Just Jackie

Pictures!

I've finally added all the pictures possible. Most of them are requests for my parental units but if you are interested, take a look! There is three new folders...there is Holloman AFB, Linkin Love, and Our House-Holloman. So Check em out! The up close flower pictures are for my parents to help me understand a few things. So... things are going well. Or so I say. I am SO excited about my plants and flowers. I love taking care of them. They are like my children. Or maybe more like a pet. I am loving it. We finally put stuff all over our gardens and lawn today that will kill the millions of potato bugs that are killing everything. We have railroad ties around our garden (soon to be replaced with something better looking and better for the life of the living) and I rolled them all over and found that they had been eaten alive with potato bugs, which I learned this week are actually not called potato bugs, they are called pill bugs. Interesting eh? Many of you probably already know that but I learned it in the form of not being able to find anything that would kill potato bugs. Anywho...our lawn here is completely crunchy and literally falling out. So we have applied that stuff and starting to water like crazy and fertilize and we'll see what we can bring to life. ???? I hope, I hope, I hope. I will feel so successful. Hee hee~ We don't have any plants in our garden so it's just a matter of getting green grass - something that is quite rare here actually. I did buy some plants for our garden areas though. I know people here are going to be thinking, "what is she thinking??" spending money on gardening for a home she is moving out of in 7 months? ha ha! But it's a hobby that I love and it's good practice for when I have my own home someday, so I'm excited to be doing it. I think I might have went overboard on plants though. I don't know though, maybe not. But we were at Walmart with our cart of goodies and one of the employees said, "I don't think I've ever seen anybody but that much!" So go figure. That worried me only because of our area, so I'm hoping I didn't spend lots of money to watch a bunch of plants die. We'll see and I'll keep you updated. See now that I've committed publicly to this yard work, it's more motivating for me to make it work and happen. So far it's going great. My plants, and flowers in the pots are doing well and I love them and they love me.

Linkin had his six month appointment today. I need some feedback from you mothers out there. His Doc told me basically that he's behind on everything. Not in that fashion did she say it, but I left there feeling like a pathetic, neglecting mother. So she said he should be pulling up to a standing position, should be eating solids - like picking up and eating soft fruits and stuff - not just baby food, she said I need to rid him of the binky, that I'm giving him too much formula, I need to introduce the sippy, etc, etc. Now I'm not saying I disagree with all of that, because I don't at all. I agree with a lot of it, but I'm interested to know what you think about it. I know that a lot of it is necessary and about this age is when to work on it, but she acted as if I was delayed in these things, like he should be standing already. He's barely learned how to sit, so I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Ok, just a worried mother speaking here but I know that all kids are different and I don't need to worry, but I guess the only thing I'm worried about at this point is I'm seeing the wrong doctor. Anyhow, he got his shots and it was so funny to hear him SCREAM so loud and cry so hard. My heart was aching for him but it was also kind of funny. My heart hurt for him because we'd been out in the car and in and out of places all day and in the midst of all that we lost two binkies, which means we were down to none and he hadn't had a nap all day so he was pretty tired and just totally lost it when he got his first poke, and then every poke after caused much screaming and madness. ha ha! He's doing alright now though. Gotta go drug him up and get him in bed, he's fussing. Have a good day!!!

Holloman AFB here we are...!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY POPPA LUI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU MORE THAN YOU'LL EVER KNOW!!!!!!!!!!

Well well it's been so dang long. I've gotten a few messages from people that I need to write a blog, and it's definitely been something I have really wanted to do and get done, but it just hasn't happened. Life is busy. Anyway, here we go...apology ahead of time for the dang long blog! They always are with me! Oh and I'll have a pic folder for those of you that have requested DETAILED pictures of everything to do with our new home and area. They are all there Daddy-O and Mom...from our planters, to our star, to our house and yard and everything...or they will be there eventually! I love you!

Well I have to say that surprisingly, Craig and I have really enjoyed our time here so far. We were able to get a house right away which is rare according to most people. They really pushed to get us in a home before we had to fly back to Utah (that next weekend) for Merilee's wedding (Craig's younger sister). That was a very good weekend. We really enjoyed going back home though it was dangerously soon after arriving in ALAMOGORDO, NM!!! The wedding was wonderful and I really enjoyed chatting with relatives there. I just LOVE Craig's cousins. They are all so awesome. I feel as close to them as my own cousins sometimes so it's very fun to be around them for me. In fact, I chatted and chatted all night long that when we left, my jaw ached. But then again with me, there's hardly a time when my jaw doesn't ache so who knows!? (I did see a doctor down here finally for that, but currently it's on hold again, until I can find someone who specializes in it again that's not a surgeon (I dread the surgery), it's quite frightening really. I feel as though it's going to stop functioning altogether sometime soon. It's really pretty bad). BUT life goes on. And it does...Sunday morning, we packed all our things to head home and then went to Jake and Samantha's baby blessing for NIKSON. Congrats to them! (Jake is my brother, Samantha is my friend that married my brother- hee hee!). The blessing was so good and I was so happy we were able to be there. Thanks to Samantha for planning it that weekend. It worked out great! I sure wish we could have stuck around at their house afterwards but we had to jump on our plane and head to what we now call our home! It's a very comfortable and nice place to be. I really like it.

Craig is really really enjoying his time here. I mean his job is real boring so far, but he is loving the atmosphere and being an officer, and a student pilot. He's just really loving it. Let's just say that he's found the job where you love going to everyday. The other day he told me he's really happy. I asked him why and he said, because, "I love my job and I love my wife!" So it's nice to hear that from him. He has now finished with his flight physical stuff so he is able to start flying, so hopefully he can get a flight sometime this week or next. He's pumped for that (of course!)

I want to tell a lot of people THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for ALL your help in our move. We were so lucky to have you all. Let's see here...Jared, Brian, Dad, Dad Dearden, Jake, Tyson, Andy, Shiree, Ken, Marian, Josilyn, Coleen, Jamie, Mom Dearden, Mom. I would feel horrible if I didn't mention someone that packed that dinky little 16 ft truck with and for us that afternoon. Which brings me to next round of thank you's because when we weighed the truck afterwards it was 3000!!!!!!!!!!! pounds overweight. Not just 300, 3000!!!! Unbelievable. Anyone who was there can attest to the fact that we were cramming every single space of air with things, things, things. We actually could have got in the guiness book for how much stuff we managed to cram in that darn truck. I was literally giving things away to make more room. So being that it was etremely unsafe and that Craig could barely even drive downtown, we knew it wasn't going to fly much less crawl. We ended up having to rent a Uhaul truck that same night and shifting all our things from one truck to another...which is why I have another round of thank you's...again to Jared, Brian, Dad Dearden and Thomas, Jake, and then a few extra lifesavers, Matt, Cory, and whoever else I might be missing. You guys are amazing. It's so exhausting to help people move, but TWICE??? Come on! THANK YOU SO MUCH to Craig's parents for pulling some strings that night to get a 26 ft truck for us! Wonderful them! We love them so much. Thanks to my Dad for returning the other truck for us!!! And then the big big big big big big THANK YOU is to them again (Craig's parents) and also to Merilee and Camille for taking the drastically long and boring drive all the way down to Holloman AFB, NM. It was just not the funnest drive ever, but we managed to have a good time and enjoy ourselves (some of us at least...he hee!). It's just that we wouldn't have been able to do it without them and we are literally so thankful for all their help. (I feel like I'm giving a speech at the grammy awards!), and last I want to thank God. Ok...just kidding, but of course he is to be thanked for EVERYTHING!!!! We had some serious setbacks in the couple months that Craig was gone and up until the day we moved in but we managed to make it through all of it! I have a personal journal that doesn't get written in very often, but there were nights when I'd just get on there and write all the things going wrong for me at the time and I found myself pages in before I stopped. ha ha!! Makes me laugh now because my life has slowed down (in a different way) so much since then already! Anyhow, I again am just very very grateful for Craig's family for helping us out in a big big way!  Oh and thanks to ya'll for bringing food as well!

We have met some wonderful people here in this small little town. Craig has a few friends from work that are also student pilots that have been here for about six months that have helped to inform him on everything that might go on while he's here, as well as things that we can do and all that fun stuff. It's been so nice to have people to associate with and get to know. They are our only friends (that we actually get together with) thus far and we have hung out with them many a times. Enough times to say that I'm actually saddened because they are all leaving to pilot training this weekend! I know I haven't known them long but they are so fun and it's always so nice to meet people who are polite and gol, I can't explain it....just good good guys. Tonight they actually had us over for dinner. We had a big box of ribs that we decided were too nasty to keep in our freezer. (well I guess it was the idea of cooking them that turned me off) anyhow we gave it to them and they cooked them up for us. Oh my my, they were honestly so tasty and it was a good fun night. I'll just cry when they leave because we will be big loners. ha ha haa! I'm so pathetic. Craig and I actually manage to have a really good time with just us and Link. One of the guys, Jay made a video of his time here which is pretty much what Craig will experience. It was put together so well and I loved it so I asked him for a copy, so one day when I learn how to upload a video to my blog, I'll show you some clips of it. He really did a great job making it and it's an awesome video. I am excited to have it. I'll really miss them. I guess the good news is we will reunite with two of them, Brian and Jay. When I first met Brian, I left and told Craig, "wow, he is the nicest person I've ever met in my life". It was so crazy... he's still nice and hasn't been rude, but he no longer has the nicest person title, because that could kind of be a bad thing I think. (I'm rambling)...I guess I'm getting to the point that today I got thinking about how I'm going to miss these guys, and it brought to the realization that I'm going to be doing this over and over and over and over and did I mention OVER again in my life. Meeting good people and then leaving good people. It's going to be so fun and yet so hard. I am just the type of person that LOVES PEOPLE. I never want to lose touch with anyone. Most of my friends are people I only worked with like five or six months. I LOVE those people! (Nanette, Cris, Jenn, Sarah, Katie, I could go on and on!) So stay in touch or I'll have to kill you. ha ha haha!

Speaking of good people, our new Branch (church) is so wonderful. The people there are so great! We really love going to church. We didn't so much love going to church (for friendship) before but we are able to go and learn so much and have a good time and the time doesn't drag on. It's really awesome. We really look forward to going every week and the three hours goes by so fast. Can you believe it? I love it! Our Sunday school teacher is great. Craig and I have really enjoyed her lessons and have thought about things that we hadn't for a while and it's really helping us to grow by being here and participating in this neat little branch. There's another place where people are coming and going constantly. Our branch is like 90% military if not more so coming and going is quite frequent. We love it though!

OH LITTLE LINKY STINKY............What a joy! He is so amazingly wonderful!!! He is just a happy little smiley lover boy of mine! He is the highlight of my life. I am so happy we have him. Craig and I were eating pizza at the park with him the other day. We were having a great time and Craig said to me, "I'm so glad we have him" ...of course we are glad we have him but you know- to really feel the joy of having him is such a good feeling. Because there's always those days where you want to put a muzzle in him or maybe pop him a sleeping pill. H AHA HA!!! Anyway, he's getting so big. He's six months old!! Craziness how time goes. Every mother I've ever met says that but man oh man it flies. And then they always say, "pretty soon, he'll be off to college!" He's mastering the art of sitting up on his own and is 98% there. He's learned to roll over one way and is SOO close the other way...he just doesn't want to or he'd be able to. I think he'll be a little late with crawling or walking. He's just spastic in one spot, unlike Jayda who was spastic to get up and GO GO GO!!! Jorgen was nicknames "tester" long ago as a short name for Mr. Testosterone. Because the boy in him totally shined constantly. I am now calling Linkin tester because he's already just a little spaz maniac. I can't explain it, he's just so crazy. He is most happy when looking in a mirror. (he gets that from me....JUST KIDDING!!!) He is also very smiley and yells a lot when he sees other babies or little toddler. Our first time at this branch at church, he saw a little boy that was about four and he was screaming at him with a huge smile on his face as if to say, "hey I'm here...!!! let's be friends!!" Man he's a cutie. I wish he had a way to express himself more than just a scream but all in good time! In fact, tonight at our friends house, their little daughter and son were making what they call "Linkin sounds". It's so funny...they just lean in to him and scream in a low tone. It makes me laugh that they called it Linkin sounds. The little girls Dad told her, "don't scare the baby" and that's when she said, "Dad, it's not scary, it's a Linkin sound!" hah aha! I just love the chillins!

Well as you can see, life has been surprisingly great here up until now. When I would picture this time long ago when Craig and I first got married, I always imagined me laying in a little ball crying for three months straight after moving. (This girl -me- had a hard time flying out of the nest - if you know what I mean). It's just been hitting me the last couple of days. I have been aching deep in my heart about the little ones. In fact, I can't even bring it up without crying...ha ha! Such a baby. I just truly miss those that I can't call and have an adult conversation with. The ones that you experience through the expression on their face. The ones that made me feel so happy to hear come through the front door to visit. They are special special people. Time will never heal the sadness I'm feeling about them. Time will only take away the memories I could be making with them. I just need to stop focusing on the fact that I'm missing out on seeing them grow up, and take it one day at a time. It's a sacrifice for everyone involved for us to be in the military but it's something that someone has to do, and I am SOOOOO grateful for our country and for our freedom and would make any sacrifice -as heart wrenching as it is- to support my husband in this career. He chose it for the reason that I support it (because he loves his country). -And though it's become more so that I get to see a smile on his face because he's going to fly planes...it's still something I really love!!! The experience is going to be unreal.