TACAMO History Channel

Here is a video clip that was shown on the History Channel that explains John's job as a pilot of the E-6 and its mission...

September Update

These are the moments you remember and times that make you realize

how amazing this life really is!

Living life & loving every minute of it...

Well, as you can probably tell by my lack of blog posts over the past few months, we have had a productive and busy summer. This month's blog is full of pictures of our beautiful girls...it's hard to be selective when everything they do is so precious! I may be bias, but you will find it is hard to disagree with me! :) We took a trip to Iowa for three weeks this summer then spent five days in Colorado. It was so nice to spend time with friends and family and of course show off our two little blessings. We spent many of our days outside and at the pool. We had pretty hot weather this summer, but that didn't stop our two little explorers. As long as they had their pool full of water near by they were happy! We enjoyed spending our days together as a family and took the girls to the zoo, the science center, the strawberry patch, the pool and many, many parks. No matter what we do we always seem to have fun as long as we're together!

John has finally checked into VQ-4. When he is not flying he is working as the Safety Officer for his squadron. He loves being back to work and is excited to get back to flying. The history channel aired a special on the E-6 and I posted the video at the top of this blog. Make sure you check it out, it explains John's job and the mission of the E-6. When he is not working he is loving on his two little girls and me of course. He is such an amazing father and the girls enjoy every minute they get to spend with him. He has been fixing up little things around the house and even painted the outside of the house this summer, which looks amazing! He also installed a new ceiling fan in our living room and always has little projects he is working on. I love being married to Mr. Fix-It! Life will sure be different when he deploys, but it definitely makes us appreciate and treasure the time we do have with him now.

I am feeling great and staying energized by chasing the girls around. I am just about to hit 27 weeks and feel wonderful! Our little bundle of joy is quite the little kicker and a mother never gets sick of feeling those wonderful little kicks! No name for the little guy yet, just waiting on the right one to come along. It is hard to believe that our "little man" will be here in only 13 short weeks. We are on track for December 15th, but of course I won't complain if he comes a couple weeks early. I am staying busy as the Vice President of the NOSC (Naval Officer's Spouses Club). I have met some great friends and of course it is a great way to support our sailors. We just got finished putting on an Auction to raise money for enlisted families. We just enrolled the girls in a "Mother's Day Out" program at a local church nearby. They attend one day a week for five hours. It is great way for the girls to meet with other kids and gives me a chance to run all of my errands or get a pedicure, whatever I find to be the necessity.

It is hard to believe that our little Brecken is only three months shy from turning 3 years old. She is so amazing and had matured so much over the last couple of months. She is full of so much energy and brings so much joy and laughter to our house! She is a great big sister and is so patient with Baylen. They are playing together more everyday and what a great example Brecken is setting. Brecken's speech has really taken off and she is such a joy to listen to. Such a smart little girl! She is quite the little athlete and loves jumping on the trampoline and climbing on almost anything. She is definitely an outdoors type of girl and loves playing with sticks, rocks, and bugs! She has even found a few turtles in our yard to play with. She has grown up so fast and is now sleeping in a full-size "big girl" bed, which she loves. We are just beginning the first stages of potty training, which we will be very easy once mommy gets the hang of it. She is a joy to be around and we couldn't be more proud of her!

Brecken found a new friend on her front porch.

Little Miss Baylen Grace is just about to turn 16 months old...talk about time going by so fast! She has seemed to grow up over night and is just too precious for words. She also loves to be outdoors and is always entertained by what her sister is doing. She keeps a close eye on Brecken and if Brecken can do, so can she! It is just too much fun watching Baylen explore the world around her. She is jabbering all the time and says so many words. She loves looking at books and of course eating. With Baylen around, you will never have to worry about eating alone. She is always so happy and is a very easy going girl. She is just as curious as her sister is, but definitely is a little more cautious. Her philosophy is "that looks fun, but you go first." She is always learning something new and we are constantly amazed by how smart she is. She adds so much laughter to our lives and it is such a great joy to see our two little girls growing up to be such great friends! They are so blessed to have each other as sisters.

Queen of the sandbox.

Well, as you can see we have been very busy, but as always enjoying every minute of it. We are looking forward to this upcoming fall season. Yahweh has given us so many blessings and is the sole reason life is so darn good. Every smile from our daughters faces, every beautiful sunny day, and every joy in our lives is because of him. How awesome it is to know the Living God! Lots of changes will be happening and as we know from experience, change is good. Life is meant to be lived and our little girls remind us of that everyday. I will work on keeping you all updated more often with all of the "happenings" that will be taking place. We hope all of you are well enjoyed your summer! Until next blog...

Smiles, smiles, and more smiles

It's never hard to imagine who is behind most of the girls smiles...me of course!

Alright, I must confess that their daddy plays a big part too!

Brecken is practicing her culinary skills. She loves anything involving cups, water, and a big mess!

The girls love exploring the outdoors and Baylen is never more then a few steps away from her big sister!

The girls spend a lot of time playing on their swing set and by the looks of it, it must be exhausting!

Baylen loves to eat and for her the messier the better.

Hmm...I wonder where she learned that from.

Baylen loved Aunt Julie's kitty. She was very gentle and tolerant....of course I am talking about the cat!

Any place that has lots of room to run, is a good place to be!

With all of the sand to play with in the sandbox, Baylen chooses to sit in the sand toys instead. Go figure!

"Peek-a-boo, I see you!"

By taking that chalk, you are promising mommy that you won't put it in your month...right Baylen?

Brecken loves playing with her animals and is quite the "mother hen."

Doing what she does best! Messy pizza face never looked so good.

A beautiful girl loving her backyard!

Taking a break from all of the hard playing, Baylen enjoys a snack in a nice comfy spot.

She has so many cute facial expressions...

Now all I am missing is a horse!

Even a ride in the car is exciting when your in the company Brecken.

Mommy, I will mow the yard for you!

Brecken in her "big girl" bed. What a great place to be!

Life is good when you spend it with your sister.

The girls love riding with their daddy to mow the yard and I would say the feeling is mutual!

John blessed me with a new dress and took me out for a night on the town to "dining out" a dinner for VQ-4 Officers and their spouses.

Summer Fun!

A classic video of Baylen's philosophy "looks like fun, you go first!"

May Update

In These Small Hours...

These are those special moments that just make you smile. What a blessing these girls have in each other!

I can't believe it is already June and my how our little beauties have grown. We have been keeping very busy and spend so many days out in our wonderful backyard! So many exciting things have happened over the past few months and life is amazing here in Oklahoma! Brecken is growing fast and is talking up a storm. She is turning into such a little lady! Baylen had a birthday at the end of May and turned one! And of course even more great news that the girls are expecting a new brother or sister in the middle of December! This is definitely a season of increase!

John has been very busy over the last few months finishing up his training at VQ-7. He just completed his eight actual flights in the E-6. He loved every minute of it and so enjoys the job that he feels honored to do! He will be transfering over to VQ-4 in July where he will begin his deployment cycle for the next three years. When he has free time he loves spending time with his girls and has done an amazing job getting our backyard just perfect. He put in a fence about a month ago for the girls and it is great! He purchased a run-down swing set for the girls and with a lot of hard work made it look brand new! The girls absolutely loved spending time with their daddy and it is not hard to see why!

Well, as for me I am one busy lady! I am currently almost 12 weeks pregnant and feeling good. The girls keep me busy so if I am tired or nauseous, life doesn't slow down. "This too will pass" I hear myself say when I feel like I might fall over and what do you know it does. I have been taking the girls to a lot of play dates and we spend many of our days outside. I have become very active in the NOSC (Naval Officer Spouses' Club). I have decided to take on the position of Vice President for this upcoming year. I am excited to become more involved and to do my part to support other wives and families. I am looking forward to spending time with John and the girls over the next month! We will be taking a trip to Colorado and Iowa in a couple of weeks to visit family, which we always look forward to.

Brecken is such an amazing little girl and has changed so much over the last few months. She is talking up a storm and loves looking at books and telling you all the words she knows. It is amazing to see all of her thoughts finally being shared with us. She is so smart! She loves organizing things. Whether it's dinosaurs, measuring cups, rocks, or sticks, with Brecken everything has its place. She is an amazing big sister and is so patient with Baylen. She shares very well and loves to squeeze and hug Baylen. Yes, they even wrestle...I am working with them on "No playing rough inside" ha. Just writing it makes me laugh too! What a gift Brecken is to us and everyday her personality brings life to our house.

Baylen Grace just celebrated the beginning of her second year of life. She had an amazing birthday and got so many wonderful gifts from family and friends. She loved trying out her birthday cake and enjoyed the day playing with the sister. Baylen is now walking all over the place and is crawling up the stairs with ease. She is such a little climber and like her sister, she is very curious! Her facial expressions are so funny and she is constantly making us laugh! She has discovered how loud her voice can be and absolutely loves it. It is amazing how many random words come out of her mouth. She is a joy and never ceases to make us smile until our cheeks hurts!

As you can see life is very busy and full of new and great things. We feel so blessed to be here in Oklahoma and are thankful for the friends we have made here. The next couple of months will be quite a transition for all of us with John beginning his deployments. Life is full of changes and challenges, and each one of them brings a new adventure! We are saddling up to ride...hang on!

Baylen is checking out her new birthday toy from her Uncle Chad, Aunt Karmen, and cousins Lauren and Aiden! This was a huge hit!

What a little lady! She loves wearing any kind of shoes she can find around the house. What can I say, she wears them better then I do!

Baylen is attempting to mow the yard, but decides riding with daddy on his mower is a lot more fun!

Brecken loved meeting Jeannie's new dog Maverick! Maverick loved going back home to a quite house!

Baylen loves riding Brecken's tricycle! She will climb on it by herself and honk the horn til someone comes along to push her...one smart girl!

My futures so bright, I got to wear shades!

Baylen's first time in the swimming pool and she loved it! She found out that drinking the water is just about as much fun as playing in it.

Brecken however, is always on a mission. Fill, pour, dump, repeat!

Have your cake and eat it too!

Happy 1st Birthday Baylen Grace!

Yes, you can go faster if you pour water down a slide. And yes, faster is better!

The girls go cruising with Baylen's new birthday present. Brecken loves it when Baylen has a birthday and why wouldn't she?

The E-6 during one of John's first flights.

Laugher is contagious!

Brecken's full of so much life and we are thankful for her gift of laughter...what a sweet sound!

Daddy showed Brecken how to make her very own water slide.

Baylen is quite the little mover and is walking all over the place...time goes by so fast!

Baylen is enjoying her birthday cake or at least what is left of it!

March Update: How Can It Be Any Other Way?

Three little turkeys...

The girls love to see animals...animals love to see the girls!

Well, it is hard to believe that it is almost April and we have been living in our beautiful home in Oklahoma for two months. Time is flying and we are enjoying every minute of it. It is great to say that all of the boxes are unpacked and the only thing left to clean is the garage...John is being so patient with that! The weather is starting to warm up and we are all loving that, especially the girls! We have had both Jack & Sue and Marv & Barb visit us within the last month and we so enjoyed spending time with all of them. The girls of coarse were excited to show off their new home and all the fun things they do here everyday. It is hard to imagine living this season of our lives anywhere else...it is just too perfect!

John has been back to work for about a month now and loves all the training that he is doing for his new aircraft. Last week he did some air refueling simulators and said it was awesome. Of course he did an amazing job. The instructor said that some pilots can't hold a stable contact with a tanker by the end of their simulator training and John was able to do it on his second try. Yes, I married a stud! He has about four more months left of training then he will check into his permanent fleet squadron, VQ-4, where he will begin his deployment cycle. Currently most pilots are averaging 30 days on deployment, 30 days home. He has made a lot of improvements to our house and is starting to tackle the yard now that it is nice, should keep him busy until winter!

I am keeping very busy spending my days with my two beautiful little girls and my evenings with my wonderful husband. I have met a lot of great friends here and many of them have kids who are close in age to the girls. We have lots of play dates and make frequent visits to the zoo and science museum. I have gotten involved with the NOSC (Naval Officer Spouses Club) and I am helping organize Shadow Sprouts, which is a play group for moms/kids attached to VQ-4. It has been a great blessing to meet such great woman and will be an awesome support system for when John deploys. My goal over the next few months it to finish my first children't book...the girls make for the best inspiration!

Brecken is such an amazing little girl and absolutely loves everything about our new home. Rain, shine, or snow she loves her big yard and the freedom to explore it. A day doesn't go by that she does not get on the trampoline. For Easter this year, we fixed up an old sandbox that was left here and bought the girls some new toys for it. Brecken loves it and plays in it whenever she gets the chance. She is such an awesome big sister! Baylen wants to be everywhere Brecken is and sometimes that means on top of her and Brecken is so patient with her. Brecken is quite animated and it is amazing to see what she comes up with. She has also learned how to climb out of her crib. This morning not only did she climb out of her crib, but she opened her door, climbed down the stairs and greeted her daddy and I in bed with kisses...gotta love that sweet girl!

Baylen is growing and changing by leaps and bounds. She is getting so big and is such a smart little girl. It is amazing how many words she says. Out of no where she will repeat words she hears us say. She also loves music and whenever I start singing or she hears music she bounces up and down. She is such a little ham! She took her first three steps about a week ago, but has decided that is enough for now. Whenever she gets the chance she likes to try to crawl up our stairs. She is now eating table food and breakfast, lunch and dinner are her favorite times of the day. Everytime she takes a bite of food she says, "mmmm." It doesn't matter if it is the first bite or the twenty-first bite..."mmmm." She loves to imitate her sister and has starting trying to put puzzles together and looks at books. Time has gone by so fast and Baylen is turning into such an amazing little girl!

As you can see life is AMAZINGLY GOOD and we are staying quite busy. We are enjoying each day and love the place YHWH has put us. I hope all of you are doing well and are enjoying this spring weather. Take care and I will be blogging again soon!

I recently received a spouses appreciation award during the ceremony that John received his wings. This poem was printed on my certificate. Just thought I would share it with you all...

The Military Spouse

When the good Lord was creating military spouses, He was into His sixth day of overtime.

An Angel appeared and said, "You're having a lot of trouble on this one. What's wrong with the standard model?"

The Lord replied, "Have you ever seen the regulations? It has to be completely independent, must be sponsored to get on base, have the qualities of both mother and father during deployments; Be a perfect hostess to four or 40, handle emergencies without military orders, cope with the flu and move around the world, have a kiss that cures anything from a child's torn valentine to a soldier's weary day, have the patience of a saint when waiting for the unit to return stateside, and have six pairs of soft hands."

The Angel shook her head slowly and said, "Six pair of hands? No way!"

And the Lord answered, "Don't worry. We'll make other military spouses to help. Besides, it's not the hands that are causing the problem - it's the heart. It must swell with pride, sustain the ache of separation, beat soundly when it's too tired to do so, be large enough to say 'I understand' when it doesn't, and say 'I love you,' regardless."

"Lord," said the Angel, touching his sleeve gently, "go to bed. You can finish that tomorrow."

"I can't," said the Lord. "I'm too close to creating something unique. Already I have one who can heal itself when sick, feed unexpected guests who are stuck in the area due to bad weather, and wave goodbye to its spouse from a pier or runway and understand it's important to the country that the spouse leave."

The Angel circled the model of the military spouse very slowly. "It's too soft," she sighed.

"But tough," the Lord said excitedly. "You cannot imagine what this being can do or endure!"

"Can it think?" the Angel asked.

"Can it think? It can convert 1400 to 2 p.m.!" the Lord said.

Finally, the Angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek. "There's a leak," she pronounced. "I told you that you were trying to put too much into this model."

"It's not a leak," said the Lord. "It's a tear."

"What's it for?" asked the Angel.

"It's for joy, sadness, pain, loneliness and pride," the Lord said.

"You're a genius," said the Angel.

The Lord looked somber and said, "I didn't put it there."

~Author Unknown

Miss Baylen loves going to the zoo and makes friends quite easily...it must be her glowing personality!

Brecken and Baylen got their Easter present a little early this year. Like a good sister, Brecken is checking it out first, making sure it really is as fun as it looks.

What a personality this little one has...you can't look at her without smiling!

Brecken is front and center to catch a glimpse of the beginning of mating season for the Lorikeets.

Baylen found the perfect meal for Easter, but has not figured out how to break through 1.5 inches of glass in order to get it!

Brecken found a friend at the zoo who was also visiting...luckily there is a fence nearby or this game of "tag" might not have ended so well.

What cookie? I didn't see no cookie!

I love a clean house, but these window smudges are too precious to clean off...or so that is what I tell myself!

Baylen loves to go for stroller rides around the yard. Anything that keeps her moving at her sister's pace is a good thing.

Brecken has amazing balances on the trampoline and has even learned how to do a seat drop!

Baylen got a new chair from her cousin Lauren and loves it!

It is so cute to see these two play together...especially when Brecken tries to turn the pages!

Nothing like sand between your toes...

Brecken's first steps into her new sandbox.