Philippians 4:13

This is one Bible verses that I as a wife of a marine, and stay at home mom of two girls live by. and it's something that helps me with all that I do.

"I am able to do all things through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

I have people asking me how I do it and how I do the everyday life with all that comes with a military life. And I tell them it's all because of the love that we have as a family for the Lord Jesus. And knowing that he is with us in all that we do. I do not think that I'm a supper mom or anything. And if you know me you know that I have bad days when I about had it. Those days come when it's been days without seeing Matthew, and both the girls and I are missing him. Or when I have to go shopping and the girls both want to nap at a time that they do not nap at. I stop and pray and move on.

I was ask once how do you handle him working all the time and do it with two little kids. And when I stop to think before telling her how I did it, it cam down to me not doing it as well as I would like. So I grab my Bible and sat down and just opened it up and started reading and this verses is what I was reading. And I knew that's what I needed to tell her. And from that second on things have ran much better. I try to keep our day to day life the same with or without Matthew here. And do fun things with and without him, it helps the time go when he is gone, and makes good memories when he is here. We now have a week list of things that we do each week and on the days that we do it. We been doing it for a few months now and it's been going well and the girls know what is happening that week, with one fun thing each week. Sometime more. I do it for a full month and it works well for us. (will post each month later)

And when things happened and Matthew just can not be there we use it as a learning time. And the girls have been doing a lot of learning over the past year and have learn to love the time we get with him, or anyone. When he is something big like a Christmas party, or a Birthday we come back to Philippians 4:13 and read and we talk about how they are feeling and we have both seen that our talks have changes and that their understanding has too.

We do not always handle things like Jesus would, but we try, and keep him in our harts, minds and acts all day.

Christmas vs Santa

You all knew that it was coming! As our blog is called our walk with God. And right now if you do not know us at all you are thinking there is no Santa in that house at all! Well it's a good thing you did not place any money on that. Yes we do Santa, well now I got you thinking, because the two do not work well together do they. Well it's all about how you go about it. First off we are about the Christmas story, and our girls need to know that he the one and only came in the this world with nothing, and not a very nice place. And all his life was about giving and what he could do for others. And we use that to teach our girls that they need to be happy and glad for what they have, and look for ways to give back. And around Christmas time it seems a lot out there to give back. With the giving tree, the bell ringers, and toys for tots. (had to put that in there) And we do have the girls give at this time. And we take the whole month to look at the birth of Jesus and what each thing means. We read the Christmas story, sing songs.

But on the other hand we do Santa and have a ton of fun with it. We feel that it's good for them to be able to think that someone is watching and seeing all the good that they are doing. And when it comes right down to it, we are watching them. So we watch the tv shows and read books with him in it. And we do talk about how some people do not beleive in Santa just like some people do not beleive in God. That does not mean that we should be mean to them, we just do not push it. And when the time comes that they no longer beleive in Santa, we will have them look in to it and see what they can find. Because with all good story there is a starting point. And it will come a learning leason. I come to look at it just like Disney.

We have a good balance that works for us, and as long as we remember to have JOY in our life then we should be just fine.

Jesus
Others
Yourself

Thank you Duggars for the JOY we love it and so do our girls! It's something that we all can remember without to much work.

winter picnic

Today we did something that my kids have come to love. Having a winter picnic! So much fun, we lay out a blanket and eat on the floor. Sometimes it's just whatever is for dinner and sometime we go all out and make summer time foods! Tonight was all out and had summer time food. And with the end of the year coming fast we find ourselfs talking a lot about the up coming year and what we would like as a family. mind you that our girls are still all under 5. So when we talk about goals with them we sometimes get some funny ones. But we feel that they need to have something to work to, even at this age. And new years eve we now have a party for a good year that we had and the good year that is to come. The goals that we were able to finish and the ones we were not. And that is when we come up with new goals, but just to see where they were we talk a little about it tonight. So Matthew was to not work as much, and to take more faily trips. Eammah's is to be potty train. Mine is to cook fresher, and to loss weight. But the one that got me was Jessalla's our 4 1/2 year old. She would like to get more family time in just like we were doing now. to see that our little girl knows what is important. To see her so happy to have both of us and Eammah just having fun and having dinner together. I know that most of you all have dinner as a family each night or most nights of the week. but we do not and are lucky to have it on Sunday.

It got to me a little and so glad to see that I'm doing something right with her. :)

I'm back

it's 135 in the morning and I'm sitting up awake! Man what is up with this. We are giving us other a computer for Christmas this year I'm so glad! I'm not going to be on to long I just wanted to get back in to writing and whatnot again. And to tell you that I'm a planner and when my day dose not go as plan I my flip ;~) Keep that in mind as you read this.

This morning was the 17th and it was a Friday and in the Landers house that means we are going to speech. And on this day we were going to head north because Saturday we were having a big thing for my brother who just finish college. So the morning is going well, get Jessalla where she needs to be and when we are all done with that we come back to the house and as I'm getting Eammah out she starting to get sick. Mind you, as she is doing this the only thing I can think of is not in the car seat! LOL! I dislike taking them apart! Well with that in my head I cup my hands and get most of it. Well now she is crying to get out and I'm standing there with no way to get her out! I now have to go in to clean my hands. Clean her up and all was better for a minute. needless to say we are still at home and I fill like a bad sister! But he knows that we love him and would be there if we could. But I just put her back down before I got on here. So it's not going to work for us to be there.


Look for our Christmas posts coming soon! with in the next few days

The little things!

Today I was sitting and watching the girls play and thinking about all the little things that end up taking a place in something big, and we never stop and think about it. How much the little things mean, and so today I try to look for the little things that were going on with the girls and in my life!! Something that is a little thing in our house is that we clap after pray for meals. I know it's sound funny but it's away for the kids to know that it's okay to eat, fun way for when they were very little. Well Eammah has got it! It's great to see her get things like that. She been able to clap for a while now, but to see her do it when we want her to, it's so nice! And it's not that big at all! Today I wrote all the number out up to 20 and Jessalla look at me and said after ten it starts with 1 again! YES!!!

Today was a big day of little things! And all the little things add up to a great big day!!!

Sorry it's been so long but I will work hard to keep up with thing more and hope that you will all knew what is going on with us when we are home and away from "home"

It's also Matthew 26 Birthday!

Challenge!

As some of you know I talk to Lottie most every day of the week. And today she gave me a gift that I feel I'm going to love for the rst of my life! It's call 30 day Challenge. There are a few to pick from and do. We have pick one off together and will work on it together. I'm looking forward to doing this with her. I just wanted to pass on the web page. http://www.reviveourhearts.com/challenge/ I hope you all take a look at it.

A challenge in our house right now is asking others if they need help, and getting our 3 year to do it to. It's funny when she ask.."Mom, do you need me to help you?" And when I say yes, she says to me "man I was just asking to be nice, now I have to do it!!" She makes me laught all day!

The other challenge is knowing when to ask for help! And we are all working on both of them. It's going well! I think!

Life is a challenge and trying to let the girls know that and not make them dislike life at the same time is becoming a challenge. Getting them to see that it's be like this from day one and we need to ask God for help! And most of the time we do not till it's almost to late!

We know that God loves us, and he shows us all the time. We challenge you all to show others God love by asking them what you can do to help them today! But at the same time know when you need to ask for help from God, or someone else.

God loves us, and wants us to love each other. And in today world that's not showen like it should be.

for who a person is not what a person is!!

Sorry it's been so long! I have been with family and working on something within my family. And over the past two weeks or so the girls and I went up north to Evart to stay with my Grandma and helped her out with something. Due to the fact that she had surgary on her hand and is now in a cast. So I was able to take this and show the girls that we need to serve others and show all love. We got to spend sometime with my grandma too. It's always great time.

Now here comes the big things that I wanted to talk about, showing others love!! How many people say that they show love to others but at the sametime will stand there and say well I can not talk to that person due to the fact he or she is black, has a beer here and there. Or maybe it's something a little bigger like being gay, or something even bigger, like a handiecap?! Are you showing these peope love? I have seen it, and I think how can people do that just because of "what this person is" not who the person is. I'm trying very hard to teah my girls that it's okay to make up their own mind and I want them to. But I also want them to like/dislike a person for "who they are" not "what they are" And you may look at that and ask what am I saying. This is what I'm saying, it's find if my girls want to be friends with the girl next door because they like her and she nice, but it's not okay if they are friends with her because she rich and she gives them things. But it goes the other way too, to be a nice girl but have a learening disorder and have kids and other people be mean to you. I have seen this happend, and it's been done to people that I love and seen me. It's hard to be on the down side of that. And it hurts me to say this.

So here it goes. I have has a learening Disorder for years and I still do and will to the day that I die. But have found, ways around it and work every hard each and everyday. And the summer after I was done with high school I was working out at a church camp in the same town that I grow-up in. And I was doing great out there I was running a kitchen and I had made a list of things that needed to be done and posted it for all to see it. I had a adult start laughting, and was pointing at the list, and calling the other works over and showing them the list and more and more of them starting laughting. And when I walk over there, and ask what they were all laughting at, they ask me to read what I had on the list. So I did and they laught harder and harder. And me asking them over and over what was up and no one would let me. Till later a man came in his name is Mike, and they were all still laughting and he ask what was up and they showed him, and he did something that I will never for get. He took down the list and rewrote it for me with no misspelled words. I love the work I did in the kitchen but the day I left work before my end time witch I did not do, I stayed late most nights. But that night I went home crying becasue of people laughting, because of what I am. And if they would have know me for who I am they would not be laughting at me.

I have seen people be so nice to people that they have never seen before, and may never see again. But they know my mom and know that she is gay and can not say two words to her because of that. Not because of who she is but because of what she is.

It's hard and everyone does it, and I'm working every hard to show my girls that we never to show love and get to know people before making up our minds.

what it takes to make a marine family

This one is just for fun!!

1- Marine
1- wife
kids to teast
1 cup nights apart
1 cup boot camp
3 cups love
5 cups GOD
a dash of fear
a dash of pain
1 Bible
let set for for 7 months
at this point you may need to add another kid to teast.
let set for another 7 months
mix and redo for the next 20+ years
after 20+ year you will have a marine family for life

Saving BIG!!!!

I have been told that we must have debt up the butt, because our kids are in nice name brand clothes. And that we go out to eat once a week or so. We have newer cars than most our age. And I understand where they are coming from and with being in the military everyone knows or can find out how much we make. And just so that you all know we are making 2100 a month and that is without BAH (witch is for rent due to the fact that we are not living on base) I fell that my kids should have the best and I want to give it to them and now that you know what we make you can see why it would be hard. When we were living on base we could spend $120 on food for the month and people would ask me know and did not think that we could with all the food we would get. And the thing is we did it with coupons! And I use them a ton! It's free money in my eyes! So why not use them. I remember one time we went and had two shopping carts of food and had to pay just $125 for it all! And we had save $95 in coupons! Yes it takes time and the first few times it will take a lot longer in the store but it's do able. Here is something that some people do not know is if the store is having 2/ $4 you do not have to get 2 you can get 1/ $2 if you just need one, and with those deal you can use coupons also. Take your time and look to see what's on sale.

A tip for shopping on line, type in online coupons and see if you can get free shipping, or 50% off it's takes just a minute and can save you a ton of the course of a year. So do not think that it only $10 this time it's not a big deal, because it is. Something else that I do that's online that is "free money" is my points. You sign up for it and they will send you emails, and all you have to do is open them and click on get points and they will give you 5 points. And I like to do shopping online and you can shop through them and get point and by doing it that way you get more points. And when you get so many point you can cash them in and get gift cards to stores, restaurant or even airline miles!! I would when you get a chance take a look!

And shopping for things for the girls. SALES!!!! We took a shopping trip to day and got the girls some new clothes for the upcoming summer and without the sales it would have been $468.50 that's a little much! When I walk in to a store I walk right to the sale racks! And I will ask if they do any discounts, and look online to see if there is any coupons that you can print and take with you. So with that said today I spent $162.62!! That's $300 off!! Now that's more like it and I will take the time to save that. So what makes the $300 any different than $10 nothings in my eyes!

Matthew works hard for the money he gets for us and I know that everyone works hard for the money they get for their family. So I need to work hard to make that money go as far as I can for my family. There will be more money saving tips to come. This was just a fast look at what we do and will take a better look at each one at a later time.

~year 3~

So we are at the start of our 3rd year and what a great start it was to watch the bus pull out of the shop and off base and have Matthew be on it!! My hart was falling apart! What was a new mom to do I have this new baby just three months old and my best friend is going to be gone for 7+ months!

Andrew was getting ready to leave again just a few weeks later and they were giving up their house and movied in with me. And after Andrew left it was just the girls, Eve and I in the house. We were flying back to Michigan to be with family for the holidays. And with my bestest friend in the whole world was getting married right after Christmas. But before that all could happenend Jessalla and I had to make it throw that holidays together and without Matthew. Your baby's 1st anything are surpost to be great. And there were great just not right without Matthew there with us. But we did it and we even did the wedding things just find!

At the time we were in Michigan Jessalla and I lived with my Grandparents! I was glad to be with them and to be able to help them out, and have them get to know Jessalla and the way that great-grandparents should.

The time in Michigan was great but hard! When we got back to Cali in Jan. things seem to go a little better back around people that knew what we were going threw. It was just us girls back at my house. Eve and I would stay up and watch the OC, and Friends it was great! After a few weeks Jessalla and I had to help Eve move in to her new place, it was a sad day.

Matthew was coming back when Jessalla was about 9 1/2 months and with her being 9 months and having Matthew calling saying everyting was great and they were on time. It was the best thing! I had the house clean, and went shopping to get all of his this that he like. I was counting down the days and the night before he called and he was in the states! Man! What a great feeling!! I got off the phone with him and Jessalla WALK!! in to the room I was in! No! She just could not wait!

Matthew made it home jsut fine! We went on our 1st family trip! We went over Matthew's birthday for a week! So much fun! And that's started our summer to next have Jessalla birthday! She was one! Man o Man were did the time go! For the summer we had the girls (Christina and Cammi) out for the summer and took them around to see Cali and to try some new things. And to end the summer and our 3rd year we went back to Michigan to take the girls back home and to see the family.

~year 2~

The 2nd year in just got in to the new unit and first thing they did is sent Matthew out to the field! So I had, that's right you guess it 10 days without Matthew. But Matthew can back fine and we said that we needed to get a house on base and that's what we did and moved in in Oct. I was growing just like I should sad that I was not going to be with my family with the baby coming but knew that I could do it with Matthew and with Eve coming back out. Nov. came and so did the Marine birthday ball, my birthday and Thanksgiving. It was a great month and Matthew was able to pass off not getting me anything for my birthday because of the ball just a few days before. I let it pass!! I had a great time at the ball getting all dress up and having great food! Thanksgiving that year we were in our place on base and had over around 40 people so much fun! That's what I live for! Time went so fast and before we knew it, Christmas was here! We were staying in Cali for it and did not have a ton of money and with just the two of us going to be there we just made cheese burgers for dinner with all the toppings! So great! I think it was around this time that my blood presher started to be a little high. Nothing to bad they just wanted to keep an eye on it. We also found out around this time that Matthew would b going over sea for 7 month in the fall.

The first part of the year went by so fast and before we knew it, it was May. And with us due on May 16 we could not wait. My Dr. told me not to be to mad if she was late most baby do not come on their due dates. I was in the Thursday before she was due and had to see someone different, they said that was no way that I would have her on her due date. He went on to say "I'm never wrong" (never say never, more on that later) Mother's day was that Sunday and that was the 14, well Monday I went in, they sent me home and told me to walk. So we did and I think we played "RISK" if it was not that it was a different game. Yes I was playing games up it we went back in that night and at that time they said that I would be staying with them. We made our phone calls and had Sara come in she was going to be in the room with us. And Jessalla came to meet us at 6:25am on the 16th of May.

The summer went so fast and then it was fall and Aug, once again. On our Annv. Matthew was on lock down due to the fact that he would be leaving the next day to go over seas. So we spent the night packing and getting things around. I wrote Matthew a letter and pack little things in his bags, that the guys may have laugh at him for but I did not care. He told one of Jessalla Care Bears with him. I did not get a lot of sleep that night but I do remember standing in his sea bag trying to get it down. LOL!!!

~year 1~

We had been together just less than a year when we got married, and it was a nice wedding with all our family and friends. We got married outside, and our stand ups walk in to a song by the beach boys! So much fun! The food was great made with love from our family. After the wedding we had 10 days together before Matthew left for boot camp in San Diego in Cali. So for that ten days we were together all the time and had some time with our family. Than when that Sunday came and it was time for him to go I took him up to the office and some of our family made it up there to see him off. It was then when he got in to the van that it hint me that I would not see him for 3 months! After Matthew left his sister my "sister-in-love" went out to the movies and had some time together. That night I was able to talk to him because he was still at the hotel here in Michigan. After he made it to San Diego I was able to talk to him just 2 time in the 3 month. The first was to say that he made it, and that he loved me and that was it. The other phone call was to tell me when he would be done and that was 2 1/2 months later. Due to the time of him leaving and whatnot we were apart for hollween, my birthday, and Thanksgiving! It was hard, and at some times slow. But I knew if I could make it to Thanksgiving I would be just fine. Because from Thanksgiving to family thursday was ten days, and I knew what that was like because that's how long we had together after the wedding to the time he left.

After getting back from boot camp were back in Michigan we had ten days together beofre he had to go to work. And going to work was not all that bad. He was home for a month right over Christmas very nice!!! Then he was back to Cali for more training and I stayed back in Michigan. After his month he was move to school and would be there for some time so I was able to go!! Talk about being happy! It was still in Cali just north of where he was in a place called 29 palms. I made it out there in March on the 5th. It maybe the hardest thing I had to do in our first year of being married.

And with all of that in the first 6 month of being married we were together less than 2 months of that. But now we were together and had our own place it was great we were just out there for school so we did not need anything to big, but after having Matthew best friend high school and his family and little bigger place would have been nice. OOO and the whole time they were with us there was nothing in the hosue!!! LOL! It was a ton of fun! Everyone should do it at some point in thier lives. Thinking we were moving in the fall we did not look in to getting a place on base. We did fine a church that we could call home and did for the time we were there. In this time we had to say good bye to Andrew, "Matthew's twin" as he was going over sea for some time. He and his family are the ones that stayed with us for some time. They are family and we love them. So to be albe to be there for them was great. As the one year mark came up fast we found out that we were staying in 29 Palms after he was done with school, he would just go to a unit there, and at this time we found out that we were having our first baby!

Than the day came and we knew it would one year, and we did not have a ton of money but I said that I would do something nice for him. So why we was at school I clean the house and made him what I was thinking was his favorite dinner (more on that later) and I found the box that had our wedding things in it and place the things around the house. And with no table to eat at we ate on the living room floor.

I remember thinking that it was a bad year and there was nothing gret about it. But now looking back on it, it was a time of grow in us away from our family. We were able to grow in our walk. And it gave us just some time to get to know how to live together.

Year two to come next!!

A look at our day

Here is a small look at what I would like our day to look like, it soes not always look like this and I'm okay with that. For the work week Monday- Friday Matthew is up and can be out of the house before 6am. But on the days that he does not have to be in till 9am we all get up at 7am and have a little family time in the morning. And in that time we have something to eat that sometime we all help make and others times it may just be Matthew or I. After we are done eatting and still all around the table we have a little bible time and this time is for the girls and we talk about what we read. After Matthew is gone the girls and I have a little play time and a ton of fun! Eammah is up for 2-3 hour then needs a nap, but before nap we need to have a little snack and then it down for a nap for Eammah. And at that time Jessalla and I have School time and I just call it school we are not home schooling at this time. We are thinking about it and praying about it. We also play games at this time. And in this time I talk to my sister-in-love (law) just about our day and just being a mom! It's nice and there will be more on her later. The nap is around 2 hours and then we are back to two and it's lunch time. And Jessalla will help with lunch as much as she can. After lunch the girls have a play time together with out mommy and at this time I need to pick up from lunch and pick up just a little bit of the house. After about an hour of picking up I sit down on the floor with a big pile of books and read to the girls Jessalla will sit there the whole time and Eammah is in and out. We eat dinner around 5pm, bath are at 6 then bible time again and Eammah is in bed 7-7:30 and then it's just Jessalla and me again. And it's just more reading, games and fun time. She is off to bed around 8-8:30. Then I get a little me time, and at this time I pick up the house, and it time for me to due somethings that I like to do, and by 9:30-10 I'm in bed reading. I will try to wait for Matthew to get home but that does not always workout.

We do have things all week that does let us get out of the house here and there. We go to a story time once a week for Jessalla and there is one for Eammah's age that we have not went to let but are thinking about it. On Wednesday we go to church at 7pm for Bible study for the audlts and truth trakers for Jessalla. We all have a great time when we go. And on those night we come home and go right to bed!

Are weekends are a little different just that some times Matthew is home and when he is we sleep in till aobut 8 and Saturday we find something to do as a family it maybe a game or going out side. Sunday we are back up early and off to church for Sunday school and church and home just in time for lunch!

That is our week nothings big but it's what we call life!