want to test your squinting skills?

First is the head. They had a better view on the screen, but the tech couldn't quite catch it on film. All facial features appear to be present and accounted for.













And here we see a very blurry leg and foot kicking my very full bladder. They tech said, "well, you REALLY don't need to drink that much next time." oops. I suppose this is my opportunity to publicly admit that D was right, that much OJ cannot be good for anyone. It did wake the baby up, that's for sure!














and here, if you were looking at the actual picture instead of a picture of a picture, you would see the umbilical cord and the "turtle" that caused D to buy a Green Bay Packers sleeper and matching hat on ebay a few days ago. =)














All in all, we were both surprised at how much we did recognize without needing the technician to point things out. I guess it helped that he was moving around so much, so you could see actual fingers flexing instead of a white blur near the head. If we want to fork over $250, we can have a 4d ultrasound with pictures on disc to take home with us. Alas, we are too cheap. Anyone who wants to take up a fund is welcome to do so ;-) The doc said that everything is normal and in the right places, and the size is consistant with our dates. What fun.

the pregnant brain

is definitely taking over. At least that's my latest excuse. I used to be able to blame the rigors of school and planning a wedding. Then all I had to fall back on was the color of my hair. When D left last year, I had a ready-made excuse to be scatterbrained again. Then he came back, and I was excuse-less once more. Until now.

example number one: this morning, I told D he could have the shower once I finished rinsing the water out of my hair.

example number two:
Last week, I made an appointment with the local WIC office to see if I was eligible for a "grocery supplement." They gave me a short list of what to bring, and told me where to go. I wrote everything down like a good little girl, including directions, and put the paper somewhere safe. So safe, in fact, that I have yet to find it. SO, on Tuesday while I was getting ready for this appointment, I decided to call a few of the WIC offices to confirm my appointment, figuring that once one of them said, "yes, you have an appointment here today," then I would know where to go. Well, they won't confirm appointments over the phone, so I had to trust my intuition. Bad idea.

The first office is located right outside the main gate. Very convenient. Unfortunately, that's not where my appointment was. Too bad, because I would have been 10 whole minutes early! The distribution center was my next destination. Luckily, it turned out to be the right place, and I was only 10 minutes late. Irritating to me, but nobody else seemed to mind.

The appointment went well; I forgot to bring proof of residence, but they let that slide. The second problem was with proof of pregnancy, since our insurance co. took the only doctor's note that I had. I tried to show ultrasound pictures as proof, but I guess that isn't good enough. Luckily, they let that slide as well, provided I brought a note and proof of residence before attempting any more pickups. No problem. Once the paperwork was complete, I was informed that I didn't qualify, since D makes too much (wow! there's a first for everything!). The lady conducting the interview told me to go on to the nutritionist anyway, just in case.

After studying both my list of what I'd eaten for the past 24 hours (including homemade whole wheat bread with real peanut butter, and real pineapple, yum) and my iron count, the nutritionist decided that I did qualify after all. Apparantly, I was missing one serving of fruit and had a low iron count (11.6 out of 12).

Since I was already at the distribution center, they let me make the first package pickup, which was an experience in itself. I never realized that WIC food came with choices! I am now the proud owner of:

*15 quarts of milk (the kind that comes in boxes, like soy milk does. Little bit of an aftertaste, but I think it'll be fine for homemade yogurt)
*24 oz. peach/grape juice (yum!)
*24 oz. orange juice (kinda weird tasting. Like tang, only not)
*24 oz. pineapple juice (haven't dared on this one yet)
*1 lb. black beans (good thing, I couldn't find them in our excuse for a commisary, and I've been craving* cuban black beans and rice for a couple of months now)
*16 oz. montery jack cheese (maybe my new favorite)
*16 oz. cheddar
*48 oz. liquid eggs (good thing I like to bake)
*1 big box of dry milk
*3 boxes of cereal (including a couple of brands I don't buy because they're usually too expensive!)

yay. Our government really does do things right sometimes.
________________
*well, I don't really have cravings so much as I think about foods that I haven't had in awhile, and I keep thinking about them every once in awhile until I have them. For example, I thought about french fries for about 3 months before finally asking D to pick some up on his way home from work. I am currently thinking about a small hot fudge ice cream sundae. I don't think I'll wait 3 months this time.
________________
ps: before anyone (ahem, mom. ahem, Dr. Sam) complains about my diet, I am a VERY healthy eater, overall. Goodness knows I've done enough food diaries for various classes to prove that =)

All the "in" babies know sign language

I'm hungry!












Sorta like Italian Sign Language

This link is actually for children

$69 a night. for the record.

Navy Lodge Sigonella
PSC 824, Box 2620, FPO AE 09627-2620
011-39095-713-0190 - Fax: 011-39095-713-0206
DSN Reservation Line: 624-4082

web site: http://www.navy-lodge.com/overseas/sicily/sigonella.html

Amenities include: Fully equipped kitchenette (dishes, pots, pans, etc.), microwave, dining table, TV/VCP, air conditioning, cribs / high chairs / rollaway, iron/ ironing boards, radio/ clock, hair dryers, ice, snack vending, on-site video rental, mini-mart, and laundry facilities, playground, and complimentary coffee (in lobby).

Within walking: Navy Exchange, commissary, 7-day store, movie theater and hospital.

Short drive to: NAS II.

Attractions: Mt. Etna, beaches, local markets, great cuisine.

Accommodations: 52 units with air conditioning and private baths. Family accommodations. Smoking or Nonsmoking is a request only not a guarantee.

4 months and finally looking a bit pregnant:

AND, we have kickoff! Well, actually it's more like flutter-off, but dan felt a little something last night that he thought was just my stomach, and I was quick to assure him that my stomach does not do that on its own. I felt a couple of bona fide kicks recently, fun fun.

if Gulfport, MS isn't the end of the earth...

then Sigonella, Cicily certainly is! Yup, it's official: we're going to Italy for the last rotation of D's military career (3 yrs). I'm just now starting to research since our internet is on the fritz; so far B knows much more about everything than I do--she would add "what else is new," but I digress. All I know is that this summer is going to be crazy...
Here's their main website, in case you get bored. I'm looking at it for the first time myself as we speak.

as for kid news... I may have felt the first "flutters" a couple of times over the past couple of days. Not sure, because about the time I started paying attention, my stomach would growl. Interesting that my scale says I haven't gained any weight yet. I think it's broken.
Next dr's appointment is next friday, complete with ultrasound...maybe mom'll have to stop calling the kid "little ed" and I'll stop confusing grandma when I alternate between "the kid," "him," and "her." It's a wonder there aren't rumors about triplets going around, haha. My MIL already thinks it's twins, something about I'm fatter than she was at this stage. I'd post a 4 month picture, but our internet is on the fritz, so you'll have to wait just a bit longer. I'm sure you're biting your nails.

what's "see you later" in italian??

14, 15, 16

month 4
week 14: You are now fully into the beginning of the second trimester of your pregnancy. Essentially, for the next 3 months, your baby will grow and grow. It's full system is in place and just needs to expand. The organs are mature by now.
Your baby's heart beats at twice the rate of yours.
The arms continue to develop. The bending of fingers and the clenching of the fists is now possible. Our baby is a whopping 3 1/2 inches long and is 1 to 2 ounces. S/he begins to practice inhaling and exhaling movements. The eyes and ears continue to move and develop, the neck is still getting longer, and the baby's chin no longer rests on his/her chest. The hands are becoming functional, and the baby is beginning to learn to move/use them (probably more reflex than anything). At this point, our little one is receiving all of his/her nourishment from the placenta.
Over the course of this week, a doubling in size takes place!

15 weeks
week 15: If you have an ultrasound now, you may notice your baby sucking his/her thumb. The bones are getting harder each day. The baby's skin is very thin and transparent; you can see blood vessels through the skin. Lanugo, a very fine hair, covers the body and will continue growing on the baby until around the 26th gestational week of pregnancy.
Your baby begins to hear!
The surrounding amniotic liquid helps the external sounds to travel through from you to him/her. It can hear mother's heart, stomach and especially the voice. Some external sounds can also be heard.
On the other hand, the brain is not yet mature enough to interpret this resonant information.
16 weeks
week 16: If you haven't already, you may begin to feel movement as the baby's bones harden. The legs are now longer than the arms, and s/he is moving those arms and legs frequently, especially since there's still lots of room to move within the uterus.
Fingernails and toenails are growing too. In fact, some babies need their nails clipped right after birth!
Your baby now weighs about 2.8 ounces (80 grams) and measures about 4.6 inches (116 millimeters) in length. Although your baby's first muscle movements were involuntary, this week brings the first voluntary muscle movements. Your baby can hold his or her head erect, and the development of facial muscles allows for a variety of expressions such as squinting and frowning.

(copied from several websites. The funniest thing is when they mention size - some are nearly twice the estimate of others!)

my new project

so E was going to post about some yogurt that she made, from scratch, but that ended up on the floor. She was quite proud of herself too, oh well. So we need some sort of something in the works to put on the site. All that to say this is where my extra time and money is going.

yup this is my baby


this is where someone I know quite well hit the side of my car (we won't say who though)

and this would be where an awning support from an rv hit my car during the hurricane, thankfully the rest of the rv landed nowhere near my car. We are also quite thankfull that the Navy paid for the body work needed due to the hurricane. I'll get you some more pictures when it goes to paint (in my friends garage on base) and a completed project shot or something too, don't hold your breath though it'll be a couple of months.

oh yeah here is our other work in progress but this one will take more like 6-7 months

this didn't happen in my friends garage though.

didja hear the one about the pickle?

Now measuring between 2 and 3 inches from crown to rump, the fetus is busily doing his stretching and kicking exercises. All major organs are in place, and her brain, nerves, and muscles are starting to function. Although his gender was determined at conception, external genitalia won't fully develop for another couple of weeks. At that point, a sonogram may be able to show whether you're carrying a boy or a girl--if your baby will cooperate and face the camera!

SOOOOooooo........ :-) Yes, we're quite happy about the whole thing. Especially the timing. If everything works out according to my perfect plan, the moving company will arrive about 2 weeks before the kid (which is so much less offensive than "it" and so much quicker than "him or her") is born and pack up all of our earthly posessions, aside from what fits in our very practical nissan sentra, and transport them to D's next duty station, where they will await our arrival. Though we do not know where this is yet, we will soon. D's a 2nd class now, so he has quite a bit more say in where he goes this time. We're praying for Norfolk.

Then, we'll have the kid on or around July 20, say goodbye to our teeny tiny 32 foot FEMA trailer--which has been an answer to prayer, don't get me wrong--and head north within the week to spend a "relaxing" month at home, showing the kid off and adjusting to being mommy and daddy.

FINALLY, we'll take off and settle into our new apartment. I'm sure that by then I"ll really appreciate having a bathroom of my own that I don't have to back into (pics of the trailer are coming, I promise), and D will appreciate not having to pause his game and move most of his body every time I want to get from the kitchen to anywhere else. On a medical note, I got my referral letter (actually it was a recorded phone call), so I can make an appointment with my OB/GYN today. yay.
~e

Narnia

Yesterday we went to the Chronicles of Narnia. It was funny but the car ride was boring. My dad made me put down my book. My favorite part of the movie was when Lucy holds out her hand to the fawn for a while and then finally says, "You shake it." Then the fawn says "Why?" Lucy says, "I don’t know". My next favorite was when Peter holds out his hand for the beaver to come to him but the beaver says, "I am not going to sniff you if that’s what you want." Then when Edmund says (because the horse is rearing) "Whoa horsie." The horse says "My name is Phillip!." On the car ride home we stopped at Tops to see if they could cook us a pizza but they were closing in a few minutes, 15 exactly, so we went to Mc Donald’s and got 2 things off the dollar menu. I got a double cheeseburger and fries. Tim paid for me and himself and Dad paid for Nick and himself.
by Carolyn

Is it just me, or is there a striking resemblance?

By week 10, all of your baby's vital organs have been formed and are starting to work together. Brain growth increases rapidly by this week - almost 250,000 new neurons are produced every minute in your baby's brain!

This week, your baby graduates from being an embryo and becomes a fetus.

Up to now, your baby's framework has been made up of cartilage. From the 47th day, the first bone cells begin to replace this cartilage. The bones for arms and legs begin to harden and joints begin to form.

The face and jaw is formed, but teeth and facial muscles are only just starting.

All of the vital organs are in place: heart, lungs, brain, intestines. However, they are all still immature and will develop further.

Starting to look like a real human being now. (according to who?)

(due to the strange 38 vs 40 week by week pregnancy calenders online, I mistakenly told the parents to be that their little darling was the size of the pickle ornament I gave them. It will be 7 centimeters in 2 weeks, not now. This week it is only 3 cm. Luckily, s/he still strongly resembles a pickle. They are week 8/38, or 10/40. )

The Weather is Here

wish you were beautiful. . .


welcome(?) back, E and D.

and yes, besides the true outside temperature, that is the true inside temperature this morning. We are doing our part to save gas. Well, at least the type supplied by National Fuel Gas Company.

Whoa! A Spare Minute!!

I know, shocking, isn't it? What is more shocking is that we are actually going to [attempt] sleep in tommorrow!! Taking the weekend off!!! I would say that I won't know what to do with myself, BUT, I think I will finish "moving in" (read: unpacking and putting stuff away) to our "new" house. We have met a wonderful Christian couple down here and they have offered us their four bedroom house RENT FREE to live in until it sells. Works for me. I think D and E are liking this arrangement as well. We will be doing a few minor repairs (fixing a flood light, a window, paint) instead of paying rent. I'll take it! We moved a number of things in Wednesday night and the kids and I did some unpacking and arranging. Oh yeah, and I saw my fist cockroack ever... EWWW.

Things have been AMAZING down here. Very busy, but good. It has been so cool to meet so many people from so many different places who have just come down here to help clean up and rebuild. And the "natives" as some of them like to be referred to are wonderful, too. I am so amazed at the thankfulness I see in them. And what a good lesson for us to be learning... It is just stuff. Stuff is not where the importance lies..... Wow.... It is hard to put much else into words...

Last night we had one AMAZING and powerful service.... It was SOOO good!! It felt like being back at our home chuch worshipping with everyone there and throwing about 300 more people in the mix. There was such an excitement there! And even though it was a little hard to be away from family on Thanksgiving, I can honestly say that I would LOVE to have another Thanksgiving like that! Whew!!!!!

I am putting together TONS of pictures... You will be able to view them if you click my picture link on the side of the page. It is definitely true, though, that pictures do not do any of this justice.....

If you like to shop

I have to ask why???
but here is a coupon to print out for a freebie:
eau de pee-yew
courtesy of E's Aunt Cindy.

We are here!

Just a quick note to let everyone know that we have made it to Mississippi! It is warmer and sunnier than home, but a whole lot messier!!

My Official Blog Announcement

I know, it is a little late, but I have heard that I really should post this information. I have no pictures to post at the moment. And no one is killing anyone, so I have NO pictures of that at all.... Sorry.

We are moving! (Temporarily, anyway... We will see what God says later....)

God said, "Go to Mississippi," so we are going to Mississippi. We are leaving on the 24th of this month (that is 11 days away, counting today, not counting the actual day we leave.) The current plan is to head out around noon, make it to Salamanca then actually stop for lunch and make the kids run around the car and trailer three times (Aunt E's idea...). So, we will *sleep in* (what is THAT?!) and have a late breakfast so the kids can actually MAKE it to Salamanca for lunch. Then we will head out and see if we can avoid the first big city rush hour. We might stop right outside and have dinner, take a little break, etc. Then back on the road.... His sister begged us to take her with us, and she is one of those that is always up until 3 or 4 in the morning, so we might give her the night shift for driving. As soon as we get there though, John will have her off that all night schedule and will be working her tail off. Eight o'clock will roll around and she will want to be in bed.

Everyone is probably wondering (the ones who don't already know the story ;) ) what we will be doing down there. J is going to be building roofs down there. We are starting with the parsonage and the church, then moving on to whomever needs it. D and E have told us and reassured us that there is MORE than enough work down there to keep us occupied for a year if we wanted. So has everyone else that has been down there.... J's sister will be working with him. We told her she could come along because he knows he will need help, and D has offered to help on his days off, but that is not every day.

We will be initially staying with D and E, but are looking for alternate arrangements... :) But I am looking forward to being with them!! It has been a couple years since we have really been able to see D and spend a whole lot of time with him. E was just here, but she was bouncing around so much and then at camp, so it was still only once every other week or so.... We talked about how cool it will be when there are done with their "time" and can come home, find a house and all that and how we would be at eachother's houses... Now we get to actually do that for six months or so. :) Yay!

Six months... that is the current plan. We will see what happens from there.... J has taken a six month leave of absense from work and the military (his CO shook his hand and told him he was more than happy to grant it for what we are going to do). I have talked with the principle of the school and will be taking the kids school work and E and I will be "tutoring" them (the Superintendent didn't like the H word - homeschool - there, I said it!!!!). The kids are REALLY looking forward to being with Uncle D and Aunt E. Everyday they ask why we can't leave TODAY. Pretty soon, I will be able to tell them yes. That is about it for now. I will do my best to keep you posted here. :) Just remember. I have LOTS of packing, organizing, sorting, arranging to do. And only 11 days to do it all. J is working on his end and trying to get more wood for his dad so he isn't out in the woods trying to get it himself. J is really starting to get protective over his dad.... He said he doesn't want to be down there worrying that his dad is up here in the woods alone... Understandable. Plus, he is out of town right now, and scheduled to be out of town next week... AAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! *sigh* I can relax when we are driving down....

But I do rest in this.... I KNOW that God is the One sending us down... This is not our thing. So I know that it will all be ok. I can get everything done, there will be work, and He is going before us and preparing a place for us. :) When God is in it, it is all good.

Free Ball of Yarn

Free Ball of Yarn

This is the glitzy type which isn't my usual fare BUT it is free so I am going to send for a ball. If you send for it but don't want it, you can give it to me. If you send for it but don't knit (or crochet) I can teach you to knit (not crochet) a scarf with it. If you live nearby, that is. Hmm, on this blog that might narrow the chances.

His First....

John Tylor just wrote and sent out his very first email ever..... He is in second grade.... I was like 20 before I heard of email. Well... ok... I was probably a little younger than that, but still, I know I was at least in double digits age-wise. I tried teaching him the "proper" (read quicker) way to type, but he said he would rather do it with one finger. So, he started this email around 4:00 this afternoon. He JUST hit the send button five minutes ago. It is 6:30. Poor kid. He did a fantastic job, though. If anyone wants this email and you didn't get it yet, let me know - I would be MORE than happy to pass it along..... ;) (My kid WILL get first place yet.......) ;)

Proof

For those that have said that there is not a cuter picture....

I Thought I Could Handle This

Sending John Tylor to school two years ago was a SLIGHTLY emotional time. I misted over when I stuck him on the bus and that was that. We were done. I had alone time with him before Tanara was born so now it was Tanara's turn for alone time while her big brother headed off to the great unknown of SCHOOL. Two years passed and Tanara was finally getting her wish... She was going to school, too. To my suprise (and everyone else's I might add), sending Tanara to school produced no tears, no mist, just "Have a great day, baby! I will see you after school!" Was the amazing control of my emotions too good to be true?

YES! One sunny Sunday afternoon (just the other day, in fact), Tanara came racing into the bedroom and shrieked: "I HAVE A LOOSE TOOTH! I HAVE A LOOSE TOOTH!" We of course did the wiggle test right then and there, and sure enough, she had a very loose tooth. Off she went, slightly concerned that actually losing said tooth would hurt. I lay there and looked at the ceiling and realized that the ceiling in my room is blurry!! Could have been the mist. I looked at John and said, "Is she old enough?" He answered yes. "Honey, school I could do, that was no problem, but I have a really hard time with her losing her teeth! She is just too little to lose her teeth!!" They are so tiny and cute, and I guess they represent my LITTLE girl.

Am I completely messed up???? She just doesn't seem old enough......

Hurray!

He is back in the USA!!

I am sure I will have more to say later, but that about sums it up for now.

All systems go

for Dan to arrive at Gulfport (via Jacksonville then Atlanta - this makes sense?) at 10:00pm on Wednesday the 14th.
Yee Haw!

Yesterday's News

E called me at work* yesterday and said that as of 15 minutes ago (remember, this news is now 24 hours ago PLUS that 15 minutes) it looked like Dan would be flying into Jacksonville on the 14th, then fly out of J to Gulfport later that day or the next. No extended stay in J, it appears, for now.
We'll just see, won't we?




*the place I call work, sometimes

My boy is back in town

The Boys Are Back in Town Lyrics


Guess who just got back today?
Them wild-eyed boys that had been away
Haven't changed, haven't much to say
But man, I still think them cats are crazy

They were asking if you were around
How you was, where you could be found
Told them you were living downtown
Driving all the old men crazy

The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
I said
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town


okay, the lyrics are plural and dumb but I am pretty pleased that Tim finally made it back tonight, after more last minute flight changes and other annoyances. Thank God. I now have spare space in my brain to worry about something new. Just kidding.

All Ready....

Early risers! I hope the excitement lasts! They were READY long before 8 o'clock.... Will this work tomorrow morning, and the morning after? That would be nice! Less stress on mommy. Bud is headed to second grade... I think I can deal with that.... But does Tanara seem old enough to go to Kindergarten????? Hey, all of you would be SO proud of me! I DID NOT CRY!!







Such serious kids. They really look ready to learn.









By the way, they are both very proud of their backpacks. Dora and Batman, what a great pair.

I will be picking them up from the bus stop a little after 3.... No more quiet house. I am sure that I will have more pictures to add after that. And I will let John Tylor and Tanara recount their first day for you. :)

T'was the Night Before School

T'was the night before School and all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The backpacks were hung by the front door with care
In antisipation of seeing their school friends there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of school books danced in their heads;
And mamma in her nightie, and I in my briefs,
Had just settled down for a long autumn's nap,

When out in the hall there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away toward the living room I flew like a flash,
Throwing on my bathrobe and tying the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new fallen dew
Gave the luster of mid-day to our living room
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
Two tiny children getting on their school gear....

School starts tomorrow for the kids! They are SO excited!!

Dan, yet another message from your spouse

She-who-must-be-heard says that she is still dilligently trying to contact you via the most recent phone #. SWMBH says that sometimes she has actually gotten through to the apartment, she THINKS, but there are still some technical difficulties, like hang-ups, but that she THINKS at least one phone message was left.
And here is the message:
SWMBH will call every hour on the DSN line until she is, indeed SWHBH*.

That's all for now,
signed,
Katrina's secretary.


*she-who-has-been-heard, duh ;)

Dan, check your email:

Emily must be tired of me airing her dirty* laundry on the blog, because she asked me to send you an email.
(*just a guess. Not sure laundry facilities are available,)

Don't worry, curious folks. It was boring.

Too bad. I could use a nice juicy story right about now. It's been so calm around here. Hardly anything going on.

Clarity for Message left on my machine....

..... I talked with Emily..... twice in one day!!!!!!!
She has heard rumors that they might be sending people to Pensecola, but, she said she is not even going to look into it until Tim goes home. (Probably a smart move since his flight leaves from there, a good jaunt away from Pensecola - that could be a pain.) She also said that she is not actually leaving unless she absolutely has to. Her plan is to stay right there until Dan gets there, then go from there. Basically, she is willing to live in the warehouse as long as neccessary as long as she will not have to be separated from her husband again. Understand that one 100%. She is heading to Kittiwake for church today, so she will be able to see first hand how his guitars have made out.

message left on my machine

Emily called while we were picnicking (what a weird word to spell).
She said that she has been trying and trying to call Dan, but even when she uses up piles of minutes on a phone card she still can't get through. Something about calling internationally is a problem. She has also tried the DSN line (interesting that Erin's post mentions this new phone line) but - no go. So, she says Dan can just keep trying and if worse comes to worse they can communicate through the blog. Just remember kids, less than 2 weeks now.
Also, her parting line on the message says she might go to Pensacola? Why? Is Dan coming in there? She didn't leave details.

CBC Information

We got this from John's chief. It came from the CO down at the base to the CO up here at John's base. I am including the information that seems pertinent to our knowledge of the conditions down there.

Admirals/Chief: I sent a very short message sitrep yesterday evening and will send another more detailed message updayte later this evening. In the interim I wanted to give you all a quick unofficial update on what's happening and send you a few photos since we got limited email connectivity was restored earlier this morning through a DSN phone circuit (thanks to the CNRSE IT folks and EDS). Phone connectivity continues to be problematic - DSN has been reliable but local off base service and long distance is not functional.

Facility Status: We've got Seabees clearing our roads from trees and power poles/lines to make it safe to drive throughout the base. I believe we'll have most of that done today. Assessment teams are working throughout the base to better determine the extent of the damages. We have significant damages that will likely total in the tens of millions of dollars. SOUTHDIV already has gotten CONCAP leadership on board here (thanks CAPT Raines!) and they will be working on the following priorities: power distribution and generation, damage assessment, temporary roofs and lastly debris removal. Mississippi Power is bringing in 4000 people to work the distribution system problems throughout the area. They don't know how long it will take to get power restored but they think it's months. Based on that I asked CAPT Walden this morning to work with NAVFAC to have MUSE units delivered here and we just got word that two 750KW units are on their way and will be here tomorrow (thanks Paul!). We're working alternative power generation/distribution plans now and are planning for a long term temporary solution...

Quality of Life: We have ~ 1277 # ofo people in shelters. Our galley is serving meals as of lunchtime today using paper plates, etc. We've opened the galley to everyone. The Commissary suffered major damamge and will not be operational for many months. NEX doesn't appear to be seriously damaged and we are hoping to open it later this week. There is some family housing damage but our preliminary tour indicates most homes are livable. Showers are being erected in three locations across the base and porta potties placed strategically around housing to allow housing residents to return to their homes later today. We're also establishing laundrys. Because the community has no sewer capacity right now (estimated to be repaired in about a week) we need to not push sewage to them, so we will secure water to family housing and they will use our shower/laundry facilities that outlet to leach fields we are constructing. Once we have the MUSE generators up and running tomorrow we will be able to reopen our barracks. We are working on establishing a disaster assistance center (Legal claims, USAA, Navy & Marine Corps Relief, Red Cross, FFSC counseling, etc) and our goal is to have it open in one of our warehouses beginning tomorrow. NAVHOSP Pensacola is also looking at sending us additional medical staff and medicinals...

Lastly, I want to let you all know that while I have not yet been out to see everything (I plan to do some checks later today) that based on the eyewitness reports I have so far that the Gulf Coast has been hit secerely and the devastation is catastrophic. For those of us familiar with the area, to try to paint a picture of what has happened - most facilities south of the railroad tracks from Bay St. Louis through Biloxi have been destroyed.

Saturday am update

Emily tried to call Erin and Denise this am but got one of those strange messages. She was able to get through to me.
She did try to get Dan but her phone said that she couldn't call internationally. She must have already had his phone #? (because I didn't give it to her)(or, Dan must have left it on his messages). Yes, she got several messages from Dan, though she still hasn't spoken with him post hurricane.
About per diem pay: She is trying to get to the right guy to figure out about this. Evidently getting to the right guy is quite difficult. She is really hoping to just stay put in the warehouse or whatever (on base) until Dan gets there in a week and a half. Part of that time will be spent hanging out with Tim until he gets on his plane (I hope) on Tuesday.
She wasn't in the waiting for base housing line. She was in the Navy Relief Fund line. She got a couple hundred $, a grant, to help her through the coming days. She continues to live and eat on base. The base wasn't too hard hit. There are downed trees, roof damage, windows out, and still no electric or water. But, comparitively light damage. They have generators and hot food and (group) showers. Tim really loves those group showers.
She went down closer to her apartment. Last year's apartment, against odds, still stands. Most of that complex is gone though.
























This year's apartment-to-be is no longer standing, but some of the complex is still there. No rhyme nor reason I guess to what made it and what didn't. I pulled these photos off an apartment site so they are supposed to be the apartments in Pass Christian but who knows.
Her church, and the pastor's house, only got 1.5' of water in them - which was a surprise. But, Dan's guitars were in the water so they didn't make it.
At night time about 2000 helpers, people from across the nation, sleep in the warehouses. During the day they go out and help. Amazing America. Each night, during the briefing, an announcement is made for a prayer service. Each night more attend.
Also during the briefing mention was made of the possibility of an on base school. I'm not sure who all it would serve. You might recall that public schools aren't expected to start for several months. Emily wrote somewhere that she could teach and gave a 1 line resume (wonder what it said!). That might be the ministry that she needs to be involved with this fall. Who knows but God.
Anyway, Dan, I think she really wants to wait for you there. She promises that she is not getting into dangerous places and is safe at the base for now. She really wants to talk with you but I guess we have to wait until all the stars align (or all the towers align)(or something).
Tim says:
The cat is being nice. It's so weird.
He saved a 400 page book to read but finally he succombed and read it. He really wishes he had more books.
He pulled a sandy chair out of the gulf. He is using it and everyone is jealous.
Group showers: still bad.
Hasn't found a fit-in-his-backpack souvenir yet.

That's all I can remember right now. Hopefully she will be able to get through to Dan! and the rest of you before too long.

Message to Emily

If anyone talks to Emily, Dan wants her to call.
His apartment phone # is: 0-115-399-8314. He has a message machine for when he isn't there.
Basically, the question is: Was Emily able to find on base housing? If not, Dan wants her to consider going somewhere else until it is ready. He feels like the base is the only safe place to be right now. She could move to NY or GA or whatever. If she wants to do this (or is willing to), Dan would live in the barracks. Additionally, he wants to apply for separation pay pronto (today).
Well, nothing like airing their private decisions. Please tell her if you are the lucky one she contacts. And don't forget the info about Tim's flight.
Talk among yourselves.

Message from Emily, from Wednesday

Emily's cell phone is sure hit and miss. I tried to call her shortly after we had talked, to tell her Tim's flight plan, and couldn't get through. Oh, well. If anyone does talk to her before I do, you could pass along the info that Tim does have a confirmed flight on September 6, next Tuesday. If you happen to have this page handy, more specific details are:
Delta 1132 leave @7:05am Gulfport
arrive @ Atlanta 9:19am
Delta 1646 leave @10:21am Atlanta
arrive @ Buffalo 12:20am

as a special bonus I am going to try to arrange an orthodontist appointment for Tim while we are in Buffalo so that we don't have to miss any more school to do one later. But you don't have to mention that.

Now on to E's messages:
Indeed, the best (and surprising to me)news was that the storage unit and cars survived. Emily and Tim were allowed off base Wednesday, though they couldn't go far due to the road conditions. Her car was unscathed, though others in the parking lot weren't. For Dan's info, she said that the "bee" on the Grinder in the lot fell on some of the cars, smashing them. Whatever that means. Then they went to the storage unit. The one next to hers had suffered some damage, perhaps by looters or perhaps the owner, but hers, again, all fine. Then they took a little trip towards Pass Christian. They got somewhat close but a "burly" fireman blocked the way. He became teary when he said, "you don't want to go down there." I understand that the national guard is now preventing passage. Emily wonders if she will get her apartment deposit back. I wonder if maintenence will be able to finish getting it ready for today. Ha. I guess not.
She said that galley food is better than MRE's, and the newly functional showers were really appreciated, and that they now have some TV coverage. She says the base is fine, though I read after the conversation that it had sustained damage and had to be evacuated. Someone doesn't have all the facts or something. Maybe they mean the housing?
Dan's car's damage evidently was caused by an camper awning pole. Can't you just see it flying through the air? The small rear passenger window was broken, as well as a dent in that area. I believe she is not complaining about this damage!
The Walmart they lived near is now a cement slab.
The base expects to have electricity in 7-10 days. The surrounding towns expect to have electricity in 2-3 months. Wow. Schools there will not be starting till November or December.
As I was talking with her she was standing in line to sign up for base housing. She had been in line for "hours" and expected to continue to be standing and waiting. I wonder how that worked out.

Day of Prayer (feel free to extend the time frame)

NEW ORLEANS (BP)--The horrendous destruction left by Hurricane Katrina worsened Aug. 31 as floodwaters continued to rise in New Orleans, prompting Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco to order a complete evacuation of the city and to ask for a statewide day of prayer.

"As we face the devastation wrought by Katrina, as we search for those in need, as we comfort those in pain and as we begin the long task of rebuilding, we turn to God for strength, hope and comfort,” Blanco said in a statement.

“I am asking that all of Louisiana take some time Wednesday to pray,” she added. “Pray for the victims and the rescuers. Please pray that God give us all the physical and spiritual strength to work through this crisis and rebuild.

“Please pray for patience for those anxiously waiting to hear from family members or to get word about their homes. Pray for the safety of our hard-working rescuers and those they are bringing to safety.

“I know, by praying together on Wednesday, that we can pull together and draw strength we need -- strength that only God can give us. In my prayers, I will also thank God for the strong and resilient people of this state and how they are working to meet this challenge,

"Prayer would be the best thing to calm our spirits and thank our Lord that we are survivors,” Blanco said.

Dan, phone Emily

I spoke with Em at 6:15 pm New York time. She said to call, as cell service seems to be cooperating.

She further directs (being Emily) to hang up after 2-3 rings so as not to use the minutes for a message. She says to dial again nearly right away, in case it takes her a minute to get to the phone. Try the ring 2-3 times hang up routine a couple of times. You probably know why she has devised this method to save your minutes or money or something :)

I have a longer post of her updates but I want to make dinner first - but she thinks you (Dan) will read this so I said I would post it post haste (I kill myself, hahaha).

Right now she is waiting in the "sign up for base house" line. She has been standing there "for hours". So, she should be able to get to her phone easily.



edited to add:
well, I tried to call her back to tell her Tim's flight info and the cell service is not cooperating again. bummer.
If anyone happens to talk with her, Tim's flight (Delta) is Tuesday September 6 (hmm, could have sworn the operator said Tuesday the fifth - I really need to recheck that I guess)
7:05am Gulfport
to Atlanta
to Buffalo, arrive in Buffalo @12:20pm or so (still haven't received confirmation email for flight #'s)

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know that I know that I KNOW that God hears us and that He had His hand on Emily and Tim and on Dan and Emily's stuff. I KNOW IT! Their stuff in the storage shed is UNTOUCHED and her car is UNTOUCHED and his car has only suffered a cracked window and a dent in the roof. I KNOW that God had His hand on them. In the midst of catostrophic loss and devestation, they are safe, healthy and have not lost their possessions. There are SO many people who have not fared as well, who have lost all their possessions and lost their loved ones. God is good!

Dan might know where this stuff is --

but I don't. Sounds like I missed a really great vacation spot. Bummer.
(ps, Dan, E is fine. Really.)

Posted on Tue, Aug. 30, 2005

Katrina's fury irrevocably changed Mississippi Coast

By Scott Dodd

Knight Ridder Newspapers

BILOXI, Miss. - The Mississippi Coast changed forever Monday.

Gone are the signature landmarks, moneymaking casinos, pricey beach houses, ramshackle apartments and the bridges that link South Mississippi together. Katrina stole or smashed them all.

In their place, a mess of sand and debris coated everything - left by the hurricane's surging seawater that sometimes topped 30 feet.

So much simply disappeared, leaving nothing but concrete slabs. And with the coastline reshaped by Katrina's winds and waves, so much may never be recovered.

"It took 15 years to build," said Hayes Bolton, looking over the concrete slab that was once his well-known Aaron's Lighthouse Pawn shop on Beach Boulevard in Biloxi, "and now it's down the toilet."

Damage assessment teams came back with the same message over and over: It would be easier to list what still stood, rather than everything that had been damaged or destroyed.

Still, a catalog - even a partial one, as any list of so much damage must be - starts to give a picture of how much the Coast suffered, and the overwhelming task that faces the people of South Mississippi as they struggle to clean up and rebuild.

First, though, an important survivor: the 600-year-old Friendship Oak, symbol of Long Beach, made it through.

It lost only one branch and a bunch of leaves, and now stands as a symbol of the community's determination to recover from Katrina, as well.

Also standing: The Biloxi Lighthouse, and the signature guitar of the Hard Rock Cafe Casino, said to be the world's largest. The new casino itself, scheduled to open in September, was half gutted.

Now, some of what's gone:

-The Biloxi-Ocean Springs Bridge and Bay St. Louis Bridge, two of the community's main connectors. Along much of the spans, only pylons remain.

-The historic Grass Lawn building in Gulfport, a reception hall that dates back to the 1830s. Only its foundation survived.

-Much of downtown Moss Point. Twenty feet of water flooded most of the city. Police and power crews still couldn't get in late Tuesday to assess the full damage.

-The Coliseum Pier across from the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. Pelicans lined its remains.

-The Mississippi State Port at Gulfport. It lost its lifting facilities and cranes, and the waves deposited cargo containers as far as a block north of U.S. 90.

- The Isle of Capri casino barge. There was no sign of it.

-Beauvoir, the Jefferson Davis home in Biloxi. The bottom floor of the library and the home itself were gutted. A Confederate flag, though, still draped over the arm of Davis' statue in the library.

-Fun Time USA in Gulfport. The bumper boats, pool and go-cart track were the only things left.

-The President Casino barge in Biloxi, now sitting on a nearby hotel.

-Pass Christian Harbor and the community's entire beachfront.

-Grand Casino Pier, also in Biloxi. Its two barges broken in half. One plowed across the yacht club north of U.S. 90. The other landed in the middle of the highway.

-The Treasure Bay Pirate Ship casino barge in Biloxi. It was grounded on the beach, with the bottom half blown out.

-The old Harrison County Courthouse building, which now houses other county offices. The roof was sitting on nearby railroad tracks.

-The Palace Casino barge in Biloxi, sunk in place.

-The Armed Forces Retirement Home water tower. It collapsed as waves surged beneath it.

-Several blocks of stores and restaurants along U.S. 90 in Biloxi between Rodenberg Avenue and Treasure Bay casino.

-Sharkshead Souvenir City, a Biloxi landmark. The pink shell that topped it sat in the yard of a home more than half a mile away.

-U.S. 90 through Long Beach. Chunks remained, like the aftermath of an earthquake.

-The stately homes and apartment complexes that lined the shore of Long Beach. The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast campus was pretty much the only structure still standing.

-The Edgewater Village strip shopping center in Biloxi. Buildings were gutted.

-The popular El Maguey Mexican restaurant in Gulfport, managed by Mercedes Carranza, a local landmark himself.

-Six blocks of Market Street through Pascagoula.

-The Diamondhead yacht club, and the roof of the Diamondhead Country Club, as well as the community's business district, including the supermarket. More than half of the community's huge pine trees also snapped in two.

-Alberti's Italian Restaurant on the Biloxi strip.

-The steeple of historic Hansboro Presbyterian Church.

-Luckie's Furniture and Appliance store on Pass Road. It was washed out, the walls gone, but the roof was still standing.

- Waters Edge III apartments in Biloxi.

- The restaurants

-The old neon McDonald's sign on Pass Road.

Dodd reports for the Charlotte Observer.

Gulfport Hurricane Blog

click

another blog:
South Mississippi Hurricane Blog

and the local paper:
Sun Herald - South Mississippi Newspaper


and this about I-10, the road Tim and Emily would need to take to get to the airport:
"Interstate 10 impassable

The Biloxi River is flowing over the bridge on Interstate 10, to what one observer guessed was perhaps 6 feet. There are also reports of containers from the Fayard moving company littering in the interstate just east of the I-10/U.S. 49 junction in Gulfport."

so, I'm guessing no airline reservations will be made today.

Here I thought she was screening her calls

but, THIS may explain why I haven't gotten through to Emily this evening:

'Miles of the town are underwater'

Posted 5:06 p.m. ET
CNN's Gary Tuchman, Biloxi, Mississippi

Gulfport is basically, at this time, closed off from the rest of the world. There's no cellular service, there's no phone service. There's really no way to communicate from there. That's why we had to leave Gulfport and take a drive. It was quite a trying 18-mile drive from Biloxi. It was like going in a covered wagon. Interstate 10, heading east from Gulfport to Biloxi, is covered with more refuse than you can ever imagine you've ever seen before. There are stoves, there are refrigerators, there are basketballs, there are sinks, there are toys, I mean, literally, the kitchen sink.

In this town of Gulfport ... miles of the town are underwater.

It's very devastating.

and from earlier, same guy I quoted above and in an earlier post:
'Dismantling of a beautiful town'

Posted 11:03 a.m. ET
CNN's Gary Tuchman, Gulfport, Mississippi

We are watching the dismantling of a beautiful town.

We have been told by authorities there is now over 10 feet of water on the road next to the beach. When we were there, we saw boats sailing up and down the streets. We're told there are now at least four or five boats here on the main street here in Gulfport.

Literally, projectiles are coming in our direction. It feels like we've got to dodge artillery. I want to give you a look at what happened to our vehicle. Five minutes ago a piece of wood crashed into our vehicle -- crashed into the window and put a hole in our window.

this MIGHT work:
movie


I just heard on the 11:00pm news that 50 people have been confirmed dead in Harrison County. That's where Gulfport is, and I think Pass Christian too. That is WAY high - I think more than anywhere else. Wonder what happened.

This just in @1:30 pm our time

Dan put more insurance on the car last night --

Dan heard that after Camille all the deployed guys got sent home, so he wants to get on that list.

Emily thinks that the portapotties between the hummers would make a great picture.

Cots are 7" apart in their shelter (the warehouse). 700 people are there, "enjoying" the MREs. Tim reportedly nearly puked after realizing how similar to cat food the food tasted. Really.

Cat got a tranquilizer from the pastor.

Gulfport news

Wind whips through Gulfport, Mississippi, where a boat washed onto Highway 80.

(CNN)"To the east, Katrina was hammering Biloxi, Gulfport and other communities along Mississippi's Gulf of Mexico beaches, where CNN correspondent Gary Tuchman reported from Gulfport that the storm was "dismantling" the area.
"There is intense damage," Tuchman said. "We are watching the dismantling of a beautiful town.". . . . "We are watching these building deteriorate and break down before our eyes," Tuchman said. "Because the water is so deep, boats are floating up the street. There is extensive damage here. This is essentially right now like hell on earth."
Authorities in Gulfport told CNN that 10 feet of water cover downtown streets. "

editorial opinion: Have a feeling that the Tuchman has underestimated hell, though I understand that he is saying it is *very* bad.

(Yahoo news)""This is a devastating hit — we've got boats that have gone into buildings," Gulfport, Miss., Fire Chief Pat Sullivan said as he maneuvered around downed trees in the city. "What you're looking at is Camille II." "

"Killer Katrina" (or, what's a nice name like this doing on a Category 5 Hurricane?)

"With powerful and strengthening Hurricane Katrina headed straight for his city, the mayor of New Orleans today ordered the mandatory evacuation of residents. The Category 5 storm has maximum sustained winds near 175 mph and has already been blamed for nine deaths in South Florida. Looking ahead, Max Mayfield of the National Hurricane Center said: "It has the potential for a large loss of life.""*
""There will be extensive to potentially catastrophic damage to many structures ... and inland," he said. "We'll have a lot of trees that are going to come down, perhaps millions of trees. But the first threat is going to be the storm surge. You must get away from the coast now."
By 8:30 a.m. ET (Sunday), the first bands of rain were falling over southeastern Louisiana.
CNN meteorologist Brad Huffines said the Katrina would come ashore "sometime between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m." Monday.
"The news doesn't get good, unfortunately," he said. "These rain showers will slow down the evacuation process, and that means you need to hit the road quickly, very quickly.""

"Governors of both Louisiana and Mississippi declared emergencies Friday in anticipation of the strengthening storm.
Robert Latham, director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, said the state was recommending evacuations along the coast "and even several counties inland." Mandatory evacuations could follow later, he said.
Category 5 is the highest category on the Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity. Only three Category 5 hurricanes have made landfall in the United States since records were kept. Those were the Labor Day hurricane of 1935, 1969's Hurricane Camille and Hurricane Andrew, which devastated the Miami area in 1992. Andrew remains the costliest U.S. hurricane on record, with $26.5 billion in losses.
Camille came ashore in Mississippi and killed 256 people."

"Katrina is forecast to turn to the northwest later this morning, then toward the north tonight. Well ahead of the center there will be very high surf crashing ashore in the northern Gulf starting Sunday night. You'll need to use extreme caution or JUST NOT GO IN THE WATER AT ALL along all of the northern Gulf beaches from Louisiana to western Florida due to this increased surf. Extreme damaging winds, high, life threatening storm surge, and deadly flooding rains with possible tornadoes are expected at landfall. "
(certain words capitalized by me, the mother, as a message to Tim, the dope, who (it has been reported to me) wants to go swimming in the Gulf.)

*all quotes taken from cnn or weather.com

and now, a few words from our sponsor, Emily -
•Emily's cat will never be the same (which the sponsor's mother thinks might be good) after it listens to the howling wind in the pastor's mother's garage. It is not allowed to go along with Emily and Tim.

•Emily and Tim are going to evacuate to the Navy Base in Gulfport. No civilians allowed, so I don't know who Emily is planning on coercing to get Tim into the warehouses with her and the other evacuees. (for those of you not in the know, Tim drove down to MS with E last Monday to help her move into an apartment. He was supposed to fly home tomorrow. cue hysterical laughter)

•Emily expects to call this evening (Sunday) one last time. However, the citizens are encouraged to not use their cell phones excessively, to "clear the airwaves" for other emergency communications.

•Emily expects the (electric) power to cease and desist during the night tonight.

•Emily expects the storm to last 4-12 hours. She is likely to be out of communication during this time.

•Emily expects that Tim will not cry about missing his first days of school.

This* just can't be good

*(click)
"People along the Gulf Coast got some very unwelcome news just before the weekend -- Hurricane Katrina appears headed their way and may be a destructive monster by the time it arrives. Governors of Louisiana and Mississippi declared states of emergency Friday. Damages from Katrina are estimated at between $600 million and $2 billion. "
and
"Friday, August 26, 2005; Posted: 10:00 p.m. EDT (02:00 GMT)

HOLLYWOOD, Florida (CNN) -- Hurricane Katrina will make a "big shift" to the west on its way across the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to reach dangerous Category 4 intensity before making landfall Monday afternoon in Mississippi or Louisiana, the National Hurricane Center said Friday." (both CNN quotes)

anyone want to place a bet whether Tim will be on his plane coming home from New Orleans on Monday? Right about the time the hurricane is due in LA?
and anyone want to bet Dan will be thinking about renter's insurance again?

edited to add: I nuked the defective "animated" image. So there.

I have discovered something...

I don't have the power, I don't even have a clue
I don't know all the answers, I don't even know a few
And if I were really honest and the truth were known of me
It may sound a little funny, this is what my prayer would be

I don't know what to do, but my eyes are on You
I don't know what to do, but my eyes are on You
Eyes...

My eyes are on You, Lord
I don't have the power, I don't have all the anwers
But my eyes are on You, Lord
I know victo - victory is Yours, I know victo - victory is Yours
So my eyes are on You

My eyes are on You
I lift my eyes toward the heavens and tune my ear to Your command
Help me boast of my condition, Lord
You're the God and I'm the man, You're the God and I'm the man
I lift my eyes toward the heavens and tune my ear to Your command
Help me boast of my condition, Lord
You're the God and I'm the man

You, oh Lord are God
You, oh Lord are God over this city, oh God
You, oh Lord are God, You, Lord
Mighty Warrior, Mighty warrior, Victorious One
Come help us boast in our condition, Lord
We wait on You, Lord
Mighty angels, mighty angels go before us

You're the God, oh Lord,You're the Almighty God
You're the awesome, powerful militant Lord
Victory is Yours, oh Lord, Victory is Yours, oh Lord, Victory is Yours, oh Lord
Victory is Yours, oh Lord, Victory is Yours, oh Lord, Victory is Yours, oh Lord
You are God, oh God, You are Lord, oh Lord, You are King, oh King
You are King

Rejoicing, rejoicing, rejoicing, victory is the Lords
Rejoicing, rejoicing, rejoicing, victory is the Lord's
Rejoicing, rejoicing, rejoicing, victory is the Lord's
Dancing and singing, dancing and singing, dancing and singing
Victory is yours oh Lord, victory, victory is Yours
Yes, oh Lord, yes oh Lord
Dancing and singing, victory is Yours
Victory!

All of heaven rejoices, all of heaven rejoices, all of heaven rejoices

~Jason Upton

And that discovery is this: If you answer that call from God to truly chase after Him and step out and do what He has called you to do, you will get bombarded on every angle. For a few weeks, I have had all I can do to sleep. That can make coping with little kids tough. John has been physically hurt in the last couple weeks and that makes his job at the airport tough and drumming at church hard, too. I didn't give it too much thought, but knew that we werw being attacked. This morning we discovered that we had been NAILED in our finances. I knew that we were going to be attacked because we have taken a stand and said, enough with the complacency, it is time to obey and have started praying every morning and really chasing God and trying to follow His call. I never thought that an attack would come on the finances. I called John in tears and told him of the very substantial mistake in our account and his response was, "have you been praying?" Uh, yeah, pleading all day is probably more like it. He clarified - have I been praying daily. Oh, yes. Well, from now on, we need to be praying over our finances. We are being attacked. Oh yeah, never thought Satan would go THERE. Bad underestimation on my part as well as very bad on my part for the mistake to begin with. If we are hurt financially, it is that much harder for us to step out and minister. Money is not everything - not even close, but some of the things we feel called to do require money, so of course we will be attacked there. Even after I talked with John a few more times, and continued praying, I just wanted to crawl under a rock and never come out. I felt so devestated. Beaten. Stupid. The song on the top of this blog came on, and at the beginning of it, I just cried and cried. Oh God, can you hear me? I DON'T know what to do, I felt frustrated, cornered, stuck. But my eyes are on You. Help me, Oh God. I poured out my heart and sang that song. Then halfway through, the music changes, and rather than, oh help, it is, yes, YOU ARE GOD! YOU ARE VICTORIOUS!! The numbers in my checkbook did not miraculously change, but my outlook did. I can withstand this, and My God is more powerful than this!! Rather than weeping, I am praising. I know I must be on the right track. Satan wouldn't bother with little old me if I was no threat. And my God is big enough to handle this. He has promised to take care of me, anyway. If my problems are His problems, than this is His problem. (The bank sees it as my problem, but I know that my God is in control, so I won't fret. It will work out.)
I discovered that the more you pray and the deeper you go, the harder you will be hit. But, the more time you spend on your knees and the closer you get to God, the more prepared you are for those attacks. I have learned where my victory is. I am learning to put my armor on every morning. John (yep, mine!) spoke on this a couple Sundays ago - whew!! It was the day after he took a day off from praying. His outlook was, it's Saturday, no biggie. That was the day that his brand new motorcycle fell over and he yanked his shoulder out trying to stop it. Satan doesn't take Saturdays off. He did not get up that morning and pray protection over our family and himself. He didn't put on his armor. Perhaps sounding a bit like a Frank Peretti book? Maybe, but I know that it is true...
The belt of truth, so I will live a life of integrety, speak the truth and be able to listen to the truth and discern what is true and false. The breastplate of righteousness - it protects my heart, and represents the walk that I want to have. The shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace. I want to walk in peace, and by standing on the gospel and on the promises God has given me, I have peace, no matter what may be accosting me. The shield of faith - as long as my faith is in God, nothing the enemy shoots at me can kill me. The helmet of salvation - I protect my mind, which is probably my weakest point. Satan can do so much to me and defeat me so easily when I listen to him and believe the lies he whispers in my ear. But with the helmet, I protect my mind. And the sword of the Spirit - so important! All the other pieces are defensive pieces, but the sword is my one offensive piece. With God's Word, I can do so much warfare! Just by speaking His Word and standing on it, I can defeat the enemy! Bring it, I'm ready....
Finally, my bretheren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the the wiles of the devil. For we do not westle against flesh and flood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of this darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication fro all the saints. Ephesians 6: 10 - 19

gummie bears, dark chocolate, and dilly bread

The time has come.

The time is now.

Just go. Go. Go!

I don't care how.
Emily J. Waasdorp,

will you

please go now!

The time had come.

SO ...

Emily WENT!

~the late, great, dr. seuss

The car is packed, and (quite miraculously) the only things I couldn't fit were my long-coveted dutch oven and dan's little cd player that he got from lil B. a couple of christmases ago. Hmm, guess someone's just going to have to come visit. Anywho, Tim and I are leaving New York at 3:00 a.m. tomorrow. I will be setting about three different alarm clocks. If we can actually get ahold of our atlanta cousin, we'll be stopping in there for a night, and continuing on in the morning. If not, we'll take a more direct route, and I'll be able to show my not-so-little brother some of my favorite gas stations in Ohio. The title of this post refers to what is in my "trip treats" cooler. Later I will be adding iced tea, grape juice, apples, and perhaps some yogurt. Cheese would be nice too...

If we skip atlanta, this is sort of what our route will look like:


prayers for safety and ease of apartment renting/unpacking would be appreciated! Tim's going to stay for a week, and fly back next Mon. SUPPOSEDLY, dan will be leaving the island around the second week of September. We'll see.

~mira

My boy Tim is famous, the internet around

While perusing one of my "kids" (from last year's preschool class) dad's photo gallery, I found Tim. (was wondering where he was...)
Last year I (with my mother etc.) had a yard sale on the front lawn of the schoolhouse. Not much was sold, but everyone wanted a schoolhouse tour or a backyard tour. I did the inside ones and Tim did the backyard ones. This is the forementioned phoenix who I was all ready to let Nate take to the cabin to bother those neighbors (actually, to be fox bait). Now that he is a chicken model he might have a brief reprieve.

We bought a car

off ebay. Nate thought the process was quite exciting.

Volkswagen: Jetta GLS 2000 VW Jetta TDI - Turbo Diesel - GLS
Miles: 142903
Doors: 4 doors
Transmission: Manual
Year: 2000
Warranty: No
Title: Clear
Exterior: Blue
Interior: Tan
Condition: Used
Inspection: Inspected
Engine: 4 CYLINDER 1.9 LITER DIESEL

Standard Equipment:
CASSETTE
POWER WINDOWS
CRUISE CONTROL
POWER STEERING
AIR CONDITIONING
ABS
AM/FM RADIO
GLS TDI
2 WHEEL DRIVE
DUAL AIR BAGS
4 CYLINDER 1.9 LITER DIESEL

Optional Equipment:
POWER DOOR LOCKS
MOONROOF

The guy is not much of a speller but he IS a believer. At least that's what his website says. The car is down by Philadelphia. We'll probably go down early next week to pick it up. Here's hoping and praying we don't get skunked. I rather doubt that we'll be disappointed.

A free* morning

I went over to the garden this morning. I knew that based on the calendar I should have SOMETHING ready to harvest. Hmmm, no corn or tomatoes. Bummer.
I picked a ton of basil, lots of parsley, some dill, catnip, peppermint, marjoram, sage, and oregano. Cilantro didn't look so great so I trimmed it a bit and we'll see if it recovers. A week ago I moved the surviving stevia home so that I could watch it better. I wasn't entirely sure that the one thing was catnip but seeing Nickel licking the bag convinced me. I dried the dill, catnip, mint, and sage.
I ground up the marjoram, oregano, parsley, and basil as a pre-pesto mix. I have some more of this pre-pesto type mixture with just basil and cilantro. At some point I will add parmesean cheese, olive oil, maybe butter, nuts (usually walnuts as pinenuts are costly), and garlic to the base. Yum.
Tonight we'll probably have broccoli soup. I froze 2 large bowls of broc (post cleaning and cutting and blanching) and saved one for soup. I'll probably make a cream soup with onions and cheese and some dried potato stuff (one of the only legitimate things you can do with that stuff, if you have it on hand, besides putting it in "potato" bread).
Tomorrow I'll cube the summer squash/zukes, top with spaghetti sauce, top with mozz cheese, top with pizza toppings and bake. This always is eaten with favorable comment.
And that is the end of a psuedo domestic post.




*free? I tend to pay for free time - start a bunch of projects that I have to finish when I'm not so free. Got to love the cake of good intentions, where I regularly bite off more than I can chew.

interesting

gtmo trials





45 days

120 down 60 to go*

*approximately 60, who knows when I am actually getting out of here. Although the first company of reliefs manned up out of Gulfport last week, so they are on the way. Our reliefs (Bravo company's that is, the company that I am in) should be leaving for Washington sometime soon. Turns out there is light at the end of the tunnel. There isn't much else to report on that I can talk about, just a few frustrating days at work. Oh well, stories galore when I get back, can't wait. See ya.

still here

Well, the hurricane missed us. Those pictures of the cliff are good though. That's a pretty high cliff and the sea spray came up over the top when the waves hit the cliff. That was pretty cool. As my senior chief says "it's all fun and games until one of those [waves] comes over the cliff." Anyway we all fared well and nothing was seriously damaged where I am. Hopefully I can say the same for my car in a couple of days.

So --

How's the weather?
Strong winds and surf buffeted the U.S. detention camp for terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay, on the island's eastern end, where a guard tower was washed into the sea. There were no reports of casualties."
.........
The U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo escaped the brunt of the storm. Heaving surf tore away a lifeguard tower at Windmill Beach and winds destroyed a bus shelter. A few power lines and tree branches were knocked down and there was minor flooding.

American troops fixed metal shutters over the steel mesh windows of some prison cells overlooking the sea at Camp Delta, which is just 150 yards from the ocean.


and from the Navy these excerpts:
Waves crash against the southern coastline of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, just east of the base lighthouse. Hurricane Dennis passed the station, between 1 and 2 p.m. Thursday, July 7, sustained winds were recorded at 35 knots, gusting to 47. At that point, the eye of the storm was 87 nautical miles southwest of the station. Seas at the mouth of the bay were cresting at 10 feet, and were 12-14 feet offshore. The base suffered minimal damage and there were no injuries.

Oh Danny Boy

I know that you have been fretting about what to get me as a souvenir from Cuba (or from the Navy in general). Luckily, I have been fretting about this also and I now have the answer to your problem.
A chair. Not just any chair, a Navy chair. While at the less than local Burger King (a year ago, and besides, I didn't inhale), I noted a very striking aluminum chair. I have been looking around for something similar and believe I found not a duplicate but even better, the inspiration for the BK chair. It is an Emeco aluminum chair, Navy version (really, not making this stuff up). They utilize a 77 step process, a WWII design and they're made in Hanover PA.
I looked on ebay where they are scarce and costly, and new where they are way costly so I'm afraid you'll have to check around the base/ships/subs/officer homes/thrift shops/whatever. Feel free to pick up the matching child's chair and stool if it is convenient.