Flight Suits and Fairytales

Name That Title

I was blog-browsing the other day, and came across a really good idea on one of my friend's blogs. On Thursdays, she does a "Thankful Thursday" post listing all of the things that she was thankful for that week. Though I totally love the title, I'd hate to steal her entire idea....so that's where you all come in! Does anyone have a creative name for a post like this?? I'm not set on Thursdays either...could be Monday, Tuesdays, Wednesdays...okay, I think you get the picture. Leave your suggestions in the comments...I'd love to hear what you think :)

So, onto my thanks-givings...

~It seems like God has blessed me with more time this week to just sit and be with Him. I always feel like I just go-go-go, and sometimes have a hard time finding a quiet moment to reflect on what He is doing in my life. This week, He really seemed to slow things down so that I could do just that.

~I've been loving the cold weather. I don't care if it's a little (okay, a LOT) rainy...I LOVE cold weather.

~I found some great new recipes in the Kraft magazine...if you don't get it, you can sign up on kraft.com. I LOVE that site!

~I got my Christmas cards this week, and have addressed & stamped them already. They are sitting in a nice little pile in my living room just begging to be sent out :)

~And, I just have to mention my Christmas decorations again...they just make me so darn happy! (Oh, and I'll post some pics of them this weekend for those of you who asked!)

Hope you have all had a great week!!

Wonderfully Merry

When the air starts getting cooler, and the leaves begin to flutter down from the trees, I always start to feel a hint of nostalgia and a stirring of my spirit. At this time of year I love the smell of firewood outside, wearing my very worn-out pair of flannel pj's, snuggling in my furry socks, and the warmth of our home.

Some of my favorite childhood memories are of helping my mom decorate the house for every holiday. From St. Patrick's Day to Christmas Day and everything in between; our house was, by far, the most festive house around. I remember looking forward to putting up our Christmas tree after dinner on Thanksgiving night...it was tradition, and I treasured it. I loved looking at all of the ornaments that we had collected over the years; the ones that my brother and I made, the ones that were trip souvenirs, and the ones that were passed down from my grandparents from when my mother was a little girl. We would decorate the tree while listening to Christmas music, reminiscing about the past, and looking forward to the new year.

This will be the first year of my life that I won't spend any of the Christmas season with my family. I can't help but feel a twinge of sadness when I think of all of the holiday joy that I will be missing with them. This weekend while feeling very sorry for myself, I suddenly had a brilliant idea. Well, brilliant for me...not so much for Chris!

With the help of my amazingly sweet husband, I rummaged through the attic and found all of my Christmas decorations. It took me all day on Saturday, but I am proud to say that my entire house is now wonderfully merry! The garland is hung, the stockings our out, and we even have presents wrapped and under our tree (this largely attributed my aforementioned mother!). Oh, it is so festive, I can hardly stand it! And as I decorated, I thought of my other home...the one in Texas that my mama was decorating at the same exact moment as I...and it made me realize how truly blessed I am.

Dad's Visit

We have been so blessed to have had so many visitors lately! My dad was our last guest (he just left this morning), and we had a great time exploring England & traveling to Brugge, Belgium. It was his first time overseas, so I felt like I had to introduce him to all of the great England culture...no passing on the left, stand to the right on all escalators, and mind the gap when getting onto the tube!! We had a great time just spending some quality time together, and I'm definitely looking forward to our next visit!

A Fun Night Out

Each year, when the squadron returns from their "extra long business trip", everyone gathers together to celebrate their history and success. This year it was at the beautiful Lynford Hall in Mundford. It's always fun to see everyone all dressed up, and the guys always look so handsome in their Mess Dress (no matter how much they hate wearing it!). This year was no different, and we had a great night filled with lots of Panther Heritage. Thanks to Amber & Daniel who did a fabulous job of organizing the wonderful evening!!

Kelly, Meredith & I (We miss you, Meredith!!)

Chris & I...all dressed up!

Amber & Daniel...lookin' fab-o!

Bavaria 2008

Chris & I just returned from an amazing trip to Bavaria. It was our "post-deployment" trip, and it was just what we needed! We flew into Munich, rented a car, and headed down to our first stop...Salzburg. Oh my gosh, if ever there was a beautiful city, this was it! We did our own Sound of Music tour; stopping at Mirabell Gardens and the Leopoldskron Castle (the castle used as the front of the Von Trapp family home). We saw Mozart's Residenz, and even had a candlelight dinner in the oldest restaurant in Europe (Stiftskeller St. Peter) while listening to 3 mini-operas written by the famed composer. It was definitely an experience that I will never forget.

After 3 days in Salzburg, we headed over to Garmisch, Germany where we stayed at the Edelweiss Resort. Ahhh, words can't even describe this place! It was cozy and warm, and just plain wonderful! We visited Hitler's Eagle's Nest, toured the Neuschwanstein Castle (the Disney Castle), went to the top of the Zugspitze, and hiked around the little villages that were nestled at the base of the mountains.

From Garmisch, we headed back up to Munich where we browsed the Viktualienmarkt for some yummy delacasies, ate at the original Hofbrauhaus, visited the Town Halls, and toured the BMW Museum. So...if you're wondering what to get us for Christmas, we found a few nice cars that will only set you back about 100 Grand!!

After 7 days, we still weren't ready to come home! The weather was perfect, the scenery beautiful, and our hotels were just lovely. Of all of our vacations, I think that we've decided that this was our favorite!

Enjoy some pics below...

The river at the base of the Zugspitze Mountain.

Beer & pretzels...Bavarian specialties!

Hitler's Eagle's Nest in Austria

Us at the Eagle's Nest

Leopoldskron Castle...the Von Trapp house :)

Mirabell Gardens

Gorgeous Austria

Neuschwanstein Castle built by Mad King Ludwig II

The view from the balcony of the Neuschwanstein Castle.

A Way to Give

As most of you know, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. My aunt, Allison, walks in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day walk every year, but this year is going to be a little bit different. In honor of her 10 years "in the clear", my uncle Paul will be joining her on the 3 day day trek in San Diego.

In his own words, "Without a cure, an estimated 5 million Americans will be diagnosed with breast cancer - and more than 1 million could die over the next 25 years. That's a pretty startling statistic. No one should have to face this disease, so in order to create a future without breast cancer, I walk in the Breast Cancer 3-Day".

If you fill called to support this family on their 3-day journey towards hope for tomorrow, please check out the link below...

http://www.the3day.org/site/TR/Walk/SanDiegoEvent?px=1342094&pg=personal&fr_id=1187

With love,

Amy

Tour of Tuscany

My mom recently came out to England for her yearly visit, and we decided to continue our "Girls Trip" tradition by visiting Tuscany. My mom is a pro at choosing hotels, and for this trip she found a sweet little B&B called Borgo di Pietrafitta. It was nestled in the hills of Tuscany, near the town of Castellina in Chianti. Of all the little villages that we visited, Castellina was my favorite. We found a great restaurant and became "regulars", eating dinner there 3 out or the 4 nights of our stay! We travelled to Sienna to see its beautiful Duomo, to Florence to check out the Uffizi Gallery and to see Michaelangelo's David, to San Gimignano for some wonderful shopping, and up to Volterra to see the awe-inspiring view from the city gates. The trip was absolutely wonderful, and I am so thankful that my mom & I were able to spend some quality time together visiting one of the most beautiful places on earth! I'm looking forward to continuing this tradition for years to come.

Enjoy some pictures below...