Oh there's no place like "home" for the holidays.

I'm not exactly sure where to call 'home' these days. So the saying goes, "home is where your husband is" and if that's the case, it'll be a little longer (5 months to be exact) before I can truly feel at home.  However, I'm very thankful and feel incredibly blessed to be spending the holidays back in the pacific northwest, surrounded by my amazing families and friends. It's definitely hard to be apart from Reece during the holidays and I miss him like crazy, but we continue to rejoice in the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ!

I think you need to leave home in order to truly realize how weird, quirky and awesome your family is. They're all a little crazy and special (yes, all you Peters' and Lodders this means you!), but I sure do love 'em! I've had a great first week back in the beautiful land of crisp cool weather, Tim Hortons and ketchup flavored chips. There have been lots of chats over cups of coffee, catching up with friends, hanging out with the family and spending time with nieces and nephews. It's so cute to hear the little kiddos talk about 'Uncle Reece'.  Ally faithfully prays for Uncle Reece in 'Afghanistand' at every meal and because Jake can't remember the name 'Afghanistan' he says that Uncle Reece is at the 'Aquarium'…I guess it's the only long word he knows that starts with 'A' so he figures it's close enough. Well, he might not be swimming with dolphins, but he's definitely not forgotten around here. 

Reece is still holding up well despite some difficult days. There have been nights of extreme cold, constant changes in plans and long work days, but he still always has a smile on his face and an unwavering faith in the Lord. We are thankful again for how God has blessed Reece in his work and has equipped him with all that he needs to carry out the tasks that He's given him.  

I'm looking forward to yet another day of fun filled family craziness and celebrating our Saviour's birth.    

Now may the God of HOPE fill you with all JOY and PEACE in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ~ Romans 15:13

Wishing all of my friends and family a very Merry Christmas!

Spending a morning with Jake and Drew.

Out for lunch with all the Lodder ladies.

Craft time with Mya and Ally.

Sinterklaas at the Lodder's

Christmas Eve at the Peters'. Pictured here are the kids and grandkids (minus Reece of course).

Charlie arrives for his first Christmas. Isn't his owl hat just too darn cute!?!

Sandra and Drew

Jake loves Grandma's nativity. 

The adults had more fun with the new 'Mr. Potatohead' than the kids :)

Hopefully I'll have some pictures up soon of my snowboarding adventures. If all goes well I should be heading up the mountain sometime next week. Thanks for reading!

With love from,

Krissy

Tackling deployment, one day at a time.

I'm embarrassed to say that it took getting sick with the flu and being stuck at home with nothing to do to get me to do another blog post.  I figured it's about time though that I give you a little update on our lives.

It's now been more than 7 weeks (wahoo!) since Reece left for Afghanistan.  There have been some hard days, some very hard nights, but also many joys in between. At the end of each day I always find much to be thankful for.  Although he may be thousands of miles away, I have the love, support and faithfulness of the most wonderful man in the world and most importantly we have a God who is leading, guiding, protecting and upholding us through each step of this journey. 

Reece has been very blessed so far in his work in Afghanistan. We are so thankful for the gifts God has given him and his ability to use them in this service. He's had the opportunity to share some amazing stories and photos of what the Marines are accomplishing there.  However, this doesn't come without sacrifice and it's not an easy task he's been called to. Most of us after a long day of work can look forward to coming home to unwind and escape from the day or look forward to the weekend, but this is not an option for these guys. There have been some frustrating and exhausting days, but overall I'm thankful that God has equipped Reece with the strength and perspective he needs to accomplish the tasks that He's called him to. With reliance on God and trust in His protection and plan, we find the strength to face each day. We've been very thankful to have good communication so far and we hope and pray this will continue in the days ahead.

Click the link and type 'Lodder' into the search box to see Reece's latest work from Afghanistan: http://www.dvidshub.net/portfolio/images

My handsome hubby in Afghanistan.

As for me, well, I'm doing pretty good. My days are always full and I'm thankful to have enjoyable work and adorable kiddos to keep me busy and distracted. The nights seem to be the worst, as facing an empty bed never seems to get easier and I usually eat dinner on the go to avoid sitting alone at the table but, I'm trying to develop healthy habits to help with this.  I'm thankful though for how God has blessed Reece and I during this separation.  We've not only grown stronger in our relationship with each other, but we've also grown stronger in our trust and reliance on the Lord.  Without Him, I'm not sure where we'd be.  

I haven't been great lately when it comes to taking my camera out, but here are a few photos from the past while.  Enjoy!

Flowers and letters from Reece (he writes me almost every day!)

The things that get me through deployment.

My table all ready for dinner night with the ladies.
Unfortunately, I forgot to take the camera out again after my guests had arrived. 

Fabulous dinner and great company at Joel & Emily's!

He's done it again!

Only two days left!  That's all I could think about.  Reece left on August 22nd for pre-deployment training in California and although six weeks isn't too long, it felt like forever going through it (especially for him considering he slept mostly on the ground and ate meals comparable to the deliciousness of cardboard).  Finally, September 30th rolled around and I had only two more days to wait before I would be reunited with the love of my life.  Or so I thought.

Naturally, I hadn't really stocked the house full of food while Reece was away.  I was perfectly content with eating simple meals consisting mainly of cereal, bread, peanut butter and fruit.  Let's be honest, cooking for one is just not that much fun.  So, I ate the house bare and planned on doing a big grocery shop before Reece came home.  I had also planned on cleaning his car (aka. the second love of his life) and doing a really good cleaning of the entire house.

So, being the smart woman that I am, I decided it would be best to leave these things until the day before he got home.  This would keep me occupied and help to fill that last day of anticipation before his arrival.  Perfect right? Not so much. 

Reece devised a plan with a friend of ours to get me over to her house to watch her kids.  While I was babysitting I got a call from Reece.  This is a little out of the ordinary as he doesn't typically get cellphone reception while he is there, however, he quickly brushed off my curiosity saying he had moved to another area. After some small talk he said "go to the front door".  My initial thought was, I bet he sent someone with a delivery.  He likes to do cute things like that. Instead, what I found outside the door was none other than Reece himself.  Home early! 

This is where you would imagine the beautiful scene… wife goes running into the waiting arms of her wonderful husband while sweet music plays in the background.  But, I was shocked.  Jaw dropped, speechless, frozen, can't even move my feet, shocked. And then I finally manage to mutter, "What are you doing here?"  Not, "Honey, I'm so glad you're home!" I was far too caught off guard to even know how to react.  Of course I was ecstatic to see him and once I came to realize I wasn't dreaming I was able to take it all in.

Since then we've had plenty of time to enjoy being together again. We did of course have to do a trip to the grocery the next morning and Reece wasted no time in getting outside to wash his car.  We're looking forward to some time off in the next couple of weeks and a trip back home to Washington!  Here are a few pics we took before our dinner date at Haleiwa Joe's.

A few adjustments

Shocked would be an understatement to describe my reaction after learning a house had opened up for us on the Marine Corps Base here in Hawaii!  We had put our name on the housing list in May and were told not to expect a place until October or November.  We were okay with living in our little studio apartment in Kailua town, but I was not so thrilled about the idea of having to move while Reece was deployed. But, God had another plan in mind for us and provided a beautiful home for us to move into while Reece was still here.  We had 5 days to get settled before Reece headed to California for pre-deployment training.

Since Reece left 3 weeks ago I've been trying my best to make this house into a home.  What I've discovered is that all the pretty pillows, warm paint colors, and vintage decorations in the world won't make our house feel like home.  What our house really needs is both of us in it.

These last few weeks have been a period of adjustment for us.  It's probably true that the majority of newlyweds go through an adjustment period of getting used to living together.  What Reece and I face is actually the opposite.  Rather than learning how to better live together, we are learning how to survive while apart.  There have been many ups and downs these past few weeks, but despite everything we are seeing God's sustaining hand in our lives in a way we've never experienced before.  We hold on to this hope knowing that God will also continue to sustain us during the 7 months of deployment that lay ahead.

And, because I can't do a post without a few pic here is a little project I've been working on recently...      

Reece and I took a trip one afternoon to the local Salvation Army in Kailua.  Originally we were on the hunt for a piano (I made Reece promise to find me a piano before he deployed).  I had seen some there on previous trips, but had yet to find 'the one'.

Our little stop could not have been more worth it.  Not only did we find a beautiful, fully tuned piano in perfect condition, but right next to it sat a gorgeous antique hutch just waiting to be restored to it's full potential. We fell in love.  Or rather, I fell in love and Reece agreed to buying them.

Once we got the hutch home I began working on it right away.  I peeled off the blue wallpaper inside to discover neon green paint hiding underneath. Five coats of white paint later  and the green was gone. Then came some sanding, painting and more painting.  Now it's done and has found a new home in our kitchen.

Here are a few before and afters of the project.

Next project on the list…a 1920's antique table and chairs.

With love from,
Krissy

Beautiful day, beautiful views and my best friend by my side.

We've seen many amazing and beautiful sights in Hawaii, but none quite like the views from the Pillbox Hiking Trail.  Looking out over the crystal clear, blue waters of Kailua and Lanikai beaches we couldn't help but be in awe of God's perfectly crafted creation.  Did I mention that our house is only 2 miles from these sandy, white beaches?  I will always call British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest home, but I think I can make this work for a couple of years :) 

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." Psalm 19:1

With love from, Krissy.

Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal

Anyone who knows Reece, especially in a work setting, will know that he always gives it everything he's got.  No matter what the assignment.  We learned earlier this week that Reece would be receiving a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (NAM) for his accomplishments this past year.  Although the news was exciting for Reece, it was also very humbling.  We were reminded again of God's faithfulness, the talents he has blessed him with and the opportunities he's been given to put them to use while serving in the Marine Corps.

'We have different gifts according to the grace given to each of us.  If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.' - Romans 12:6-8

To God be the Glory!

With love from, Krissy


A few pics from this morning's presentation ceremony.

My handsome Marine!

Oooo…I just love surprises!

Reece loves to surprise me and most of the time (apart from one occasion) he is successful in doing so.  Airplane rides, no reason flowers, dinner cruises and the list goes on.  I don't mind though, or rather, I quite enjoy it!

We were invited out to a friend's place Friday night to which Reece responded 'We've already got plans'.  We do?  I wasn't aware of this. Turns out Reece had a surprise date night planned for Friday.

Lucky for Reece I still don't know where many things are on our beautiful island. So, I really had no idea what was in store when we headed out to Honolulu. We parked in a parking garage downtown and headed down the street.  We passed by a number of nice restaurants and each time I waited for him to turn in until finally we stopped in front of HirOshi.  It was a small Eurasion (which apparently is a combination between European and Asian) restaurant.

When Reece first got to Oahu he made of list of all the restaurants that he wanted to try out.  HirOshi was one of them.  Being the dutchman that he is, he discovered that the restaurant has happy hour between 5:30 and 6:30 on weekdays.  Half price entrees and $3.50 martinis.  Now that's a good deal.  We ate till we were full (SO delicious) and enjoyed a couple of very tasty martinis.

After dinner Reece had yet another destination on the agenda.  He made me close my eyes this time.  I could tell we had gotten to a parking lot because I could feel the speed bumps under the truck, but he still wouldn't let me open my eyes.  He escorted me out of the car and led me by the hand (eyes still closed) to the entrance of ICE PALACE! A little taste of home in Honolulu.  The ice was bumpy, ridged, thin and crappy and I don't think they know what skate sharpeners are around here, but it made for some very entertaining skating.  Normally I'd consider myself to be a good skater, but in these conditions I looked like Bambi from the scene where he is just learning to walk with his long, awkward legs.  After many laps around the ice, a warm cup of french vanilla coffee and a Churro (I'd never had one of these until I moved to the US) we finally headed home.  Thanks to my hubby for a wonderful evening :)

With love from,
Krissy

Our delicious plate of Swordfish.  Yumm!

Strawberry Lemondrop Martini

So ghetto, but oh so fun :)

BayFest 2011 (my first post!)

Okay, so I'm not a talented writer and photographer like Reece, but I thought I'd do my best to blog about all the exciting and boring details of our lives and everything in between.  I'll be the first to admit that our lives are really not all that entertaining, but hopefully this will give you a better idea of what we are up to over here on our tropical island.

Here goes nothing…

Have you ever gotten to Monday and felt like you needed another weekend to recover from the one that just past? That was the feeling for both of us waking up yesterday morning (although I did sleep in a little so Reece was probably feeling this much more than I).  Anyway, the reason for our tiredness is a good one.  It was BayFest weekend! Reece was tasked with doing a two page spread covering all the highlights of BayFest.  This is an annual event at the Marine Corps Base here in Hawaii and consist of rides, games, vendors, concerts, contests, military displays and of course pretty much every deep fried food you could possibly imagine!

The highlight of the weekend for me came on Saturday night when I got to be Reece's 'assistant' and join him for his interview with rock group Puddle of Mudd and later shoot their concert.  The interview confirmed for me the 'rockstar' stereotype.  Wes Scantlin, the lead singer of the band, was so drunk and/or high during the interview that 98% of his responses made absolutely no sense!  We had a good laugh about it after.

After all was said and done we capped off our BayFest experience with a ride on the ferris wheel in the pouring rain.  Oh so romantic :)

With love from,
Krissy

To see Reece's photos of the events click here:
http://www.dvidshub.net/image/429083/bayfest-2011-kicks-off-with-boom

Our rainy ferris wheel ride!

Reece sitting on the ground taking photos.