Chozenmom’s Weblog

How is it that every year seems to move faster than the last.  The kids are growing faster than I want them too and it seems that life just doesn’t slow down.  Seems there is always so much to do and little time to do it.

I am not one to make New Years resolutions but I do like to think about what I would like to improve on for the next year.    This year I would like to just have more time to be quiet.   Time that I can read my Bible and then  just be still and listen to what God wants me to hear from him.  I want to take more time to listen to him and actually do what it is he is calling me to do. 

So what are your plans for the New Year?

This year I will not take for granted that my husband is home with me.  There have been so many times that he hasn’t been able to be here and Christmas was very different for us.  Last year he was in Iraq and it was very hard to be without each other.  This year he is home and I am celebrating that he will be able to share this special day with all of us.

I will not take for granted that I have at least one of my sisters here.  Laura is here with her husband Beto and their baby Santiago.  I am so blessed to be able to spend Christmas this year with them.

I will not take for granted our health.  I am so thankful that we are all healthy.  Santiago just had surgery and came home from the hospital yesterday.  I am so thankful that the Doctors were able to find out what was wrong with him and correct the problem.  I won’t take that for granted.

I won’t take for granted that I get to spend Christmas with my Mom.  Last year I was able to spend it with both my Mom and Dad but Dad has since passed. 

I won’t take for granted that we are surrounded by family that loves us and we will be able to spend time together and just laugh and make memories.

I hope that you don’t things for granted and remember to tell those you love how much they mean to you this Christmas.

To find out what other wives had to say click here:

http://www.wivesoffaith.org/what-i-dont-take-for-g-christmas

Today’s Wives of Faith Blog Carnival topic is the perfect military spouse care package.  When Charles is deployed I LOVE sending him care packages.  It is very therapeutic to me.  I love coming up with creative and fun things to put in his box to let him know I am thinking of him and that I care.

When asked what I would want should someone send ME a care package I had to think about it.  I think that we, as women, tend to think of others so much that it is hard for us to think what we might want for ourselves, without feeling selfish about it.

So here is what I came up with….to see what other wives came up with click here

http://networkedblogs.com/p21872722

A Bible with pages marked of scripture to help me get thru the day.

A journal to log my feelings and frustrations or concerns.

A really good mystery novel to distract me.

Some candles with a great smelling relaxing scent

Some bubble bath or oils to relax after a long day

Phone number of a good friend and prayer warrior to lift me  up on those especially difficult days

a picture of my hubby to look at and cherish on those especially emotional days

some of his cologne to spray on the pillow next to me

A shirt that he has worn that I can sleep with

and most important……for when those deployment gremlins come calling (everything breaks when they aren’t here) a phone number of a good handy man that can fix anything that goes wrong.

Today’s topic is What the first Christmas means to me. 

I thought and thought about this.  There are so many things to say about the first Christmas.  When I tried to think about what to blog about I kept going back to Mary.  I tried to put myself in her shoes.  What would I have done if I had been her?  Would I have believed what the angel was telling me?  How would I explain this to Joseph and would he believe me?  How would I explain this to my family and would they believe me?  Do I really want to go through with this? Why would God have chosen me?  Why did he find my worthy of such a task?  Should I just tell God, um I think you have the wrong girl, maybe you should pick someone else.  I dont’ really want to do this, I am not ready, I am not worthy, I am not sure this will work.  But Mary didn’t do that.  She was ready to do God’s will.  Ready to do what was asked of her.  Ready to take on such a task.  She trusted in God.

I have hopes for the new year that I will be more open to what God is telling me, more open to what he has in store for me.  More open to do his will.  More willing to walk with him and follow him.  I am looking forward to what he has to tell me and what happens when I actually listen and obey.

To hear what other wives have to say about this topic click her

www.wivesoffaith.org/what-the-first-christmas-means-to-me

Today’s Wives of Faith Blog Carnival is all about the tree.  Click here to see what other military wives have to say about their Christmas tree.

www.wivesoffaith.org/the-best-christmas-tree

Growing up we always had a real tree.  As we got older we switched to an artificial tree due to lots of allergies in the house.  When I got married and we had kids we started out with real trees but have since bought (a few years ago) a fake tree.  Just less mess, less money and I buy the Febreeze pine air freshener and it smells great!!!  🙂

My favorite tree ever (which I don’t have a photo of) was the year of my husbands first deployment to Iraq which was also the first time I had ever been through a deployment.  I remember trying to put the lights on the tree (something he always did).  I realized once I got them all on that I did them backyards with the cord on top and half didn’t work.  I sat down and just cried.  Big meltdown!!  I then decided that I wasn’t going to have the same decorations that year.  I went out and bought red, white, and blue christmas ball ornaments.  All the garland was also red, white and blue.  I bought white pearl strands.  Online I found lots of Army and patriotic ornaments.  I loved that tree and it made me think of him everytime I looked at it.  It reminded me of how proud I was to be married to a soldier.  It reminded me of how much I loved and supported him.

I still have those ornaments and although we don’t do the tree all red, white and blue….we still use those ornaments.  I have included some pictures.  Hope you enjoy.

Today’s topic is What Christmas means to me.

Christmas means so many different things.  It is a time to reflect on the year that has gone past so quickly.  It is time to remember the birth of Christ and all that he has done to bless my life this past year.  It is a time to give to others and look forward to seeing the joy on their faces when they open the gifts.  It is a time to bake with my daugther.  It is a time to spend with family.  It so many different things.  My favorite part of Christmas though is the memories that are being made, the traditions that are carried down from generation to generation.  I love being able to think back to Christmases past and reflect on the joy and the togetherness.  That is what Christmas means to me.

To hear what other military wives have to say click here:  www.wivesoffaith.org/what-christmas-means-to-me

I know that I haven’t blogged in a long time.  I have been encouraged, yet again,  by Sara Horn and Wives of Faith.   We are having a Twelve Days of Christmas Blog and though I am a little late joining in I thought it would be a good way to get started again.

Please stop by the Wives of Faith page, if you haven’t.   I have found much encouragement and support here.  http://www.wivesoffaith.org

Todays topic is:    My Funniest Christmas Memory.

I had to really think about this one.  There are so many fun memories but maybe not necessarily gut busting laughter funny.  I finally came up with my favorite.  Now this event may have not happened AT Christmas time but is about Christmas.

First you have to know my Mom.  To this day she still insists that there IS indeed a Santa.  Granted I have 3 sisters and the oldest 46 and the youngest 30.  She STILL insists.  Well when we were younger (Jr. High), my Mom was in the kitchen and the window was open to the patio.  She heard my sister and a friend talking about Santa.  They were discussing the fact that he wasn’t real and didn’t exist, etc. etc. etc.  My sister very seriously said, “I KNOW but DON’T tell my Mom, she still believes!”

Although I wish it didn’t take the death of my Father to bring all of my sisters home I am forever grateful to God that he made sure they could all be here for the celebration of his life and his love for us.  It has been a great time.  We went to the San Diego Fair just this past weekend.   The fair makes you realize that your family is pretty darn normal.  Think Joe Dirt.  If you haven’t seen that movie, you should.  I even tasted chocolate covered bacon at the fair.  I love being able to hold my newest nephew Santiago and comfort him when he is cranky.  I can’t wait for Charles to get here and spoil him like he does all of his other nieces and nephews.  Here are just a few pictures of us together.  Oh and Marcus was a back up dancer for a hip hop singer at the San Diego Fair last weekend.   I am thankful for my family for coming out and supporting him.  Even the singers Mom was shocked at how many people were there to back him up.  A good time was had by all.

Charles went back yesterday and is already back in Kuwait.  He will be home sometime in July.  I think that made it a little easier on all of us to say goodbye, knowing that it won’t be long before we are all together again.

The two weeks went by fast but we were able to do everything we wanted to do while he was here.  Although, we didn’t get to see everyone that we wanted to but we will have the summer to catch up with those that we missed this time.

We had a big celebration at church the day after he got home.  Thanks to my Mom and my Aunt for getting all the food and the decorations and Wayne for cooking it all.  It was so nice for him to be able to visit with so many people and be welcomed back.  Our church also surprised us with a money gift.  That was so awesome!  With me being layed off from work I had still tried to save and put aside so we would be able to do things while he was home.  But, it still just wasn’t enough to not have to worry so that gift was incredible to us. 

Each of our kids (well all 2 of them) got to pick a day to spend with Dad one on one.  Shelby wanted to go fishing.  So Charles took her to Puddingstone Reservoir and they fished.  Didn’t catch anything but she had a great time.  Marcus decided on dirt bike riding.  Thanks to our friends John and Sharon for fixing the bikes (for free!) and getting them ready to go.  They had a great time riding.  Charles also was able to take Marcus out driving a few times.  Marcus has his permit and it was nice for the two of them to bond while doing that as well.

For my time with him, we went to San Diego for 3 days.  It was so nice and relaxing.  We didn’t do all the busy stuff we would normally do when going to San Diego, like the zoo or Sea World.  We relaxed at the hotel pool and read books, went in the jacuzzi, had a leisurely lunch at a nice restaurant.  We took the tour of the USS Midway which was really cool.  I was amazed at the tight quarters those men had to live in.  I would have gone nuts after one day!!  Then we walked along and saw all the other ships that are down there.  Had a nice lunch on the water and ate the best clam chowder I had ever had.  We also went to Old Town (2 times).  The first time was a big mistake!  It was the night of Cinco De Mayo and it was so crowded and wild we left and went to eat at Chilis.  But we came back the next day and had lunch there.  We also HAD to make sure we stopped and bought homemade tortillas.  They were still warm and so delicious!

So we all enjoyed our time together and are so happy that we were able to be a family for 2 weeks.  Now we can start the count down to his homecoming in July!!  🙂