Is it really fall already?

Where did the time go? I can't believe that Travis has been gone since June! The bad thing is that he isn't coming home yet...the good news is that Christmas (when he will actually get to come home) is really not that far away. The bad thing is that when he does get to come home around Christmas time we will only be here for a couple weeks to get things figured out and packed...then we will be moving...the good news is that we will be moving AS A FAMILY!!! Our little unit back together again and living under the same roof. Words cannot tell you all how happy that makes me. It has been forever since we all were living in the same house, in the same city, in the same state, on the same side of the country!!! We are very excited. I'm sure Parks will be more than thrilled to have his Daddy back too!



Keesler AFB, {Biloxi, Mississippi}

September 8th was our 3rd anniversary, and although we weren't able to spend it together...I was able to go visit Travis for some much needed alone time. It would have been wonderful to get to take Parker with me, but it was such a long day of airports and plane rides that he would have been miserable (and made me miserable in the process). Plus, I think it is necessary for parents to get away together free of children every once in a while! It was so great to see Travis and to get to see where he has been living and put some faces to names of "his boys" that I hear about all the time. I think it was strange for them to have someone around that called them by their first names!!! I had such a great time and it went by much too quickly. It was so hard to say goodbye to my hubby...AGAIN...and to get into a taxi and drive away. It wasn't until I was in the airplane and taking off that it really hit me and I started to tear up. Getting to see him is totally worth it, but does make it hard to get used to sleeping by myself again and it is so hard to go back to not having him around again. Boy do I love that man!!! We were so thankful to my parents for watching Parker for the long weekend. I know he had so much fun and I couldn't think of anyone he would love to get to hang-out with more! Here are some pictures from the trip:

{bowling on the base...in case you were wondering...I whooped up on all the boys!!!}

{out at Shady's...me-trav-brandon}

{out on the beach...chase-brandon-trav}

Playing at the park

This morning Parker and I went to the park with my friend Jessica and her son Cooper. Parker and Cooper play so well together and had fun playing at the park! It is nice to just get out of the house for an hour or so and let Parker get some of his excess energy out.
















Hanging out around the house

{these are the 3 toys that Parker will not go anywhere without...literally...he takes them to bed and then brings them with him when he wakes up}

{this is usually what the floor around our house looks like...as soon as Parker wakes up he dumps the bucket the toys are put away in out in the middle of the floor}

to our 3rd year...

...wish you were here.

So...today is our anniversary. It is rainy and gloomy outside. (Totally the kind of day that Travis and I love to sit around with a cup of coffee on...too bad he isn't here to have one with me!) Instead he is stuck in Mississippi. We will be celebrating our anniversary in about a week when I fly to Mississippi to see him!!!


So here is to my amazing hubby on our anniversary:

Travis,

It is hard to believe that 3 years have already flown by. Where did the time go, really? It feels like just yesterday I was sitting on your lap in Luke's Explorer and not wanting to get up...because even though I barely knew you then...I knew that it was exactly where I belonged. From that night on I couldn't shake the feeling that with you was my place, my home. I had never been more sure of anything in my life (yet). That moment was the best in my life up 'til then..until the day you asked me to spend the rest of my life with you...then the moment I became your wife...then the moment we had Parker. There is one common piece among all of the best moments of my life, and that piece is you. Without you none of those moments would have been possible.

Three years ago today I married my best friend, the love of my life, and my own personal comedian, and my hero. Babe, look at how much you can grow in three years. Look at how our love has grown, how we have grown, how our family has grown, how our son has grown, and how our strength has grown. You make me proud everyday and I know that I am not only blessed to be your wife...but that I was meant to be your wife. God brings people into our lives at the exact right moments, He brought you to me at the perfect time--and he brought Parker to us at the perfect time.

So here's to 3 years of marriage--I'm so glad we both took a chance on each other so long ago. Who knew people really did fall in love with people they had just met???

The only thing that could make this day more perfect was if you were here. I miss you honey and I can't wait to see you in a week!

Happy anniversary baby--I love you and I miss you!

newest feature on the blog

as you can see...i added a new map to the blog. the little green house shows where we are, here in washington. the blue arrow shows where travis is, at keesler afb in biloxi, mississippi.

i hope this sheds a little more light on where travis is and the kind of distance we are dealing with right now. if you click on the blue arrow, then look to the top left of the map you can click + to zoom in and see a satellite view of the area where travis is.

why it says "i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart) above the map???: this is from a poem that we had read at our wedding ceremony. here it is in it's entirety.

i carry your heart with me
(i carry it in my heart)
i am never without it
(anywhere i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear no fate
(for you are my fate,my sweet)
i want no world
(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

Edward Estlin Cummings

Trav's Graduation from BMT: Lackland AFB, TX

On August 5th, Parker and I started our journey to see Travis. We began our morning by flying from Pasco to Seattle...where we met up with Trav's parents. Then, we all flew from Seattle to Austin, TX...where we rented a car and drove to San Antonio, TX (where Lackland AFB is). We finally got to San Antonio around 7:30 PM and were not able to see Travis that night. So, that night seemed to last forever while I waited for morning when I would FINALLY get to see my husband after 2 long months!

It had been insanely hot in San Antonio the last couple days, but because the Graduation Ceremony was at 9:15 AM the temperature was actually not that bad. It helped that we were sitting in covered bleachers right next to a mister fan!!! Parker was such a trooper and I was so lucky to have Trav's parents (Gma Jammi & Gpa Lee) along with their very good friends (Jack & Anne) who were all amazingly helpful. Thanks again guys...I wouldn't have been able to do it without you. The Ceremony was wonderful and it was so hard to pick Travis out of the bunch when they were out so far! Everyone was in blue and had hats on!
{parks and mommy in the bleachers}
{the graduating flights...trav's is the 2nd from the right...i think, it's hard to tell now}

{trav's flight...WARRIOR FLIGHT}
{trav's flight walking by...we were so busy trying to find trav in the flight that we didn't even manage to get good pictures}

After the ceremony was over they had all the flights lined up again and in order for your Airman to leave formation you had to go down onto the field and "tap them out." Sounds easy enough, right? WRONG! From up in the stands we could see Trav's flight just fine...but once you were down at their level (not to mention that I am all of 5'1"...and that might be pushing it) and everyone is wearing the same thing, there are so many other families trying to find their husbands/sons/etc...that it was very hard to find Travis. I was starting to get to the point where I felt like I was looking forever and I was never going to find him...but I finally did. It was so great to see him after so long!
{parks was so tired and hot...the sun was so bright and we could barely see}

{daddy holding parks...parker just wanted to cuddle with him the whole time}
{SSgt. Hite--Trav's MTI--Military Training Instructor}
It was so great to spend time with him and have his show us around and what he has been up to! We really missed him! That night we were able to go to a baseball game. It was fun to get to meet some of the guys I had heard so much about! They were all such a blast!

The next day was bittersweet! It was great to spend more time with Travis, but we knew that it had to end that day. We were so sad to get in the car and drive back to the airport without him. Two days is almost like a tease...long enough to give you a taste of what life "used to be like"...but not long enough to keep you from feeling devastated when it was over.

Trav's Coins:

Words cannot express how proud of Travis I am. He is such an amazing man. Not to mention what an amazing husband and father he is! I cannot believe how well the 3 of us have been doing with this new chapter in life. Now that Basic Training is over we get to talk several times throughout the day and it isn't nearly as hard of a situation anymore.

Travis is now at Technical School at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. He will be there until the beginning of October. After that he will finish Tech School at Shepherd AFB in Texas for probably 4 months. At least we know he will be able to come home for Christmas. Travis is doing great and gets to hang out with some of the guys that were in his Flight at Basic Training and are also stationed at Keesler. In September I am going to Mississippi to visit Travis for our anniversary. Parker is going to stay with my parents for the long weekend and I am excited to go on a plane...toddler-free!!! Plus, I'm really excited to get to see my hubby again!