Gratitude Pages on a Very Different Memorial Day!



"Silly Faces"

Still counting and still every so grateful!

834. the beauty of His creation

835. warmer weather

836. rainy weather and the lightening lighting up the sky

837. relationships between my children

838. Sunday worship with my littlest next to me singing praise and worship songs

839. words said, love shared, hope for the future

840. amazing, yet hard stuff; participating, as a military mom, in a Deployment Ceremony for 125 soldiers from the 257th Military Police Company being deployed to Afganistian

841. His Peace

842. His Protection especially over my littlest after experiencing a concussion

843. Bruegger's Bagels with kids and grand kids

844. gluten-free meals both at home and out to eat ... keeping my tummy feeling good.

845. Text #1     Lots of things on your plate with so many emotions. Father, the God of all comfort, we trust You, to be sufficient for every second today, for Beth and her family.

846. Text # 2     As the mountains surround Jerusalem so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forever. You and Ashley, right now, and until Ashley returns home "In His Arms" love you!

847. Text # 3     A friend asks, how can I pray? I say, "Please pray against loneliness and the lies that come at times of FEELING ALONE; especially now with Ash gone and Tuesday-Thursday nights as Terry will be out-of-town. And then he will again be out-of-town next Sunday and Monday." Text back from my friend, "I'm on it!

848. Caring words, big hugs, and many tears saying good-bye on a very different Memorial Day

Deployment Ceremony Night, May 23, 2012

Our most recent all-family photo



More "Silly Faces"

Her sweatshirt states, property of the US Army, but really, she belongs to Jesus :-)

My Dear Ashley,

God has created and solidified you with a passion to serve our country and fight for our freedom. I am so proud of you and the woman you have become, faithful, available, compassionate, kind and caring.

I love you so much more! mom

Sunday (Memorial Day Weekend) Worship

Today during our Sunday Services we honored those who have lost

their lives fighting for our freedom.

It was a powerful worship service and quite meaningful to me as this was the last Sunday worshiping standing and sitting next to our "littlest" before her deployment to Afghanistan that is planned for the next year or more.

After services we took our military daughter out for lunch to the restaurant of her choice: Benihana's.
We had a wonderful time as she shared life with just the two of us. The meal ended with a group of chefs singing a  "Japanese Happy Song."

Some of us then took naps and soon after naps, family arrived for a grill-out, hot dogs, brats, and hamburgers, cooked by the golfer. We closed out our evening with skype time with our Texas daughter, her husband, and our three granddaughters.

Thank you Father, for a restful Sabbath spent with family!

In His Arms, Beth

Every time we prepare to worship the Lord, we ought to do so with anticipation that almighty God may have something to say to us. Whenever we open our Bibles, we should expect that God has something to tell us in our time with Him. We ought to be far more concerned with what God will say to us during our prayer times than with what we intend to tell Him.                     

                                                                                   Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby


linking up here ....

Send-off in Monticello for Troops May 23, 2012

Ashley was quoted in the Moticello paper:

A departure ceremony is scheduled this evening (Wednesday) for more than 120 soldiers of the 257th Military Police Company in Monticello, Minn.

“The 257th Military Police Company will partner with the Afghan National Army to support operations in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom,” said Army Capt. Troy M. Hyland, 257th Military Police Company Commander.

“This company of soldiers has always displayed strong values in the dedication towards professionalism,” said Hyland. “Building on this foundation, we have a highly motivated, adaptable group of soldiers that consistently exhibit a family-type respect and trust for each other.”

“It became apparent that our communication will ensure the success of our deployment,” said Army Cpl. Ashley L. Pederson, team leader. “We recently trained together at Camp Ripley and worked on refining our skills.

Members of the media and the general public are invited to attend the departure ceremony Wednesday, May 23 at 7 p.m. at the Monticello High School Auditorium, 5225 School Boulevard Monticello.

Check out the link below for the WCCO news story of the Deployment Ceremony of the 257 Military Police. Just after the soilder with the daughter in his arms you can catch

Ashley in the row of soliders if you look close!

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2012/05/23/more-than-100-minn-soldiers-leave-for-
afghanistan/#.T73DOY2uyTQ.facebook

MONTICELLO, Minn. (WCCO) – For 124 Minnesota soldiers, the war in Afghanistan isn’t over — it’s just beginning.
Three weeks after President Barack Obama said all troops would be out by 2014, friends and family said goodbye to members of the 257th Military Police Company as they left Wednesday, just days before Memorial Day.

“I don’t have any insight on [the war] ending, because mine’s just starting,” said Spc. Zach Haugen.

Soldiers and their spouses find Obama’s anticipated ending date hard to believe.

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” said Andrea Stai, a soldier’s wife. “I think they’ll have to stay there until it’s safe and then hopefully they can move out and go to the next stage for everyone.”

The 257th will be responsible for teaching and coaching members of the Afghan National Army.
It was the first departure ceremony and deployment for a majority of the soldiers, including Haugen.
Haugen has 1-month-old son and a 2-year-old daughter. He says that missing his kids early years will be the most challenging thing for him and his wife.

“She’s holding up strong for now,” Haugen said. “Next week, it’ll be a whole different story.”

The soldiers will leave for training in Fort Bliss, Texas, on Monday before going to Afghanistan in the summer. They’re expected to return in the spring of 2013.

Redeemed - I Am His Jewelry Set

During a week of "falling" for the lies of the enemy, coming through the words others were saying to me, and my interperation such as "you're not good enough, you can't do anything right, why did you do what you do?" I was very grateful to have on this neclace and bracelet sent to me by Dayspring.

When those words and thoughts were coming at me I just looked down at my necklace and read the words engraved  on the back and remembered that "I am His."

I am redeemed is what the R stands for on the bracelet and such a worthy reminder it was for me personally this past week.

Dayspring describes it this way:

Engraved with messages of hope, this beautiful jewelry set encourages your heart, while enhancing outfits of every fashion.  It's a wonderful way of expressing your faith, and sharing with others the life-changing message of the Gospel. 

So, if you are in need of giving the gift of encouragement to a friend or family member, or in need of some encouragement yourself, check our the (in)spired deals link below and purchase either or both products. On the back of each piece also engraved is 2 Thesslonians 2:13

"But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord,

because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying

work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth."

enhancing my work day outfit with the necklace and braclet from Dayspring

(*disclaimer* I was given this products at no cost from Dayspring in exchange for my honest

opinion about their product. All opinions are mine and mine alone!)

# 6 from the Littlest

July 13, 2007

Madre~

Hey, It was so nice to talk with you the other day. I miss talking with you. I talked with dad last night 'cause your phone was off! Dad told me you were in class thought so it's all good. Well, today we've been at the fist aid station all day. We learned how to put in I.V.'s and you might not believe this but I actually put one into my friend, Green. Green is her last name. How cool is that though! I'm not certifies and allowed to put an I.V. into someone when she did mine, she missed the first one and the second one went crazy and squirted everywhere! She got it though. Oh yeah getting "smoked" is when they work you out really, really, really, hard. It's also called getting "caped" (corrective action through physical exercise) ha ha! I prayed for you last night about your job. I'm so thankful that I have a mom like you that prays for me everyday. I know it helps so very much. I think you were planning on this with sending me that magnet thing, but if not, could you please keep send the note cards with prayer, letters or Bible verses on them? Then I can have easy access to all those. I can honestly say God is making me so strong through all of this. I haven't had any doubts about Him since I've been here. he is so amazing to me. Well, I really hope your able to keep writing to me. It's so nice to get mail. Well, I will talk to you later mom. Please keep praying that I make it into the excelled program. I love you and miss You. :-) Ash

Mother's Day 2012

On Mother's day, my day started with flowers delivered to New Hope Church with a card signed, Happy Mother's Day! 
I love you more to the ends of the world. -Your Littlest

Then, I received more flowers, a Caribou coffee, and a card that said "You are mother to one of us, and a mother-in-law to the other ...but you mean so much to both of us, we sometimes forget which is which" ... from my son and his wife.

Next, I came home to this poem written on the back of a picture of an Anti-Gravity Lounge Chair which had been secretly placed in our back yard:

Roses are Red
Violets are Blue
Mother of Five
This gifts for you ...
Happy Mothers Day
I love you!
Terry

Finally, after a delicious dinner prepared by my oldest daughter I went to my middle daughters house to pick up my gift from all five ... a beautiful necklace with their names engraved, birthstones, and love you more, also engraved! I also received some beautiful current pictures of my TX granddaughters made into 3 handy book marks which I immediately placed in books I am currently reading.

I am so grateful for these children and my husband for such a memorable Mother's Day! For all of the love that they shower on me through, words of affirmation, physical touch, gifts, acts of service and time not just on Mother's Day but all year long!

I love you all way more, more, more, more, mom

Slow to Anger

 Good sense makes one slow to anger,
  and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
(Proverbs 19:11 ESV)

This is a good verse for me to remember today as I go and work with the boys in room 47. It seems that the nice weather and the nearing of the last days of school has

the behaviors escalated.

May I be a teacher who is slow to anger and when it comes to the things the boys say "without thinking first" may I

overlook these offenses.

# 5 from the youngest

Tonight was a going away party hosted by my son and daughter-in-law to honor and send off our youngest daughter to Afghanistan. It was a bitter / sweet time with lots of family and friends. We talked, we laughed, we hugged, we sat by the fire and just simply enjoyed the company of one another and the conversations. The evening was all about relationships ... and spending time with those we all love.

As I returned home and got ready for bed, I laid my head on my pillow and as I prayed the tears began to fall wet on the pillowcase.

I was feeling very alone in all of this "being a military mom" and sending my youngest, my littlest, off to war not really understanding why there has to be this battle. It's a new season for me. It's a new role, wife, mother, grandmother and now military mom.

But as I cried I felt  a settling of my soul Into His Arms once again.

So grateful I am not in this alone by I have this friend in Jesus who hears my heart and knows my what's on my mind and continues to mold, shape, and refine me into who He desires me to be.

The letters from boot camp will be a reminder of just who this women is as she writes home from the past, present, and future.

July 10, 2007

Mom,

Thank you for the letter. I cried a lot, but it's OK. I am happy that Adam is doing well and that he got a bike. Are you guys still using his car then? Anyway I'm happy CM is going well for you too. It's awesome that your are excelling at it. Well I'm on my 5th day now. It will start to pick up after this week hopefully. I cry every night cause I thing about home and how much I want to be there. I've had a lot of dreams too about being home which doesn't make it any easier. My graduation date is November 15th. If I don't get into the excelled program. I hope most of you can make it. Will you send me Lisa's address and also Kelley and Josh's? I don't have either of them. So how is dad? Tell him he's gonna have to write me a letter sometime. How's the transformation going at church too? I'm sad I'm missing that to. I went to the Baptist service on Sunday. It was good. Get this though .... there's a guy that's in my platoon that I know! We met 4 summers ago at Camp Nathaniel when I was a cook and he was a rookie! he wants to be a missionary in South Africa so I told him about you trips. He thought it was awesome. Well I'm gonna go for not, but write soon. It really helps hearing from you. I miss you and love you ... much more than you know!

Love, Ash
ps It's a PFC on the front mom not PSC ... :-)

I'm growing

Another favorite from Holley and

sometimes for me

it is recovery is more important than

perfection!

# 4 and a retype of # 2 a record of the orginal letter

continuing to record letters from my kids

this one came from my youngest

it arrived in the mail in July of 2007

written while she was at basic training

I am amazed at the woman she has grown to be

faithful, available, and teachable

she called this past week with a 97% score on her training

she is soon to be deployed

Hey Everybody!

Well things have changed a lot now that I"m at Charlie 787 (my basic company). The drill sgts, are yelling at us a lot of the time. My bed needs to be made a certain way and my wall has to be set up in a certain way down to folding socks! Today, I'm at sick call cause my right ankle is swollen. I'm praying that it doesn't hinder me starting basic tomorrow. I would be very sad. I miss you all so much. I really hope you guys can all make it down here for graduation. It doesn't seem like it right now but once I get started that day will come quickly. Please be praying that I stay strong thru the first couple weeks cause that will be the hard part. The drill sgts aren't as bad as I thought they would be, but then again I haven't gotten into trouble yet. There is a bit of broken up rubber right in front of our barracks where we get smoked. Yesterday we were out there for 20 minutes and it was super hot. Chow is always fast, but its good. I don't know if I'll be able to write within the next couple weeks but please send mail. I don't think I'll be able to call either, My bunk mate, Hubbard is really nice. She's from Alabama and is obsessed with corn. Please let Kelley know that I will be getting my M16A2 (my rifle) next week and I'll be naming it "Syd". The drill sgt said we have to give it a name and a reason for naming it what we did. Syd will be my motivation because I cannot wait to meet him. How is Adam doing? Do you guys know if he'll be able to leave treatment for a couple of days to come down? Please don't forget the number one with the circle around it cause I will get smoked if it's not on there. Sorry about the message yesterday mom, I was just really sad that I wasn't able to talk to anyone cause it will be a while before I get to call again. The barracks are really nice. I don't think they are that old, and they are well kept. Last night I had my first CQ shift. Hubbard and I had to mop the steps, sweep the sidewalk, and pick up trash. I went back to the bay (where we sleep) afterwards to finish some laundry. Oh, let Adam know that they didn't cover our heads, but they made us close our eyes on the way to C 787. Please give Carrie and Jake my address. Once I'm done with basic, I will ask my drill sgt about getting a pass to come home to see Sydney. I should be finishing up basic mid September if I start tomorrow. I got my basic photo taken and I'll have the copies of it in 6-8 weeks. I decided not to do the tough look, so I smiled. Dad I've only cried once so far and it was yesterday when nobody answered. Lisa, I miss boot camp, cause soon enough, my workouts will be a lot different. Well, I appreciate the prayers and thoughts you guys. I miss you all so much. I'll write again when I get the chance. I love you guys. 

p.s. Good news ... I just got done with the doc and I just have to ice it 3 times a day and take some meds ... I'm starting basic tomorrow.  Ash