A Dream Come True

I woke up yesterday morning and everything went the same...got Jackson up, we ate breakfast, Cody headed to work, J and I ate lunch...but then at 1:30pm our day became a dream! Jackson and I loaded ourselves into the car to go meet Cody at work...but here's the fun twist...Cody was flying in a flyby yesterday...OVER A MEDIEVAL CASTLE!! Only trouble was that the castle is just far enough that I logistically could not figure out how to get there and back home to then catch a bus back out to the castle for a dinner (more on that later!). Anyway, so I decided we would watch him take off from the base and then go back home to hear him fly back...it was the best I could do with the time I had.

We got to the base to see Cody walk out of the squadron and out to the flightline. COOL!! I have to say, I don't believe that I've ever watched Cody walk out to a jet and do the whole prep thing in the jet, taxi and take off...much less Jackson see (and understand!) any of it!! So, there we stood...I leaned down to Jackson and pointed out Daddy...and Jackson just smiled...and I, well, I got choked up (the first of like 5 times this day!)! I am so proud of my husband! Any fighter pilot's wife knows that your heart just never stops beating faster when you watch your hubby out on the flighline. I never tire of seeing him out there sitting in the jet, taxiing a jet, flying in the air, or just simply dressed in a flight suit getting ready to go to work. What an amazing job he has...to desire to protect our country for ALL of us! Ok, back to the pictures...before I lose it again!


As we watched him get into the airplane, we were then escorted out to the flightline to obtain this picture of Cody.

Yes, he is waving at us! Jackson wasn't quite sure what to think about all this. When we got home and I showed him that picture, he said to me with a little laugh, "Daddy has a funny hat on!" I thought that was very observant...it does look kinda funny! The first time he saw Cody in his helmet, he cried...so we're making progress! Anyway, so then we watched him taxi and take off.

Jackson's comment on the way back to the squadron after all this was, "There was a big orange light!" The things that kids notice!! Nevermind the humongous jet that wizzed by us really fast! Before we pulled out of the parking lot, we saw the jets up in the air preparing to fly to their designated location in the air...oh, but that's not all!!

We raced home and positioned ourselves in our backyard, for we knew that within the hour we would be able to see them flying back to base. So, here is the view we got from our backyard!

(Cody is flying the jet on the left wing of the lead...so looking at the picture he is the one on the right of the diamond.)
When Jackson saw the jets coming, he pointed and said, "Look, airplanes!" "Yea," I said, "that's Daddy!!" As they flew by, I waved (as if they could see me), then leaned down to Jackson and said, "THAT WAS COOL, HUH?!!?" "That was cool," he repeated.

And, we went inside. However, THAT is not where the "dream" ended! Cody came home, and we both got into our formal wear (sixth time in a year!), walked down to our road end and were picked up by a bus to head over to our dinner. We drove about an hour and a half, turned a corner, and there, in front of us was Stirling Castle all lit up!! Yes, we were scheduled to dine in the Great Hall of a Medieval Castle!! I absolutely could not believe it was happening. As we walked up the cobblestone path, through archways and around the castle to the Great Hall, I had to take a deep breath...WE WERE GOING TO HAVE DINNER IN A CASTLE!!! Throughout the night, I just tried to take it all in and etch the evening into my brain (no pictures because it was, again, probably not proper to be taking pictures at this function). It was stunning!! And, I have to say, I felt like a queen!

That night (or rather at 2am this morning), as I was climbing into bed, I smiled...this day really did happen...today so many dreams came true!