Remember those who fight

Remember those who have fought for the freedom of this country, and those who are fighting still:

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/forces/casualties/

It is Memorial Day and there are fellow men and women who are fighting on this very day. There is a wife holding a photograph and showing it her daughter who will never meet her father. There is a parent remembering graduation and knowing a wedding will never come. There is a friend longing to hear a joke again. There are brothers and sisters who will remember the Christmas 'when'.

Remember.

Happy Mother's Day!!!!!

I just wanted to take a few minutes to thank all of the women I have been privileged to have in my life as mothers and examples of beauty, power, grace, understanding, wisdom, humor and love.

My mother Malinda, I am thankful for the life you gave me, the memories I still have, and I know I got your sense of stubborness-or so I've been told. I'm grateful for the time that we did have and will cherish that always.

My mother Phyllis. I have been fortunate in this lifetime to have two mothers. When you met me, I was a complete tomboy and my idea of dressing up was a "clean" t-shirt and running shorts. Thank goodness you met me before I went into junior high like that! Thank you for everything you've done for me, and taught me, and your never-ending support. It means the world to be able to share my plans for the future with you, and know that you are there behind me. You taught me how to push in life, and how to accomplish my goals, and that if you truly want something, then it can be yours if you work for it.

My Grandmothers, Naomi (Grandma), Nancy (Granni) and Estelle (Meme). I have learned so much from all of you, and have been so blessed to have all of you to guide me through wonderful times and trying ones too. Grandma, you've taught me the power of prayer and believing, Granni you've taught me that a woman can do anything she wants and look good doing it, and been an example of strength in my life, and Meme you've shown me how to have grace, style, and compassion through your life. When you have women in your life that have lived 90 years, that is a source of wisdom that no book can ever capture.

And one of my newest family members, my mother in law Mary. Thank you for welcoming me into your family and trusting me to take care of your baby! You've opened your arms and your home to me as if I were your own daughter, and I look forward to many more memories!

So here's a blessing to all the influential women in my life, "May the roads rise to meet you, May the winds always be at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face. The rains fall soft upon your fields, And until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

I love y'all!!!!!!!!!!

Almost free.......

Cinco de Mayo is coming!!!! And so is our Acct final!

Puerto Vallarta 2006
Sombrero Gato
Puerto Vallarta

Well, hey everyone! This is gonna be a short post, because we are 2 ears deep in our Accounting Final and the Final Project. All is due on May 9th, so we will be kinda scarce between now and then. But as any good Texan knows, this weekend mi amigos es la fiesta Cinco de Mayo! Its a big event in Texas b/c of the large Mexican population and this is the day that Mexico won its independence from France. So if you have a minute or two to spare, make yourself a margarita and yell ARRRIBBBBBA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tennessee, good eatin' and dogwoods

Well, I suppose it's far past time for a good update! As Dr. Keri has pointed out several times, if you are to have a blog---it needs to be updated! Point taken.
As everyone knows, I got pretty sick and was out for 2 weeks. We had a job interview with one of the Colonels a few weeks back--the day I went home from work actually b/c I felt so bad. I couldn't go home until I had done the interview, so I tried my best to get through it. At one point I had water just streaming down my face from my eyes and the Colonel asked if I was ok. I tried to ham it up and told him I was just so excited and flooded with emotion at the prospect of getting to go to Cali and teach the new students, that I just couldn't help myself. He laughed, so I thought, well at least that is a good sign.
We think Cali might be the next assignment for us, we're not sure and won't know 100% until next May or so. If we get Cali, we will be teaching the new officers that come in how to be missileers and how to do the job. The hours are good as in not 70 a week, and we'll have weekends together which we have not had in 3 years. So it wouldn't be a bad job at all. But we'll have to wait and see.
School is rolling along, so far have a B in Accounting. 1 project and a final left, to finish that class. Then onto class #9 of 12, Planning and Scheduling.

As most of you know by now, Andy and I have been in Tennessee for the past few days. We found out Tuesday night that Andy's father, Monroe was diagnosed with cancer. He had a lump removed in his neck, and tests came back showing that it was malignant. He is scheduled to have his thyroid gland removed on April 17th, and also to run some more tests to see if it has spread. If it has not spread, it is pretty treatable and recovery will be very good. If it has spread then there are still several treatment options. So please, as y'all are reading this please keep us and Andy's family in your prayers.
So after we found out the news, we were able to get off work thankfully, to get to TN to spend some time with the family. I made Monroe's favorite cake for him, which was a coconut cake. Then for Sunday, Andy and I did the honors of making the majority of Easter dinner. I loved it, had the apron on and everything! Everyone helped out too and brought sides, Christine's Mac 'n Cheese was soooo good, and Fred & Denise's Deviled eggs and Pasta Salad were just phenomenal! I am gonna have to get Fred to share his secret recipe, b/c I just love deviled eggs. Amy brought some fantastic chocolate pies, and we had delicious rolls w/honey butter (courtesy of Mrs Paula Deen) from Lucy. I tell ya we just had a feast by the time we got everything on the table. It was a really good menu, and just great to get so much of the family together for support and just catching up. I am so glad we were able to make it.
Andy and I realized how much we've missed the South. Even though it was chilly, the smell and feel of humidity was great. Not to mention the wind did not howl at gale force and there were trees! And the Dogwood trees were just gorgeous! They are or maybe were? in bloom now? It got real cold and by Sunday some of the blossoms had started to wilt, so I hope they made it. But Christine drove us around Knoxville, and there are Dogwood trails that you can drive and just see tons of trees in bloom. They are white and pink, and some are hybrids and have white petals with pink centers. But they were just so pretty. I realized how much I cannot wait to not have to move every few years and struggle day in and day out trying to do a job that I'm not real thrilled with just to get a paycheck. So every night, we continue to make plans for world domination, haha! We'll let y'all know when that's successful. It will be so wonderful to move, and just be able to set the trash can out for pick up, and not watch it levitate 3 feet off the ground then fly like the Wizard of Oz on its way to Kansas.
So everyone please, keep us all in your prayers. Work is getting harder by the minute, and most of y'all whom I've confided in know exactly what I am referring to. Dr. Keri, I owe you an email to explain the rest of that story. Hope everyone is well, and had a good Easter, and I will post again soon! Love y'all!

I feel loved!

Dr Keri! I feel so loved that you have decided to put 15 posts on my blog. I am in Tennessee right now, at my in-laws, more in a bit. Just wanted to thank you for keeping my blog updated. haha....!
Well I was sick for 2 weeks finally got rid of that, then got too busy with work & school and did not update. So I will put up some more shortly, but just wanted to get a post up here! Are you a millionaire yet?

Under the weather............

Hey everyone, just wanted to let y'all know that I am still alive! I am currently feeling very under the weather, going to the doc tomorrow. I will post soon......

Things I love.......

Well, since it's almost Valetine's Day and I actually have a minute to sit and smell the roses, I decided to update me blog.

I know some of you may think the Valentine's Day is a Hallmark Holiday, and some of the retailers have certainly stepped up to the plate to portray it that way. You're bombarded with things that you must buy to show your love, roses, candy, chocolate, jewelry, you name it. That's great, but this year take the time to remember WHY you are giving a gift of love to someone.

We do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men -- his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

According to legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl -- who may have been his jailor's daughter -- who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

There are many opinons as to who was the original Valentine, with the most popular theory that it was a clergyman who was executed for secretly marrying couples in ancient Rome. In any event, in 496 A.D., Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honor St. Valentine. Through the centuries, the Christian holiday became a time to exchange love messages and St. Valentine became a patron saint of lovers.

Later, during the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds' mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of February -- Valentine's Day -- should be a day for romance. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. The greeting, which was written in 1415, is part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England. Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.

SO this Valentine's Day, remember someone you love and why it has become a tradition....

Some snow pics

As much requested, here are some snow pictures... Enjoy!!!

It's Baaaaaack.........

Blizzard Number 2 is upon us. We are at the bottom southeast corner where it turns orange inside the purple. Its snowed 3 inches in and hour and a half. And guess what..... Andy and I are stuck at home together again! Hmmmm, this snow thing is working out in our favor this time. We are warm and safe and glad we are not traveling but thinking of those that are. Hope everyone had a great Christmas and looking forward to a wonderful New Year!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope y'all are having a great Christmas so far, we have been very blessed this Christmas. Andy and I got snowed in together and the biggest present for us was getting to spend so much time together without having to take leave, it has been truly great. Both of us do go on alert tomorrow on Christmas Day, I'll be in Southern Wyoming, Andy will be in Northern Colorado, and we'll both be about 60 feet underground watching Christmas movies tomorrow. We made alot of food today to take out to the younger enlisted troops that are serving away from their families, many for their very first time. It makes my day to bring alot of treats on site and have their eyes just light up, that someone in charge of them, thought of them and took the time to do something nice. It doesn't happen very often here, and it's nice to make someone smile.

We are having our Christmas dinner tonight, Andy is finishing it up. We roasted a chicken, have green beans, corn, garlic mashed potatoes, with cranberries. We are going over to a friend's later tonight for some cocktails and a White Elephant party.

Also, the COOLEST gift I got was getting to tour the Hammond's Candy Factory in Denver yesterday! Thanks Andy again, that was AWESOME! I love candy, I really am a fat kid at heart, and we got to see how they make it all. And at the end of course, the tour dumps right out into the candy store. I think I may have gotten some of the best chocolate of my life, YUM!!!! Thanks babe!

Well, I hope everyone is having a great time and I will update again soon! God bless!!!!!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope y'all are having a great Christmas so far, we have been very blessed this Christmas. Andy and I got snowed in together and the biggest present for us was getting to spend so much time together without having to take leave, it has been truly great. Both of us do go on alert tomorrow on Christmas Day, I'll be in Southern Wyoming, Andy will be in Northern Colorado, and we'll both be about 60 feet underground watching Christmas movies tomorrow. We made alot of food today to take out to the younger enlisted troops that are serving away from their families, many for their very first time. It makes my day to bring alot of treats on site and have their eyes just light up, that someone in charge of them, thought of them and took the time to do something nice. It doesn't happen very often here, and it's nice to make someone smile.

We are having our Christmas dinner tonight, Andy is finishing it up. We roasted a chicken, have green beans, corn, garlic mashed potatoes, with cranberries. We are going over to a friend's later tonight for some cocktails and a White Elephant party.

Also, the COOLEST gift I got was getting to tour the Hammond's Candy Factory in Denver yesterday! Thanks Andy again, that was AWESOME! I love candy, I really am a fat kid at heart, and we got to see how they make it all. And at the end of course, the tour dumps right out into the candy store. I think I may have gotten some of the best chocolate of my life, YUM!!!! Thanks babe!

Well, I hope everyone is having a great time and I will update again soon! God bless!!!!!!!!!!!

The Great Blizzard!

Well, we are on the good end of the blizzard meaning Andy and I BOTH are stuck at home! I love it , neither one of us can go to work, so we HAVE to stay home TOGETHER! We left at lunch today, the base closed. Usually, we are on the opposite end, and one or both of us are stuck in the field, so that usually sucks. But not this time, yippee! I do however, feel bad for the crews that are stuck in the field, I'm sorry guys!
So as y'all can see, that big purple front is right on top of us, and it has dumped a foot of snow and still going strong. Winds are high, 35+ so snow is swirling and blowing all over the place, and there are huge snowbanks in some areas, such as fences or against homes and bridges. Very dangerous out there, Colorado has been declared a state of emergency. We heard it forecasted yesterday, so we stocked up on warm foods, have stuff to make chili, enchiladas, spicy shrimp, BBQ sandwiches, we got alot of food. I think I am going to make Andy and Applesauce Spice cake tonight, since we don't have to worry about getting up early or anything.
On another note, we are both done with the inspection, we both did good, and we done with our class. Made an A- so we are very happy with that. Taking 2 next semester, b/c there are no inspections in the Spring, so that will be the best time to do it.
Christmas cards are in the mail, so be looking! Also, when weather permits and we can get out, we are going to get wedding pictures together and on the way. So be expecting those soon for your holiday gifts! They look great, and I know y'all are gonna love them! Mom & Dad, Mary & Monroe, Grandma & Granni we are making photo albums for you, and will send those as soon as they are ready!
Other than that, we are both good. Both healthy, neither one of us got really sick from all the stress. Andy did get a cold, but was able to shake it. We both started taking Air Borne, it really really works. I strongly recommend that to anyone, especially around the holidays when you'll be meeting w/everyone and someone will probably be sick. Awesome stuff!
Our love to all and I will update again soon!!!!!!!!!!

And I thought I've been having it rough

Next time you're feelin' low and a little depressed, always remember there is someone or something rather that is having it far worse than you.....

On the subject of Stress

Everyone knows this famous canvas done by Edward Munch. I think it describes pretty well what Andy and I are both feeling right now. *And FYI for everyone, we have the wedding pic proofs, but we seriously have no time at this moment to decide and order them. After 11 December, we will. But the few we've looked at are terrific, Beth did an outstanding job!* If we can just hang on until 11 December we will be doing great. In that time, a horribly hard midterm with math and just way too many calculations, 40 pages worth of writing for a group project and an individual project, 80+ hour work weeks for ever increasing work for the inspection that is 4-10 December will have come and gone. And if we are standing and alive at the end of all of that, we have finished a success. So needing some uplifting, I found the following quotes on strength and perseverance.

* If there is any responsibility in the cycle of life it must be that one generation owes to the next that strength by which it can come to face ultimate concerns in its own way. -Erik Erikson
* When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. -Franklin D. Roosevelt
* Our real problem, then, is not our strength today; it is rather the vital necessity of action today to ensure our strength tomorrow. -Dwight D. Eisenhower
* I believe that anyone can conquer fear by doing the things he fears to do, provided he keeps doing them until he gets a record of successful experiences behind him. -Eleanor Roosevelt
* Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men! Do no pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for power equal to your tasks. -Phillips Brooks
* Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail. -Ralph Waldo Emerson
* Fortunately for themselves and the world, nearly all men are cowards and dare not act on what they believe. Nearly all our disasters come of a few fools having the "courage of their convictions. -Coventry Patmore
* Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. -Mahatma Gandhi
* Never, never, never give up. -Winston Churchill
* You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, "I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along." . . . You must do the thing you think you cannot do. -Eleanor Roosevelt
* And each man stand with his face in the light of his own drawn sword. Ready to do what a hero can. -Elizabeth Barrett Browning
* It does not take much strength to do things, but it requires great strength to decide on what to do. -Elbert Hubbard
* Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing. -Theodore Roosevelt
* Although men are accused of not knowing their own weakness, yet perhaps few know their own strength. It is in men as in soils, where sometimes there is a vein of gold which the owner knows not of. -Jonathan Swift
* I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward. Thomas A. Edison

And one of my favorite and motivating stories, is when Thomas Edison was asked what kept him motivated one failed attempt after another at trying to make the world's first lightbulb and how he dealt with so much failure. He replied with, "I found 10,000 ways NOT to make a lightbulb. But I only needed to find 1 way to make it work."

A few more pics

Jake better known as Indiana Jones



















Sam Spears as "The Peep Show"


















This was hilarious!!!!!





















Rach and Eric (my old commander)







Maria

& Keira

These are just a few more pics from Halloween that I wanted to share w/everyone. Maria and Jake's party was a blast! I think Sam's and Andrew Martin's costumes were just crazy and so funny, but Andy's costume was right up there with them. And I must say Andy makes the ugliest woman I've ever seen!

More Halloween pics

Sarah and Sean






Andrew Martin as a 300lb ballerina











Andy, the hooker and Jake S.







Andrewlina and "Tha Pimp"




Another Addams family pic

Yea Keri!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, ladies and gents it is official.....Keri has passed that Texas BAR exam, and is now a bonafide lawyer! Check out this link:
http://www.celebration-bar-exam-review.com/Index.htm?http&&&www.celebration-bar-exam-review.com/news.htm
Go to the B's and there she will be! Ok, and for the record Keri, I have no idea how this thing is scored, but yours is in the 4000's and I saw very very very few that were comparable or close. People were scoring in the 1000's so it looks like you just blew everyone away, like there was any doubt lady! CONGRATS on a job well done, and I hope you are enjoying Baker & Botts!!!!

Night 1

LtCol Pappas (Zeus) and his wife
Gomez and Morticia
Caught in the middle of eating
Lt Col Stanley
Halloween jack o' lanterns

Here are a few pics of night one of the Halloween parties. LtCol Stanley hosted this one, and it was a good time. Andy and I went as Morticia and Gomez Addams, but we had to explain it, since people kept calling us Sonny and Cher. C'mon? LtCol Pappas had everyone rolling, he's Greek and confirmed that 85% of what you saw in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" was true, even down to the Windex cures everything! Apparently, it is the ammonia in the WIndex that is the miracle cure, haha! Great time, and got us ready for Halloween party Number 2.....

Pumpkin carvin' time

Well it's that time of year where your doorbell rings and on the other side, there we are hoping that you'll give us some candy even though we are 27. Haha, all jokes aside, Halloween is such a fun time of the year. We are starting off by carving some pumpkins tonight with friends. Friday we have a Halloween party at LtCol Stanley's house, then Saturday is perhaps THE BIGGEST PARTY OF THE YEAR at Jake and Maria Pairsh's home. They have completely decked out the basement, covered all of the walls with black trash bags, have rented a fog machine, and a speaker system, so it is going to be one awesome "Monster Mash!" I will definitely post pics from that! Last year was lots of fun!!! Hope everyone has some fun plans, if not, well it is not too late, Make some! Love to all!!!