Christmas!

I last wrote on Christmas Eve (I think) and it's been a whirlwind of a few weeks. The Man made it home on Christmas Day...he landed at 11pm!

It was his longest Christmas ever: 33 hours of Christmas which began in Kuwait and ended in Wisconsin. I can't say we made it home before midnight from the airport, but we came close.

I do have to say that he was the best Christmas present I could have asked for. It's easy to take him for granted when he's always around. I've learned a lot through this deployment...maybe that will be my next blog theme!

I enjoyed the Wives of Faith blogging carnival so much, I hope you did too. Thanks for following along!

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!



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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.


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