he comes home in less than 18 hours

I'm so anxious that I get to see my Staff Sergeant soon, he gets off the plane here in AZ at 6:35-ish this evening. I'm so nervous and not ready. By not ready I mean I'm don't have my nails done... I haven't gone to the salon to get my hair done... and I don't have a cute outfit picked out to wear for the first moment he lays his eyes on me when he walks outta the airport. Nor do I have the money to do any of that, LOL, I used my last $18 in cash on putting gas in the explorer (no $ left in the bank account till pay day). So he'll have to make do with what he gets. Sadly, this poor worn out mother of 5 is a wreck that I hope he sees passed and concentrates on the morsel of beauty I have left. Oh how I wish my fairy godmother would appear and accentuate my beauty so my hunny will have something gorgeous to hold and cherish after experiencing a whole summer of military duty and on going stress. Well, at least I've lost some weight since we were last together in May :)

The things I want to do while I have him for 2 weeks: pass off several of Nalu's cub scout tracks, go up to Utah and get rid of a bunch of our stuff and prep for the AF to move us outta UT, finally! (I will miss all of our 'ohana and amazing friends but I can't take the weather there it has been almost unbearable.) The most important thing I look forward to doing is to simply hold his hand [sobbing]. I miss his hands... his strong, firm hands... his kind and gentle hands... he uses those hands to bless our family's life in so many ways [still sobbing].

I'm trying so hard to be grateful that I get him back for 14 days. I want him home for good and he's working on making that possible but he needs to report to his next duty in Okinawa to get that paperwork rolling. He's switching over to Air National Guard from Active Duty so we can live on what was once his late father's and now it's our 4.5 acres of Hawaiian homestead. It's something that has to be done or we'll lose it (the land and our sanity).

We have been blessed with direction from The One on High that this is something that needs to be done (give up all that our children have known to move to Kauai) and that it will be a blessing for not just our 'ohana but for all we come in contact with. Of course because it is the right thing to do we have been experiencing many road blocks but not ones we can't find a way around or over :) So naturally things aren't moving along as smoothly as I would like it to but I'm not the one in charge here and these trials will make the blessing all the more worth it! (I pray!)

So sorry I've only been posting thankful thursdays...I feel this year has made me strive to be more thankful because my mind has become mush, I have sprouted many white hairs, my energy level is as low as it can get and I'm weening my baby so I can get back on my meds... I guess blogging with a thankful heart helps me pull myself together... prayerfully it's helping me so I don't ruin my short reunion with the love of my life.

I'm reminding myself...

... Don't Forget to Pray

1. Ere you left your room this morning,

Did you think to pray?

In the name of Christ, our Savior,

Did you sue for loving favor

As a shield today?

[Chorus]

Oh, how praying rests the weary!

Prayer will change the night to day.

So, when life gets dark and dreary,

Don’t forget to pray.

2. When your heart was filled with anger,

Did you think to pray?

Did you plead for grace, my brother,

That you might forgive another

Who had crossed your way?

3. When sore trials came upon you,

Did you think to pray?

When your soul was full of sorrow,

Balm of Gilead did you borrow

At the gates of day?

Text: Mary A. Pepper Kidder, 1820–1905

Music: William O. Perkins, 1831–1902

Psalm 5:3, 12

Mark 11:24–25