Life moves fast...

 HOST: Welcome to the carnival! I’m your host for the evening. Step right up! YOU: What is this? HOST: It’s a ride. Haven’t you seen one before? YOU: Well, yes, but it doesn’t look stable or secure. HOST: Who cares about the foundation?! You come here for the fun of it, right?! YOU: I suppose…Why are you shouting? HOST: No one likes the meek and mild. My job is to dazzle you! YOU: You’re certainly a character one would likely not soon forget…Say, what else does this place have to offer? HOST: You look like the kind of person who likes to play games. Over here we have multiple booths to choose from. No flipping tables due to your loses though. The guy over there just outside the entry did that once and now he thinks HE runs this place!  YOU: That guy looks familiar… HOST: Yeah, he gets that a lot… Never mind him though, what game will suit your fancy tonight? Bobbing for apples?  YOU: Those remind me of some apples I saw a long time ago at a bad dinner party. Pass… HOST: I...

2015. Wow. You didn't hold back. At all. Like seriously you impress me. At this point I've stopped complaining because now I'm at the finish line preparing for the next year's marathon of events. But you have taught me (and retaught) some valuable lessons which I hope to always have more toward the forefront of my mind rather than the rear.  Lessons: 1. Complaining is really easy to do and not realize it. It's a reoccurring problem I have which I continue to chisel away each year. But really complaining does nothing. 2.  Don't judge people who "air their dirty laundry" on social media while you use a different laundromat... 3. Offer forgiveness regardless of how it is received. If you are at peace about the fact that you forgive sincerely and wholeheartedly then there is nothing else you can do for those who presume to think otherwise.  4. People will test your ability to speak lovingly and kindly because they don't and can't appreciate ...

Last time I wrote, I spoke about what God can do with 1%.  At the time, we were basically waiting on confirmation of orders overseas to our top pick.  We had about a 1% chance of actually getting to go.  Fast forward about 3 months from my last blog and here we are. We actually got it!  And now that we have arrived, I can't help but recognize the realities of what it has taken to get here.  The other 99% has truly been a whirlwind.  Because the truth is it wasn't easy.  Just because the location was desired doesn't mean the process was not stressful... Most who live or have lived a military life, especially those who have PCS'd to another country, understand the struggle of what's involved.  Heck, moving in general is a headache in and of itself.  Boxes and blow up mattresses, less than appetizing food while on the go, sporadic sleep schedules and to do lists.  Let's face it, moving sucks even if you are happy to be going somew...

God can do a lot with 1% of something. Here is why I think so: Jeff received an assignment notification for us to PCS to England. ENGLAND!!!!!??!!! Lakenheath AFB. We were super stoked! Super pumped! And super grateful for about half a day until Jeff was notified that the orders would most likely be cancelled due to low manning here at Ellsworth. CANCELLED????!!!!???? We were disappointed. We were crushed. I was particularly annoyed because we had previously been issued Lakenheath, AFB once before as follow on order to his Korea assignment. Of course, when the Korea orders were cancelled, so were the follow on orders. Not that I was bummed about the orders to Korea being cancelled - it would've meant 13 months apart before moving to wonderful England and who wants to be served that sentence? Anyway, when these recent orders were threatened for cancellation I felt like England had just broken up with me for the second time or something. Most irritating was the time I spent in co...

Alright so this won't be an "ode" by definition. I'm feeling quite under the weather today. I simply can't take it anymore. Even on a sick day where congestion is battling for my attention, I can still smell EVERYTHING! Jeff calls it my superpower. I call it my supercurse. I have evaded the morning sickness battle and have yet to bow down to the porcelain throne. I have reigned my flag of victory over emotional moodiness on most days. I have gladly given way to my cravings for salads over sweets. And I triumphantly walked the streets of DC averaging upwards of 5 miles a day with the amazing baby maker at my side ready to make frequent bathroom pit stops as necessary per my request. But things have started to stink and it's only getting worse... At work the other day, in the hallway to the restrooms, it smelled strongly of urine. Urine! Which only leads me to question if my supercurse is just revealing what has always been the case - that being smelly schoo...

Baaaa dump. Baaaaa dump. Baa dump. Baa dump. Baa dump. Bump Bump Bump Bump Bump Bump!  Something was in the water. Now it's in my belly. At least, that's how everyone says it happens. Right now it's about the size of a raspberry and has webbed feet. ;) Yes, ladies and gentlemen...the moment you've all been waiting for (some for over 6 years)...announced on the eve of the 2015 new year...premiering in August 2015...........Jeff, Amy, and Bump!..... Baby Bump that is. That's sort of strange for me to think about. I never really expected to have kids. Truthfully, didn't want them up until a deep change of heart in 2013/2014. Those were Creator's molding times in my life and in my faith. Regardless, Jeff and I had decided to wait until the five year mark (at the earliest) to even consider the parenting life.  So here we are now. Er, me most specifically doing the busy work - but with Jeff by my side as excited as a hubby should be. He's...

HOST: "Welcome to the Masquerade! May I offer you a platter of poor decisions to choose from, or would you prefer a glass of denial? In either case, I'm more than willing to assist you in your gluttonous tendency. In fact, don't even worry about portion control here! There's plenty to go around! And when you've finished the appetizers, feel welcome to change into something more appropriate for dinner. In the closet is a veil and something heavy to drape around your shoulders. Take your time, I'll be waiting for you..." "Dinner will proceed a little differently than what you're used to. The servants are rather busy attending to those still in the appetizer phase. But you're used to serving yourself, right? Great! Because tonight we shall feast on the vulnerable and prey over the weak. Oh, and don't worry about your neighbor - just enjoy yourself." YOU:  "Umm, thanks...There's a lot of people here. Who is that guy?" ...

Ever read something and it isn't until about the fourth pass over that something significant about it strikes you? Yeah, me too...   "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me."                                                                                                      1 Corinthians 13:11 I 've read this verse before. I just don't think I've ever pondered on it this much...

Hills Alive. It was great! Need I say more? Well of course... So Hills Alive 2014, for those of you who don't know, is a  FREE Christian music festival that happens every year in Rapid City, SD. The first year we were here I don't think I knew about it, and last year Jeff returned from deployment that same weekend so we missed it then. Bless his heart, he was scheduled for a TDY this year so he has missed it yet again. But I was determined to find myself there for at least a couple days of it so I managed to get some video clips of each artist. I went both Friday and all day Saturday but skipped Sunday. Friday night I met up with a couple friends and we saw At The Wayside, Satellites & Sirens, Kerrie Roberts, Rhett Walker Band, and The Afters. Since Friday's performances are held at the downtown square it was more of an artist showcase. Most of those artists went on to perform a full set on either Saturday or Sunday. Regardless, Friday was an awesome evening! I r...

I realize it's Monday - two days past our anniversary - but I'm still feeling rather remnicent! I'll try to refrain from telling our life's story, but I'm not sure many get to experience life together so soon like Jeff and I have. Jeff and I met mid-way through my high school years. Though there is a 3 and a half year difference between us, we became friends quickly and soon we were inseprable. After all, we met through mutual friends at church anyway so everyone spent a lot of time together! Good memories... Fastforward 9 and a half years and here were are - married for 6 of them - and wondering where the time went! Isn't that always the way of it? I came across this song by Thompson Square a few months after we were married and had to laugh because it completely fits us. I mean, how long could Jeff keep a girl like me waiting before I evetually put him on the spot by asking, "Are you gonna kiss me or not?" lol. And when I say this song completely ...

This last weekend, we went with some of our friends to Sioux Falls, SD and then over the Luverne, MN for a wedding! While we were there we took some candids (in case you haven't already seen them on my FB). We concluded the Memorial Day weekend together as well, back in Rapid City, and went hiking. The following is a story told by pictures consisting of beautiful scenery, Honey, wedding fun, selfie wars, hiking, Jenga, and other randomness. Please enjoy. All photos are courtesy of us!                                                             Back in Rapid City...we went hiking on Memorial Day.         THE END!