Kevin is coming home soon....

Hello to all my friends,

I am so sorry that I have not kept up with my blog for several months.

I have felt like I am meeting myself coming and going. Let see if I can update you.

Kevin has been in Iraq but is due to arrive home in just a few more weeks. He will be leaving to a new location (unknown) possibly this week and may be home by the 6th or 7th of May.

Jaron moved back home at Christmas time. He is trying to save up enough money for a vehicle so I am currently playing mom's taxi. He is working at Family Christian Bookstore.

I have been homeschooling Dakota since October. It started out rough but she is a little smarty and is catching on quickly so as we finish up most of this year (still have about a month or so left in Phonics) she is writing in cursive, adding and subtracting and reading big time. That's our almost 1st grader! Way to go!

We found out that Shannon, Paul and the boys are going to be moving to Oklahoma at the end of May. It was a blessing in disguise since the cost of living is so bad that they have lived in very limited space (a two bedroom one bath apartment) paying $1100 a month. And they were able to get a 4 bedroom because she just found out that she has a little one on the way. Grandbaby number 6 will arrive in November sometime.

Another event coming up the road is the marriage of Michael and Sarah. We have been praying long and hard for this and the event will take place on July 18th. Dakota is extremely excited because she will get to be a flower girl.

I started holding myself accountable for my weight and have been able to lose about 10 lbs so far working out three days a week at Curves and using Sparkpeople.com to chart my meal intake. I feel alot better physically and a lot better about myself.

We were able to see Aimee in December. We pray constantly for her spiritual need trusting that the Lord will in the right time deliver her.

What we did this summer

Michael and his Grandpa Carr.
Dad coloring with two of his grandchildren, Dakota and Luke.
This is Calvin...isn't he a cutie!
Sarah, Dakota and Michael.

Here is the gang at Disney in front of Cinderella's castle
Paul and Shannon
Kevin during training at Ft. Dix, New Jersey
Kevin and Dakota

A goofy picture! Marshall, Kev's mom, Melody, Leeanna, Stephanie

Cindy, Kev's dad and Kevin.

My Dad and his wife Jane at Sea World.
Michelle and Brian LaLena.
The gang just before going into the Toy Story game. It was fun and

you got to wear those crazy 3 D glasses!

Our 3 mousekeeters!

Dakota, Carl, Jen and Jaron in front of the

doors to the Alamo!

Hi Everyone,

I know it has been a while since I got on the site. Just thought I'd update you with a few things we did this summer.

First of all, it went quickly! We found out in July that Kevin was going to Iraq and he is already gone and training. He will be in the Middle East by the end of October or beginning of November and he will be there 6 months.

Jaron came and visited with two of his friends in June. It was good to have him here. We went to the Alamo and the Hard Rock Cafe.

Dakota and I went to Disney World in Florida. We met up with Shannon, Paul and Caleb and Gabriel and had a great time.

While we were away Kevin's side of the family came and visited. They had a great time.

After I returned, My dad and his wife, Jane visited. Once again we went to the Alamo. We also went to Sea World and to the Riverwalk. I wore dad plum out!

Some friends of ours from Louisiana, The LaLena's came to visit us for Dinner!

We said good bye to Kevin on the 29th of July. This is alot different than the last times that I sent him out because he is in a very dangerous place. I have to trust that the Lord will watch over him.

And now... it is back to school. Calvin's 2nd birthday party is tommorrow and Monday is Dakota's first day of Kindergarten and going to school on the bus both to and from.

I will work 3 days this week to fill in for the church secretary and then I am going to be scaling back to 2 days. It is hard being both mom and grandma and dad and grandpa to a 5 year old. I have all that plus all the things Kevin normally does like mowing the lawn and now my grocery shopping has got to be while Dakota is done because I can't do it after she gets home (not enough time).

Summer went by too fast. I hope you had a great summer!

The Crazy month of July 2008

Sorry for the lateness of this blog. Things have been so crazy this month! Where to start....

First of all at around the end of last month or the beginning of this month, after volunteering, Kevin got a not so safe assignment to Iraq. It was one that no one would volunteer for and since Kevin has been trying to get to Iraq since the onset of the War he was excited to get it. Not because he is a warmonger but because he felt that he was not doing his part for the cause of freedom. So now he will be stationed in Bagdad and then travel all around Iraq encouraging his troops and CSIing and cataloging weapons seized from insurgents. Thus began the craziness!

Kevin planned to take leave for two weeks but with all that had to be done at work and training scheduled as well as out processing he was only able to take 5 days which he has spent every day of so far doing something either at the office or in preparation for his departure on Tuesday. Even Monday is filled with packing and going to legal for a power of attorney. So much for time together.

Dakota and I were scheduled to go to Disney in Orlando and since that was non- refundable we went. We had a blast and we needed the break. We met up with Shannon, Paul and the grandboys.

Before we left, Jaron, Carl and Jennifer visited and we went to the Alamo , the Riverwalk and the Hard Rock Cafe.

While I was gone, Kevin's Mom, Dad, sisters and one of our niece's and nephew's came and visited. Three days after our return my dad and his wife came and we went to the Alamo, the Riverwalk and Sea World. And on Thursday some friends of ours from Louisiana came over for dinner.

Please keep us in your prayers. Kevin is leaving at 5:30 am on Tuesday. He will be in New Jersey for one month, Arizona for two months and then in Kuwait for two weeks before he heads to Iraq for 6 months (if he is replaced in a timely fashion).

Easter

I just love Easter! I loved the look on Calvin's face when he realized that if you put a white egg into a cup of liquid stuff it magically changes and I love watching them hunt eggs. But it isn't just because of the grandkids. It about what Easter means. I thank God for the great sacrifice that He made for all mankind. I am thankful that He rose from the dead after dying for my sins. He had the power to rise from the dead so when He promises eternal life for all who accept Him as Savior it is verification that He can do what He promised! Praise God!

Saved by grace...

One of Jesus' disciples, Peter, wanted to walk on water. And I believe that he felt he could. After all, the Lord Jesus was walking on water! And he did just fine until he took his eyes of the Lord.

I'm alot more like Peter than I want to admit!

I have questioned alot of the circumstances in my life of late, and because of it, I have found myself sinking. Somedays I wonder why things have gone the way they have. On those days, I have my eyes on the situation and circumstances around me and not on the LORD.

I have to get my eyes of the circumstances and situations, no matter how heartbreaking they are to me, and see things the way the LORD sees them!

I praise God that I am just a sinner saved by grace!