Spring Has Sprung!

     Since my last failed attempt at blogging we have embarked on an adventure to Alaska.  It has been an incredible journey of trials and growth.  The Maughanstrs arrived just before school started and have not stopped since.

     We have spent the fall and winter months gaining new talents and survival skills.  These skills include Katie's new found love of cross-country running,  Boo's adventures in gymnastics, Buddy's Ninja Kindergarten skills,  cross-country skiing, surviving -50 degree temps and post housing.  

    We continued to perfect our love of downhill skiing, mountain biking, and all things nature.  Although getting through the four feet of snow that still remains here in April is quite difficult.   I fear summer will be a long awaited event, that will be short lived.

    Travis AKA Team Leader, has jumped back into the world of Army Maintenance with both feet and has found it is just as full of stinky poop as when he left it to recruit.  Although, I believe he is his kicking butt as always and enjoying the challenge.  In addition to working crazy long hours and butt kicking he has continued his college courses.  We are finding that this is proving to be an additional challenge and causing many grey hairs.  School has been a team effort this semester, we are after all, in this together.

    I have discovered my love of being in the classroom.  I spend three days, sometimes more volunteering at the kid's school during the week.  I really enjoy it and it has me considering pursuing teaching in the future.  For now, I am considering applying for a teacher's aid position next year.  The same one I turned down last year , but was too nervous to accept.  So many passions to chase, so few hours in the day to do so.  Wife, mom, student-assistant, housekeeper, financial advisor, school volunteer and full time juggler have me exhausted every night.  

    The Maughansters are growing up too fast.  We have two in braces now,  so we are poor again.   The oldest, Katie will be attending Junior High next year, and continues to wow us with her big heart.  I won't lie, I am more terrified for this girl to start Junior High than she is.   She could make a friend under any circumstance and loves to learn.  

    Boo continues to be our stalking tiger; quiet as a mouse, until someone steps on her tail. Then the teeth come out and she makes you very aware of her presence.  Afterwards she always feels bad and requires lots of snuggling.  As a whole a lot more Tigger than Tiger.  She is a solid straight A student and loves tumbling and flipping through the air in gymnastics.  The ski hill has become her play ground, she has a love for speed that one. 

   Buddy on the other hand has zero love for anything that requires added gear.  His dreams are of becoming a ninja and believes all other activities are a complete waste of his time.   Our ninja spends a lot of time climbing snow piles AKA mountains, in a world entirely made up in his mind.  

    I will attempt to be better at updates. . .in the mean time know that you are loved and missed in the far reaches of the great Alaskan wilderness. 

-Mama Jen and your favorite Alaskan Maughanstrs

    

Being Married to Superman

    So many people ask me if being married to a soldier is difficult, and the honest answer is a complicated one.  First, being married to the stud I call husband is easy.  Travis, is a super chill guy and is loads of fun to be around; not to mention he is easy on the eyes and looks amazing in uniform.  Then, comes the job itself which is its own little pandora's box.  The time away is a struggle but not impossible.  After all we are never alone, we have the adventure that is filled with people who change our lives forever.

    Several years and a lifetime ago, Superman walked into my life.  From the time of our first date to the moment we said, "I do." time flew by at super sonic speeds.  With a few distractions and one giant leap we began our adventure.

     When he came to me a few months later asking if he could make a full time go at this superhero business I was extremely supportive, and was excited to begin leaping off of tall buildings with him.  We packed everything up and headed for Metropolis.  I was full of excitement, wonder and  packed to the brim with big ideas of how it would be.  We were eager to begin saving the world together.

    However, when we arrived it quickly became apparent that those superhero adventures would be fought on distant shores.  I would be asked to do my part at home and play a much different roll.  It all happened so suddenly we didn't have time to truly process it all.  One day he was here in my arms, and the next he was gone.  Excitement was replaced by fear and longing to be with him.

   He was off fighting battles I would never truly understand; with people I could never really replace. The life of a superhero is a hard one, that only other superheros truly understand.  That first adventure was scary, and when he return he wasn't really the same man.   His smile never really reached his eyes those first few months home.

    Soon after I began to understood my roll in all of this superhero business.  My job as sexy lover was much more complicated than I ever thought it would be.  But my job was also more important than anyone would ever know.  I was in charge of reminding superman who he really was; loving him back to health and crushing the demons that no one else could see.  With time and a lot of love, the hard images become distant and the softness returns.

    Then the training begins once more, the orders from Metropolis are cut and off he goes to save the day again and again.  But before he leaves he gives me the most precious of gifts, to watch over and keep safe.  Pieces of his heart in the form of three beautiful children.  It rips his heart out to go but he does so knowing he leaves to make the world a better place and in the end we always seem to put him back together again.

      It didn't take me long to discover the importance of sidekicks and teammates.  My military friends and fellow Army Wives are not just friends, but battle buddies.  They help me navigate the labyrinth of Tricare, DEERS, and the long hours between Skype and phone calls with Superman.

    These women are not just random people I share common interests with; they are sisters that forgive stress tantrums; babysitters who allow me to have moment of personal time; sounding boards to complain to about superhero capes and combat boots.  They are family with whom I share a lifetime of memories with.

    This week while prepping for my next big adventure with Superman, I was reminded of how amazing this network of family is.  Not all of these women are other military wives, but they all have made a difference in my life.  When the Army fails me I know I have a safety net to fall back on.

    I called and messaged a few of these elite ladies this week during moving frustrations and everyone of them came through for me.  Though the days have been many, and the distance between us is great, they answered the call without hesitation.  Not everyone understands our military life, but those who know us know that if asked, together we could move mountains.

    My life with Superman has been an incredible adventure.  If he asked me again tomorrow to do it all over again, the answer would most definitely be yes.  So to answer the question, "Is being a soldier's wife difficult?"  Not if you have a network of kick-ass women on speed dial in your go bag, and Superman to save the day.  Thanks for reading friends.  Go do something awesome today.  

Back by popular demand

     It has been brought to my attention that I should get back at this blog thing.  With some very friendly nudging from dear friends, and a small push from my loving husband I have been persuaded.  With any luck my daily Facebook dialog will find a better platform here.

     I have no idea why anyone would want to follow the randomness that is our daily lives.  That being said I do enjoy sharing our adventures in life and the random thoughts that come with it.  I have no clue what sort of things I will be sharing with you, but I know for a fact that it will be eclectic, emotional, and for the most part unapologetically real.

    Some things you should know before you jump down the rabbit hole;  I do believe in the power of make-believe, magic, and making the impossible possible.  My spirit animal is a panda and my favorite things in the world are the little Maughanstrs that run my world and their daddy, the love of my life and favorite verbal sparring partner.  My very own Mad Hatter.

    If all that you have just read sounds awesome and you want more to read more then kid, stay tuned this is going to be an adventure or a terrible mistake.  Either way, like any good action scene in a movie,  it will leave you smiling or sitting there with your mouth hanging open.   Let's do this thing!

 

Fall 2014

My favorite time of year!  These are a few pictures of the last month a little taste of all the things we have been up to! :-)  Sorry there are not pictures of Trav and I we just somehow managed to not get in front of the camera this month.

Fear

     I can't believe it's almost been a year since I posted anything.  So much has happened.  Most of it I don't think I would go back and relive, it was crazy hard.  I learned and grew so much that I am going to call it a success. I survived, that's something right?

After my last entry life kind of spiraled out of control for a long time. By the time I had time to adjust it was over. Our family tried to adjust to Dad's passing and Mom's illness with strength, some of us less graceful at it than others.  It's scary how much you learn about yourself under the worst conditions life has to offer.   Growth is bound to happen but for the small gains in the end you have to question if the injuries were worth the fight. Burning bridges can leave you feeling regret.  There is no doubt in my mind that life has it's tests and sometimes we fail them miserably.  What is the saying "By repeated action we learn." I have to wonder how many times I have to make the same mistakes to learn from them.  I have been such a fool, wisdom is not something easily gained.

December brought a cold that set in and brought with it a dark cloud that hung over us like a guillotine ready to fall.  Every phone call, every doctors visit was filled with fear that any moment the other shoe was going to drop.  Feeling like the floor would give way with the next step.

I strapped on my brave face and my arsenal of "I'm fine" and fell apart when no one was watching.  Even then cracks began to show on my well painted mask and my strength began to fail.  I started praying that someone would take the trials at the time off my shoulders but in the same breath prayed I could endure because I couldn't bare being away from her.  I don't think any of us thought we would make it through the winter and at the time it seemed to stretch on forever.

Helpless is exactly what we all fear and no matter how prepared we are it comes to visit us all at some point in our lives.  We are asked to rely on faith.  A faith that no matter how many times someone tells you to work at, to build and prepare we fail to do so.  In our weakness our tests find us and strip away those inadequate preparations.  That is where I found myself like a caged animal panicking at the unknown and lashing out at anyone who would come near me.  Blaming the blameless and shaking a weak and broken fist at a world that neither cared nor hears me.  It's so difficult to put words to our fears and angry actions speak so much louder than we mean them to.

Broken and humbled is when the light breaks through and in the spring we found a sliver of hope. We begin to ask ourselves "Could this be the answer to all our prayers, is she going to be okay?" All the while fearing that she isn't strong enough to survive the surgery.  But as quickly as it burst through it was blocked out and stumbling we go back and begin to nurse our disappointments. I once again began to worry and fear and shut more doors to those around me.  However my mother has felt the sun again and she discovers the fight is not lost in her. From her darkness she begins to seek out life again and she finds strength.  First she finds mental strength and with it she slowly gains back a little physical strength as well.  

You don't know how much you miss someone's smile until you see it for the first time after such a scary and dark time.  She began to take back her independence and I began to realize how wrong I had been on so many things. I do not regret the care I gave, nor do I regret the fact that we chose Utah and chose her over our other options.  I know we provided what was needed this last year.  I know that my father is proud of our sacrifices.

What I do regret is the weakness I had to jump so quickly to anger and judgment.  How my fear of not being needed overpowered the reality of how much I needed rest.  Like a exhausted railway worker driven to his death by a brutal master, I drove myself by my fear.  Fear of losing her too, fear of everything I was sacrificing being forgotten, fear of not doing enough, fear of doing too much, fear of unkempt promises,  fear of what it was doing to my marriage, my children, and those others I love so much.  I regret how slowly I fell to my knees when the darkness set it and refused to give up my fear, my anger, and my self doubt.  What a fool we are in our weaknesses.

But all of this is nothing compared to the regret I feel for the people I hurt while being scared.  Since childhood I have blocked out people when I am afraid.  I curl into myself and shut down or worse lash out.  For all the trust people have in me I have very little trust in myself or others.  On my crusade to help my mother this year I buckled and failed.  I cut ties before they could be cut.  Self preservation always. . .and the wake I left is vast.   I have hurt and pushed away so many people in my life time.  So much good has been left devastated by fear.

The reason Travis is the Yin to my Yang is he quietly takes me into his arms in my darkest moments.  In all my inward chaos he is the calm that without a word brings peace to my life.  What a awesome realization to find that you need people more than they need you.  How an independent spirit is left drifting without those around to ground it.  Pride will be our downfall and where we want them to call it bravery it will only ever be known by fear.

I hope that I have found wisdom in the dark and a better appreciation for the light.  Heavenly Father knows me and knows my weaknesses and like any good father he strives to teach me to be better.  Like Travis and the father I still ache for daily he quietly takes me in his arms and calms my otherwise chaotic soul.  Find peace my friends.  Find love where you least expect it.  Take chances in others and in yourself.  Surprise the doubters even if that means surprising yourself.  Forgive, forget and move on.  Learn.

Fall

This last month was pretty busy with all the events at school and the fun trips to see the Grandparents down south.  We celebrated birthdays and played in the leaves, we even made a couple pies.  

Recruiting is still going well it's hard days for Trav but he seems to be in good spirits.  He doesn't complain about it, just keeps at it.  It's a blessing to be home every night and he knows it could be worse.  He does know that he wont be wanting to extend his time here at the end of three years.

We have made a few trips to the dentists office this last few days in preparation for Katie's new hardware.  Her braces should be on the week of Thanksgiving.  Poor kid will be eating her turkey in tiny little bites.  She is getting so grown up and helps me so much every day.

Boo celebrated her sixth birthday this last month and it amazes me how much she changes day to day.  She soaks up learning and will be starting a second language course in school next quarter.  She is really enjoying learning to read and write and continues to ask the question "why".  

Preston also celebrated a birthday this last month.  He is starting to find his voice and is talking more and more.  Although he still finds it easier to scream and point to get what he wants.  It's so hard to stop and remember to get him to use his words instead of just giving him what he wants to make the noise stop.  He is our little daredevil and loves everything with an engine.  His latest interest is trains.  He can sit in front of his little Ikea train set for hours just pretending the day away.   

As for me I wish there were more hours in the day.  Wish I could find the time to finish all those projects I have been wanting to tackle but they will have to wait till Thanksgiving break or maybe even after Christmas.  For now the laundry, kitchen, and classroom have me. 

Hope this message finds you well and that you found your sunshine today.  

- Jen

Family Home Evening project we did with the kids.

P-man in desperate need of a hair cut. 

UTVA fall literacy event.

Pumpkin patch with UTVA.

Mom got to the pumpkin patch without a camera battery. . . had to take these with the phone. :-/ Pretty cute kids though. 

Making pie just because we can. 

Look who is three! 

And Boo turned six! :-)

A Hard Moment Met by Heaven.

"Waiting For Superman"

She’s watching the taxi driver, he pulls away
She’s been locked up inside her apartment a hundred days

She says, “Yeah, he’s still coming, just a little bit late
He got stuck at the laundromat washing his cape”
She’s just watching the clouds roll by and they spell her name like Lois Lane
And she smiles, oh the way she smiles

She’s talking to angels, counting the stars
Making a wish on a passing car
She’s dancing with strangers, falling apart
Waiting for Superman to pick her up
In his arms, In his arms
Waiting for Superman

She’s out on the corner trying to catch a glimpse
Nothing’s making sense
She’s been chasing an answer
A sign lost in the abyss, this Metropolis

She says...Yeah, he’s still coming, just a little bit late
He got stuck at the Five and Dime saving the day”
She says...If life was a movie, then it wouldn’t end like this
Left without a kiss
Still, she smiles, the way she smiles, yeah

She’s talking to angels, she’s counting the stars
Making a wish on a passing car
She’s dancing with strangers, she’s falling apart
Waiting for Superman to pick her up
In his arms, In his arms
She’s waiting for Superman

To lift her up and take her anywhere
Show her love and climbing through the air
Save her now before it’s too late tonight
Oh, like a speeding light
And she smiles

She’s talking to angels, she’s counting the stars
Making a wish on a passing car
She’s dancing with strangers, she’s falling apart
Waiting for Superman to pick her up
In his arms, In his arms
She’s waiting for Superman

To lift her up and take her anywhere
Show her love and climbing through the air
Save her now before it’s too late tonight
She’s waiting for Superman.

-Daughtry

How do you replace a hero?  Mend that portion of your heart that is meant just for him? I keep dialing his number starring at the screen wishing I could push send.  Grief is not my friend, it is a cold and relentless bitch.  The shelf I keep trying to push it on keeps collapsing in on me and spilling the contents all over the place.  No matter how much I try I keep having to face the loss of him.  

I keep telling myself "No, Jennie you are strong, you can handle this.  You can smile and it will be alright."  It's not alright.  I'm not alright. It's the hardest deployment I have ever had to face.  

My therapist told me last year that my strength is my weakness.  Putting this puzzle together is rough.  I keep having flash backs of our last days together.  Caring for your hero in his weakest moment is a blessing and a tough blow all rolled up in one messy package.  I feel so blessed when I recall holding his hand and seeing his sweet smile.  Standing him up and "dancing" to replace his bed linens and reposition him in bed.  His whispers of "my sweet strong Jennie" but they are matched side by side with his pain and failing body. Holding back the tears I know he didn't want and smiling back at him.  Haunting memories I don't want to face but so desperately reach for. 

His smile.  His strength.  His heart.  His laugh.  His quiet moments, when I would catch him smiling in his chair watching his family.  His food.  His hugs.  His faith in God.  His faith in me.  His lessons.  His love of his country.  His example.  His ability to see the little things. These are the things I love about him and these are the things I must remember.

I find him here now.  Pouring through the song lyrics in my play list.  His arm on my shoulder saying it's alright, you're alright.  Strength in spirit wrapped up in the memories of him.  Whispers of "my sweet strong Jennie, please don't cry. I'm here."   And he is here forever in his quiet ways giving me the strength to continue.  I see him smiling in his chair across the room, watching us and finding his joy and I smile but the tears they come.  They fall from unforgiving eyes who wont stop their attack on my crumbling wall.  

Don't want to let you down.  Don't want to disappoint.  Don't want to let you go. 

My sweet friend Sally brought me a message from Dad a few weeks after his death.  She was visited by him after his death and he told her this message for me.  "I had to wait till Travis could be your hero.  I had to wait till he could be there for you.  I held on till that could happen."  His words brought me comfort.  Although they only met a handful of times, Dad was always fond of Sally and her friendship with me. She brought Travis and I back to the church and she has never stopped being my friend.  Distance changes nothing.  It doesn't surprise me that he chose her to pass along the message.  In one of Dad and my last phone conversations before I made the move to Utah he said to me "Jennie when will you be here?"  I promptly told him that I would be there on the first.  He said "Good, I can hold on till then.  I am so glad you will be here for her, she needs you here."  He was so concerned for mom. His last concerns were for his family.  He held on for her, he held on for us all. 

Travis is my Superman now.  I needed my Dad to remind me of that.  He has proved himself over and over again with his sweet smile.  His big heart.  His hugs.  His love of his country.  His example.  His ability to see the small things. His faith in God.  His faith in me. His quiet way of giving me the strength to continue.  I can never replace or fill up that part of my heart that is meant for my Dad.  I will forever be Daddy's girl, but my heart can find comfort in others and Dad is reminding me of that. His words from the past rising to the surface of my memory "I love your husband Jennie.  I love him like a son.  You chose well, he is a good man. Take care of each other."  I will Daddy, maybe we can be each others hero.  Maybe that's what Dad wanted for us, something tells me it is. 

Mom pulled me up from my darkness as a young adult after I had given up on hope.  After trying to end the pain of my youth so selfishly.  She taught me to smile at my mistakes.  She taught me to love myself and not let other step all over me.  She taught me to never settle for okay when you can have great.  She taught me that love comes in a lot of different packages and she continues to amaze me with her growth as a person.  Her ability to adapt and change.  She faces tomorrow with a brave face and even if inside she is crumbling and full of sadness she continues to smile for me.  She is happy for me and worries for me.  Even in my moments of tantrums she pulls me in and lets me fall apart in her arms.  She tears through my walls and cradles her tender hearted Jennie; who is trying desperately to get the world to believe she is made of stone. I find that years later she is doing the same. I find comfort in her smile and friendship in her own tears. A relationship I have so often taken for granted, I cling to and hope that she finds comfort in my smile as well. Maybe we can get through this together, I think he would have wanted that.

My father was always bringing people together.  He was always throwing parties and cooking food. He wanted all his friends to be friends. He wanted Christmas' and Birthdays to be a big deal.  He wanted everyone to be friends and love one another.  I have tried to be this type of person.  I have failed and that's okay.  I have realized that our family without Dad is a different sort of family.  Missing a key part of the equation. Life without Dad will be different and that's okay I think he knew it would. I think that's why he asked what he did of us. Travis and I will finish his boat. We will do those things that he asked us to do and maybe one day we will find that it has brought us back together.  Life must adapt to change and so must I.  I wish I could keep every promise I have made to him, I believe some day I will.  I know he knows I am trying and that gives me strength.  Travis says that it's not always the result it's what we gain along the way.  Pretty smart man, that one. 

I have so many faults, perfection continues to allude me.  Try as I may I will always have that extra weight I want to lose.  I will always struggle to clean up my language.  I will always try to be better about reading the scriptures, temple attendance, and that FHE that always falls apart and turns into a free for all.  My kids will always have challenges I want to fix.  Not everything and everyone needs me to fix things.  I think my children as adults may struggle with my obsession to fix things. Then there is my always pushing people away after they hurt me, I really should learn to forgive.  It's just so much easier to stop the hurt than work through it.  A lesson I must figure out. I Judge people, heaven help me I do.  I'm working on it. . . 

But with all my faults comes my talents my crafty little ways that aren't really a strength but they bring me joy and I find worth in that.  I am pretty handy with a needle and thread it's not always perfect but it's fun and it brings beauty to our home.  I don't always blow everyone away with my cooking abilities but my family enjoys my little creations and I haven't killed anyone. :-) So I think that is something to be proud of.  I love deep and I love long.  I have a big heart and would do anything to make anyone happy.  I love to make cashiers smile, who look like they are having a hard day.  I love to help people smile, there is a little bit of a high that comes with it. I am probably the most insecure about others view of me but I will try and put myself out there to make a difference to something I believe in.  I sacrifice personal time to make sure my children get the type of education that is right for them.  All these things are strengths and I need to remind myself of these things.  For years he has been the one who has reminded me of these things.  My cheerleader and biggest fan. I think he taught me enough lessons to know the answers I need to know about life all on my own now.  And with this knowledge he is always with me.  It's remembering that I have the light inside me in the dark moments that is the hard part. 

I miss him every day.  I fall apart when it gets too heavy to bare but every time I have reached for him he has been there.  Change is hard and the loss of such a huge presence is felt deeply, but he left the tools behind with those closest to us to continue on.  He brings the light to dark moments and worth to the small things.  "Remember that I love you." Five words with so much hope and strength in them.  I remember Daddy, thanks for the therapy session and thank you to those who have joined us today.  I hope you find your sunshine today, I know I have. 

-Jen

When violet eyes get brighter,
And heavy wings grow lighter,
I'll taste the sky and feel alive again.
And I'll forget the world that I knew,
But I swear I won't forget you,
Oh if my voice could reach back through the past, 
I'd whisper in your ear, 
Oh darling I wish you were here.

-Owl City

Every Day an Adventure

This morning has been pretty busy with so much happening in school before the end of term.  We fell a bit behind the week we moved so poor Katie had to really pick up the pace and push through quite a bit of material.  She has been a trouper though and is really working hard on her focus.

We have been without medication the past two weeks while our insurance catches up with the government shut down that has caused us so much headache.  Katie struggles a lot without it but she is truly working hard to do her best.  The ADD still rears its ugly head in the afternoon but the protein bars or peanut butter on toast help to control the spacey moments.  She is turning into such an excellent student, math and history have quickly become two of her favorite subjects.  She has recently discovered that reading can be fun  and has started to read chapter books with excitement and no tears.

Brooklyn is enjoying Kindergarten and is blowing through the curriculum.  I am going to start including a bit of Hooked on Phonics back into her day.  The K12 program is not as challenging as I believe Brooklyn needs right now and would like to push her a little more than the program is currently doing.  She is very smart, a little too smart for her own good at times.  She has discovered her six year old self and the attitude that comes with it.  We have recently had to work with her on her manners and the "no" word.  She has a tendency to laugh at the most inappropriate time.  I am quickly discovering it's a nervous habit and have had to change tactics a bit.  She loves to snuggle and is continually seeking approval.

I recently noticed a bit of competition happening in the classroom with the two of them.  Things like "Brooklyn you don't write as neat as I do." and "Katie doesn't finish her work as fast as I do."  It looks like even in homeschool the desire to outshine someone else is pretty strong.  I am looking into some literature for it.  I think a little competition is healthy but I also want them both to know that I care for them equally and that their differences are a good thing.  In the meantime I have started a "I caught you doing something good" jar.  They get to put a puff ball in when I find them saying or doing something kind for the other or anyone else in the family.  We introduced it at our latest FHE and the kids are all excited now, I'll let you know in a few weeks if it is working. :-)

Travis is working hard with the recruiting and is finding it rewarding but also a challenge.  He amazes me how he blossoms under pressure.  He and I are so different in that area.  He steps up to the challenge and grows every day.  Under the same pressure I am sure I would buckle.  I was falling apart a few days ago worrying about finances and he came in with such a calming spirit.  He is always the rock that grounds me and keeps me going.  I hope that I am that for him, he is always so kind and full of compliments about my daily tasks so I am inclined to believe he feels the same way.  I feel like our marriage is teamwork at its best.  I don't mean to say we don't fight, we do that with the best of them but we are honest and I think that is important.

Preston is our soon to be three year old and living up to his age.  He rules the roost and is quite the stubborn little man but he is sweet and keeps his sisters on their toes. He doesn't say a lot and I am starting to get concerned about his speech but again government insurance has its hurdles. ;/

Well that's all for today my friends back to one more history lesson and then laundry.  I hope you find your sunshine today!

Jen

Getting back into this thing.

Hello friends and family,
 As many of you know I am homeschooling full time now both Katie and Brooklyn.  Our lives have been in full swing since moving to Salt Lake City and we are settling in quite nicely.  A lot of new things to explore and adventures to be had.  Travis doesn't get much down time these days but he is home every night and that is a huge blessing.  He is such an important part of my life and I don't know what I would do without him.  He is the calm to my storm.  It's going to be a hard couple of years but I have a feeling we are going to grow and learn so much in the next three years that it's exactly where we are suppose to be.  I hope this finds you well.  Here are a few photos of last weeks FHE.
Jennie

Updates for Afghanistan

So we are on week 10 of Travis being in Afghanistan.  It's been a little bumpy after a break down or two and I am sure there will be more before we can be done but I think we are holding up alright considering.  The girls have been extremely forgiving and loving to me.  They love their Daddy so much that is has been beyond hard for them to be home with mean mommy.  I myself am looking forward to school starting to help distract us all from the craziness.  Travis is doing well.  He has his good days and his bad.  The hard ones for him generally are the hard ones for us as well.  Distance doesn't change that fact.  We are being strong for one another though and getting each other through.  He has been staying busy with work, work and more work. Building up new shops and doing his three jobs as best he can.  The temperatures if I am not mistaken Trav may correct me later but from what I understand them to be in the 120's most days.  He is losing weight from lack of apatite and insane amount of sweat at least his office has AC and his tent which helps him to sleep at night. =)  He says the food is fairly good but he is getting sick of it pretty quick.  He isn't sleeping well and the prayer music of the locals wake him up pretty early.  The guys are doing as well as they can be.  He says his soldiers are wound pretty tight and with the heat on top of tension its making for a hard atmosphere.  But he is working hard at keeping everyone's tempers to a minimum and smoothing over bickering as best he can.  The girls and I have been trying to write him letters so that he can have mail.  Emails are great but I know he likes to have a bit of home he can hold in his hands so I am trying hard to make sure I write him a few times a week.  The girls love drawing pictures for Daddy and Katie is working hard at her writing so that she can write Daddy letters all by herself.  Brooklyn is becoming quite the artist and loves to paint him pictures.  Preston is pretty clueless but he works hard at snuggling with mom at night to help fill that huge old king size bed up for me.  The girls and I for family home evening the other day decided after hearing about moral being low a few weeks ago to make the soldiers some goody bags.  The girls carefully stamped fifteen bags for Daddy and his soldiers to decorate them.  They then went to the dollar store and picked out funny toys to put in the bags.  We baked some cookies and then filled each of the bags with the loot.  They received them yesterday and Travis said it was good to see smiles on their faces.  It was rewarding to see that our girls hard work helped even for a minute to bring joy to these soldiers.  I do believe we will have to make some more soon.  =)  Anyway here are some pictures of Trav and his soldiers.

Travis and one of his soldiers putting up a shop tent for training.

Travis in his office

Stake dinner with mango smoothie.  =)  Nice plate Trav.

The girls "thank you" for the goody bags.  =)

Trav in front of one of his shipping containers.

Butterfly, butterfly fly away home. . .

So our dear friend Kadi has a daughter just between Katie and Brooklyn's age.  She invited the girls over for a butterfly party.  She has been watching the butterfly's grow during the summer in this nifty little net. So Kadi being the amazing teacher she is told the story of the hungry hungry caterpillar after a fun filled afternoon of face painting, bubbles, water balloons, ect.  After the story was told and each of the kids had a chance to help with the felt board they let these two little butterfly's go.  The girls had a blast and want to know if they can "grow" butterfly's next year.  Here are some pictures of the day. =)