Wife 2 Wife Wednesday

What made me fall in love with my husband?

I was so reluctant to trust my changing feelings toward him. We had been college buddies for three years. I'd even turned him down when he asked me out, because someone I secretly crushed on paid attention to me, and then I proceeded to waste two years dating him. (Plus, I swore I'd never marry a preacher. Ha, ha.)

So when my now-husband started hanging around, the more we talked, the more my heart healed, and turned toward him as the caring, loving, wonderful man I have been married to for almost 22 years. I was scared, and I didn't trust my heart. But eventually things changed, and it was good. And we are still in love.

Happy Valentine's Day!

To join in (even though, yes, Wednesday was yesterday) please go to the link-up here!

Wife 2 Wife

Being a more practical girl in most ways, I haven't been as thrilled with this year's theme choice as I have been before. It's tough to place a goal on a dream. Any achievable steps in dreaming? Not really possible.

But it's my word, without a doubt. Here's the story:

I entered 2013 without a theme word.

Last summer, I went to a jewelry party, and I bought these bracelets for my girls. Somehow, though, I decided I needed one too, so I ordered three. The girls loved their little bracelets with the purple cords, lightweight and pretty.

Then I found mine, hidden in a drawer. And I knew. And I denied it.

But I knew.

I was afraid. Still am. Even now as I write this, knowing I need to share it for the handful of people who read this little blog in the corner of the blogosphere.

I had debated between "dream" and "prayer," because I will be writing a series of very basic, simple, hopefully inspired Bible studies at Wives of Faith on prayer this year. It sounds more lofty and holy to say "My word for 2013 is prayer."

And yet, here I am, with my tiny bracelet and my heart full of words to share, feeling fearful and afraid to dream.

As I read through the Bible this year, I have already started making notes, not only about prayer, but also about dreams. And I am following a writer I'd love to meet one day, as she inspires women to dream.

One of my other friends mentioned yesterday that sometimes words are friends, that they hold hands. I think she's right. Dreams and prayer are friends.


Special thanks to Melanie at Only a Breath for the custom "One Word" graphic. Thank you!!!

11 Things To Do in Alaska

List 11 fun things to see or do in your current or upcoming duty station.

I have found that this is something common with military families--making a list of things to do while you're living where you are. One of the first good pieces of advice I was given when my husband went active duty, is to be a tourist where you are: visit the historical sites and learn as much as you can while you're there.

So, we made a list for North Dakota when we moved there...and two things I didn't get to see were the Northern Lights and moose. But we saw the western North Dakota Badlands of Teddy Roosevelt fame; the Medora Musical; Grand Forks and Fargo; Winnipeg, Manitoba--including the Royal Winnipeg Ballet; the Red River of the North that flows north (yeah, it's weird to stand next to a body of water flowing the wrong direction!). You get the idea.

We made a list for San Antonio as well: The Alamo (and yes, we remember it); the Riverwalk; art museums (the girls & I have visited all of them); my friend Teri and her family. That was pretty much it, I guess. We've enjoyed our time here but are ready to go to less crowded, cooler climates.

That brings me to our upcoming duty station, and my personal list of 11 things for ALASKA! {with updates as of March 5, 2012}

Here they are, in no particular order...

1. I really, really want to see the Northern Lights. I wanted to in ND, but the few days a year they were visible from that location, it was either storming, or cloudy. {Done! January 2012}
   
2. See moose. I've read there are over 1000 resident moose in Anchorage, so I'm sure I'll see them around. {Done! Several times. So awesome!}
   
3. See bears. Yes, I know they are dangerous and you should not leave trash out because they'll dig in it, and that they are scary, but I do want to see them.
   
4. I would love to take a whale-watching trip to see the beluga whales in the wild.
   
5. Mountains. Seeing real mountains with snowcaps. I've been a Midwest girl since 1979 when we moved away from California. I've lived in Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, and North Dakota. Hills, yes. Prairie, definitely. But no mountains! {Done! Day #1, actually. July 2011}
   
6. Visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center and learn about Alaskan culture. It will be fascinating. For that matter, any museums of any kind while we're there. The geek in me loves this stuff.
   
7. See part of the Iditarod next year, if we can. AWESOMENESS. {Oops! Missed the ceremonial beginning because I thought it was in the afternoon.}
   
8. We won't be up there for the summer solstice this year, but I want to stay up and see the longest day of the year next summer, so far north that the sun will barely set before it rises again. Ditto the winter solstice, where the day is very, very short. I'm sure I won't miss that one...
   
9. See a glacier.
   
10. Pan for gold.
    
11. See the salmon swim.

Of course, we'll have our normal busy lives--school, work, chapel, ministry. But if we can do these things while we're there, it will be fun.

11 Things I Love About Being an AF Chaplain's Wife

List 11 things in 2011 that you love about being the wife of a soldier/sailor/airman/marine/coast guardsman/national guardsman/reservist!

1. My husband's home more often as a chaplain than he was as a pastor (deployment is different, but TDYs are about the same for him as when he went to conferences or conventions.). It's awesome.
   
   
2. He gets to rotate his on-call times with his coworkers. When he was a pastor, it was just him, 24/7, year in and year out.
   
   
3. Having professional movers pack us up and move us out! It's just one less thing to deal with when moving.
   
   
4. My husband looks REALLY good in his dress uniforms. Mmmmmm!
   
   
5. I can choose my level of involvement in the chapel. I don't know if it's just my experiences or that I've matured into myself more now, but if I don't want to be involved, I just say no. I don't feel nearly the level of obligation that I did when my husband was single-staff pastor of a small rural church. Of course I support my husband's chapel ministry, but *I* choose what I want to do and feel gifted in. That freedom is precious to me.
   
   
6. We are financially a whole lot better off now than when we were in church ministry.
   
   
7. PWOC. I could not be a part of Protestant Women of the Chapel if he wasn't in the military. I love this organization!
   
   
8. New friends, old friends, ALL friends. I treasure each friend I make in my heart. Good thing God made my heart flexible enough to stretch to include each one, and they span the globe now.
   
   
9. Being a military wife has opened up a whole new culture for me--and new writing opportunities are opening up for me as well.
   
   
10. I'll just go ahead and say it: moving so often helps me purge. Packrat me is sometimes sad, but minimalist husband is glad. And in the end, I'm glad too.
    
    
11. My girls are having so many more opportunities for activities, for learning, for service, for travel, and to grow as young ladies, than they ever would have if we'd stayed put at home.

blog carnival!

Visit www.wivesoffaith.org each day over the weekend for our Top 11 lists!

Christmas Blog Day 7

Hi and welcome to Pattie's milspouse blog.

Today's topic: How does your faith refresh at Christmastime?

I've always felt like my faith gets a huge boost at Christmas. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday season, and I think that it brings a fresh awareness of Christ's presence during this holy time. It's like an energy shot for my spirit.

To help refresh your faith, click here to go to today's WOF prompt post and read what others have written.

I hope you've all had fun with the prompts for the blog carnival this year. I was pretty much the one "in charge" and while of course these prompts were approved by the president, I hope that they've been meaningful for you as they have been for me, both in the writing of the prompt and the reading of the responses.

Christmas Blog Day 6

Hi and welcome to Pattie's milspouse blog.

Today's topic: You might be a military spouse at Christmas if . . .

*you rejoice in the size of a TLF when on a mini-trip. (Seriously---our TLF at Laughlin is a duplex and bigger than our duplex at the seminary when we first got married.)

*you rejoice in being with your family and they are traveling to YOU instead of the other way around.

*you stress about wearing the same holiday clothing to multiple parties (this was me the past couple of years, because my chaplain husband was well loved and well known and gives a darn good invocation and leaves when the drinking gets going! ha!). This is not my problem this year, however. His group has one party, and I can't go.

*you get excited about military discounts (well, that's pretty much all the time, but with gift giving it's especially good this time of year).

*you feel guilty, just a little, because your husband is home and so many husbands and wives are not.

To read what the other ladies said, click here to go to today's WOF prompt post. And for fun, this is what I wrote last year on this same topic.

Christmas Blog Day 4

Hi and welcome to Pattie's milspouse blog. In the interest of full disclosure, I am not in the running for any prizes, since I'm helping run this blog carnival--but I wanted to participate with my own entries too.

Today's topic is for each participant to write her own Grown-Up Christmas List, based in part on the Amy Grant song of that name.

My list:

1. For all to know the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
2. For my husband to be able to have a full Air Force career.
3. To see my children and grandchildren grown, healthy, happy, and safe.
4. For world peace--no wars, no rumors of wars. I know it's an impossibility, but it's my heart's desire.

Here's the Amy Grant video:

To read everyone else's lists, visit the comments here.

Christmas Blog Day 3

Hi and welcome to Pattie's milspouse blog. In the interest of full disclosure, I am not in the running for any prizes, since I'm helping run this blog carnival--but I wanted to participate with my own entries too.

Today's topic: The Worst Christmas Song Ever (but you must mention one redeeming quality of the song, too!)

For decades I could not stand "The Little Drummer Boy." Really, some kid banging a drum near a baby's head? Even if the baby is Jesus, we know that Jesus was God made flesh. The part of Him that was fully human was an infant. Most babies cry when a drum is rat-a-tat-tatted near their little heads. Can't you hear Mary sigh, and see Joseph shake his head as he escorts the little drummer boy out of the stable? Me too.

However, in recent years I've come to terms with this song. And now I'll give you the redeeming qualities, which are twofold:

1. The boy went to see the Newborn King right away, in the first verse. No waiting around for the Heavenly Host to startle him into going; no sir, he went straightaway.

2. He gave the gift he had: he played his best for the baby Jesus, the Newborn King (who then smiled, if we willfully suspend our disbelief).

The moral of the story: Obey right away the call to go to Jesus, and offer all your best gifts to Him.

To read about the other songs people can't stand, click here to go to today's WOF prompt post.

Christmas Blog Day 2

Hi and welcome to Pattie's milspouse blog. In the interest of full disclosure, I am not in the running for any prizes, since I'm helping run this blog carnival--but I wanted to participate with my own entries too.

"Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.

(Best opening line ever!)

Seriously, though: What's the one thing that makes Christmas for me?

It's tough nailing down that "one thing." I love Christmas music. I love spending time with my family. I enjoy Christmas programs, Christmas parties, and Advent. Christmas eve services. Singing special music with my friends.

But honestly? The "one thing" is Jesus Christ being our Emmanuel--our God with Us. Our Infant Savior. Just realizing the magnitude of God becoming man, celebrating that during Christmas, is what it's all about for me.

And just for fun, the One Thing clip (warning: a profanity):

To read everyone else's "one thing" posts, click here and read the comments!

Christmas Blog Day 1

Hi and welcome to Pattie's milspouse blog. In the interest of full disclosure, I am not in the running for any prizes, since I'm helping run this puppy--but I wanted to participate with my own entries too.

I wanted to share about my ornament. It's a plastic dove that has sparkles that are mostly worn off now, but it's MY ORNAMENT. The one I HAD to put on the tree when I was little, the one that if it's not on my tree now (and believe me when I tell you my entire family thinks it's ugly with a capital U), it's not Christmas yet. I think I got it when I was about 7 years old.

Here's a picture:

To read everyone else's decorative posts, click here and read the comments!

Coming soon!

Faith Friday 20 Things

This week's Faith Friday is about me. Or you. But you can write about you on your blog; this one's mine! ;)

1. My real name is Pattie, not Patricia. My dad named me and made the spellings of both my first and middle names different from the norm.
   
   
2. My husband started out as an Air Force Reserve chaplain, and because it was soooo part-time I didn't really bother learning about military stuff. In retrospect, this seems sort of dumb. So I have only been paying attention to the military for a little over four years now.
   
   
3. I may occasionally gripe about being short, but I like my height. I'm 5'3"
   
   
4. I adore Facebook. It's fun and a great way to stay connected to people.
   
   
5. I love the theatre. I'd love to be involved in community theatre on a large scale someday.
   
   
6. I love reading. It's my favorite fun activity.
   
   
7. I do not enjoy exercise. However, I'm hoping to get into some classes at the gym on base once I get settled in Texas.
   
   
8. I need external motivation to accomplish goals. I keep giving myself deadlines, and then extending them for myself!
   
   
9. My daughters have great rhythm and grace and dance beautifully. I can't dance.
   
   
10. I enjoy blogging. I think it's the feedback aspect of this very public style of writing that appeals to me. However, I've never had a large readership. I keep referring people on to my friends! (and for those friends who read this: you're welcome.)
    
    
11. I'm a nice person. I can be snarkastic (snarky + sarcastic, thanks Lorelai Gilmore!) with the best of them, but generally I am a very nice, helpful person.
    
    
12. I'm a weird mix of introvert and extrovert. I love people and being with friends, but I crave alone time and if I don't get it, I'm crabby.
    
    
13. If I don't eat regularly, I get very, very crabby.
    
    
14. I like tote bags and have way too many.
    
    
15. My favorite t-shirt right now is the one that says "Ma" on the front, and "Little House on the Prairie: the Musical" on the back. It's a very pretty shade of green.
    
    
16. When I was in college all I wanted to do was teach. Then I taught for almost 11 years. After a four-year break, I'm only just now starting to wish I could teach again. That's how burned out I was.
    
    
17. I am passionate about Wives of Faith. It's a wonderful ministry to be involved with. I hope to always support and encourage other military wives for as long as the Lord allows my husband to serve. Come over and visit :)
    
    
18. I was so nervous when Emily at Focus on the Family interviewed me on the phone for the radio show featuring Sara Horn. I was shaking in my chair!
    
    
19. I love dogs. It's a rare dog that doesn't love me back.
    
    
20. I've decided if I were to go back to school for another degree, it'd be a Masters of Library Science, so I could be a librarian!

Come over to Wives of Faith and see what others are saying!

Faith Friday July 9

Faith Friday! Head to Wives of Faith to see other entries.

Today's topic: Favorite Summer Treat

Ice Cream

After living in North Dakota for four years, I got to where I was only comfortable eating ice cream in the summertime. Why freeze your body on the inside when it's already frozen on the outside? ;)

The other night, my sister-in-law and I went out to Cold Stone Creamery. YUM. I had a "Germanchokolatkake" (I think that's how you spell it), chocolate ice cream with walnuts, a brownie, and coconut all mixed in. It was delectable!

Where My Strength Comes From

Strength

My strength comes from God first, and from my husband next.

That's pretty much it.

To read what others wrote today, click here.

Why MilSpouses ROCK

Why MilSpouses ROCK

• We are strong women. Not in our own strength, but in God's.
  
  
• We support each other with word, with deed, with food, with prayer, with laughter.
  
  
• We're married to strong men. Strong of body, of mind, of character, of heart.
  
  
• We do all the normal wife and mom things, but with panache :)
  
  
• We are beautiful!
  
  
• We do it all because we have to keep things going on the homefront, and we do it whether or not there is appreciation.
  
  
• And just a word about my own husband:
  My husband may not carry a gun, but he defends your husband's--and your--right to a free exercise of religion, and he does it by carrying the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.

HAPPY MILITARY SPOUSE APPRECIATION DAY!

I APPRECIATE EACH ONE OF YOU FOR ALL YOU DO!

To read the other responses on this blog tour, click here!

What's Cookin?

What's Cookin'?

I'm not much of a cook, and I don't enjoy being in the kitchen all day long. This recipe is pretty much foolproof.....enjoy!

Crock Pot Chicken

1 package of 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, frozen is fine

2 cans cream of something soup

possible combinations: 1 cheddar cheese + 1 cream of chicken
1 cream of chicken + 1 cream of mushroom

1 cream of chicken + 1 cream of mushroom with roasted garlic

1 cream of mushroom with roasted garlic + 1 cheddar cheese

(you get the idea)

Put chicken and soup in crock pot and cook all day. (I have a temperature gauge on my crock pot so I put it at around 325*. If you have high/low, use low for about 8-10 hrs. If you have less time, use high for 4 hrs. but check to make sure it doesn't get burned)

When it's finished, you can shred the chicken, or not. Up to you. Serve over noodles or rice. Kids love it. Adults love it.

Thanks to my friend Stephanie for the original recipe; modifications and errors are my own.

To read what the other gals wrote today, click here!

10 Tough Things

This was a much harder list. I tend to be an optimist and focus on the positive most of the time, or at least TRY to. Coming up with a list of ten tough things was hard. Here it is anyway. I hope if you're a civilian you read this and realize that what not to say or do! :)

10 Tough Things About Being a Military Wife:

1. TDY=Temporary DutY=time away from us. The week-long TDY's are not any big deal anymore (which is ok for us, but now I have zero sympathy for my friends who have the same thing in the civilian world, and having zero sympathy isn't good--sorry friends, it's true! I've toughened up). The month-long TDYs are harder, but after the second thing on my list, they're still quite do-able.
   
   
2. Deployments=when he's called to long, extended months away from us, in a foreign and dangerous land. I know I'm so blessed that we've only had one, and the next one is not slated until probably the end of 2011/first of 2012 (that's what happens when your military husband has a school assignment). The first one in 2007 was very difficult, but we made it. I know I can do it again.
   
   
3. Weird remarks from people. You know the ones, where people in town call people from the base "basers" and it's not a compliment. Catty comments from some women about how tough it must be and how they don't know how you do it. People who don't want to get to know you because they think you're leaving soon (even if you're not).
   
   
4. OPSEC. Not that I mind keeping things private, or to myself. I don't mind at all. But it irritates the crud out of me to see carelessness on Facebook, on blogs, and on Twitter. C'mon, folks, we're in a war, and it's not a friendly one. See #5.
   
   
5. War. Yes, we're in a war. In a war, there's an enemy. Our enemy wishes harm on us. They use our own words and actions against us to try to win. It is not friendly, nor fair, nor right. But it's reality. Be careful. The figurative walls have ears, and loose lips sink ships. Still true.
   
   
6. The occasional sense of isolation. I know yesterday I praised the military spouse community, and I'm glad to have it now. But back when my husband joined the USAF active duty, it wasn't nearly as prevalent. There were a few posts at AF Crossroads, and SpouseBuzz was there but fairly new. But nothing for Christian military wives to support each other. Wives of Faith came my way in 2008 (or thereabouts; Sara and I connected in 2007). So there are times I have felt isolated, and I hope never to be there again.
   
   
7. Moving. Yes, it's a fabulous opportunity to go to new places, as I mentioned yesterday. But moving over and over again? It gets harder each time I stretch roots into the ground. And no one can ever put our address in their book in anything other than pencil. And we have to find new dentists, and orthodontists, and schools, and stores, and dance studios, and friends . . .
   
   
8. Friends moving away. In the past two years I've "lost" friends to PCS moves all around the globe. Feels like I'm always saying goodbye. Sometimes it's manageable, but when you're at a base that's BRAC-ing, I'm sure it is more frequent than the norm.
   
   
9. Learning a whole new language. It's getting easier, but just as soon as I learn a set of acronyms, the Air Force changes them around! It's hard to learn military-wife-ese, speak it fluently, and have a decent understanding. Fortunately for me, I have had many friendly and open women in my life to explain things to me (because the women my age have been doing this ten years or more longer--ah, the joys of being a chaplain's wife! If you don't already know, chaplains are older than their fellow officer/rank counterparts for several reasons, the first of which is they have to have their master's degree before they even commission, and the second of which is that they remain Captains for years longer than other job areas).
   
   
10. To round out my list, one of the hardest things I had to come to terms with was accepting that our family's mission would change from the church to the military. As I described the other day, I had quite a struggle over this. It might not have been my dream for my family, but it is God's plan for us. And in that I take comfort.

Head on over here to read what all the other military ladies are saying.

10 Great Things

Pattie's 10 Great Things about being a Military Wife:

1. Community. Even though I don't live on the base, I am a part of the military community here. I have also found wonderful community with other military wives online. It's been great!
   
   
2. Ministry. I am learning and finding my ministry niche, and it is in music in the chapel. It is in writing about my experiences. It is working with Sara and Wives of Faith. It is in encouraging people, even when it's not easy.
   
   
3. Joy. I feel joy in knowing my husband loves his job. He works hard and is appreciated for it. I hear all the time how much people appreciate him, and that means so much to me.
   
   
4. Peace. Again, peace in knowing my husband is serving where God has called him, and peace in knowing I might not know the future, but I know Who is in charge of it!
   
   
5. People. I have met so many wonderful people and have made friends upon friends. I'm blessed!
   
   
6. Places. OK, so maybe North Dakota holds first place on only a few people's dream sheets. But it's been a great assignment for our family. Since we moved here, we have been to the Badlands of North Dakota; Winnipeg, Manitoba in CANADA!; De Smet, South Dakota; of course the Twin Cities in Minnesota; and my husband has also been to the Minnesota Boundary Waters and Iraq.
   
   
7. Endurance. Hey, who else can say they've endured both 100* and -38* in the same place?!?! It also takes a whole lot of endurance--and a great Lands' End down coat--to survive these long, cold winters here. But the summers are awesome. I'll miss the really long summer days.
   
   
8. The movers. Hey, after having to move ourselves every time we changed jobs before, it has been nice to have professionals do it for us. I guess for those seasoned PCS-ers, I don't have any horror stories. Yet. Hopefully never!
   
   
9. Discounts. I am not going to lie. Yes, it's been nice to have a few military discounts here and there.
   
   
10. My book club. I never had one before, and I joined the GFOSC (specifically for the book club) in 2007. I met fellow bibliophiles, women from many walks of life, all with the common love of the printed word. We don't always agree on our opinions about the books we read, but that's ok. It's why we hash it out every month. I have loved it and I will miss it so much after our last meeting next week.

Head on over here to read what everyone else is writing!

My MilSpouse Bible Verse

My MilSpouse Bible Verse

I claimed this verse before we moved from Missouri to North Dakota in 2006. It was a tough move. We were leaving my husband's family, many very good friends, I was leaving a good job I enjoyed, and the girls were leaving their many friends. I also had a good friend who was not supportive of my husband's decision to go active duty and her lack of support for us made life very difficult and painful for me at the time (she is now very supportive of us and is much more optimistic than she used to be, but at the time it was not good).

So my verse comes from a wonderful chapter, Joshua 1. Moses died, leaving leadership of the nation of Israel in the capable hands of Joshua, his chosen successor. Verse 9 is a great summary of his message in the chapter. It reads:

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go

God has truly been with me on this journey wherever we've gone, and I know He has gone before us in this move to make things much smoother than they have been in the past . . . and I'm so grateful for His provision!

To read the other responses for today, visit Wives of Faith here!