A Celebration

Lorrie's homecoming was a cause for celebration, so of course on Friday night, like old times, we went to dinner and then to Jake's to play pool (Lorrie's one request). My camera died before we got to Jake's (much to everyone's dismay, I'm sure) but here are a few shots from dinner:

Matt and Madden:
Jen, Me and Lorrie:
Meesh, clearly not sure about whatever it is that Madden's saying...
And Madden revealing what appears to be a very similiar sentiment towards whatever it was that Michelle was saying...
Our side of the table...

The newlyweds:
Not really sure...

There's No Place Like Someone Else's Home

A resounding theme lately has been my current state of homelessness. My transformation into a transient was one of choice since I'm moving home in August and some girls were able to take over our lease. So for "a couple of months" I was going to be staying with people, housesitting, etc... "It'll be no biggie!!" I thought. "I'll just keep all of my stuff in my car." I had no idea what a huge pain that would be. As of Friday, in the back of my poor little almost-run-ragged Jeep Grand Cherokee were: 3 tupperware containers full of clothes, my entire closet (still on hangers, but just laid across the back), 2 suitcases full of clothes as well as 2 laundry baskets full of clothes..and a suitcase full of shoes. With the break problems my car has been experiencing lately and that weird little light that's been on since sometime around January, I'm surprised that car will even run --especially with all of that stuff in it.

For the first 2.5 weeks of my homelessness, Matt and Mary Neil were gracious enough to let me join their marriage and stay at their place. Our tenure ended when I began housesitting on Friday for a family here in Columbia who are in Europe for the next month. Yesterday, my first day at the new place, I brought ALL of that stuff in from my car. The girl whose room I'm staying in even cleaned out one of her dressers so I could use it and I've never been so happy to see drawers in my entire life--I can live like a normal person again... at least for the next month.

So for now, Emily and I (and Lorrie for this week until she goes to Europe--what's with everyone and going to Europe lately?) are living in a cute bungalow not far from our old house (which means we can run in our old neighborhood again... thank goodness) until Emily moves to Chicago and I move home until the wedding. We began "livin' the good life" last night over some glasses of wine and some good conversation. And we have some good things to look forward to: There's a basketball goal in the driveway (so Emily and I are of course already planning some big time roommate basketball tournaments), an awesome screened in porch-- and the best best best part so far: We discovered a huge trampoline in their backyard. Basically, all of these things are a recipe for success. And probably a few injuries here and there...

As I got into bed last night, I couldn't help but think: There's no place like someone else's home.


The cute kitchen:

The family room where we watched a few episodes of Law and Order last night...

"Our" new dog (whom we're dogsitting), Mac. He's a collie. But he just had a haircut. So, now he looks like he's got the mange..


Sidenote: I also went to the lakehouse on Saturday to hang out with my parents and see my niece Marjorie, whom they were babysitting for a few days while my brother and sister-in-law were in Anapolis. Here she is...

And here she is again. So cute.

Marjorie and I really bonded--we had a blast waving at eachother, tossing her up in the air, going on a walk on Sunday, etc...

It got me thinking that maybe the same rings true for children-- you know the old addage "There's no baby like someone else's baby?" Well actually, I'm not sure that has quite the same ring to it.

Out of Africa...

On June 20, 2007, our dear friend Lorrie (also affectionately called "Lonnie" for those of you faithful readers who don't know her...) departed Columbia for adventure and teaching at a school in South Africa. She was gone for a year and last night, 3 very excited friends picked up their friend from the Charlotte airport. Julie, Jeff and I arrived (ALMOST late... running through the airport garage and into the baggage claim area) with sign in hand, and little horn things (I never know what to call them). We had one goal in mind (apart from retrieving our long-lost friend): embarress her when she gets off the plane. Lorrie has always been easy to embarress. So what better way to begin her time back in the states? We waited patiently (and sometimes impatiently) for her to come down the escalator, and when she did, we were waiting- RIGHT at the bottom, behind the sign and as soon as she appeared, and we just started blowing our little horns (and I was simultaneously taking pictures). EVERYONE looked. You can see the progression of her embarressment in the pictures below :)

Here's Jules with our beautiful sign...

Take 1 of Julie, Jeff and Becca...
Take 2, much better....
Here she comes down the escalator, not quite sure of what she's seeing... (How awesome would it have been if THIS guy's name had been Lonnie... he would've been so excited and then disappointed...)

Then, once she realizes what's going on, she gets a little embarressed...
Then she sees the large crowd of people whose attention had been drawn due to the loud noises, and tries to quiet us down with her hands...
First embrace for Julie and Lonnie...Then a hug for Jeff...Here we are, carrying all of Lonnie's worldy belongings through the garageFirst hug for Devin back at the house...Showing Lonnie the novelty of the American fork (she'd been gone for a while... for all I knew, she forgot how to use one...)

Jules, Lonnie and me! Together again!

It's An Addiction...

...Everyone knows I love things like this, so why they send them to me is beyond me. Are they being cruel? Or am I just an easy target? Well, I decided I couldn't NOT do it. And post it on my blog since I'm short on material this week. I'm so predictable like that... :)

I am: not enjoying living out of my car and a suitcase!
I think: that life is passing by quickly... almost too quickly...
I know: I need to enjoy where I am and where the Lord has me right now- and not get too ahead of myself
I want: to be a loving and supportive wife
I wish: that Aaron and I lived in the same city. And that money would grow on trees..
I hate: when people drive slowly in the passing lane.
I miss: Aaron
I fear: the unknown of becoming a military wife and moving across the country, far away from the familiar
I feel: overwhelmed and excited about the next few months
I hear: interns chatting in the reception area and Ben Harper playing on my laptop in my office
I smell: my peanut butter sandwich! I just found the crunchy version of my favorite brand of peanut butter (Omega Smart Balance), which was like a gift straight from Heaven
I crave: a day to lay out, read and laugh with my sweet friends...
I search: all day every day for information about Tacoma, Washington, houses and condominiums there and possible companies to get a job with there so I can help bring home the bacon :) (or at least a piece here and there...)
I wonder: if Aaron will really be gone as much as I think he will and am preparing myself for him to be
I regret: spending too much energy being way too selfish with my time
I love: my family and my friends... and my fiance.
I ache: for those who have lost loved ones or who are far from them
I care: way too much about my pride most of the time
I always: order anything that has goat cheese. If the menu mentions goat cheese as an ingredient (or gorgonzola...), no matter what it is, I WILL order it.
I am not: thoughtful enough.
I believe: that God is sovereign and everything that has happened over the last 26 (woah!) years has all been part of the tapestry of my life, no matter how small or insignificant it may have seemed.
I dance: a lot in the car, even when I'm alone. And I giggle when I think that it makes God laugh to see me being silly.
I sing: all the time and sometimes don't realize how loudly I'm singing. In public.
I cry: at the drop of a hat nowadays.
I don't always: write thank you notes like I should... I better start practicing...
I fight: sometimes just for kicks and giggles. It doesn't take much to get me worked up :)
I write: on everything, in everything, about everything. I have scribbles all over every piece of paper on my desk.
I win: everytime I play Nertz. It's a gift. One that my very competitive sister wishes desperately that she had ;)
I lose: my keys often. They're always right where I left them. I just usually can't remember exactly where that was...hhmmm...
I never: exagerate....or understate. Never. I'm ALWAYS right on.
I confuse: puns and plays on words. (That one's for Julie... :) )
I listen: to the song I plan to walk down the aisle to, in an effort to desensitize myself to it so that I don't sob the entire way down the aisle, ruining my make-up and making it weird. So far, I still cry when I listen to it. What to do...
I can usually be found: on google chat or Facebook. Or my blog...
I am scared: that I won't be as good at making new friends as I once was...back in my glory days...
I need: better organization with my finances. I've been practicing :)
I am happy about: spending the rest of my life with Aaron, in whatever location the Lord decides to take us.

Shiny New Wings

Well, he did it. He's done. And he's got some brand new wings to prove it. He's officially a pilot with the United States Air Force! This weekend was Aaron's graduation at Vance in Enid, Oklahoma. I flew out on Wednesday night--for once, my flights were on time and I arrived in one piece, not even the slightest bit frustrated with my American Airlines experience. Thursday morning was the breakfast and an awards ceremony, where Aaron received the Physical Fitness Award. Then onto a tour of a few things on base--namely, the simulators and then what is basically their Air Traffic Control office. The simulator was awesome--I even got motion sick, so it seemed to be pretty realistic (to someone who's never flown a plane at least...). I got to ATTEMPT an air refueling, but the Instructor Pilot ended up instructing me to crash into the tanker for a little fun. So I did. And then the simulator burst into flames (I told you it was realistic).


Okay. I kid. It didn't burst into flames. It didn't even shake. So disappointing...

Anyway, that night was family dinner- so Aaron and I grabbed a bite with his parents and grandmother at a cute little place in downtown Enid, where we arrived right before a HUGE Oklahoma-summer-storm blew through. Friday morning was the graduation and the pinning on of wings (which turned out to not be a pin after all--it was really a magnet...who knew?) and then lunch, followed by a huge nap and the graduation dinner, where he received the Leadership Award. I was so proud. Plus, it was fun to see Aaron all done up in his "outfit" as I like to call it, and then to be in a huge room with TONS of other folks in their own "outfits" as well.

After the insanity of those few days, Aaron's parents flew home Saturday morning and Aaron and I decided what we wanted to do more than anything: NOTHING. We grabbed breakfast at a hole in the wall in the middle of nowhere, rented 3 movies (Charlie Wilson's War, Into the Wild and For Your Consideration), watched movies all day, cooked dinner and that was that. All in all, a very fun weekend. He (hopes) to get his orders this week so we can figure out where we go and when and how it will all work out around our wedding... not to mention when the next time will be that we can see eachother. Fingers crossed, he'll be done training at Altus before our wedding so that we can get married during the transitional time between bases. Here's hoping...

Did I mention I got bumped from my flight on the way back? And didn't get back into Charlotte until 1 a.m., where my sweet friend Julie woke up in the middle of the night to pick me up and let me spend the night at her apartment? I got back to town this morning from Charlotte and went straight into work: needless to say, I'm exhausted. BUT, at least I got a flight voucher out of the ordeal... always a silver lining. Anyway, onto the pictures.


Notice those shiny new wings...


With his proud parents...

So proud of him..

Just a 'lil congratulatory smooch...

Together in the cockpit (before I crashed it)

At the Graduation Dinner...

All of the McChord Men and their significant others...

AND... us after the simulator.

Off I Go Again... And This Time, I'm Homeless...

Tomorrow, I'm heading out west again, to Oklahoma for Aaron's graduation. (Somebody's gotta pin those wings on him) It's going to be an action-packed weekend. I fly out of Charlotte at 3:30, go through Dallas and get to Wichita around 8:30 (Not too bad) and then it will take us a couple of hours to get back to base. Thursday morning is a breakfast, Thursday afternoon is a tour of the base, and that night is a dinner. Friday morning is the actual graduation and Friday night another dinner (this one pretty fancy, so I hear--cue Becca's clothes dillema). Saturday we'll have to relax and maybe breathe a little? And then Sunday I'm back in the air heading back to Columbia. Somebody's going to be tired.

I'm also officially homeless. After one of the most exhausting weekends on record (Friday night, Silver Elephant--worked till about midnight, Saturday morning, State Convention--woke up at 4 AM to get there at 5 AM, went straight from there to roommate's wedding and hung out at reception and with friends until late, woke up Sunday morning and packed up the U-Haul and then drove it to Augusta and spent the night with my parents and was back at work Monday morning by 8:30 AM), I am living out of my car. Two cars, really (I have one of the parents' cars). My clothes are in tupperware containers and laundry baskets in the back of my car--my toiletries, shoes, video camera and digital camera (all of the essentials) were packed tightly into my suitcase, along with a fleece jacket. Cleary no rhyme or reason to how I packed. I think I was just trying to do it quickly. BUT all is not lost: I'm getting to stay with Matt and Mary Neil, who were kind enough to lend me their spare bedroom for a couple of weeks until I start housesitting. It's just like when Mary Neil and I would have spend the night parties on week nights when we were in middle school or high school-- only this time, she there's a husband involved :)


WELL, that is the gist of my life over the last week or so. Here are some pictures from the weekend and post-wedding celebration with old pals. I'll be sure to post some good ones from graduation this weekend.

Until then, happy trails...


Here I am with my great pal Kelley Kirker. We have joked this year that we've been on "Wedding Tour 2008"--we've done weddings in San Diego, CA, Birmingham, AL and Columbia, SC together so far. We've still got one to go--a very special one on October 18th in Edisto (I hear the bride and groom are real champs...)


THIS is a CLASSIC JoBeth and Tombo picture. So in a tribute to our friends who weren't with us that night, Meesh, Matt and I decided to get a Kodak moment that would let them know we were thinking about them.

The nightswimming crew.

One of the three of us just being normal--no guns to be seen in this one.

A group shot of our table at Jake's. Kelsey, Emily, Kelley, Anthony, Neal, Chris, Jeff, Michelle and Matt.