A cold homecoming

We finally made it home yesterday evening from 17 days of travels and vacation. Whew.
It is good.to.be.home. Nothing like sleeping in your own bed, sitting on your own couch, eating off your own plates. :)

But I am not loving the fact that Nebraska greeted us with snow, 23 degree weather, 30 mph winds, and a wind chill of 6 degrees.

That's just plain cruel.

That's quite a difference coming from Hilton Head where we've been roughing it at the beach in the 70's all week.

70's to a wind chill of 6 degrees.

Welcome home!

(posts on our vacation to follow once I thaw out. :~) )

A quickie NY update

"It's the Tonight Show with David Letterman!!"


*clap, scream, cheer. clap, scream, cheer.*

Wednesday afternoon I was six short rows and a stage away from David Letterman and Jake Gyllenhaal!

In the audience. For free. In the historic Ed Sullivan Theater. It was awe-SOME! By far one my favorite things we've done so far in NY. Gotta love this city.

sayonara snow!

At least it waited until November this year to snow for the first time.

I'd say "I can't believe it's snowing!", but, I can believe it. Shoot, I'd believe it if it snowed in June here.

Thankfully it's November. I can handle snow in November. I can handle November snow especially well, because I will be driving away from it in 6 hours! Oh yeah! How do you like that Nebraska! Trying to stick it to me before we leave...I.DON'T.THINK.SO!

I don't have to stick around to crunch around in snow. I don't have to worry about shoveling. Whom I kidding, I don't worry about that. :) I don't have to worry about bundling the kids up in seven layers of clothes just to get in the car. Nope. We're just gonna drive on outta here and kiss our pre-Thanksgiving snow goodbye.

"Can't touch this....da, na na na, na na, na na, can't touch this, da na na na, na na, na na, can't touch this." (that would be me mentally jamming out to MC Hammer.)

sayonara snow!

(I'm sure you'll be waiting for me when I get back) :~)

Here we come NC, NYC, DC, and SC!!

Under there somewhere

There is a packed suitcase under all this...somewhere....

I'm not quite sure where, exactly, but I'm confident I'll find it..eventually.

30 hours and counting till we hit the road! YEE-HAW!!!!!
(not sure where the yee-haw came from but I'm goin' with it!).

A little bit of this, a little bit of that

Four days until we embark on our longest drive yet with the girls.

A whopping 22 hours. Which will in all likely hood take closer to 30 with all the stops we're guaranteed to make.

This drive will take us on a trip we have been looking forward to for nearly a year. We are big 'plan in advance vacation' type of people so this trip has been a long time coming.

I have been steadily planning and getting things in order, more this week than any. I've got all our paperwork in a nice folder on my desk. The girls are packed as of this morning. Cat food and litter for 18 days has been bought. My reading material for the trip is in the mail and will be here on Thursday. I'm trying to keep the house in order so there's less to clean before we leave....trying...but that part isn't going so well. And in addition to packing for me all I need to do is hem my Wicked dress, which is on the agenda for today. Which I may or may not get to. And since it's nearly 3pm I'm leaning towards the 'may not'.

Praying above all else right now that everyone would stay healthy for this trip. We have been looking forward to this for so long that it would be such a shame, and down right disappointment is someone were to get sick or hurt now, or while we're gone.

Which brings me to this...

I've been having these nagging head pains for over two weeks now. It's an accumulation of a couple things, but I am not a person that has pains. I mean I am, but not really. I typically get a headache once of month. I don't get migraines, or random other problems. I am a pretty healthy person. So this nagging head pain has really been taking a toll on me. Physically, emotionally. It's been gradually getting better. Every now and then it will return and be worse, but the past two days have been good. I already saw a doctor but I don't have time to go back this week (like I'd get an appointment anyways) and having to worry about seeing one while we're away is just a frustrating thought. I Seriously seriously don't want to have to be bogged down with annoying head pain while we're gone. I want to be in tip top shape when I'm watching Wicked, or taking in the New York skyline from 80 stories up. SO, I've been praying before I even step foot out of bed in the mornings that this pain would subside, the source of it would go away, and I would be able to just feel good.

Which brings me to this unexpected prayer...

On Saturday our car decided to not play nice.  Not that it's running bad, per say, but the check engine light and some other random lights that I'm assuming are important mysteriously came on. Right before we're suppose to be on the road for over 22 hours. Great. Isaak has been diligently trying to fix the problem, but it could be two different things and both would require forking out some money to get fixed since this problem isn't likely to be covered on our warranty. Nice. Have to fix the van and pay to have it fixed even though we have a warranty. Did I mention this happened 6 days before we have to drive 22 hours and that we would actually like to use our hard saved money for spending on our trip, rather than on our van?! Grrrrr.
So, I've been praying for God to provide a way that wouldn't break the bank. And then yesterday in the mail I got a check for a considerable amount of money, considerable for us anyways. Not sure, or really caring what everyone else's standards are when it comes to money. But it was surely a blessing. An absolute blessing. Praising God for that.

I'm trying to focus on the positive right now which I have so much of in my life. An abundance really. But I can feel this weight trying to sink my mind into "complain and be overwhelmed" mode. So, to add to the positives and stick it to Mr. Negative...here is a super positive,  God orchestrated, want to shout from the roof tops how awesome He is shout out....

Bekah.is.coming. Bekah is coming!!!!!!! 

Bekah. My sweet friend that I met nearly 7 years ago when me and Isaak were on a mission trip in Peru. Bekah and her team met up with us there. I had the pleasure of being in her company for like 4 or 5 days and then that was it. We came home, back to Cali, and then on from there. We kept in touch through email over the years and she has steadily grow into my heart and holds such a dear place to me. God has used her mightily in my life over the years as a constant prayer partner. And now, after nearly 7 years, I will get to see her again. She is coming here for New Years Eve and I think I'm still in shock. There is no denying how good God is.

Here is the lone picture that I have of the two of us from our time in Peru. Can't wait to see her!!

And someone else I'm just a little bit excited to see, oh her, the ketchup to my mustard. In DC. In 10 days.

I've got some serious Goodness goin' on. I love how good God is. Even when things don't feel so good, I don't have to look far to know that they are.

Sickening and sad

(try again-attached another link to The Candy Shop since the last video stream kept stalling.) 

I watched this video a week or so again on my sweetie friend's blog. The Candy Shop. The video is incredibly artfully crafted but incredibly disturbing. And sad. And real.

And then as I read the news this afternoon this article lay before me. This is not a problem just stricken to other countries far away. It is happening here, right here, where we live. It's happening right under our noses.

It sickens me. It scares me. And, I'm gonna be honest... I don't know what I can do about it. So until I figure out what I can effectively do, to help these poor girls...I'm starting with sharing it on my blog, so that you can know too. So that you're heart can also be broken for the things that break God's. To shed some light. To share a bitter reality.

Something needs to change. At this moment let it be your heart.

Sweet tooth or clearance addict?

Why did we buy all this again???

Oh yeah, I remember..it was $ .62 a bag at Target. That's right. Sixty-TWO cents. A bag. At my love store. And there ain't no resisting a sale like that. Because I am a clearance addict.

Hmmm....now what to do with all of it???

I already spread two bags worth of goodness in our Operation Christmas Child boxes. Only 7 more to go.

Yeah, I'm thinking people are getting baggies of candy for Christmas. Like, over 11lbs worth of baggies of candy. Or, stale candy for next Halloween. But then again, with all the preservatives they put in the candy it will probably still be fresh!

I'd like to say that I have buyers remorse, for buying over 11lbs of candy, but, that really doesn't happen to me when we're talking clearance. Or chocolatey goodness. And if it did, I'd just bury it with sugar.

The evidence is obvious honey

"Marvelly, did you stamp your face?"

"No I didn't."

Reeeally? Hmmm, let's try this again....

"Marvelly, did you stamp your face?" (Maybe I wasn't clear before, I don't know.)

"NO I DIDN'T," 

"Ohhh, okay. Well then why do you have stamp marks all over your face?"(She knows she doesn't have permission to use this anymore, well, for obvious Marvelly reasons).

























her only response is this indignant lay off of me expression

and then she proceeds to pick the stamper back up and just plants one on her cheek like, "screw it. I'm already in trouble, what's one more stamp."

This girl. Ooooohh this bite sized girl. She gives us a run for our money that's for sure.

Some self examination

I got a nice little kick in the pants yesterday evening....

Isaak came home from work at normal time. I wasn't feeling very well, but what else is new lately. I was going about our normal evening process, getting ready for dinner and all that. And then Isaak gets a call from a co-worker who's car broke down and needed help. Her husband is deployed and she had no idea what to do. I stood there fiddling around in the kitchen working and listening to him try to help her over the phone.

And then I just started praying in thankfulness that Isaak's beginning years in maintenance have given him great experience with cars and fixing all kinds of things to be able to use to benefit and bless other people. Everyone knows that they can call Isaak for help with their car because he knows so much about them. We have gotten a good many calls over the years with people needing help and at that moment I was just so thankful that the Lord had given Isaak that opportunity to learn all those years ago and be able to retain all his knowledge to be able to help people today.

So I'm praying. And thanking God. And asking that the Lord would really use Isaak right now over the phone to help her. Yeah. Gosh, sometimes I don't even realize what the heck I'm praying for! Geesh!

Isaak hangs up then, runs upstairs, "Crap" I think. He comes back down with shoes and says,"I'll be back in about 45 minutes. I'm going to go help her with her car, it's an easy fix, I'll be back soon."

"Crap. It's dinner time."

I could just feel God saying, "mmm hmmm. So what was it that you were praying for now?"

Dang it.

Sometimes I really don't like it when God shows me areas of my heart that I'd rather not see. Those selfish areas, the parts of me that I'd rather not have to sacrifice. The parts of me that pray to be used and then don't want to actually have to go to be used.

God immediately brought my mind back to an article I read in Voice of the Martyrs months ago, here is two paragraphs of that article....

"One of the greatest examples I have seen of the kingdom-first mentality was in a Vietnamese evangelist named To Dinh Trung (featured in June 2004 newsletter). Trung was thrown into Quang Ngai prison for preaching. During his stay in prison, our brother Trung brought more than a dozen prisoners to Christ. After thousands of letters from our readers arrived at the prison, nervous officials offered to release Trung a few months early. He shocked them by demanding the right to complete his prison sentence; he did not want to leave his new church.
How would you expect Trung's wife, a mother with three young children, to react to her husband's decision? Mrs. Trung said simply," I am happy that the Lord has given my husband a ministry." The Trung family knew that the blessings of God go beyond the immediate comfort of being together as a family. Since they were unified in spirit, their children did not significantly suffer from the absence of their father.
Should I and my family focus on the kingdom of God even it it means sacrificing some good things we think we deserve? What decision will we make when faced with the dilemma of being a "kingdom first" family"

Ugh. And I was inwardly griping about my husband being gone for 45 minutes?!  Wow. Wow wow wow. I asked God to use him, that his skills would be a blessing to someone in need, but I didn't really mean it. Not fully. What I really meant was, "God use Isaak. But use him here. Use him in a way that is not going to inconvenience me."

Yeah. And boy did I know the moment Isaak closed the door behind him that God was waiting to talk to me! Was waiting to show me some areas of my heart that needed to change. And boy did I get the message.

My prayer changed at that moment. It changed from not just asking God to "use Isaak" but to "change me, rid me of these selfish areas. Help me be a woman that sacrifices joyfully." And to celebrate opportunities that the Lord gives our family to bless others, even if it's not always convenient.


After some deep prayer at the oven I was able to sit down around the table with the girls and when they asked where Daddy was I could respond without bitterness or negativity that he wasn't home, but with joy, telling them that "Daddy was out helping someone fix their car. Isn't it great that we have a Daddy that God uses to help people!"


"Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up." Deut. 6:4-7 (NLT)

I love that I serve a God who loves me too much to leave me the way I am. A God who seeks to see me grow and blossom. A God who won't hesitate to strip me of areas in my life that just need to go. A God that is patient with the-work-in-progress that I am always gonna be.

So thankful for His gentle little kicks in the pants. :~)

The Halloween that kept on going

It seemed like Halloween was never ending this year. For a one day event we sure got our monies worth that's for sure. :~)

Last Wednesday Sydaleigh's class went to Vala's pumpkin patch for a field trip. And while this wasn't exactly a Halloween event, it was at a pumpkin patch with Halloween decorations, so I'm throwing it in the mix anyways. 

This was Sydaleigh's first field trip and first time on a bus. Isaak was a little bit nervous about her going, so he took the day off work and decided to go with her. And ride the bus with her. And if he could of tethered her to his side I think he would of done that too. :)

And then on Friday was Sydaleigh's class party, which she got to dress up for. Ariel, of course. Her absolute favorite princess. I sprayed parts of her hair red for an extra Ariel like touch which she thought was the greatest thing ever. And I was there as a happy helper and made those tasty sugar cookies for the kids to decorate.

*side note* I love the picture on Syd's bag, it's me and her. Ahh. She is super into drawing right now and I think in my not humble mommy opinion that she is best darn 4 year old drawer there is! Only she could draw me with purple hair and a receding hair line and I would swoon over it!

Saturday the craze continued with a "Harvest Festival", a.k.a church Halloween party at the base chapel right behind our house. This is the first year they've done this and it.was.awesome! And free! And we could walk there! And it was gorgeous outside! And I hope they do this next year because we loved it. Luuuved it! There were games and giveaways (which I did not win but Liz did!) and food and candy and cupcakes. Best thing I've seen the base put on in a long time.

the girls only wanted to get dressed up in their favorite dresses for the "party". Seriously, they hear 'party' and there is only one thing to wear in their minds. A fancy dress. :)

face painting and a bouncy house too.

and free food. Shoot, I'll go just about anywhere that doesn't make me have to cook for a night. Crap, that's worth it in itself.

some kinda cool popcorn relay race. Sydaleigh was all over that.

and this happened once the whole night, for maybe 10 seconds, and then it was over. 

so great. so so so so great. They better do this again next year or I will be ticked!



And then Sunday we did it all again! The girls got dressed up for real this time to go collect candy around the neighborhood. Marvelly's fairy costume cost me all of $4. Thank you very much. We did chili at Kara's beforehand and then set out to hit up base housing. Sydaleigh was on Halloween overload at this point so we lasted about 50 minutes and then she called it quits.

They were pooped. Sydaleigh told me next year she "just wants to stay home and not get dressed up hand out candy because this is too much walking and makes me tired." That works for me. Only one problem I see with that though....we may actually have to buy candy for a change, and I'd be handing out our stash and no one would be out refilling it for me! I may have to dress Isaak up and send him out to collect for us. If only our county didn't ticket kids for trick or treating over 13. What's up with that?!

Happy Fall!