Preparing for Christmas in MS

     I apologize for the great amount of time its been since my last post.. again I say.. I have been busy! We were very fortunate to get to spend Thanksgiving back 'home' in MO with friends and family. I have said it once and I will say it again.. never again will I ever make a 12 hr car ride 8 months pregnant unless absolutely necessary. I have traveled at least once during each of my three trimesters and traveling in the second trimester was by far the most comfortable. Despite being tired and very uncomfortable we had a great time and felt very blessed to be able to spend Thanksgiving with some of our loved ones.

   Christmas is approaching and out of the almost six years Brenton and I have been together.. we have NEVER spent a major holiday, let alone Christmas just the two of us. Let's face it, traveling 12 hours away while 36 weeks pregnant is just not going to happen. While it made us sad for a little bit, I have to admit I am actually looking forward to it! Not only do I avoid yet another 12 hour car ride, but we get to start our own traditions with eachother. I have decided to make a traditional Christmas dinner and have already started planning it, I am really looking forward to it! I haven't decided quite yet what all to put on the menu, but I am working on it! I am very sad that I won't be able to give our families the traditional tin full of Christmas goodies that I usually make every year, but let me tell you friends.. unless I am in labor, Christmas candies and cookies will still be made.. you just have to make the trip down to MS if you want some :)  And yes, I do realize that I am probably jinxing myself saying this and planning all of this.. as when I plan something big, such as making a big dinner for people.. something always happens! With that being said, I am fairly confident that dinner will go just as planned this year.. at least I hope!

    What's new in the pilot training world?? Let's see.. Brenton is doing very well and is thoroughly enjoying T-1s.. yay! A happy husband makes for a happy wife! Oh and those 4:00 am showtimes.. ahh those are a thing of the past now.. double yay! He is just about to go into the NAV phase of phase 3.. also known to many as having a lot of out and backs.. or commonly known in the pilot training world as "lunch and backs" . Yes, right around delivery time for our Eli Glenn.. which means there is a moderate chance that when we go into labor Brenton might not be here.. he may be flying high in the skies or be in FL, SC, or TX eating some yummy lunch with his fellow flightmate and IP. While we hope that does not happen, back up plans are in place just in case!

  While we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of our precious baby boy, we are also becoming very excited about assignment night and graduation. Assignment night is just under 4 months away.. this may seem like a long time to some of you, but let me assure you.. its not! I can't believe we will find out where we will be living next as well as the plane Brenton will be flying.. so excited!

   That's all to report for now.. I will try and update more often than just once a month from now on! Who knows.. the next post could be about the arrival of our baby boy!!  Until next time.. take care and God bless!

Cravings and Mississippi.. Yeah.. You Won't Satisfy Those Down Here

     So this is a completely random and pointless post and really I just created it to vent, but as we speak I am soooo very hungry and of course craving foods that just aren't around here! (And while the pregnancy doesn't exactly help with cravings.. for anyone that knows me.. cravings are just a normal part of my life, pregnant or not.. but pregnancy does perhaps increase them) I am just going to warn you: this may sound very whiney and ungrateful. Here it goes..

    WHY can't Columbus, MS offer more food choices?! And why did we have to get an airforce base in such a crappy location?! Okay, I admit Laughlin would probably be worse. Was I really that spoiled back in Kansas City?! I mean, unless you are born and raised in the south.. who is going to crave some crawfish or dry rub bbq?? Is a freezoni from Quiktrip and a piece of red velvet cake cheesecake to much to ask for?!? Or what about a simple oreo blizzard from Dairy Queen? And don't even get me started on Tippin's French Silk Chocolate Pie from Price Chopper.. Or italian ices from Fazoli's.. And lets not forget the amazing baked goods from The Corner Cafe.. okay the list goes on and on.

   Obviously, I didn't realize just how amazing I had it before we moved down here. To everyone back "home"  please realize the plethora of food choices that surround you! I cannot believe the things that came out of my mouth when we lived there "I am tired of going to the same places, there are no good restaurants to eat around here!!" Oh my, my... let me tell you friends, I had not yet been to the infamous Columbus, MS. Oh what I would do to sink my teeth into a piece of some rich and creamy french silk chocolate pie or a piece of light and fluffy red velvet cake cheesecake.

   While I could go on forever complaining about how there is nothing to eat around here, I am somewhat thankful. If I lived back in Kansas City right now I would surely be 20-30 lbs heavier than what I am now.. yes, yes that is a blessing. So for now, I will continue to cook healthy foods at home  (which by the way I made some amazing chicken and spinach manicotti tonight.. yeah! Who needs Zios or Olive Garden?!)and look forward and count down the days until the big event.. the next time I get to go back to Kansas City and stuff my face with foods that I have dearly missed! (Which by the way is 2 weeks and 6 days..)

  End vent.

Track Select, Traveling, Evil Lilies, and Approaching the Third Trimester?!

       It has been far too long since my last post. What can I say, I have been one busy woman! The first part of September was spent traveling to Virginia to visit family. Eli and I had a wonderful time despite the flight delays. We returned home just two weeks before I was to head out of town again.. this time to MO! Needless to say, this little boy has already been to seven different states! How is that for some travel?!

      Track Select was Sept. 28 and we found out that Brenton will be flying T-1s for the last phase of his pilot training. Yep, his future will be a cargo pilot. We are quite happy with this and look forward to what the future has to bring for us! C-21s to Peterson or Scott would be ideal, but I have learned many times that things just don't work out the way you planned or wanted.. especially in the military. Example: pilot training in MS! I can't believe we have already lived here a little over a year. Where does the time go?! It seems like just yesterday I was packing up our stuff heading down here and moving in. I wonder where we will go next..

     I mentioned earlier that I went back to MO for a trip to visit family. Despite being very busy, I really enjoyed my time and was able to spend a lot of time with family.. oh and Panda Express, Fazoli's, Cheesecake Factory, and 54th Street.. just to name a few. While I was there I had a baby shower. It was awesome, it was so wonderful to see family and friends and receive such thoughtful gifts for little Eli! I have to admit.. my favorite part was the cake. I just can't help it.. I am addicted to sugar. Unfortunately I didn't get many pictures on my camera because I used up all the memory on the memory card to record it :(  However, I am in the process of gathering pictures from others and will post some soon! 

    The trip to MO was very busy, not only did I have a baby shower but my best friend, Meagan was getting married! I was honored to be one of her bridesmaids and be with her and help her on her special day! We almost had a crisis as my dress almost didn't fit.. thanks for picking Oct 8 Meagan! One week later and I don't know what I would have done! Her day was perfect and the wedding was beautiful, I am so happy for her! I must mention that the flowers she had at her wedding were lilies. They were beautiful and I was excited to bring one back home with me to MS.. oh my what a mistake that was..

  After driving 11 hours I finally returned back home to MS on Monday night. The first thing I did was of course give Brenton a huge hug and run to pee, what prego doesn't run to pee every 5 minutes?! Anyways, I was standing in the kitchen completely exhausted and had just laid my bag with the lily in it on the floor. Occie Jim was sooo excited to see his mama and ran up to me and started sniffing everything I had just brought in. I hear him get into the bag, I turn around and see him bite the lily leaf. I was so exhausted I just shooed him away and didn't really think anything of it. This cat loves flowers and has probably eaten a rose or two in his lifetime. Fast forward about 4-5 hours later and he started getting violently ill. This was around 4 in the morning, Brenton was not at all too happy about this as he had a 4:45 sim scheduled. Occie finally stopped and got quieted down. I still didn't really think anything of it. I awoke the next morning to him projectile vomiting. I decided to do some research on cats and lilies thinking maybe thats what made him sick. What I found scared me to death! I immediately started panicking and crying. I called my friend Jaime who just so happens to be a vet tech. She somehow understood me between sobs over the phone and rushed over and raced him to the vet. In the mean time I was trying to get ahold of Brenton.. hmm pregnant wife texting six times and calling three times and leaving voicemails.. yeah that will get your attention. He came home and we went to the vet. Occie was given IV fluids and blood was taken. We were hoping so bad that he had gotten there in time and it wasn't too late. FYI: LILIES ARE EXTREMELY TOXIC TO CATS. EVEN JUST A BITE OF A LEAF WITHOUT ACTUALLY INGESTING ANYTHING CAN KILL A CAT WITHIN 48-72 HOURS IF NOT TREATED APPROPRIATELY. THERE IS A TOXIN IN THE FLOWER THAT CAUSES ACUTE RENAL FAILURE IN FELINES. The vet was very nice and said that for now his kidney functioning was okay and he was not in any immediate danger, that would come later if it were to happen. Fortunately we were able to take him home that day but had to bring him back in a few days to re-check his kidneys. By that time, it would be apparent if he had suffered damage and had renal failure. That night I found myself up with him throughout the night, I could not sleep. I wanted to make sure he was okay and stable. I started to wonder to myself if this is what motherhood is going to be like: sleepless nights and worrying constantly about your kids and up all night with them when they are sick. Yeah that checks.. (pilot training lingo)

     We are happy to report that Occie got a clean bill of health today! Thank God! He won against the fight with the lily :) The poor little guy got some fur shaved off though so they could insert an IV and take blood:

    Lesson Learned: We will never bring another lily into this house, no matter how beautiful they are!


        This post can't go without a baby update. We are now just about 26 weeks! The third and last trimester is just around the corner.. crazy! Everything is going well with the little guy.. well little big guy as I like to call him. We went to a birthing class this past week and we learned a lot! We will start going regularly to birthing classes at the hospital next month. The pregnancy is going well. We are having some sugar issues, but I am trying to keep that under control. The GD test is Monday and hopefully everything comes back okay. Our next appt is Tuesday for our 26 week check up. I can't wait to hear his heartbeat again :) Besides being completely exhausted from all the traveling and running around that I have been doing, the pregnancy has been pretty uneventful lately. Just your typical braxton hicks contractions.. which by the way DO hurt! And looking down and seeing my belly do waves and having Eli respond to my voice and rubbing my belly. Yeah the punches in the bladder aren't that pleasant, but its just a reminder that our little boy is growing nice and big and just reminding me he is in there!

     I think I have caught everyone up on what has gone on. Its been a crazy and busy past month and its gone by so fast! Can't believe our Eli will be here in just three months! Until next time.. take care and God bless!

FINALLY... an update!

       Once again, it has been forever since my last post! I was just made aware of this by one of my best friends, Meagan. Has it really been a month?! Oops! There really isn't anything new to report. Brenton is still doing well in pilot training, it is still so very hot down here, and baby E or baby K is doing very well and growing like crazy. And mama is getting bigger.. I posted a belly pic below of me right around 16 weeks. And yes, I need a tan very very bad! I have never been this pale during a summer ever! It's already August and I still have yet to go swimming this summer.. I need to change that!

     Since its been a month already, I will catch you up to speed on what is going on in pilot training. Brenton took his last academic test this past week for the T-6 and he did excellent on it! Our half-way point in pilot training is just next month.. I can't believe it! This is also known as track select.. I have mentioned it several times in previous posts. Next month we will get to find out what Brenton will be training in next.. for the last phase of pilot training! And only 8 months until graduation and we find out where we will be going!! Oh I can't wait! This whole thing just seems like a dream. Just a year ago this time last year Brenton was getting ready to leave for two months to AL for ASBC and I was starting the process of moving all of our things down to MS. Crazy how fast time flies and how quickly life changes! Brenton and I have certainly have gone through a lot and it hasn't been easy, but oh we are so very blessed!

   While there isn't much new to report, we have continued to stay very busy in the past month. With Brenton in pilot training and me with school. I am so tired of writing papers I could scream! On a brighter note, we did have a special treat of Brenton's mom and step-dad coming down to visit us. They were here for 12 days and I honestly enjoyed every minute of them being here! It was so nice to have some one on one time with them! My mother in-law even cooked some meals while she was here, I can't tell you how much I appreciated that!

   So as of tomorrow I will be 16 weeks, I can't believe it! I am almost to the half-way mark of this pregnancy! Everything is going very well, morning sickness or all day sickness as I call it has pretty much receded completely now. I still have some minor nausea at night, but nothing like it was! Oh and... I can finally eat chicken again! That is something I never thought I would be able to do again. Baby looks to be very healthy and actually measuring a bit ahead. We have a minor issue going on right now but that is being closely monitored and no further interventions have been neccessary. I hope it stays that way throughout the rest of the pregnancy :)  We find out on August 24 (day before Brenton's birthday) whether we are having a boy or girl, ever since I found out I was pregnant I had a feeling it was a girl and almost everyone thinks I am having a girl. Also, while my mother in-law was here visiting she bought us this adorable yellow dress for a baby girl.. so it will probably be a boy! I honestly don't care what it is, just as long as he/she is healthy. And yes, we already have the names picked out but can't share just yet. I will say that baby E is for boy and baby K is for girl. I promise, there will be a blog post as soon as we find out!

   That is all to report for now, hope everyone is doing well and until next time.. take care and God bless!

Road Trip, Soloing, and 11 weeks?!

         It has been quite some time since I have posted and so much has happened! A few weeks ago we lost Brenton's grandmother. We ended up driving the 11 hour drive to be with family and to attend her funeral. Let me just advise any pregnant people in their first trimester: do not travel long distances unless absolutely neccessary! However, I would do it all over again in a second to be there and help support Brenton and his family.  Despite the circumstances, we had a really good time and much needed time spent with some family. Even in her passing, she will live on in the hearts of her family forever. She will be greatly missed.

        We have huge news in pilot training! Brenton soloed this past Wednesday and did very well! For those of you who are not aware of all the 'milestones' in pilot training, this is one of them. He flew without an IP. While this was certainly not his first time ever soloing, it was his first in the T-6! I am so proud of him and look forward to what lies ahead for him next! Cross-country flight and track select are next to come up. Oh I can't wait for track select.. you will be seeing the words 'track' and 'select' quite a bit in the next few months. Two more months and we will find out what route he will be taking in the flying world.. Let's just hope and pray that it's a place close to a major city  and a Target  and a mall and a starbucks.. oh and Olive Garden.. is that too much to ask? 
  Below I have put a picture of Brenton after his solo. He is being thrown into the infamous dunk tank by some of the guys in his flight. The water in the dunk tank is sooo dirty, it had algae and all kinds of things floating in it. This is a tradition after someone solos..

        Let me just say that the first trimester is flying by! I can't believe I am already 11 weeks!! I am almost to the second trimester and you have no idea how excited that makes me. Just this past Monday we had another dr appointment and got to see our baby again. Despite a couple of minor issues, everything looks great! And let me tell you, this baby has grown! It no longer looks like a little bean anymore, it now has a fat tummy, and fingers and toes!! In addition to seeing our baby again, we also got to hear the heartbeat again.. my favorite sound ever! The heart rate is going strong at 176. My doctor really thinks I am having a girl and so does almost everyone else, we will see in just 7 weeks! While my nausea is definitely starting to lessen, a new symptom is taking control.. crying. And no, I am not just talking about crying at commercials or crying at sad movies.. this is crying spells that last anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour and its for no reason! All I have to say is: poor, poor Brenton. Oh and another thing, I HATE columbus again. I feel like I did when I first got down here, just thinking about driving into the town makes me cry.. I really hope this passes soon! Some of it I think maybe has to do with the fact that I am definitely homesick. Going back to MO last week was amazing and I really enjoyed myself.. and coming back to Columbus MS.. well I think that would make anyone cry. Okay, that is enough complaining :) While I may hate where I live right now, I am so happy and thankful for where I am at in life. God is amazing and I am so thankful that he has blessed us with a healthy baby!
Below is a picture of our baby at just over 10 weeks! If you look closely, you can see the feet and the pudgy stomach.

      

      That is all to report for now. Until next time.. take care and God bless!

And the Two Shall Become One... One Year Later Expecting a Baby!

           Wow! It's already been a year, it's so hard to believe! It seems like just yesterday we were in a time crunch to try and get last minute things done for the wedding. I never thought I would say this, as it was such a busy and stressful time, but I wish I could go back and re-live that wonderful day of June 13, 2010. It all went by so fast! Married one year and been together for five years, it just doesn't seem real. A lot has happened in the time we have been together, and its made us closer than ever, it's truly a bond I can't explain. I love Brenton more each day and thank God every night for bringing him into my life. He really is my everything and I couldn't ask for anyone better to spend the rest of my life with. I included one of my favorite wedding pictures of us below.

             Like I said, a lot has changed, and a lot has changed just recently. I am now in week 8 of my pregnancy.. heck yes only 5 more weeks to go until the second trimester!!! We have had two ultrasounds so far and have heard/seen the heartbeat both times! It's a feeling like nothing I have ever felt and I already love my 'snowflake' so much!!  I am definitely feeling pregnant right now: exhausted, major food aversions, so moody and weepy, and ohhh the nausea. Who ever titled it "morning sickness" was an idiot! While I have not exactly been enjoying myself thus far, I try to remain thankful every day. Some people have asked us if this was an "oops" baby, definitely not the case people! This was very much planned, as planned as you can get really. This journey was not an easy one. We experienced a lot of heartache, loss, and many meds and shots.      A lot of people don't agree with taking medications and shots to achieve a pregnancy, and I will tell you I struggled myself with the decision. But, reality is reality, and when you are told you will not ever be able to achieve a term pregnancy and then experience that firsthand, we knew what we had to do.   Words can't express my gratitude right now, and to make it even better.. Brenton is beyond thrilled he is going to be a dad! It's an amazing feeling and really just one more obstacle we have overcome together!  We pray every night for our 'snowflake' and that he/she continues to stay nice and snuggled in its "home" until January!   Below is a pic of our 7 week ultrasound.. if you look close enough you can see the beginnings of little nubs! And a picture of me at 8 weeks.

            For now, thats all to report from the Jones household. Until next time.. take care and God bless!

       

Career Day!

       If you remember, about a month after we got here in November we had a career day and I posted about it. I will explain a little bit about it again. Career day happens twice a year here at CAFB and its a very informative day of planes, their locations, and their deployment schedules. Basically, it just shows us what we are in for.  This time, I decided I would go to the early morning briefing so I could learn more about the different planes, their locations, and deployment schedules.  Lets just say that every pilot acted as if the plane they flew was just the best ever..  except for the C-17 guy.. he said they deploy A LOT. Gone about 270 days out of the year and perhaps he chose the wrong plane because he misses his family and  is really missing his kids grow up :(  This was right after the briefing on the C-5 which NEVER deploys.  To make a long story short, like every briefing I wanted out of there 20 minutes into it, but I did learn a lot!

    While we love the locations of cargo planes, the lifestyle is just not family fitting. Well, except for the C-5.. but there isn't that great of a chance getting that one. I would love the C-5 and having my husband home all the time, oh and did I mention the locations? Travis AFB which is in CA (don't really like)  but the other is Dover AFB in DE. Uhm yes please! I would love to live in Dover, so close to DC, Philadelphia, NYC, and all kinds of big cities!  We have been flip flopping back and forth for a while now, but I think after speaking to some pilots and seeing what their lifestyles are like, we have finally decided to go fighter/bomber route. Their planes aren't in the greatest of locations and we may have to be stationed overseas at some point, BUT Brenton would be home a lot more, plus its kinda sexy having your husband being a fighter pilot ;)  Track Select is at the end of September (which is only 18 weeks away!) and its then that we will find out if we might have a future in the fighter/bomber world! You have to be a really good student pilot to get that track, I know Brenton can do it! It's going to be a lot of hard work, very stressful, and will take many prayers  but we can do it!   T-38s here we come!! Hopefully :)

Below are some pictures from Career day.

C-17 Brenton would love to fly this but C-17 pilots are gone ALL the time!

Inside the C-17. It's pretty big, but not as big as the C-5!

Oh my, the infamous F-16. In Brenton's words this plane is "sexy".

Brenton in the cockpit of an F-16 (pretty sure he was hot and bothered sitting in it) and me beside him, our future maybe? Only time will tell!

Tornado Relief, Spring in MS, and UPT update

             As everyone has already heard, we had some really bad weather down here the last week in April (thats really no surprise). As a matter of fact, I think I may have jinxed us.. in my last blog I mentioned that we have yet to have a tornado warning but it was only Monday.. well two days later was when the big tornado outbreak occurred. I seriously believe God was watching out for us as we were surrounded by tornados and two EF-5 tornados. The one in Tuscaloosa and the one in Smithville, MS (which is just 45 min north of here) We had trees up-rooted here and lost power for about five hours, but compared to our neighboring communities, that was nothing.  Ever since these tornados all you hear about is the Tuscaloosa victims and their damage, the media didn't really even pay attention to some of the smaller towns like Smithville, MS. My friend Jaime and I decided to take up donations on base and deliver them to the First Baptist Church in Amory. It was a HUGE success! My backseat and trunk were full of donations from spouses of the base! There are pictures at the bottom of the page just so you can see how full it was.  It was an awesome thing that so many people donated and it felt so good to be able to go to Amory and drop them off. One thing I was not expecting to see was a list of 'missing people' still from the tornado. There were probably 13 people on that list, it made me so sad for these people and our neighboring communities and reminded me once more just how blessed we are.

          Despite all of the storms that occur, spring in Mississippi is beautiful! It's not great for allergy sufferers like Brenton and I, but we are getting used to it. The weather is gorgeous! It is actually starting to get hot though, lower to mid 90s all this upcoming week.. summer here we come!  With the weather being so nice right now, we are trying to be outside as much as possible because once the hot weather gets here.. I really don't see myself suffering in the hot sun and humidity.  Yesterday we went to the Market Street Festival down town. For those of you in KC, its very similar to Santa Cali Gon in Independence. It was a lot of fun but so hot! We stayed just long enough to get a funnel cake and sno cone and browse the booths a bit.  After perusing the Market Street Festival we came home and planted flowers and veggies, now I admit I am not one who has ever liked to plant but the base housing office gave us a $25 voucher to a local nursery, I couldn't turn that down so decided to go with Jaime and we bought some pretty flowers! Surprisingly, it makes me happy and I think I might just be starting to care about flowers.

            Girls Night Out! This was the coolest event hosted by the Landings! (our housing office on base) All of the ladies that live on base were invited to a night of FREE pampering which included: manicures, pedicures, massages, facials, hair cuts/styles, and a glorious chocolate fountain with fresh fruit and marshmallows.. oh and there were sandwiches and chicken, but who cares about that when you have fresh pineapple, strawberries, and a chocolate fountain?!  Yes, that night was pure bliss. I enjoyed myself very much, especially all of the chocolate covered strawberries! I think it is wonderful that the housing office does this as well as the businesses from Columbus that come in to do this. We are all hard working women and definitely deserve to be pampered once in a while! I don't know if anyone has told you but, its not easy being the wife of a student pilot :)

            Quick update with pilot training: Brenton is doing outstanding so far! He is almost done with academics and starts phase II which is flying  on the 18th of this month! All of our days revolve around simulators/studying/and class right now. Saturdays and Sunday mornings are our times to spend together though. As I have said before, I am so excited for him and proud of him, I know he will be a great pilot! We still haven't decided what route to go though, we are on the fence of bombers and cargo. What ever he decides, I just hope its a good location! Although I did tell him earlier this week that no matter where we go, I think I will end up finding something I like about it. For example, take this place: Columbus AFB, MS. I cried and cried when I heard we were moving here, and now I couldn't imagine myself anywhere else but here for the time being. I guess its a good and positive way to look at it: no matter where we go, there will always be a new adventure and new experiences that await us!

Here are some pics of the donations

 Look at all of the water that was collected!

 My pretty flowers!

The guys having a study session. I had to take it through the window, didn't want to interrupt!

         
   That is all to report from the Jones family, we hope everyone is doing well and until next time.. take care and God bless!

Week 3 Pilot Training, Birthday Celebrations, and Giving Back

          Brenton is now in week three of pilot training and doing very well. He has received 100% on every test except his last one which was a 93%.. yay for academics!! He starts phase II in just a few weeks and that is when he starts flying and things will get tough.. I know he will do great though! I received the spouse calendar for UPT and found out that his track select ( this is when he finds out whether he is going fighter/bomber or heavy) is September 27. Only about 7 months off, its crazy to think about! And this time next year, he will be graduating UPT and we will find out just exactly what it is he will be flying.. fingers crossed for planes that are at good bases!!

           This post cannot go without mentioning the crazy weather we have had here. First let me tell you, two Fridays ago we had FOUR tornado warnings.. crazy!!! Four days later.. we had two more tornado warnings. This week, we have had none.. but its only Monday. In fact, we are supposed to have severe thunderstorms on Wednesday and another possible outbreak of tornadoes..  all I have to say is the weather is never boring here. Oh, and it is starting to get very, very warm.. its been in the mid 80s here for a while now and I expect the 90s to come at any time.. and then the triple digits..  needless to say, it is going to be very hot here soon!

           My birthday was amazing! We ended up celebrating three times, which was fine by me :)  The perks to lots of studying in pilot training. We celebrated early, the Saturday before my birthday and went out for mexican with friends. That was a lot of fun! Then, Brenton and I had cake and I opened gifts from him on my actual birthday. This past Saturday, we celebrated one last time by driving to Birmingham to go shopping! This was very exciting as I have said many times before, we have to drive an hour to the nearest mall and that isn't even that great. Birmingham was the exact opposite of Columbus. There were soooo many shopping areas and a huge mall.. we had a great time and even stopped by the Cheesecake Factory for some yummy cheesecake!
Below is a pic of us from celebrating by going out for Mexican.. I could have done without the sombrero..

I mentioned in our last post that we have finally found a church down here that we really like. We are still continuing to attend and plan on attending regularly for the rest of the time we are here. I found out that they serve at a soup kitchen every third Thursday of the month and last Thursday I went with them and helped serve. It was a wonderful opporunity and I met some great people from the church and it felt so good to be helping these people.  I also decided last weekend to volunteer to help clean up Columbus. It was called "Clean Sweep Columbus"  That was an experience let me tell you. I was assigned to a not so nice area in Columbus and had to pick up trash. There was so much trash it was ridiculous. Surprisingly I found little to no empty beer cans, most of the trash was drug paraphenilia, candy wrappers, and empty fast food cups and bags.. hmmm I think I have found why MS is one of the fattest states.     My next volunteering is this weekend with some other wives on base.. March for Babies. It is a great cause, the money raised goes towards funding programs to help moms have healthy full-term pregnancies, it also funds the research to help find answers to the problems that threaten our babies.. (miscarried babies, babies that are born stillborn, and pre-mature babies)  I haven't been able to raise a whole lot of money, but I guess every little bit helps and I will be walking.. I think it will be a great time and its such a wonderful feeling knowing that we are helping others in our community.

As of now, that is all to report from the Jones household.. hope everyone is doing well and until next time, take care and God bless!



UPT Start: Yes it is finally here!

            So April 1 marked six months of us living down here in MS. Thats half a year, how crazy is that?! It really doesn't seem that long. Well.. after six very long months Brenton will finally be starting UPT (pilot training) tomorrow. No more casual job of just locking and unlocking doors and getting to spend the rest of the day together, nope.. its back to reality. It won't be too bad as we are very accustomed to busy and hectic lifestyles. I think thats the reason why we have had such a difficult time finding things to do these past six months.. Before moving down here, our minds were constantly focused on only two things: school and work. I think we were actually too motivated and determined.  As I have said in older posts, we have learned a lot these past six months. A lot about life, one another, and our marriage. You have to make time for fun and relaxation, life is too short not to. While I am a little bit sad that pilot training is beginning and we will be losing the time spent together that we have been used to, I am very excited too! This has been Brenton's dream for as long as I can remember and it makes me so happy to see him get to fulfill his dream.  Take a look below and see just what phase 1 academics has in store for him..

                   While Brenton is fulfilling his dream, I am working on mine as well. Second session of classes starts next week. I am enjoying this break between sessions and trying to be as supportive as I can for Brenton. Pilot training is not easy, and I want to do everything I can to try to make it easier for him. If that means making mexican every single night for dinner, well.. then we will have mexican every night. But, I am still going to try and make time for myself.   I did start an exercising program today! I was supposed to start it in November, but due to some health issues wasn't able to. I am very excited about it and while I was very sore afterwards, can't wait until my next work out on Wednesday!

                  A year ago today, we had to bury our first pet, Kermie. It was so sad and we miss him terribly! I think he would have really liked it down here in MS. Lots of room to roam in the house. Not too sure he would appreciate all of the planes flying over our house all the time though. RIP Kermie! 4/20/1999- 4/4/2010 

                 I  think thats all to report from the Jones household. April is going to be a very exciting and eventful month for us and I can't wait!

New Season, New beginnings

                   Happy spring!! I can't believe it is spring already, where has the time gone? We have been here almost six months, and have experienced fall and winter so far. Both of which weren't too bad. Hopefully spring will be nice, it's summer down here that I am not looking forward to. 100% humidity and 90 and 100 deg + days.. yeah no thanks. We have already been "warned" I guess you could say by people down here, they say.. " get ready to sweat for 4 months, even inside your house with the a/c" We will see.. I think it doesn't start to get hot down here until May so we still have a while.

                 I am happy to report that Brenton made it back from IFS and did very well while he was there. We recently found out that he got moved up and will be starting pilot training April 5. Thats not too far away. We are trying to enjoy these last couple weeks together before things really start to change. Thankfully the weather has been very nice so we have been taking walks, enjoying meals out on our new patio set, and recently discovered some cool nature trails on base. Today we went to the lake and played frisbee, we are just going to have to remember sunscreen next time.

               As for me, I am almost done with my first session of online classes. I have received all A's thus far and am very pleased with myself.  After this session, I have a week off and I start again in early April. Thankfully 64 credits transferred from my previous universities, so by this time next year I will have my Bachelor's of Science in Health Education. I still have yet to find a job down here, but starting school has definitely helped my feelings of worthlessness, I guess you could say. Writing four papers a week, cooking dinner every night, taking care of my furbabies, and making my man happy.. yeah I call that productive, for now.  Just wait until we throw a baby into the mix!  Okay, that is all to report from the Jones household.. hope everyone is doing well. Talk to you all soon and God bless!

While the Hubby is Away.. The Wifey Will Play..

          Brenton has been gone a little over three weeks and I miss him like crazy!! But let me tell you I am having a great time! I have learned that living a military life is what you make out of it. You can sit at home and do nothing all day and be bored and choose to remain lonely, or you can get out there, make friends, and jump at every opportunity given to you. I choose the second option.

           My first 'adventure' as I will call it, was a trip to Virginia to visit my aunt/uncle, cousins, and grandma. While the plane rides there were anything but pleasant, the visit there was fun and definitely worth the uncomfortable plane rides! I got to spend some much needed time with that side of my family and even managed to cook them all dinner one night. The whole trip was fun. We went to an art exhibit at Yorktown, went to a ginormous mall in Norfolk, and explored Newport News. Definitely a visit I will remember.

          One week after I get back from VA, I decided to make a trip to visit my mom. This was my next adventure, and thankfully it didn't involve any planes. Just a 4  1/2  hr car ride. I really enjoyed my visit. Unfortunately it was very short, but I am thankful I was able to visit even if it was just for a day. Hopefully next time it will be longer. I did drive by a lot of my old "hang out" places I guess you would call them. It was just so crazy to me to look at some of the places I frequented back in the day and then to look at myself now. I even drove by where I used to live when I graduated high school. I drove by the bench that Brenton and I sat on, looking into the distance contemplating life decisions and thinking about our futures and how everything would turn out. It was amazing to think about how far we have come since then, what all we have accomplished, and currently be almost a year into marriage! It is so crazy how life changes, and how fast it happens.

         In addition to plane rides and road trips I also have school so that has kept me busy as well. And I would just like to say I am very proud of myself.. over half way done with this session and have received all A's. Let's hope I can continue! In between school work I have enjoyed numerous late nights with one of my friends, Jaime. She as well as some other ladies have really been such a blessing. Jaime and I stay up late, eat yummy snacks, watch movies, and chat girl talk.. definitely not things that we could do if our husbands were home. (No offense Brenton, I love you!)

         I have definitely enjoyed myself, but I do have to say that I miss Brenton terribly. I am just so thankful for all of these opportunities that have been given to me, and all of the people in my life right now that has made this experience better. Brenton should be home soon and starts pilot training in April, that is when our lives will really start to change. I am excited for him, excited for our future, and can't wait to see what God has in store for us next!

And He is Gone...

                       As I woke up this morning, I almost forgot that Brenton had left in the wee hours of the morning. I turned over to snuggle with him, but all I woke up to was an empty bed and Occie Jim laying and purring in my neck. Oh how thankful I am for that little guy! I forget, I have my other cat Charma, and I love her too. It really is amazing how pets can make such a big impact in your life. Perhaps I should give them an extra treat or two tonight..

                      While it has certainly not been the first time Brenton and I have had to be apart, its different this time with having no family around. I understand its only for a short amount of time that he will be gone, but we have been together almost 24/7 for the past four months (despite the twenty minutes out of the day that he has to go and lock/unlock doors.) We have learned a lot in these few months. Not only are we husband and wife, we are best friends! We have been through so much together and that is how I know we can get through this and future deployments.     God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, nor sun without rain. But he did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way. While it may not always be easy, with God's strength we know we can get through anything, just as our past proves!  I love you Brenton, I will be praying for you and I know you will do great! See you soon!

Bye-Bye Brenton

             So in 48 hours Brenton will be on his way to IFS. It is finally happening, and I think he is so ready for it! He has turned half of our living room into an airport, complete with a runway and all of his planes. So for any of you who have gave him toy planes for gifts ever, well lets just say they are definitely coming in handy! He says it makes for a great study aid. Oh and I don't know if you have ever heard of "chair fly" but this guy is really good at it! I can say that I have helped him prepare for IFS too. I have spent a lot of nights quizzing him on what he needs to know. With all the studying he has done and hours of "chair flying" he put in I am sure he will do great!

             In the mean time, while he is gone at IFS I will be using some time to go and visit family. Not exactly sure my cats will appreciate this, but I sure am looking forward to it!

             Well, here is to getting through February and IFS and starting our new adventure in March/April!

the jones' airport

Ready or Not.. Here We Go!

              So I blame school for not updating the blog in two weeks. After writing paper after paper after paper, I don't exactly feel like writing for the blog. But, I really thought everyone needed an update as we are about to really get into the "good stuff" of our journey.

              Let me start by saying that Brenton leaves for IFS (inital flight screening, and first training before actual pilot training begins) next weekend. I can't believe it's already time for this. I am so excited for him and I know that he will do well. Shortly after he gets back, he will have about a month before he starts actual pilot training, yes.. the thing we have oh so patiently been waiting for! Our lives are about to change from being sedentary day in and day out and having our only thoughts be about who will win the next game of Phase Ten. I never thought I would say it, but I think I am actually going to miss this. While it definitely has been boring at times, and while there were many times I thought I was going to lose my mind if I sat on my couch just one minute longer starting at the TV and the clock.. well I am going to miss it. In the almost 8 months it was been since we were married, we have been so fortunate to spend basically every day (besides ASBC for 6 weeks) together. 

          I ask myself, what in the world am I going to do here in MS for 4 weeks or longer without him? Play phase ten with my cats, no.. I don't think so.. I am happy to finally announce that I may have a job! Yes, a job! After being unemployed for almost 5 months, it is about time! I had an interview yesterday and will find out in a few days if I get the job or not. I am very excited as it will give me something else to do, not to mention pass the time quicker while Brenton is gone at IFS.

         The saying, "life does not always go as you planned"  oh my goodness is it so true! And lately nothing is going as planned! Having been a little down lately about some things I started reading a devotional and in the devotional there is a quote " we can choose to hiss and claw and surrender when things get tough, but no matter what, the outcome will always be the same"  It has become my new favorite quote, and when I start to feel down again on things I remember that and it helps.  While I would love to hiss and claw at the fact that I have to have braces and possibly have to go through a long painful surgery to get there.. well I can't do anything about it. So, I choose to some how find a way to be thankful for it, along with some other issues we are facing. I have learned in the past, but am learning again that sometimes you have done all you can do, and the only thing you can do now is, let go and let God.  But hey, have Brenton and I ever done anything the easy way? I guess that is what makes us unique!

So ready or not, here we go.. we are both about to face some challenges, but I know in the end we will conquer them together.

MS Wild Weather and First Day of Classes

               So let me tell you, being from MO I am used to wild weather, but I don't think anything could top the weather in MS. New Year's Eve we had a tornado warning, fast forward just one weekend later and we had a snow storm. I didn't even think we would see snow down here in MS. I really enjoyed it, except the freezing rain and sleet.. I could do without all the ice.   Okay so quick rewind to Saturday, I made a very stupid decision and decided to make a run to Wal-Mart. BAD idea. Southerners take the threat of ice and snow seriously! I had to sit in a line just to get into the parking lot of the place. Once I walked in, it was just a crazy mess. Back home we usually see snow shovels at the front of the store when a storm is coming.. not here. There are no snow shovels here! Instead you will find bread, batteries, propane, and flash lights. This was just amusing to me to watch tons of people pile in several flash lights and propane in their carts. I know.. I know.. down here they don't have the means of handling really bad conditions like this, but to be from an area where we get a pretty significant amount of snowfall each year.. it was kind of funny to watch this.

             Even though basically the whole town of Columbus was shut down, I still had school. That is the only downside to online classes I guess. I must say, I am very excited to be starting classes again! After having last semester off, I was sooo ready to get back into it! I even started writing my first paper today, yay! And I am sure there are many more papers to come. I can't complain though, being able to stay in my nice warm house, while attending classes.. that is pretty awesome.