Chi Town :)

I know I already posted about our little weekend getaway, I have some pictures now so I thought I would share! We had a blast :) Missed sweet Brinn but a much needed girls weekend! 

Before the Cubs game!

Our Ride

Our Mascot 

Michigan Ave 

Dress Night Missed you Em

Da Cubs

I did Sara's makeup... I know it was beautiful her not the makeup :)

Rained crashed the end of the game 

That's for Jono

Captain Minard you're a very lucky man.

The many taxi rides that were not cheap

Bill Murray... Where is Bill Murray???

That would be my sweet military ID I use for sweet discounts... Outlets should NOT have military discounts :) Our last and final stop was Aurora outlets! 

It was a great weekend. Always hard to leave peanut, however being a single parent is a tough job. I feel like a much better parent with a couple days apart and I feel more relaxed. I know that I've made some friends for life in this deployment and this may have to be an annual trip! AT ladies? 

Ragged Old Flag

"Ragged Old Flag"

I walked through a county courthouse square

On a park bench, an old man was sittin' there.

I said, "Your old court house is kinda run down, 

He said, "Naw, it'll do for our little town". 

I said, "Your old flag pole is leaned a little bit, 

And that's a ragged old flag you got hangin' on it".

He said, "Have a seat", and I sat down, 

"Is this the first time you've been to our little town"

I said, "I think it is"

He said "I don't like to brag, but we're kinda proud of

That Ragged Old Flag

"You see, we got a little hole in that flag there,

When Washington took it across the Delaware.

and It got powder burned the night Francis Scott Key sat watching it, 

writing "Say Can You See"

It got a rip in New Orleans, with Packingham & Jackson

tugging at its seams.

and It almost fell at the Alamo 

beside the Texas flag,

But she waved on though.

She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville,

And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill.

There was Robert E. Lee and Beauregard and Bragg,

And the south wind blew hard on

That Ragged Old Flag

"On Flanders Field in World War I,

She got a big hole from a Bertha Gun,

She turned blood red in World War II

She hung limp, and low, a time or two,

She was in Korea, Vietnam, She went where she was sent

by her Uncle Sam.

She waved from our ships upon the briny foam

and now they've about quit wavin' back here at home

in her own good land here She's been abused,

She's been burned, dishonored, denied an' refused,

And the government for which she stands

Has been scandalized throughout out the land.

And she's getting thread bare, and she's wearin' thin,

But she's in good shape, for the shape she's in.

Cause she's been through the fire before

and i believe she can take a whole lot more.

"So we raise her up every morning

And we bring her down slow every night,

We don't let her touch the ground,

And we fold her up right.

On second thought

I *do* like to brag

Cause I'm mighty proud of

That Ragged Old Flag" 

My cousin is a vet and he posted this song with a video on his facebook today. I listened and watched the video and it brought tears to my eyes, it is such an amazing song. It's so amazing what our country has been through. The wars we have fought and the soldiers that have of course given all. I'm so thankful for each and every person and it's easier to be thankful when I'm affected directly. I never would have guessed I would have married a soldier but I'm proud I did. I know this deployment is worth it, I know Jono being over there is making a huge impact on our lives here. I know we are there for a reason. 


We can't ever forget the fallen, the reason every year we put away a day for them, the ones who gave all. We are free because they sacrificed. I pray everyday I don't have to experience the grief of loosing my soldier. Prayer is the only answer for me, and also trust. Trust in Jono that he is an amazing soldier and trust in God that it's his plan and not mine. Most of all today I'm thinking of the soldiers that we have lost from the 168 and most of all peace for them today.

Memorial Day ABC Special and people ask why we are here?

Chi Town

Well... I had one of the best weekends of my life. I have been so blessed this year to have met some of the most amazing women I've ever met in my life. We ended up planning this trip months ago to go to a Cubs game in Chicago. We've been counting down the days to this weekend for a long time and it finally came. There were 6 of us and I could not have had more fun. We have some great stories and great pictures and most of all great memories with GREAT girls!!! 

Most of all through this deployment I've been so thankful for the experience and also for the people I've met. I COULD not get through this year without the most amazing friends and family I have. Family as in my military family and my immediate family. No matter how much Jono and I try to play down how rough some of this year has been on us it still comes back to the fact that we have to be apart and we have to find support in other places than each other. It's just great to be with people who know exactly how you feel everyday. The longing that you have secretly in your heart when you see a couple walking hand in hand. We all get that silently and we respect that of each other.

We laughed and giggled and hugged like we had been friends for life. For one weekend. 3 days out of the 365 we got to be girls again and be together and have fun. We got to kick up our heels and wear dresses and go to dinner. We got to shop our little tails off and go to a Cubs game and have a beer and a hot dog. (We also sat about 50 feet from Bill Murray and started the chant "Who ya gonna call" Ghost Busters). We met awesome fun people and never once had to pretend we were these strong perfect women. We each bring a little piece of something different to the group, and I love that about us. I love all of our different styles when shopping and our different dinner choices when eating!

I'll never forget this year. I'll never forget these women and hope to have friends for life. So thankful for the laughs we had and the memories we get to keep forever. 

PS I just shoved my SD card full of amazing pictures in a hole in my parents computer and it's gone... so pictures to come I guess :(  Here is one I had on my phone that I sent to Jono!!! 

Love you all!!!

In a funk.

We're in a funk lately. We've been busy with summer and fun! Our house got hit by lightning AGAIN this year and I know it's God testing me... after four nice calls to quest and one really extremely rude mean Jono call to Qwest I have a new Internet coming so sorry for not posts about our cool life :)HA my whole 11 followers I hope I haven't lost you :) 5 Days in the blogging world is  A LOT!!! I'm so sorry our house is a lightning hot line and the fact that I'm NOT to crazy about storms as it is. It's probably been good that I haven't had Internet it's really made me realize what we do have in this day in age. We haven't skyped Jono for a couple weeks we miss his sweet face. So hopefully soon we can do that and this weekend I'm heading to Chicago with some amazing women that I've been so blessed to meet some crazy Army wives for a much deserved vacation... because our husbands will be returning SOON. The cool part too is most of our husbands are in Afghanistan together so that makes it easier to understand silently what we are going through. 


I would definitely have to say the end of a deployment is harder than the beginning. I found that there are 7 stages of a deployment I remember reading this way back a long time ago probably 2 weeks after Jono left and thinking ha no way this isn't legit. Well... it is. The stage I'm in now is the anticipation for them to return. They say the fears you have in the beginning all return... which they have. They also say you diet HA which I just started the special K diet two weeks ago tomorrow and I've lost almost 5 pounds! So that's exciting (really people diet for their husbands to come home.) Anyways, I'm so filled with Joy for the return of my husband. It's been a long year and I couldn't be more ready. It's crazy how much of a blurr this year is and how we just get up and do our thing everyday purely surviving and getting through the day. Sounds ridiculous but every night when I lay my head down I just think we did another day closer. Now we are within weeks and it feels so close!!! Anyways when I get my Internet up and running again I'll be back I'm sorry for the boring post with so many words (Amanda) I love you all and thank you for caring about our little family and our little dorky blog. Love you ALL!!!


P.S. We are having a fundraiser for the homecoming ceremony please come!!! It's June 4th at Camp Dodge in Des Moines!!!

What Brinn WAS wearing Wednesday :)

So I was trying to start by every Wednesday doing what Miss Brinn wore that day! Well I'm already behind. Anyways she was looking very fashionable and beautiful yesterday. She played outside almost all day with mom, she helped water flowers, and colored with chalk. She is a very good little player she loves to show me things and do her own thing. We got a little bit of sun well I did she didn't because I applied 70 plus about 10 times!!!

Bad picture maybe because I use my phone because Brinn broke my camera :( So sad Jono got me a really nice camera and she threw it across the living room. That is definitely on my wish list :)

Skirt: Old Navy $8

Shirt: Target $5

Shoes: Pedipad $21 (Nana bought)

Socks: Von Maur $6 

Zoo Moo Who Us!!!

We went to the ZOO!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to Liz Carson's awesome invite we went to the zoo today! We met some new friends and we got to hang out with Miss Molly, Lilly, Joel, and other fun new friends!! Brinn absolutely loved it and it was so amazing to see her face with every animal she has really never seen. It was a beautiful day. We had a great day :) I think the pictures tell a good story of our day!

Brinn and Mommy 

Brinn loved the Tiger she was banging on the glass begging me to let her pet him... um no. 

Brinn with her new friends!!! 

Miss Peacock

Mr. Giraffe he was trying to kiss Brinn ;)

Mommy brought my favorite snack Strawberries!!!!

If I get a bird ever I'd get this bird how beautiful are they!!!

Jelly fish took this because my brother got stung one year on vacation it was hilarious. 

Mr. Goat pretty much loved Brinn and was begging for food :)

Beautiful Flower

If that isn't Jono then I don't know what is! She looks just like him when she sleeps I love it we had a little piece of him with us today!

Love you all 

Made Roots.

Nicole Sage's FIRST GARDEN!!!!!!!!!!

Well it's official we will be living in this house the rest of our lives. We've got a garden and Jono said nobody will ever buy our house because we have a garden! I tell ya what if I was buying a house and they ALREADY had a garden that would be the deal breaker for us right mom? 

I was raised on a garden we used to make fun of my mom, still do, and we would say that's all she'd need in the summer was her garden. From as far back as I can remember we had a garden and when I was younger I didn't like them, because I had to help mom take care of them. I had to pick the beans and we had to water and take care of it. I'm SO THANKFUL for that now. I love my garden. Most people fight with their husband the first year about well you know the three things. Well we don't fight about that we fight about the garden :) Well I got my way, like always. I got my garden. I can't wait for the mass production to come in soon!!!!!!!!! I wish you could feel the excitement coming through my fingers as I type this. I'm so glad Jono let me get one I'm so proud of my first little garden. Mom and I planted it and the soil was ROCK hard so if anything one little onion comes through it would be a success. It's been 5 days and guess what people I have a sprout. My little onion guy is coming through!! He just peaked his little beard through the ground!!! I want to pick him already but he is a baby still gotta grow up big and tall so I can pick him. OK I'm done. Here are some pictures of my little babies :)

How cool... This has been almost 6 days and they have grown that fast. I'm so fascinated by plants, flowers, and my garden and how fast they grow kind of like my little girl :)

Service Project!!!

So our connection group has been making multiple attempts to do a service project. They've done a couple without my help so this one really made me excited... that I actually am done with school and I have time to put more towards God and Brinn. Liz Carson our connection group leader decided to go with sending something to Jono. I know he doesn't really need anything and we actually missed the deadline to send him things which is GOOD BECAUSE HE IS COMING HOME SOON!!!!!!!!!

So since Jono can't do it Scott Carson found another site that does. You send all sorts of things like clothes or toys to this lady and she sends it to a base that will actually take the items to needy children. I wish Jon could do it himself, but this is better than nothing!!! SO I went down to Brinn's box and found some things that I could send over. I feel so honored to be able to give what we have to children that have nothing. We are called to serve others and others meaning not just each other and Americans but all over the globe. Jono and and I strongly believe that there are many needy children that are living right in our own neighborhoods. We want to reach out to them also. So I went through my closet and some of our clothes I will be taking to a homeless shelter. I would love to get involved and help out at one. I have never been deprived of anything that I've ever needed in my life. I've gotten pretty much anything I've ever wanted. I can't imagine not even having a pair of shoes to wear in the snow... Here are some pictures I took from Jono's roommate over in Afghanistan these are real children they see everyday.

These little guys have shoes... 

The little girl on the left doesn't look like she is dressed for snow... Also Jono does take stuff and hand out such as pens and what not. This is another soldier Jono serves with he was handing things out to the children they love pens and paper. Something I take for granted everyday. 

This one hits hard... this is a way of life for them. 

Tonight when you lay in your warm bed think of children all over, in our neighborhoods, here in Iowa and across seas... people live this way and this is a way of life. You bet I'm doing something about it. You bet I'll send my fortunate daughters clothes to any child in need. That's my Brinn that could be my Brinn standing there huddled up freezing. 

Great Verses :)

1Peter 4:10 "Each one should use whatever fig he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in it's various forms.

Acts 20:35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words like Lord Jesus himself said " It is more blessed to give than to receive."

Galatians 5:13 You my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

Proverbs 11:25 A generous man will prosper; he who refreshed other will himself be refreshed.

     I also looked up another version and I like this translation of "Whoever brings blessings will be enriched, and one who waters himself will be watered."