Quick Update

Sorry no updates lately. Since we moved out of our home in TX on Dec 15th we're flown to NC, spent a few hurried weeks there, flew back to TX, closed things out there, drove to GA, found a house (looked at 20 something), drove to Charlotte, stayed a few days, drove up near Asheville in the mountains to visit Jonathan's grandparents, drove back to our families' homes, and I'm about to stay here for 2 1/2 weeks while Jonathan's in Washington state for survival school. Now that it's 2 days away I'm having some feelings of real anxiety and sadness. I hate being apart even for a night. The longest we've been away since his 29 day field training (our 3rd month of marriage back in July '04) was 7 days this past November when I was in Oxford. I'm going to miss him so badly! But just so I won't cry here, I won't say any more. Except that the next few weeks will be the times to get together with you NC girls!
Pictures of the house later. Stories and such. I haven't been on the computer much at all lately, sorry for no comments anywhere. I have been trying to read all the updates.
Give me a call or email for anyone wo wants to set up a definite date from Jan 17-28.

Pic Post

I try to keep a good mix between posts about what's happening, and picture posts. Lately, all I've really posted is pictures. I'm afraid today will be more of the same. We've had the most wonderful time here in NC with our families and dear friends! So enjoy the pics and know when I actually have time to sit and write about what's happening, I'll get around to that. They're from Crystal's visit to SA, Jonathan's graduation from nav school, and my visit to Charlotte last week. Love you all!

Crystal & I after an Air Force Christmas Party


Jonathan, Crystal, & me at the party


The beautiful RiverWalk with Christmas lights


Crystal & I on the Riverwalk


Jonathan & I after I pin his wings on - Finally an AirForce Aviator!


Joker Flight at Pre-Graduation Dinner - Newest Future Navs of the USAF


Lyric, Zoe, and Emma Freas - my favorite little girls in Charlotte!
We had such fun playing playdough, house, stories, and more!


Me with the Freas girls, before leaving. :(

Moving!

Orders came in Monday.... Packers come Thursday... Moving Friday! Must clean empty house & professionally clean carpets Friday.... & get ride to airport. (We're flying home for Christmas, & flying back to outprocess here, then drive to GA.)
Jonathan graduates Navigator school Friday, and I get to pin his wings on! I'm so proud of him!
It all came so fast!
Crystal is here, but she got the flu and has been so sick today. I hate it, I feel so sorry for her! She flys out Thursday morning.
Won't be on much in the next few days! See you NC'ers soon!

Jonathan's Aircraft Assignment

Last week Jonathan got his aircraft assignment: E-8 Joint STARS (JSTARS)! They changed things around completely for how they gave out the aircraft, but we are trusting that's God's design, just like the mix-up and change of plans to get us here. We'll go to Robbins AFB in Georgia, only 460 miles from our families! They don't get sationed anywhere else, so for the next 3 years, we'll be there (Jonathan will be deployed, but no TDY to another base). That is good news!
More info on the plane, for those interested: The Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) is a long-range, air-to-ground surveillance system designed to locate, classify and track ground targets in all weather conditions. While flying in friendly airspace, the joint Army-Air Force program can look deep behind hostile borders to detect and track ground movements in both forward and rear areas. It has a range of more than 150 miles (250 km). These capabilities make Joint STARS effective for dealing with any contingency, whether actual or impending military aggression, international treaty verification, or border violation. I think he said their deployment rate is right now reported as 45 days every 6 months, but that they are usually not gone 90 days out of a year. Not bad!
We're happy to know where we're going. And even though outsiders may look and think things like this are weird to be happy about: disappointments. But it's seeing the light in the disappointment and knowing God's faithfulness, because it's been there in the past, and it will be there for the future.
UPDATE: We just learned we have to move in mid-December!!!! Before we come home for Christmas! Yikes! Right now that just overwhelms me. I do not feel ready or willing to move that soon, so it's really a trust issue with me that the Lord is ordaining this time. Wow. Pray for us.

Goin to the Boat!

Heading down to the boat... We're going to Corpus this weekend. Should be fun! It looks like the seas will be a bit rough tomorrow, so we'll probably only go out on the boat a few hours and not too far from the marina. And I imagine we'll spend the remainder of time on the beach. Last Saturday doing that was wonderfully relaxing and enjoyable, as we played in the surf together, read, and fished! Jonathan even caught a large sting ray and I had to hold it down with a bucket while he got his rig off.
I'm mostly packed for that, I never know if we'll cook on the boat or go out. We usually end up going out, because there are so many great restaurant choices down there, just a walk away from the marina. There's even this quaint coffee shop called Aqua Java that's walking distance too. We got coffee for the early drive home to make it to church last time. We're not sure if we'll stay Saturday night or not. Life Group is at our house (we've started rotating houses & whoever's house it's at does the meal). That means I need a bit more time on Sunday to clean and cook. I know Jonathan will help, probably during halftime of the Carolina game. I sure hope they'll do better this game! They've performed so poorly the last two. :(
Not too much else to report. That's my update for this Friday. It does look like it won't work out for me to go to Oxford when I wanted (coinciding with Jonathan's 4 day Cross Country), so I won't go at all. It is a hard decision to make, both because I really want to go overe there and because I'm not excited about him being gone for 4 days. :(

Loving Married Life!

So we've been having fun lately, so many good times with my bestest friend. :) I'm getting very excited about our Labor Day weekend get-away down to Corpus Christi on our newly-fixed boat. Don't know where we'll venture out to, but we're sure to get quality-time together and some delicious seafood. Perhaps we'll even catch something worthy of adorning our dinner plates. No matter what, it'll be an adventure. That's what we love best. Our Grand Adventure is what I sometimes refer to our marriage as, which seems fitting.

Jonathan had a test yesterday on top secret weapons and defenses the US military has... He did wonderfully! He was so diligent in his studying, going in early most mornings (6:30 when show-time was 9), and also going in on the weekend. He is such an example of a hard worker and serious student. I love watching him in that role... I guess that's something I've watched since before our marriage.

My sister Suzanne flys in later today! She used her hard-earned money to buy a ticket out here to visit me! I've planned many fun outings and two craft-like projects for us together. We of course plan on going to Starbucks every single day! Just like I did when Mary was here.... except she refused it one day. :( So we broke our record. BTW, if you reload a Starbucks card online from a Visa with $50 or set it up for (any amount) of automatic reload, you get $10 extra put on your card. 3 cards per household. That's $30. Our monthly Starbucks budget. You betcha I'll cash in!

Nothing more here, except I got a beautiful present from Seth & Karen in the mail, it's a dresser with these gorgrous coffee-pictures painted on it. I'll post a pic soon. I moved all my coffee stuff in there where it sits in my kitchen looking beautiful. More later! Here's a pic of us on our trip to Dallas.

SCUBA and Life

So, ever since getting back from NC for the Independence Day celebration, life has seemed extremely busy. Even now I feel tired... or is it sleepy? After getting into a routine of getting up at 6ish every morning, I learned I loved that and had plenty of energy and time to get things done in the day, if I ordered my day. However, I also learned that I really do not like getting up in the 5's! It leaves me lethargic/tired in the morning and I don't know that I catch up. Does anyone feel like that? It's very consistent.
This past Saturday we went with 7 Air Force friends (2 couples, a 3 year old, and a single guy) to Canyon Lake on our boat. Everything turned out different than planned, but suffice it to say we ended up caught in a huge downpour with our just-finished-cooking charcoal brats being gathered together into cups (in the rain) and eaten out of paper towels in our respective cars as we soakingly drove back! We all laughed a lot about it and had a jolly ride home.
Right now I'm taking 2.5 hours of SCUBA diving classes M-Th each night for 2 weeks. We alternate between classroom time and pool time. Since I've dove once, I've been very familiar with what's been taught so far. I'll be excited to get NAUI certified and be able to go out diving with Jonathan whenever we desire. With this completed, I can look to my next goal: my pilot's license. It won't be here, but perhaps our next station. :) Imaigne, being able to trod on earth, swim under the sea, and fly in the air! God's creation is amazing to behold!
I'll be glad for Friday and the weekend, since I don't have much evening time with Jonathan at the present, because of my classes. Fortunately he has early mornings every day this week, meaning he gets home early afternoon!
BTW, to everyone who made time to see us while we were back, thank you, thank you, thank you!!! It was an amazing blessing and so much fun! Your friendships and love toward us are a treasure!

Air Force Jets!

"Wide sky big breaks; Michigan, Great Lakes;
Cattle rattle, snowflakes, Georgia beaches.
Louisiana harpoon, New York attitude, Florida beaches.
Tennessee whiskey; Diddy, are you with me?
Texas chili, Virginia pine.
It's hard to beat that California sunshine.
Baby, you're my favorite,
Favorite state of mind."
-from "Favorite State of Mind"

May already and I really didn't update in April, how bad I have been! At least I can say, I've been very busy "living" to not have a lot of time to "document" it. But enought is enough and it's finally time to give this my attention. So, here's the current scoop:
My sisterMary spent her hard-earned money and visited for a week in April. It was the highlight of my month, and I did not expect to grieve like I did when she left. It was seriously some sort of depression to b left all alone again (during the day) and not have my friend to be doing stuff with! However, I learned to be joyful and content again and God already worked out my family to come visit in May during my birthday too! So I only had a month to wait! That was a tremendous blessing!
Jonathan and I had a large group of friends at our home for Easter, all unsaved friends we were opening up our home to share God's love with. It was a great time, and we continue to be excited about all the opportunities God has given us to daily interact with those who need Jesus. We pray & attempt to meet their physical needs like Jesus did so tha topportunity will open up to meet their spiritual needs when they become apparent, by demonstrating true love. We love being in a church that emphasises so strongly personal ministering to those in your sphere of influence. :)
Life Group at church is still wonderful! Our church had baptisms yesterday and 17 people were baptised! It was special to watch those in their 30's all the way down to 9 year olds. We had a nice picnic and had lots of fun fellowshipping and playing with all the kids!
Jonathan and I had all Friday to hear briefs from crews of all the aircraft he can go to, as well as to actually walk on the aircraft and see exactly what it looks like (all but the B-52, since the runway's not big enough at Randolph). It was extremely enlightening, ang I got to sit in the cockpit of one of these (F-15E Eagle):


Makes me understand why Jonathan would want that more than an y other! However, it's not an option, they must have just had it there for fun. :) With all the wisdom we have, he's leaning toward B-52's (Bombers) or KC-135's (air refulers).
Heres's a B-52 Bomber

Here's a KC-135 refueling:

So maybe you don't think all these pics are cool, but they are to me!!!
Now, May should be a busy month, too. Jonathan's siblings (sans Emily) will be coming to visit for 6 days and then 4 days later my family comes for a week! So we'll have wonderful times and a full house in May! That is extremely exiciting!
Have I mentioned that I love the United States? I do. Just living different places makes me aware of how different God made even just one continent. He gave us beautiful mountains and the rolling hills of Virginia/NC with the kudzu and dogwoods and wonderful pines! He gave us the flat-straight land of Illinois with its acres of corn. He gave us the rugged, brown, full of live oaks and cactuses, mostly flat, dry area of Texas. I could name differences in every state, and that only covers one country! It's amaznig he's given Jonathan and me the opportunity to travel around and live all these different places! Just thinking about our next assignment stirs excitement in me for what it will be like.
And this will have to end my thought for today. Sorry there aren't any personal pictures. I have blackmail pictures of Mary, Jonathan, and me line-dancing in ridiculous clothes, but I'll resist posting those. :) Ok here's on of Jonathan & little Emerson (our CG leader's youngest girl).

Have a blessed May everyone, and keep seeking Christ! I close with this:
"And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross." Colossians 2:13,14

March Update

Happy Monday, Happy March, and Happy Birthday to all the people I know with March Birthdays!

Much to tell! Jonathan has started classes! Academics officially start tomorrow. Wow. All the waiting and here it is. Kind-of scary, definitely exciting. I admit that I have been (graciously, and wonderfully) spoiled all my marriage (which is 2 months shy of a 2 years!). This is the first time I've experienced a husband consistently having to be gone 8 hours a day! Certainly Jonathan had his days in college where he'd have to be gone that much or more, but they were the exception. Most days we've had lunch together, and had the opportunity to take mid-day jaunts wherever we liked. Our life is about to become much more scheduled: shall I say we'll experience a more "normal" life? But that sounds boring, as this hardly will be! I'll get to hear him come home and tell me about flight simulations (people getting sick, yay!), jamming radars and missiles, and of course all his flights up! I might share some of the really cool stuff on here.

There are so many opportunities here for things to do, and new stuff to learn. Case in point: we are looking seriously at buying a boat for cruising around, fishing and exploring on weekends or holidays. So we both need to take a boating safety course, and I need to learn about reefs and charting and navigation. Then we've looked into my getting Padi certified for SCUBA diving. We also want me to get my Pilot's License!!!! That makes me get chills of amazement and fear! So, many things are vying for my time and money. But what opportunities! I love having a husband that is so talented, adventurous, and knowledgable! *sighs happily* I don't know anyone else like him (did I mention he's a sharpshooter(he has the excellent marksman ribbon to prove it)?!!!

As many of you know, we found a church! By God's grace, we settled in at CrossBridge Community Church, and were invited that night to a Life Group (i.e. small group). Don't disbelieve that God doesn't even direct things like who you sit by! People welcomed us warmly and we have appreciated the emphasis on being an active part of the Body of Christ, and being in fellowship/discipleship at a small group. They have a weekly 4-page booklet they publish before the following message on Sunday, so you can be prepared about what the pastor is going to preach. It also contains questions for the Life Group that night. No church is perfect, but we're grateful to be in a place to walk the lively life in Christ with others!

Other than that we got sunburned from a day at Corpus Christi, have sold some things we didn't care about on eBay, I finally made my vaunted homemade enchiladas and Jonathan raved, are enjoying our first visitor (Jonathan's dad), my Kitty Marie is wild and happy, and I love how inexpensive the Commissary is for groceries (and its coupon policy)!

We think often of our family and friends back home, and around the country. You are loved and your friendship is treasured. Keep the emails and calls coming, as I have tried to do!

The RiverWalk


Kitty Marie


Beautiful Flowers Jonathan brought me!


Jonathan & Denise on Valentine's

Finally an Update from TX

Well, believe it or not, I'm finally updating. Moving 1200+ miles away into an unfamiliar city has been quite The Adventure.
My first experience on a military base was one of awe: so this is how those who serve our country live and work. We lived in temporary housing for families for 3 weeks while we house hunted. Fro 3 weeks I did not have to clean (except dishes) and we frequently ate out, as there was minimal stuff which with to prepare meals. I got to see gruff old seargents and young airmen alike render salutes to Jonathan, with his 2nd Lientenant "butter bar" clearly showing. I got a thrill each time I witnessed this: here was a small example of the rank he had worked hard to attain. I am learning how to identify each rank, for it is an important sign of respect to use a person's title when addressing them. They have worked hard for it and it should be recognized. So when I enter the gate to go shopping at the Commissary (base grocery), I can say "Thank you, Airman" after showing my military ID. Although I have not had much personal interaction yet, I feel they are a close-knit group.
One reason we haven't met many people yet, or formed any sort of circle of friends, happens to be that Jonathan has not started his Navigator training. He orignially wasa slotted for a May 8th class, but, Praise the Lord, has been bumped up to March 5th. Each day the training jets fly over the house, and it's exhilirating to know that in short order, it will be Jonathan passing overhead!
We originally planned on buying a house, but ended up renting. The house was a newly-finished rental home. It's in a nice new neighborhood, 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, and a little larger than our old house 'most everywhere. Texans have a strange custom of combining the laundry room with the kitchen pantry, which makes for a small space (they put the water heater in my pantry too!). But Jonathan being so handy has bought and hung more shelving, so I'm happy. Jonathan can't stand to live amidst boxes, so before 10 days had elapsed, he had our home completely devoid of boxes and every single picture, towel rack, or shelving hung! I am blessed with an industrious husband who can work around any problem, who does not procrastinate, and who loves to bless me! :) Our home didn't come with a fridge, so after painstakingly researching it online and locally, we purchased a 25 cu ft LG (Life's Good, Jenn I know you love that brand!) French Door, Bottom Mount Freezer. I love it and hope/plan to never outgrow it!
We haven't found a church home yet, which is the fore-front of our prayer life right now. We've tried 3 in 4 weeks (visiting one twice), but have not decided that is home. We dearly want to find a body of Christ with which to worship and grow, especially in a small group setting. We continue the search, eager for what God must have in store!
Our evenings and weekends are filled with reading, setting-up house, exploring San Antonio and thereabouts, movie watching, and long talks with the family back home. We miss them and our friends a great, great deal! Every email and phone call have been utterly precious to me! Please don't stop!
San Antonio's second largest tourist attraction (behind the Alamo) is The Riverwalk. The San Antonio River runs through the city, and because of flooding dangers in the 20's the river was going to be paved over. But some forward-thinking women formed a conservation society and proposed the canals and toursm industry that thrives today. It's uniquely beautiful and lots of fun!
I'll post some pictures here so there's an idea of what things are like.

Riverwalk Hotels


J&D - Night Riverwalk


Riverwalk Restaurants

Riverwalk Waterfall

Botanical Garden

Botnaical Garden - Cactus

Moving To Randolph AFB

January 17, 2006 - Jonathan's Report Date to Randolph Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas
Yes, our orders came in last week. What a relief to know, and yet a sadness to know we must move so very far away. Exciting, too. Just about every emotion, actually. :) I am anticipating the next stage in our lives' Grand Adventure (as we call it). How much God must have in store... A new church family, new ways to serve, and of course new friends.
One blessing immediately is that we won't be complete strangers. Adam Boyd, who was a groomsman in our wedding (and Jonathan in his), and his wife Anna live out there as he's currently in Navigator school. So that's good news!
Now we must go through briefings to prepare us for our first Air Force Move. What you can take, what's reimbursable, etc. I've begun to take a critical eye to my house and ask "Do I want to move this, give it away, or trash it?" I've heard military moving is good on keeping clutter down, Hallelujah! :)
So now, all of you, we'll be home from about December 11th on, living in my parents garage apartment, going back and forth to Charlotte for stuff. This is the time I'd love to see you all and share some great memories before the move.... Email/Call me and we'll be sure to set something up!!!! Love & Hugs! -J & D-