AMAZED

It is absolutely amazing the sovereignty of God! I have been thinking about that word alot lately as it pertains to my life.

Sovereignty according to Theopedia.com

The Sovereignty of God is the biblical teaching that all things are under God's rule and control, and that nothing happens without His direction or permission. God works not just some things but all things according to the counsel of His own will (see Eph. 1:11). His purposes are all-inclusive and never thwarted (see Isa. 46:11); nothing takes Him by surprise. The sovereignty of God is not merely that God has the power and right to govern all things, but that He does so, always and without exception. In other words, God is not merely sovereign de jure (in principle), but sovereign de facto (in practice).

We all like to think that we have some kind of control over our lives and situations... really all we have is our attitude and reaction to these things that arise in our lives. When David left January 2nd of 2012, it seemd like a daunting amount of time for him to be gone and a situation I obviously had no control over. So many thoughts went through my mind as I walked away from him at the airport that day. (let me tell that is a hard thing to do! I will never forget that sinking feeling as I turned and walked away from the gate... talk about heavy feet and a heavy heart)

*A whole year of experiencing life without one another
*Adjusting to living with just my three Dogs and myself
*After a bad day not having him to come home to and fix things with a simple hug and funny dance or laugh
*Would people really follow through on their promises of support and prayer
*Worrying for Davids Safety (security everywhere can change at the drop of a dime)
*How much would we get to talk and what would we talk about, and to know I would have to talk to him through a screen and a microphone
*What kind of people would David be around.. would he have people to uplift him and encourage him.

The list could go on...

But like I said God is SOVEREIGN and calmed all my fears and thoughts and gave me a new attitude... 
GOD really is GOOD all the TIME. Although we may not always know what He is up to... we must cling to the fact that he loves us deeply and fiercely. He wants nothing more then to see His Children walking in the truth holding tight to his hand... The almighty Father's hand! That will never let us go.

So this year for me has been a continuous moving picture of God's grace and moving me to a place of surrender. He is my ROCK and Salvation, my identity is found in HIM and Him alone. It's a funny thing to go from a party of 2 to a party of 1. To not have a plus 1... a funny concept when your married. I realized something though with God I always have a plus 1, although as we all say... David is my other half "technically", but really God is what makes me WHOLE.

This year has been a year for me to be reminded that it's really all about God!

I love the verse in this song

It says

My Heart and my sould I give you control
consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out
Your will above all else, my purpose remains

"THE ART OF LOSING MYSELF in bringing YOU PRAISE"

This last line many times will bring tears to the corners of my eyes... It is an amazing thing to lose yourself in Christs presence. This year has been such an amazing Journey with Christ! 


Today marks 30 Days!! 

The anticipation is killing me!! What an AMAZING Day that will be.

Signing off 

the Wife

38 and Counting....

Hello all,

This post is set aside to say thanks for all the birthday care packages I received. Just want to start off by saying what a blessing to have such amazing family & friends, and coworkers back home and I am so looking forward to spending time with you all soon. Speaking of soon we are almost below 40 days, so time is getting short, and what a relief it is to see this deployment coming to an end.

Well lets get started with it....

This package is from the fine folks of JPS, as you can see its a well stocked supply of some of my favorite junk foods, and I really enjoyed the sunflower seeds, and the red velvet cake was a nice touch. Thank you all for this much enjoyed package.

 

This package comes from my awesome Mother-in Law, who bakes the worlds best chocolate chip cookies, and also provided me with a subscription to Car&Driver. My lovely wife included some awesome superman items to add to my geek collection which gets more awesome every year. Thank you both, I love and will see ya soon.

 

This package comes from a fellow Superman geek Bo Clarke and his family. Another well stocked supply of my top junk food items, and a huge bonus which I didn't expect was a 12 inch fully detailed Superman (Christopher Reeve Edition) collectible which just reeks of awesome. This is hands down the show piece of my supes collection. Thank you Bo, and I look forward to that midnight showing of Man of Steel in June.

 

This package comes from my parents, whom always sends me a monthly package. I love how they send an even amount of junk food balanced out with dried fruit. This package contained three bags of Dads signature beef jerky which is always a delight to get. Thank you, Love you and I will see you soon. 

 

This package comes from my awesome neighbors, Jimmy & Kristen and little Grace. A special thanks goes out to Jimmy and Kristen for the support that they have provided to Lindsay while I am on deployment. Thank you both for being awesome! Jimmy warm up the X-box and pop the top on a cold Woodchuck, we have some shooting to do!!

 

This package comes from both Lindsay and Brian and Mere! I enjoy the honey a lot, its gives quite an energy burst to my workouts. Thanks a ton and I look forward to hanging out once I get back.

 

As you can see I am indeed blessed, and you all have made my birthday in the sand enjoyable.

 

Thanks to all,

 

To be continued...

 

 

2 months and a dime..

Hello all,

It’s a been a while since I last posted and of course a lot has a happened so sit back grab a coke and a smile as I catch everyone up to speed.

Two months and ten days left to complete on this tour, and its homeward bound, and just in time to join my family on a beach trip over the Thanksgiving holiday.  September has arrived and where friends and family are celebrating the last holiday of summer back home life here at Camp AJ is fairly quiet, although I can tell that it seems to be cooling down, as opposed to 120+ degrees is only around 100 or so, and even that feels awesome.  As I am mentally preparing to re-deploy back home I just want to say a million thanks to all who have sent packages, letters, cards, emails, and of course many thanks to all who have supported Lindsay back home with lawn care, meals and simply just spending time with her during this deployment.

Of course I am really proud of how well Lindsay has handled all the affiars back home, from keeping the cars maintained to managing bills and still finding time to spend on her photography, I am sure its been tough at times but she has done so well.

I have started counting the time I have left here by the number of Mongolian BBq’s until I depart. Each staturday they serve mongolian and its the best meal that you get during the week.

 

So the number is 10. Ten more bbqs and its homeward bound.

So when I left I had in my head several tasks that I wanted to accomplish while I was here: Support the mission/done 2. Complete online college courses/ done 3. Improve my health and fitness/done  4. Get promoted to 2^nd class/done. That been said I can board that plane in a couple months with a since of accomplishment.

Some folks have asked questions about the local wildlife here at Camp AJ, which is quite limited from what I have seen. I really believed that if Kuwait had a zoo it only be a single room with a lizard,

 

Spiny tailed lizard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 a snake

Horned Viper (not seen any here yet)

 

 

, a scorpion

Fat tailed scorpion(not seen any here yet)

 

, and of course a camel spider

Camel Spiders (not seen any yet)

 

 and a un-happy looking camel,

 

, and maybe a fish that their polluted oceans have not killed yet. Yep its sad.

 As an extra duty set aside from my duties at N7, I often the get the opportunity to help design graphics for a coin, event,  or even a shirt. Camp AJ has monthly 5K run events open to anyone on post and of course the best part of that is that you get a free shirt when you complete it, which usually becomes your weekly wardrobe after you have accumulated enough shirts. Anyway I wanted to design a shirt for one of the 5k runs and was allowed to design for the Air Force Birthday scheduled in Sept. here is the design I submitted for the run.

Thats it for now I will post more later,

 

To be continued...

under 100

So David and I are under 100 days! Can you believe it! June and July have just flown by! I have definitely not been without things to do! I went to the beach, had many many photo shoots, shot a couple of weddings, editing photos for hours on end, went to a few weddings, and spent time with family.

When David left January 2, 2012 it seemed like a daunting amount of time apart. This time apart has been hard and I have had a few moments of weakness. (you would cry too if you had a husband like my BOOTS) My Neighbor Kristen told me that at her wedding the pastor said that their wedding day is the day the would love one another the least. Those words have never felt more true! I am so much more in love with David now. This year apart made me love and learn new things about him and what makes our relationship so great. I can’t even imagine how much more I am going to love him come November!

People ask me all the time, how often do I get to talk to David and how do we spend “quality time” together. We are so blessed because he is stationed in a place with WIFI. We talk on an app called messagenet, where we can call and text for free. Being a million miles apart and only getting to communicate via video chatting can be challenging, there is only so much to talk about. We are much more in tuned to sharing details of our days. Although the details may seem silly and boring, it’s just good to hear the others voice. We have movie skype date nites. I share my screen with him and we have TV show we watch together each week, and we have watched tons of movies together. It’s nice we can still hear and see each others reactions to what ever is going on in the show. The picture posted is how David and I see each other.

I also would like to say that I am sooo thankful for all of you who have sent care packages to David. They are such a nice reminder of home for him!

Signing off,

The Wife

Concert & a Care Package..

Hello all,

I hope that everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. This weekend was my first holiday exposure on deployment.

Lindsay, was at the beach with friends so I had more free time to myself as we would usually be on skype hanging out, talking or watching a movie during the weekends.
But I found other activities to keep me busy, for starters the USO put on concert for Kellie Pickler which I decided to attend and I was glad I did it was a really good show, She played for about two hours Saturday night, and afterward you could meet her and get an autograph which I didn't do the lines were just to long for me.

I was able to film some short videos but they are quite large and I cannot load them on this blog or facebook, I will have to share those when I return. Although the show was filmed it may be on youtube.

The weekend ended with a fairly large care package that was sent from Lindsay Cloer, Joann, & Arnie Bensen.

As you can see from this photo I was truly blessed. Yes that is an entire batch of Joann's Chocolate Chip Cookies which now we can say world famous. The folks in my department loved them! Lets not forget the Carmel Bars which was also included in the package. I can wait to cut into it and let folks sample that goodness. I am glad now that I did 4000 sit-ups because I am about to gain a few extra pounds! As you can see Arnie included a book for me to read Seal of God about a navy seal that later in life works in the ministry. Looks like a really great book! Of course Lindsay sent me all my favorite snacks as well as local Farmers Market pork rinds and kettle corn which folks love here. I gave away three bags before I left work. Thank you Joann for the cookies and Carmel bars they were amazing! Thank you all for your high calorie, well thought-out care package. It will be enjoyed by many.

Too be continued...

Life goes on...

Hello all,

Its me again blogging from the sandbox. As the temperatures climb higher the days seems to pass faster, or maybe its just that you are walking faster to reach the next air conditioned tent, yeah maybe that's it.

Either way I am doing fine and staying as busy as I can. I just completed work on two coins and soon I will be working on another set. For those who don't know what coins are they are decorated metal coins that are handed out to anyone as a "job well done" token. Its nice to get them awarded to you from folks in leadership roles. So far I am been given three, which are the only three in my ten years in the reserves. Anyway I had the privilege to help design the command coin for NavelSG FWD November, and this coin represents the folks in ESS,  Wave 1 and also Wave 2. So far we have 180+ pre-ordered and they should be here late June. I will attach images of them when they arrive.

Even though my primary job here is supporting N/10 Safety, I also have been allowed to complete graphic design related assignments which I enjoy.

Below is picture of me at KNB, which is one of the sites I visit often.

I have no idea what ship that is behind me!

Some of you have been asking about Middle Eastern food and if I had tried any, well I can now say yes I have. Each base has its own unique restaurants that you can eat from, and at KNB you can order an item called a Shawirma which looks like a burrito. Hands down this is the best thing I have eaten since I have been in Kuwait. Its a roast chicken with diced tomatoes and other chopped vegetables wrapped up in flour shell. Its quite good.

Some of you may have seen my Mothers day shout out that I recorded and posted on facebook, but I would now to once again to thank the many of you that have supported Lindsay and myself while I have been away. Our neighbors Jimmy and Kristen have been awesome, in that they have blessed Lindsay with many meals as well Jimmy has taken care of the yard which I appreciate greatly. Also thanks to my Mom & Dad for the many trips to Winston to help and keep Lindsay company. And I am thankful for everyone that have sent me packages filled with goodies from home. I cant say thank you enough times. A special thanks goes out to JPS my employer for all their care packages and messages from co-workers.

I am grateful for the technology that allows me to keep in touch with Lindsay.  She is very creative in the way she uses skype for us to watch movies together on the weekends which becomes our long distance date night. Even being 6889 miles apart, we still attend Church together. Lindsay is an amazing lady and I am honored to have her as my wife and I cant wait to return home to her soon!

Too be continued.... 



Friendship that goes Above & Beyond

David and I are so blessed to have so many people that have encouraged, prayed and loved on us, but I have been especially thankful for the Turners! They are my next door neighbors/friends/family. I love this family sooo much. Kristen sends me weekly menus and lets me know I can eat anytime. They help me with my dogs and Jimmy mows my yard. I love just going over and hanging out with them! I love little Grace their daughter as if she was one of my own nieces. They are the embodiment of Christ love, they do it out of love and service. When I think of them I think of this passage!

Matthew 25:32-40

Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

  

Thank you Kristen Jimmy and Grace! Your love for David and I and our pack of dogs is amazing! I am so truly blessed by you. I thank God Every time I think of you! I am thankful he allowed you guys a few more years with us here in this sweet culdasac. I am thankful for your follow through... many say they will do this or that and never follow through. You promised David you guys would help and watch out for me and the doggies and you have. We are so blessed! There are not enough words to express how thankful I am to have them in my life. This friendship is so precious and a gift from above!

Signing off,

The Wife

for-granted

So David and I really didn't have any idea what to expect during this deployment. The love David has for me has been very apparent. When your apart like this you have to be much more intentional with your time. David calls me and texts me about 4-5 times a day. The time difference hasn't been too much of a challenge. Its great because I get to talk to him when he gets up before he starts his day, During my lunch hour, and before he goes to bed and also when I go to bed. We Skype on the weekends, we usually watch a movies Saturday morning and We often will watch Charles Stanley Sunday Mornings for Church. Even from a thousands of miles away we get to worship and spiritually grow together. So all in all David and I are doing really well.

David has been given a lot of responsibility and his artistic talents are becoming very well known over there. He has plenty to keep him busy. He also can not express enough how much he appreciates all the love you all have been sending. The lady at the Post Office can not believe all the packages and mail he gets. 

Having your Husband so far away does make you appreciate them a lot more. Like when I am at the last minute getting the trash to the street in the rain, trying to figure out how to change the air filter, jumping a car battery etc... All in all I miss HIM the most, David and I love the little stuff in the life. Just laughing at our selves and our comical little life, Sunday naps, sitting outside, his goodbye kiss in the mornings and goodnite kiss, hearing the garage door open and getting giddy because I know it's him. I love the fact that we have been married 5 years and I still feel that way about him. I suppose that's when you realize it is a bond that only Christ could have blessed and put together. I asked David one time how he could get up so easily in the mornings...(I hate getting up), He looked at me and said with out any hesitation, "All I do is look over at you sleeping, and know it's my job to care and provide for you, so I get up." Today take a moment thank your husband or your parents! This day to day event happens everyday, and how often do you thank them for it? I may not get flowers, stuff, vacations(he does do many of these though) or things like that everyday but my husbands love and attitude he has towards me is more than enough. It's easy in life to say things like "I deserve this, or I need this." But really we don't deserve any of it and all we really need is Christ. I am thankful for this time that I have this year to really rely on Christ and spend time in His word. The intimacy I am having with my Lord has been just the sweetest and precious time I have ever known. Just a reminder to all... don't take anything or anyone in your life for-granted, we need to stop complaining and focusing on the few things they do wrong and concentrate on all the things they do right! This year I lost a very good friend... and then David left in January, God has shown me through this to appreciate and make the most of the time I have with people. Life is too short to sweat the small stuff. 

So here's to 5 more months...and the day I get to wrap my arms around his neck!

Signing off!

The Wife

A Mother's Love

 I have been really reflecting on the woman I call "My Mom." Let me tell you I am sure being my mom was not any easy task... but GOD truly knew she was up for the challenge. Being adopted you often wonder about the love that this person who CHOSE to be your mom. I am so blessed that God literally chose her for me! I know I don't tell her enough how amazing she is. She, over the years has loved me with a fierce love. Funny it never matters how old I get I always need her. I am so thankful that she was and still is a prayng parent. I am sure she has spent countless hours praying over her children. It pains me to think of the times I said or did things that I know were not honoring or pleasing to her. The sacrificial love that My Mom has is well... God Given. She has this amazing way of making people feel important like they matter. She spreads the love of Christ to all those that meet her. She is Kind, Thankful, Gracious, Humble, Sacrificial, a Counselor, a prayer warrior, a friend, an encourager, baker of the best Chocolate Chip Cookies, she loves God and loves others! The list could go on and on.

She has taught me through her example and life what it means to be a daughter, wife and friend. I watch how she cares for my precious Grand mother. I hope that one day I will care for her the way she does for my g-mom. She is an amazing wife, just ask my Dad. : ) I know that David would thank her... she is what has helped shape me to be a Godly wife for him.

This year I am especially thankful for her, as having David gone, she has been such a great support and encouragement to me!

Thank You MOM!! I love you more than I can even put in to words!

A Mother's Love (featuring Mark Masri) by Jim Brickman Thank you for watching over me All of the sleepless nights you lay awake Thank you for knowing when to hold me close when to let me go Thank you for every stepping stone And for the path that always leads me home I thank you for the time you took to see the heart inside of me You gave me the roots to start this life and then you gave me wings to fly and I learned to dream because you believed in me There's no power like it on this earth No treasure equal to its worth The gift of a mother's love Thank you for every sunlit day That filled the corners of my memory Thank you for every selfless unsung deed I know you did for me Thank you for giving me the choice To search my soul till I could find my voice And I thank you for teaching me To be strong enough to bend You gave me the roots to start this life And then you gave me wings to fly And I learned to dream Because you believed in me There's no power like it on this earth No treasure equal to its worth The gift of a mother's love I thank God for a mother's love

Just checking in

Hello all,

  Its me again saying hello from the sandbox. Time is moving ahead quickly as I will pass 90 days in country on May 12, true I still a have a ways to go but I am staying as busy as I can and that helps. My day consists of work from 730am -430pm and then I spend an hour in the gym and then its time to skype and start any homework that I may have.  I have been attending Ashford University online and I have already completed 3 credit hours and working on another 3 now.  The military pays the entire cost of my classes so while you are stuck out here might as well be productive.

We had a fairly large sand storm this month and I have attached some photos to show how it looked:

Normal sunny day

Sand Storm

I ran my second 5K run this week and even though I finished in good time, some old guy ran past me, and when that happens you never really quite recover. Overall it was fun and you get a t-shirt each time you complete one.

Nice Shirt

November FWD Group 5k Run (the guy in the packer shirt is awesome)




Special thanks to all the folks that have sent care packages while I have been deployed:
Lindsay Cloer
Mom & Dad
Karen Cole
Jimmy & Kristen Turner (best neighbors on the planet, thanks for all you do)
Heather Williams from Landmark Church of God
Toni Dennison
Kim Rheingrover Pruitt
Laura McHargue and the HR Lunch Bunch
Renee Gragg

Your care packages have not only been enjoyed by me, but many others on post here as well. Thank you for everything.

Lots of Love

Hello all,

As I am completing my 3rd month of deployment, I look back and all I can say is that I have been blessed!

     I am devoting this blog to all the friends and family that has sent care packages to me since I left on Jan 2nd.

Over all there has been a total of 10 packages. The lady in the mail room knows me by name as much I am over signing for my boxes, I remember one Saturday afternoon I picked up 4 at one time and trying to carry them back to my PCB was a challange, perhaps I should have used a forklift.

Ok so here we go, and these are in perticulair order:

Thank you JPS Statesville for send the Girl Scout Cookies and the dust masks which have came in handy with the several sand storms we have had so far.

Thanks Mom and Dad for the goodies and cards and T-shirts.

Thanks also to Toni Dennison for all the awesome St Pattys Day items, the green fortune cookies were awesome.

A Long Flight & Sand Storm

Hello all,

I thought it was about time that I posted a new blog, it's been at least a month since I updated any new information, so here we go!

As most of you already know I have been in Kuwait, for almost a month now, and I will tell you it felt weird at first to be here. First lets talk about the flight over. I was really not looking forward to sitting on a plane for 14 hrs at a time, but to be honest with you it was not that bad. I made myself stay up all night so I would have to sleep for the biggest portion of the flight, that worked for the most part, of course they showed movies non-stop which helped pass time.  After the first 7 hours or so we landed in Germany for about an hour to refuel and then we were back at it for another 7 hours which of course you try to sleep even more.

We landed in Kuwait as the sun was starting to rise, and all that did was just remind us of and that this was really happening. Afterward they loaded us up on these nice buses and of course the driver is a Kuwaiti local and he is sporting the turban and man dress, I mean he was representing, again the reality was still sinking in. The buses had blue curtains over the windows which we were we told not to open, of course I could not help myself, I looked out the window the whole trip, and to be honest most folks did.

Of course we ended up at Camp Arifjan, my temporary home for the next few months. The following picture is of the tents we stayed in until we were moved into our living quarters.

 The next day was orientation and base tours, and this place is huge, I still have not been to even half of it.

I think that tank is the most photographed in history, everyone who passes this way takes this photo.

Life at Arifjan is not bad at all, everything you need or want can be found somewhere on post, I spend my time at work, from 730am -430pm, then an hour at the gym, and then chow and calling Lindsay. I start school on the 13th so that will pass time as well.



Someone asked about food here on post, well of course they have the DFAC (chow hall) and you have fast food places as well, although they are not quite as good as you might find in the states, so I usually don't eat there but maybe once a week. I do spend a lot of time at Starbucks, because they have free Internet, and yes I am still caffeine free since Jan the 8th, thank the Lord for Sprite.

 Starbucks

You see a lot unique things here on post like this van, can you tell what it is?

I had the chance to visit one of the other bases to perform my duties, and it's so weird to see the landscape. There are no trees along the highways like we are used to seeing in the states, it's just open space with miles of dessert and sand. Of course you see a lot of small cites with unique shaped buildings and the smell is different, keep in mind they don't have an EPA here so they have a great deal of air pollution, some days you can't even see the water tower on post due to the haze.

The other day, I was caught in a small scale sandstorm, and I did not have one of my dust masks handy. I quickly learned 2 things:

• 1st thing is run faster,
• 2nd is to keep your mouth closed.

 The second one is a tad more important then the 1st one, trust me it will change your attitude quickly when you have a mouth full of sand and grit.

Well that's about it for now, more to come later, I do want to thank everyone who has sent me packages and all the prayers and facebook messages I have received so far. I am so grateful to have such awesome family and friends, and of course all the JPS crew back home, and lets not forget my awesome wife, as she has been the best, and I'm blessed to have been married to her for 5 years.

Too be continued....

Valentines...

This Valentines of course was different. One David is 8hour ahead so Valentines came earlier for him.  David and I usually get Breakfast at Ihop or Panera on valentines. Which is a treat, because rarely do I get out of bed that early. This Valentines David and Skyped... I was waiting on my valentine flowers to arrive. Funny that his is how we will spend time together for the next year. Let me tell you our communication skills at least verbal are going to be amazing by the end of this. The time we have is so short especially with the time difference. So you listen more carefully and are much more intentional with your words.


David of course being the sweet and precious husband he is... Sent me Flowers, Gave me a SWEET Card, and I haven't showed it off officially but he gave me two new wedding bands. They are beautiful and look like they were meant to go together! They are my Valentines and 5 year anniversary Gift.

There is love that swells the heart so full it splits and leaks an aching joy.

I never want to say good bye and I can’t imagine this ever ending and who am I to have lived having been known, the Adam knowing Eve? I lay by his rib, of his rib, and I rise and fall with his breathing. Familiarity breeds boredom only to the blind.

And the real see-ers know the worth of vows worn polish smooth with all the days. 

One can become true one and God knows the mystery.

www.aholyexperience.com

anne voskamp

Signing off!

The humbled and loved wife!

Short but SWEET

So David and I had accepted the fact that we quite likely would not see one another in person again until November. But David called me Wednesday February 1, that they were going to get what the call, "liberty" before they shipped out. So of course I immediately started to look up flights hotels, and a rental car. So in less then 24 hours I had everything booked! (side note: Thank you to my amazing Friend/Employer for giving me the time off and paying for my hotel! You guys are simply amazing!)

So I could hardly wait till February 9th to see David. So fun to be that excited to see your beloved! I simple touch of a hand means sooo much more now!








So Thursday evening finally arrived, I headed to the GSO Airport! When I arrived at my gate I was reminded by a sunset as to how much God loves and blesses me. All the reds, pinks, and oranges blended in this beautiful messy glow.

God's Blessing never stop when we take the time to look and listen. As I flew into Philadelphia I looked out the window and was taken away by the view.

***Twinkling Lights***
The moon above guarding the city

The view was spectacular to say the least


I arrived in Philly in one piece and got my rental car... well half a car

I got a FIAT. Funniest little thing I have ever driven. Anyway, I arrived at the Days Inn around11:30pm Thursday Nite. I tried to sleep but it was quite difficult. I was sooo excited about seeing David I could hardly contain myself. I finally fell asleep around 3am, only to pop out of bed at 7am. I could not sleep one more wink.

I finally got to see David at 10:am. You have no idea how sweet a kiss from the one you love feels after a month and half.(I'm sure it's only half as sweet then after 9 months). Our time was short and sweet. We just really enjoyed our time together. We explored Philly a little and went to the Aquarium in NJ. We even got in an Anniversary/valentines dinner in at Maggianos and saw a movie.

Saturday was of course bittersweet. We made the most of our time mostly just relaxing. When 3:30 came we said our goodbyes and held hands and prayed together. Let me tell there is very little that compares to being able to hold the hand of your beloved and Go before the Throne of our Heavenly Father.

So  the time was short but such an amazing blessing. The time together was priceless. watching him walk away, I'm not gonna lie it was tough. But God is sovereign and I bowed my head and thanked Him! That is what life is truly about! Eucharisteo!

GRACE***THANKSGIVING***JOY

So once again we flipped the switch to "The new normal."

Before I left it had snowed. This is what the drive from Fort Dix to Philly looked like. And again my heart was "THANKFUL"

Signing off

The Wife

Part B Over. Now on to the sandbox...

Hello all,

  Well its been quite busy these last two weeks as we are finishing the Army training, and now we are about to begin customs training which will only last two days then its off to liberty (time-off). I am looking forward to see Lindsay during liberty even if its only for a couple days.

  Well lets recap the last week and a half, but first I want to show you the hummer that I drove during my time here.

A few interesting facts about the vehicle shown here is that Humvees came in several different models, this one shown is an armored type. It has 3 inch windows all around and can resist AK-47 rounds, it also has doors that weigh 500 pounds each and can be combat locked so enemies cannot enter, lastly the tires are designed as run flats so if they are blown out they can be driven for an additional 15 miles.

  I had the pleasure of shooting at an Army 9MM range and was able to qualify as well. The Navy course is quite different but the course here has pop up targets that were programmed to pop up at different times and distances, and of course it was job to shoot them down again. This course was fun and was my first experence at shooting while wearing my gasmask. You had to be able to shoot 25 out of 40 targets to qualify, I was able to shoot 30.

I also was trained on the crew serve weapons (squad based weapons) like the SAW M249, although we did not get to actually shoot them instead we trained on weapons that were modified to operate on air pressure so that they worked, and felt like you were shooting them. This was called EST Simulator. Try to picture a large scale video game that was designed with these weapons and you shoot enemies on screen.

I completed land navigation which was a three day long training event, now most of you who know me well already know that when it comes to reading maps and giving directions I am the worst by far. So day one was basic map reading and compass reading, and later that day we had to complete a 3 mile course wearing all of our gear, which is about 40 pounds. Day 2 was the same except we were driving our humvees through the woods, which was fun. Day 3 was something special, the Army ran us through a squad movement course that involved us low crawling under barb wire, throwing hand grenades (not real ones), all the while the trainers were throwing live explosives around us, you could feel the blast wave when they were close. This course was fun but I was exhausted afterward.

Next we moved on to IED (Improvised Explosive devices), which are the primary weapon used by insurgents. This class was interesting as we looked at examples of IED's used in the past and how to identify IED's while in a convoy. This was also a 3 day class, so I will skip over to day three. Day three was Humvee convoy training, we were tasked with trying to identify an IED's along the way, and locate a homemade explosive lab. They had actors dressed up as middle eastern locals some of which were friendly, & some that were foes. They used live explosives on the course as IED's, our humvee was destroyed about half way through the course. If you are interested, watch the film Hurt Locker it shows a great deal about IED's

The next course was CLS (combat life saver) it lasted 4 days. This course was challenging and fun. Day 4 was the final exam which involed more obstacle courses like transporting a patient while trying to avoid being shot. At the end of the day you were fairly exhausted.


The next day we moved right on into MRAP (mine resistant ambush protected) vehicle training. I was able to drive the M-ATV later that day.

The M-ATV was designed in 2010, and may one day replace the standard humvee. This thing was massive, notice the wheel comes to my waist, now try to imagine the size of this thing. I am not allowed to tell you much about the M-ATV, but this thing was awesome.

I want to say thanks to Lindsay for my second care package.

I dont know how she manages to pack so much into such small boxes but she does. My room mates also thank you as well.

Well my time is over in Fort Dix, and now its off to Kuwait. I will publish my Kuwait address as soon as I know that its not going to change.

Thanks to all for the prayers and support this far..

To be contined

Missing their daddy

All about David!

The Dogs and I have settled in nicely! We all miss him soo much. They proved that to me tonite. And well here's the story


So I almost lost it... But I stopped myself. So tonight I was editing photos and the heat came on. The Dogs thought that it was the Garage Door opening. They were so excited and anticipating their Daddy to walk through the door.

Sylva was whining and jumping on the door. I caught it on video. It was sooo precious. They are definitely missing him as much as I am. It was a nice reminder of how dogs have emotions and loyalties.

Sylva sat at the door for like 10 minustes waiting and waiting.


She finally turned and looked at me with her big sad eyes like she could not understand why he never came in.

You can see the video in the post Above!

Signing off!

The Wife

The busy life of The Wife!

It's funny! Don't get me wrong, I Miss David! But life is good. God is doing amazing things in both mine and David's lives. We do not count this time as Lost Time with one another, but an opportunity to grow and let God be our Beloved! Back to the matter at hand... Life is a little easier scheduling wise because it's just me. So my Photo shoots, Weddings, Friends and Family Time are whenever I want! I know why women say it is hard to have their husbands come back and reintegrate. I can already imagine that it is difficult to adjust back, you have been doing a year on your own, you develop new routines and habits. Alot changes... I am sure that God will use that time again as well for David and I to again Cleave to HIM!

So anyway... My first wedding of the year was in Emerald Isle, NC. Nothing (photography wise) is more fun then shooting at the beach! It was cold but it was fun! Meet Mr.& Mrs. Gibbs!(Left) What a fun couple! It's always fun to go somewhere different to shoot. Emerald Isle is a pretty beach.

This past weekend was my second wedding of the year. A very sweet couple. Again I got to shoot at a new venue, the Tanglewood Clubhouse. I admired this bride! It seemed like there was nothing she could not do. She is a mother to a sweet little girl and 6 month old twins. She cracked me up when we left the church... I watched her walk to her car get herself and all her dress in the car and drove herself to her reception. While the event was wrapping up, I watched her pick up 2 car seats, diaper bags and her dress off the floor getting ready to leave. I looked at her and said... Like a true mother! I wish this couple a lifetime of happiness!

All in the same weekend I had 3 baby shoots, a 6 month, 9 month and a 12 month sessions. There is very little that compares (photography wise) to doing baby sessions. They are soooo fun! To capture them at these various stages is incredible! Meet Grace 9months, Elissa 12 months, & Vivienne 6 months!



I also got to see a movie with my brother, and spent a precious evening with my brother and his family. Seriously... one of my favorite places to be is with my nieces! So adorable and fun!

Signing off!
The Wife