And you Thought he was Just Obsessed with Bikes

We've been doing a lot of camping lately.  A lot.  Maybe not enough?  It's hard to tell.  In any case, we love it:)

Over the weekend before Veteran's Day, we found a place to enjoy a few days of perfect fall weather.  PERFECT. 

We do not have enough beautiful fall foliage where we live.  It's pathetic, really.  It makes me homesick for Utah.....or Korea;)

Anyway, it was officially fall where we camped.

 

Do you know what I love as much as fall?  Veterans!  Okay, that's more of a who than a what, but you understand.  My grandpa, my dad, my mom, her brothers, my sister, my husband, his brother, and his grandpa all have served, or are serving in the military.  I am very proud of them all.  I am very thankful to them all.

 

Joe has been in the Air Force for over 13 years now.  Here's a picture we got when I went to visit him at Basic Training (back when Joe didn't wear glasses, I still highlighted my hair, and we were young and carefree)

In some ways the military has been a hard road, but it has also blessed our lives in innumerable ways.  If we had to do things over, I wouldn't change the road we've taken.

I don't think a lot of people get what being in the military is all about....not even every person IN the military.  Early in Joe's career we heard some higher ranking guy, at a graduation, say something to the effect of, "Your job is to kill people, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise."  We didn't know whether to laugh, or to shoot the guy (because apparently that was our job, right?)  Actually, I think a lot of people see military members that way - as killers, and tools of war.  The few bad apples get plastered across the media, and suddenly the whole barrel is rotten.  Grrrrrrrr.

That's not who members of the military are.  That's not what they "do". 

Have you ever heard the United States Armed Forces oath of enlistment?  Here's the first part of it:

"I, ___________, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same...."

THAT is what it means to be in the military, and that's what millions have died for - to protect the Constitution - to protect YOUR constitutional rights.  Yes, people join the military for different reasons (for love of country, for schooling, for travel opportunities, for a career, etc.), but at the end of the day, they're all working, and sacrificing, for the same thing.  Are they all heroes?  No, probably not?  But are they all (or even most of them) just a bunch of war-hungry, killing drones?  Ummmmm, no.  I'm grateful that most people get that, and are quick to come to the defense of military members when someone tries to slander them.

I hope you had a wonderful Veteran's Day.

Out and a Boot

Here are some of the fun field trips/outings that the kids have been on for school this year (these are with the military co-op, so they get printed in the CYSS monthly newsletter).  The great thing about these is that I don't always have to go with them.  Sometimes I just get to drop them off and have 2 1/2-3 hrs. BY MYSELF!  But sometimes I like to go anyway;)

 

The octopus was more active than we've ever seen it before.  It was really interacting with the kids, moving to where they would move.  Awesome!

 And yes, the kids LOVED feeding the rays with little chunks of fish:)

 

 

On our own, we also attended a free jazz concert.  There is a big jazz festival in Monterey every year, and they always put on a free concert for students the day before the festival starts.  It is performed by a group of high school students from all over the country, and they are very talented.

 

With very few exceptions, I do not like jazz music.  It's just not my cup of tea - I like order to my music, not impromptu chaos.  However, I am not going to impose my opinions on my children.  I didn't tell them that I don't like jazz.  I just took them.  I want to expose them to all kinds of music, and if they want to like jazz music, then more power to them.  Alex sure seemed to enjoy it:)

 

Another thing we did (not a fieldtrip, per se, but an interesting firsthand observation nonetheless) was go and watch a controlled burn in Fort Ord.  There were a lot of other cars lined up on the road closest to it - many people with binoculars.  There were 6 helicopters.  Fun to watch.  The video makes it look like it was far away, but it wasn't;)

 

It All Started With a Wig

I love Halloween, and the last two years I just don't feel like I've done it justice.  We didn't even buy pumpkins this year, or watch any Halloween movies (although I did text quotes from Young Frankenstein to my sister - she thought I was watching it, but I said no, I just have the whole thing memorized).  Also, I did wear my skull and crossbones earrings ALL month.  That's an accomplishment, right?  I can't show you a picture of me wearing them though, because Joe says I have mutated ears.  Don't worry, he has mutated toes, so we were obviously made for each other.  What was I talking about?  Oh ya, Halloween.

During our last week in Korea we took a trip down to Osan to buy some souvenirs?  What Korean goodies did I come away with?  Two wigs.  Have I ever mentioned that I love wigs?

Anywho, I didn't know what to dress up for this Halloween, I just knew that I wanted to wear my pink wig.

I'm sorry, but that's just an awesome wig;) I finally settled on a fairy with big wings that wouldn't stay in place, and hit other people in the head whenever I walked by.  And yes, flipflops.  What?!

Cora was Cleopatra, Joseph was Superman, Madelyn was a vampire, and Alex was Percy Jackson.

Dang it, I love my kids!

 

Dear children,

         please remember that you will never be to old to dress up for Halloween. 

                                Love, your awesome mother.

Cora and I got some fake eyelashes.  I put hers on first, and they looked really great. 

I put mine on, and realized that I had just gotten lucky with hers.  It is VERY hard to get them on there just right, and then they kept falling off on one side all night.  They're still pretty cool though;)

That's all I've got.  Next year Cora is determined that we all go as Star Wars characters.  Even Joe can't get out being the Han Solo to my Princess Leia;)