Kayaking on the Ichetucknee

I went kayaking yesterday on the Ichetucknee down in Florida with some friends of mine. Matt did not want to attend, so he stayed home and worked on his truck and even did some housework... thanks Matt! :) I had a great time down there. It was my first time kayaking and it was a blast! We kayaked upstream, then ate some lunch and then kayaked back down. It was a total of 6 miles. The water was clear and there were turtles sunbathing on the logs. We even saw a turkey on the shore!? I didn't know turkeys lived down here. I enjoyed my time and would definitely do it again.

More Pics of the Trip

Snowboarding Trip

We went up to Maggie Valley in North Carolina this past weekend to go snowboarding. We went with a small group of people from the base. We had a fun time snowboarding even though the snow was man made. I was trying to get some pictures, but did not get that many because the batteries died in the camera. My friends that went with us said they will email me some of theirs, so I will post more later. :)

Welcome Home Matt!!

Just letting all of you know that Matt made it back home safely this past Saturday. Thank you all so much for your prayers, cards, and goodies that you sent him, it means a lot! This coming weekend we are going to head to Jacksonville to go to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. That was one of Matt's special request to do when he got back and of course I don't mind going there either! :)

2 More Days!!

Two more days to go and Matt should be back home! I need to finish up some last minute cleaning and then I should be set. I took Casey to the groomers yesterday so she could get dolled up for Matt's return. She smells so much better now and her fur is even softer than before. The groomer put a small, bright pink bow on the top of her head and a scarf around her neck. LOL... I couldn't leave the bow on for long because it looked cheesy, but she looked cute with the scarf!

Pictures From the Sandbox...

Just sharing some pictures with y'all of Matt's deployment. He should be coming home towards the end of January!!

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a great New Year! I had a fun time, but I wish I could have celebrated it with Matt. My friend from work invited me to go over to her house. We played Apples to Apples (one of my favorite games!) and Battle of the Sexes. Then we watched the ball drop on T.V. On New Year's day I watched the Rose Parade. I enjoy watching this parade every year because it reminds me of being back home with my family.

Looking back over this past year, I would have to say that it has been a difficult and challenging one. Matt and I spent only 4 months together during that year. We also had to face some hard and confusing times. Although those times were tough, I can look back now and realize that God has a plan and purpose for everything. You know the saying, "What does not kill you, makes you stronger." Well, I feel that through the tough times God has made me stronger. I never thought I would be able to get through these hard times before they happened, but I did and that was because God gave me the strength to make it through. He also gave me a great support system of family and friends to see that I would make it through.

So, as we begin 2009, I am looking forward to the things that God has in store for us. No matter what comes my way I know that God will see me through. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13) What an awesome promise!