{Nieces and Nephews}

I have gotten one niece a year for four years running: 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. Each of them unique and all of them beautiful and sweet. I love to watch as they make their personalities known.

Over 5 weeks from 2011 to 2012, I got two handsome nephews. I know my son will be so excited to have some fellow testoterone.

My son was also born in 2010 (5 days before my 4th niece). So, in 6 years, my {husband's} family has welcomed 7 new babies! 7 little souls. 7 unique personalities. 4 girls + 3 boys. To some it may seem overwhelming, but we LOVE it. Every year there's the anticipation of a new bundle of joy. Every year the arrival of a soft, warm, sweet baby to hug and kiss.

Well, ladies, it's time to draw straws and see who's up for 2013! ;)

{Vegetables at Lunch?!}

I am not a fan of vegetables. There are some I like to eat. And I do the best at dinnertime; that's when I at least think to add vegetables to my meal. But if I have a choice between broccoli (my "favorite" vegetable) and chocolate cake, I'm gonna go with the cake. Every time.

However, I am changing. And it's about time. Not that there's anything wrong with chocolate cake. It's just that my diet needs a makeover, along with my body. If I want to be stronger, more fit, more slender, more energetic, then I cannot live on cake alone.

Today for lunch, I got out the steaming basket (that I also used for dinner last night!) and put in 2 ounces of {previously cooked} frozen chicken, 1/8 of a green bell pepper, 1/2 of a medium-sized red potato, 1/2 of a carrot, and 1/2 cup of frozen green beans. For LUNCH. Amazing. I didn't know I had it in me.

It seems like a small step. But it's a big one for me.

{NOTE: Lest you think my taste buds suffered, after steaming all of that healthiness, I melted a tablespoon of Smart Balance, seasoned it quite well, then poured it over everything. Delicious!}

{Keep On Truckin'}

Sometimes all I can do is keep putting one foot in front of the other. My mind teases me saying, "You could stay in bed...it's warm there." But, God encourages me to get up and press on. Staying busy will make the days til Homecoming go by much faster and much more joyfully.

It helps that I have an almost-two-year-old. He's pretty insistent when he decides it's time to get up. His best worst trick is to peel back my covers. Notice I said PEEL. As in slowly. Ahh! I can't even begin to convey how unnerving it feels. Not to mention, COLD. But who can deny the handsome face saying "Eat! Eat!"?

We have come such a long way since the beginning of this deployment. In the beginning, I tried to stay busy by going to the gym, but it just wasn't feasible at the time. My son would scream for fifteen minutes until the childcare worker would come and get me. And that was when he was well. Most of the time, he was battling asthma and random viruses.

Now, it's a completely different scenario. He reminds me to go to the gym. I love it! The only time he cries? When it's time to leave. And even then, not often. He has settled nicely into our gym routine and even just that little piece of our day brings us both the joy and renewed sense of hope to tackle the rest of the day. And every day down is another day closer.