandma). I know it will be a fun time, as always...and on that note, I need to go pack!

Peace, Love and Date nights

Barbie Dog.

2009-01-15T21:07:00.005-05:00

A few days ago, we received an unexpected surprise in the mail :) MORE Christmas presents for Alana! She quickly said, "I must've been a GOOD girl this year!" and began ripping into them. These were sent by Amy, Justin's cousin and her parents and then more cousins...gotta love the extended families! It was SO sweet of them to think of her, and I can honestly say they were right on with the presents they picked for her this year! She is SO into Barbie, and most of her Christmas presents consisted of something related to Barbie.

She got the Barbie "My Home" from Daddy and Mommy.
Yes, Ken is sitting on the toilet, what can I say?

Well, Amy and family stayed true to the theme and got her a Barbie PDA (this thing is hilarious, no joke) and then the Barbie dog, Tanner. She got another Barbie dog, but this one is special. Ooooh let me tell you how special it is...Actually, we are going to show you.

Sorry for the poor quality of video, but I was recording it on my regular camera...And yes, Alana is wearing a dress on top of her pajama shirt...what can I say?

Great, right? The food and the poop are one in the same. You put it in the garbage can which is connected to the food box! Thank you Amy for all the laughs :) I typically loathe the Barbie-playing time. I don't even try to fake it...but I'm loving the kicks we get from playing with the dog.

Peace, Love and Scooping Poop...and then Eating it?

Why? Why? Why?

2009-01-15T14:29:00.002-05:00

Anyone who has watched tv in the past few months has seen this commercial...for the rest of you, I present...The Snuggie!

Honest to goodness...WHY do you need a blanket with sleeves??? And do these people not look like monks escaped from the monastery or something? Every time it comes on, Alana tells me "Mommy, you can get them in red or blue or even green!" or "You can even wear them outside!" I feel like she has been pulled into the Snuggie cult. I have to laugh. And I apologize to anyone who owns a Snuggie or thinks it's a good idea. What's wrong with a jacket? I just saw it and thought I had to vent somewhere, and what better place than my blog :)

Peace, Love and Infomercials

God Moments

2009-01-14T19:58:00.002-05:00

I'm going to do something right now that I hate, which is post something rather vague. I just feel compelled to share something that happened to me today, sparing the details for the most part. I woke up this morning with what seemed to be an internal conflict...While my heart longs to feel that God is in control of all, my head tells me that I need to try and micro-manage every detail for Him. I was truly struggling with one issue in particular, to the point that I could think of nothing else...and then something almost supernatural happened. I got an email from Justin. THAT is not supernatural in itself. What IS was the content of his email. It spoke of the exact battle that I was having within myself...He had no way of knowing what was going on in my head at that moment. We are connected in a way that I have never known with any other person, but still...I literally had to catch my breath. It's not that I don't expect God to show Himself to me. I just wasn't expecting it right then and in that way. I am really trying to relinquish ALL control. I cannot be on the fence, saying that He is in control of my life--while still trying to hold on to what I can. AND...that's all I have to say about that :)

Now it's off to do the obvious spiritual choice and watch American Idol LOL. I had to flip back and forth between The Biggest Loser last night, but my top choice of last night (what I saw) was the 16 year old girl who sang Put Your Records On...

Peace, Love and Big Moments

New Hair Part 358473

2009-01-13T10:04:00.002-05:00

This is the moment you've all been waiting for...and by "all" I mean "my mom and Justin" :) I am growing out my hair, but it was so gross! I decided there was no point in growing my hair out if it was going to look like this...it was really damaged from the bleaching last year. The ends were split and scraggly looking. I spent $12 on a haircut and $8 on some hair color...and voila. Here is the result:

BEFORE
(Everyone always has a sad face before, right?)

And...
AFTER!
Yes, my child is special :)

Maybe there will be better pictures to come, but as you can see this is all I could manage to get with a monkey on my back. All I know is my hair looks and feels 100% healthier. Oh, and by the way I didn't get the back cut, just the front...so it's more even now.

Peace, Love and Hair Care

Sometimes it's Just Meant to Be

2009-01-11T08:30:00.003-05:00

Last night we had church...It was one of those sermons that sent chills up my spine at least once. Pastor Fred said things so specific and true to mine and Angie's lives that we looked at each other like 'WHAAAAAAT?!' Yes, we are deep haha. He talked about having an appetite for obedience. That, coupled with the dinner-time close, gave us an appetite for chinese food. Angie and I somehow managed to get through our meal, even though the kids were wild'n out. After we went our separate ways and put our kiddos to bed, we ended up back here. Here, being our computers. This is our life. We live around the corner from each other and spend much of our nights "hanging out" online--hey, it makes them not seem so lonely. Last night it struck me as being especially funny...Angie and I were online, talking to each other...emailing back and forth with our husbands, who were together on the ship. It's like one big happy family :) Allow me to shed some light (for those of you who might not be aware) on making friends in the Navy life. It is difficult. First of all, a good majority of Navy wives are catty and like to gossip for a living. I was warned right off the bat to stay clear of all of them, but considering I am part of this world now I have made a few exceptions to that rule. It is also hard to make lasting friendships, because we all come and go so quickly. When we first moved to Virginia, Justin left almost immediately for an 8-month deployment. I knew no one. I had a 2 year old. I felt alone. So what did I do? I went back to Nashville to stay with my mom! When I had been there a month or two, I got an email from Justin telling me about this friend he had made on the ship. He asked me to email his new friend's wife, because she needed some help making the move to VA as well. I was hesitant, but he insisted that she'd be "cool". Turns out, she was more than cool. She was AMAZING. She was one of the best friends I could ask for...and then, Justin and her husband broke up, er, uh had a falling out of sorts...so that made things sticky for me and my friend. We made it work, though :) So flash forward to last December. Justin and I had moved to Norfolk. It was definitely an easy transition. One day Justin tells me that he met this guy on the ship that he got along really well with...He thinks I should meet his wife. After all, they are friends so why shouldn't the wives be? I was extremely hesitant and less than enthused about meeting these new potential friends. Maybe it was partially due to the previous attempts at being forced into friendships! I specifically remember Justin telling me "but they are hardcore FSU fans!" (I went to college there for a bit and grew up in a family of Seminoles) But seriously, is that supposed to make me like them, sight unseen? Haha. I'm laughing, yes...Angie and I were talking about this last night. I can be open and honest about all these reservations I had because Angie had the same ones. It's obvious to most that we met and things turned out better than I could've ever expected. I am so thankful that Justin has Jeremy. While most guys on their ship spend time doing things I cannot begin to post due to the vulgarity, our husbands are doing Bible studies together and really delving into the Word with each other. That is, when they are not playing Madden on the PS3 :) It gives me a sense of peace, knowing that Justin has someone out there that he is equally yoked with. And of course, that leaves me and Angie here. I couldn't ask for a better friend. Angie is someone that I know I can count on in a heartbeat (and vice-versa by the way) There are few people I would trust with my child, and she is at the top of the list. We had this discussion last night about all the things we ultimately ended up having in common. I joked that when she added me to her myspace (before meeting her), I read that she liked General Hospital and I knew we'd be cool. It seems like everyday we find something else to agree on...We were naming some of the many things last night:

-We both watch the same tv shows...not a big deal to some, but when that accounts for many of your nights it does matter. We will watch tv "together" (while messaging on msn)
-Our favorite color is PURPLE
-Our middle names are the same...and in fact, we have the same (maiden) initials of A.D.S.
-There are a ton of similarities with our families...from Grandmas to Moms to MILs.
-Of course, both of our husbands are in the Navy and on the same ship.
-Let's not forget our mutual crush on Javy Lopez (of the Atlanta Braves) back in the day.
-The Reebok hightops...BLACK or WHITE, Angie? :)

There are so many little things. I can't even begin to name them all. Right now, Jeremy is awaiting his orders. They have been planning a move to Jacksonville in February-ish...but now it looks like the Navy may have different plans. Ones to keep them here, and to take Jeremy on this deployment. While it really stinks for them, Justin and I (selfishly, yes) couldn't be happier at the prospect. Truthfully, I want what's best for them...That's what friends do :) But as Pastor Fred reminded us so frankly last night, there are our plans...and then there are God's plans. He actually made the comment "when you are waiting for those orders to pass across the CO's desk"...God is REAL. And I thank God for giving us really good friends, the McKinneys!

Peace, Love and Lasting Friendships

What's YOUR Purpose?

2009-01-10T11:13:00.003-05:00

For the last 4 1/2 years, my purpose in life has been being a mommy. In fact, that will continue to be my purpose for the rest of my life. Motherhood is the most rewarding, highest calling that there is (in my humble opinion). However, the time is drawing near for Alana to start school. While it is one of the most terrifying things I've had to deal with, I am also looking forward to the next chapter in my life...and perhaps finding a new purpose. Who says we can't have more than one?! Justin and I are trying to make 2009 count. With him being away for half of the year, and a lot of big changes taking place, it could be frightening. I am not fearful, though. I am at total peace, because I know that I am not in control. I am not God :) But He is the One that gives me the courage to take the leap I need to. He is the One that will get me through. He is the One that gives me purpose.

Justin's Grandma sent me this in an email last night, and I thought it couldn't be more appropriate or better timed...

In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:

People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond:
In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not
made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in
Heaven.

One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end
of my body-- but not the end of me.

I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to
spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up
act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth
what we will do forever in eternity.

We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that
out, life isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now,
you're just coming out of one, or you're getting
ready to go into an other one.

The reason for this is that God is more interested in your
character than your comfort.
God is more interested in making your life holy than He is
in making your life happy.

We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's
not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in
Christ likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but
also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.

I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go
through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back
and forth. I don't believe that anymore.

Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that
it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at
all times you have something good and something bad in your
life.

No matter how good things are in your life, there is always
something bad that needs to be worked on.

And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is
always something good you can thank God for.

You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your
problems.

If you focus on your problems, you're going into
self-centeredness,'which is my problem, my issues, my
pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is
to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of
hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal
Kay or make it easy for her.

It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has
strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping
other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him
and to people.

You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of
life.

Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is
harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when
the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very
wealthy.

It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to
deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or
notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease
.

So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this
money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different
passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9
and Psalm 72

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not
change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.
Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a
salary from the church.

Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call
The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the
poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.

Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the
24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back.
It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for
possessions? Popularity?

Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness?
Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's
purposes (for my life)?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed
and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I
want to know You more and love You better. God didn't
put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more
interested in what I am than what I do.
That's why we're called human beings, not human
doings.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD.
God's Blessings on you today.

Peace, Love and Purpose