29 ~ and holding.

Happy Birthday, Brandon!

(Courtesy of Lisa Thompson Photography)

"Difficult times have helped me to understand better than before, how infinitely rich and beautiful life is in every way...

and that so many things that one goes worrying about are of no importance whatsoever...”

Life has returned to the new 'normal' after the tragedy that we wrote about below. At the time of the accident, Brandon was in Wisconsin enjoying the Oshkosh Airshow. He took the first flight out the following morning so he could be with the Squadron as they all learned to cope, adjust, and mourn the loss of their Commander. On August 4th, more than 800 people gathered to celebrate his life. It's amazing how one person could touch so many.

I flew back to Iowa on August 1st to spend time with my family while Brandon stayed in Vegas. As much as I wanted to have him with us, I knew he needed to stay behind. Now, just over three weeks later, our hearts still ache with sadness to think about Toni and the boys. Their lives are forever changed in ways we can not even understand.

Moving forward after such a devastating event, we can't help but feel a new appreciation for how fragile life is. Without warning, it can take an unexpected turn leaving us feeling unprepared and angry for going against our plans. Cherish the moment.

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Summer Vacation 2008

Since I am so terribly far behind on this blog, I do feel I need to explain myself. The the past 3 weeks, we have been BUSY! For starters... we spent 9 days in Iowa ~ where Ashton and I stayed with the Yegge's for a portion of the time and also spent a few fun days in Okoboji. The entire Sunde clan was there - minus Brandon. We had a GREAT time seeing everyone and can't wait for the next trip back. Maybe this should be an annual event?!

The resort we stayed at had an indoor water park with slides and fun stuff for the kids... Ah-hem, and maybe a few adults. Fortunately - there was no camera available to document it. Phew! We also rented a pontoon for the whole clan (all 22 of us!) one afternoon. It was a gorgeous day, and since it was during the week - we had the whole lake to ourselves! On the final day, with some slightly sleep-deprived kids, we attempted to take family pictures. Melisa did an awesome job getting everyone arranged - we can't thank her enough!!

2/3 of the Abel family.

The whole gang (minus Brandon - whom we plan to photoshop in ;-).)

The grandkids...

On our final full day in Iowa - we went to the State Fair. Yum. Corndogs, cheese curds, and fresh lemonade. All three were even better than I remembered. We saw lots of huge animals, trudged through massive crowds, and even got to touch some baby chicks. Too cute.

We returned to Iowa on August 10th - and that leads to the next subject...

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Elliot & Melanie - August 10-17

Ashton and I were greeted at the airport by Brandon, Elliot & Melanie. It had been a LONG time since we've seen them & were excited to show them around our city. They were forced to quickly adjust to the heat - and survived a few days where temps ranged around 110. That's hot. Even if it's a 'dry heat'.

We started their week off by going to Nellis AFB. We toured the Thunderbird museum (even got a free 'show' as the jets came in to land), visited Brandon's 'office', and walked the flightline.

Ashton tested out the cockpit of an F-16.

We played at the park...

We played tourists, too...

For much of the week, Elliot was buried under the hood of Brandon's non-functioning Corvette (which, eventually paid off, because it's now running...). The other portion of the week was spent logging a million miles walking on the Strip, visiting Red Rock Canyon, swimming with Ashton, and just catching up on lost time. Sadly, Brandon's schedule was hectic and sporadic, and he felt robbed of spending quality time with his brother. :-(

Red Rock Canyon

FAO Schwartz

Las Vegas Blvd.

The week flew by - and on Sunday, the 17th they departed... (Well, sort of. Elliot caught a flight out on Monday.) Just a few short hours later, our next guests arrived for a 'short week' in Vegas. My dad and two nephews (Todd & Ryan) came to town ~ however, those details will have to wait until another posting. It's late here - and I am exhausted!

In the night of death, hope sees a star, and listening love can hear the rustle of a wing.

Today we bid farewell to a friend. Someone we respected and looked up to. Someone whose welcoming approach and easy smile made it seem like you had known him for years.

In a tragic incident today at Nellis AFB, Lt. Col. Thomas Bouley {affectionately known as Moses} embarked on his final flight. The void that remains, although so new and surreal, is unmeasurable. He leaves behind an amazing wife, and two unbelievable sons.

We are undone.
Our hearts are shattered as we think about the painful reality which will be faced in the coming days. We can never be prepared for something so sudden, so without warning, so unfair. With heavy hearts, we pray that the family finds needed strength to get through the challenges that lie ahead.

Heaven truly gained an asset today. The world that remains will never be the same.

Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Good ol' fashioned summertime fun was had at our house over the weekend... Brandon introduced Ashton to the garden hose. No one was dry at the end of that experience!! She was all smiles the whole time!! It started off innocently enough...Take note of the pearls. :) She is such a water bug. We didn't get a chance to go swimming this weekend, but every time we were in the car she'd say, "pool". Poor thing.

Today kicked off my first week of being 'unemployed'. On Thursday I was given the invitation to pack up my belongings and exit the building peacefully. This wasn't a complete surprise to me, considering there have been over five rounds of layoffs in less than a year. The feeling was very surreal. No matter how much you think you are prepared for such a blow - it still takes you off guard. Prior to my final 'meeting' at work, I had been in the midst of working on a few projects, sat in a meeting, offered up some ideas... And, within minutes - it's all over. Even though the decision to cut my job was due to the lack of available funds in the business, I still feel somewhat like it was me and not them.

I have begun the quest to find some temporary employment to carry us through the end of the year. I truly love Ashton's daycare and she thrives in that environment ~ so anything I can do to keep her there will be worth it. Well... maybe not anything. This is Vegas, after all.One last cheesy grin.

Thunderbird ... by association.

For the past 2+ years, I have slowly been transitioning into this Air Force life. I'm continuously amazed by all of the acronyms, rules, and vague directions leading to unidentifiable buildings. I'm not sure I'll ever get used to seeing strange aircraft flying overhead, or shopping at a grocery store with more than a dozen camouflage clad others, or having my doctor examine me while wearing fatigues and combat boots... I don't think I'll ever get to the point where I don't look up when I hear the roar of a jet engine, or think it's normal to pull a flight suit out of the laundry basket.

Speaking of doctors in combat boots ~ the doctor that delivered Ashton is also a Thunderbird. I guess that would make her The Best of The Best. (Their words, not mine.) She stopped delivering babies shortly after Ashton was born and is now the team flight surgeon.

This is certainly not the life I dreamed I'd have ~ but it is a life I love to live. Believe me, it's not for everyone. Being away from our family is the hardest thing imaginable. In five short months we'll be packing up and moving on to our next destination. We'll be leaving the first place we called home after we got married, the daycare and friends Ashton has grown to love, as well as the first Air Force 'family' I have been a part of. The other ladies in the squadron have been an amazing inspiration. They were here to greet us when we first arrived, threw Ashton a baby shower, prepared meals for us after she was born, watch after our cats & house so we can go home to visit family, supported me & kept me entertained while Brandon has been away for some extended times.

Our remaining days in Las Vegas will be busy. Brandon has Red Flag starting July 21 and will continue through most of August. Brandon will be skipping out on part of the July exercise so he can soak up the Wisconsin sun at the Oshkosh Airshow. I'll be meeting him in Iowa in early August for a mini-vacation. In September, he'll be going to Florida for a two week 'road show'. October is yet another Red Flag exercise for two weeks. And, now he just found out there will be trip to Idaho for a 5-day weekend (is there such a thing?) in November. Throw a few holidays into that mix and next thing you know - the time is gone! For those of you who were still considering coming out to visit - you better schedule soon! The days are limited!

Here we are in front of Brandon's jet last April. Unfortunately, this isn't Ashton's best picture.

"The perfect shoes can change your life." ~Cinderella

Another week has flown by! I can't believe how quickly that keeps happening... We're in the midst of monsoon season in Las Vegas. Friday night we had our first rain in what seems like months. We needed it! It also helped to keep the temps at a reasonable level over the weekend, too. I think it only got up to the low 90's on Saturday & mid-90's yesterday. Finally some relief!!

Ashton turned 18 months old last week! I can't believe what a little lady she is. She had her 18-month check up last Thursday, which included a few little shots, too. Ouch! She weighed in at 27lbs and was 34 inches long. It was interesting to see what a huge growth spurt she's had in comparison to her 12-month check. We continue to be amazed by watching her grow...

The big obsessions at our house lately have been babies, purses, make-up, and shoes. So - over the weekend Ashton got a little 'princess' kit to add to her collection of girlie things. She was in heaven!! As you can see below, she could barely take her eyes off herself...

Divas are not made; they're born.Brandon painted her toes... She was soooo proud!!

True sign of summer: Corn-on-the-Cob

Ashton was introduced to a new fave last night...

Due to the lack of chompers last summer, she missed out on this delicacy...

... to Brandon's detriment - she's making up for lost time...

Yummy!!!