Exceedingly Abundantly Beyond

Evenings are when I miss Derick the most. Evenings, when all of the responsibilities for the day are done.  When dinner is eaten and the kids are absorbed in their own activities.  When it's time to clean up and get ready for bed.  I can physically feel his absence. It's the company, and the help.  Derick's primary love language is physical touch and closeness.  Mine is acts of service.  Derick loves hugs from his kids, or holding hands with me in the car.  If someone in my family wants to tell me that they love me, I just want them to do their chores.  When I come home after work and the kids have done what I asked them to do, that speaks directly to my heart! Baseball season has started.  Derick's season with the kids.  This is the time of year that prompted me to step away from teaching cosmetology.  This is the time of year that I have been the most nervous about during this deployment.  My four children play on 5 bas...

It is rare that my kids will show me just exactly how much they miss their dad.  I know that they do.  But maybe I have inadvertently taught them to just tough it out.  I have been shown overwhelming support during this deployment.  There have been times during past deployments where I have felt like people thought it was good and noteworthy to help the lonely military spouse when Derick first left.  But as time wore on, we were forgotten.  And the struggles of doing life and taking care of kids became, glaringly, mine and mine alone. This time has been different.  This time as soon as that feeling of doing life alone creeps in, someone steps in and says they want to help.  My church set up a meal train for Monday nights for me and my kids.  Monday's are busy and its a struggle to get dinner on the table before 8:30.  This past Wednesday night, a friend dropped off a gift card for us to use for dinner on a Monday night. Honestly, s...

This is how Derick and I went to church together today.  He doesn't look very happy, but he was listening intently to the sermon, I promise!   Today I payed bills for the month of March.  I am generally the person in charge of the finances in our household.  Especially while Derick is away.  Derick earns the money.  I spend the money.   Well, maybe not exactly like that... Anyway, I was going down the list of bills, paying them, checking them off one at a time.  And then I came to my monthly Samaritan share.  For those of you that are members, yes, I realize that it's past the 15th.  For those of you that are not members, Samaritan is what my family uses for healthcare instead of insurance.  Yes, even instead of TriCare insurance that we could get through the Navy.   Every month I send my monthly share amount directly to another member.  Then that member uses my share, along with all the o...

I actually made it to the gym 5 times this week.  That has to be a record.  Five times!  In one week!  The reason that I go to the gym is for mental health.  Although I do love the idea of being stronger!  And Derick and I enjoy being active together.  When we were dating, he told me that he wanted a wife that enjoyed being active.  In the almost 15 years that we have known each other, we have played countless hours of catch, we have run hundreds of miles together and we have ridden probably a couple thousand miles on our bikes together.  Before he left, he was even teaching me to swim so that I could do triathlons again. This is our favorite activity to do together.  Biking.  Quality time and physical activity in one!  We have a dream of someday riding across the country together!  Maybe for our 20th anniversary... The last few years have been busy and stressful, so we have been less active that we'd like to ...

I had a team meeting at work yesterday. At this meeting we prayed, we read the scriptures, we talked about work things, we encouraged each other and then we prayed some more. I don't know if I have ever talked about my job, but I work at Samaritan Ministries.  I currently have a job that I thought I would never have.  I talk on the phone all day long. For 15 of my 24 adult years, I have been a cosmetologist.  I love all things hair, skin and nails.  And for a while I even taught other people to love hair, skin and nails.  Cosmetology is a career that I can have anywhere.  And no matter how bad things get, people will still need haircuts once in a while. But life sometimes throws curve balls.  And if you're not ready for them, you're gonna get hit. A curve ball came in the form of deployment.  We knew for probably 2 years that this deployment was coming. There is never anything set in stone when it comes to planning for a deployment. Wh...

I have been feeling the need, lately, to create margin in my life. Margin, free time, time to myself, time to do what I want to do... How do you create margin when there is no room?  When all the things around me need to be done and there's already no time for the things I want to do. Derick called on FaceTime last night.  He asked me if everything is ok.  What's wrong?  ...nothing, everything, ...the same old things.  Dirty house. kids with selective hearing, balancing work and home responsibilities.  Missing the gym again... Trying to be a good employee Trying to be a good mom, chauffeur, housekeeper, chef... Trying to be a good Christian... Maybe I'm trying to hard.  Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you.  Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy to b...

I'm not a dog person.  I have never been a dog person.  Somehow 6 years ago, Derick convinced me to get a dog.  And somehow that dog likes me best.  Then, 5 years later, we brought this tiny puppy home, thanks to my sister.  I am posting these pictures because it is so rare that I can snuggle my puppy!  Holding him and trying to snuggle is like trying to snuggle a 5 year old while walking through Disney World.  It's just not happening! I am also posting these because this puppy is comforting to me!  Today was a rough day.  This week was a rough week.  There were heartaches and disappointments and tough decisions to be made.  And a year ago, God knew that this puppy would be a comfort to me! Sometimes, it is impossible to put into words what it is that makes deployment so hard.  Honestly, it really isn't trying to do life without Derick here.  Derick leaves for training on a regular basis.  Anywh...