Air Force and stuff

Wow have we had a great summer. We have had something going on every night. We have friends everywhere and have had a blast everyday. Among a million other things, we have been to the lake, floated the river, camped, traveled, swam, eaten out, eaten in, Bar-B-Qued, visited family, had our 9 year anniversary, Kaitlynn turned 3, Cody will be 1 next week...We have really had a fun time. 

Then the other shoe drops. 

Why? 

Why is that? 

Could we live on unemployment forever? Maybe if everyone else wasn't on it too we could make that work. 

Anyway, Jeremy was supposed to hear from the Air Force by September 23, so he has been applying elsewhere and seeing what comes. Then we get a call from Energy Northwest (a Nuclear power plant in Tri-cities) and they want to interview him right away and they need him to start next week. Wow. 

So we drive up there on Sunday, his interview was great and we came home. The next morning he has an email from his Air Force recruiter that says "CALL ME ASAP." 

The phone call reveals that they already did his boards and that he has been accepted into the Air Force. He will start officer training September 15. 

He will go to Alabama for 13 weeks for training. 

After that, we all will go and be stationed wherever the wind blows us. WOW! I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. Such a pivotal decision to make. Do we choose the normal Tri-cities life that we already know and love? Or...

Do we go with the adventure and servitude of the Air Force? 

Where does Heavenly Father want us? 

What is best for our family and kids?

 

There are lots of things to evaluate and all signs point to the logical choice - more money, stable living, 4.5 hours away life in Tri-cities. However, when we first applied to the Air Force we knew that it was going to happen. We knew he would get in and that it was where we needed to go. So you would think the decision would be easier, but I couldn't help but consider the normal life my kids would have in Richland, WA and how we could visit Kristi and Joni regularly, not-to-mention Grandma and Grandpa, Nana and Papa. So I was bothered by what to do.

I went to a meeting and by the time I came back Jeremy had already made his decision. He had called the recruiter and said "I'm in." and got it all set up. He said that he really wants to do this and making sure a power plant doesn't melt down doesn't sound fun - so don't look back. Relief came but I still wonder what might have been. 

So now he will be sworn in on Monday and I can definitely say that we are taking the road less traveled. I am excited and apprehensive at the same time, but I knew that this was the answer. I just hope that it wasn't one of those times where it didn't matter which decision we made. and that either one would have been good because we definitely picked the harder one. I guess that is our lot in life... we won't take it if it resembles easy.

So Robert Frost, I hope you know what you are talking about.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

The last 6 months

There is a lot that I could say about the last 6months. I have no pictures. I have nothing to show for this lapse in time. My kids are older and bigger. My heart has been softened and humbled.

I have dreaded writing this blog, but I would like to focus on the happier things that have happened and not the sad, so I write tonight so that I can move on.

I want to say how much I love my sister. I have missed you. I took you for granted. I didn't tell you how much I appreciated all the things you did for my family and especially for Kaitlynn. You were the highlight of our lives and I wish I would have told you that more. I am working on taking your happy attitude with me and being a little more like you. It took me a few months but I realized that I don't have to feel like a victim and be miserable all the time. There are many difficult things that have been out of my control, but that doesn't mean that blessings aren't there and that we haven't been loved. I am grateful for the memories and all the pictures - and some of your clothes. :) I feel how much I love you so much more now. I wish that things were different, but I have had the opportunity to see miracles in other ways. I think about you all the time. I love you Aimers and I cannot wait to see you again. Until next time...

So Jeremy lost his job in January. Amy died in a plane crash 3 weeks later. My kids had pneumonia shortly after that. There was so much to deal with and my parents... well, it has been difficult. I felt justified in jumping off Locust Grove bridge one night over a fight with Jeremy regarding a banana cream pie. Alas, I have come back to my senses and things are somewhat better - at least my burden feels lighter and I have different eyes to look at the world with.

We are currently looking into the Air Force and will hear back from them in September, so for now-we wait. I have my part time job and unemployment, so we are getting by.

I have had an outpour of people concerned for us and serving us. Many people who we hardly know that well. It has been amazing.

I am grateful for my family and friends, my ward family, and all who have expressed sympathy and love to my family and I. I hate boring blogs, but sometimes it is nice to know what is really going on with people, so there you go.

Recent news - Cody had croup, and then got his finger caught in the hinge side of the door and had to be rushed to the ER to get stitches, but it was 5 days before insurance ran out, so I will call that even. He will get his stitches out on Friday.

Jeremy and I are playing on an indoor soccer league. I am making up for all the years that I sucked at soccer and now my dad even comes to the games and doesn't think they are boring. Time is a crazy thing. Oh, and Jeremy is pretty good for never having played before.

My next blog will have pictures and stories and less tears. My sweet cousins gave me a camera so I have been taking pictures of my kids again. I'm sad to miss out on the last 6 months of growth but I am grateful to be here now.

Thank you to all who read this silly blog. And to Amy...adeiu.

Kaitlynn-isms part 2

I forgot one little story. Again my little TV addict said:
I want to watch TV.
No, you've been watching it all day.
"The TV wants to talk."
No, it doesn't. It has been on all day.
She is very creative.

Here is a picture of both kids. Kaitlynn couldn't figure out the "show your teeth" but make it a nice smile concept. Cody is wondering why he has to sit next to this goofball. Peace.

Kaitlynn-isms

I have been writing down the funny things that Kaitlynn has said. So here are updated pictures and the crazy things that come out of her mouth.

This was us at Thanksgiving. Anyone who got a Christmas card from us will recognize it.

So we were driving back from a trip to our friend's cabin in Pine in October and both kids were exhausted so Kaitlynn had fallen asleep watching a movie in the car and we had turned it off. We were getting off the freeway at Eagle when she wakes up from a coma, essentially, and screams "I CAN'T SEE!" Jeremy and I aren't sure if she thinks she is blind or if she is devastated that the movie turned off. But I was thinking "blind" by the way she screamed. Of course, the movie was the problem, but if anyone else had been there, they would have been as concerned as we were that she had lost her vision. Afterwards we laughed because she's such a dork. (and a TV addict)

Joni got her this super cute dress for Christmas. We had to get her picture in it. She looks great in red.

Here's my little heartbreaker.

This story tells me that she is going to be as particular and obsessive as Jeremy about repeating things exactly as they were said. (Something I do not have a knack for).
Christina: Can I have a bite of your bagel?
Kaitlynn: Yeah!
Kaitlynn gets in her chair and sees that I took a bite of her bagel.
Kaitlynn: You take a bite of my bagel? (kind of ticked)
Christina: You said yes, I could.
Kaitlynn thinks for a minute.
Kaitlynn: I didn't say 'yes', I said yeah!

hmmm. this picture looks worse the bigger I make it. I think I will leave it alone.

What a cutie!

After Kaitlynn woke up from a late afternoon nap, she was being particularly whiny. Everything was dramatic. She was asking for some candy and I told her no, that we were going to have dinner soon. She said "Mom, you want some candy?"
I told her, "No. I want to have dinner."
She said, (in a whiny voice) "You don't want dinner, you want some candy."
I can't say it wasn't entirely untrue.

OK. Seriously. I warned Jeremy that if he let her in the house with a worm, I would be upset. So sure enough, here comes Kaitlynn with this disgusting worm. I turn around and she says "Look, Mom." I scream. She looks confused, drops the worm and starts crying. Jeremy is laughing and I am trying to console her while yelling at Jeremy to get this worm out of my house and now Kaitlynn is afraid of worms. I am adamant that it is his fault. I told him the consequences if he brought any of those worms in here and he didn't listen, so now she is scarred for life and I don't feel bad about it at all. Look at that thing though. That is so gross.

There is a guy in Meridian Greens who has his house decked out for Christmas and on Friday and Saturday nights he lets kids come sit on his lap, get a picture, and gives them a candy cane and glow stick. Both kids did really well this year. The little boy behind us, though...I'm guessing he had nightmares from how upset he was at sitting on Santa's lap.

Kaitlynn has learned how to do Knock Knock jokes...This is her first attempt:
Kaitlynn: "Knock. Knock."
Jeremy: "Who's there?"
long pause.
Kaitlynn "Chocolate milk"
Jeremy: "Chocolate milk who"
Kaitlynn: Ummmm.... Chocolate milk pizza"
(laughter)

Random, I know, but she gets how they work. That's pretty good.

The last thing that our baby girl has been up to is watching Beauty and the Beast. She is fascinated with it and learning the songs from it. But she gets upset when the townspeople want to "Kill the Beast". She runs to me and says "We love our Beast!" Yes we do.
Here is a picture of her Christmas ballerina outfit she got from Grandma and Grandpa.















We had a great Christmas and need a new house to hold all the stuff we got, but we feel very loved and appreciate all the things that we received. Happy 2009!

Cody's almost 4 months!

So I have some pictures to post of our next step in eating in this household. Keep in mind we just trained Kaitlynn to eat like a normal human being...






















Apparently it's time for round two.

Keep in mind, the rice cereal tickles your nose which then causes you to sneeze this crap all over the place.
















This is the baby we are wanting to see. A nice clean one. Or even better. A sleeping one - even with the finger in his mouth. (not sure what that was all about).

And even best...the BSU fan all-geared-up-smiling-baby! Go broncos!















Also, I've been tagged. So I have some dirt to dish out on my family members:
Kaitlynn
1. She has had a scratchy throat lately and the other day I was tending to her and she says to me, "Mom, I have a frog in my face."
2. She still can't get out of her crib. (I actually like that.)
3. She loves to cook me dinner in her kitchen. (her toy one in her room)
4. She and her daddy are the best hide and seek players. The other day Jeremy hid her in a plastic 6 inch high bin - with the lid on it. She lies flat in there all bunched up funny and you can actually put the lid on it.
5. She still weighs less than 25 pounds.

Jer...I mean, my husband. (He refused to let me use his name)
1. He is a holiday nut. He loves to have the house decorated and ready to go for the holidays.
2. He took Kaitlynn on a daddy-daughter camping trip this fall. It was raining and they still went.
3. He loves motorcycles and Fox brand clothes. He only wears 3 colors of shirts - white, gray, and navy blue. (you should see our closet)
4. He is a great dad and husband. He'd do anything for his family - including everything in his power to please a crabby wife. (Who, me?)
5. He is the handiest man you could ever have. Something breaks and he is on top of fixing it. It is awesome. Or if you need something high up somewhere (tree, cupboard, etc) - he is equivalent to a monkey. (I believe part of that is because he is an adrenaline junkie and likes the riskiness.)
Oh, I am looking at her blog. I guess I am supposed to answer these questions:
1. How long have you been married? 8 years
2. How long did you date? 6 months January to July 2000
3. How old is he? Just turned 28
4. Who is taller? He is, definitely.
5. Who sings better? I do!
6. Who is smarter? Ummm, he is. Logic and street smarts. But I have social skillz. :)
7. Who pays the bills? I do.
8. Who does the laundry? I do.
9. Who sleeps on the right side? I do.
10. Who mows the lawn? He does! (Whew. This was starting to feel like a one-sided conversation.)
11. Who cooks dinner? I do.
12. Who is the first to admit that they are wrong? Probably me. Is he ever wrong?
13. Who kissed who first? I don't know. Does it matter? Shoot. He probably remembers.
14. Who wears the pants? I do and they are tight and uncomfortable!


Now I will tag Charise, Melinda, and Carrie. 5 things. 2 family members. 7 days.

My next blog should have some of our family pictures that we just had taken. Yea! (Please remember that I am still learning how to format this stupid thing, so bear with me. I anticipate that by my 15th post, I will have the pictures the right direction and centered. I was just happy to get the writing where I wanted it. Silly blog.)

The Real Halloween Blog

I realized that the last blog was just a bunch of random pictures and didn't even have Kaitlynn in her costume, so here are more pictures and our Halloween summary.

We had a Miller family Birthday Party on Thursday October 28. We sent out cute invitations and asked everyone to bring a "scary" pizza. The picture below was Jenny's entry. We thought they were so cute. She won. Jeremy made a good one too, but I am a terrible picture taker and the picture is blurry. The other sisters brought cute pumpkin shaped ones from Papa Murphys and Jeremy's mom brought an upgraded one from Pap Murphys. (She added cute stuff to it, but we were hungry and ate it before I thought to take a picture.) It was a fun night.
Kaitlynn naturally has crazy hair, so Jeremy wanted to play on that and have her be a "Mad scientist" for Halloween. When we tried to mess her hair up (because it was laying flat that day) all that happened was the Mousse and hairspray weighed it down. Her "lab coat" looked a little too big and the picture-taker forgot to have her hold her "brain in a jar" and goggles. So right here she looks like a drug addict. Just know that we had good intentions.

Here's a happy Cody. A rare sight, but welcome anytime.

Here is Kaitlynn before we go trick-or-treating. She looked super cute in her Nemo costume and people loved seeing her at the door. One lady even took her picture because she thought she was so cute. (We don't know that lady). You could ask her to wiggle her tail and she would put her hands out in front like she was swimming and shake her booty. It was super cute!
We went with some good friends who have three little girls (one is Kaitlynn's age) and scored a bunch of candy. It was a low-key Halloween and we had a great time. We came home, ate popcorn, and watched Harry Potter afterwards. I have heard of people having the Great Pumpkin come (where you throw out all the candy and give the kids a gift the next day) but I can't fathom throwing out expensive candy. I usually don't eat it and I would love to start that tradition. I guess I would need to start a new tradition of being less cheap first.

Halloween 2008

The first picture is Kaitlynn's pumpkin "with a smile" (see previous blog). These are just some pictures from when we went to the pumpkin patch and afterwards in Kaitlynn's and Cody's matching pajamas. She thinks it is so fun to have matching PJs like Cody. Cody crying in his car seat is his state prior to the pumpkin patch trip. (Hooray. This should be fun!) Again, just some random stuff.