In the Orbit: or, The Holding Pattern

Eric is almost finished training. He needs two more flights, then we can be released to travel. We're praying that we can have grace for whatever the outcome is... pray for us, please.

Friday, our last household goods were packed up. We are officially living out of suitcases until we arrive in the Last Frontier. I actually felt lighter when the "stuff" that was crammed in our apartment was gone, knowing that to be a sign of readiness. Prepare for liftoff...

We have reservations for the Alaska Marine Highway System, but in order for us to keep those reservations, Eric's flights must take place this week- or we will have to reschedule the trip.

Which, in the grand scheme of life, really doesn't matter all that much, because we can make it happen a week (or two) later if we have to. But the fact is, being in a holding pattern is by nature temporary, and we are so ready to start our "new life."

We hold this pattern until given permission to "land" and we will be content with that. Until then, we plan. Plan A is in effect... until further notice.

And, in the mean time, we are so thankful for the time we've spent in the land of deep roots (Oklahoma.) Our dear friends here have refreshed us by keeping their hearts open to us while we've been here.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7

Saturday was our first ever family fun run, and we all completed the one mile track to support the Edmond Fine Arts Institute.

Today was probably our last Sunday at Bridgeway Church in OKC. What a blessing to have "jumped in" to this body of believers for the summer! It felt like home, brothers and sisters! Which is saying alot, considering our kids are very shy at first, and they have enjoyed it, whether they were in the Kids Church, or participating with us in "Big People" service. Today, Ethan surprised me at lunch by saying, "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna be one of those guys up there doing the worship."

We are so thankful for all of you Okies. We especially loved the Backroom reunion of the "old" housechurch from 2005! Love and thanks to the Litz, Young, Meyer, Crawford, Coate, and Slater families!!! (Next time, we MUST TAKE PICTURES!)

Just a Plain Old Update

Good morning! Here we are in our little house on Tinker Air Force Base, enjoying (close) togetherness with a dash of limbo. This entry comes from my "Homeschool Journal" which is where I store my thoughts, plans and results of our home education adventure. It's time for an update.

My children are not explorers or adventurers by nature. They are tinkerers, creators, performers (in private) and writers. Most of their play-acting is done with the help of Lego Star Wars characters. I have to drag them away from their scenarios to learn anything new or to go anywhere. (Click this link to see Aurelia's blog on Lego creations.)

For me, this can be a problem because my imagination is not as active as it once was.  Most novels I've picked up this summer have bored me; and I've found the most solace in prayer, Bible reading, and creative arts. Not that I've produced anything much, but I've researched:

• gardening
• repurposing, reusing, repainting, decorating on a dime
• watercolor for beginners
• dog behavior
• Biblical womanhood
• home arts and organization

Some, though not all of these have been inspired by Pinterest, though the research has been done mostly in library books. I've had to compete to use our one laptop PC, which is always in high demand. Now I find myself taking notes on ideas and plans for our Alaskan home. Such as, how to retain heat in your home:

• hang fleece behind your curtains
• double up on rugs
• replace heater filters promptly
• wear sweaters!(wool, preferably)
• use a natural humidifier (a pot with a partially open lid, full of water, simmering on the stove)
• hang wet laundry indoors, to dry until damp, before placing in the dryer (this also conserves energy) 
• close doors to rooms or floors when not in use

I'm finding my little study in home economy to be fascinating. It's been freeing to realize the thrift of our forebearers keeps us from poverty in it's many forms and frees us up to find beauty in the mundane. But I digress.

In the meantime, my well-laid plans for "doing school" have gone untouched with the exception of a few reading lessons for Ethan. He's progressing well. Once Eric told me that he didn't think we should push school right now, I felt released and relieved. The guilt of doing nothing has almost totally passed, and I only feel foolish for toting the heavy box of summer "resources" with us.

The large item I'm not sorry I brought, however, is the keyboard, and though my dear second daughter seems to be losing interest, it has been good to hear them play, at least maintaining their skills. Eric bought a book of worship anthems for the piano, and I love hearing dear eldest daughter playing "Jesus, Name Above All Names."

We go to the libraries weekly, both the dinky Tinker library and the Midwest City Metropolitan, where I remember visiting back during Eric's first training in 1999. I defy anyone to keep up with eldest daughter's book reading. I certainly can't do it! At night we alternate between reading aloud Prince Caspian and On the Banks of Plum Creek. We're almost done with them.

The reading, swimming when we can stand the sunny heat, assorted field trips and Science Museum passes, weekend trips, and watching the Olympics , are making for a rather enjoyable summer break. As I am realizing, writing this, I have so much to be thankful for.

For this fall, we have almost certainly decided to use Sonlight curriculum for the girls (Core F, for them combined, plus Latin American Spanish) while Ethan and Crista will continue with Classical Conversations Foundations Program (Cycle One). CC has become familiar, like those the comfortable walking shoes that take you places while being supportive. I don't know if that's the best metaphor, but I've realized that Foundations works best over the long range. The cycles are meant to be repeated through twice, at least, and the second or third go around is when you will reap the most reward. I certainly saw this reward last year when my girls repeated Cycle 3 for the third time. So I'm excited to tutor Cycle One for the first time ever, knowing that my 1st grader will reap the rewards... when he's in 4th grade! Sweet second daughter may not remember more than a few history sentences from the year we used Cycle One at home (no CC group, and she was PreK.) The second time Cycle One came around was when the girls were in (gasp) public school. Why I did not have them review it at home is beyond me!? Maybe I was too busy helping them do homework.

"There's no great loss without some small gain." Part II

My dear family, in Laura & Almanzo's front yard, Rocky Ridge Farm, Missouri

Now that we had returned to Oklahoma after a bittersweet segue to Michigan, we planned to enjoy a shorter road trip to the home of Laura and Almanzo Wilder in Mansfield, Missouri. I've quoted Ma Ingalls in my last blog because she's been on my mind lately, since we are reading On the Banks of Plum Creek as a family each night (alternated by Eric reading Prince Caspian.)

Caroline Ingalls intrepidly battled fear and famine in the isolated, cramped quarters of a dugout, an underground house. I can't help but look at her example and wonder if I would have been able to thrive in her circumstances when I struggle to be content in my cushy one-bedroom apartment on base. I may be a bit cramped, but I certainly am not isolated. And seriously, I have air conditioning! And free washers & dryers! I'm still spoiled beyond what my pioneer heroes would have believed.

I've been bugging Eric for this trip since I knew we would be in Oklahoma and he was very sweet about keeping the kids occupied so I could pour over ever detail of the museum and grounds. There was a little walking involved, and lots of neat details, my favorite being Pa's fiddle, which is practically a character itself in the Little House series.

This trip to the tiny town of Mansfield would have to be one of the "small gain" I have reaped from the loss of my home and comfort in Florida. As one friend put it, "If you gotta move several thousand miles away, make it a huge field trip, that's what I say."

Another treat for our family was staying in a cozy cabin at Mansfield Woods with all the amenities except TV and Internet! We weren't camping but you would have thought that we were really roughing it! "What, no Wii???" After exploring the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home & Museum, we made our first ever family campfire (without the Gavilan boys' help) near the cabin and made S'mores.

The next morning we explored Hicks Cave, where Rose Wilder reportedly had to be rescued. The girls really loved this cave. It was such a beautiful, "untouched" place, unlike the only other cave they've explored at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM. Eric led this expedition because I wanted to stay out and journal, so they went as far as they could until immersion was unavoidable. Too bad we didn't have any more change of clothes, or they might have gone farther!

My adventurers! Hicks Cave, Missouri

Maybe these city kids will learn to survive in the wilderness of Alaska! We sure are going to have fun trying! This summer's planned and unplanned trips are certainly teaching us flexibility and resilience.

"There's no great loss without some small gain"

There has been alot to blog about the last couple weeks, but I just haven't had the heart to write.

My grandfather, "Opa" Dutch, passed away on June 26th to a bout of pneumonia. He was 84. We were all able to visit Michigan for the services and mini-family-reunion that occured as a result of his passing. There was just so much to think about surrounding his passing that I really don't think I could do it justice here. I don't even know how much I've processed, or if I ever will. To me, he's still alive, just in a different, unspeakably brilliant Place.

But as Ma Ingalls said, "There's no great loss without some gain" and I know the gain was some special times with my family. First of all, I was able to trek to Michigan with my brother John, so we had about 30 hours from Tulsa (where he flew to meet me) to Grand Rapids and back to talk. We caught up on the fourteen years since I had married and moved out. Thankfully, Mom was able to get to Michigan from the Middle East also.

We visited with my Dad and Sandi as well. It was comforting and sweet to see so many loved ones.

The Little House on Tinker Air Force Base

"Home Sweet Hotel Room"

Well, here we are in Oklahoma City, on Tinker Air Force Base. We are finally what I would call "settled," and it has taken me a week to prepare to blog about it.

There is just so much going on in my head and heart, I almost didn't know how to process it all and anyways, processing takes time. I will say this, though. I cried when we drove down Interstate 40 when we passed the Tinker exits and Rose State College because it was just so familiar. And right now, I'm desperate for "familiar." We miss our Florida "family" so much!

We spent a lovely first week house-sitting for some close Okie friends, in a beautiful, spacious home in the outskirts of the city. We had fun playing in their pool and feeding their chickens... so when we arrived to our little "Temporary Living Facility" or TLF, I found myself having to adjust my expectations. A bit.

It's a mess this morning, but you can see what we're workin' with.

We were tempted to be a bit depressed by the small quarters, but right away we rearranged the front room to make room for the keyboard, which is to the right of the picture. I am so blessed to have a husband with a can-do attitude. It goes along way to keep my negativity in check. Thankfully, there are enough cupboards in the kitchen and bath area that we can keep most stuff put away.

Also, the kids have been great. Ethan hasn't complained a bit about sleeping on the floor, but we've tweaked his arrangement to the brown chair you see there... last night worked pretty well. We put the sofa cushions on top of the chair/ottoman and lay the sleeping bag/pillow on top. It's pretty cozy for a six-year-old. The kids love the park outside the door, the pool and bowling alley down the street.

The day we moved in, I was a little upset, and Rel reminded me that it would be okay. "We can do this, Mom." That girl has a good head on her shoulders. Like her daddy.

We have been reading aloud, On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder. This, along with the time I spent reading Colossians and Philippians the last few weeks, along with the wonderful time in God's presence at Bridgeway Church, have really sustained my heart.

Here is what I have been pondering lately:
~I don't live here (in Oklahoma City, USA, Earth) permanently. Thankfully, I belong Somewhere Else. This is a great comfort. A great truth. "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." I must be careful not to place my trust in this "place."

~I don't live in this body permanently, for that matter. My life is belongs to my Redeemer. I am chosen, holy, and dearly loved! Check out these clothes: Colossians 3:12

~Most families of the world TODAY (let alone American pioneers like the Ingalls family) live in much smaller homes/houses/dwellings than the one I have now. Many families with many more kids figure out a way to do this. Mostly, they live outside and don't expect A/C. So we can do this. And we can thrive at it. Even if we can't be at the beach. ;)

~Libraries are truly wonderful, wonderful establishments.

~"Where there is a will, there's a way." Ma Ingalls' wisdom really comes in handy. I was delighted with how this shoe organizer helped solve our clutter problem in the bedroom.

~HGTV and the Food Network are so much fun to watch, especially while working out!



"A thing of beauty is a joy forever" even in a hotel. A potted plant and fruit bowl add a little happy to our room.

Moving (Guest Post)

Last week I asked Aurelia to write about our trek across the Southeast. We are both learning how to blog together, which is helping me be a more consistent writer, and giving Rel an additional (non-fiction) outlet. She complied.

 Here is what she wrote.

Stuck

We are stuck on I-40 West just east of Little Rock. The plan was to arrive earlier and get a swim in before dinner. Now we'll be fortunate to eat dinner before the kids' bedtime.

Today was a unique trip. We travelled west on I-20 to a state road North through Alabama, nudged Tennessee through Memphis on I-40, then arrived in Arkansas.

This is definitely the mid-South. Lots of rolling green hills, the air is cool (for now) and one rest stop had a beautiful flower garden. This should be the standard for public rest areas. Rel, Cris and I identified a few plants we haven't seen in awhile, including coneflower.

I listened to more radio today. I enjoyed an NPR show about Doc Watson, who died yesterday at the age of 89. I had never heard of him, but I love folk music. I am now a fan. I adore the banjo.

Can you tell I'm stuck in traffic?

See you later, Alligator

On Thursday we said "see you later, alligator" to South Florida. We left amidst tears and laughter, drenched by a morning rainstorm and surrounded by friendship. Here we are singing the Doxology. This was when I lost my cool and started crying... but you can see there was lots of joy there too.

Try not to cry while singing.

"No, don't go!"

This picture breaks my heart. C doesn't know what to do but R does!

We had beautiful driving weather. What can I say, it's Florida people. We even took a pitstop to our favorite rest area near the Skyline Bridge in Tampa Bay. Enjoying this beautiful spot was therapeutic after the stressful push of the morning.

Now that's what I call a rest area!

I'm absolutely thrilled that I figured out how to link the map of our general route to my blog! Yay, a small blogging victory!

View Larger Map



 Today we will be taking our second leg of the journey a little later than planned because we needed to replace the alternator and battery in our good ol' Nissan. According to this route we will encounter two more states, Georgia and Alabama.




View Larger Map

Panicking at the Elevator

This week held the most change thus far in our family adventure across the continent.

We packed our "stuff" to keep with us for the summer, crammed the luggage and tubs and assorted whatnot into a few corners of our house, then watched as the professional packers sucked the rest into corrugated boxes to be shipped ahead and stored until our arrival.

It's a mess of a process, even in the best of circumstances.
No matter how well you plan, something usually is packed that you realize you need.

For us this time, it was Aurelia's riding boots. No boots for the summer!
Also, in a random act of silliness, the packer in the garage packed up our city recycling bins. I'm still trying to figure out how he didn't see the RECYCLE symbol on the sides of the bins. But I digress.

By the time we had dragged our tired and emotionally exhausted (me) patooties to the hotel, I was realizing that this process of moving is just crappy, no matter how many times you've done it or whatever the circumstances.

Evidence to support this has been the anxiety of our dog, Joe. As in, Cup of.  Joe is our chocolate lab who we adopted over a year ago. Somewhere along the way this week I realized that my "Trusty Sidekick Chocolate Bar" was displaying signs of anxiety. He was eating only sporadically and constantly looking at me with Those. Eyes.

Well, I would venture to say that my internal anxiety was manifesting in my dog.
When we arrived at the hotel and proceeded to the elevator with exhausted kids, heavy suitcases, and one chocolate lab the anxiety reached its culmination in Joe.

The elevator door opened.

Joe took one sniff at the strange closet-looking thing with the magic sliding door and made a decision. No elevators for him. The claws grabbed onto low pile carpet and the legs splayed wide in an attempt to back track away from the scary box. Our coaxing and calling did no good. No matter that we were all on the elevator without him. Only the determined yanking of the "gentle leader" collar by his stubborn Master would convince Joe that he must enter.


And enter he did. Where we go, he must go. It was in his best interest to follow us even though he didn't understand. There was no other alternative, though he may fearfully protest. Though he may not comprehend the vehicle, the dog had to ride. He was clawing the tile floor of the elevator all four floors up.

The object lesson was pretty complete for me right there. The kids were amused, Eric and I were annoyed, and Joe was resigned. But later as I chuckled about it, I realized that all week I had pretty much been doing the same thing. I just didn't show it on the outside.

Internally, I was balking. I didn't want my stuff packed. I didn't want to go. I hate this process. (Why do we have to do this again?) YIKES.

The hand of my Master is guiding me. He gently helps me to see that He has something new ahead for us. I don't know how it will all end up, I don't know what it will look like. I don't know what day we will arrive at our destination. But we have a Faithful God who does. And I'm going to follow Him.

Reaping: or, Why Love is Always Worth Giving

The beautiful mango tree in our backyard this morning. I will miss this view.

This is when we reap what we sow.

Every time we move, which is every few years, it hurts. We uproot the comforts of our home, we say goodbye to friends we have invested in, and we "take our show on the road."

No, I haven't "gotten used to it." A few years back, the husband of one of my dear friends asked her, "Doesn't Liz just get used to moving? I mean, she's a military wife." I think he said this because said friend was sharing how very, very hard it was to say "goodbye." This friend and I were like two peas in a pod in Virginia and I think said husband might have been a little sick of hearing about our departure. But life goes on, and we are still close friends from afar.

Here's the deal on that: I don't think I want to "get used to it." Because to me, getting over it would mean closing off my heart. Over time, a hard heart dies.

Don't think that I'm not tempted to do just that. Believe me, I am. Every time we move, I'm tempted to decide, "I'm not doing this again! No more deep friendships, no more looking for fellowship, no more reaching out. We'll just do our thing as a family, and I don't need anybody." As if that would guarantee that I wouldn't feel pain. On the contrary, I would be trading in the pain of goodbye for the pain of wasted time, loneliness, and hardness of heart.

Now, there is a little bit of that hardness that gets in there. I can feel it even now. It's the part of me reluctant to shed tears, even when a friend does. Even though I want to "mourn with those who mourn.

Also, I'm just so danged busy I can barely breathe, let alone get all mushy and sentimental and cry all day.

Especially, though, I just hate it! I hate goodbyes. They are like death. I'd rather not think about it.

I would like to think that I am so sure of the truth. I prayed with the girls last night, "teach us to know that You have a more Real reality waiting for us in the next life, like Narnia was just a picture of what lay beyond." (My kids are really into Narnia right now so I try to use references whenever I can.) This is what I was referring to in my prayer:

It was the Unicorn who summed up what everyone was feeling. He stamped his right fore-hoof on the ground and neighed and then cried:

"I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now. The reason why we loved the old Narnia is that it sometimes looked a little like this. Bree-hee-hee! Come further up, come further in!"

He shook his mane and sprang forward into a great gallop...

(The Last Battle, C.S. Lewis)

 Meaning, we will get to see these dear ones again, if not in this life, in the next!

But I haven't experienced that yet, so I don't really Know. I have to have Faith.


I think it will be worth it. Here's why: "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." 1John 3:16 (Cool reference, huh?) We keep growing in this and into this. We must lay down our lives in love, because that's what our Lord Jesus did for us.

And as we leave, that is what our friends do for us. We reap what we sow, when we receive dozens of offers for help to pack our stuff, when we are given a heart stoppingly large going away party by our friends from church, when we are hugged and blessed and kissed and prayed for as we do all this "goodbye-ing." We are given this and much more, love to overflowing.

Another sight I will miss, our honey locust tree

We may be uprooting, but we are uprooting a tree that is "planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season." The fruit is the love born of a life of love, rooted by Everlasting streams coming from our Heavenly Daddy. We are being sent out in love, so that when we are replanted we will be able to invest. There will be a time of sowing again.

"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14

Come further up, come further in!

VIA Oklahoma

E and I have often agreed that we would be happy to return to any of the places we've lived before, just enjoy a familiar place. Seven moves in 14 years of marriage kinda do that to ya.

Two of those seven moves were to a state we hold dear for having the friendliest neighbors.

OKLAHOMA!

Return from deployment, 2003

We lived in Oklahoma after our last stint in Alaska. I have to admit, my attitude was bad moving from the grandeur of the Chugach mountains

 in my backyard to the mediocrity of the Great Plains.

Oklahoma? It's just PLAIN FLAT.

However, when you are an Air Force wife, "Home is where the Air Force sends you."

Also, I learned from the Lord in that season not to despise any place He had created.

"The earth is the Lords, and everything in it..."

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future...

you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

You see, the Lord gave us some of the most precious brothers and sisters in Oklahoma, and he gave us moms and dads and grandparents... a whole family around us during Eric's last deployments. Also, God plunked us down in a church family that loved to seek His presence.

I was greatly comforted and healed by God's presence in Oklahoma. We made some beautiful memories there.

Aurelia on String, her first ride, 2005

We are so happy that we can "plunk down in" this beloved state again before our big move north. Boo and EGG need to make some Oklahoma memories! 

The Journey Continues

View from Hope, Alaska, July 2000

We are moving back to Alaska.

Anchorage, Alaska, to be exact. We've dreamed of returning ever since we left there almost ten years ago, soon after Boo was born. Elmendorf AFB was our first three-year assignment in the USAF.

Our family of four on the Alaska Marine Highway, 2002

We never imagined the opportunity would be given to us... we feel kind of like we've won the lottery. After moving several times, each move farther from the Northwest, and each job for E being less and less related to the cockpit, we just didn't think it would happen. But it has.

Here we are now, a family of five, in Southern Florida. That's right, I said Southern Florida!

Wow, we've enjoyed the sunshine, beautiful beaches, and all the flora and fauna Florida has to offer. (More on that later.) Beginning now, we are planning a trek across this great North American continent via the USAF.

From Florida to Alaska!

We hope you join us on the journey.