Pictures of Derek at Air Force Training

I think this is one of my favorite pictures. You can tell they were really sleep deprived because Derek was able to fall asleep in the middle of the day in 100 degree, 100% humidity weather, and on concrete. 

2nd Lieutenant Bradley

I couldn't be more proud of him, or more grateful he is home with us.  This 4th of July I was more grateful for our amazing country because of this man. I love him with all my heart.

 My Airman.

Derek's flight squadron "The Falcons".

June 1st. Missing Dad.

Dearest Derek,

Your Kael was too funny today. He was running around naked refusing to get in the tub as usual when I catch him going back into the bathroom and telling Eden "Get in tub Eden!" Then proceeding to, "No hitting Eden. No no Eden you time out. NOW! Go! You time out".

I think I have been putting him in time out a little too much lately. He likes to use what I threaten against him on Eden, and boss her around. I seriously thought I had a little more time before this happened. It was too cute, but is getting old that he is bossing her around. In the boys defense though she has been slapping him quite a bit when she is mad...

I haven't known how to explain to Kael where Dad is. While coming in from taking out the trash yesterday Kael thought it was Dad coming home and yelled out "DAD!", and was so disappointed that is was just Mom. A friend suggested today to get a map and then I can show him visually where Dad is. Kael helped me to color it and now I ask him to show me where Dad is on the map and he can show me. I thought this was a great idea. Tomorrow we are going to color in Ohio for Aunt Shelly. I want to start preparing him for our big journey the sooner the better!

Today was a good day. I had lots of help once again and I am so grateful. It was great that the kids were able to talk to you on the phone. They loved it! Kael talked about Dad for a while after that, and then we colored our map.

I'm missing me some Derek like crazy, but I can mark another day off of the calendar. I wish I could have sent the camera with you because I want to see a picture of you in your new uniform that you got today. wink wink.

Till tomorrow. Missin you! Lovin you!

Your wife.

Dealing with it.

So, if any of you read the Nie Nie Dialogues you will know about her writing letters to her husband while he is away. Quite romantic and a little silly, but you can't help but to love them. Today marks the first day that Derek is away. I'm plannning on keeping Derek updated right here on the blog, so he won't miss a moment. :)

We wanted to have fun with the kids before Derek left, so we got a little adventurous with the kids yesterday and took them to Thanksgiving Pointe Dinosaur museum. You know Kael's new obsession (dinosaurs). It was awesome. Pictures to come later.

We thought we were really prepared yesterday. All was going well. We got the kids to bed. Derek got a blessing, and that sure made me feel better. We knew this day was coming for about a year now, but it is easier to just not think about it. When the time came to really think about it that is when the break down happens. Derek was packed, the kids were taken care of. Derek gave me a blessing and then we got all the last minute details worked out. We dropped the baby monitor off at our amazing neighbors house so that I could take Derek to the airport at 5 am. You know the kids should be sleeping at 5 am, so there shouldn't be a problem. Unfortunately our kids must have an agenda of their own.

Eden was up at 11 and then at 1 she was up and decided not to go to sleep. I was trying so hard to make sure she didn't cry because our neighbor had the monitor and this baby was suppose to be sleeping! Finally about 2 I gave her medicine and by 2:30 I was sleeping on the couch with her. At 4 she woke up again. And did I mention we needed to leave around 5? Ya. Kael then woke up just after 4 and refused to go back to sleep. I then brought Kael to sleep by Eden on the couch at 4:30. Then, at 4:45 they were both climbing on the couch so I turned on a movie so that Derek and I could get ready. We decided we just couldn't leave to completely awake children at 5 am so I got the kids coats and shoes and loaded them in the car too. I totally didn't want to bring them. I didn't want them to see Derek leaving. I wanted them to just wake up and have Mom and all be just fine. They obviously needed to say good bye to dad one more time.

I have to say I was quite surprised at myself and keeping it all together. Poor Kael was heart broken. He just cried and cried for his Dad. Eden fell asleep in the car, and we got home and just laid on the couch for a while. I'm totally one hundred percent exhausted, but I know Derek will be even more tired because he will be getting up at 2 am Utah time tomorrow. I sure hope he gets a nap today.

The kids are crazy and are just going nuts. Probably because Mom is too tired to do much more. Kael started throwing a tantrum asking for milk and threw his cup across the room, so I put him in time out, where he began screaming and that is when I looked in his mouth and saw his tonsils and they were huge with these huge ugly white dots on them. Great.

Needless to say it has been under 4 hours since I said good bye to Derek and I'm headed to the doctors office in 20 minutes. Kael also has his preschool evaluation today. I'm certain it won't go well do to lack of sleep... Positive attitude though.

We are here. Derek is flying over the U.S. and I'm dealing with it. The next 6 weeks are going to go by so fast.

So my love, know that I'm missing you like crazy, and as much as I miss you and wish you were here, I'm kinda glad you get to miss out on crazy kids today! :) You should know thought that I can't wait to snuggle you in bed again. 4 hours down, a gazillion to go. See you soon!

With Love From Home (the place where your family is)

Your Wife.

United States Air Force

On December 21, 2010, Derek was commissioned as an officer in the Air Force. This was a big day for us. He has worked really hard to get to this point, and now we have so many more years of hard work ahead of us. Derek will have his first choice of residencies as an air force residency, which we will more than likely do, and then he will have 4 years of active duty and 4 years of inactive duty. This all begins when he is done with medical school.

On May 31, 2011 he will go for officer's training in Alabama for 5 weeks. This will be the longest he will be away and the first of many experiences of having him away from us. I know this is what Heavenly Father wants for our family. I'm so full of emotions. I'm so grateful to Derek for wanting to serve our country. Grateful he is doing this for our family so we won't have as much "financial" debt from medical school. So nervous to have him away for so long. And just happy that we have reached another huge point in our lives. I am excited to see where this brings our family, and I know with Heavenly Father guiding us that we are doing what we are suppose to, so we will be taken care of.