karinsblog

November 2010

2010-11-04T08:13:00.000-07:00

It has been an entire year since my last post, and now I would like to try to catch up! Basically, 7 months of it was spent on deployment, so there won't be a whole lot to write. Pictures will follow shortly, some from cruise, and some from my return home. On to a new adventure now, as I will be separating from the Navy and entering the real world! Scary!

Time Off...Time to Catch Up!!!

2009-11-25T22:05:00.000-08:00

So recently it's been pretty darn busy and I haven't done too well keeping up! But I have a four day weekend over Thanksgiving and some time off for Christmas before the upcoming deployment, so I'll try to catch up! With love, Karin Sue and Callie

VFA 103 Jolly Rogers

2009-09-01T12:21:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official! I finished the Fleet Replacement Squadron (VFA-106 Gladiators) after 15 months of training and a knee surgery later! I found out while I was on the U.S.S. Harry Truman doing carrier qualifications (CQ), that I would be stationed in Virginia Beach with the VFA-103 Jolly Rogers for the next 3 years! I was really excited, because it was my first choice of duty station AND fleet squadron. Basically, that means that I am in an operational squadron and deployable. Turns out, they just returned from deployment at the end of July and we are going back out again January 2nd. Some of the guys already in the squadron are a little disappointed about the short turn-around, but all of us new guys are really amped up! Finally, after 3 years in training, we are headed over to the middle east to help in our efforts to end terrorism. We'll leave here in January and it takes about a month to get to the Middle East, and then spend 5 months supporting our brave troops on the ground. We'll be living on the "Ike" the U.S.S. Eisenhower. As soon as I get more details I will be sure to forward email addresses, and of course I can get 'snail mail' on the boat! Stay tuned, I'll add pictures soon!

Updates

2009-09-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

I know I have been horrible at keeping up to date on this blog, but I promise there is some recent news to come soon!

A Trip for the Girls <3

2009-06-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

May 28-29th, 2009

What a perfect finale for my MI trip! Becky and I drove up to the Mackinac Bridge to meet my mom and stay for a couple nights! We left Wednesday afternoon (Callie got to stay with Aunt Sandy and Uncle Bob, who finally learned that she DOES get to sleep on the bed and eat people food :), and had a great drive up! We got in pretty late, but we still beat mom, so we hung out in our hotel room and waited! Our hotel was awesome, the Best Western Harbour Pointe...and our room was looking right over Lake Michigan! Mom finally got there and we talked for a while, but we were all pretty sleepy from the drive and anxious for the next 2 days so we got some shut-eye!

The next day was pretty foggy and misty, so we decided to spend it at Mackinaw City doing some much needed shopping! They have the neatest downtown area with great "Yooper" shops and food! We went shop to shop, finding trinkets at all of them, but not really buying anything, and then stopped for lunch where my mom and Becky split an ENORMOUS turkey leg, and I had a heaping pile of BBQ ribs! Us Yooper girls can eat! We wanted to see the movie, "Night at the Museum 2" and there's only one real small theater around so we decided to attend the night showing. First we grabbed a couple drinks at the Keyhole bar down the street! The bartender was great and we told her to wait for us because "we'd be back!" The movie was SO funny, even better than the first! Then, as promised, we headed back to the Keyhole. There just happened to be 3 guys drinking there that night and we ended up talking and drinking with them and picking out music on the jukebox! They were all teachers somewhere in MI and made this an annual trip! It was a great night!!!

Sunrise from our hotel room

The next day was the big trip to the island! We were so excited, and just hoping for better weather! We got it! It was a little cool, but ended up being sunny all day and perfect weather for an island trip! We took the ferry boat over, which is SO fun because we all love ferry boats! We arrived over there and immediately rented beach cruisers to ride around on since there aren't any motor vehicles on the whole island! Just bikes, feet, and horses! We rode the whole perimeter (8 miles!) and took our time, stopping to take in the sights or just to rest on the warm rocks by the water! It was a perfect day! When we got back around, we all had a little sweet tooth and knew there was homemade Mackinac Island fudge waiting for us! We all bought a chunk and pigged out! It's the best! Then we found one of those old time photography shops and none of us had ever had our pictures taken! We decided on the "Saloon girls" theme and had a blast getting in costume, and maybe a little into character! We had lunch at the cutest little restaurant, The Pink Pony, and did a little more shopping! It was a perfect day!

That night we ordered in and just had some 'girl time!' It was such a great time, and I miss them both so much and can't wait for the next visit!!! <3>

The Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island

A Memorable Memorial Day <3

2009-06-03T08:11:00.001-07:00

May 25, 2009
I am SO LUCKY to have the family I do! Driving all the way up to MI was so great and seeing my old friends was fantastic! Then, on Memorial Day, my Aunt Sandy and Uncle Bob had a cookout at their house and almost my whole family on my mom's side came for it! Papa Horses and Pat, Grandma DeDe, Uncle Wendell and Aunt Carol, Jim, Bre, and the girls Isabelle and Audrey, and even Jeremy drove all the way from Detroit for the day! Becky and I of course went together and it was such a great time! The food was awesome, (Becky made homemade brownies from scratch and I think Jimmy had about 8 :), burgers, potato salad, pasta salad, chips and dip, the whole works! This was the first time I had met Audrey (almost 1 year old now), and she is SO beautiful! We played ladder golf and had TONS of laughs! It was so overwhelming in the best way possible!

The next few days I got a chance to spend a little one-on-one time with my grandparents. The next night, Grandma DeDe, Great Aunt Pat, Aunt Sandy, Becky and I went out for pizza at grandma's favorite joint: Bimbos. The whole wait staff there knows her and her late husband, PaPa Hank from years of eating pizza and dancing next door! After, we rented Slumdog Millionaire and went over to her new apartment and ate candies and watched it! It was so great to see her finally settled in back home!

The next morning, I headed over to PaPa Horses and Pat's house for breakfast. We sat out on the porch and ate and talked and talked! Then we took the 4-wheelers out to go meet their new mule, Bodacious Badass, and visit with the horse, Trudy. After, we took the 4-wheelers all through the fields and saw a bunch of wild turkeys! They have the most beautiful land and it was so great to play outside again!

Later that day, Aunt Sandy and I took a trip to the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo! It's a great indoor museum of airplanes dated back to the beginning of flight! We saw a neat 4-D movie about a B-17 bomb raid during WWII and I got to show her what an F-14 Tomcat and an F-18 Hornet look like! We had a great lunch, and so much fun!

I miss everyone so much, and wish I could be there more, but am so grateful they made it such a special visit for me! I love you all!!! <3

Memorial Day '09

Such beauties!

Our first meeting!

My PaPa, Pat, and me! :)

Sandra Dee and I at the Air Zoo!

The Big Wedding and Reunion!

2009-06-03T07:50:00.001-07:00

May 23, 2009
That Saturday, we celebrated the wedding of a great friend from college, Jess Hart. We played basketball together (rather, we sat on the bench together :), and had SO much fun at GVSU! She has been dating Scott Tucker since I can remember and they are SUCH a great couple! The wedding was beautiful; classy and traditional, and in a gorgeous church in Grand Haven. Not only did I get to see 'Hart' and 'Tuck', but so many of my old friends were there that I hadn't seen in years! Some of them 7 years! I took one my best friends, Courtney, as my date and we went with my best friend Jaida and her long-term beau, Justin "Fitz". Everytime I turned around, there was another long-lost friend and teammate and we had a ball!!! It was such a great time, and I can't thank Hart and Tuck enough for inviting me to be present on their special day! What memories!!!

GV Basketball was definitely a presence in the wedding party!

My date, Courtney!

This was the only time we could get Hart to stop dancing for 0.3 seconds! She had the time of her life that night!!! What a beautiful bride!

Old Friends, Old Times, and NEW FUN!

2009-06-01T11:42:00.001-07:00

May 22, 2009
So the weekend rolled around, and after hanging out with Becky Sue for most of the week, seeing her life (which was awesome!), we headed up to Grand Rapids for some good ole' Grand Valley fun! We met up with a few of my best friends- Jaida, Callie, and Kristen - and had a great night out on the town! We went to eat at The Grand Woods, and partied at new and old bars! It was so great being back with the girls again, and showing Becky Sue how her big sister partied back in her days in college!!!

This was us practicing our smiles so we didn't get double chins :)

And our matching feet!

The girls!

My bestests :)

Road Trip to MI!

2009-06-01T11:26:00.000-07:00

May 19, 2009
MICHIGAN, here we come! I decided to take some leave before I started flying again this month and head up to Michigan for 11 days! My friend from college got married, and a lot of my family still lives in lower MI. I took the long way up, driving through the mountains of West Virginia...it was SO beautiful! The day was so bright and sunny, everything was SO green, and the air was fresh! Callie and I stopped at a few sight-seeing places, and finally set up camp in the middle of nowhere for the night! It was such a relaxing drive, and I was SO excited to see my friends and family!

Great times in VA!

2009-04-30T15:58:00.000-07:00

April 2009
So, I guess I can't really complain about being med down and hardly working when the temperature reaches 90 degrees in April!!! We had a beautiful weekend, and Brittany and I decided to make the most of it! We went to the beach on Friday evening, after both of us had had a trying day. They live only a couple of blocks from the beach, and on our way back to the house, we spotted a giant shark sitting on a lower dock in the marina and thought it would be fun! We also walked onto a man's boat and got the grand tour! Hopefully he's not too upset with us! :) Then we sat in their backyard in the sun, with Hall and their neighbors and talked and laughed...a lot! I also went to the beach Saturday and Sunday with Callie! I guess we skipped spring this year! This week, Brittany called me to see if I wanted to go strawberry picking! It sounded like the best idea EVER and they were SO ripe and juicy! After that, we went to get some greasy, greasy pizza and garlic knots, and I ordered a root beer float! My dad said it was the "all-American day," and it certainly was since we closed it out at the local AAA baseball game, the Norfolk Tides! VA Beach is ready for summer, and even though I'm looking forward to going back to work, I can't complain about these days! PLUS...Brittany got a job!!! I'm so proud and she is super relieved! Now I have to go out and buy a new friend for a month.... :)

Brookdale Farms Strawberry Pickin'!

UK in VA!

2009-04-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

April 2009
Uncle Kenny came to see me!!! I was so excited when I got his message that he wanted to come down and visit with his new lady friend, Elizabeth (aka Bucky). We are really close for being uncle and niece, and it's so nice to have company while I'm still med down! We went to the best restaurants in the area, hung out at the beach with the dogs, took a tour of the base, and went fishing! On base, they actually took a tour of the simulator building and both got to fly the F-18!!! Fishing was his number one priority, and Hall and Brittany took us all out on his boat. There's only room for 3, so Brit and I took the kayaks and a few beers and floated! While we were out on the inlet, we saw a bald eagle! Hall had been trying to convince me for weeks that he's seen one, and I didn't believe him! But there it was, and we took a ton of pictures of it! It was a beautiful day, and I really think they had a great time! We also got to see all of his Alaska pictures, which were amazing. I can't wait to go up and visit him and Clay the first chance I get! The last night they were here, I took them to the cul-de-sac where my dad watched my first flight, and they LOVED the noise! We stood there until dark, and watched as jet after jet took off and landed right over our heads! It was a great visit and I miss him tons!

Callie at the Beach

2009-04-30T12:38:00.000-07:00

April 2009
So, I'm finally getting around a lot better, (no crutches!) and Callie is benefiting from it! Since I only work on an "on call" basis at the squadron to write the schedule, we've been enjoying the warm weather and going to the beach...very regularly!!! Callie is SO funny to watch in the water; swimming is her favorite thing to do! When we lived in Pensacola right on the bay, it was very calm most of the time. Plus it was shallow, and she could just walk around and dig up crabs and shells all day long! Here at this beach on the Atlantic, the waves have been huge and she's slowly getting used to them! Sometimes she's a little scared, but after a while, she's jumping into giant rollers with no fear! She's so beautiful and people are always complimenting her! She's a sucker for attention, and it doesn't help that her coat gets perfect little crimps in it when it's wet! We have so much fetching with the ball, wrestling each other, and playing in the waves! This trip, we saw dolphins playing maybe only 50 yards out! I love watching them!

Chesapeake Bay / Bridge Tunnel Trip

2009-04-30T12:17:00.000-07:00

March 2009
Being on crutches really, REALLY stinks! I'm used to being pretty busy and active, and being confined was tough! Luckily, I have Brittany here! It was a freezing cold day in March and she called to see what I felt like doing. We decided to go for a drive up to the Eastern Shore of Virginia by way of the Chesapeake Bay / Bridge Tunnel. This tunnel is one of the seven engineering wonders of the world and spans almost 18 miles long! It's so strange to drive along the bridge, and then descend into a tunnel and know you are underneath huge barges and ships! It was a gorgeous day, but SO cold...we were dressed like Eskimos! When we got to the other side, we saw that it was completely opposite from Virginia Beach. It was rural and there were beautiful ranch homes and farms, and markets, and little seafood restaurants! We first drove into a Wildlife Refuge and looked at all the birds, and drove to a secluded dock with a beautiful boat tied up. Then we drove on and on and on and found a seafood restaurant outside of a motel and ate some delicious crab legs and had hot drinks! It was a great, adventurous day and I was SO grateful to get out of the house!!!

Later that month, we decided to take Hall along for the trip and show him our new discovery! Although he didn't think it was quite as neat as we did the first time around, we had fun! Brittany packed BLT's and we had a picnic on the pier, where Hall did some (unsuccessful) fishing! The weather was a LOT better though, and again, I got to leave the house! :)

Knee Surgery

2009-04-30T12:02:00.000-07:00

February 2009
Ouch! I tore my ACL and my meniscus in my right knee, and had to have surgery. The ACL injury dates back to college my doctor thinks, and apparently I've been working on the meniscus for a while! My dad came down on Feb 2 to take care of me through everything, and I don't know what I would've done without him! My surgery was on the 4th, and I had to spend the night at the hospital. Everything went well, but what was supposed to be a 2 hour surgery took almost 4 hours! There was a lot of damage in there and they used my hamstring as a graph. I didn't react well to any of the meds they gave me, and was sick through the whole night. But I got sweet phone calls from my whole family, plus there were flowers waiting for me at home from my Momma, Becky Sue, my class, and Kevin (my best friend here!) The recovery is slow, and I'm not expected to be able to fly for 4 months! Ugh.

While my dad was here, we went for a walk around Mt. Trashmore, a beautiful park about 2 miles from my apartment, and I walked about 1/4 of a mile on crutches! I was SO exhausted after that! We also drove to Pungo, a rural area outside of Virginia Beach and played with Callie off the docks there. We had wonderful weather, so we made the most of it!

After my dad left, Hall and Brittany were kind enough to open their home to me for a week. I couldn't get around real well yet, and I live on the 2nd floor of my apartment complex. Plus, taking care of Callie was just about impossible! I really appreciate them; they fed me and waited on me, and helped to take care of Callie! They are the greatest!!!

Key West Det

2009-04-29T17:39:00.000-07:00

January 2009
I finally reached the fighter phase of training in VFA-106, and was SO happy to go to KEY WEST in January! The fighter phase consists of air-to-air combat training, or dogfighting, and not too similar to the movie Top Gun! All of our ordnance on this det was simulated, however. The weather was so beautiful compared to VA Beach and definitely compared to Michigan in January! We worked really hard, flew a lot, and then partied quite a bit out on the main street, Duval St. It is ALWAYS packed downtown, no matter the season, and all the restaurant and bar owners know the Navy and we get some good deals! I had a great time, and again learned a ton!

These are our aggressor jets, the F-5, which is SO tiny compared to the F-18 and really hard to find in the big blue sky!

An F-18 Superhornet taxiing down to the runway!

Flying formation with my buddy "Danny" in the single-seat jet

Flying over the breath-taking Keys!

Behind the back picture of landing, looking between the vertical stabs

The infamous Duval St.

My fave guys out at Guy Harvey's restaurant!

Here's to a looooooooooong night!

Hall and I

Our XO (Executive Officer, or second in command at the squadron), Hidy-HO and I!

Out to eat at the Blue Lagoon Beautiful sunset at Mallory Square

3 sheets to the wind...literally!

Not sure if you can see, but one of the signs says "Holly, MI 1602 mi"...a LONG way from anywhere near home!

Key West...a place where chickens and goats roam free!

Out on a charter fishing trip! No one caught anything real great to eat, but one guy caught an octopus and I got to hold a live shark!

The artist who created the beautiful work of art, my wave! It's my first real collectible piece of art and I LOVE it!

Dave Wight and I and my waves

For Auld Lang Syne! (2009)

2009-04-29T17:16:00.000-07:00

January 2009
Happy New Year!!! I was SO lucky that I got to bring in the New Year with my sisters! Becky Sue came in town for the week and we went out to P-A-R-T-Y!!! We got all dolled up and had an amazing dinner at Mahi Mahis on the beach with Hall and Brittany, Bryan and Megan, and our friend Kevin. Becky is finally 21 (can you believe it!?) and so champagne was in order! We had a great time! That weekend, Rhonda got into town, and we had our own sister Christmas, since we all saved each others' gifts for the occasion! It was Christmas extended and SO worth it to be with family! Becky made an unbelievable strawberry cheesecake and tried...TRIED...to teach us how to do headstands! Then we went out to Town Center, VA and went to the comedy club and saw 3 hilarious stand-up comedians! Although I'm convinced both of my sisters could have made a living doing the same thing! I just laugh too much...everything is funny! We had a blast and I cherish those times SO much when us 3 get together!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Christmas 2008 In VA Beach

2009-04-29T16:35:00.000-07:00

December 2008
No leave for Christmas this year! Our squadron was a little behind on production this year, and my class was pretty far behind in our syllabus so we weren't getting any time off! I made the most of it though, and spent time with my Navy family! First, VFA-106 had a Christmas party for everyone in the command, which is the biggest on base! Callie was my date, since she was getting ready to move back to Michigan! I had a blast, finally getting to hang out with all the wives!!! Then, Brittany and Hall had a few of us over for a beautiful Christmas Eve dinner. I missed my family so much, but am so grateful that I have a second one to take care of me :) !!!

Hall and Brittany

The boys of the squadron: Ken, Bryan and Hall

My ex-roomie, Andrew :) LOVE him!

The beautiful Graham Christmas Eve dinner!

The chef herself!

El Centro Det

2009-04-29T15:13:00.000-07:00

November 2008
My first detachment in the Navy was out to El Centro, CA in the middle of the desert. We go out there because the weather is mostly always beautiful for flying and there is so much barren land to practice dropping bombs! It was our strike det, which means we do a lot of practicing dropping bombs, dive bombing, shooting our 20mm gun, and working with JTACs (Joint Tactical Air Controllers) for CAS (Close Air Support). JTACS are the men and women on the ground from all services that are attached to an infantry unit that call in air support when they are under fire from the enemy. Being able to provide close air support for the bravest men and women in the military with boots in the sand is the biggest honor for myself and fellow aviators. It's our most important mission and we work on it incessantly so we can be perfect when the time comes to save lives. Our technology has improved drastically as well and our probability of error with our smart weapons is so small!

On the weekends, we drive the 3 hours over to San Diego, and stay in the Gaslamp district. San Diego is SO beautiful!!! Perfect weather all the time, and right on the Pacific Ocean! I was so lucky again that 1stSgt "Johnny" Carson and 1stSgt "Moonshine" Griffith drove down from 29 Palms to hang out with us for a night. They were two of mine and Hall's gunnery sergeants in OCS! Also, I saw my good buddy from my OCS class, Alex Fore, who is an H-60 helicopter pilot stationed out there. The Navy keeps getting smaller and smaller the more places I go! I feel like I know friends from all over the country and globe now! We had a great time and learned SO much!

We were also in the phase of training where we have to design a class patch for us to wear on our shoulders. Being the only girl of 14 in my class, my vote was overruled and we ended up with this blonde girl and the quote over the Rhino. But it's fun because I get funny looks everywhere I go, and some old Navy traditions (i.e.: pin-up girls) never die! The theme behind "Getting Hammered" was right when my class checked into the squadron, they were doing some renovations around the spaces, and we showed up for the first 3 weeks, not in uniform, but in workout gear to paint, stain, build desks, and haul big furniture around! It was tough work, and we weren't sure if we were here to fly or as contractors!!! But now when we look at the ready room and briefing rooms, we can claim them as "our own!"

This is the crew getting ready for "Live Day." Most of the time, we drop little lightweight smoke bombs when we are practicing, but this day we actually dropped a live 500-lb bomb! It was also the first time we'd ever flown with a fellow student! From left to right: Bryan "Trotter" Globke (my pilot on this flight), Michael "Pablo" Escobar (pilot), Greg "Rocco" Hracho (WSO), and me "PUG!"

"Trotter" Globke and I in front of our jet. Our 500-lb bomb is behind us with the yellow stripes!

Flying at 100-feet over the desert...see our shadow?

The Chocolate Mountains

Momma in VA!

2009-04-28T15:13:00.000-07:00

November 2008
My momma came to Virginia! We planned the D.C. trip, but the first couple days we just hung out locally and took the tour of the base and the beach! We ate lunch at Catch 31 on the boardwalk, and caught a beautiful rainbow. From our seats, it spread right over King Triton's head! Callie came along on the base tour, since she hadn't ever seen what jets I fly either. The AME's were working and were really cool and let my mom climb into the cockpit. She had a blast! When we went out to the line, she asked if she could crawl into an engine intake! Then we went to the PR (parachute rigger) shop, where they take care of all of our gear, and she got to try some on! We had such a great time; I can't wait to see her again!!!

Remembering Our Vets

2009-04-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

November 2008
This Veterans' Day my mom and I decided to go to Washington D.C. for the first time in both our lives! I had NO idea what I was in for. It was truly awesome! It was a beautiful fall weekend, the colors were at their peak (for this area), and there were so many people in town to celebrate our veterans. We drove up to the train station and left my car there. It was also my mom's first train ride!!! It was so much fun for these 2 small-town girls! We checked into the Melrose hotel, which was only about 2 blocks from a train station that took us to the Mall. We knew there was SO much to see and only two days to do it, so we went right to the big monuments. The Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, the WWII Memorial, White House, Treasury, everything!!! Also, there was an Obama motorcade that drove by us as he came to check out his new house! People were packed in the streets just to catch a glimpse of his limo!

Washington Monument

U.S. Treasury
The White House
Getting ready for the inauguration!

WWII Memorial

Reflecting Pool

Mom walking to see Lincoln

Eating an amazing meal, plus wine and dessert at Old Ebbits GrillDay two of our trip was Veterans' Day. Our biggest plan was to go to Arlington National Cemetery and watch the wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It was pretty chilly that day, but the sun was out and the colors were so vivid! We got up early and went back to the Mall first to take some more pictures. It would be hard to see those monuments too many times! Then we took the train to Arlington. I had no idea how moving seeing Arlington cemetery would be, and I was floored. As far as you can see there are tombstones, many with just a number on them, of the men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our country. The scenery is breathtaking and it is the single most humbling place I've ever visited. We finally found the tomb and when we arrived, learned that Vice President Dick Cheney was to speak! It was so awesome to be able to see that! Then we went out and saw a Changing of the Guard at the tomb.

V.P. Dick Cheney

After the wreath laying at Arlington, we went back to check out some more of our capitol city. We saw a presentation at the Vietnam memorial for the women of Vietnam, which hit my mom pretty hard. So many of those women were nurses in Vietnam, and I'm sure my mom could connect with their stories, feelings of loss, and desire to care for our soldiers.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial

The Jefferson Memorial

The Supreme Court

The Capitol Building

Halloween 2008

2009-04-23T11:03:00.000-07:00

October 31, 2008

Halloween this year was a blast! Hall decided to have a party at his house (they live right on Virginia Beach) and had a great turn-out! When he told me his idea of a costume, I thought he was joking, but as you can see from the pics...he wasn't. If you have ever seen Chuck and Larry the movie, you'll understand. He dressed up as Jessica Biel's gay brother, who, in the movie, dresses up as a fairy butterfly for Halloween. And she dresses up as Catwoman. So guess who I had to be?! Our brother/sister relationship continues, haha! I was really bummed Brittany couldn't make it up for the occasion, but I think seeing her soon-to-be husband in this attire may have had an effect on the wedding! :) Callie was a boxer (sort of), and our good friend Danny and his girlfriend came as Peter Pan and Tinkerbell. Only swapped roles. Not sure what it is with male aviators and fairy costumes!? Guess that's why it's HALLOWEEN!!!

Tink and Butterfly...cute

The Globke's...a pimp and firefighter
The Dowdell's...Duff Beer man and Marge Simpson

Duff Beer man and a "redneck!"

Fairy wars!!!

A Perfect Fall Day

2009-04-23T10:06:00.000-07:00

October 11, 2008
This fall, I got SO lucky and made the trip home to Bessemer for Kalyn's wedding! Kalyn is my oldest friend (from 5th grade!) and I was honored she asked me to stand up for it. Kalyn is teaching elementary school in Superior, WI and her and Matt just bought a house and a puppy! We have kept in really good touch through the years, and when she met Matt, a French-Canadian hockey player, I know she had a keeper! He is a great guy and treats her like a princess! I only was allowed a few days, so it was a quick trip, but SO worth it! I saw my parents, and so many of my friends that I hadn't seen in years! It ended up turning out to be one of the most beautiful autumn days I'd ever seen and by far one of the best memories of my life! I miss Kalyn so much, and can't wait to get together again!

This sign made me laugh, if you look at where the Airport Exit is telling you to go!
The most beautiful colors in the world!

Rehearsal dinner
The 4 bridesmaids: me, Lindsey, Bria (MOH), and Ashley

Me, Matt and the future Mrs. Bonnelly :)

The Groomsmen: Chris, Jay, Josh, and Lee (-Francois)

Mother of the bride!

Marge Leaf and her amazing spread!!!

Helping her into her GORGEOUS gown!

Driving the get-a-way car!!!

A beautiful bride!

Romeo's Bar and Grille

1st dance as husband and wife!

Tony Gheller and I!!! I miss him!

Some of the girls from home! Ashley W., Lindsay Anonich Swank, and Ashley E.!

Things got a little crazy when I tried to dance...with a mop :)

The old crew from Spring Break 2001! Ashley, Eric, Kalyn, Tony, and I!!! First time we were all together since graduation!

Sistas!!!

2009-04-22T14:42:00.000-07:00

August 2008
BOTH of my sisters got to come up to see me and we had SO much fun! Rhonda could only stay for the weekend, but Becky stayed for a bit longer! The weather was in our favor and we walked the boardwalk and ate great seafood and got caught up on all of our busy lives! Later that week, we went out on Rocco's boat (some more), and tubed and water-skied! Becky got up for her first time ever! And we saw Toby Keith in concert!!! Montgomery Gentry and the Trailer Choir opened for him! It was an amazing show! Callie and her brother, Cyle, Rocco, and Shrek also came along!

The girls in front of "Neptune." That's what the Virginians call him. He also goes by "Poseidon" and I like to call him "King Triton" from The Little Mermaid. He's palming a sea turtle for cryin' out loud!!!

Becky, getting her first tour of the F-18. Not so much a fan of all the strapping in that's entailed in flying!

Dad and Rhonda in town...First RHINO flight!!!

2009-04-20T18:56:00.000-07:00

July 2008
My dad made another birthday visit! This time, of course, down to VA Beach! Rhonda also came up from Raleigh for a few days! We had a great time, and great weather! We went to the beach, to fabulous dinners, and just hung out. It was so amazing to just be with family again! I miss them all so much!

One of the best parts of the trip was the fact that my dad got to witness my very first F/A-18F Superhornet flight! He sat, along with Kevin at the end of the runway and watched as I taxied to the hold short, and took off for the first time in a fighter jet! He said he'll never forget it, and neither will I! And I know he still talks about it to anyone who will listen! My family is the biggest reason I am where I am today, and for my dad to be able to see that meant the world to me. Thanks, daddy!

Quarter of a Century!?!

2009-04-19T13:03:00.000-07:00

July 2008
I turned 25, and for the first time I REALLY wanted to deny it!!! But nonetheless, we made the absolute most of it! Callie was still working for Anheuser Busch in Detroit, and had tickets to the Orioles/Tigers game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, in Baltimore for that weekend! So we took a road trip up and had an awesome time! Baltimore is a beautiful city with TONS to do! Right when we got there, we had to get to the game, and Callie had left my annual present on my hotel room bed: Sour Patch Kids, a goofy card, and a Detroit Tigers tee to wear to the game! We went out a little after the game, and the next day took time to tour the city and did some serious shopping!!!

We went to the U.S.S. Constellation, and old Navy ship and walked around the restored decks. It was so amazing to see all the history! Of course, I was the Captain!!! ( It was MY birthday! :)

We took a boat cruise around the bay, with our own personal tour guide, Kevin. He is from the area, and both of his parents had served on Naval Hospital ships. The buoy below is the place where Francis Scott Key was inspired to write our National Anthem. It is right offshore from Fort McHenry. I had no idea it was so historical there, and it was a great birthday!!! (Despite being...a quarter of a century!!!)

Welcome to VIRGINIA!

2009-04-14T15:08:00.001-07:00

After S.E.R.E. school was finished, I flew back to Pensacola to finish some admin and checking out stuff at my old squadron. I slept the entire weekend, ate a LOT of unhealthy food, and Callie and I left for the long drive up to Virginia Beach. Everything had happened so quickly since wings that I had to sign a lease for an apartment in VA online before S.E.R.E. school. They allowed dogs, so I was in! When we got up here, I had no furniture or T.V. or anything since my movers wouldn't be here for another week, so Callie and did a lot of movie watching on the internet on my air mattress and I redecorated my bathroom! It was the only finished room in the apartment for a while! The location is nice for us; it's not too close to base, and between the ocean and downtown. Although we don't have a backyard, there is a dog park for Callie to meet other pups!

After meeting some of the guys from my new class, we made the most of the summer in VA Beach and had a great time! We went out to Kokoamoes on the water, hung out on Rocco's boat, and took the dogs to the beach every chance we got! Kevin Swift, one of my best friends from flight school was in the class behind me and got here right after I did, so we hung out a lot! Plus, him and Callie (the girl :) had a quick romance, so she even lived down here for a while! It was SO great!!! It became almost a daily routine for Hall and I to take the dogs to Dam Neck beach and let them play! Hall is a pilot in my class with a beautiful Viszla named Frank. Frank and Callie are pretty much brother and sister, and fight like it!!! And actually so do Hall and I!!! Hall and his wife Brittany have been amazing friends and we've had a great time together!

Danny (a pilot) and I at Kokoamoes

Callie and I...being Callie and I :)
Hall AKA "Whiskers" and Brittany!

Tommy and Margaret

Out on Rocco's boat with him and Kermit

A very windy beach day!

Kevin and Boosha, Hall and Frank, and Callie and me!

Callie's standard face haha!

Frank, trying to stalk some birds!

S.E.R.E. School

2009-04-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

June 2008
On June 1st, two days after I was winged, I flew up to Brunswick ME for S.E.R.E. school. S.E.R.E. stands for Survive, Evade, Resist, and Escape. It's a two week course that teaches military men and women with high-risk jobs how to deal with capture overseas in different scenarios. The whole first week was a ground school where they reviewed the Geneva Convention, land navigation, and basic survival skills. The second week was all "hands-on" training. We drove 3 hours into the beautiful mountains of Maine, where they dropped us off with only one MRE (meal-ready-to-eat) and a canteen. We had a rucksack full of gear and a couple changes of shirts and underwear that weighted about 50 lbs, and the camis and boots we were wearing. Once up to the mountains, we had a land navigation skills course, and after a few more lessons, were on our own. Four days and miles later, I found myself in a tiny, empty cement cell, famished, tired, and alone. Let's just say they did a great job of "simulating" a capture by the enemy. I've never been so hungry, so exhausted physically and mentally, nor have I ever learned as much. My team was awesome, we got along really well, and really stood by each other when things got tough. When we got back to Brunswick, we ate TONS of fresh lobster and drank a couple beers! It tasted wonderful!!!

My Team

The whole class

Wings of Gold

2009-04-12T19:47:00.001-07:00

May 2008
On May 30, I earned my Naval Flight Officer wings of gold. I was so excited to have my entire family, PaPa Horses, Grandma DeDe, and Callie make it down to Pensacola to celebrate this accomplishment! They are the best! My PaPa and Grandma both hadn't flown for quite a while, but both have been SO supportive, and I was so honored to have them stand up with me!

When everyone arrived, we took advantage of the beautiful Gulf weather and spent some time at the beach! All those Michiganders helped me realize how good I had it down there!!!

That night, we went out for an amazing crab leg dinner at...you guessed it!!! Peg Leg Pete's! Bob and Judy joined us along with Kevin Swift, (one of my best friends from flight school), and his family, and we had a great time sharing stories, laughs, and drinks! Even PaPa took a Washington Apple shot with his little flyer girl :)

The day of the ceremony, I took the whole family out for a tour of the squadron and base. Luckily for us, the Blue Angels were practicing and we all got to sit in awe of their show! I never once got tired of watching those pilots perform!

Our pinning of our wings event was held at the Naval Aviation Museum on base, and we had a sharp ceremony! My dad held the honor of pinning my wings on my chest, while my mom stood by my side! They have never faltered once in this crazy life I chose, and I can't thank them enough for being my strength.

The whole crew came up and stood while I was pinned and all walked down the line to shake hands with an Admiral, the VT-86 Commanding Officer, the VT-4 CO, and the Commodore. Bob and Judy also honored me with their presence in the crowd that day!

Kevin and his family

I also received the "Top Graduate" award from my grad class; it was a surprise to us all!

After the formal ceremony, we all head over to the base Officers' Club where there is drinks, food, and speeches made by the Commodore and all the Skippers. Then each of the wingees makes a toast, drinks their champagne and tries to hit a target with our glasses! It's a great time!

Skipper Glatt, his wife Lynn, and I. CDR Glatt was the CO of VT-4 and a huge inspiration to my naval career!

My AWESOME sisters!

Bob and Judy!

The day never ends!!! That night was our winging party at the Oar House! It is a great little seafood shack on the water with a sand court outside. The weather was great, so everyone hung out at the outdoor bar, and mingled in the sand! All of the wingees wore referee t-shirts, and donned whistles and yellow flags. Don't commit a party foul!

Our personal advisor, LT Janczak.

The next night, Bob and Judy had my entire family over for a cookout and a going away party. I was scheduled to leave for S.E.R.E. school two days later, so there wasn't a lot of time to spend together. We had a great time listening to all of Bob's dirty jokes, and enjoyed Judy's cooking! We also watched my centrifuge video (where I peed my pants), and everyone got a kick out of it! My family was amazed at the obvious physical distress we go through with Gs and I believe developed a better understanding of my job!

Saying goodbye is always tough, but nothing I've done so far is worth it without family. I'm so grateful for them for standing by me, picking me up when I fall, and always knowing when I need a kind word and a hug! I love them SO much, and Grandma...I say "hi" to Jesus for you every time I fly :)

The Beach, the Edge, The Mullet Toss?!

2009-04-12T19:31:00.000-07:00

May 2008
After receiving my soft wings, I had some time to just relax and enjoy Pensacola, knowing my days were coming to an end! I spent a lot of time out at the beach with Callie, and hanging out with friends that I knew I wouldn't see for a while. I also bought myself my first brand new car, a 2008 Ford Edge! I love it!!! I was so excited and proud to purchase something that big by myself! We also went to The Mullet Toss at the Florabama!!! It's a big redneck festival where people come from all over to toss mullets (fish) over the FL-AL state line! We sat out on Perdido Beach, drank cold beer and watched as thousands of people attempted to throw the slimy fish as far as they could! It was a great time, and a fantastic way to end my tenure in P'Cola!!!

2008 Mullet Toss

New Ford Edge

Soft Wings!

2009-04-12T19:04:00.000-07:00

DONE! I finally finished my flight training in Pensacola! My last two T-2 flights were on a gorgeous day, and supreme BFM (basic fighting maneuvers) weather! Mark Sheggeby, a classmate and friend, was my partner for all 6 BFM flights and this day we flew twice. He was in one jet, I was in the other, as we strived to advise our pilots on how to out-maneuver the other jet and get the first "shot." He kicked my butt on the first one that day, but after we landed and refueled, I sought revenge! My jet attained the first shot on every fight the second flight, and landing back at NAS Pensacola, we climbed out of the jets, talked a little trash, shook hands and awaited our greeting! On each students' final flight, the instructor that they flew with removes the patch with just their name on it, and presents them with a new patch with gold wings! Then you get a swift punch in the patch to welcome you to the community! Then, the other student NFO's and instructors come down with buckets of icy water and bottles of champagne to congratulate you. We had done it for our squadron mates so many times before and it was great for it to be our turn! I was SO happy it was a warm day, because the water is freezing! But the champagne is delicious!

Save the Ta-Tas!

2009-04-12T18:46:00.000-07:00

May 2008
Right before I finished my flight training, the awesome Wives' Club of VT-86 participated in the local Relay For Life event and invited me to come along! Relay is a moving celebration of cancer survivorship. The event begins with a Survivors Lap in which cancer survivors take a victory lap around the track. A candlelight ceremony is held later in the evening to honor cancer survivors and remember those who we’ve lost to this disease. It was kind of a bleak, rainy day, but there were SO many people out for the cause it was super motivating! It was great to see the community come out, rain or shine, night and day to support all of the survivors of cancer. The signs lining the track were so sad to walk by, but definitely made everyone there take a time out for reflection. I love being a part of community I live in, even though moving around makes it difficult! The VT-86 Wives' Clubs did such a great job of getting involved, and I am so appreciative of the way they represented us!

March 2008

2009-04-12T18:37:00.001-07:00

Spring was arriving in Pensacola, and instead of warm, rainy weather, aka "winter," it was beautiful and sunny! Easter was great because my good friends Bob and Judy had the whole neighborhood over for a cookout and an easter egg hunt for the kids! It was such a nice time, and it helps to have amazing friends when I'm so far away from my family! We ate, and Callie Sue begged (and succeeded!), and had a lot of laughs! I miss my Pensacola family SO much!

Bob and I

Judy and I

Also, some of my buddies from flight school who had been in my class most of the way through were getting winged. These were the guys who were selected for the EA-6B Prowler and were going to their next phase of training in Whidbey Island, WA. Lee Dai is one of the guys that I flew with to Grand Junction, and it's always hard to say bye! But we know our community is small and we'll run into each other again! There's always a great party after a winging ceremony, and I couldn't wait for mine!!!

A couple of my great flight school girlfriends! (yes, there's a few of us!)

Alan Jackson!

2009-04-12T18:07:00.000-07:00

2008
March 2008
In March, I learned that my favorite singer and performer of ALL time was coming to the Amphitheater at the Wharf in Orange Beach, AL!!! Alan Jackson was the first concert I had ever been to in my life. My family took a trip down to the Smokey Mountains and while driving through Nashville, heard of this no-name country boy singer who was having a concert. We went and LOVED him! Within that year, he became one of the biggest country music artists of all time! We had great seats, but they weren't close enough for me! When he started playing "Chattahoochie," I was screaming so loud, the usher let me run down to the stage with all the middle-aged women going crazy! I thought I was going to faint I was screaming so much and he's just such a stud!!!

Christmas '07

2009-04-11T14:58:00.001-07:00

December 2007
Christmas this year was long coming! Advanced flight training proved to be pretty stressful and I couldn't wait to get home, eat good meals, play in the snow, and most of all, be with family! First though, I had to attend a couple of Christmas parties! My primary/intermediate squadron, VT-4, invited me to their party and it was a ball!!! It was great to be able to have some drinks and dance and party with my former instructors! The very next night was the VT-86 Christmas party, so we did it all over again!

Then, Callie Sue and I drove all the way up to the U.P.! (26 hours!!!) I planned on making a stop in Kalamazoo to spend the night with Becky Sue and then finish the drive. I arrived at her apartment at 3:00 am and got a phone call from dad at 6:00 am saying we had to leave immediately or we'd get caught in a major blizzard! I woke her up and we were off again!

We had a great road trip together, sharing stories about flying and college! About 11 giddy hours later, we pulled home singing "Purple People Eater!"

We went to Copper Peak, the old competition ski jump, and snowshoed all around! We climbed all the way up the big ski hill, and Becky even climbed the actual jump! It was a blast!

Christmas Eve was serene at my mom's; she had it so beautifully decorated! The tree was up, presents were wrapped, the cookies were fresh, and the woodstove was smokin'! We went to Christmas Eve service at my mom's church and I even wore my blues especially for her!

Later that day, we went for a snowshoe hike down to White Rock on the Black River that runs behind our house! The river was mostly frozen over, but the sun was shining, so we snowshoed all day!

Christmas day at my dad's: Becky Sue got her new Bose headphones and I got a beautiful new pocket knife!

Our annual Roberts' Christmas dinner at Grandpas!

On my way back to Pensacola, we stopped in Kalamazoo to see some family! We spent the night with Aunt Sandy and Uncle Bob, and Jim and Breann came over with Isabelle for dinner! Then on our way out, we grabbed lunch with PaPa Horses, Pat and Aunt Carol! Then it was off again, saying too many goodbyes. Next stop was Detroit to have another lunch with Jaida and Callie and meet up with Courtney (another friend from GVSU!) What a GREAT road trip!!!

Thanksgiving in Tampa

2009-04-11T14:49:00.001-07:00

November 2007

Thanksgiving this year was SO great! I drove down to Brooksville, FL with Callie Sue and we went to visit PaPa Hank and Grandma DeDe. They live in the cutest gated community and cooked a great feast! My cousins, Jon and Krissi Hop also came up and we had a great time! We spent the whole weekend gossiping, shopping, cooking, taking walks, and playing games! It was also the last time I saw my PaPa Hank before he passed, and we all miss him so much!

Tailhook, Jets, and Sabrehawks!

2009-04-11T13:46:00.001-07:00

September2007-May2008

Finishing up Intermediate was one of the most memorable flight school times I've had! We had been through one selection already, and that was after Primary. It determined whether or not you could fly the P-3 Orion, E-6 Mercury, or go on to fly E-2C Hawkeyes, or jets. Of course, I wanted jets, which involves the longest time in training and high scores. After Intermediate was my 2nd selection. This was between E-2C Hawkeyes and jets. I wanted jets SO badly, and to move on to VT-86. I finished all of my required flights about a week early, along with a couple other student, Vishal and Lee. Our Commanding Officer, CDR Glatt, decided to take us with the staff to Tailhook in Reno, NV. This is the biggest Navy party ever! Everyone who has ever flown an aircraft onto an aircraft carrier is invited! There are separate admin rooms for each squadron, guest speakers, and Admirals by the handful! It was so overwhelming to be there with the people I one day wanted to call my peers, and we had a great time!

While we were there, getting ready to party the 2nd night, Skipper Glatt surprised us three students with our selection papers and our Intermediate graduation certificate! I was SO nervous to find out what I was selected for...and I got JETS! I was SO happy, and now I could REALLY enjoy myself in Reno! I even gambled for the first time and won $125 on the Wheel of Fortune slot machine!

Following the trip to Tailhook, it was a reality check time! I was in advanced flight training now, with the VT-86 Sabrehawks. Before I could start flying, I had to go out to Lemoore, CA for my centrifuge training. The centrifuge is an apparatus that looks like a capsule and spins around a giant room, creating G-forces. Every jet aircrew must pass this test to be allowed to fly jet aircraft. It is physically and mentally challenging, and we maxed out at 7.5 Gs for 12 seconds. The first time under 7.5 Gs, I passed out. The next time, I passed the test, but accidentally peed my pants. It was the creation of my callsign, PUG. It stands for "Pees Under Gs".

VT-86 started fast and furious, and I was working and studying ALL the time. We were still learning new communication, navigation, and more NFO responsibilities in the low level environment and the air-to-air realm. Tactics started to become important, and not only all of that, we were flying our 3rd aircraft in a year! Each cockpit is different and so are all of the flight characteristics! The T-39 Sabrehawk is the top jet in the below picture and we spent a lot of time in that aircraft. Hours in the simulators, working a radar for the first time, and even doing simulated bombing runs. Then the air-to-air part started and hours turned into days in the sims! It was a great school and fantastic training!

I took one cross country in the T-39 out to Miramar, CA. I got to work at an airshow, explain to people about our aircraft, and take tours of all the other jets! I saw my first AV-8B Harrier demo, and fell in love! Too bad only Marines fly them!

After our syllabus in the T-39, it was time for our final selection. The only two aircraft left to choose from was the EA-6B Prowler, or the F/A-18F Superhornet. I wanted SO badly to be selected for the Superhornet, and also to be stationed on the East Coast in Virginia Beach! My other duty station option was Lemoore, CA and I had been there once for centrifuge training, and wasn't a big fan. It smells like cow poop and is not near any water! I got F/A-18s!!! I was SO excited, relieved, and soon overwhelmed with even MORE flight school! I would go from flying the T-39 to the T-2 Buckeye. It was so nice to get back into a 2-seat glass cockpit and be maneuverable! We learned mostly BFM (basic fighting maneuvers) and only had 12 flights until we earned our wings of gold!

Cross Countries in the T1 Jayhawk

2009-04-11T13:06:00.000-07:00

June-September 2007

The second phase of flight training is called Intermediate. I was still part of the VT-4 Warbucks, I was just learning to fly a new airplane. This T1 Jayhawk is an Air Force jet, and therefore has a lot of fancy equipment! It was a great cockpit and there were 4 seats in the back for passengers. Most flights there was 2 students at a time and we would just swap seats mid-flight. Trying not to fall asleep when I wasn't in front was the toughest part! I was lucky enough to be able to score 2 cross countries during this phase, one to San Diego, CA, and one to Grand Junction, CO. I had never been to either place and they were both amazing!

The first trip was to San Diego. I went with another student, Vishal Amin, who was from that area originally. It was great to have my very own tour guide! He took me to Coronado where the US Navy Seals train! That was my favorite part! I even met up with my good friend, Chip, from OCS who flew through his BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition / SEAL) training. SEAL stands for Sea, Air, and Land, and the training is the most challenging military training a person could experience. I was so moved to see his base and the obstacle course, and SO very proud of him! We also drove to Mount Soledad Veterans' Memorial in La Jolla. It was a breathtaking view of the entire city, into Mexico, and had beautiful granit walls with pictures of our bravest men and women and their stories.

We also had a great night out on the town, and 1stSGT Griffith and Carson came down to visit from 29 Palms, CA!

My second cross country (the very next weekend), was planned to go into Salt Lake City, UT. My instructor was going to run a marathon there, and I had never been! I was with two other students this time around, Scott Maynes and Lee Dai. On our trip out there, we realized we were running short on gas and crew day so we had to divert into Grand Junction, CO. At first I was bummed because from the window of the jet, this area looked bleak. But when we landed, we found it was not the case!!! We got a hotel and went out on the town to find that the local people LOVED us! We had free drinks the entire night! The next morning, we got up early and drove up to the plateaus in the distance. It was so surprising to see the deep canyons with sheer walls, and red sandstone monoliths, and the home to the Colorado National Monument. We did a small trail hike to the top of Serpent's Trail and found some spectacular views!

Getting ready to take off on our last day at sunrise, we see that parked right next to us is an F/A-18F Superhornet! It was a gorgeous silhouette and I knew then that I wanted to fly in that!

Family in Pensacola!

2009-04-11T00:04:00.001-07:00

I am SO lucky to have the best family in the world! We have such a great support system, and are always there for each other! My parents have been my backbone through this whole military career so far, and come to visit whenever they can! Becky and Rhonda are ready to come play when the time is right! I've been so fortunate to still have so much family time and create such amazing memories, even when I can't make it home! I love them SO much!!! I also have the best friends ever!!! Jaida and Callie both were down for my commissioning and Jaida made another trip down this summer to visit! I miss everyone like crazy!

May 2007

Momma and Pooks came down to visit for a Mothers' Day vacation! On the way home from picking them up at the airport, there was a banner for the Louisiana crawfish festival! So of course, Momma said "Let's GO!!!" We had a ball!!! We learned how to peel and eat crawfish by the pound, and Mom even climbed over the rope to see how the guys were boiling them! She got the VIP treatment (being so pretty and all) and we ate until our stomachs ached! And then we settled in for some great live music and cold beer!

Peg Leg Petes!

Going to church

Momma getting her first squadron tour...ever. It was so much fun to spend time with her and Becky Sue!

At the lighthouse on the base beach. My mom has a thing for lighthouses!

Going to see Martina McBride! I surprised them both with tickets for my Mothers' Day gift! Martina is this tiny woman with a voice that doesn't stop! It was so entertaining to watch her and she put on a great show! (Rodney Atkins and Little Big Town opened)

June 2007

My best friend, Jaida came down this summer to visit and it was so nice to finally have a chance to sit down and hang out like old college times! Jaida and I went to GVSU together, played basketball together for a couple years, and now she is going to medical school and Wayne State University! Her brother, Josh, was an All-American football player from GV and plays for the Montreal CFL team! I love this girl SO much!

AND...Jaida saw her first Blue Angels performance. They were doing their show for a practice during her squadron tour!!! She loved it!

July 2007

For my birthday each year, or around that time, my dad tries to make a trip to my place and visit! This year I got REALLY lucky and both Rhonda and Becky made it too! Callie Sue was SO excited to have her first reunion with her dad, and I couldn't wait to show them all my planes and base! There was even the annual Blue Angel airshow on Pensacola Beach during their visit, so it was the first time any of them had seen them too! My dad was hooked!

Of course, Peg Leg Pete's!!! :)

Fishing out our backyard!

Our House on Perdido Bay

2009-04-10T23:46:00.000-07:00

Living in Pensacola is great, and it got even better when Forget-me-not Callie Sue came down to live with me! Callie is allergic to just about everything in the U.P., and developed some arthritis walking around in the woods with dad, so I got custody! She moved down to Pensacola in the summer of '07 to the house on Perdido Bay. I lived with Andrew Wing, a great guy who graduated from the Naval Academy and was right behind me in flight training. Callie soon realized that a backyard leading to the water was the best!!! She would go out everyday and dig up crabs, shells, and anything else under the sand! We had a great time in Florida and LOVED our Perdido Bay house.

VT-4 Warbucks and the T6 Texan

2009-04-10T23:19:00.000-07:00

March-June2007
My first training squadron was VT-4 the fighting Warbucks. I started flying the T-6 Texan, a single prop plane during primary training. The first 5 flights, the NFO (Naval Flight Officer = backseater = me), actually got to fly! I even landed it a couple of times. Then, we move back to our seat and begin to learn our responsibilities. During this phase, we were mostly getting familiar with talking on the radios, basic air navigation skills, and basic airwork recognition (airspeed, altitude, etc.) It was a great plane to fly and the BEST squadron to be in!!!

Standing in front of the Blue Angel's line. They were in the hangar next to us!

Flying my first formation flight!

When my training progressed a certain amount of time, we were allowed to go on cross country flights. The first one I took was to Boston, MA. On the way, we were allowed to take an aerial tour of Niagra Falls from 4,000 feet! It was the best view!

Disney World

2009-04-10T22:42:00.001-07:00

February 2007
After finishing API, I took a vacation down to Orlando with my dad to see Becky Sue! She was working down at DisneyWorld for an internship and we got the VIP treatment! It was fantastic!

This is at Animal Kingdom, in front of the Tree of Life

On an African Safari!!!

Epcot Center

"Mine! Mine! Mine!"

MGM

Out at Jiko for dinner

Our awesome hotel!

Orlando Science Museum

Here we saw the "Human Body" exhibit where they explore the anatomy of humans in the most amazing way I've ever seen! It was incredible. We also had a cool machine draw a picture of us :)

Cocoa Beach

API

2009-04-10T21:51:00.000-07:00

January 2007
Aviation Preflight Indoctrination (API) started for me in January 2007. It is a 6-week course where I studied aerodynamics, weather, navigation, and aircraft engines. We also did hands-on activities that included pressure chamber, lighting flares, the helo dunker, and redneck parasailing!

My class getting ready to jump in the icy Gulf to practice loading on life rafts!

The helo-dunker, an apparatus that simulates being in a downed helicopter in the water. We are strapped into seats with all of our flight gear on, including boots, and dark goggles. The point is to create reference points before submerging so as to find your way out upside-down under water. It's not a pleasant feeling.

The pressure chamber was a vault to simulate physiological symptoms in flight, such as rapid decompression and hypoxia. As you can see in the video, some symptoms of hypoxia include giddiness and the inability to do simple tasks. (Along with many others). In the video, we were tasked to touch our helmets, clap our hands, touch our partner's hands, clap again, and back to our helmets. It was a sight to see!

"Redneck parasailing" was an event to teach us how to properly land if we ever find ourselves in a parachute. A simple PLF (parachute landing fall) technique was demonstrated and practiced before attaching us to a chute, attached to a pickup truck that drove across a field in Alabama until we lifted off. (This is illegal in Florida!)

Graduation day. My class standing in front of the F/A-18 on base. We consisted of Air Force and Coast Guard (blue covers), Marine Corps (green covers), and Navy (khaki covers) pilots, back seaters, and flight docs!

Christmas '06

2009-04-10T21:08:00.000-07:00

Christmas 2006, I went home! It was SO nice to be home and celebrating the holidays with family! I definitely forgot how cold it can be though! We had a great time, from decorating, a Christmas tree expedition, four-wheeling, and shooting! We had a great night out in Hurley with good friends, and a big Roberts dinner at Grandpa's with ALL the cousins in tow! And on my way back down to Pensacola, I saw Jaida and Callie in Detroit and Windsor! Doesn't get much better :) On a venture for a Christmas tree!!!

A very pregnant Jessie came to see us!!! Love her!

Out in Hurley, WI!

Christmas Day

Dinner at Grandpas

The girls!

The old guys!

The trouble makers!

Dad and his redneck women :)

Rhonda, still driving the four-wheeler like a crazy woman!!! :) (don't we look worried?)

SOOOO cold!!!

Saying my goodbyes to Callie...little did I know it wouldn't be for long!

Down visiting my favorite girls, Jaida and Callie, in Detroit and Canada!!!

Enjoying Pensacola

2009-04-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

After finishing OCS, I checked into the schools command NAS (Naval Air Station) Pensacola. It was there that I learned we would 7 months before I would began my initial flight training! During that time, the only required work we would have to do was Introductory Flight Screening (IFS) and I was assigned to a school in Destin, FL. It's a beautiful and very wealthy tourist spot about one hour east of my apartment...fine with me! I enjoyed my time off and had some fun in the sun in Pensacola!!!

Of course, I made occasional stops into OCS and visiting with some of my gunnery sergeants, feeling pretty slick in my brand new flight suit!

Master Gunnery Sergeant Foshee, USMC, Chief Drill Instructor, OCS GYSGT Smith, ENS Roberts, GYSGT Griffith, GYSGT Carson (All are now 1stSGT)

After I was finished with IFS, I was assigned to Rescue Swimming School to be a safety observer. I got to work out and watch as some of our finest young men were trained to jump out of helicopters and save lives! It was a very motivating assignment before I began my own training!

I soon learned that the USN Blue Angels were also stationed at NAS Pensacola and saw my first airshow on Pensacola Beach with two of my buddies from OCS.
A person can eat a LOT of crab legs in 7 months!!! :)

We did plenty of beaching and fishing too!!!

I bought my first firearm and went shooting VERY often. I bought a SIG Sauer P220 .45 pistol. It's my "hand cannon" and I LOVE it!!!

Holidays were tough at first, being SO far away from all of my family, but we stuck together and made the most of it. We carved pumpkins on Halloween, and Becky Sue came down for Thanksgiving when we cooked a HUGE feast for all of the single guys around. It was a great time. Then we headed out to Destin for a spa trip, lots of Starbucks, and, of course, a crab leg dinner! :)

I even made a trip to New Orleans to say my first farewell to a good friend, Alex. He was off to flight school in Corpus Christi, TX where pilots go through primary flight training. I also got to visit some of the families I stayed with and cared for in the shelter after Katrina/Rita! It was so amazing to see them back in their homes and in their environment. They all were so grateful and generous when I was in town, and I'll never forget them!!!

My first intro to flying: a Cessna 172 out of Destin, FL. It was such a great time, and I knew from the first takeoff that I was going to have a great career!

Welcome to the US Navy!

2009-04-10T14:42:00.000-07:00

Following my tour in Louisiana, I found out I had been accepted to Naval Officer Candidate School (OCS) to train to become a Naval Flight Officer.

After finding out I'd be leaving for the Navy, I realized my life was about to change! I knew my dad had just given his English Setter, Ladybug, to my grandpa to keep him company, so I decided to buy him a new puppy. This is when Forget-me-not Callie was introduced to our family! She is a beautiful golden retriever who always gets herself into trouble! We all love her, and she's been a best friend to us all!

Right before I left, I took a vacation to North Carolina to spend some time with my sisters. It was such a great time, and we've got the tattoos to prove it!

I left for training on Easter day 2006. OCS is a 12-week school in Pensacola, FL where you are trained by Navy officers and chiefs, and Marine Corps drill instructors. They are masters at instilling military bearing and discipline and somehow transform regular civilians with college degrees into military leaders. We took classes, learned the history of the Navy, did a LOT of push-ups and running, and were judged on our officer-like qualities. On July 7th, I completed the training and received my commission. There was a commissioning parade and my whole family, Uncle Ken, plus my two best friends, Jaida and Callie, came down to see it! It was one of my proudest moments and the beginning of an exciting career!

For the first few weeks, we couldn't go anywhere but to chow, class, PT (physical training), and our barracks. We really bonded as a class though, and began to make lifelong friends.

Above, a picture from our class drill competition. Each class in OCS participates in a series of drills with M1 rifles, stationary and while marching. Our gunnery sergeant, GYSGT Smith, USMC, led us. We scored very high and earned the right to be "honor class 14-06."

Below, a few of the guys at our JMAC competition. JMAC stands for Joint Military Athletic Competition. We rode a bus up to Fort Benning, GA to compete against the Army and the Air Force in a series of athletic events consisting of pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, and running. There was also a tug-of-war competition. We ended up finishing behind the Army. It was just great to get off our base at Pensacola and see some other form of civilization!

A few of the best men I'll ever meet and I out on our first liberty night. We went to eat at Peg Leg Pete's, a seafood restaurant on Pensacola Beach. Ironically enough, it still remains my favorite all-time restaurant to this day!

(L-R): Chip Evans, USN SpecOps (SEAL); Ryan Chamberlain, F/A-18 Superhornet Pilot; me; Bryon Yamaji, EA-6B Prowler ECMO.

Yamaji and I at our first dining out. Yamaji is a former Marine, my lifeline at OCS, and an amazing friend!

The last weekend at OCS, there is a staff vs. candidate softball game. There are some beverages of choice available, but best of all, great combat stories from our gunnery sergeants and chiefs! (We lost, by the way!)

This is GYSGT (now 1stSGT) Griffith, USMC, and I at our Change of Command ceremony. This event is held the day before commissioning and is the passdown of candidate command to the next OCS class. Everyone's family is in town to see this presentation, and is a great way for them to witness what we have been training to do. The bars on my collar represent Candidate Captain, which was the highest "rank" in my graduating class. I had the responsibility of passing command to the next Regimental Commander in the following class.

The night before our commissioning, there is an event named "Hi Moms." It is a dinner and awards presentation for the families to meet and greet the OCS staff, see us dressed up in our seasonal uniforms and receive our first official "congratulations" from the staff. It starts with drinks and dinner, and then the awards presentation, and then GYSGT Smith called our class to the floor, and made us "PUSH" one last time. The families all got a kick out of it, and it was great to know that it was one of the last times we would have to do that!

The morning of July 7th, my commissioning day. We started at 0500 for the grad run, a 3 mile run around base with all of the colors and all of the participating OCS classes plus anyone from the families who wanted to run. Then off to the sand pit, or "Rose Garden" where we would demonstrate our daily routine of getting physically worked in the sand. A marching demo and a chow time routine later, we finally were able to go shower and change for the graduation parade. Because I finished the top graduate, I earned the honor of leading the parade onto the field and delivering the commands.

Following the parade, we went to the chapel where we took the oath, received our commission and our first salutes. The first salute was given by the class drill instructor and chief, as they are the enlisted men who trained us. It was the most humbling moment of my life; I respect those two men more than I can explain.

Hurricane Katrina/Rita

2009-04-10T13:48:00.000-07:00

After graduating from Grand Valley State in 2005, I took a year to decided just what I was going to do with my life. While working as a waitress, I was moved by an Oprah special on Hurricane Katrina. I went through 40 hours of Red Cross training in 4 days, and found myself on a plane to Louisiana 2 days after. I spent 5 weeks down in Alexandria, LA working at a mass care shelter for evacuees of the disaster. While we were there, Hurricane Rita decided to show up and we received over 1,000 new evacuees overnight. It was SO scary. I met the most amazing people on earth; they are the most caring, genuine, loving friends I am honored to know. It was one of the most memorable and life-changing experiences I will ever go through! Forever New Orleans.

Intro

2009-04-10T13:31:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I have seen these around, and it seems like such a great idea to help keep in touch with everyone I love! I know my life as well as everyone else's is SO hectic, and this might help keep those bonds tight! Bear with me as I figure out how to update and post things, and keep checking back for improvements!!!

XOXO,

Karin Sue