The Captain Is Home!!!!

Hello Everyone!!

Yesterday afternoon at 2:00 pm we welcomed the Captain back home with loving arms! God once again worked the impossible and granted record travel time from each checkpoint to checkpoint. What a blessing as it meant we got to welcome the captain a good week sooner than anticipated!

Here are some pictures from our reunion:

Getting Ready for Captain to arrive

The Captain Arrives!!

Three Little Girls have LOTS to talk about at once!!More Hugs.....

One last shot in baggage claim before heading to the car!!

We'll give more updates later....in the meantime...we are enjoying some much needed family time!!

Love to you all!!

We are ALIVE!!

Goodness me - it has been nearly 2 months since we've posted an update! Needless to say, we've been a bit busy!

After a wonderful time up North for the winter, this duck family headed South for the spring. Yes, we are a little directionally challenged.

Nana Duck graciously helped us pack up the minivan and make the 3 day trek back to Texas in early March. NOT a small feat considering this Mama Duck is much more pregnant and required frequent bathroom and leg stretching breaks.

A BIG THANKS goes to the Kaelber family for driving 2 hours to meet us outside of Oklahoma City with a picnic lunch and opportunity for the kids to run around at a park!!! It was great to see their beautiful and much expanded family :-)

By day 3 of the trip we were all ready to just be home. Texas has never seemed to go by so slow in all my life! The crowning blow was getting pulled over by a state trooper for going 73 in a 70 just outside Amarillo. The sweet man had no idea what he was getting into when he approached our car! There I sat at the wheel pregnant, tired, and emotional. He asked for my license and I dissolved into tears while trying to explain that my wallet had been stolen when I was driving up to MN and my husband is deployed and I couldn't get another license in MN but have my military ID and........you get the idea. He then asked me to step out of the car and back to his car when it became obvious that I was rather pregnant. You could see the color drain from his face and him visibly thinking "of all the cars I could have picked...." Fortunately, he was a VERY nice man and just issued a warning AND gave me a certificate in the event that I got pulled over again that would show my drivers license information. Sweet, sweet, wise, very wise man. :-) No worries, the cruise control remained within the speed limit for the remainder of the trip.

Upon our arrival home....it was clear that the front of our house (garage door and stucco) had been hit by a car! Fortunately, the insurance man agreed and we were able to replace the rather dented non-functioning garage door and have the stucco repaired. This, plus some carpet cleaning & yard work (SUPER Nana Duck raked 7 bags FULL of leaves and dead grass, pulled weeds and swept up loose stucco/rock around the house) and the house is now on the market!!! HOORAY

We've had a slow stream of people through the house but no nibbles yet. We trust that God has just the right family in mind and pray that they will come through soon!! The little ducks are getting a little tired of keeping the house clean for the realtors (not to mention their Mama).

But now - onto more important things....THE CAPTAIN!!
We are down to just weeks until he will be home!! Needless to say, we are all giddy with excitement but I think none more than the Captain himself! March and April have been the LONGEST, SLOWEST months ever!! The elections in Iraq went better than expected. While they still had some incidents and casualties - it certainly was not the mass casualty event they had been planning for. God Be Praised!!!

Here are our latest prayer requests:

• Safe, smooth, and unhindered travels home for the Captain
• Baby duck in the womb hang on until daddy arrives back home before making her appearance!! We just have a few weeks left!
• The house sells
• We find a home in San Antonio
• We all survive (by God's Grace) the multiple & large transitions we have ahead of us!!

As always, we sure love and appreciate each and everyone of you and are so thankful for your prayers, love, and encouragement!!

God Bless!

Prayer Request & Update

Hi Everyone -

I chatted with the Captain this morning and he has a specific prayer request: Things are really heating up in Iraq due to the upcoming elections (to be held March 7). Please say some extra prayers for the safety of our soldiers and for a peaceful election process. There is already much evidence of unhappiness and unease surrounding these elections. Additionally, we request special prayer covering over the Captain for Wednesday as he will be traveling out and about.

On a lighter note....A replacement for the Captain has been identified!! We are hopeful that he will be home in time for the birth of baby #4 (late May). Please pray that training, travel and transition time for the new replacement all goes smoothly so that we can indeed get the Captain home on schedule!

The Captain very much continues to see the Lord's hand at work among the soldiers and at the Battalion Aid Station in particular. Many times we've seen evidence of the Captain being placed in the right place at the right time so the skills and training he has been blessed with can aid and assist those in need. What a Mighty God we serve!

The time is drawing to a close for the girls and I in Minnesota. What sweet food to my soul this time has been!!! While I've relished in my time here, I'm sensing that it is time to "let go of the ropes and get back in the fight" (to use a boxing analogy). How wonderful it has been to be back with family & friends. An extra special thanks goes to my parents for so selflessly opening their home (without complaint) to an active bunch of kids & a rather pregnant daughter! I'm so thrilled the girls have gotten to experience a Minnesota winter and all its splendor. What wonderful memories we've made & fun times we've had. All that said, we are all lonesome for our home and eager to begin the next chapter! We've made contact with a realtor and will head back within the next week to get the house on the market and begin steps towards moving and saying good-bye.

As always - we so appreciate your prayers, wonderful words of encouragement and friendship!! Thank you!

Remember when we danced?

Sometimes it is just nice to look back and remember when we danced! The girls sure have enjoyed looking at these videos and we thought you might too! WE MISS YOU CAPTAIN!!!

Happy February - An Overdue Update!!

Hi All -

Well, I have fallen off the world of blogging for a while but I'm back!! What with Christmas, a massive cold (including pink eye & double ear infections) and travelling to visit family...I have admittedly let things slip!!

Where to begin?! Let's start with some news on the Captain! Life, thankfully, has remained rather 'status quo' as he continues to look after and care for the servicemen within his Battalion. The unit has experienced 2 more non-combat related deaths since my last post and as always there continue to remain various "stressors" in the lives of these soldiers. Please continue to pray for their physical, mental and emotional health.

One major praise is that the Captain now has an Internet connection in his room. This means that he has been able to communicate with us much more easily and frequently AND has been able to Skype!! What a difference it makes for us to see him and for him to be able to see his girls!!

Speaking of the girls ~ please lift up some special prayers for our little ducklings as the deployment separation is starting to take its toll on them (and their mom). While it is hard to be separated and not in our own home, it is SUCH a blessing to be living closer to family!! How wonderful it has been to have their loving support!

And now....onto some additional big news......
Prior to the Captain's deployment, he submitted an application for an Army fellowship/residency in dermatology. Since he is already board certified in Internal Medicine, we figured it would be a "long shot" but none the less it was something the Captain still felt called to pursue. The Captain was able to do phone interviews with the 2 program directors while in Kuwait and they were pleased with his application but also reminded him that it was rare for the Army to allow for a second residency. Shortly before Christmas, we got news that the Captain was accepted into the dermatology program in San Antonio. The extra good news here is that they are willing to allow him early release from his deployment so that he can start the program in June. Our hope is that he will be able to be out of Iraq by May. Please pray over this as "being willing" to release early and actually "releasing early" are 2 very different things.

Needless to say, the girls and I have lots of leg work to accomplish prior to the Captain's return!! I plan to fly down to El Paso in late February to get our house on the market while the ducklings stay back in MN with my parents. When we know more from the Captain, the girls and I can then drive down to pack up the house and prepare for a move to San Antonio. If all goes well, the Captain will be home in time for the birth of the baby and we'll have just enough time to sell the house, pack things up and move. (Of course, there is LOTS of contingency planning).

What a whirlwind!! The Captain and I have no doubt that this is God designed. What an Awesome God we serve and what a blessing that we can be together as a family much sooner than expected!! Psalm 66:12 says: "...we went through fire and through water but You brought us out to rich fulfillment". The separation of deployment and all the heartache that goes along with it have certainly caused us to lean on our faith. But God is so faithful and He has not only sustained us during this time but He will continue to sustain us and He doesn't even stop there! He not only brings us through the fire and water of our separation but He gives abundantly much more than we could ever ask or imagine. To Him be all praise - what a mighty God we serve!!

Have you had enough updates yet?? Because there is just one more bit of news we should share......
We had our ultrasound and doctors are 90% certain that we are blessed with another sweet little baby girl! Apparently, we are just talented at beating the gender odds! Tee Hee!! We are all very excited and can't wait to meet this special little bundle of joy! I am now over halfway through the pregnancy and feeling good but very tired.

Phew - that was a lot to cram into one blog post! I'll try to post more frequently so we can avoid all these updates at once :-) Blessings to you all and thanks so much for your prayers!

Winter Fun!

Hi Everyone!

A quick update on the Captain: He is doing well and so appreciates all the wonderful packages he has been getting as well as letters and e-mails! Thanks for keeping his spirits up and thanks also for all those prayers! God is gracious and sustaining him well. Stay tuned as we actually have another post coming with some exciting news regarding his deployment.

The rest of the ducks are doing well and enjoying time closer to grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends. We also have been enjoying the change in scenery & climate!! Here are some pics of the girls enjoying life with snow:

Praise Report & Prayer Requests

"Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear." Isaiah 65:24

PRAISE REPORT:
Once again we need to share how God is truly taking care of these soldiers and answering our many prayers. The Captain went out on a 10-vehicle convoy to reach the more remotely stationed soldiers in order to administer medical treatment and give H1N1 vaccines. Their convoy experienced a full day of safe travel and when one vehicle got stuck (normally a 2 hour procedure to free it) they were able to pull it free in 20 minutes!! To God be all the Glory!! He continues to demonstrate His goodness in all things!

"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness"
1 Timothy 2:1-2
PRAYER REQUESTS:

• This goes without saying - but please continue to pray for the safety of the Captain and his unit.
• Please continue to pray for wisdom for the Captain as he treats his soldiers for a WIDE array of problems.
• Please do pray for the morale of the troops!! We need to cover these soldiers in prayer for peace of mind and mental stability. There is REAL evidence of mental breakdown among the troops. Pray that the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
• We ask that you specifically pray for the family of Private First Class Michael Rogers who was lost in a non-combat related incident. Also, please cover Medic Beam in prayer as he is having a challenging time.