Base House

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Photo Book

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Pictures of Jacob from Newborn Photo session

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Moving

Our first move as a family is here. The movers come today and start boxing up our life in Norfolk. Some stuff we will box up ourselves to take with us. We are going to San Antonio from Feb- June. Then we will meet up with our stuff in Oklahoma. Hopefully we will get a house on base.
We are putting our house up for sale. Bittersweet. So many memories. So much work done in this house. Two dogs, two deployments, two kids....

2011-12-10 Emily's 2nd Birthday

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Our Trip Out West

From Saturday, September 10, 2011 until Thursday, September 22nd we are driving from Norfolk to OKC and back. We are making stops in Louisville, St. Louis, Tulsa, and Enid along the way.

Day 1: We left Norfolk around 9:45am and arrived in Louisville, KY around 10:45pm. We stopped at Sticks for lunch in Charlottesville and Tamarack for dnner in West Virginia. Total distance driven on this day: 630 miles

Day 2: We hung out at my parents. We "slept in" with out little early bird a(Emily) waking us up at 7am. My mom made pancakes and we enjoyed the beautiful weather. Around 2pm, we drove to Huber Farms in Indiana. Emily enjoyed feeding Mooey, the cow and some sheep. We had a family style dinner with fried biscuits and apple butter. Emiy and I tried out the mai tai wrap on a walk with Leo and my parents. Total distance driven on this day: 40 miles

Day 3: We left my parents as early as possible to avoid the AM traffic because the I-64 bridge was closed. We got on the road around 7am and arrived in St. Louis around 11am. Since it is Central time, we gained an hour on the way. We explored the Missouri Botanical Gardens. Emily loved the Children's area and feeding the koi fish in the Japanese Garden. It was a beautiful day. We checked into the Crowne Plaza Hotel around 3pm. Emily had to be convinced to take a nap because she was so tired but then she slept almost 3 hours before Dinner at Bamboo Garden. It was pretty good and right next to the hotel on the same side of the street.

Day 4: Emily woke up at 5:30am, so we started to get ready early. We walked to Rooster on 11th and Locust (about .5 mile away). Then we walked over to the CityGarden on 9th. We were just walking through the big cement area next to a fountain when at exactly 8am the water came on all around us! Emily was frightened and didn't want to get wet but Fred and I thought it was funny. Next we walked to the Arch and took the smallest elevator to the top. It had room for 5 people but only 4 comfortably.

At 11am we checked out of the hotel and drove to Tulsa. We stopped for dinner at John and Kara's. We drove down Route 66 and then 412 to get to Enid. We stayed the night at the Cherokee AF Inn on Vance AFB.

Day 5: We started out the day by going to the only breakfast spot on base: the Bowling Alley. Then Fred went to get his haircut while Em and I went to the Family Readiness Center. Then we went to the park while Fred went to check out his new squadron. We joined up to go by the housing office but they had no empty houses to show us. We let Emily sleep until check out time at 12:15. We drove off-base to eat at a pub called Callahans but it was for 21 and up only. We ended up eating lunch at Pane.vino. We drove around town a bit and found a couple houses for sale on Indian Road and Southgate. One was a nice neighborhood next to the YMCA and library and the other was 4 miles down a bumby road, past the landfill and animal control hospital. LOL Of course the latter was nicer and bigger but location location location.

Fred went back to the squadron again to meet up with his contact, then we drove to OKC. We arrived in time for dinner at the Pavelion. It was only semi-horrible country fried steak.

Day 6: Emily had a hard night, so she slept in until 7am. We ate a semi-horrible breakfast of some sort of Spanish inspired breakfast casserole. Emily and I took a long nap at 9am until noon. It is a rainy, cold day. Tonight is the Yee Haw at the Cowboy Museum in downtown OKC.

Day 7: Rehearsal Dinner

Day 8: Wedding

Day 9: OKC to St. Louis

Day 10: St. Louis

Day 11: St. Louis to Louisville

Day 12: Louisville

Day 13: Louisville to Norfolk

My Career Plans in OK

I was reading a book by Matthew Kelly, “Rediscovering Catholicism” when I was struck by what was written:

“In relation to the well known fact that Gandhi read from the New Testament everyday and often quoted the Christian Scriptures, a reporter once asked him why he had never become a Christian. He answered, “If I had ever met one, I would have become one.” In his own way, Gandhi was saying, “Don’t tell me, show me!” and simultaneously revealing his yearning for an example of an authentic life.”
Kelly goes on to explain why the modern philosophies have eroded at the authenticity, sincerity and thus the power of the Christian message.

He goes on to say “I will leave it the reader to decide whether we have built our culture on rock like the wise man or on sand like the fool (c.f. Matthew 7:24-27).” The philosophies are Individualism (what’s in it for me?), Hedonism (pleasure as ultimate goal of life) and Minimalism (what is the least I can do and with doing it?). Also Relativism and Materialism- encourage us to do whatever we want whenever we want. “…their fruits: greed, lust, laziness, gluttony, selfishness, exploitation, and deception”

Jesus said, “Whoever wishes to follow me, let him deny himself and take up his cross.” (Matthew 16:24). I ask myself, what person (Saint) has lived a life of faith, self-denial, discipline in order to follow God’s call in their life, taste a bit of heaven through communion with Him and regretted it? Why? Because Jesus also said “I have come that you may have life and have it to the fullest.” (John 10:10)

I was meditating on this and inspired by this for a few reasons. I feel as if recently I have been focused on Individualism in order to get through this summer of bar prep. During law school there were short bursts of this (during finals) but never enough to shake my relationship with God, with my husband or make me feel like I was neglecting my child. I have not had enough time to go to Church in months, to listen to my husband and to play with my child. I have to devote it all to making myself remember a huge amount of information for a short period of time.

I was talking with another student who is taking the bar last night at the library. For her this is a means to an end but her situation is different. She is getting married to another law student in August. They both start work in September. She is in a different phase of her life.

I have children now. I have a husband with a very difficult and demanding career. I think God is showing me how difficult, stressful and damaging it will be for me to work full time at this phase of our life.

I told the law student that I was moving to OK last night and she winced and asked me if I was going to take the bar there also. I said no, we don't have the money. I said it was alright because I believe God is telling me (by sending us to OK) that I am supposed to stay home with our kids and take care of our family in OK. She said she got goose bumps. I knew I was speaking from the heart and saying it aloud made me happy.

It may be hard to rationalize this decision to those who are focused on my individual fulfillment (Individualism/Hedonism) or those who are focused on how we are going to support ourselves on one income (Materialism) or those who think I could be a decent mom/wife and get by even with a job (Minimalism). But I know I will not be happy because I know my family will suffer for it.

I have seen the effect my selfishness this summer has had on my husband and on Emily. The sacrifice Fred has made so that I can study 10-12 hours a day. I think the time is not ripe for my career, but I have the knowledge, the degree, and hopefully I will have the Bar certification when we come back to Virginia in three years. In 2015 we will reassess as a family what God is calling for us to do.

In the meantime I will do what I can to reduce the budget, make some money from home and make our home a haven so Fred can destress when he comes home. I will show my children what it means to be a Christian rather than just tell them. I will work on my relationship with God so that I rely on him and follow his path.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21