From our kitchen!

Now that I have someone to cook for again I'm really enjoying trying new things in the kitchen! My goal is to try and make good food that's not too bad for our waistlines. This is not to say that I don't really enjoy a cinnamon bun covered in cream cheese icing, chocolate of any kind or pasta topped with heavy cream sauce from time to time, but all in moderation, right?

Anyway, just thought I would share with all of you a few of my favorites!

Whole Wheat, Wheat Germ Buttermilk Pancakes

Pancakes are not exactly a healthy breakfast by any stretch but at least this is a slightly healthier alternative and they taste great! http://allrecipes.com/recipe/wheat-germ-whole-wheat-buttermilk-pancakes/detail.aspx?src=

Curried Coconut Chicken

This one was made for me by Jill and Malorie when they came out to visit and I've been enjoying it on occasion ever since. Thanks ladies! I've since modified the recipe a little because I like a thicker, more creamy sauce but you can do with it as you wish! http://allrecipes.com/recipe/curried-coconut-chicken/

Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs

These are perfect when you need to quickly whip something up for a BBQ. I usually serve with roasted veggies and sweet potato wedges. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/rosemary-ranch-chicken-kabobs/

Curried Chicken & Corn Chowder

This one is perfect for a cold day or for all of you dutch people it's great for Sunday lunch! This also happens to be the soup I was making when I burnt my hand chopping jalapeno's (see other post) so be careful when handling those suckers! http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/curried-chicken-corn-chowder-10000000405820/

White Chicken Chili

This one comes out looking a little more like a soup if you don't have a hand blender, but still tastes delicious. I throw all of the ingredients in a crock pot (just cook the chicken first) so it's very quick and easy. It also tastes great if you add a bit of fresh cilantro! http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=749802

Spinach and Turkey Lasagna

I used to think that making lasagna was time consuming and difficult but it's actually super easy and there is always plenty leftover so I can freeze it for later. I love lots of spinach in my lasagna which is probably why I love this recipe so much. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/delicious-spinach-and-turkey-lasagna/

Perfect Iced Coffee

This one has saved us a ton of money on Starbucks! Our jar of coffee has been a permanent fixture in the fridge since we discovered it a few months ago while looking for other recipes from "The Pioneer Woman". Her blog is definitely worth checking out! http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/06/perfect-iced-coffee/

That's about all I've got time for right now but it's a start!

Love,

Krissy

It's always better when we're together.

 Reece is back! I'm sure you all knew that already but I'm just SO excited!!

[Side note: My hand is currently burning as I type this out and I'm icing it on and off so there may be a few more typos than normal. I never knew that cutting up jalapeno's could result in such intense pain! Crazy! I've cut up plenty of jalapenos before but have never encountered this problem. After searching remedies on google I tried everything including covering my hands in sour cream, soaking them in milk, pouring red wine, tomato juice, vinegar, vodka and lime juice on them. I'm not sure which of these remedies actually helped, but thankfully the pain is becoming more manageable. Must be really accident prone these days…last weekend I got stung by a jelly fish while we were swimming.]

We've been laying low since Reece's return and have really enjoyed some quiet time together. It's been a very easy transition for both of us and our communication has been great so we're thankful for that. Just enjoying every minute together!

The first weekend after Reece's return we headed down to Waikiki for the night to celebrate our anniversary! We had a beautiful dinner by the water, listening to live music and spent the following day getting sunburnt by the pool. This is a photo from our 'coffee break' in the afternoon. Unfortunately I was a bad photographer and didn't take more pics of this trip.

Yesterday Reece was awarded a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for his work in Afghanistan. I was thankful I could attend the ceremony and even got a few pictures! 

After the awards ceremony we went out to celebrate. We started off with a short hike up the Mokapu Lighthouse Trail and finished the evening with a picnic dinner down by the beach in Waikiki enjoying good food and fireworks. 

LOVE seeing this smile everyday!

Looking forward to heading home to Washington/BC in a week and a half to visit with friends and family! Can't wait to see everyone!

With love from,
Krissy

Beautiful People.

No, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, I've just been a little busy. Anyway, it's time to finally enter back into the world of blogging!

So…let's give you all a really quick re-cap of what has been going down in the Lodder house or should I say the "Lodder Lodge" as I now like to call it. I've almost been running a Bed and Breakfast here on Oahu. The best part about this quant little lodge is that it's FREE. Word travelled quickly about the awesome food (okay, that's a bit of a stretch), comfortable accommodations and low, low price and I just couldn't keep them away. I like to tell myself that it's because I'm such great company and a wonderful host but let's be honest, I'm pretty sure they all came for the sand and sun and not because I'm so cool and awesome to hang out with. Whatever the motive though, I'm totally not complaining. Each visit was so unique, special and wonderful and I'm so thankful for the many friends and family that have supported Reece and I in the past 6.5 months. Your prayers and support have been felt in a very powerful way!

Here are some pics the many beautiful, fun, loving and supportive people that have made the long trek out in the past 6 months. Unfortunately I don't have any pics from my week with Katrina…not sure how that happened :(

Amanda - Haiku Gardens, Kaneohe

Mark & Jo - Lanikai Beach

Malorie and Jill - North Shore

Mama and Papa Peters - Marine Corps Base Hawaii

Curtis, Vanessa & Charlie - North Beach MCBH

Dave & Jacqui, Cam & Missy - Waikiki

Julia - Kailua Beach

This deployment has had it's highs and lows, but now that we are near the end I feel like I can really reflect on all that has happened and find many reason to be thankful for this experience. I can honestly say that there have been many, many times of great joy and growth in all of this. And it's not because of anything I've done or because I'm a strong woman (because I'm definitely not) but just God's constant faithfulness in our lives. He's placed so many amazing people on our path to help us through this journey. I'd love to single them all out by name and tell them why they are so amazing, but that could take me all night! You know who you are though and I just want to say a huge THANK-YOU from the bottom of my heart.

Now for the best news yet…REECE COMES HOME NEXT WEEK!!! YYYAAAYYY!! The reality of that hasn't completely sunk in yet, but it's probably a good thing since I'm already SO excited, anxious and nervous enough as is. I'm starting to experience completely new emotions that I don't know quite how to deal with but I'm sure they'll all vanish the moment I'm back in his arms! I'm keeping myself busy getting our house and myself ready for his arrival so hopefully this week will fly. Reece finished his last article of the deployment yesterday. It felt really good for him to be done after going non stop for 6 months. He's had a very successful deployment and we are thankful for how God has used his gifts and talents to serve in this capacity. Now that the work is finished, he is more than ready to head home. Please continue to pray for his safety and the safety of those with him while they make the long trip back.

Well, that's all I have time for tonight. Check back soon for HOMECOMING photos! Woohoo!

With love from,
Krissy

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