"The hair now matches the brains."

At least, that is what Robin said. I am not offended - was funny. Ivy & I are in the process of bleaching our hair for wild color. I know many a parent/adult who will be shocked I am doing this w/ my almost 12 year old. But I gotta say, she is adorable as strawberry blond. I must say, it is MUCH easier bleaching her hair than my own. I don't have any pics of me yet & I would like to lighten it a bit more. I have had a wonderful day. It was productive, but nothing with the house, really need to clean/organize. Mostly the latter. I hope you are all blessed beyond your imagination. I love you all.

Let Me quote Bob Marley...

Don't worry about a thing... (Three Little Birds.) The Bible tells us not to worry:
Matthew 6:25-34
New International Version (NIV)
Do Not Worry
    ²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[a]?
   ²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
& to be not anxious:

Philippians 4:6

New International Version (NIV)

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

But I must admit, it is very hard to do, esp. when the government we have faithfully been serving for over 20 yrs. tries to back out of a promise, a contract, whatever you want to call it. New Military Retirement plan. 

What will be, will be. I need to let go & let God. Please Pray for me & enjoy Tracy Chapman's Version of Three Little Birds.

Good Morning World!

Well, not exactly morning, but that's ok. Still not back to normal with sleep cycling. But it will get there. Poor Ivy is having a heck of a time as well. I am unsure how most read this blog, but I want to point out a lovely new addition on your right. I realized today I need a list for my thankfulness so as to not repeat my self. So if you are interested in my daily thankfulness, check it out.
Today is a cleaning day. We have been home a week & I still need to clean. It's icky. have just been so off kilter it has been easy to ignore. That is over. I am still out of it, but the house is overdo for a scrub down. The hard thing is though I am soooo tired. As is Peanut. Neither one of us slept well last night (she says she went to sleep at 1:30, Me - 4:55 am is last time I looked at clock.) woke at a bit before 9 today, so trying to stay up so as to not repeat the issue tonight. Ugh.
We are cat-sitting for friends while they are on leave & the animals seem to have finally adapted to each other. Now we have 4 crazy animals tearing around. too fun.
Well, I can't make sense of my thoughts & seem to be rambling, So I will leave you with a thought...

Penguin Burial Penguins Did you ever wonder why there are no dead penguins on the ice in Antarctica - where do they go ? Wonder no more!!! It is a known fact that the penguin is a very ritualistic bird which lives an extremely ordered and complex life. The penguin is very committed to its family and will mate for life, as well as maintaining a form of compassionate contact with its offspring throughout its life. If a penguin is found dead on the ice surface, other members of the family and social circle have been known to dig holes in the ice, using their vestigial wings and beaks, until the hole is deep enough for the dead bird to be rolled into and buried. The male penguins then gather in a circle around the fresh grave and sing: "Freeze a jolly good fellow" "Freeze a jolly good fellow." "Then they kick him in the ice hole." You really didn't believe that I know anything about penguins, did you?

Thank you to GG for originally telling me this & Mtnguy on Forrest River Forums where I found it printed.

Thankfulness

Check me out, 2 in one day.
I just started reading 365 Days of Thanking God: Cultivating a Heart of Everyday Thanks by Daniella Whyte. 
As many of you know, I have all kinds of issues. But I am as always trying to work through my insecure mental weirdness. I am unfortunately often a negative person & depressed much of my life, but the real issues comes in that I KNOW it is a false feeling. It is wrong. So rather than beating myself up for being an ungrateful twit, I am in therapy & really have turned to God - though it is too easy to slip out of thinking of Him first. 
An.y.how... Most of the things I need to do, (& not just me, beneficial for just about everyone in one way or another,) start off as forming habits. You get in a habit of something & it eventually will become 2nd nature. So I am starting my thankfulness project. I plan on posting here or on facebook (or if unable to get online, writing in my journal,) ONE thing everyday that I am thankful for & will try not to repeat myself. 
The non-repeating is hard b/c when-ever I think of what I am thankful for there is a whole rush of stuff that ALWAYS comes to my mind...

1. Rob
2. my kids
3. my family
4. my pets
5. my home
6. financial security
7. the fact that we have all we need
8. retirement is soon
9. Rob is with me & not deployed (when applicable)
10. I am saved through Christ
11. We have Grace
12. our health
13. humor
14. internet 

and more, but that's the main ones. Would you like to join me in being thankful???

I am back - hopefully regularly

Ok. Ok, ok, ok. I am awful. Horrible. Terrible blogger. I am. Please forgive me. It doesn't mean I don't think about it, but other stuff always seems to get in the way. But you know what? That is ok. It's me. It's life. So let's try again, shall we? & for those of you who stick around & don't give up on me... Thank you & God bless your patient souls.
We got back from Idaho Friday. Rob's dad passed away unexpectedly. It was a horrid reason to go home. But it was so blessed to be there. It had been 15 years since we had been back there as a family. Rob had made it back before we moved to Germany, but not so with the rest of us. (I am fighting serious guilt that I didn't make more of an effort over the years to get us back there regularly one way or another. I can make things like that happen when I really but my mind to it, just didn't make enough effort. But I can't change the past, so just one more thing to add to my list to forgive myself for.)
Anyhow. It was beautiful & Rob has so much family. It's overwhelming, but in a good way. The viewing helped Rob (& I am sure others,) with closure & the service brought some tears & giggles to us, & the over-full chapel blessed the family to no end - showed how loved Ron was & the blessing he had been to others.
I dyed my hair black for the funeral - looks good. I learned a lot from this experience. One thing though. Rob & I have decided to set up as much as possible now, so when our time comes, it is one less thing for the family to have to fuss with as it is overwhelming when you are grieving to have to worry about piddly little things (such as wording of obituaries & making sure everyone is listed who needs to be. Or that they play the short version of Freebird rather than the one that never ends.) I have decided I want Ukulele music at my viewing & everyone to tell funny stories - focus on good. I want a room ringing with laughter. And I am right there with my mom, I think a coffee can is an awesome Urn as I just want my ashes planted with a tree. (Of course I need to wait & make sure they plant me w/ Rob as otherwise I'd just kill that plant as well. (I need Rob to cancel out my plant killing mojo.)
I always felt it was kind of morbid that my Grandma & Mom put so much thought & planning into their future deaths. Now I understand.
Love you guys & have a GREAT day.

Transitions....

Today's sermon was on transitions. Lord is sending (& has sent) me many transitions in my life. The newest that has my gut in knots is that my eldest wants to join the military. Now as we have been in the army his whole life I shouldn't be at all surprised. The problem is that he has never had a set home. We have moved & moved & moved & I am just not wanting him to leave. I want him to come home to us & live near by wherever we go. I know it is not what I want in this matter that is important. How do you handle your children leaving.

Bamberg, Caino's & such

CAINO CAMERA 139, a photo by Foof4E on Flickr.

Trying to show family around your hometown is like herding cats. Everyone is off in their own world. But that is ok - breathe in, breathe out, om..... I do love my town & my family so we deal. Unfortunately, the (younger) kids have school & their grades are such that they can't afford to miss a whole lot. & Robin has work & the play. At least the weather is being lovely. Right now I have a whole gob of pictures on Facebook, but until I get the ok from the folks they are set to family only. If for some reason you want to see the pics & it won't let you, please let me know & I will fix it. Love & God's blessing to you all ~ Heather