Read this.

http://www.theshackbook.com

This book recommendation comes with a warning: Never in my life, amongst all the books I have ever read, have I ever openly cried...until "The Shack". This is one of the most enlightening, mystifying, spritually encompassing works of art my eyes have ever come across. While it has a strong spiritual focus there is something in it for everyone, no matter your beliefs, convictions or spiritual condition. Read it and let's chat!

Volunteer of the Quarter

In the midst of deployments and making it day by day, you forget that people are watching and taking account of your efforts. I am always humbled and embarrassed for recognition of volunteer efforts and would rather just keep truckin' along. Tuesday night I was honored with many other Fort Riley folks for their volunteering in the last quarter. The certificate and crystal award were very nice!! Keep working, Keep smiling and Keep loving.

Denver/Keystone

We took a trip to Denver this past weekend to visit one of Matt's friends from highschool and his wife. They took us up to Keystone/Breckenridge for a weekend of skiing...well, that was the plan. Between being plagued with the plague (ok, slight exaggeration-but I was very ill) and Matt's post-ski-accident-2 years-ago reconstructed knee we barely got in one day skiing. I had enough energy to get Kilian up on skis and we let him play around for a bit. Matt, Listy and Max took off on the slopes for the day and Kilian tolerated my helpless self in the ski town for the rest of the afternoon. We opted for a more laid back Sunday and enjoyed the Denver Aquarium, Children's Museum and 16th St. Mall. Great times. Great friends. We hope to see them again soon!!

Go 3-1 Spouses!

A deployment brings out the best and worst in people...thankfully, I had the wonderful experience of working with the best of the best the last 17 months. The Battalion took the time to thank us all and give us a pin and certificate of appreciation. I am slightly jealous that most everyone has given up their FRG positions but as long as Matt remains in the Co., I will remain the FRG lead. I am ready for less "outside" responsibilities!! Come May I am not going to know what to do with myself...no school, no OCSC and soon after no FRG. Maybe I can start reading and scrapbooking again!!

Frosty February....or not quite!

We have had the oddest weather this month...it was 72 degrees and sunny yesterday and then we woke up to heavy, wet snow at 8am this morning...now its sunny and 50 degrees! Aside from the weather, we have jumped head first into February and are SO busy. I wake up every morning ready for it to be time to go back to bed. Last weekend we spent 2 nights at the Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City for a Strong Bonds marriage retreat and it was a great time. The hotel has an indoor waterpark and MagicQuest! This coming weekend we are taking an impromptu ski trip to CO to visit one of Matt's highschool buddies...hoping his post ACL/MCL reconstruction holds up (consequence of his last ski trip 2 years ago). I have never been in the part of the US, so I am looking forward to it. I am full swing into my Practicum and counting down the weeks till its all over, just ready to be graduated already....with Matt nipping at my heels to go for my Ph.D! AH! Definitely not....right away anyway. I need a break. I am also "flocking" nightly...before you become offended or worried let me explain! lol. It is a fundraiser for the Fort Riley OCSC and we move 4 flocks of pink flamingos around on a nightly basis for the entire month, it is a GREAT money maker! Check back for CO skiing pics next week!

Our own little Superbowl...

So we just had a quiet family night Superbowl celebration...complete with a Papa's Nacho Plate Picnic in the living room. As a child not often allowed to eat anything aside from fruit snacks in the living room, Kilian thought it was SO COOL. He kept saying "this is cool, this is cool." As soon as the nachos were done (notice I didn't say gone, bc we couldn't eat them all...I made enough for a whole football team), Kilian was done with the football. We usually watch a show or two on Noggin before bath and bed and he was not happy with the veer from normal routine. "I no like this special football" is what we heard every minute or so. We told him it was a special football game and tonight mommy and daddy got to watch a their show...he regressed to begging with a sad "please, please, please, I need my show". I got out some card games and distracted him instead! Then Frodo and Kilian had a good run of tug of war with a blanket which we will get on video next time...definitely worth sharing!! lol.

3-1 Nightmare Ball

Custom wine bottles from the Oz Winery...

Bianca Walker and I....go C Co!

Friday night we got all fancied up and attended the 3-1 "Nightmare" Ball (lovely name, I know). Despite many people not enjoying these, I love the opportunity to get all dressed up, spend time with Matt and get to know the guys he was deployed with...and have fun with the spouses who worked so hard for fundraising and keeping the households going during the deployment. Just a great time to relax and enjoy each other. People were disappointed with the food...but I think thats just to be expected in such a limited community and having to serve 300 people. (If anyone had something to complain about, it would have been me, as I had a nice large piece of plastic in my pasta sauce--prepackaged maybe?--but I tried to be as polite as possible.) The wine bottles and wine glasses I worked hard on getting put together all turned out great and I was surprised with a fabulous thank you basket (as was Bianca)-a bit embarassing to be called out but a great gift!! Music and dancing lasted till midnight and we stayed till the last minute!!

(I'll have a good pic of Matt and I once the pro pictures are finished...stay tuned!!)