January

Dinner at this Awesome Sushi place in Dallas, and the OKC bombing memorial.

Well last month was a busy month for us and I can't believe we are already half way through February! I got a job at a staffing company as the receptionist, so answering phones and making sales calls and other random office stuff. It gives me something to do everyday besides watch tv and I am grateful for it seeing as it is hard to find a job in a town this small. Did I mention Altus is in the middle of no where? I am adjusting but I am NOT a country girl and we are in the country. The biggest thing here is the base..oh and there is a wal-mart. Thats pretty much it...I can handle it til May though...at least I hope. We had a HUGE ice storm on the 28th, craziest thing I have ever seen. It was raining and freezing as it rained. If that makes any sense. EVERYTHING was covered in ice, power was out for a week and it was an experience I won't soon forget. We got evacuated to Okalhoma city for 4 days which was fun because the military paid for our hotel and gave us $80 a day for per diem. We went to the cemetary to find the graves of my great grandparents on my mom's side and to the Oklahoma City Bombing memorial, did some shopping and enjoyed having an impromptu mini vacation. So all in all it wasn't too bad. But next month starts Tornado season...so it could get more interesting real quick...Ryan FINALLY started class this month so we are one step closer to getting to Washington! He has his first flight on Thursday, after 8 months in the Air Force he is finally going to be on the plane. Needless to say he is pretty excited for that. Everything is still going well with baby Bench. We find out the end of the month what it is. We probably could find out now but the military only pays for an ultrasound at 20 weeks. So we wait very impatiently. And we also went to Dallas with some friends in January, ate a lot and did a tour of the Cowboys Stadium which was pretty cool. So as usual we are keeping busy and enjoying the tiny bit that life has settled down at least for the moment!

One of the pictures from the ice storm, and the boys pretending to be Cowboys Cheerleaders

Ready or not...here we go!

Well as always our life is constantly changing and gets more exciting every minute! This last month has been lots of fun I went and saw Princess and the Frog with my Mom, sister in law Tori and my cute nieces Audrey, Trina, and Kyleigh. It was a lot of fun and a good girls night out. I drove up to Spokane to see Ryan for Thanksgiving which is where he was to do his POW and MIA training which was really intense. I didn't take very many pictures but we went to a Hockey game lots of movies, and had Thanksgiving Dinner at the Ramada. We also went and saw some gorgeous waterfalls in the middle of downtown.
AND last but not least....We are having a baby! We are really excited and are super excited the baby will have a cousin one month older and lots of our friends are due around the same time as us also. Even though we will be out of state we will be visiting lots. I have been REALLY nauseous and thrown up several times and am super tired but am almost done with the yucky part. I am due July 19. We can't wait til we are in Washington and life is a little normal.

We are home for the Holidays, finally together. Then the second we head to Altus Oklahoma til March or April. We are almost done with this stretch of craziness and are excited about everything to come.

On to the next thing!

Well I am back in Utah until Christmas. Ryan is currently in Spokane until the 30th of this month. He is doing survival training, pretty much he has to spend six days in the cold snowy mountains finding his own food, shelter, water and in the process avoid being captured. The National Weather Service issued a warning for this weekend saying that there will be "potentially life threatening conditions" Yes he left Saturday and won't be back til Thursday. Then it doesn't stop there he will have POW training also where he will get beaten pretty bad and then interagated. After that he has water survival school in Florida for three days, then Oklahoma for two weeks...then FINALLY home to Utah for two weeks for Christmas. Then we both will go to Oklahoma until April. Then in May we will be moving to McChord AFB in Washington!! We are really excited about the next few months and that there is a point in time that our lives might settle down a little bit! We had a ton of fun in Texas, we went to Corpus Christi, Sea World, Ryan graduated Tech School and we enjoyed getting to be together again.

Update

Sorry no pictures but here is an update on the craziness that we call life...After Ryans graduation we found out his tech school would be 4 months instead of the 2 we were originallly told. The plan was for me to come visit on weekends. Well after two weekend trips and spending over 500 bucks each trip we decided to take a leap of faith and have me move down. So I am now in Texas we found an apartment for 345 a month and my wonderful father in law drove down with me with a car full of stuff to be able to survive with. I am on week two and couldn't be happier anywhere but here. So your wondering what about school and work?? Well I called my boss who has always been so good to me told her my plans...she says...when do you want your last day to be? I'll take care of it...School? They are awesome too...I have about three weeks left and Ryan has SERE traing for three weeks in the wilderness that I cant be with him for so...I will be back in Utah finishing up during that. So now we get to see each other everyday and all weekend. So life is good. We still have no idea where we are getting stationed or even where the rest of Ryans tech school will be after our month here in Texas ends...but we are enjoying every miute of the madness, as long as we are together :) Cheesey I know but you would be too after two months with out your husband! Thanks EVERYONE for all the love and support!!

Graduation!!!

So Ryan graduated from Basic Training!!! After a horrid two months we made it!!! I am so proud of him and so begins military life!!! He graduated August 27th and is doing good with school thus far....Also..we have decided for me to move down to Texas with him its gonna be best for both of us and we think heck...why not!!! So here goes the next chapter of our lives...we will keep you all posted and ready or not here we go....I leave Thursday and who knows when I will be back...should be fun

YAY!!!!!!!

So 10 days til I get to see Ryan. He has been doing so good and I couldnt be prouder of my airman!!! He has one full week left. Next Wednesday the in laws and I fly to San Antonio. I am so stinking excited I can hardly handle it. It has been awful being apart, but I am lucky to have such a hard working hubby. I am also SO grateful for all of our WONDERFUL friends and family that watch out for me and keep Ryan in your thoughts and prayers. I cant even begin to list the times I have needed a phone call or text or something...and one of the amazing people in my life have been there. Or when I have needed to go do something bam someone is there. You all know who you are and I am so grateful. We will find out next month where we are gonna first be stationed...which is super super exciting...Stateside or Over Seas would be awesome...it will be sad because we really will miss so many many people but it will be such a good adventure for us. So thank you thank you thank you everyone for all you do!!! An congrats Julie and Dallas on an another ADORABLE baby!!! Brady John Dorton...such a cute cuddly baby...absolutely love him!!!More to come.....

1 Month Down!

Ryan has been gone one month today! Its crazy to think its already been that long...He is doing really good, I have gotten lots of letters and he has been able to call four times. The time has flown by and his graduation is the 27th of August! He hates being bald, and is staying under the radar which is a very good thing to do at basic. He is in charge of cleaning the latrine and his Training instructor likes him and knows who he is for the good he has been doing. School has been good and makes the days go by faster! We will find out in September where we will be stationed and things are moving right along!!!