A Day of Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving from the Nomadic Blakes!! We hope that you had a blessed day with family and friends and that your Christmas season is full of the love of Jesus!!

Our Second Stop...Durham, NC

Our second stop was Durham, North Carolina to see my brother, sister-in-law, nephew and our new little niece! The boys are only 3 months apart in age, so they were instantly friends and enjoyed the "built-in" playmate for the week! We went to the best museums I've ever been to for children! The boys enjoyed playing outside until dark, while I doted over Baby A and carried on some adult conversation with my sister-in-law and brother. It was a great time!

Now, we're in Florida visiting my brother-in-law (Cody's brother), sister-in-law, and our nephews with Cody. Here's a preview of what's been happening:

We leave to drive to Panama City with Cody tomorrow afternoon and will then be back up to Destin again to spend Thanksgiving with Cody's brother and family.

Fun times seeing family again...I LOVE IT!!

Our First Stop...Houston, TX

Our trip across the US has been wonderful so far. We started our trip in Houston, TX. It was a fun time of meeting our new nephew and J's new cousin! We had a great time...and even fit in a trip to the Houston Museum of Natural Science and the Houston Zoo! Here's a slideshow with the highlights.

Looking Back...

In reviewing our blog to locate some pictures, we came across this picture:

Cody was smart enough to remember that we had that picture taken the day we moved into our new home in Scotland and decided to take the "same" picture on the day we moved out of our home in Scotland. Here is the "more recent" picture:

Amazing how one child can grow in a year and nine months!

The Nomadic Family

So as not to leave my faithful readers at a loss for what is to be going on these next couple of months, I will update you...now that I know what's going on! I have just booked tickets for J and me to travel across the USA to visit some family on our way to meet up with C in FL where he will be for at least a month or so. Then, our travel ends in Panama City...for now. I do not have tickets back to Las Vegas...no worries, though...we'll make it back, just don't know when but sometime in December or early January.

No, we do not have a place to lay our heads in Las Vegas yet, which is why we've decided to leave with C and the reason that I've officially claimed the term "nomadic family" to fit our family right now. House hunting has proved to be what we thought it would be here...HARD...you know, unless you have lots of thousands of dollars of cash to pay for these homes up front (which, as a sidenote, we do not!). So, we'll continue to be patient and pray and really search deeper for what God has planned for us here as far as housing is concerned. We'll re-attack the issue when we get back in January. Right now, I'm excited about getting out of this temporary lodging shoebox, visiting family for a while, and spending Thanksgiving with my husband.

It's possible we'll be gone through the rest of the year, so if for some reason there is not a blog post until January, please forgive me. I'll try to post as we travel. If I don't see you, talk to you, or bump into you along the way, have a blessed Thanksgiving and Christmas!

His Kingdom...NOT Mine!

The song "In the Blink of an Eye" by MercyMe that I have playing second on the blog has a line in it that says,

"How can I further Your Kingdom when I'm so wrapped up in mine?"

Just thought I'd share that with you...it sure got me thinking today! I'm incredibly wrapped up in "my kingdom" instead of "His Kingdom" right now. Thanks, God, for reminding me that "all of this stuff" is not important but furthering Your Kingdom is!

"Trick or Treat"

For the first time, Jackson went trick-or-treating this Halloween. Our first hurdle...how do you describe trick-or-treating to a child?? We showed him how to open his bag up and what to say, but being the sweet boy he was, he would not push his way up to the door and when Cody tried to show him how to gently and nicely get up with the other kids, he apparently turned to Cody and said, "I need to wait my turn." Uh, how can you argue with that?? So, he waited his turn and eventually caught onto the game, but was gentle about it. He "dressed up" as a pirate. I put that in quotes, because half of the costume I cut off, as the way it was designed was not going to work to get it on ANY 3 or 4 year old...so he wore his own pants, the shirt from the costume, the belt, the "hat" was too small and he refused to wear the eye patch (except when I made him for a picture!). He had fun and came home with a bag full of loot! We had gotten together with a few other families to trick or treat and enjoy a meal together. Here are some pictures from the night!

Trust

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

Right now, I'm trying to trust God...but I'm not quite sure I'm succeeding in this Las Vegas home buying market as we continue to make offers and they are not accepted. Right now we are a "back up offer!" Could someone please tell me why we have to be the runner-up instead of Miss America!! Renting is seeming like a really good option right now...although our lender and realtor continue to tell us that although it may not seem like it, it is a great time to buy a home here! Right...WE ARE TRYING TO DO THAT! (In all fairness, they also warned us that although it is a great time to buy, it is difficult to buy too.)

Right...going back to that whole "trusting God". Can some one of my faithful blog readers keep me accountable for that?? I know He's with us and I know He has the plans for our lives but right at this moment I'm really struggling with wanting to know NOW what those plans are.

As we were "being bummed" that our last offer didn't go through, Jackson takes a balloon rubs it on his head and sticks it to the wall (you know, that whole "static cling" effect)! The three of us started all rolling in laughter! Proof that God has a sense of humor too...and completely knows what He is doing! Thanks, God, for those little unexpected moments of laughter and blessing...and for reminding us that the material things in life, do not matter but the people that You place in our lives do!

Here's praying that I learn to trust Him more...and continue to see those little blessings every day!

Thank You God!!

PRAISE GOD!! There's nothing like some great Christian music to turn my spirits around! I love my blogspot music!! Thanks, God, for letting it work again (it wasn't working in Scotland!)!!

Sand in My Mouth??!!??

Alright, so after a good month and a half of NOT working out, I have decided that I can no longer wait until we have a house here (because, I have discovered that if I use that as a "clock" I won't be working out until next year sometime!!) to start working out and running again. You see, every time we move I gain at least 5 pounds...and I've just come to accept that. It's because all "healthy eating" goes out the window, and it's just comforting to eat sweets when we're moving! Anyway, without a scale to check, I'm about certain that I've gained AT LEAST that, so it was time to start getting up again and jogging. Can I just say I'm out of shape...greatly!!

That aside, I've observed some differences about jogging outside in Las Vegas versus jogging outside in Scotland! First off, I thought I was dreaming when I felt bits of sand in my mouth, and when I turned around to jog back to the room, I saw the faint sand cloud, so I must get used to sand in my mouth...didn't have sand where I ran in Scotland.

It's warmer here...that's number 2 difference, but that probably goes without saying. However, that brings me to number 3...I need to jog in the fall and winter here, whereas in Scotland I jogged in the spring and summer! No more "bundling up" to jog...although, it was cool weather this morning, so a jacket was helpful at first! Uh, and the topography and scenery is a bit different to look at. No rocky mountains in Scotland (of course, no green rolling hills, beautiful farms and sheep to look at here!)!!

I could probably list a whole lot of other differences, but I'll stop here. Las Vegas is just...well...different!! (Not that I didn't expect that!)

A Reunion!!

One of the fabulous things about moving to Vegas has been reuniting with so many of our friends from various places we've lived. Funny thing is that at least 7 families that have been in Japan have now moved here! So, we all thought it would be great to get together at The Original Pancake House and "catch up" over some pancakes!! It was great fun! Here's a picture of us all!

And, here's to many more get-togethers!!

Rewind...

We have finally loaded some pictures onto the computer and have enjoyed reliving our last days in Scotland. Here are some pictures from the last week we were there. Memories are such a wonderful thing!!

Our last "token family picture" in front of the Cathedral:

Followed by a "I conquered Scotland" picture of Jackson:


On "moving day" our lovely babysitter, Elizabeth, came to take Jackson for the day. We finally got some great pictures of her and Jackson. Her husband, Ray, came with her when she dropped Jackson off in the evening, so we got some great pictures with him as well! We will miss them dearly and will NEVER find a babysitter that compares to her! She was wonderful with Jackson! Jackson continues to talk about her.




We met up with a member of our Church down in St. Andrews one day after the move, and had coffee at the Old Course. What a treat that was for us! Thank you, John! He adored Jackson and often took him for juice and cookies on Sunday mornings to give us a chance to fellowship with others in our church.



The last day we were in Scotland, we made a trip down to St. Andrews again, just to walk around and get some photos. We ended our tour in Scotland with a stop at the Russell Hotel on The Scores...where we started our Scotland tour!



We had a wonderful time in Scotland and will treasure the time we had there.

We have now begun our transition back into the US culture and have made it through the first week. We are adjusting, slowly, to the pace of life back here and trying to get used to it. Not there yet, but I'm sure we'll adjust. It's been great to reunite with old friends over the past week! We have a car and phones and are still working on a house! We'll keep you updated as things happen...and as we have internet access!

Where Did the Time Go??

Yesterday, I woke up about 5:00am (still suffering a bit of jetlag!) and I thought about what time it was in Okinawa. It would have been around 8:00pm in Okinawa, and three years ago, at that time, our little baby son would have been resting in a little incubator in the NICU. Today, he rests for a 2-3 hour nap during the day, sleeps well through the night and runs around the rest of the day!! He keeps us on our toes but is the most friendly little boy and it makes me smile just to think of him and the cute little personality that he has developed. He has a heart of gold and seems to make instant friends with anyone of any age. To me, his smile is contagious...it makes me smile and laugh and thank God every day for the blessing that He gave us in Jackson.

Because we are in temporary lodging right now, a birthday celebration was small but fun. We spent the early morning opening presents and then headed to a fabulous park for two hours! He then chose to eat chocolate chip pancakes and chocolate milk for lunch at The Original Pancake House and joined us in house hunting in the afternoon, running around in vacant homes just having a blast, it seemed! We ended the day with a Birthday cake and ice cream back at the TLF.






HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR SWEET JACKSON!!

Closing this Chapter of Our Lives

And, as they say in Scotland, "That's Us!" We spent our last day walking around St. Andrews and reminiscing about arriving and the various things we've done while we've been here. What a blessing it has been...and what an incredible opportunity God has given us to see this beautiful country! We have loved our time here and wish we could stay but can only hope that God will lead us back here some day...maybe to run a Bed and Breakfast on The Scores right in front of the 18th Hole in "The Home of Golf" !?! For now, though, as Jackson put it as we were rounding the corner out of St. Andrews, "And, that's the end!" The end indeed...tomorrow morning, bright and early, we load onto an airplane to take us back to the USA...and to our new hometown, Las Vegas, Nevada! VIVA LAS VEGAS!!

(Pictures from today and the rest of our move to follow at a later date...the camera is packed up already!)

THE SCOREBOARD

OK, rewind 3 weeks ago - we were told that we had to be in Vegas by 30 Sep. So we told the Gov't that was going to cramp our style - we had one or two more European vacations we needed to take (oh yeah, and I still didn't have orders so it was next to impossible seeing that the movers only came up to Scotland once or twice a month, I had to drive down to England - drop off the car - train back (which is where I currently sit) and I had to fly to Germany for 3 days.

We won that one.

Blakes = 1, AFPC = 0

Apparently my unparalleled charisma and powers of persuasion worked wonders and our date got pushed to mid-Oct. They also agreed that we needed to see more of Europe before we left, so they decided to pay for airline tickets for me, Kristin and J to Paris and then to Prague (well, that and they were obligated to because we did consecutive overseas tours).

Blakes = 2, AFPC = 0

We'd love to show you pics from our final excursions, however...

When we got back to Scotland (realizing that we may have pushed it just slightly as we only had 6 days before the movers showed up and I had to go to England) we discovered that British Telecom had PREMATURELY shut off our telephone and internet service, even admitting that it was there fault it would take over a week to reconnect.

Blakes = 0, BT = 1

Half an hour later our laptop died.

Blakes = 0, Sony = 1

Now we have to go to a friends house, coffee shop, or interestingly the train to get online. So here I sit on the train, feeling a little guilty that I get around 4 hours of internet access and had a relaxing evening by myself in Harrogate, England in a boutique hotel, while my bride sits (without internet or a car) in a house about to be attacked by movers; trying to explain to our son that things are going to drastically change. He seems to understand more than we give him credit, saying on multiple occasions "I'm going to miss Scotland, no grass in Las Vegas."

So, my guilt about all this has led me to an odd point, something I didn't think I'd do, but I would do anything for her (sigh please). Knowing my bride would want to update you on our lives - I have now officially "blogged."

Kristin = 1, Burner = 0

- Burner
"Kill Migs"
(or "Replicate" them, in my case)

A Good Giggle!

Apparently we cannot import "snails" and "worms" to the US! Well, phooey...cause you know, I had a whole "snail and worm farm" to bring! (Gave me a good giggle when I saw this on an Import Guidelines list we were just given!)

The Old Course

You have to have a 17 handicap to play the Old Course!! Cody doesn't quite have a 17 handicap so, some of his friends that DO asked Cody to tag along yesterday, because they didn't want him to leave St. A without ever being on the "Old." Really, it was a great time with some friends and actually walking the original golf course and the Home of Golf!! One of Cody's friends took some pictures as Cody took a couple of shots on the 17th and 18th holes (thanks Bruce). J and I met the guys afterward at the Links Clubhouse overlooking the 18th hole of the Old Course for a great lunch and fabulous conversation about golf!



So, we'll leave here with just about checking everything off our list that we really wanted to do in Scotland (minus one-Hogmany in Edinburgh)! There are lots of other things that we could have done to fill another 2 years, but we have been truly blessed to be here for the time we've gotten to be here! The experience of a lifetime...oh, and Cody had a great time flying here too!

Some Lasts

Well, it's almost official...orders should be cut tomorrow...we are heading to Las Vegas somewhere around the 30th of September. So, along with that, comes the beginning of a lot of "lasts" for our family. The first was our last fair with a castle as a backdrop, as we went to the Glamis Castle Countryside Fair on Saturday. Sunday was my last Sunday to serve in our church nursery.

That was followed by Cody's last flight in the Tornado F3 yesterday (Monday) evening. Jackson and I were able to see him come in and land and then race over to the hangar where he pulled into. As always, it was emotional and exciting (and Jackson will tell you that it was loud and that he doesn't like "Daddy's mask"). Here are some pictures from his F3 Fini Flight.





These are only the "first" lasts...we are beginning to realize all of the things that we will miss about Scotland...but that is an entire blog posting all to itself!!

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Busy Weekend

As of midweek last week, we only had one thing happening on Friday night...our last formal event. We were properly "dined out" of an RAF squadron last Friday, 28 August at the Fairmont St. Andrews Hotel. It was a wonderful evening of catching up with friends who have moved over the last 2 months and bidding a final farewell to the squadron here (Cody is now flying with the other squadron...his 3rd squadron here!!). Unfortunately, others took pictures, but I do not have any of the copies yet.

So, as of midweek, that was our only "event" for the weekend...then, Friday on the way to the dinner, our weekend booked up!!

We were lucky enough to get to do one of the things we thought we were going to miss out on! When we got our assignment here, we had been told by some friends of ours' (thanks Wests!) to go see the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Because you typically have to book tickets a year in advance, we didn't go last year and when we found out we were moving, we didn't book the tickets to it, as we thought we would be gone. However, we attended, courtesy of the RAF!! The RAF had a few box seat courtesy tickets and Cody was able to get two of them. Our sweet sitter agreed (very last minute) to watch Jackson from mid-afternoon so that we could get down there, pick up the tickets at the box office and attend the 7:30pm show. The backdrop for the show is Edinburgh Castle...uh, HELLO! It was gorgeous and to see a talent show of sorts of Military Bands from all over the world there was a truly unique and fabulous experience!! Here are some pictures (in chronological order a.k.a. dawn to night) of the "best half time show" in history!!
Sitting in our box seats...where we were given a "goodie bag" with a CD and DVD and then a glass of champagne and caviar after, while everyone else left their seats...you know, so we didn't have to wait! (And, yes, I'm wearing my winter coat. It was downright COLD that night with the wind blowing that high up!)


Only in Scotland...Pipers from different Clans all participated in this performance. I will never tire of good Piping Bands!

My favorite "act" the Swiss drumming group known as "Top Secret."

The "Curtain Call!"

Cool picture of the flags...and then move your eyes down the picture...see the mass of people exiting the Castle down the Royal Mile?!?! Yep...LOTS of people have been attending these "sold out" performances for years!

What's even more amazing is that some family friends of Cody's had come up from Australia for the performance...the show time that we were lucky to get tickets to! So, we met up with them prior and then they came up to St. Andrews for the day on Sunday. We took them out to the base. Here is a picture of the "boys" in front of the Tornado.

It was a fun weekend! Hopefully, this next weekend we will go back to one of the annual countryside fairs that we had so much fun at last year! And, hopefully we'll know WHEN we are ACTUALLY moving...well, and I guess WHERE, as we still have nothing in writing=).

From the Mouth of a 2-Year-Old

Three moments of the day!!

**We were at the grocery store this morning and Jackson was sitting in the front seat of the cart (which, we can barely do this anymore, as he's getting to big!), when he looks up at me and says this:

J: I want to take my shoe off (as he reaches towards his foot).
Me: (sortof ignoring the situation, as I look on the shelf for what I want) Why do you need your shoe off. We're in the store. Keep it on please.
J: (emphatically) I need my shoe off!
Me: Jackson, why do you need your shoe off? (now looking straight at him)
J: Well, my foot is fizzy!
Me: (smiling and giggling) Your foot is fizzy? Does it feel funny?
J: Yes
Me: That means your foot is asleep. Would you like to get down and stomp it on the ground like this? (imagine me stomping my foot on the ground:)
J: Yes

Problem solved. No more "fizzy feet!"

**At lunch, Jackson looks at me and says in the sweetest voice:
"Mom that's a pretty dress."

I start laughing and say:
"That's nice of you to say, but I'm not wearing a dress."

(As a matter of fact, I was wearing jeans and a sweater!)


**Okay...here's another one that happened 30 seconds ago. I'm sitting here typing this post...the study is across the hall from J's room. I hear noise like he's jumping in his crib. I sortof ignore it but know it's going on. He knows he's not supposed to be jumping, but I'm too lazy to do anything about it now. Then I hear a bump and an immediate cry. I giggle because I know exactly what has happened. I go in there to find him standing up holding onto the back of the crib:

Me: What happened?
J: I just bumped my head.
Me: Well how'd you do that?
J: I was jumping on the bed.
Me: (laughing now, as I can see it's not anything to be concerned about, and HE IS SO BRUTALLY HONEST!!) Well, are you supposed to be jumping on your bed??!!
J: No. (smiles)
Me: (seriously) Do not jump on your bed.
I sit him back in his crib (he didn't want to lay down) to read to his stuffed animals. No more jumping and no more noise. I'm about 98% sure he's asleep now. The post-nap crying and breakdowns were a sure sign that he needed a nap desperately!! And now, I need a nap...but alas, I will go do something else that might seem a little more productive!

Hmmmm...

Just in case you're still wondering when we are moving...so are we! No new news on this homefront...no phone calls, no emails, no dates, no orders. So, just didn't want to leave any of you out of the loop! As of now, we think we are still moving to Las Vegas, with Cody completing his TX course at Tyndall OR Klamath Falls. We'll keep you posted! Until then, we'll keep enjoying the nice cool weather here in Scotland, as we know it will be tough to come by in Las Vegas, Nevada!!!

A Special Day

8 years ago today, I drove off with my new husband in this antique car...ready for the blissful wonders of marriage and marriage to a USAF pilot! Boy, I had no idea what I was in for (wink, wink!)!! We have visited 17 countries and lived in 3, not to mention having the sweetest little boy join us on our adventures almost 3 years ago! It's been a great 8 years. Happy Anniversary, Baby!! I love you more today than 8 years, 16 countries and 1 child ago!! Can't wait to see what the next 100 years brings us!! You're the best!

Fun in the Scottish Sun

Since Cody's been off of work, we have made a few trips to fun local places. Thursday, we went out to Cairnie Fruit Farm, only this year, we spent time in the play area and having a picnic rather than picking berries. We'll have to go back another time to pick berries! Here are some pictures of the coolest place for a kid (or adult!) to play!





They had mini tractors, diggers, trampolines, hay bale slide, a train/trailer ride, green green green grass to sit and have a picnic on, and so much more. We spent a good 3 hours there and completely tuckered Jackson out!

We went down to enjoy St. Andrews in the beautiful weather after.



Then, Friday, we took a trip out to Tentsmuir Park for play on the beach and picnic again. It was breezy, so a little chillier on Friday, so our stay was a bit shorter. Saturday, we went back into St. Andrews, as they have a market and fair going on. Jackson enjoyed riding many rides there.

Cody's back to work now but we are still trying to figure out how to fit one more trip in before we leave. Hmmm...time might be running out...but who knows!

Our Recent Adventures

With us in countdown mode (well, countdown is a loose term...we still do not know when we will be leaving Scotland...other than that it is probably within the next two months), and a little time to escape to see more of Europe, we traveled over to Berlin, Germany, where Cody's parents are working right now, and explored Berlin. Cody and I escaped to Venice, Italy for 2 days while we left our little munchkin with his grandparents. Here are the highlights from our adventures!

Friday, 24 July: We arrived in Berlin after catching a 6:30am flight from Edinburgh. We relaxed the remainder of the day and visited with Cody's parents at their Berlin apartment while Jackson napped.

Saturday, 25 July: Today we ventured out to see one of the things we knew we wanted to see, Checkpoint Charlie (the former border crossing between the Soviet and American sectors) and the Brandenburg Gate.


We also saw the outside of the Berliner Dom and the Telespargel ("toothpick") from a distance (which, by the way, is the second tallest structure in Europe according to the travel book!).



Sunday, 26 July: Church in Berlin. Cody's dad has been preaching there as an interim pastor for the past 4 weeks. That evening, we visited a local park for Jackson to play in.


Monday, 27 July: Charlottenburg Castle Grounds and the avenue called Kurfurstendamm where we saw the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedachtniskirche Church, which is the remains of a beautiful church that was bombed in WWII. Jackson enjoyed some ice cream that warm afternoon!




Tuesday, 28 July: Cody and I caught our flight to Venice, Italy for our 8th Anniversary trip (our anniversary is not until August, but we thought this would be our one opportunity to take an anniversary trip!)

We stayed in Venice two nights and left on Thursday, 30 July morning. While there, we saw St. Marks Square and Basilica, the Rialto Bridge, the Grand Canal (we actually stayed at the Hotel Rialto on the Grand Canal), the famous tower in Venice (don't know the name...we did no research before leaving, but just let the vacation happen!), a Gondola Ride, an anniversary dinner on the Grand Canal, and tried out some fabulous Italian wines! It was a memorable time!









Thursday, 30 July: Cody and I flew back to Berlin, and in the afternoon, we went to the Berlin Airlift Museum with his parents and Jackson. On the way back to the train station, we came across a German-American Festival! It was a true American Fair in the middle of Germany...right across from the American Embassy. Jackson rode many rides...and I realized that he continues to grow up, for he rode the rides on his own and did not need Mom or Dad with him.




Friday, 31 July: We saw the most beautiful zoo I've ever been to...the Berlin Zoological Garten. We spent hours there. We went into Potsdam and saw, as we did many places, pieces of the Berlin Wall still standing. It was amazing to see this. After walking around and taking some pictures, we went to the Sony Center in Potsdam for dinner.




Saturday, 1 August: We made a trip out to the Luftwaffe Museum. Jackson just loved seeing all of the airplanes and correctly identified many of them!! (I must continue to brush up on the names of them...he's surpassing me in my "airplane knowledge!")


Sunday, 2 August: Church in Berlin to hear Cody's Dad preach again. It is so wonderful to hear him preach!

Monday, 3 August: Flight back to Edinburgh, Scotland with a stop at Frankie and Benny's Restaurant on the way home!

Now, we are counting the days (although, again, don't know the exact number of days, as no dates yet) until we arrive back in the US. We are hoping to get another trip in before we leave...maybe to Paris?!? That's still our hope...we'll see.

All in all, we've decided that we have made the most of our time here, even if we don't get that Paris trip in. After counting, we have discovered that in Jackson's short little life, he has been to 9 different countries so far! Not bad for a 2-year old!