Christmas in Abilene, KS

Well at least the start of the season - the 1st is a big day in our town! A craft fair (which I am sewing feverishly for - pics later), open houses, live mannaquins at the fashion museum, free day at the Eisenhower Complex (2nd), Holiday tour of Homes, and a lighted Parade to name a few things! If you're anywhere near here you should come it promises to be fun (although cold they're calling for snow!)

Death and taxes....

Ok so no death at present -- but we did finally get our tax statement for our house. THEY WENT DOWN! Whoo hoo! Only $74.00 but at least it's not UP like everyone else in town!! Thank you Lord!

Wiring update (see below)

Well a friend who works with Tim came over and helped him with figure out what to do. Praise God it isn't much just annoying - the previous people who did wiring work spliced new tubing to the knob and tube so it looks like it's new when you open the box behind the light but it's not! Thankfully it is only to a few lights and nothing else which is any fix. Hubby got some of done last night -- the other will be done today. We may just have to have one less switch though as part of the wiring split when he was pulling it due to shoddy workmanship previously. Oh well it's not one we really needed.

18

My eldest turned 18 yesterday! She is a beautiful, gracious young woman. And I am blessed to have her as a daughter.

Happy birthday too to Beth (beth's blog in the sidebar) who she shares a name and a birthday with!

Wiring!

Sigh. Hubby is trying to get the wiring in this old house replaced so our home owner's policy won't be canceled. The basement was easy but he's running into snags from the attic. All the insurance companies we spoke with will no longer insure knob and tube wiring - and USAA was the only one who would actually go ahead and issue the policy so we could close and move in! Then we have 60 days to get it done.... which sounds like a lot but hubby's been in the field a lot too. By the way knob and tube is perfectly safe unless it's the aluminum stuff (yes you can tell) or is fraying, broken, etc! Gotta love the insurance companies! $$$$$

The African Childern's Choir

Went to see these kiddos sing on Friday at a local church! What a blessing! Not only are they a great choir but surely the Lord is pleased with these children.... smiling, happy and energetic even when the choir is literally everything they have!
Most are street children, destitute with less than nothing by our standards. If they are in your area make sure to see them!

http://www.africanchildrenschoir.com/

Thanksgiving

Well here we are the day before Thanksgiving. Gotta clean house and get ready for tomorrow but wanted to dash off a post.
So many things to be Thankful for - a home, children, my hubby, friends who love me, family (even though they may be annoying at times), and over all God's love and care.
It's a blustery, cold day here in this part of KS perfect for cleaning, ironing and baking. We will also be reading out of Barbara Rainey's Thanksgiving book.

So many times I get caught up in what I don't have that I forget to be thankful for the things I do. Even the small things like clothes, heat, and food! Smiles, etc. But God says to be thankful in everything, not FOR everything but in it - to look for the good in every circumstance. There's always something to be thankful for even if it's that the situation isn't worse than it is!

Tomorrow we are headed to post for the Thanksgiving service and then having lunch at the Dining Facility (Mess hall) with family and friends. This is always a big deal - the biggest day of the year for Army cooks- with great food, ice sculptures, men in dress uniforms and family time.

Take time to remember too the troops overseas and give thanks for them and your freedoms.

Puzzle Pieces

What a weekend! This was Central Region's Fall Focus weekend for PWOC (see link in sidebar) and it was beyond AWESOME!
300 women from all over the midwest (Wisconsin down to Texas and over to MO) gathered to learn, study and praise God! Our ladies both opened and closed the conference with a worship dance and sign language to the theme song for the year. It was incredible! I got to see ladies from almost every place we've been stationed as well as get to know some of the ladies from Fort Riley better!
I'm not exactly sure what God is doing in my life but he settled some things deep in my soul and is showing me some other things this time - putting pieces of puzzles together from years back. I am also looking forward to going through a forgiveness/life study with a friend here in Abilene. I don't think I ever been told I was beautiful or radiant so many times in my life as I was in the last three days - and I am starting to finally beleive it a little! YEAH GOD! Since I am at the library again I will have to post more later but I am excited to see what will happen in the next few years and what God will call me to do! Refining His call for MY life and not everybody elses - even a dear friend's who I much admired but now see I was trying to please rather than what God is showing ME --- to do what I beleive even when it doesn't line up those I love.

Do you talk to your spouse?

Here I am again! Our internet is in flux right now as we are changing servers and am still trying to get the house in order.

Just some quick thoughts on communication and marriage: My mil is trying to make Thanksgiving plans with my sil and us, she emailed and I emailed her back with our plans. She called hubby to double check .... this I find irritating and sad at the same time. Irritating in that I felt checked up on -- and sad because it's a comment on her relationship with my fil (they're divorced). They didn't have good communication at all and she seems to be assuming that we don't either -- now I am in no way saying ours couldn't be better but Tim and I talk about everything and we don't make plans without the other one knowing what's going on. Even when he is deployed if it's a major thing I email him. Small things - he doesn't really care but we do talk over our schedules/life together.

I don't understand not doing that -- how can I be a good helpmeet to him if I don't know what he needs is up to? and vice versa.

Just thoughts.