I'm sorry I haven't been posting lately, but I guess it's my way to avoid having to think too much. I'll try to stay on the ball with posts this year, but I guess we'll just have to see how it goes. It's more difficult to move than I thought... and maybe even more to live in two worlds. I figured since we homeschool, most of our life would stay the same, and we wouldn't really have many changes to adjust to... but I'm wrong on that account! There are tons of changes in every area of our lives which I would never have guessed. And in order to stay positive and joyful, I try not to dwell on the difficult things... which has meant not to think about anything too deeply... I'm just trying to go with the flow here :)
I'll start by telling you that we had a FABULOUS summer and enjoyed every minute at home in Tyrone. We did quite a bit of vacationing since this may have been our last summer as a family if Jordan gets accepted at the Air Force Academy next year. I'll also use this opportunity to brag a little about Jordan: as we hurried to tie up loose ends and leave the Saudi Arabia in June, the results we received were that Jordan made a 4.0 in her first year of school, improved her SAT score for the last time, and did well on her Literature and Language AP test (we won't talk about the Econ AP test.) But her difficult first year of school ended successfully and as usual, she made us very proud! She left excited to return in the fall.
We were very excited to accompany Jordan to the Air Force Academy Summer Seminar in June. Bruce and Brooke stayed in Saudi a few days longer and almost couldn't catch a flight to Colorado in time to say goodbye to Jordan for the week. They arrive after midnight the night before her summer seminar started!
Here we are in the Bahrain airport, heading to Colorado or Georgia (we're weren't sure which one!)
I love the flight attendant uniforms on Emirates Airlines.
We changed planes in Zurich, Switzerland. You can see the snow-capped mountains in the distance.
That's when I started to realize that I was sick. I wasn't sure at the time, but later realized that I had a severe case of food poisoning or salmonella. I had great difficulty getting us home, but we made it to Atlanta in time to buy Jordan's required Khakis for her summer seminar. Then we flew to Denver, rented a car and drove to Colorado Springs.
We wanted to get Jordan to Colorado as early as possible, to help her get over any jetlag and adjust to the high altitude. Our room wasn't ready when we arrived at our hotel, so I slept by the pool while we waited for our room.
We checked into the hotel and I floated in and out of my fever for two days.
I felt bad leaving the girls to watch TV and fend for themselves, so I dragged myself out of bed and took them to Wal-Mart to get necessities. I was so weak that I had to ride around on one of those motorized carts!! :o On the third day I felt well enough to eat, and I took them to the Garden of the Gods.
I picked up Bruce and Brooke at the Denver airport after midnight. They made it just in time to say goodbye to Jordan in the morning. Here we are eating breakfast at the hotel before we dropped her off.
The Air Force Academy is behind them.
This is a model of the dorm rooms.
Saying goodbye.
After we got home, Bruce had a crew out to finish our driveway under the new gate.
Here we are taking our golf cart out for dinner.
We met friends for dinner: Meghan Lowry, Dave Lowry, and Jeff Lange. Dave just accepted a job in Afghanistan!
Brooke and Reese invited Sammy over to play in the creek.
They found a tiny frog.
Here's Jordan and her friend, Morgan.
Brooke and Reese also enjoyed spending time with our next-door neighbors, the Turners.
After the driveway was finished, Bruce hired a crew to tile the deck. We were worried that the plywood was exposed to the elements for too long and might begin to deteriorate.
They did a beautiful job!
Jordan had a blast at the Air Force Academy. Her experience there this summer was difficult, yet exhilarating; and helped her decide that this is where she really wants to go. She spent her free time writing essays to senators/congressman, e-mailing and calling to ask people for letters of recommendation, and getting health exams.
After she returned from Colorado Springs, we headed for our family vacation with Bruce to his chosen destination -- Cancun!
There were only two seats on the flight home, so since Bruce left a day earlier, Jordan and Brooke flew alone to Atlanta while Reese and I waited in Cancun for another flight.
That's just the month of June! I'm flying back to the States again tomorrow, so I'll try to post some more pictures soon.
- Pattie -
