Half Way Done!!!

Well we are half way done with our 3rd deployment! I'd like to give you all this deep reflective insight, but this is just hard. The last 8 months have gone by fairly quickly, which I'm extremely grateful. With all the hardship that we've face so far, God is so quick to shower blessings on us. Kelly left on April 6th, and he came home to have his 18 day R&R over the summer. We had the best time. God has protected my husband who has only gone on a handful of missions which were pretty regular during the last 2 deployments. God has also kept him from moving into Sadr City which is not the friendliest of places. We were also given the gift of 5 extra days when Kelly was able to come home while bringing another soldier home. We went swimming at our favorite German pool, went out to dinner, and Kelly and I were even able to do our Christmas shopping for the girls together. We are able to chat online almost everyday and we even have a microphone so we can hear each other's voice. Kelly jokes around with his guys and even bbq's to keep their morale up. He is truly my hero! Only 7 more months to go.

Out of Order! Grace's Birthday

Gracie Grace turns 7!!!!!!

Grace loves Littlest Pet Shop.

Gracie's birthday waffles

School Time

Brown beauties off to school! Here's our big Kindergartener!
Sarah just loves school and is doing very well. I am humbled to say that it was me who had the hardest time when she started school. Even though I quickly filled my time, it has been a big adjustment for me not caring after someone during the day. Emma (our dog) and I look forward to 2:00pm when the girls come home from school.

Kelly comes home for R&R!

Here we are picking up our favorite soldier from Iraq to spend 18 days with us!

Summer Fun

We had fun at Hinkley Lake having a picnic, catching crawfish, and playing in the water.

Survivor: Baumholder

Last summer, God put on my heart the desire to have a support group for wives with deployed soldiers. Little did I know, that He would ask me to run it. With the help of 2 other ladies, we started in December before our husbands deployed, with an attendance of 10 ladies. We are up to 26, and the ladies are still coming. When you walk into the room during a meeting, you can tell that God has hand picked each and everyone to be there. They are beautiful, smart, tired, strong, funny, lonely, and ever changing women. We pray, celebrate birthday & anniversaries, play games, and talk about the "stuff" that we are going through during this 15 month long deployment. I am humbled and honored to be amongst these ladies. God, you are so good! I will keep you posted.

America the Beautiful!

Today our family went to the casing of the colors. Each unit has their own flag. In this ceremony the deploying units will display their flag and then inclose it in a case. The flag will stay inclosed until each unit comes home. It is very emotional for the families but a great tradition to be apart of. We can't wait for our soldier to come home!

Madison's Piano Recital

Happy Easter!

Cologne, Germany

This is the Cologne Cathedral which was built in the 4th century. People from all over Europe

made a pilgrimage to this church, one of the largest in the Middle Ages. The details of the cathedral are simply amazing.
Here you can see a saint holding Noah's Ark with a dove on the top.

Just one of the stain glass windows inside of the church.
And here are our girls. Sarah is wishing you peace. lol

Finally!

Grace waited sooooo long for her first tooth to fall out, and finally

and finally after almost 7 years, it happened. And what happened next totally

took be by surprise. Although our girls know the tooth fairy isn't real, we still love to pretend. So Grace put her tooth under her pillow that night and was COMPLETELY shocked to find it missing the next morning. The fact that there were 4 shiny quarters laying there in its place, didn't matter. This is a little of our conversation. "MOM, why would the tooth fairy steal my tooth? What is she going to do with it? Why does she need all of those teeth? She's a tooth stealer!!! She just steals kid's teeth for no reason!" I sat there silent, in disbelief. LOL

I love you, Grace

Tiger Woods Look Out!

Golfing beauties!


Look at that swing!
We spent the afternoon at the driving range. Madison picked it up rather quickly, and Grace & Sarah were just as happy finding stray golf balls and climbing up the railing.

St. Goar

A castle along the Rhine River
Kelly taking a picture of me taking a picture of him. We make ourselves laugh. LOL

Brown beauties!

Maddy Girl is 9!!!

Happy Birthday precious girl!
She loves dolphins.
We headed to Starland (like Chuck E Cheese) with her friends

to celebrate her big day.

Madison is a very loving little girl. She loves to be helpful and loves to be with the babies at church. 3rd grade is going well with her favorite subject being Math. She enjoys playing the piano, roller skating, playing with her Webkinz, horseback riding, and being with her friends. She will be trying softball this year and luckily Daddy bought her mit before he left for Iraq because I'm not sporty AT ALL! LOL I would have bought her a pink one that probably didn't fit but would have looked pretty.

Happy Birthday Sarah Belle!

Our big 5 year old started her special day with a birthday waffles fit for a Princess!


Supergirl Sarah enjoyed her friends, cake, gifts, and lots of love.Sarah Emily Leilani ("God's gift" in Hawaiian) is an amazing little girl. Her favorite things are: her sisters (most of the time), hot dogs, snuggling with anyone especially Mom and Dad, learning, art projects, baking with Mom but mostly eating the cookie dough, polly pockets. Least favorite things: getting her VERY curly hair combed out, socks, insects big or small, getting up early

Faith

Dear Family & Friends,

Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.
Matthew 17:20

God tells me in his word to be anxious for nothing but I confess to you that I'm still anxious. He tells me to have faith like a mustard seed but today I wonder if I even have that. Kelly will be leaving soon for his third time in Iraq for 15 months and I wonder if I have enough strength to make it. Well good news...I don't!!! But God does and I'm learning to believe not just in Him, but to believe Him. And God says "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God (he's mine!). I will strengthen you and help you (I need it); I will up hold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

God is good, all the time & all the time, God is good!

More pics of Germany

This is something I never get tired of seeing and they are everywhere here in Germany. Usually in the entrance of someone's property.
My husband laughs at me at the things I love to take pictures of but I just thought this old barn was very cool. It just sat so perfect in the snow.
As you can see, not all of my children were so happy in this picture but it was too cute not to share (Grace is going to kill me).
So...as you can see, Grace left but Kelly boy took her place. Aren't they cute?!

Another day by the pool!

After Christmas, we took a mini vacation to southern Germany. We went sight seeing, saw a castle (picture below) and spent a lot of time getting pruney in the pool.