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The Smiths
What's up? Figured I would introduce our newest member of the family. When we were talking about moving from MD, we promised the girls a pet. Then, we rented a huge house here, and decided we REALLY needed a pet, especially as there are times I'll be away. So, my sister took up the job of getting us a pet, and here we have . . . . . . . . Milo!

Milo is a Blue Heeler/Lab/Other mix. He's very sweet and smart and terribly ferocious! He gets along well with the girls (all three of them), and he's already decided he owns the house. We do have to correct that 'attitude' every now and again. :)

November 11, 2006

Hello! How is everyone? Everyone here in Wyoming is good. We went and had supper with Aunt Melanie and some other people last night. Aunt Mel said we looked "stunning" as she said in her e-mail to family this morning (dad showed me). Thanks Aunt Mel.We also saw Anna's jewelry show :it was called the Show Of Hands. She had some pretty jewelry but it was expensive. I understand that though. After all, she does use gold, silver, and expensive jewels and diamonds.
Not this last Thursday, but the Thursday before that I got a D on my report card so now I can't read freely for 2 weeks. Last night I started crying because I was so upset with myself. I still am. Fortunately, my 2 weeks are almost over. I just have to wait until the end of Thursday to read. Cool!
We had a 1/2 day for school yesterday. The rest of the week was a normal school week. Well, that's all for now. Talk to you later.
The Smith Family

An Update? Really?

The Smiths

Gee, it's been awhile, huh? Were do I start? We did rent the Governor's house. I've been through lots of training (CBERN-E; First Aid; Deployment; other fun stuff). The girls are still enjoying school. Actually, you should call and ask Kayla about her report card!!! Jen is finally getting the house to her satisfaction, which makes her MUCH happier!!! Sierra is losing a tooth again!!!!!

We've been down to see Aunt Mel in Colorado Springs a number of times. It's really strange--it's been YEARS since I've seen Melanie more than once or twice in a year. I've seen her three times in the last month!!! It's been good. Going to her place is very relaxing. The girls love it, of course, because they get to ride horses the whole time.

We plan to go to OK for Thanksgiving, but we'll probably have Christmas here. My in-laws intend to come in as well.

It's been cold the last week, and it's snowed much more than we Marylanders are accustomed to!

Not much else to say. We'll update this again later. Oh, by the way, when you call and ask Kayla about her report card, ask her about Nepal as well.

The Smiths

The Smiths

Hmmmmm, yeah--believe it or not, the world's most technologically advanced air force doesn't have internet access in its temporary living facilities. Could have something to do with 100-year old buildings, I guess, but I don't know.

Anyway, so the trip to WY was adventurous, to say the least. Pulling a 6 x 12 trailer was an interesting experience, especially with a little minivan like ours. It was so great that our engine conked out on us in the wonderful metropolis of Alma, AR. Let me tell you about Alma, AR. It's just outside of Ft. Smith, AR (about 18 miles from the OK border). There's a great cafe' there called the Red Rooster Cafe'. The food there is wonderful. Try the homemade "Rooster Bread." It's great, as are the homemade pies (80+/day!). Alma also has a wonderful little antique store. In fact, it's one of the best I've been in--lots and lots of really neat stuff, not just the junk I usually associate with such enterprises. Other than that, there ain't much in Alma. After 2.5 days, I can greatly attest to that fact! $2000 and 2.5 days later, we pulled out of Alma and headed West! Unfortunately, we were unable to visit Mom, which quite possible pulled me out of the Christmas gift list! Sorry, Mom!

Coming out of Goodland, KS, I noticed that we were a little low on gas, but not bad. Surely, I thought, we could make it to Burlington, CO, which was only about 20 miles away. Apparently, I did not realize two things--1) there are NO gas stations between the two towns; 2) my car was getting only about 9 mpg! We sweated and prayed our way at 50 mph into Burlington, where I filled up our 19 gallon gas tank with 18.5 gallons!!!!! What a great experience.

Finally, we pulled into my sister Melanie's place, where I noticed a huge chunk of tire missing on one of the trailer tires. Oh, great! Truly, God was good to us. It did not blow while we were traveling. We stayed one full day at Mel's enjoying the wonderful weather and views of Colorado. NOT! It rained and was cold the whole blessed day. However, the next day was much better for traveling, and we headed off to our final destination of F.E. Warren AFB, Cheyenne, WY.

It turns out that our drive from Melanie's (Falcon, CO) to F.E. Warren only took three hours, and that with pulling a trailer. (By the way, if you tell U-Haul you'll be returning their equipment one place, it's $200 extra to return it out of region, just in case you need to know that!). The cheer coming from the van as we pulled into the AFB was loud enough to startle the geese.

Warren AFB is a beautiful base. The majority of the building date from the 1800's when Warren was a cavalry post. It is, by far, the most beautiful AFB I've seen yet (okay, so I've only seen three--give me a break). There are LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of antelope running around. In fact, we almost met one personally while driving down the road. Only Jen's quick reflexes saved us! Go, Jenny! We will be renting a 4 bedroom, 2 bath house on the north side of town. There's plenty of room for visitors (hint, hint, hint), and we hope people will take us up on the offer. The house belongs to the governor of Wy--Dave Freudenthal. Talk about making contacts!!!

The girls are finally in school (which is another story in itself), and enjoying themselves tremendously. They were greatly nervous going in, but, as usual adapted quite quickly. I think they discovered that people in WY are a lot like people in MD. I'll post a picture of them at school later.

Feel free to call us (same cell numbers), e-mail us (we're a little slow on replying due to lack of access), or write us (General Delivery, c/o 1st Lt Kraig Smith, 6111 Randall, F. E. Warren AFB, 82005), or just reply to this blog.

The Smiths

The Smiths

I am through with Commissioned Officer's Training at Maxwell AFB. I finished on Friday. Graduation week had several neat activities.

On Monday morning, we had a 9/11 memorial. One of our classmates, Frank Rella, recounted his experience as a NYC paramedic during that day, and was quite moving. Afterwards, we marched out to the Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) exercise--lots of tents. We had 8 flights. Four flights went to the Obstacle Course/Ropes Course/Climbing Wall, while the other four (mine included) were trained in setting up a tent for medical services, taking care of wounds, etc. We then switched for the next day. I also experienced MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat). It was . . . . . . . . . interesting. If you are ever given a chance to eat one, stay FAR AWAY from the Beef Patty MRE. Anyway, my flight started out on Tuesday with the climbing wall. I made it up 3/4 of the way up, and then slipped. Bummer. It was probably 3 stories high. Next, while we awaited our turn at the Rapelling Tower, we started the obstacle course. It wasn't that hard. What was hard, however, was what had to be accomplished BEFORE we could rapell down the tower! Clipped in, mind you, we had to walk a telephone pole that was only attached at two ends--50+ feet in the air. I was scared. I was called a "little girl." I'm happy with that! It's quite freaky to walk on a piece of wood that's four stories up, and there is nothing in between! Afterwards, we were allowed to rapell down, which is fun. We then completed the Obstacle Course, and headed out to the Ropes Course. I've never done one before. For those in my family who remember me freaking out over crossing the swinging bridge at Fall Creek Falls, they can be proud of me. I was crossing wires and swinging from ropes that were 3 stories up. The zip line at the end was GREAT! I tried the Tarzan Yell, but wasn't very successful. Oh well . . . . .

On Tuesday night, we had an actual exercise. I was a patient. The whole field hospital was set up (think MASH, only updated and no Hot Lips Houlihand!), and we patients were sent in to receive care. The finale' was the "Mass Casualty Exercise," where the field hospital was inundated with "patients." It was interesting, and while not the real thing, closer than I've ever been, which gave me much to think about.

On the Wednesday morning, we marched back in time to change into our uniform for classes. However, my flight was lucky, because our Flight Commander's wife went into labor (1:20 minutes of labor), and he was unable to have class with us, which gave us time off! He did, however, manage to show up and give us our coins and accomplish some paperwork. That night, Jen and I experienced our first Dining Out. For the uninitiated, a Dining Out includes non-military guests (i.e., spouses), and is a semi-formal time for building esprit de corps. I was the Vice-President, which meant that Jen and I sat in the middle of the ballroom BY OURSELVES!!! It was fun. We had prime rib, potatoes, etc., all of which was very good. We had a grog bowl ("unleaded" for us teetotalers and "leaded" for those non-teetotalers!). It was quite the interesting day.

Thursday was spent doing administrative stuff. The family took a tour of the base, and we then had lunch together and went to the awards ceremony together. I told Sierra I probably wasn't getting any awards, and she wondered what the point of being invited was if I wasn't going to get anything! That night, my flight and family ate at the Miyako Japanese Steakhouse. It was excellent, and we enjoyed our last night together.

Friday was the graduation parade. It was 30 minutes long, and consisted of recognizing the top flight and the top grad. After that, we marched in review past the general and our family/friends. The girls said I looked sharp in my blues and white gloves. I don't know. We practiced hard enough that I HOPE we looked sharp!

Jen and the girls then left to pack up the hotel room while I changed and finished putting stuff together. At last, we were able to get out of town! It was a good feeling to see Maxwell AFB and Montgomery, AL, in my rearview mirror. I have to say--of all of the places I've been and seen, Montgomery ranks as one of the seediest, if not THE seediest.

So, now we are heading to WYO. More on that this weekend.

Training Day 8

Today is Training Day 8 for me at Commissioned Officer's Training (COT). It's been a long two weeks, and I'm exhausted. We're into academic mode, and it's really hard to go to bed at 11 a.m., get up at 4'ish a.m., do PT for an hour, and then sit in class for several hours (many of which are video-based!).

Last week was all about learning drill. We arrived on Monday (15 Aug 2006), and the staff just kind of threw us in, so to speak. We spent the first week being yelled at, woken up by the MTI's (Military Training Instructor's) at 4:45 a.m., marched all over campus, filling out paperwork, etc. Great fun. This week, we've started heavy-duty classwork. We are learning stuff like how to write in a military style (most of which I am familiar with, but some of it is absolutely AGAINST the laws of English grammar!), leadership, group dynamics, Air Force history, preventing discrimination, managing diversity, dealing with sexual assault and sexual harassment, AF pay, leave, and other fun stuff. Some of it is really interesting; some of it is really boring.

This week we started Physical Training (PT) hard and heavy. Monday was lots of strength training (three sets of different kinds of pushups, three sets of situps, three sets of crunches, so and so forth). I hurt . . . . . still!!! Tuesday, we ran two miles, which I finished without stopping once! Of course, I'm still hurting from that. Yesterday, because we had done a blood drive Tuesday night, we only did endurance training (OUCH!), and today we had a physical competition called a "MiniMac" with the staff. I sprinted a 1/4 mile lap during the relay race! THAT WAS HARD!!!! I slowed down some, but I did manage to do it.

It's been interesting here, for a number of reasons. Seeing the group dynamics form, watching people learn to deal with the pressure (it's called "professional pressure"), and pushing myself to achieve have all been interesting. We keep reminding ourselves that we only have three more weeks and it's all over. During this time, however, the staff is attempting to make us all over into Air Force officers. I am no longer just an American citizen--I am an officer in the United States Air Force. It's a weird feeling. I feel like I'm being totally revamped.

Anyway, that's my update from COT. If you want to write me, my e-mail here is kraig.smith@maxwell.af.mil.

Kraig

Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven.....

Well, my husband has been complaining all week about leaving everyone hanging. (As if he doesn’t have enough to think about lately.) I posted a picture from our short vacation with the Darden family…you can tell we were not enjoying ourselves at all.
Kraig wasted no time getting in trouble his first day of Officer Training. Apparently he didn’t do something correctly and when being advised on the matter…he smiled. Let’s just say it wasn’t one of his brighter moments. But, after that it didn’t take him long to get into the swing of things…you can read his update for yourselves. As a matter of fact he has notified me that we will be sitting at the head table for the “Dining Out”. In case you’re wondering, this is the very formal graduation banquet. Apparently he is the VP of the event. They picked him because he is “quirky”…go figure. I just tease him that he is trying to overcompensate for all the things he didn’t do in high school.
Anyway, things here have been somewhat tumultuous at times. Mainly because my body has decided it is not as important to sleep as it is to see 3 and 4 am regularly. I guess in some ways it is good…I don’t feel like “messing” with things and so I’ve been getting rid of LOTS of STUFF.
A walk around my house has been very discouraging and overwhelming at times. It doesn’t’ seem to matter what I do…every room is a disaster. Our very AWESOME friends have graciously offered their help, but, the jobs I could pass on to others have been very limited. The majority of the time has been spent sorting through everything. For those of you who don’t know the routine, professional movers will come to the house on the 29th and 30th to pack anything they see. Then on the 31st they will load everything in the semi and leave. That is all great as I completely detest packing the kitchen. As a matter of fact they will also unpack our stuff in WY, if we choose. However it has been recommended to us by many other military families that we move certain items ourselves. Things such as expensive items, personal pictures, albums, financial records, or anything we would think of as irreplaceable. So my goal is to get everything that will go in the van and trailer with us put away in a room and shut off from the movers. I fear that if I don’t have this done, someone will be buying new undergarments.
I also have to make sure that the girls and I have everything we need to live in an empty house for one week. In case you haven’t been keeping up, it took less than a week to sell the house. We will close on the 8th of September. It ought to be interesting. Especially since I will not only be signing my name fifty million times, but Kraig’s too. Oh and lets not forget I have to put that “power of attorney” phrase by every signature as well. Let’s just say he will owe me BIG TIME! The good part about the week extra is that it will give me plenty of time to clean for the new owners. If everything goes well the girls and I will be on our way to AL to pick up Kraig after closing.
The girls have been handling the chaos very well…I think? They have been so very helpful. (They deserve parents who actually remember to give them an allowance more than a few times a year!) We decided to not put them in school here in MD since we were only going to be in the state for 2 more weeks. Instead, we are going through some workbooks with them. That way they won’t be thrown into school in WY “cold turkey”. Actually, they seem to like the home-school idea. Unfortunately, for them their mom only has so many expendable brain cells per year and thus continuing it is not really an option. I must admit I have enjoyed this doing this school thing short-term. I am too horrible with consistency to do it year-round.
Anyway, Kayla is keeping her nose in a book whenever possible. I think she is trying to separate herself from friends. She has always been that way when it comes to parting with someone she has a relationship with. When she was 2 and 3 years old she would refuse to talk to Kraig if she knew he was leaving on a trip. If she saw him pack, she would not even respond when he called her name. And, when he would come home, she would take several hours to give him the time of day. Gee, I wonder where she got so stubborn…must be her dad!!
Sierra on the other hand is all smiles. Or at least that’s what everyone sees. She doesn’t seem to be sleeping well. I think part of it is the change in seasons that has begun here. For those of you who don’t know she is prone to some respiratory issues triggered by allergies. Usually she sleeps with an air cleaner blowing her way in the fall and winter months and this seems to keep things in check. (But, her silly mother put it away for the move.) I didn’t really expect her to have issues so soon this year. However, now I have caught her crying in her sleep a couple of times now. Last night I put her in bed with me and she clung to me all night. Of course she is like sleeping with an “egg beater”, so once again I didn’t sleep really well. She doesn’t know why she is crying. My guess is that she is feeling the stress from the move. She has never handled change well and this is the only home she has ever known. It will be interesting to see how she does.
Well I better go get some things done…I have a few hours before 3am and I have a lot to get done before Tuesday morning. Jen

Ready, Set, GO!!!!

Okay....I'm losing it!! Or at least I feel like I am! Let me try to fill you in on the last couple weeks before I explain the latest chaos.
Kraig and I felt we needed to take the time to just be together as a family before he left for 5 weeks of training. Se we decided that I would quit working for the Dr.’s the last week of July. This allowed us to "goof-off" and take advantage of the small savings account that we had managed to build. I must say we really did enjoy ourselves!
As usual, Kraig tried to plan out how we would spend our time and money….yea, like that worked! On Tuesday, August 1st we went on a tour of the US Naval Academy, and our tour guide was one of our favorite (not that we have any) youth. He is now in his junior year at the Academy. We had a great time! Although, Sierra did have a rough day, due to her very observant parents. Did you know that shoes that are “a little tight” shouldn’t be worn on long hot walks? And skirts are not the best option for young girls on 100 degree, humid days? The poor chaffed, blistered child barely complained! Anyway, needless to say, she got new shoes the next day.
We spent the next couple of days collecting medical charts, sorting the stuff in the garage, moving boxes, and fixing “stuff” (like a wax toilet seal – YUCK!). Then on Saturday, our awesome friends, threw us a “Going-Away” party at Bob & Val Ham’s pool. We had a blast. I pray that God will continue to bless us with great friends…although it will be a challenge to find any better!!
On Sunday (the 6th), we drove down to Myrtle Beach. (A trip we didn’t even know was an option until the prior Friday (the 4th).) Bill and Barb Darden were fortunate to land week-long vacation in a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, house, one-block from the beach for $300. And guess what…they invited us! So, we went. For those who don’t know them, they have 2 boys, Cameron age 6 and Owen age 3. The kids had so much fun…in the water, out of the water, playing in the dirt, back to the water, digging a hole, back to the water, jumping some waves (well, some of us), back to the house for lunch, back to the beach, more swimming, more digging, more sea shells, and then back to the house to see how badly we burned while wearing sunscreen. It was very relaxing and a welcome break from our current chaos.
Now let’s see, that takes us to…the 10th (Thursday). (We got home from the beach late Wednesday.) We spent the whole day making sure Kraig was packed for COT and I don’t really remember what else. Friday we went to King’s Dominion with The Kendig family and Tina Long. We got introduce Tina to real roller coasters!!! I think she is hooked! The Kendigs have 2 girls, Rebecca age 11, and Ashley age 9. Rebecca and her dad, Joe rode the big “bungie, swing, thing”. Of course it was “no biggie”, just a 150 foot drop while attached to two ropes and you have to pull your own “rip cord”! Hmmmmm, don’t think I’ll be doing that any time soon. I’m gonna just stick to roller coasters. Anyway, Ashley was our most timid rider…her favorite….the carousel. However, after much loving encouragement, she agreed to ride the go-carts. We were so VERY PROUD of her! She did great. She even finally smiled while going around the track. The Bowen family also met us at the park late in the afternoon. Sooooooo, in efforts to make the most of the day, and the great company, we all decided to go to the Crackerbarrel for a late supper. (Supper ended up after 10pm.) Kayla almost went to sleep in her mashed potatoes! Sierra was just plain wound up. Either way, they both got very cranky! It was however, a very quiet ride home, except for the snoring noises in the back seat.
Wow, I just realized how long this was. I think I’ll just leave you “hangin” for now. I am tired and I have another long, long list of things to accomplish tomorrow. If your lucky, I won’t forget to fill you in on this week!
Jen

The Smiths

The Smiths

Here we are--two weeks closer to COT! Truth be told, I'm just a wee bit nervous. I always am going into new and unfamiliar territory. At the same time, however, I'm also really excited about all of this.

Southpoint kindly allowed me to have an Ordination/Commissioning Ceremony today. I hope no one thought I was just trying to have some attention. I just really thought it important that we be sent out by a local church and by our friends. I want that connection to a body of Christians, and I want my family to feel that as well. Hopefully, the girls especially will take away the idea that we are connected to a group of believers, and aren't striking out on our own here with no support. John Albers preached, and then, after Communion, he introduced me and what I was doing with the idea of being missional and GOING. After that, Joe Kendig swore me in (we both had our uniforms on--my USAF and his USN). It wasn't in any way official, but it was tons more meaningful! The girls and Jen then came up and put on my rank--upside down! It was pretty funny because most of the audience KNEW IT WAS WRONG, but they forgave me, although they laughed when I was corrected by a kid who had been in Jr. ROTC! After that, John, Joe, and Matt Hall (the pastor of Southpoint) prayed over me. It was really nice, and I appreciated being allowed to do that. Again, hopefully the girls will be able to look back on this day and sense the connection with our church and with our friends, several of whom (Tabets, Dardens, Holtzems, Delgados, etc.) were there.

The Smiths

The Smiths

Kayla is coming home on Thursday, and WE ARE READY for her!!! I have this feeling that she is ready to come home as well. Lots has changed in the last 18 days. For instance, our house has a contract on it!
Yes, in just 1.5 weeks, our house has a contract on it. We pretty much got what we wanted; she pretty much got what she wanted; life is good for all involved. The settlement date is September 8th, which means I'll have to give Jen Power of Attorney, which means that she will be doing LOTS of signing on that day!!!
I just ran 1.5 miles in 15 minutes, which is much closer to my target of 1.5 miles in 12 minutes, so I'm pretty happy about that! Of course, it's supposed to be blazing hot this week, so hopefully I can hold up, because COT (Officer's Training) is only 4 weeks away!
We are planning to take the first two weeks of August and do stuff with the girls we haven't had time to do lately, like go to D.C., or King's Dominion (amusement park), or paint the ceiling in my bedroom, or start packing some stuff, or . . . . . . We're going to try to have some quality family time before I split, because I'm going to be a busy beaver in just four weeks!
Here's the new and improved updates Smith schedule:
1. I go to COT on August 13 or 14. I do not intend to return to So. MD.
2. The AF picks up our stuff either the last week of August or the 1st week of September.
3. Jen settles the house on September 8th.
4. She and the girls, at some point in time after 09/08, will make their merry way down to AL for my graduation.
5. From there, the four of us will journey to WY!
6. I'm supposed to report to F.E. Warren AFB by September 23.
We are planning to rent until such a time as our finances have settled down, and we kind of think we might know what we are doing!
I also had the chance again today to preach at Southpoint. I really enjoyed the opportunity this week and last to preach, and I appreciate their willingness to allow me to do it.
Okay--questions? Comments? Old war stories? Shoot us an e-mail!!!