Deployment Video

A little known fact about me is that I think my husband has the coolest job in the world. There is something about being a Naval Aviator that is just so cool to me. I am like his little groupie. It's a rarity these days to be truly getting to live out your passion, so seeing Parker do that is just the greatest feeling as his wife. 

He put together this video to show "a day in the life" while he has been away. He did a great job on it, so I wanted to share! Enjoy!

Living The Dream

For the past couple of years, I've had this idea for a photo shoot that I really, really wanted to do. I have always imagined taking professional pictures out on the flight line and knew it was time to make it happen. Thankfully the husband was on board, so my little dream was about to become a reality!

I have a wonderful (and talented!) friend who happens to be a photographer, and she graciously offered to take these pictures for us. I can never thank her enough. Parker and I both absolutely love them and are so excited to have this little chapter in our lives documented through these pictures.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: military life is never what I envisioned growing up. That said, it's no secret that I've completely fallen in love with it (even the hard parts), and looking at these pictures is a reminder of why. This life is the dream come true that I never knew I had, and we just both feel blessed to be living it. 

I thought I would take this fine Friday to share a few of our favorites from the photoshoot on the old blog! 

Pilot Groupie

I am the first to admit that Navy life can be difficult and stressful, but I've tried to convey on this little blog how much I genuinely love this lifestyle. Good and bad, it's such a fun ride, and I can't imagine our story without the military in it. 

Being in the military was Parker's dream long before I was in the picture, and I've never in my life met someone so passionate about what they do. That man loves to fly those planes! Seeing that love and passion he has for what he does has really influenced the way I view military life. He loves it, I love him, so I love it. 

I am Parker's wife, but I also at times feel so much like his little groupie. I think he has the coolest job in the world! I got the opportunity to watch him fly last Friday and loved every minute of it. We took a few obligatory photos "together", and I enjoyed hanging out in the LSO shack watching him fly, hearing him call the ball while other guys flew, and seeing him in his element. 

Military life is what you make it. That husband of mine makes the adventure so worth it and so sweet. I couldn't be more thankful!

An Unexpectedly Wonderful Airshow Day

This past weekend was the NAS Oceana Airshow in Virginia Beach! The Blue Angels made their annual appearance along with a variety of other planes. It's really neat and always so fun to watch! The thing is, we had absolutely no plans of attending this year. We've done a string of airshows in the past and were planning on having a chill Sunday. Parker had flown all day Saturday, so we were just ready for a day full of nothing together. 

Long story short, the Navy had a different plan and pulled us in the loop at about 10 PM Saturday evening that Parker would be working the airshow. I was initially a little bummed since that husband of mine has been gone more than he's been home lately, but there's really no use throwing a hissy fit about it. He left early Sunday morning to man the C-2 and be there to answer questions, show people inside the plane, etc. Really, that's not a bad day at all for a pilot. Every so often, he would pop out and say hello!

I drove up a couple of hours later and ended up staying all afternoon. Parker was too busy to really hang out, so I volunteered to work the merchandise table and tried to convince kids that they NEEDED a C-2 patch. The squadron CO and his wife were there, and I loved the company!

We really ended up having the best day. Being at an airshow and seeing so many people excited about the planes is just fun! The only downside of the day was the lack of sunscreen. It's Monday, and boy am I paying for my oversight. But hey, if forgetting sunscreen is the worst thing that happened, then our Sunday wasn't too shabby. Seeing this kid in his element never gets old. 

Finally, it was time for the Blue Angels! We stopped selling and giving tours and got to watch the show. It's no understatement when I say we had the best seats in the house. The CO, Parker, and I climbed on top of the C-2 and watched from there. Yall, I can't even describe how cool that was!

The Blue Angels put on a great show per usual, and nobody crashed, which I am always slightly nervous about. These guys are so good at what they do, but eeesh it makes me nervous. Of all the times we have seen the Blue Angels, this was definitely my favorite. It's not every day they let the wife climb on top of the C-2, so I'll take it when it comes!

Sunday was completely unexpected but also just the best day. We had a blast, and I'm actually kind of glad Parker got that dreaded text at 10 PM Saturday night. Life's what you make it, and the Navy sure is teaching us that lesson lately.

Just Another Day At The Office

This past Monday was pretty darn cool, so naturally, I'm going to blog about it. Parker had an evening flight and invited me to tag along and watch. Even though he flies all the time, it's quite the rarity that I actually get to see him fly. I think I can count on one hand how many times I have seen him fly in the last three years.

I forgot the nice camera but was excited to take some videos and pictures with the trusty iPhone. The guys in the LSO shack were super cool and all in the same squadron as Parker, so it was fun to pal around with them and get to watch all of the behind the scenes action. When one of them asked if I wanted to talk on the radio while Parker was in the air, my natural response in my head was "Heck yes, mike me!", but thankfully that manifested into a "yes please" by the time it came out of my mouth. It's always a good day when you get to say "Roger Ball" on the radio! Parker laughed and responded to the other guy who was talking before me "Your voice got prettier in the last 5 seconds". Fun times.

Parker got in a few landings, and then one of the pilots that was in the shack offered to take a picture of Parker and I together while he was in the air. I was confused at first but will never say no to a picture, so I went outside and then I figured it out. I stood next to the runway, threw up a Gig 'em (once an Aggie, always an Aggie), and he snapped the picture right as Parker flew by.

Coolest. Shot. Ever.

Seriously, this may be one of my all time favorite pictures (don't mind my excessive slouching). I'm just so proud of that man in the plane.

I snapped a few other pictures of him flying from inside the shack that I was excited to show him when he landed. You can never have too many pictures of airplanes around here!

Getting to watch him fly was an unexpected, fun little gift. For him it was just another day at the office, but for me it was easily the highlight of my week!

The Verdict Is In... (For Real This Time)

About a month ago, I wrote about the plane Parker was going to fly for the duration of his time in the Navy and what that meant for our family. Quick recap: he was going to fly the E2 delta, and living on the west coast was no longer an option. We had a 50/50 shot of staying in Virginia or going to Japan. We were really excited about the possibility of going to California, so finding out that was no longer in the cards was upsetting, and knowing we had a 50/50 shot of Japan scared the heck out of me. I know Japan would be such an adventure, but being so far away from family was just not ideal. The E2 was not Parker's first choice (he was hoping to fly the C2), but he had the best attitude about it and was really excited to be flying such a cool plane. We hadn't gotten exactly what we wanted, and the location was still up in the air, but we were at peace with it. Everything was going to be just fine. 

 

Fast forward, we find out they are moving Parker to the next class, and this class has both E2 and C2 slots. Suddenly, we are back to square one, and C2's are once again a possibility. We thought the E2 delta was a done deal, so we were shocked when Parker got the call. He just selected yesterday, and he is going to be a.... C2 PILOT!!!

We are beyond excited for this next chapter, and I cannot wait to see Parker fly the plane he was hoping to get to fly. The guys in his class are like family, and every single person selected the plane they want to fly. The aviation community is such a team effort, so getting to celebrate with everyone last night and seeing all of these pilots so excited was awesome. 

We feel so blessed and excited for this next chapter. We still don't know where we are going after this, and Japan is still a possibility. But you know what? So is San Diego, and so is Norfolk. We love it here and have some amazing friends here, and we also have some amazing friends in San Diego. We also have wonderful friends in Japan, and anywhere we go will be an adventure. We can't lose at this point, and we also can't seem to wipe the smiles off of our faces. God has been so faithful to us, and we feel so privileged that Parker will be flying the C2. Throughout this process, we have learned to accept the good with the bad and adapt when things don't seem to go our way. We both feel really confidently about where we are and the plane Parker is going to fly. We can't wait for this next chapter to start! God is good, yall.

our cheesy attempt at a celebratory C2 picture... so happy!

Today's The Day

Today's the day we have been looking forward to for over 2 years. It is the culmination of hard work, dedication, and commitment. Today is the day that Parker receives his wings of gold as a Naval Aviator! It's been 2 years, 5 months, and 21 days since Parker commissioned as a Naval Officer (but who's counting?), and this is the day he has been working to ever since. 

There have been so many joys, triumphs, roadblocks, and surprises throughout the past couple of years, but I don't think either of us would take away a second of it. Everything that Parker went through, the good and the bad, got him to where he is today. It's a little bittersweet. This chapter is coming to a close, and a new one is beginning. It's more exciting than anything, but I know I will miss these days. We both will.

Today is just going to be special. I am so incredibly proud of my husband and his accomplishment. I can't wait to pin those wings of gold on his chest and see all of his hard work come to fruition. It will be a day to remember! 

Parker's Commissioning in 2011

Flight School Complete

Parker finished his last flight of flight school on Tuesday, and it's still sinking in. Flight school has been our life for the last two and a half years, and to see this chapter come to a close just doesn't seem real. There have been so many ups and downs throughout this process. Navy life isn't always the easiest, as much as we try to focus on the positives, and flight school comes with its share of challenges. With the challenges came so much joy, though. 

 

When Parker earned his flight suit in April 2012, we were giddy with excitement. I couldn't get over how handsome he looked in it- he wears that flight suit well! It's been two years of wearing that thing almost every day, and I still think he looks like such a stud in a flight suit. When Parker flew solo in the T-6 for the very first time in December of 2012, he was on such a high. We both were. He flew a plane all by himself! It seems like so long ago with all the solo flights that have followed. When Parker selected tailhook out of Primary training in April 2013, I cried tears of joy. He had gotten exactly what he wanted. He was going to fly a jet! That was one of the happiest days we've had. Finding out he selected E2/C2 and wouldn't be flying the F-18 like he had dreamed was a tough pill to swallow and left us both in a state of shock for a few weeks. We see now that God's plan involved us being here instead, and we are so thankful that it did. When Parker landed on the boat and got carrier qualified in January 2014, it was one of the neatest experiences of his life. He landed a jet on a carrier... pretty cool. 

Seeing this chapter come to a close is bittersweet. We will always see this time in our lives as where our military journey started, but I am excited to see what God has in store for us next. Parker completed his last flight on Tuesday, and we couldn't wipe the smiles off of our faces. I drove out to the flight line to wait for him as he got out of the T-44A for the last time, and the look of pure happiness on his face was priceless. I brought my jug of water for a tradition known as "wetting down" and poured water over he and Andrew to celebrate their completion of flight school. So proud of all these guys.

Congratulations Parker. You are flight school complete!

You Know You're Married To A Student Naval Aviator When...

Parker has been a Student Naval Aviator for over 2 years. There are pros and cons of being in one of the longest training pipelines possible, so we have learned to take the good with the bad. Parker will receive his wings next month and finally be able to drop the "student" in "Student Naval Aviator". I have mixed feelings about this chapter coming to a close. It's been an awesome ride, but we are so excited for this next phase of Navy life. Throughout this training process, however, I have adopted new ways of thinking, habits, and concerns courtesy of being a Student Naval Aviator's wife.

You know you're married to a Student Naval Aviator when...

1. At some point in the training process, you have been challenged to make plain chicken and rice taste good day after day after day to curb airsickness. You have also bought anything with the least bit of peanut butter or ginger in it for the same reason. 

2. When you walk outside and see the sun shining, the first thing out of your mouth is "It's a beautiful day for flying!". If Jenny had a nickel for every time she heard that at the start of one of our walks...

3. You kind of want to hit the person who decided it was a good idea to have flight school in Pensacola and Corpus Christi, the rainiest and windiest cities, respectively. You want to propose a place like Nevada. I doubt you get cancelled for weather in the desert. That said, you also kind of want to buy said person chocolate because Pensacola and Corpus Christi are beautiful.

4. You are prepared to tell your husband what kind of plane is flying overhead because you know he will ask.

5. Even when your husband isn't around, you try to identify the different planes flying overhead. Then you get annoyed and try to remember the days where a plane was just a plane. 

6. You are constantly folding loads of laundry that are entirely black. Black undershirts, underwear, and socks fill up your laundry basket faster than the weather changes in Texas.

7. You check your computer every day at 4 PM like clock work to see when your husband is scheduled the next day.

8. You have mixed feelings when the schedule finally does come out. You want him to be scheduled so you aren't stuck in training forever, but you also don't want him to be scheduled so you can have a day off and eat cheese puffs on the couch together.

9. You plan his winging day more than you planned your wedding day. You know who is coming into town, where they are staying, what days they arrive/depart, and you have a schedule of events down to a tee. You also meticulously plan the meals in an attempt to show your family that you are somewhat domesticated.

10. You don't know how to have a conversation that doesn't at least mildly include planes. This is real life, people.

So there you have it. I promise I used to be normal. I have no idea what happened. All I know is I am married to a student Naval aviator. Hello, life. 

Bonus: you show your husband this blog post, and he decides it's a good idea for an airplane quiz. He pulls up a picture on the Internet of a plane he thinks you should know. You identify it correctly, and he goes back upstairs to study. Life.

Airplanes, Airplanes, & More Airplanes

This weekend was one Parker had been looking forward to for months. The Blue Angels were in Kingsville, Tx! Air shows are pretty cool no matter who you are, especially ones that involve the Blue Angels. These guys are the best of the best, and what they can do is simply amazing in my book. I loved getting to see them fly, so imagine going with a bunch of student aviators... those boys were in heaven!

I sort of loved that the airshow was in Kingsville. We had the hour commute, but we got to go back to the town we used to live in. Hello, nostalgia. We even got to see our old house when we knocked on the door unannounced to ask for our old doormats back. That's another story for another day, but let's just say it was sufficiently awkward. Anyway, I digress. There were a lot of people gathered for the event, but it seemed like we knew someone at every turn. The military is like a giant fraternity sometimes, in a good way of course. I loved getting to hang out with old and new friends all day!

The first part of the day was spent walking around the display area and checking out all of the planes. Nothing makes Parker happier than when I can identify an airplane correctly, so that was my goal all day. Some men appreciate quality time or massages, others appreciate airplane knowledge. You play the hand you're dealt. 

This is actually the plane Parker is flying right now! T-44A

This is a coast guard plane, but that's all I remember... can you tell these guys like planes? I couldn't either.

Obnoxious? Probably. However, it seemed like the natural pose considering the paint job.

Parker in front of the... yellow plane... apparently I can't remember what this one is either. Oops.

Acting like tourists with the Russian helicopter!

This is inside the P3. This plane wasn't open for touring, but the pilot found out the guys were student aviators and let them right in. Parker was in airplane heaven!

 So this isn't an airplane, but look Dad! I found a corvette!

We finished up touring the different planes on display, and we had all built up pretty decent sunburns and appetites at that point. The corn dogs fixed the latter, and applying aloe vera like it's my day job is currently working on the former (sorry for forgetting sunscreen, Mom :/ ...). There were different planes flying over us while we were walking around, and the Blue Angels were the grand finale. Grand finale indeed. If you ever have the opportunity to see these guys fly, go do it. It's just plain cool. 

This is Fat Albert, the plane that always flies out right before the angels. I still can't figure out why we call it Fat Albert.

We might need to photo shop Jenny into the above picture for our Christmas card this year. It doesn't get much better than having the Blue Angels flying in the background!

All in all, it was a really neat experience. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and I love seeing Parker so happy. Goodness that man loves planes. Thanks for a memorable weekend, Kingsville! Naturally the coolest thing to happen in Kingsville all year would happen the month after we move. It happens. I'm just glad we got to venture back to the motherland to see it!