Happy Easter!!

Well it was certainly a different Easter, with Daddy gone, but I think we did okay.

They had fun hunting and coloring eggs and I had fun with my new camera!

I guess I didn't give Calvin enough time to smile<

She just couldn't wait to see what was inside the eggs.

Calvin was a little upset because he couldn't as many eggs as his brother

Maybe he just likes to make faces...what do you think?

This is Easter day...SNOW!!
The first snow (and probably the only) of the winter season.

Calvin's cute little snowman.

He's a one armed snowman...we could only find one stick!

This picture was taken about 8am...by 9am, you couldn't see the street or grass. It was pretty, fluffy snow and the kids were a little upset that I made them go to church. I'm sooo mean!!

By the time church was over, much of the snow had melted. I felt bad, but at least there was still some to play with.

So that was our Easter. It was interesting to say the least!!I really miss Grandma's easter egg hunt..just doesn't seem the same without it, no matter how many I miss.

Hope everyone had a nice one as well.

Wet Monkey Theory

For everybody who has been in the military or knows something about it might enjoy this. We have this hanging in our office at work.

“WET MONKEY THEORY”

Start with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it. Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all the other monkeys with cold water. After a while another monkey makes the attempt with same result, all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon when another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it.

Now, put the cold water away. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his surprise and horror, all of the other monkeys attack him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs he will be assaulted. Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with a new one. the newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomertakes part in the punishment with enthusiasm. Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs he is attacked. Most of the monkeys that are beating him have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.

After replacing all of the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs to try for the banana. Why not? Because as far as they know that is the way it has always been done around here.

And that, my fellow monkey, is how military policy begins . . .

Finally Settled In!

Well we are settled in. When we got here late last Sunday night we realized we would be sharing a room with 2 other guys that were getting ready to leave. So there were 4 guys in a room about 10 feet by 10 feet. Prisoners get better accomadations then that! We went to work yesterday and when we got home realized they were gone and we finally had the room to ourselves. I had the day off today so I got to unpack my stuff and cleaned, man they were dirty! So here is my half of our living space.

My bed. I was on the top bunk until the other guys left. The sheets look like silk but they aren't!

Future home of our television and my PS2 once we figure out who to call for AFN.

My wall locker.

The outside of our "HOME" with our lovely sandbags.

I am working what they call night flight but it really isn't night. We start around noon and get off around midnight. I am now the Assistant Flight Chief, they guy I came with MSgt Malloy is my Flight Chief so I am second in charge. Hopefully that keeps me out of the heat and in an air conditioned office doing paperwork or something! So I am doing real good but I do miss being home with Marsha and the kids! Until next time . . . .

Let's Try This Again

We flew out of Germany yesterday and made it about 30 minutes into our journey before we had to turn back. The landing gear on our C-5 would not go up so we couldn't make it to al the way to Al-Udeid AB to pick up our gear before heading to Iraq. So we checked into lodging for the night (AGAIN!) and are back today to try and fly out (AGAIN!). Today will be our third attempt to leave Germany in as many days. If we don't make it out today I will post another update. Talk to everybody soon.

Our plane on the flightline waiting for us to get on yesterday.

Malloy in the seat behind me waiting to take off . . .

SSgt Strothers and SSgt Yara . . .

and me taking a picture of myself!

My Trip So Far

It has been an adventure so far and I haven't even made it to Iraq yet! We left RAF Lakenheath on Monday morning and the normal 2 hour drive took well over 3 hours with all the traffic. After finally arriving at the airport we are told our flight at 10:40 a.m. was cancelled. We arranged another flight to leave at 4:15 p.m but that one was cancelled also. So we scheduled another flight for the next day at 10:40 a.m. and called around to get a hotel room for the night. We finally found four rooms at the Comfort Inn at Heahrow for 129.00 poundsa night or around 260.00 dollars per room. It is being paid for by the US government so thanks to all you taxpayers, myself included! We really didn't want to have to drive all the back to Lakenheath and then turn around the very next morning and drive back to London.

We woke up on Tuesday morning and called the airlines to check on the flight and were told our flight was cancelled once again. All these cancellations were due to weather so we really can't blame British Airways but it was getting ridiculous! We finally got out of London at about 3:00 p.m. after more then 24 hours of waiting in London. The wind was really bad during takeoff and weren't sure we should have taken off but we made it and landed in Franfurt, Germany around 5:15 p.m. So far the best part of the trip was finding McDonalds at the airport and they had McRibs on the menu!!!! After calling for a taxi/bus we finally left the airport at 7:30 p.m. and headed to Sembach AB in Germany to stay the night.

Waiting with my luggage at London Heathrow airport on our second day of trying to fly out.

The 3 others I am going with (from L to R - Strothers, Malloy and Yara).

MCDONALD'S!

My McRib!

We were originally scheduled to leave Ramstein AB for Iraq on Tuesday afternoon but because of the delays in London didn'tmake that flight. We are now scheduled on a flight that leaves Thursday and if nothing happens to the plane and the weather cooperates we will be leaving. Sembach AB is about 20 minutes from Ramstein AB so today we moved over to the Ramstein lodging to be a little closer to the terminal.

From my balcony in lodging at Sembach AB.

Amanda and Henry are now stationed here so I am going to dinner and hanging out with them tonight. I think Marsha is a little jealous? LOL