Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?!

While listening to Christmas carols that sing about snow and fireplaces and jack frost feels a bit misplaced in sunny Del Rio, Eric and I are still shamelessly enjoying all of our favorite Christmas traditions as if there were a blizzard outside and a fire blazing. We have especially enjoyed watching all the fun movies and cartoons of Christmas time--he'd never seen It's a Wonderful Life! And of course, in keeping our tradition we started last year, we had to make candy houses. Last year we made a giant castle (it was incredibly elaborate), but this year we didn't really have time to get that wild and crazy, so we stuck with a cozy little cottage (mine) and the Butler resort-mansion-thing (Eric's). Here's the link with all the cool pictures of our creations:


http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2691896&id=2231383&l=3236b73fb6


We will be headed to Michigan on the 23rd with Grandma and Grandpa Miller and we couldn't be more excited! We'll be meeting them in Denton, TX and starting the journey bright and early Christmas Eve morning. Weather permitting, we should be there by Christmas night! Please pray for a safe, quick travel and that the snow holds off until we're home and happy.


As far as life updates, there's not much new to report! Eric will have his mid-phase checkride on Tuesday-a very important, very hard flight that marks the halfway point of Phase 2 of training. Once we get back in January, things will be picking up! Eric is scheduled to track to either T-1s (Heavy aircraft) or T-38s (Fighter/Bombers) on April 1st. That will mark the beginning of Phase 3, the FINAL phase of UPT (wooohoo!). We get really excited talking about all the possible places we could go next and are really excited to have an idea of what kind of plane Eric will be flying throughout his career. 
My life has gotten a bit busier, too. I just joined the praise team at our church--today was my first day singing! I'm pretty excited to get involved and really be a part of a church, it's been a long time since I actually had a serving role in the church community and I'm really happy to feel like more a part of the community in general. I also had an interview at a realty office that sells lake homes and vacation rentals on Lake Amistad. I'm supposed to hear back Monday or Tuesday--cross your fingers for me! 


We hope you have a wonderful holiday, and a very happy new year! 

Disclaimer: This post contains excessively excited statements that may or may not be construed as bragging. You've been warned.

Ok, so for those of you who weren't already aware: I married a stud. No, really--look at that guy! OH, and yeah, he can fly that multi-million dollar, very powerful hunk of government steel. All by himself. No big deal. The people in the tower even gave him two radio clicks on his first landing (that means it was excellent form)! So, I just want to put you at ease by letting you know that it is a perfectly normal feeling to be jealous that THIS GUY--yep, that one in the picture--comes home to me everyday. (If, however, you're a single female seeking a similarly studly pilot, I do know a few that are available--we can chat).

Sooo, before I make you all sick with my gushing pride, I'll shut up. But the pictures will be available shortly; a friend graciously took TONS of them on her super-duper paparazzi-worthy camera, so I'm pretty sure they'll be great. If you have a chance in the next few days and you're feeling nice, give Eric a call and congratulate him--this is a pretty big milestone in the career of his dreams. He's waaay excited (he can't stop smiling) and I'm sure he'd love to hear from all of his friends and family who've cheered him on thus far!

Okay, sorry, oooone more time: I'M SO PROUD OF HIM! <3

Deck Them Halls, y'all

 Thanksgiving with the fam was awesome. It was so good to get out of Del Rio and being close to family for the holidays is such a blessing, especially considering it's our--well, my--first year so far away from home. My grandma is an incredible cook (I'm pretty sure it's a prerequisite to being a grandma, 'cause Eric's grandma is awesome at it, too), so naturally we ate ourselves into food coma and are still recovering.

 

 

Ever seen someone hang their Christmas lights and then mow their lawn? Considering that most of you reading this are from Michigan, it's probably safe to assume that this sounds as weird to you as it looks to us. But alas, such is the life of a Texan at Christmas time....we're adjusting. On the other hand, my arctic-worthy, wool-lined boots have a nice home in the closet that they will not have to leave at all this season...that's not so hard to adjust to!

 

  Oh Honda car, oh Honda car, please don't drop our Christmas tree...

 

We impulse-bought our Christmas tree this weekend...not such a great choice when you drive a tiny little car and therefore have no way to get it home! Such a knee-jerk decision resulted in Eric crawling through the window to get in the car because the automatic seatbelts were trying to cut the ties that wrapped around the roof of the car. We also had to drive all the bumpy backroads, because we weren't exactly sure if our jimmy-rigging job was entirely legal. At least we get creativity points?! Well, if not for that, then certainly we'd get them for tying fishing line around the trunk of the tree and to the curtain holders so the tree would stand up....it fell down in the middle of the night and made a nice little mess for me to clean up this morning.

 

But at least it's beautiful!

Eric made me a wreath out of the limbs we had to trim off of the tree. Pretty good job, I think!

In other news, we're hoping Eric will have his solo flight this week...but the weather here is a little questionable. I'll be out of town this weekend, so pray that he has it before Thursday or not until Monday so I don't have to miss it!! (Either way, there will be TONS of great pictures).

Another Day, Another Dollar (ride)

So I know I've promised to have Eric write soon. And I'm hoping that will still happen...eventually. I have asked him to keep the blog in mind when he needs a study break--we'll see what happens. Until then, you'll just have to continue to put up with my updates :)

Eric successfully completed his Dollar Ride!!! (and I was almost successful in losing my fingers to frostbite while watching). Just kidding. Kinda. Yes, Murphy's Law joined us on Dollar Ride day; it was the ONE day that Mother Nature decided to bless Del Rio with weather reminiscent of a Michigan fall day. We had 40ish degree temps, blowing winds and sprinkling rain on and off. Naturally, my friends and I didn't expect this weather and our choice in clothing showed it. As we walked out to the flightline (having no clue where to go and already freezing our butts off) we took shelter in one of those bus stop thingys that the guys use while they wait to get taken out to their jets. A Colonel came out, saw three girls huddled together, and asked us if we were waiting for a bus. (It's a joke. There are no buses anywhere near there, or on base at all...) He brought us inside, and according to our husbands, went to their flight room and said, "um, gentlemen, I just rescued three lost wives from the cold--they say they belong to three of you?" Eric replied with, "yessir, we know who they are. But we don't feel bad. One is from Michigan, one is from Ohio, and one is from Alaska. There's no reason for them not being prepared for this weather--they know what weather-appropriate clothing looks like!"

I've only included a few pictures in this post, but if you want to see lots more of the Dollar Ride experience: Click here for Dollar Ride pictures

Eric enjoyed his dollar ride, but definitely realized just how much is going on in the cockpit at one time. In the days since that first ride he's flown a couple more times and gotten much more comfortable. At first, he was saying, "wow, 12 rides till I have to fly this thing alone?! That's crazy!" Only a few rides later, he's now saying, "eh, it's overwhelming at first, but I can definitely be ready by the time I reach 12 flights". Whew! I hope so! It's AMAZING how fast this program moves, and how much these guys are taking in all at once both on the ground and in the air. I can't say enough how impressed I am with Eric's performance so far, but even more so with his enthusiasm and dedication. He's working so, so hard, and I'm having so much fun supporting him and watching him achieve this dream, one day at a time.  It's also such a blessing for us both to have some GREAT people around us to share our experiences with, whether UPT-related or not.

I've continued the subbing gig, and well, it's not really blowin' my socks off. In fact, I could think of lots of other things I'd rather do, but it's okay for now, and it is most definitely an experience. I've been in high school and middle school English classes, special ed, elementary, phys. ed., you name it.  #1 thing I've learned so far: when students see that you are oh-so-very-white and ask "Miss, do you know Spanish?" the very second you step in the door (because they do, every time, without fail), SAY YES or lose total control of the classroom for the rest of the day. When students see that you're young and ask, "Miss how old are you?!", LIE or prepare to be hit on for the rest of the day. My favorite comeback so far? "I'm 45, I've just had a LOT of plastic surgery." This is a very difficult school district in many ways, and my limited experience, so far, reaffirms my beliefs about our public education system and its many flaws. (I've got a lot to say about it--I'll spare you here, but if you're interested feel free to ask!)

As far as non-work related life--it's fun! We dressed up and handed out candy to trick-or-treaters together, which was so cool. This is my first time living in a neighborhood and I LOVED seeing all the cute little kids and meeting more of our neighbors.

We also had a Halloween party with Eric's classmates the night before Halloween, which was also a good time. Eric was Hugh Hefner and I was Kendra Wilkinson. Now that the weather is a bearable 75-80 degrees, we're looking forward to having picnics in the park nearby and spending more time outside on the weekends. It's a little weird to see Christmas stuff popping up when it feels like summer, but I'm sure I'll get used to it. I can't think of any other exciting details--we've been so busy though, I'm sure I'm missing something! I need to start taking notes!

Time flies-- and so does Eric!

Phase 2 has officially begun! If the weather cooperates, Eric will be making his inaugural flight in the T-6 tomorrow!! YAY! Don't worry, there will be oh-so-many pictures and videos posted asap.

We've been very busy over the last 10 days--I can't even believe it's already been that long since the last time I wrote! Since then I've been in a first grade classroom substituting for an extremely disorganized teacher. And it's more than accurate to say that disorganization and I do not get along even a little bit. I thought special ed was hard, but turns out I'd do that any day over a rambunctious group of 1st graders. I think I did a pretty good job though, because the teacher in the classroom next door was impressed that I was able to get what she called "the feistiest group in the school" to somewhat behave (emphasis on the "somewhat") and asked if I would sub for her this week! Since then, I've also picked up a two-day job in the high school in a couple of weeks and I'm really excited to see how I like the older kids. Regardless, I'm very grateful the opportunity to work with kids, use my degree, and most of all keep busy.

A few friends... we're silly....

 ....but so are they!

Eric and I also got a surprise in the mail the other day--a Macy's reward card from our wedding registry! I told him it was a sign; my girlfriends were going shopping in San Antonio the following Saturday and it was clearly imperative that I joined them. :) So Eric and the guys spent the day on the boat out on Lake Amistad while we spent a day in something the civilized world calls a "mall". It was so nice to indulge in a little retail therapy, and even better to have a girls day out! We're so thankful for the great friends we've made here so far.

Memo's Mexican Restaurant for lunch!

My bestest friend :)

This past week my mom and grandma came to visit for a couple days and got to meet our friends, tour the base, and get a taste of our life here. They LOVED it--I think! :) We had SO much fun going to all of the cute shops and restaurants in town, and it was more than amazing to spend quality time with them, if even for just a few days.  Turns out there's plenty to do in Del Rio, and we encourage you ALL to come check it out :).

Yesterday we also had the opportunity to go to MWS day (Major Weapons Systems--another name for the planes). (The very small person in front of the C-17 shown above is Eric. It's a HUGE plane!) The purpose of this day is to better educate all of the UPT students on the different airframes they could possibly fly. Since they make a "dream sheet" of which planes they'd like to possibly spend their career in, it's good for them to really know what the mission and lifestyle of each aircraft is. So picture a couple hundred young guys in green, fire-retardant pajamas climbing and drooling all over giant, expensive, potentially dangerous "toys" like a bunch of preschoolers in a play yard, and you've got MWS day!

A C-130(left) and C-17(right)

Eric standing on an F-15E

Me in the cockpit of the C-17. Psh, I could totally fly this thing!

....As long as Eric would be my co-pilot!

An F-15E

I've asked Eric to stick his own version of an update in here pretty soon-so keep your eyes peeled! Hopefully he'll find some time this week for a little study break.

The Honda lives! (and other happy tales)

After an entire weekend of t.l.c., the Honda has been much more cooperative. As long as you don't park it on an uphill slope, drive really carefully, have patience when trying to start it, and keep well over a half-tank of gas in it at all times. yea...we're still working on it! But it did reliably get me to and from Del Rio Middle School two days in a row. That's right--I had a job for TWO DAYS! I substituted for middle school special ed and, well, I will just leave it at saying it was quite an experience. I had all but repressed my own middle school memories (don't we all?! gosh, what a rough couple of years!), and being in a special education classroom on top of it made the last two days extra interesting. God bless the patient, loving souls who do it on an everyday basis. Don't get me wrong, the kids were very sweet--but it's exhausting! And each day is SO very unpredictable in its events and challenges that come with taking care of special needs kids. Wonder what assignment I'll get next time!

AN ERIC UPDATE:
DISCLAIMER: Please excuse all of the parenthesis and quotation marks--should you get a chance to talk to Eric, hopefully these phrases, acronyms, and abbreviations will help you decode his new language. English has taken a backseat and he almost exclusively speaks this alphabet soup pilotese these days.

Eric, well there's no change with him--he's maintaining his status as a UPT (undergraduate pilot training) superstar thus far. At least in my book :). He's working hard and staying very focused, and it is paying off for him. So far he's had several tests and flown a few simulators. From what I gather, simulators require a lot of thought about a lot of different things at once--much like flying, so it's been tricky--but he's doing well and continuing to improve and get comfortable. This week the "sims" have been on emergency recovery. They'll be flying along and the instructor yells out an emergency that is occurring in their plane which they have to simulate resolving. Next week he'll have his "dollar ride". It's a tradition that pilots-in-training pay the instructor pilots (IPs) $1 for their very first ride in the plane (they don't actually pay though, the name just stuck.) From then on he'll be "on the flight line" every day! (Translation: academics, or "phase 1" is over and he's on to "phase 2", which is about 5 months of flying the T-6 Texan II airplane.) This is when he will also begin his 12 hour days and starting "formal release". Formal release is when the UPT students are required to stay in the flight room, whether they are flying or not, until their flight commander says that they can leave. This way they are forced to study with their classmates in an environment that is conducive to getting work done. We hope this is the case, but...boys will be boys ;) .Most of the time this ends up being 12 hours--the maximum amount of time they are allowed to be on duty before the Air Force's mandatory 12 hour "crew rest" for pilots. Of this twelve hours, it is expected that 8 of them be uninterrupted sleep. Bottomline: things are about to get crazzzy busy! :) Wives come in handy here, because we can come into the flight room as long as we come bearing gifts--the edible kind. This is common practice around here and it gives us a chance to actually see our husbands during waking hours. We're pretty sure the single guys like it more though--free homemade food! Every class has two "flights" or groups of students. Once they finish phase 1, they are officially divided into flights and their home base becomes their specific flight room. Eric's class is divided into the Irish and the Longhorns--he's Irish. The guys are also busy designing their flight patches which they where on their shoulders once told they can do so. I can't wait to see what their flight room looks like and what patch they finally decide on!

The same day that Eric is "hitting the flight line" my mom and grandma are coming to visit! Eric will obviously be super busy, so we'll get lots of girl time in. I plan on showing them around our little town and introducing them to our new friends. We're hoping there will also be a drop night so that they can experience what this whole process culminates in--and drops are just a lot of fun.

I think that's all I have for now...I'll see if I can't get Eric to write his own update sometime this weekend-we'll see :)

Planes, Trains, and (dead) automobiles

Yes, you read that title right. The precious Honda, like most 18 year-olds, has decided that it will rebel and start only when it feels like starting in a "you're not the boss of me"-like fashion. Eric is determined to find the cause and spent several hours under the hood the other night--in a thunderstorm. Ahh, the things you'll do for your only vehicle. He's gotten it to start a few times, but it's unreliable and we're not really comfortable with me driving all the way to Walmart (read: the Mecca of Del Rio) only to be stranded in the parking lot with the sometimes questionable individuals who are making their weekly trip for overcrowded superstore bliss from Chihuahua or Cohuila. Sooo, he has decided to catch rides with classmates and put off the problem-solving until the weekend so that it doesn't get in the way of studying. (which, by the way, did you know I married a genius? yea...he's been showing those tests who's boss. :)  ) He has a test tomorrow on some tougher material--aerodynamics--so I'll be making him some dinner and heading out with girlfriends for a little while tonight to give him plenty of uninterrupted study time. Not only am I suuuuper proud of how well Eric is doing, but the celebrating as a result of his awesome test scores is also pretty fun :) . Last Friday I came home from having coffee with a friend to find notes all over the house telling me to get cleaned up because we were going out. He took me to a nice wine place called Casa de Vino and then to dinner downtown at The Herald. The next night we ordered pizza, got in our pjs early, and borrowed some movies from a friend. Not sure which date was better, haha.

As far as the jobs go, I signed up to be a substitute teacher for the San Felipe-Del Rio school district. Hopefully I will start that soon, and maybe that will lead to other opportunities. We are praying that a great opportunity comes soon--we'd like to get a second car as soon as it is possible/reasonable. Especially since I'll probably need it to get to whatever job I find!

I've also decided to not read people's status messages on Facebook lately, since EVERYONE in Michigan is talking about fall colors and cool air and apple cider...the only thing fall-like in Del Rio is that it's October. It's still hot, it's still crazy sunny, and did I mention it's hot? We've had a couple pretty good storms, but other than that the weather is still what we yankees would call summer. I actually bought an "apple orchard" candle, so at least our house smells like a Michigan fall :) I have to say though, I'm not too disappointed about missing out on the snow--I'll still be wearing flip flops in December!

Life on Lawhon St.

Our house is starting to look like a home! It still needs some work, but it's starting to feel more cozy.

Check out updated pictures here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2629515&id=2231383&l=ac2499a8d1 

So many updates!

It's been a BUSY week! My job hunt continues as Eric's training gets exciting. He came home one day last week, flight suit covered in dirt, after learning how to unclip from his parachute once he's landed on the ground. They did this by having 4-5 other classmates grab hold of the parachute straps and run as fast as they can, dragging him across the ground. On Thursday, some of the other wives and I watched the guys (and girls) experience the altitude chamber where they learn what it's like to experience hypoxia. They took them up to 25,000 ft. and told them to take their oxygen masks off. After a few minutes, the guys got preeeetty goofy--the physiologists explain the symptoms as resembling the feeling of drunkenness, but much more intense. I also got to put on ALL of the gear, strap into a cockpit (it's a lot of work!) and practice "emergency egressing" (in English: getting out of the plane as fast as you can). Let's just say I'm glad he's the one doing this and not me--I'm pretty bad at it. So far the class has had 2 tests and Eric has done really well. He has his first big test on aircraft systems on Wednesday, so he's getting well-acquainted with his office chair for the next few days :)

While picking up and turning in applications (I know, really hard work compared to what the guys are doing), other wives and I explore the old downtown Del Rio area, affectionately referred to as "the mexican side". We've found a little cafe with amazing smoothies, a 50s-style soda fountain place, and a cute little boutique with a deli attached. At first glance, Del Rio is underwhelming, but with a little more digging we've found plenty of hidden gems and it's starting to feel like home. For those that watch The Bachelor, Byron (from 2003, I think?) owns the nicest place in downtown, called The Herald. It reminds me of a martini bar you might find in Chicago. He also owns a nice Italian restaurant on Lake Amistad, the cafe with yummy smoothies, and a giant houseboat on the lake that he lets pilot training classes rent out for cheap. Speaking of Lake Amistad, it is perhaps the most popular part of Del Rio. EVERYONE in Del Rio asks, "how long have you been here? have you been to the lake yet?" It is a very large in-land lake that Del Rio natives are quite proud of and visitors are amazed by--as long as they've not grown up on Lake Michigan ;) It really is a fun place to go on the weekends and the base has a marina there that we can rent boats.

Eric and I experienced our first feelings of Del Rio pride this weekend as we traveled to Eagle Pass, TX, about one hour south of Del Rio. We had hoped to find different places to discover than what Del Rio had to offer, but driving through the somewhat eerie town we thought maybe the border had been moved and someone forgot to tell the U.S. government! The people were not very friendly, spoke hardly any English, and looked at us like we were translucent aliens. Most parts of town were incredibly run down (except for the immediate area surrounding the omnipresent Walmart, of course). On our way home we were happy to see the familiar sights of Del Rio and surprised by our feeling that Del Rio is in fact NOT the most desolate, boring place on earth. While there may not be a booming metropolis here, the people are so incredibly friendly and welcoming that their pride in their town is enough to make you want to find out why they have so much of it.

Friday night we went to a "drop night" where the graduating training class finds out what planes they will be flying. They buy beer for the many other pilot candidates, family, and friends that come watch, and everyone really has a great time hanging out and celebrating after a long training week. They all work so hard for that very moment and it's so fun and exciting for all the new pilot candidates and their families to share it with them and to look forward to when they'll be in that spot. Now that Eric has started, I LOVE going to these events. It is so exciting to think that in less than a year I will be the proud wife sitting in the audience watching my husband's dreams come true. I talked to a Colonel at the drop night, and he really stressed how important his wife was to his success in pilot training, and it makes me so happy that I am able to be a part of this experience. It's even more encouraging when everyone-even colonels and commanders!- around us tells us that our support and involvement here is welcomed, appreciated, and crucial to our husband's performance. So even though I don't have a job yet, having the time and ability to really get involved with Eric's training and do everything I possibly can to help him be successful is providing me plenty of purpose until I do find something. I am going to a substitute teaching orientation this week, so hopefully something will materialize there--I hear it's a pretty sure thing at least a couple days per week. We'll see!

Pictures: Eric's classmate and I standing outside the chamber watching the guys get looopy!
               Eric in the chamber, mask still on.
               Me in the practice cockpit, all strapped in.
               Eric teaching me how to strap in and get all hooked up.

Pictures!

Various pictures, as promised :)

Right: Eric's new home--study study study!

Below, middle: No, it's not Halloween yet. Just a regular day at the office.

Below, bottom: Eric and his prize--a smelly, very dead armadillo. Too bad the camera didn't catch the disgusted facial expressions Grandma and I were wearing in the window behind Eric.

The Road to Wings...and a bit of catch-up

I wanted to start this blog so that anyone and everyone who is interested in staying up-to-date in our crazy-busy lives can do so, without destroying the phone bill budget :). I will say that, while I'm sure you'd all love to hear from Eric, too, I'll most likely be the one doing most of the story-telling. I'll ask him to write on a fairly regular (though probably infrequent) basis, but don't be offended if I can't come through on that promise--he's got bigger fish to fry these days.

We've (well, as married people) been in beautiful, exciting, happenin' (ha!) Del Rio for a little over a month now and it's been HOT. The last few days have been the first evidence of temperatures under the triple digits, and we are thankful for the relief. We even got storms this weekend--almost as intense as the Michigan storms we're used to, and that's impressive for these parts! Everyone here picks on how there is NOTHING to do in Del Rio--and it's true-- but for newly-married (and therefore, "financially challenged") young people , it's perfect. Instead of going out on the town on the weekends everyone tends to gather at each others' houses to grill out or invite each other over for dinner, spending a lot of time really getting to know each other and make friends. I've only been here one month and am already impressed with the way friends take care of each other here; it really is a family. For example, when a wife goes out of town, the other wives bring food to her husband almost every day till she gets back. (Yea, these boys are spoiled!) Babysitting is easy to come by around here I've noticed, too--we got to be parents to a Golden Retriever puppy for a weekend while our neighbors are out of town. It's all we can do not to go out and find one of our own--though I am still vacuuming up dog hair three weeks later!

We've also found a church in Del Rio called Del Rio Bible Church, and we like it so far. Most of our friends from base also attend, so it's another great way to get involved with both our church community and the Air Force community.

We live on base in a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom duplex and we are really happy with it. We've spent a lot of time decorating and trying to make it feel like home, and it's coming along and we are excited to be able to say it's "our" house :).

Last weekend we went to Brenham to visit Grandma and Grandpa Miller and had such a great time. And, shock, Grandma and Grandpa were sooo generous--we left with a Weber grill and the beautiful wine art you see on the red wall in the pictures. We met their church friends, enjoyed their porch and their green grass--we don't really have that here-- and of course, awesome food. Eric also had the pleasure of shooting an armadillo in their yard one night. It was pretty gross. We can't wait to celebrate Thanksgiving with them, and I'm especially so thankful to have them fairly nearby for the first time in my whole life; I plan on taking full advantage of all the possible quality time :).

Welll, the long-awaited journey has begun! Today is the start of week 2 for UPT (Undergraduate Pilot Training), and Eric is encouraged and doing great so far. He's learned about emergency procedures, survival training, and is starting this week off in "aerospace physiology", where they teach the student pilots in hands-on ways all about what kinds of things happen to your body in different situations while in flight. For example, at some point this week they'll get to experience the altitude chamber, where they feel the changes in their body due to different altitudes. Last week Eric came home wanting me to experience self-induced hyperventilation as he had that day--I said no thanks. :) As you can imagine, every time they issue Eric new equipment --like his mask, G suit, and other alien-looking paraphernalia, he puts it on and models it around the house for a little while. Needless to say, I'm rarely at a loss for entertainment. (Pictures available in the next post). Many of Eric's friends have already begun actually flying the planes, and he can barely contain his excitement to get to that phase as well. Now that his days are long and busy, our bedtime, and dreaded alarm clock time, have changed. A typical day has us getting up around 5:30am. Eric gets ready while I make breakfast and put a lunch together for him to take to class. I see him off (or occasionally take him to class, if I need the car), and then head straight back to bed for a little while :) --hey, 5:30 is early for the unemployed! While he spends his day studying hard and acing first tests, I spend mine submitting several job applications and having the occasional lunch date with other wives. Hopefully I will hear back from an exciting, well-paying opportunity soon (prayers welcome!) This past week I had the opportunity to go to a spouses orientation to UPT. We learned every detail about the training process, met other wives, and were briefed by our husbands' commanders on what to expect-- and not to expect-- from our husbands during this very intense training. They told us that we have on of the most important roles in this process, and their wives gave great input on how to really get involved and make it a great experience for both of us. I'm looking forward to taking that advice and making myself an integral and supportive part of Eric's success over the next 52 weeks and beyond.

I'll try to write again soon and keep you all updated--and I promise not every post will go on for days as this one :) We're loving this new life in the Air Force and our new life together, and I think I can speak for both of us when I say that we feel so, so blessed to be embarking on this unique and incredible journey together (especially Eric--he doesn't have to do his own laundry anymore!) Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers--we miss our friends and family and think of you every day! As always, we love to hear from you, too!