27 June 2013

Life is Good Today

As I write this, I'm looking at lavender clouds rolling into shades of slate grey while pockets of golden light peeks its way through the opaque  sky, wiping out all evidence of daylight as the sun shifts into dusk. The birds are singing their final song of the day and bursts of fragrant wind cools my sunburn cheeks. It's beautiful to witness Mother Nature doing her thing, especially when she's orchestrating her production over Honolulu's illuminated city buildings.

We landed on the island of O'ahu late last night, and it felt like "coming home". I've attached myself to this island, heart and soul, and couldn't be any happier to be back. Ron is traveling with us for part of the trip- I'm so anxious to show him all the things I fell in love with and experience everything that this island has to offer.

We kicked off the summer right. We awoke to the delicious smell of mom cooking a spread of pineapple sausage, eggs, muffins, and freshly brewed coffee. It brought back childhood memories of Nana cooking all of us a huge breakfast, and now, the torch as been handed down to Mimi to cook for her grandkids.

For our first full day, we ventured down the road to Kapiolani. It was raining on and off throughout the morning, but we were determined to make the most out of everyday, so we did what any "life squeezers" do...we danced in the rain, or in this case, we swam in the rain...












If rain is has bad as it gets, we're in for a fantastic time!

Love, Emmie

21 June 2013

Chapter Four is Complete.

This is the last day that my yoga pants and my sloppy "mom-do" get this much action, this early in the morning. This is the last day I'm hustling to pack lunches, sign daily agendas, log reading minutes, hunt for missing shoes, and herd kids into the car. This is the last day of "I Love You's", "have a good day", and "I'll see you this afternoon". This is the last day of school-- a chapter to another school year has come to an end.





Krysta rocked out the fourth grade-- a rockstar in her own right. She aced tests and won First Place at the Science Fair. And when she failed --because there were times of extreme difficulty-- she buckled down and pulled herself back up. We sat gathered around the kitchen table for many hours learning to add and reduce fractions, understanding the changes of matter and the flow of energy, moon phases, and the three branches of government. Krysta struggled and cried as much as she succeeded and excelled. And I couldn't be any more proud to be her mom.


First Grading Period- Straight A's

 Second Grading Period- Straight A's + Perfect Attendance + First Place at the Science Fair

Third Grading Period- A's + B's


Fourth Grading Period- A's + B's + Most Fashionable Award



Krysta's Fourth Chapter has come to an end, and we're excited to write Chapter Five this fall.

Fifth Graders Rock!

Love, Emmie

18 June 2013

Air Force Journey


First, a snippet from my husband:

 If you’d told me 13 years ago that I’d be where I am now, a newly minted Master Sergeant with the most amazing family I could ever hope for, I’d have given you a sideways smirk and walked on. You see, this was never the plan. I was supposed to use the Air Force as a means to an end. To get a hold of that GI Bill, get out, get my degree, and maybe start thinking about a family then. Maybe.

Funny how it all works out, though isn’t it? You happen cross the right person when you weren’t expecting it, and everything just starts happening from there. Two kids and more than half a career later, I can’t think of a better way for my so-called “plan” to have “failed”.

One might think that a new promotion would cause anyone to look forward and dream of the future. But as people I once considered my peers have begun to call me “Sir”, all I can do is look back at the many blessings that have become my life.

Call it fate, or call it dumb luck. I choose to call it by a different name:

Good.

-Ron

 (the sun was really intense this day, resulting in funny faces)

Ron and I first met when I was 19 years old. We were so young, and determined to grab life by the horns-- we barely had our toes wet when we decided to wed. Ron was a brand new airmen, fresh out of tech school when we said our vows; and with these vows of commitment came the commitment of being an Air Force wife and all that being a military spouse entails.

Coming into the role of a mil spouse I was extremely overwhelmed with learning the military lingo, rank insignia, PCS (permanent change of station) procedures, and understanding our LES (paycheck), just to name a few. I remember memorizing faces and name tapes of the guys working with Ron because everyone looked the same in the sea of camo. Year after year, the faces that always run across my mind the clearest are the older men-- I perceived them as being the wisest, the most noble, the strongest, and... the most intimidating. I respected them and their dedication, and I looked up to them as an authority figure, but more importantly I idealized their wives. I envied at how strong these women were to stand by their husbands, deployment after deployment, move after move, enduring all of the hardships and heartbreak that this military life can often times throw our way, all while supporting their family with a smile on their face, standing tall. I wanted to be just like them.

Now, here we are, 13 years later. My husband has been officially promoted to Master Sargent. This day seemed so far away, such a distant goal; it's amazing how fast our military journey has gone by. He is now one of those "older" men, in the Top 3, that I looked upon with great respect and gratitude, and I couldn't be prouder of all of his achievements thus far. I'm anxiously anticipating the future and all of the goodness that it holds.

And as for me, I can only hope to fill the shoes of the loyal Air Force wives that came before me, the ones that have inspired me, and the ones that have lit the unique path of being a milspouse.  And in turn, I can only hope that I'm inspiring a new milspouse somewhere out there.

I'm the proudest wife right now-- I have such an amazing, hard working husband. This way of life has been a wild ride and we're enjoying our front row seats.




Love,

Emmie

14 June 2013

We've Moved!

It has been a crazy cyclone of a mess around here.

But I've got some exciting news!

Four weeks ago, we moved! ...not to a new base or state, just to a new neighborhood that comes with a larger house and a better view. We love it so far. It's a breath of fresh air and as close as we're going to come to a new beginning without having official military orders; which I'm still holding out for- I've got that moving bug...ready to go, see, and explore new regions, countries, and cultures.

But for now, we're busy exploring our new surroundings and forming new routines.




In the morning hours, we hit the 3.4 mile walking trail that is conveniently located a block from our home. The best part is, it swings through a park and hangs a left back to our front yard. The kids look forward to this little routine, and to be honest, I'm enjoying it myself...even with the intense heat.




When the sun begins to settle, we pull out the bikes to squeeze the remaining drops of Oklahoma's golden rays. The kids are quiet, expelling their last ounce of energy in a soothing rhythm of petal, push, glide, while the sun drowns the swaying fields of wildflowers and foliage that rattle with the wind in pools of canary yellow and burnt orange; we're bathed in the evening light.

This is my therapy,  my church, my time to reflect and clear my head.




On a side-note, I've been busy wrapping up some projects that I'd love to share with you over the next couple of weeks!

Things are turning out to be on the sunny side-- after all, it is Friday!

Emmie

PS Photos are from instagram. Follow me here:  http://instagram.com/emilyroe