The Great Gift of Friendship

I love friendship. I've always tried to follow my mom's motto of being the great friend you would want. So I've tried to be a great friend, but I feel amazingly blessed at the friends God has given me.

There are so many different types of friendship. I would consider my mom and my sister some of my first best friends. There have been childhood friends whose memories I enjoy, but may have lost touch. I have new family friends in my lovely sister in laws. And friends that I have had in ministry: mentors, those who have been my rock during ministry, and those who I have ministered to who ultimately became lifelong friends.

Then there are those special friends who I now get to say we have been best friends for 10 years (Amy and Sarah...you know who you are!). Those friends that no matter what they accept you and have seen you through so many life stages: college, marriage and even children. We may be far apart, but they are friends I could say anything to...I mean anything!

I would be remissed without saying that, next to Jesus, my best friend in the whole world is also the love of my life, Austin. There is a whole new level of friendship in marriage that is so incredible. When he is not around I feel like half of myself. We are "thick as thieves" as he likes to say!

I would say that in my life, friendship ranks as one of my high priorities. When we moved, yet again, I was the most concerned with finding that very thing. Let me tell you, I found a new kind of friendship. There is something to be said for friendships in the military. Many of the other friendships in my life are so deep, but took a long time to form and grow. And while friendships do evolve and grow here, its amazing how quickly you form deep and meaningful friendships within the army community. I think part of it is the fact that you know you don't have that much time since you move every 2 to 3 years (and that's on the longer end). But another part is what you go through together. I really can't fully explain it or would have understood it myself living in the civilian world. We experience the separation of our husbands frequently and at some point for a year at a time. We essentially are all losing our best friends and life companions for chunks of time so we need friendship. You become fast friends out of necessity, but life long friends out of that sweet time spent together. I can't tell you how many people have asked me if the kid/baby I am holding or watching is mine (they aren't), but I have become second parent for many friends and it is a joy. But they are there for me to. I spent the first weekend night without my husband watching a movie in my friend (a girl) Corie's bed. I will spend many days shopping and laughing with my friend Kim. I went to lunch today with 3 other wonderful friends (one I just met today) and we laughed like friends for many years! These friends don't replace the ones who are already so dear to me, but add a unique layer in my life that I wouldn't change for anything. Praise be to God for His many gifts!

Belated Christmas Post

I have been meaning to post about our Christmas and New Year's since we returned from Texas a few weeks ago! Austin and I were spending as much time together as possible because we knew he would be leaving this week for JRTC (a training camp) for a month. We had a wonderful holiday together and with our families. We drove the 12 hours into Dallas and spent time with Dr. and Mrs. Vann (Austin's parents) and also with Aaron and Kim (brother and sis in law) and their sweet little Makennah. We enjoyed catching up with them, getting to hear Dr. Vann preach, and laughing a lot! We also got to see my sister's new and beautiful home in Fort Worth. She will be getting married on April 17th and we are so excited for her and her fiancee, Mike.

We arrived in Dallas on a Saturday and headed to Houston to visit my parents on a Tuesday. My parents had bought a Wii and let me just tell you that I don't think we have had a more fun Christmas! We played Wii until we were exhausted and were literally sore the next day. We attended a candlelight Christmas Eve service in which Austin was quite disappointed that we all didn't get our own candles--just the choir. That night we made a gingerbread house and finished wrapping presents. We spent Christmas day at my cousin, Alan and his wife, Kat's house. Kat is an amazing cook and it was gourmet and fabulous as usual! We were sad for such a short trip, but it was great. My parents gave me an amazing new camera and my sweet husband blessed me with a gorgeous new watch! We were so blessed! So that weekend we made the long (15 hour) trek back to Colorado Springs.

As much as we miss our family and friends in Texas, we could sense as we drove into the Springs, that we were home. That is a great feeling when your whole married life has been full of moving! We live in an amazing place and have already been surrounded by great friends. Which is great for me since I will spend much of my time here alone. This Christmas was even more special because it will most likely be the last one spent with my husband for 2 years. We realized this and are learning to never take our time together for granted. We felt like we were dating again and just really enjoying each other! I encourage everyone to feel like that in their marriage!


Our $10 Christmas tree we cut down from a National Forest (with a permit)



Kim and Makennah. Isn't she adorable!



Dad and Austin competing in a little Wii!



Austin and I on Christmas Eve



Me, My Mom, and My Sister on Christmas Eve



Our beautiful Gingerbread House



Our fun group on New Year's Eve. Toasting with our Sparkling Cider!

Skiing through Thanksgiving and Christmas Trees!

So I know you all have been on the edge of your seat wondering if I would "get back on the horse" and try skiing again. You all can rest secure, I did! Over the Thanksgiving holiday Austin and I along with another couple, The Whites, headed up to Keystone for what I hoped would be a much much better skiing experience. With my bruises from the last time almost completely healed, I convinced myself that I could ski and could have fun! I guess attitude is important! We had a great time. The first day I fell a little. I told Austin he could go on any runs he wanted, but I was going to master the green (easiest) runs. As I got better, I fell less and less. By the end of the second day I was having fun, although still sore, and I knew each and every bump, turn and dip of those green runs! On the third day, we were basically in blizzard conditions, with the most beautiful powder I have ever seen. It was so much fun! I was zipping down blue (intermediate)runs. Yah, baby! I am officially addicted to skiing and we are going again with Austin's unit next weekend. What a great thanksgiving to eat all we wanted with no guilt because we literally exercised for three days straight!

So my spiritual connection to the story is that, once you get knocked down and defeated, you must get up and trust that you can get down that mountain and enjoy it! Sometimes God wants us to go back to the basics and really get to know Him just like I had to take the time to know the "easiest" run again and "master" it (I know we can never "master" it and I will have to go back sometimes). God came to give us an abundant life with Him. I enjoyed being in His creation and sometimes I got really scared (scared of falling or not being good enough to get down). I would convince myself that I had the ability and was equipped to get down the mountain. I learned how to talk myself out of a fall!

On another note, we moved on post this week (yes, we moved again...I think number 5 since we have been married). It was a lot of work even with movers, but we love our place and I will post pics as soon as I can get my camera working. Then yesterday, we decided to get away from boxes for a few hours and go cut down our Christmas Tree. I know what you are thinking...that is so fun to go to a Christmas tree farm and cut down your little perfect tree! Nope! This year we found out that we could go to Pike's Peak National Park and cut down our own tree with a $10 permit fee. We bought our little bow saw and had our map. Let me tell you this is no Christmas Tree farm...this is a freakin' forest!! We took one road and I literally felt like I was on a crazy snow roller coaster. There were no rails, hairpin turns, big rocky bolders, and no one else to rescue us. It was an adventure. We searched for a couple of hours to find our "perfect" tree. We sang Christmas carols and tramped out in the snow. These trees are either huge or not full at all. So we found our tree...sort of a really fat version of the Charlie Brown Christmas tree. We call it ghettofabulous. We decorated it last night and laughed as you can see ornaments from one side of the tree while standing on the other side. But it is our first tree together and we found it and cut it down ourselves! I love it! Posted below are pics from the cell phone. I'll post better ones later! Also is one of Austin out in the field.

A New Mountain Experience

I don't know how many of you have ever been skiing, but I did not grow up going skiing. The first time I ever went was my junior year of college and it was not a pleasant experience. When I lived in New York, I decided to give it a try again and had one of the students in our ministry who was gracious enough to give me lessons and ski backwards in front of me so I could learn. Since then, I have been 2 other times, once with my hubby on our honeymoon in Colorado.

Now that we live in Colorado, it seems the perfect time to get really good at skiing. Austin loves to ski. We had a ski expo on post a few weekends ago and he was like a little kid on Christmas morning. I want it to be something we can do together and someday teach our kids to love it to and we purchased season passes to Keystone/A-Basin. Since Austin had a four day weekend and we have hardly seen each other in the past week or so, we decided to try our season passes for a day of skiing.

Let's just say it didn't start off well...mainly with my attitude. We got up at 5am and I was not a happy camper. The first run would start at 8:30 am and we had a 2 and a half hour drive to the ski resort. I slept most of the way and felt uncomfortable about my ski clothes (I don't know why...just one of those mornings.) We even stopped for Chicfila breakfast on the way so you would think I would be in a chipper mood. It was cold and overcast and so was I!

We arrived at the mountain with all the other crazy skiers on the Monday after the opening weekend of skiing. The mountains were barely covered with snow, so the snow on the slope would be mostly man made...did you know that they can do that..make snow!! Crazy!!

So we suited up and headed to the gondola line. We heard that only 2 runs were open, but we were still excited to get down that beautiful mountain...until we started down the mountain. Austin was fine, I however was a little shaky. There were a ton of people on this run...more than I have ever skied with before! I knew I would have my first fall as it has been almost a year since I have skied. After that fall, I picked myself up and was ready to keep going...this was normal for my first run down. There were so many people swirling around me that it made me nervous...that's when we got to the first really steep part. After falling a few more times, I was beat up. People on the mountain were not friendly, in fact several people were right out rude in what they said as I was stopped on the slope in my fear! Austin was great...he was encouraging and patient with me urging me to take my time. I was frustrated. I had done this before. I had the skills and the experience to ski down this mountain. I looked down at the mountain and all these "expert skiers" taking it like it was easy as walking...I was petrified. The mountain become unskiable for me. I was stuck in my fear. I fell one more time as some naysayer came by to give me his opinion on being stopped and trying to get my ski back on. I lost it. I cried. I was beat up and definitely had bruises (large ones) on several areas of my body. All I could look down and see was impossibility. I just wanted to be done. Part of me wanted to snap off my skis and march down this beast on foot even if I looked foolish.

So what got me down the mountain today? For one, I prayed...I really wanted to make it down without much more pain. Second, my wonderful husband. I knew he was sacrificing his fun day on the mountain to help me, but he was patient and taught me a way to slide down that ended up being very helpful in my skiing technique. He told me that he didn't want to ski without me, that it was just us working together. Thank you sweetie! (I let him go by himself back up and down the mountain twice after we made it down.) And third, I actually found this one girl who was by herself and she was snowplowing this thing (Snowplowing for those who don't know is using your thigh muscles to push out on your skis while keeping the tips of your skis in sort of a triangle. This helps you go really slow and is how they teach you to ski for the first time). It seemed every time I had given up in fear and loss of confidence, this girl would show up snowplowing her heart out. Snowplowing is one of the most painful ways to ski. It is not fun, but it teaches you control of your speed. I cannot stand to snowplow! I felt she was the only other one on that mountain not skilled to swoop down from side to side with out falter. I thought, if she can do it, I can to. Who cares what I look like, I am getting down this mountain!

So why do I tell you all in detail about my painful skiing experience. Well, after I had achieved my goal and was back down on semi-flat land, I evaluated...what had I learned. It was like a spiritual journey. Sometimes we think, I have walked with God for so long and I have seen this mountain before...I'm good to go. I have the right equipment, in fact, I have a new jacket and goggles, watch out mountain! Then we fall, and sometimes we are ok and pick ourselves back up, but we just keep falling. Meanwhile, our teachers (or God) are trying to help us understand that we can't go so fast and we need to practice our turns and we need to rely on Him to help us. That's why I kept falling, I was not listening to help from my teacher (Austin). Once I did and I concentrated on following him, I fell a lot less and I wasn't looking at that huge steep mountain below me. Sometimes along the way it seems like there are naysayers, people who point out our faults and who just seek to keep us down. We must listen to the encouragers and watch those who are walking (skiing), not perfectly but with confidence that going slow and with confidence will get them down that mountain.

I did not go up again. I was tired, broken, bruised, and completely emotionally done! But I will, and with a new found understanding of my limitations and also new goals. Maybe the next time, my mountain won't seem quite so daunting and my fear will not conquer me. I want to trust God whatever mountain I find myself on and even when I discouraged and people are discouraging. He wants to teach me to follow Him and take it one step at a time. As my husband said, "It doesn't matter how you get down the mountain, I just don't want you to fall." What insight into the heart of God! But oh am I sore!!!

A Time to Mourn

Austin had his first memorial service today. It was my first as well. I went to support him and be a co-minister to the family who were in attendance. Austin did a great job and I am so very proud of him. The service itself was very sad. Many fellow soldiers attended in uniform. The soldier who died was honored by his commanding officers and fellow soldiers and friends. Austin spoke of Psalm 139 about how we each (including the soldier who died) are so precious to God and that he knows our name and His precious thoughts about us are as numerous as the grains of sand. It was a great reminder of how precious life is and how much our Father loves us-- even those who may not be following after Him. If you have never had the opportunity to attend a military memorial, let me tell you it is something quite amazing and humbling. After the speeches honoring the soldier, they had a bagpiper come in playing Amazing Grace. Then they did something called a roll call where the sergeant calls out the names of soldiers and they stand and say, "Here First Sergeant." Then the sergeant calls out the name of the deceased three times and when he doesn't answer the sergeant goes and sits down. It sent chills down my spine. After that we all stood for military honors and they did a 21 gun salute and then taps was played. At the end, after the family recessed out, the soldiers would file out in pairs and in front of the "altar" (consisting of a gun with a helmet on top, a pair of boots and a picture of the deceased soldier) they would salute very slowly. Some placed different items at the altar.

I got to meet the father and the wife afterwards and it really was a joy just to listen to them and minister to them the best we could. It was very sad as the father had already lost his other son, his wife and his mother. He had many unanswered questions and we are praying that he would find His answers in Christ.

One of the highlights, if there can be any in a memorial, was that fact that the soldier who found the deceased and who Austin got to later lead to Christ, spoke at the memorial. To me it was a reminder once again that God brings life out of death.

The Vanns Five Fall Update

So I realized today that so much stuff has been going on in our lives the past few months and I haven't really stopped to share. So this post will be long, but will include lots of pics and let you know what is happening with us in Colorado Springs!

Most of you might know that we have moved to Colorado Springs and are serving with the Army Chaplaincy. Austin has been doing amazing and I am so proud of him. He has done two weddings (pics included below) and today headed out to the field with his troops for a few days in the snow...That's right we have snow on the ground this morning in the middle of October!! I was so surprised when we woke up this morning to fall foliage and a blanket of white on the ground and in the mountains. The good news is that the sun is already breaking through!

Since we have been in Colorado we have visited the Garden of the Gods, been mountain biking, visited Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (a zoo on the mountain!)and had a marriage retreat in Breckenridge. Austin was "hailed" at a traditional Army "Hail and Farewell" where they welcome new soldiers to the battalion and farewells to those leaving. We have dinner at a nice restaurant and then the commander ribs the each officer a little and welcomes them. I see deer or foxes almost every day in people's yards! It is so fun!

We have both been involved in a new chapel service called Chapel Next. It is a national movement among military posts that seeks to reach young soldiers and their families and has a modern feel. Austin has preached and is in charge of single soldier outreach. I have been singing in the worship band and we have both helped with children's ministry. We are really enjoying being apart of this new work seeking to reach young people! You can check it out at http://chapelnextfortcarson.blogspot.com/.

In December we will be moving on post into NEW housing that is really awesome. We are so excited that the Lord has provided for us to be on post. We will get to have 3 bedrooms, a two car garage, and a yard! I feel great about having neighbors I know and who are going through the same thing when Austin deploys in May or June next year. We also are a lot closer to where most of our life takes place! Austin will be only minutes from "work" and I will be so close to the commissary (grocery store), the PX (like Walmart/Department Store), the fitness center, our church (Veteran's Chapel) and where I go to Women's Bible Study called PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel) every Tuesday morning! I also have such a heart to reach out to the women on post and this will allow me to live among those women and families! Thanks God!

Lastly, we are so excited at the ministry opportunities God continues to give us. Austin's job can be so tough some days as he seeks to please God by sharing Jesus and his commander and the army by doing what they ask him to do. It can be disheartening and challenging at times. God has been faithful! Austin had a tragic situation on Monday happen within his unit and was so discouraged. But God had called Austin to pray over his guys' barracks just the day before. We prayed and I listened as he processed. The next day at my Bible study we prayed for the chaplains and Austin began praying for opportunities to share. Out of this, another solider involved with the crisis came to Austin and told him he wanted to know how to come to Christ. He accepted the Lord and said he was changed!! He said he would share with his wife and bring her back if she wanted to accept Christ as well! Amazing. What Satan meant for evil, God meant for good. A situation that the devil was all in, turned out to bring life to a spiritually dying soldier. Life out of death! That's what our Lord is all about. Please continue to pray for Austin and his ministry. He deals with spiritual warfare everyday. I have never felt so strongly the call to be a prayer warrior for someone as I have for him during this time. I know we are fighting spiritual battles!

Ok so thanks for surviving the update! Pictures are posted below!


Our snowy fall day!


Austin getting ready for his trek out in the field in the cold and snow.


Our future "home". It will have red shutters!


Austin getting "Hailed" at a traditional Army Hail and Farewell.


Austin and I on date night at our marriage retreat in Breckenridge.

Austin in his dress blues for the wedding he did.

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At the mountain Zoo with my friend's son Jackson!

My Hard Working Hubby

Ok so I know many of you are proud of your husband for how hard he works, so your like so what your husband works hard! I just want to exhort my husband publicly and say what an awesome job he is doing as an army chaplain. He has taken on a whole new world/culture, and ministers to around 600 soldiers. He has already untiringly counseled hurting soldiers and their families in suicide, marriage difficulties, infidelity, depression, etc. He gets up early almost every morning and some weekends to go run up hills...mind you I'm still in bed hitting the snooze button and curling back up for a few extra z's. He not only works a typical "8-5" job, but is on call all the time. He has a phone for that and they use it...alot!! He answers and dresses and heads out for emergency situations. He goes to meetings, has to prepare briefings, does pre marital counseling, works out (again), plans for retreats, and much more than I can even name. He will go out into the field sometimes overnight, sometimes until way past his new 9pm bedtime, and sometimes for a week! Just to talk to soldiers about their issues and give them a chance to corporately worship God. All of this AND he is preparing for a month long training away in winter and a year long deployment in late spring. Austin is truly my hero. I am very proud and so blessed to have such a hard working husband who still finds time to take me out to Chic-fil-a for dinner or converse with me even though he is practically falling asleep! A man stopped us one morning we were having a quick cup of coffee before he had to go to work and said thank you for serving our country. I was beaming with pride. Austin just shrugged it off because he doesn't feel worthy of it...ah my hero! Makes me even more proud. I am so thankful for all our armed forces who put their lives on the line and for policeman and firefighters as well. You wives should be proud. And I am also thankful for their chaplains, who seek to minister by their presence to these men and women who put their lives on the line everyday!