A Look Into Our Weeks

This past week was spent basically going to a million different appointments. I was purposefully vague earlier in the week when I posted on Facebook. Well I will be a little more open here.

Last Saturday and then again on Monday, amara tried to run away from home. You may recall that she has tried this before. So we had a lot o talk about on Tuesday with her counselor, and Thursday with her psychiatrist. We are (again) hanging her meds around to try and help things out. We are installing door chimes and the girls will both be getting kid type cell phones. Mainly for GPS purposes, but we are hoping it will help with some of the outbursts, and meltdowns if they have a way to reach us at all times. We will see how it goes!

Amara was supposed to do academic and cognitive testing on Wednesday. Well that didn't turn out as planned. The doctor only did an evaluation to find out exactly hat testing to o. :/ so now, father waiing 3 nths for the appointment, we have to wait until May 1st for the actual testing. This normally wouldn't be a problem except that we re trying to get her on the Exceptional Family Member Program (efmp) with the miltary. This program will make sure that e only move to an area that has the health services she needs. And this takes months to do. Ugh! It's all just too frustrating!

On top of that, Wednesday I hurt my arm. Okay so nothing too new with me hurting myself, but I isn't deserve this! I reached for my purse, and while reaching (not holding, touching or overextending anything) my elbow just went. And I mean WENT! I couldn't move my arm without pain. Bad enough that iactully went to the doctor (and if you know me, that's a big deal!). I ended up in a sling with pain meds. Hoping it's better on, because this one arm thing is lame!

Jon made it to Greece. He had a lot of fun there and we got to talk on the phone for the low low price of $50 for 19 minutes! (sarcasm) but at least we got to talk. :) He is lucky to have one good friends on this cruise with him. He tried to usehisbank card to itch drawl money at the ATM, only to have it ten by said ATM. And to make it better, that was the only card he had on him (no credit cards or anything else). So now I have to get him a new card nd send it along. But fortunately, his friends paid for his stuff in exchange for using his phone and the promise of being paid back.

We had fun with wonderful friends Thursday night and the kids did an Easter egg hunt. It was nice to hang out and enjoy each others' company after our crazy week. I still haven't found anyone to do my oath to renew my drivers license. But I'm working on it. So, that's a week in our lives! Crazy busy, lots of stress, but some good things in the mix.

Love to all, Mya

Mouse Slayer Extraordinaire

Today I earned a new hat. Exterminator or Mouse Slayer. yep. I felt like Super Woman!

Quite comical actually. I found a mouse that somehow had gotten into our bathtub and couldn't get out. So I got a container and scooped it up. Well, what to do with it now?! I didn't want to release it outside for fear that it might find its way back inside. And I definitely wasn't going to touch it! yes, go ahead and think "you're such a girl!" because I SO am when it comes to things like this.

I always imagine mice looking something like this....

                                           when really, they probably look more like this....


So I had to think of what was the most humane way to kill this teeny tiny mouse. I couldn't smash it, although one good hit would be swift and probably painless (that was suggested, but I couldn't figure out how to do that in the container at the time). So I decided to suffocate it. Quick, Painless, and best of all, no blood. I stuck it in a ziploc bag and then put that inside the container and stuck it all in the freezer. Weird, I know. And gross. But it worked. And I wasn't scarred for life from having to smash some poor creature.

Oh the woes of not having a husband at home to do the dirty work! LOL

What else has been happening? Nothing, and everything at the same time. I've been doing a lot of reading and things around the house to keep busy and keep my mind off of Jon's deployment. The kids are doing great with school and are getting tons of exercise in the backyard. And of course, I'm not sleeping. Ugh...I really hate insomnia. I mean, theres only SO MUCH you can find to do in the middle of the night! (writing blog posts is one of them) Oh, I did read all 3 books of The Hunger Games and they were really good!

There are some big appointments coming up that you guys can be praying for. One, Amara has her cognitive and academic testing next Wednesday. This is a big deal. This test will tell us if she has any learning disorders. This information will help her psychiatrist to better diagnose her. The next, is obviously the psychiatrist appointment on Thursday of next week. Also, of course, please be praying for Jon while he is deployed, for me as I take on both parenting roles, and for the girls while they adjust to Daddy being gone. Thank you for your prayers!

Love to all,
Mya the Mouse Slayer ;)

The Long Road Ahead...

So much has happened in the last month that I haven't had time to make any posts. So here's some updates on the road ahead for our family.

I gave my testimony in front of around 70 women in February. I've been freaking out about it for quite a while before hand. But it turns out (like it always does), when you are in God's will and doing what He tells you to, that things go well. :) It went over very well and there was good response to what I had to say. I was very surprised, but very pleased with how it went.



March 6 Jon and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary. We went away for a night at a bed and breakfast/spa. It was fantastic! We got massages, ate WAY too much gourmet food at Ruth's Chris, and just enjoyed a kidless night! Then, we went and got ring tattoos. :D I can't believe its been 10 years! The time has flown by and I love him more and more each day. I can't wait to spend another 10 years with my best friend.

On March 5, we moved into a rental home. This is our first time to ever live in a house as a married couple/family. We are thrilled and it couldn't be a better situation. The kids were so excited, they kept asking for like 2 weeks if it was moving day. LOL. With the house, we promised the kids a dog. So we promptly went to one of the local SPCA's and picked out the cutest puppy we could find. Her name is Charlie and she is a Retriever/Lab mix. Charlie is Amara's new best friend. She naps with her and plays with her, and Amara couldn't be happier. Tay loves the puppy too, but the puppy is still getting used to her. They have been great with her.





Through all the craziness of moving, getting a dog, celebrating our anniversary, and the business of all our regular appointments, we were getting ready for Jon's deployment. This year makes 10 years on the USS Enterprise. It's also the ship's final deployment before being decommissioned, and Jon's 5th deployment (I think). March 11th Jon deployed with the other 3000+ people on the ship. I took the girls out to watch them leave. It was a sad morning for us. We said our goodbyes the night before because Jon had to be on the ship before morning. They are expected to be gone somewhere around 7 months, which would put them back here around October. The girls and I have a long 7 months ahead of us, and so does Jon for that matter. But we will make it through this deployment, just like we have the past 4. Jon is also in the process (still...) of reenlisting. It was/has never been our plans to make a career out of the military or go for the retirement. But God's plans are not our plans. So more years it is, and if we make it to 20, then so be it. With the reenlistment Jon MAY get orders for a new assignment when he gets back, he may not. But either way, it will be either another ship here in Norfolk come October/November time frame, or it will be a shore command (he would get to be attached to a base instead of a ship for a few years). I will be keeping everyone updated as I find out things.

So in the meantime, please pray for our family. Pray for Jon's safety and protection while he is away. Pray that he can surround himself with other Godly men and that he would be comforted while away from us. Pray for the kids. Pray that they wouldn't be so sad. That they would know that their Daddy loves them and misses them and that they would behave for me. ;) Pray for me. Pray that God would give me strength for this deployment. That I would be comforted when I get sad and lonely and that I would have the energy and patience that only God can give me to deal with and handle the kids and other household issues. Thanks friends! We love you all and are very blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives. <3


<3 to all, Mya

Valentine's Day

So today is Valentine's Day. The day we're supposed to show the ones we love how much they mean to us. But why just today? I guess I've never really understood holidays. As a family, we don't really celebrate them. I mean sometimes we do special things, but its mainly for the kids. And of course we celebrate Christmas, but no where close to how others celebrate. Honestly, most of the time we're lucky if we remember that a holiday is coming up.



So what is it about holidays that make people go bonkers? It's a day, not really different than any other except that somewhere along the line, someone said "hey, we could make this a holiday and try and make it special to everyone". Back to my original question, why just today? Why should we only choose today to show our family and friends how much we love them? God doesn't promise us tomorrow. Why wait for one day a year to show your loved ones how much they really mean to you? If we, as Christians, treat every day as if it were our last, then we should show each other on a daily basis that we love each other. "And he said to him, ' You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "(Matthew 22:37-39) I'm not saying its not fun to have a special day and make a bid deal out of everything. But I just don't get why, if you're showing each other your love all throughout the year, you would get upset on one day...ONE DAY, just because you didn't get a date night out, or flowers, or chocolates, or a card, or even be told Happy Valentine's Day. If you know that you are loved, then this stuff shouldn't matter (but it IS nice).

I've seen so many girls fall apart on V-Day for various reasons. Either not having a boyfriend/husband, for said bf/husband not giving them chocolates, dinner, flowers, card, etc, for said bf/husband giving them those things, but not giving them what they really wanted, or not getting jewelry, or not getting the RIGHT flowers, jewelry, or whatever. Why do girls tend to hinge their lives, their self worth, their value on a single day? We should find our love, our self worth, our value in the One who created us. "In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." (1 John 4:10-11) So this Valentine's Day, try not to get yourself worked up over cards, gifts, flowers and things. Try and remember how much you are loved, not just by your friends and family, but by the Creator of the universe, by the One who loves like no one else can. Try to base your self worth, your value, your love and longing on God and how He loves, and reflect that love to those around you all throughout the year.











"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)




















"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." (1 John 4:7-8)

I'm not okay

Sometimes I feel like I can't see past the fog that surrounds me and my own thoughts to be able to see God's plans for the future. Do you ever feel like that? I can't see past today sometimes because it takes all my energy just to face today.

Every year (at least it seems like every year, maybe every 6 months, every 2 years, I've really lost track) we go through a time of uncertainty. We are not promised tomorrow. That statement doesn't just ring true for our mortal lives, but also our military lives. We are not promised tomorrow at the same job, the same base, the same city, the same state, or even the same country. Many military members and their families go through this, but our situation is definitely unique. Most know that when their term is up, they are definitely moving, but just don't know where yet. We live in a state of limbo. When our term is up, we never know if we are moving, or staying or waiting a little longer to look at the options again. We never know WHEN the decision will be made for us to move or WHERE that move might be to, or even IF we are moving.

And yet, every year, whether moving or not, we go through the mental anguish of trying to pick which duty station would be the best choices and the mental preparations to leave everything we know behind if we get reassigned. We've done that now for 10 years, and this year is no different. I get asked all the time when and if we are moving. And the answer is always a long one, because I could give you at least 3 different options at any given time. But the short answer is always "we don't know". Well its that time of year again, the time we have to mentally prepare for any possibility, to choose which of our options would be the least undesirable.

A lot of people know what its like to move away from friends and family and have to tell people they love goodbye. I don't know how many people can say that they've gone over and over in their heads how to tell the people they love goodbye for 10 years running. Or how many people have looked at the laws in other states (that might be a possibility of moving to) and looked at houses, and prices and taxes just to know what the possibilities are. It's very easy to say that "God has it all under control and it will work out" or "just give it up to God and don't worry about it". But the truth is, even when you give your worries to God and know that He is in control and that no amount of worrying can change your situation, its still hard not to worry. And you still have to look into the possibilities and prepare the best you can for what might come. Otherwise you end up in Virginia with no money, no hotel, no place to stay/live and not knowing a soul! (oh wait... that already happened to us! lol)

So here are our options right now and what we are facing.
1. Stay on the E for decommissioning. Unsure what that entails, but we could stay here for another year while they gut it and then end up in Washington state for the rest of it, or stay here while they gut it and then get reassigned after that.
2. Transfer to another ship after the next deployment. We have done 10 years on sea time (you're only supposed to do 4-5 years before getting a shore command). This would mean we would stay here for a few more years, but also could mean that as soon as Jon gets back from deployment with the E, he could go right back out again on deployment with another ship.
3. Get a shore command. This is desirable, but also undesirable because it would almost definitely mean moving to another state. By what I know, there are like 2 shore positions in VA that are for Jon's job, and almost impossible to get. State options would probably be South Carolina, New York, or possibly somewhere near the Great Lakes (I've heard that theres a training facility there that might be an option, but not for sure).
4. Get a shore/sea command. This is a weird one. Hawaii is one of the options in this case. It is technically a shore command, but it would mean a lot of time on the water for Jon because its a fueling or supply stop for the Navy, so he would be in and out a lot. Another like this is Guam.
5. Overseas billet. Italy is the only one I know of (besides Japan, which the ship there is a Diesel which means its not what Jon works on). This is also SUPER hard to get because apparently Italy is very desirable.
6. The final decision is always the Navy's. It doesn't matter what we pick, the Navy will pick what it thinks is best for it, but "tries" to take our decisions into account. This is why we have been in mental anguish for 10 years and also why we've been stationed in VA for 10 years. A sure thing is never a sure thing with the military. Just because they SAY you are going to move somewhere, doesn't mean that they won't come back next month and say you're staying.



These are always very hard times on us. Am I okay? No. I'm never okay. I'm always one day closer to a life changing decision. I'm always on edge. I'm always confused. I'm always scared. But I always know that God is looking after us and that no matter what happens, He will care for us and comfort us. I'm not okay. Somedays I'm not even sure I'm stable. But God is constant, my comforter, my protector, my strong tower in times of uncertainty. I will put my trust in Him.

When I don't 'feel' like worship

Believe it or not, there are times when I don't feel like worshipping God. Everything we do is an act of worship to the King, or at least its supposed to be. But there are times when I've had a bad day and I don't feel like getting on stage and playing/singing or lifting praises to God.  I know how awful this probably sounds right now. Here is a worship leader saying that its a struggle some days to do what God has created us for, what she has been called to do. But the truth is that I'm a sinner just like you. And when I don't feel like worshipping, its usually because I've let my guard down and Satan has gotten into my head.

I know you're probably thinking "why is she telling us this?". Well the honest truth is, because its my blog and I can write about whatever I want. And right now I want to write about my struggles with this. But also I'm writing about it so that you can see that worship leaders aren't extraordinary. We face the same problems that everyone else does, maybe even more because we are "in the spotlight". Satan likes to take every weakness and use it against you, pride, envy, jealousy, even self pity.

Well, I have quite a few short-comings, but what got me this time was feeling inadequate and pride. I'm not that great of a musician. I'm okay, but I could be better. So when I get a difficult song, that I just can't seem to get, thats when Satan starts working on me. I start to feel lousy about my playing, about my practicing habits, about myself in general and basically beat myself up about every little thing. When I'm frustrated and down on myself and generally in a bad mood I can be very negative and just plain ugly. When I get like this I have to remind myself that even when I don't feel like worship it doesn't matter because its not about me, its about God. It's about giving Him the glory, even in the bad times, even when it feels like nothing good could happen.

In one of my studies this week I was reading an article/sermon ( "The Authentic Worshiper") by Jeff Deyo (Sonicflood). He had some great verses in there. But what hit me was a statement he made about worship. He said "One of God's favorite times for you to worship is when you don't feel like it." Wow! Because its SO true! God doesn't ask us to worship Him only when we "feel" like it. No, He demands our worship in all things. We are to worship him not only when things are good, and fun, and easy, but also when things are dark, and sad, and we feel defeated. It's easy for worship leaders to make it about the "show" and not be authentic in their worship. But you can ask any one of us and we will tell you, its not about the show. It's about being authentic in your worship, and sometimes that means worshipping through the pain, or sorrow you might be feeling.

So now you might be thinking how does pride play into all this? Well before all of this mess, I was struggling with my pride. Struggling with where I fit into things, why I wasn't doing some things I was so sure I was supposed to do. Well the easy answer to that is that I let my pride get in the way. And that started me on a downward spiral where Satan took my prideful nature and used it against me by turning my pride into self pity, into inadequacy. See how that works? If you're not careful, the little things are what will trip you up and make you fall.

But the best ways to stay out of Satan's traps is to stay in God's word, pray, pray, pray, have people in your life who you trust to keep you accountable, and to be honest with them about the things going on in your life so that they can call you out when you're being stupid. I continually have to lay myself down before God and say that I've messed up and give Him my pride and control over my circumstances (because I soooo wanna be in control!). And there will be good days and bad days. But its a choice I have to make to praise Him and worship Him in good times and bad times.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Job 2:10 "But he said to her, 'You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Should we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?' In all this Job did not sin with his lips."


Finally, my song for the week. It's very unlike me, but its good.

Secrets Mom's Never Tell...

So I was wracking my brain this week trying to think about what I was going to write about. I thought about it while I was cooking, cleaning and even in the shower. And then it hit me, while in the shower, what I was going to say. Why in the shower? Because while I was in there I was trying to think how I could make my shower longer so I didn't have to go out and face the 3 children fighting over a Wendy's toy in the next room. And that made me think. There's a LOT of things us mom's don't tell you "normal" people. So why not air our dirty laundry! So here's some things mom's never tell....

1. I take extra long showers so I don't have to face the kids for 5 more minutes. Why? Because when the water is running, the kids don't really come in the bathroom. Now, they DO come in to tell about someone getting hurt or so and so took something away from them, but its usually just once. :) Any other time I'm in the bathroom....forget it! It doesn't matter WHAT I'm doing in the bathroom. If the shower isn't running, they think mom is free to do WHATEVER, and I MEAN whatever!

2. We eat junk food secretly in the kitchen or our bedroom so the kids don't know! Because if the kids catch you eating a cookie, they want it too, and I'm not sharing my cookie, because some days, its all thats keeping me sane.

3. We throw away "art" projects and pretend that it was an accident. So many times I've gotten caught by the kids. They open the trash can to see their painting, drawing, cheerio necklace, fan, card, whatever sitting on the top and I pretend that it was a mistake that it ended up there. I love the things my kids make, but I simply CAN NOT keep every single knick knack. My house is already overflowing with stuff, so yes, I throw away their projects (not all of them, but most!).

4. Sometimes I count to 3 (or 5) so the kids will do what I've told them 5 times already to do without me having to discipline them. Yea, I know it'd be better for them if I followed through and made them do it the 1st time, or even the 2nd, but sometimes, I just don't want to be the bad guy. Can you blame me?!

5. When the kids ask why, why, why...even when I know the answer, I sometimes say "I don't know" just to make them stop asking. Because who doesn't get annoyed at answering why to the same question for the millionth time?

6. Yes, I've thought about taping my child's mouth shut and/or hanging them out the window. But I'd never do that of course! But sometimes its fun to think about. ;)

7. I've given my kids Benadryl to make them go to sleep. Yep, you heard right, I drug my kids....occasionally. I also give them bandaids for no apparent reason just so they will stop whining about the scrape or boo-boo they think they have.

8. If I have a day where I get to sleep in, and the kids wake up before me and come into the room, sometimes I pretend I don't hear them so they will go back to bed for another 1/2 hour.

9. I've "ignored" the kids on occasion so I can play Bejeweled Blitz or Angry Birds on my phone. Yes, I ignored them telling me "Look what I did" for the one hundredth time that day so I can play for 5 minutes.

10. I've used my kids as an excuse to not do things.

11. I've secretly hidden annoying toys from the kids. I've also said that there aren't any batteries for that toy, even when I know that we just bought a new pack. Some toys are just so annoying you can only take it for so long. Don't judge me, you'd do the same thing if you heard the Chicken Dance song a thousand times a day!

I know you may think some of those are awful, but sometimes its survival. I'm not a bad mom. Sometimes I'm just an over-worked, stressed out, need a break kind of mom and I do what I need to, within reason, to stay sane so I can spend another day loving and caring for my kids. And don't doubt for a second that I don't love them, because even with all the craziness, whining, screaming, fighting, questions, lack of sleep or time alone, I DO love those kids and would do anything for them.

<3 Mya

Time to spare...

If the past week is any indicator as to how the next 6+ months will go, then we're in for a LONG deployment. In the past I've had work, church, appointments, etc, etc to do to keep me busy and my mind off of things. This time around things are different. We're homeschooling. Which means we spend a LOT of time at HOME. I don't work anymore. We still go to church, but have cut back on a lot of our extracurricular activities. So again, we spend a LOT of time AT HOME. Which means I have a lot of time to spend missing Jon and not a lot of distractions. This is going to be very hard on me. I'm always under a lot of stress between the kids doctor appointments, behavior, homeschooling and medicine changes. I'm not used to being home this much either. I like getting out of my house. Unfortunately for me, the kids do well with having time at home. So I'm preparing myself to be stretched. But I also need distractions (things to stay busy). So I'm looking into some things to do.

God has done amazing things in the past for our family. And I know He has amazing things in store for us. But good things almost never come easy or without some pain (either waiting, change, whatever it may be that is "painful"). I know that I am never ready for whats ahead. I can never be prepared enough for anything that might happen. I also know that God is ALWAYS enough. He is ALWAYS prepared. And He is ALWAYS ready. God HAS to be enough, because nothing else is. I try to remind myself of that all throughout the day. And I will be trying even harder through the next month. Because over the next month (and possibly several months) we are cutting back on Amara's medicines. I'm not sure what is ahead of us. It might go great, it might go horribly wrong. I've had this song going through my mind though, and it has been reminding me how faithful God is. And its made extra special because its written by 2 of my best friends. ;) If I had any kind of recording, I'd share it. But there will be a recording in the future and I'll be sure to post it when its out. Not really a long post today, or anything that dramatic, but its whats been on my heart. 

Sticks And Stones May Break My Bones...

Yesterday the girls both got eye exams for the first time. And wonder of all wonders, they both need glasses (like we needed more issues in our household! lol). :/ Turns out that Amara has a slight astigmatism and needs reading glasses, and Tay has a significant astigmatism and needs all the time glasses. They are both excited to be getting glasses and have picked out some cute frames too. Well, Tay is the only one who seems worried about what her friends will think. She's already an anxious/nervous kid anyways, so the thought of her friends laughing at her is bothering her.

I have been reassuring them both (and especially Tay) that their friends will LOVE their glasses and not laugh at them. But it definitely brought back memories of when I was Tay's age and was teased mercilessly. I know what you're thinking, why would anyone tease you Mya? You are cool and awesome! (sarcasm intended). At first it was because I was the only Asian kid (besides my brother) at our very white, private school. As I got older it was other things. Things like having been home-schooled so I was the freakishly smart, socially awkward kid in public school (homeschooling wasn't all that big where we lived). Or being the youngest in my classes (because I was a grade ahead), or because I was short, or, well, you name it! I got teased, picked on and beat up.

Remembering this stuff made me think about how mean kids can be. And how all those sayings that your parents told you growing up were such lies. Like "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" or "what doesn't kill us only makes us stronger". It made me think about how much words really DO mean. And how much words can either build up or tear down. Words can hurt deep within your soul. They can leave emotional scars that you deal with for the rest of your life. Or words can encourage, show love and support. They can be a lasting memory of how much you are loved. With these thoughts floating around in my head, I started thinking about what kind of words I use. Not just with my friends, but with my family, and especially with my kids. Are my words helping or hindering? Am I using my words to build up and encourage my kids, husband, and friends, or am I using my words to cut and hurt? Well truth be told, a little of both. If you asked me a few years back, it would have been that 90% of the time my words were used to hurt people. But now, well, I definitely think a LOT more about the words coming out of my mouth. I am careful to choose my words wisely.

Matthew 12:35 - "A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him."

Matthew 15:11 - "What goes into someone's mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them."

Matthew 15:18-20 - "But the things that come out of a person's mouth come from the heart, ad these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts- murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person;"

Ephesians 4:29 - "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

James 3:10 - "Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be."

So here's some food for thought. Are your words building up and encouraging those around you, or are you tearing down those in your life and leaving emotional scars?

-Mya

Just the Beginning

So I know that I've been neglecting my blog for quite some time. And honestly I'm ok with it. It's not that I don't love blogging, it's that I've had a lot on my mind and a lot going on in my life. Well, it's the start of a new year, and I thought I'd start it off right by getting back to my blog. :)


Christmas was good. We got to have a nice quiet Christmas here at home with just us and the kids. It was very relaxing and peaceful. We enjoyed Christmas eve service and a Christmas day service at our church which put us in the right mindset to celebrate the birth of our Savior.  


Yesterday was the start of Jon getting ready for the next deployment. :( He left yesterday for a month out at sea in preparation for their 6 month + deployment that is coming up all too soon. In reality (and this always sounds really depressing that I'm used to this) 1 month is nothing for us. It will fly by. And we are used to him being gone, but I wish we weren't used to it. The hard one will be the 6month deployment coming up so soon after he gets back. But, such is the life of a Navy family. 

Yesterday was also the start of Living Out Loud (yes, very much like the name of my blog). It is a part of our Fusion/757: Worship for the 18+ crowd. We are separated guys and girls and the girls are diving into some studies/testimonials about things women face, like purity, submission, hospitality, etc and how they apply to us as godly women. Last night went fantastic and we had around 75 women there! I'm so excited to be helping with this and speaking to these ladies. The next 12 weeks are going to be amazing! If you want to see what we're about check out  Living Out Loud.


With the start of the new year, comes the start to soooo many new things. I'm working out again (even if it's just a little bit at home, at least it's something), we've started some new material in our homeschooling, and I've also started on a year long program of memory verses with my wonderful husband (check it out, it's call "fighter verses"). God has some amazing things in store for me and my family this year and I'm so thrilled to be on this journey. I hope that you continue to follow along with me as I share what God is doing in my life and the life of my family. With every blessing He gives me, there's always a new challenge. And when you are doing things for God you are open to attacks from the devil. I have a big year ahead of me and I'm ready for whatever the devil throws at me, and even more ready for all the things God has for me. Are you ready for what God has in store for you this year? 


 Be blessed this year!
<3 Mya




And check out this song. It's quickly become a new favorite of mine. :)