Training Taking a Toll

This training is really starting to get to me. It is very difficult and so exhausting. It can be fun and rewarding one second and then a kick to the stomach for the next thousand seconds. I had two really good flights last week, but then flew with the boss and totally pooched it away. I get to do that ride over again and that isn't a good thing. I only get two more of those and I am going home early.

We are learning to use a targeting pod, which is like having an all weather Hubble telescope on your jet that can shoot lasers and infared beams at targets to help guide bombs and mark targets for other guys. We are also employing laser guided bombs and GPS guided bombs. Cool stuff, but I invent new ways to dork up simple things.

On the good news side, my dad and stepmom came to visit Jarrett...just so happens they had to see us, too. It has been good having them here, although I had to ditch them to go study for a few hours. They took care of JJ so we could have a dinner by ourselves, which was great until Candi thought we needed to return. I was thinking Phoenix for a night or two, but she apparently wasn't. Here's a couple pictures of JJ and the visiting family. His favorite toy right now is Bee. His new thing is to roll over every chance he gets & he's getting more talkative all the time. He is officially four months old now. Boy, does time fly by!

Well, keeping this short and sweet so I can get back to studying and trying to be a good host.

This is a drive by

I have to make this short and sweet because I really need to get back to studying. I apologize for not posting on a regular basis lately, but I have been super busy. I have been spending an enormous amount of time studying, to include going into work before church on Sunday morning and then all afternoon when I get back from church. I take Saturdays off so Candi can have someone to talk to who doesn't just blow spit bubbles while she talks...ok, maybe I do that too, but you know what I mean.

I have been very busy with training lately. They gave most of the academics we will need for the rest of the course this past week and a half. It is good that we will be focusing on flying now, but the learning curve is a bit steep. It wasn't like I was on top of it anyway, then they add tons more. Anyway, I fly three times this upcoming week and have two sims...now that is a busy week since each one takes hours upon hours to prepare for.

Candi and Jarrett have been spending a lot of time not seeing me. I am pretty sure that is why Jarrett has been crying more than normal and not sleeping much. He is going through a rough patch and Candi has been doing great keeping up with him. She is doing such a good job, especially since she is doing it alone, for the most part. It is pretty tough knowing that I should be helping out with the baby more, but not being able to because of the lack of hours in the day.

Not only are Jarrett's lungs growing, but his body is as well. He learned to roll over this week...next week we will teach him how to fetch. He is starting to mimic us and it is really making him seem more like a little human. Candi continues to work and we are looking at ways to have someone watch the little man, so she can work a little more and have a moment or two to herself.

Ok, that is all I have time for, but I wanted to leave you with a few pictures. Someone on the tanker was able to take a video of me and I got a still photo from it. The others are self explanitory, except for the thing on my lip. That can be explained by the term 'Mustache March.'