Blessings in everyday life!

Yesterday was a day of blessings, so many blessings and the first hand witness of the power of prayer. My beautiful friend, Hannah bailed me out of a pickle barrel I found myself in. You see our mutual friends just had a baby two weeks ago.'Baby Girl' was 6 weeks early. She's in the NICU. I had promised this family this week that I would bring them dinner and come visit with them and their tiny gift from God. When I offered my superior cooking skills I failed to evaluate my situation: working, golf camp, and meetings every night! Hannah swooped in cooked dinner, got dessert and showed up on time to pick me up. All I had to do was get home from work and change clothes! Have I mentioned I love Hannah?!

So that was one huge blessing yesterday! Here's the next...

So we arrive at the hospital, eat dinner with this beautiful family and head upstairs to see 'Baby Girl'. We soon discover only two can sit and visit with her at one time. So I go in first. I wanted to honestly cry. She's perfect in every way possible. Her color, her smile, 10 perfect toes and fingers. She held my finger and wiggled. I'm instantly in love. Her mom and I talk a bit and I'm just reminding her over and over that God has big plans for you little one and Mama you did a beautiful job. She's doing great... stand strong. I step out and in comes Hannah to love on this little one.

Mama was sharing that 'Baby Girl' has a tiny little hole in her heart (happens a lot in preemies and often times heals on it's own) and that she is struggling w/ constipation. Moments pass and Hannah says let me pray for her. She does our super cool chat time with God prayer and says "Lord, we know you even care about the little things. Father "Baby Girl" needs a bowel movement." In that moment, 'Baby Girl' passes gas (like every good and strong daughter of a Marine), opens her eyes looks and Hannah and Mama and smiles! A big ole smile, takes her hand and covers her nose as if it say 'ewe that was a stinky one!"

God answers our prayers, He hears our hearts and is concerned and has compassion and love for all things in our lives. Thank you Lord for bringing 'Baby A' into this world. She's a miracle baby and beautiful blessing to her Mama and Daddy.

(For the safety and concern of the family their personal information was not revealed in this posting! I would love to show you pictures of this sweet girl, and her amazing mom and dad, but I cannot. Please understand and continue to pray for this family. Hence the reason for no photos and the name "Baby Girl"... I promise she has a super sweet name, unique and special just like her!)

What have I done?

Yesterday you would have thought I just gave my kids a $1 million each! Nope, just cell phones. For a while I've bucked the system, I dug my feet in and I refused to give in to the idea my kids 'need' cell phones.  For those of you who think I caved, I didn't. I now have 3 very active and involved middle schoolers who are going in different directions all the time! I want to be able to check up on them. To easily let them know when plans change. Okay okay okay... I want a leash on them!

 So we jumped in feet first and got ... prepaid phones! We also were blessed with free phones. K80's BFF moved to Jacksonville NC and her family left us their phones. I also discovered that it only costs 300yen a month for unlimited texting. (for you Americans reading this that translates to $3.75 per month!...with no montly contract) Now, using the phone to actually talk to someone is entirely another story, that is 100yen a minute (or $1.25 per minute). However, they can receive calls for FREE. So, if my sweet baboos need mama to call they just text me and tell me to call them. If they call their friends, and they won't, I hope or they will be sent to the gallows! They have already been severely warned about that!

So here you go, TheFrancis5 are running full tilt into the modern digital age!

I think I failed to mention that we only get cell service in our laundry room with the phones sitting on the shelf. So they will not be sitting round the house texting 24/7, it's impossible. They can actually go outside in the 107 degree heat with mind blowing humidity to text their friends. That won't be happening, I'll bet on that. So if you need us, call, text or stop by...the kids will all be crammed in the laundry room playing on their cell phones!

Big Idea!

As I sit in my humble house on this day of intense sweltering heat I ponder...

I ponder Obamacare. I have a solution to this whole issue. Instead of requiring everyone to purchase health insurance we should require everyone to carry life insurance. If you aren't sickly and don't visit the doctor often you can leave an inheritance to your children, spouse or even your favorite charity. If you are sickly and have major health issues your life insurance will cover the cost of your healthcare after you die. Yes, your family will NOT have anything after your passing, but your health care bills will be paid!

Tell me what you think...

Coming Home

He's coming home, he's coming home! You'd think he was gone for a long deployment. Nope just a week. I just miss him like crazy. I was 'nesting' for the past two days, the house is pretty clean and ready for his arrival.

 

T-minus 63 minutes til Mr. Sexy Pants plane should land. OHHHH I guess we better head to the airport!

 

Later!

One Year Later!

It's the one year anniversary of hearing those horrible words... you've got "the c word". (I still don't like to say it or claim it!)

 Here is a brief photo calendar for my life since May/June 2011.

Sunset over Waikiki Beach Hawaii

Zip lining through Okinawa's wilderness! So beautiful, breath taking views of the East China Sea!

I kissed Santa Claus and I liked it! (aka he's Mr. Sexy Pants!)

I wore a funky bug contraption on an EPIC Geo caching adventure w/ Katie in Alaska's wilderness!

Junior and I along one of the braided rivers in Denali National Park. (BTW: It snowed that day too!)

Member of the 3% club of Alaska. We got to see Denali twice on our trip up there! God blessed us on that trip!

Mom and I at Diamond Head, we didn't hike it I was just a few days post surgery, but gotta see the beauty of Hawaii not just my stinkin' hotel room!

Mark and I at our first Luau. We danced, slowly but danced (again a couple days post surgery!)

My girl, Maureen Domery (great friend from 2nd grade) chaperoned me (my medical attendant) to Hawaii. She took me sea kayaking, my abs hurt so bad I couldn't sleep for two nights and I walked funny! (my abs hadn't recovered from my first surgery, but we didn't know that prior to our trek) Oh yeah, we also got 'yelled' at by the lifeguard for going out way to far past the 'safety zone'. Great times... Love this girl to pieces! (Thanks Maureen for memories, friendship and desserts!)

I got a job as a Transition Assistance Program Trainer (I help active duty transition their career into the civilian world).

Mark and our tall kids at Maeda Point (great scuba spot) on Okinawa, no Caleb is NOT taller than Mark he's standing on a rock!

I held a giant snake, it was creepy fun. Would I do it again, yep if it would make Katie smile like that again!

Hiked a waterfall w/ my beautiful family and great friends, the Mitchell's!!!

I was blessed with another year filled with breath taking moments, many tears and lots more laughter with three blessings from God.

I can go on and on and on... but I won't that just wouldn't be fair. Ya'll would be so jealous, but I need to ask this question.

How was the past year of your life? Did you make an impact on YOUR World? in THE World? Have you lived with significant passion that other's can see, feel and touch?

I think I have, but there is always room for improvement. 

You don't have to wait until January to make an impact, start today!

Daddy's Gone... what's for Dinner?

When the kids were littler I could get away with PB&J & Carrot sticks for dinner when Daddy was away on business (Yes that's what we call it, not war, not war games, nothing that would cause alarm or instill fear!).

This week Mark's in the stinkin' states (can you tell I'm slightly jealous! Thankfully there is NO Chipotles for 100 miles from where he is at... so I win on that account!). Mark gone meant I could get away with easy peasy dinners! Now that the kids are teenagers they require real food. See menu above! I hope Mark's jealous b/c tonight's dinner smells YUMMY!

We'll have leftovers... that means super delish lunches for me this week at work!

I may have to take a break from Facebook for a few days. Many of you have given up FB for lent and are just getting back on. Congrats to you but please see my heart and understand why I'll have a temporary hiatus.

There are posts, and I mean a lot of posts about "The Passion of the Christ". If you don't know it's a movie about the last days of Christ Jesus. It's extremely realistic and the truth as to the brutality of Christ's final days and hours. If you know me, my heart and my life you know that I have a very personal relationship with Christ and my heavenly Father. However, I personally cannot handle the movie or the photos from it. I've never sat and watched the entire movie. I've watched scenes from the movie and obviously screen shots of it. Once I sat in a church where they showed several clips of the movie. I cried and had nightmares for weeks.

My family has seen first hand the brutalities of war. Christ was at war for each and everyone one of us. I don't take that for granted but I can't watch it, I don't want to watch it. I know the sacrifices that Christ made for me, I thank Him daily for them.

I know the postings are to share what Christ has done, and there are many non-believers on Facebook. So go for it, but please know I've not deleted anyone. I'm not running away from my faith. I'm protecting myself and my family. Images like this have a profound effect our on daily lives. We don't live in a bubble, we don't turn a blind eye to Christ. It's really the opposite. We know that we know that we know ... the sacrifices of Christ, we know the hell He went through for us. He did so, so we don't have to live through it ourselves. Praise God.


I love you, and I'll see all of you on Facebook in about a week!