Patrick's Graduation

Here's a short video of Patrick accepting his WIC diploma.

a USAF weapons officer

The weekend of June 17th was one to remember.  As many know, I flew to Vegas for Patrick's WIC graduation. Amongst all the hype of it being my first trip to Vegas- the excitement the city itself brings, the flashy casinos, delicious food options, and all levels of fashion, I have to mention that the city did not disappoint.  Before the graduation festivities began, Patrick and I had the chance to go out and explore Vegas.  We met up with some friends, gambled, and had ourselves a merry good time.  You really do lose track of time there, as I am sure there is so much more to see.  I foresee many trips in the future to tap into all that the city has to offer. 

Before all the hype of exploring the city began, Patrick attended patch night the evening I flew in.  Patch night is one for the books.  It's the night you receive your graduate patch.  As a weapon's officer, you earn the right to wear your graduate patch in place of the American flag--normally worn on the flight suit's left shoulder.

Patrick has always had a humble spirit.  Despite the difficult situations his job often leads him to, resulting in awards he doesn't often mention, he holds a gentle, unselfish demeanor that I have always admired. Having attended the event, Patrick walked into the hotel room holding the same gentle poise I know him to carry. Yet now, he stood a weapons officer.  He wears a patch many admire and look up to. It gives me more reason to admire my husband.

A little 101 on the course that Patrick took this past six months—WIC(Weapons Instructor Course) is a course that provides advanced training in weapons and tactics employment to officers of the combat air forces.  The weapons schools include the weapons instructor courses for several aircraft and systems of the USAF, one of them being the C-17 Globemaster III.  The course itself is extremely difficult, as the original number of undergraduates for this class stood at 118, and 96 of these men and women graduated on Saturday.   The current number of C-17 weapons officers is less than 100.  Patrick is number 96.

 

               

Facts and statistics of the course alone bring forth a pride I cannot describe.  As I watched him walk on the stage, accept his diploma, and ultimately become one of the elite few who hold a prestigious title, I proudly cheered him on. There have been many moments within my husband’s career thus far that I have been proud.  Those that include becoming an USAF officer, and the pinning of his wings at pilot training.  But this moment topped it all.   

In honesty--Yes, the past six months have been hard. And it’s been difficult at times to acknowledge or see what he has gone through to get to that moment Saturday night.  As he stood in line to receive his diploma, I could not help to reflect, yet again, what we’ve done to get to this moment. Regretfully, my own experiences have at times masked the severity of his.  However, in that moment, as his name was called, I saw the beauty of his hard work.  It resulted in an indescribable pride.  

Many photos were taken to capture such a prestigious moment in Patrick's career.  Here are a few taken after the ceremony. 

      

     

stepping stones

Okay so this post could in fact end up being one of those mushy posts--a post where my thoughts and emotions come out and I look back and say--that was deep. But I believe it's something that has to be noted every once in a while--a notion that we all must take and endure. Even if it ends up being 'mushy'.  As I have mentioned before, I write on this blog secretly for my own selfish reasons.  Yes, it's for our friends and family to see the updates on what is happening in our lives, but really to express feelings, let it all out and give me a sense of relief knowing these events in our lives have been noted in some form--words, photos, or both.

Here I sit on the plane headed back to seattle.  I have felt this utter urge to write out these feelings of  'love' or mushiness per say, to the point that I cant wait until tomorrow morning during the time I routinely blog after a trip or holiday to write down my thoughts and post photos.  Its usually during Jonah's nap, in front of the computer, with a cup of coffee in hand.  But tonight it's different--my draft of a post will be written in an aisle seat, and complimentary beverage will have to do.

It's not a new found realization, as I have known all along. Its more of a confirmation of how much I love my husband.  He is my world. He is my best friend. There wasn't a profound event this weekend that I was given this confirmation.  But rather being in every moment with him allowed it to escape. We needed this time. We needed these moments of confirmation. It had been seven weeks since seeing him and the next is six weeks away. We needed this stepping stone. 

Visiting him in Philadelphia this past weekend gave me that push. It started that stream of confirmations..the reasons in stating I love this man as much as I do.  The happiness and eagerness I felt stepping off from the airport shuttle to see him sitting in the hotel lobby for me. The joy in his eyes as he stopped at yet another Dunkin donuts for my third hot chocolate that day--because making me happy is his priority. The laughter we shared in moments of spontaneity. The comfort of making myself home in his 'home-away-from home' on base. How easy it was to relax and fall asleep so quickly. Even the giddiness I felt when he reached for my hand while walking to dinner. As these confirmations seeped slowly, a prominent moment was a humble acceptance--as I walked around the airport waiting for my flight home. I saw other couples say their goodbyes.  I couldn't help the lump in my throat and the tears from forming. I had that confirmation that amongst the sadness of our distance, I am blessed.  I have a love and friendship so strong that will, and has held its own.

We were able to explore Philadelphia. With only an iphone to guide our way, we set forth and ventured out to the city. We saw the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. We went to a couple movies, shared dinner together and caught a great comedy show. He introduced me to the strange 'jug handles' New Jersey has to offer to drivers, the heavenly taste of Dunkin donuts hot chocolate and quite possibly the best taco pizza I've ever tasted. But most of all--we shared moments together. Moments of clarification that I noted above--ones solidifying that I love this man with all my heart and I could not ask for anything more.

Jonah was in good hands this weekend, as my mom and a great friend watched him while I was away. 

And now as I sit in front of the computer to re-read my 'aisle seat' of a draft, I cannot imagine our life without the one that sleeps soundly upstairs.  While in Philly, I filled Patrick in on all the new-found words and tendencies that Jonah has learned the past two months.  I know it hurts his heart to hear of moments he's missed, yet filling it with joy at the same time.  I know Patrick is fearful that the 'daddy' Jonah knows may be lost come April when he visits.  If  moments like the ones I experienced this past weekend made an appearance in my world, I know they will be  present in Jonah's come April.  It's only a step away..and if stepping stones are the only means to endure these moments with him--we will forcefully jump on them until June. 

like father--like son

the spin chair

Sunday's have happily turned into family days lately--which usually involves going to the park.  Today we went to one in Tacoma.  This park is more modern and has a fun playground to play in.  In the video below, Jonah is spinning in a fun bucket. It brought me back to an experience Patrick underwent in Undergraduate Pilot Training.  The dreaded "spin chair" is a chair that is used to familiarize pilots with motion and give them a sense of what motion sickness they can handle. I dug this picture up this afternoon of Patrick sitting in the "spin chair" at UPT. Enjoy the video and our little man who is already taking necessary measures to learn what being a pilot is all about! :)

two days, two century rides

Patrick participated in the "Seattle to Portland" ride this past weekend.  He and his friend, Hans, rode 100 miles on Saturday and another 100 on Sunday.  It was so great seeing him cross the finish line.  Here are a few pictures I snapped of the finishing moments.  

a birthday surprise

Today we celebrated Patrick's upcoming birthday by surprising him at his squadron.  About 20 of his friends/co-workers gathered together to surprise him and celebrate his 30th birthday! I was sneaky enough to contact a few people he works with to help plan the surprise--we pulled it off! I was happy, as it has always been difficult to surprise him, let alone keep any type of secret from him.  He had no clue--and it was fun to see him in the moment.  

Patrick is his moment of surprise

I ordered a custom C-17 cake to present at the gathering for him..it turned out awesome! I contacted this amazing, new and upcoming cake artist in Federal Way(you can see more of her cake designs here) and I couldn't have been more pleased with how it turned out! 

It's so great to have celebrated today--I remember celebrating with Patrick on his 21st birthday--look how far we've come together:)  Happy Birthday, hunny. We love you!!

Routines and Reality

Yesterday's events hit home for me.  What I thought were Jonah's cries from upstairs, were those from a neighbor three doors down.  Screams of realization that her husband had passed away echoed through our neighborhood.  The man who passed was a police officer by day, father by night, and no older than Patrick and me.  From what I understand, he had endured surgery a few days back.  At this time, the cause of death is unknown. I stood and watched from my front door window.  A fire truck, ambulance and several police cars took up most of our culdesac.  Standing there, I couldn't help but feel utter sadness. To think of how it must have felt to learn her husband was gone is daunting. All I wanted to do at that moment was to make sure Patrick was okay, hold my baby tight, and thank God that He keeps my family safe on a daily basis. 

As I watched, fear forced itself to sink in.  Reality inevitably sank.  This could, in fact, happen to me. I know that our neighbor's death may not be related to his line of work, but it's possible.  That said, Patrick's job is life threatening at times. There are a lot of factors in Patrick's job that I purposely try not to think about. There are things I do not know of, and choose not to know of. It was hard not to compare an event like this to events that I could endure.  I honestly do not know what I would do, or how I would act. Such as our neighbor's, I am convinced time would ultimately stop and my world would be upside down. Even today as I see news crews in our culdesac and more police cars, I think of our neighbor and all the thoughts, fears, and worries of, "now what?" that she's experiencing. Our thoughts and prayers continuously go out to the family.

Patrick came home last night and we carried on as normal.  Our nightly routine of feeding Jonah dinner, play time, bath time, and bedtime came and went.  But unlike most nights,  I didn't take our routine lightly.  Quietness set in, and I found myself wanting to reflect on this normality.  I knew I no longer wanted to take these normal moments for granted.  I snapped a few photos, and some video of Jonah during bath time. 

In reflecting on yesterday, I don't have much more to say, other than what I have already touched on. Daily routines like those of last night will come and go. Reality will ever so often sink and I'll be forced to view "what if" situations. With that all said, I do know that the tragedy that occurred yesterday gave me a reminder to not take life for granted.   

Enjoy the video of Jonah's bath time.  I see innocence, playfulness, and most important--life. 

--God's plan has purpose--

This day 29 years ago, God placed me in the arms of a loving family. At birth, I was placed in a children's baptist home when Pat, now my adoptive mother, received a call that a baby girl was available for adoption. My mom had one box of disposable diapers, one can of formula, and one blanket.  God answered her prayers of wanting a child and  knew that I was what she needed.   You can read more of my adoptive story here (described by my mother), but I couldn't resist posting the importance of this day.   I have learned that God truly does have a purpose for our lives, answers prayers, and knows what is best for us.

Over the years my mom has described to me the overwhelming joy she experienced when she received that call.   Seeing my son born and grow has been an amazing experience as a mother. I now know that joy she describes, fully understand, and am even more grateful.  I will be forever grateful for my mom and all the sacrifices she has made towards giving me a life full of love and faith.  Most importantly, I am forever grateful for God's plan. There are moments where I sit and really reflect on how it has fully come into place.  I kind of have those, "a hah" moments.  Where would my life be now? Without that call I wouldn't be where I am today.   I would have had a different childhood, different friends, different family, and a completely different life.  I would have never met Patrick, most likely wouldn't be living where I am living, and little Jonah sleeping quietly upstairs as I type this, would not be around. Imagining my life any different is difficult.  I am forever grateful that I don't have to experience my life any differently than the one God has planned for me. 

My mom and I quietly celebrate this day between us every year.  She emails me, calls me, or now days, even texts me the story of how she got that wondrous call.  And without fail, I receive a bouquet of flowers from my mom.  Every year a gorgeous array of lilies and roses have sat and waited in my college dorm's office, on my desk at work, or on my porch step. This year isn't any different.  I came home from the gym this morning to see this arrangement on my doorstep.  She always remembers, as will I. 

{a casual day out }

As mentioned here--this past weekend marked the first of many celebrations leading up to Monika and Aaron's wedding.  Patrick hosted the bachelor day up here while I went down to Oregon for one of Monika's bridal showers. I know that Patrick is honored to be a part of Aaron's upcoming wedding and it was fun planning a day for him- with similar interests it wasn't difficult to say the least. Getting drunk and crazy isn't Aaron's style, nor any of the other guys that attended. Patrick organized a casual and memorable bachelor party for Aaron--centered around the things he loves in life (planes), stories, good food, and a great group of friends.

Many stops were on the agenda-a straight razor shave in the morning, stop at the Museum of Flight, tour of Patrick's jet, dining at a brew pub in Seattle, and ending with a 'night cap' at a bar downtown that hosts the city's largest selection of Scotch(a fave of Aaron's).  This casual guys day out was enjoyed by all, below are a few snapshots of the group.

tour at the museum

snapping Aaron in space

Museum of Flight

the gang

photo op by the jet

the couple's fathers

dinner in Seattle

night cap at 'Bookstore bar'

the "norm"

I get questions all the time about what Patrick does--my response is, "fly C-17 planes".  Hahah....but in all actuality he does so much more than I can ever understand, let alone describe correctly!  So--I thought I'd show you all and describe to those who are interested what a typical air drop training mission is for Patrick(with a little help from him of course!)  

The pictures and videos below show a practice air drop done a few weeks ago at Fort Lewis. This practice mission was to re-supply a forward operating base in a hostile environment.  The first video shows a platform being pulled out of Patrick's plane with a 15 foot extraction shoot. Patrick tells me that once the platform is out of the plane, it opens up and the main parachutes open.  In the video below, the main parachutes are holding 7,000 pounds of cargo--particularly 500 pounds of fuel and a container of field generators. 

The second video below shows Patrick dropping 45 Army rangers.  

It's crazy to me that this is just the "norm" for Patrick.  It's not everyday that you get to go to work and practice flying to drop several pounds of cargo down below.  He loves what he does though and I have always admired his passion and drive.  Plus--I have to admit, I think it's kinda cool. Whenever I see his plane flying around it's kinda neat to brag and say, "yep..that's my husband flyin' up there."   

the "snaggle" and other inheritances

Over the past few months Patrick and I have noticed certain tendencies that Jonah has inherited from his daddy.  These tendencies clearly aren't ones that Jonah has "picked up".  I am convinced that these traits have been passed down through genetics--even if they seem silly to be genetically tied. One we noticed very early is the way that Jonah sleeps.  I wish I had a picture to help describe it.  On most nights I check on Jonah and find him sprawled and stretched out to no end.  I find him with his neck arched back as if he is stretching to look behind himself, head up and mouth wide open. Coincidently, this is how Patrick sleeps. 

From the moment Patrick and I started talking about having kids, I've always joked how I would hope for our son/daughter to have his brains and my teeth.  I chuckle as I type this because it truly is something both Patrick and I giggle about.  I've been fortunate and have never carried the need for braces nor have ever had a cavity.  Patrick on the other hand has some crooked teeth--though I want to make sure to state that if he had the chance to get braces I would most likely be a little reluctant in his decision because it's who he is, and is a valuable trait I love about him.  I wouldn't change his crooked teeth for the world:)  That being said, we felt around in Jonah's mouth last night and it looks like a couple more teeth are trying to poke through...and the gums are shaped just as I thought--around a "snaggled"crooked tooth.  Both Patrick and his dad have the same "snaggle"--up left, near the canine.  It's a quirky little trait that now(I am not positively certain yet) has been passed down to Jonah.  Yes, this is just a baby tooth, but kind of funny to see the similarity. 

Every day I swear that Jonah's hair is getting lighter.  I swear his eye color changes and is closer to a light gray hue, rather than brown.  As I see Jonah becoming more like his dad in more ways then one, I smile.  I joke that Jonah is a carbon copy of Patrick, but I really do love it.  Several people have mentioned though that they see me in Jonah's expressions. I don't believe that it's a coincidence that I am one to wear all my emotions on my face either--so I'll take that and give myself a little credit.  

Regardless of what traits Jonah inherits, I find it amazing how God creates this complexity in children.  The idea that tendencies and habits are passed down to your kin are unfathomable.   I am sure next week Patrick and I will just look at each other and smile as we discover another similarity. This week it was the "snaggle".

Grandma Reimer

This Saturday will be one year since my Grandma passed away. I don't know if it's the time of year, or just the complexity of how our minds work that have allowed me to remember and reflect on who my Grandma was and the special place she will always have in my heart.

These past couple of weeks I really have sensed my Grandma and her presence. She's been all around me. The candlelit service on Christmas eve allowed me to reflect on the traditions she and my Grandpa bestowed. The simple act of baking cookies yesterday made me remember of when she taught me how to get all of the cookie dough off the sides of the bowl by scraping with a knife. It's always a flick of the wrist and knock of the knife on the bowl-something that I do to this day. The picture above reflects the last time I saw her-Thanksgiving 2009. I was pregnant with Jonah, and she asked me when I was due. I told her April 9th. She simply stated, "April 12th is a good day." That day signified love and hope in my grandma's life, as it would have marked my grandparents 65th wedding Anniversary. Of course, God knew that Jonah would come on April 12th. When my grandma passed, I feel like God gave that day to our family and simultaneously allowed my grandmother to leave her legacy.

Little instances like these have given me a picture of who my Grandma was- faithful, perceptive, and hopeful. Amongst the business of life, I love when I am reminded of her. I hope when memories come to the surface in the future that I will continue to see and learn of the wonderful woman my Grandma was.