Fall Update

Wow! It has been a long time since one of us has made a post, so I will try to catch everyone up on the last couple of months!

First off, Kalen and I had a great weekend in Biloxi! We were able to do some shopping, lots of eating and even spent some money trying to win big at one of the casinos! Neither of us had ever been to Biloxi, and both really enjoyed a long weekend together!

Right after Biloxi, I began my 14 week AMOC course in Wichita Falls, Texas. Unfortunately, northern Texas has not grown on me but I have been learning a lot in school and have been taking frequent trips up to the house in Oklahoma City! Currently I am over halfway done with my class, I have already taken 4 tests! I have been, as Kalen said, learning the “ins and outs” of aircraft maintenance, lots about engines, computer systems, flight control surfaces, hydraulics (yes, I know what that is, even what pneudraulics is!) and various different airframes! The course has also given me a lot of hands-on experiences, such as getting to climb into F-15 and F-16 intakes, exploring B-52s and C-130s, even playing with the different parts of an F-100 engine (suck, squeeze, bang, blow!).

Kalen has also been working hard at school in Florida! He recently tested out of the longest block of the course (getting a 98%) and has been doing great at controlling! In early December, his class will be having their assignment night! At this ceremony, he will be given his base assignment (Tinker AFB!), a call-sign/nickname and of course a great opportunity to do some partying! A couple of weeks ago, Paula and Craig visited Kalen for about two weeks! They had a blast doing lots of fishing and relaxing on the beach! Today, Kalen and a few classmates went to Jacksonville to hold a large American Flag at the Jaguars game (we’ll put some pictures up eventually)!

The two of us are getting very excited for Thanksgiving and Christmas, they seem to be getting closer and closer!! We will be spending Thanksgiving in Florida and Kalen will be coming up to OKC for two weeks during Christmas!! After Christmas, we will begin counting down the days until Kalen’s graduation from his ABM school! Right after graduation he will be in Washington State for a survival school (there will be more to come about this!) and then moving to OKC in March! We can’t wait!

Finally, the two of us are extremely excited to welcome a new Stoddard to the family next spring! We will be getting a Chesapeake Bay Retriever puppy in March or April! We are very excited to get moved in and the house all settled, and get the puppy…and of course finally get to see each other everyday!

Jenna