Credit: http://www.essortment.com/pregnancy-parenting/

For 2012, my pastor picked this verse to be our church’s theme for the year: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” Each month so far, he has preached on a different topic relating to that theme. This month, the topic is perseverance.

This past Sunday, he preached two sermons on the topic. The sermon’s were entitled, “Keep on Keeping On” and Sunday’s night’s was: “Faithful to the Finish Line.” While the main theme of these sermons was to persevere in the Christian life, or to be faithful in church attendance or Bible reading, I realized I felt convicted in another area. The area of parenting.

If many of you have kept up with my blog posts, or even the little areas of my life through Facebook, then you know that my son has SPD. He is also a toddler. You put a special-needs child together with the terrible twos and you get… well some crazy moments and maybe some chaos too!

No parent’s job is easy, but honestly at times I feel so overwhelmed with all the therapy and doctor’s visits, and all my son’s needs that sometimes I just want to give up. Sometimes when my son is being a regular toddler and just throwing tantrum or hitting for the 4th time that day, I just want to throw in the towel and be done.

It’s sometimes so easy to want to say…

• “Today I am going to just let him watch tv all day.”
• “Today I am just going to let my son eat crackers all day because it’s too hard to sit at the table for an hour and try and get him to eat.”
• “I don’t feel like taking him to therapy today.”
• “I don’t feel like dealing with another meltdown or another time-out.”

I know as a parent I am not the only one with these feelings. Sometimes being a parent is just plain old hard. But as I learned this past Sunday, the key to parenting is being faithful. Let me explain.

In the morning service this past Sunday, pastor talked about Noah. Noah was a man who was faithful to God. But if you think about it (and as my pastor pointed out) he was one of 8 Christians on the entire earth. Can you imagine being one of eight left on the earth? I can’t. Think of how hard it would be to stay faithful to God. Not many other people were doing it, it would have been easy to give up.

Then God told Noah to build the ark, and as I know a lot of you know this story, things got bad for Noah. People made fun of him, no one believed him, he was ridiculed day and night. but as in the title of the sermon, Noah kept on keeping on. he continued to build the ark. And when that day finally came, and the rain started to fall, I know he was glad he was faithful to obey what God told him to do.

Parenting is a little bit like the ark. God gave you your children and in my case, my son for me to raise. He knew my son would have SPD, but that doesn’t mean he made a mistake. It will be hard, it will take years of work, and for awhile you may wonder how your parenting will turn out, but in the end it’s going to be worth it. Why? because you followed God and were faithful to the end.

You got through those, hard times, those temper tantrums, those days of time-outs, potty training, hitting, throwing, and whatever else comes your way. You kept on keeping on. And you are going to be rewarded just like Noah was. You are going to eventually see the fruits of your labor and hopefully one day our children are going to come back and say, “Thank you. Thank you for not giving up on me. Thank you for being so faithful.”

So  my encouragement to you today and also to myself is this: Parenting is hard, but don’t give up! Persevere and be faithful. God is watching and He knows every hard day that you go through. Whether you have a special-needs child, a strong-willed child, a toddler, or a teenager, He knows. And all He asks is that you are faithful. He will do the rest.

“Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” -Matthew 25:23

I made one of my favorite meals the other night and I finally decided to share the recipe with you! I love this recipe because it is easy, only requires a few ingredients, AND it’s in the crock-pot. Need I say more?

Ingredients:

• 2 (10.75 oz) cans of cream of mushroom soup   (I used the garlic cream of mushroom soup).
• 1 package of dry onion soup mix.
• 1 1/4cups of water.
• 5 1/2 lbs of pot roast  (mine are usually a couple lbs smaller).

How to Make:
Usually before I put any meat into the crock-pot I prep the meat with a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder. You can do this, or skip this part, up to you!

1. In large bowl mix the cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix, and water together. I use a whisk so it’s not so lumpy.

2. Place pot toast into the slow cooker and pour the soup mixture on top.

3. Add carrots and potatoes (optional, but definitely recommended).

4. Cook on high setting for 3-4 hours or on low for 8-9 hours.

5. When done, use the soup mixture as gravy. Enjoy!

Original Recipe From: AllRecipes.com
To see more of my recipes click: HERE

1. I learned that I am stronger than I think.
No military wife is ever ready for deployment. From what I hear from other wives none of us really feel that we are strong enough to go through a deployment. But at the end when we look back, we are shocked at how much we came through and how strong we really are.

That is how it’s been with me. I look back and I think, “Wow, how did I do that?” The answer? I did it with God’s help, and also by taking it one day at a time. There were a lot of days that I look back on when I felt I couldn’t go on, but I didn’t have a choice in the matter so I kept on going. Those are the days that I believe make a person stronger. When you realize you don’t have a choice but to keep on going and so you do. And when you finally look back you realize how strong you really were, and how much of a stronger person you are now.

2. I learned that trusting God is my only option.
It’s sad that it had to come down to a deployment to make me realize this. So many times I try to do things on my own and I don’t think about trusting God or having faith in Him to do what He needs to do. I wrote about trust the beginning of this year on my blog: My 2012 Word: Trust. I had picked the word “trust” as something to work on throughout this year. It’s funny because when you actively ask God to help you learn how to trust, then He is definitely going to put things in your life to help you learn how to trust, and those things aren’t always going to be what we think they are!

It was those times when I was at the end of my rope, when I felt like there just had to be something else I could do, that was when I heard that soft and still quiet voice that said, “Just trust.” And that is what I learned: that at the end of it all and even at the beginning, our only option is to trust. Because if we don’t trust Him for the little things, then how can we trust Him for the big things in our lives?

3. I learned that letting others help me is necessary and that’s ok.
If there is one thing I hear from military wives most, it’s that they are afraid to let others help them during deployment. Either they are too proud to ask or they don’t want others to think they are not strong enough to make it through the deployment on their own. For me it was a little of both.

If you followed any of the events that happened to our family during this past deployment over the span of 6 and half months, you would know that it was pretty much impossible for me to get through a lot of it without asking for at least a little help. And that’s ok. It’s ok to ask for help. In fact I encourage you to do so if you are going through a deployment. Don’t be afraid! A lot of military spouses see each other as family,  and wouldn’t you want to ask your family for help if you needed it? It took a wonderful woman at the beginning of this deployment forcing me to let her in and let her help, to get me to see this, but I am so glad I did.

4. I learned that deployment can be a time for personal growth.
I feel like during this deployment I learned so much about myself. I feel like I grew as a person. I learned more about who I am, what I want, and a little about what makes me tick. If you are currently going through a deployment, use this time to better yourself and to learn about yourself. See what things in your life you can work on improving before your spouse gets home. It will be amazing to see the results at the end of the deployment!

5. I learned that deployment can make your marriage stronger.
At the beginning of this deployment I was absolutely terrified of what this might to do our marriage. Would we change? Would our marriage change? Would we even know each other at the end of all this? Sure deployment is scary, and I think every deployment is different when it comes to your marriage. It depends on what place you are at in your marriage when the deployment takes place. It also depends on what you make it. Are you going to be an understanding wife? Are you going to pray your way through? Are you going to have a positive outlook even when you both may not feel like it or when you are both having a bad day? Sure there will be times you are going to argue, or be short with one another, but I found that more than that is that we were able to communicate our needs better.

We didn’t have any real face-to-face conversations. We emailed. And when you email, you have a response time in-between. It gives each of you time to think through a response, it also give you a chance to write down your thoughts and feelings without getting interrupted. At times I felt the communication was slow and that can be frustrating. But there were so many other times when I was able to really communicate how I felt about something through email which gave him time to think about it and then give me a response instead of us interrupting each other or arguing about it. Deployment CAN make a marriage stronger you just have to find a way to do it. Don’t let it get you down, find ways to encourage and strengthen each other.

Well this deployment is over. Praise God I made it through by His grace!

What are some things you have learned during past deployments or maybe during the current deployment that you are in?

Because my husband has recently come home from deployment, I am taking a blogging break. Today I have Kris from “The New Normal” guest posting about her own homecoming! Hope you enjoy!

I’m so thrilled to be guest posting for Kathryn as she enjoys her well deserved Homecoming with her husband! Welcome home!!

Kris & her husband

Homecoming is such an incredible time, full of emotions and joy! My husband’s homecoming is still fresh in my memory, only having been about five months ago.  It is hard to believe that it has already been that long since I welcomed him home from Iraq and finally felt that hole in my heart begin to fill again.

Thinking of Homecoming brings back a myriad of memories and emotions. First, the feelings of excitement as the date drew closer, but also the anxiety of not knowing exactly when it would be. Plans changed so frequently with date changes, flight times being rearranged and then of course the inevitable delay on the actual arrival day. At times it felt like we were living in limbo, not really knowing how to schedule our days because at any time hopefully we would receive the much anticipated phone call announcing their impending arrival. There was also the stress of wanting everything to be perfect when you were finally reunited. From hurrying to get the house clean to completing last minute projects, and of course the all important homecoming outfit chosen, the days leading up to Homecoming was an exciting, but stressful time.

Despite the excitement, stress and anxiety that can lead up to the actual Homecoming day, the day itself for me was one of the best memories I have ever experienced. I felt like I was walking on air and was a bundle of nerves as I walked into the hangar to await the arrival of the buses. The families gathered with their signs and balloons, sharing deployment survival stories as we all waited. And waited. Our soldiers’ flight was delayed over an hour and we were all beginning to get antsy! One wife was receiving text updates from her husband and would inform the rest of us as to their whereabouts, which only made the anticipation even more unbearable! The moment we finally saw the buses arrive outside the hangar is when I began to get nervous, with a hundred different thoughts running through my mind: “What if I can’t find him?” “What will he think when he sees me?” “How will I react when I see him?” “I think I’m going to cry!” My thoughts were only interrupted by the banging on the hangar door and then the deafening roar of the crowd as our soldiers marched in formation toward us. And I did cry. In fact I lost it completely! A few words were said and then we were finally released to be reunited with our soldiers. My memory at this point is pretty hazy, but I’m pretty sure I may have about trampled a few people in my haste to get to my husband! I wasn’t quite that bad, but after 10 months apart, I couldn’t reach his waiting arms quickly enough. And once I did, there was no one in that hangar but my husband and me.

Being back in his arms, the world felt right once again. Safe. Complete. It was all finally over and we had survived. We had not only survived, but we had thrived. The separation made our marriage stronger and our family more appreciative of the time we have together. Thinking about homecoming still gives me chills and brings tears to my eyes. The anticipation, the joy, the relief…it was definitely the prize at the end of a long deployment.

Kris is an Army National Guard wife and mom of two. She started her blog, The New “Normal”, when her husband left for deployment to Iraq last year. What began as a way to keep her husband connected to life at home has turned into so much more! From the support and friends that have been gained to the amazing opportunities that have come through blogging, it has been quite a journey! In addition to blogging, Kris is a 1st grade teacher, runner and wanna-be photographer.

Because my husband has recently come home from deployment, I am taking a blogging break. Today I have Mandi from My Perfect Mess guest posting for me. Mandi has a special place in my heart as we have known each other in the blogging world for quite awhile now and we also met in person last fall (you can read all about that here: Online friends: Meeting Mandi). Mandi’s post is very unique because she talks about life as  Missionary. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did and also that you pray for their family when you think of it.

Some things don’t change no matter where you live… kids get sick, cars breakdown, dinner still needs to be made. But other things are definitely different!

7:45 – My alarm goes off and I look at the window to see if it’s sunny or cloudy. This morning it’s cloudy. That’s good. I decide to leave our air conditioned bedroom to enjoy the “cool” morning. We only have air conditioners in the bedrooms and they are only powerful enough to keep the room nice. But even if they did cool the entire house the electricity is too costly (three times as much as in the States) so we can only afford to run them at night while we sleep. My daughter’s bed is in our room so we only need to run one air conditioner at night.

I quietly leave the bedroom trying not to wake my daughter up. I head into the living room/dining room/kitchen (it’s one big open room) and open all the windows and doors. Got to let that “cool” air in as soon as possible! I make a pot of coffee and sit down at the kitchen table to read my Bible.

8:15 – I grab a cup of water and my laptop to catch up on Words with Friends.

8:30 – My daughter starts to whine (she is three years old) so I go into the bedroom to get her up, turn off the air conditioner and open the windows.

Maddy takes off her diaper and goes to the potty. Maybe it will be a good day of potty training!

I get her a cup of milk and turn on PBS… Super Y is on… she’s happy.

8:50 – Breakfast. Nutella on toast and a banana for Maddy. A bowl of cereal for me.

9:00 – I put a load in the washing machine then sit down to check Facebook, read my emails and waste a minute or two on Pinterest while simultaneously planning my day and talking to my husband about his day.

We hear monkeys outside. Maddy jumps off the couch excitedly yelling “Monkeys!!! Mommy let’s see the monkeys!!!” So outside we go to watch the monkeys eat seeds from the palm trees and play.

9:20 – Pick up the house a little, wash some dishes and get dressed.

Get Maddy dressed too.

10:30 – Go grocery shopping. It’s a Thursday which is when all of the shelves are freshly stocked. If we don’t get milk today it won’t be there tomorrow. We go to two grocery stores to get everything on my list… plus they have jalapenos! Yay! I rarely find them so I buy a bunch when they are in stock.

12:00 – Back home to unpack the groceries and make lunch. Grilled cheese for Maddy. Leftover stir-fry for my husband and me.

1:00 – My husband drives into town to check on our visas. We are leaving for a conference in the States (soooooo excited about that) and we need our passports back to get into America. But we need our visas done so we can get back into St. Kitts. It’s been two months and we still don’t have our visas. I sure hope we get them soon.

1:10 – The power goes out.

1:13 – Maddy poops in her panties. So I guess this isn’t going to be a good potty training day after all.

1:30 – The power comes back on. Good… a 20 minute outage is not bad.

Now that the power is on I need to decide what to do with the load in the washer. Line dry them or put them in the dryer… one saves on electricity and the other makes our clothes soft.

I compromise. I hang the towels up and put everything else in the dryer.

2:00 – Nap time. I tuck Maddy in her bed, close the windows and turn on the air conditioner in hopes that she will actually sleep this time. I even bribe her with a piece of chocolate cake… if she naps she can have some. Here’s hoping it works.

In the meantime, I pull out my lesson text to study for tonight’s Good News Club. I am teaching the Bible lesson about praising God and how the people praised Jesus when he rode into the temple on a donkey.

3:00 – My husband comes back from checking on our visas. They aren’t ready. I’m not surprised.

I hop in the shower since I didn’t have time for one in the morning. Maddy isn’t sleeping. After I get dressed I remind her about the chocolate cake. I really hope she takes a nap. We are going to be out late tonight.

4:00 – Fold the clothes from the dryer. Take the towels off the line and put them away.

Maddy still isn’t sleeping. It’s going to be a fun night.

4:15 – Take a moment to read some blogs, check Facebook again and mess around on Pinterest.

4:45 – Fix a quick dinner. Baked potatoes with different toppings.

5:00 – Get Maddy up… she never did go to sleep but thinks she can still have chocolate cake. It takes a few minutes of explanation before she understands why she can’t have any.

We eat dinner. Maddy still wants chocolate cake. Oh boy… my bribe seems to have backfired.

5:50 – Pack everything for Good News Club and head out the door.

6:30 – After a very bumpy drive we get there and get set up.

7:00 – Good News Club is supposed to start but we are on “island time”… most of the kids are at least 15 minutes late and others drag in until half the club is over.

However, the kids are great! They get really involved and other than a few we have to quiet down, things go really smoothly!

8:30- Club is over so we pack everything up and head back home. 30 minutes of pot holes, twists, turns and more pot holes.

9:20 – We’re home! Maddy wants milk and chocolate cake.

9:30 – Maddy goes to bed. (Without chocolate cake).

My husband and I have some time to talk about how Good News Club went and any changes we need to make for next week.

10:00 – I start a blog post for our missionary blog but I’m too tired. I’ll have to do it tomorrow. I pick up the house, wash a few dishes and get ready for bed while watching an episode of How I Met Your Mother with my husband.

10:30 – My husband and I watch an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond then close all the windows and lock our doors.

11:00 – Go to bed. As I lay in the bed our flood light comes on outside… it’s motion censored. I wonder if it’s just the wind, an animal or maybe a burglar. I listen for any strange noises then say a prayer and go to sleep.

St. Kitts is a beautiful island but living here is completely different than going on vacation! The power outages, internet outages, crime, heat and other inconveniences living here are worth it to be used by the Lord! If anything, it sure makes us appreciate life in America in a whole new way!

Mandi lives with her husband and three year old daughter in St. Kitts & Nevis in the West Indies. She and her husband are missionaries with Child Evangelism Fellowship and will be living in the Caribbean for at least two years. Mandi is originally from Texas and moved to Montgomery, Alabama when she married her husband almost five years ago. If you would like to keep up with Mandi and her family as they minister to kids in St. Kitts & Nevis you can visit their blog, A Moment with the Millers. (Mandi had to take a break from her personal blog My Perfect Mess since moving overseas but you can still visit it for previous recipes, stories and faith-based posts).

Because my husband has recently come home from deployment, I am taking a blogging break. Today I have my real-life and blog friend Natalie guest posting from her blog Oven Love! Natalie has always wowed me with what she can cook from scratch and with her healthy eating recipes. I hope you enjoy her post and I hope you will head over to her blog and look at all the fun recipes she has there!

Photo taken by Natalie

Hi, Singing Through the Rain readers! I’m Natalie from Oven Love and I’m thrilled to be guest posting for my friend Kathryn today. Unlike most of my blogging friends, I have the pleasure of knowing Kathryn in real life.  We met about two years ago through a mutual friend shortly after my husband and I arrived at Robins AFB (we are also a military family). At the time, she was pregnant with Adam and I just had my first son a few months earlier. We didn’t find out until later that we were both bloggers with a lot of the same interests. Kathryn is one of the strongest, most faithful women you’ll find and it is an honor to call her a friend.

My husband has been in the Air Force for four years (plus four more if you count USAFA) and I’ve been right alongside him the whole time. We are extremely fortunate that his career field does not deploy often, and he has not been deployed yet. Though he hasn’t deployed yet, he does spend a lot of time traveling on TDY (Temporary Duty). Believe me, I know that TDYs are not the same as deployments, but any time away from your husband is difficult, even if you’re not in the military. And it gets even more complicated when you add kids to the picture.

One of the things I find difficult when my husband is gone is eating well. I don’t go to the grocery store as often, I try to get by on pantry and freezer items, I don’t make many full meals and we usually end up eating out more than usual. Does this happen to anyone else? It just seems like too much work to pull real meals together when he’s away.

As I was thinking about this a while back, I realized that I used to eat very healthily in college when I was cooking for one. This motivated me to get back into cooking while my husband is away and to find recipes that are easy and nutritious. Here are some of my tips for healthy eating during deployments, TDYs and any other alone times:

• Get out of your breakfast rut. Cereal is easy, but it’s not the most nutritious option for your morning. Try keeping some eggs around for a quick scramble or make up some frozen fruit smoothie bags. Another idea is to make some mini frittatas, quiche or batch of baked oatmeal and eat it throughout the week. You can also freeze bacon or breakfast sausage in smaller quantities (just a few links or strips) and defrost the night before for extra protein.
• Don’t forget to eat lunch! I usually end up snacking instead of lunching while my husband is gone. If you’ve got kids, you’re the only one on duty in the afternoon, so you need to restore your energy with a good lunch. Keep your fridge stocked with salad greens, a few types of cheeses and your favorite veggies. Top them with a single grilled chicken breast for a protein-packed salad, or wrap them up in a tortilla with your favorite lunch meat. I love frozen burritos for lunch, too. Add a serving of fruit and you’re ready to conquer the rest of your day.
• Utilize your freezer. I love my freezer! It’s great for portion control. You can make larger batches of your favorite soups and sauces and store them in single-sized portions. Apply this idea to your meat and baked goods as well. You can still buy items in larger quantities if you are smart about the way you store them. Just bring home your bulk purchases, separate them into single servings and freeze for easy meals later.
• Adapt your menu planning. Since you can’t freeze everything, it’s good to have a plan for all of your fresh produce. When you’re planning your grocery trip, find a few recipes with similar ingredients so your fresh food doesn’t go bad. Take tomatoes, for instance: you could chop them up in a breakfast omelette, have a BLT for lunch, and roast them as a side dish with some sauteed meat or fish on various days during the week.
• Try farmers’ markets. Farmers’ markets are great because you can buy fresh items in smaller quantities. I find that shopping at farmers’ markets also helps met to eat with the seasons and gets me out of my cooking ruts. It’s also a good way to stay busy and get the kids out of the house!
• Keep a stocked pantry. We all have days where we don’t want to cook. These are common when you’re alone. Be prepared with great pantry staples so you’re not always turning to PB&J. In the pantry, my favorite items are jarred marinara sauce, pasta, rice, chicken broth (I keep these broth packets), nut butter and canned beans. For the fridge, I recommend eggs, butter, plain yogurt, milk, a variety of cheeses, condiments, salad greens. In the freezer, meat in individual portions (bacon, chicken breast, ground beef, pork chops), frozen vegetables, pizza dough, pie dough and frozen fruit.
• Some other helpful resources- Everyday Food for One, Cooking For One and Practical Cooking for One.

I hope these tips will help you to eat healthy, whole foods even when you’re on your own. For more great recipes, come on over to Oven Love and say hello!

Because my husband has recently come home from deployment, I am taking a blogging break. Please enjoy this post from a lovely lady – Jen from Beyond the Cammies about deployment and her reservist family.

My husband spent four years as an active duty Marine. Wanting to raise our children close to family, Jen and her husband decided to move back to their hometown in Central, IL. My husband quickly missed the military life and joined as a Marine reservist with the local reserve unit. After September 11th, my husband’s unit was called up to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has deployed in 2003, 2005, and 2008. Most recently my husband was called up to support Operation Enduring Freedom with a deployment to Afghanistan.

This deployment has been like no other. Because of the troop draw down, election year, and the restructuring of troops my husband has been in limbo the past few months. He has been away training in Southern California since October.  We were excited about finally getting a flight window for the end of March, to quickly hear that my husband’s unit was now being pushed back and possibly going with another unit.  As it sits now we know he will deploy sometime in May, but have no idea what unit they will be attached to or for how long his deployment will be. Marines typically deploy for  7 months, but because this would push them over their existing 400 day orders, there may be a possibility they will spend a shorter amount of time overseas. The rumor of them actually not going over has also been thrown around. We all know that deployments NEVER get cancelled!

The hardest part about being a reservist family is that our families are spread out over many states. I am lucky to have a few close friends within 45 minutes of me, but lots of our connections take place via Facebook. Thank God for that! Our usual friends do not understand the lifestyle and often times don’t know how to help or be supportive. We all know as military spouses, we hate to ask for help! As I juggle three boys and their crazy schedules, I just wish one day the laundry fairy, the cook, and the house cleaner would show up. Wouldn’t our lives as military spouses be so much easier with the luxuries as those like the Kardashians have? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have an unlimited amount of money to jump on a plane when we wanted to visit with our husbands? Instead we bill-juggle and save enough money from each check so that we can see our husbands as they are stateside. Can you believe that I am ready for him to deploy overseas because of the expense of having him stateside and running two households? I buy groceries, he buys groceries. I save up money to entertain my boys and make time go by faster, and he is spending money going to dinner, visiting with friends, and just getting some relaxation time.

We have been very fortunate to get to see each other every 6 to 8 weeks during this crazy pre-deployment training. Looking forward to having my husband join us in Florida for some family fun in a few weeks before the long  “see ya later”. Until then I dream of the day when we will get to continue our lives as a family of 5.

Jen is the busy mom to three boys ages 1,9, and 12. She is the proud wife to a Marine GySgt and has been very active as a military spouse. She is currently going through her 6th deployment.  Jen has a passion in working with military families and writes about her daily life at her blog Beyond the Cammies. Jen loves to spend time with her boys, read, connect with other military spouses, and play with her three dogs. You can follow Jen by going to her blog www.beyondthecammies.com

Photo From Pure Romance Website

Rachel is a wonderful girl and a great sponsor of my blog. She is a consultant for a company called Pure Romance which is a company “dedicated to improving women’s intimate lives—and having fun while doing it!” She hosts parties at people’s houses or you can buy from her online.

Here is a little about what Rachel says about working for Pure Romance and hosting parties:

“One of the things I LOVE about Pure Romance is uplifting women!! Everyone thinks this is just another “naughty” business but we really specialize in pampering and bringing a love life back to life! They really train us on educating and empowering women. I really try to keep my presentations as close to PG-13 as possible. It’s just plain FUN!!

I love being in the ordering room and talking with women about how they really feel about their husband. It’s like therapy for them because I am a really good secret keeper. I take pride in knowing that someone on the edge of divorce because of lack of intimacy is now happily married (to the same person).”

Not only does the Pure Romance line sell intimate products, you can also buy products for beauty (makeup and perfume), bath, and massage! Their site says, “Pure Romance is proud to offer the best in bath, beauty, and bedroom accessories. We make it easy to shop discreetly for yourself, your spouse, a friend in need of some pampering, or bride-to-be preparing for her honeymoon.”

The cool thing about Rachel is that she is also a military spouse  AND a military veteran! She says, “I got out of the military 3 years ago (Active Duty) to be at home with my munchkins. Although I LOVED being an Airman, deploying every 6 months just wasn’t ideal with a family! My hubby is still in and we usually deployed together so I just didn’t want that for my boys.” What a wonderful sacrifice she made to be with her family!

If you are interested in any of the Pure Romance products you can host a party with Rachel.  She says, “My hostess gets the best deal of all. 10% of party sales in FREE product, up to 3 half priced items, and 10% off any order for 6 months. All this along with what I hand out at the show.” You can also shop her online website: www.rachelkovach.pureromance.com

Please enjoy this guest post from Kristen who blogs at Musings of a Curious Mind.

For busy moms, providing meals that are affordable and healthy yet kid-friendly can be a challenge. When you’re pushed for time, it’s all too easy to cut corners and rely on takeaways, ready meals and packaged foods which are high in sugar, salt and preservatives. You might find yourself making nightly trips to the grocery store to pick up something for dinner, and coming back with a whole host of groceries you didn’t plan to buy. Lots of these are never used and eventually spoil. Pre-packaged meals are also often more expensive than meals made from scratch – you’re paying for the convenience. If you want to provide your family with food that tastes great, does them good, and that they’ll enjoy eating, meal planning is absolutely essential.

One way to simplify meal planning is to establish theme nights for family dinners for every day of the week – for example, spaghetti on Monday, pizza on Wednesday, burgers on Friday, and so on. This takes all of the guesswork out of nightly meals. Getting the family to help pick what they like can make everyone happy. In addition, it means that you can stock up on the ingredients you’ll need for several weeks: for example, parmesan cheese, herbs, tomato paste, whole wheat flour and toppings for pizza night. This means fewer trips to the grocery store, which will definitely save you money in the long term. It also enables you to buy only the ingredients that you’ll need for these planned meals, so you’ll have less food spoilage. Also, better and fresh ingredients rich with vitamins and antioxidants can help guard against cardiovascular disease, cancer such as various types of mesothelioma and dementia.

Go through your favorite recipe books. You should try to involve your kids as much as possible in the selection of meals – the more involved they feel, the more likely they are to eat the food once it’s served. You can also try online recipe databases for more inspiration. Pick seven dishes that are versatile enough that they won’t become boring, but don’t require dozens of ingredients or hours of preparation. The aim of this exercise is to save you money and time. Once you’ve amassed your recipes, write out the plan for the week, and what meal you intend to cook each night. Check this against any appointments or events to avoid clashes. Draw up a grocery list for the week’s meals, and if possible try to plan where you can use leftovers and surplus perishable food such as meat. You can switch up your meal plans every month to make it more fun and keep your kids from getting bored.

Kristin Wells is a recent college graduate from The University of Georgia and an aspiring writer. She wants to make a difference in people’s lives through her writing. Kristin also likes competitive cycling, running, and traveling as much as possible.

 

 

Credit: http://beautyineverything.com/2034969945

He was supposed to be home today. Got the news last week that he wouldn’t be. Sure, I know these things change, but what’s wrong with hoping this one thing wouldn’t change? That this one thing would stay right? Sure, it’s only delayed a little bit – if it doesn’t change again, but to me it feels like another eternity. I’m done.

I don’t want to do this anymore…

I don’t want to be strong anymore.

I don’t want to hear people ask me when he’s coming home anymore.

I don’t want to be a single parent anymore.

I don’t want to hurry up and wait.

I don’t want to be  patient.

I don’t want to go anywhere or do anything.

I don’t want to stay home in this silent house anymore.

I don’t want to try and post upbeat Facebook statuses.

I don’t want to pretend everything is ok.

I don’t want to make it through another week.

I don’t want to make it through another day without him.

I don’t want to. But I will.