Mama's Little Bakery

Once again, it is my favorite day of the week!
And in celebration, here is a clip from my favorite television show:

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

What is in Your hand

Another devotional--

(click image for full text)

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

Peace on Earth

Below is today's devotional for Justin. Enjoy!

(click image for full text)

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

Psalm 55:22

Justin's Bible memory verse for this week!

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.

-Psalm 55:22 (NIV)

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

Week 5: Worry

Everyone knows the famous quote "a picture's worth a thousand words." If not, you live under a rock. Just kidding, but in all seriousness...photos have always been really special to me. They may not always perfectly capture the colors of a beautiful sunset, or an exploding firecracker, but they can help you remember those moments and the feelings you had as they were happening. Justin's aunt reminded me of that this week in her letter to Justin, comprised primarily of photos. Thank you, Ray, Tammy, Chad, and Drew for praying for Justin this week!

1000 words? I have 3: Tammy the Hippie

Much better! Tammy, Drew, Ray, & Chad

Also, since it's Sunday I have new sermon to share. Today's message is entitled "God's Love When You're Overwhelmed" and comes from one of mine and Justin's favorite pastors, Bruce Frank. He is a former pastor of our Houston church, and the current pastor of Biltmore Baptist Church in Asheville, North Carolina. Click the image below to view the sermon:

(Select week 2--God's Love When You're Overwhelmed)

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

Port Visit 2: Bar, Montenegro

The Mitscher made it to Bar, Montenegro yesterday for its second port visit! From what I understand, Justin is staying in a hotel in Budva. I don't know much about his itinerary for the weekend yet, but I'll update again when I know more. In the mean time...check out this view!

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

Bamboozled

It's Friday!

I always love Fridays. I get to catch up on things because it's my day off of work. I get to share clips from my favorite television show. And today, I get to celebrate another mini-victory!

ONE MONTH DOWN!
(six months to go)

Can you tell I like to look on the bright side? Anyway, here is my Friends clip for today:

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

Bel Bows Down

Today's devotional:

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Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

Driving in the Dark

Here is today's devotional, courtesy of Our Daily Bread. Enjoy!

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Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

Jeremiah 29:11

This verse has been so important throughout our dating relationship and our marriage, and I know that it will continue to encourage and motivate Justin while he is away. Here's today's memory verse:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future"
                                                                            -Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

 Fair winds and following seas!

Week 4: Peace in God's Plans

As I mentioned Wednesday, my iPad content for Justin will focus on "peace" during the month of June. Kicking off this study is another installment of The Met's fruit of the spirit series, The Vine Life, delivered by teaching pastor Lance Witt. Click the image below to hear the sermon:

(Select week 4--The Vine: Peace)

Justin also got to open another letter today. This was his first greeting card and it came from Greg and Sandi Brock. Greg is the teacher for the Faith Defenders, the small group class that my parents and Justin's parents both attend at The Met.

This sweet couple has always reminded us that we are in their prayers, and I have never felt their prayers more than when we first moved to Virginia. Plenty of people said they would pray for us during this next phase of our lives, but Greg and Sandi took that a step farther by sharing with my mother-in-law specifically how they were praying for us. 

Their openness helped make their prayers more tangible and gave me the idea to break Justin's deployment down into short, measurable windows during which families would commit to pray for us. It's easy to say "I'll pray for you," and equally easy to forget that commitment over a 7-month time period. By asking families to pray for Justin during one specific week of his deployment, I hoped to cut down on forgetfulness and help him to know exactly who was praying for him, at any given moment.

Thank you, Greg and Sandi, for your love, prayers, and inspiration! We appreciate you both so much!!

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

Port Visit 1: Durres, Albania

Justin hit his first port yesterday! The ship is docked in Durres, Albania but many of the officers have opted to stay in a hotel about an hour away in the city of Tirana.

Here are a few pictures he shared with me:

view from hotel (1)

view from hotel (2)

hotel (1)

hotel (2)

But the best part about port visits is that I get to VIDEO CHAT with my hubby!

Gotta love Skype!!

I'll (hopefully) post a more detailed description of his weekend in Albania once he's back on the ship.

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

Celebration

Hope everyone enjoys this week's clip from FRIENDS! It's one of my favorites.

Okay, so they're all my favorites. I can't help it, I love this show.

Did you notice Jennifer Aniston trying to cover her actual laugh? Hilarious.

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

Temporary...

Today's devotional:

(click image for full text)

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

JUNE: Peace

Well, we've reached another landmark--May is over! I'm happy to report that time has been passing quickly on my end, and thus far I'm receiving similar reports from "over there". Praise the Lord!

June is finally here, which means the beginning of a new focus for Justin's time away. If you missed the explanation of these "themes" you can find out more about them here. This month we will be concentrating on "peace" although that study won't officially begin until Sunday. Needless to say, I'm excited! 

I also thought I'd share a photo Justin sent me from his "Steel Beach Picnic" this past weekend. To preemptively answer the questions I know will follow the previous sentence--

Steel beach picnics are a tradition in the United States Navy. They are often department-sponsored barbecues held on the deck of the ship, hence the name "steel beach". Often held on the flight deck or in a large hangar bay for carriers, much like a day at the beach with volleyball and other sporting events

Thanks wikipedia, that's such a better explanation than I would have given!

My hunny's a grillin' machine!

So how did Justin get stuck grilling? Because he is the JORG ensign (pronounced: "George"), which means he has the privilege of executing all tasks tedious and trivial. This is one of the better ones, for sure! Again, a more detailed explanation:

The J.O.R.G. Ensign (Junior Officer Requiring Guidance) is the most junior officer in a naval command. The JORG is typically the collector and manager of the Wardroom Fund, a bank account funding miscellaneous incidentals to social functions as well as parting gifts or plaques for separating officers.

One of the other (implied) jobs of the JORG is to prank the XO (executive officer), the second-highest command position on the ship. It's worth mentioning that Justin is NOT the most junior officer aboard, and hasn't been for almost a year, but his XO just so happened to like him so much as the JORG that she promised him he could remain so for the duration of his time on this ship. Lucky him.

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

Joyful Trials

Here is Justin's Bible memory verse for this week...

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

                                                        -James 1:2-3 (NIV)

 ...and his devotional from today, courtesy of Our Daily Bread

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Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

Memorial Day

For years I didn't know the meaning of Memorial Day. It was just the symbolic start of summer, characterized by good food, time with family, and a healthy dose of red, white, and blue. Throw in the a few men in uniform and some patriotic tunes for the Sunday church service and you had Memorial Day. 

Over the last few years, Memorial Day has taken on a different meaning for me. It's a reminder of the sacrifices that so many Americans have made for our country. It's a reminder of the values our country was founded upon. It's a reminder that those values, though debated today, are still worth defending. Lastly, and most importantly, it's a reminder that we are one nation, under God. 

Anyone looking for a less sappy explanation of Memorial Day can check out Wikipedia...the internet's most reliable resource (just ask your English teacher). As a military wife, those emotions just come with the territory. And the reality of my husband being deployed.

In honor of Memorial Day, I asked Justin's Uncle Dave and Aunt Desi to write his letter and pray for him this week. Dave was a military man himself and generously shared several special relics with us when Justin was commissioned as an officer. We love and appreciate you both (and Happy early Birthday, Aunt Des!)

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

Week 3: Joy in Trials

Hello from Georgia! 

I know I said I was on hiatus but I wanted to share Justin's sermon for this week. It's from Breakaway, a giant Bible study at Texas A&M University that meets each week in Reed Arena. I loved attending while I was a student (when I wasn't studying) and thought Justin might enjoy some of the messages too. Although Ben Stuart's messages target college students, the principles discussed are universal. Click the image below to launch the free Breakaway podcast in iTunes, then scroll down to the sermon "Joy in Pain" from 09/08/09.

Breakaway at Reed Arena

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

Weekend in Georgia

It's Fridayyyyy...if you haven't picked up on this yet, this means it's my day off! Friday also means it's time for a new Friends clip for Justin. But this Friday is particularly important because today I'm leaving for Atlanta, Georgia to see my (extended) family! Read more about that in my previous post.

I'll be taking a short hiatus from blogging to enjoy my Memorial Day weekend. In the meantime, enjoy this clip from my all-time favorite television show!

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

Join the Happy Minority

Justin's devotional for today:

(click image for full text)

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

Photoex

Justin sent me a couple of photos yesterday that were taken as part of a "photoex" for his strike group and said they were safe to share on my blog. Enjoy!

Justin's ship is the farthest right, in the background

Justin's ship--USS Mitscher (DDG-57)

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

Happiness Is...

I had too much to post yesterday and didn't get a chance to share this, so here's this week's Bible memory verse for Justin:

This is the day that the LORD has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it!

                  --Psalm 118:24 (ESV)

And his devotional for today:

(click image for full text)

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

News Article 2

USS George H.W. Bush enters 6th Fleet waters

An SH-60F Sea Hawk helicopter conducts flight ops
 from the aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush.

NAPLES, Italy – The aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, which departed Norfolk, Va., earlier this month, has made its way across the Atlantic Ocean and into 6th Fleet waters. This is the maiden voyage for the Navy’s newest and last Nimitz-class, nuclear-powered behemoth.

The carrier will lead the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group, which will conduct a variety of operations during the deployment. It is expected to arrive at 6th Fleet headquarters here in Naples early next month.

Aside from the new carrier, the group’s deployment features another milestone. Rear Adm. Nora Tyson is the first woman in Navy history to command a carrier strike group. Tyson took command of the strike group in July.

“As far as the trailblazing piece, I understand I am the first woman on the job, but I’m a professional just like my fellow officers are, and my fellow strike group commanders,” she told Virginia’s WTKR news station last summer.

A 6th Fleet spokesman would not give details of the group’s schedule at sea, but the group left Norfolk, Va., on May 11, and is conducting an exercise with allies off the coast of England this week, according to the Navy.

Later this year, the group will move into the Bahrain-based 5th Fleet territory to continue its deployment.

The strike group consists of about 6,000 sailors, five ships and eight aircraft squadrons. The deployment is part of a rotation of U.S. forces supporting maritime security operations in international waters worldwide, according to the Navy.

Week 2: Joy in Each Day

Since our anniversary dominated the weekend blog posts, I didn't get around to posting this but wanted to be sure and share. 

The first time Justin and I discussed who we wanted to marry us, we didn't come to any immediate answers. I've always been jealous of those couples that met in youth group and had their youth pastor, who had watched their relationship grow from the beginning, officiate at their wedding. Ironically, Justin and I did meet at our church's youth group, but we were just barely acquainted and both dated other people during high school. To further complicate the matter, youth pastors had come and gone throughout that time and we had no particular ties to any of them. While we struggled to choose an officiant, we both agreed on one thing--we didn't want it to be a complete stranger.

I don't remember who tossed out Robbie's name first, but I know it had crossed both of our minds. He was on staff at our church at the time and although he didn't know us well as a couple, we each knew him in some capacity. We also loved listening to Robbie preach and knew we could trust him to deliver a great message for our wedding, and he did not disappoint!

But more importantly than just being some figurehead in our ceremony, Robbie was our counselor.  I know some people may not understand or support the concept of pre-marital counseling, which is fine, but it was a non-negotiable point for Justin and me.  For us it just seemed backward--spending hundreds of hours planning a one-day event and virtually no time at all preparing for a life-long relationship? But that's reality for the majority of couples getting married today. 

Fast-fowarding to the present, it only made sense to me to ask Robbie to write Justin's letter for this week. I can't think of anyone else I'd rather have encouraging and praying for my husband this week as we spend our first wedding anniversary apart than the person who helped us prepare our heads and hearts for our marriage. Thank you, Robbie, for your friendship and your investment in our relationship!

As I mentioned last week, the focus for this month is "joy". If you have no idea what I'm talking about please see my previous post here. Now imagine my surprise when I skimmed The Met's fruits of the spirit series to find another sermon for Justin and discovered that ROBBIE was the one who preached on joy! God really has a sense of humor sometimes. Click the image below to hear the sermon:

(Select week 3--The Vine: Joy)

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

First Anniversary

Does anyone still follow that old, traditional wedding anniversary gift guideline?

If you're as in the dark about this as I was, allow me to enlighten you. You've probably heard of the silver and golden anniversaries, referring to the 25th and 50th year of marriage, respectively. But what about the 5th, 10th, or 15th year? Fortunately for the clueless among us, there is a long-standing custom of giving specific gifts for each anniversary. If the original list is too dated for you, just check out the modern version. Here's a peek:

Click image to see full list

Personally I'd rather stick to the traditional list, if I'm going to stick to a list. Luckily year one is just paper, which was easy to accomplish during deployment with the help of some Hallmark cards!

I got TWO cards (one funny, one sweet)

It's mind-blowing to think of everything that has transpired during the last year. Our first year of marriage has been a wonderful adventure together. I know that sounds so cliche but that's really what it was, considering that in the last year we:

• got married
• moved 1500 miles from home
• went on active duty

I don't know another word more qualified than "adventure" to so perfectly encapsulate the past year's experiences. I can only hope to look back one day and say the same about the next 50 years, but I'm in no rush to get there. I'm happy just enjoying each day along the way.

And in honor of our anniversary, I decided to share our wedding album. Enjoy!

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

Saturdays // Table for One

First a quick note about Justin's Saturdays, then my experience celebrating my first wedding anniversary...solo!

Seinfeld Saturdays. This is pretty self-explanatory. Justin's mom helped me locate discounted copies of all nine seasons of Seinfeld for Justin to take with him. Of course he is not limited to watching them  on Saturdays, but my creativity (and time) had reached its limit for this iPad project!

As for me, I planned a date with myself today. I highly recommend this to other women. I think it will show you a lot about yourself. For me, I'm sure it helps that I grew up very independent--partly from being an only child, and partly from having a disabled Mom that couldn't entertain me every waking moment. Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed my day. Oh and the occasion for this date? My anniversary is TOMORROW!

I started off with a trip to the mall for a little retail therapy

I caught a matinee showing of Something Borrowed, starring Kate Hudson (love her!) Ginnifer Godwin, some other guy, and John Krasinski (The Office). I loved the movie, even though it wasn't as good as the book--but what movie ever is? I didn't come with any expectations and I really liked it. I can say, however, that I was not expecting this:

That's right. It was completely, 100% empty. Am I not alone enough already?!
The good side of that is this:

...putting your feet up without bothering anyone in front of you. Also, sitting front and center!

After the movie I headed to a spa near my house for a one-hour swedish massage. Special thanks to my mother-in-law for the birthday gift card that paid for it! 

One swedish massage and an hour later I was starving, so I walked across the street to Baker's Crust (local cafe) and requested a table for one. I've heard nothing but great things about it since moving here and have been dying to try it. I chose a soup/sandwich combo--crab corn chowder and chicken guacamole on jalapeno cheddar bread. 

Unfortunately it was not as good as I'd heard. The sandwich was dry and tasted pre-made and reheated. The soup was okay, nevermind the price. Next time I'll stick to Panera. Nevertheless, I was not discouraged from saying yes to a giant slice of chocolate cake!

It was my best effort to make up for not getting any groom's cake at my own wedding but, not surprisingly, the cake wasn't much better than the meal. Disappointing!

I left the cafe to spend the rest of my day at home relaxing and watching television and reading Love the One You're With, my new Emily Giffin book. Overall it was a nice day, but I would trade it all in an instant for an hour of doing absolutely nothing with my hubby, and I know he'd agree!

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

Fridays

It's Friday again! You know what that means...it's my day off!

Apparently it's also special delivery day because for the second Friday in a row, I was awakened by a knock on the door. I thought it must be flowers again, knowing that my anniversary was coming up. When I looked through my peephole, however, I was surprised to find no one there. I opened the door to look down the hallway and discovered a small package on my doorstep. I opened it to find this:

...the first six seasons of One Tree Hill and a sweet card from my best friend, Sarah! She is so thoughtful--she even overnighted it to me so I wouldn't be bored at home this weekend. I am so grateful for our friendship and extremely excited to be the Matron of Honor in her wedding next May!

And now for a description of FRIENDS Friday (I told you I love pneumonics!)

Friends is, without a doubt, my favorite TV show of all time and despite his best efforts otherwise, Justin has come to love the show as well. Although I have shared with him the digital files for the entire series, I recognize that there often is not enough time to sit down and watch an entire episode. That said, there are SO many hilarious moments in Friends, several of which Justin and I quote and joke about frequently. I chose 30 of my favorite scenes and uploaded one for every Friday he is gone. Just a little comic relief to get him through the day! Here's today's clip:

Friday is also the day we read The Love Dare. Since I've already described this in a previous post, I'll hold off on a more detailed explanation. 

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

Wednesdays

Wednesday is GREETING CARD DAY!

This excites me because I love greeting cards. I'm that weird person that saves all those birthday, Christmas, or whatever cards. I also believe that picking out a great card takes time and consideration. Be prepared to spend at least an hour with me at Target when I have 4 friends (congratulations Bethany, Ben, Britney, and Danielle!) graduating simultaneously. I just think there is something really special about finding a perfect card that seems uniquely made for the person you are shopping for.

It shouldn't come as a surprise, then, that I love to send cards with Justin when he leaves for any stretch of time. But I am realistic and knew I couldn't send a card for everyday he was deployed because that would just be crazy! So I settled for one per week...and that's how I ended up with this whole "thing for each day" plan I've been blogging about.  Despite my best intentions, I was still working up to the last minute to finish the first 15 cards because I put as much thought into the inscriptions as I do the cards themselves. Thankfully this was the one thing that did NOT have to go on the iPad itself so I will be shipping him a second installment of cards in a few months.

I would also like to take a moment to brag on my hubby. He is so good to me. He knows how sentimental I am, so he hangs on to all these dorky cards I buy him and brings them home for me. I promise I'm not a hoarder! Those are just precious love letters and I want to hold on to them :)

He really is great, though. Otherwise, I wouldn't do THIS:

Finally, a mini-victory: it has been one week since Justin deployed.

If all the weeks pass as quickly as this one, this deployment will be over in no time!

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

Tuesdays (and Thursdays)

For the past couple of days, I've been explaining what types of things Justin can expect to find on his iPad each day of the week while he is deployed. As I mentioned on Sunday, Justin won't really have any form of church or spiritual community on his ship, so...

To encourage him to remain in God's word, I have provided him with short devotionals (courtesy of Our Daily Bread) for Tuesdays and Thursdays. I've done my best to find devotionals that go along with the fruit of the spirit "theme" for that week/month. The focus for May is "joy".

To help him still feel connected to me while he's away, I have recorded myself reading the devotionals. We have always really enjoyed the precious time reading our devotional together before bed. It's great to know we are reading the same devotional when we're apart, but I hoped that hearing me read it would help him feel that we are doing this together.

Here's today's devotional:

(click image for full text)

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

Mondays

So yesterday I shared what Justin's Sundays would look like...or at least what surprises Justin could expect to find stored on his iPad on Sundays. I forgot to mention, though, that the theme for this month (what's left of it anyway) is JOY! I chose this fruit of the spirit to start deployment with because I thought it would be one of the times it was hardest for Justin to feel joyful. He just left, is still getting adjusted to this new lifestyle, and missing home. My hope is that by focusing on "joy" through sermons and scriptures that he will find it easier to tap into the joy and comfort that only the Lord can provide. 

Which leads me to Mondays...Mondays are memory verses. 
(I'm huge on pneumonics)

Here's today's verse:

"Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!" --Nehemiah 8:10

It's interesting how this project for Justin has turned into such a blessing for me as well. God has used the same verses and sermons that I selected for Justin as encouragement for me as well. I think that's why I've done so well the past 6 days. I have actually had a few really nice evenings! Last night I went to dinner and caught up with a sweet friend of mine, Arlene. Her husband, Jed, is on Justin's ship and they also used to live in our building. Arlene is not only a military spouse, she is also a naval officer! Don't be fooled though, it doesn't make separation any easier for them. They have each deployed once before and during almost the same period of time, so this a new experience for her too. Thankfully we share a love of food and cooking and plan to spend many more Sunday nights together during this deployment. I can't express how nice it is to have friends that understand and have "been there, done that." 

Jed & Arlene on deployment day

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

Week 1: Joy in the Lord

First, I would like to mention that it is May 15. While this may mean nothing to anyone else, it is very significant to our family because today marks the one-year anniversary of Justin's commissioning into the Navy as an officer and his promotion to active duty. What a year it's been! Most of the time it feels like it was just days ago.

To Justin--

I am so proud of you for all you have done and become in the last year! I've loved sharing this crazy military life with you and wouldn't change it if I could. It has certainly made our marriage stronger, as I know this deployment will. I look forward to the next three years of this adventure but am also so glad to say we are 1/4 of the way through this commitment!

I promised in yesterday's post that I would provide more details about Justin's iPad. Although each day is unique, the days of the week are the same. To clarify--every Sunday he will receive a sermon and a letter, but each one will be new. Now for a more detailed explanation:

1. The Sermons--I realized a few months ago that my sweet husband would have no form of church during the seven months he is deployed. I've had several people ask me about Chaplains so to preemptively answer this question--no, there is not a chaplain on his ship. How can that be? Because there is a chaplain for his entire strike group but he is on the USS George H W Bush (aircraft carrier). Without a longer explanation, no this does not help him any. So I have pulled sermons from some of my favorite pastors and uploaded them to his iPad, one for each Sunday. Without listening to each 45-ish minute sermon, I did the best I could to match them with the theme for that month. Arguably the most tedious part of this process!

I'm kicking off the sermons with the first of a series our pastor, Sal Sberna of Metropolitan Baptist, preached a few summers ago on fruits of the spirit. Click image below to hear for yourself.

2. The Letters--(Background) A few years ago I sent letters to Justin's friends and family asking them to send back a letter containing "words of wisdom" for his 21st birthday. I put each card into a photo album, along with the picture of the person who wrote it. Unfortunately I only received approximately 50% of what I requested, which is really sad considering I included the card to write on and a self-addressed, stamped return envelope. Although it made for a very special, unique gift that Justin still enjoys, I swore I would NEVER do that again. Didn't your mother ever teach you not to swear??

Well, I did it again. I emailed 30 friends and family asking them to send back letters of encouragement for Justin's deployment. This time, though, I took it a step further by asking each family to commit to praying for Justin the week he opened their letter (Sunday-Saturday). People always say "oh I'll pray for him" but over seven months, it's easy to forget. I thought it would be so much more powerful for Justin to know "this family, whose card I am reading today, is praying for me RIGHT NOW and all week long". As I expected, getting these emails back (for the most part) was like pulling teeth. I just don't understand what's so difficult? I tolerated this for his 21st birthday but I absolutely would not take "no" for an answer this time around. My husband is DEPLOYING! He needs you!! I nagged shamelessly. For months. And I'm happy to report I got all but one back in the end, and still had one letter for every single week! 

(note: nagging works)

Today's letter comes from Bart and Maureen, my godparents and next door neighbors of 22 years. I honestly could not imagine my life without them. In the one year I have lived here, I have missed them as much as my own parents. They have shaped so much of my childhood and adolescent memories--from watching me when my mom was sick from her MS to Maureen's wonderful gingerbread-decorating parties each Christmas. But what really makes them special is their love for each other. No other couple in my life has been such an example of what a Christ-centered marriage should look like. Their mutual love and respect for each other cannot go unnoticed and I swear after (?) years of marriage, their love still grows deeper each day. I hope that our marriage can leave such a legacy for our children one day. And what's more is they have welcomed Justin (once he passed Bart's approval test, of course!) with as much love as they have me. Together the four of us have shared many wonderful conversations in their living room or under their enormous grapefruit tree. They are just such a joy to be around and I love and admire them dearly! Thank you for loving and praying for us this week!

Bart & Maureen at Justin's graduation--one year ago today!

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

A Brilliant Idea

I knew I wanted to do something special for Justin's deployment. I've always sent mounds of greeting cards with him during underways but I knew cards just weren't going to cut it this time around! I'm normally a very creative person, but this time I was just stuck. It was just so hard to think within the space constraints of berthing 6 (see "staterooms and seasickness" for explanation). It wasn't until I was driving my sweet friend Bethany back to the airport after she visited me in January that my plan began to take form. She planted this idea in my head that was just too good to dismiss.

"What about an iPad?" 

It was brilliant, really. So brilliant that I didn't know why I hadn't thought of it first. I wanted to share music and photos and letters but had such limited space. But this one tiny thing, this iPad, could hold all of that and more. Not to mention Justin had been drooling over them since they unveiled the first one. I made up my mind and went straight to the store from the airport and purchased a black 32G iPad. 

Me and B!

I instantly caught flack from several of my most tech-savvy friends. Why would I purchase one now when the second generation iPad was just around the corner? Good question. So I returned it. And waited. 

Meanwhile I fine-tuned my idea. After many more phone calls with Bethany, I settled on a theme for each of the seven months he would be gone, using the "fruits of the Spirit" as my guide. I also tossed in a creation of my own for good measure (and because I was lacking from doubling up on a few). Justin is a very responsible person but when it comes to being away, he has absolutely no self-control. He inevitably tears through everything the first few days he is gone. For example, during the last underway I sent his Valentine's present with him knowing he would be gone on the 14th. He opened it the second night he was gone, four weeks before Valentine's Day! While this may work for a four to five week underway, I knew it would not get him through an entire deployment. Working within the constraints of my theme, I planned something for EACH DAY he would be gone. Yes, it took a ridiculous amount of time. No, there is (almost) nothing I wouldn't do for my husband. He needed this.

A few weeks after returning the first iPad, they did indeed come out with a second generation. I'm glad I waited! Although I was number eight in line at the Navy Exchange, they were still out of the one I wanted (white 64G) so I settled for another black 32G. I loaded it up with everything and PASSWORD-PROTECTED much of the content to prevent him from ruining it the first day/week/month. I had the joy of sharing it with him last weekend as he prepared to leave. There could not have been a more rewarding feeling than the look of utter shock and delight on his face.  

My daily surprises start tomorrow. I'm so excited to finally let some of these secrets I've been harboring these last four months come to light! And to see the "fruits" of my labor. More details tomorrow.

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

Sweet Surprises!

Today is Friday, which means yours truly has the day off to be completely productive, wash clothes, clean the dishes...

Oh wait, what am I saying? It wouldn't be a DAY OFF if I spent it doing any of those things! As I mentioned, I am an accountant and I love my job. I only work Fridays during tax season. This means three-day weekends from now until Christmas! This also means that my Memorial Day weekend will be a FOUR day weekend. This knowledge has given me a severe case of travel itch! I've been throwing around ideas since Justin left about what to do with four whole days to myself--Home? Alabama? Georgia? Beach? Somewhere new? Bed and Breakfast!?! 

Turns out fate answered my question! My awesome Uncle Jim texted me this morning to ask if he could fly me down to Atlanta to spend the weekend with him and two of my cousins. Hold on while I contemplate...

YES!

As if this day couldn't get any better--while I'm searching for itineraries for him to consider, I hear a knock on my door. I'm definitely not expecting anyone and extremely surprised to find a flower delivery guy holding a huge vase of flowers! Who is sending me flowers? Only the sweetest husband in the whole world, that's who!

 

One of the ways Justin and I have chosen to help stay close in spirit during this deployment is taking "The Love Dare" a 40-day devotional aimed at bringing couples closer together through a series of daily dares. We originally passed over this book thinking we could not get the full value out of the book without being physically together. Then a few weeks ago I ran across the website Excellent or Praiseworthy and discovered they had adapted the book specifically for deployments! I was so excited I immediately went out and bought two copies of the book. Today's dare required buying something for your spouse. The flowers were his purchase for me!

Needless to say, it's been a great Friday so far and I absolutely cannot wait to see my precious Georgia family!

Auburn (65) - Arkansas (43) Football Game, Oct 2010

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie

Staterooms and Seasickness

I was able to talk to Justin again before bed last night, thanks to Google Chat! I am so glad that he FINALLY got a stateroom, and just in time for deployment. Staterooms are supposed to be automatic for officers but there weren't any available when Justin checked onboard last May. Consequently, he was thrown into berthing 6 along with the other out-of-luck JOs (junior officers).

"JO Jungle"

 

Aside from having absolutely zero space, there was also a huge plumbing problem. Any time there were clogs on the ship, they would back up into the "JO Jungle". Not pretty! Thankfully, he was moved into a stateroom about a week before deployment, just when we thought he had run out of time. He shares his room, and a computer(!), with two other guys--Kamm and Heighton. This new arrangement has made it much easier for us to communicate so far, and we are both so thankful!

(Kamm)

(Heighton)

He also told me about a workout regimen he and friends Drew, Naomi, and Jocelyn have come up with. They have decided to run (treadmill, bike, elliptical..) 2.5 miles per day for a grand total of 500 MILES by the end of deployment. Even though I think they're all CRAZY, I know this will be a great release of energy or frustrations.

Unfortunately satan is already throwing kinks in his plans--Justin is SEASICK! This from the man who is never seasick. I knew it had to be bad, but I was shocked when he told me they had 15 FOOT seas! No thank you! Please keep him in your prayers while they (literally) ride out this storm.

Fair winds and following seas!

Stephanie