Life as a Military Wife

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-11T15:56:00.000-04:00

While John was here we visited a little pumpin patch down the road from our house. It was a great place for the kids to play and we had fun as a family! Here are some pictures from our time together. Abigail didn't really get to participate in the moon bounces and slides, but she got to hang out with Daddy. She didn't mind having him all to herself while the other girls played.

John visit's Eliza's class room.

2011-10-06T21:38:00.001-04:00

While John was home he was the special guest in Eliza's class. He did a great job talking with 3 year olds and holding their attention. Eliza was so proud to show off her Daddy!

Eliza and her best friend Clara.

We were then able to stay and have lunch with her. Abigail enjoyed every minute of her visit in the class. She is so ready for school...Her big sisters go so she thinks she should go too.

playdough

2011-10-01T14:42:00.000-04:00

Abigail wants to do everything her big sisters do. I was letting her play with playdough too, but she started eating it :( This is the reaction I got when I took it away. She calmed down at the end because she loves looking at the pictures of herself on the camera.

photo shoot with Eliza

2011-10-01T14:31:00.000-04:00

I am loving my new camera and the continuous shooting ability :) I am thankful that Eliza was cooperating yesterday. Enjoy!

R & R

2011-09-28T14:54:00.000-04:00

Daddy came home for R & R. The girls have loved having him here and so have I !!! Here are some pictures of us meeting Daddy at the airport. More pictures to come of our time together...

I got a new camera...

2011-09-27T22:12:00.000-04:00

I just got a new camera :) I am still learning the ends and outs, but I thought I would share a few shots from the last couple weeks...

It's Soccer Season

2011-09-27T21:31:00.000-04:00

It's official...I am a soccer mom. These are some pictures from the girls first game. I love this age. All the kids run after the ball in a clump. Their is no goalie. The kids are having a great time running and scoring. More soccer pictures to come....

First day of pre-school

2011-08-22T20:55:00.000-04:00

Waking up early for pre-school. We have to be there at 8:00 am. Whoa, we have a lot to do to get there on time! The first day we were on time though :)

All dressed and ready to go!

Abby needed a lunch box too so she is using Eliza's from last year :) Poor little thing was sad she didn't get a new lunch box and that I didn't leave her at pre-school.

When I tell the girls to say cheese Abby listens and does her best smile :)

The girls had a great day and we are looking forward to a great year!

The summer

2011-08-09T21:58:00.000-04:00

The past few weeks I have not been very good about taking pictures or updating blog posts. So, I went a little overboard on taking pictures this past weekend. The girls and I have taken 4 trips this summer. We went to Charleston for my sisters wedding, we went to surfside beach, we went to visit John's mom (Nanna) in NC and then this past weekend we went to Columbia, SC. We WILL NOT be traveling again for a long time!! If I even talk about traveling again anytime soon someone please remind me of my last trip. The girls are wonderful and travel well, but we all have our limits and they were passed this weekend :) We did have a great time visiting family, but the traveling in the car just did us in. Here are some pictures from our trip...enjoy!

We visited the Edventure Kids Museum. The kids had such a great time. We will definitely be going back.

Abigail was really getting in to shopping. It was so cute!

Great picture of Poppi and Abigail. She attached herself to him.

Pictures with Marmee

Poppi and Gigi with the grandgirls

A swim at the hotel pool. The girls love the water!

A visit with Grandmama..

It was too short of a trip. We also saw my Aunt Kaye, but didn't have my camera when we were with her. Wish we could have seen everyone while we were there. We will be back at Thanksgiving.

Video's for Daddy

2011-06-28T21:26:00.000-04:00

Abigail eating a popsicle for the first time.

(ignore Eliza in her underwear at the end)

Abigail walking and laughing

Happy Father's Day Part 2

2011-06-19T14:34:00.000-04:00

Happy Father's Day Blooper :)

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T14:26:00.001-04:00

Happy Father's Day Daddy! We love you and miss you so much. You are the best Daddy!

Practical ways to support a family during deployment

2011-06-10T21:49:00.000-04:00

I am a military wife (hence the title of my blog) and a mom to three little girls. I am very proud of my husband and the work he does. I am proud to be a military family. This is not just another job it is a calling. I think it needs to be that to go through what you have to go through sometimes. We knew going into this that their would be hard times. Times of separation because of training and deployments. Knowing this doesn't make it easier when you are going through a deployment. As I sit here on a Friday night, when most families look forward to a weekend together, I can't help, but to just write out some ways you can help a military family. Military families are everywhere. Don't think that because you don't live in a military town that we are not around. If you see a mom with three kids at the grocery store struggling DO NOT roll your eyes at her and talk behind her back about how misbehaved her children are. This doesn't help her... You have no idea what she is going through.

1. Offer to mow their yard or wash their car- or even better, just show up on their doorstep one day and get to work.

2. Invite them to join you on your family vacation.

3. Take them a meal.

4. Make a few "emergency casseroles" for their freezer or anonymously send them a gift card to a restaurant.

5. Call them in the evening or on a weekend to chat.

6. Invite them to sit by you at church.

7. Offer to babysit.

8. Ask on a regular basis, "Is anything broken in the house that we can fix for you?"

9. Have them over for dinner on the weekend.

10. Send a note of encouragement, letting them know how much you appreciate their spouse's service to our country.

11. Pray for them-often.

Kayaking with Poppi

2011-06-07T21:55:00.000-04:00

We had planned on going to Surfside Beach for the day on Sunday, but with all the fun over the weekend we just didn't make it. We were just way too tired and needed to just relax. We brought out the baby pools and my Dad got out his ocean kayak to take the girls out on the pond. Anna was all about it. It took Eliza a little more time to warm up to the idea, but she did end up going.

Eliza is so proud of herself for going with Poppi on the pond.

Pool fun...

These girls are going to be such friends growing up together :)

This is my favorite. Just lounging.

Wedding Weekend

2011-06-06T16:57:00.000-04:00

My beautiful sister tied the knot this past weekend. We had a wonderful time meeting his family at the rehearsal dinner. They had a wonderful ceremony at St. Andrews and afterwards had a great time all together at the Peninsula Grill in downtown Charleston. Welcome to the family Steven!

Alden and Steven

Kaitlin and David

Kaitlin, Marmee and David

My parents look great!

Sisters! She is a gorgeous bride!

Kaitlin and David

Great picture of my brother and sister.

Good one of all three of us.

Love this last one..it was getting late!

I didn't take any pictures from the weekend :( I could kick myself, but I enjoyed every moment and I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much if I was trying to take pictures. These are just a few from my mom's camera. I can't wait to see what her photographer captured.

Birthday Party

2011-05-21T20:18:00.000-04:00

Last weekend we were able to throw a little birthday party for Abigail. We were so blessed that John could be there for her birthday. Here are a few pictures from the day.

Happy Birthday sweet Abigail.

2011-05-17T21:43:00.000-04:00

Abigail is now one. I can't believe how quickly this year went by. This time last year was wonderful and difficult. I hated that John missed her birth. He hated not being there, but he knew I was in good hands. I wish I could say that things were going to get easier or that things were going to calm down this year, but that is not the case with military life. Here we are about to start craziness all over again. I am in a good place mentally and spiritually ready to tackle this year long deployment.

Enjoy the pictures down memory lane and new ones too.

This was right before I left for the hospital...I remember being so excited to meet Abigail. My Dad and I were staying at my grandparents and he drove me to the hospital. We left at 4:00 am and Marmee (my grandma) got up to kiss me good bye and tell me she was praying for me. I will always remember that when I look at this picture.

My mom got to the hospital we took this picture and about 30 minutes later I was holding Abigail.

She is here..

6 weeks

My three little cuties...I am so blessed.

A year later and just precious.

I love these little lips..

Family Zoo Trip...

2011-05-17T13:01:00.001-04:00

Last week John was able to have some leave days. We had some really good time as a family and were able to get more accomplished in our home. One day we went to the Mill Mountain Zoo in Roanoke, Va. It is a cute little zoo perfect for the girls. They have a cute train ride, animals and a park. We brought a picnic lunch and had just a great day. Here are a few pictures from our day...

We're back....

2011-05-06T11:03:00.000-04:00

It has been a month since my last blog update....We survived the move! I know we will move again, but moving is just plain stressful! The house was in really bad shape and I was not in a good place when I saw the walls alone in the house. We have done some painting, got new carpet in the basement and I have cleaned and srubbed the floors with bleach. I am feeling a whole lot better about the house and it is looking a little more like home! John finished WLC and finished in the top 20%. I am very proud of him. He has some leave days so he is at home with us now. We are excited about having some quality family time before he has to leave again.

Easter 2011--John was able to come home to go to church with us that morning

Abigail was not interested in pictures with her older sisters

She is such a sweet baby...I can't believe she is almost 1.

Last post from Fayetteville, NC

2011-04-07T21:18:00.000-04:00

Well the time has come for the big move back to Virginia. We are almost packed, the girls had their last day of pre-school last Friday and John is officially on leave. At this very moment I am calm, but I have had moments of AHHHH! With the Army you have to just go with the flow because our plans have already changed. John was told on Monday that he will be going to WLC (warrior leaders course), which is awesome because he will probably promote in the next couple months. It is just crazy timing with the move and him deploying. Their are so many what ifs and unknowns about our future. John's contract will be up next August. Do we stay in the Army? Do we get a civilian job and join the national guard? What do we do with our house in Va.? Their are so many more questions than just these...I have to just give it to the Lord or else I am going to go crazy with anxiety! I am trusting God through all the unknowns. He has never failed me. He will continue to take care of me.

Enjoy the pictures...I added a lot :) My next post will be from Va.

I love these girls

Daddy is home from JRTC...the girls were so excited to see him. Abigail wasn't sure about him for the first few minutes, but then started following him every where. She has him wrapped around her little finger. She will follow him fake crying so he will pick her up. She loves her Daddy!

The best picture I got and of course I cut off the top of John's head!

Today was a beautiful day and we spent the afternoon at the park. Abigail loves to swing!

We love this park because it is right next to the air field and you can watch all the huge planes take off and land.

I love this classic Eliza face! A lady walked by and said, "oh what a pretty picture." That was enough to get the Eliza glare :)

A random boy wanted his picture taken with the girls...who could blame him?

Such a bad blogger...

2011-03-23T21:29:00.000-04:00

The past couple months have been busy to say the least! This is why I am such a bad blogger. Life with my three little girls keeps me busy and then add being a military wife on top of that. John is off training for a month before he deploys. I am busy packing up the house as the girls and I are gear up for our move back to Va. My 10 month old is into everything!! She is crawling, pulling herself up and putting everything in her mouth. The older girls are into toys with little pieces and I am scared to death that Abigail will choke. I am trying to teach Anna and Eliza to put trash in the trash can and clean up the strawberry doll pieces, but they sometimes forget.

This is such a bitter sweat time. We are excited that we will be back in Va, but at the same time know it will be hard being separated from John for a year. I want to cherish this year, which may sound weird, but I don't want it to just go by with me trying to get through it. I want to enjoy my children at the ages that they are and will be. I want to use this time to grow in my relationship with the Lord. This year will be tough and lonely without John, but I know it can be/will be a time where I am forced to come to a place where Jesus alone is enough. I have goals of reading a book once a month. It was actually a new years resolution to read 12 books this year and I am just extending that until John comes home. I have already read three and just started my fourth! My other goal is to paint every room in my house in Va. It will probably take me a year just to decide on a paint color for the living room. I really need help to decorate...I just do not have an eye or talent for it! The girls have already picked out purple and pink for their rooms. I will start there :)

So these are just some thoughts on how I will thrive not just survive during this upcoming deployment... (My fourth book is Thriving Not Just Surviving deployment perspectives for today's military families)

Hope you enjoy the pictures....

Abigail doesn't want to miss anything...she crawled right into take a closer look at what John, Anna ad Eliza were doing.

Abigail is really coloring. She watches the girls color and wants to color right along...I just have to watch her so she doesn't mark on everything around her and put the crayon in her mouth.

We took a trip to Gigi and Poppi's for the weekend. The girls are outside taking a quick break from gardening so I could get their picture.

My good friend Kelly had her baby this past Saturday and we went to visit them today. I got a picture of the big brothers and girls together.

9 month check-up

2011-02-23T12:19:00.000-05:00

One of my dear friends mom says, "Long days short years" when describing life with little ones. This statement is so true. I look back on Abigails 9 months of life and think where has the time gone, but I know we have also had some VERY long days and sleepless nights.

As always, she is absolutely precious and such a blessing! She is somewhat crawling around on her belly. If she sees a crayon she is there in no time. She is trying to put every little tiny thing in her mouth. She claps her hands when we cheer for her. She drinks from a sippy cup. She can pick up little pieces of food and feed herself. She dances and laughs. She has no teeth yet. The best part of all is that she is finally sleeping through the night. She wakes up really early, but that is okay when you can get at least 7 or 8 solid hours of sleep.

Her stats...(I think her height is wrong though)

20 lbs 12 oz

30.75 inches

Anna's stats:

21 lbs 2oz

27.50 inches

Eliza's stats:

19lbs 12oz

27 inches

I am thinking the height is wrong especially when being compared to her sisters. I wish I had then measure her again. I guess we will see what happens at her 12 month appointment.

Anna, Eliza and Abigail

2011-02-09T15:25:00.000-05:00

In the morning the girls wake up freezing and I get them all tucked in on the coach.

Abigail is getting so big. She can drink from a sippy cup and pick up food and feed herself.

One of Abigail's favorite things to do is to suck on an apple.

"Helping" Daddy go through his army bags.

I look at this picture and think look at the difference in skin tone between sisters and how did I have an asian baby?

Helping me make some corn bread...they had to get their outfits on!

Great article..definitely worth the read!!!

2011-02-05T08:34:00.002-05:00

Monday, March 1, 2010

Have You Hugged A Military Spouse Today?

As the leader of a military wives faith-based support organization and a military wife myself, I’m often asked by women’s ministry leaders and churches what they can do to support military wives and their families. You might be unsure of how to minister to an older woman with cancer or a young mom with twins if you have never experienced those things yourself, and in the same way it can be hard to know what to do for a military wife if you’ve never walked in her shoes.

It’s easy to assume that if you don’t live near a major military installation that military wives don’t exist in your community. But there are more than a million military spouses in our Armed Forces today and military wives are everywhere – National Guard and Reserve families often live far away from where their respective bases are, and active wives make the choice to move home and live with family when their husbands are overseas. This gives you and your church some wonderful opportunities to make a difference for our military by supporting their families while they’re away.

Connect with a military wife

If you meet a military wife whose husband is away for deployment, make a point to check on her regularly and let her know you’re praying for her. Deployment is not an experience you “get used to.” It’s an emotional roller coaster from beginning to end and there are good days but there are hard days too.

With all the technology available today to connect with our loved ones, we can still go days and weeks and sometimes months without a phone call, an email or a letter. We can get lost in all that we’re responsible for and forget to make time for ourselves. Sleep can become an issue for a lot of women when they’re not used to sleeping alone and the quiet of the house at night gives them the first chance they’ve had all day to really think about their husbands being away. Exhaustion can make a hard situation even worse and fray our emotions completely.

One of the absolute best gifts I received during my husband’s first deployment was when my friend Allison, another military wife, sent me an email on behalf of her small group from church and asked me to make a list of things I needed help with around the house. She had asked me this a couple of times before and I’d always dodged the request, but when she sent an email in black and white, I relented and put together a list of little to big things I needed to get done, thinking I’d give enough options that the group would find a couple of things they would be willing to do. On a warm spring Saturday, eight to ten friends I’d never met came over to my house and took care of absolutely everything on my list. And at the end of the day, what touched me most wasn’t the honey-do chores they’d completed for me, though I was very grateful for their help; it was the fact that they’d reached out in a physical way and let me know I wasn’t alone.

Do something

One of the hardest things for a military wife to hear is “Let me know if I can do anything to help.” It’s very difficult to ask someone else for help, especially if you’re unsure of what that person is willing to do.

The best thing you can do to help a military wife is to put yourself in her shoes and like the Nike commercial said, just do it! Would you get tired of planning dinner and cooking for a year without a break? Give her a gift card to eat out or call her up and let her know you’re bringing dinner tonight. Would you have trouble knowing what to do with the car or the yard during the peak of summer? Rally the men in your small group to help change the oil or share yard duties. Would you be worn out if you were responsible for your kids 24/7 without another adult to give you a break occasionally? Offer to take the kids for an afternoon so she can do whatever she wants. Would it be hard for you to put Christmas lights up or other holiday decorations by yourself? Offer to do it for her.

If you offer to put a care package together for her husband, don’t forget to put a little package together for her – bubble bath, Starbucks cards, or a little book of Bible Promises are all little things that can make a world of difference for a military wife and give her encouragement and hope to keep going. And chocolate! Don’t forget the chocolate!

Be sensitive

As much as you want to be able to help and appear understanding to her needs, resist the temptation to compare your husband’s two-week business trip to her husband’s year-long deployment. Unless your husband is also trying to avoid mortars and IEDs (improvised explosive devices), it’s really not the same.

Avoid saying things like “I don’t know how you do it,” or “I can’t imagine being in your shoes.” Most of the time she doesn’t know how she does it either, but it’s the only choice she has – to do it or give up.

Encourage her. Tell her what a great job she’s doing and how her husband will be so proud to hear how well she’s doing holding down the fort at home. And then make sure he does hear how well she’s doing.

If a military wife is in your small group at church, make sure there are enough activities happening she can attend that aren’t strictly couples-oriented. Consider holding off on that Love and Respect marriage study and do another study that she’ll be able to feel included in. When you do have events such as Christmas parties or Super Bowl parties, make a point to call her and make sure she’s coming; there’s a greater chance she will if she knows someone will miss her if she doesn’t.

Support those who support our heroes

Military wives don’t want pity or to be felt sorry for, but they can use prayer, encouragement and all the emotional support they can get. Ask most service members what their greatest worry is when they’re deployed and they may surprise you when they say it’s not getting wounded or killed – it’s making sure their families are okay back home.

I believe God can use the hardest of times, like deployments, to grow us and stretch us and make us into the daughters He wants us to be. But we need others to come along side us in the journey.

Help to make sure that the spouse and family are well taken care of and you also help take care of the soldier. So feel free to pass those hugs out to military spouses today – they will thank you for it!

Sara Horn is the founder of Wives of Faith (www.wivesoffaith.org) and the author of GOD Strong: A Military Wife’s Spiritual Survival Guide. She enjoys speaking to both women’s and military wives groups about God’s incredible strength. Email her at sara@sarahorn.com.

This article was originally written for awomaninspiredconference.org and was reprinted with permission.

Posted by Mommy to those Special Ks at 5:00 PM Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Share to Google Buzz

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Remembering Haiti

2011-01-16T20:33:00.000-05:00

It has been a little over a year since the 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti. The 82nd airborne 2nd Brigade were there to help (along with Marines and Navy). John's company got there a few days after the earthquake. They were there a little over 2 months. They worked in and around the capitol. Here are some pictures of John and the company working..

Here the guys were establishing a landing zone to load patients and take them to the USS Comfort. The hospitol is behind the capitol building.

The first three days in Haiti the guys lived in a storage compound. It only had walls no roof. Then the guys moved to this school house and lived the rest of the time there. At this point they were getting pretty skinny only living on two meals a day.

I am a proud military wife and proud of the work that my husband and the rest of the 82nd Airborne did. There is still a lot of work to be done there. Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti.

Eliza's Birthday

2011-01-11T14:50:00.000-05:00

I have been meaning to write about my little 3 year old! Eliza just turned 3 on December 29th. My little Christmas baby. I was in labor for about 3 days and was soooo sick. I had to go into the hospital for fluids three times. That last time I walked in and was almost 7 centimeters...they had to keep me!!! 6 hours later she was born. The girls were 13 months apart soooo from that day on I was really on the move!

Her 1st birthday...she was sick and not feeling good this day :(

I can hardly remember her this little. It really does go by so fast!

Her 2nd birthday celebrated at Gigi and Poppi's

3rd birthday...combined with Anna's birthday. I am still trying to decide what is best. I don't know how long I can combine their birthdays. The 29th is so close to Christmas that it is hard to celebrate then. I don't know...Anyone have any suggestions?

Eliza is so sweet, so LOUD (she has two volumes..loud and very loud) and very smart (she potty trained in just a few short days)! She loves her older sister and baby sister. She is always on the move. She makes me laugh with some of the wild things she says. She can be a little dramatic about foods and bad smells. This is just a little about our red head. We love you Liza!!

Snow day..

2011-01-11T10:09:00.000-05:00

We got some snow!! The girls loved it. We had such a fun time playing out in the snow. I say this every year, but I am going to invest in more winter gear for next winter. It is so much more fun when you wear the right clothes. Eliza below is wearing about 3 pairs of socks on her hands.

I didn't take this little girl out. It was way too cold, but this was a picture of her yesterday and I just love this big smile. She has two faces when she smiles. This huge open mouth smile and then a smile where she squints her eyes and looks chinese. I love both. She is the sweetest baby.

Some favorite pictures of Papa

2011-01-11T09:39:00.000-05:00

These are just a few pictures....

He was such a sweet man and he loved all his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.. and grand dogs too :)

Christmas...

2011-01-09T15:33:00.000-05:00

CHRISTMAS 2010

My little ballerina's

Such sweet sisters

Christmas morning

Beautiful

Papa and Eliza

Marmee and Abigail

David and Kaitlin (such a cute couple)

Alden and Abigail

Cousins Camryn and Caleb (wish we could see y'all more often!)

This year we had a really wonderful Christmas together as a family. We went to my parents home and then the Monday after Christmas we went to Marmee and Papa's house (grandparents). It was great seeing family that we haven't seen in a really long time. It was an emotional, but special time as we gathered in there living room and Papa told us how much he loved us, meant to him, and was proud of us. He then prayed. It is a time I am so very thankful for even though it was hard. He knew, we knew, that it would be his last Christmas. Papa passed away January 2nd and went to be with the Lord. My Mom described it best when she said that my heart has not caught up with my head. That is how I feel. Intellectually, I know he is with the Lord. He feels no pain, no sorrow and is fully healed. My heart, though, is hurting. I am still so emotional and sad. He was such an amazing grandfather and I am so blessed to have had him in my life for 30 years! I know with time my heart will catch up to my head!

catching up...

2010-12-15T10:51:00.000-05:00

This time of year goes by so quickly soooo I am playing catch up on the blog. I can't believe how close we are to Christmas. I am working on pre-school teacher gifts and then I am DONE. Woo Hoo!

In the last month this is what has been going on :

My dear wonderful friend Brittany Godfrey and her two adorable kids Abigayle and Jackson came to visit us before they moved to CO. We have known each other since freshman year of college which seems ages ago. We talk almost every day, but always seem to live so far away. Now she is two hours behind instead of one hour behind. Could we please live in the same time zone. Is that too much to ask????

The girls got a special birthday package from Uncle Sam, Aunt Ashley, Charlie and Owen. They love their dolls as you can see in the pictures!

My cute little Indian...

For thanksgiving we made our journey over to Hickory, NC to visit Nanna and Fowler crew. Here is a picture of the girls with their 2nd cousins, Ava and Ryan. Are they second cousins? John's cousins children. Not sure what exactly that would make it... But anyway, they had a great time playing together in the leaves. Sadly, Eliza lost her pants to dirt stains that were impossible to remove from their fun time in the wet leaves.

We celebrated the girls birthday's the weekend after Thanksgiving. I don't know if we will do a duel birthday every year, but it worked for us this year. Part of the reason this season is so busy is the two birthdays that are thrown into the mix. Anna is a Thanksgiving baby and Eliza is a Christmas baby. I thought pick a day inbetween and celebrate both.

Thanks Chris Deitsch and Rachel for making the trip to see the girls. It was fun visiting with you both!

My friend Kelly and her two boys came over. Kelly is pregnant with her third boy :)

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree how it was so hard to get you... I was bound and determined to get my free Christmas tree for the troops. I waited in a long car line for two hours, with three cranky kids. Anna had to pee sooo bad and thankfully I had a pull-up because their was NO WHERE to stop. Yes, my potty trained girl for well over a year was made to go in a pull-up all for the free tree. Well, here it is...

Lastly, the Allen kiddo's have been really sick. Strep throat, ear infections, and upper respiratory infections. I am keeping up with 5 different medications and breathing treatments for them all. I made a lovely chart :) The good news is is that they are feeling much better and we should all be well for Christmas!

A couple pictures of them sleeping peacefully.

Abigail is 6 months

2010-11-23T14:22:00.000-05:00

November 14th she turned 6 months.

What a sweet baby she is. I can't believe how quickly 6 months has just gone by. In another 6 months she will be 1. I don't want to even think about it so moving on....

Abigail weighs 17 lbs 3 oz and was 26 inches long.

When Anna was 6 months her statistics were the same...I couldn't believe it.

Eliza was 17 lbs 13 oz and 27 inches.

4 years ago..

2010-11-19T21:44:00.000-05:00

On November 18th 2006 I became a mom. Anna Grace Allen was born. I can't believe it has been 4 years since this day. I loved that day! It was a great day. I was nervous and excited and I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. Hahaha...Labor was tough, bringing home this little baby with jaundice was overwhelming and scary. She didn't sleep at all that first night. John and I didn't know what we were doing, but we made it through those first few weeks. Now she is 4...she is a sweet, spunky, take charge kind of girl. We love you Anna Grace and are so blessed to have you as our daughter.

1st birthday

2nd birthday...she moved non stop and I never got a good photo of her that day.

3rd birthday

4 years old and such a little girl

pictures from the summer

2010-11-18T22:06:00.000-05:00

I wish I could say that I just forgot to post some of these gorgeous pictures of my girls from the summer, but in all reality I just figured out how to save pictures from a disk onto my computer. Yes, I am not a tech girl and probably never will be. It is hard to believe that in just 6 months your children can change so much. The summer was wonderful and hard all at the same time (new baby and husband deployed) , but I am so glad to have these pictures to capture the sweetness that is Anna, Eliza and Abigail.

Where did October go?

2010-11-02T16:53:00.000-04:00

Why is life so busy? I blinked and October was over. This month we all had the stomach bug, Abigail saw doctor's about the bump on her chest which has turned out to be a hemangeoma, the girls are still in school three days a week, Nanna came to visit, we traveled to South Carolina for the state fair, and we went back to South Carolina to visit my parents, take a trip to the zoo and celebrate my Grandmother's 88th birthday.

Visit with Nanna

The girls at the zoo

My Grandmother's birthday Party

(notice my mom in the back ground..I got a good laugh out of that)

SC State Fair

2010-10-25T05:13:00.000-04:00

This past Thursday I met my Dad at the SC state fair with the girls. We had a great time riding rides, eating, and looking at animals. The girls loved it! Here are a few pictures of our time there...

Huge sand sculpture

Poppi and the girls checking it out.

Cows being judged..I know nothing about cattle or their requirements for winning a blue ribbon.

Anna riding in the car..Eliza was too scared to go

Anna on the train...Eliza was too scared to go again.

Eliza finally wanted to try. She said that she would only go if Anna held her hand so she woulnd't be scared. Anna took her hand and they walked together and got on the train. I, of course, didn't have my camera ready to capture this precious moment of the two on them. I was so proud of Anna for being such a sweet big sister.

After Eliza finally tried the trains she was up for anything... we went to see the goats and sheep. The girls even fed them. They could have stayed there all day.

Then they both rode a pony for the first time. They had a great time!

It was a long day!! But we had such a great time. Thank you Poppi for a great day at the fair! We will have to do it again next year.

Solid Foods

2010-10-24T21:16:00.000-04:00

Abigail turned 5 months on October 15th. She hasn't been sleeping that great lately so I thought it may be time for some solids. She does NOT like oatmeal. She did not like me trying to feed her that stuff! So we moved on to green beans, squash, and sweet potatoes...

Green beans are yummy....

Not sure about this bite.

The price of beautiful curls

2010-10-24T20:51:00.000-04:00

Before bedtime perfect little curls....

Not sure what happens while she sleeps, but this is what her hair looks like when she wakes up.

Poor little girl has to get her hair brushed and it is no fun for her at all!

Abigail's 4 month appointment

2010-09-15T14:21:00.000-04:00

Abigail had her 4 month appointment. She is growing well and doing great! Here are her stats:

15 lbs 1oz and 24 1/2 inches

Anna's stats at 4 months:

15 lbs 7oz and 24 3/4 inches

Eliza's stats at 4 months:

16 lbs 1oz and 24 1/2 inches

First day of pre-school

2010-09-14T22:07:00.000-04:00

Last week was the girls first day of pre-school. They were excited. I was excited and sad at the same time. Eliza was a little sad the first day. As I was walking out she cried and said, "wait, I am coming with you." I thought I might be starting her a little too early. Anna didn't go to preschool last year. As the week has gone on Eliza has done great and is loving her techers and school. We are also working really hard on potty training :) Anna was ready and has been ready. She walked in. I said can I have a hug and kiss. She looked at me and said, "No Mommy, not here." I about cried. I am glad that she likes school though, is ready for school and is independant.

I love my girls...

Sweet Abigail

2010-09-14T21:22:00.000-04:00

I shouldn't be surprised at how quickly she is growing, but I keep saying I can't believe how big she is now. This is a picture that I took maybe 3 weeks ago and I know she has grown since then. I am treasuring every moment with this sweet baby. Today she turned 4 months old. We have her 4 month check up tomorrow so I am excited to see how much she is weighing now.

Visit from good friends.

2010-09-14T21:12:00.000-04:00

Last weekend we had wonderful friends the Ryan's come to visit. We have been friends since college...which seems seems forever ago. Now all these years later and all these kids later we are still friends. It was such a great weekend with great friends! We talked, ate and laughed! Come back and visit soon!

Abigail (4 months), Anna ( 3 years), Ryleigh (4 years), Laila (6 months), Brady (3 years), Eliza (2 years)

Abigail at 3 months

2010-08-28T11:10:00.000-04:00

She is such a sweet baby!!!

Love those eyes and lashes!

She is a mover!

update...

2010-08-28T11:00:00.000-04:00

Life is good...My husband is home and I have the most wonderful children. I couldn't ask for anything more, well maybe a droid incredible. Can I say that?

August update... We traveled to Lynchburg and hung out with wonderful friends. We miss Virginia and our friends so much. We are really praying about going back there and what God may have for our family next. We came back feeling totally refreshed. There is just something about being with other believers...just joy! John has been on block leave for the last two weeks. It has been such a blessing for our family to have time together. It is always an adjustment when a soldier comes home. It is great, but at the same time it is hard. Then add John coming home to a new baby too.

My baby is now 3 months as of August 14th and I turned the big 30 on August 27th. It has been a busy month.

Not sure where Anna was, but here is a precious picture of Eliza and Abigail...

He's home!!!

2010-08-06T06:30:00.000-04:00

John is home!!! Yay!! We are so glad to have him home finally. He got home Sunday evening, had Monday off and then it was back to his busy schedule. I am trying to not be upset. I keep telling myself he will have some time off soon. We will be going to my grandmother's beach house for a few days and I cannot tell you how excited I am to get away and spend some much needed quality time with the family.

Enjoy some pictures of the girls and their Daddy...

I thought these were funny and couldn't resist...

Visit with Meghan

2010-08-05T14:22:00.000-04:00

This past weekend my friend Meghan came into town to help me with the girls so I could get some things done around the house. What a blessing!! I am so glad that she came. I didn't have to go to the commissary with all three kids and that in it of itself made my life a lot easier. It was also nice to have an adult to talk with :) We had a great time and the girls and I loved having her here. Can't wait to see you in Lynchburg in a few weeks.

Here is a picture with Meghan and the girls....

Lately...

2010-07-29T21:55:00.000-04:00

I love all my girls!!! They really are just the sweetest kids and I am so thankful that God has given me these three little blessings!!!

Anna and Eliza love Abigail. They are in her face ALL the time. Every day I have to remind them to back up and give her some space. They love playing mommy and this is what I find...

Baby doll in the car seat.. Notice she has the baby's juice ready too :)

and the baby's are taking a nap...

I love listening to the girls play together especially when it comes to playing with their baby dolls. I hear phrases that I say about Abigail like she is fussy, oh no she spit up, look at this cute little face...It is just so funny and cute to hear them say this about their baby dolls.

Today's craft project

2010-07-20T21:50:00.000-04:00

This summer the girls and I have loved doing crafts together. I love simple, easy, fun to do crafts. I got the dyed rice idea from my friend Leslie's blog. She home schools her boys and comes up with a lot of fun creative things to do with her kids. All you need to dye rice is plastic bags, rice, food coloring and hand sanitizer (so simple). You put the rice in the bag, add a little hand sanitizer and a couple drops of food coloring and mix it around. Voila, dyed rice. I drew a picture with glue on construction paper and the girls added the rice.

At the end they had fun mixing all the colored rice together. I got them some spoons and they pretended the were cooking in the kitchen. All around it was a fun afternoon with a fun activity.

The finished product. Then we saved the rest of the mixed rice to do more art work another day.

Operation no more pacifier...

2010-07-19T12:58:00.000-04:00

Operation no more pacifier was a success!

It did take about 4 days for her to adjust, but we survived. It has now been about two weeks and she no longer asks for her pacifier. She seems a little more grown up to me. I had wanted to get rid of it earlier, but with a new baby coming and John leaving I thought it would be a little too much all at one time. Next we will be working on operation no more diapers for Eliza. I have been successful with Anna, but Eliza does not seem as interested. She will use the potty, but does not want to wear underwear. Anna was really into it. Eliza not so much. I bribe her with treats, toys and a special potty dance, but doesn't want any of these. I guess I just need to hold off and wait until she is ready...

Eliza sleeping peacefully with no paci.

Could we fit any more animals in the bed???

Our Saturday...

2010-07-17T22:21:00.000-04:00

Along with really hot temps we have had some really rainy days....

I wanted to capture the puddles...ignore my flower beds. I would love to plant and garden...some day I will.

So crafts it is... cupcake baking cups glued on large popsicle sticks and you have flowers. We also used markers and stickers to decorate.

I am surprised how into crafts Anna is. They both are, but Anna can sit for a much longer time and work. She knows what she wants to do, has a plan, concentrates on her project and is meticulous about her work.

This is one of her flowers...

These are Eliza's flowers...

The flowers were a success.

2 months old

2010-07-17T21:52:00.000-04:00

On July 14th Abigail turned 2 months. She is healthy and doing great. She is finally smiling! She has the cutest little smile! She weighs 11lbs 10oz and she is 22 1/2 inches.

I looked up how much the other girls weighed at their two month appointment...

Anna weighed 12lbs 8oz and she was 22 1/2 inches long too.

Eliza was 13 lbs 3 oz and she was 23 1/2 inches long.

Old pictures...

2010-07-17T16:55:00.000-04:00

I got these pictures from my mom's camera. They are a little old, but I thought I would add them.

My precious ballerina's

This was back at Christmas. I feel like in just half a year they have already grown.

This was a family picture at Anna's birthday party back in November.

At the park back in the fall...I remember being sooo sick with Abigail, but we went to the park anyway.

Doll Baby

2010-07-11T21:10:00.000-04:00

I know I am her mother, but I think this is the sweetest most beautiful little face. I am so blessed to have three of the most wonderful children.

Crafts...

2010-07-11T17:15:00.000-04:00

It has been so hot outside that we have had to be indoors. While inside we have been doing lots of coloring, painting, and creating things with play dough. Below are some of what we have been doing . We went to Michael's craft store one morning and I found tinkerbell and cinderella dolls and jewlry boxes to paint and decorate.

4th of July

2010-07-11T16:52:00.000-04:00

Our friends next door invited us over for a 4th of July cookout. We had a great time hanging out with friends and then later watching fire works from our back yard. I made my traditional 4th of July cake...

Anna and Andy

Eliza and I tried to get Seth to come over and sit with her, but he is 1 and 1/2 and didn't really feel like it :)

Lately...

2010-07-01T21:58:00.000-04:00

Well, we are always busy around here. We came back to Fayetteville when Abigail was 2 1/2 weeks old. We had a nice visit from John's mom and then headed back to SC for a week for Father's Day and my Dad's birthday. We have been going to the pool, playing with our neighbors, we went to Surfside beach for the day and doing a lot of art because it has been SO hot outside!!!

John should be coming home in a month. I am so ready for him to be back. I am ready for him to meet and hold Abigail. The girls miss him and every time he calls they ask him when he will be home. Not too much longer. We have made it this far...the next four weeks should go by quickly.

Enjoy some pictures of my sweet girls!!

So comfortable!!

movie stars...

pretty princesses

so sweet

I love baby feet...

I bought this great tent for the beach and for outside. Abigail loved it and it worked great.

The girls played so hard at the beach. They ran and ran. They played in the sand and jumped over little waves. They loved it! We can't wait to go back in the middle of August as a family :)

I should be asleep!

2010-06-07T23:38:00.000-04:00

But I am updating the blog with some family photo's... I am tired, but when you have children all around you all day long you need a break and some down time to just sit. So here I am sitting, watching some TV, blogging and knowing that I will regret this in just a few short hours! Enjoy some recent photo's...things are going well and I am loving my new little bundle. She is so sweet and I could just kiss her little cheeks all day long!! Anna and Eliza are doing well and every day they tell me how much they love their new baby. They are great big sisters. I am very thankful for a smooth transition.

Abigail's Birth Story

2010-06-04T22:03:00.000-04:00

Oh, where to begin...I guess let me start by saying that God is SO good and was in this whole process. He has given me an abundance of peace and energy along the way....

On May 13th my dad and I made the trip from Mt. pleasant to Lexington, SC. I had my first and only appointment with my new doctor, Dr. Shipley. I went in had an ultra sound and was checked. I was 2 centimeters dialated, 80% effaced, and a + 1. I would be induced the next day :) I was big, uncomfortable and ready to meet Abigail!
On May 14th I was at Lexington hospital at 5am. I had been up since 3am unable to sleep. I checked in and got hooked up to monitors. I was contracting on my own about every 5 to 6 minutes. By 7am I had my epidural, the patocin was going and my water had been broken. I was comfortable and all I had to do was wait. I couldn't have asked for a more smooth labor and delivery! My Dad and my Aunt Kaye (Dr. Shipley's wife ) were there with me. My mom was at home taking care of my girls until my brother's girlfriend could get there. My mom finally got there around 11:40ish. Dr. Shipley said the day before that Abigail should be here by lunch...A little after 12:00 everyone started rushing around getting everything ready. I pushed twice and she made her grand entrance at 12:21. She was 8lbs 3ozs and 20 inches long. As much as I wanted John there with me it was really wonderful having my mom and my Aunt with me supporting me!

When we first learned of John's deployment the plan was for me to deliver on my own in Fayetteville and find someone to take care of my kids. I am so thankful that my mom talked with my Aunt Kaye and Dr. Shipley thought that that was a crazy idea and that I could NOT be by myself in NC. I am so thankful that I didn't have to have Abigail at the Army hospital because I would have had to share a room. I was taken care of at Lexington hospital which made John happy with him being so far away. I am so thankful for a smooth, easy delivery. I am so thankful that 10 minutes after I delivered Abigail John called me. I am thankful that Abigail is healthy and doing well after some breathing issues in the hospital. The list could go on and on...God is faithful and carried me through!

Deploying...

2010-04-27T15:43:00.000-04:00

I haven't done a family update in a little while...well, from the title of this post John is once again deploying. We found out two and half weeks ago and he will be leaving soon. (Can't give any specifics) It came as a shock and I have had my break down moments, but have a peace about everything now. We have a family plan in place and it is crunch time getting everything ready. When John leaves I will be headed down to Mt Pleasant, SC to stay with my parents. My Aunt Kaye recently married an OBGYN, Dr. Shipley, and he will be delivering the baby in Columbia, SC. The plan is that I will be induced May 14th (17 days away!!!). I will be in SC probably for the next 6 weeks or so. I am really doing well, but I do have my weepy, pull-out my hair, crazy moments. When I think about John missing the birth I could just sit and cry, but their are many positives out of all this and I can see God at work. Prayers during this time are much appreciated...Safety for John and the men that he is with, smooth labor and delivery for me, and that the girls would transition smoothly to having Daddy gone for a little while and a new baby sister, patience and continued peace for me too :)

I am very proud of John and the work that he will be doing! Here are some recent pictures of John and the girls. I am putting together a little album for each of the girls with pictures of them and their Daddy. They can take it with them to my parents and look at them when ever they miss him.

Friends...

2010-04-23T14:54:00.000-04:00

Last weekend our good friends Lee Bishop and Chris Deitsch came into town from Lynchburg. Chris also brought his girlfriend Rachel. We had a great time getting to know her and reliving football stories / RA stories. It was a great time! We really miss these guys and all our friends in Lynchburg!

Here are a couple pictures of the guys and the girls that got in :)...

My little helper...

2010-04-23T14:44:00.000-04:00

Both my girls love to help. They want to help me cook, do laundry, fold, pretty much anything that I am doing they want to be right there. This particular night, Anna wanted to help set the table. I asked her to put her fork and napkin on the table. It didn't matter to me where she put it...it was just supposed to make it to her place at the table. I turned around and this is what she had done. Well excuse me :) I asked her how she knew how to do this and she just said, "Mom, I just know." I was impressed and I had to share...it was on the left side too :)

Visit with Nanna

2010-04-13T21:55:00.000-04:00

Last week was a crazy week with traveling...I am thankful that we are not too far away from family. This past weekend we went to Hickory, NC. It was a great trip catching up with John's side of the family. On Friday night we met up with John's cousin's Heather, Julie and Aunt Francis at O'Charley's. I stood up to take a picture and then Anna spilled all her milk on the floor...so no picture of our dinner. She also fell back out of her chair...still not sure how that happened, but she has a huge bruise on her bottom.

The next day we went to the park with John's other cousin Neil, his wife Hillary and their two daughters Ava and Ryan. His Aunt Judy and Uncle George also met us there. Aunt Francis decided to come too. The girls had so much fun playing together...

Taking a break from playing and having a snack...

I started taking pictures and the kids wanted to get in too...

Anna an Eliza wanted in...

So did Ryan...

John and the girls before church...

Nanna and the girls after church...Eliza was so hungry and didn't want to stop eating her goldfish during the pictures!

Thanks Nanna for having us! We had a great time and it was wonderful seeing everyone.

Easter Weekend

2010-04-12T08:10:00.000-04:00

Easter baskets are ready to go ... each item cost $1. They were a huge hit with the girls!

Sunday morning easter service at Boone Hall.

This was our view during the service...absolutely beautiful!!!

Thank you Gigi and Poppi for the cute PJ's. They are ready to meet their little sister! (So am I)

We met up with my cousin Brian, his wife Elizabeth and their two kids Carolyn and Sydney. The girls had so much fun playing with Carolyn. I wish I could have gotten a picture of them standing next to each other, but they were busy running around.

Girl talk :)

You never know what will happen....

2010-04-12T07:23:00.000-04:00

when I take a shower! Anna found some scissors and went to town on my list of things to do for the day.

33 weeks pregnant...

2010-04-08T22:18:00.000-04:00

Okay...we are nearing the end. I keep telling myself this...I won't be uncomfortable for much longer. This pregnancy has gone smoothly other than being SO sick in the beginning. For the most part I feel really good, but the veins in my legs have taken a beating. With each pregnancy my veins have gotten worse. It, of course, is all worth it for these absolutely precious children, but I don't know what will happen if we ever decide on having a 4th (Mom, don't freak out).

weekend...

2010-03-21T23:02:00.000-04:00

We had a beautiful weekend in Fayetteville, NC! I am ready for warmer weather...not hot...just warm. Friday we were able to enjoy the weather at the Asheboro Zoo. We had a great time as a family. The zoo is huge! Make sure you bring your walking shoes if you go! We will have to go back because we didn't make it to Africa. We saw lots of animals, played at the parks, had a picnic lunch and shared a couple icee's. That was a good day! Saturday took an unexpected turn for the worse. Once again it was a beautiful day and we were outside playing/ hanging out with our neighbors. John was cleaning out the car and had all the doors open. Anna climbed up in the car and was crawling over the seats. She needed to go potty so as she was exiting the rear of the car she slipped and hit the concrete drive way. She landed with a loud smack. Well, we ended the day at the emergency room with lots of x-rays of her leg. They couldn't see anything on the x-rays which is good, but she is still limping and will not bear weight on her leg. We go tomorrow morning to see an orthopedic surgeon. I know she is in a lot of pain. We are praying that nothing is fractured or broken. Hope to give a good update tomorrow....

I thought this was a clever idea for a bridge for her trains...

Anna hard at work on her pre-school work book. My goal is to go through a few pages a day with her until we finish the book which is almost 400 pages!

At the zoo checking out turtles and aligators..

A polar bear cave the girls loved!

They are inside roaring like polar bears :)

A really cute park they had set up...it was a large garden for the kids to climb on.

Bee exhibit...the girls loved this giant bee hive..

Cheese...

The girls loved riding the carousel...

Allen girls lately....

2010-03-16T21:24:00.000-04:00

Anna ready for ballet... she loves going to her class with Miss Leslie each week.

Look at that fancy move...

They love playing princess together....

friends and sisters

Yesterday we went to a place called Monkey Joe's with our friends next door. We had never been there before and we had a blast. We got there when it opened at 10:00 and didn't leave until almost 2:00. The girls jumped, climbed and ran all over the place. Anna was absolutely exhausted, had huge bags under her eyes and still did not nap. She napped today though.

Waving at Andy..

Calling for her friend Andy...

climbing and sliding...the first time she went she wanted me to go with her so I did. The whole time I was thinking, what am I doing? Don't hurt yourself or go into labor early! When I got off I noticed on the side of the inflatable thing that there was a drawing of a pregnant lady with a big slash through it...oops! no pregnant people allowed. The girls ended up doing great on there own and thank goodness they didn't need help from their very pregnant mommy!

Daddy's home ....

2010-03-16T20:37:00.000-04:00

John is home...if you have been reading this you know he is home early!!!! Really early!!! This is why when the Army says something I have to just go with it, not worry and wait on the Lord to see what happens. The Army seems to change its mind every few minutes.

Here is the sign we made for John. The girls love stickers and loved making this for Daddy.

John got in around 5 am last Sunday. He hadn't slept the whole night so he crashed when he got in. The girls were so patient waiting for him to wake up. They kept checking on him and saying there he is. They couldn't believe he was home. Here they are helping me make coffee for him

Being silly waiting for Daddy to get up.... Well, Anna is being a camera hog and Eliza wants her picture taken...

Update...

2010-03-02T21:54:00.000-05:00

It has been a little while since an update so here it goes....We are staying busy with gymnastics, ballet, barnes and noble story time, and hanging out with our friends Kelly, Andy and baby Seth. Aunt Alden came to visit last weekend and we loved having her here. The girls and I had so much fun being with her. I will be 28 weeks pregnant tomorrow! I have made it to the 3rd trimester and on the last leg of this pregnancy. I am ready to meet little baby girl Allen! (Hoping to come up with a name soon) John has been gone now for a lot of weeks, but good news is he may be coming home early and SOON! Yay! We are waiting for more information about an exact date. Well, the Army is making me grow and stretch in different ways. First, it makes me rely on the Lord...I have to lean on Him and Him alone. I think I have a tendancy to look to John too much. I hope I am making sense (not a writer here and have a hard time expressing exactly what I mean). God comes first and John cannot be God. I think through all this I have grown closer to the Lord. Also, with the Army their is a lot of waiting, changing of plans, things that come up and basically you have no control over anything. As a scheduled person this is tough! God is taking me out of my comfort zone and again saying trust me...he is of course much bigger than the Army! Here are some recent pictures of my wonderful kids. They keep me on my toes all the time. I never really know what they will do next or say next for that matter. I guess this is normal for toddler/pre-school age.

Eliza and I are trying to wake up Anna from her nap...love Eliza's cheese smile...

Here is Anna knocked out! I put her in a time out at 4:45 knowing she was overly tired!! She cried so hard for about 5 minutes and then I found her like this. It was so hard to get her up. I had the light on, Eliza and I were playing and I used the blender. Poor thing she was so tired, but I knew if I didn't wake her up after a 30 minute nap she would be awake at 11:00 at night...

Eliza dressed up as a beautiful bride at the Fayetteville Museum...

"The Grocery Store" Our friend Andy playing with the girls.They had so much fun playing at the grocery store with the carts, food and money.

Here is her cheese smile again...I love it!

We have put it off, but I couldn't any longer...First hair cuts for the girls...Their hair looks so much better and healthy. There is a great kids place in Fayetteville to go. The girls had fun!

Recent pictures....

2010-02-15T22:08:00.000-05:00

Valentine's flowers from John... Thank you Babe! I love you and miss you!

24 1/2 weeks pregnant... It has been almost a couple weeks since this picture was taken and I feel like I have grown like crazy in such a short period of time. I need to have someone take another picture to compare. I have just been feeling huge the past few days!

Outside my parents home in Charleston, SC.... I never actually went outside. I just opened the door and held the camera out. I didn't expect it to snow so I didn't bring anything for me and the girls to wear in this weather. Thank goodness it melted by the afternoon :)

Backyard shot...

60 days to 6 months....

2010-02-02T09:40:00.000-05:00

Well, we got word the other day that John will be in Haiti for the next 6 months...ugh. He should be able to come home a week before the baby is due and stay for 10 days. I am praying that he would be allowed to just stay after the baby is born because it will be so close to when they are coming home. It is a possibility, but not sure how likely it will be. I took the news pretty well and then it all sank in yesterday. We have been stuck in the house all weekend with the snow/ice storm and it seemed like the girls were fighting, whining and crying all day long. I have been more tired lately...it was a LONG day. I am trying to just take one day at a time and not think about how far away July is. Their are positive's in this...He is safe where he is, Afghanistan will be pushed back so he should be here for the girls birthdays, Christmas, and a good portion of the babies first year. I am thankful for those things. I know God is in control and his hand is in this. We have neighbors that just moved in next door that I know would help me in any emergency. I have been praying for a great family to move into our duplex. God has provided in that way and it has eased John's mind knowing that they are there.

Here are some pictures of the girls lately....

New Recipe...

2010-01-27T21:06:00.000-05:00

I am all about finding new recipe's that are kid friendly and healthy for my family. I have been reading The Eat-Clean Diet for family and kids by Tosca Reno. It is not a diet (even though it says it in the title). It is more about eating a diet full of fruits, vegetables, whole grain natural foods. It stays away from preservatives, white flour and white sugars. We have not gone completely over to this (although I would like to). We are eating better and trying new foods. Tonight I made fish sticks. The following is from Tosca Reno's book which I highly recommend. This is the only book of hers that I have, but she has written others...

"It's hard to believe that fish sticks could be healthy for you. Most commercially available fish sticks with breaded coatings contain dangerous trans fats - these come from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Trans fats are known to cause health problems, so I encourage you to stay away from them. Most coatings are also high in unnecessary and unhealthy sugar, saturated fat and sodium. But how do you get your child to eat fish at least once a week without that yummy, crispy coating? Make your own version of breaded fish sticks. You and your family will love them."

Ingrediants:
1/2 cup crushed Kashi High Fiber Cereal or Kashi Original 7 Grain TLC crackers (you can also use corn meal or breadcrumbs from any stale whole-grain bread.)
2-3 egg whites with 1 Tbsp water
4x6oz white fish fillets - sole, tilapia, or other white fish
1 Tbsp herb seasoning (I like old bay, but prefer a lower salt content)
Eat-Clean cooking spray --- (olive oil in a spray bottle)

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or spray with a light coating of cooking spray. Cut fish filets into rectangles measuring about 3" x 1 1/2". Try to keep a uniform size and thickness for best cooking results. Set aside.
2. In a medium-sized bowl mix crumbs with seasonings, salt and pepper. In another small bowl mix egg whites and water.
3. Dip each fish stick in egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off. Dip in crumb mixture and lay on prepared baking sheet. Discard extra breadcrumb mixture.
4. When baking sheet is full, place in oven and bake for 5 minutes or until golden on one side. Then flip and bake the other side. You may not need to bake any longer than 4 or 5 minutes, but keep an eye on the fish sticks. The ideal color is golden brown. Once baked, remove from heat and serve hot!

Side note: My kids are picky eaters...well mostly Eliza and she took a few bites.
The kids did use ketchup...which is not part of clean-eating. I am supposed to make my own. I will let you know if I start making my own ketchup. In the future having 3 kids under the age of 3...not sure if I will have the time to do everything from scratch!

An e-mail about Charlie Co. 1-325 ...

2010-01-26T20:42:00.000-05:00

Red Falcon Families, Here's the latest update from our troopers in Haiti:
The whole battalion recently moved to the Haitian Ministry of Agriculture
compound. This is about 1 mile due north of the Airport in Port-au-Prince.
This is where they are living and sleeping. For those of you who are savvy with Google Earth or Google Maps, the Ministry of Agriculture building is a blue-roofed structure in a palm grove next to a dirt soccer field. The living conditions are decent by Haitian standards right now. They have some shade and breezeways to sleep in. Still no showers or hot food, but things will only continue to get better for them. Our battalion is responsible for the part of Port-au-Prince that is north of the airport. The major neighborhood they are responsible for is Citie Soleil, which is on the coast. So far they have been busy delivering food and water to thousands of people and have treated hundreds of Haitians who were injured in the earthquake. They have also been meeting the local community leaders and UN peacekeepers in their area to prepare to distribute even more humanitarian aid in the coming days. Our soldiers have been impressing everyone they interact with. Numerous organizations and journalists have commented on how compassionate, disciplined and well-trained they are in all their interactions with the Haitian people. Everyone should be extremely proud of them. I know I am!
V/R Joel D. Radunzel
CPT, IN
1-325 Rear Detachment Commander

I am so proud of my husband and the rest of the 82nd airborne. John called this evening and he sounds great. It was so good to hear his voice.
They had been in port au prince working in a hospital there for about 5 or 6 days and they have just moved to the area where they were talking about above.
More to report as I get more information....

Crazy start of 2010

2010-01-19T15:06:00.000-05:00

I knew after Christmas things were going to be a little crazy. John was scheduled to be out in the field training twice in January and twice in February. We were going to need to find some things to do to keep us busy while Daddy was away. We came home and I got Anna signed up for ballet and tap and I got both girls signed up for gymnastics. I also called Barnes and Noble and found out when they had story time during the week. These weekly activities have been getting us out of the house and keeping us really busy! I am so glad that I discovered all these fun things to do because I was not expecting things to get really crazy around here... Last week John and the rest of the company were called out of the field early for an emergency. John called me and said that he would probably be deploying to Haiti for awhile. They came home and trained for two days, had a day off and then left early Sunday morning. We have absolutely no contact right now and don't know how long they will be gone. They are saying around 60 days, but depending on the situation it could be more or less. I am so proud of my husband and what the 82nd airborne is doing over there!! The girls and I miss John so much, but are doing well. We are counting down the days until he comes home. We are praying for safety for the guys and trusting God through our first deployment.

The girls dancing....

So graceful :)

Look at those moves...see why I put her in ballet and tap :)

One of Eliza's moves...love her :)

Getting tired of dancing.

Pretending they are Mary holding baby Jesus :)

Anna so excited to leave for class! Usually it is a rush to get out the door. Will take more pictures of Anna in her little outfit's soon.

Our last day with Daddy :) It was a beautiful day and took advantage of such a great day by going to the park. We took a picnic and played with the girls for a few hours.

She loves to climb! She found a little boy her age to play with and they had so much fun running all over the park together. When we got home she kept referring to this boy as "My Boy."

Eliza in a cave...

Going down the slide.

Running around :)

Reading their Bible together...I am so proud :)

We would appreciate your prayers for John and my family. We are also still waiting to hear about John's deployment to Afghanistan. I am really praying that we have the summer with John before he leaves. I am getting so excited about having this baby, but a little nervous too. Thinking about having three kids 3 and under while John is away is really overwhelming to think about at times. I am really trying to give it to the Lord and trust his timing in it all.

Thinking Pink!

2010-01-10T13:53:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I found out that we are expecting our third girl :) John is in the field until Thursday so he wasn't able to go to the appointment with me. I left him a message and I am hoping to hear from him soon. I can't wait to hear his reaction. It is just funny that he would end up with three little girls. For those of you that know him he is all Man. He is into sports, outdoors, hunting, fishing, and camping. I am so thankful for a healthy, active baby that is growing beautifully! I just wanted to do a quick update and I hope to get some pictures up soon.

Christmas Vacation

2009-12-30T21:47:00.000-05:00

My sweet girls on Christmas Eve! I absolutely love this picture of them. We were getting ready to leave for the children's service at my parents church. The girls did such a great job in big church and actually listened to the Christmas story and sang the Christmas carols. When they read the part of the Christmas story where their was no room for Mary and Joseph at the inn Anna cried out "OH NO."

Everything is all set up for Christmas! (Keep in mind that all these gifts were for 8 people )

Thanks Gigi and Poppie for our Doodle Pro's! Notice Uncle David and Aunt Aldi in the background. Eliza is not sure what they are doing :)

New matching outfit's from Gigi and Poppi. We were on our way to see family in Columbia, SC. the day after Christmas.The girls love their new panda outfits.

Eliza with Papa her great grand-father. She climbed right up in Papa's lap and I know that made him so happy.

The girls playing with their cousin Caleb. They had the best time playing with their friend. Anna is still talking about going back to see Caleb.

The girls showing Papa their kitties that they got for Christmas. They are obsessed with cats right now.

David, Alden, Me and Anna got in there too :) It was really great spending time with them over Christmas. We hadn't all been together sense last Christmas.

This is my mom's mom, Grandmama. My Dad's parents Marmee and Papa live right down the street from my mom's mom. We saw family at Marmee and Papa's and then headed down the street to see more family. She has a cat named Robert Redford that the girls just love :) The girls did such a great job and were really well behaved. I was really proud of them!

Happy 2nd birthday Eliza. Eliza's Birthday is December 29th and is going to be a challenge. I want it to be special for her each year, but it is a busy time to have a birthday. We celebrated her birthday at Gigi and Poppi's with balloons, cupcakes and presents. Mom and I pulled some things together and we had a nice little party.

She is so sweet!

Another sweetie enjoying her cupcake.

Elmo ipod or mp3 player ...not sure what it is supposed to be, but it plays music and she loves it.

Anna likes her gift too!

We went from Charleston, SC to Atlanta, GA to see John's brother, sister-in-law, nephew and Nanna. Sam just got back from a year long tour in Iraq and they are about to move to Ft. Hood Texas. It was a crazy trip, but it was well worth it being able to see more family. The girls had a great time playing with their cousin Charlie.

18 1/2 weeks pregnant. We find out what we are having January 9th at 9:00 pm. Really weird time, but it was the first available and I just took it. I am making myself a little crazy thinking about it. My prediction right now is another girl. I will be really shocked if it ends up being a boy. Either way we are thrilled!

16 1/2 weeks pregnant and growing

2009-12-13T13:39:00.000-05:00

On Friday I had my 16 week doctor's appointment. I begged for an ultrasound because I am dieing to know what we are having!! I also thought it would be really exciting to know and tell John for Christmas...that was my plan, but it didn't happen. This baby had legs together the whole time and was not going to budge! That's okay...we will have to wait 4 more weeks to know. That is not too far away. Everything looks great and it was so much fun to see the baby. I feel so much better and haven't felt the baby move yet so it was a relief to know that everything is alright.

With baby number 3 I feel like I have really popped out.

the last few weeks...

2009-12-10T16:06:00.000-05:00

At the SC acquarium playing with the penguins.

A pose for the camera

This time of year always seems to fly by. The last few weeks have been really busy. The girls were sick with ear infections and strep throat. Then as we were getting over sickness we went to Hickory, NC where we spent Thanksgiving with John's family. The girls loved spending time with Nanna and playing with cousin's Ava and Ryan. We came home for 1 whole day to do laundry and then the girls and I headed down to Charleston, SC while John spent 10 days in the field. Now it is already December 10th and I haven't sent out Christmas cards or finished all my Christmas shopping. We head back to Charleston around the 19th or 20th and we won't be back home until after the 1st of the year so I am not planning on doing much decorating this year. I hate that, but we won't really be here to enjoy it anyway. Did I mention that I am already 16 weeks pregnant? I have my 16 week appointment tomorrow and would love to find out the sex of the baby. I am going to beg for an ultrasound and see what they say. I would love to be able to tell family and friends what we are having. That is what is going on in the Allen family...hope you enjoy the pictures of the girls.