Yep, we're moving; its just going to be a bit of prolonged process. On Monday our packers come to put all of our things in boxes and the movers take them away on Tuesday. We will see it again about 6 months after that. Wednesday will be a cleaning day and we will be in Houston on Thursday, just in time for Kyle's 25th birthday! That following Monday he will head up to Oklahoma for 3 1/2 months of C-17 training.
BUT, the big news is... we have decided to build a house in Charleston! Its a Ryland home in a really nice neighborhood that will be close to the base, so Kyle won't have a very long drive. Its a very exciting thought that we are going to have our own home, with a garage (which I haven't had since high school at my parents' house), no duplex neighbors (aka no more sharing walls), a back yard... the list goes on. I am really excited and feel really blessed that we are able to personalize a home that will be a complete reflection of us. I'm so pumped! It *should* be ready the first week of September, so hopefully things will go close to schedule. Kyle has been so great throughout this process; he has been on the phone constantly for the past few days getting this thing all squared away. I don't think we will have any roll-over minutes after this month ;).
We are really excited, but all this is a little overwhelming at the same time. We'll get it down, its just new. We have a really great realtor that is walking us through the process, so that provides some peace of mind and is sooo helpful!
I can't wait to get this process rolling and move into our first home!
Friday, March 28, 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
Well...
I know I said I would post pictures of Charleston, and I intend to, but there is just going to be a delay. Kyle headed off for water survival yesterday and took the camera with the Charleston pictures with him! On the bright side, when he gets back I can post pics of Charleston and Pensacola.
On water survival: Kyle left for San Antonio yesterday with a few other people from his class. They had an early flight this morning to Florida, so instead of getting up at 3am today, they spent the night in San Antonio. I think today is just an in-processing day, so they were going to head down to the beach for a little fun. I have to say, I'm a little jealous. The next 3 days he will para sail and the last day (Thursday) they will actually release the rope on the para sail and he will float in the ocean for a few hours (they give them a raft). So, assuming the weather is good to them this week, he will be home Friday.
I know once he gets operational, he will go on these week long trips a lot, but this is going to be hard to get used to. I can handle it, but its definitely lonely. I guess here would be a good place to interject something. I got an email from one of my friends on "things not to ask a military spouse". Here are a few (and I want to preface this by saying as an Air Force wife, I have it easier than some of the other branches, but that still doesn't make it easy). So, things not to ask:
'Aren't you afraid that he'll be killed?'(This one ranks in at number one on the 'duh' list. Of course we're afraid. We're terrified. The thought always lingers at the backs of our minds ---but thanks brilliant, you just brought it back to the front. Maybe next you can go ask someone with cancer if they're scared of dying.)
'I don't know how you manage. I don't think I could do it.'(This is intended to be a compliment. Though, its just a little annoying. Here's why: it's not like all of us military wives have been dreaming since childhood of the day we'd get to be anxious single moms who carry cell phones with us to the bathroom and in the shower. We're not made of some mysterious matter that makes us more capable, we just got asked to take on a challenging job. So we rose to the challenge and found the strength to make sacrifices.)
'My husband had to go to Europe for business once for three weeks. I totally know what you're going through.'(This one is similar to number two. Do not equate your husband's three week trip to London/Omaha/Tokyo/etc. with a 6-15 month or more deployment to a war zone. Aside from the obvious time difference, nobody shot at your husband or tried to blow him up with an I.E.D., your husband could call home pretty much any time he wanted to, he flew comfortably on a commercial plane, slept between crisp white sheets and ate well, paying for everything with an expense account. There is no comparison. We do not feel bonded to you in the slightest because of this comment and, if anything, we probably resent you a bit for it. Comparing a 12 month combat deployment to a few weeks business trip is like comparing a shitty ford taurus with mercedes convertible.)
'Wow you must miss him?'(This one also gets another big 'duh'. Of course we miss our men. There are some wives who do not and they're now divorced.)
'Well in my opinion.....'(Stop right there. Yo, I didn't ask for you your personal political opinions. Hey, I love a heated political debate, but not in the grocery store, not in Jamba Juice, not at Nordstrom, not in a bar when I'm out with my girls trying to forget the war, and CERTAINLY NOT AT WORK. We tell co-workers about deployments so when we have to spend lunch hours running our asses off doing errands and taking care of the house, dog, and kids, they have an understanding. We do not tell co-workers and colleagues because we are giving an invitation to ramble about politics or because we so eagerly want to hear how much they hate the President, esp. while we're trying to heat up our lean cuisines in the crappy office microwaves.)
'OH, that's horrible...I'm so sorry!'(He's doing his job and he's a badass. Don't be sorry. Be appreciative and please take a moment out of your comfortable American lives to realize that our soldiers/marines/airmen/coasties/sailors fight the wars abroad so those wars stay abroad.)
I know most people don't ask these things to be insensitive, but I guess a good rule of thumb is to think before you talk. I'm also not comparing this week to a deployment, but I will be able to tell you about that soon enough. The policy is to put them in the squadron that is deploying the soonest to get them experience and hours in the plane. I don't know when it will be, but I don't think it will be that long after we get to Charleston before we start gearing up for our first deployment. I don't want people to feel sorry for me or us, but just to be aware. We signed up for it, we knew it would happen and we are ok with that, but like I said, that doesn't make it easy.
I didn't mean to get on a soapbox, but I guess I just needed to put that out there.
On water survival: Kyle left for San Antonio yesterday with a few other people from his class. They had an early flight this morning to Florida, so instead of getting up at 3am today, they spent the night in San Antonio. I think today is just an in-processing day, so they were going to head down to the beach for a little fun. I have to say, I'm a little jealous. The next 3 days he will para sail and the last day (Thursday) they will actually release the rope on the para sail and he will float in the ocean for a few hours (they give them a raft). So, assuming the weather is good to them this week, he will be home Friday.
I know once he gets operational, he will go on these week long trips a lot, but this is going to be hard to get used to. I can handle it, but its definitely lonely. I guess here would be a good place to interject something. I got an email from one of my friends on "things not to ask a military spouse". Here are a few (and I want to preface this by saying as an Air Force wife, I have it easier than some of the other branches, but that still doesn't make it easy). So, things not to ask:
'Aren't you afraid that he'll be killed?'(This one ranks in at number one on the 'duh' list. Of course we're afraid. We're terrified. The thought always lingers at the backs of our minds ---but thanks brilliant, you just brought it back to the front. Maybe next you can go ask someone with cancer if they're scared of dying.)
'I don't know how you manage. I don't think I could do it.'(This is intended to be a compliment. Though, its just a little annoying. Here's why: it's not like all of us military wives have been dreaming since childhood of the day we'd get to be anxious single moms who carry cell phones with us to the bathroom and in the shower. We're not made of some mysterious matter that makes us more capable, we just got asked to take on a challenging job. So we rose to the challenge and found the strength to make sacrifices.)
'My husband had to go to Europe for business once for three weeks. I totally know what you're going through.'(This one is similar to number two. Do not equate your husband's three week trip to London/Omaha/Tokyo/etc. with a 6-15 month or more deployment to a war zone. Aside from the obvious time difference, nobody shot at your husband or tried to blow him up with an I.E.D., your husband could call home pretty much any time he wanted to, he flew comfortably on a commercial plane, slept between crisp white sheets and ate well, paying for everything with an expense account. There is no comparison. We do not feel bonded to you in the slightest because of this comment and, if anything, we probably resent you a bit for it. Comparing a 12 month combat deployment to a few weeks business trip is like comparing a shitty ford taurus with mercedes convertible.)
'Wow you must miss him?'(This one also gets another big 'duh'. Of course we miss our men. There are some wives who do not and they're now divorced.)
'Well in my opinion.....'(Stop right there. Yo, I didn't ask for you your personal political opinions. Hey, I love a heated political debate, but not in the grocery store, not in Jamba Juice, not at Nordstrom, not in a bar when I'm out with my girls trying to forget the war, and CERTAINLY NOT AT WORK. We tell co-workers about deployments so when we have to spend lunch hours running our asses off doing errands and taking care of the house, dog, and kids, they have an understanding. We do not tell co-workers and colleagues because we are giving an invitation to ramble about politics or because we so eagerly want to hear how much they hate the President, esp. while we're trying to heat up our lean cuisines in the crappy office microwaves.)
'OH, that's horrible...I'm so sorry!'(He's doing his job and he's a badass. Don't be sorry. Be appreciative and please take a moment out of your comfortable American lives to realize that our soldiers/marines/airmen/coasties/sailors fight the wars abroad so those wars stay abroad.)
I know most people don't ask these things to be insensitive, but I guess a good rule of thumb is to think before you talk. I'm also not comparing this week to a deployment, but I will be able to tell you about that soon enough. The policy is to put them in the squadron that is deploying the soonest to get them experience and hours in the plane. I don't know when it will be, but I don't think it will be that long after we get to Charleston before we start gearing up for our first deployment. I don't want people to feel sorry for me or us, but just to be aware. We signed up for it, we knew it would happen and we are ok with that, but like I said, that doesn't make it easy.
I didn't mean to get on a soapbox, but I guess I just needed to put that out there.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Back in TX
We are back in Houston from Charleston and we had a great trip! It was really fun to explore the city we are going to be living, as well as very educational as far as buying a house is concerned. I will post more and pics soon.
Monday, February 25, 2008
A mini vacation...
....and NOT to San Antonio! Haha, finally! I am very excited about our upcoming trip to Houston/Charleston/Houston this Friday! We are going to Charleston to scope things out and see what our future home is like. I'm excited just to go anywhere, but I have heard so many good things about Charleston and how so many people want to go there, I think its pretty cool that the Air Force wants us to live there (unless they change their minds and tell us to go somewhere else, which I don't expect to happen but still could b/c its the Air Force and they like to change their minds sometimes). Don't worry, I will take my new camera, which I love, and post lots of pictures.
I am also excited b/c I am going to get my hair cut for the first time since October (I know right!) and I am probably going to lighten it. Hopefully I will get in before we go to SC and then you can see that in our pics, otherwise, I guess you'll have to visit me in person... Rachel Black ;). Haha, you know I just kid with you, and you are probably really excited right now that you made the blog; miss you!
That's about all I've got for now...until after the trip!! :)
I am also excited b/c I am going to get my hair cut for the first time since October (I know right!) and I am probably going to lighten it. Hopefully I will get in before we go to SC and then you can see that in our pics, otherwise, I guess you'll have to visit me in person... Rachel Black ;). Haha, you know I just kid with you, and you are probably really excited right now that you made the blog; miss you!
That's about all I've got for now...until after the trip!! :)
(I had to throw the C-17 on there...its just too cool not to!)
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Orders!!
So, they are in. Here is our schedule from now until September when Kyle begins at Charleston (as always with they Air Force, these are subject to change):
Feb 29 - March 3: Houston
March 4 - 8: Trip to Charleston
March 8 - 12: Houston
March 13 - 16: Del Rio
March 17 - 21: Water Survival in Pensacola, FL (Kyle only, I stay in Del Rio)
March 22 - April 6: Del Rio - move out
April 7 - July 15: Altus, OK (I plan on spending time in Houston and OK)
July 16 - 23: Del Rio - out process
July 24 - August 16: Land Survival in Washington (again, Kyle only. During this time the blog will be down)
August 17 - 18: Houston
August 19 - forever: Charleston
Its so exciting to have a plan; it definitly makes things more real!
Feb 29 - March 3: Houston
March 4 - 8: Trip to Charleston
March 8 - 12: Houston
March 13 - 16: Del Rio
March 17 - 21: Water Survival in Pensacola, FL (Kyle only, I stay in Del Rio)
March 22 - April 6: Del Rio - move out
April 7 - July 15: Altus, OK (I plan on spending time in Houston and OK)
July 16 - 23: Del Rio - out process
July 24 - August 16: Land Survival in Washington (again, Kyle only. During this time the blog will be down)
August 17 - 18: Houston
August 19 - forever: Charleston
Its so exciting to have a plan; it definitly makes things more real!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Graduation
Graduation this past weekend was wonderful! It was so great to have so much family here to see Kyle get his wings and officially become an Air Force pilot! Those that were unable to make it were definatly missed.
The festivities started on Thursday when the class held a retreat ceremony at the flag pole. The 3 training planes here (the T-6, T-1 and T-38) did a flyover and after that we went to the officers club for some an informal awards ceremony. Friday was actual graduation day. The ceremony was held on Friday morning. Kyle received 2 awards: the Distinguished Graduate for his T-1 class as well as the Commander's Trophy. We were surprised and very honored that he was recognized in such a way! After he received his wings we went out to the flightline for some photos by the planes. Friday evening was the banquet for the graduates. It was a very nice evening and I think everyone really enjoyed themselves. Our families were also able to "fly" the simulator with a little (or a lot) of help from Kyle ;).
It was a really great weekend; a very nice way to cap off the past year. It has been a good year, it definatly had its ups and downs with challenges for both Kyle and I, and we are very excited for the next stage in Charleston! Thank you all so much for your support of us this past year. I put together a little slidshow with some of the pictures from this weekend. Enjoy!
Saturday, February 2, 2008
We're moving!
Last night Kyle and I found out that he will be flying the C-17 Globemaster III at Charleston AFB in South Carolina. We are both really excited about this assignment and believe it is truly an answer to prayer! We don't have orders yet, so we have no idea when we will actually be moving, but the guess is we will be in SC by late summer. Thank you all for your prayers!
Here are some pictures of the C-17:
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