Pictures!

Who doesn't love a post full of pictures!? :-)

Thanksgiving at the O'Rourke's! :)

Nolan's phone took a 3 foot tumble onto a fork and plate...
So... on Black Friday we did our part to stimulate the economy by buying Nolan a DROID cell phone AND we stopped in at Ashley Furniture for kicks and found a couch and love seat that we liked, so at 25% off, we paid cash and bought it! It should come in a week or so!
HERE is a picture of the couch...

Putting up Christmas lights!
(It's a family affair) ;-)

Ta Da!
(as Madi Bulter would say! ;-) miss you guys)

From down the street a bit...
It is hard to tell but the mail box is red and white lights (a candy cane)

Our neighbors joked it is hard to compete when you live next door to Tim Allen at Christmastime! :) haha

This year's impulse buy at Lowe's! Fun times!
(Gotta love the 10% military discount!)
An MV-22 Osprey is on Santa's list... for now the helicopter will have to do! ;-)
(the blades really spin!)

Last year's after Christmas sale purchase!
(not to mention the majority of the lights we have up this year)

Sandi and our tree!
She is still not a fan of the train....

Our Cozy Fireplace :-)
Home Sweet Home

Come back for a picture of my new do! ;-) I am still figuring out how to make it do what I think I want it to! haha

14 more school days until Christmas break begins - so excited!!! :-)

"Hold your plans loosely!" :-)

Well, believe it or not, Nolan was recently told that he will not be going to the squadron he had been told he would be assigned to (since August)...

So.... we are now pretty sure that he won't be deploying this summer.... it is looking more like the Spring of 2011 and he won't be going to Afghanistan, he will be on a MEU (out on a ship) for 7 months!

We are definitely thankful this Thanksgiving for this news!
(We shall see if these plans change again (we should have a better idea come February))

We are headed to the O'Rourke's for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow...
Magic Cookie Bars, Green Bean Casserole, Sausage Links, and extra rolls will be our contributions to the feast! :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

over 3 months later... a post!

I must be the world's worst blogger.... Oh well...

Love this guy! :-)
Nolan and his aircraft... the Osprey

Wow...
Has it really been well over 3 months since my last post???.... sorry...

Well, for those who are still around....

We moved in on July 28 and life has been full-speed ahead!

The school year started on August 25th.... I have survived the 1st 9 weeks, which is definitely a good thing.. for a while there I wasn't too sure I'd make it to the end of the year.... I think I can make it now...
Long story short, the job has turned out to be much different than I was expecting/hoping, but I am managing the best I can... It is 100 times better than Bellview in Florida, so for that I am grateful!

Nolan had his first flight (as the pilot) in the Osprey at the end of October... he is really enjoying flying this/his aircraft! He is expected to be done "training" and go to his squadron (where he will be for a few years or so) by December/January....
About the time he gets to this new squadron he will spend 8 weeks on the West Coast doing pre-deployment work-up stuff.... They are expected to deploy to Afghanistan this summer....

We have become really involved with the base chapel... It is so nice to actually be in a place for a while, we have been bouncing around so much the past 3 years, we never really wanted to get too involved with a church....
Anyway... we began our involvement in September when we participated in the Fireproof Bible study... We then helped with the Fall Festival... and about a month ago we volunteered to teach the 3rd - 5th grade Sunday School class. We haven't had any takers, aside from one Sunday, so we have been joining the Adult class that the Chaplain leads, which we really enjoy. Also, the Chaplain is working on his PhD and has had a project that Nolan (and I - sometimes) have been giving input into... We have gotten to know quite a few of the other regulars and we look forward to continuing our involvement! :)

Our neighbors, here on base, are currently in the squadron that Nolan is going to in December/January, so we have been getting to know them (we girls, especially since our husbands will deploy together next year) They are great people - (Texans of course! ;-) ) we really enjoy our time with them - The Johnson's - Travis and Shana and their two daughters, Bre (2nd grade), JoyLynn (7 months) and baby #3 on the way! They are die-hard t.u. fans... (Thankfully they have great senses of humors! )

There is nothing more fun than dressing up your die-hard t.u. fans' baby in an A&M jumper while you are watching their kids for them... haha!
This is one of the 2 A&M jumpers we have... I think people are trying to tell us something! lol

Well, not too much other news.... so I will leave you with pictures! :)A little croquet at the O'Rourke's Pumpkin Palooza!

Fun times!

And some bocce ball... ?

Pumpkin Carving
(after the group visit to the pumpkin patch)

Nolan's handi-work...
Decorating the Safety Office at work!

Nolan's PC-ness Since it was a Harvest Festival, not a Halloween celebration! ;-)

Don't you love the Hazmat suit! :) Scary!


Halloween 2009
Napoleon Dynamite, Deb and our Devil Dog

Heidi and Tim the Tool Man Taylor...
AKA - Laura and Chris Driscoll (fellow Aggies)

The O'Rourkes



November 12, 2009
234th Marine Corps Birthday Ball
My awesome up-do made possible by Shana (our neighbor)...
She also did my make-up!

past C-12 Co-pilots... George and Nolan
now both fly Ospreys :)The highlight ending to the birthday ball...
Nolan was able to snag a coin from the guest speaker, a 3-Star General! :-)

(Be sure to ask HIM the whole story!)

Here is a close up!
Whoop!


Sandi in her new bed!
We have been thinking about buying a couch/loveseat set (to replace the couch that I first got when I moved to College Station to teach at Bryan ISD) so we are starting now, trying to train Sandi to stay in her bed and off the couch! Her shedding/hair is a 'hot mess', as my friend Nicole would say... it is everywhere, all the time! AH!

Sandi enjoys sun-bathing outside in the dirt in our backyard as well...

On my first personal day off from schooI this year I headed to the Exchange to get Nolan the newest X-Box game and Sandi has been really supportive of his efforts...
she actually seems to be watching what he is doing! haha

We look forward to seeing everyone for Christmas!
We will be in Seattle on the 22nd until the 26th of December and then head to Texas from the 27th to the 30th... Sandi will be staying with the Driscoll's (see above), so thankfully she won't be going to the kennel! Thank God for fellow Aggies! :-)