Oh my.....

When your dad is a army man and it's time for your haircut......

Merry Christmas

"He became the Son of Man so that we might become the sons and daughters of God."

-Lorine Finch

Jingle Bells

Welcome Home Soldier

Bo is home! Yesterday was amazing. Bo found favor left and right travelling home from the base. He was originally booked on a late flight that would put him in Atlanta at 12:30 am this morning, but was able to change flights and arrived at 3:00 yesterday afternoon. He was supposed to fly to Dallas then to Atlanta, but every flight out of Fort Sill's airport was double booked. There were soldiers from Thursday still waiting at the airport Friday to get out. All military personnel were travelling yesterday, beginning their holiday block leave, and thousands of army soldiers were trying to leave Oklahoma. The first miracle was that Bo's drill sergeant allowed him to leave the base and get to the airport early. The second miracle was that the ticket agent allowed him to get on a airline van (for free!) that was driving to Dallas. The third miracle is that the same agent in Oklahoma gave him a boarding pass on an 11:00am flight from Dallas to Atlanta. The fourth miracle is that, in Dallas, he was singled out from a group of soldiers to be upgraded to first class! He was seated in 3A, the very first seat on the plane!

Isaac and I drove to Atlanta to meet him. Isaac was perfect and content. He held his giraffe and just stared out the window. No traffic, no problems. We had about an hour and a half wait at the airport before Bo's plane landed. I found the USO and we were welcomed and offered lunch. We found the terminal where Bo would be coming in and anxiously waited for our man! When Bo saw us, he dropped his bags, grabbed us and cried. It was a beautiful reunion. Bo was crying, I was crying, the people around us were crying. One woman came up to hug us both and thanked Bo for serving our country. Another offered to take our picture. Another brought her five year old grandson (Noah!), to shake Bo's hand. People spoke to him with kindness, thank him for defending them, and offered to buy his food. As happy as I was to see my hubby, observing all the respect given to him was just as great. After the way he was treated at his last two jobs, seeing him being honored, affirmed, and appreciated is very validating and a long time coming. Oh yea, we are doing the right thing. He is right where he needs to be and we both know that.

Welcome home soldier.

Ooahhh.

Army Man Update

The boys and I are so excited. Bo comes home for Christmas this Friday! The separation has really added a delightful anticipation this Christmas. I've decorated a little bit, but we are leaving the stockings and tree until this weekend when we can hang everything as a family. Bo says he is counting the seconds until he can see us.

He has done well in his training. I know some of you follow my blog to keep up with him and I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. Most of my days are full of cooking, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping and most of all, kid-raising so forgive me when there is a lull. Most of Bo's days are full of drills. The platoon is kept busy at all times. They've done combat training and weapons training these past few weeks. Here's a pic of Bo's M-16. He named his gun "April"!

Bo passed all his rifle tests and qualified as a "sharpshooter". He has always been a good shot. In addition to learning how to shoot M-16s, he's learned how to throw grenades and use a bayonet (we still use those? how barbaric!).

He's also passed all his physical fitness tests, which a big praise because he's had trouble with his back and his knee. He has a hairline fracture in his kneecap and was prohibited from marching for a few days. He does lots of marching and lots of push-ups.

He and his bunkmate Cassidy are the two oldest soldiers and both of them have gained the respect of the platoon. Cassidy was nominated platoon leader and Bo was nominated squad leader. He is in charge of sixteen guys in the platoon, and has to do push-ups when they mess up! Here's a pic of some of the older guys, they've been dubbed the "pop squad".

I am hoping to fly out to Oklahoma in February for his graduation, and look forward to meeting all his army buddies. Bo recently read the encouragement part from one of my letters to his platoon. A lot of guys were having a hard time and he thought it might lift them up. I'd included scriptures about finding treasures in darkness and he said about 15 of them started crying (including him!), then after 20 seconds of silence, yelled the army war cry. Several have asked me to pray for them and I am so touched by this. It encourages my thinking that my church will now be found in community.

This will be a very special Christmas for us. Our last in Albany, our first as a military family. It will be a simple Christmas. The army does not pay much, and we are playing catch-up financially. In August, Bo was fired from his job after he began the enlistment process. We were without a paycheck for three months. I am blessed to say that family and friends generously reached out to us to bridge the gap. Bo's return home will be our gift. We will have him for two weeks.

Alright, maybe I shouldn't have eaten Madonna's cookies.....

I am recovering from a horrendous day yesterday. Four weeks ago to the day, the plumbing in my house went crazy, causing me to have to turn off all the water in my home for two days while I found and hired a plumber to repair it. In the midst of this, chaos ensued. Joshua cut his hand trying to help fix the broken faucet, a feminine event which appreciates running water occurred, my teenager decided to hit the roof with mood swings, stuff like that. Well anyway, the electricity in my house got wind of the plumbing disaster and decided it was not to be outdone and wanted to have a go at my resolve. So, here was my day:

I wake up as normal and get Noah off to school. A few minutes later I attempt to dry a load of laundry. Noah has a Christmas program at school that night and needs a white shirt for it. I turn on the dryer and surges of power go throughout the house, all the lights dim, my computer speakers go on and off, the fridge makes weird sounds, and although the dryer is wrecking havek on the rest of the house, it doesn't come on. As I walk through the house, I smell electrical smoke ("blue smoke"?) behind the computer, the TV, the kids' video game systems. Yikes! I unplug everything electronic and call the power company. Joshua leaves to take Caleb and Isaac to school and determines the problem. The storm from the night before caused a huge limb to fall from a tree, on top of my power lines, taking out my power, phone, internet, and cable. Oh, wonderful. Okay, no problem, I figure the power company will come and fix the power line and I head off for a doctor's appointment and aerobics class at the marine base. After my class, I call the power company to see if the line had been repaired and they say "yea, you're good". Silly me, I thought that meant everything was you know, fixed, and you know, working again, but no, no, no, what they meant was "there is a huge problem and we had to disconnect your power and you're going to have to hire an electrician to repair the damage caused by the storm and then we'll come back and reconnect your power and by the way, it's your responsibility and expense". So, I find an electrician and he fixes all the equipment that was literally ripped away from the side of my house from the weight of the limb on the lines, and presents me with a Christmas bill of $243.00. Thank you. Just what I needed. Merry Christmas. Can you get the power back on???? He says, yes, he'll call the power company back. I ask if he thinks they will repair all the lines still hanging down in my driveway and across my metal fence. He says, "don't think so, their line is still up, it's the top one, these on the ground are your phone and cable lines". What???? Okay, deep breath, call the cable company, who after about ten minutes finally answer the phone. They say it will probably be tomorrow before they can get out to fix it. I leave to go pick up Caleb from school and when we get back the power company is here, turning the power back on. Which comes back on, but it's the same problem as before. Lower wattage things work, but the dryer and heat don't. The temperature is supposed to drop so I plan to heat the family room with the fireplace and we'll all just sleep in front of the fire. I call my father-in-law who is a electrical engineer but who also lives four hours away and he explains the physics of 220 wattage, resulting in "you need the electrician back". I call the dude and he returns, looks at what happens with my dryer and disappears into the basement. Comes back and says "something is wrong with your voltage (you think?), you need the power company back". Okay, call them back, and in the meantime take Noah's shirt, in the rain, to the neighbor's dryer. Their house in on a different grid, they have power. Come back, get Isaac to bed, fix dinner. Bo calls. I spend five minutes filling him on the house's electric attack on our family to realize he had to hang up somewhere in the conversation. Check a battery-powered clock and see that I only have a few minutes to get to Noah's program. Go to the bedroom to get ready just as the power goes off. Now it's 6pm and pitch black in my house. Okay, I can do this. I change clothes in the dark, pull my hair back, and go without make-up. I run back to the neighbor's house for Noah's shirt which is lying wet in their dryer, because now the power's out there too. Deep breath. More deep breaths. God, help me. I put the wet shirt on Noah and we climb in the car to leave, late, for his program. Since I can't drive out the driveway, I go around the opposite side of the house, where the ground is saturated from 24 hours of rain, and slippery from fallen pine straw. My car stops. I'm stuck. I put it in reverse, stuck there too. Oh Jesus, I say and drop my head in my hands. "Oh Jesus" I hear repeated from my wet-shirted, Santa-hatted, "Feliz Navidad"- practicing child in the back seat. I call Joshua to come rescue me from the mud. He leaves his band practice and brings Grover along to help with my car. I take Joshua's car to rush Noah to his play, while Joshua, Caleb, and Grover push Petra out of the mud. I call the cable company en route to Noah's school, and after being on hold for fifteen minutes, am told they will come repair the downed line as soon as they can, but in the meantime we can move the cables out of the way or drive over them. Hmmmm, something that would have been helpful to know an hour ago! More deep breaths. Noah sings and dances at his Christmas program, and I think it's the most beautiful thing I've every seen. I fight back tears because I'm emotionally frayed from the day. Listen to Noah's teacher brag about his sweet spirit and look at his reindeer which he named after Luke, and we come back home. The power had just come back on, thirty seconds ago. I go to dryer. Same problem. Call the power company again. This time they bring four trucks to my house. Caleb is looking out the window, saying "this sure is alot just for a dryer". They check the voltage and Bo calls back, and when the power turns off during our phone call, I finally loose it. Sobbing, crying, trying to make coffee during the brief intervals of power, turning everything off except the oven to try to make cookies, which almost finish baking before it cuts off again. Tissues, coffee, cookies. Jesus help me and I wish Bo was here. Joshua is outside in the rain with the the power guys and we communicate on our cell phones (because, remember, there's no phone). They tell me to turn on the dryer so I tap the button and it does it's thing. They don't see any change in the voltage so I tap it again, this time holding it down longer and all the lights flash and something pops. I scream and the power dudes say "what was that?". They say it's an "internal problem", suggest checking the breaker box, and leave. I curl up in the fetal position on the chaise and just stare into oblivion while Joshua and Caleb check all the breakers. After a few tries, I hear the heat turn on and the lights come back to full strength. Hallelujah. Check the dryer and it turns on and runs normally. Thank you, Jesus. Connect everything I unplugged and discover that the only things that fried were the surge protectors. Smart thinking, Bo! I take an anxiety pill and crash for the night. I survived another utility disaster, and am still basically in one piece, except of course, it's that time of the month. Praise God.

Well, if you've made it to the end of this post, here's a new video. I awoke this morning to a new day, fresh with God's grace and goodness. I heard these words in my head "wonderful God, we lift our voices to you.....for all You are, not just for what You do....." I found the disk, and here is the dance. A duet with my girl Belinda. Don't laugh at my head shaking....

I'm eating Madonna's Oreos

Okay, I will explain......

Last weekend Joshua and Charity went to Nashville for a wedding. Charity's aunt and uncle got married (no blood relation, one is on her dad's side of the family, the other on her step-mom's!). They stayed with Charity's dad, who has the very cool job of driving a bus for stars. He has his own bus and is a regular driver for Dirks Bentley (did I spell it right? he's a country artist..... sorry, don't know him), but charters short-term trips for the rich and the famous. Madonna was in town for a concert (all I know about this is that the tickets were $3000 apiece) and hired Charity's dad. He stocked the bus with snacks she requested and when the gig was over he brought home all the leftovers, which he sent back to little ole Albany with my kid. So, after I renounced any foul spirits that might be connected to the food, we all enjoyed Madonna's oreos, potato chips, pop-tarts, chocolate pudding, and bean dip. Thanks, Madonna.

Sweet Worship from the Old Days.....

Oh, how I miss this!

Chapel Thanksgiving 2008.......

Happy Birthday Isaac

My sweet baby Isaac turned one year old Saturday. My darling newborn has grown into an independent toddler and I couldn't be more proud. Bo and I have always had big celebrations for our babies' first birthdays. Reaching the milestone of twelve months outside the womb is a big deal for me. Even more than my other sons, this child's birthday has humbled me. I ponder the events of Isaac's birth and there is a weightiness in my heart that did not accompany my other deliveries. I am thankful that Isaac survived the pregnancy, delivery, and his first year. Not all babies do. I feel incredibly blessed that Bo and I have brought four healthy children into this world. God's hand was on every delivery. I know I must have childbirth angels assigned to me because there were complications with every one, either with the baby or me. So, as I celebrate Isaac's first birthday, my heart is tender and I am very aware of God's grace and protection over me and my family. Not having Bo here to share this important day was hard too, but he was able to call. We will celebrate again when Bo gets home for Christmas.

Happy Birthday peanut. Mommy loves you.

Happy Thanksgiving

The children and are are headed to Atlanta, to spend Thanksgiving and Isaac's first birthday with Bo's parents, "Gammie" and "Grandpa". Will come back happy and refreshed I'm sure.

Everyone have a wonderful Thanksgiving. The boys and I are going to make a long list of things we are thankful for during the trip. I'm thankful for everyone who takes the time to read my blog. Blessings to you.

One year ago.....

More theology with Noah.....

While having a conversation about Jesus' resurrection Noah asked:

Was Jesus really dead?

Me: Yes, honey, Jesus was dead for three days. He became alive again and...

Noah: ...went to heaven.

Me: That's right, He went to heaven.

Noah: So he lives in heaven?

Me: Uh-huh.

Noah: But He lives in my heart.

Me: Yes, well...... He has so much power that He can be anywhere He wants, at the same time.

Noah: So, He splits Himself IN HALF???????

Me: Uh. Hmmm. Well. Yeeaaahhhhh.

Noah: Really???? Ha ha ha ha ha ha.........

Hedge of Protection

Some times in our journey with the Lord we need greater spiritual covering and protection. Worship ministry, for example, is a powerful spiritual weapon that attracts the enemy (that would be satan). Healing and deliverance is another area that can bring spiritual backlash. Confronting something of satan's that he has just the way he wants it causes spiritual upheaval. The Body of Christ needs to understand spiritual warfare, and be trained in it. We are not to walk in fear, but to stand strong in the authority God has given us. Greater is He who is in us, than he who is in the world. God promises His divine protection in His Word. Here is a prayer, using scripture, that claims a hedge of protection over our lives. Pray it when you feel vulnerable.

Father, in the name of Jesus, I come to you and pray a hedge of protection around me, my family, and all that belongs to us. I thank you, Father, that You are a wall of fire round about us and that you set Your angels round about us.

I thank you , Father, that my family and I dwells in the secret place of the Most High and abides under the shadow of the Almighty. I say of You, Lord, You are our refuge and fortress and in You we will trust. You cover us with Your feathers, and under Your wings we will trust. We will not be afraid of the terror by night or the arrow that flies by day. Only with our eyes will we behold and see the reward of the wicked.

Because my family and I have made You, Lord, our refuge and fortress, no evil shall befall us-no accident will overtake us-neither shall any plague or calamity come near us. You give Your angels charge over us, to keep us in all Your ways.

Father, because You have set Your love upon us, therefore will deliver us. We shall call upon You, and You will answer us. You will be with us in trouble, and will satisfy us with a long life and show Your salvation. Not a hair on our heads shall perish. Amen.

Zechariah 2:5

Psalm 34:7

Psalm 91: 1-6, 8-11, 14-16

Luke 21:18

Communion Dance

Okay, if you survived viewing my wedding video and it's very dated music, hairstyles, and fashion, here's a more current video of Bo and I. It's a dance we did together at Christmas two years ago. It illustrates the intimacy we have with Jesus through communion. This was the first time I'd taken communion during a dance, it was awesome. And the ministry from this dance was powerful for both of us. This was the last worship dance I did in a church. I told Bo "I saved the last dance for you".....

Please note that this video contains cruxifiction scenes from "The Passion of the Christ".

Nineteen years ago today......

Sin

This may not be the most encouraging post, but "it is what it is".....

Lately, I have learned of several instances of sexual abuse in the Church. Some by friends of mine, people I've known for years. I've been reeling, trying to wrap my brain around why in the world people who claim to love the Lord make such poor choices with their lives. Choices that lead themselves, their families, and those under their spiritual care down a long painful road. I'm especially bothered that these sins take place in the church, not that any of us are above temptation, we are not. But being in a place of leadership grants you access to trusting people......women, children, families who enter a church thinking they are in a safe place.

If you are one of these people struggling with impurity, seek help. Go to someone who you trust and confess you sin. God will forgive and cleanse you.

If you know someone who is in sin, and is a believer, follow the Matthew 18 strategy. Go to that person, confront them. If he/she listens to you, repents, and seeks forgiveness, healing, and restoration, great, you have "won your brother" and fulfilled your responsibility as a Christian to help restore a fallen brother or sister. (Has someone confided a struggle with sin to you? That could be a cry for help, don't let the opportunity pass by.) If they don't respond, go to their authority and report your knowledge. Someone's marriage could be saved by this, or a child's purity could be preserved. Conflict is never comfortable, but someone has to stand up and say "this is wrong!". Healing doesn't take place in the dark. Bringing sin into the light is the first step toward restoration.

Jesus said in Matthew 10:34 that he did not come to bring "peace" but a "sword". In order to get to the place of peace, there sometimes has to be some sharp pursuit. Things have to be revealed, discussed, addressed. Being a peacemaker and an encourager isn't always about flowery words, but often involves presenting a challenge.

"Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they shall be called the sons of God."

Matthew 5:9

The boys and I got to speak to Bo tonight, the first phone call in seven days, but thankful to receive any since he's still in Red Phase and not supposed to call at all. He has a cold. He sounded terrible! It's very cold there at night and they've been doing drills in 60mph winds. Yikes! I would not like that at all! He asked us to pray for his lower back which is causing him a lot of pain. This week he has a physical training test and the gas chamber experience. I understand that the tear gas chemicals totally drain the sinuses (as in uncontrollably!). Maybe that will help his cold :) He asked for cold medicines which his mom is sending (thanks Marilyn!) and pictures of the boys and I. Thank you to all of you who have written to him. He said they've gotten mail once, so probably the next mail call will bring him a ton of letters all at one time! I met an army guy yesterday who said he wouldn't get mail for five days, then get six letters at once that the drill instructor threw across the room and made him to push-ups for. Wonderful.

All is well here. I am finally returning to my peace after a stressful week. Watching old worship dance videos has helped me relax. Here's one from 2000.....

Update

My sweet daily blog checking friend Stephanie reminded me yesterday that I haven't updated in a few days. I haven't had the mental energy, I am recovering from a horrendous week! One catastrophe after another. Plumbing problems, kid problems, bad news, financial delays, injuries..... Thursday I bounced from one ordeal to another. I heard this saying that night "if you don't heal today, you will heal tomorrow" and felt the Spirit of the Lord all over me. Friday was better (the water is back on! how do people live without running water????) and I am trusting God with everything that has caused me stress and frustration.

So, Steph, here's a tiny tidbit for my post today. A Noah saying from dinner last night.....

"Mom, I think I'm allergic to tomatoes. They give my mouth paper cuts."

Veteran's Day

Today was my first Veteran's Day as an army wife! I celebrated it by getting a military ID, granting me base privileges and health care benefits. My army babies got IDs too, and my army car Petra is proudly bearing a Department of Defense badge (base decal) on her chest (windshield). My friend Staff Sargent Ristau did our IDs, actually took us into the marine base pass office here, after hours and did them himself. Thanks for the special treatment, Trevor....I mean Sargent Ristau.

I talked to Bo briefly this weekend. The command is in "Red Zone" for three weeks so getting a phone call was a rare blessing. He was able to call collect from a pay phone for a few minutes (all the cell phones have been taken up and locked away). Bo was very excited because he'd just been issued his M-16 rifle. He has to carry it on his shoulder everywhere he goes (he also has to have a "battle buddy" every where he goes, too). He was being nominated for platoon leader. I'm anxious to hear how that went. The training they are doing this week is basic rifle marksmanship, first aid (including administering IVs to their battle buddies...yikes!), field training, physical training (I think they march five miles), and the gas chamber (tear gas) to learn how to use chemical warfare equipment.

I'm proud my hubby is now a soldier and look forward to all he will do to serve our country and make us proud. Happy Veteran's Day.

Worship Dance

One of my goals for this year was to transfer thirteen years of worship dances from 8mm camcorder tapes to digital media. I miss worship dance, and have wanted to easily access my dance videos from the computer. I am thankful that Bo recorded most of them. He is very supportive. He's taped dances, made ballet bars, run spotlight, helped me design flags, sewn elastic on my ballet shoes, entertained children while I taught....he's even danced with me three times (the first dance almost landed us in a divorce attorney's office but praise God we made it through). Anyway, I am learning to use the complicated video recorder we purchased for this endeavor and I have successfully recorded one dance to a DVD. I'm happy to share it with you if you'd like to view it. It's a dance I did with my sweet friend Rebecca in 2004.

Yucky Yucky

Yesterday afternoon Noah and I observed a vulture feasting on a dead squirrel in front of our house. Disgusting. He'd throw the squirrel about and pull his insides out, pausing only long enough to get out of the path of oncoming cars, then back at the slaughter. I explained to Noah that God made everything with a purpose and the vultures were designed to eat dead animals. They have the ability to consume bacteria-ridden carcasses and not get sick. How nice that they were responsible to clearing the roads for us.

We left shortly for a play date with some new friends. The whole ride over Noah is in the backseat reciting "vulture", "squirrel", "vulture", "squirrel".... Vulture was a new word for him and he was memorizing it. As soon as we stepped into the friend's house, Noah excitedly announces to the mom, "we saw a vulture, it was eating a squirrel". The mom said the same thing, about how cool is was the God assigned those birds the job of devouring roadkill.


Then last night, as I was preparing dinner before I left for Joshua's worship concert (which was AWESOME, more later), I heard Noah say "ewwwww, is that his blood????". Caleb was watching the movie "Castaway" on TV. Tom Hanks had sliced his hand open while attempted to crack a coconut. I asked him to change the channel and Noah came running, "Mom, I just love that Caleb so much, he let me watch a violent movie".


Oh, a gory day.

Tuesday night, Bo moved from the processing center to the actual boot camp training. Because the training involves intense, life saving instruction, phone calls aren't allowed so that the platoon can stay focused and undistracted. The boys and I won't speak with Bo for three weeks. We will be able to communicate by letters though. If you'd like to write, email me and I'll send you his address.

It's a little sad to think I won't be able to talk with my husband on our 19th anniversary on the 18th, but I hope he'll be able to call Isaac on his birthday on the 29th. The boys and I will spend Thanksgiving and Isaac's first birthday with Bo's family in Atlanta, so that will help make it easier. We are all sacrificing for our country!

Here's a picture of Bo with his boot camp buddies. Bo is on the left, his bunkmate "New York" is in the middle, and "McNeal" is on the right. During our brief five to ten minute phone calls, I'd hear Bo yell to McNeal "stop with the language, I'm on the phone with my wife".

Africa

I had to share these beautiful photos of my friend Brad Thurston's recent trip to Africa. He runs a center overseas that trains and sends out missionaries. He went to Kenya and Mozambique to visit two missionaries there, and captured some great images of Africa and it's people. Brad is in the last photo, praying at a health center.

I have always wanted to go to Africa, and live there for a month or so, ministering to women and children. Seeing these photos rekindles the desire.....

The Dothan Blessing

Last Saturday after Noah's birthday party, Bo took Caleb and Noah and went to Atlanta to visit his parents before he left for boot camp, and I took Isaac and went to Dothan.

I had a wonderful visit with my grandmother, my pastor, my old church, and my friends. Pastor Estes preached at the nineteenth anniversary service of the church he founded in 1989. Here are some nuggets from his message:

Why would you want to think about the offenses people have done to you? Think on righteous things until a groove forms in your thought life that is deeper than the hurt.

The thing about "seeding"- whether you're still in that location or not, it produces eternal results.

The ultimate value of man is that God bought us and owns us, but has released us to live life how we want because we are free.

God put His treasure in earthen vessels (1 Cor 4:7). It's not "if we have it" or "when we get it". We already have it; it's "will you release it?" We are to be treasure releasers to the world. We are God's hope of glory on Earth (Col 1:27).

This is how valuable I am to God....He paid heaven for me!

When the church gets so full of Jesus, we are less full of ourselves.

The "Powerful Purpose of Man" is:

1. to stand when everyone else is falling (Eph 6)

2. to believe when everyone else is in unbelief

3. to speak when everyone else is silent

4. to let your light so shine, when everything else is dark, that people see the Lord glorified in our lives (Matt 5:16)

(Sounds likes some good purposes to drive the Church :)

Here are some pics from a fun Sunday afternoon in my hometown....

More from Bo

Talked with Bo again tonight. Apparently the guys are being granted the privilege of speaking to their families every night for 5 or 10 minutes, and those with cell phones have to share with other soldiers who don't have phones. Guess the army knows it will boost the morale of the soldiers to have contact and support from home. So, unless someone in the platoon doesn't "clear the deck in ten seconds" then I'll get to speak to my husband more often than I thought. That's great, and the boys need that connection with Dad, too.


Bo sounded much better tonight, more calm and peaceful and more like his normal self. He said he had a better day today. Thanks for all the prayers and support. I passed on everyone's messages.


I asked him what he did all day, and he said it was a lot of health screenings, drills to teach discipline, memorizing creeds, marching, learning formations, etc. He says they have to be busy at all times, sometimes with senseless things like standing in the sun for an hour, or picking up leaves and blades of grass with their hands. The food is good but there are no diet sodas, coffee, or Snickers bars (can he survive????). They have to drink canteens of water all day long (what if it's been two hours since you drank the canteen of water and you're stuck standing in one place for an hour??? yikes! toilet please, Sargent.) There are 1100 recruits processing at Ft. Sill, which is the second largest training facility in the world. It's also the field artillery hub so there's constant noise from canons, gunships, and rockets firing. Bo said Caleb would love that!


He is going to a non-denominational chapel service in the morning. I think the boy is ready for church! His bunk mate is atheist, but is going to the chapel service with Bo because he thinks he might be able to sleep there. I overhead Bo saying to him, "read John 1, that's a good place to start". They all have camo bibles.


The boys and I are doing fine here. I took Noah and Isaac trick-or-treating for the first time last night. We never did trick-or-treating with Joshua or Caleb. We would go to church festivals but we never put our kids in costumes and let them go house to house. Caleb reminded of this, feeling jealous that he never got to trick-or-treat but Noah is allowed. I told him I was sorry I never granted him the joy and excitement all his friends got to experience every fall, but I feel differently now. I asked if he wanted to wear a costume and carry a little plastic pumpkin but I guess fifteen years old is way past that. He did follow behind us on my bicycle and together he and I got to enjoy the experience through Noah's eyes. The smell of Noah's Halloween candy brought back childhood memories. I don't remember much about trick-or-treating, like what I dressed up as, or what houses I went to, but I do remember the smell of that delicious candy mixed with the plastic from the pumpkin basket. I've been sniffing Noah's candy all day.

Update

I just spoke with Bo, for about five minutes. This was the first I've heard from him since his plane landed in Oklahoma Tuesday night.

He said he really, really missed us and that so far the training was "very difficult". We had to talk fast because he only had a few minutes, and at one point he had to hang up on Noah to snap to attention when a Sargent walked in. He had his head shaved, is in barracks with sixty other men, gets six minutes to eat, and about four hours a night to sleep (all that getting up with Isaac has prepared him!). A hearing test revealed that he has 50% hearing loss in each ear (he's had ringing in the ears since fueling jets in the early 90s). The army will issue him hearing aids, but he seemed discouraged. I think it's a good thing because it will improve his hearing and hopefully alleviate some of the ringing. Everyone got vaccines today and he wasn't feeling great from those.

Please join me in praying that Bo will have divine strength for all the challenges these next five months will bring. He sounded lonely and homesick, but determined not to give up. He said he would think about his family and be encouraged to get through rough days. He asked me to pray for him and send pictures to his cell phone.

He was able to take and send a picture of his bald head before "lights out".

Noah's Birthday Party

Here are pictures from Noah's birthday party Saturday. It was an "army man" theme and we had seven little soldiers and two soldierettes helping Noah celebrate turning six.

The birthday boy.

Charity painted the kid's faces

and we gave them dog tags and army bracelets.

The firing range. Noah shot the can!

The newest recruit.

Staff Sargent Ristau with Ivy,

soldierette number one.
She is observing that Bo's uniform
failed inspection.


Tent games. We tied balloons to the kids' ankles
and let them stomp them.

Who wants to be an army man? Good, that
increases our bonus.

Salute.

Samuel, lined up for "Sargent Says".

Perry, soldierette number two.
She has a camouflage flower on her cheek.

Tug of war. It was a tie.

A little R&R.

The moms being charmed by little man.


Heather, the veteran marine wife.

Yea, the navy snuck in.

Cupcakes.

Noah had his own little cake.

Presents! Lots of cool army stuff.

Mrs. Stephanie's gift was a hit!

A remote-controlled tank, cool!

We ended the day by roasting marshmallows

around the fire.