T1's, Wedding, and Summer

Oh Wow! I feel as if I have fallen off the face of the planet when it comes to blogging. I guess I will just admit I am not that good at keeping up with it, but I will always try to blog when the time permits.

As school came to an end in May, I decided to get a summer job all lined up. My friend Jen had moved here to Del Rio recently and she needed a job too so we decided to get a waitressing job in town. We were hired by Buffalo Rings and Wings (one of the few places to eat here in Del Rio). During the month of May Ryan was finishing up Phase 2 and preparing to move to his next training air craft, all while I was subbing during the day and then training at the BRW's restaurant at night.

Ryan is now training for the T1 air craft and will be flying it in a few months. Now that he has hit phase 3 we were finally able to officially set our date for the wedding which is: January 8th 2011. I will be sending out save-the-dates as soon as I finish getting addresses. I am currently done with subbing and only waitressing for the summer, until school starts up again at the end of August. I hope to make a few trips home in the fall to continue my planning for the wedding! Ryan will going home to IL over the Fourth of July weekend.

The summer here in Del Rio is already scorching! I don't think we have been under 100 degrees in a few weeks. I have stopped walking the dogs during the day due to the heat. Even trying to take them for a walk in the morning is too hot. One of my first ventures to the pool on base was only for an hour and a half and I was burnt to a crisp even covered in 30 SPF!!!! The heat is pretty painful, but its so nice to be somewhere where you can always go to the beach or pool on any given day with no worries of bad weather or rain!

In our free time together we have been doing mini vacations :) Ryan and I had our first camping trip in April and tried out our camping gear we got for Christmas. The dogs had a great time too--running around like crazy! Unfortunately, it is way way to hot to be trying to camp out right now. However, as soon as it cools off down here in September we will have about three months of nice weather to camp in!

Chelsea came to Texas in May for her B-Day and we had an awesome time taking a trip to San Antonio and Austin! She also got to see lovely Del Rio :) We had so much fun running around those cities celebrating her b-day ! Ryan and I also took a trip to Corpus Christie to see the Gulf and visit with some friends who had recently moved down there. We hope to take another trip back down there soon! Another one of our friends is moving there soon so we made it a point to let him know we are coming to visit! :)

We also had a celebration "track party" in which we celebrate Ryan and his classmates accomplishment of finishing phase 2 and moving on to their next air craft. We had a bouncy castle, dunk tank, and slip n' slide. That was a blast! Now this coming weekend we are going to a base event called veinte cinco-de Laughlin. Its somewhat of a summer soltice party where there will be jalopeno eating contests, a band and some yummy food! I hope to keep y'all (honestly its easier to write and shorter to say lol) posted on the rest of our summer and the wedding!!

Love,

Kalee

Hello hello!!!--Its the end of March and Ryan is still sporting his mustache for "Mustache March!!!"

Fresh back from WI I am gearing up to get cracking on mine and Ryan's wedding plans!!!!

I went home to Mauston, WI around my b-day to look into venue, dress, flowers, etc. I actually found my dress at a small boutique in Tomah and it was a steal!!!! I love the dress and it only cost $220 smackers!!! For those who know me, I love a good deal!! Ha ha :) I have picked out flowers (Calla Lillies), Venue (Crystal Room--at Buffalo Phils Grill), and some other big stuff!

It was so nice to actually get things picked out and felt good to be making decisions!! The Crystal Room is my favorite find so far. It is a vintage crystal chandelier room with antique fireplace, a real 1920's bar and is huge!!! It is amazing-- pictures just don't do justice, if you get a chance check it out, it's in the WI Dells off EXIT 92 off 90/94.

I returned back to work after my two week vacation and am happy to be working again considering summer is around the corner and I will no longer have work, but I figured the time off will be good for more wedding planning :)

Ryan is doing well, he recently had another solo in the T-6--and another one tomorrow! He is about three months away from tracking and one can only hope that time goes by fast! Ryan has been flying frequently these days, well, with the 80 degree weather we've been having and the 90 degree weather we are expected to be having, there is no wonder!

Ryan also had a check ride recently, which a big check point in the training and is extremely important. He failed the check ride, but passed his 88 ride. 88 and 89 rides are like another try. Once you fail the first check ride or three consecutive regular rides you get the 88-- but once you use up the 88 then you only have one free try (the 89) from there on out. Confused yet? I still am :) I just ask everyday......how did you do? :) Ryan used up his 88 for the previous check ride so he has --from now on--one extra try if he fails a future check ride or one extra try if he fails three consecutive future regular rides (which are known as "sorties"). ( I know this is confusing, but I just wanted to keep everyone in the loop and give everyone a little "inside" to Ryan's everyday life :)

So far so good!!! :) He has another check ride coming up next week so please send positive vibes that he will pass! (a.k.a. "The Secret")---I will keep you all posted on his progress :)

Oh, and Molly and Bruce are doing fantastic!!! Its getting hot so they spend more time indoors, but they still get a walk almost everyday--these days mostly at night due to how hot it gets. Ryan and I recently took them on a stroll on some trails and they found and icky old shallow pond and got right in it and just laid down....Ryan and I had a good laugh at this :)

Well, gotta go, bedtime calls!

Kalee

Ryan's Solo!!! Finally, Progress in PT!!!

Hey everybody!!!I am sure many of you have already seen mine or Ryan's Facebook page regarding the solo! I am just blogging about it for those that did not catch it :)

Ryan recently had his first solo ever in the T6 Aircraft, not to mention his first solo ever in any plane! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This means two things:

1. Ryan hit is first milestone in PT and is soon to be progressing.

2. Ryan bitter sweetly washed back into the class behind him (class 11-03). (This was due to all the bad weather, when you get far behind then they end up washing people in to the up and coming classes so they can catch up....)

For #2 this means that Ryan will be in PT 3 weeks longer. Although it does not seem like much, it seems like forever to Ryan.....and probably will for me once it gets closer. The benefits of this wash back are that he can finally catch up while also having more IP's per trainee. (they were kind of short IP's in his other class.) Right now Ryan is kind of mopey.....being washed back also means new friends, new classmates, and it is sad when you are no longer in the same class and seeing the same people everyday. There were a couple other people that washed back with him so its not so bad, but still the whole, "belonging to a group," thing is important and his group of friends had grown to be close. Ryan is also mopey because the weather has finally been beautiful and he is sitting waiting to be actually moved into the new classroom and flying with that flight (paperwork takes a while) and he wants to be flying. (Days get to be kind of boring just sitting in a classroom without windows not doing much :(

Other than that everything is going well and I will be home soon in March for two weeks to start some major wedding planning!!!! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, here are some pictures and a small clip of the solo celebration. Enjoy! We miss everyone and hope to see y'all soon!!!!

February 2010 Update

Hello!!!!!!

I kept up my promise to write again!!! Here is the update:

The weather here has been so blah and for the beginning of Phase 2 and blah weather is not the type of weather they can fly in yet. Due to the weather being so awful, Ryan has been only flying about once a week. :( In fact, most of his flight is in a similar boat. The flight received some news last week that because everyone is only flying around one time per week it is causing them to be too far behind and some will have to, "wash back," into the class that is behind them. Although this seems like some negative news, they were originally going to have to fly almost every Saturday until May, in order to catch up. I feel it's bitter sweet because washing back means having to stay in Pilot training three weeks longer and in Del Rio, but on the other hand, things will slow for a bit, people can catch up, and they will not have to work Saturday. :)

We have yet to hear as to whether or not Ryan will be washing back.........I will keep you all posted. (By next week it is supposed to go back to being sunny and clear skies everyday........who knows......I don't trust the meteorologists down here....they are always way off

On a good note, Ryan flew yesterday and had a good ride and is still doing well academically. He told me yesterday that he may solo soon!!!!! EEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!!! I am so proud of him!!!

The pups are doing very well! These days they are loving their crates. Molly is all healed from her wound she had last month and Bruce is getting kind of chunky!! Ha ha. Recently, Ryan and I were going to leave them at the house for a little while and did not want to put them in their crates (just to give them a break), and we created a barricade in the kitchen to allow them to come only so far into the house, but also have complete access to the back yard. Well, Ryan and I did a mock exit and as soon as the dogs thought we left they tore at that barricade and created a small gap, at which Bruce proceeded to climb into until it was big enough for him. We could hear all this ruckus and were laughing hysterically. We even got a little video of him trying to get through :) Ryan and I swear he is the dumb one most of the time, but he can be so sneaky like his fridge escapade and now his barricade break through. (SEE VIDEO AT BOTTOM OF BLOG POST) lol!!!!

I am doing pretty good and still working every week! I don't have to try to stay busy and more, I just am busy now. I was sick quite a bit this last month and finally I have caught a break and have been sick free about three weeks now!!! I have mostly subbed at Elementary Schools and I can only imagine where I was getting sick from! I recently got to go on a nice little hiking trip with some girlfriends while the guys had to work a Saturday. Other than that I am just trying to be Ryan's support. I'm keeping him fed, organized, and hopefully sane! :)

We hope to get a boat this weekend and cruise around. It is not warm enough to swim, but if it is sunny out and seventy it should be nice to just get outside and be on the water. We plan on keeping it a low key weekend, lots of movies and chilling out. It is a three day weekend for the both of us so it will be a nice break!

That's it for now!!!! Ciao~ Kalee

Holidays and Home

Wow~! The last few months were wicked crazy!!! I know in my last blog I said I would not forget to write on it, but I did it again...I forgot....sorry. (One of my New Year's Resolutions was to write more on my blog.)

Well, it is January now and Ryan is in full swing of Phase 2 of Pilot Training (the actual flying part of the training). He started right before Christmas. During that time we were busy trying to get x-mas all pulled together for when we flew home and I was working every single day of every week up until we left.

We had a wonderful time visiting home and go to see almost everyone. About two days before we left Ryan started getting a bit anxious and really did not want to come back here to Del Rio. I could not imagine what it felt like, but from witnessing the first few weeks he endured, I realized that life was about to be pretty hard for the next year, without any breaks. This x-mas break was our last visit home together probably until next year. I had a hard time leaving and missed my family. It kind of hit me that home was no longer really home and that I would be living far away for a long time. It felt like I was on a long vacation in Del Rio (ew) and was finally coming home, but it just felt so weird heading back to "home" in Del Rio....... so I bought a ticket back in March of this year. I plan on doing lots of wedding exploring and planning during that time. Five days with each side of our families was just not enough time :) We miss you guys!!!

Molly and Bruce are doing well. Molly had an accident right before we left where she cut herself on our chain link fence in the back. She had stitches and when we got back from vacation we found that she had licked them wide open and had a giant nasty hole. So for now Molly is wearing the unattractive cone on her head. To make matters worse last week she ran into the wall so many times with this thing that it broke. Her wound is almost healed and I figured I would just duct tape her up for a couple of days until it's completely healed. Needless to say it is even more unattractive now. The two of them have also managed to make a mutual friend, the neighbor's Corgi (is that how you spell it?). It some how slipped under the connected fence one day and Molly, Bruce, and the Corgi are great friends. I was obviously surpised that both Molly and Bruce like her....weird.

My sister's Amanda and Morgan came to visit me last week and we had a good time visiting the Emporium and getting some ice cream, watching movies, discovering all that Del Rio has to offer...ha ha.... and catching up! I miss you guys!!!!

I will write soon and let everyone know how Ryan is progressing! He is doing well right now, however, the weather here is kinda rainy and poopy so he gets his flights cancelled a lot, but soon it should be picking up!!!

Ciao~Kalee

Ryan is finally In Pilot Training and Kalee is finally Substituting

WHEW! Time flies and then you forget your blog!!!!! Big oops.

So I will catch everyone on up on whats going on down here in Del Rio, Texas.

First of all, Ryan and I finally got crates for the dogs, oh did we need them! Did you see our last blog and what they did to the garbage, well, between the time they did that and the crates, they:

a. learned how to open the refridgerator

b. pooped in just about every room in the house

c. peed on everything

d. chewed on the pantry door

e. scratched the heck out of our back door

f. broke every screen window

g. ran away from home

h. broken a baby gate

Yeah that just about sums it up. So to put it lightly.....the dogs are doing just fine :)

Second, Ryan and I accumulated some friendships in the last few months and have since discovered the local dance clubs. Ryan and I hang out a lot with his classmates on the weekends. I have met some really cool teachers from here and have gone out with them too. I have some girlfriends, spouses, and fiances that I have become friends with as well, who rock by the way!!!

So far, we took a weekend to induldge in our inner German at the base's own Octoberfest event, we took a weekend to express our creativity and driving skills in Austin, Texas, and have put in some hours at the O'Club.

Third, as far as work goes, Ryan has officially started pilot training. He is only doing academics right now and will be hitting the flight line in early December. I officially became a substitute teacher and am doing quite well with it, you know, raking in the dough. I had a short stint at the local mall working for minimum wage, and needless to say, I don't work there anymore.

With all of this at hand, I would like to mention the weather, and make a few of you out there completely jealous. It has been sunny, clear skies, and 75 to 80 degrees nearly everyday. Ryan and I just mentioned how we might rent a boat one of these Novemeber weekends, yes, I said those words in the same sentence,.....November......Boating.

Well, I promise to keep everyone more updated! I won't forget!!!!!!!

Love,

Kalee, Ryan, Molly, and Bruce (a.k.a. Deuce--for his lack restraint when it comes to doing a #2)

Molly and Bruce's Garbage Adventure/Bruce is soooooooo Strange!

Last week was a pretty crazy week for the dogs.

First, they decided one day when I ran out for only twenty minutes, to destroy the FULL garbage sitting in the kitchen and drag bits and pieces of garbage in to various rooms. When I came home to find this garbage everywhere, I was furious, however, I could not help, but laugh because it was pretty funny and GROSS! (The pictures speak for themselves!)

Not only did they destroy the garbage, but Bruce in particular did some weird stuff. One night we took them for a walk and at the end Bruce decided he just wanted to lay down. Well, he sure layed down and would not get back UP! Ryan had to go over and pick him up, but the dog just stayed limp. We decided to pull on his collar, but all that did was drag his limp body across the grassy bed he was laying on. We could not figure out what his deal was. Grass soft? Too Tired? Lazy? Dumb?

Then later that week, we took them for a car ride and when we got home, Bruce refused to get out of the car, going limp again. We had to pick him up (he is a heavy boy) and drag him out of the car. Literally, we dragged him. We had him by his upper body and his legs were grazing the back seat and the door. Most dogs stiffen up or end up just moving, but nope, Bruce just goes limp.

Then to top everything off, this weekend we took them for a walk and we let them off of their leashes on this back nature trail and they both run everywhere chasing rabbits and stuff. They love it! So at the very end of the walk when we are off the trail and heading towards our house and the sidewalk, we turned around to find that Bruce was gone! We called his name for about 20min before Ryan went and got the car. Right as we were about to go driving on those back trails and right before I was about to cry, we drove past the house and there he was just hanging out in the front yard.

We have only had Bruce for about two months now, and well, we are still trying to figure him out. He makes us frustrated and mad sometimes, but for the most part we are laughing our asses off!