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i don't even know where our christmas decorations are, they aren't remotely close to coming out of the attic and being put up.

my stockings aren't hung by the chimney with care…there are still pumpkins on my mantel.

i have NO plans for our thanksgiving meal. more than likely we will end up buying something pre-made from fresh market.

i have dreams of bucking tradition and eating out. 🙂

the babies turn one on thursday, i don't have their cakes yet or know where i am getting them.

i just got their birthday presents yesterday.

i'm not doing a december daily, i never have.

i don't have christmas dresses for the girls nor do i have any idea when or if i'll be getting them.

i haven't bought any christmas gifts.

we don't have a photo of all six of us (except for one in the hospital a year ago) so i'm not sure if i'll be doing christmas cards.

i haven't played any christmas music yet (i don't even know that i love christmas music all that much).

i have the ranger ball coming up on dec. 3. i don't have a dress yet, don't have a hair appointment or nail appointment. i don't know when to look for a dress with four kids under five with me all the time.

and here's the big confession? i'm feeling a tiny bit inferior this year.

but that tiny part of me is overshadowed by the part of me that's okay with it. i'm proud we are making it in the day to day.

my girls are happy and healthy, we are all together, we have a roof over our heads and food in our bellies. SO much more than SO many people.

i HAVE a family, I don't need a photo to show me that. christmas is in your heart, not in the stuff. the babies will be okay and won't even know what their cakes look like. i HAVE healthy baby girls that are turning ONE. what a gift! the girls can wear their dresses from last year. jimmy is home again this year, safe with us again for one more year.

it's so easy to get caught up in the have-nots isn't it? the things we don't have or haven't done. when in reality, none of it matters.

perspective is something i'm constantly trying to give myself.

i think today we need to find an angel tree. or give a kiva loan. i need to concentrate less on me and more on others.

the rest? is just the fun stuff. it's not the meat and bones of what life is all about.

the rest will just come together.

isn't it silly what i tend to get caught up in? after looking at this list all typed up…all i could think is WHO CARES?

happy tis the season, y'all!

s

**first, i want to take a second to say THANK YOU to all of you that tried to help me figure out my technological issues :). i guess it was just a glitch…i was just worried that i had done something to erase your feeds to my blog b/c i'd been playing around in reader. thank you!!**

so this weekend we packed up the car and headed to st. augustine, FL for a strong bonds marriage and family retreat.

collages made using iphone and diptic

i am so grateful that the army is still investing the money (b/c i know it's very tight for them these days) to send ranger families to retreats where they can spend quality family time, one on one marriage time, and learn how to work on and improve their marriages.

no mater how fireproof you think your marriage is, no matter how much you think you know…this quality time and this instruction is INVALUABLE. and sitting in that huge room with that many amazing couples and talking about how to survive deployment…well it brought tears to my eyes. i am so grateful to be amongst the people we are amongst here. so humbled.

i feel like we came home exhilarated and eager to communicate better, encourage better, love better. and that is a priceless gift. so thank you uncle sam.

on this same note…i have a new friend named beth kingston.she stumbled on my blog and emailed me b/c it turns out we have a LOT in common. not only is she very involved in the crafty world (she works for xyron) but she is also married to a ranger. we have been the same places several times and have JUST missed each other :). we are hoping to be the same place when we move this summer, which would be fabulous b/c i just know i adore her. to make a long story even longer…she wrote a blog post that i identify with more than any blog post i've ever read. PLEASE take the time to read it. whether you are a military spouse or want to know how it feels…go read it.

have a beautiful monday.

xxo

s

Quick question today…do you subscribe to my blog using google reader?? It looks like my readers all suddenly disappeared and I have no idea how it happened. I'm thinking maybe it has something to do with my .com vs my typepad??

Any way, I wanted to ask y'all if any of you are reading this through Reader. Or if maybe you USED to read through reader but then your feed disappeared?

HELP!! 🙂 any advice/ideas would be greatly appreciated.

xoxo

s

to my veteran, and to all of the veterans past and present…

i could never put into words quite how deep my gratitude is. i couldn't sufficiently express how full my heart is of thankfulness.

i can't verbalize the emotions that i feel that he and so many others have the bravery and selflessness to do what they do.

this portion of a letter he wrote his daughter (along with a flag he sent) tells you the kind of man he is:

daddy carried this flag especially for you while conducting operations in afghanistan. i carried this flag on my back while climbing the mountains in the korengal valley.  this flag represents the strength of this country. and the people in it. but more than that…it represents the love i have for you.

so jimmy, thank you. not only for the seven times you've served, but for the example you are. thank you. thank you for the father you are, the soldier you are, the man you are.

and thank you (from the bottom of my heart) to every single soldier,marine,airman,and sailor out there.

thank you for fighting. thank you for being strong enough to leave. to miss years of moments, of firsts. thank you for overcoming your fears and standing strong. thank you for continuing to deploy over and over and over. thank you for loving US enough to do what you do so that WE do not have to do it, so that we can be safe.

and to their families who wait at home…thank YOU.

and to all of you reading, if you want a  way to do something…a way to say thank you, here are some ideas.

kids thank a vet

let's say thanks

operation write home

wounded warrior project

a million thanks

anysoldier

happy veteran's day.