Update May 2013

I’m a little late….. My husband’s deployment ended in February. I know I’m very behind in blogging, but I am so thankful that he is home. Since he’s been home we’ve taken a romantic trip to Las Vegas, a spring break trip to Utah to visit our daughter and son-in-law, and our other college daughter has been here to visit us.

My husband also had two months of vacation- a month from the Army, and a month from his job here, before he had to go back to Microsoft. I loved spending so much time with him every day. We ran around town together, eating at restaurants that he had missed while he was away, we even joined a gym and started going together. I love my sweetie!

I have a list of ‘deployment thank-you’s"’ for all the help I received during the time he was gone.

I am very thankful to friends, to my family, daughters, and siblings and all the good times we had together, and for my youngest daughter who was a great companion every day, laughed at my silliness, and was perfectly willing to have a frozen burrito any night I didn’t feel like cooking.

Thanks to those who helped with yard work, visited my sick doggie at the kennel while I was out of town, brought me soup on a sad day, looked at broken cars, sent a cake through the mail, climbed a ladder, tried to help me break into my own house after locking myself out, took me to dinner, or movies, or just were there for me.

  Mostly to my Father in Heaven. For keeping us safe, for giving me strength, for protecting our home and protecting my husband. Knowing that the Lord was mindful of me and my needs is humbling and overpowering. Thank you is not enough.

-Lynnae

One Week Down…….

My sweetie has been gone just over a week now. Over 9 months to go for his deployment. Just writing that sort of takes the wind out of my sails a little bit.

I know I’ve been a crummy blogger lately. Between getting up at 4:30 every morning for an early morning job (which tires me out), and preparing for my husband to be gone (which saddens my heart) I just haven’t had the mental energy to sit and blog and say everything except what I’m thinking about non-stop.

-Lynnae

September 11th, Ten Years Later

I was still in bed when my good friend called on the phone, telling me planes had hit the World Trade Center. It was about time to get up anyway, so I hurried downstairs to watch the TV in shock while I got the kids ready for school. For a while I wondered if I should take them, but decided it was best. Before I left I remember looking at the tv and telling Jon "that building is going to fall, it looks like it's twisting." I never see that image anymore. They mostly show fast little clips.

While we were driving to middle school the first tower fell. I rushed home. I saw the second tower fall on tv and it was horrifying.

After an hour or two a neighbor called my house. The husband had been in the air at the time of the attacks and now had been diverted to Canada. He sounded very upset and had been trying to get a hold of his wife. I told him I'd have her call, slipped on some shoes and ran down to her house. The house was calm and children were playing happily. She answered the door and I told her she should call her husband and she seemed confused. She didn't have television on, and her phone was off the hook. She had no idea what had happened.

I was also in charge of a church dinner for the ladies that night and had been stressed out about it for a few days. I called the woman over me and asked if we could just cancel it, and she said she 'didn't see why.' So I went to Costco and tried to get done the things I needed to do, feeling scared and in shock. It was a sombre dinner. Maybe it was OK to have it, but I was mad at the time. We ate and sang hymns before returning to our families.

The next day, and for several days, I watched Fox news almost nonstop. I did try and turn it off whenever my four year old Jordan came in to the room, but I also remember trying to get her occupied in the playroom so I could go back and watch things unfold. I watched every news conference, and on the National Day of Prayer I prayed a lot and watched all the services. That day I felt very peaceful, and I felt like a spirit of calm and unity was over our country. It was a powerful feeling that I will never forget.

Please read this tribute I wrote two years ago.

I will forever honor the heroes of that day. The first responders, and since then, our military, who sacrifice so we can be free. Thank You!

-Lynnae

Sparklers!

I’ve been so busy with my daughter’s wedding that I haven’t been posting consistently, but I did want to show you these cool photos we took on Independence Day.

We used sparklers and a digital camera on a long exposure setting. I wrote my name……

Other people did too, but they had to flip the picture. I’m the only one who can write in cursive backwards ‘cause I’m cool like that.

Then we did some cool couples photos……

Here I am with my sweetie. We had one person take the picture and two people run around us with sparklers. One person couldn’t go fast enough for the camera so we had one start at the bottom and one halfway up. The ‘runners’ don’t show up because they were moving and we were holding still.

  This picture always reminds me of that ‘Bibbity Bobbity Boo’ moment when Cinderella’s fairy godmother gives her the beautiful gown.

Ok, I know there’s a lot going on in the world that’s worth a comment. I obviously can’t replace the pundit’s out there and you all know where to find them. But I love that you are willing to stop by and hear my two cents worth or just smile at the observations and lifestyle of the average conservative woman.

It’s Good to Love Reagan

A friend came up to me on Sunday at church and said they had recently visited the Jelly Belly jellybean factory. “And who do you suppose was one of their biggest fans?”

“Ronald Reagan” I said with a smile.

“I saw these and I thought of you.” She said, pulling out a little box of Ronald Reagan presidential Jelly Bellies.

Now if that isn’t sweet I don’t know what is. I know this friend is a devoted democrat, and she saw those and thought of me, which was pretty nice. So I had to share. Standing up for our beliefs we are often on the defensive, and I think its important that we still have a kind and respectful attitude in our day to day lives.

And for heavens sake, smile now and then.

-Lynnae

P.S. I just added the picture, and I'm laughing at my den. The flag’s not out due to constant rain, the pull-up bar is for my ‘Army Man’, though my 14 year old daughter has set a goal to do a couple every time she comes in to sit at the computer, and the Bowflex….well, I don’t know why there are Mardi Gras beads on it.

Echoes of Christmas Past

The Holiday season this year bore a strong resemblance to our First Christmas as a couple.

Twenty-three years ago when my husband and I got married he was in the Air Force. He had been serving in Japan for a year, and he came home two weeks before our wedding. We were married in Salt Lake City in October, and then traveled to California for the trip back to Japan together.

  After a few days spending time together and seeing the sights around San Francisco, it was time to pack up and go to the base for the flight back to Japan. Only there was a problem with the paperwork, and I couldn’t go. And he had to.

Some quick arrangements were made for me to stay nearby with his brother’s family while he went home to get the papers done properly from there.

Thus began a pretty miserable month and half away from my new groom. His family was very accommodating and nice to me. I tried to be helpful but I’m afraid I was brooding and quiet most the time. I cried myself to sleep every night in my nephew’s little bedroom. When Thanksgiving came I was homesick for my family and caught a ride back up to Utah for the week. The return trip was snowy and cold and I got carsick. I missed my sweetie.

December seemed to stretch out forever. I helped my new nephews with Christmas decorations. As the days slipped by, soon I had the word that I was going to Japan.

One long plane ride later, I found myself in a foreign country with Jon, exhausted and very happy.

It was only a few days before Christmas. He brought me in to the house and showed me the tree he had decorated. There were candles and the table was set awaiting our first meal in our new home. Jon set our table and when I got there he made frozen dinners and set out the Martinelli’s sparkling cider.

Those first few days were a blur. I had an extreme case of jetlag and could not get going, and Jon was anxious to show me people and places.

We drove around, visited some friends, and went shopping. He wanted to take me to church to meet people but I couldn’t wake up and get going. By the time we drove past the building it was over and people were leaving. We had a laugh and drove back home.

Our first Christmas was nice. Quiet, compared to the way I grew up- with a house full of hyper little brothers and sisters, and a larger gathering of relatives for a  Christmas Eve dinner. But we were making our own traditions now and starting our own family. 

This year, after seventeen years out of the service my husband joined the Army Reserve. We had a quiet little anniversary celebration, and for a month and a half he’s been at Ft. Sill Oklahoma for training. This was my first Thanksgiving without him since we were separated as newlyweds so long ago. It was miserable for different reasons. My two college daughters and a boyfriend were traveling home through the snowy weather. I was fearful for their safety and problems did arise that I needed my husbands help for. I enjoyed Thanksgiving with them and our other family that visited, only to be fearful for their trip back home. With computer browser tabs filled with maps, satellite views, and traffic cams, I postponed their return trip for two days, until I thought it was clear, and once they left I could not breathe easy until everyone was safe and sound where they belonged.

For Christmas my girls arrived home from college on plane flights, and I began counting the days until my girls and my husband would be back home with me. I was amazed at how many Christmas songs included separated loved ones longing to be together. My mind kept going back to that first Christmas of ours and how happy we were to just be together.

The greatest gift for me this year……Being together with my beloved family and celebrating the birth of Him who made it possible.

-Lynnae

It’s just an adventure, he already has a job

Recently my husband joined the Army Reserve.

He is former Air Force, way back in the early years of our marriage. Last year he decided he wanted to do more that sit around working on the coolest job ever at Microsoft X-box. So he put things in motion a while back. Our family has seen a lot of changes in the past couple years with our older children leaving for school and now this.

I have a weird mixture of worry, pride, and just thinking he looks awesome in a uniform.

Another bit of family news… You know I am a hard core conservative. I come from a large family and we range the political spectrum. I have a relative who is a ‘prepper’, and since some of you may be into that I wanted to give you a link to his interesting blog, Kuerno the Prepper. Enjoy!

-Lynnae

To Honor Your Service

My daughter lives out of state and she was able to visit the cemetery and put flowers on the graves of her grandfather and great-grandfather.

 

  This is my father-in-law who served in Vietnam. He was a good man an passed many great traits down to my dear husband. My children never had a chance to know their Grandpa Pulsipher, but someday they will.

This is my grandpa Petersen. He was in the Navy in Los Angeles during WWII. He was a good man and a great companion to my grandma. It was a nice tribute to visit the cemetery and remember and honor them, even though we know they aren’t there. They have gone ahead to reunite with loved ones and wait for those of us to follow.

 

This is my husband and I in 1988. My husband followed in his fathers footsteps, joining the Air Force just after high school graduation. We were married less than two years later while he served in Japan. I have a deep respect for those in the service and their families.

Thank You !

-Lynnae

New Dockers Ad Campaign

This is the ‘controversial’ ad…….

-my thoughts?

I think real women love having a real man around. I personally like the campaign. I think the problem is that extreme parts of the feminist movement have tried to reduce men in to one of two stereotypes. Either a docile emasculated wimp or a macho brute. In truth there's a huge middle ground of strong old fashioned men who will defend those they love, open doors for you, and still play mud football on Thanksgiving or park themselves in front of old war shows on a Sunday afternoon.

  Does telling men to ‘wear the pants’ reduce the position of women? I don’t think so. I think a huge chunk of the men  in this nation need to be told to man up and provide for their families instead of waiting for government to do their job for them. And as long as I’m ranting, we should tell a few young men to back away from the video games for an hour or two and mow a few lawns, get  jobs, and ask nice girls out on dates.

-Lynnae

This is What Democracy Looks Like

….in my neighborhood at least.

You know how my van has been painted for the August recess. If you don’t, read this post.

Well after two months of driving this around, today my liberal across the street neighbors stuck this in their lawn facing my driveway.

(I cannot tell whether the signpost was made from their hammer or sickle).

My daughter was so caught up in the moment that she immediately grabbed her craft paint, and while neighbors were out admiring their handiwork, cheerfully painted this on her car window.

Now we have some democracy going on!

Independence Day!

Lynnae’s Independence Day Scrapbook………………

FOOD……

Dig in!

Family……

Now that’s a house full!

Fireworks……

This IS the greatest country on earth!

Me in my Snuggie and my Sis-in-law in her Slanket. Patriotic!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday as well.

Seattle Tax Tea Party

Today we took two of our daughters to the Tax Tea Party in Seattle. Here are some pictures.

Here I am with two of my daughters. My husband is not pictured because he took the photos. The family that protests together.....

Freedom is beautiful!

Here we are leaving the area, with the nice horseys behind us.

Here's a closer look at the other side of my sign...

Happy Easter

It's not spring break. It's not the Easter Bunny. It's not eggs and candy.
What is it?
It is the Savior who suffered and died for each of us, as a gift of love from God.
He saw our faces and our names and our lives and our pain.
My life has been far from perfect. I know that some of that suffering was for me.
But I try and live a good life. I try and live my life in such a way, that as our lives came before the Savior's eyes, my life and efforts could give Him one moment of pause and relief amidst the anguish and suffering of milions of sins.
My family is the most tangible reflection of my Savior's love for me.
Spend some time on this holy Easter day with those you love.