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!