Deployment car care

So, Matt's cute little Ford Focus just sits in the garage day after day getting no love. I rarely have the opportunity to drive it since three carseats won't fit across the back seat (hooray for my minivan). However, I don't want the poor car to suffer from neglect and die, so the kids and I take a weekly joyride...sans carseats. Before you judge me, I feel the need to add a little disclaimer. We drive up and down our dead end street several times back and forth, but we don't go any further. You know, since it's against the law to have them ride in a car without being in a carseat afterall. If you happen to come by on some weekday afternoon and hear delighted laughter and see little tiny hands sticking out the windows of a little Ford Focus, it's probably us. Please don't call the police on us. We're just giving Matt's car a little TLC while he's away.

Union Station, Polar Express, and a Luminary Walk

Addy spent most of the day on my back. She is SO happy when she's being held.
Tunnel of light--my flash really takes away from the fact that it was DARK and the only light came from the Christmas lights and candles lining the path



Checking out the gingerbread house.

Ceiling of Union Station in the main hall. Isn't is beautiful?

Natalie mailing her letter to Santa.

Just a small fraction of the trains.

The kids, my dad, and I had a day packed with holiday fun yesterday. We headed to Union Station in the morning and met my dad there to see their holiday model railroad. It's amazing! Every year around Christmas, they set up an 8000 square foot display of model trains going around different tracks. The kids love it and honestly, so do I. It's a feast for the eyes. There are so many different trains, buildings, and settings all over the tracks. Afterwards, we explored the rest of Union Station. It's a beautiful building with a lot of history. I always enjoy visiting. The kids even wrote letters to Santa while we were there and sent them off in a big mailbox. What fun!

We came home for a while so the kids could nap. After they all woke up, the fun continued. I loaded the kids in the car, popped the Polar Express in the DVD player (they had never seen it) and we headed to a local arboretum for their annual Christmas luminary walk. Basically, you walk along candelit trails through gardens, woods, around ponds, and along little streams. There are a few bonfires along the way, cider, Christmas caroling, and a Native American wood flute player who serenades the guests as they walk through the woods. There's also a gingerbread house the kids can peer into and see model trains going around a track inside. I mentioned to my dad that I was on my way to the luminary walk with the kids, and he surprised us by meeting us there. I was thankful to have a little company and some help keeping track of the kids in the dark. We all had a wonderful time.

I love this time of year!

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! We had a wonderful time celebrating all the things we are thankful for this year. We had a morning devotion about thankfulness, prepared food and cleanted the house, welcomed visiting family and a friend, played Wits and Wagers several times, ate, visited, went for a walk (the weather was beautiful), and ate some more.

Today was a little bittersweet to be perfectly honest. Our (not so) little family of six is spread on three different continents this Thanksgiving afterall! I look forward to Matt and Easton joining us next year on Thanksgiving. Matt and I have spent every Thanksgiving together for the past 8 years, so it was so strange not sharing it with one another. We were blessed to be able to skype twice today, though. I'm so thankful for the technology we have that allows us to communicate so easily. Matt ate a traditional Turkey dinner in Afghanistan as well. Although, there was no pumpkin pie. That's okay. I'll bake him one next Spring when he's home to make up for it.

The highlight of the day today was playing Wits and Wagers with everyone. It's a great party game. Natalie is just like her Daddy and loves to play games. She joined in on the fun and ended up beating us all. Matt, she is definitely your daughter! Our little gamer. You should have seen her face when we told her she had won. Sweet girl!

All our company is gone now and the kids are tucked in bed. It's just me and my Savior in a quiet house. Thank you Jesus for dying for me so that I can be reconciled to the Father. Without you, as the writer of Ecclesiastes stated, this life in meaningless. Turkey, football, games, parades, and a day spent with family and friends are wonderful, but they can not bring the peace and deep joy that can only be provided by Jesus Christ.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the father. Colossians 3:15-17

Addy is 18 months old...and more sickness

Blueberry pancakes help upper respiratory infections and ear infections much better!

Addy Hope is 1 1/2 now!

Say cheese!

The tower of healing. Or something like that.

Sweet Addy Hope turned 18 months old this past week. Sigh. I absolutely love this age with her. She's full of personality and is as sweet as they come, but she's seeming less and less like my baby and more and more like a toddler. She talks a LOT. Matt, you will be so impressed with how far she has come when you get home! She can say about 40 words consistently now. The other say we were skyping with Matt and Adelyn walked up to the computer and said her first two word sentence: "Hi Daddy!" It was the sweetest thing and I was so thankful that Matt was able to be part of one of her firsts even though he's not here. Adelyn Hope is often referred to in our family (mostly by my mom) as Joy baby. It's an appropriate nickname. She is so happy, joyful, and full of smiles and laughter. She's rarely in a bad mood. I'm so thankful to call her mine.

The kids and I headed to the doctor the other day for Adeyln's 18 month checkup. Not surprisingly, she is smaller than average with a bigger than average head. That's how the Walker kids roll! While we were there, the pediatrician was kind enough to take a look at the other kids, who have been sick the past few weeks (seriously)! The verdict? Please refer to the picture. They're all on the mend though. As am I. I don't sound so mannish when I'm talking anymore. My cough still sounds like a barking seal, but it's getting better. Thanks for asking. :-)

Here's to happy, healthy days ahead!

What we've been up to...

It's been a busy week. First and foremost, we have reached another milestone. We are officially past the TWO MONTHS mark of this deployment. I love the feeling of making progress. To celebrate, I indulged in a little Starbucks pleasure on Friday. Peppermint mocha = yummy. (Only) FIVE MORE MONTHS to go. We're getting there, slowly but surely.

In other deployment related news, the kids and I were blessed to attend a conference at the Great Wolf Lodge this weekend for deployed families. It was sponsored by the chapel where we're stationed. The kids loved the waterpark and enjoyed marvelling at all it had to offer. Thank goodness my dear mother came with to help out. I was a bit overwhelmed at taking all my littles (none of whom can swim) to the waterpark inside the Great Wolf Lodge solo. Anyhow, a fun time was had by all. They also fed us dinner and then I attended workshops on deployment related issues. There's really no greater feeling of comraderie than sitting in a room with 20 other Army wives whose husbands are also down range. There's so much comfort in that--just knowing I am definitely not alone. Those ladies get it!

We've also been battling a lot of sickness this week. That seems to be the trend so far this fall. All the kids, as well as myself, have BAD colds. Normally I'm not the type to get bent out of shape about a silly little cold...but this one is ridiculous. I'm coughing like a barking seal and the kids have snotty noses, low grade fevers, coughs, and general tiredness. It's made for some nice days of snuggling on the couch with a stack of library books though. All in all, it's not so bad. :-)

Last but not least, my mom and I went on saw Twilight this afternoon while my dad graciously watched all the littles. It was SO good. I loved every minute of it. I know. I know. I'm like a 12 year old girl. Next thing you know I'll be wearing a Team Edward tee shirt and buying Twilight dolls. Seriously though, the movie was highly enjoyable.

We're also prepraring to host Thanksgiving in the upcoming week. I bought all the fixins I'm contributing (thanks mom and dad for bringing the Turkey!). It should be a great day of reflecting on all the things we have to be thankful for. There are many! We are blessed, most of all, to know Jesus.

That's all for now. Love to all!

Date Night with flat Matt

Last night I went on a date. That's right. A night out with my darling husband. And three other lovely couples. What's that? You thought Matt was still in Afghanistan? He is. Technically. But back to my date.

I was skyping with Matt yesterday and mentioned that I was going out to dinner with several other couples for dinner. His response? "That's weird. Won't you be the fifth wheel?" Or something encouraging like that. Which is why I decided the most logical thing to do would be to take Matt along of course. Kind of like a flat Stanley (google it if you're not tracking). That way, it wouldn't be weird. Just Matt and me out to dinner with friends. Nope, not weird at all.

Matt and I shared a plate. We're romantic and so in love. "Here honey! Try a bite of my chicken tikka masala!"

*What on earth is Colleen doing behind us. She's a crackup that one.


Group photo minus yours truly. Matt's back there with Colleen chatting it up. He's the life of the party!

See honey. I told you it wouldn't be weird. Who says date nights have to end during deployment? Love you Matt. Look forward to seeing you in 3d again in the Spring. XOXO!

Saturdays

Weekends around here the past few months have been kind of difficult. Throughout the week, the kids and I keep ourselves pretty busy with activities just about every day of the week. So, we don't notice Matt's absence as much. But, weekends are a different story. Friends are busy with their families and we notice that a big part of our family is missing. Saturday is just another day around here...with no scheduled activities. I'm trying to make the best of it though, so we spend a fair amount of time on Saturdays tending to little projects that have been put off. Today the kids and I gathered 4 big trash bags of items to donate, did school with Natalie, had eggs and pancakes for a late breakfast, I touched up some paint around the house, and the kids had a tea party lunch in Natalie's room (except Adelyn who would have been a holy terror had she been invited to the tea party). Anyhow, I took a video for Matt mostly (hi honey!) to show him (and whoever else stops by) a glimpse into our day. Enjoy!

안녕하세요

In case the title didn't give it away (which says "hello"), I'm learning to read and write in Hangul, the Korean alphabet. It's been a lot of fun (I'm a nerd) learning the basics of a new language. I don't have any lofty plans of becoming a fluent Korean speaker. However, I do plan on making Easton's transition into our home as easy as possible for him by learning his native tongue. He will likely be around two years old when he comes home, so he will definitely be speaking by then. More than his ability to speak though, will be his ability to undersatnd what is being said. All my children can understand what I'm saying much quicker than they can verbalize it back to me. So, I think it will be so helpful to be able to talk to Easton (at least in simple phrases) while he learns English.

During the kids' nap time, I bust out my notebook, pen, and a start practicing my writing and pronunciation. There are some letters in the Korean alphabet with no English equivalent, so I'm pretty sure I look and sound ridiculous as I'm contorting my mouth into various positions trying my darndest to make a sound I've never made before. But honestly, I love every second of it.

While Easton is my son, there's so little I can do to actually feel like his mommy (엄마) right now. He's thousands of miles away! I can pray for him, send an occasional care package, and soak up as much knowledge about all things Korean. So, in a strange way, learning Korean helps me to bond with him.

I've also been trying to get the kids involved. I've taught the older two to say hello and checked out a few books from the library about South Korea. They took it upon themselves to complete a craft from one of the books--they made Korean fans.

The other day I got out our globe and the kids and I were looking at Afghanistan, South Korea, and Kansas on it. Turns out the three locations our family is in right now make an almost perfect triangle. It's crazy to think how spread out we are right now. I am so excited for the day all SIX of us will be together on the same continent, in the same country, in the same state, in the same city, in the same HOME.

Trick or treat

A pirate, a cow (who moos on command when feeling spirited) and an angel
Addy's first year actually participating. She was a huge fan.

Trick or treat!

"Mom, someone just gave me candy!!!!"

Like my sweatpants? I dressed up as a tired mom.

I meant to put up these pictures a few days ago, but I got distracted by the Great Vomit and Diarrhea Germ of 2011. Despite the kids being a little sickly, they were determined to go trick or treating. Frankly, so was I. When else do strangers give me (I mean the kids....) copious amounts of chocolate out of the goodness of their hearts? The kids had so much fun. Adelyn participated this year and got such a charge out of being able to pick candy and put it in her bucket. Colton was a trooper despite being the sickest one in the bunch and kept telling me how much fun he was having. Natalie (our little actress) took her costume very seriously and got into character as an angel. Sweet girl. She happily bounced from one house to the next. We missed Daddy and Easton this Halloween but look forward to trick or treating as a family of 6 next year.

Care package for our sweet son

Today, the kids and I went shopping and picked out some things for their (adorably cute) little brother Easton. It was a great opportunity to get them involved in the process of bringing him home (evenutally) and teaching them what exactly it means to adopt. Natalie gets that Easton is her brother and will join our family permanently. Colton and Addy...not so much. Colton did, however, take his role as big brother very seriously when it came to picking out the coolest bibs and jammies for his little bro.

Matt, I so wish you could have been part of this. I would have loved to have your help selecting things to send our little Easton. Plus, you would have gotten a kick out of me sitting on the large flat rate priority box (yep, I sat on it) in order to tape it closed. Guess we enjoyed the shopping a little too much. :-) So, here's what we sent our little guy:

-a recordable storybook called Guess How Much I Miss You. A very sweet Korean friend of mine translated the book and wrote out the translation on each page and I recorded myself reading it. This is my favorite thing we sent!

-a soft photo album with pictures of our family

-honey apple body wash ('cuz I love the stuff and that's what Easton will be bathing with just like all the other little Walker crew)

-two pair of mittens

-a cute bear hat for the winter

-a soft blanket sleeper with a monkey on it

-a super soft and snuggly plush blanket (I may have rubbed it against my face in the store...twice)

-a wooden knob puzzle

-a few Cars bibs

-diaper rash ointment (it's incredibly expensive in Korea for some reason)

-two packages of Gerber puffs

-a turtle bath toy

-and two totes for his dear foster mother to carry home all the loot in

I am SO excited to be able to spoil him a little and hope he enjoys everything we sent! We love you Easton!

Sad but thankful

Today started off on a very sad note as Matt shared with me that a fellow solider, who he has been serving alongside with in Afghanistan, made the ultimate sacrifice for our country on Saturday (along with many others). Matt attended his first (and hopefully last) memorial service in Afghanistan today and paid his respects to 4 of America's finest heroes. After we talked, I cried for those families and prayed for peace, healing and comfort for them that only the Father can provide. About two and half seconds after that, I started feeling sorry for myself of all things. I'm not proud of that, but hey, I'm keeping it real. I actually started to think, "Oh, poor pitiful me. An Army wife. My husband could come under hostile fire and not return from his deployment." Here's the thing, though. And it's a biggie!



IT'S NOT ABOUT ME! My life is not my own. It was bought at a price. Thank you Jesus! If this life was all about me and my comfort and my happiness, believe me, I'd make a few changes. But it isn't. Hallelujah! I've done that whole "living for myself" thing (and still frequently fall back into that pattern) and it's actually pretty empty. Most sin is pretty disatisfying once the novelty wears off!


I was put on this earth to glorify God and to enjoy Him. I can't do that well if I'm throwing myself a pity party. That certainly doesn't bring God any glory what.so.ever.


So, instead, I choose to be thankful today. I'm thankful first and foremost for the unparalleled grace and mercy of my beautiful savior. I'm also thankful for my wonderful husband: that he is alive and well, that he is willling to serve, that he is a brother in Christ, and for being my partner in this life. I'm thankful for Natalie, for Colton, for Adelyn, and for Easton. I'm thankful for Easton's foster parents who are selflessly lavishing love on him each day knowing that someday they will have to say goodbye. I'm thankful for my family, my friends, my freedom, my health, and every single day God gives me to live for Him.

My heart is heavy as I reflect on the numerous soldiers who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan in recent years. I'm so sad for those families. I'm angry at the state our world is in. It's pretty ugly. I long for eternity. And I choose to be thankful in all of it.