a quick update ... very late night for me but need a break from the report I'm preparing... so you all get an update!!!

First ...... marriage is just GREAT.

Good bits ..... like a honeymoon on his returns... lots of POJA.... lots of LB crediting.... lots of fun geting the EN met (mind your own business )
Not so good bits .... continuous tug of war over DH duty to his family and his duty to the Army ... no easy answer but perhaps its because I dont resent it now .. its just a part of our life Hes away FAR too often.

DH and my oldest DS and DSIL are deployed right now. Sucky for all of us at home but thats the life girls. A tough gig at times but when they are home for a few short weeks every year remember rule 1 - to swallow and breath and that its not for you but for them.

Mikey the youngest is in school.... not exactly a Rhodes scholar here but he is happy .... who gave those damned toy soldiers to play with I'd like to know!! Wheres the road crew truck ??? Oh well .... theres another one .... damn it all

Grey hairs ... who has good tips on a dye for that ????

MB seems to be as busy as it ever was .... thats too bad. I also see some impatience from posters ... hitting your head against a brick wall is probably easier at times than BS reluctance ... the human heart is a fragile thing.... lucky the soul is resilient.

Happy hugs to all the MB family ... take care

aw,

I used to stalk you and read your story ad nauseum in my pre-posting, lurker days. If you'd ever met me IRL you would be seriously worried and stay well away from me.

The reason for this was that you were one of my heroines, and I found your story deeply moving. I was so glad when I could see that your marriage was going to make it, and I'm thrilled to read this update (minus the bit about the absent men - and it looks to me as if your youngest might follow his father and brother!).

Congratulations!!!

(It's a public holiday in the UK and USA. Is it not with you? That's why it's so quiet here today.)

HI A-DUB! Always a treat to hear from you and yours.

I still remember the first time I looked up some old posts of yours and Aussie's. I was STUNNED that you both sounded JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!!!!!! (But ~I~ didn't stalk you. Much.)

Glad as always to know that things are well Down Under.

hey assieswife...

have thought of you often....so glad you posted!!! mikey must be a little man by now....so happy you are all well...its nice to hear you sound good!!! love to you and yours....

Hey, Nikko! Wow, good to know you're still out there, too. Today's episode of This Is Your Life is brought to you by......

Howdy, Aussieswife!!

hey neak....i pop in to read from time to time to see how everyone is doing....life is good!

Sugar,

It's (27 August) a public holiday in the UK and USA.
Wow! In the UK, too? I thought that LBJ Day was only observed in third-world areas such as Texas!

Life is good here, too.

Even if I'd never heard of LBJ Day.

Wasn't it Labour Day (proper spelling) yesterday? I thought I read that somewhere on the site.

If not, and I was wrong...

....shaddap, NG.

Labor Day is this coming weekend. Next Monday is a holiday, woohoo!

Sugar Cane is a fine English lass,
Whose notes always exhibit class.
But her "Shaddap, NG!"
Was so painful to me,
I'd like to go sit down on my...........grass!

Hi,Aussieswife! So glad to hear from you!

HEY Sugar Cane whats a bit of stalking amongst MB friends I say!

Neak... Nikko... Mel... and NG still teasing them Texans,, very brave of you... Lady Clueless ... its good too see you all still around too!!

Yes Nikko Mikey is a real little man now.. sad Mummy but happy too ... school and friends and all the joys of growing.

I'm going to bed before its 2 am ...again

love to you all

All the best to you. It is very good to know that things are OK (or mostly so) in your part of the world.

Made me smile.

SS

***waving hi to SS and Mrs. SS***

Reunions are fun!

Hi Neak.....
I am in what one might call a serious mood. Or maybe a pensive mood.
Reflective?
Contemplative?

Thank you for the wave. (SS Waves back)
W is sleeping, or I would ask her to comment.

Hearing from you makes me wonder how your grandfather is. I have not seen a status report for quite some time.

And AJ.
I wonder about AJ too. Please tell him I asked about him.

And please tell your mother that prayers continue.

SS

SS great to hear from you!

pray your serious, reflective, contemplative mood is not too unhappy for you.

Say hi to Mrs SS !!

Grandpa is still alive, amazingly and against any odds or human prognostications. He's seldom alert, but the other day he was surprisingly lucid for a brief time. I told him that Jesus was coming soon, and he answered, "Wow! Wow!! WOW!!!" It was so cute!

He's in respite care at the moment; he gets 3 days per month so if you take him the last 3 of one month and the first 3 of the next, you can turn it into 6 days in a row.

I'm trying to type and watch our cats at the same time so they don't harass Peep, my baby sparrow. It's alot like trying to raise an orphaned baby giraffe in a kennel in the middle of the lion pen. Fun photos on my blog if you have time to look.

I'll let Mom know you asked about her. With GP in respite, there's PLENTY of time for updates.

It's sure good to hear from you.

AW,
Usually when I am in that mood I am thinking about other people, and wondering how they are. The world is a tough place. (As you know just as well as anyone.)

Sometimes I worry, but usually I just pray. It seems to work. (And I think you know that just as well as I do.)

Neak,
Thanks for the update. I do think about your family quite a bit. I also wonder how your brothers are. I assume that your children and your sisters children are mostly OK, considering who their mothers are. (OK, their grandmother weights in here too, I should give credit there too.)

However, you can tell T&L that I said "Despite who their grandmother is." That ought to get a rise out of her.

SS

My next oldest brother is doing well in a worldly sense, unchanged (that any of us can see in a spiritual sense, but of course God is working in ways we can't imagine. Brother #2 recently had God work a miracle of healing on his beloved dog, when the vets had been unable to figure out what was wrong with him, and he was failing fast. He's outwardly unchanged, but I know you can't go through an experience like that completely untouched.

My kids are all in school, ordinary troubles and no more. They're in grades 10, 9, and 5 now. Neaksis' oldest is over 18 now and on his own. Not exactly a roaring success, but he hasn't gone to prison yet. Val is in a residential treatment program after making accusations against Neaksis of abuse. It wasn't long before official people considered Neaksis completely exonerated. Val is making progress with her treatment, and visits are going well. The youngest has been out of treatment for a while, maybe 8-9 months. He's doing well overall. Small bad behaviors, lying and stealing sometimes, but not violent. For which we rejoice!

AJ, after a long hard summer in which we had some real trials with his business, now has more work than he knows what to do with for the next 6 weeks. The company who contracted with him has more work they'd like him to do, beyond what he's already scheduled for. We're very blessed!

Please tell us as much as you're able about what you, Mrs. SS, and all the family have been up to.

SS
I guess the world can be a tough ol gut at times... most times we just all get on with it because we have to! maybe theres a plan in it that?

Went to my grandads funeral today down on the farm with DD and parents... sisters.. brother. Looked like a road train the lot of us. Mikey was sick so he stayed home with a friend of ours who spoiled him rotten. Grandad had a good long life but my dad never really forgave him for leaving his mum and his brothers as kids. Dad let a few facts out on the journey home ... I think everyone at MB can guess why. Never knew that. He did remarry but not to the OW ... bit sad that there never was a full reconciliation between the second family and the first ... though his second wife never stopped trying. Shhhh secret I actually quite like her. Very very kind woman. Super shhh... so does my Mum.

DD was going to cook a roast on Sunday... prepared the pork ... veges ... everything ... put on the oven .... timer ... forgot to put the meat in the oven !!
Got distracted ... was playing music with some girlfriends ... a few cold beers ... time just passed ... as did our meal ....

[and I'm not accepting any liability on ANYTHING my DD cooks ... somethings in life require faith, hope and charity ... actually the three of them can feel free to drop in and help her cook anytime ]

The golden arches won again. Mikey was just SO pleased with that outcome and wants to know if 'issy' can cook next week as well.

There is a plan in that. Most of the time I don't have time to think about any thing except the task at hand. However, I try to find time to meditate about, and pray for others. There is a power in prayer that cannot be replaced by any thing else. You know that when YOU have reached out, there has always been someone on the other end. I know you know it.

Went to my grandads funeral today down on the farm with DD and parents... sisters.. brother. Looked like a road train the lot of us. Mikey was sick so he stayed home with a friend of ours who spoiled him rotten. Grandad had a good long life but my dad never really forgave him for leaving his mum and his brothers as kids. Dad let a few facts out on the journey home ... I think everyone at MB can guess why. Never knew that. He did remarry but not to the OW ... bit sad that there never was a full reconciliation between the second family and the first ... though his second wife never stopped trying. Shhhh secret I actually quite like her. Very very kind woman. Super shhh... so does my Mum.

It is interesting what we learn as we go along. Bits of the puzzle appear and fit themselves in........ from time to time we look at it and are amazed at what it is becoming. Our understanding increases, we marvel that God can do what he does so well, but we are happy that he can.
And we still live every day life. We still cope with all the things that make up this life.

I am glad you are busy, and that your family is doing well.
God bless you all.

SS

I think about your brothers often, and I wonder. My prayers are that they will return to their faith. The only downside to that is that God sometimes needs to get our attention before he can work with us. His methods can seem harsh, but I think he uses the lest intrusive method that he can use that will still work.


I have not worried much about your children. There are potential worries there, but it always feels like they are OK.

There have been some worries about Neaksis, and her family, but the feelings are that they will come out the other end in fine shape too. A scripture comes to mind (though I can't remember the reference) "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of Man the blessings that God has prepared for those that love him." I don't think I got it exact, but you know the one. I believe neaksis and family will be on the receiving end of that one. I am sure of it.



I am glad AJ is doing well. I do not know him as well as the rest of you, because as you know he doesn't post much. We learn a lot from what people write. However, I admire him for making a comeback. He may not be "there" yet, but he seems to be making the journey. I guess it's a moving target anyway. I am not "there" yet either.

I pray for AJ from time to time, and for your parents. (All of you, but I make mention of them for a reason.)

You are kind to ask about us. We struggle along like every one else.

The twins finished their first year of college. They struggle with part time jobs and school, and still having a life. Both have partial scholarships, but the have to keep their grades up to keep them, and it takes a lot of time.

Our six oldest children are all married and all have at least one child. On lives in AZ, one in CA, one in NV, and the other three locally. One is a wild lands firefighter. I see your children took a firefighting class - I should send some video of actual fires. They would probably get a kick out of it.

Mrs SS and I are in love, and we like it. MB has been good for us. When the 4 rules are applied, and when we meet each others needs as we should, things are wonderful in our marriage. I keep getting the feeling that some big change is coming, but I don't know what it is. In the mean time, the adversary has been leaning on me pretty heavy. Of course God is always there, and we get help, but the pressure makes one tired. You know of what I speak, for you felt it during the time you were here fighting for your marriage.
I don't know the reason for this at this time in my life, but the reasons always exist. We usually learn them after the fact.

I am probably closer to God, and making fewer mistakes from day to day than at any time in my life, but it's still hard to cope with the pressure.

The bottom line is that God is still in Heaven directing his work here, and he will continue to help all who call upon him in faith. We just need to hang on tight and keep working our end the best we can.

This I know.

SS

Beautiful testimony!