Sallie

There is some funny business going on in these elections... but some good things, too. Of course, you don't need me to tell YOU that cause ya'll are just average families like mine.

A few things worth pointing out:

Don't think Obama bought Powell's vote? Read here and see who will happen to have a job in Obama's cabinet...

I so love Huck!! I really wish he'd gotten the nod for president but he didn't. I watch him on FOX when I get the chance. He had Aaron Tippin on singing his new song Drill Here, Drill Now!! I loved it.. You can watch it over on my honey's blog if you want to see.

Michelle Obama is trying to dig in and sound like she really cares about military families (aka steal the military vote away from McCain). I'm sorry.. but this is someone who said she wasn't ever proud of her country until "now" and someone whose husband would be willing to cut the already underpaid budget right out from under my families dinner table.. All I have to say is "Honey, don't hold your breath!"

Oh, and since Biden thinks its SOOO patriotic for the rich guys to just hand over their money free and clear to poorer folks like me (which I am TOTALLY against... heck, they earned it.. why do I deserve it?), then I suggest it would be extremely patriotic of him and his co-hort in politics to hand over this HUGE intake of money to pay off the national deficit.. Don't you agree? Or, I mean, gosh, they could even send a little pinch of it back to taxpayers since we are all the ones being lambasted with all the junk they are force feeding us.. I mean, being how they think sharing is so patriotic and all!!

And the most important thing? God is in CONTROL!!! I don't worry about the election. Sometimes I get a bit hot over some of the issues but the end of the day always takes me back to the knowledge that God is right where He always has been! I can live with that... no matter who ends up "winning!"

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Sallie

and some sinus issues, too!! Noses around here are either completely stopped up or running constantly. We have had LOTS of rain and much cooler temps and so I think it really is just the change of weather and seasons. Several of the family is pretty miserable but poor Jes sounded as if he was saying "I wub my bobby a wot" earlier when he hugged me. Uhm, that would be translated "I love my mommy a lot." Ahhh...he's still my baby! I really am trying to break that habit so he isn't a "baby" but it's so sweet, too!! I'll take it while I can :-)

I seem to not be sick yet but maybe that is because I am always cold anyway. It's no big deal for me to be sitting on the sofa with a blanket so I don't really notice a huge difference between 75 degrees and 60 degrees. Yeah, I was the weird one wearing sweaters in Arizona, too!!

The fall colors are really starting to pop! I see more and more red everytime we drive to church, or Mike's work. We will be driving up through Virginia to D.C. to visit with Mike's parents in November. I can't wait... I'm sure the scenery is going to be breath-taking!! Our Pastor and his wife went to Kentucky last weekend for a family wedding and Sarah told me the drive through West Virginia was gorgeous already, too. I really missed the changes of color in Yuma so it thrills me to experience it in person once again!!

I'm helping a friend out with her two boys this week as she takes a class so I may not be on for my regular morning posts. I'm sure you'll see me around in the afternoons, though :-) In any event, though, I hope you all have a blessed week and enjoy this gorgeous autumn painting the Master is creating for us!!

Sallie

Being married to the "military" is not the world's easiest job but I wouldn't trade it for anything.  

My husband is a good and godly military man. I love that he is tough and strong and I don't have to worry about who will defend us if something should go south for our country. My husband is tough and will provide for us.

There are hard bits of life, especially when your husband is gone for 7, 8, 10, 12 months at a time. I've been blessed that over his 16 year career, and 7 deployments it has never been more than a consecutive 7 month stint of absense. Of course, a few of those were 4 months gone and 2 weeks home and 1 month gone and 6 weeks home. Heck, if it isn't at least two weeks, I don't usually even count it as being gone. One of these days I might sit down and try to figure it up in a count of actual days. It does add up after a while :-)

But there are good bits, too.. The honeymoon lasting for more than just a short bit after his return. The cards and flowers given on any 'ole day because we've missed enough "important" dates to realize that everyday is really important! The fact that we are ok with the other going away for a time of renewal because our family life is built on trust and love in one another.

I love talking with other military wives and being an example for them... showing them that they can indeed live this sometimes rough life and still be a Christian lady.

There have been times that people have said my husband and I only show people what we want them to see and that we fake being who we really are. People who see us on a daily basis and really try to know us understand that isn't true. I usually let all of that kind of stuff roll off my back but on occasion an exceptionally ugly word, said more than once and repeated to more than one person, will get back to me and it just simply hurts.  I've quit trying to do the confronting thing. I've learned that it just isn't worth it and there will always be denials but a good friend once told me that tiptoeing around the situations like they never happened doesn't really work either. In the end I know the Bible says that a mans deeds are known fully to God and that vengeance is His. It's not about what I think, or even really whether or not I'm hurt. God takes care of it all. 

What you see with our family is what you get. Are we perfect? Ha! No, not hardly! Not by a long shot! BUT, we trust God with our lives and know that we are right where He wants us to be. I love this life God has given my family. I love my rough, thick-skinned, sometimes a little-bit-too-honest husband. I love that my core beliefs and his core beliefs are what make us who we are and that we aren't willing to change just to fit what other people think we should be because we are wise enough to look to God and not man for answers. Not everyone in life is the exact same. God has different uses for different people. I'm perfectly happy with that!

Sallie

Rachel Anne has such an awesome story to share this week over our weekly coffee. You'll definitely want to go over and check her story out -- just click on the logo... but finish reading here first, of course ;-)

This week has been busy, but good. I still haven't painted my tables. I told ya, I've got a phobia or something going on...LOL.

School has not been as balanced as I'd like but we are reading a lot and I always feel good about school as long as we are doing that. I feel like as long as you can read and comprehend, you can do just about anything you set your mind to!

I prepared dinner for church Wednesday night and the best compliments come from the older folks. I always have leftovers and I don't mind that because my boys will eat all those up! I would rather have too much than not enough and sometimes cooking for 40 or 50 people can be a bit overwhelming when you are just starting out. I'm sure by the end of the year I will have my shopping lists down to a science :-) Oh, back to the compliments. Many of our elderly folks are now living alone as their spouses have went on to be with the Lord. It's almost amazing to me how many single elderly folks we do have because our last church had so many elderly couples. It does my heart good to know that my food makes them smile and gives them a bit of good home cooking memories. I know that a lot of people these days use a lot of boxed goods or prepared foods but I prefer not to do that if I can help it and its a true compliment when someone whose generation did everything from scratch approaches you and tells you that your roast is better than their's, or that your dessert really wow'ed them and asks for your recipe. These folks just bless me more than they know!!

Last night was a gorgeous night. The moon was HUGE in the sky as I was driving back from praise practice and I thought it must look beautiful over the water. My daughter and I quickly walked with the camera down to the beach but my camera, even with night photography setting on, just didn't get a clear picture. We decided to walk and talk and so ended up walking along the beach for about 45 minutes. I always enjoy these walks with my girl. She is so rebellious at times that I'm so fearful I've lost her but most times were like last night and I will take those moments anytime I can get them!

Today I spent nearly $320 at the commissary and still need to go back again for dairy, eggs, and more freezer stuff... my cart was so full, that I couldn't fit anything else in it and I was by myself. I figured a second smaller trip was the best idea. My prayer is this will last us most of a month as there is a LOT of food and I got some good deals. I just have to always remind the children that we aren't in a food crisis and they don't need to be like squirrels and save up for winter by eating it all today! Earlier, I mentioned I don't mind leftovers because my boys always eat them. That is sort of the rule in the house.. if there are leftovers, eat them so they don't get forgotten about and have to be tossed. Well, a few weeks ago I made TWO roasts so that I wouldn't have to cook the next night because we had a busy schedule. Unfortunately, Caleb, our 14 year old with the never ending hollow leg found the "leftovers" and ate the whole extra roast throughout the course of the day ALL-BY-HIMSELF!!! That was 5 pounds worth of good red meat! Like I said, never ending hollow leg! He's been eating crushed ice lately too.. maybe he is anemic?! Probably not... I think he's just a boy who loves to eat meat :-)

Well, that is what we've been up to... not the grandest of lives but we love it nonetheless! Besides, never a day goes by that I'm not confounded or curiously intrigued about some sort of happening around here... it's the perfect life that God has given us. I wouldn't change a thing :-) 

Sallie