Our Journey

I was very surprised by J with a birthday trip to the California coast this past week.  He had thoughtfully planned the schedule there, and all the details for the kids here (thank you, Nana and Papa!!!).  It was such a special time for us to be together, explore new places, and nurture our relationship 🙂  We started in LA, did Beverly Hills and Hollywood, then headed to Santa Monica, up the beautiful old Pacific Hwy 1 to Monterey, and spent a day in San Francisco before finishing up our last two days in the Napa Valley.  We enjoyed meeting so many people from literally all over the globe.  At times, we were the only Americans in the tour groups.  We also enjoyed the variety of sights in one state.  It was such an amazing view to see the mountains, cliffs, and farmed fields meeting along the Pacific ocean. Thank you so much, J! Your thoughtfulness, care, and love are a true blessing to me and I thank God everyday for you.  Our nation really is so very beautiful!  Here’s some of our adventure we captured along the way…

This trip couldn’t have been possible without the awesome help from Nana and Papa this week! They loved on these kiddos so much and dealt with the busy schedules like pros.  We are so very grateful!!

Love, R

Week one in Florida came and went like the tide! I can’t believe we are into week two already! This is the most beautiful place. We have loved exploring it and have a long list of adventures we’d like to do in our new home. As the boxes begin to get smaller in number, I find myself settling into our new home sweet home. Getting into a new routine and finding how to make life (and the house) run smoothly 😊 my favorite parts so far have been: 

*getting to see the Emerald Coast with nana and papa while they were here.

*Getting to see grace completely embrace having her own big girl room…spending hours playing doll house, animal hospital, dress up, and reading without interruption 😉

*watching Colton enjoy having a big fun backyard that he can run around while pretending in countless ways (and the curls the sweat forms in his hair as he plays hard). 💙

*Jordan starting swim lessons has been my favorite so far! He started them screaming to death and by the end was jumping to mama and going under water! My heart truly overflows when they conquer a fear! 🙌

*We’ve enjoyed catching up with dear friends that I haven’t seen in 3 years! When we left New Jersey I was heart broken but God knew what seemed like goodbye, was only for a season. 💞

Here are some moments I’ve been able to capture but honestly, there are too many to count. I am thinking right now of two specific ones I missed taking a picture of because we were caught in the moment…isn’t that the best?!! The kids (with a little help😉) started a garden! They picked out the seeds and we germinated them in the little pellets of soil today. While planting  the seeds, we talked all about patience and how this would be a great time to practice while we waited for the sprouts to come. After nap, they both instantly asked to go check on the plants 🌱😂 it made my heart smile to think about how our perspectives on patience change over the years. The second non-photographed moment was Grace completing her first model of the solar system. I loved to hear her talk about it as a child of God who also loves the solar system. Her perspective about how it took us two days to make a model and yet he made the whole thing in a week really blessed me to hear and think about. I laughed as she explained to Colton that he could too one day grow up to be an astronaut, but he adamantly replied “no Gracie, I’m going to be a baseball player and run so fast that they’ll never tag my number!”  ⚾️ ❤️👩‍🚀 

Okay, now for the moments I did get to capture!!

Very grateful for your support, love, and encouragement always!!

With love, R

P.s. Please let me know if you’d like our new address!! 🌴☀️

May brought many milestones. My younger sis graduated from college with honors, Gracie graduated from Kindergarten after completing the last 6 weeks of it on the road, and Justin graduated from Squadron Officer School as a Distinguished Graduate! I felt very blessed to get to be there for each of them.  Great memories and so much to celebrate! Here’s some photos of the graduates 🙂

With Love, R

I went the whole month pondering; going back and forth, wondering how to honor our children and all military children. I didn’t want to come across as complaining or as bragging. I know that we are one of so very many who walk the same path; who chose for themselves and in turn for their children to hand over the men in their lives over and over to the military. No doubt a sacrifice for each of us because of the love we have for that man, who has an intense love for his country. As I sat in a Spouse SOS class this past week, the speaker struck me with a statement. “For the past 16 years our country has been at war of some type.” That means there are children graduating this coming year that have never known life without rotating deployments and homecomings…they never stop. My mind and heart can’t imagine that. I always say my heros call me mom. It’s because they walk a path I can’t imagine. Day in and day out. They are brave. They may cry in their sleep for daddy, but they wake up ready to smile and take on the day! They stop immediately (even in the middle of a sea world parking lot) when they hear “the heart song”. They stand next to a flight line and feel at home! All three have wrapped around a strangers uniformed leg thinking it was their daddy, only for momma to remind them that “he’s still helping people”. They adore him. They love stepping their little feet in those big boots and swiping that cover off their daddy’s head to try it on! So today, as the Month of the Military Child comes to an end, I want to thank our children for being my heros. My reasons for going on at times. My laughter on hard days and hugs when the sadness stays. Thank you three for doing life by my side, showing me how to find the positive, loving daddy with full abandonment, and enjoying the adventures with us. I also want to thank God for holding each of our children near to his heart, and protecting us under his mighty wings while we are apart and together with our military man. God you are so good to us. I can’t begin to imagine doing life any differently. And thank you to my husband, who has supported us as we supported him. Who has listened, loved, and hugged us through each transition. Who has provided in every way for his children and me. We love you. 
To each family that bleeds purple, know you are appreciated, and give your children an extra big hug for us today!!
Love, R
*”He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” Isaiah 40:11*”He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge” -Psalm 91:4*

He’s home.

These two words have become so very important to us. We have been given a gift, to have said this each time he’s deployed.

And so again, with pride welding up in my eyes and love overflowing in my heart, I get to say to you, friends….he’s home!

Your prayers and support have been like wings to us the last few months. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We love you. ~R

This picture sums her up so well.  Confidence and humility make a beautiful person.  She loves to pick out her own clothes and always adds a special touch to make it personalized. Her cupcakes looked like stars in the night sky, because that is one of her favorite things to enjoy and study.  But her bashfulness in this picture, melts my heart.  She has made amazing friends here in NM, and that is a huge blessing!  We have enjoyed watching her personality blossom this year.  We love this smart, hilarious, and beautiful little lady so much! and thank God so much for the gift of our first child! She brings so much joy, care, and life to our family each day! Happy Birthday, sunshine! Love, Momma

 

The week of Colton’s 3rd Birthday was very full! Full of joy as we had Granny and Papa visit! Full of gratefulness as our Jordan came through an outpatient surgery like a champ! Full of accomplishments as we did the finishing touches to make our home sell-ready (thank you granny and papa!). And full of celebrating as we saw our little miracle man turn 3!!! If you don’t know what I mean by miracle, check out his story by clicking here.

I am learning that it’s so easy and tempting to get stressed-out by the fullness of life right now, but when I let myself do that, I miss out on that magic that fills my heart when I step back and see all we have been given.  Here are some of the pictures from our fun-FULL week! 🙂  Love, R

Happy Valentines Day, from our family to you! May you feel loved and cherished.  Each person is irreplaceable and God made it that way for a reason.  We are very grateful for our three little loves that we’ve been given! Justin and I have learned to celebrate Valentines Day from afar.  This won’t be our first or last apart, but in a weird way, it has made us closer in other aspects.  I am very grateful that he is my forever valentine.

Here’s some photos of our little valentines today…

Hugs and Kisses from NM! XOXO!

Love, R

Our littlest cub has turned ONE!! Mama Bear and Papa Bear aren’t too sure how this happened so very quickly but we are sure that this year has been fun, funNY, and very special.  He enjoyed his first cake tasting on Sunday, and after a few timid pokes, he started smacking those lips and getting fist-fulls of confetti cake!  We were so happy that the timing worked out so that daddy could be a part of the celebration (thank you technology!!). Thank you all for the birthday calls, texts, gifts, and cards.  They were so thoughtful!!

Here’s the Birthday boy in action…

Very Thankful, R

In a year full of pain, how do we “rejoice always”? I’m not asking for myself. You see, I’ve had a moment of heartache here, a tough month there, but what do you tell a friend and sister in Christ who lost two children and just got a phone call that her mother is weeks from losing her battle with cancer? Or a sister who’s been trying so long to conceive she no longer counts the months but the years? Or what about the one who’s husband left her and their children last year at this time and hasn’t stopped by to see the boys in three months? And then there’s the sister that lost her daddy suddenly and moved a month ago but has yet to sell their house.

These are Christians. They are strong women of faith that are leaders, and yet it has been a year of sorrow.

See how another sister in Christ handled such lost…
“32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

Jesus wept. He saw her pain and felt it; He sees you. He feels that pain and tells us in Psalm 56 that he collects each tear that falls. In Romans, He commands us fellow Christians to rejoice with you but also to mourn with you.

So as we open a new calendar, I promise that I don’t understand. I can’t make it better. But I promise you are not alone. I mourn your loss, your heartache, and your pain with you.

I also promise, that He will see you through, sisters. Maybe not today but He is a God who can turn our mourning to dancing and promises in Psalm 30 to heal us. I pray that even when you don’t feel it, that you will know that the Lord is good and his mercy endures forever!! That you will once again taste and see that He is good, and that you will be amazed as you stand hand-in-hand with David, Mary, Job, and the many other heros of the faith that at one point felt that extreme pain that wrenches ones stomach and causes you to doubt your next breath, but they stood the test and the Lord saw them through. Their testimonies live on forever. Your testimonies are beautiful and will change lives. Let Him hold you. His healing comes in ways we can’t imagine. May the Word encourage you through this time. And may God bless you and keep you ever close in the year to come.

Happy new year, dear friends.

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. -Isaiah 43:19

Love, R

There’s something magical about fresh fallen snow.  It has a distinct smell and feel on your face.  The first snow of the season is extra special for us! We talk all about it and plan all the activities we’d love to do.

Today was the day! The hardest part is always waiting for it to actually stop heavy snowing, so we can start playing!

Once it was done, they were off! It is a joy to watch them change each year.  Become more comfortable with it…and more independent.  Here’s some moments I caught.

Can you guess who our little snow bird is in the group??? I had to make her come inside when the sun started to set 🙂 I guess she still has some NJ in that blood 😉

Excited to see Christmas week approaching.  This week means so much for each of us.  The thing I’m holding close to my heart this year is the FAITH; of a young quiet girl from a small town.  “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” -Luke 1:45

Whatever you are facing this Christmas, good or hard, hold on to the faith.  He will fulfill his promises to us.

And may you each have the Merriest of Christmases!!

Love, R

“Enough is enough”. That is the slogan for the Hartley House, a local organization that supports women escaping from abusive relationships. They offer help in many forms to these brave women. We have been honored to celebrate this organization the past two years at their Festival of Trees fundraiser. It is humbling to be in the presence of those who serve these brave women and stand up for them daily. We brought home some neat trees from the fundraiser this year! The kids were so excited!! Two of the smaller trees were decorated & donated by the Pregnancy Resource Center, which is another organization very dear to our family’s heart! The other was one Grace voted for as her favorite…you’ll understand why it was her favorite once you see it. No explanation necessary 😂 if you’d like to learn more about what they are doing to serve these women please click here. We can’t do it all or fix it all, but please concider what you can do to support and pray for these people. Thank you!

“Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.” Proverbs 31:9

Love, R 

The mountains are my favorite! Justin and I have always enjoyed hiking and it’s even more of a joy doing it with family! In October, we enjoyed the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta and a cabin in beautiful Taos, NM. The best part was making these memories with Nana and Papa too! Here are some of the memories made… love, R

So many lessons have come from being a military spouse.  The latest was one I never imagined.  You see as the years go by and we approach the half-way point of our career, it is tempting to forget.  Forget the feelings, the heart pounding emotions that rage through your veins as you see them go, and then as you see them return.  I vividly remember the first time he flew.  I locked myself in the filing room and cried on my knees, begging God for his safety.  I remember thinking that day, I can’t do this every time.  I can’t live a life of fear.  This is true.  I also don’t want to live a life, where I become unaware of the blessings that are around me; those that come every time he walks back through that door.  May it never become normal.

On a national level, I pray the same.  May we never become numb to the fact that every single day there are men and women, daddies and mommies, husbands and wives, serving overseas.  Fighting against an enemy that is ever changing.  Their goal to harm what we sometimes forget to be grateful for; our freedom.  On this Veterans Day, I thank each of you that have been one of those men and women.  May it never become normal.  May we never forget.  It is humbling to know so many that have given so much for me, for us, and for the great United States of America. Thank you God for your mercy!!

“Live as people who are free…” -1 Peter 2:16

Love, R

I got to celebrate 30 beautiful years of life today! Some highlights being my memories of playing with my sisters while we pretended what we would be when we were “really old like 30”, eating banana Popsicles on hot summer days, swinging so high my toes brushed the leaves, playing with my momma’s rings during church service, holding on tight as my daddy road the 4 wheeler through the forests of the Appalachian mountains, singing Christmas carols as loud as 6 cousins possibly could in the back of our grandparents suburban each year, becoming a Christian, falling in love at 16 with my best friend, cliff jumping while spending a summer in Canada, making monster cookies with my college besties, wake boarding after thinking I would never get up, country music on the lake with my high school bestie, jelly beans at grandmas, Need to Breath concerts, standing until my feet sink as the tide comes in at Edisto, birthing 3 beautiful fearfully made babies with my husband by my side, life-changing talks in mama Jane’s blue chair, making my wedding veil with Meme, watching a moose with my family at the blue ridge, worshipping at Pretty Place, western sunsets, Seeing the world through our children’s eyes, welcoming justin home safely countless times, his hugs, and many other special unique moments that I’ve loved and cherished over these thirty years. I love laughing so hard you forget to care about how you look, your stomach hurts, you cry, and you laugh out loud. I’ve learned to cherish those times that hurt you so deeply you don’t know how you will breath the next breath, because when you get up and start to heal, you see God was holding and rocking you through those moments, and it is He who lifted you up! Oh how my heart misses what we won’t have with the two babies we lost but oh how He heals and oh how He loves!!!!! He loves us all so much!!!!
All of these things I cherish, all of these things I have experienced because 30 years ago my parents chose life. 💜 My birthday wish is for everyone to go sign the Life at Conception petition: http://nationalprolifealliance.com/rlacys_petition.aspx

Luke 10:40But Martha was distracted by all the preparations to be made. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha, the Lord replied, “you are worried and upset about many things.” 42But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.”…

And now I’m left with some BIG questions.  But what about the cooking.  How are they going to eat if someone (Martha) doesn’t do it?! What about the fire, someone has to keep it going? And the dust that blows in the door, is it going to just sweep itself up? So. Many. Questions.

I could just say, “oh well see, this is why it’s okay to keep my house a mess…..see Jesus said it wasn’t important!” (trust me. the thought has crossed my mind.)

As a woman who wants to “get it right”, I’m left with an even bigger question… How do I balance the truth of Martha with the Proverbs 31 woman?

So here is the secret!

Here is the one simple thing that made (and makes) all the difference.

“she can laugh at the days to come.” (Prov 31:25)
“but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” (Prov 31:30)

If you notice Martha and Proverbs 31 woman are both hard workers, keeping a house running, thinking of others, but their feelings about what they are doing are so polar opposites. It’s not the sacrifices that are different; it’s the outlook.  If we don’t have reverence and love for the Lord first, it is easy to get “worried and upset about many things” like Martha.

So remember “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” not shackles, not worries, not things that upset us.  But a genuine laughter “at the days to come” because we know the One who holds them.

Thanks for letting me share! Here’s to alignment with the Lord, and the laughter that follows.  May we feel that freedom that comes from sitting at his feet before we ever consider the condition of the floor we are sitting on! 🙂

Happy Mothers Day!

Love to all those ladies fighting the urge to be a Martha on a Mary day 😉

~R

Here’s some pictures of our crazy-beautiful life lately!

We get so excited when family comes to visit.  It’s over 1,400 miles to get here and that is no easy journey. With our little Jordan being born, we have had the joy of family coming a lot recently!! We have soaked up the love and time so much.  We had Granny and Papa here for his arrival, Aunt Erin followed in February, then Aunt Mel, followed by Nana and Papa!  We have made so many sweet memories! Here are just a few to share 🙂

Last spring we went on a whim to Colorado! We climbed mountains, visited the Academy, and saw wild animals along the paths of the Garden of the Gods.  We also had started an adventure that none of us were aware of at the time! 🙂 Without knowing we had enjoyed this weekend, all while being a few weeks pregnant.

In honor of our sweet surprise, we decided to wait until delivery day to discover the gender.

Early in the morning, on January 15th, Jordan Lee (It was a BOY!) made his grand entrance into the world!  He was a whopping 9lbs 9oz, and 21 1/2 inches long.  He was just perfect.

We had chosen the name Jordan after Justin heard a discussion on the radio about the Jordan River, where Jesus was baptized.  After researching more, we learned about many other miracles that happened in that same river.  It seemed to be the perfect fit to our newest miracle! 🙂  We chose Lee after my middle name, which was named after one of my dearest heroines, my GrandMa, Annie Lee.  Her tenacity, bravery, and gentle boldness makes quite the namesake for our little one.

We are all smitten with our newest addition!  Thank you so much for lifting us up in prayer, celebrating with us, and loving us along the way!

Here’s a peek at our precious Jordan Lee…

 

*Thank you to Erin Wackerhagen Photography! http://www.erinwackerhagenphotography.com/

As the weather changes (almost daily) this time of year, it becomes the topic of our conversation a lot. With that in mind, I’d like to share what I’m learning right now.

We are all living in a season; often tempted to long for seasons past or seasons to come, or seasons others are living in.  But the important lesson I’ve been learning is to live in the season I’ve been put in, and to thrive and make the most of that season.

Right now we are in the season of childbearing….“5 pregnancies in 5 years” has been the way I started many complaints lately to my dear hubby, but two nights ago as we laid in bed talking, it hit me that those words should be shouts of glory to God.  He has told us that these children are blessings, inheritance, and arrows for a warrior.  Many times, it is too easy to forget these promises, and I’m SO grateful for the reminders from scripture to treasure this season; and the patience & forgiveness from the Lord when I don’t.

That being said, I understand that there will be seasons when the Lord leads us to continue to raise, bring up, disciple, and then release these children.  They are His, and I’ve very grateful for the opportunity to play a part in His plan.  So with the idea of seasons in mind, I’ve made it a goal to live in the moment, not in the past or in the future, but right where He has put me today; making the most of this season.  Whatever season you are in, I pray God allows you to see His beauty, presence, and purpose in it.

…And May You Thrive, dear friend!! 

And when your season may have sadness, Check out Psalm 30

We love you! Here’s some of our latest moments during this season 😉

*As we pass the 4 weeks until due date mark, please keep our little one and all the details in your prayers.  We are beyond excited to meet him/her soon!! Merry Christmas!!

Just as each person is uniquely different, so is each of our stories.  Each veteran would tell us a different reason as to why Veterans Day is meaningful to them. 

When I personally think of what this day means to me, I think of this really special moment that has happened to us many times.  It’s the moment he steps off the air plane.  When he’s walking down those steps, and I exhale. I literally call it “the moment I get to exhale”. 

He is home. He is safe. He is in our arms. Thank you, Abba Father!!

We want these moments, we don’t dread them at all.  We signed up for these moments.  We desire to be a part of a huge United States Armed Forces family.  It is one of the biggest honors and dreams come true.  This sounds absurd and crazy to some people (not all).  And that’s okay.  Each of our lives are meant to be unique…if we all had the same story, it would be so very boring. 

So here’s to my favorite veteran! I love you! It is one of the greatest honors in my life to stand beside you, grow with you, and build a life with you.  Thank you, God, for your mighty hand of protection and provision in our lives.  And thank you to each veteran and their families!! Your legacies of freedom, sacrifice, bravery, and love, will continue to be passed down as we celebrate each year.

Happy Veterans Day, all!!