A new role

Wow...it's been a while since I've been on here!

The ceremony for Port's commissioning went very well, despite a very fussy teething Riley girl. It was amazing to see my handsome man stand in front of his peers, mentors, family, friends and cadre and finally being recognized for all of his hard work for the last 2 yrs of officer training. What an honor it was for me and our children to pin him with his new rank. He's now a 2Lt which I just think is awesome!

The reception went equally as well. Thanks to all who came out and celebrated such an awesome occasion with us! Several times through out the reception, which was held in our home, I stood amazed. Our home for 5 1/2 hours was wall to wall packed with people. There was a steady stream of people coming and going for most of the day. It was so cool to see so many people come out to love on us and support us. How blessed we really are!

We celebrated my little man, Carson's birthday a month early tonight while daddy and Pa are still here. Chucky Cheese here we come;)

Port and I also had a first this week...our first night away! I had reserved a room at the beautiful Old Town Guest House here in CO, which included our own private hot tub and patio! How wonderful the privacy was, the room, the amenities, the food, it was all just perfect!

I have reflected often the last few days on my new role as an officer's wife. It's something I take very seriously as we are fulfilling our calling by being in the military. The army flows thru our veins and we know how to do what we do and do it well.

I have had a few really good and some really bad examples of officer's wives cross my path. I've had some rockin FRG experiences and some terrible ones. It's intimidating in a sense for me. By Port choosing the officer's route, there are many perks but many more responsiblities as well. Your reputation means more, what you do reflects heavily your husband and family, more so than on the enlisted side of the world.

More than anything else, I hope to grow, mature and be an example to others. I see so many wives dishonoring their husbands while they are deployed and at home alike. I have seen many choose to party, be crazy, run around and trash their lives. While it's easy for any of us to choose this path as well, I realize that I have many people watching me now....as an officer's wife and as a Christian.

I hope to lead some of these other ladies to Christ, to show them a better way. I hope to lead by example in the way I conduct myself, the way I dress, the condition of my marriage, the real and genuine love between Port and myself, the way we raise our kids, the way we handle our finances, the way we live.

We've never had tons of money in the bank, don't strive for a huge nest egg but instead give all we can for others. Our kids don't always wear name brand, have all they could ever want, or do all they want, but at the same time they don't want for anything, but they know how to love, how to give, how to tell the story of our Jesus and how He came to save.

As I begin my very long list of thank you notes, I am determined to shrug off the intimidation I at times feel about my new role, and I see that this is just one more way in which our awesome God is going to use us.