I hate vinyl siding

Why?

First, its plastic! Ok, its "vinyl" but it feels (and looks) like plastic. I know brick on a home is just a veneer and adds no structural component to the house, but there is something a little more comforting about stone rather than plastic.

Second, I swear it actually conducts sound. Even when the construction crews are across the street they sound like they are next door. I know things are quieter in a brick house.

Last, and probably the new biggest reason that I despise the siding, it makes a perfect home for nasty things like black widow spiders. I had found a few a couple months back and sprayed them with an at home spray. Recently, I found more and resolved to call our exterminator. Today, when they came out for our yearly termite inspection, we asked if they could spray the spiders. I am totally freaked out by the amount that are literally coming out of the "plastic-works" to die. The guy said they get up underneath the siding and live there because it is cooler, and its really common around here since practically everyone has the vinyl siding. Oh. My. Goodness!!

Aggieland x2, Family time, Kite surfing, and a quarter of a century...

Settle in, this is going to be a long post. I will understand if you need to go grab a beverage or something, I'll still be here ;). Ok, a lot has happened since my last update (including our anniversary, I don't really consider that an update, more of an FYI type thing...).

1) TEXAS!!

Well, I left for Texas in the middle of May, and I can't tell you how great it was to be back! The first thing we did after I landed was go eat some good Mexican food! It was delicious...I missed it. It was also great to see a place with REAL highways, not the 2 lane things we have here. I miss that too. Weird thing to miss, but you would get it if you drove around here for a couple of weeks. That weekend after I got in, I was able to celebrate my dad's birthday with him (he turned 30) ;) and then I made my first of 2 trips to Aggieland. I love that place! This trip was to see my little brothers in their senior boots! Even after seeing it, its still hard to believe. I can still remember them with their bowl hair cuts playing with their WWF action figures (or punchies as they called them). And now here they are:

Crazy right! It wasn't so long ago that this was my reality:

(That's me and Kyle at his final review when he earned his boots). Now, its my brothers. I am so proud of them. I felt a little old, and a couple of times I caught myself looking for Kyle instead of them (ha!), but has been really special for me to go back and see them go through these amazing years at Aggieland that I know from experience mean so much! They are awesome!



(Note: This was the first final review that I have been to that it has rained. That's why I look so gross and my parents are wearing maroon trash bags) ;)

The week following final review, Kyle got home from his ridiculously long trip overseas (they are supposed to be gone max 10 days and he was gone for 2 1/2 weeks) and then flew down and joined us in the land of Texas. We had a great time! The following weekend, Kyle and I headed up to College Station, this time to see some very dear friends from college, John and Elizabeth and their two kiddos. We had a blast! We walked around campus a bit, the guys got into trouble (as usual) and we went back and had lunch with them and another couple from college days, Zach and Lauren. I forgot my camera this time, so I had to steal some pictures from Elizabeth's blog:

Kyle and John causing mischief, finding a way to get into Kyle's old dorm room (John's room was across the hall from Kyle's)

Ok, no one's coming, go go go!

Proof!

Afterwards, no harm, no foul. Elizabeth and I joked that if the general had gotten a call and had come over to the dorms, he would have laughed and shook his head because of course it would be John and Kyle...

And this picture I think is too cute. Kyle and Caroline (J & E's daughter) walked up under the century tree and were looking at birds or squirrels or something. John joined them and this is the picture we got. We also joked about this one saying if it fell into the wrong hands, it might end up on some diversity poster ;) Needless to say, neither one of us want our husbands on that kind of poster for the university!

Again, because I forgot my camera, so I don't have any pictures from lunch, but we had a blast with our friends from Aggieland! We love you guys :)

Beyond our trips, we mostly enjoyed time with both of our families. It was so much fun and it was bittersweet to come back to SC.

2) Kite surfing

This past weekend, one of Kyle's friends from the squadron introduced him to a new activity: kite surfing. Its pretty neat, but looks really hard. Kyle didn't actually try it in the water (yet, he plans on going back this week) but really enjoyed playing with the trainer kites. And I really enjoyed sitting on the beach and watching :) Apparently, the kite surfing thing is really popular...

Kyle with the smaller trainer kite

The larger trainer kite

Getting drug by said larger trainer kite (its ok, that was supposed to happen)

Larger kite again

Getting the real kite ready to go into the water (a couple of guys did it this time, just not Kyle. He will be going back)

Look at all the kites!

3) A quarter of a century

Is how long I have been on this earth (my birthday was yesterday). Weird huh? I know I'm not, but when people say it like that, I feel really old. The good thing is that Kyle will always get to the milestones before me :) My birthday was good. Kyle had to work yesterday, so on Sunday we went to lunch downtown after church and hung out a little. Yesterday when he came home, he cooked me dinner for the second time EVER, and made me a molten chocolate cake for dessert, which was his first time ever baking. It was all delicious. He's the greatest :D And thanks to everyone who sent cards and called, you all made my day special :)

Whew! That may have been my longest post to date. In the future, I will try not to put it off so long! Stay tuned for another post; on Kyle's last trip (the really long one I talked about earlier) he was able to do some sight seeing in Venice and Florence, Italy. I will let him post more about that!

3 years

It was on this very day 3 years ago that I married my best friend! My husband is one of the greatest people I know and I am so thankful to be his wife! Happy anniversary babe!

Fun fact: 9 years ago we started dating.

The good ole days...

Well, that's what a pilot who has been here called a few years ago. [Background: It was super busy in the "good ole days"]. Well, according to the same pilot, things now are reminiscent of said good ole days. I guess the pilots think its very cool. They get to fly. A lot. I, on the other hand, am not the biggest fan. I like my husband (shocker, I know), especially when he is home. I am not trying to pout or get sympathy because this is what he (and so consequently we) signed up for. I'm just in one of those moods where I would love for him to be around to hang out with. Like I said, I really like him :)

Happy "Military Spouse Appreciation" Day!

Yep, its a real day. I know our military members have a hard job, but they do it gladly. Well, I feel the same way. Being the wife of a military man isn't always the easiest, but I, and all the other military spouses out there, do it gladly.

So, all you other spouses out there, I appreciate you! I don't know what I would do without you!

What do you do when its late and you're bored?

Make over your blog, of course. Oh, and thanks Rachel for another blog design website :)

Spouse Flight!

So, yesterday one of the flying squadrons here sponsored a C-17 flight for the spouses and it was so much fun! Here was our agenda for the day:

0845: Spouses arrive at 15AS for continental breakfast
0900: Spouses in seats in 15AS Auditorium
0905 - 0915: Flight Brief / Pilot
0930 - 1030: Depart for flightline / Group photo next to aircraft
1030 - 1100: Engine start and taxi
1100 :2 ship depart Charleston for low altitude VFR flight to AR216
1200: ARCT with KC-135 on AR216
1330: Refueling complete
1400: Arrive at North, box lunch on the grounds with 2 ship
demonstration
1515: Depart North
1545: Arrive Charleston
1600: Arrive 15AS Auditorium for presentation of momentos

It was very neat. During the refueling process they took us up into the cockpit to witness them practice their refueling. It was crazy to see a big KC-135 so close at 27,000 feet going about 400 mph. Crazy! The whole day gave me such an appreciation for Kyle and what he does every day. It was exhausting and I wasn't the one flying the plane! One of the cool things was Kyle was on the other plane helping out the spouses and explaining things to them. For whatever reason, he couldn't be on my plane :( But I had friends that were on the other jet say he did a very good job and was very entertaining. He makes me proud :) Ok, here are some pictures, which is probably really what you want to see anyway ;)

Headed out to the plane

The inside of the jet, well half of it anyway (For a while the other plane was having issues and they thought they were going to have to put all of the spouses on one plane, turns out it fixed itself and they didn't have to. But the loadmasters worked so hard to get those chairs set up and we didn't use them. I appreciate them too, they have a hard job!)

The pilot's view during refueling (our pilot actually took this picture)

Me in the cockpit

For lunch we went out the back door, so this is a view of the other plane from out of the back

The other plane again, with spouses walking in front of it

Our view at lunch, pretty neat huh?

They put on a little show for us while we were eating, this is (obviously) formation

After lunch getting back on the plane. I also now appreciate why Kyle comes home sweaty after all his flights; those flight suits are HOT!

Me and my guy in our flight suits :) Actually, they are both HIS fight suits and I looked like a little kid in it. But it was a must-have photo