Abilene, Texas.......Here We Come!

Right before we left on our trip to South Dakota, Brydon got some good news! He got a job! We received a call from the Air Force and they offered Brydon a position as an Officer of Public Health. We have been stationed in Abilene, TX for our first post. We are really excited for this opportunity and Brydon is looking forward to the training and benefits the military offers. The only hang up is that he won't start officer training until March 8th, and right now that feels like an eternity. So we are in the midst of figuring out what to do until March, but happy to see some light at the end of the tunnel. Abilene should be a great new place to live but it is about as opposite as you can get from Philadelphia.

So Abilene is located pretty close to the center and heart of Texas. It is 3 hours west of Dallas. It is a city of about 120,000 people.


When we first googled housing in Abilene we found a gem of a home very close to this one. Yep a great trailer home in literally the middle of nowhere. I don't think we will be feeling overly castrophobic in Abilene.


We will definitely miss the beautiful folage here in Philadelphia. It looks a bit dry and brown in Abilene and I will sure miss the vivid green summer and colorful falls.


I don't think we will have quite the same skyline. I will miss the metropolitan area but since the biggest town I ever grew up in was only 10,000 people, I think Abilene will be plenty big.


We will definitely not miss a beauty like this. This great rental property not far from out apartment is renting for $850 a month with no utilities included and a high crime rate included.


However we are really looking forward to this. This beautiful 3br 2b home is $25 less a month than we are paying for out 2br 1b, 820 sq.ft. apartment. Doesn't it look dreamy!!!


And check out the beautiful fenced in backyard! Yeah I think we will survive just fine in Abilene. Now to just figure out how to survive 8 months of limbo!

The Alaskan Escape: Just a Dad and His Son!

So to celebrate Brydon's recent graduation from Graduate School and a looming 50th Birthday for Dad, Brydon and his dad had a father/son outing to of course ALASKA. Homer, Alaska! They had such a great time together and Brydon is so lucky to not only enjoy being with his dad but having a dad who is truly his best friend. They were able to walk on a glacier and see all sorts of beautiful wildlife. They spent two days deep sea fishing and caught everything from cool Salmon and Yellow Eyed Rock Fish to truly ugly Ling Cod. Rumor has it they had some popular fish to photograph! The guide they used comes highly recommended. In the end they shipped home 350 lbs of fish. Good thing we like fish and for great internet recipes! Then they were able to enjoy a bear sight seeing adventure in Katmai National Park. These two loves bears! And of course they have taught Caleb well. I love the pictures from the park. The trip was then completed with a kayak trip. Brydon is now just as convinced as his father that living in Alaska would be "pure heaven on earth". I can't deny that it sure looks amazing but I just don't know if I need to live there; especially during the winter. But I have been informed that Brydon will be going back!

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My Sweet Grandma

While we were out in South Dakota, my grandma fell and passed away a few days later. It is still hard to imagine her being gone but I am so blessed to know that she is in a better place surrounded by her loved ones. I know her mind is now whole and that she will be looking out for us, like she always did. I feel blessed to have had a very close relationship with my grandma. She was there when I was born and I have so many memories with her as a little girl. Grandma and grandpa were my cheerleaders through college and I never could have made it through school without them. Then we got to live by them while Brydon was attending the University of Utah. Last summer they even came out to visit us in Philadelphia and we had so much fun. She will truly be missed. She was a wonderfully amazing woman. Love you grandma!

The Great Big 4!

Well Caleb could not be more excited to be 4 years old! He has been dying to turn 4 like his friends and was so excited for the big day to arrive. He informed me that he is big now and can get married. I sure wish I could slow time down a bit. He will be 18 before I know it.
This year Caleb got to take 2 friends to the zoo with him and then we had a Scooby Doo cake with mint chocolate icecream in the evening. He had so much fun and can't help but tell everyone he knows that he is 4 now.

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I am so grateful for our sweet boy. He is so smart and observant. Caleb constantly keeps us on our toes but I wouldn't have it any other way. I will always see that sweet little round baby face when I look at him. Caleb we love you so much and are so so grateful you are in our family.