WoF: Twelve Days of Christmas

For our final two posts, Wives of Faith changed the rules and I decided to go along - you can check out my last two comments at their site!

I enjoyed getting into the Christmas spirit with all of the wives! It's just in time for The Man to get in town to celebrate. He may even make it before Christmas Day is over! For those military families who are not together this Christmas, my heart goes out to you. Whatever your circumstances, may our Heavenly Father fill your heart with hope, peace, joy and love this Christmas and in the year to come!

Have a very Merry Christmas!

WoF: The Perfect Military Spouse Care Package

Today's 12 Days of Blogging topic is the perfect military spouse care package - and I really was coming up with things that I send to The Man. Then I realized that it might actually be about the other spouse...you know, the one who isn't in the military!

I don't even know where to start with this one. Here are just a few items that top my list!

1. I'd like a best friend, neighbor, church, and community filled with people who understand military life and it's ups and downs so I have trusted experts to go to when I'm not sure what to do! I am pretty lucky in this area, but it's still on my list as necessary for a military spouse.

2. A language guide small enough to fit in my purse, but big enough to house all of the acronyms and phrases that often create a communication barrier between The Man, me - and the rest of the world we live in. Or maybe just a translator to help the civilians in my life (yes, that includes me!) get past the language barrier.

3. A watch in military time. Not "actual" military time, I can tell the difference between 0800 and 1600 - but a watch that shows what the real timeline is to eliminate some of those hurry-up-and-wait or plans-changed-again times!

4. A giant bottle of patience! This one goes with #3.

5. Oh, forget the language guide - I need an entire "How to be the Best Military Spouse Guide" that lays out all of the potential things we'll run into and how to best deal with each situation. I mean EVERYTHING. From deployments, to FRGs, to everyday life...all in one place, fun to read and with great layout and design! Just because we're connected to the military, doesn't mean we have to have poorly designed pieces to work from!

6. A loving husband. This one tops my list, actually. If it wasn't for The Man, military life might be not such a grand adventure!

WoF: What the First Christmas Means to Me

I think I said what the first Christmas means to me in this post, but I will elaborate.

That first Christmas was the beginning of the bridge built to close a deep divide. Without Jesus, we never would have come close to God. The divide was so large, so deep, so wide, that there wasn't a way to get to God without a Savior. Jesus didn't have to do what he did, he had no good reason. There is nothing we could do to convince him that we were deserving of his saving. Nothing.

What gets me is that it was all out of love. Not just the feeling of love, but the action love. I can't begin to grasp what that kind of love is. Goodness knows that I need a lesson in loving the tough-to-love more often than not. When I get a case of that mindset, all it takes is a good look in the mirror to remind me that I'm not so lovable myself. And, still, God sent His son to this earth, to live a common man's life, so we would no longer be separated from Him, because He loves us.

The first Christmas was just the beginning to an entirely new life. It's no wonder the Angels were singing praises!

Hear more from other military wives!

WoF: What I Want for Christmas

Easy. The Man, in person, in our home, happy, relaxed and full of yummy food I've cooked for him.

More here!

WoF: The Best Christmas Tree

No pic of a tree to post because I don't have it up! The Man said he wanted to put ours up when he gets in which, at that time, was much earlier than the ETA we have now. It's artificial, so we really don't have to worry about Christmas tree lots closing before he gets here!

I didn't want him coming home to an undecorated house, so I hung real garland in our living room this year. It smelled wonderful for about three days. I might have to go pick up an evergreen scented candle to restore the complete mood!



Join the fun!

WoF: What Christmas Means to Me

Christmas means to me...

...knowing that the deep joy of this season doesn't come from gifts exchanged, lights shining bright, beautiful trees, mailboxes filled with Christmas greetings, special songs, a table full of food, a house full of family and friends and the invisible heart-strings that connect us to those separated from us due to duty stations, war, and other military barriers.

It's knowing that the reason for the celebration is that we are free. Free because of a baby born one starry night 2,000 years ago to redeem us and bring us back to life - eternal life with our Heavenly Father.

If you're missing that joy, I don't want you to be without it another moment. Leave me a comment and you can bet I'll be in touch.


Join the conversation here.

WoF: My funniest Christmas memory

My funniest Christmas memory may not be all that funny to you, but it sure taught me a good lesson that Christmas is what you make it!

My parents are volunteer firefighters and EMTs on their local volunteer fire department. I grew up in a rural part of Wisconsin and they have been doing this since I was a baby, so rescue and fire calls are natural in our family. It never fails that there's a call during Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, etc...and generally right in the middle of getting the food out of the oven and having a house full of people.

This particular year it was Christmas Eve, my parents had planned on taking my sisters and me out for dinner. As we were getting ready to head into town for dinner, there was a rescue call. My parents threw on their gear and tore out the door. By the time they got back home for dinner it was pretty late. I don't know why one of us didn't just make dinner, but it must not have crossed our minds. We headed into town and the restaurant we had planned on going to was already closed for the night. We headed down the road to another restaurant. And then another. All closed. Even McDonald's was closed!

We stopped at a gas station which was still open. We all got to pick out a tv dinner (which was pretty neat in itself because our parents NEVER let us have tv dinners!) and we headed home and enjoyed our frozen dinners! Those dinners were awful.

I'm not exactly sure why I find this story funny - when I read it, it's kind of sad. But we laughed so hard that night. And I'm still laughing at it as I think about it.
Maybe that's why I stick it out as a military wife. Each crisis could become a tragedy if we don't choose to laugh it off. After all, as The Man says, "Why worry about it? No one is shooting at you."

Read more military wife experiences here!

Apology!

My sister called me out. I used her twice in my blogs...stealing her favorite cookie recipe and claiming that Molly was a family gift when she was really a gift to Kendra (due to the Haley vs. Kendra war). She is right! She's way cooler than I will ever be, so I had to steal her identity!

Sorry, Kendra! :) You win this round! Hope this super cute pic of you and Jess makes up for it. Now you are the real star of this blog!

Love ya!

WoF:You must be a military spouse...

You must be a military spouse at Christmas time if you...keep a sense of humor!


This is only my second Christmas as a military spouse, so I don't have a whole lot of experience to fall back on. What I do know is that if I didn't have a sense of humor, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't make it through Christmas (or any other day!).


Last year The Man was in training for the first few weeks of December, he popped in for about a week or two for Christmas, then headed to Florida for the majority of January to assist with a deploying group. During the time he was gone, we had boatloads of snow. I can't tell you how many times I shoveled our driveway last year. Each time I shoveled, I thought to myself, "Next winter he's shoveling it all!"


HA HA!


The joke is on me!


The Man was deployed in March of last year...and just last week the snow season began. We had about a foot of snow fall in a handful of hours. I pulled out my trusty shovel. Actually, two trusty shovels (one is better for the heavy wet snow that fell last week, and the other is exceptional for the light, airy stuff - yeah, that's right, I know my tools!) and I got to work.


Yep. Joke's on me.


It was a similar story with the Christmas decorations, we decorated together between his schedule, and then, The Man was off to Florida and the decorations were still up. We had purchased an artificial tree that was really marked down right after Christmas. It sat in the box in our kitchen until February! I said to myself, "Next year the Christmas decorations will be put away in a reasonable time!"


....but I think we might be in the same predicament this year. The difference is that I'm smiling about it now. What's a few weeks or months!?!


Join the conversation at Wives of Faith!

WoF: The Best Gift I Ever Gave

I am the worst gift giver known to man. I don't mean to be so crummy at it, I generally put a lot of thought into people's gifts, but they never are really all that great.

Every year, I try to do better, but usually end up bummed out and days away from Christmas knowing that I've fallen short another year! I haven't given up, yet! Maybe next year?

So, Wives of Faith bloggers and readers, I'm sorry for coming up short on this one!

I'm excited for tomorrow...I have two really great gifts I have been given (well, one might be this year!). To find out what great gifts other military wives have given, click here! You just might find a good idea for this Christmas!

WoF: The Best Gift I Ever Received

I haven't received my Christmas gift yet this year...but if all goes as planned, The Man will arrive sometime around Christmas this year for his R&R! Dates don't mean much to me, so Christmas Day 2009 will be when I pick him up from the airport, whether it's the 25th or not!

Because this Christmas isn't here quite yet...I'll take you back in time...

The best gift I ever received for Christmas was a black lab puppy. My parents gave us Molly for Christmas and I won't forget it! Maybe someday when we have kids, I can surprise them the same way.

That Christmas morning, I woke up and I hopped in the shower before my sisters woke up (four girls in one bathroom, you take the shower when you can get it!). While in the shower, my parents kept banging on the door and saying, "First one up gets to open the first present!" Which, didn't make any sense to me. We always waited for everyone and opened gifts in an orderly fashion.

Out of the shower, I got dressed and headed downstairs. As I was getting a glass of water, my parents were really starting to drive me crazy with their, "First one up gets to open the first present!" mantra...

...and that's when I heard scampering.

It didn't sound like the familiar padding through the kitchen from our dog, Haley. I whipped around and there went a little black thing scuttling across the kitchen floor. A pudgy little black puppy!

We brought the puppy upstairs to wake my sisters up. First Amanda and Jess, and finally Kendra. Side note: Kendra and Haley didn't really get along (baby of the house syndrome maybe?).

We plopped the wiggling puppy onto Kendra's bed and Kendra shouted, "GET HALEY OFF ME!" as she tried to pushed the puppy off her bed. It only took a second for her to realize that this wriggling thing wasn't Haley...the mood changed dramatically :)

Kendra and Molly...


I'll never forget that Christmas! We love our little Molly. Although she's pretty old and her muzzle has greyed, she's still our Christmas Pup. And no one has better Christmas spirit than that dog!

She loves to "hand out" the presents (she usually picks out the presents under the tree that are hers before Christmas arrives!). She helps unwrap the presents. And, she loves to play fetch with wrapping paper balls!

Here's Haley covered in wrapping paper. We'll miss her this Christmas!

Read more great gifts other military wives have received!

My Favorite Christmas Recipe - Take 2

This blogging carnival might have caused me to go a little crazy...I just baked up another favorite Christmas recipe for my cookie exchange at work tomorrow. I thought I'd post it too!

Another recipe with an ambiguous name. I've heard them called Mexican Wedding Cakes or Russian Tea Cakes. No matter the name, they melt in your mouth!

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cups finely chopped nuts
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Additional powdered sugar

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Whip butter for 30 seconds.
3. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar to butter and beat until light.
4. Add vanilla and mix until combined.
5. Stir in flour, nuts and salt.
6. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on cookie sheet with about 1-inch spacing.
7. Bake 10-12 minutes until set but not brown.
8. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar. Place on wire rack to cool.

(This recipe was from www.bettycrocker.com - but you can find variations - sometimes I add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon almond extract)

WoF: My Favorite Christmas Recipe

We are in day two of the Wives of Faith Christmas Carnival Blog. For more favorite Christmas recipes, visit the blog and read the comments. I really thought that these topics would be easier! I love cooking...but to pick a favorite recipe is impossible.

One of my favorite cookies to make is for my sister, Kendra. She lives almost 2,000 miles away in sunny Arizona, so I am looking forward to having a big batch of these prepared for when she makes it home for Christmas this year.

It's a simple recipe - no measurements or baking! Our family calls them "Wheat Thin Cookies". They sound strange, but true to using chocolate and peanut butter, you can't go wrong!

Ingredients:

• One box of Wheat thins (I use reduced fat...I know, what's the point when you are using PB and Chocolate? I'm not sure. I just feel better about it.)


• Peanut butter (I recommend creamy)


• Chocolate bark (white chocolate bark also works well)


• Sprinkles, coconut, non-perils, any other favorite decorations

1. Make mini wheat thin sandwiches with just a little dab of peanut butter between each.
2. Melt chocolate in microwave. Be careful not to burn! (Or, if you're a heath weirdo like me and you don't use a microwave, you can melt in a double boiler on the stove.)
3. Dip cracker sandwiches into chocolate and coat. Using a fork, gently remove from chocolate and place onto waxed paper.
4. Decorate using sprinkles, or simply drizzle the opposite color of chocolate onto the semi-cooled cookie.

Watch for a photo during the next couple of weeks. I haven't made mine yet and can't find an image online...it'll give you a good reason to stop back!

Enjoy!

WoF: My Favorite Christmas Song

I’m blogging again! Well, at least for the next 12 days as part of the Wives of Faith Blog Carnival.
Today’s topic: My Favorite Christmas Song


I thought that this would be an easy one to start out with…until, I started some research. I don’t have a favorite Christmas song.


This year, I’ve found new respect for The Little Drummer Boy. I was watching my 6-year old niece, Kayla and 18-month old nephew, Jake. We were on our way to church for a Bible study. We had the radio on and The Little Drummer Boy started playing. It’s not one of my favorites, but I decided to leave it on. Before I knew it, Jake was singing along! His version went something like this, “Pum Pum”….”Pum Pum”…so he may not have caught all the words, but he sang right along with the music!


Not to be outdone, on the way home, we were having a singing contest, a normal happening when we get a handful of us in the car. Big sister Kayla sang her first song, then she helped Jake sing a song. They were right in the middle of Old McDonald and big, fat snowflakes started to fall. Kayla gasped and then jumped right into her own song…”I’m Kayla and I’m going to sing a song about Snow”…


Snowflakes falling down
One snowflake falls down
Two snowflakes…
(I’ll spare you the rest, but impressive that this spontaneous song was written and produced by Kayla herself. )


My takeaway: Choosing an all time favorite Christmas song for me isn’t possible because each has its own meaning, often driven by what I’ve experienced while singing the song.


Pum pum…pum pum…