"Blessed is the person who is too busy to worry in the daytime, and too sleepy to worry at night." ~ Leo Aikman

How could nearly one month pass since I last updated this blog? Honestly, I have no idea where the time goes. I guess we *have* been busy.

In the past few weeks we have... Landscaped our backyard (and by "landscape" I mean put 9 tons of decorative rock down ~ no plants for us!!), painted a few rooms in our upstairs, completed sewing a quilt, plugged away at Brandon's thesis, flew to Indiana, took in a few play dates with Ashton's friends, went to a birthday party, continued the quest to find a job, and as of a few hours ago we logged a mile at a Leukemia walk in honor of our friend "Kool".

Here are a few pictures starting with the most recent:

A few months ago, our friend Craig was diagnosed with Lymphoma. He and his family have been so much fun to get to know ~ and we wish him much luck and many prayers as he fights this battle.

Here are several of the "ladies" in our Aggressor family ~ as well as some of the kids.

Group shot...Craig "Kool" Jones (to the left of the Kool Squadron poster) and his awesome family.

Ashton was taking it all in...

Craig & Kathy Jones

We had a fabulous time walking for such a great cause.

Last week we were in Indiana and got to spend some much needed time with Brandon's family. The weather was gorgeous (even warmer there than it was in Vegas!), and Ashton had a blast being around all kinds of things she never gets to see in real life. She touched her first "froggie", fed Lily (the horse), carved a pumpkin, just to name a few...

At the pumpkin patch ~ not cooperating...

Running away from the Corn Maze ~ crying...

The only place she wanted to be that day was in the "corn room". She LOVED it in there. And, frankly ~ I can't believe how genius the idea was. I would have loved this place when I was younger.

Here is proof that Brandon has his hands full when it comes to writing his thesis.

{It looks like he's trying to teach her something ~ probably just Solitaire.}

A few weeks back, some of the other wives from our Nellis group met at Mesa Grill in Caesars Palace for a farewell lunch for our friend Annie (she moved back to Australia after being stationed here with her husband for nearly three years). Mesa Grill is so delicious ~ it's a *must* for anyone visiting Vegas.

~Lauren, Heather, Lyz, Annie ~~ Annie & I ~ and, if you look VERY closely behind us - Amy Adams (the actress from Charlie Wilson's War & Enchanted) is eating lunch. Unfortunately, the glare from the flash is almost directly over her face. SHOOT. That's my luck. Finally have a celebrity sighting & *this* happens. Oh well. It was cool none-the-less.

We were very happy to get our landscape completed in ONE day. It was very fulfilling to know we did it on our own, too. Of course, Ashton was very helpful as well. :o)

Before. This is what we had to look at for the past two years...

After. Nothing spectacular ~ but, definitely an improvement.

And, finally ~ Here are a couple pictures of Ashton with her favorite friend, John Paul. They went to the same daycare ~ and now that she's not going any more, we've been trying to get together so they can play. They're two peas in a pod... It's adorable.

A McDonald's date.

Swingin'. Ashton is holding her baby ~ also known as John Paul. ;-)

We are down to just 50 days in this desert ~ not that I'm counting... I can't believe how quickly the time is going now!

Melisa arrives on Monday with her two little ones. Red Flag also starts on Monday and will keep Brandon busy until the 31st. Brandon has a trip planned for Idaho in early November and a trip to Sweden in mid-November. With all of that going on ~ our time here will be over before we know it! Time to start really savoring the moments!!

The bicycle is a curious vehicle. Its passenger is its engine. ~John Howard

These days, Ashton is moving a little faster now that she has this new 'bike'. Unfortunately, it seems to be easier to go backward ~ but, we're working on it. The weather is finally starting to ease up enough for us to spend the bulk of our day outside. It's been fabulous! And, it'll only keep getting better... Can't wait!!

Brandon has officially begun the final stages of his Master's Degree program. He's working on his thesis in his *spare time* with hopes of having it completed by the end of October. It's been only two years since he started the program, yet it feels like longer. Juggling married life, a new baby, and a full-time career has been quite the balancing act. Somehow, he's managed to maintain his 4.0 GPA ~ AND he's made it look easy. It'll be such a relief once he has this final project off the books.

I'm still searching for a job in the Edwards region. It's proving to be more of a challenge than I was hoping for. So far, I've been given a list of openings on base ~ and it ranges from hospitality clerk (at the base hotel) to waitress at the officers/enlisted club and/or rec center aide. It's not looking good. I'm really hoping that once the date gets closer, something more desirable will present itself. In the meantime, I'll try to contain my nerves and just hope for the best!!

A parting note ~ and something to ponder (and the real reason I can't wait for Brandon to complete his degree!!):

"The obvious and fair solution to the housework problem is to let men do the housework for, say, the next six thousand years, to even things up. The trouble is that men, over the years, have developed an inflated notion of the importance of everything they do, so that before long they would turn housework into just as much of a charade as business is now. They would hire secretaries and buy computers and fly off to housework conferences in Bermuda, but they'd never clean anything." ~Dave Barry

“There is science, logic, reason; there is thought verified by experience. And then there is California.”

As we prep our house for the pending move, I am suddenly struck with the reality that this move is literally just around corner. We have officially listed our house on a home rental site; we're painting rooms and tossing out junk; we're anxiously anticipating what kind of base accommodations await us. And, all of this will be happening in a mere 83 days. Toss a few TDY's for Brandon, a couple of holidays, and using up some much needed leave time ~ and the next thing you know... we're outta here!!

I grew up living in the same town, on the same street, and in the same house for 18 years. It's sad to think of how many times Ashton will be packing up her room and embarking on the quest to make new friends in new schools. She will never know what it's like to start school in kindergarten with the same people she will high school graduate with. I never imagined I would be able to pack up my life and move without fear or abandon, but surprisingly, I'm ready for the next adventure. The Air Force is giving us a sampling of what this country has to offer. I hope we can appreciate it and bestow the same appreciation onto our children. My biggest fear is that our kids will feel they don't belong anywhere ~ that they're military 'brats' and drifters. I often hear military kids say they're "not from anywhere" when asked where they grew up. That phrase makes me cringe. Although it's not a city or a state, I hope to hear Ashton say she's from the "military" or the "Air Force" (which, as I've mentioned in a previous post ~ is a world all it's own).

This picture says it all. I have an Iowa drivers licence, Brandon's is from Florida; our three cars are registered in Iowa, Florida & Nevada respectfully; and soon we'll be living in California but residents of Florida, as well as keeping our home in Las Vegas. So far, it hasn't gotten *too* confusing, but - wow. It's still a lot to keep track of!

Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you. ~Robert Fulghum

Another weekend has quickly passed. It's already mid-September. How do these days keep flying by?! Brandon will be home in 4 short days, so perhaps with his helpful hands I can be a bystander and appreciate what is going on around me.

We had another familiar face in town this week! My friend Jennifer from long, long, long ago was in town for an extended weekend. It was great to see her after 6 years. Some friendships are so comfortable that you can pick right up where you left off. Although so much time had passed (including few years with no communication at all) we acted as if we had been around each other the whole time. As always, the time we spent together was too brief. Let's hope it's not another 6 years before we do that again.

Ashton has been a busy bee and is talking like crazy! She sings all the time, repeats almost everything I say to her, and remembers so much stuff that I don't even realize she's absorbing in the first place! She still loves puppies and babies ~ and now we've added "Ring Around the Rosie" to the list {we usually just jump to the "all fall down" part}. She copies every thing I do, from using pot holders on her little plastic pans, to sweeping and cleaning. Her new favorite phrase when I try to help her is, "No Mommy. Stop it." I love that she's becoming so independent, however - I do sometimes miss the snugly baby days. (They've long since been replaced by the sassy toddler.)

Autumn: the year's last, loveliest smile.

Fall has arrived! I love this time of year. Although, I must admit - experiencing it from the desert is a little different than from the Midwest. I do miss seeing the leaves turn, and the farmers prepare for harvest. There is something so nostalgic about autumn. The sight of school buses, lights surrounding a football field on a Friday night, and pumpkins, are all reminders of a simpler time in a safer place. We hope to make it back to the *home* for a little sampling of what this season holds.

Days keep slipping away... It's hard to believe we're already into the second week of September. The past few weeks have been busy with yet another Red Flag, visitors, adjusting to the new routine of being a stay-at-home mom, and trying to prepare our house for our December departure. It's been nice to not have a *job* on top of all that has been going on. I guess things work out for a reason ~ even if it's not exactly as I would have chosen.

Brandon is in sunny Panama City Beach, Florida, this week. I'm so jealous. He keeps on bragging about the humidity and the beaches, and how the waves were crashing onto the shore. I could tell him about our weather, but it's been the same since May. I love the Gulf coast. Perhaps we can be lucky enough to find our way back some day.

Ashton and I have been having fun at home. Our days consist of taking a long walks to a park that fits her size perfectly (we've made a few pint-sized friends there, too), having tea parties, emptying out the kitchen cabinets (because the REAL pots and pans are MUCH more fun), coloring, digging in our backyard looking for "buggies", helping me clean... Every time I accomplish one task, I find that seven more things have become undone. It's an uphill battle. At the end of the day, we're both worn out!

Below are a few pictures from the past several weeks ~ starting with my dad, Todd & Ryan's trip in mid-August.

Watching the Bellagio water show. It's always amazing - no matter how many times you've seen it.
You can almost hear Frank Sinatra in the background...

Mt. Charleston. I've been here for over 2 years, and that was my first time climbing it. It was positively breath-taking. The elevation was a little tricky to get used to, and I was 'mountain-climbing' in flip-flops ~ but it was definitely worth it.

A shot from the trail leading to Little Falls.

The Dam.

On August 30th we went to a Las Vegas 51s Minor League baseball game with some of our Squadron "family" members. (Pictured above: Ord, Booger, Cain'n, Rooster. Below: Val, Lyz, Toni, and me.)
I loved Mt. Charleston sooo much that I insisted Brandon see it, too. We drove up over Labor Day weekend. It's about 25 degrees cooler up there right now ~ a huge relief from the 100 degrees that still seem to be lingering. It felt so "fall-like". I'm already looking forward to the next hike.
Brandon and Ashton at Little Falls. The water was so cold!
Hard to believe this is just outside of Vegas.
Ashton was incredibly concerned about the bugs, but I think she liked it up there, too.

The end. (o;

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!