Flying!!!

So, last night we'd finished my Ethiopian meal and were wondering "What should we do tonight?" What do you think we did? Went FLYING!!!! This was SO MUCH more enjoyable for me. I knew I'd be a bit scared/nervous from the last time, but as I anticipated it, it made it much easier. Plus Jonathan was very understanding and would gently tell me what we were doing. He purposely wanted to do some things we hadn't done before (like 45 degree turns, touch & go's, and letting me fly & do an easy 360 at a 30 degree turn). Anyway, I LOVED it! It was incredible! When he did the 45 degree turn, he warned me he had to not only pull the aircraft right (into the turn), but also up, as you lost altitude in a steep turn. He told me I'd have 2 G's of pressure on me. Let me tell you, you lose your stomach!!! It's like a fair ride! I desperately wanted to do it again, but at the same time that close on the heels of dinner & the queasiness in my stomach told me to wait. :) We flew over our house, so I've posted a pic below. Our house is in the exact middle.
That all said, I can't wait to go again! It being later in the day & hot, there was a fair amount of turbulence, so it'll be much nicer to go in the fall. I am excited about the pursuit of my license, however the ground school I was going to attend in Charlotte is at a time I can't go. So we'll have to see when I can do it now.
So after we got some ice cream we went home & Jonathan beat me in Madden on the Xbox 360... But it was CLOSE. He scored in the last 10 seconds & it was 38/45 (so his final touchdown made him win... all because I was in the lead and chose a stupid field goal instead of going for a touchdown). Anyway, it wasn't much fun to lose, but he IS fun to play!!!
And tonight, in just about 2 hours, Daddy comes in! He'll only be here until Thursday, he's coming to do indexes with me. But I'm SO GLAD!!! We'll have a good time tomorrow working together (we always do!) Hooray! I'm just sorry Mom couldn't come with him... :(
So now, the pics. Us in the airplane & then our house...


Right after we landed... we have our bulky headsets off

A Salute to a few brands Par Excellence!

I don't know how you all are about certain brands, but if I have a bad experience with a company, I usually let other people know. Likewise, when I have a really outstanding experience, I want to commend that company. So, here are a few that I want you guys to know about, because they're worth using for the good service.

Delta!: Remember my experience from Greensboro to Atlanta to San Antonio back in April? The planes with mechanical trouble that delayed me getting to ATL and eventually had me miss my flight to SAT wreaking all sorts of havoc? Well, because of all that mess, I was out $240.92 (hotel & rental car). So I wrote Delta a nice letter explaining all the trouble I had, and I included detailed explaination of the cost they incurred. I told them I knew they were not oblgated to refund me anything, but I would appreciate anything from a travel voucher, check, or free companion ticket. Well, a little while later I got a nice letter apologizing for the trouble and giving me a $50 voucher and a $150 check; basically $200. Can you believe it? This company cared about my business enough to do something. I would recommend them for the way they eventually got me to SAT and the way they handled the situation when brought to their attention. Fly Delta!

Mr Coffee: (Yes!) I was chatting with Carter today (BTW, go to his site & see his bald SIGNED head!!!), as I was enjoying a just-made cappuccino. And I realized that I have owned this cappuccino maker for 12 years... Twelve!!! I have never, ever had a problem with it. Now obviously, it's just a plain steam-driven machine (as opposed to pump-driven, which makes the only acceptable espressos). But for the $40 or $50 I paid back in 1995, it has really done well! The carafe has broken a few times, as it is glass and has survived my roughness and 4 moves cross-country. Since the cost of the carafe is $10 (& an entirely new maker now only costs $30) this last break I opted not to replace it and instead wear it out until I can buy a new one.

So, that's it for today. I am making a South African meal tonight: Lamb Bobotie with geel rys. I think I'll serve it with the ever-popular Insalata Caprese we've been enjoying. Can't wait!

July Happenings

The lack of updates has been directly related to the amount of activity in the Wilson household. As usual, we've traveled around a lot. Sometimes I've had my camera, other times I have simply been satisfied to live the moment rather than capture it.

I continue to be deeply touched at how many of the people I've gotten to see face-to-face since our IVF decision have honestly desired to talk about it. I expected a lot more of the "elephant in the room" syndrome and frankly, some censure too. But I've really just had kind, curious, interested people. Thank You - all of you - for your genuine love so far! It still seems so far away (over a month until my 1st appt), and yet I'm glad for this time to reflect and continue to enjoy this honeymoon-like state I find myself in with Jonathan and his current Air Force schedule. I purchased my 1st ticket out for an initial appointment, and it cost $5 because I was able to use Delta miles. Over a year ago, Jonathan realized how much travel we were doing and wisely switched us to a credit card that rewards with miles. His foresight has allowed 4 free tickets so far!

I continue to try my hand at another step in domesticity as I'm sewing curtains for the living room. Crystal helped a lot reading the pattern and teaching things I was "expected" to know. It's been joyful to productively spend time each day on a project so gratifying!

The garden has been pouring in produce each day. Our biggest producers are yellow squash, okra, and tomatoes. The beets' growth are stunted, and the watermelons have but a week or two more to ripeness! The 2nd corn planting hasn't happened yet. Because of the heavy tomato volume, at Crystal's encouragement, we bought 2 lbs of buffalo mozzarella at Sam's and have nightly been serving "Salad Caprese". You simply slice the tomatoes and mozarella into rounds, layering it alternately on a plate. Then drizzle on extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh basil shreds, fresh-ground pepper and sea salt. Truly delicious with all fresh ingredients!

Now, because I have little to add at the time, I shall conclude with a picture update of the last 2 weeks. I shall attempt more regular updates!!!

The Fourth Of July - Graydons, Wilsons, Robinsons, O'Malleys.
Girls Jumping in the pool, then Christopher & Sarah. She is SO cute.

Suzanne had a broken toe, so she couldn't walk much. Here's Cath & Suz talking, then Steph & Mary in the pool.


Katrina Joy! Crystal outside the aircraft that took us back to Georgia. Jonathan let her fly for about 30 minutes, & she liked it.


Seth & Carter... love the bald head.... Then Jonathan cooking up Injera (Ethiopian flat bread). What a good meal!


This is the runway at Robins... And Jonathan bringing us in for a landing. His landings honestly are better than I've ever experienced - very smooth!


Crystal & me at the Atlanta Acquarium... Jonathan & me at a South African restaurant we took Crystal to, called 10 Degrees South. Truly delicious.


Crystal playing with my kitty Peaches, then her and I at our Daily Starbucks trip! How many wonderful talks we had there!

Jonathan is Wonderful! :)

So, where do you think we were this weekend???? How about THE BEACH!

Friday evening, Jonathan & I took a walk in the woods (how nice to live near woods!) after dinner. We were figuring how to spend our evening. Jonathan, the king of great ideas, blurts out, "Let's run home and get out our laptops, and see if we can find a hotel room at a Georgia beach for less than $$." Excitedly, we searched... And found a hotel on the beach-front at Jekyll Island, just 3 hours east of where we live. So we packed the car, went to bed, and headed out at 7 the next morning for THE BEACH. We both LOVE the beach. Have so much fun reading, flying kites, swimming, fishing, laughing, talking, walking, and exploring the islands. We were ready for some sun - hadn't been to the beach since our Destin trip the 1st week May (2 whole months! Spoiled, I know!).

We had the bestest weekend together, and drove back Sunday so joyously relaxed. Best friends on the adventure of our life! We are so in love and happy with this season between us! Next trip we'll visit another island, they're all quite different down there. A 3 hour trip is very doable for a weekend for us, so I'm hoping we can do this again maybe in August or late September. Of course, September is our big San Antonio trip, so maybe it won't work. But we always have loads of fun there, so I won't care!

Now tomorrow Jonathan will FLY us in a 4 passenger aircraft from Warner Robins, GA to Danville, VA. Should be a 3 hour flight. I have never flown with him yet, so I'm nervous and excited! And we get Crystal to fly back with us on Thursday, Lord willing, for a week's of fun here with me! Pray for safety when you think of us! Until I'm back with some pictures..... :)