So I am beginning to feel that we have traded one set of struggles for another. However, I do not want to complain about how God has completely answered our prayers and completely is taking care of us! We are so thrilled with life over the last several weeks and so grateful to God! Matthew's birthday was this past week and when asked what he wanted, he said nothing. He was so happy with life, that there was nothing that could add to his joy! How great is that??!!?? Have you ever been so thrilled and so blessed that there was nothing you wanted?
We are truly excited about Matthew's promotion and the opportunities that are now before him in his career. We are more than ecstatic in the fact that he will no longer be recruiting. For me, the reality of what this means has started to set in. Matthew will be gone for a minimum of 6 months. So aside from having to struggle for money (which is a huge issue) single mom anyone? I am a bit overwhelmed by the thought of taking care of L for 6 months on my own. However, God has already started preparing me for this one. While Matthew was at home for 6 weeks with the broken foot, i had to be the sole caregiver. So I already have a taste of it and it is not awful. Just a little tiring.
God is already providing for this time without Matthew as well. We have the option to move back to Central Jersey, yes where we just moved her from in January. We would be near lots of family and our very very good friends Tom and Rebecca who have 2 boys 3 and 1/2 weeks younger than L. We could also save 500 bucks a month by going up there. If we stay in South Jersey, we have one of the most amazing church families you could ever desire! Love...they have it! Grace...they have it! Support...they have it! Servants....they are! So we would be just fine here too! We could be here and give back to our wonderful church family. God has also provided 3 homes for L and I to stay in while we visit Matthew in Quantico. Friends we've made over the seasons of our lives are living in the DC/Quantico area. They have all offered a room and they live right by where Matthew will be training. So how else could we be more blessed while having Matthew away for 6 months? Thank you God for your guidance and thank you for your blessings! Thank you for helping me adjust to the big changes we are about to experience!
THe next big thing I think about is our next duty station. We are very excited about the possibility of moving to Japan. Then I think of the moving...the flight with a baby to Japan, not having my household stuff for several months, living so far away, etc. But I think I will leave this one to God as well and get through the next 9 months first! You see, there are already blessings about moving to Japan. My brother will be stationed there as of Nov. 2 so we would be there together, we would be closer to Matthew's mom who lives in Australia, and the weather is so much warmer there than Jersey! So should I be overwhelmed by the changes or list the blessings. I think I will continue to list the blessings!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Crying it out, part 2
So I never had to actually have L cry it out. You see, we cried it out one night and then she was sick. She had a cough, runny nose, stuffy nose, and couldn't sleep. She only slept for about a 1/2 hour to an hour at a time because she could not breathe. So we had a rough couple of weeks with little sleep. Between taking care of Matthew and Lexi, I was running on low. But of course we made it through as we always do. The first night that she was feeling all better, she slept on her own. She slept for 6 hours the first night and several nights after that. Then she started sleeping for up to 7 hours at at time. So she is sleeping! We are beyond 3 hours at a time and she did it on her own. We are a happy house. With Matthew's recovery going well, Lexi sleeping AND Matthew getting a huge promotion, what does this mama do with all her joy? Share with others of course. What joy do you have in your life right now?
We have new pics on our family page.
http://web.mac.com/collinsmt/Site/Lexi/Lexi.html
Go to 'Lexi 10' to see the beautiful baby.
We have new pics on our family page.
http://web.mac.com/collinsmt/Site/Lexi/Lexi.html
Go to 'Lexi 10' to see the beautiful baby.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Big News, NO MORE RECRUITING!
We are ready to share our great big news! Matthew has been selected to become a Warrant Officer in the United States Marine Corps. He will soon be considered an officer with the privileges and responsibility that come with that. This is a huge promotion for him. The most exciting part is that he will no longer be a recruiter as of Jan. 22, 2009. We will no longer have him working 6 days per week from 6:30 am until 8, 9, 10 or 11 p.m. He will be gone for about 6 months for officers' school. But we will be able to go and visit him and he might be able to visit us.
We are so excited about this amazing opportunity. This is such a wonderful gift from God. He has heard our cries over the last 9 months and pulled us out of recruiting duty. We are coming out of this with a stronger marriage and more love and respect for one another. Also, this is such a fabulous step for Matthew's career.
By God's grace, we will be a successful Marine Corps family. We will continue to love and honor God. We are so grateful for the new job and the big promotion!!!!
We are so excited about this amazing opportunity. This is such a wonderful gift from God. He has heard our cries over the last 9 months and pulled us out of recruiting duty. We are coming out of this with a stronger marriage and more love and respect for one another. Also, this is such a fabulous step for Matthew's career.
By God's grace, we will be a successful Marine Corps family. We will continue to love and honor God. We are so grateful for the new job and the big promotion!!!!
Monday, October 6, 2008
Awesome God
We will soon be sharing awesome ways God has blessed our lives! Just so excited how God works things out!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Funny
Hi there! My wonderful friend Whitney got me a subscription to Parenting Magazine just after Lexi was born. I really enjoy this magazine. Cute articles, good information, and presents different parenting styles. On page 148 of the October issue, there was a page on Horror movies for Moms. I thought it was very cute so wanted to share with you.
Horror movies for Moms:
Think you've seen the scariest stuff Hollywood can dish out? Think again
Smellraiser
After his wife leaves for the day, a dad realizes with cold dread that something unholy is escaping from their baby's diaper. R (brief nudity)
The Bear Glitch Project
A family of four is terrorized by eerie groans and howls that, in a riviting climax, are traced to a Winnie the Pooh toy with dying batteries. PG-13 (violent act involving Winnie the Pooh)
The Stepford Toddlers
A newcomer to a tidy suburb has a hideous yet oddly comforting thought: The reason her nieghbor's children never throw tantrums in the supermarket or stick things up thier noses is that they are robots. PG-13 (graphic footage as newcomer extracts a crayon from her kid's left nostril)
Snackula
A health-conscious mom is shocked to discover that her child, despite his wholesome appearance, has been insatiably sucking down chocolate-flavored drinks at a friend's house. R (profanity - the kid's - after Mom confiscateshis eighth bottle of Yoo-hoo)
The Phantom of the Bedroom
Each time they climb into bed at night, a mom and dad are summoned by a disembodied voice demanding water, a blankie, and eleventeen more stories. G (no nudity whatsoever, despite repeated attempts)
Sunday, September 28, 2008
My moms say...
(I have 2 moms -- bio mom and step mom, both very important in my life)
About having a baby, my moms say:
1. You will be tired for the next 20 years
I say I am beginning to believe this one
2. You will worry about what is best, worry how to help and worry about what to do for your baby, for the rest of your life
I say I am beginning to believe this one too
3. You will never be so entertained as when you have a baby
I say I laugh so many times a day now! such joy!!!
4. You will not be wearing clean clothes for the next several years due to the spit up, throw up, poop, snot, and any other form of fluid one little body can produce
I say, I had an idea this was coming after working in Special Education classes the last several years.
5. You will exist with your heart walking outside of your body
I say, now my heart is no longer mine
6. You will pray like you have never prayed before
I say, my prayer life has increased dramatically
7. You will have to trust God more than you have known before, YOU cannot raise this child. God needs to use you.
I say, use me GOD!
8. Children are to be treasured, but also need to be grounded.
I say L is one of the most important little girls in my life, but she is not the most important girl in the world. All little girls need to be treasured by those close to them. But, they are not the princess to be treated as such by all others.
9. You will work harder at being a mom than anything you have done before.
I say, I need a grandma vacation. That is where grandma comes and I get a vacation!
I love my moms!
We have new pictures on our web site. Check them out.
http://web.mac.com/collinsmt/Site/Lexi/Pages/Lexi_9.html
What does your mom say?
About having a baby, my moms say:
1. You will be tired for the next 20 years
I say I am beginning to believe this one
2. You will worry about what is best, worry how to help and worry about what to do for your baby, for the rest of your life
I say I am beginning to believe this one too
3. You will never be so entertained as when you have a baby
I say I laugh so many times a day now! such joy!!!
4. You will not be wearing clean clothes for the next several years due to the spit up, throw up, poop, snot, and any other form of fluid one little body can produce
I say, I had an idea this was coming after working in Special Education classes the last several years.
5. You will exist with your heart walking outside of your body
I say, now my heart is no longer mine
6. You will pray like you have never prayed before
I say, my prayer life has increased dramatically
7. You will have to trust God more than you have known before, YOU cannot raise this child. God needs to use you.
I say, use me GOD!
8. Children are to be treasured, but also need to be grounded.
I say L is one of the most important little girls in my life, but she is not the most important girl in the world. All little girls need to be treasured by those close to them. But, they are not the princess to be treated as such by all others.
9. You will work harder at being a mom than anything you have done before.
I say, I need a grandma vacation. That is where grandma comes and I get a vacation!
I love my moms!
We have new pictures on our web site. Check them out.
http://web.mac.com/collinsmt/Site/Lexi/Pages/Lexi_9.html
What does your mom say?
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Yorkies
Hey Yorkies, this is for you!
What are some of your favorite memories from your college experience? I will share with you a few of mine.
i went to York College in York, NE. A small, private, Liberal Arts, Christian college in the middle of a corn field.
Each fall and spring I cook a meal to kick of the new season. I have previously posted that I do not like to cook. But there is one meal I am proud to be able to create and this is the meal from my York experience which I make. I can make Japanese beef curry with rice. Many of you will probably figure who taught me to make this meal...Hirotaka Miyata. Hiro was a friend (or boyfriend) of mine during college. We dated for just under a year before we decided we wouldn't be able to make it work. But while we dated he taught me to make beef curry. Yummy! It is so delicious and our family likes to eat it. My husband spent one year in Japan as one of his tours in the Marine Corps. so he loves Japanese food too!
Another memory: meeting up with my girlfriends. I became really good friends with Pam, Annie, and Candace. We were all RAs one year. Many, many nights one of us would be siting in our room, and another of the 4 would walk into the room. A little while later, another gal would walk in and then the 4th girl would enter. We always ended up in one of our rooms just talking and laughing. Girlfriends are people to treasure! When you find gals you can be honest and open with, hold them close to your heart and even if moves find you miles apart, try to keep those girls close to you. Pam and Annie and I have been able to maintain a wonderful long-distance relationship (of course Pam and Annie are sisters so this isn't too hard for them). I am so sad to say that Candace and I have completely lost touch (if you know where she is let me know). Anyway, those nights we found one another, we would usually end up going to the gas station (can't remember the name of it) and getting large sodas. We would stay up so late...laughing, talking, talking and talking and maybe studying once in a blue moon.
More memories: Arguing. Oh man, did I argue with people. I was a little outspoken in those days (may not have changed too much) and I was always willing to "discuss" opinions with anyone who was willing. Most people were much more conservative then I was in beliefs and understanding of the Bible so this lead to many interesting conversations. While at York, I had to figure out what I really believed because I was frequently arguing with someone about something. I am grateful for the opportunity to be around others who helped me to grow in my Christian faith. Since those "discussions" I have been able to reflect and incorporate other ideas, which I once strongly disagreed with into my relationship with God. You take and grow hopefully becoming more like Christ along the way.
My experience at York was so blessed by the professors who worked there. I remember professors looking at each student as an individual and trying to cultivate the person, not just the student. I felt we were treated as whole people who had something to contribute to society.
Well, I loved my York experience and would pay again to go there (just paid off the loans last spring!). In fact, I would pay more to go there! It was so great and I love York. So, what are your special memories of your college experience? Late night runs to the truck stop? $ movies and Taco Bell in Lincoln? Clubs? I would love to hear what you found special.
What are some of your favorite memories from your college experience? I will share with you a few of mine.
i went to York College in York, NE. A small, private, Liberal Arts, Christian college in the middle of a corn field.
Each fall and spring I cook a meal to kick of the new season. I have previously posted that I do not like to cook. But there is one meal I am proud to be able to create and this is the meal from my York experience which I make. I can make Japanese beef curry with rice. Many of you will probably figure who taught me to make this meal...Hirotaka Miyata. Hiro was a friend (or boyfriend) of mine during college. We dated for just under a year before we decided we wouldn't be able to make it work. But while we dated he taught me to make beef curry. Yummy! It is so delicious and our family likes to eat it. My husband spent one year in Japan as one of his tours in the Marine Corps. so he loves Japanese food too!
Another memory: meeting up with my girlfriends. I became really good friends with Pam, Annie, and Candace. We were all RAs one year. Many, many nights one of us would be siting in our room, and another of the 4 would walk into the room. A little while later, another gal would walk in and then the 4th girl would enter. We always ended up in one of our rooms just talking and laughing. Girlfriends are people to treasure! When you find gals you can be honest and open with, hold them close to your heart and even if moves find you miles apart, try to keep those girls close to you. Pam and Annie and I have been able to maintain a wonderful long-distance relationship (of course Pam and Annie are sisters so this isn't too hard for them). I am so sad to say that Candace and I have completely lost touch (if you know where she is let me know). Anyway, those nights we found one another, we would usually end up going to the gas station (can't remember the name of it) and getting large sodas. We would stay up so late...laughing, talking, talking and talking and maybe studying once in a blue moon.
More memories: Arguing. Oh man, did I argue with people. I was a little outspoken in those days (may not have changed too much) and I was always willing to "discuss" opinions with anyone who was willing. Most people were much more conservative then I was in beliefs and understanding of the Bible so this lead to many interesting conversations. While at York, I had to figure out what I really believed because I was frequently arguing with someone about something. I am grateful for the opportunity to be around others who helped me to grow in my Christian faith. Since those "discussions" I have been able to reflect and incorporate other ideas, which I once strongly disagreed with into my relationship with God. You take and grow hopefully becoming more like Christ along the way.
My experience at York was so blessed by the professors who worked there. I remember professors looking at each student as an individual and trying to cultivate the person, not just the student. I felt we were treated as whole people who had something to contribute to society.
Well, I loved my York experience and would pay again to go there (just paid off the loans last spring!). In fact, I would pay more to go there! It was so great and I love York. So, what are your special memories of your college experience? Late night runs to the truck stop? $ movies and Taco Bell in Lincoln? Clubs? I would love to hear what you found special.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Iraq
Sniffle, sniffle. My brother, Brian is off to Iraq today. He is going to protect the family and country that he loves. He is on his way to do something he greatly believes in. Whether or not you believe in the war, my other brother who spent 8 months in Iraq a while back had a different view than the media. Brandon said the locals were grateful for what America had done. They were happy to have more freedoms and excited about possibilities. Now Brian is off to defend those freedoms, which he deeply believes in. Here are a few words from his blog. *He uses a few rough words so please grant him grace as he is about to embark on a dangerous and passionate journey* I was not able to get permission from him since he is on a plane to over there. I thought what he had to say was VERY IMPORTANT so I wanted to share with you.
"Dear Friends and Family, I'm finally off to do what I've been dying to do for some time now (going to Iraq). And while the mathematical chance, coupled with my own juvenile sense of invincibility, requires that I can say with full confidence that nothing major will happen to me, I have been moved to leave behind the following thoughts. Some may be original, some rehashed, and most you have heard me rant about before, but I hope I can express them all as directly as possible. This is me at the age of 26, always learning, always changing, always growing.
On the Iraq war: Do I need to address WMD's? Are people still complaining that they didn't have any? Thank God for us they didn't. Three reasons we had every right and obligation to invade Iraq: 1) Saddam kicked out the weapons inspectors, whose mere presence was a condition for us not invading in '91. The day he kicked them out (especially after playing cat-and-mouse with them for years) we had a right to pick up where we left off. 2) They were shooting SAMs (surface-to-air-missiles) at our jets on an almost daily basis. I'm talking about the jets that were patrolling the northern and southern no-fly zones, that was also an agreed upon condition for us hitting the brakes in '91. Every single SAM fired was an act of war and if any other country in the world tried pulling that nonsense, we would mess them up! 3) Saddam was an evil dictator that brutalized his people and allowed them virtually no freedoms. The last Red Cross estimate I saw for the body count of people pulled out of mass graves was 300,000. A few years ago, I knew it'd only be a matter of time before I heard some nut actually defend that 'man', saying something like, "Yeah, but at least he kept the peace and we can't even do that!" And sure enough, I've heard that twice from a couple far-lefters in the last year. He kept his people down, that's for sure, and giving them freedom at first was like giving two angry pit bulls freedom after being caged side by side for years. But do any of you anti-war, anti-Bush people have any idea how historically huge it is for them to even have the right to vote? Our forefathers didn't necessarily fight for their own right to vote, but they fought more for all the generations after them to have that right. We are setting these people free! Thank God things are turning around over there now, and I think twenty years from now we'll mostly all agree that it was the right thing to do. The middle-east is basically the a**hole of the world, clinging on to the middle ages, but maybe one day Iraq will be the one country to realize that freedom is awesome and killing people because of their religion, or sexual preference, or doing "honor killings" to women is not cool. A few small countries aside, most of them hate us for loving freedom. This isn't even an "I'm right and you're wrong" thing because we say everyone can choose what they think is right or wrong, and then go out and choose your leaders accordingly. Even when the Palestinians elected Hamas as their governing body, we respected their right to vote and choose who they want to lead. (Stupid as they are for doing that)."
Brian is a very smart man and has some wisdom when he decides to share. I wonder what your response will be. Brian, I love you and will be praying my heart out for you and your safety!
"Dear Friends and Family, I'm finally off to do what I've been dying to do for some time now (going to Iraq). And while the mathematical chance, coupled with my own juvenile sense of invincibility, requires that I can say with full confidence that nothing major will happen to me, I have been moved to leave behind the following thoughts. Some may be original, some rehashed, and most you have heard me rant about before, but I hope I can express them all as directly as possible. This is me at the age of 26, always learning, always changing, always growing.
On the Iraq war: Do I need to address WMD's? Are people still complaining that they didn't have any? Thank God for us they didn't. Three reasons we had every right and obligation to invade Iraq: 1) Saddam kicked out the weapons inspectors, whose mere presence was a condition for us not invading in '91. The day he kicked them out (especially after playing cat-and-mouse with them for years) we had a right to pick up where we left off. 2) They were shooting SAMs (surface-to-air-missiles) at our jets on an almost daily basis. I'm talking about the jets that were patrolling the northern and southern no-fly zones, that was also an agreed upon condition for us hitting the brakes in '91. Every single SAM fired was an act of war and if any other country in the world tried pulling that nonsense, we would mess them up! 3) Saddam was an evil dictator that brutalized his people and allowed them virtually no freedoms. The last Red Cross estimate I saw for the body count of people pulled out of mass graves was 300,000. A few years ago, I knew it'd only be a matter of time before I heard some nut actually defend that 'man', saying something like, "Yeah, but at least he kept the peace and we can't even do that!" And sure enough, I've heard that twice from a couple far-lefters in the last year. He kept his people down, that's for sure, and giving them freedom at first was like giving two angry pit bulls freedom after being caged side by side for years. But do any of you anti-war, anti-Bush people have any idea how historically huge it is for them to even have the right to vote? Our forefathers didn't necessarily fight for their own right to vote, but they fought more for all the generations after them to have that right. We are setting these people free! Thank God things are turning around over there now, and I think twenty years from now we'll mostly all agree that it was the right thing to do. The middle-east is basically the a**hole of the world, clinging on to the middle ages, but maybe one day Iraq will be the one country to realize that freedom is awesome and killing people because of their religion, or sexual preference, or doing "honor killings" to women is not cool. A few small countries aside, most of them hate us for loving freedom. This isn't even an "I'm right and you're wrong" thing because we say everyone can choose what they think is right or wrong, and then go out and choose your leaders accordingly. Even when the Palestinians elected Hamas as their governing body, we respected their right to vote and choose who they want to lead. (Stupid as they are for doing that)."
Brian is a very smart man and has some wisdom when he decides to share. I wonder what your response will be. Brian, I love you and will be praying my heart out for you and your safety!
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