It's Friday and another good week has just flown by again. On Wednesday night, while all the guys were studying hard for another huge test (which by the way Jake only missed one on! WOO!), a few of us girls decided to get together and have a chick flick movie night. Well, somehow that also turned into a craft night as everyone just decided to bring over little projects they had been working on. Since Wednesday I have been inspired and have been feeling very crafty! Suddenly, I have all these ideas of things I want to do like make my own fall wreath to hang on the door, make a scrapbook of Bailey, make some cute cards and send them out just for fun, work on decorating the guest bedroom with some fun frame collage ideas I have, and the list goes on and on. I'm suddenly very interested in HGTVs website and all the crafty ideas they have on there. Hopefully I will put this motivation to good use and be productive over the weekend.
On a completely different note, I dyed my own hair yesterday! Don't worry, nothing drastic, just keeping myself blonde. Although I have always gone to the salon to get highlights done so this was something totally new to me. Its just that I was way past due to get my hair colored again and was not feeling great about spending the $80-$100 to do so. I just went to Walgreens, picked up some generic blonde hair dye (with highlights already in it apparently) and gave it a try. I did pretty good on matching the dye to my hair color except it did turn out a little more "strawberry blonde" than "champagne blonde" like I usually have it, but I really like it! It made me think, "Why have I been paying so much money when I can stay blonde for 7.99?" The best part is that no one really noticed, so it must look very much like my usual color. I guess I will have to see how it looks after it fades before I know if its really going to work but as for now, its a great alternative to those high salon prices!
Another week...
- - - - Monday, August 24, 2009 - - - -
Wow, I can't believe that its been so long since I've posted! I don't even know where last week went! It went by so fast and I was so busy that it seems like a blur looking back at it. Its a bummer that I wasn't able to blog at all last week because it was probably the funnest week I've had here in Columbus. Almost every night there was a class event or spouse event to go to and I was excited and eager to go to them all!
Tuesday night was the Officer's Spouse Club social on base. It was an ice cream social and it was fun but a little bit awkward. The new girls there (including me) were really singled out and ended up being roped into doing all these base and community things involuntarily. I was glad I went with some girls I knew because otherwise I probably would have had an awful time. I'm not sure yet whether or not I will join the club.
Wednesday night I went to a jewelry party that my friend Katie was having and Thursday night was Jake's class' Pilot Partner's welcome dinner. Basically at the Pilot Partners thing, we just went to meet with the business that is sponsoring Jake's UPT class. We had dinner, talked with people from the community, and thanked them for their involvement. It was funny, because of where I work, I have already met a lot of people in the community. I was actually introducing people in our class to people I have met through work. It was great!
Friday night was by far the best night of the week! My friend Ann and I decided that we needed a girls night out. So we ditched the hubbys and went out to Applebees for dinner and then went to the movies to see The Time Travelers Wife. We had an awesome night out and I haven't laughed so hard in so long! I see us having many more fun girl nights this year!
The weather this past weekend was probably the best weather we've had since Jake and I moved out here. It was only in the 80s and it was completely dry heat! No humidity! Crazy!! Jake and I took advantage of that on Saturday by going on a bike ride around base and then eating a nice dinner out on our patio (which thank goodness is screened because otherwise the bugs would have eaten us alive!) Sunday was great too; we carpooled with some people from our class out to church and then came back and us girls headed to the pool! We all just relaxed and talked and enjoyed the amazing weather. Then my friend Patty called and said that her and her husband had finally arrived on base! Jake and I know them from L.A. and have been anxiously awaiting their move to Columbus. We spent the night showing them around base and then we headed into town for a yummy southern style dinner. I had such a great time and forgot how alike Patty and I are. I think we could just talk for hours! Welcome to Columbus Patty!
We also had a furry little visitor stay with us last night, Charlie (Patty's dog). They weren't able to get pet friendly lodging for the night so we offered to watch him. We had a great time and Bailey loved it! I don't think they stopped playing all night! It made me realize how badly Bailey needs to be around another dog. Jake and I want to get another one so bad but we really feel like we should wait until the housing people will let us put our fence up. In the meantime, Bailey has been getting lots of time with other dogs in the neighborhood lately. There are a few girls that live around me that take their dogs on a long walk every night together and they invited me to go the other night. I really appreciated that because lately Jake has had too much studying to do to walk with me and Bailey so we usually go by ourselves. Now, walking with the other girls has become almost a nightly thing and I always look forward to it (as does Bailey I'm sure!)
In conclusion, life is great here in Columbus. Its definitely home for me now and its great to finally see where I fit in all this. I'm so thankful for the work God has done in my life up to this point to get me here and its great to see that when I trust in Him, He always provides!
Hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing weekend! Happy Monday!
Tuesday night was the Officer's Spouse Club social on base. It was an ice cream social and it was fun but a little bit awkward. The new girls there (including me) were really singled out and ended up being roped into doing all these base and community things involuntarily. I was glad I went with some girls I knew because otherwise I probably would have had an awful time. I'm not sure yet whether or not I will join the club.
Wednesday night I went to a jewelry party that my friend Katie was having and Thursday night was Jake's class' Pilot Partner's welcome dinner. Basically at the Pilot Partners thing, we just went to meet with the business that is sponsoring Jake's UPT class. We had dinner, talked with people from the community, and thanked them for their involvement. It was funny, because of where I work, I have already met a lot of people in the community. I was actually introducing people in our class to people I have met through work. It was great!
Friday night was by far the best night of the week! My friend Ann and I decided that we needed a girls night out. So we ditched the hubbys and went out to Applebees for dinner and then went to the movies to see The Time Travelers Wife. We had an awesome night out and I haven't laughed so hard in so long! I see us having many more fun girl nights this year!
The weather this past weekend was probably the best weather we've had since Jake and I moved out here. It was only in the 80s and it was completely dry heat! No humidity! Crazy!! Jake and I took advantage of that on Saturday by going on a bike ride around base and then eating a nice dinner out on our patio (which thank goodness is screened because otherwise the bugs would have eaten us alive!) Sunday was great too; we carpooled with some people from our class out to church and then came back and us girls headed to the pool! We all just relaxed and talked and enjoyed the amazing weather. Then my friend Patty called and said that her and her husband had finally arrived on base! Jake and I know them from L.A. and have been anxiously awaiting their move to Columbus. We spent the night showing them around base and then we headed into town for a yummy southern style dinner. I had such a great time and forgot how alike Patty and I are. I think we could just talk for hours! Welcome to Columbus Patty!
We also had a furry little visitor stay with us last night, Charlie (Patty's dog). They weren't able to get pet friendly lodging for the night so we offered to watch him. We had a great time and Bailey loved it! I don't think they stopped playing all night! It made me realize how badly Bailey needs to be around another dog. Jake and I want to get another one so bad but we really feel like we should wait until the housing people will let us put our fence up. In the meantime, Bailey has been getting lots of time with other dogs in the neighborhood lately. There are a few girls that live around me that take their dogs on a long walk every night together and they invited me to go the other night. I really appreciated that because lately Jake has had too much studying to do to walk with me and Bailey so we usually go by ourselves. Now, walking with the other girls has become almost a nightly thing and I always look forward to it (as does Bailey I'm sure!)
In conclusion, life is great here in Columbus. Its definitely home for me now and its great to finally see where I fit in all this. I'm so thankful for the work God has done in my life up to this point to get me here and its great to see that when I trust in Him, He always provides!
Hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing weekend! Happy Monday!
Look'n for Mr. Right.
- - - - Wednesday, August 19, 2009 - - - -
Bailey got a surprise present in the mail this week from her grandma Kathlyn...
Life in Columbus.
- - - - Thursday, August 13, 2009 - - - -
I feel like I have so much to talk about and update on that I should probably divide it into sections so that I am not just randomly switching from subject to subject :) Here we go in no particular order...
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Work
I have almost been back at work a week now and for the most part I have just jumped right back in where I left off. When I got back to work on Monday, I already had projects waiting for me! That has made me excited and happy because it makes me feel really needed at work and accomplished when I finish my long list of to-do's. Most of the week has been filled with the usual: proofing, research, research, and more research. But I also got to go to a Facebook seminar for advertising which was pretty fun. I already knew most of the information but I did manage to learn a few things from it.
Tomorrow I have my official training to take over the media bills and other financial bookkeeping on Quickbooks, which is a huge work load to take on but I am excited for the challenge! Also, my work is going to have me take a class on Google Adwords and get certified. This is an awesome opportunity for me and something to help build my resume. I think I will start on that next week sometime. Overall, work is going great and I definitely feel like part of the team. Its great to be back at work doing something that I can be proud of!
Family
Of course by family I mean Jake and Bailey :) Jake is doing great in his training still. Yesterday was another big test for him and he's been studying pretty hard for it all week. He got an A on it and I am so proud of him! He is really working so hard and I'm glad he's seeing the rewards of his work. He's been involved in a lot of study groups with other guys in his class and really seems to be making some good friends along the way.
Jake and I have really been great lately working as a team; supporting eachother through both of our hard work days and still making time to put one another first. We don't get a lot of time together so we have been making the most of our time. Instead of laying on the couch watching a show, we have been very active, like last night we went for a long bike ride around base together, and a few nights ago we washed the car together. It sounds funny but its a good way to be together and do something together.
Of course, Bailey is always our "something together". To us, she is our child and we spoil her ridiculously. We are so thankful to have her and she brings so much fun and laughter into our lives. Sometime in the near future we plan to get another dog too. Bailey really needs someone to play with and we always feel so bad leaving her at home alone all day long. I'm not sure that we will get a puppy because they are so much work but I guess we'll just wait and see what happens.
Church
It's great to be back at church and getting involved again after being gone all summer. It's strange that most of our friends that were there when we first got there in January have already left and moved on to their next bases. Its given us a great opportunity though to meet so many more great Christian people and connect with other Christians within the AF community. Pretty soon I will also be starting my Thursday night bible study again with the girls. This time we are going to be working through a book on being excellent, Godly wives :) I think that will be a wonderful study and hopefully very beneficial to the foundation of our young marriage.
Friends
Looking back on my blogs from when we first moved here, it is amazing to me to see how God has really provided in the area of friendship. I still remember so strongly those feelings of loneliness and need for friends; now I am surrounded and overwhelmed by the people God has brought into my life. My closest friend out here, Ann, has been such a blessing to me. We are so much alike in everything that we like to do and the way we think. She is someone I can call whenever I need someone and she is there for me and we can talk for hours.
Then, I have all the wonderful wives of UPT class 10-13. There are 10 of us and we all have such a great time together. Last week we did quite a few things together and some of us even took a day shopping trip to Tuscaloosa, AL. Everyone gets along so easily and so far this group of girls seems to be pretty drama free. The hard part is though that I am the ONLY one who has a full-time job out of all the spouses. Therefore, most of the meetings are in the mornings and I am at work. I already missed one and I know that I'll miss many many more. Its kind of a bummer to feel left out but I know that I should be happy and excited to be working and thankful to have a job. And there are also plenty of events at night for me to attend. Like next week I have an AF or spouse event almost every night! I have a social on Tuesday, a jewelry party on Wednesday, the pilot partners welcome on Thursday, and a baby shower to go to on Saturday! I know it will be such a fun week and I am excited for all the girl time. Oh and also, my good friend Patty and her husband get here next week! I can't wait for her to be here and I know we are going to have a ton of fun here in good ol' Columbus.
Visitors
This week we have had the joy of having some good friends come back to visit for the week, Matt & Logan. They were our neighbors when we first moved here and they are the 2 single guys that I would also mention in my earlier blogs from Columbus. They are such great friends and we've enjoyed every second of there visit with us. Now one is stationed in Washington and one is in New Jersey and both are flying C-17s.
Next month, I am even more excited that 2 of our best friends are coming out to visit for a few days, Andrew & Cassie. Hopefully I will be able to take a day off work when they are here and we can plan something fun. We might drive to Atlanta for the day and go to Six Flags because its military day and we get in free and it'd be something fun to go do. Jake is also insisting that we go Armadillo hunting while they're here. Oy...
We may also be having some family out for the holidays. That would be so much fun and give me a good reason to decorate! Anyways, I am very excited to have some visitors come our way and show them our new house and introduce them to Mississippi life.
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So there ya have it. All my updates and probably much information than you wanted to know :)
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Work
I have almost been back at work a week now and for the most part I have just jumped right back in where I left off. When I got back to work on Monday, I already had projects waiting for me! That has made me excited and happy because it makes me feel really needed at work and accomplished when I finish my long list of to-do's. Most of the week has been filled with the usual: proofing, research, research, and more research. But I also got to go to a Facebook seminar for advertising which was pretty fun. I already knew most of the information but I did manage to learn a few things from it.
Tomorrow I have my official training to take over the media bills and other financial bookkeeping on Quickbooks, which is a huge work load to take on but I am excited for the challenge! Also, my work is going to have me take a class on Google Adwords and get certified. This is an awesome opportunity for me and something to help build my resume. I think I will start on that next week sometime. Overall, work is going great and I definitely feel like part of the team. Its great to be back at work doing something that I can be proud of!
Family
Of course by family I mean Jake and Bailey :) Jake is doing great in his training still. Yesterday was another big test for him and he's been studying pretty hard for it all week. He got an A on it and I am so proud of him! He is really working so hard and I'm glad he's seeing the rewards of his work. He's been involved in a lot of study groups with other guys in his class and really seems to be making some good friends along the way.
Jake and I have really been great lately working as a team; supporting eachother through both of our hard work days and still making time to put one another first. We don't get a lot of time together so we have been making the most of our time. Instead of laying on the couch watching a show, we have been very active, like last night we went for a long bike ride around base together, and a few nights ago we washed the car together. It sounds funny but its a good way to be together and do something together.
Of course, Bailey is always our "something together". To us, she is our child and we spoil her ridiculously. We are so thankful to have her and she brings so much fun and laughter into our lives. Sometime in the near future we plan to get another dog too. Bailey really needs someone to play with and we always feel so bad leaving her at home alone all day long. I'm not sure that we will get a puppy because they are so much work but I guess we'll just wait and see what happens.
Church
It's great to be back at church and getting involved again after being gone all summer. It's strange that most of our friends that were there when we first got there in January have already left and moved on to their next bases. Its given us a great opportunity though to meet so many more great Christian people and connect with other Christians within the AF community. Pretty soon I will also be starting my Thursday night bible study again with the girls. This time we are going to be working through a book on being excellent, Godly wives :) I think that will be a wonderful study and hopefully very beneficial to the foundation of our young marriage.
Friends
Looking back on my blogs from when we first moved here, it is amazing to me to see how God has really provided in the area of friendship. I still remember so strongly those feelings of loneliness and need for friends; now I am surrounded and overwhelmed by the people God has brought into my life. My closest friend out here, Ann, has been such a blessing to me. We are so much alike in everything that we like to do and the way we think. She is someone I can call whenever I need someone and she is there for me and we can talk for hours.
Then, I have all the wonderful wives of UPT class 10-13. There are 10 of us and we all have such a great time together. Last week we did quite a few things together and some of us even took a day shopping trip to Tuscaloosa, AL. Everyone gets along so easily and so far this group of girls seems to be pretty drama free. The hard part is though that I am the ONLY one who has a full-time job out of all the spouses. Therefore, most of the meetings are in the mornings and I am at work. I already missed one and I know that I'll miss many many more. Its kind of a bummer to feel left out but I know that I should be happy and excited to be working and thankful to have a job. And there are also plenty of events at night for me to attend. Like next week I have an AF or spouse event almost every night! I have a social on Tuesday, a jewelry party on Wednesday, the pilot partners welcome on Thursday, and a baby shower to go to on Saturday! I know it will be such a fun week and I am excited for all the girl time. Oh and also, my good friend Patty and her husband get here next week! I can't wait for her to be here and I know we are going to have a ton of fun here in good ol' Columbus.
Visitors
This week we have had the joy of having some good friends come back to visit for the week, Matt & Logan. They were our neighbors when we first moved here and they are the 2 single guys that I would also mention in my earlier blogs from Columbus. They are such great friends and we've enjoyed every second of there visit with us. Now one is stationed in Washington and one is in New Jersey and both are flying C-17s.
Next month, I am even more excited that 2 of our best friends are coming out to visit for a few days, Andrew & Cassie. Hopefully I will be able to take a day off work when they are here and we can plan something fun. We might drive to Atlanta for the day and go to Six Flags because its military day and we get in free and it'd be something fun to go do. Jake is also insisting that we go Armadillo hunting while they're here. Oy...
We may also be having some family out for the holidays. That would be so much fun and give me a good reason to decorate! Anyways, I am very excited to have some visitors come our way and show them our new house and introduce them to Mississippi life.
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So there ya have it. All my updates and probably much information than you wanted to know :)
Check this out.
- - - - Wednesday, August 12, 2009 - - - -
My sister is in Panama right now teaching English with a group from our church and she has been blogging everyday about her experiences. God has really been doing some amazing things through her down there and it's been really encouraging to read so I thought I'd share it with ya'll. It's http://jaclynwilliams.blogspot.com. Please pray for her and her team as they wrap up the last few days of their trip and begin the long travel home!
And so a new chapter begins...
- - - - Monday, August 10, 2009 - - - -
Yes, I believe its true that today marks the beginning of the next chapter of my life. I know you are thinking that my new chapter began when I made the big move from CA to MS but in retrospect I don't think that was it. I mean, I was still a student, still a newlywed, and had an eventful summer of travel ahead of me.
Today is new and different: its adulthood. I went back to work today and realized that I am actually a grown up. When everyone starts to go back to school this month, I will not. I will be working. And in fact, I will keep working with no vacation in sight until the holidays. I am also no longer a newlywed. I mean, I'm sure I am compared to most married couples but for me the newness has worn off and marriage is comfortable and normal now. I am also no longer the lucky girl who gets to spend most of her day with her best friend. When dating, Jake and I got to spend our days together on campus at Biola and when newlyweds, we got to spend months exploring Mississippi together before he and I began working. Now we barely get dinner together.
I know I have done an impressive job of making this new chapter of my life sound like a drag in comparison to the last chapter but in reality, I am so thankful for this change. I love change and I think it makes life interesting. Yes, I am working all day, every day in the "real world" but I really do like it. I have a great job with decent pay and I really enjoy the fact that I no longer have tests, homework, and classes. I get off work at 4 and I still have a huge part of the day that I get to enjoy doing whatever I want. And sure, Jake and I are an old married couple now but in reality the first year of marriage is quite tough change. Its hard to completely mesh your life with someone else's; its a huge transition. Now we are past all of that and have found our groove. I really think that marriage, if you work at it, just gets better and stronger with time. The part about not seeing eachother as much really is hard to put an optimistic spin on. Jake is so busy with training now (which I'll talk about some more in a sec) that he is constantly studying and working really long days. I guess it does make us appreciate our time together though and in the end I would much rather have him be busy and be here at home with me then be gone again at another training.
And UPT has officially begun...
Now some info about what Jake is up to right now. Here's the short version: He is in his 3rd week of UPT (pilot training) here in Columbus. The first 6 weeks of this year-long program are strictly academic, other than an occasional flight simulator. Once week 7 comes around, which for Jake begins right after labor day, it is almost daily flying in the T-6. In February, Jake will track select into either the T-38 (fighter trainer) or the T-1 (heavy trainer). He will continue in that until July 30th, 2010 in which he will receive his official assignment for his plane and our new location. Its crazy to me that in just a year we could already be leaving for somewhere new! Anyways, Jake is doing great so far and seems to have a really good class of guys. He is studying ALL the time and I've been trying to do whatever I can to help support him. I'll be sure to post lots of updates about his training in my blogs from now on to keep everyone filled in. But keep Jake in your prayers often because I know this training is no cake walk and how he does in it determines our whole future!
Today is new and different: its adulthood. I went back to work today and realized that I am actually a grown up. When everyone starts to go back to school this month, I will not. I will be working. And in fact, I will keep working with no vacation in sight until the holidays. I am also no longer a newlywed. I mean, I'm sure I am compared to most married couples but for me the newness has worn off and marriage is comfortable and normal now. I am also no longer the lucky girl who gets to spend most of her day with her best friend. When dating, Jake and I got to spend our days together on campus at Biola and when newlyweds, we got to spend months exploring Mississippi together before he and I began working. Now we barely get dinner together.
I know I have done an impressive job of making this new chapter of my life sound like a drag in comparison to the last chapter but in reality, I am so thankful for this change. I love change and I think it makes life interesting. Yes, I am working all day, every day in the "real world" but I really do like it. I have a great job with decent pay and I really enjoy the fact that I no longer have tests, homework, and classes. I get off work at 4 and I still have a huge part of the day that I get to enjoy doing whatever I want. And sure, Jake and I are an old married couple now but in reality the first year of marriage is quite tough change. Its hard to completely mesh your life with someone else's; its a huge transition. Now we are past all of that and have found our groove. I really think that marriage, if you work at it, just gets better and stronger with time. The part about not seeing eachother as much really is hard to put an optimistic spin on. Jake is so busy with training now (which I'll talk about some more in a sec) that he is constantly studying and working really long days. I guess it does make us appreciate our time together though and in the end I would much rather have him be busy and be here at home with me then be gone again at another training.
And UPT has officially begun...
Now some info about what Jake is up to right now. Here's the short version: He is in his 3rd week of UPT (pilot training) here in Columbus. The first 6 weeks of this year-long program are strictly academic, other than an occasional flight simulator. Once week 7 comes around, which for Jake begins right after labor day, it is almost daily flying in the T-6. In February, Jake will track select into either the T-38 (fighter trainer) or the T-1 (heavy trainer). He will continue in that until July 30th, 2010 in which he will receive his official assignment for his plane and our new location. Its crazy to me that in just a year we could already be leaving for somewhere new! Anyways, Jake is doing great so far and seems to have a really good class of guys. He is studying ALL the time and I've been trying to do whatever I can to help support him. I'll be sure to post lots of updates about his training in my blogs from now on to keep everyone filled in. But keep Jake in your prayers often because I know this training is no cake walk and how he does in it determines our whole future!
