ITS GIVE AWAY TIME!!!!

I had SO MUCH FUN "spreading the joy" by giving away something that I love last month ( was it really last month?! It seems like forever ago!) that I've decided to do it again....I guess I got it in a little under the wire considering its the LAST DAY in June, hahaha! But better late than never! 


OK, so as you know we recently went on Vacay and I maaaay or may not have put on a little extra "padding" after eating nonstop for a week.  So, this week I've been watching what I eat. Particularly I've been watching myself eat one of my FAVORITE chocolate bars ever.  ( hahaha!! gottcha! I'm upping the exercise..."dieting" is not for me!)  I was so excited when I found it at a local designer grocery store because its definitely hard to find when you don't have the luxury of living in a major city ( *sigh*) 


First you need to check out the brand: Vosges Haut Chocolat and let the foody in you marvel at some of their awesome combinations with chocolate ( and I promise I have never had one that I didn't like-no matter how strange the combo!) 


And now I will announce my current favorite: 

Ah yes, the the sweet and fruity Goji Exotic Candy Bar! It is described as "flavors of the Tibetan goji berry; raspberry, plum and currant undertones emanate from chewy bites embedded in dark milk chocolate. A hint of salt keeps you coming back for more..."

DOES THAT NOT SOUND AMAZING!?!?! Well it IS and I'm giving away a large bar of this chocolaty goodness to one of my lucky commenters that I will randomly select on Monday ( as sort of a Independence Day celebration. hehe)  All YOU have to do is comment on this post before midnight on Sunday with your favorite candy...preferably the kind you only get on special occasions-but really go with your heart on this one...and GOOD LUCK :-) 

life lesson

On our way back from our vacation my sister and I switched car toys so that our kids would have something new to entertain them on our respective journeys home ( mine was waaaay shorter than hers...poor things). I can't speak for her, but I basically went to the dollar store and bought really random things for Ransom to play with in the car. They also have some fun board books and little handheld fans that light up, and really badly made puppets. So you should hit up your Dollar Tree the next time you go on a vacay with a 1 year old. Annnnnyway, I don't know WHERE Anna got this book, but its called "Nature" and its made by the Chicken Soup for the Soul people ( random.) and each page has a very off the wall saying on it that may or may not have something to do with the picture on said page. Its all a bit weird, but this page is most DEFINITELY my favorite. It says so much, without saying much at all. And I feel like, if my child was just a bit older we could talk about what's ABOUT to happen in this picture...because I personally think its Obvious. 

Face the music

Friends, we've been living on borrowed time here in the Wilson Household. Or at least that is what it has felt like since Brett got back from his deployment in 2009. We have been really really blessed ever since. So blessed that I had forgotten what it could be like. What the Army could do.
Since Brett got back he's been to the Captain Career Course-which since it wasnt a deployment, felt like a dream and he often got home around 3pm ( saying nothing of the hours and hours of homework he had to do once he got home...) and then he did several other "courses" with significant breaks between each one all leading up to Ranger School. So, once again I was spoiled with evening with my husband. We had people over to dinner twice a week, we watched Startrek together. Then Ranger School-which, yes, it was awful, but you KNOW its gonna be AWFUL. You miss your husband but you know not to expect him at the end of the day and you look forward to when its over. And then Brett was put on staff at Brigade headquarters. We'd have a long day here and there, but "long" usually meant 6:30 or 7. And I was very much lulled into a false sense of security.
Now, I knew deep down that it would come to an end, that Brett would become a Company Commander and the days of him leaving at 4am and coming home at 9 would once again be a part of my life. And I told myself that I needed to "prepare" that I should sit down with God and have Him "sort me out" before we got started so I wouldn't have the nasty attitude that I had when Brett was a Platoon Leader. ( go ready my blog circa 2008 for a brief example)....
But, to be honest I figured I had time to prepare and I just put it out of my mind as I do most things that are unpleasant.
However, God has apparently decided to give me a nudge. He's decided to give me a small preview of what's to come so that I will, in fact, have that sit down with Him.
Brett got a new boss and as of this week he's gotten home-earliest 8pm....Monday it was 9 and it looks like it'll ( hopefully?) be nine again.... .
Now I am about to be really honest so PLEASE don't judge ( especially you ladies who's hubbies are deployed right now...believe me, you have it MUCH worse than I do!! YOU DEFINITELY WIN), but this is what I hate most about the Army. The time when, for all intents and purposes, you should have a "normal" looking life but instead you never see your husband, and in turn he never ever sees his son ( granted, Ransom saw him for 5 minutes this morning before Brett headed back into work while Ransom was eating breakfast), you expect the Army to be awful when they are deployed, but believe me it can be awful other times too...but honestly...this is NO WAY to live! And this is what I'm talking about. I need to somehow come to grips with this lifestyle. Find the silver lining, work out the good. Otherwise the next two years are going to be some really downer blog posts.
Ok, thanks for letting me vent. Now I will immediately post a funny post so as to brush over this one.

As I pushed publish on the post I got a text from Brett saying: : Tonight will be extra bad. Still not sure how long I will be. ( 8:44pm) 

Its best

After a week in a gorgeously perfect Beach House ( if you have children under 1...or heck, children at all...or heck you're just a messy eater-than I recommend vacationing in a place that has an amazing laundry room) where we ate like Kings and chillaxed like....something that is known for Chillaxing....the only thing to be done after a week like that is....

To get three wisdom teeth taken out.

Its important to note that Ransom is also going through a "I dont enjoy taking naps but I do enjoy shrieking and having you hold me if you're in the room" phase.

Its also important to note that Brett's having to work extra late tonight.

And lets not forget that I just literally SUCKED DOWN some scrambled eggs and my mouth STILL HURTS. ( one way to loose the added "Eating like Kings" pounds). So I'm cranky about that.


And so, you'd THINK that I'd be about to complain to you. But I'm not. I'm just pointing out facts. In fact, the last two facts are the best:

Keri-she's a dream who took care of the non-sleeping-Ransom during my "ordeal" at the dentist.
Amy-took care of Ransom for me for a few hour this afternoon so that I could sit on my couch without moving.

Basically I've hardly had to take care of my child at all today..which was an unforeseen blessing.

It's gonna be good!!

On saturday we're packing up the car with treats and beach towels and a whole bunch of baby stuff ( seriously, that kid requires a TON of stuff!) and headed to St Simons Island on the Georgia Coast.

I cant even TELL you how long and hard my sister and I scoured the internets to find the perfect beach house only to have Brett's boss turn down the dates available*. But when all looked terribly bleak and I would have given up if it wasn't for the dream of a week at the beach, that we finally found a place that fit our needs. 

My TRUE dream for a family vacation is several weeks-Brett and I stay at a beach house and then we have a week with his family and a week with mine-but I'll take at least HALF of that dream and be perfectly gitty with excitement. I mean, I looooove any time that I can get with our families, but its usually rushed and I spend every minute calculating how much time we're spending with my family and how much time we're spending with Brett's Mom and family and madly trying to figure out how to make it as even as possible, Breakfast here, lunch there,  Ransom nap, visit there, go back here, etc. etc. 

Now, don't get me wrong our families are beyond gracious about having to share us every time we visit, but its more that I WANT to spend as much time as possible with both and thus our hearts are divided, not the most relaxing "vacation" ever...and such is the down side of having families that live in the same town.

And then when Ransom was born I realized the coolest thing! Our families could come visit US and THEN we'd have 100 percent undivided attention!!! YAAAAY! 

Of course, such trips are hard and can't happen very often, but I love, love, love them when they do! Knowing we can have UNLIMITED time with just a few people makes my heart warm. 

And thus our beach vacation: 

 I love the thought of getting up in the morning and knowing that we don't have to go anywhere unless we want to, that we can stay in our swimsuits or PJs or a mix between both-all day and not a soul will notice or care. 

I am looking forward to all the yummy foods we will be consuming ( too bad I've already gained five pounds this summer! What's going on there?!?) and all the beach fun we'll be having, the quant town exploring and the family time we'll be soaking in. Oh its gonna be good! 

*Oh Army, how sneaky you are...saying that we get vacation time, but never giving us very much time in advance to plain. Oh, Army, do you not know that vacation spots during the summer fill up FAST?!? Do you not know that finding a place that's up to our standards is virtually impossible a month out?!? Oh Army how you DO vex me sometimes. 

Writer's Block

I've been having it. Writer's block. I'm not sure what's causing it really......a mind to jumbled with thought that I can't seem to order it nicely into sentences. Whatever the case its been niggling away at me for a while now.

But, last night I resolved to push on through. I'd blog about SOMETHING whether it worth writing about or not. Afterall, that's what I pretty much did every day for years and I kinda like going back and reading those posts.

I read this in my time with Jesus yesterday and its been with me ever since:

" for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God."-John 12:43

Ouch.

I think ordinarily I'd brush past this one, say something like, "Oh, that doesn't apply to ME."
But, really if I'm perfectly honest it DOES apply to me!  Its not hard for me to get so caught up in loving on people that I forget just who Loved me first. And who, in fact, is the one I should be pointing to....its all well and good to show love to someone, but if they leave thinking "Oh, those Wilsons they always show us such a good time, they always have such nice parties...they are nice to have me over for dinner etc etc." Well then we haven't really done what we're called to do. Where am I seeking glory?!

Er really?

So, ummm....the whole "emergency room" business is really annoying. I mean, honestly, do they EVER help anyone in a timely fashion?! I mean, once I waited, writhing in pain, for several hours with a kidney stone before they finally gave me meds.
And then last night we took Ransom to the ER with a 104 fever and we literally sat for two hours, during which time Brett went back home to get his medicine so we could keep trying to get the fever down. After 3 hours it was down to around 102.6 and so we went home at 2am without having seen an actual doctor.....awesome.

Anyway.

This is why you best have a gun shot wound to the chest otherwise DO NOT GO to the emergency room. EVER.

Incidentally, did you know that teething does not just cause "low grade fevers" as it is always said, but instead it also causes really high fevers too....weird. At least that's what we're assuming is wrong with the little man.

Of course, Ransom was a totally charmer any time we came in contact with staff....even when they were taking his temperature the *ahem* most affective way-he was till a total angel. In fact when we left, there it was two am in the morning, he still had a relatively high fever and there he was waving at the nurses as we left. Classic.  He's such a sweet baby.

It's that time again!!

Hayden right before he left, holding an unimpressed Ransom. 

So, friends...if you don't remember about 9 and a half months ago Brett went through Ranger School with flying colors. God's grace seriously covered us both from head to foot and we saw time and time again how He could provide for us both ( me going through the special "ranger school" called the first three months of our son's life, Brett going through the real thing...). The prayers of the Saints were felt every single day and I think for both Brett and I the awfulness of it all has faded just a little and now we mostly just remember all the good stuff ( as in all those answered prayers! haha!) 

Anyway, lucky for me I'm currently being reminded just a little bit of the awfulness since yesterday we sent off our "son" Hayden to try his hand at Ranger School. As a girl, someone not in the military, or even a guy in the military who's not in the infantry-its hard to even understand what the heck is so important and/or special about Ranger School...but after watching the Surviving the Cut Special and living at Fort Benning where Ranger School starts and ends, I have not seen the little emaciated bodies and the tears first hand. Its rough people. Its rough. And its a big ol' deal. 

And so yesterday we sent Hayden off. Hayden who was only suppose to live with us for maybe two or three months and who has been with us for six. Because of various setbacks and injuries Hayden got to stay with us longer than expected. And I say "got to" but really I can only imagine what its like to live with a "old married couple" and their infant son while having lots of days where he didn't have anything to do ( not having a specific "job" can be rough on a guy) once he'd gone to his formations and done his PT. Frustrating at best. And yet we really saw Hayden grow a lot in the past six months, his love for people, though I think it was already there- its definitely become more refined and focused.  Anyway, as I think about this guy who went through a ton of books from our library, watched West Wing with us, played with Ransom, tried to teach him how to say "Hayden" and prayed that he would "really" crawl ( not just Ransom's current version) before he left for Ranger School...cleaned my house for me when I went out of town, hung curtains, installed carseats and put together strollers, put up with me making fun of his puppy love for Mulan ( from the Disney movie) and his inability to get in the babygate when we first installed it, who helped us with countless ministry events and bible studies, let us have 5am Prayer meetings in his room every week ( so as not to wake Ransom down stairs), and as it got hotter here in Georgia, put up with living in an increasingly hot room ( Hayden lives in the attic with a window unit and two fans)...when I think of all of that I am personally grateful for the time we had with Hayden-he has been an encouragement to both Brett and I , and I am now praying hard for him to get through Ranger School. Not just for himself, but may those who pray for him be encouraged by the Lord's faithfulness once again. 

We never want to be so proud as to forget Who is the one who guides our steps, gives us successes, walks us through set backs.  As someone who never has to go through it myself, but instead has to deal with that awful feeling of not being able to DO anything, but instead nervously wait for updates-I am actually grateful for these Ranger School Tests...these times in life which are so clearly out of our hands when all we can do is pray! Ranger School is my pride-o-meter. 

Incidentally, you can also be praying for my friend Amy's husband Luke who also started Ranger School this weekend...

If you'd like to be part of Hayden's cheer team, feel free to write him a letter....his address for the next month is: 

2LT Matthew Meredith
4th Ranger Training Battalion
ATTN: 4-11
10850 Schneider Road
Fort Benning, GA 31905

Sprinkles on top

A friend of mine had a baby over the weekend and I made a meal for her yesterday. I never pass up an opportunity for cupcakes and since we were also having company for dinner- chocolate cupcakes for dessert seemed the only thing to do. Now, we all know I love cupcakes. Icing and cake all right there together in a convenient handsized package-what's NOT TO LOVE?!?! But another thing I love is sprinkles.  

Sprinkles never fail to remind me of the rare occasions that my parents would take my sister and I to Baskin Robins for ice cream. I always got the same thing. Vanilla with sprinkles. In a cup ( because I couldn't be trusted with a cone...though it could be argued that I STILL can't be trusted with a cone). Anyway. Something about sprinkles. They make me happy. 

And so I was thinking about things that make me happy ( beware the far reaching segue ) and it reminded me that all too often I'm looking for the "next best thing" when it comes to making my life meaningful and happy. When REALLY its the classic, the always tried and true returning to the Word of God, my Bible and spending time with the Lord that makes the difference. We're not talking fancy pastries or meringue pies...we're talking sprinkles on top. Simple yet never fails to work.