i ♥ airports

planes have always facinated me. i remember how fun it would be to drive by our tiny small-town airport just as a little puddle jumper plane would come in. and oh what a thrill it was when we would go to the big city and watch the huge planes fly right over the interstate. and it was even better when we'd get to go to the airport and watch them land. you know, back in the day when you could actually do that.

i still love to watch planes.

and i still love to go to airports. especially when you get to do this:

so tell me, what's not to love about the airport?!

welcome home, cam!! we're proud of you!

p.s. look for my 'i hate airports' post in two weeks when we send him off again...

thankful thursday

today i am very thankful. and very proud.

my nephew cameron, who is at the US Navy boot camp, underwent a huge test last night. from 8pm to 8am he took his final test, called battle stations.

Battle Stations is the culminating event of Navy Boot Camp. It's designed to wrap everything you've learned about swimming survival, teamwork, fire-fighting, damage control, and more into one massive 12 hour hands-on exercise.

after being up all day, he had to stay up all night and pass this final test to graduate and become a US Navy Sailor.

first off, i'm thankful that ryan was up from 3am to 4am last night. it gave me a chance to pray for cam!

second, i'm thankful to those of you who knew about this test and were praying for him too. thank you!!

third, i'm so thankful that HE PASSED!!! he will graduate from boot camp tomorrow morning, and i will be the very proud aunt of a US Navy sailor! congratulations cameron! we love you!!

more than a memory

today is memorial day. a day that to me, used to be just another holiday. one less day of school. a paid day off work. a good excuse to go to the lake and have a bbq.

but this year i see it a little differently. i actually know people who are serving our country right now in a branch of the armed forces. it hits a little closer to home. :-)


so in addition to remembering those who have served...

grandpa k - US ARMY - served in WWII. he was one of the 4 men in his division who survived normandy on d-day. lived to be 83.

grandpa l - US ARMY - served in WWII as a military police. lived to be 80.

love you and miss you, grandpas!

great aunt margie - US MARINE CORP - not quite sure what she did! :-)

uncle eric - US ARMY - served in the vietnam war. he received a purple heart and a bronze star for a 30 hour ambush he was in.

my daddy - US AIR FORCE - served in the vietnam war translating morse code. he was personally thanked by a pilot whose life he saved when he intercepted enemy code.


...today i am also thinking of friends and family who are serving at home and abroad.

cameron (middle) - US NAVY - surviving boot camp right now!

taylor (left) and cody (right) - US MARINE CORP - will be serving in okinawa.

jacob - US MARINE CORP - serving overseas. actually ON the sea. he's on a ship right now!

nate (left) - US MARINE CORP - serving in afghanistan.

peter (right) - US AIR FORCE - serving in minneapolis, mn.

jeff - US ARMY - serving in afghanistan.

to those who have served and are serving, THANK YOU. your sacrifice means more than you know.