T, C, and E

18!

2012-02-19T08:01:00.000-08:00

I am not sure when it happened ...

but I have a one and a half year old!

Well, I know exactly WHEN it happened (February 9th), but how did it happen so quickly?

My sweet girl was just a newborn baby girl yesterday!

See ...

Now, look how much she's grown ...

Thankfully my girl is back to her sweet, happy self. We've had a sickly week!

With love in Him,

Project Life! Week 6!

2012-02-14T04:18:00.000-08:00

How in the world is it time for week six of 2012 already?!?

I am constantly posting about how much time flies.

It never ceases to amaze me!

With that, it's time for Week 6 of Project Life by The Mom Creative!

Most of the pictures taken this week were taken on my phone ... shame on me! Yes, I have a Nikon D5000, and YES, I use my iPhone instead! The phone is easier to use than my camera with my healing shoulder!

Here we go ...

Sunday morning cuddles are the best ... especially after you've spent a week in the hospital!

We had lots of errands to run on Monday morning. Sweet girl was such a joy. She doesn't like us to bundle her up, but isn't she so cute? Germany has had record LOW temperatures!

We took a drive to Grafenwoehr on Tuesday, so we had to make a pit stop at a Taco Belly. Elly didn't enjoy it much. Can't really blame her! Ha!

Elly looks like such a big girl using her big girl plate while eating her big girl food.

Yes, it's true ... sweet girl is a big girl now. She turned ONE AND A HALF on Thursday!!

And on Thursday afternoon, we picked up Heather and Olivia up from the airport in Nuremberg. Here's a picture of Olivia seeing snow for the first time right outside the airport!

Elly is not usually a snuggler, but we caught her in the act! I love it when she wants her Mama! (Ignore the bum shoulder ... it's still healing from surgery nearly two weeks ago!)

On Saturday, we took our friends (Heather and Olivia) to Rothenburg ob der Tauber where my sweet girl was born. You can read a part of her birth story here.

Hopefully when you come back next week there will be pictures from my camera!

With love in Him,

Project Life! Week 5!

2012-02-07T11:54:00.000-08:00

Hi friends!

It's already time for week five pictures for Project Life by The Mom Creative!

How is it February already?!? Seriously!

I had an uneventful week. I spent most of the week in the hospital recovering from my second shoulder surgery. All went well. Praise the Lord. Now comes the hard part of RECOVERING.

But ... this is a documentation of my life, boring or not.

Auntie Amanda and Elly playing on the iPad before bedtime.

Elly was busy making noises with her lips. So cute!

After my surgery, I had a catheter inserted in my neck. Every 8 hours or so, an anesthesiologist would insert an anesthetic that made my entire arm numb. I had no feeling whatsoever. It was nice that I couldn't feel the pain, but it made me very, very grateful that I have two working arms!

Phase 10 in the hospital!

Ignore my sweet girl's dirty face. She wasn't very happy. Amanda looks beautiful, as always. These were my favorite visitors ... minus my husband!

Boomer Sooner!

At least I had a beautiful view!! The hospital was the King-Ludwig House in Wuerzburg. It is an old building, but transformed into a newish hospital. So neat. Each room on my side had a balcony, which was really one LONG balcony. Too bad the weather had an average of about 10 degrees Farenheit! ;)

Daddy and Elly had this welcome home sign and balloon waiting for me.

I promise I will get pages together one of these days! Heather might help me when she visits later this week. Prayerfully she will be here in a few days ... silly Air France Strike!!!

Stay tuned for week six! I promise it will be much more exciting!

With love in Him,

Project Life! Week 4!

2012-01-31T07:00:00.000-08:00

It's already time for week 4 of Project Life! Whoa!

When this post actually posts, I will be in surgery. Tomorrow's the big day for my second shoulder surgery. Prayers, please and thank you!

I won't be linking up for a few days since I will be recuperating, but if you have never checked out The Mom Creative ... just do it!

Crazy hair baby! Ha!

Car nap!

I picked up my cousin from Ramstein. She's here to help me with Ellyana after my surgery. We decided when we got home that night that we were going to Poland the next morning for Polish Pottery shopping.

We had a flat tire outside of Andy's Ceramika in Boleslawiec!

On our way home from Poland we stopped in the BEAUTIFUL Christmas village of Seiffen, Germany. There was so much snow!

Amanda's pottery is the stuff on the floor ... I, obviously, didn't buy as much!

On Saturday, we visited our German relatives in Dietzenbach. Here's our great-uncle with Elly. We visited my great-aunt's grave site. Her funeral was earlier this month, so her death is very new still. Afterward, we ate Rippchen mit Kraut in Sachsenhausen! Mmmm!

I am sure Week 5 will not be as entertaining since I'll be in the hospital most of the week.

Stay tuned!

With love in Him,

Project Life! Week 3!

2012-01-28T00:32:00.000-08:00

I am a little behind with week 3 of Project Life.

I've had a super busy week in Poland and Germany (very close to the Czech border) in a beautiful snowy village in the mountains. Wait till you see pictures for week 4!

I hope you all go on over to The Mom Creative to check out all of the projects from week 3.

I'll get to the digital scrapbook pages one of these days ... when I'm not traveling Europe. ;)

My friend Steph and her daughter bought me this pig cup from the thrift store ... I was the one who took it to the thrift store MONTHS ago. Haha! I guess it's meant to be mine.

Elly loves her bath time, and Mommy loves a bare bottom!

Well, Elly loves bath time until it's time to get out ...

Our guest bed is ready for visitors!!!

We bought Ellyana a new highchair that converts to a booster seat. She's becoming such a big girl!

My husband officially left for training on Thursday, and Thursday morning after he left I slammed my finger in the car door. This picture was taken a few hours later ... before it turned black and blue! I had an Xray done on it which showed a chipped bone. Yikes!

THis picture does not show justice ... the snow flakes were HUGE!

My sweet girl ... eating a rose stem!

Stay tuned for week 4! It's a great one!!

With love in Him,

Girl's Weekend!

2012-01-21T07:17:00.000-08:00

Daddy is officially gone for awhile.

So, Elly Belly and I have been enjoying time; just the two of us.

However, I am officially done with being a single parent! Ha!

My cousin has arrived in Germany safe and sound! I'll be picking her up at Ramstein early next week. She's here to help me with Elly during and after my next shoulder surgery!

One of my BFF's is on her way home from Landstuhl where she had surgery Friday morning.

We had a beautiful snow fall this morning with rain this afternoon that washed it away.

And tonight, I'm headed to a friend's birthday celebration with sweet girl.

Most importantly, though, sweet girl is 100% herself again!

God is so good for all of the above and much, much, much more!

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever." Psalm 107:1

May the time fly till daddy is home again!

We miss you, Daddy!

May you all have a blessed weekend!

With love in Him,

Project Life! Week 2!

2012-01-17T02:03:00.000-08:00

It's time to link-up with The Mom Creative for week two pictures!

One day I will complete actual pages ... but for now, pictures are better than nothing!

See, my sweet girl really isn't always happy!

We bought a dresser last week, which meant I had to go pick up this mirror from IKEA that I had been eying for months ...

Elly got into a fight with the entertainment center. Guess who won?!?

Sweet girl did NOT want to have her 17 months picture taken!

Getting ready to leave! I can't believe I am posting this messy picture. Yes, Heather, this is the room you'll be sleeping in! ;)

Just playing in the living room.

Terre and I had a date day at the spa!

Here's to capturing week 3 on my camera ... not my phone!

With love in Him,

Sick!

2012-01-15T10:38:00.000-08:00

Sweet girl has been a cuddling machine this week!

She has been going through a very clingy stage recently.

Last night, we went to a farewell for a friend of ours who is going to rehab! God bless him, especially the next 45 days!

Anyway, we found out that Elly had a slight fever before we left. We gave her Tylenol and went on our way. I thought it was her two year molars coming in ...

The following picture shows how we spent our time at the party:

It's not the most attractive picture of me, but it shows how pathetic looking sweet girl was ...

We stayed long enough to eat.

Now, here's to feeling better!

She's had a fever all day today, and now she's on the verge of dehydration.

With love in Him,

Life as a Military Family

2012-01-13T00:56:00.000-08:00

Kelly from Kelly's Korner is doing a link-up on Military families

I saw the following questions on a few various blogs, and I thought it would be fun to answer them as well.

1. How did you and your spouse meet?
We met at a mutual friend's house!

2. How old were you when you two met?
I was 18, he was 23.

3. How long have you been together?
We started dating in December 2004. We got engaged on New Year's Eve 2005. We were married in September 2007.

4. Where are you and your spouse originally from?
I am from Lawton, OK. He's from Grants Pass, OR.

5. How did you feel about him joining the military?
He was in the Army when we met!

6. Where did your spouse go to Basic Training?
?

7. Has your spouse ever been deployed?
Yes!

8. Ever been to his promotion ceremony?
Nope!

9. How long have you been a military wife?
4+ years.

10. Did you marry him before or after he joined?
After!

11. How did your husband propose?

We were visiting his family in Oregon. On New Year's Eve, we were at his friend's house. He took me outside in the snow fifteen minutes before the new year and proposed!

12. Where did you get married?
At our home church in Lawton - St. John Lutheran Church.

13. How old were you two when you got married?
I was 21. He was 26.

14. Did he wear his uniform on his wedding day?
No.

15. Where are you and your spouse currently stationed?
In the middle of Bavaria, Germany!

16. Do you live on base?
No! We live in a sweet German town.

17. How long were you married when you had to go through your first separation?
About two weeks!

18. What is your favorite base so far?
Torii Station in Okinawa, Japan

19. Do you think your spouse looks good in his uniform?
Of course!!

20. Do you think military life is more advanced than civilian life?
No! Civilian life can be just as trying as military life!

21. Do you like the benefits you receive as a military dependent?
Yes! I am extremely grateful for health and dental insurance!

22. Do you have a lot of military wife friends?

Yes! While living overseas, your friends become family!

23. What is the hardest part of the military life?
Separations as well as being away from family while stationed overseas.

24. Do you own military wife stuff?
I have a coffee mug with "Army Wife" on it.

25. Do you support your spouse as a member of the military?
Of course!

With love in Him,

Project Life!

2012-01-11T02:35:00.001-08:00

I am a little behind, already, but I decided to enjoy the bandwagon of Project Life by The Mom Creative. This is such a great idea to treasure each and every day of the new year.

2012 is going to be bringing a huge transition to our family!

I hope you are ready for the ride with us!

Week 1: January 1st through January 7th

We are ready for 2012!

Elly enjoyed playing in the large plastic boxes before we filled them with stuff from de-cluttering.

This is what happens when you leave an onion on your window sill behind a cutting board you rarely use ... Hahaha!

I ordered this camera strap from Maddie Bee's on Etsy!

We wrapped Elly in a baby burrito like we did when she was an itty bitty baby. She liked it!

I finally had the tornado print by Ty Kelly framed and matted this week! It reminds me of home, OKLAHOMA!

I fixed Elly's hair in pig tails for the first time! Ahhh, I am in love!

Stay tuned for next week's edition! Hopefully I'll post on time next week!

With love in Him,

20 Things About 2011

2012-01-02T02:45:00.000-08:00

1. What did you do in 2011 that you had never done before?
I left my 15 month old daughter with her daddy for four days and three nights while I enjoyed a women's worship conference! I know it doesn't sound like a big deal, but it was! Oh, and I found PINTEREST! :)

2. Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions and will you make more for next year?
I am not one to make New Year's Resolutions. (This year, however, I have written out a few "hopes and dreams").

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My best friend, Heather, gave birth to a precious baby girl, Olivia Joy, in February!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No!

5. What places have you visited?

The United States of America (Oklahoma, Oregon, and Texas),
Boleslawiec, Poland,
Austria,
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany,
Berlin, Germany

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
I want to live life by Proverbs 3:5, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding!" This is going to be a year full of transitions, and I want to rely on my FAITH continuously!

7. What date from 2011 will remain etched in your memory and why?
June 5, 2011 - We had Ellyana Faith Baptized in the church where her daddy and I were both Baptized, Confirmed, and Married! Elly's Great-Grandparents were also married in the same church!

8. What was your biggest achievement this year?
I started working on my Masters degree while staying at home with my sweet girl!

9. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Unfortunately ... I had shoulder surgery (February). I had two emergency surgeries in two days to remove abscesses from my stomach (September). I spent another weekend in the hospital because of complications of the medications from after the abscess removals (September).

10. What was the best thing you bought?
We bought a new car, and it is only $500 away from being paid off! Woo-hoo!!!

11. Where did most of your money go?

We traveled quite a bit this year. We also bought a new car, a new dining table with chairs, a new couch, two iPads, and an iPhone! Oh, and I started my Masters degree!

12. What song will always remind you of 2011?
My Savior, My God by Aaron Shust. I listened to this song nearly every morning while getting ready for the day. It's just a good remember that God has His plan! He will never leave us nor forsake us! I needed to be reminded of that in 2011!

13. What do you wish you would have done more of?
Spending more time in the Word! I wish I would have helped others more, and I wish I would not have been so selfish about certain things. I wish I would have blogged more. I wish I would have ate a lot healthier, and I wish I had been healed enough to start ballet again! I wish I would have told my husband I loved him more, and I wish I would have spent more time playing with my sweet girl!

14. What do you wish you would have done less of?
I wish I would have been off Facebook for awhile! I need to lay off of that for some time in the very near future. I need to set better priorities for 2012!

15. What was your favorite TV program?
So You Think You Can Dance! New Girl! Raising Hope! The Big Bang Theory, Rules of Engagement, How I Met Your Mother, Big Brother, and Glee!

16. What was the best book you read this year?
I read a lot of text books this year. My favorite required book to read was Soft Spots by Clint Van Winkle. I cannot pick just one! I loved The Help, Heaven is For Real, and The Best of Me (Nicholas Sparks).

17. What was your favorite film of the year?
Twilight's Breaking Dawn, of course!

18. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
This year was my first birthday spent as a mother! It was the best birthday yet! The very next day, I headed to Berlin with my sweet girl, my cousin, her son, and her husband! Oh, I turned one quarter of a century years old!

19. What national/world event stirred you the most?
The Royal Wedding was something I will never forget! It was so magical. Before it took place, I thought it was ridiculous how people were so excited about it. But then, I watched most of it, and I was obsessed with the real life prince and princess! Oh, I will never forget May 2nd, 2011 either ... when Osama was announced DEAD.

20. Who was the best new person you met?
I met several new people this year who are such blessings in my life! However, I became close with my gal, Stephanie, and her family. Living overseas, it is a true blessing to find someone so close and special. I am so blessed to have her in my life! I know God sent her family to Germany because of ME! Thank you, Jesus!

HAPPY 2012!!!!!!!!!

With love in Him,

Bring it on! Happy 2012!

2012-01-01T02:33:00.000-08:00

With love in Him,

Merry CHRISTmas!!!

2011-12-26T01:55:00.000-08:00

Merry CHRISTmas!

We started off our CHRISTmas celebration doing to a potluck and service at our chapel on post.

Then, we came home to open one present before bed.

We had a lovely CHRISTmas in the middle of Bavaria, Germany. It was the first in three years that we did NOT have a white CHRISTmas. I think snow is beautiful to look at, but I do not like to leave the house when it's snowing, much less drive in it.

Santa was very good to Ellyana this year. She had a great time opening the first two presents, but she was done after that. She was overwhelmed!

We invited friends of ours as well as single soldiers to enjoy CHRISTmas dinner.

It was a beautiful day remembering the reason for the season.

Till next year ...

With love in Him,

Christmas Card Carousel

2011-12-14T02:44:00.001-08:00

I saw this link up by Walk With Me By Faith, and I thought it would be fun!

Here is our 2011 Christmas Card:

(I ordered this card from Sweet Bee Design Shoppe on Etsy! Isn't it cute?)

We have had our Professional Photographer/Friend, Sonia Boukaia, take our pictures this past year, but she recently moved back to the United States with her family. So, this year's picture from the Nuremberg, Germany Christmas Market will have to do!

I hope and pray you all remember the REAL reason for this season!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

With love in Him,

Sweet 16!

2011-12-11T10:32:00.000-08:00

Ellyana is now SIXTEEN months old.

She is the sweetest little girl. Her personality is so cute.

There is something so heart warming about watching your daughter with her baby dolls!

She feeds her babies, loves on them, and kisses them.

She says "bay-bay" for baby. It's the sweetest.

I am thinking for CHRISTmas Santa should have gotten her a Cabbage Patch Kid or an American Girl Bitty Baby. Maybe it's not too late?

With love in Him,

Santa!

2011-12-03T07:22:00.001-08:00

Ellyana got to see Santa at our small post's lighting of the CHRISTmas tree.

I thought this may be the year she would be scared of him, but my sweet girl never ceases to amaze me.

She LOVED Santa.

She really liked his beard.

Till next time ...

With love in Him,

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

2011-11-25T01:51:00.001-08:00

Last weekend was inspirational.

PWOC's Worship & Study conference is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. Not to mention, we were clearly surrounded by God's beauty.

The scenery and weather could not have been more beautiful. Seriously.

I drove down with my friend. We accidentally took a detour through Austria. Oops!

(Austria)

But we made it safe and sound and enjoyed four days/three nights with ladies from our PWOC chapter as well as several chapters from around the PWOC Europe Region.

What a blessing! I hope and pray I will be able to attend next year's conference!!

(Garmisch)

(Garmisch)

(Garmisch)

(Garmisch - View from our room!!)

I hope you all enjoyed Thanksgiving with the ones you love the most!

Now, it's off to decorate for the most magical time of the year! ;)

With love in Him,

W&S

2011-11-18T02:28:00.000-08:00

I am headed here for the weekend without my hubby and sweet girl.

(Photo courtesy of www.pwoc.org)

It's time for PWOC International's Worship and Study!!

I hope you all enjoy your weekend wherever you may be!

With love in Him,

15!

2011-11-14T23:58:00.000-08:00

Sweet girl turned FIFTEEN months old on the 9th of November.

I no longer have an itty bitty baby, but a beautiful little girl!

I love watching her personality at full swing.

She is the sweetest little person. :)

I am so blessed.

I can already see a tender heart, and I pray each and every day she comes to know and love our God very, very soon!

With love in Him,

Leafy

2011-11-14T01:42:00.000-08:00

As I've noted before, I love, love, love fall time in Germany.

One thing I do NOT love is that winter is quickly approaching.

Baby, it's cold outside!

We bundled up our sweet girl and took her across the street to a beautiful park. I wanted to take pictures of her playing in the leaves.

(I tried a few different settings on my camera. I have a NIKON D5000, so I have been trying to play with the settings on it).

I cannot believe Thanksgiving is in 10 days!!

With love in Him,

Falltime

2011-11-06T06:29:00.000-08:00

One thing I will miss about living in Germany is fall time.

The countryside is filled with beautiful golden colors. The air is crisp, and the sound of crushed leaves being stepped on is music to my ears.

Fall time reminds me how creative our God truly is. His details are amazing.

I hope you are all able to catch a glimpse of fall time wherever you are!

The next few pictures are from our recent adventure to the Heidelberg Castle!

With love in Him,

Ludwigsburg

2011-10-18T03:23:00.000-07:00

A few friends and I headed to Ludwigsburg, Germany on Columbus Day to see its pumpkin festival.

The this year's dinosaurs!

It was a chilly day with rain on the forecast, but we did not let that stop us!

With love in Him,

13 and 14

2011-10-17T00:43:00.000-07:00

Since I have been on a blogging hiatus for a month and a half, my sweet girl turned 13 months old.

Then, her 14 months bday passed by even more quickly.

Yes, I'm taking E's picture with her piggy until she's 24 months old.

Maybe longer.

Don't judge.

With love in Him,

Back at it I hope!

2011-10-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't written a post in nearly two months

... BUT ...

life's been busy, of course.

With love in Him,

Parties by Hardie

2011-08-29T01:46:00.000-07:00

Today, I am featured on Parties by Hardie's blog.

I ordered a Printable Piggy Party kit from the Etsy shop, Parties by Hardie.

It was perfect for sweet girl's first birthday party.

I totally recommend purchasing one of her kits.

You can check her blog here and her Etsy shop here.

With love in Him,

Kristen Duke Photography

2011-08-15T02:48:00.000-07:00

My husband bought me a Nikon D5000 for Christmas

I primarily used the cam on its auto settings because I was too scared to play around with anything else.

I even read Nikon D5000 for Dummies ...

One day I found Kristen Duke Photography on a friend's blog. While blog surfing, I found her super nifty e-book tutorial called "Just Say No to Auto."

It had me at hello.

I printed off the book on 4x6 photo cards, and I keep it in my camera bag for easy access. I love, love, love it.

If you're curious to learn how to use your camera manually, you should definitely check it out.

Kudos.

Thanks, Kristen!

With love in Him,

First Birthday!

2011-08-13T01:04:00.000-07:00

On August 9th, my sweet girl turned ONE year old.

Oh my.

Our fabulous photographer friend, Sonia Boukaia, took one last photo shoot of Ellyana for her birthday before her and her family headed to live in the good ole' U.S. of A.

I already miss her and her family. Not to mention, I don't know who is going to take pictures of my girl for practically every holiday.

Oh well ...

Happy First Birthday, Ellyana.

I am so, so thankful that He chose ME to be your mommy.

With love in Him,

Partay Invitation!

2011-07-20T01:34:00.000-07:00

I am sure you're sick of reading this, but my sweet girl is going to be ONE soon.

I ordered her invitations off of Etsy from Sweet Bee Design Shoppe.

With love in Him,

Eleven!!

2011-07-09T11:46:00.000-07:00

I am getting tired of the 9th of every month passing by so quickly ...

Seriously ... where does time go so fast?!?

I want my itty bitty baby back!!

My sweet girl will be ONE in a month!

With love in Him,

4th of July!

2011-07-04T05:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, America!

How big are you?!? Sooooooo big!

We are off to celebrate with friends ... in 60 degree weather!

I hope you all have a safe holiday remembering why we celebrate this day!

Oh, and Happy Due Date day to one of my BFFs ... she's at the hospital as I type this!

With love in Him,

Baby Shower Weekend!

2011-07-03T04:50:00.000-07:00

It may be the Fourth of July weekend, but it was also Baby Shower Weekend in this household. On Friday night I attended and took pictures of a sweet girl's baby shower that was held at our Chapel's Fellowship Hall on post.

Ashlee is the cutest pregnant woman I've ever seen:

On Saturday, I hosted a baby shower for my friend Vanessa. This is Baby #3, but since V's German, she has never had an American baby shower before. We had so much fun eating and playing games. Since this is not her first child, I designated the shower as a Diapers and Wipes party. Diapers and wipes get expensive, but I think V is set for quite awhile!

My friend Jenny made the adorable cake:

I hope you all have a safe and memorable Fourth of July! Remember the real reason why this celebrate this historical God given day!!

With love in Him,

P.S. A

10!

2011-06-26T09:14:00.000-07:00

I do not know how it is possible ...

BUT ... our sweet girl turned TEN months old while we were staying in Oregon.

Time, paaaalllllleeeeeeeaaaaassseeeee slow down a bit ...

just a little.

Puhlease?

We all know what comes next, right?

Eleven and then twelve.

I am not ready. Lord, help me.

With love in Him,

Our Week

2011-06-25T02:23:00.000-07:00

So, we made it home last Saturday from the U.S.

We recuperated a bit on Sunday, and we left for my cousin's house on Monday.

We got home Wednesday.

We went on a day trip to the Schwimmbad on Thursday.

Laundry on Friday.

And today, I will be spending most of the day in bed trying to get over this not-so-lovely head cold while I write a gazillion thank-you cards from our sweet girl's Baptism and festivities.

Happy Weekend, friends!!!

With love in Him,

Father's Day 2011

2011-06-19T06:33:00.001-07:00

After seven and a half weeks in Oklahoma and nine beautiful days in Oregon, we are finally in our HOME in Germany.

First and foremost, Happy Father's Day to my amazing husband.

We sure have endured a true roller coaster ride of emotions since our dear E's birth.

I cannot imagine the feelings you felt during E's birth, almost losing both of us. You are the strongest man I know. I love you, MORE.

I will post pictures of our trip to Oregon soon.

With love in Him,

June 5, 2011

2011-06-06T20:39:00.001-07:00

This past week was a very exciting one for Ellyana!

She met her Great-Grandma Inga for the first time:
She also met her Great-Aunt Patti:

She met her 2nd cousin Dustin and his wife, Kathy.

AND she got to meet her Uncle Patrick, his wife, and their two boys.

Elly LOVED being the center of attention, of course.

On Sunday, June 5th, Ellyana had a very special day at church. She was Baptized, and almost all of our family was there to watch:

My grandparents hosted a beautiful luncheon catered by the Officer's Club afterward. We were able to fellowship with our closest friends and family:

I am so grateful we have had this week to spend with my family, but I sure am glad it's over!

We had dinner with Ellyana's Godparents and their girls tonight, and they bought a cake from my favorite bakery in honor of Ellyana. Mmmm.

I actually let Ellyana try a piece, but she wasn't really interested. She is going to be so boring on her 1st birthday! Haha.

T and I are busy packing ... we leave for Oregon on Wednesday!

With love in Him,

Memorial Day 2011

2011-05-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day, friends!!

(Thank you to www.turnbacktogod.com for this image).

"All gave some, some gave all."
(I know the quote comes from lyrics by Billy Ray Cyrus, but I am unsure if someone else noted it before him?!?)

With love in Him,

Tornado Art

2011-05-24T20:22:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, my thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the most recent tornadoes in Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma. There was a tornado in the town of Chickasha, Oklahoma which is about thirty minutes from my parent's house. We are very fortunate to not have been affected, but my heart just aches.

As for the title of this post ... at my hometown's most recent Arts for All festival, I ran into my favorite artist, Ty Kelly.

My mom introduced me to his whimsical art several years ago.

My mom had two prints lying around her house, and I had the fabulous idea of stealing them to use for our baby's nursery. At the time, we did not know the gender, but the prints would have worked perfectly for a boy or a girl:

Then, before Ellyana was born, my mom secretly sent Ty pictures of the village where Ellyana would be born, Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Then, she hired him to do a commission, and this was the result:

So, after I ran into Ty a few weeks back, I fell in love with this baby:

I would have loved to have bought the original, but my husband would have killed me.

Isn't she lovely?

Ty told me he based this picture off of a picture of the Moore, Oklahoma tornado on May 10, 2010.

As soon as I saw the print, it reminded me of home. I think it will be a perfect fit for our house.

And what timing ... with all of the tornado scares I've experienced since being back for a visit.

May God continue to be with all of the victims of the most recent storms.

With love in Him,

The pictures were used from Ty's website www.tykelly.com and from Ty's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/tyakelly?ref=ts

Medicine Park, Oklahoma

2011-05-15T18:34:00.000-07:00

About a week ago, Ellyana and I drove through the Wichita Wildlife Refuge with my friend, Robin. She's an aspiring photographer, so while we were enjoying the breezy weather at Medicine Park, Robin took a few pictures of Ellyana and me.

It was windy, and Miss E was not in a very happy mood, but I think for candid pictures, these are pretty sweet of my girl.

Click here if you want to read more about Medicine Park. The creator of Strawberry Shortcake [the illustrator, not the dessert) lives there. It is a really neat town just a short drive away from my parent's house.

Only 17 days till Husband/Daddy will be in the U.S. with his girls! Yay!!!!!

With love in Him,

Thirty!

2011-05-13T14:03:00.000-07:00

This past week, T celebrated his 30th Birthday! He's in training, of course ...

It wouldn't be the Army way if we were actually together on his birthday! Ha!

No worries ... I enjoyed cake for his special day!

I can't wait to celebrate the right way when you get here!

Elly and I love you and miss you VERY much!

With love in Him,

Nine!

2011-05-09T15:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true ... My sweet girl turned NINE months old today.

The transformations from 8 months to 9 months old have been AMAZING.

In the past month, E has finally conquered sitting on her own ... for hours ... literally.

She also stands against things like the bed, coffee table, etc. Her legs are so strong now, and no worries, Mommy (or E's Pops) are always there to catch her if she falls! ;)

Since being in the states, I bought her a walker, but she only moves backward in it.

Ellyana now has EIGHT teeth! Her little smile is soooo cute.

Sweet girl also found an oatmeal she LOVES. It's a whole grain organic one. Can't get any better than that. She HATED rice cereal and other oatmeal until we tried this one.

She still loves her baby food and since eating oatmeal, she has cut down her bottle intake.

E goes to sleep between 7 and 8. She sleeps until 6 or so, drinks a bottle, and goes back to sleep for about an hour. It's pretty great.

Oh, and Elly got her ears pierced here in the U.S.

We've been here 3 weeks already, and as of today, we have three weeks and two days until T flies to the U.S. to be with his girls. We''ll be in Oklahoma until the 8th of June, and then we'll head to Oregon to introduce Ellyana to T's family. Then, we'll be headed back to Germany on the 17th! I can't wait to be HOME.

And finally ... without further ado ...

And this month, we're attempting to break Elly from her swaddle blanket ... wish us luck!

With love in Him,

First Mother's Day?!?

2011-05-08T15:31:00.000-07:00

On Facebook and in the blogging world, I have read several comments today about friends and their first Mother's Day celebration.

It got me thinking ...

I became a mother the moment I conceived our sweet girl. Therefore, since I was pregnant last Mother's Day, this year is technically my second Mother's Day. It's just my first Mother's Day since having Ellyana.

Make sense?!?

Anyway ... the following is a picture of my sweet girl standing up at the coffee table. Her legs are getting stronger each and every day.
Today has been an emotional day. I am so grateful to be a mommy to this sweet girl, but today brings back memories of her traumatic birth. You can read about it here if you wish.

I went to my former dance studio's recital last night, which brought back a wave of emotions! Then, Elly and I visited with my dance teacher at her studio this afternoon. I loved it! Ellyana was already showing Ms. Cheryl how she can point and flex her toes, do various arm positions, and even stand in first and second positions. Haha!

We did make it to church and a Mother's Day luncheon at our church this morning with my mom, but she had to work today!

And ... I missed my husband incredibly today, but he was able to use the Internet and write me a sweet Mother's Day message. (He gave me a sweet charm bracelet for Mother's Day a few weeks before Elly and I came to the states).

Happy Mother's day to all mommies and babies here on earth and/or in Heaven!

And I pray God is with you on this day if you are unable to get pregnant or are having difficulties. May He bless you now and always.

With love in Him,

Military Spouse Appreciation Day!

2011-05-06T15:04:00.000-07:00

Check out Wife of A Sailor's post today.

I made number 3!

Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day!!!!!

With love in Him,

Easter Monday!

2011-04-25T17:24:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter Monday!

Frohe Ostermontag!

In Germany, Easter Monday is celebrated as a day to remember Jesus' resurrection. The banks, stores, and schools are closed. There are candle-lit parades, church services, and egg races held around the villages. I actually wish I was home right now. I have been reading lots of various Facebook statuses mentioning how beautiful the weather is there right now!

And now, I want to thank Patty from Artistic Images Photography - I love the pictures of Elly and the bunny!!!

He sat so nicely in Elly's lap ... even though she pulled on his ears!

Just look:

Happy Easter Monday, friends!

With love in Him,

He is ...

2011-04-24T10:56:00.000-07:00

He is risen!

He is risen indeed!

Alleluia!

Happy Easter, my friends!

With love in Him,

We're Here!

2011-04-19T14:40:00.000-07:00

E and I are officially in AMERICA!

We arrived at DFW at around 8:30 last night. We had a 3 hour drive to my hometown and were nestled into our beds around 1 in the morning (8 a.m. where we came from!). Surprisingly, E slept until 7 this morning ... tonight should definitely be a longer night of rest!

E could not have been better on the 9 hour flight. So many people told me how good she was. I don't think she cried at all. She fussed on our way into the air, but I think she needed to pop her ears. She slept nicely, and caught everyone's attention as they walked by. As for the flight from Philadelphia to Dallas; my poor sweet girl. By that time, it was around 1 a.m. her time and she was just exhausted. I really felt bad for the people around us, but I felt even worse for her. I wanted to bundle myself up and sob, too, but we made it safely without delays. What a blessing!

This morning before dropping my mom off at work, we stopped at our favorite drive-inn and got my Diet Dr.Pepper with real cherries that I have been craving since the last time I had one over a year ago!

Then, we headed to post to stock up on essentials like diapers, wipes, food, etc. We met Heather, her husband, and their girls at the commissary so we could introduce our girls to each other. It was so great! I am so thankful to be soaking up America for awhile!

Elly also made her first stop to Wal*Mart ...

And I may have already made a stop to the mall for capris and shorts that fit post baby! Goodness it is WARM here compared to what it's been in Germany!

Hopefully I'll continue posting frequently.

Happy Tuesday, friends!

With love in Him,

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

2011-04-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

1. With PCS moves happening every few years, do you take the time to paint and decorate your home? submitted by Life as Mrs. JPT

YES! Home is where the Army sends us! Luckily, Germans like to paint their walls, so we were given the okay to paint EVERY room in our flat! AND ... we do NOT have to re-paint before we move out. Score!!!

2. If you could live in any home on a television series, what would it be? submitted by Standing By Him

I think the house on Two and a Half Men was fantastic. The layout was very open, and not much is better than living so close to the beach!

3. What inspired you to start your blog? submitted by Pink Combat Boots

A friend of mine started a blog, and I thought it was a really great way to write about life while living in Japan. Then, we moved to Germany and found out I was pregnant ....... just more reasons to let people who care about us in on our lives away from the U.S.

4. What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen on base? submitted by Adventures in Life

I know barracks have to be built somewhere, but practically TOUCHING a cemetery, seriously?!? They couldn't build the barracks on the empty field right across the street?!? I just think it's a bit odd.

5. Which historical figure (politician, writer, artist, scientist, actor, etc…) would you like to have dinner with? submitted by Army of Two

I'd like to have dinner with Martin Luther in the present day. Can you imagine what he would think of the all of religion and the various denominations of Christianity?!? I think it'd be a great dinner indeed!

I am off to enjoy my last weekend in Germany for TWO months! My sweet girl and I will be in United States on Monday! Woooo!

Happy Friday!

With love in Him,

Too Fast!

2011-04-11T01:41:00.000-07:00

Time goes by waaaaaay too quickly!

Look at how big she is:

Okay, Lord, allow me to cherish every single second with my sweet girl!!

Happy Monday, friends!

With love in Him,

P.S. Only ONE week till Elly and I will be in the U.S.!!!!!

Video!

2011-04-10T04:26:00.000-07:00

I hope you all enjoy this video of my sweet girl. She likes to mimic her daddy!

And please ignore the fact that we laugh at our daughter ....

Happy Sunday!!!

With love in Him,

Eight!

2011-04-09T03:01:00.001-07:00

Yep, that's right, folks ... my girl is EIGHT months old today!!! I really don't know where time goes so quickly. The change from 7 months to 8 months is really mind boggling.

She has changed so very much in the last month!

Her personality is really a hoot. I know babies attention spans are limited at this age, but it cracks me up when she goes from fussing to laughing in a split second.

My friend, Jess, was holding Elly when Daddy leaned over to kiss her. She gave the saddest pout and alligator tears streamed down her face. Daddy picked her up from Jess' arms and comforted her, and she was all smiles in the blink of an eye. She's such a ham!

She finally wants to sit on her own. She's pretty much got it down. She still gets tired and will fall backward and bonk her head on the ground, but she then tries to use her tummy muscles to sit back up. I tease my husband and say Elly is lazy just like him! Hehe.

And here she is:

Miss Ellyana Faith

I hope you are able to enjoy the weekend wherever you may be!

With love in Him,

Spring Pictures!

2011-04-05T10:50:00.000-07:00

Since my cousin, her husband, and their son spent this past weekend with us, we took family photos with my friend, Sonia, in the Rothenburg ob der Tauber valley.

Click here to see her website.

Rothenburg o.d. T is one of very few villages in Germany with the city wall still standing around the old city.

Rothenburg is also a spot on the Romantic Road, which is worth Googling if you do not know what it is.

Not to mention, Rothenburg is the birth city of my sweet girl.

Here are just a few of my favorites: Ellyana Faith, 7 months 3 weeks 6 days old! Family Photo, Spring 2011! Twins?!? Cousins! Second cousins!

I hope you are all having a blessed Tuesday!

With love in Him,

I'm a Big Girl Now!

2011-04-04T03:58:00.000-07:00

My girl looked so big playing this morning. I'm not sure what she was doing with her mouth though:
She has been such a slow poke with sitting up on her own. She will sit for a long time and then just fall over. She still doesn't even try to catch herself.

Thankfully, she doesn't mind it when she bonks the back of her head on the floor ...

I am in no hurry for her to grow up on me!

Happy Monday!

(Only two more weeks till Elly and I venture to the U.S. for two weeks!!!)

With love in Him,

Holiday Outfits

2011-04-03T06:38:00.003-07:00

April means I have officially started putting Ellyana in her Easter outfits.

So what if I have outfits for practically every holiday ...

Just look at this precious bunny butt:

And some bunny loves me:

Just wait ..... we took our family Easter pictures in the Rothenburg Valley earlier this afternoon. You can read more about the valley right here.

Happy Sunday, friends!

With love in Him,

April Fool's Day!

2011-04-01T00:56:00.001-07:00

Last year was by far, THE BEST APRIL FOOL'S DAY ..... EVER!

The following is what I wrote as my Facebook status earlier this morning:

Our lives were forever changed one year ago today! Our German OB called to tell us my amnio results and then told us our precious baby was a BOY. He called back a few minutes later to tell us he read the paper wrong. My boy was really a GIRL! Little did he know that it was April Fool's Day in America .........

One of my friends noted that Germans do celebrate April Fool's, but my doc promised he had just read the results wrong ...

This just reassures me that our good Lord does have a sense of humor!

You can read my original post about finding out about my boy, I mean girl here.

Happy April Fool's Day!

With love in Him,

Spring!

2011-03-27T02:58:00.000-07:00

Germany had its time change last night ... springing forward sounds like so much fun, but it's really not! I am so sleepy. It is amazing what the time change does to one's body ... well, I probably didn't get enough sleep last night, and the Diet Coke I drank this morning has already worn off. Ha!

Ellyana and I have been battling colds this week. Her little voice is gone. It is so pathetic when she tries to talk, and it is a little heartbreaking when she tries to cry but only rasps come out. Poor girl.

Other than that, we are keeping busy so the next three weeks fly by! Ellyana and I will be heading to OKLAHOMA on the 18th of April. T will be joining us on the 1st of June, and then we will head to Oregon on the 8th until the 17th when we fly back to Germany!

It will be a long two months away from our home here, but I am so thankful that I will finally be able to introduce my daughter to the rest of our family and the greatest friends I could ask for!

Happy Sunday!

With love in Him,

Update!

2011-03-19T03:27:00.000-07:00

We haven't been doing much around here. Lots of appointments and meetings as well, but such is life! I guess I mean we have not done anything exciting ... like venture off somewhere new in Germany-land.

Yesterday marked our two year anniversary of living here in Germany! That means we only have one year left here. It's bittersweet for sure. It seems like you spend the first two years at a new duty station making friends and calling the place "home," and then you spend the last year planning on your next, new duty station. T and I have our wants and wishes of where we want to go next, but only God knows at this point.

On a happy, happy note for our family and friends stateside ... we finally have everything we need to book tickets for a visit! Elly and I will probably venture across the pond the first week in May, and T will join us after his field time around the first of June. Then, we'll stay in L-town for about ten days, and finally head to Oregon to see T's family and friends.

Praise God for passports, visas, and birth certificates!

And of course, I cannot write an update without mentioning little miss.

She sure is growing up way too quickly.

Happy Weekend, friends!

With love in Him,

Seven!

2011-03-09T02:24:00.001-08:00

My sweet girl is seven, (yes, SEVEN) months old today.

She is still such a joyful, happy baby.

It melts my heart when she sees me ... she just flails her arms, kicks her legs, and produces the biggest smile on her face.

But it warms my heart even more when she does it for her daddy.

During the day time, she still eats every three hours, about 24-30 ounces a day. We are trying to incorporate baby food. She loves sweet potatoes, squash, green beans, and pears, but she cannot stand rice cereal or bananas (like her daddy!). She goes to bed anywhere between 1900 and 2030 and she sleeps until about 0600. She eats and then will go back to sleep until around 0800 or so. She's such a good sleeper (Praise God). We still swaddle her at night time, and I am dreading the day she outgrows her size LARGE swaddle.

At her last appointment, she was 27.5 inches long and weighed about 17 pounds. She was 75% in weight and 97% in height. I think she's gonna be tall like her momma!

Her hair has a red tint to it and her eyes are still blue. Yay, I always wanted a blue eye baby girl.

Elly loves watching an episode of Baby Einstein in her bouncy chair. She loves playing in her exersaucer, but there's nothing better than laying on the floor and rolling around. She loves to stand up, but she has no interest in trying to crawl. She sits up for a few seconds, but falls and has yet to learn she needs to catch herself! Ha.

It's so amazing ... Terre and I have the hardest time trying to remember what our lives were like without our sweet girl. We are so, so blessed.

Cheese!

Oooh, pulling on my shirt is more fun than looking at the camera.

Catching myself on the rail.

Happy Hump Day, Friends!

With love in Him,

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

2011-03-04T00:02:00.000-08:00

Do you or your {spouse} ever wish your {spouse} was in a different branch of the military? submitted by The Turner Family

All. of. the time. Hahaha! Seriously though, we have spent time at duty stations with a variety of branches in the same vicinity (example: Okinawa). It's always amusing to get together with wives of different branches and talk about our husband's careers. I always think every branch is better than the Army, but my husband is a proud soldier and wouldn't change. I don't think I'd mind being married to an Airmen though ...

What duty station(s) are on your “No Way, Hell No, Not Going, Have Fun Unaccompanied” list and why? submitted by Every Branch

I do not want to ever move to ole' Fort Polk. I am very opened to moving to new places. However, I know several wives who have moved there and have despised it from the day they stepped ground. No thank you, Louisiana.
If you could be one age forever, what age would you choose and why? submitted by Three Krakens

Mid-twenties. It's a great time in my life. I am enjoying the time with my husband and sweet girl. I think I could stay this age for a long time ... maybe not forever!

If you were a breakfast cereal, which one would you be? submitted by the C.W.

I do not like many cereals ... I'm not a milk drinker, so if I do eat it, it's dry. Give me a bowl of dry Reece's Puffs any day. Ha!

What is your morning beverage of choice and why? submitted by NH Girl Displaced

Diet Coke! I am not a coffee drinker, but I sure do love a serving of caffeine first thing in the a.m.!!!

Happy Friday, friends!

With love in Him,

See!

2011-03-01T10:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I was so caught up in the ifs and buts that today would bring.

I gave it all to Him, and He had a plan.

I was so stressed that I did not sleep well at all last night. Ellyana woke up bright eye and bushy tailed at 5 a.m., too. She finally went back to sleep around 6:30. I dozed. My alarm was set for 7:30, but a phone call woke me up before then.

Joy, right?

Well, the person phoning was a friend asking if I needed help getting Elly ready for the day. She also asked if I needed a ride to PWOC on post. I actually had another friend offer to come over and help with Elly this morning as well as drive us. See, God is good!

Another friend from PWOC offered to drive me and my gal home. She carried Elly upstairs for me and laid her in her crib. She fussed for a bit, so I fed her sweet potatoes and laid her back down. She ended up taking a decent nap. Woo-hoo!

The blessings kept coming.

My dear husband got off around 1 (he went in a 5 this morning). So, he picked me and Elly up and we were able to get several errands done. It was fantastic.

Also, a couple offered to switch cars with us so I will be able to drive myself to my doctor's appointment and physical therapy appointment on Thursday. T and I both drive standards, and the doc says I can drive as long as I have an automatic. My friend also offered to watch Ellyana for us while I go to the appointments!

THEN, Terre surprised me and told me that he doesn't work this weekend after all, which means he won't be working 12 days in a row till his next day off. Praise God!

I gave my worries up to Him, and He provided as He always does.

I am so grateful.

And yes, Tab, Elly is the light of my life ... even when she falls asleep at the dinner table. Hehe.

(Sleepy girl)

With love in Him,

My Friends ...

2011-02-28T12:30:00.000-08:00

Today has been one of the roughest days since having surgery on my shoulder.

I am on the verge of tears every time I think about T going back to work tomorrow. He has been on leave for three weeks to help take care of both Ellyana and me.

I am so sad.

How am I going to take care of Elly while I'm still in physical pain and taking pain killers?

And it doesn't help that sweet girl decided to be a fuss bucket all. day. long. I honestly think she could sense the tension. That hurts my heart a wee bit.

Oh, I am longing for my family and friends in the U.S. ...

I told T that if this surgery really didn't work, then I am heading to my hometown with Ellyana so my mom and dad can take care of me and her while American doctors work to fix me.

I know it was wrong of me to say that. It would not be easy to leave my husband for a few months. It would not be fair, but I would have family to take care of me while he works.

When I am at these low points, I cannot help but ponder and ask God why. It has been a very long road since Ellyana's birth. I am so ready to be healed.

But I know in my heart that He has a plan. He has a plan for me, for my husband, and for my miracle of a daughter.

He is faithful.

And He is here to guide me through this weak patch of life.

So now it is my turn to be completely faithful in Him.

Just look at her:

With love,

Funny Photos

2011-02-27T11:35:00.000-08:00

My sweet girl takes the funniest photos.

Actually, our camera takes pictures super quickly, so it catches the craziest expressions.

I love this one from this morning before we headed to chapel:
I cannot help but chuckle when I see it.

It reminds me of this one taken a few weeks before Christmas:
I admit that when I am having a rough day ... I take a look at this picture and laugh. Love her!

Happy Sunday, friends!

With love in Him,

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

2011-02-17T00:54:00.000-08:00

It's been a few weeks since I've participated. I hope you enjoy my answers!

1. Aside from no deployments, what is one thing you would want to make the MilSpouse life “perfect”? submitted by Oh How Delightful

I absolutely love having the opportunity to live abroad, but to make the MilSpouse overseas life PERFECT, I would love to be able to snap my fingers and arrive back in my home town with family, friends, and Wal*Mart just for a day or two without the physical journey of traveling ... especially with a wee one!

Just how many peppers did Peter Piper pick? submitted by Married into Army

Peter Piper picked a PECK of pickled peppers. Duh. (A peck is 2 gallons. Google it).

If you could have any career in the world with nothing holding you back, what would you do? submitted by It’s My Party and I’ll Cry if I Want To

I want to be a social worker and help EVERY person I work with.
(I've decided to start my journey to get my Master's in Social Work. Not too much is holding me back these days ... not even a 6 month old baby).

Do you have a service oriented tattoo and if so what is it. If you don’t what would you get? submitted by The Squid’s Accomplice

No service oriented tattoos here. I think a yellow ribbon would be neat. It would remind me of all of our service members who are fighting for me and my country.

Imagine a block of time has opened up in your busy day for you to take a class in anything you like. What subject would you choose? submitted by To The Nth

I think an American Sign Language class would be neat. I have several languages that I took to go towards my Bachelor's. I always wanted to take sign language, but never had the opportunity to.

Happy Friday, friends!!!

With love in Him,

My Valentines

2011-02-13T00:49:00.000-08:00

I'm out of commission for awhile since having surgery on my shoulder ... typing with one arm takes too much time and effort. I have had to press the backspace about fifteen times since starting this post.

In honor of my second favorite Valentine:

And yes, Elly is my second favorite Valentine. This guy holds a pretty special place in my heart. He's the ultimate Valentine:

This picture was taken in December 2009. I was pregnant, but we didn't know! We had such a fun time that night.

With love in Him,

Half!

2011-02-07T05:23:00.000-08:00

Oh, since I am going to be a little preoccupied on Wednesday, I am posting Ellyana's monthly picture! We took it this morning, two days shy of Elly's 6 month birthday!

Happy half a year, sweet girl!

Elly is such a joyful baby. She is so content and lets anyone and everyone love on her! I wish we were closer to our family and friends in the states. They are missing out on such a fun stage.

You can reminisce her five, four, three, two, and one month pictures. Enjoy!

And if you want to read about what I'll be doing on Wednesday, click here.

With love in Him,

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

2011-02-04T00:54:00.000-08:00

Has it been another week already?

Anyway ... here are this week's MilSpouse Friday Fill-In Q&A's:

1. Since most of the country has had nasty weather, what has your weather been like this week?
We have experienced freezing temperatures with snow, sleet, and ice. This is typical weather for a winter in Germany though.

2. What is/are your best money saving tip(s)?
coupons, coupons, COUPONS.

Since we're overseas, I do a lot of online shopping. I watch for sales for my favorite shops on their websites and from their e-mails sent to me.

3. What was your favorite vehicle you’ve ever owned??
My favorite vehicle we've owned was my 2002 Toyota FunCargo that I drove when we lived in Okinawa. I LOVED that car. I read somewhere that it had 22 hidden compartments. On the day we sold mine, I had found another compartment! Ha!

4. What is a question you’d like to see asked in a future fill-in? (Your question & blog just may appear one week!)
Favorite duty station?!? I just started up with these MilSpouse Friday FIll-In's, so I am unsure what has been asked already.

5. Fill in the blank: You might be a MilSpouse if….
(I will be including some of your answers in a future post (with a link to your blog, of course!)
You might be a MilSpouse if ... you live life expecting the unexpected!!!!!

With love in Him,

Christmas Card 2010

2011-01-30T09:13:00.001-08:00

Blessed Elegance Religious Christmas Card

Shop Shutterfly for unique, personalized Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

This was our FREE Christmas card for 2010 from Shutterfly that you can read about here.

Now, there is a fantastic promo that you can read about here. Shutterfly is giving a $25 code to use for a purchase on Shutterfly by the 15th of February. All you have to do is share the free card you made for Christmas. What a deal!

Thanks, again, Shutterfly!

With love in Him,

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

2011-01-28T23:48:00.000-08:00

1.If you were a famous movie star, what types of movies would you star in?
I would star in romantic comedies. Nothing, to me, beats love and laughing.

2.What is a vacation you would like to take if money were no object?
I would travel around the world and see anything and everything. If money were no object, I'm assuming time wouldn't be either.

3.Did you have pets growing up?
Yes ... and to this day, I am not a pet person!

4.What do you do for exercise?
I have not been able to exercise since I was pregnant! Such a pity, I know ... I love taking a good ballet class ... or any other type of dance class to get my heart rate going. We have Zumba at our gym, finally, so I am looking forward to classes once I'm healed again. I can't wait for yoga again! And pilates! And if I were in my hometown ... the 3 mile track on post would have a love/hate relationship with me! Once you start ... there's no stopping! :)

5.What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received as a MilSpouse?
Expect the unexpected!

With love in Him,

PWOC Sunday

2011-01-23T07:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was PWOC Sunday at our chapel. I spoke on what PWOC means to me. I'm not a public speaker by any means, so I typed out what I was going to say. I didn't follow it much (hence the various pauses), and I was a nervous wreck, BUT I didn't tear up once during ... just a lil before hand! Ha!

Anyway ... here's my "speech":

First and foremost, I am so thankful to stand up here and talk about what PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel) means to me.

This past Tuesday when asked for volunteers to speak at chapel today, I felt a pit in my stomach. You know, that, I-should-really-do-this-but-I-don't-know-if-I-want-to pit. Then, I realized it was God telling me I needed to do this. And ... well ... I didn't want to disappoint him, so here I am.

I first attended PWOC here in Illesheim in the spring of 2009. It was the last meet-up before summer. I had a broken foot, so our dear Iris Heeter volunteered to drive me. I knew after that first meeting, I would be back in the fall. I honestly believe not much is better than moving to a new duty station and immediately finding other wives to worship with!

The fall of 2009 came around, and PWOC sincerely brought a peace to me. Not only are we, wives, given a weekly chance to fellowship with other ladies, but we are given the opportunity to learn more about our wonderful Lord and Savior. Our PWOC studies are focused around our marriages, children, relationships, worship, devotions, and prayers.

In the spring of 2010, God was telling me something in my heart again about PWOC. He instilled in me that I needed to step up to be on the board. I was told the Inreach position was available, and I knew as soon as I read the description of the roles, that this job was for me. I am a helper. I've always been, and as the Inreach coordinator, I do just that. I strive to help our PWOC sisters in need. This organization has brought me the chance to volunteer for our sisters in Christ, but more importantly, I am a volunteer for Him.

Now, I cannot stand up here boasting about PWOC without mentioning the birth of my daughter, Ellyana Faith. Ellyana was born this past summer on 8-9-10, and as most of you know, I had a very traumatic birth. Ellyana and I almost died. I spent a few days in a coma and I did not get to meet my sweet girl until she was six days old. At the time, I knew our friends and family were praying for us, but I did not know to what extent. When Elly and I were both finally settled at home, I began to learn. I am so grateful for Ms. Megan Brezina. She kept in touch with my husband and posted about Elly's and my updates. E-mails were sent out on our status. She and Iris kept my PWOC sisters in the loop and I know that many of my PWOC ladies prayed for me and Elly. Elly and I are alive and well, and I know it is because these dear sisters in Christ prayed for us. And for that, I could not be more thankful for.

So, what does PWOC mean to me? Well, if it was taken away from me, my life would not be the same. I look forward to our weekly get together that includes a potluck that I don't have to cook for each week. I actually enjoy the free childcare for my girl. I am involved in a fantastic study that forces me to learn more about our Jesus Christ. I have met many wonderful ladies who genuinely care about me and my family, but most of all, I am given a weekly time to worship our wonderful God with other wives.

Thank you and Amen.

With love in Him,

Happy Sunday!

2011-01-23T07:42:00.000-08:00

I really like this picture of me and E that T took before chapel this morning:
(I would like it even better if I could sit up straight. One day).

:)

I am going to laugh my behind off when E tells me she doesn't love ballet ... in her short life of 5.5 months, I've put her in three tutus as well as a variety of leg warmers. I've also played The Nutcracker soundtrack for her at least a gazillion times.

Never too early.

Happy Sunday, friends!

With love in Him,

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

2011-01-21T07:52:00.000-08:00

I have seen these posts on several blogs that I read. I think it's fun, so I am going to start doing it each Friday ... as long as I remember!

1.What do you usually want to know about someone when meeting them for the first time?
If I meet someone here on our tiny post, I want to know how long he/she has been here. Then, I'm curious to know if they have kiddos and what their ages are.

2.Would you rather know everything about your spouse, or be regularly surprised?
Surprised! For sure. I think it would boring if I knew EVERYTHING about T.

3.If you could live in one city for the rest of your life, where would you live?
I've lived overseas for over three years now, but before then, I lived in the same town in OKLAHOMA that I was born and raised in. I would move back there in a heartbeat. Crazy, I know.

4.When you go out of town, what one material thing do you ALWAYS take?
Porkchop! I know I am in my twenties and still sleep with a stuffed pig (my husband bought him for me when we first started dating), but I must sleep with him. When I was in a coma, my T brought it to the hospital for me to "sleep" with. I did leave Porkchop at the hospital with Ellyana whenever she had to stay overnight for her frenectomy. It's amazing what mothers will do for their children ... Ha!

5.Using no more than 10 nouns, and ONLY nouns, describe yourself.
CHRISTIAN, wife, mother, daughter, Diabetic, blogger, dancer, photographer, friend, and reader.

With love in Him,

Twins?!?

2011-01-19T11:38:00.000-08:00

Most people who know my husband and daughter comment on how much Ellyana looks like her daddy:

What do YOU think?

With love in Him,

2011

2011-01-19T05:31:00.001-08:00

I am not one to believe in karma.

My faith is in Him.

But at times ... I cannot help but wonder why!

I know this is normal, and I am sure these thoughts.

Physical Update

2011-01-17T01:30:00.000-08:00

For a quick update, after I had Ellyana, I had excruciating back pain and shoulder pain. I couldn't move my shoulder normally. In fact, I still can't ...

The Monday after I was released from the hospital, I went to our clinic on post to help figure out why I had so much pain. The doctor simply told me I had probably over stretched my muscles. She told me to do a few exercises to help the muscles in my back. She was afraid I had blood clots in my arms since I had had so many IVs while I was in the hospital, so she sent me for an ultrasound. I had a stint in my neck. (Random tidbit, I have a scar from it). The ultrasound came back normal, so I dismissed the pain and thought it would eventually go away.

A few weeks later, I saw my regular physician for my Diabetes check-up. I told him about the pain, and he advised that I wait 12 weeks after Ellyana's delivery. With Diabetes, a person's body takes longer to heal, so he told me that 12 weeks was an adequate amount of time for healing. If I was still in pain after 12 weeks, then he would refer me to see an Orthopedist on the German economy.

Twelve weeks went by. I saw the Orthopedist. He immediately took x-rays and told me that I had a fracture in the first disc of my vertebrae. He recommended a CT scan to see how bad the damage was. The CT scan showed that the fracture was healing on its own. Thank the Lord. But it showed a lack of blood flow to the bone, which was a cause of concern.

The Orthopedist also took x-rays of my shoulder. He said that there was a slight fracture that was healing, but it looked like the bone belonged to a person in their seventies. He advised that I see a shoulder specialist. So, I got the referral to see a specialist at the Wuerzburg University Clinic.

I finally saw the specialist in Wuerzburg on the 13th of January, five months and four days since Ellyana's birth.

We were at the clinic for FIVE hours. I had to get new x-rays taken as well as have an ultrasound done. I also had to have the results from the MRI's I had done a few weeks ago faxed to the new clinic.

After waiting for what seemed like an eternity and after having my shoulder moved and manipulated, the doctor came to a very interesting conclusion ...

I more than likely have Osteonecrosis, which is a disease caused by a reduction of blood flow to bones in the joints. The bone eventually starts to die because of the lack of blood flow. He told me my humeral head is almost dead. He wants to go in arthroscopically to see what exactly the damage is, and while he's in there, he's going to drill the bone in a few places to release pressure and hopefully that will allow me to move my shoulder normally for now. The best scenario is when he goes in, he sees that the bone is okay and nothing else needs to be done - I am praying for that! Generally, Osteonecrosis is seen in much older people, so it's definitely a concern since I am young.

The doc read my MRI reports from my shoulder and my back. He said that the report for my back noted the same remarks about the lack of blood flow, so they want to test my blood to check for correlation between my back and shoulder. He took several vials of blood. The doc says they'll send the blood to the head of the Osteo department to analyze it to verify and make sure that it is Osteonecrosis.

Osteonecrosis and Diabetes are related. Diabetes often causes degenerative diseases, and Osteonecrosis is just that. It's also a disease that generally occurs when there's been direct trauma to the bone. No one is exactly sure how I fractured my shoulder, but speculation is that I hurt it whenever I was waking up from the coma. I was fighting a lot, so the doctors put my arms in restraints to prevent damage. Unfortunately, they are pretty sure it caused damage to my shoulder. On another note, the doctors think I fractured my back during the seizure I had in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

Osteonecrosis and Eclampsia are also related in some way as well. Osteonecrosis can come about from high levels of cortisone in one's body, and Eclampsia is sometimes treated with cortisone. I am unsure if I received any cortisone after Ellyana's birth, but we will be receiving my records from the German hospital soon to have translated.

The pre-op is set for the 8th of February with the surgery on the 9th - the day Elly turns half of a year old. Can you say bittersweet? Terre is going to try to take leave to take care of his girls, so hopefully it will get approved, AND he will still be able to take leave a few months later so we can go to the states ... Please, please pray for HEALING. I am tired of dealing with it. I want to be healed so I can enjoy my baby fully! I have an appointment at the clinic on our post on Tuesday to have the referrals taken care of. I need three separate ones. The new referral system stresses me out, so I am praying for patience and understanding if anything goes wrong. I also am praying that there will be no issues getting the blood work and EKG done in time for the surgery.

This post was primarily an update for those who have prayed for us and will continue to do so.

It doesn't even begin to explain the emotions I feel about it all ... just another post for another day!

With love in Him,