I love this weather!

It finally feels like Fall in Tennessee! I walked outside tonight and there it was... the smell of a fireplace! I can't believe that someone beat me to it! I love this season. I love the crisp air. I love the cold grass. I love that Trevor and Anna Claire can spend more that two minutes at a time outside before complaining that it is "just too hot!" And most of all...I love that I have an excuse to drink coffee at all hours of the day... like I needed an excuse for that!

The Army Man

It has just been a couple of months since we left Ft. Jackson and returned to our hometown. The closest military installation is about and hour and a half away... a pretty close to deserted Naval base. The next closest is Ft. Campbell Ky... about 2 and a half hours away. Needless to say, aside from the handful of guys that are full time with our local Guard unit, it is a rare occasion to see a man in uniform walking around our town.
During the last two months when Scott was placed on ADSW, he had the opportunity to go to work every day in his ACU's. I will never forget the first day that he showed up at the door of my preschool classroom. I was busy working (basically crowd control) when I heard a loud "GASP" followed by "Ms. Heather, the Army is at our door!"
Scott came in and was instantly bombarded with kids... kids with comments... kids with questions...
-"I have one of you at home, only you come with a jeep."
-"How did you get out of the TV?"
-"How are you really married to Ms. Heather when you live in outer space?"
And my personal favorite, coming from the little boy that wears CARS t-shirts to school every day...
- "He must really like Army men!"
I was amazed that so many of these boys and girls didn't know that "Army Men" were real. On an Army post, people of all ages know the reality of men and women in uniform.
Then I began to think about many of the adults in our nation. The Military holds a very similar role to many of them... something another world away... something on TV.... somebody else's job. I sit back and think about the families of our troops that have loved ones overseas. My heart goes out the the spouses of our Guard and Reserve members. I especially think of some of my new friends I've made with deployed husbands... living in a community off of an Army post, where most of the people around don't have the same appreciation for the patriotic sacrifice that so many are giving.
One company in Scott's National Guard battalion left last month for Kosovo. Another received the news this week that they will be heading to Afghanistan. My thoughts and prayers are with these families. I ask you guys to pray with me today for all of the families of men and women in uniform- Active Duty, National Guard, or Reserve. War is war. Away from home is away from home, no matter the branch in which you serve.
Oh, and my preschoolers, I forgot to mention one little boy. He sheepishly came up to me and whispered in my ear, "He looks like my big brother! He is an Army man, too! I miss him!"

Happy Anniversary!

It is amazing to me that my husband seems more excited about this anniversary date than the day we were married. We were married fifteen years ago this past August, by the way! This anniversary, however, is one of a different sort. It will be one year ago tomorrow that he took his oath and was commissioned 2LT in the Chaplain Candidate Program. All I have heard about for the past few days has been about his upcoming anniversary. The kids think we need to bake him a cake or cookies. Personally, I don't think we need any help putting on extra pounds, especially since he will be returning to Ft. Jackson soon. All joking aside, I am so proud of him. First and foremost, I am proud of his relationship with God. I am proud of his commitment to serve our country. I am proud of his boldness to minister the Gospel to the brave men and women fighting for our freedom. I am proud of his determination to finish seminary, continue ministering to our local soldiers, and support our family...all at the same time. I am proud to have been able to share the first year of this journey with him. Happy Anniversary, Honey! I love you!

It's Been a While!

Wow! It seems like forever since I have been at this computer. I have really missed all of you guys. So many of my new friends and fellow Chaplain's wives have already made their journey to their new homes on their respective Army Posts. Other friends are still on the journey that I am... husbands (or themselves) in Seminary, raising kids, and ready for the opportunity to begin serving Active Duty.
Preschool is back in full swing. My time has been consumed by preparing lesson plans and getting to know seventeen new (energy filled) four and five year olds that are in my class this year. My days are never boring.
The family is doing great! Scott is in mourning because his "Active Duty Special Work" orders that he has been on for the last two months have come to an end. I thought I was going to have to pry those ACUs off of him. He is praying for more to come soon! He has also registered to return to Ft. Jackson to finish CH-BOLC in February.
My brother-in-law (husband to my only sibling) is in BASIC at Ft.Leonard Wood right now. After his November 2 graduation, he will be off to Ft. Huachuga on the Arizona/ New Mexico border for AIT training (military intelligence)... then Ft. Benning for "jump school". We are spending as much time as possible right now getting our niece and nephew "fix". By June, they will be a half the world away.
Please keep Jonathan, Holly, Emma, and Evan in your prayers.
Things are busy and life is crazy right now, but God is faithful!

Fried Green Tomatoes

Well, I can officially say that I am ready for fall. Trevor got up Saturday morning and walked around the block to our local farmer's market to see what kind of fresh summer produce caught his eye. He came home with some fresh squash and a variety of tomatoes. Not being your typical fourteen year old, he actually had a great time striking up conversations with the old farmers and their wives. I think they gave him most of what he brought home for free... they were just thrilled to see a young face.
Last night, I decided to fry some green tomatoes. I had been craving them since I was in South Carolina at Fort Jackson and saw them on the menus at several restraunts there. I set up the electric skillet outside under the carport... definitely didn't want the smell lingering in my house! Scott shook them in a ziploc bag full of flour and we fried them to our hearts' content! Ahhh, fried green tomoatoes and sweet tea... summertime in the South! It was delicious, and I have had my fill until next year!
Now, I am officially ready to hear the drums of the high school band as they play at the Friday night football games. And, I will gladly put away the fried green tomatoes for the smell of funnel cakes at the county fair. I see another ten pounds coming on...

Play-doh and Ponytails!

The time is here again. I am swamped with preparations for the new school year. I have taught preschool for around ten or so years now, and I absolutely love it! Aside from my third year of teaching when I was bitten on the "rear end" by a three year old, I find my job very rewarding. I teach Pre-K in our Church's Weekday Program. We minister not only to families in our Church, but also to other families throughout our community.
I love the honesty of four year olds... the good and the bad. One morning last year, I had to stay home with Anna Claire because she was sick. To keep my assistant and the substitute teacher from having to frantically prepare the room for the day, I went in before school to set up my room. I got up, pulled my hair into a ponytail, and threw on my favorite ...purchased in 1992 and worn faithfully every chance I get...Alabama Crimson Tide sweat shirt. Needless to say, I was thrilled to see that I was the first car on the parking lot. I turned my key in the door and rushed in for my task. I ran into my room, put out some Mr. Potato Heads, mixed up some paint, set up the wooden blocks, and drug out the Play-doh. (Play-doh is a staple in every Preschool classroom. Parents prefer it that way... anything to keep it off of the carpet at home!) Anyway, as I exited the door I let out a sigh of relief! I had accomplished my mission... in record time! I was in the home stretch... until it happened... it was Jake! As I rounded the corner in the hall, I saw him... the kid that was always the first at school for early care! I quickly gave him the same greeting I gave him every other day, "Good Morning, Jake." Jake stopped in his tracks. He turned and looked up at his Mom and asked, "How did that lady know my name?" His Mom replied, "Jake, that lady is Ms. Heather... your teacher." Then he sternly told her, "No, that lady is not my teacher! My teacher doesn't look like that. My teacher has make-up on!" I quickly decided to exit the building on that note, rather than terrorizing the child anymore... or running the risk of seeing any other ones! As I was leaving, I could still hear him arguing with his mother about it. I never mentioned that morning to Jake again. And as far as I know... he still thinks his Mom was wrong! Why ruin his image of me, right? :)
We start school in a little over a week. As a matter of fact, Trevor registered for High School today! Our system is on a "year round" schedule, so we only have eight weeks of summer. It seems like we haven't had time to get last year "out of our systems" yet! Ready or not, here it comes.
For now, I am concentrating on a new class of kids. Jake and the rest of his classmates are off to Kindergarten. I just pray that I had some kind of positive impact on those little lives in God's big plan!
And as for Play-doh... the staple in my classroom... kids are so much like Play-doh. They are being shaped and molded every day. We never know what soldier, musician, doctor, nurse, teacher, preacher, or missionary might be in front of us. It is up to us to mold them with gentle, loving hands. And Isaiah tells us that we are Play-doh in God's hands!
"Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are the work of your hand." Isaiah 64:8
Today, I am thankful for Play-doh, and I am thankful that I am the work of His hands... even with no make-up and a ponytail!

Blessings!

We found out great news yesterday! It looks like Scott is going to be able to wear ACU's to work for a couple of more months. This time, however, he will be sleeping in our bed... thankfully! He received a call from the CSM at the Armory this afternoon asking him if he would be interested in Active Duty orders for 73 days. There is an administration job available. He won't actually be performing Chaplain duties except on drill weekends or unless "deemed necessary" during the week... but...he jumped at the opportunity.
It's truly amazing how God works. Today was his first day back at his "secular world" job. He is presently in sales at a local car dealership while he attends Seminary and drills on the weekend. He was SO not looking forward to trading his ACUs back in for khaki pants. This new position will give him an opportunity to spend his days at the Armory and be visible and available to the soldiers. He is anxiously awaiting his orders!
I really miss my new friends. I miss going out to dinner with our husbands. I miss sitting at the park on Post and chatting in person...rather than online. I miss talking to them everyday. But... I know that God is directing each of our paths... though we are in different places... in the same direction!

Coming Home!

He is coming home today! He is on the road as I type. Probably two hours into an eleven hour drive! Our house is buzzing with anticipation. The beds are being made, the floors are being swept, and the grocery list is being jotted down.
The kids and I arrived home from Fort Jackson on Wednesday evening. We extended our stay a couple of days because... well... we absolutely loved it there! Not only was the missing piece to our family there, we absolutely love life on an Army Post! Wow, I have so many stories (the 4th of July, new friendships, new appreciation for our soldiers, and on and on)... those will come in future blogs! New pictures are coming, too!
I received a phone call from Scott a little earlier. He was telling me that he was on the road home. I could tell that there was mixed emotion in his voice. He was excited to come home to us, but heavy hearted about leaving Fort Jackson. Most of the friendships he made were with Chaplains that are staying for six more weeks of CH-BOLC and going directly on to Active Duty with the Army. As a Candidate, he still has a couple of more years in Seminary before he will be able to finish and accession to the Chaplaincy. These past six weeks have just reaffirmed the calling to Active Duty that he has been feeling all along. In seventeen years, I have never seen him happier or more fulfilled than these past weeks as he was spending every day in his uniform and serving God and Country. Now he has a new fire lit under him to knock out the remainder of Seminary and "get on with this!"
As for the friends he was leaving, I have no doubt that they were everlasting ones. I've never seen him form such bonds as these. Something is different about them... God ordained, i guess. Not to mention the fact that the wives have bonded, too! And as for the wives, we have determined not to let these friendships fade away!
Today, I am off to the Grocery to pack the fridge with all of his favorites. He told me that he is soooo tired of eating out. Anyone that knows him, knows he has to be really tired of eating out to say that! It's gonna be home cooking around our house for a long while! Our six weeks are over and (in his words) my "non-combatant" soldier is coming home! HOOAH!

I Just Cant Wait

Well... Anna Claire is off! She headed to the coast with her bestest friend's family for the week. She is only a couple of hours from Scott, so she will be the first one of us to see him. He is driving from Fort Jackson to Hilton Head to see her tomorrow morning.
My alarm went off at 5am this morning. I made sure Anna Claire had everything packed. We made sure she had her hair braided just tightly enough that it could withstand ten hours of travel. We went over the traditional "be sure to use your manners" talk. Then, I took her to her friend's house. After a hug, "I love you", and wave good-bye...I was on my way. I came back home to a completely empty house.
I thought about all the preparations I would have to make to be able to leave Sunday morning for Fort Jackson. I was almost relieved that I had almost two whole days by myself to plan for the trip. I mean, the bathrooms needed cleaning, clothes needed washing and packing, bills needed to be paid,... and on and on! It seemed like my list of chores went on forever. I actually made a checklist. I wanted to leave nothing unattended! As the clocked clicked away, so did my list. By noon, I had almost everything completed. I even found time in there to go get a haircut-(I probably shouldn't have made time for that one, but that is a whole different blog!)
Ok...so now what? My clothes were packed and my house was clean... I would just have to sit and wait. Let's just say I don't wait very well. (Maybe that is why I teach four year olds- go, go, go!)
I talked to Scott, who was already beginning his weekend off, and he told me he had met my blogger friend, Laura, in Wal-Mart. Her husband Kevin, is at Chaplain School at Fort Jackson, too. She was already there... and headed to the beach for the weekend. That got me to thinking about all of my other new friends I would get to see in person this week. Would Sunday EVER get here?
Well... no! I can't wait til Sunday. When Trevor called this afternoon, I found out his camp dismissal time. I got back on Mapquest and charted another course. I am leaving at 9am in the morning to pick up Trevor... in Mississippi... and heading to Fort Jackson a day early! I will spend a little more time in the car, but I will get a whole extra day there! I can't wait!
I will have the opportunity to see my husband, meet my new friends in person, and spend some time with Trevor. We are going to a picnic on the Fourth of July with the other Chaplains and some of their families. Anna Claire will be joining us at the end of next week for a couple of days at Fort Jackson. Hmmm...I see new blogs and pictures coming! Until then- God Bless! -Heather
"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man that takes refuge in Him." Psalm 34:8

Less Than a Week

It is Monday! Normally, I wouldn't follow the word "Monday" with and exclamation point... but today... I am thrilled it is Monday. By the time next Monday rolls around, I will be in Fort Jackson with my husband! I am counting down the days!
I usually love the weekends. Who doesn't, right? Lately, with Scott away, my weekends seem to stretch on forever. Why do the weekends seem so much lonelier? Maybe it is because our pace slows down. Maybe it is because weekends are our "family time". Maybe it is a little of both... or a lot of both!
I found myself wandering aimlessly around the house on Saturday afternoon. It was as if I was just looking for something to do. (It certainly wasn't because there was a lack of housework. I had enough laundry to keep me busy for three days! I had one kid that just returned home from Church camp and another preparing to leave. Dirty camp clothes... ugh!) I walked into the kitchen and paused for a minute to look out the back door. As I stood there noticing a lawn in desperate need of some rain, I could almost picture Scott throwing the football with Trevor and Anna Claire. I could picture him hiking it under his arm as he went over to the grill to check on supper. I really miss him. I opened the door, sat down on the back steps, and felt my eyes begin to fill.(There is something about my back steps that does it to me every time. I guess I will have to quit sitting there!) Not wanting my kids to see me upset...I stood up, came back in, and went to the freezer to see what kind of frozen pizza we had! Back to reality!
I talked to Scott for what seemed like hours Sunday. We talked about our plans for the Fourth of July. We talked about Trevor and Anna Claire's camp schedules. We talked about the services each of us had attended that morning. We talked about movies. We talked about Army uniforms. We talked about the "heart" he has for our soldiers. We talked about the new friendships we have made. We talked about everything... from the largest to the smallest details! Usually... I talk, and he listens... but this time...we talked! I love to hear him tell me about the friendships he has formed with some of the other guys in the Chaplaincy. He told me that Sunday was his longest, loneliest day. We were both anticipating the beginning of the new week. At least during the week, we all stay busy!
Next week, however, I won't wish for speedy days. I want to enjoy every minute I spend in Fort Jackson. The kids are excited about next week, too. Anna Claire can't wait to see Scott...such a Daddy's girl. Trevor can't wait to check out every aspect of life on an Army Post. I cant wait to meet (in person) some of the new friends I've made. Most of all, I just can't wait to see my husband again!

Wide Awake...Again!

Well it is late again and I am wide awake... again. My husband is away...Fort Jackson South Carolina at Chaplain School with the US Army. This is my first blog, so here I go...
I am relatively new to military life. My husband, Scott, officially joined the Chaplain Candidate program last October. He is serving in our local National Guard unit, working full time, and attending seminary. He has approx 2 years of seminary left ... and a few more online classes... before he will have enough hours to accession to the Chaplaincy. Eventually, we will be in the Army full time. It is all in God's timing! Tonight he is ten hours away!
I had never even read a blog until about four days ago. It was late, I was lonely, and I began searching the Internet. I sat down and clicked around on different sites, nothing really catching my eye. I came across You Tube and thought I would waste a little time there. Why go get in bed... a big lonely bed? I sat for a moment and randomly typed in "Army Chaplain." As I scrolled down the page, I saw what appeared to be a three year old little boy. Being the Preschool teacher that I am, he immediately caught my eye. As I clicked on his page, I noticed a caption that said his song was for his Daddy at Chaplain School. As I read the posting date, I realized that I must have found someone that had something in common with me... a soldier away from home!
I posted Rachel, the wife, a comment on the video and told a little about my husband. It turns out that our husbands were indeed in the same place and had met. A fellow Chaplain Candidate's Wife! I had never met one of those before.
Rachel and I shared stories via e-mail about our husbands, our trips to Fort Jackson, and our children. We talked about the struggles of feeling alone in the journey as a CC's wife. We agreed to pray for one another. Then she introduced me to what has become an addiction- THE BLOG! She told me of other Chaplain's and wives that had blogs. The new friendships of the fellow wives that have been brought into my life these last few days have been such a blessing! It is so amazing to have someone else that "gets it!" I found so many great pictures of my husband! Most of all, I found the encouragement of other women going through the same journey in life that I am on. God has shown me an awesome support system! So tonight I am here... hoping to tell just one more wife... hang in there...you are not alone... and God is good!