Air Show at Andrew's Air Force Base

A few weekends ago we were able to go to Andrew's Air Force Base close to DC and see their annual Air Show. We were parked at the Redskin's Football Statium and were taxed in on buses after we went through a military security screening. We spent the entire day on base watching the planes and different shows they put on.

Madi loved see all the planes and when she would hear one she would look into the sky and point and say "dat dat". And then when it would go by low she would say "ohhh".

This was one of Madi's favorite spots. She had a ball sitting in the seats on the sides of the big cargo planes. She even buckled herself in and was ready to go. There were lots of tears when we had to leave. But we found several planes with seats on the side she could sit on.

This is the inside of one of the smaller cargo planes. The big one could fit an entire house inside. It reminded me of the move that they take an elephant to a village in Africa and have to drop it out the back of a big plane like this.

The crowning jewel of the entire show, at least for Rick. His favorite plane, the P51-D Mustang. He has an RC model of this plane and he was so excited they had it displayed. He was also surprised when they decided to fly it in the show. It was so fast and nimble and really neat to see doing all the manuvers. They had lots of planes and jets flying and doing tricks. And they also has parichuters and other odds and end displays. Rick would be a better person to tell you all the things that were there. But at the end of the day we were dead tired, sunburned and ready to come home. But it was a very neat and fun day! Hopefully we will be able to do it again next year.

All is Well

After months of transition we are settling into life. We made it to Pennsylvania safely and have hit the road running. I started my new job and I love it. I am doing a lot of the accounting and admin stuff. I am the direct assistant to the owner of the company so I have lots to keep me busy. Rick started school last week and he is really enjoying his classes. He has already determined some things about what he does and doesn't want to do after school.

Since it has been a while since I have posted anything I thought I would back track a little. We spend Easter with Rick's family. We visited his grandparents and had an egg hunt at his sister's house. I was also asked to sing a solo in church a week after we moved into the ward. I guess word gets around fast in a small town about talent. But it was really nice to be able to do that again and hopefully I will get more oportunities.


Madi wasn't sure what all the fuss was when we were showing her the eggs and told her to pick them up. So Rick had so show her what was in them. After she discovered that she filled up her basket pretty quick.


She also hid a few of her own eggs. If she saw her basket was getting full she would put an egg from her basket next to an egg that was hiding.

She was also a very good sharer. She would open an egg and then eat a piece of candy and then give one to me or Rick. She liked her basket so much she still carries it around on her shoulder like a purse. We also had to get her some bigger eggs that she couldn't put in her mouth to play with after Easter. She loves to put all sorts of treasures in her eggs. This weekend she was putting plastic animals in them from her friend's house.

We have done some other fun things but I will put it in a different post so this one isn't too long.

The Windows of Heaven

When you pray miracles really do happen. Especially when you are doing all that you can do to follow the Lord's plan. This past week Rick and I found out that Rick was accepted into the assistantship program for grad school so his entire education will be paid for and the University will also give him a paycheck on top of that to do some web development and other research for the Geography Department while he is attending school. We never thought that the University would pay Rick to go back to school. That has relieved so much stress and is a huge blessing.

Now we just have to get through the big move next week. Yikes! How does Madi have so much stuff? How do WE have so much stuff?!?! Where has it all been hiding for the past 2.5 years?!?!

Leap of Faith

Rick and I have thought long and hard about where we want to end up in life and what matters most. We have goals that we want to achieve and things we want to do for our family and for ourselves. The past few years we have been so blessed with work and being able to have everything we need and a little extra. But as far as the future hold, we didn't see much there. So we are taking a leap of faith. Rick is leaving his job at the Police Department and pursuing a Master's Degree in Geoenvironmental Science at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania.

I am also quiting my part time job and going full time to provide for Rick and Madi while Rick completes his education. I have been blessed to find a job quickly that is only 10 minutes from where we are going to be living. Rick's parents have offered a rental that they have available to us at a very reduced rate along with helping us watch Madi when Rick needs to be in class. Things are falling into place quickly and smoothly. We will be moving from the urban DC metro to the quiet rural Pennsylvania mountains at the end of this month. I think we are looking forward to the quiet more than anything. I start work in April and Rick starts class the beginning of June. Hopefully I can keep you updated on how things progress the next few months but with how crazy things are going to be, no promises...but I will try.

My New Favorite Blog

As a mom you always try to do cool things for your kids and for you to decorate the house with on a budget. You also try to have fun activities for them so they don't get bored and drive you crazy at home, at church, on the road, at the doctor's office etc.

Madi is growing out of that baby stage and getting into that toddler stage. I am not used to it yet so when we are at church and she is restless I will pull out a toy and she will look at me like

"Mom! Are you serious?! I am not a baby anymore!"

So I am trying to think of ways to keep her entertained while we are in Church. Right now Rick teaches Sunday school and I teach Sunbeams so Madi is my buddy in Sunbeams. It can get a little tricky but I think I have come up with a solution thanks to this amazing blog. I have spent so much time on it and I can't get enough ideas. And the best part about it, these sisters are LDS! This is the kind of mom I want to be someday. A cool mom that comes up with crazy awesome ideas off the top of her head. But for now, this is the plan. Quiet book here I come! Thanks Ladies for the idea!

You Talkin' to Me?

Madi wants to be just like her dad. He wears hats so she wears hats. Her favorite time to wear them is when he is at work. I think she does it because she misses him and it is something that reminds her of him. It is so cute to see her walking around with one of his hats on or her "lucky fishing hat" on. But I will say, she has this little attitude when she has a hat on that she doesn't normally have otherwise.

But how can you resist a face like this even if there is a little attitude behind it?

Snow and Cookies

We finally got a big snow storm here and Rick was so excited because he got to drive his new monster truck through the snow. While we were outside Rick wanted me to record him driving through the snow. So I put Madi down thinking she would stay close since it was snowing and it was cold. I recorded for a minute and then turned the camera off and looked down to find Madi had decided to go on her own adventure through the snow. She was not afraid of the snow and the cold didn't really seem to bother her too much. I ran and picked her up and set her back down next to me and she started off again through the snow. She is just like her daddy, they both love the snow.


Of course with all the snow and cold the best thing to do is to make cookies. And Madi loves to help with anything mommy is doing, especially cookies! She tested the sugar to make sure it was sweet enough. She licked the peanut butter jar clean. And she even checked the chocolate chips to make sure the passed the "girl test". And as you can see, she loved every minute of it.