Sweet Home Alabama!

We made it! (Ok, so that statement is 3 weeks late...)

You know, I LOVE moving to new places. Ask me in 15 years, I'll probably have a different perspective, but right now, it's great. It probably also helps that this was a good move for us - closer to family, non-deployable, etc. Still, it has been a great experience!

The new house is wonderful! 3 beds, 2 bath, 2 car garage, covered patio, family room AND living room, HUGE kitchen, tons of storage, over 2000 square feet - totally spoiling me! The houses here were recently renovated and are not very indicative of what Army housing is usually like - which is one of the reasons we decided to live on post here! (It helps that the Commissary is quite large too!)

Redstone is a beautiful area - Huntsville is not IN the mountains, but it's very hilly and the border of the town seems to be a few mountains. I can't wait for the fall!! When most people hear "Alabama" they think Southern AL - but where we are is on the Tennessee border - we're just a couple hours from Nashville. Gorgeous!

After being here for all of about 48 hours, we exchanged the U-Haul for a rental car and headed north! We had a great time seeing family - we actually got the entire Fisher family together for a day! As you can see, it's quite the crowd! Sophie had a great time with all her cousins (and aunts & uncles & Poppy too...) :-)

It was a quick trip, but we did get to see my parents, siblings, one set of grandparents, and Jon's grandmother and great-grandmother as well. And let me tell you, the 8-hour trip to my parents makes the whole thing MUCH easier to handle than the 15-hour one!

Much else has happened, too. I went to PWOC this past week - everyone was very welcoming. The group size is somewhere between Hunter and Stewart - about 20 women probably. Of course, here they have 3 separate meeting times (but child care at only one, hence my decision to go to that one!) We have a park about a block away that we visit every few days, much to Sophie's delight. Jon signed in to his unit - it is VERY different here from the last one!

Well, that at least catches me up, so I don't have this "need to write a blog post" hanging over my head. Maybe now I can write something more interesting! I did realize yesterday that it is still like February in my mind. It's April? How did THAT happen? Goes to show I've been a bit out of it lately...

On their 35th...

Today is my parents' 35th anniversary - what an accomplishment! Though I would love to claim credit for this video, my dad made it for my mom. It, of course, displays his humor, but is very sweet all the same! :-)

I am very privileged to have had a great example of marriage growing up. I know my own is better off for it. Happy anniversary, Mom & Dad!

my mind is on the brink

We have family here! My sister Andrea, her husband, and two girls are here for a visit. I would say "you won't see much of me because my family is here"... but the fact is, you haven't seen much of me around here anyway...

Not really sure why that is. I suppose part of it is that a lot of the things I would want to blog about, I can't, because I never am exactly sure who all is out there reading...

Another is that my mind is tired. I sit down to blog and find myself staring off into the distance instead. I am frustrated at my class (BY FAR the WORST professor I've ever had!), busy with PWOC, and trying to keep up with an ever-changing little girl!

So, let's talk about her - she's much more fun to talk about than my frustrations! :-)

She's on the move! She is now cruising (walking along furniture), talking nonstop - we are even starting to be able to discern some things! She has said "Mom" and "Dad" with discrimination for a while now, and these last couple days I've been pretty sure she's saying some form of "down/done" when she's done eating - or done with anything! She was pretty sick last week - poor little girl. Fever, thick runny nose, clingy - just all around miserable. (That explains it, Lori! ;-)

She's loving her aunt and uncle and cousins being here! The first night she had to make sure Mom & Dad were close by, but now she's taking off to go find them around the corner! She's being much more adventurous with eating and is a ton of fun!

If I don't "see" you before then, have a great Thanksgiving!!

Cousins...

So I just saw this on Jon's sister's Facebook and HAD to share. This is Alice, Jon's sister's baby (6 weeks younger than Sophie), and Eliza, his other sister's daughter (7 months older than Sophie). Alice pretty much just did her own thing the whole photo shoot, but Soph and Eliza were all about... let's say... "interacting"... with each other!

Sarah's caption: Wow. I hope they like each other when they grow up.

Hilarious!
If you don't remember, here's another one I posted a few weeks ago, taken right after this one:


Nice.

Wedding pics

First of all- she got it! My friend will be flying to China tomorrow! Please continue to keep her in your prayer as she begins this new ministry!

Well, we're down to single digits! I have everything I need to do broken down into days so the few days before Jon gets home I can pretty much relax. I just have a little more to do tonight then I can cross today off! I have realized that, since having a baby, I have had to be MUCH more organized with my time. This week has been especially hard, as Jon has essentially nothing to do... except chat online with me! I LOVE it- don't get me wrong- it's just hard to get my to-do list done! :-) So, my most productive hours of late have been between about 9pm and 1am. Oh well, I tend to be a night owl anyway!

Here are some more pics from the wedding, from my sister-

my brother Matt and sister Andrea

The whole fam, minus Jon. Gotta love those semi-posed shots where 4 different people are holding up cameras and no one knows where to look or when to smile...

the happy couple...

a wedding, a baby, and a homecoming

This time last week, I was exhausted.

I had spent the week in Mishawaka, Indiana, with my extended family. It culminated with my cousin's beautiful wedding last Saturday! I was honored to be the Mistress of Ceremonies, and it was so great to have a part. Kelly is only a year younger than me, but because we only saw each other a couple times a year growing up, we haven't really been close. I got to know her in a new way through her wedding and am so excited to see the life that she and Tim build together!

After going to my grandparents' church in the morning and hanging out with the family in the afternoon, I decided to stay an extra night. I took the opportunity to visit two stores we don't have in Savannah- Meijer and Kohl's.

Sophie stayed with my grandparents while I went. It was odd not being with her.

As I walked through Meijer, I was overcome with a familiar yet unidentifiable feeling.

It welled up within me, entranced me, made my heart race and my mouth go dry.

That's when I identified it.

It was the same feeling I had the day I found out I was pregnant.

(ETA: This is not an announcement.)

That day, we were in Columbia, South Carolina, at a Chaplain's conference. I had dropped Jon off at the conference and was going to spend the day shopping! I started my day with a trip to the drugstore... and spent the rest of it wandering around with a sort of nervous elated shock. (Jon didn't know I was even going to take a test- he told me later that when I went to pick him up that afternoon, he thought I was acting odd and emotional...)

That was the feeling. Nervous Elated Shock.

I suppose this time it's not as much shock as it is Nervous Elation.

You see, Jon is coming home next week.

All of you military spouses know exactly what I'm talking about- you can't wait to see him, and you can't quite wrap your mind around the fact that the person you have been longing for every moment will soon be sitting next to you. You try to picture it, but experience has said that there really is no telling how it will go...

Last time he came home, it was a different feeling. Then it was not so much shock... or elation, really... just nervous. We barely knew each other. We didn't know what life together would be like. Honestly, I'm not so sure we even wanted to find out. It had been a difficult year, and we would finally begin our life together. I felt like I was a part of an arranged marriage- waiting for a husband I did not know.

It was better than we could have hoped for or imagined.

Last Sunday, I pushed my cart through Meijer, reflecting-

~ on the time that I had a breakdown shopping for Christmas decorations,
~ on the clearance 4th of July items, and how, as bad as it sounds, I really don't want Americana in my house right now...
~ on the favorites of Jon's I need to stock up on for when he gets home,
~ on the first night we met, impulsively going to Meijer to buy a Christmas present for his brother- only to realize that Christmas Eve is the only night of the year the store is closed,
~ on the fact that everything seems to remind me of him somehow,
~ on the rollercoaster of the last four years,

on how I would never want to do it with anyone else,
and on how happy I am.

I will stay busy over the next week, but that won't keep my mind off it. My husband is returning. My bridegroom is coming back for me.

There's no feeling like it in the world.

The Great North Part I

I have had this post up working on it several times now... I need to just go ahead and post this and finish it later!!

Ah! Another update! Today's will be presented in bulleted form, for ease of reading...

~ I have gone to the PWOC at Hunter (where Jon is now stationed) twice now. It is a very small group- just 5 or 6 women- but I am so much looking forward to being a part of their fellowship! They are all so eager to learn more about Christ and build a community. I have felt SO welcomed there already and plan to be in leadership (of course, with a group that small, EVERYONE is in leadership :)

~ We made it to my parents' a day early! I had it all planned out... I was going to put Sophie in her bumbo on their porch, ring the doorbell, and hide... unfortunately my dad happened to walk into another room and happened to look out the window the same exact moment I was crouching and running across the yard with Sophie... oh well... they were still surprised!

~ We had a great time with them, and she loved it too! She went on a couple walks with Grandpa, and loved it when Grandma fed her her applesauce!

~ We then went to Jon's dad's on Wednesday evening. She wasn't too sure about Poppy at first, but was giggling for him by the end of the night! (I think the bananas I was trying to feed her factored into her initial displeasure...)

~ On Thursday, we all loaded up to Jon's sister Emily's for the day. Another sister, Sarah, was in town, so Sophie had a great time with all sorts of cousins! There were four new Fisher girls this past year- three of them were all there that day. Of course, we couldn't get them to all look at the camera at the same time, but it was great fun! Eliza was born last May, and Alice is about 6 weeks younger than Sophie. In every picture, one or two of them is reaching out to grab another... I think the pic below is my favorite!

~ Sunday we went to my "old" church- it was so great to reconnect with people! They recently built a new building, so in many ways it feels like a whole new church. I look forward to being able to go there a couple more times while we're here!

~ Yesterday Sophie and I are took the day "off"- we spent the whole day at an empty house by ourselves! The last two weeks have been so busy, with so many new people, (in addition to what I already mentioned, on Saturday we came to Jon's brother's house, and yesterday we went to my brother's) - Sophie really needs a couple days to settle down.

~ This morning we went to Pine Ridge Bible Camp, where I worked in various roles for 7 summers. As I walked in to talk to one of the staff, a cabin leader (what PRBC calls "counselors") was asking a question about something. Brenda said, "Why don't you ask Sara? She's a veteran!" Jon doesn't understand why I keep going back to a "closed chapter" in my life- but I spent so much time there, I just can't stay away! :-)

Ok, that's it for now... more later!!!

Cousins.

Sharing life together...

Cousins!

First of all, thanks for your comments on yesterday's post. I actually emailed the pastor, sharing with him my experience- he wrote back, apologizing for how it was handled, but defending their strict enforcement of this policy. He mentioned several people left the church when they implemented it... wonder why... Part of me wants to argue the issue with him, but it's fruitless. My emotion is better spent on other things.

Anyway...

On a happier note, Sophie met more cousins! My sister's family and some of their friends stopped in on their way to Florida for Spring Break. While they were taking these pictures, at one point Iris (9) was holding Sophie, and somehow Andrea and Lila (5) both stepped on the air mattress at the same time, causing Iris- and Sophie- to tumble backwards. Sophie didn't cry, or really even react- Lila said, in an encouraging mothering tone, "Oh, you're such a brave little baby..." It was cute. It was really great to see all of them, albeit only for a few hours!

We really need to work on saying "cheese" with Sophie...

Deployment in the eyes of a 4-year-old

This was drawn by my nephew, Jacob, without any prompting at all. The other side of the paper (which bled through to this side a little) is a picture of Jon with his guitar- if you can't tell, this is me sitting at a table with an empty chair. How perceptive!

Crayon Box

An assortment of non-consequential thoughts of varied colors...



First and foremost, Sophie started smiling!!!





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I've gotten to video call with Jon three times and talk with him on the phone once since he left. Everyone join in... "Yes, I love technology, but not as much as you, you see... But I STILL love technology... Always and forever. Our love is like a flock of doves, flying up to heaven above... always and forever, always and forever..."

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Here is our Super Bowl feast... neither of us enjoying the sport, the Super Bowl is pretty much an excuse to eat party food! We had chips & cheese with guacamole & salsa, crackers with spinach/artichoke dip, wings (Jon grilled them), and root beer floats. All for the two of us. Suffice it to say we didn't feel great the next day...

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Jon's sister Emily had a baby 6 weeks after I had Sophie, but since Alice was bigger when she was born, they're about the same size. When I'm up this summer we're going to get matching outfits for the girls for a photo shoot... gotta love cousins! :-)

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I had a bad experience with a USPS employee on the phone yesterday while ordering my military kit. Two days after my husband deploys is NOT a great time to lecture me about how important my USPS customer ID# is and make me feel like an idiot for not keeping track of it since I last used it 3 years ago... (btw- why in the world can you not order these online???)

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Last week Jon & I went shooting. Ok, so I'm no marksman, but I was pretty impressed with myself. Jon was just impressed that I didn't cry this time.

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Jon was awarded the Bronze Star a few weeks ago! Long story short, he was supposed to have gotten it at the end of his first tour, but the paperwork for it (in typical Army fashion...) was lost. It finally came through! He got it for a period of about 10 days when his unit suffered 11 KIAs. That's really when he proved himself to his soldiers- he went way above and beyond what would be expected of a chaplain, including helping with the recovery effort. He also was awarded the Meritorious Serviceman's Medal as well as an Army Commendation Medal.

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Are Oreos made with more cream filling nowadays? I bought some Springtime Oreos and was disappointed with the cream-to-cookie ratio... some of us like the cookie the best!!

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Family Visits Part 1

My sister Andrea came down for a visit a couple weeks ago! It was really great having her here (and not just because she vaccumed and dusted...). Her "baby" is 5 1/2 now, so she loved having a niece to love on! As you can see, Sophie wasn't quite sure what to think...

The Things You Do For Love...

What a week! I have a whole new respect for parents, let me tell you! I can't imagine doing this alone- or with another child to take care of! You know, I don't know any of the words to that song except the title- "The Things You Do For Love"... that line has gone through my mind many a time at 3am, or doing one of several other things that I wouldn't otherwise choose to do. But hey, the trade-off is way more than worth it- I have the best baby in the world! :-) (no bias, of course!)

A quick recap...

We took her in for a weight check-up on Tuesday (she had lost 8oz before we took her home, and they were a bit concerned since she started out so small). She weighed a wee 5lbs then! She had lost 10oz- 10% of her birth weight. Her jaundice level had soared- badly enough to be treated, but not badly enough to have to admit her for the infamous lighted bed. Instead, we had a billiblanket- basically it's this plastic paddle with blue lights that has to be on her back at all times- it's connected by a hose to a box that plugs into the wall. Kind of hard to explain...

Anyway, yesterday she weighed 5lb 3oz, and today- 5/5! They took her off the billiblanket and the formula supplement we've been using- suffice it to say we're ALL happier! I still have to wake her up every 2 hours to eat- hopefully soon she will be able to wake up on her own, and it won't be quite as often!

My parents came down for a couple days, which has been a huge help. They have no qualms about holding the grandbaby- ever! Since I've been using the bottle supplement, they can feed her, allowing me to do other things. (Though it's not that easy, because I'm also still nursing- basically, feeding has become a multi-step process taking an hour each time...)

She has the greatest expressions! She has her hands up by her face ALL the time, and she LOVES sleeping on Daddy's shoulder. She got her first Christmas presents tonight from Grandma and Grandpa Nave. For some odd reason, she didn't seem super excited... I'm sure next year will be a different story! :-)

We (ok, Jon...) set up a new site with a ton of pictures, movies, and updates- here's the thing- it's password protected. But, we don't want to leave you out- if you would like access, PLEASE email me, and (if I know you at all...) I would be more than happy to give it to you! If you don't know my email, just leave a comment with yours and I'll send it.

Ah, I'm off to rest for a few minutes before the night process starts again... the things we do for love...

Thanksgiving Leave

Wow. It's been a while. Last night, Jon told me I needed to update my blog- you know it's bad when that happens!

I suppose I feel like I have nothing to say. "Yep, still pregnant." That's about it. I am starting to hand off all my responsibilities with Kids Church and PWOC. Just today, I had a 20 minute conversation with a lady about some issues involving PWOC... while I was happy to lend a listening ear and offer some suggestions, I'll admit, it felt good to know that it is no longer my problem! ;-)

We had a fantastic time up north! My family had a baby shower for me, which was really a blessing. Loading up the car with all that pink made it seem just that much more real that this is happening- in a month! At the shower, we played a game where each person cut off a piece of yarn the length they thought it would take to go around my belly. Much to everyone's chagrin, my two nieces actually got the closest- most people were like 10 inches too long. I'm happy to report, though, that when I had Jon do the same thing later that evening, it was exactly the right length!

If you read Jon's blog, you saw all the snow- it was great! A little unnerving driving in it up to his dad's, but it was gorgeous the next morning. I went outlet shopping with Amy, Jon preached at his dad's church, I had breakfast with two great friends from high school, and we ended our trip by relaxing at my parents' for a couple days.

I could keep going, but since I've started to get bored just writing this, I'm sure you have reading it... more later!!

Pics from Savannah

My parents came in for a few days last week. They bought tickets for last weekend's Nascar race in Atlanta last year when we were living near there- about 5 miles from the track, actually. But, as is our lives, we moved four hours south right after they bought the tickets... but, hey, what's another 4 hours after driving 10 to get to a car race, right?

We had a great time with them here. We spent one day walking around Savannah and ending with a seafood buffet... what a great way to enjoy coastal Georgia! Right on the river is this section of shops and restaurants- including THREE candy shops! Gotta love free samples! Here are a few pics, especially for those of you who have yet to see me pregnant...


















And if that weren't proof enough...

Emma and Ayi Sara

Here are the promised pictures of Emma and me. Unfortunately, we waited until I was getting ready to leave to take the pictures, and Emma happened to be quite tired at that point. You can tell, though, that she's used to getting her picture taken, as she wasn't in a smiley mood, but was trying to put it on for the camera! :-)

















I actually like the left one- she looks so modest- "Nope! I'm not going to give you a kiss!"

And the curse shall be upon thy children, and thy children's children... (Or, Why I will never again fly standby)

When I was growing up, there was a perpetual joke that my family had been cursed by the vacation gods. From major car failure to Hurricane Opal, something always seemed to go wrong when we tried to leave the state.

I thought that, having gotten married and changing my last name, I would evade such fate.

No such luck.

I had decided to come up and see Emma Mei, my new niece from China. Amy, my sister-in-law, has a cousin who works for Delta and graciously allowed me to fly on her buddy pass (standby). Here was how my traveling went:

My plan was to leave Sunday at 4:45, hop on my connecting flight in Atlanta, and be in Grand Rapids by 9pm. That idea was WAY too good to be true. Well, the 4:45 flight- and the one before it- to ATL were canceled, which way overbooked the 6:20 flight. I finally left for ATL at about 8:30, getting there an hour later. Rocky & Carolyn were kind enough to come pick me up and let me crash with them for the night! Of course, I stayed up talking to Carolyn until 1:30, allowing me to get a whopping four hours of sleep before getting up to head to the airport early Monday morning. Long story short, I got there at 7am and finally flew out at 8:30, after trying to get on FIVE flights. (A couple GR flights I attempted to get on were overbooked and had standby lists of around twenty-five people. Yes. A 50-passenger plane had 79 people vying for the seats.) I then tried Lansing, Flint, and ended up going to Chicago. Jon's brother Ben came to get me and took me to his dad's house in St. Joe, and Amy came and got me Tuesday morning. So, my Sunday evening arrival turned into a Tuesday afternoon one. (of course, it prompted me to extend my stay, so itsallgood). I will say, I was pretty impressed with myself. I didn't cry at all on Sunday, and on Monday, other than a few brief tears, I didn't start to lose it until I had not made it onto 4 flights and I had been there for 10 hours. And, then, I DID start to lose it. Have you ever seen The Terminal? I suddenly understood.

That said, I'm having a great time! Emma is absolutely adorable! She is a smart girl who picks up on a lot. Whatever you say is liable to come out of her mouth... makes you think twice! :-) The shower went really well last night, and Jon's two sisters (one from Virginia) were able to be there as well. I'm going tonight to hang out with my family, though my parents weren't able to make it up.

Hopefully I'll be ably to fly under the radar (no pun intended) of the vacation gods on the way home...

After over 2 years of "paper pregnancy"...

I am once again an aunt!! Josh (Jon's brother) and Amy are in China right now, picking up their daughter. They went to the orphanage earlier today (2am OUR time) and met their little Emma Mei! I am so happy for all of them! (it also happens to be Katelyn's birthday- what a great present!)

It has been a LONG road... When Jon & I were engaged, they had me babysit Katelyn, their other daughter, so that they could go to "meetings" in Grand Rapids. I wasn't sure what that was all about, but, being new to the family, I wasn't about to ask questions! Then, the same day that Jon left for Iraq, they told us of their hearts' pulling to adopt a little girl from China. I don't know about you, but that puts it in perspective for me how long ago it was! It seems like an eternity! It's been two years since they began the paperwork process- two and a half since they started attending the meetings.

Then, there was the perpetual "hurry up and wait"- with each piece of paperwork, each signature, each step of the way, it seemed like the process was taking longer and longer than anticipated. And, well, it was. They finally got their referral (including a picture of Emma) in December- I think these past 6 months have been the longest!

So here, without further ado, I present to you the newest member of our family: Emma Mei Shan Fisher.

Where's the Gravy?

This was written by my dad...


Where's the Gravy!?!

As I was pondering the great issues of life while sweeping up the crumbs from last night's youth meeting, I was overwhelmed by a sense of laughter and joy by the memories of my family at Thanksgiving. And the world instantly became a better place. You would have to know my family. My grandparents were immigrants. Granted, it was just from the mountains of Tennessee to the factories of the Midwest, but immigrants just the same. As with most depression era families in Appalachia, times were hard for my grandparents. They, like untold numbers of other families, lived off the land and squeezed every drop they could squeeze from anything that could be squeezed. And what comes out when you squeeze is called gravy. Yes, the very nectar of heaven, itself. Sauce to be savored. Syrup to be saved. Juice to be enjoyed. The foundational and single most important element of any and every good and descent meal - animal squeezings mixed with flour. Gravy. Just the sound of the word makes me hungry. I was an adult before I learned you could actually eat mashed potatoes without it. Who knew?

Our family Thanksgivings always included football, plenty of gossip, a good nap or two, usually an argument, and a celebration of God's goodness around a table filled with food. And the centerpiece was never a turkey, for most of my family doesn't even like turkey. But we always had a turkey, because we needed something out of which to squeeze gravy… usually in various colors, viscosities, and flavors. However, my favorite Thanksgiving- and Thanksgiving story- was different. As we sat around the festive table at my aunt's house; and after whoever was considered the most spiritual that particular year offered thanks to God; and after the mashed potatoes had made the rounds and were neatly piled on everyone's plate with the traditional divot-for-the-gravy expertly carved on top; and after several people asked for the gravy to be passed; and after someone impatiently asked "Who has the gravy?"; and after my aunt nervously, and with fear and inquisition in her tone, said, "Who made the gravy?"; and when eye met eye and neck hairs bristled; then and only then did we realize the world, as we knew it, had ended. And the gravy gods cried. There… was… no… gravy!

To this day, my dad won't admit that it happened. Says he doesn't remember it that way. Apparently, it's too painful. The animal drippings were wasted that year, and the cycle of life was broken. There weren't very many family Thanksgivings after that. Many of the cousins moved away. The grandparents - who loved us with all their hearts, by the way - were soon to pass into eternity. The younger generation began to marry and gravitate to their own family traditions. But we went out with a bang! Isn't that the way we are? We live in the most affluent society the world has ever seen. God has granted to those who believe an eternity with His Dear Son in Heaven. And yet, we seem to desire more. But what could be 'more' than God's gifts of blessing? Everything else is but gravy… the worthless juice of an animal whose goose is cooked.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving. Remember to be thankful for the gift of God's Son. And don't worry about the gravy.

feelin' groovy!

this is a jon and me at a 70s-themed party we went to last month in honor of some friends' 25th anniversary. it was a blast!






here is josh and amy at the same party- as you can see, they got even more into the 70s theme than we did!