There's no place like home or the Price is Right?

We are a family again!! Josh has been home for a couple weeks and Bella and I couldn't be happier.  Oh and we still have our favorite roomie and old college buddy Kori living with us as well. Josh is settling in nicely as the "man of the house".  Now that he's home... I don't have to pick up dead animals, take out the trash, or worry about bills.  Yes, last month there was a dead rat in our yard and I spent 10 minutes dry heaving trying and failing to get it to trash can (I gave up and found a man to pick it up... I know, fail for the female race).  I've never claimed to be a she-woman.  One of my favorite things about Josh being home is how much Bella loves to be around him.  When he gets home from work, she runs full speed to find him and ask him to spin her! "I want spin" (she is now saying three words at a time... amazing, I know). I LOVE IT.  Oh and my poor husband, I follow him around trying to snuggle 24/7... What can I say, I'm a lover :)

Happy 9 Year Anniversary us!

In other news, Kori and I were on the Price is Right! Wow, what a fun experience! Seven hours of waiting in lines and an interview with the producer was worth every second.  Since I've vowed to keep the shenanigans of our experience a secret (until Nov 7 when it airs), YOU MUST watch it friends!  Did we get on the show?  Did we run down the isle like crazy people? Did we say anything inappropriate on the air? Did we do the robot dance?  What do you think?  Let me just say I'm frightened to see what I look like on television, I'm sitting in the second row, front and center... oh, don't worry.. you will see me............ More on that when it airs in November.  I've never bounced, hugged, or high five'd more in my life.

Ok, we need to take a moment and try to figure out what is happening in this picture?  Kori looks really excited with her Price is Right name tag, and "Hugs & High-Fives" t-shirt.  Me, well... I am super intense, either playing air guitar, doing a weird fist pump, or constipated.... it's just an unfortunate picture of me that's all.... Kori, I love this picture of you.

The new house is coming together nicely.  It really feels like home now that I have a hot chaplain in the house.  Here are a few pictures of the downstairs (upstairs pics to come).  I've got tons of painting, wall hanging, curtain and furniture purchasing to do in the future... but for now, I'm loving our place.

Painted this wall gray (from a neutral creme that is present throughout the house).  Primed the brick from a weird creme to white, still deciding what to do with the brick:)

Purchased some fun pillows.  Josh jokes that we have way too many pillows in this house.  Hey, if the world was ending and pillows were a hot commodity, remember me... I'll be dealing pillows like drugs.

Found this light fixture at World Market and fell in love.  I love shells and circles so this light and I needed a moment alone:)

Here's the light fixture hanging in the living room, bad picture I know...but you get the idea.  P.S. I need some curtains, clearly. Oh and if you look closely... the right wall is gray and the left is blue.  Some of the painting that took place during deployment.

Dear pillow:  I love you so much.  

Sunburst, I love you too... Got this at Home Depot for 30 something bucks!  All of the vases/candle holders are from consignment shops.

My peeps.  My owl.  My DIY letter.  

MY KITCHEN IS DONE!  Ok, I was going for the "mismatched cabinet" look and I love how it turned out.  Gray on bottom (compliments other wall in the house) and cream/white on top with cream/white counter tops!

Here's the before picture, hard to see but it was navy blue counter tops and all of the bottom drawers were rusted out. 

Here is a look at how the back splash ties it all together:) 

...an even closer look at the back splash... yummy... don't you just want to lick it?  I do? That was a weird thing to say...  

Here's our entry way.  I need curtains and new wall decor but I love how the gray and cream walls go together:)  I also love the craigslist wicker chairs I bought/spray painted to fill the space in the mean time.  Money doesn't grow on trees like I had previously thought when beginning the decorating process.... Oh, the center table is an antique tray set (both trays come off...found at a local thrift store.

Downstairs bathroom before... ewe.

Downstairs bathroom (done by my amazing husband Josh)!

He's home! Deployment #2 is OVER!

We did it!  Deployment number two (in three years) is under our belts!

First let me say, it was news to me that Josh was coming home so early from his originally scheduled arrival date in Oct/Nov.  He kept it a secret until a couple days before he landed on US soil (that little stinker).  I suppose it was good that he waited to tell me because I couldn't sleep at all from the excitement....and was literally counting down the actual minutes in the day! I had all these things I wanted to do before he came home... finish house projects, paint more walls, obtain the body of a supermodel.... alas, twas not meant to happen that way:)  I had to settle for a few DIY's done, the living room painted, and well...  as far as supermodel status.... I bought a new outfit, does that count?

The day of his arrival I had told Bella that "Daddy's coming home today".  I said it all day long and she would just repeat the words "Daddy?".  I was trying to help her understand what was happening not knowing if she did.  I planned on bringing her to the return & reunion but, after talking to Josh about how long she would have to wait in the crowds, we decided their reunion would be at home... in her happy place.... the place where her daddy used to be months ago and would be again:)  The sweetest thing happened when I went to pick up Josh from the base.  Bella, who is just starting to put more than one word together at a time, looked at my brother and his wife Brandon (who were watching her) and said (twice), "Daddy's coming home today".... our hearts melted.  While Bella was at home with family, I was waiting with the crowds on base.  Hours passed and the time came... you could see all of the moms with babies who had never met their fathers anxiously awaiting the moment and new wives who had never actually had the chance to live with their husbands, and girlfriends, and mothers, and siblings... it was a precious sight to behold.

Here's a video of our first look at the guys/gals as they marched into view:


Bella tried her hardest to stay awake but she passed out about an hour before daddy got home:(  So, first thing in the morning this is what happened.  She said "daddy" and it made my heart happy and even more important, her daddy's heart!

 Luckily I had already ordered this sign to be ready for his original return date!

His Battalion's welcome home sign:) 

 Before the guys arrived their bags were laid out.  Something about this picture reminds me of how amazing these men & women are... and how much they sacrifice for us when they deploy!

 Marching in amidst the screams and cheers!

 Me and my favorite man!

 I missed this:)

Bella missed this... so did Josh:)

So you want to be a good Chaplain?

It seems like it would be easy... and maybe it is, but if you have been around

the military or if you are seeking to come in as a Chaplain (or something else) you will 

find out quickly that many Chaplains have no idea of how to actually "be a good Chaplain".  

Now, in no way am I saying that I am a good Chaplain or that I have everything

figured out but, I have put some time into thinking how to be a good Chaplain and

this is the list that I came up with.....

1) YOU MUST BE PERSONABLE.  Meaning, you must be as much of a "normal

guy" as possible.  Once again, one would think that this is obvious but its not.  In the

military you are the Chaplain to Sailors / Marines / Soldiers .... many of whom will not

come to your services and for the most part don't think of you as the religious leader

because they have no idea of what a religious leader does.  But you still need to impact your people

in a positive way so that they will eventually look to you as someone who can impact their lives.

So don't be weird!!!! Be as personable as possible!!!!!

2) STAY IN YOUR LANE.  Many Chaplains come into the military and assume it

is just like their job in the pastorate.....well its not.  You are there to assist, aid, help, and uplift

the people in your command.  They are not their because of you or to be a part of a church. 

Now I will always promote the Gospel in my ministry and my aim is to see all my

Marines / Sailors come to know Christ but, I have to know the reality that I live in.  Realize

that your lane is to assist, not to think that everything revolves around your ministry.  When

Chaplains act like they and their ministries are the main thing, it turns everyone off to you

and your ministry.

3) MEET YOUR PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE.  Ok, what I mean by this is that you

can't approach all your people in the same way.  I will give you a glimpse into my current

situation.  Ok, when it comes  to dealing with junior enlisted personnel, I am able to speak

to them as a senior leader and someone to give them wisdom and guidance.  If I am dealing

with senior enlisted or junior to mid level officers I speak to them on a equal plain.  My goal,

even in giving them guidance, is to befriend them and guide from a standpoint of example

and conversation.  Finally, for senior leadership I tread lightly.  I take my cues from them.

I have had some leadership that seeks me out as their pastor and therefore I can speak to

them as such.  Other leadership that I have had can only take advice from me if I give it in

a specific way.  As you are able to adjust to the people around you, you will become a

better Chaplain.  

4) BE FLEXIBLE.  You are the one person in the whole command who is not supposed

to be up-tight.  Everyone else will be up-tight they will yell at each other, over react to

the slightest thing, and fail to realize that there is more than just his little job.  You need

to be the guy that is able to relax and understand that things are going to go crazy

sometimes.  When you are able to do this they will see you as someone who can be trusted

and someone who is safe.

5) BE THE EXAMPLE.  Many of your people have never had any type of interaction

with a minister, they don't know what to do or think.  You need to example for them

what true faith is.... you need to have the strength to tell them the truth even in difficult

situations.  My greatest impact has been speaking the truth to people, even if they disagree

with me, but still loving them in the midst of our disagreement.  Being able to be an example

only comes through your own personal relationship with Christ.  So as you are healthy

in your own relationship with Christ you will be able to example it to others. 

Josh