Vipers and Cobras and Mustangs....OH MY!!!!!

We had such a great weekend. We woke up Saturday morning and went to retiree appreciation day on base. No, Kurt hasnt retired yet, but a few people from our squadron were taking planes and cars out that day and we thought Keegan and Reese would enjoy it. It was a beautiful day that reminded us of why we love living in AZ. Kurt and the kids were in heaven and we got some cute pics so the day was a success. Of course when we came home Kurt was trying to work out our budget so we could afford a Shelby Cobra, and old Mustang and a P-51. And for those of you who are wondering...no, he was not willing to give up the Beamer!!!! To make the day even better the Buckeyes Beat M@*igan and we had a date night!!!! We went to one of Kurts favorite restaurants with some good friends and then saw the new James Bond movie. Luckily for me there were lots of Ford cars in the movie...so Kurt didnt leave wanting more expensive toys. We dont have many truly relaxing weekends in our house so this was a truly special day.

We hope you had a great weekend too...and if you didnt, schedule some special time for yourself soon. It is amazing how rejuvinated you can feel after one great day!!!!!

In front of Daddys Desk. Well...actually this one isnt Kurts...but his looks just like it:)

My boys!!!!

Shack and his Cobra with the Spike jets in the background

Kurt was drooling over this collection...Cholos Mustang, Shack's Cobra and Nazy's P-51

CHEESE!!!!
Keegan liked running around on the flight line. He and Reese were both EXHAUSTED!!!!
Flying like an airplane
Keegans turn
Anyone have a spare few million dollars lying around??? And $3000 and hour to fly this??? Kurt is accepting donations.

Kurt and Shack go for a spin.
Kurt restraining himself from pushing some buttons and going for a ride:)
I swear...Kurt was close by for this pic!!!! Reese was so excited to see her reflection in the airplane.
My big guy!!!!
Ok..so he doesnt look so big here:)

Nazy and Cholo heading home.

Cheers...

Thought this was a good Thanksgiving Day story:) Some of you have this before, but I seem to forget the lesson of this story more than I would like care to admit so it is always nice to read it again. Kurt and I are so blessed by wonderful children, family and friends...and of course with each other. We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day...with enough time to enjoy a beer:)

Love

Annie, Kurt, Keegan and Reese

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Beers !

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles, poured them into the jar and he shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes'.

The professor then produced two beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

Now, said the professor as the laughter subsided, I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your friends, your health and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else---the small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first, he continued, there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18! There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.
The beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, ther is always room for a couple of beers with a friend

Adios...

This past weekend we farewelled our squadron commander and his wife. We have had a wonderful year and a half in the Spikes and I realized how difficult change is even for military families that are VERY accustomed to transition. We were blessed to have such supportive and laid back leadership, and Cholo and Shelly led us through the best and the worst of times. I think I have come to realize that an amazing leader is able to keep everything running the way it should be without anyone feeling like they have someone telling them what to do. We wish them the best as they adventure off into civilian life (still an insane concept to Kurt and I!!!) and are excited to see what the next chapter of the Spike story will be as Battman and Nicole take the reigns. No matter how hard it is to say goodbye to friends, our military family is amazing!!! We are so fortunate to be a part of such an amazing group of people!!!!

Anyway...here are a few pics...and even one of Kurt and I. So, for those of you who harrass me about not having pics of myself on the blog...I dont want to hear from you for a while!!!!

a beautiful day for a picnic....

which in AZ means the temperature was not in the triple digits:)

The first pic is my FAVORITE!!!!

the rest were just too cute not to share!!!!

Love

A, K, K, and R

Mommy and Daddys turn...

So we went to the squadron adult halloween party last night...what a blast. There were some really funny costumes!!!! Here are a few pics....but I will do a slide show once I get pics from a few friends (my camera battery died).

Kurt was "Tequila Poppin Dude" and had liquor bottles in his holsters and shot glasses too. I was a homeade candycorn...inspired by Reeses costume:)

Kurt and Blade. Blades costume looks so tame from this angle.


Saw, Kurt and Heather...I mean..LASER, Kurt, and ZAP!!!!

Annie making new friends from far away places

Renee and Michael Phelps...by far the bravest costume!!!

Our future president and vice president showing a little political tolerance:)

Slammer and Slammer...I just dont even know what 2 day about these two!!!!! Slammer F had 7 cold beers in his "belly"

Smell my Feet!!!!

Trick or Treat pics...

Our little Candy Corn

See my pigtails...thanks for the TINY little rubberbands Jennifer. Still kinda pushing the idea of pigtails I think!!!!

HOORAY....a GIANT Pixie Stick!!!!

The loot

Our babysitter....and our favorite costume of all!!!!!!

Enjoy!!!!

Mmmmmmmmm Milk...

And Reeses cute hand me down Halloween outfit.

This pic is for my mom...remind you of anyone??? Reese LOVES Keegans Rescue Heros. I used to favor the neighbor GI Joes. Guess the apple doesnt fall far from the tree!!!

Sooooo cute!!!

Very happy about chocolate milk...he doesnt get it very often and when I gave it to him he asked if today was special

Sharing:)

My turn now!!!!