It's official

This morning Kolt was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. It was a brief ceremony where he took an oath and promised to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. His parents were able to be there and his dad pinned on his 2nd Lt Bar on his shoulder.

I expected to get emotional or teary eyed but I didn't. After all this time it just felt right and I was so proud of him. His poor mother struggled and cried at the end, we know she is going to miss us terribly, as we will her and all of our family. For those of you who wanted to be there but couldn't on such short notice, we missed you but completely understood.

This was the first step in a long line of many towards our lives in the USAF. I'm so happy that it's finally all come together.

Change of Plans....

So on Tuesday we got a phone call from TSgt Bursee, he said that 4 slots had been opened up for the October COT class and we could have one if we wanted them. Kolt looked at me and before he had even told me what was said, I knew. "Oh, crap!" That's what we said. We were told we had minutes to decide as the slots would fill up fast, so Kolt said we'd call back in 20 minutes. We looked at each other with stunned expressions, holy cow! We knew he was on the stand-by list but never expected that anything would come of it. We had JUST moved into an apartment in Salt Lake, did we really wanna undo everything we just did? Kolt called his mom and his dad and asked for their advice. We really wanted to do it, but didn't at the same time. We were happy that we were going to be around for the holidays and for hunting season....but when it came down to it we decided that all of the little things weren't worth putting off our plans for 3 more months. So we called TSgt Bursee 20 minutes later and said we'd take it, and it turned out we took the very last spot.

So all of a sudden we have about 30 days to get all of our plans together. We don't know what we're doing with me yet. The USAF will move our things, but we have to consolidate them first. They will even pack us up, but if we pack up our apartment here, then there's no point in me staying in an empty apartment. Until we have his official orders, we can't contact any of the departments that will handle our move. Hopefully next week we can begin to figure things out and get things under way.

Kolt will be officially commissioned in to the USAF on Monday. We wanted to use one of his 2 uncles that are or were officers in the military, but on such short notice neither were available. So we're just using whoever we can get, and his parents will be there with us as we "sign our lives away."

Things are finally starting to come together for us, albeit in a rather rushed fashion. It's kind of ironic that after all of the months of waiting, now it seems we don't have enough time to get everything together!

As we figure things out I'll update on our status. Kolt will most likely drive out to training and he will leave on October 15th. I've applied for at least 7 or 8 jobs and if I can secure one, then I will be going at the same time. If not, then I may stay up here with family in the mean time. At this point, I just don't know but i promise to keep you posted!

FINALLY!!!

I think most people who read this are also my facebook friends, and so by now the news isn't "new" but I'll share it anyway. We finally got Kolt's orders on Wednesday Sept 2nd (I haven't had Internet access at home, this is the first chance I've gotten to post) and we're moving to San Antonio, Lackland AFB in February. We are so excited to be going to Texas, myself probably more than Kolt haha. I have family there and friends there as well and I just love Texas and have missed it so much over the last 10 years. I'm already making plans to see old friends that I have seen in years and new ones I have yet to meet in person.

Kolt will go to training on January 11th for 4 weeks. Then we hope to go on a cruise with his parents, then we will move mid February, I'm guessing around Valentine's Day :)

Because it's still 4 months away, and due to my brother and niece moving into my parent's house as well, we decided to move back to Salt Lake for the remainder of our time in the Mountain West. We found a cute little place right on the University campus, so it's 2 miles to work for me and it's right on the train for Kolt to his work. He's actually been riding his bike the 10 miles home everyday, I can't believe it! He says it's faster than the train with all the stops and it's a great way to wind down at the end of the day, so I can't blame him.

Once we get our place set up and decorated, maybe I'll take a few pics and post them. The dogs seem happy there and it finally feels like everything is falling into place for us. FINALLY! woohoo!

Still NO news

Well, I had certainly hoped by now that I would have some exciting news to tell everyone, but alas, I don't. Apparently way more people than usual applied at this particular board and that's holding them up as well as some other issues with the new COT class starting on Monday.

So here it is, almost the end of August and we know nothing more than we knew a year ago. Awesome. I keep hoping every day will be the day we get the call but at this point I'm beginning to think that we'll be in limbo forever. I'm hoping for next week sometime, and as soon as we know I will post it.

To complicate things even more I've pretty much lost all hope of Kolt making the October COT class which would mean there's not another one until January. That means we have to find a new place to live in Salt Lake and possibly even Idaho now that my brother and his daughter have also moved in with my parents. I'm trying to just take it one day at a time and not worry about the things I don't know yet but not knowing is beginning to take it's toll. I'm having a hard time sleeping at night and I frequently am very anxious and feel nauseated because of it, (and NO I am not pregnant). I know it will eventually all work out and we'll figure things out one step at a time, but this is just getting really old.

On a different note, we recently celebrated Kolt's 29th birthday and that was a blast. Our good friends Brandon and Lauren Martin and they're adorable baby girl came to visit and we went to the rodeo and to the reservoir. Kolt's parents and niece and nephew also came down and it was so much fun. It's been an incredible summer over all and I just keep wishing there were more time because there's so much we still want to do!

Speaking of birthdays, mine is coming up in 3 short weeks :) I keep tossing around the idea of a trip, possible to Monterey, Ca and Kolt is definitely not opposed, we just can't make any plans until we know what's going on. But I have high hopes for a really fun birthday. We've kind of made traveling for it a tradition over the last few years. If nothing else I'm training for a 10k now for the weekend of my birthday, so that will be great if nothing else. I've run as far as 5 miles at this point and I think if I really step up my training I'll be able to do it!

So I really hope that very soon I'll be able to post some good news, if not you may hear about me on the evening news going crazy and doing something stupid, lol.

If it's not one thing...

So I know we were ALL hoping that my next post would be filled with all the exciting details of Kolt's assignment, alas...some complications have come up and so I just wanted to fill everyone in so we don't keep getting asked if we have the orders yet.

First of all there were a few more forms that he had to sign, or resign it seemed to me, which he did and I drove them up to Sgt Bursee myself today. However, when I met with him he said that they needed a transcript from the Institute in Pocatello for the Book of Mormon class Kolt took there in 2002. We never thought about it before because it's not really a college or for grades, it's just something that people do in college to study the scriptures. Well, apparently since BYU accepted the "credits", all 2 of them, we now have to have an official transcript from them. The good news is his application went forward and is currently in process without this document, THAT is amazing, the bad news is even if they reach a decision and give him an assignment, we can't know what it is until they have the transcript. Kolt's working graves this week so I'm going to try and call them tomorrow and see what we can work out. I'm hoping since it's not really a University that I can tell them the situation and they will be so kind as to send a copy to us tomorrow and maybe by Monday or Tuesday Sgt Bursee will have it. I will also ask for one to be mailed to us as well in case the one they send doesn't make it.

It's not like it's a huge deal, just another one of those blasted set backs that keeps us farther from knowing our future. The other bit of info I got from Sgt Bursee was that the October COT date is filling up and he may not get to go until January. This is a problem because Kolt just passed up a charge nurse position because he didn't think he'd be there long enough to make it worth it, and because we will have to find another place to live for only a few months, and because it will just be that much longer that we live with my parents. NOT that I don't love them, but we're ready to move on.

I'm trying not to let all of this get me down because we don't know yet that we won't be able to go until January, but the thought of it being THAT much longer makes me sick almost. I just really want to move on with our lives and it seems like just when everything is in place, something else pops up that sets it back.

I'm really hoping that tomorrow the Institute will be super awesome and send out the transcripts and it will be no big deal. I'll let you all know how it goes.

On a more positive note, I found a 5k race that I'm going to run. It's here in Midvale (where our house is) and it's only $15, and it's all flat. It really is perfect and I'm excited to finally be running in a race. I'm up to 2.5 miles already so I feel confident I can be ready by August 8th. I'll give more details on that once I've run it.

Feeling Grateful

Sorry it's been a while since I posted. I really feel like I haven't had a whole lot to say. As far as we know Kolt's application will go in for review on Monday (July 20th) and we should hear back as soon as next Friday, the 24th. I promise as soon as we know where we are going there will be a big post in all caps with as many details as I can provide!

I've been doing exceptionally well with my running and weight loss. I retook on the challenge the 28th of June and am almost down 10 lbs. I've been running almost everyday and am up to 2.5 miles already!!!! That 5k isn't feeling so out of reach anymore and I am so proud of myself. I've just set my mind to it and I'm doing it. I figured that being over weight in my case is a choice that I alone have made and that I alone have continued to perpetuate and I'm over it. Food is food and while it can be SO good, it does nothing for me. It doesn't hug me back when I've had a bad day, it doesn't listen to my problems, it doesn't provide anything but momentary distraction and satisfaction that has in turn continued to lower my confidence and self esteem through out the years. My goal is to be down 40lbs by the time we move to wherever we're going, around the 20th of November. If more then great but that's my goal. I've really been pushing myself with the running and went out of my comfort zone and found a place to run in Salt Lake while I was down there working and had to go after work in the heat of the day at 4pm. I NEVER would have done that in the past, but nothing will stop me now. I need to sign up for a stinking race but I just haven't done it yet. But race or no race, I'm running as long as my body will allow me to.

All this being said and going back to the title of this post, I am feeling extremely grateful at this time in my life. There's a lot going on around me that I'm not directly apart of, but that I see and it just makes me realize how good Kolt and I really have it. I was recently insulted by someone I won't mention, but this person said something like this "Now I know why God doesn't want that crazy cracker jack psychology COW to have any children." And she also made another comment about me that commented on my "SIZE." This person is a pathetic piece of crap who has absolutely NOTHING going good for her in her life and felt the need to lash out at me to make herself and her laughable excuse of a life look better. I'll admit, I felt the rage go through my veins like nothing you could imagine. In fact, I vowed (much in the way of my father) that the next time I saw that %$%$&%*$ that I would put a dent in her forehead, particularly for the comment that God doesn't want to have children and that's why I keep losing them. As if that line of reasoning makes sense. Like he wants crack whores and 12 year old girls to have them? Please. But I went for a run and clarity reached me and the peace came. I have the most amazing life (well maybe not in the cool sense, at least not yet, but soon!) and I really can't ask for anything more than I have. An amazing husband who's loved me through thick and thin, quite literally, a good job that has allowed me the flexibility to work whenever I want this past 9 months, Kolt has a steady and good paying job with complete job security, I have an incredible family who loves me no matter what and who I know will be there every step of my life to pitch in and provide support any time I need it, and we're about to embark on a fantastic journey to God only knows where and to places that most people only dream about. We have complete financial security and tons of toys and more time than most couples could ever imagine having together. What more could I ask for? A child, yes, but at this point in my life I'm simply not ready for one. How many people can say that they have all of those things? That the truly want for nothing and are totally happy with their lives and at peace with themselves? I doubt very many. I really just have it so good, that I'm not going to let what some ignorant, selfish, self absorbed, psychotic, immature brat bring me down. It's not worth the energy to be upset or angry about it. So I won't, and instead will continue to reflect on the wonderfulness that is my life and I will continue to strive to meet my goals and I WILL accomplish them.

Just an update

So Kolt had his interview and it went very, very well. The chief nurse seemed to love him and spoke very highly of his letters of recommendation (and considering she reads dozens of these every month, that seemed to mean a lot to me.) She also complemented him on his essay and his writing skills. The only hitch that really came along was the news that despite his 2 years of ICU experience, he STILL has to join as a med-surg nurse. This was quite upsetting considering we waited this long for him to join so that he could have the experience to go IN as an ICU nurse. Had we known that it wouldn't have mattered we would have finished this process at least a year ago if not more. Kolt didn't seemed overly discouraged at this as I thought he would have. This will provide him with a new experience in nursing that will hopefully improve his overall skills as a nurse, and his 2 years experience will boost his resume and put him a step above the other RN's that apply for the position when the time comes. He has to work med-surg for 2-3 years we were told. Hopefully it won't be that long, but it's a really good thing he has 2 years under his belt already for when it comes time to apply to grad school. Hopefully this won't push back his goal of going to CRNA school, but we'll just have to see. Some good news that came from his 2 years experience is he may get to join and start out at 1st Lieutenant instead of 2nd, that will make his promotion to captain come MUCH sooner, hopefully he can reach that within a year. The idea of being married to a Captain in the USAF is VERY cool, although we do plan on him making a career out of the airforce and he hopes to reach full Colonel before he retires. We shall see.

We are supposed to find out his assignment at the very end of July and I promise to post it as soon as we know. This will be very exciting news and I'll be shouting it from the rooftops!

Not a lot is going on with me. Supposedly I have the job with Priestly Mental Health in town but they don't have any clients for me yet so I haven't been working. It's been very frustrating but I really want the experience so hopefully soon I can start working with them.

Kolt and I are going to be renting our friends' house since they are about to move out and so after 8 months we will FINALLY have a place that's just ours again. There won't be any furniture or even a stove, but at least we can be alone sometimes and I can do down to SLC and work at UNI until I can work here. I am very excited about that. I can't believe we only need it for 4 months though, because then Kolt will be DONE working for IMC and moving on to the USAF. It's crazy how fast time flies. I can't believe that it's practically July. And i must admit I'm wishing the time away because I desperately want to know where we're going to be living. Then i can finally start looking into my future and what I want to do with myself school wise. I think Kolt is rooting for me to continue on with nursing school, and we'll see if I can get into a program somewhere. I'm not convinced it's what i want to do, but I'll be good at it and it makes such good money (compared to what i make in mental health), it's hard to ignore the practicality of it. I just really want to go back to school and find something that i can be passionate about and hope that will help me find myself. I've been feeling kind of lost lately and in large part i think it's because I've had no purpose this last 8 months. i really think that if i can find a job i love or go back to school that I'll feel much better about myself as an adult woman contributing to society.

So that's pretty much it. Kolt and I are playing pretty hard so far this summer and our weekends off are filling up fast with fun activities. If you want to hang out with us you'd better call so we can pencil you in ;)