400+ Boxes Later

Awe, wine. There’s nothing like a good glass of Oregon wine to remind me of home. We really should try out the local winery here in Del Rio, I just haven’t mustered up the courage to venture in quite yet...perhaps this weekend.

For anyone that’s checked the blog during the past few weeks, I apologize for the lack of entries. The days have been a bit hectic getting moved in, adjusting to life on base and with John jumping into pilot training. Good news is, 400+ boxes and who knows how many trees worth of paper later, we’re finally settled. We unpacked the last room this weekend and are to a point where I’m able to sit back and spend some time typing.

Our house is nothing glamorous, but we’ve done what we can to make it cozy and I it will work for the year. Besides, there’s a ceiling fan in almost every room so Mikayla thinks it’s the best house ever! Virtually all of the homes on base – aside from the big wigs' – look the same. They’re mid-50s rancher style duplexes. The interiors vary a little bit, but not much. Ours is a “two plus” bedroom, which essentially means we have two regular size bedrooms and a little one. It has a “his and hers” bathroom, which is odd, a big fenced backyard and a huge pine tree in the front yard. We’re kitty-corner from the base commander’s house, so we probably won’t be hosting many wild parties, and we’ve already established a social circle that makes it seem like we’ve been here far longer than we have.

  (Mikayla doesn't mind folding laundry, as long as there is a ceiling fan involved.)

For the most part, unpacking went smoothly, though there were a few lessons learned for the next move. In particular, throw away the grease jar before the movers come! We emptied the trashes, but completely forgot the grease jar. Fortunately, almost all of the grease made it to Del Rio without spilling... Also, don’t assume the labels on the boxes have anything to do with what’s inside. After all, why wouldn’t the stereo be packed with the flower pots???

John’s pilot training is off to a running start and going very well. It’s no surprise he’s excelling in the academics and can’t wait to hit the flight line next month. He spends most of his day in briefings, AKA class, comes home for lunch and then hits the books with a study group in the evenings. Mikayla and I had a chance to watch him practice parachute landings, which I have to admit looks a bit like a bunch of grown men jumping off platforms and rolling around in the gravel, as well as his time in the pressure chamber. Ironically, I think we see each other more now than we ever did before.

Mikayla continues to grow and her personality blossoms more and more each day. For Halloween she was a pumpkin and a monkey, and in the past couple weeks she’s started giggling which is a heart melting sound.

We haven’t been able to get her to roll over again, but she’s gotten much better about entertaining herself and napping on her own. She’s finally big enough for her swing and naps to the sound of the ocean just about every day. By the time we take her to see the ocean, she’ll probably fall asleep the moment she hears the waves crash.

Recent cold fronts have brought the temperatures all the way down into the 70s during the day - not quite like November at home - and while I could tell you stories all night, it's time to head to bed. On that note, I leave you with a few photos and I'll try to keep the posts coming more regularly going forward.