PSA

Just FYI, if you quickly close a George Foreman grill lid and your fingers are still inside the grill because you are doing something like, oh I don't know, CLEANING IT-be prepared for it to hurt like crazy and swell like a little baby sausage, great.
And to make matters worse it's my wedding ring finger.
Awesome.
Good thing I don't have a million things going on and I would like need my writing hand...sheesh. At least it was me that smashed my finger and not Bonnie.
Small miracles, small miracles.

We now continue with or regular programming.

Mission Complete

Well we made it alive to California. It was a mostly uneventful trip, although I had a moment or two where I questioned why I insist on driving ACROSS THE COUNTRY-again. The state looks the same, smells the same. The kids were great, they did an excellent job traveling and staying occupied-it was me that got more restless as the states flew by. Figures right??
But we are here now-it's been about 7 years since I was here last for an extended amount of time and honestly when Jet Pilot and I went into Target to just browse child free I was completely overwhelmed by:
A. The sheer number of people, B. The items they felt appropriate to wear out in public, and
C. The speed in which they felt they needed to buy and indulge in EVERYTHING in the store.

Also I would like to point out that there is a HUGE CALIFORNIA epidemic in which nobody I saw today had a full length mirror in their homes in which to view their outfits length and/or level of modesty.
Now I am not a prude or anything but I am a firm believer in a certain level of appropriateness for people-especially females. It took me almost 30 years to realize that LESS IN NOT
MORE, and that flaunting massive amounts of skin doesn't make you cute. However I don't think many people here in CA abide by that rule-but that's their prerogative...I will learn to live with it....or I will stay home all the time in the confines (read=SAFETY) of my house. And I don't wanna indulge in stuff anymore...I coupon so I get tons of stuff I would never buy on a day to day basis...and I give away a fair share of that stuff. I don't need the "things" anymore to make me complete--I am trying to do more with less. (if it were my way it would be A LOT LESS but Jet Pilot is sentimental--about everything). We are a work in progress.

I am glad to see my family again though. It's nice to giggle about this or that and just talk face to face again.
But I am nervous too. I became the best wife and mother I've ever been while living 8291 miles away from CA, now that I am back I don't want to lose myself or regress from all the progress I have made. It's a vicious trap I feel like...
So I prayed about it real quick in the car while on the way here. Then again while Jet Pilot drove us home from Target.
Then just again now as I am typing this post.
This incessant worrying is not me, and being worried means I am clinging to control and not letting God lead me where He thinks I need to be. Vicious cycle much?
Jet Pilot assures me that I will not lose myself or change, he says I am too smart and self aware for that, yet sometimes I think he overestimates my capabilities-actually a lot of the time I think that. Lol. True love is great- I love its blind faith.

This post was supposed to be about out arrival in CA and in a roundabout sort of way I guess it is-but I think it's mostly about me being vulnerable and cautious about the new life change we as a family are about to undertake and my quest to make this pasture the greenest one for my family. I'd say wish me luck but I don't need luck...I have faith and love. And that overcomes all.

Overcame

We overcame Texas, just barely for me...I was sooo desperate to be outta the sprawling state-ness that is Texas that at one point I questioned my mortality. I didn't think I was personally going to make it. Lol.
But we did.
BARELY.
Now we are into New Mexico and Jet Pilot wants to push into California today--not so sure thats likely; with a wife that's almost 6 months pregnant and 2 peepee McGee kids...but we will see.
I am trying to be road warrior-ish but to be a smudge honest--cars are slow...traffic is boo as sometimes speed limits are a drag.
Let the journey continue...

Texas

Texas is trying to test me, with the rainy gross weather. It thinks it's going to hold me back, make me go slower...it's not.
I will reach my goal today...as close to Arizona as I can.

So bring it on Texas...cuz you are not the only thing that's bigger and better here...my determination IS.

Peace out!

Louisiana

Deuces Louisiana.
Hello Texas, bring it on.
I am ready and road warrior-fied. Kids and dogs are doing awesome, Jet Pilot and I are in the zone.
Let's do this...

Mississippi. Check.

We are through Mississippi. Into Louisiana now.

See ya Mississippi

We officially left Mississippi in the rearview today as we moved out of our house and started our journey west. We picked up our dogs and now we are, to coin a phrase... "on the road again!!". Praying for a safe and expeditious trip!!

The Signs

Top 5 "signs" that you may be having a baby boy (this according to my mother--a highly superstitious woman)

1. You grow hair in VERY UNNATURAL and UNGIRLY PLACES!!

2. Your hair looks better in the early stages of pregnancy than it has in MONTHS

3. Any baby boy within a 50 mile radius wants ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with you

4. Any baby girl within that same 50 mile radius wants ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING to do with you

5. You grow hair in VERY UNNATURAL and UNGIRLY PLACES!! (I felt that this one needed to be mentioned twice cuz the hair growth tends to get a lil outta control!!!)

I blog about all this because......


WE ARE HAVING A BOY!!






We found out on Friday that we are going to be the very blessed parents of a HEALTHY baby boy!!
And we are super excited!!

I am not one of those women with great intuition when it comes to pregnancy--I could be growing a boy, girl, alligator and not know the difference.
I know I suck right?

But my mother always speculates gender based on my actions. She says it's inherent and the gender of the baby lends the mother to specific behaviors. And so far for me each time she has been right on with the gender of my babies.
Kinda Crazy right??

I suck at predicting and she is the shaman of baby gender predictions. Lol.

Bonnie was kind of sad; she was really hoping for a sister this time. With a crazy 3 yr old for a brother and a Jet Pilot for a dad she is overloaded with gross boy stuff, and I sympathize because sometimes I feel the same way.
However Jet Pilot reassured her that she needs to stay the only girl for right now because he only wants her to be the daddy's girl. Also that he wants to keep spending daddy/daughter time with just her-at least for right now.
Yes that's the level of thickness in which he laid it on, and she ate it right up.
So crisis averted-for the moment. But 6 months after Clyde was born she was asking for a new baby because she wanted "nother won" that was like her.
I know 3 year olds are cute-so dang cute.
Clyde on the other hand could have cared less. So man-ish in his tendencies, even as a 3 year old.
So we will see how it goes.

In the meantime however we are giving great praise and thanks to an awesome God that has seen fit to make us parents to a son again! It's soo amazing--2 boys!! It's going to be chaotic and loud and sometimes stinky--I just know we are going to love it. From now until forever.

MOVING and PURGING, PURGING and MOVING

Did you ever notice that when you are moving from one place to another that is always the time when you want to go through everything and throw it all away??
That's where I am now.
And I have purged a TON of stuff.
But still it doesn't feel like enough.
WE. HAVE. A LOT. OF. STUFF.

While Jet Pilot is at work I am going to purge more, and more-- until he tells me to stop.  Cuz I feel like we don't need it.

Is that weird?

WE'RE MOVING!!

We are packing up our house and hitting the open road in a few weeks!  I have been super absent as it is lately but now I will be bogged down with moving boxes, packing paper, and moving trucks--and we are still schooling up until we move!!

I am going to try to post a few giveaways soon because I am majorly behind on all that and after all we all love to win stuff!!!

So wish us luck and speed as we plan our move to head out WEST!!

Winging Ceremony

Finally.  It has happened.  He got his Wings.  After countless hours of studying, praying, crying, cursing, puking and about a billion other random emotions/actions-he graduated.

Getting the lowdown on the inside of the Jet from Dad

Words can not accurately describe the pride and love I felt for my Beloved on that day.  I had the silent talk with myself to not be a bawling mess all day, there were going to be pictures commemorating this day and I did NOT want to look like  a red eyed, red nosed pregnant monster in ALL of them.  LOL.

First there was casual family day where family got to walk around and see the inside of the jet, the flight simulator, and the inner workings of the squadrons, and a little awards ceremony where the Pilots get awards to highlight their achievements up to this point.  My mother and sister in law, my mom from CA and our good friend from IL all came into town to see Jet Pilot graduate.  It was nice to have family all around us (as weird as that sounds its not common for us to be around family a lot, but its okay we are used to it by now.), and everyone that came by to congratulate Erik made it all the more special.

The official ceremony was held at the Chapel on base and it was lovely.  8 handsome Navy and Marine Corps Pilots looking spiffy in their dress uniforms all ready to make the transition from student to ACTUAL Aviator.  Jet Pilot asked me to pin his Wings onto his uniform which kind of came as a surprise because I knew he had to pick someone but I didn't think it would be me.  I know it was an honor originally reserved for his dad or grandfather but they were both looking down on us on that day.  I thought for sure I was going to trip and fall in my high heels and dress on the way up there but I kept it together.  (And yes I know I am 5 months pregnant, but I do love high heels and I have so few occasions to wear them, so when I can--I DO.)

Lastly there was a Jet Pilot Party for all the newly "Winged" Pilots to celebrate with the instructors and students and family.  It was a good time for grown ups, not so much entertaining for kids but we brought ours along and they just toughed it out for a bit.  It was a good time to be had by all and now with the holidays over we are gearing up to pack the house up and move West.

Its going to be chaotic and crazy and overwhelming but honestly-I am excited.  I am definitely over living here in the middle of nowhere Mississippi and I kinda miss Target and Starbucks.

Thanks Training Wing One and Fixed Wing Squadron Seven for helping my Beloved acheive his dreams!!