And a youtube video: CLICK HERE

The dogs (and we) love it!  It’s already seen a lot of use, including barbecues and campfires.

Spring is coming to Florida!  We hope to see all of you very soon…come down and enjoy some warm weather.  It actually hit the 70’s today, woohoo!  Can’t wait for warmer days & especially nights.

Funny thing is, last year Tobin was in training so we only had time to go out to Olive Garden for dinner on the 23rd…this year, Tobin is still in training and we went to Olive Garden again!  Haha, but on the 22nd this time, because the 23rd was crazy busy.  In fact, we actually only saw each other for about 1 hour yesterday, mainly due to 5:30 briefs yesterday and today, lots of study time on base, and an evening volleyball game (for me…don’t I have it rough?  Poor Tobin…).

So….long story short, we’re going to celebrate for real another day, probably after Advanced is over.

Here’s the two scalliwags:

Here’s what they do when they get a soft squeaky toy:

Don’t worry, they got the squeaker out!

Also, I received my green belt in 6Sigma from Pall!  Here’s the green belt, certificate, and award to prove it!  I had to give a presentation at a “roadshow” Pall had at a local hotel.  There was a vice president there as well, and some other bigwigs.  I was in a group of about 13 other people who got green belts that day.  The presentation was supposed to be 1 minute long, so it wasn’t a big deal to talk for that long.  But I am very excited to be done with this project and to finally have a green belt.  :)

Tobin is doing very well in training, something like 13 events left.  He has a flight scheduled tomorrow, but has recently been canceled due to weather, so we’ll see if he gets to fly or not.  He’s been enjoying a few days off, although he’s studying most of the time and he also worked a night shift, so he didn’t really have time “off”.  We’re looking forward to the winging ceremony, hopefully coming up within a month’s time!

But then late last night we got a lovely surprise!    Tobin has completed ground school and is in the sim phase, so all he has done so far is his very first simulator training (which he was rushed into anyway).  He’s supposed to do many more of these sims, then go flight side.  But, instead, we learned he was scheduled for his first flight this morning at 6:45 AM.    And that’s the military for you.  He’ll be flying to somewhere in Georgia today, and probably won’t be back until late.

Work is workish for me, no news there.

But, on a positive note, we had a wonderful Christmas holiday in Michigan with my family.  We even got to see Tobin’s parents and grandparents on our way back down to Florida.

And the best news of all: Emily was home for Christmas!  She is doing wonderfully, better than I expected and improving every day.  She is able to speak and think as clearly as ever.  Her mobility is back, she is walking and cooking and going on shopping errands…but not driving yet.  Besides getting over the general weakness that a month in the hospital gave to her, her major obstacle is getting complete control back of her left arm and hand.

Thanks for all your prayers, the family really appreciates all the support that has been sent her way.  Cards and gifts and encouragement from people who have never even met her…it’s been amazing and a great way to keep Emily’s environment positive and inspiring.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s!

Emily (25 years old) woke up on Saturday with short-term memory loss, and had been having headaches and intense pain a couple days before that.  Her husband Dan took her to the ER, and they gave her a CT scan.  They found abnormally formed blood vessels in her brain (appears to be a birth defect), and apparently there was some bleeding, which is what caused the short term memory loss.

Let me tell you a little bit about her.  Em is one amazing person!  She is tiny but so strong.  Her most recent hobby is running 10k’s, crazy girl.  Her soft heart just breaks when she sees someone else in emotional pain.  I’ve received so much comfort and advice from her.  She also works full time and has passed her first actuary exam (smarty pants).  She’s the most organized person I know (even more than Mom, I think) and can multitask like a pro; I could never fit as many activities into a day as she magically and effortlessly can.  I can’t imagine her stuck in a hospital bed and not running around with the world on her little shoulders.  She’s always so capable and confident; it is absolutely awful to hear her scared and unsure of what’s going to happen next.

Em has been in ICU since Saturday, and they are just waiting for a final MRI today and for the neurologist to decide what the next course of action is.  Surgery is likely, but not for sure at this point.

Emily lives in Michigan, so right now it’s not likely that I can head up there to visit her.  I really covet your prayers for her, as that is all I can do for her right now.

I know there’s a plan for all of this, even though it’s difficult to keep that perspective right now.  I can’t wait to tell you all about all of the awesome things God did during this situation.  To start with, Emily has SO MANY friends and family up there with her right now.  My grandma made the long drive to come see her yesterday, and my parents and siblings were all with her this weekend.  She saw her Sunday school class and her good girlfriends.  She is surrounded by tons of love and support, and that’s pretty amazing.

I will update you all on the surgery, if and when it is scheduled.

Thank you all so much for praying for and encouraging Tobin!  He has completed Intermediate!  He passed his final check ride November 1st, and all we are waiting on is his official graduation before he checks into A-Pool.  (that’s basically where he waits to class up for Advanced).

VT-10 is the training squadron Tobin has been in for both Primary and Intermediate.  After graduation, he is done with VT-10 and will move on to VT-86, his final training squadron before leaving Pensacola.  Hopefully there will be a nice break in between the squadrons so Tobin can rest and recuperate (and I can have him all to myself!).

Check out the About Us page for changes in the upcoming days as we get more news on Tobin’s next steps.

While being humiliating at the time, I can laugh now; plus, I got lots of sympathy from a random guy and two ladies in the parking lot.    Can’t say I wasn’t fuming afterwards, though.  Of all the people to accuse of stealing!  Especially when they probably were legitimately stolen from five times earlier that day…

But I can’t say I’ll boycott Winn Dixie, because they do have great deals (85 cent 2 liters, hello!).

Sent this out to the fam, but for the couple of people who aren’t on my immediate family mailing list, and for Tobin’s relatives, here’s a few photos of Pall Life Sciences at our United Way Day of Caring project.  About five of the pictures are of our group, but there were 88 other groups from other companies too.  I guess we were just more photogenic! 

While Tobin was in Boston on his cross country (where he got to visit his old roommate Brunner at MIT), I got to visit with Ashley (Tobin’s classmate’s wife) at the Whiting Field anniversary celebration & a neighbor’s Halloween party, then help throw a small wedding shower for a couple in our life group.  I got plenty of exercise too, chasing Rogue outside for what felt like 20 minutes after I lost hold of her leash.  The lady down the street stood in the street and gave me very helpful advice while I was running frantically through the grass.  Things like “If you throw the ball for her, you will teach her to come!”  Not helpful right now, lady!  I even tried a cartoonish leap through the air and just missed the end of her leash before landing sprawled out on the grass.  Stupid dog.  Once I went and got Titus, she came right to us and I was able to grab her leash.  Could’ve had some delish hot dogs that night if you’d been driving through Pensacola.

As for Tobin, he is double turning tomorrow.  THREE flights left, if all goes well, before Intermediate is over!  I am so proud of him!  Please keep praying for him and his classmates.  He has a tough day tomorrow, then I suppose it’s a check ride on Wednesday, although I’m not sure.  His graduation is set for this Friday, if weather holds out and the flights go as planned.  It will be a late night tonight!

I will try to post some cute pictures soon.  My computer is making a horrid noise; I’m hoping it sticks around a couple more years, so that’s not good!

Things are really moving along at work.  There is plenty of work to keep me busy and I am feeling challenged each day.  It looks like things might be looking up in terms of demand, and we are re-hiring after some of the recent layoffs.

It’s a little premature, but I am getting psyched for the holidays already!  It looks like we might have a lengthy Thanksgiving holiday in Ohio and an equally work-free holiday for Christmas.  Plus we get to see family!

Oh, and on a side note…I wouldn’t put this past my family…did someone sign us up for something baby-related?  I am getting baby mail left and right.  One was reminding me to register my new family member (for what, I don’t know) and another was a baby magazine.  Someone’s laying down some hints, and they’re not too subtle!

Also, we bought a (nicely discounted) grill!  Our very first, the propane type.  The store was sold out, so we bought the model; and have already broken a piece.  Darn.  And we don’t have propane yet.  But sometime soon, we will be able to grill out on our little patio!