8 is enough...

I've decided 8 is plenty of goals for one year. It's not quite as catchy as "10 in 2010," but it'll have to do. I don't want to just make up 2 more random goals to reach a certain number. :) Here are a few other high points I'd like to hit in this post:

• Abby and I are taking a potty training break for now. She did really well the first day and then had a meltdown the second day. I didn't want to traumatize her, so we left it alone for a while. Then we took a trip to visit my friend Lindsey for a few days (more on that later), and now Abby has been sick the past few days. Nobody wants to potty train a toddler with a fever! I did buy some pull-ups a few days ago, but I think we're going to give it another week or two before starting back up.
• The trip to visit Lindsey in NW Arkansas was a very busy time, but it was a lot of fun. We were best friends at Harding, and she just had her second baby right before Christmas. Her older daughter is just 3 months older than Abby, so they had a lot of fun playing together. Abby would wake up from her nap, look around, and say, "Hawie!" (aka Hallie) "Hawie, come on! Come on, Hawie!" Lindsey said Hallie has been asking about Abby since we've been gone, so I guess they bonded... :)
• Casey is still applying for jobs all over the place and waiting to hear back from the ones we've been really hoping for. In the meantime, he is going tomorrow to put his name in as a substitute teacher to the local school districts. I think he'll mainly sign up for high school, so we'll see how that works out. He was also told today that there might be a part-time job available for him related to computers that he could do in the late afternoon/evenings so he's going to look into that. Keep praying!!!
• My regular activities start back this week, so I'm really excited to get back into my routine. Living in a town that is so dependent on the university schedule really drags out holiday breaks...
• We still don't have a camera cord to hook up to the computer, so I don't have any new pictures to share. :( Sorry.

***Important! Some good friends of ours are beginning the process of adopting a baby, and they have started a new blog! I highly encourage everyone to visit the blog and donate in some way: it doesn't have to be money (although, I'm sure they'd appreciate it!), but you can donate your time to pray! Please check it out, share with others, and keep them and their future baby in your prayers! Nate and Mandy's Adoption Adventures We are so excited for them!!

Goals, and potties, and pictures--oh my!

A few more goals for 2010:

6. Read more books for the pure enjoyment of reading! I'm taking another break from grad school since we have no idea where life will lead us in the next couple of months, so I actually have time to read what I want to now! Current book: "Ranger's Apprentice: The Siege of Macindaw" by John Flanagan. This is #6 in the series--love it!

7. Plan a big family vacation. There is no way we will be able to afford one of these any time soon, but I think it's important to dream and plan together for something fun like this! Then if/when we do save up the money, we'll be all set! Current possible locations: Australia/New Zealand, Ireland/Scotland, and Italy.

8. Send cards/notes to those who need encouragement. I'm that person who always knows who to send the note to, thinks about it a few times, might even buy or make the card.... and then never sends it. LAME. And then I kick myself for it! It meant a lot to us when people let us know they were thinking of us and praying for our family when we were having a rough time. There is no good reason why I can't do the same for others!

Only 2 more goals..... hmmmm..... I'll have to get back to them later.

In other news, Abby started potty training today, and she did amazingly well! A friend's mother-in-law recommended using a particular method and sent me a copy of the book she used. I was a bit anxious about starting the process since I haven't done anything like this before, but Abby made the whole day so easy! The only accident we had was at the end of the night--she had just gotten in trouble and was crying, so I think she just let it all out (quite literally). But other than that, she used her potty all day! We'll see if it lasts...

Other than a few rejection emails, no more news on the job front for Casey. He has several good possibilities in Searcy, Memphis, and Jackson, TN, so we're waiting to hear back from them. He has applied for about 60 jobs in the past couple of weeks, so we really hope one of them works out!

We left our camera's computer cord in Ohio, so here are a couple of the latest pictures I have on my computer--enjoy!

Before the haircut

Five inches later!

Love the baby...

My sweet family--I am so blessed!

10 for 2010

This might be a common thing right now, but my friend Clarice blogged about having 10 goals for 2010 (as opposed to making a "resolution"). I love the idea.... mostly because the "new year's resolution" is infamous for being a huge failure. There probably isn't actually much difference between a resolution and a goal, but I like the way it sounds. :) This is still a work in progress, but here's what I've got so far:

1. Study the Bible more often each week. Right now this means staying on top of the Beth Moore study on the book of Esther that my ladies' class is doing. I really love it, but I don't always make time to study it as thoroughly as I'd like to.
2. Focus on each day as it is happening. I'm a big planner, so it's really easy to miss what it happening "right now" and be constantly focused on what is coming.
3. Get in better physical shape. I purposefully didn't list "Lose weight" here because that isn't really what I want to focus on. It would be nice to lose another 10-15 pounds, but I really just want to be in decent shape. I'm working on a plan to make time for work-outs at home.
4. Get more sleep. I am so tired (literally) of staying up too late for no good reason at all! I spend way too much time on the internet or watching junk on TV. Luckily, we just switched from Cable to Netflix, so I won't have as many options to tempt me. :) I know that Abby will wake up between 7 and 8 a.m., so I need to plan my bedtime accordingly.
5. Drink more water!!! This is a huge one for me because my lack of hydration is a huge part of the pain I have most of the time. If I would keep my muscles hydrated, they wouldn't scream at me so much! Tara got me the tumbler I wanted with lids and straws for Christmas so I can keep water with me all the time--perfect!

There will be more, but these are the ones that stand out for me the most. Stay tuned for the rest!

The Verdict

For those who have not seen this on Facebook, here is what the Army decided:

Finally, a decision has been made! It isn't exactly what we were hoping for, but I still think it's pretty good. Here are the results:

• Casey is being discharged from the Army, but it is a "good" discharge (as opposed to "dishonorable").
• He should be processed out quickly and could be home as soon as a week from today!
• We were going to have to buy plane tickets to get him home for Christmas, but the Army is going to pay for his trip home!
• He will have the opportunity to get back in the army in 6 months! He just has to get a medical waiver of some sort signed, and he can go right back in!

I think that pretty much sums it up. We were hoping he could stay, but at least he can go back if he wants to. We will be looking for a new job ASAP, so we will just see where God leads us next. He could find a great job and decide to stick with that, or he might decide to try this army thing again after 6 months--who knows? God knows where we need to be, and He will guide us through this time of transition.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has been with us through this mess! Casey will still be in Oklahoma for at least another week trying to get this paperwork done, so please keep him in mind. He is a bit lonely, bored, and trying to get over a nasty cold and cough (aren't we all??). We can't wait to have him home with us to celebrate Christmas together!!! I am so proud of him!

They that wait...

Casey called this morning--he found out yesterday that he has been cleared medically (yay!), but they still have not given him an answer about whether he will stay in the Army or be processed out. Since the seizures he used to have were psychosomatic (non-epileptic), they want him to talk with their mental health people before they decide. I can't imagine that this will be an issue for him, but we still have to wait and see what they decide. Once again, we are faced with the army's famous "hurry up and wait" approach. I am mainly getting more anxious because he still has not been able to buy his tickets to come home for Christmas, and prices are going up every day! I hope we will have an answer before we reach the weekend, and that he will be able to buy his tickets for Christmas soon.

I am currently going to a Ladies' Bible Class on Tuesday mornings, and we are doing a Beth Moore study on the book of Esther. Each lesson has been wonderful, but the message this week was especially relevant for me. I kept turning to my friend Joy and saying, "She knows me!" as we watched the video. :) Beth was pointing out that when we wait on the "thing," whether it is an event or person, we get SO worn out! But "they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up on wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31) GOD is in control, and all things happen in HIS time. If we wait on Him, we will be strengthened! I don't know how people deal with situations like this without leaning on the strength of our Lord. I couldn't do it! Knowing that He holds my family so close in His hands gives me all the comfort I need to keep going. We often say, "in the meantime..." and in this past lesson, Beth pointed out that the "meantime" is "God time." His timing is amazing--He knows just what we need!

Casey/Army update

For those who can't see the note I posted on Facebook, here is the latest update on Casey's situation:

Casey left for Basic Combat Training (BCT) 2 weeks ago. While he was in the reception process (filling out paperwork, getting head shaved, getting uniform, etc.), he was asked, "What did your recruiter tell you not to report on your paperwork?" Casey is an honest man, so he told them that he was instructed not to report his past medical issues. They immediately requested his latest test results from the hospital and told him that he would NOT ship to BCT with the rest of his platoon. He had an appointment set up for today (Tuesday) to meet with a Captain to discuss the possibility of being processed out of the army.

He met with the Captain today, and we STILL don't have an answer, but it is much more hopeful. He asked Casey how much he wanted to be there, and Casey told them he has wanted to do this for a long time, he wants to provide for his family, and he wants to serve his country. The Captain looked over the hospital report and saw that Casey's seizures weren't epileptic (or even connected to abnormal brain activity), and Casey told him I could fax over statements from his doctors stating that he received the treatment he was supposed to, he is no longer on any medications, and he is fine to stay in the army. The Captain took him at his word and said I didn't need to fax that over, but this was a bit over his head so he will have to talk with his superiors before making a decision.

Casey has another appointment tomorrow (Wednesday) with the Captain to see what he and "his superiors" have decided. Best case scenario: Casey can stay in the army and start BCT immediately (they might be adding a couple of guys to his original platoon tomorrow since they've barely started). Next best case: Casey can stay and start BCT in January. Worst case (but it will be ok): Casey is discharged from the army and we have to find a new job ASAP.

I will post an update as soon as I hear from Casey again, but I have no idea when that will be. He might be able to call me again tomorrow night, but there is no guarantee.

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone for the continued prayers and words of encouragement!! I know that God hears each of us, and I am so grateful to have so many voices lifted on behalf of my family. We are truly blessed by you!

Gotta love a man in uniform! :)

In case you have been in a state of disbelief that Casey joined the army, I now have proof:

Doesn't he look great?? They apparently had a good amount of personal time today, so he got to call for 32 minutes (yes, every minute counts!) and I asked him to send a picture from his phone. They have been doing a lot of paperwork, getting shots (immunizations, tetanus, etc.), being issued their uniform.... they've been busy. :) He is doing well and says he is enjoying it so far. He said he has already sent a letter, but won't have an address until they "cross the tracks" to Basic Combat Training (BCT) next week. As of right now, they are scheduled to cross on Wednesday. I'm not sure when I'll hear from him again, so I'll be checking the mail box every 5 minutes between now and his next call. :)