The Air Force Parent Pin

Not too long ago I thought I'd lost my Parent Pin.  I normally keep it in a bowl and I always put it on right before I leave the house. 

I looked in the bowl and it was not there.  A momentary panic set in.  Where was it?  Did I lose it?  Did someone come in during the dark of the night and take it?  The pin was very special to me because my Airman son gave it to me during his BMT graduation weekend and I've worn it every day since.

I looked through my purse.  No pin.  I looked on the end table.  No pin.  I looked where I keep my earrings.  No pin.  Where was my Parent Pin?  I then looked everywhere I had just looked a second time.  No pin.

Finally I went to the dirty clothes hamper and started looking through my work clothes.  No pin in my pants pocket.  I pulled out the shirt I had worn the day before and on the lapel of my shirt.  ::sigh::   I found my pin.  I pinned it on my jacket and headed out the door.

And as I always do when I touch the pin it reminds me to pray not only for my son but all who are serving. 

Thank you again to all who are serving and those that are supporting them!  I am grateful.

If you'd like more info on the Parent Pins as well as other lapel pins for Air Force supporters you can visit Your Guardians of Freedom.

Technorati Tags: Air Force,AFWingMom,Parent Pin,Your Guardians of Freedom,Air Force supporter pins,BMT

Remembering BMT

Nick joined the AF in September '08.  His graduation weekend dates were October 16-19.  If you've never had a child join the military it is definitely a life changing experience for all involved.

Since my son and I already lived in different states I was used to there being a geographic separation.  I wasn't fully prepared for not being able to call and talk when it was convenient for one of us.  That was hard.

We arrived in San Antonio Wednesday night.  I always love visiting there so being able to experience the BMT graduation in one of my favorite cities was a plus. 

Thursday morning was full of excitement and anticipation.  We were finally going to see Nick.

We lined the streets in preparation for the Airman's Run.  Nick was not participating as he had to complete some miscellaneous things but we stood there to encourage and cheer on the other Airmen. 

Over the hill came the first flight of Airmen.  Even though they were a ways away you could hear them singing their Jodies.  I was so excited even though I knew Nick was not there.

These are the Warkhawk Award recipients.  They have the honor of leading the flights in the Airman's Run.

This is the 331st TRS - Wolfpack.  May God have mercy on the Wolfpack's prey.

After watching all the flights pass the next event was the Coin Ceremony.  My family went to save our seats and I ran to the other side to try and get a picture of Nick.  This is my first glimpse of my Airman.

How handsome and grown up he looks!

After the ceremony was complete we were able to run and greet our Airman. 

The next day was the "official" graduation day.  We tried to get there early to get a good spot and there were 13 of us in all that were there to celebrate Nick's special day. 

Once the ceremony was complete we were again able to run and greet our Airman.

All around us we could see people hugging, crying, laughing and talking.  Everyone was happy to be reunited once again.  There were some Airmen that were still standing as no one was coming for them which led me to my AFWingMom idea.  But that's a story for another day.

We were given a guided tour of the dorms and were able to get a glimpse into the life of our Airman while in Basic Military Training.

The neatly made beds...

The tidy clothes....

The organized areas.....

Were all things we were able to see.  We were also able to meet some of the people responsible for transforming my son into an Airman.

My siblings, their spouses and Marvin and I were able to enjoy some time in San Antonio while Nick spent some time with his Dad and the family.

On Saturday we went to SeaWorld and we had a blast.  You can barely see it but on my shirt on the side closest to Nick I am wearing the Parent Pin that he had given me the day before.  :) 

Sunday was our final day.  We went to Chapel with Nick. 

We bought Nick a case for his coins.

We said our final goodbyes.  We were so moved by the whole experience and so proud of Nick.

Technorati Tags: Air Force,AFWingMom,Wolfpack,BMT,Basic Military Training,San Antonio,Lackland,Airman

A not so mysterious disappearance...

We boarded our flight to El Paso to attend my Grampa's funeral and settled in our seats.  I had brought along my Nancy Drew book #2 "The Hidden Staircase" as I was planning on reading to catch up on my Random Resolutions. 

We started to back away from the gate when the plane stopped.  We sat for about 20 minutes not knowing if something was wrong.  We just guessed that there was some sort of issue.  The pilot came on and explained they had heard something odd with the engine and it needed to be checked out.  It should take about 30-45 minutes and then we'd be on our way again.  Swell.

An hour later the pilot announces that indeed something needed to be repaired.  It would take maintenance about 20 minutes to fix it once they retrieved the part from the hanger.  Hmm - we weren't sure about the timing as we were wanting a chance to get something to eat before the service.

I put the book in the seat pocket in front of me and my brother and I got off the plane to talk to the gate attendant.  The decision was made to rebook our flights.  We went back on the plan and told Mom and Gina of our plans, grabbed our carry-ons and ran to catch our new flight.

As we were making our way to the new terminal I suddenly remembered something.  I forgot my book.  This book was one I had had since around age 10 or 11.  Maybe younger.  Also the bookmark holding my place was one that was given to me by my Airman son.  Double sadness.

Luckily I had written my name and address in the front cover.  Unfortunately for me it was my name and address from about 32 years ago when I lived in Virginia. 

I tried various ways to retrieve my book.  I called the Lost & Found department at both airports.  I had my Dad stop by and ask when he was flying out.  I even tried calling the person that lives in my old house in Virginia.  Then I went into super stalker mode and called the lady next door and the lady that lives across the street.  All those attempts were in vain.

My book is lost and I am sad......

Technorati Tags: Nancy Drew,Random resolutions

My Grampa

My Mom, brother, sister and I took a short trip to El Paso, Tx to join my Dad in saying goodbye to someone very special to me - my Grampa. 

I only had one Grampa while growing up and he was my Dad's dad.  My Mom's dad (Bernard Nicholas Walsh) passed away when my Mom was only 14 so we never had the opportunity to get to know him. 

Every summer we would visit my grandparents in El Paso.  And every summer we would have fun.  My Grampa was a stone mason and their house was one that he had built himself. 

This picture of the house I think was from the 70's.

This is a picture from just a few years ago.

When we learned of my Grampa's passing we quickly began making plans - flight, hotel, car rental etc.  We decided to fly out mid-morning and arrive with plenty of time to spare. 

After a couple of glitches in our quickly made plans we arrived at my grandparents house and visited a bit before the service. 

Arriving at the funeral home brought a mixture of emotions.  I don't think one is ever quite prepared to face the reality of death.

Seeing my Grampa lying there, looking as though he was resting, made me think about how I will remember him.  He was a strong, hardworking man.  He built things.  He fixed things.  How I wished I could have one more of his famous strong hugs. 

He was a good man....and I will miss him.

Gabino Armendariz

12-23-22 ~ 01-13-10

And so it begins...

My running regimen that is.  I began my c25k running program that I mentioned in my Random Resolutions post. 

I prefer to work out using my trusty iPhone because it has the c25k app that you can download.  I'm loving that! 

See the app in the lower right corner?  :)  Like I said, I'm loving it.

According to The Weather Channel, it's 32 degrees outside and feels like 25.  Yes, I decided to go for my first run in freezing weather.  Honestly though it didn't feel that bad and I've got more than enough excuses to delay starting this particular Random Resolution so I figured I better get moving before I thought of more reasons to put it off.

So I completed the workout and I am tired but that's a good thing.  The ankle (sprained on a workout run 10/31/09) held up well thanks in part to a brace I was wearing and my new New Balance WR769's.  This was my first run with them and they were awesome.  Felt much better and had more support.  I also wore an official Air Force reflective belt for safety since I am running at night and it's dark.

All in all a good start to one of my resolutions.  I'll keep you updated as my progress continues.

How are you doing on your random resolutions???

Technorati Tags: random resolutions,running,c25K,iPhone,new balance

Pierced Ears

My ears are pierced and have been since I was in 2nd grade.  I had them pierced at Leggett's Department Store when we lived in Fredericksburg, Virginia.  The way I remember it, they put an ice cube on my ear in order to numb it.  Then they pushed the earring thru my earlobe and voila!  I had pierced ears.

Those earrings were simple gold studs.  Classic earrings in my opinion.  We had to apply hydrogen peroxide to avoid infection and had to wait six weeks before changing out the earrings.

I was excited to finally be able to switch out my earrings because my Mom had bought me a really cool pair to wear.  They were these tan/yellowish colored circles that reminded me of Cheerios.  I LOVED Cheerios so I thought they looked pretty cool.  I don't know whatever happened to my Cheerio earrings. 

Since I've obviously had my ears pierced for a long time it's safe to assume that I've owned many, many pairs of earrings.  I remember for my birthday one year my Mom got me some little earrings that were shaped like a birthday cake.  I also have a pair that my Dad had given me that he bought in Mexico I think.  I lost the other one but still have one earring to remind me. 

And since I've owned many pairs of earrings as most girls with pierced earrings do, I have a couple that have some sentimental value.  The first pair are my Liberty Bell earrings.

I am not sure when I got these.  I know I took a trip with a girl and her family to Pennsylvania but I don't remember much else.  I do know that I brought these home as a souvenir and I've had them ever since.  They are at least 30 years old if not older and I actually still wear them from time to time. 

The second pair are a very expensive pair that I usually wear on special occasions. 

These were a Mother's Day gift from my younger son Nicholas.  When he gave them to me he asked me if I thought they looked like they cost a million dollars and I told him I most certainly thought they did.  He then told me that they really only cost $4.97 at Walmart.  Whew!  What a relief!  I thought he might have robbed a bank or something to be able to buy those for me.

These two memories came back to me tonight because I recently bought something to organize my earrings.  A year or two ago my sister showed me how she was storing her earrings.  She was using pill boxes and they seemed the perfect size so I went and bought some pill boxes but I bought some that were a little different.

I liked the idea but I was having a little trouble seeing my earrings.  Then I happened by Walmart and found these containers in the craft section and they work perfectly for me. 

They are stored on a tray and since they are clear I can easily see what earrings are inside.  I am really happy that I switched to this and thanks to Gina for the inspiration and my Mom for getting my ears pierced in the first place.  :)

Technorati Tags: Mom,earrings,piercings,memories

My Mom Makes Delicious Date Nut Bread

Every year at Christmastime my Mom makes date nut bread.  Not from a mix but homemade.  This year was different.  At our Make, Bake & Take this year my Mom didn't bring us our usual loaf of bread.  On Christmas Day I expected to receive our loaf then but again, no bread. 

On Saturday night we went to my brother and sister-in-laws house to celebrate my Mom and brother's birthdays.  As I walked in my Mom handed me this...

Yea!!!!  My Mom's delicious date nut bread!! 

I didn't want to rush the evening because we were having such a good time but secretly I did want to hurry home so I could open it up and taste test this wonderful treat. 

Now the way that we eat date nut bread around our house is sliced and with just a dab of butter.

Okay - so maybe more than a dab.  I prefer to load on the butter.  Mmmm....so yummy!!

Thanks Mom ~ it really was delicious!!

Technorati Tags: Mom,traditions

My Random Resolutions for 2010

I have decided to go ahead of make a list of the random resolutions I have created for myself so far.  Keep in mind that these are in no particular order and are subject to change due to applicable laws, local time zones and observations of certain holidays. 

That being said, here are the Random Resolutions for 2010:

1.  Read one Nancy Drew book a week.

I have a collection of Nancy Drew books from when I was younger.  I often watch Clean House and other similar shows and they are always talking about purging items if you aren't actively using them.  I really, really like my Nancy Drew books but all they do is sit on my shelf in my closet.  I figured if I read at least one a week then I would be "using" them and would thus justify their taking up space on the shelf. 

2.  Start and finish the Couch to 5k (C25K) program. 

You may remember in my Beginning My C25K post back in August '09 that I was going to start the program.  Well I did and due to an injury on October 31, 2009 (a minor but very annoying sprain) I put my "training" on hold.  No more!  Starting this back up beginning Tuesday so look for my exciting post then. 

3.  Lose 15 pounds in 5 months. 

This kind of goes hand in hand with number 2.  I have a wedding coming up in the middle of June so I would like to look a little more in shape than I am today.  Official weigh in is tomorrow morning right before leaving for work.  Not following any particular program other than to drink more water/Crystal Light, eat smaller portions and of course run. 

4.  Clean out my closets and PURGE!

I was cleaning off a shelf today and I found some stuff that just leaves me scratching my head.  For example, in this one little cubby hole I found a pair of earrings that I like but will never wear, two small nails and a plug in air freshener that is out of freshener.  Not sure why they were together but again, the clean theme for 2010 is going to be PURGE! PURGE! PURGE! 

5.  Try one new restaurant a month.

There are plenty of places that we would like to try and unless we make a definite plan to do it, it might not happen.  So I'm going to try and pick 12 restaurants, write the names on 12 pieces of paper and once a month on our date night we'll pick one out of the hat and that's where we'll go.  We already have TABC (Thomas Ave Beverage Co) on the list but we're open for suggestions. 

6.  Blog more.

I like blogging.  I like reading other people's blogs.  I hope to better my writing but this particular resolution is harder to measure.  Except for the blog more part.  That I can measure.  It's the "better my writing" part that may be a little subjective and difficult to measure.  This also helps to further another long term goal of mine which is to become a well known travel writer.  But that's another story.

7.  200 sit-ups in 6 weeks.

Now I'm not starting this one right away since I want to start the C25K thing first but this one will be awesome I think.  I'll let you know once I get started.  To find out more about the program I'll be following, check out Two Hundred Sit-Ups for more info.  I'm sure y'all will be totally waiting on my sit-ups postings. 

8+  I also want to do many more things this year.

  Some are measurable and some are not.  I haven't really thought much about some of these, consider it similar to free association writing or something like that. 

I'd like to travel more and explore some new places with my husband.

I'd like to embrace life and laugh more.

I'd like to help my team at work be better than they've ever been.

I'd like to greet the troops more often.  Maybe adopt a soldier or something.  Just do more than I have been to show my support and gratitude. 

I'd like to try more new recipes this year. 

I'd like to improve my photography.  This takes some patience, some time to actually start learning the craft but taking pictures is one of the things that makes me happy so I should learn to do it better.

I'd like to learn a new hobby.  Maybe how to knit or crochet.  Or how to embroider like my sister did.  Or maybe I'll learn something really wacky and off the wall. 

I'm not sure what all 2010 will bring but if I am able to accomplish most of the things on my list then I think I will have made some really positive steps in the right direction. 

What do you think?

Resolutions or solutions?

When the New Year rolls around everyone tends to have a reflective nature about themselves.  How do we assess and summarize the past year?  What is it that we want to accomplish for the coming year?

I have no idea what I would like to list as my resolution(s) for 2010.  Well actually I do.  I would like to generate a list that's thought provoking and inspiring to others.  A list that is committed to self-improvement and making a positive impact on others around me.  A list that includes things that are fun and enjoyable and expand my horizons.  One that creates more memories and opportunities to embrace life.  But I also need the list to be somewhat measurable and reasonably attainable.  What to do?

So as I sit and ponder what to put on the list I find that it's also a time of self analyzation.  Why is losing weight always on my list and how will this year be different from all the others?  Keeping my closets clean...really?  This is going to make it to the list again?  Did I ever attain that goal in the first place? 

Are these resolutions or really solutions to issues?  I found on dictionary.com that a resolution is the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc. whereas a solution is the act of solving a problem, question, etc.  Does the resolution lead to a solution? 

So this weekend I will be trying to come up with a list of things that I would like to see happen this year.  The list will range from the mundane like cleaning my closets to more adventurous ones such as trying at least one new restaurant a month.  Maybe it'll include something inspiring like becoming more involved in supporting our troops or just something fun like learning how to knit? 

Something to think about.  And now I challenge you...

What will your resolutions/solutions for 2010 be? 

Technorati Tags: New Years resolutions