The Billboard

Ok, My picture doesn't do it justice, but this is our billboard! The guys did a great job designing and getting this up for us. Be sure and listen to the Fox 104.9 and KAIT8 TV...both are doing excellent coverage of our guys homecoming!

The End In Sight...6 Days!

The kids and I spent the afternoon helping to put out welcome home banners along the bus route...just a few more days! I think we got about 35 put out today...only 115 more to go...whew!We're all getting really excited and Quentin even called us while we were working today and you can tell that he's excited too. He said they're still on task and should be home on Saturday! A miracle in itself. YEAH!! It is finally here! Tomorrow the billboard officially goes up...provided the rain holds off. I'm exhausted at all the prep we've done this week, but I know when I see my soldier get off that bus it will be sooooo worth it!

♥

Just a reminder...it's a bittersweet week for some. We were fortunate, but we did lose one of our soldiers and we don't want to forget to remember his sacrifice and his families. This banner says it all. Say a prayer for the Smallwood family tonight.

Touchdown..American Soil

Q officially landed on American soil this morning and our local news station was both here at our home (at 6:30 am) and in Wisconsin. It was a neat experience! They (tv crew) found Q when he got off the plane and handed him a cell phone and had him call me. There was a tv crew at our house and they taped both sides of the conversation and will air it on television on a special 30 minute Welcome Home 875th Segment to air later this month. I'm just so excited to know that he's back in the USA, even if I haven't actually seen him, and I could hear the relief and excitement in his voice. It's really too much emotion to even put into words. In the words of our Captain..."it's a great day to be in Charlie Company!"

Homecoming Preparation

Well, the billboard didn't go up today :( ...but, it should on Monday!! We still did a few Homecoming Promo things with the press...spent a little time at the armory showing off our banners and signs that we're going to line the streets with. My favorite ones are the (50) Miles Till Your First Kiss....we have 50 miles, 40 miles, 25 miles, etc...until the final sign..."0 Miles Till Your First Kiss...Pucker Up Baby"...you gotta love it! We also showed off our Demolition Derby Car...the 875th Charlies Angels...and the media got some pix of us wives painting the car and signing our soldiers name on the car. The car will run in the Outlaw Derby tomorrow night in Jonesboro. Then, we did some media footage of us wives putting up the first Welcome Home Banner at one of the doctors offices here in town that's along the bus route. It really made things seem more real...they're really coming home!! I'm getting excited...much more excited than nervous now!! By the way...all of the house is finished except the master bedroom, scrapbooking room (which might be beyond help!) and the porch!! Woo Hoo!! Well, I need to hit the hay...I have an early day. KAIT8 News will be at my house before 6:30am...it's a surprise...so, you'll have to tune into my blog tomorrow night to find out what that was about! See ya tomorrow!

8 Days and Counting...

Time is flying until Quentin arrives home to Arkansas. I managed to get the living room scrubbed from top to bottom last night...including windows and baseboards. It was a hectic day! I went to Blake's parent/teacher conferences on my lunch hour...all A's and apparently he's very popular with the girls this year. Several mom's wanted to know who he was because their daughter had a crush on him...lol. They'll have to fight Gena on that one...his "girlfriend" of 2 years. Mallorye had A's and B's, which I was pleased with considering she's taking 5 Advanced classed, 2 of those being Biology AND Chemistry...what was she thinking??! Blake had football practice last night and Mal had a volleyball game in Beebe (2 hour drive). So, I was pretty pleased to get the living room finished!

I'm about to head out to the armory. The news crew is meeting us there and we're going out to erect the billboard!! YEAH!! I think we're going to get to walk the catwalk even. I promise I'll have pix up this weekend! Still haven't heard from hubby, but I think he's due to be in the States today or tomorrow. Hopefully, he'll call soon! I miss him!!!!

Thankful Thursday

Today I give thanks to my God for;

*the end of a 14 month deployment (officially handed over reigns yesterday)

*a flexible job that allows me to be a mom first and foremost

*the freedom to share my tears openly

*my new friendship with Colette (honest, real, transparent)

*fast food restaurants (I'm afraid my kids might starve without it..lol)

Time For A Check Up

Reading my morning Devo...I had to share this insight;

"A list of characteristics of a thriving believer that I keep tucked away in my bible so that I can periodically take a spiritual assessment of myself:

We need revival when....
... when we do not love God as we once did.
… when earthly interests and occupations are more important to us than eternal ones.
…when we would rather watch TV and read secular books and magazines than read the Bible.
… when our Christianity is joyless and passionless.
… when we know truth in our heads that we are not practicing in our lives.
… when we make little effort to witness to the lost.
…when we have time for sports, recreation, and entertainment, but not for Bible study or prayer.
. . . when we do not tremble at the power of God.
On the other hand, the characteristics that take place when revival comes are…
... a deepened spiritual hunger
... intense fervent prayer that is enjoyable not dreadful
... repentance
... reckless abandonment and surrender to God
... a fresh fullness of the Holy Spirit
... spontaneous evangelism and soul winning
... restored relationships
... a spirit of thanksgiving and joy
... increased hunger for God’s Word
... a desire to put God/church before entertainment"

Eye opening...I'm going to make a list and put in MY Bible...so next time you see my, ask if it's there.