This year we made the decision that I (Brandon) would now be responsible for the blog. I enjoy journalism and I keep one for my life, so it just makes since to add some of that stuff to this site! We started off the year by being at home! This was a rare occurrence for us, but it was definitely the best option. We were planning on going boarding in Canada the first week of January, but decided not to because of how much stuff we have to get done at home before we start our last semester at Embry-Riddle! We had about a week to ourselves before school started and during this time I was able to make 7 videos for YouTube, buy the fastest dirtbike in the world and make it street legal, wood projects, and get a job! Since I received my Airframe and Powerplant License over the Christmas break, I was able to get a job as an aircraft mechanic at the Prescott Airport and I love it! It is a great feeling to be wrenching on planes again and it is much less stressful tearing apart a Piper or Cessna rather than a multi-million dollar U-2. During this time Jen was able to build this whole website and she did an amazing job! She also made a ton of cards, and other creative crafty items and most importantly kept the house nice and tidy and clean!
Okay, I lied about the clean and tidy part, but it makes life more interesting to not see the carpet in our bedroom!
On the 15th of this month the news dropped at our ROTC detachment that Jen and I are going COLUMBUS MISSISSIPPI!!! This is the base that we wanted because it is only a 3 hour drive from my family in Tennessee! This will be the first time that I have lived less than 1,000 miles away from my family since I moved out and we are both very excited about this next move. We have to arrive there in the middle of May, so right after we graduate we will start our journey to the south.
This year we are also planning on doing a marathon. It has been tough to make the time available to prepare for this long run and we have not been running as much as we should. However, I am going to post a picture now to make it seem like we are very intense runners...
We are only taking 1 ROTC class at Embry-Riddle, so we are filling our time with classes at the local community college, Yavapai College. Jen is taking a print making class, sculptural welding class, and we are taking a 2-step dance class together. I am taking a wood-turning class, welding class, and singing lessons. When we are not at school I am at work and Jen is at the ROTC detachment going to meetings. She is ultimately in charged of all the 300+ cadets at school so they keep her busy!
We have also decided to get more involved at our church, the Heights Church. I have been volunteering for the tech team and Jen works in the coffee shop. We have fallen in love with the way this church operates and the people there. This will be the one thing that I know I will miss the most from Prescott when we leave in May. It is great to find a church where the people strive to live as Christ-like as possible without forcing their ways on others and maintaining a down-to-earth mentality.
Other than that I will try to post every month with updates unless something crazy happens and I have to post earlier or later. We are doing this blog so we can look back at our life and remember all the different challenges and adventures. We will post more things about the van (Jolene), other wood projects, and all the hobbies that Jen has, such as cooking recipes and crafting projects. If you have read this far, we thank you!
"You already have God's love, try to make him smile" -Adrian Rogers