11 Years!

Missing each other today, but will be able to be together again soon...

Today is a good day. I remember fondly how I felt the day I was able to marry my love.

And look forward to many more wonderful years together.

Happy Birthday, Andrew!

May 31, 2009 - Nannah and Pop escourted us to Myrtle Beach to Aunt Bertie and Uncle Jerry's perfect Beach Village so that Pop could leave us with his truck for us to use while we were at the beach! Can't get better than that, folks! We had a good time on the way catching up on conversation that a four hour time difference had created, which made it difficult to talk on the phone. Well... Mom and I did. Andrew left Pop to his own devices and took a nap. Later we found out why... (and you will know, too).

For Andrew's 9th Birthday, his Nannah-Pop took us to Planet Hollywood for dinner. This was Andrew's first time there, and I wanted him to see what it was like inside. You know - figured that he would enjoy the scenery and movie-star memorabilia.

Though Pop tried to show him around and explain all the movie references and tell him who all the people were in the photos, Andrew did not know who any of them really were! If they were not in Star Wars, Indiana Jones, or ET - he had no clue. Now, that will let you know how times have moved on. Rambo was almost a recognizable character, but missed the mark because the new movie has not come out yet. Even "The Karate Kid" didn't make an impression on our little guy! I can't blame him, really! I didn't know who a lot of them were, either...

Aside from the poor service and the cold food for our poor Pop, it was nice. Hey, we got a cool free appetizer because Nannah had snagged one from the coupon book before we left. It was Captain Crunch coated chicken tenders! We really liked them. Only they came out after our meal was eaten... go figure. I didn't care. To me, it was awesome just to be able to be at a restaurant that didn't allow dogs inside... or smoking... or sold fish as the main food item! You get my drift.

Anyway, another really neat thing about it was that I thought of Phillip the entire time we were there. We had eaten there while on our honeymoon almost 11 years prior - and had even bought a coffee cup to commemorate it! Andrew picked out a key ring for his birthday memento - but he missed out on the ice cream (or what ever they give you for your birthday) because Pop's patience had worn thin with the service...

So, I promised Andrew that I would try again another time... and his Nannah promised him a home-made cake when he came back to her house. So, now you have some fore-shadowing of what's to come of Andrew's "9" birthday cakes!

Airport Fun

 

Kodiak - Anchorage - Minneapolis - Charlotte - Wingate/Marshville

We had a great time looking at all the neat things in the airport that we had not seen in about a solid year! Our first stop right off the airplane in Anchorage was Chili's Too where Andrew had wonderful Mac and cheese, and I had a Presidente' (and I am not sure what I had to eat). I was so excited to be in an area where there were so many people! My phone picked up a new icon that I had not seen before - the 3G network. I was like, "Wow, what a cool little green light on my cell phone display! And it works faster, too, Andrew!" He was excited to be able to look at all the toy stores in the airport.
When we arrived in Minneapolis, I was very impressed with the beauty of their airport. All the stores were closed because it was so very early in the morning. Andrew wanted his photo taken with Snoopy Dog "because it is Pop's favorite!" as we headed to the Military Lounge.
The Military Lounge is privately funded, and is the nicest I have seen. I think it won an award for the best Military Lounge in the Country; and rightly so. They were so nice to us, and the facilities were incredible. There were four beds for women, 20 for gentleman, and the place was full of comfy chairs, a huge television, and all kinds of treats for our weary bones. It was awesome. (All thanks to Phillip!)

The day we left Kodiak... for the FIRST time...

This is what it looked like the day that we left for our summer vacation in North Carolina. I was so happy to be able to get on the air plane and go to the sunshine.
Andrew and I had been looking forward to May 28th for a very long time; and the weather was a perfect send-off. This is also what it looked like when we returned home on July 23rd.

So Many Photos

Hi guys!
I have been so busy these days trying to focus and organize thoughts going through my head. And I scroll through all the photos that I have taken, and the task becomes somewhat overwhelming.
I have tons to share with you. Just getting them organized is so time consuming. But one good thing is... well, there are two good things (haha)... we just got a much faster computer, so it goes a lot more smoothly - and the second one is that there are good memories to share with you.
I want to tell you all about Phillip's trip to Hawaii (which was in April) Sorry. I cannot find his camera! I think he took it with him for this trip to the North again.
I want to tell you about the wonderful time Andrew and I had this summer, about Andrew's "9 Birthday Cakes", and about my first ever SURPRISE Birthday party! I am sure there are other things, too.
Andrew will be starting the 3rd grade in a couple of weeks! Which is crazy to me because you all remember when he was in Kindergarten!!! He is growing up so quickly!
I plan to sub again. That was a lot of work last year, and I loved the flexibility!

Thank you all for reading our blog! It is inspiring to know that each of you takes the time to think of us. We are thinking of you, too.
Please be patient with me as I re-focus my thoughts. I am looking for all the positives - just like you all have to do. We miss you all so much - and sometimes we feel life is going on without us (in the "real world"). One day we will look back on our time here in Kodiak as an adventure... but right now we have said to each other, "This feels like a never-ending camping trip!!"
Talk to you all soon!
Love,
Heather

Kodiak's Rainbow July 31, 2009

I could not believe the beauty of this rainbow!
Cathy and I were on the way to take the kids to the pool for the usual Friday night swim; and right before our very eyes - was the most beautiful rainbow I had ever seen! I called Phillip on the cell phone and told him to HURRY and get the camera so that we could capture it on film. He rushed out and began taking photos for me, and I was able to capture this photo after over a dozen takes. Cathy says that she has lived her for over ten years, and this is the first rainbow she had ever seen here! I absolutely loved it... and needed it that day.

Updates Coming Soon

By the request of my father-in-law, new updates to this blog will follow. With my recent fascination with Facebook, I have neglected my blogging duties! Standby!