Makin' Moves

3 addresses in one year... Welcome to the Navy!
Oh, what an adventure it is!

Since Derrick and I have gotten married, we've spent about 3 months in Annapolis, 11 months in Pensacola, and now we are exploring Texas.  

Let's back up a little bit.  Derrick is flying through flight school (pun intended). In Pensacola, Derrick completed the first phase of training.   Let's explain what that entails:
Usually you start with IFS(Introductory Flight School) in which you learn how to fly a Cessna or Piper Warrior (a tiny plane at a private/civilian airport).  Derrick was exempt from this because of a summer program he had completed while at the Academy.
Next, is API (Aviation Pre-flight Indoctrination).  This is the intense academic portion where the only time you see friends is at study parties.  I'm mostly kidding, but it was like 5 weeks of finals with class all day and tests.  This also included land and water survival, the helo dunker, and the hyperbolic chamber.  Basically, what to do if anything bad ever happens.
Finally, we get to Primary.  Derrick completed this training in about 7 months, learning to fly the T-6B.  Go Red Knights!
At the end of primary, there's a casual selection ceremony in which you find out which aircraft you will be flying.  A lot of nerves, ending in... JETS!

Proud wife! 

Kirby was just as excited as Derrick was that Derrick selected jets! Romans 12:15 

So, off to Kingsville, Texas we go.
We're getting pretty good at moving at this point, and this is just the beginning.  The movers took all of our stuff, and we journeyed the 11 hours to Kingsville.  The best part was how well the pooch, Maggie, handled the trip! (We'll update on her later.)

Here we are now, in Kingsville, awaiting the moving truck and enjoying an air mattress in our apartment.  We start to complain about the wait for our stuff, but stop to realize how blessed we are.  A nice apartment with air conditioning and food, and people in our lives who love us! Derrick is simply thrilled to have the opportunity to study to be a Jet Pilot for the greatest Navy in the world.  All is well :)

Firsts in this First Year

The last few months have been such an amazing adventure as we journey through our first year of marriage! There's been so many firsts along the way, each of them a joy and a blessing.

We just spent our first Valentine's Day together as a married couple, and it was actually the first Valentine's Day that we've been able to be in the same location.  Nevertheless, we made a weekend of it and exchanged gifts Friday night because we were so excited.  Who knew roses and hot sauce was the way to each other's hearts?

 

I'm working my first real job in the "real world".  Teaching high school is exhausting, but I love my students.   There is never a dull day.  Oh, the stories I could tell... 

(Getting my first pay check was pretty exciting, too.)

Derrick has gotten to fly a T-6 for the first time.  And a few times after that.  While he studies hard, and even harder as he hopes to get selected for jets, he absolutely loves to be in the air.  Although I would never want to be in his place, I have to admit it's a pretty cool job! 

There's been other firsts throughout this year, which seem minor in comparison to new states and new jobs.  We went paddle boarding in the Gulf for the first time, went to New Orleans and ate beignets for the first time, and made decisions for the first time about who was responsible for laundry and who for dishes.  We have other married couples as friends, and friends that are choosing to have children.  We've been able to welcome other people to the area, and go to a couple of squadron events. I took my first aerial yoga class, and we've had a good friend visit.  We picked out a Christmas tree and become fans of minor league hockey.  We went to our first Brad Paisley concert.  We've loved being in a Bible study together, and been sad to see friends leave as they move onto their next station.  This is our first winter without snow and having to book flights to go home for Christmas.  It's also the first time that 35 degrees feels cold in the winter!

I could go on and on. We're trying to pack in as much as we can into Pensacola while the Lord (and the Navy) has us here.   We are thankful for the firsts. 

Friends-giving 2014 

Jones kids at Christmas

Of course we had to try out Katie's in NOLA. It was delicious!

Will loved seeing us in January! 

Welcome to the Sunshine State!

Welcome Home!

There has been so much life that has happened since my last post.  So, I'm going to attempt to summarize the things that have happened since I left Annapolis by telling you all the things I've learned.

     1. It's a longgggg drive from Maryland, and flying is the much preferred method of transportation.  Also, I need to find a way to earn frequent flyer miles/get cheap plane tickets.

Moving truck being loaded



First sign to Pensacola!



SO excited to finally be in Florida-



and out of the car! 

      2. Having parents that can help you move and set up house is such a blessing.

Thank you to our dads for driving this to Florida!

At a well deserved seafood dinner.

      3. The sooner you can connect with the few people you know in the area, the better.  It leads to fun days, inside scoop, and more friends.
      4. Student teaching and flight school.  The things learned in these categories deserve multiple posts within themselves.
      5. The beach in Pensacola is GORGEOUS and paddle boards are fun, even in the Gulf!

Pensacola Beach

Selfie on the beach

Gorgeous Fort Pickens

     6. Derrick's dart board project exceeded my expectations.  However, he's just as competitive as I            expected.

Derrick's bullseye

     7. Downtown has some really cool events and makes for fun weekends and date nights.
     8. Great food + new friends+Jesus=Bible Study
     9. Ultimate Frisbee provides a fun and exhausting Saturday afternoon.

Gallery Night

Graffiti wall at Gallery Night downtown. 

Seafood Festival!

     10. Exploring our new home has been an amazing adventure :) 

Weekends in Review: Part 3 {8/8-8/10}

Sooner than expected but conveniently, Derrick and I were able to head to Southern Maryland on Friday.  We ran some errands in Annapolis and were home in time for dinner.  My mom cooked Derrick's favorite treat, flank steak, so he was in heaven.  Before dinner we enjoyed paddle boarding with my whole family! Everyone gave it a shot and I think everyone really enjoyed it!

Experts at posing

The next morning we met up with our other sisters to paddle board on base.  It was a little harder because it was rougher water there, but it was still really fun! (Unfortunately I didn't get as good of pictures.)

Then we cleaned up and hung out at the Petett's for a small get together with some family and friends.  It was a really laid back time and it was good to see everyone before the girls head off to college and Derrick and I head down to Pensacola.  

We headed back to Annapolis Saturday night and spend Sunday in D.C., but that will get it's own blog post :)

Weekends in Review: Part 2 {8/1-8/3}

Friday we were able to have some friends over for dinner.   To date, everyone has survived my cooking, so I consider it a success!  Our friend made us homemade hot fudge to go with our ice cream for dessert and it was delicious!  All she did was mix semisweet chocolate chips and milk in a bowl.  Then simply microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between.  It was some of the best hot fudge I've ever had and so easy! It ended the evening on a great note!

Saturday I was really excited to be able to go to a Rascal Flatts concert and see my friend John Lunde and some of his friends.  They performed really well live and I do love country music.  The rain held off and it made for a fun evening.  I took some iPhone pictures and video from way in the back at our lawn seats.

I was also glad to stay with another friend over night and visit briefly with her.  (Thanks for staying up and talking with me past midnight even though you had no voice!)

I was able to get back in time to meet Derrick at church the next morning, and enjoyed my favorite, a Sunday afternoon nap!

Weekends in Review: Part 1 {7/25-7/27}

Derrick and I look forward to being able to squeeze fun into every weekend.  Last weekend, I spent Saturday with Derrick, going to lunch in town and drooling over cool toys in a surf shop, before being able to go home and see my family.

It was nice to be able to see and laugh with my family, even though my brother spent all of dinner Saturday night referring to me as "the guest."  Nothing makes you feel like home like when your brother acts like you're a visitor in the home of which you were raised.  Dinner was filled with comments like, "Oh, you know that person, too?! How did you meet them?" and "You see in St. Mary's County we like sweet tea; I'm glad you're enjoying it.  Do they have that where you're from?"  As much as I would deny it, it was pretty hilarious how the comments just kept coming.

I got to see my home church family on Sunday and enjoyed a walk with my family that evening.  My mom even cut my hair for me!

The bro decided to be nice to me before I  left & post haircut. 

Meanwhile, Derrick enjoyed spending Sunday with his dad and a new favorite restaurant in Baltimore, Fogo de Chao.  If you've never heard of it, you should check it out!  Derrick and I went together before we left for St. Lucia for our honeymoon and thoroughly enjoyed it.  It's like a meat lover's paradise.

Below are some pictures from Derrick's and my visit to Fogo de Chao during our honeymoon.  I'm not sure Derrick has had many happier moments than enjoying that food.  So it was the highlight of his week (at least) to be able to go again and get some father-son time.

This is how much food was left behind…

I'm not sure the waiter was as entertained as Derrick was when he asked to take a picture.   Not everywhere serves meat off of giant skewers directly to your plate.  

Birthday Festivities

Derrick was serenaded at the Cheesecake Factory!  There was even a candle in his cheesecake. 

Derrick's birthday celebrations lasted all weekend, before it was even officially his birthday! We were able to have lunch with my parents and Caleb, then dinner with his family at the delicious Cheesecake Factory, and then another small get together with some friends in Annapolis.  It was really good to see some friends before they start TBS in Quantico.  

Derrick's birthday cake.

I was able to successfully make a birthday cake, which was a feat in itself.  I've enjoyed trying new recipes as we explore cooking for ourselves.  Anytime I get to use my new KitchenAid mixer and the cookbook my grandmother put together of family recipes, it makes cooking/baking that much better.

Our aquarium adventure.

We also went to the National Aquarium this weekend.  We loved seeing all the fish and had a blast! There was even a little 2 year old fella we saw a couple of times who came right up to me and grabbed my hand.  His mom said he had spent the last 20 minutes looking for us since the first time he'd seen us, and I never even learned his name.

The black tip reef was our favorite!

This sea turtle was rescued and had to have its front left flipper amputated.   

So many sharks!

The dolphins were awesome, but I was too distracted to get good pictures!

Overall, we had a really good weekend and Derrick enjoyed his birthday.  Thank you to everyone who helped make it special.   Happy Birthday Derrick!