Sorry I have been MIA, but we had the chance to go on an all-expense paid Army Strong Bonds retreat to the Great Wolf Lodge.

I hadn’t really heard too much about the hotel, so I was thrilled when my husband came back to the car after checking in saying, “This place is very kid friendly–they’re going to love it!! In my singleton days “kid friendly” meant something very unappealing, but with two kids in tow, those words are music to my ears!

The weekend was divided into family time and seminars about marriage and parenting. I’m not sure why but I really love learning about relationships, so it was heaven!

We watched Mark Gungor’s “Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage” videos, which I had seen, but found it so much more fun to watch with my husband.

A ministry team from Atlanta joined us for the weekend shared great tips from “Love and Respect” by Dr. Emerson Eggrichs.

My heart is so full of love and adoration for my wonderful family. I’m not sure why I’m so richly blessed in this area of life, but am and feel so thankful for it. The warm feelings about my family filled my spirit more than the worry about my car breaking down (towed away and resting at the dealership) and my iPhone breaking. Yikes!!

Guess it’s good to keep the important things…important. If I have a chance over the next couple days, I’ll post some of the adorable pics we took this weekend.

What did you get into this weekend? Were you relaxing with your family or, perhaps, preparing for the holidays??

© 2010, Amy. All rights reserved.

“As women, we hold so much influence over our husbands’ (and children’s) attitude. When my hubby knew I was safe and content, he could concentrate on completing his missions successfully. Our men are wired to be providers and protectors, so if they’re worried about something at home or feel they’re failing, their work suffers.

Proverbs 31 states: ‘A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life…Her husband is respected at the city gate…Her husband praises her” (verses 10-12, 23, 28 NIV).

What a joy for a serviceman to have ‘full confidence’ in his wife who ‘watches over the affairs of her household’ while he cannot! We have a unique role to play in defending the country. While what we do may often seem like a ‘behind-the-scenes’ and thankless job, our partners would be crippled without our support.”

(Excerpt from “Faith Deployed”)

A couple weeks after my husband deployed, I opened up the book “Faith Deployed,” which had been sent to me by its author, Jocelyn Green. Honestly I was reluctant to read it because the deployment–and the absence of my husband–took up enough space in my life.

This excerpt, and many others. spoke to my heart directly. The more I fight for contentment in my home, the better my husband feels and can effectively do his job. My attitude has a profound effect on my husband whether he is sitting next to me on the couch or deployed many miles away.

Green must have known I needed to hear this and other motivational stories because her book is filled with brief (two to four pages) narratives that correlate to the struggles of military wives during a deployment. Each story begins with a Bible verse, then a personal story from a military wife. Then Green offers “Ask” and “Pray” ideas that put into words feelings you might be having and a way to share it with God.

This book was great because it revealed that my own concerns or weaknesses weren’t just my own. She lends advice for problems that most military spouses encounter: conquering resentment, battling for contentment, finding comfort in God, feeling married to the military, and many others.

Jocelyn Green has kindly given me an extra copy to give to one of my readers! I would love to share this with you!!

Enter NOW until Friday, Oct. 1 at noon, EST. Here’s how you can win:

1. Answer this: What is the toughest part about a deployment? It can be your own experience or what you’ve seen others go through. (Post a comment below.)

To earn extra entries:

2. Become a Click Clack Mom Facebook Fan and post this story URL as your status update. (Post a comment below to let me know you did this. )

3. Follow Click Clack Mom on Twitter and retweet this story. (Post a comment below to let me know you did this.)

4. Become a Faith Deployed Facebook Fan. (Post a comment below to let me know you did this.)

4. Have a Blog? Blog about the contest and leave the URL of your post in the comment field below.

© 2010, Amy. All rights reserved.

“She gave me life and milk from her breasts,
and I gave her a lanyard.
She nursed me in many a sick room,
lifted spoons of medicine to my lips,
laid cold face-cloths on my forehead,
and then led me out into the airy light

and taught me to walk and swim,
and I, in turn, presented her with a lanyard.
Here are thousands of meals, she said,
and here is clothing and a good education.
And here is your lanyard, I replied,
which I made with a little help from a counselor.

Here is a breathing body and a beating heart,
strong legs, bones and teeth,
and two clear eyes to read the world, she whispered,
and here, I said, is the lanyard I made at camp.
And here, I wish to say to her now,
is a smaller gift—not the worn truth

that you can never repay your mother,
but the rueful admission that when she took
the two-tone lanyard from my hand,
I was as sure as a boy could be
that this useless, worthless thing I wove
out of boredom would be enough to make us even.”

Taken from The Lanyard by Billy Collins

Before my husband returned from deployment, I was privately giddy that he would soon see how much I do each day to keep our family content.

Meals made, diapers changed, sleep interrupted, tantrums endured, songs sung, stories told, patience exhibited.

Love provided.

Just as a plastic lanyard from a young boy can even the score with his mother, you realize that in a great marriage (or family) you can’t be happy if you’re counting. You can’t keep score.

And this fact has made all the difference in my heart over the past few days.

It’s so good to be home again.

P.S. Remember to enter the Mimi’s Babies Giveaway, which is open until Friday at noon.

© 2010, Amy. All rights reserved.

As I sit at my computer tonight, with a sleeping baby upstairs and a calm house, I can’t help but think about my frazzled state just a week ago. Just as I adapting to my husband being gone, Jackson began going through a phase that nearly sent me over the edge. I lovingly referred to it as a screech-fest. Friends, I am not joking when I tell you I was counting the few seconds between outrageous screeches. (If you follow me on Twitter, you heard the desperation in my tweets:)

So God blessed me with a wonderful retreat in Myrtle Beach to find a little peace. There were several workshops on marriage that provided amazing tools to keeping your marriage strong, even through deployments. The most surprising outcome of the weekend was the terrific chance to bond with Jackson. A couple days of beach and sand will do wonders for mom and baby!

Here are some of the best memories from the weekend:

Early morning sunrise from my balcony.

Jackson LOVED the aquarium!

Hardly a screech from this happy fellow!

Outside the hotel:

Along the beach…

I sit here with a soothed spirit and a grateful heart for the delicious weekend! What a great way to spend a couple days! Stay tuned because this week I’ll be revealing some exciting news!

© 2010, Amy. All rights reserved.

***This giveaway has expanded to ALL ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS, not just the deployed!***

I am teaming up with Borders Booksellers and Sony to deliver a Sony Touch Reader Digital Book to an active duty member of the military this Valentine’s Day!

Spouses of active duty service member can enter to win a Sony Touch Reader Digital Book for their service member.   The digital readers have become increasingly popular among the military over the last few years due to the fact that one can purchase books directly from your computer, store, and read hundreds of books on this ultra-thin device.

Once the Sony Touch is delivered, he or she can access best-sellers and new releases, or choose from over one million free public domain titles from Google. You can read my full review of it here.

I am so thankful for Borders generous gift, valued at $300, to show gratitude for all that our military men and women do for us each day.  It provides an opportunity to escape from the day-to-day of wartime and military life and slip into the fantasy of a book!

Well, what are you waiting for?! Enter Now!  Here!

© 2010, Amy. All rights reserved.