My little slice of paradise :)

Things have kind of settled down enough for me to write about our trip over the pond

and our first impressions of the next three years. We drove to San Diego on the 30th of May to drop our car off at the port to be shipped. I happen to LOVE San Diego. The weather was beautiful and it was the perfect place to spend our last couple days in the country. Our hotel was awesome. It overlooked the San Diego harbor and the beach was just a short drive away. We just relaxed and tried to remain calm about our impending journey.

 

                                                 

  

Our flight was at 8:15 pm on the 31st. We checked all our bags and when we finally boarded, the reality set in. I almost wept when we took off. It was a 10 1/2 hour flight straight to London. We slept most of it. The seat next to me was empty, so I luckily got to stretch out and sleep. Skylar wasn't so lucky, but neither of us slept very well. We made our decent into London around 2:45 pm London time. The pure adrenaline of finally being there had us both awake and alert. We made it through the border easily and met our driver, Chuck, who drove us the hour and a half to RAF Lakenheath. We both tried so hard to stay awake during the drive over there to take in the sights of the country side and villages. We both only made it about half an hour into it and we conked out. We arrived and got settled into the lodging facility. Since then it's been non-stop craziness! So much paperwork and so many appointments. We rented a car, and Skylar has been driving. He adapted so fast to the driving, which actually isn't a surprise. He adapts quickly to everything. But we've driven around the local area and we are starting to really love it. It is so beautiful. Everything is so

green and fragrant. You can practically feel the history behind everything here. This may be a little premature, but I can see myself three years from now when we leave this beautiful place, and I'm being dragged kicking and screaming from it. I know I'm going to fall completely in love with it. We're just going to experience everything we possibly can while we're here and make some good memories. It's going to be sweeeet :)

                                            

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

D-Day

At 2:55 p.m. on Wednesday, May 30th, mine and Skylar's lives are going to drastically change. We will board our plane and make our journey out of the United States. When I got our itinerary email this morning, I had a huge, massive reality check. We're leaving our home. Not just our family, but our beautiful Arizona state, and our country. We're leaving our country!!! I had a minor meltdown..which ended up requiring half a box of tissue. Don't get me wrong, I am soooo excited for our experiences that we will have. We're going to be able to see things and go places that we could probably wouldn't have been able to otherwise. My home is wherever Skylar is, but we both are slightly dreading leaving the only place we've ever known as our home, and going off into the unknown. I understand why everyone I talk to about it tells me that this is once in a lifetime and I should be so excited. I am excited. But, today it started to rain outside and I thought to myself, "I'm not going to smell Arizona rain for a long time..". We all know that Arizona has a unique rain scent. It's A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I'm sure I'll get my share of rain while we're in the UK, but it won't be the same. Here, rain is treasured. It's prayed for and is as precious as gold. I think that's why it's so special to me. That little rain moment brought on the "I'm going to miss this, and that, and this.." list. I'm feeling better about everything than I did this morning, and I'm trying to stay positive. All I can say is that Skylar and I are going to miss our families so much. It hurts to even think about it. In our four years of marriage, we have never once had to miss our families for too long. We have been so blessed to be able to visit at our leisure. This will be the hardest part. But, Skylar and I have decided to really start trying for a baby, of course because we want children, but also I don't think mine or Skylar's mother could stand not being there afterwards. So they'll have to come!! Haha! Anyways, we are excited about what's to come. Definitely nervous, but excited. We love our family. We're so thankful for their support and love. If anyone needs a place to stay in Europe in the next three years, we'll be there!!

Everything might be a little bigger in Texas...but most definitely not better!

I cannot believe that almost a month ago, I drove to Texas to be with Skylar. I mean, where did all that time go?! Fastest month of my LIFE. Let me just start by saying that I developed a little resentment towards Texas when Skylar graduated from BMT. The weather was so weird, and I just did not find anything pretty about the landscape...plus Skylar had to leave me to go to Texas. That's a good enough reason to have a bone to pick with Texas right there! But, since I've been here for a month...I can honestly say that I will NOT miss Texas. Wichita Falls is like a small city. A little bigger than Flagstaff. The weather..I seriously cannot get over the weather here! It is so bizarre. There was one night that there was a craaaazy storm. It happened to be the same storm that brought those horrible tornadoes to the Dallas and Forth Worth areas. That was almost one of the scariest nights of my life. I am scared TO DEATH of tornadoes. I woke up to hail and wind and thunder that was setting off dozens of car alarms at once. I was literally planning an escape route. I was up for hours. And the images that crossed my terrified, irrational mind were like this....
And some were a little like this...


In other words, I was making myself crazy. It ended up all OK, but it was a really scary night. Weather reporters in states like Kansas and Oklahoma, and others in tornado alley, are beefing up the language they use when giving storm warnings. Because apparently, people don't run out their front door and drive away when a tornado is announced. They're going to start using descriptions, such as "unsurvivable"...or "catastrophic"..."mass casualties". If my weather man said "mass casualties"...I would be out the door before he finished his sentence. But that's just me. But, other than the horrible storm, Wichita Falls hasn't been so bad. It's actually very green, and I like green. They actually have a lot of historic sites and some really pretty architecture. I'm just glad I got this time with Skylar. He'll be in North Carolina for one more month, and we'll be off to jolly ole' England! Cheerio!

Sooooo..it's been a while!

It's been a loooong time since I've posted anything. I'm not feeling in an updatey mood, so I'll just say that the last several months have been quite boring. Seriously..like SO BORING. Skylar did have exodus in December for Christmas and was home for about a week and a half. Then my old laptop decided to die. So I've been without a computer for about five months. LAME. So this is just to say that I'm still alive, and I still kind of care about this blog..but not really. I just have nothing else to do. I'm currently in a hotel room in Wichita Falls, TX waiting for Skylar to be done with duties for the day. I've been here for about a week and will be here until the 18th of April when he goes to North Carolina for a month of follow on training. After that, we'll be on our way to Lakenheath, UK. So crazy. I made a very fast decision last week that I could not go one more day without seeing Skylar. So I woke up and drove to Texas. Should have done it a long time ago, but I'm so glad I'm here now. I still haven't quite wrapped my head around the fact that I'm moving to England in a couple months. It's just so surreal! But I am so stoked about it. There are so many places that we'll get to see that we probably wouldn't otherwise. It's a blessing for sure. A really awesome one. So anyways, I'm here and alive, and I'll probably post more often now that I have my new laptop. Signing off...

My journey down the road of weight loss...so far.

The day after Skylar left for basic training I made a decision. It was a decision that I had made several times before, but lacked the motivation and will power to follow through. After a couple years full of big decisions and some let-downs and stress, I found myself unhappy with ignoring my health for so long. I hadn't hit rock bottom or anything, but I definitely wanted to change. Not just a change, but a complete overhaul! So I woke up the morning after Skylar left and jumped on the treadmill. I knew that first day, that I could do it. I changed what I ate, and started exercising four days a week. Somehow, in some strange way, I felt a little connected with Skylar when I would exercise and push myself just a little harder. I knew that he was enduring intense physical stress, so I pushed myself too. I lost six pounds in the first week. Mostly water weight of course, but I can't describe the feeling of having your hard work pay off. I wish I could bottle it up and take it in doses during the day. What a pick-me-up that would be! I continued to work and push and sweat, for seven weeks. I weighed myself the day before I left for Skylar's graduation. I had lost 18 lbs. I felt like a boob, because I started to cry. Haha. I was so proud, and relieved that I hadn't let myself get away with ignoring my health any longer. Skylar was pretty shocked to say the least! I'm still going at it. This was a lifestyle change, not just a short lived goal. Skylar gets to come home in December for a couple weeks, and by then I hope to be down another 6-10 pounds. It's definitely going to be tough, with the holidays and everything. All that wonderful holiday food! I definitely won't be depriving myself, but I've learned how to do everything in moderation and still feel satisfied. But anyways...gotta run. I've got some exercisin' to do!!

The Graduation Trip

It's officially over! The horrible two months of basic training are over! I just got back from the five day trip to Skylar's graduation. It was a long week, but so worth the sleep deprivation and the horrible cold that it brought on. Skylar's mom, dad, sister and I left at four in the morning Wednesday for the 16 hour drive to San Antonio. Looooong drive. I had music and crossword puzzles and books to keep me busy though.We arrived in San Antonio at about ten o'clock Texas time. San Antonio is two hours ahead of Arizona. That took some getting used to. We went through base security and got to our hotel knowing that we had to be up at five o'clock a.m. the next morning. That's three a.m. Arizona time!! I tried to sleep, but it was hard knowing that I would see Skylar the next morning. We went to the Airman's run the next morning. All the graduates do a 1.5 mile run in front of friends and family. I almost didn't recognize Skylar with his buzzed head.


After his run was the coin ceremony. Each trainee receives a coin symbolic of their graduation from trainee to airman. That was really cool to watch. A couple of the graduates were sworn in as U.S. citizens during the ceremony. It was really neat to watch that. I almost got emotional. haha. The next day was Skylar's graduation ceremony. That was really awesome. It was SO COLD. If the wind hadn't been blowing, it probably would have been tolerable, but the wind made it well below freezing. I was glad when it was over. That day is the reason that I have a horrible cold now! But, again, it was worth it. Skylar had town pass after his graduation so we got to leave base and go into San Antonio. San Antonio is beautiful. There is so much history and awesome culture. I loved it. The first day we went to the Alamo. We couldn't take pictures inside, but there it was amazing. There are still bullet holes everywhere in the walls and they have a lot of the original building intact. We also went to the riverwalk. They had ferry boat tours and all kinds of restaurants all along it. That was a really fun day.
He had town pass all day Saturday, so we went to Sea World, which was free. The awesome people at Sea World let all the Airman and their families in for free. AWESOME. Then we went to the Rampage vs. Checkers hockey game. We got awesome seats and had a really good time.


The last day was pretty hard on all of us. The knowledge that we would have to leave at some point had been pushed to the back of our minds. We spent some good time together that day, and just enjoyed each others company. We drove the long 16 hours back home. I'm so glad we got to make that trip. I'm so glad that basic is over. Skylar worked so hard, and his hard work was definitely noticed. He was made element leader, and received an expert marksman ribbon that he is very proud of. I'm so thankful for him and his determination.

Tribute to a Beautiful Story

So, I watched the newest film adaptation of Jane Eyre. I have waited to watch it because I was nervous about it. Most book based movies don't live up to my expectations, save a few. Jane Eyre is one of my favorite novels. I've read it so many times, that I could probably quote the whole thing....possibly...maybe. I've seen most of the Jane Eyre film versions. Since it seems like there are several HUNDRED, I haven't seen them all. I thought the newest one was ok. My favorite so far, is the one from 1996 with William Hurt as Edward Rochester. But no movie could ever beat the book. Which is usually the case in these situations. The book always makes me cry..not because it's sad, though parts of it are very sad. It's considered to be an important early feminist novel. I believe that Jane Eyre's character portrayed feminism in the right way. She's highly moral, passionate, and individualistic. She has a deep personal trust in God. She suffers things that I can't even imagine, yet she is never portrayed as a damsel in distress who needs saving, for she is highly self-reliant. What I admire most about her is her compassion. Even though she has nothing herself, she is always forgiving and compassionate. It's a beautiful novel and watching the movie just made me want to read it again. I'll probably be a better person for it.

"Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs" -Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre

"I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will." -Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre

A Shout Out to the Suby

I don't know if this post will officially put me on the weird list, but I've made a goal recently to focus on what I'm very thankful for. I'm thankful for many things, but I'm especially thankful for my car. I've had my share of clunkers in the past. My very charismatic Mazda..I was the only one who could drive it being the only one who knew it's funny yet annoying little glitches. Until some toothless redneck from the back woods in his huge truck rear-ended me, practically smashing the trunk into the back seat, it was a pretty decent car. From that accident, came the Ford Focus. Blehhh. *shiver* Don't even want to talk about it. It got me from A to B, and after I got married it got my sister from A to B. I think she probably enjoyed it more than I did. Any high school student would appreciate a motor with four wheels and a seat. We bought our Subaru, fondly called the Suby...pronunciation(soo-bee). It had over a hundred thousand miles on it, but Skylar guaranteed that it would run forever. I also had never driven a manual transmission...and I had to learn in a day...that was fun. I got the hang of it after weeks of resenting the car for being impossible to drive. I love my car now. It has a lot more miles on it, and it still runs like it's new. When we're ready for another vehicle we'll definitely be buying another Subaru. Subaru love :)

My Most Prized Possession....for now..

Let me start by saying...I HATE my phone. I have had some rotten luck with phones in the past and this one I have now is just the cherry...it is red after all...on top. I mean, it was twelve dollars on eBay..and for twelve dollars, it's still crap. It's funny how situations change and you have a different outlook on things. This past week and a half I've been contemplating super-gluing it to my hand. It is my most prized possession in that it's the only connection I have with Skylar. And, seeing as that I have NO CLUE when he is going to call, if my little piece of crap phone isn't by me I start to have a panic attack. It's probably pretty comical to onlookers when I notice my phone isn't within arms reach. I immediately go into hysterics and run around tearing the house apart looking for it. I'll tell you why...it was the Sunday after Skylar left for basic training, and I assumed that he would probably call. Sunday is a pretty low key day, and from what I had heard it was when he would call. I was on edge all day just waiting for the little red phone to ring. No call...nada. So I went to bed feeling really miserable and fell asleep with the phone in my hand. Monday was Labor Day and I didn't think he would call. I had just finished working out and was relaxing in the living room. I knew the phone was in my room. I kept telling myself that he wasn't going to call. But, as I sat there I started to feel this growing panic...a feeling that I should get my phone. I shrugged it off because I'd been a panicky mess all week because of this phone, and I wasn't going to let it send me over the edge. The anxious feeling grew, and I kept getting this small feeling that I needed to check my phone. I was tired from the workout, and I didn't want to get up and check....but then the feeling came so strong that I literally jumped up and booked it to my room. I picked up my phone and I had...3 missed calls. I almost screamed. I pressed the call button and it went straight to his voicemail...*panic*. I tried again...and again, all while yelling for my mom and starting to ball my eyes out. But then it rang! I answered. I wish I could have recorded the beginning of that phone call, because it was hilarious. His first words were "What the HECK?!" I felt bad that our first phone call with him away started with me sobbing, haha. Needless to say, that phone hasn't left my side since. I am grateful for the technology we have today, so that I can hear his voice every week. Even if it's with the little crappy red phone.

Nothing Like the Great Outdoors..

This Labor Day weekend, my family and I went up to Greer Lake and had a picnic and enjoyed the fresh air. It was SO beautiful! You can see the damage caused by the Wallow Fire, but you can also see the growth since it has passed. It is sooo green and gorgeous. What was really interesting to see was how close the fire came to homes in Greer. In some places it was within a hundred yards of huge, beautiful cabins. There were some lucky people, let me tell you. The lake was really pretty, but the mosquito's or "Satan's insects" were biting. So we bathed in OFF and enjoyed our time. It was really nice for me because it took my mind off things for a while. I got some good pictures of the pretty flowers growing everywhere, and also of Jonathan and Amanda and the yucky things they found. They had the time of their lives! Haha. I'm glad I get to spend this time with my family while Skylar is away.

It's not goodbye, it's see you later!

This month has FLOWN by. To be perfectly honest it feels totally surreal. This past Sunday, Skylar's mom, sister and I took Skylar down to the valley to fly out for basic training. I'll admit that I cried once at the airport but not since. I think it hasn't really sunk in yet, haha. Sunday night he stayed in the Sheraton Hotel on the I-17 and Dunlap which the Air Force paid for. The rest of us stayed at Skylar's Aunt Sheila's house, which I am very thankful for. I didn't get much sleep, but the sleep I did get was troubled and I was told I talked a lot, haha. Monday morning Skylar had to go to MEPS (military entrance processing station). This was his second time going, but they just had to make sure he was in tip-top shape physically. After he was done, he was sworn in. I wish I could have been there for that, but we were on opposite ends of the city and we didn't know for sure what time they were going to do it. He said it was actually really awesome. We all met at the airport. While we were waiting for Skylar to arrive, a guy with a huge camera came into the waiting area. With him was a news reporter. Of course our first thought was, "Is there someone famous coming through?!" We scrambled for our cameras while we debated about who it could be. It ended up being a bunch of people from the east coast, and the reporter wanted to interview them about Hurricane Irene. Skylar arrived and we received a gate pass so that we could go with Skylar all the way up to the gate. Security definitely wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I was pretty nervous about that
part.We waited at Skylar's gate until they started to board. That's when the waterworks started! Since then I've felt at peace with the whole thing. I know that Skylar is where he is supposed to be and doing what he is supposed to be doing. It's only eight short weeks. I am so thankful to him for this sacrifice he's making for our family!

Home Sweet Home

It's been a couple weeks since we've moved, and so far it's HEAVEN! No responsibilities, no rent, and we're with family. It's just been awesome. I feel that home is where my family is. No matter where they are. Skylar has been adjusting to not working rather well. It's not for too long, but he actually likes being busy. He's been doing a few little projects around my parents house so he doesn't go stir crazy. He hates it when his tools just sit there. He's used to using them on a daily basis. We really have enjoyed spending this time together before he leaves. We talk late into the night about future plans that we're both excited about. I've loved being home. There are just things that give such comfort and bring back such good memories. The pink and yellow rose bushes by the front door, the seashell wind chime, and most of all my family. It's been wonderful!

In which Audra becomes a lunatic amidst cardboard boxes and moving tape...

Wait wasn't I just here? Didn't I just do this??!! We're moving AGAIN. I mean, really?? The paper cuts from boxing up stuff during our last move haven't even healed yet! Ahhh..c'est la vie. This move has actually been a lot more organized and a lot less stressful. And since Skylar is working, all the packing and cleaning have landed in my lap. One more day in the Gila Valley. I have to say that I really will miss it. It's beautiful here. We have friends and family here. It's barely started to show a little bit of the monsoon rain that we so desperately need. Let me tell you, when it rains in the Gila Valley, there is nothing like the smell. I wish I could bottle it up and take it with me wherever I go. It's beautiful. I'm going to miss walking out my door and seeing the beautiful Mt. Grahm looming over the valley. I'll miss a lot of things about this place, but there are also wonderful things where we're going. Like, my wonderful family. And Skylar's wonderful family. We're so blessed to have our families live so close together. Just an hours drive and we can spend time with either one. But, us moving also means that Skylar's time to leave is just lurking around the corner. Even when it comes down to the day he leaves, I still think I'll be in denial about the fact he's going to be gone for two months..then some. We've waited so long for it, and now it's here. And time is FLYING by. Sometimes I panic. But then I think about what an awesome opportunity this is. We're going to meet amazing people, and see amazing places. It's something that will open doors for Skylar that he never would have had otherwise. I'm grateful. So grateful for my amazing husband and best friend who works so hard and is going forward into this brand new life with no fear, just determination. We're so excited. But first things first...got to pack some more boxes...

A Potter Post

Ok. I wasn't going to do this. I wasn't going to do this because everyone has done this, but then I thought, I made this blog for this reason. So here goes....I am a reader. Since I was little, reading has been one of the main things that brings me absolute happiness. I become completely absorbed, and am usually heartbroken when I finish a book because I don't want it to end. When I find a book that actually pulls my mind into the story, I would rather read than eat or sleep. I started reading Harry Potter when I was about ten. I was in a book store, when my mom pointed the Sorcerers Stone out to me. I think I read it in a couple days. Every year following, I was in Show Low at midnight waiting for the next book. I would read it all the way home, and keep reading once I was there. Harry Potter was my childhood. It was what I would look forward to year after year. Until the final book was released. I remember finishing the final book, and feeling ridiculous because I was sobbing. The movies were fantastic. I loved them. But, the books will always hold a special place in my heart. It's not the end of Harry Potter for me though. I will read them again and again, I will read them with my children and grandchildren. So this is not a sad post about Harry Potter being over, just a small dedication to the books that made up my childhood. Not the only books, but the ones that are definitely most remembered and loved.

Man, I feel OLD.

This past weekend, Skylar and I drove up to St. Johns to attend my littlest siblings baptism. My little sister Amanda is now eight years old. Talk about a reality check. I still see her as this tiny little girl..though she's still a tiny little petite thing. I feel old. I feel like life is flying by and I have to sprint to keep up with it! Besides this weekend making me feel like I am quickly aging, it was so good to spend time with my family. Amanda is such a sweetheart. She's a lot like I was in some ways. She's definitely not afraid of much. She has absolutely no fear of any kind of animal. She knows how to play hard and get dirty, but she's also a girly girl...picky about what she wears, how her hair is done, pretty, pink, sparkly..etc. I love her to death. She's so much fun to be around. I'm so glad I got to be there for her special day.

You Are My Sunshine

This post contains a personal experience I had last night. I'm not a constant dreamer. I don't have dreams often while I sleep, vivid or otherwise. But, last night I can say that I had the most vivid dream I've had in a long, long time. Skylar and I were talking before we went to bed about moving in less than a month and the fact that he won't be working the month before he leaves. It's scary to both of us, and last night we weren't sure if we could do it. We said a prayer and went to bed. I still felt uneasy. After lying there for what seemed like forever, I fell asleep. They say dreams only last a matter of minutes, even though they can feel really long. In my dream, I heard this song my Grandma Turley used to sing. You are my sunshine. It's been about six years since she's passed away, and while I'm awake, I struggle trying to remember her voice. But, in this dream I knew immediately that it was her. I have one really distinct memory of her singing this song to me. I was staying with her for a week during one summer, and I was homesick the first night. I was little, so I wanted my mom. My Grandma rocked me and sang me that song. To this day, hearing that song makes me cry and miss her so much it hurts. I heard this in my dream, and it had the same calming effect that it had when I was little and missing my mom. I woke up at peace. My Grandma was the most beautiful, loving, selfless, and caring person I have ever known, and she still is. She came to me in a dream to calm my fears, and I am thankful for her. I don't have experiences like this one often, but I will never forget it.

Happy Fourth!!

The Fourth of July happens to be one of my favorite holidays. Maybe it's the fond memories of growing up. The cannons going off at five in the morning, the six a.m. pancake breakfast, footraces, barbeque's, swimming, fireworks...what an awesome day! Almost better than Christmas. This Fourth has been just as good. We spent it with family and did all our favorite Fourth of July things. We went swimming at Gila Box, where the water was super warm.Hope everyone had a fun and safe Fourth of July!

I love Saturday mornings

I love Saturday mornings at our house. The feeling of having no responsibilities and absolute freedom is wonderful. Though I'm not a huge fan of summer, I do like summer Saturday mornings. It's warm and breezy outside.


Of course we do our Saturday morning breakfast ritual of banana pancakes :) I love Saturdays!