My first Zaycon Order

About two years ago I read about Zaycon from blog posts on facebook.  Each post that I had read, always talked about their chicken deals, so I assumed that Zaycon only sold chicken.  I signed up to receive emails from them and browsed their website.  That's when I found out that they sold more than just chicken. They actually sell fish, chicken, beef, pork, ham and ground turkey.  

As I looked at their prices, I saw that boneless skinless chicken breasts are $1.69 lb.  While that is a good deal compared to most grocery stores, I could get almost the same price at the Commissary, so I just moved on and did not give them another thought.

Last May we moved to South Carolina and needless to say, my first trip to the commissary was disappointing.  The cost of boneless skinless chicken breasts was over $2.00 lb.  At this time I decided to do some more digging into Zaycon.  I posted on facebook to see if I could find someone I personally knew who had used this company.  Unfortunately, no one I knew had ever used them.  I wasn't sure I wanted to be a guinea pig to find out how the process worked and if it was worth it.

Again, the Army moved us....this time to Arizona.  I checked out the prices at the Commissary and was in shock.  The same chicken I was able to get in Tennessee for $1.79lb cost me $2.19lb here.  I decided it was time to stop procrastinating and to just take the plunge and try Zaycon.  I didn't want to jump all in and order multiple things, as I am not a risk taker....ordering 40 lbs of chicken was enough of a risk for me.

In January, I went back to Zaycon Fresh to find out more about their product and to place my first order.  This is what I found out:

1. They sell high quality fresh meats
2. All meats are sold by the case
3. The company is located in Spokane, WA but has delivery locations all over the USA
4. Their chicken has no added hormones, additives or artificial ingredients
5. Zaycon sells more than just chicken

So, I decided to give them a try.  I placed my first order for 40 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts.  You pay online when you place your order.  My delivery was set for about 7 weeks later.  A week before my scheduled pickup date, I received a reminder email.  Two days before, I got a text to let me know the date, time and location.  The morning of my pickup, I received yet another text. This company is definitely thorough.

I was excited about going to get my order that I actually was a little early, but the companies truck was there waiting.  I followed the signs and pulled up to the back of the delivery truck. The gentleman took my name, confirmed my order and put my chicken in the back of my van...with no need for me to get out of my car.

Cars lined up to pickup their orders.

My 40 lbs of boneless skinless chicken.

My box contained 40 pounds of chicken in 4 smaller bags containing approximately 10 pounds in each.

The portion sizes of chicken are quite large.  

Below is a closeup picture of the chicken on a large dinner plate.

My daughter and I took the next hour or so to trim, cut, chop and bag.  I did one freezer meal and probably would have done more if I prepared ahead of time but I am also baking 240 cookies for a ministry event at the chapel on post this Friday night.  There is only so much I can do.

I had a great experience with Zaycon Fresh and will try one of their other bulk meat purchases in the very near future.  Tonight we are eating our first chicken meal, so I will have to let you know how it tastes.

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31 Ways to Save Money this Month

1.      Make a budget.

2.      Use coupons and shop the sales.

3.      Take unwanted clothing to consignment shops.

4.      Make a donation to a non-profit and get a tax receipt.

5.      Eat leftovers.

6.      Use a cash back website like Ebates when shopping online.

7.      Plan a free date night using these ideas.

8.      Create a meal plan and shopping list before going to the store.

9.      Make your own household cleaners.

10.  Buy store brand items instead of name brands.

11.  Call your cable or internet provider to see if there is a way to lower your bill.

12.  Use in network ATMs to avoid those crazy fees.

13.  Get rewards cards for all the places you shop.

14.  Pay your bills on time to avoid late fees.

15.  Replace the filters in your home.

16.  Wash your laundry in cold water instead of warm/hot.

17.  Make gifts instead of buying them.

18.  Cut back on convenience foods and cook more from scratch.

19.  Make your own laundry detergent.

20.  Buy used.

21.  Shop for holiday items after the holiday and save for the next year.

22.  Swap babysitting with friends or neighbors.

23.  Pack your lunch.

24.  Borrow books, movies, and music from the library.

25.  Go meatless for dinner at least once a week.

26.  Create a price notebook.

27.  Make your coffee at home.

28. Invite friends over for a potluck instead of heading to a restaurant.

29.  Don’t shop convenience stores.

30.  Pay bills online to save on postage.

31.  Buy in bulk and share with a friend.

Creating A Masterpiece

Last year at a local homeschool conference, my 9 year old daughter had the opportunity to participate in a hands on arts class offered by Creating a Masterpiece and taught by Sharon Hofer.  The class she took utilized pastels.  By the end of the lesson, my daughter walked away with a complete piece of artwork.  I was amazed!!  I decided to purchase one of her DVDs to take home and try with the other girls.

This is the curriculum that we purchased.

Creating a Masterpiece is a DVD driven, art curriculum where the teacher and creator, Sharon Hofer, walks the student through step by step to create their masterpiece.  Her videos are not only for those who like pastels, but she utilizes many different mediums including crayon, ink, pencil, watercolor and much more.

While we purchased our curriculum almost a year ago, we finally got around to getting the supplies and pulling out the DVD to give it a try.  Once we gathered everything together and started the video, I realized that I did not have the correct colors of pastels.  I was missing one of the colors they were going to need.  Guess that's what I get for buying my pastels when we lived in South Korea almost three years ago.  We were able to improvise and the girls had fun and made a mess while watching the video and creating their artwork.

And here is the finished product...a masterpiece.

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Mark your calendars for the one day only sale on Alpha Omega Curriculum at Christianbook.com on January 13, 2015!

Week One - No Spend

So this month I am doing a No Spend January/Eat from your Pantry.  If you want the specifics on what that means, go here to my previous post.  In essence, I am only spending $150 on groceries this month for my family of 7, when we normally would spend about $150.00 a week.

Before starting I did stock up on frozen veggies, milk, eggs and bread, which went into the freezer.  I made one trip to the grocery store this past week and struck gold, while only spending $26.00.

One of our family's favorite fruits is strawberries.  When I buy them, we can go through a pound or two at a sitting.  I am pretty picky about price and will not spend more than $2.50 per pound.  When I went to the commissary before starting this challenge, one pound of strawberries was $4.99.  That's ridiculous to me!!  I opted out on that purchase at the time.  But when I ran to the store this week, they had two pound packages of strawberries for $1.99.  YES!!!

This is cheaper than frozen berries right now.  So I took advantage of the sale and stocked up.  I bought 14 pounds of berries.  I forgot to take a picture before we washed, ate, cut, froze and dipped strawberries in chocolate.  They were YUMMY!

31 Things to Do Instead of Spending Money

Since this month is a no spend money, I thought I would look up some fun things that could be done each day instead of wanting to go shopping or out and spend money.

1. Invite a friend over for coffee or tea.
2. Wash your car at home.
3. Have a movie marathon with friends.
4. Go to the library.
5. Organize your drawer or closet.
6. Take a nap.
7. Listen to a podcast.
8. Play a board game.
9. Go on a bike ride.
10. Take a walk.
11. Go for a drive and get lost.
12. Bake something.
13. Write a letter to an old friend.
14. Have a bonfire.
15. Paint your nails.
16. Plant or weed your garden.
17. Rearrange your furniture.
18. Gaze at the stars.
19. Create a bucket list.
20. Make a monthly meal plan.
21. Get rid of clutter and donate it.
22. Go to a park and swing on the swings.
23. Read a book.
24. Call a friend you haven't spoken to in a while. 
25. Watch an old favorite TV show on YouTube.
26. Try a new hairstyle.
27. Prepare a bag to give to the homeless.
28. Organize your refrigerator.
29. Go on a hike.
30. Visit with family or friends.
31. Count your blessings.

Random Acts of Kindness 2015

Joni, a blogger at FreeTastesGood,  is encouraging people to go into the 2015 doing  365 Days of Kindness by performing a random act of kindness everyday.  She is posting videos to give ideas of what you can do to bless others.  Check out her first video.

Eat from the Pantry/No Spend January

Last year my sister and I decided to go for one month with no spending above the minimal needs of our family.  We each had different reasons for wanting to do this but both of us decided make a commitment for the month of January.  My goal was to only spend $150.00 on groceries for the family, mainly purchasing fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy.  This is not much considering our monthly family grocery budget is about $700.00.  

I have decided to do this again for January 2015.  Would you like to join me?

Eating from the Pantry means that we eat the food that is already in our pantry and freezer, while only purchasing the bare essentials.  No spending means.... no eating out, picking up Starbucks, or buying that cute sweater that only costs $5.00 with a sale and coupon.  

The things that are NOT included in our no spend month are:

·                     Rent/Mortgage

·                     Utilities

·                     Tithe

·                     Insurance

·                     Gasoline

·                     Education (both my husband and daughter are in college)

Last year when I mentioned what I was doing on Facebook, some of my friends replied that they would starve, that there is no way that they could eat from their pantry.   I may have an advantage over someone who does not enjoy shopping, cooking or using coupons to save money.  Since my sister and I both have larger families, I have 5 kids and she has 6,  we normally buy things in larger quantities at SAM's Club or even stockpile for our families anyway.  While I keep a cupboard full of things we eat in the kitchen, I also have pantry in the basement.  I always have an extra one or more of many items in my basement pantry.  For example, while I have ketchup, mustard, PB and jelly in my kitchen, I also have at least one more in my basement pantry.  This is just how we roll.  I never want to be stuck without something I might need.

Here is a picture of my basement pantry.  I organized it just for you J

 You may be thinking there is no way you can do a month eating mainly what you have in your house.  Let me challenge you to try a week.  If you normally spend $100 on groceries a week, try getting creative with your meals, digging back into your cupboard and using things that you didn't know were there and only spend $25.00 on your groceries.  Also, see how long you can go without buy stuff.  You know what I'm talking about, not needs but wants.   Pepsi at the Dollar Tree...Starbucks coffee...Papa John's pizza....Chinese takeout.  I guess you can see where we like to put our money (though I am not the coffee drinker in our house).  

I will begin this challenge on January 1, 2015, just a few days away.  As I look at my freezer and pantry, I will probably make a run to the store to get a bunch of fresh fruits and veggies and a few more pounds of chicken before Thursday.  If my kids want to spend their Christmas money during January on something, I won’t stop them as I am not forcing them to participate in this challenge with their personal money, but don’t ask me to go out to lunch or shopping, as I’ll have to ask you to reschedule until February.

Happy Saving!!

Remembering Fort Hood - Repost from November 2009

Tragedy at Fort Hood

I have been struggling with what to post...whether or not to post. We live on post here at Fort Hood. We were home last Thursday when the events unfolded at the SRP building, just over a mile away. Normally on Thursdays, we are usually off post for a homeschool co-op, but co-op had ended just the week before and we were home. Our plans for last Thursday included an afternoon playdate and dinner out with the girls. At approximately 2:20PM, as we were loading up the mini-van with meals for pregnant friends, returns to the department store and kids and their jackets, the emergency sirens here on post began to go off. I looked at my watch and thought...that's strange, they ususally test the system on Wednesdays at 12:00 Noon. The announcement that followed the sirens was " Seek shelter immediately, stay away from doors and windows". I looked up at the sky and thought, I don't know why they are saying that, it's a bright and sunny day, I don't see any storms let alone a possible tornado. A neighbor across the way yelled out her front door, "get inside and lock your doors." So I attempted to take my kids out of their car seats...as they kicked and screamed, wanting to get in the car and go to their friends house to play. As I reached the front door, my oldest handed me the phone. It was a friend who lived in a nearby town, asking if I had heard the news...there was a shooting on Fort Hood at the Readiness Center, seven people had been killed. We finished the phone call, got everyone into the house and closed and locked all the doors and shut the curtains and blinds. As I turned on the TV, it was all over the news. There was so much speculation going around, I didn't know what was truth and what was rumor. Was there another gunman out there?

As we tried to occupy ourselves in our quiet dark home, I prayed for the safety of my family. Phone calls, emails, text messages and facebook comments kept popping up and coming in. For the next five hours, until lockdown was lifted, I learned to trust in the protection of the Lord. People prayed with me on the phone and prayers were lifted up for us by friends far away. The days prior to and including Thursday, my quiet time with the Lord, included a devotional book titled, "Faith Deployed; Daily Encouragment for Military Wives". I had just read a devotion entitled, Already Written. A quote from that devotional says, "Whether they are home or abroad, God's plan for us is already written; we cannot do anything to change it!" The next day's devotional was on "The Sting of Death". How timely were these devotions in my quiet time last week. I had no idea for what the Lord was preparing me. I did not lose anyone in the attack that took place on Fort Hood on November 5th, but many people did or they knew someone who was there. I need to be ready to respond to those who are lost and hurting, with a meal, a hug, a kind word. We are called to bring hope to the hopeless. I want to always be ready to meet the need that I am confronted with, no matter what that need may be.

My husband's unit lost a soldier in the tragic shooting last week. I had never met her but Angel knew her. He described her as "a wonderful and delightful person." Please continue to pray for my husband's unit as they mourn the loss of one of their own here at home.

I need to remember that we live in a fallen and sinful world. Without Christ, people are lost. I pray that in the midst of this tragedy, that those who are hurting find comfort and hope...that they find healing for their hurts. That they find a relationship with the true God.

Dating your Spouse

A friend of mine and my husband from college asked us to review his ebook last week before he published it.  It's called "Take Your Marriage from Good to Great One Date at a Time".  Here is the review I wrote for Amazon.

When my husband and I met over 20 years ago, we spent a lot of time getting to know each other, hanging out and going on dates. After we married and started having children, our dates became fewer and less frequent. Now with five children, busy schedules, military training and/or deployment, we don't date as much as we could to enhance our marriage. Our life has become about the kids and their needs while putting ours on hold.

This book came at a good time. It's a quick and easy read with lots of great practical information. It takes you back to the basics and the things most married couples did once upon a time. It is filled with creative ideas that don’t have to cost lots of money but will enhance and encourage your relationship with your spouse. I can’t wait to implement these ideas and start moving our good marriage to a great one.

This is a great book and it's FREE today!

End of No Spend January

Whew, January was a long month!  I am so grateful that it is over.  Our family did really well at the beginning of the month.  I was determined to stay within the $150.00 grocery budget for our family of 7.  By mid month, we were holding on with only having spent about $70.00.  Not bad... less than half our budget at the half way point.  But things got really hard during the last week of the month.

I will say that I did go over the $150.00 budget.  I am not exactly sure how much we went over but that last week really got me. I probably spent just over $200.00 on groceries for the month.  One of the reasons for going over the budget is that I ended up having to buy baby food.  I just assumed that the baby would eat regular foods and many of them she would not.  I probably spent about $25.00 alone on baby food.  I didn't realize how much it cost and that she would be eating so much.  But at 53 cents a jar, and 3 to 4 jars a day, it adds up. 

While we went over our projected food budget, I am happy to say that we did NOT spend money on eating out or on anything else that was not a fixed expense (such as rent, utilities, insurances).

Until this challenge, I never realized how easy it was for me to just buy something because I wanted it or it was there.  If I wanted to purchase something to do a project or organize an area of the house, I would just buy it.  If someone needed something such as new socks or underwear, I'd go to the store and get it. While some of those things may have been needed, they were not emergencies that needed to be purchased right away and could wait.

I'll admit that I really do LOVE a good sale and the after Christmas sales were really hard for me because by the time January rolled around, Christmas clearance was over 75% at most places.  One of the pitfalls of watching people post on Facebook is knowing what I was missing. 

For me to stay true to my No Spend January, I need to avoid going any place that I might be tempted to spend money.  I did not make any unnecessary trips to stores and even sent my husband to do some shopping for me.

I am blessed beyond measure and this month of no spending reminded me how blessed I am. 

Some of you have asked if it was worth it....YES!!! And I think I will do it again another month this year!.  Sometimes when we deprive ourselves, we realize that we didn't really need that item anyway or that we can take what we would normally buy ourselves and bless someone else.   This happened to me in January too! While I won't go into detail, I was able to use the money I didn't spend on myself to help someone else.

Was it hard?  YES!!  It took discipline not to eat out, run to the Dollar Tree for a measly little item or throw extra stuff in the shopping cart that I didn't NEED. F you remember my starting post, I have quite a stocked pantry as it is.   I learned that I can live without some things. I can spend less and still have my basic needs met. I can give and bless others instead of filing my pockets with more.

No Spend January UPDATE

My sister and I have committed to no spending in the month of January.  If you want to see what this includes, check out my previous post here.  Today I'm giving an update on how this is going so far for our family.

I didn't realize how many times in a week I just buy something when I want it or see something that our family might be able to use.  This past week my daughter asked me to take her to Hobby Lobby to get a frame for her poster she got for Christmas.  She was using her own money, so I thought it would be no big deal going to the store.  Boy, was I wrong.  I walked in the store and immediately was drawn to what was on sale.  I had to tell myself to walk away.  I went to the back of the store where the poster frames are located and low and behold, the clearance section is right next to it.  UGH, another temptation.  That is why I sent my husband to the grocery store the other week.  I can proudly say that I left Hobby Lobby with only one poster frame for my daughter and nothing for me.

Since my husband was in the field, I had to take my teens to their activities this week.  On Saturday,  Marissa had her last Driver's Ed course and near the school is a thrift store I like to pop into when I get a chance.  I was excited to see what they might have on sale.  Then I remembered my commitment...NO SPENDING!  This has become a challenge for me this week.  It's so much easier when I just stay in the house and don't go anywhere because then I am not tempted.

But, we needed milk again.  Did I tell you that we go through about 3 gallons of milk in a week?  So with my list of fruits, veggies and diary, I headed to the Commissary the other day.  I must say that while I did great at Hobby Lobby and resisting the thrift store, I failed at the Commissary.  I did not completely stay within the scope of my list.  When I am stressed, I tend to drink...soda that is and going to the store when you are hungry is not wise, I should have known better.  I ended up buying a 2 liter of Pepsi, a frozen pumpkin pie that was on sale for $.99 and a box of ice cream bars.  I should have just resisted those isles altogether, but I didn't.  I also forgot that I needed some baby food since Olivia won't eat banana and I need a fruit to go with her cereal besides applesauce everyday.

My previous spending for the month was $20.35 and this trip cost me $56.89, so my total spending to date is $77.24.  With my budget for the month for groceries being $150.00, I have $72.76 for the rest of the month. 

I now know, not to go to the store hungry and take someone with me to help keep me accountable. 

I think we can all use someone in our lives to keep us on track...  an accountability partner.  Maybe you are trying to be consistent with daily exercise or making sure you get your quiet time in every day.  An accountability partner can help keep you on track by encouraging you to stay strong when the going gets tough.  Find someone in your life who can spur you on to greater things.

Eat from the Pantry/No Spend January

Last month my sister and I had a conversation about going for one month with no spending above the minimal needs of our family.  We each had different reasons for wanting to do this but both of us decided make a commitment for the month of January.  My goal is to only spend $150.00 on groceries for the family, mainly purchasing fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy.  This is not much considering our monthly family grocery budget is about $700.00. 

Eating from the Pantry means that we eat the food that is already in our pantry and freezer, while only purchasing the bare essentials.  No spending means.... no eating out, picking up Starbucks, or buying that cute sweater that only costs $5.00 with a sale and coupon. 

The things that are NOT included in our no spend month are:

• Rent/Mortgage
• Utilities
• Tithe
• Insurance
• Gasoline

I mentioned what we are doing on Facebook and a couple of people replied that they would starve, that there is no way that they could eat from their pantry.   I may have an advantage over someone who does not enjoy shopping, cooking or using coupons to save money.  Since my sister and I both have larger families, I have 5 kids and she has 6,  we normally buy things in larger quantities at SAM's Club or even stockpile for our families anyway.  Plus at the end of November and again in December, I happen to come upon sales at the Commissary.  The first sale there was Tyson rep in the store handing out coupons for $1.25 off each package of meat. There was no limit on the number of packages of chicken you bought.  I definitely took advantage of this sale.  Buying the smallest packages gave me more bang for my buck.  The second sale I came across was on Perdue thin sliced boneless breasts at half off. Again, I bought quite a few, while still staying within my weekly grocery budget.

I can't resist a sale, especially if it's on a product I know that my family will use and it's even extra sweet if I have a coupon.  Let me just give you an idea of what I have on hand, so you understand how this is possible.  Like I mentioned earlier, my sister and I shop at SAMs and when I need to purchase something like sugar, flour or rice, the smallest quantity I buy is 7 lbs, but I usually buy at least 25 lbs. at a time.  I keep a cupboard of things we eat in the kitchen and then a pantry in the basement.  I always have an extra one or more of things in my basement pantry.  For example, while I have ketchup, mustard, PB and jelly in my kitchen, I also have at least one more in my basement pantry.  This is just how we roll.  I never want to be stuck without something I might need.

Here is a picture of my basement pantry.

And yes, I have over 20 packages of chicken from the sales I hit at the Commissary last year.  I also keep a small chest freezer stocked as much as possible.  You may be thinking there is no way you can do a month eating mainly what you have in your house.  Let me challenge you to try a week.  If you normally spend $100 on groceries a week, try getting creative with your meals, digging back into your cupboard and using things that you didn't know were there and only spend $25.00 on your groceries.  Also, see how long you can go without buy stuff.  You know what I'm talking about, not needs but wants.   Pepsi at the Dollar Tree...Starbucks coffee...Papa John's pizza....Chinese takeout.  I guess you can see where we like to put our money (though I am not the coffee drinker in our house). 

Today is January 8th.  We have 23 days left in the month.  To date I have spent $20.35.  It is sooo hard for me to have coupons in my binder and not to use them.  When I realized we needed milk, I sent my husband to the store so I would not be tempted to shop and buy things we didn't NEED for the week.  The other day my teens wanted to spend their Christmas money ( I am not forcing them to participate in this challenge with their personal money) so I had my husband take them to the mall.  What girl wants to shop with family or friends and not spend money?

So if you ask me to meet you for lunch in January, I will have to say no, call me next month.

Eleven years and going strong

This year marks our 11th year of homeschooling.  What started off as what one might call a fluke, has progressed to a lifestyle of learning for our family.  In 2001, my oldest daughter was about to turn five years old, but a few weeks to late for the school system in our home state of Pennsylvania.  She had already attended our church's preschool program for the last two years and was a sponge for learning.  Even though I had told myself that I would NEVER homeschool my children because I did not have the patients required,  I did not want my daughter to become bored at home waiting for the year to pass so that she could attend public school the following year. 

I told myself that I would only homeschool for a year or two and then I would put her in public school.  Well, that year turned into two and then three and then four.  It was around this time that I found out that I was pregnant again (with baby #4) and that the third and fourth children would only be 20 months apart.  There was no way that I could homeschool.  I would be teaching a 1st grader, 4th grader and have two in diapers.  So I decided to enroll the older two girls in public school.

We lived in a conservative area and most of the teachers and even the principal in the new school were Christians.  During this school year, my husband quit his job, which provided housing for us and we had to move.  We could not find reasonable housing in the same school district, so we decided to move to the town I grew up in and the girls attended the same school that I had attended.  It was during this year that my husband joined the military and we moved only 7 months later. 

Since my husband has to go through 4 months of training, we decided to go back to homeschooling again.  Throughout the following years, we have utilized homeschooling, public school and even online Christian school for our older two girls to further their education. 

Again, I said that I would NEVER homeschool for high school, but this fall my daughter starts her junior year.  You would think by now that I would stop saying NEVER, because every time I do, I end up doing what I said I wouldn't do anyway.

So this year, along with having a newborn, I am homeschooling my girls in 2nd, 3rd, 7th and 11th grades.  We started out this homeschool journey with me wanting my daughter to not just sit at home waiting to turn five so she could start kindergarten and now eleven years later are still at it.

We have had our rough patches and our great years, but I wouldn't trade these years with my kids for anything.  In two years, my oldest will graduate and who knows what will happen after that. 

Take the time to love on your kids and invest in them because the future could be right around the corner and much closer than you think!

Change is good!

About this same time last year, I received some news that threatened to turn my world upside down.  We had relocated to Fort Campbell, KY from South Korea and life was good.  I turned forty years old not long after we signed for our housing, was in the process of getting ready to begin our 10th year homeschooling and my youngest child was about to turn six years old.  Even though my husband's unit was set to deploy for nine months, he was chosen to be a part of the Rear D, to take care of the soldier and families left behind.

It couldn't be any better.  And then the news arrived... I was pregnant!!!   I could NOT be pregnant!!.  I was over forty and my youngest child was soon to be six years old.  It rocked my world.  I did not want to be pregnant.  It was totally unplanned.  At first I was in denial.  You see, I had recently told my husband to make an appointment with the urologist to get things taken care of because I was content with our family and ready to move into new things since the kids were getting older.

I not only wrestled with morning sickness, but the fact that I was pregnant.  It took me months before I told anyone except for my family.  It just could not be.  After arguing with God, how could this happen (yes, I really do know how it happens...just not to me at this time), I finally came to grips with the fact that I was going to have another baby. 

If you know me or have read early posts in my blog, you'll remember that I became pregnant in 2010, right after my husband returned from his year long deployment to Iraq.  That pregnancy ended in miscarriage and so did the next pregnancy about 6 months later.  Even though I was in the acceptance stage of this pregnancy, I did not really want to plan for another little one. What if something happened like the last time?

In January, when I was around 5 1/2 months pregnant, I had an ultrasound and found out that we were having another little girl.  OMGosh!  I was going to be a mom to FIVE daughters.  I couldn't believe it.  I think the reality hit when I saw her precious face on the screen. 

Today I am sitting here with Olivia on my lap.  She is a smiley 3 month old who loves the attention of her older sisters.  Even my six year old changes poopy diapers to help out.  I don't know what I would do without her. 

The journey that has brought us to this point seemed very long at times.  It was physically and emotionally exhausting but all worth it.  The Lord worked on my heart and after many months of not wanting another baby, am very grateful for the Lord's blessing in our life.  I still laugh at the fact that my oldest will be sixteen years old in a few weeks and that our youngest is only 14 weeks old. 

I don't know what you are wrestling with right now, but let me encourage you to give it to the Lord.  How ironic that this same lesson was part of my little girls devotions last night.  Learning to trust God when you don't know how things will work out. 

A friend of mine loves a particular line from "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"... “Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

God is good!  We may go into unexpected places on our journey of life and faith but He is good and will be with us. 

Inspiring Biggest Loser Casting Video

Reorganizing Life

It seems like forever since I last posted and there was even a large gap in between there.  Life has been a bit unorganized, crazy and even hectic. 

The "Reader's Digest" version is that my four daughters and I left South Korea in April.  Due to a mistake on my husband's paperwork, he had to stay a month longer than his original DEROS date.  During the remaining time my husband had in Korea, the girls and I spent at my parent's house in Pennsylvania getting adjusted back to life in the USA and having time with the family that we had not seen in the last year or even two years. 

My husband arrived in the states at the end of May and we were on the go from the time he arrived.  Three days after his arrival we took a family vacation to Puerto Rico for 8 days where my girls met their grandfather (Angel's dad) for the first time.  We had a great vacation as we swam, went sightseeing and enjoyed a hike in the rainforest...which ended at a neat waterfall. 

Upon our return from Puerto Rico, our van arrived from South Korea and we were able to pick it up.  The next few days involved getting recalls and modifications on the van, packing and saying goodbye to my family.

Since my mother and sister-in-laws moved from NYC to North Carolina, we made our way south to spend a few days with them in their new home.  Time flew by and the next thing we knew we were on our way to Fort Campbell. 

In some ways I feel like we've been here for awhile, but in reality we have only been here for 9 days.  With signing a lease, moving in and getting our shipment of stuff from Korea....life has been a whirlwind.  I just unpacked that last box today, though I still have much to put away.  Our small shipment (mainly personal items Angel used his last month in Korea) from Korea arrives tomorrow. 
And next week our shipment of belongings that has been in storage for the last 2 plus years in Texas should be arriving also.  WOW!!!

I am trying to take this time of transition and new things as a time to reorganize my life....and those of our family.  We are purging our stuff, taking a look at what is important and what can we really do without.  I am looking to God for the strength to get through each crazy day.

Maybe you haven't had all the changes taking place that we have had lately....but sometimes you need to just step back from the circle you are running in and re-evaluate what is going on in your life and ask yourself some hard questions.

Is what I am committed to helping or hindering my family?

Is my stuff getting in the way of my relationship with the Lord?

What is really important in life and are the things that we (as a family) are doing helping us grow closer to each other and God or not?

With a deployment looming in the future.....it makes me even more reflective and digging a little deeper as I answer these questions.

You Know You're a Military Wife When....

~You show your military ID to the greeter at Walmart
~You've ever been referred to as "Household 6"
~You've ever had a pet named Scout, Ranger or Sergeant
~It only cost you $40 to have a child
~You can't remember the last time you saw a doctor who wasn't wearing ACUs
~You know that a 3 month separation IS short, no matter what your civilian friends say, heck 9 months is a breeze!
~Your husband's work and dress clothes cost more than yours do
~You can unpack a house and have everything in place in 48 hours
~You need a translator to talk to your civilian friends, only because they have no idea what DFAS, AER, TDY, ACS, NPD, PCS, ACU's, AAR and ETS mean
~You string Constantina wire to keep the neighbor's kids out of your flower beds
~You've changed more oil and mowed more lawns than your husband because he's never there to do it himself
~You use a crook-neck flashlight with a red lens during power outages because it's the only one you can ever find in the house
~Your children say "hoo ah" or "roger that" instead of "ok"
~You know that it's normal to light shoe polish on fire and that the best way to spit-shine boots is with cotton balls
~Your husband does a route recon and takes a GPS for a trip to the mall
~You only write in pencil because EVERYTHING is subject to change
~You have a larger selection of curtains than Walmart does
~You can remember where you kept the Scotch tape in your last house, but unfortunately, not in this one
~You mark time in duty stations, not years
~You refer to friends not only by name but by the state that they live in
~You know that "back home" doesn't mean at the house you live in now
~You tear up when you hear "Proud to Be An American," even though you've heard it 50 times by now
~You ALWAYS know when payday is and get ticked off if there are more than 2 weekends during that pay period
~You know better than to go to the PX or commissary between 11:30 and 13:00 unless it's a life or death emergency
~You know that any reference to "sand" or a "box" describes NTC at Ft. Irwin, not your kid's backyard toys
~You know that "Ft. Puke" is a completely accurate description of Ft. Polk
~You find yourself explaining your husband's LES to him
~You have enough camouflage in your house to wallpaper the White House
~You don't have to think about what time 21:30 is
~You're the TC, not a backseat driver
~You start ripping open MREs and looking for the M&Ms when you run out of Halloween candy
~You stand for the National Anthem at a movie theatre
~The local dry cleaner knows you by your first name
~You find that a large number of your clothes and household items are olive drab or loam, even though you never planned it that way
~You pick apart uniforms on TV and in the movies, even though you used to yell at your husband for doing the same thing
~You have a stock in flat rate shipping boxes, in varying sizes.
~You’ve spent more time apart than you have together.
~When the cashier ask you for your zip code you just stand there and stare
~You wish you could go to CIF to DX your old stuff like your husband can
~You've learned to sleep through the sounds of tanks, planes, helicopters and artillery rounds
~You give your kids a hand receipt when they take your Tupperware to school
~You can hate military life but be terrified to leave it all in the same breath
~You defend your lifestyle no matter how bad things get because you know there's no other life for you.


MANY of these are soooo true!