12/24/08

We're Outta Here!

Originally I was going to stay behind and meet Mike in Grand Prairie, Texas after he saw what the living arrangements were going to be. We decided there was no point in me leaving later. First of all, Mike found out that he'd probably need the car to get back and forth from the base. And the biggest reason is...I really don't want to make the 20+ hour drive in the middle of winter by myself! So...on the 30th (or the 31st) of December, we pack up the car with the stuff we think we can't live without for a year and say our good-byes and head into the sunset (snowset). We're really excited about the move. I know from our travels this summer that our kids will all be fine. I'm looking forward to meeting new people and especially seeing my cousin, Shauna, who I haven't seen in years. So, for now, it's hasta la vista to all and if you're up for the adventure, come and see us. Maybe by the summer I'll have figured out where all the best eating places are. One thing I can't make myself do is cheer for the Mavs, the Cowboys or the Aggies! So, GO JAZZ, GO UTES, GO BYU!

12/15/08

Finally!

Well, it's finally happening! Mike is just finishing a two week assignment in Dublin, CA. When he gets home this Thursday, we'll have a fairly calm holiday and on the 2nd of January, he'll fly out for his final army assignment. After nearly 30 years he'll be able to retire and we'll move on.
This is a mobilization which, simply put, means he's in the regular army. If they wanted to they could send him far away (which he has been eager to do for the last four years) but instead, he'll be stationed in Grand Prairie, TX., outside of Dallas. He'll do what he's been doing for many years, teaching combat lifesaving and leadership courses. The army is so short handed, they're happy to have someone of his calibur on staff.
What does this all mean for our family? I plan on joining Mike in the middle of January. We'll be away for about a year. Rachel and her family are living downstairs and Jana and her family are living upstairs and I'll go to Texas to live the life of an army wife. I've never done that and I'm excited.
Intially we'll be in a hotel for about two months (not as exciting as it sounds; it plays havoc on your body to have to eat out all the time) and then we will be given a one bedroom, fully furnished apartment for the remainder of the time.
Our stuff is basically boxed and in storage and we won't have to take much. I want to keep busy so I'll probably take some stuff that I usually don't have time for (pictures, crocheting, etc.).
Another thing I want to do is get fully involved in the community (town and church). We'll try and jump right into ward activity and lend support to the church there.
So, through the beauty of modern technology, we'll be able to keep in touch wherever we are and let you know what we are doing. Keep us posted on your lives. I'll probably be back for the birth of Scott and Lisa's baby in March.
Till then, I hope your holidays are as exciting as ours. Merry Christmas from us all. With much love, Vicki and Mike


This is a short clip of a class Mike taught in Lincoln, Nebraska. I'm always tickled by some of the positions the guys have to get into to be stuck by a student.

11/21/08

Captured!

We're just headed home after two and a half weeks at Camp Parks. Camp Parks is in Dublin, California just east of Oakland. Mike was an instructor for ANCOC (advanced non-commissioned officer course) which included some pretty serious "war games". I got to play the part of an Iraqi villager (sometimes hostel, sometimes not). In the picture I'm getting frisked! I was really amazed at the seriousness of the training. For example; at one point I was walking down a dirt road with a baby and a soldier told me to "Halt"! I pretended not to understand and she gave me hand signals to get on the ground. And get on the ground I did! It was pretty impressive. But what was most impressive to me is what Mike does month after month to conduct these courses. They're time consuming, sometimes dirty and many times frustrating but alway important to those taking the class. He's my hero! We're still waiting to hear about a start date for Grand Prairie, TX but there are many opportunities to teach every month if Grand Prairie doesn't come through. In fact, the battalion would rather Mike NOT take the Texas mission because it leaves them so short handed of qualified teachers. Whatever happens will work out fine for us. We'll keep you posted. In the meantime we continue to enjoy the travel.

10/21/08

Junk and More Junk

Getting ready for Texas has really been a challenge. How do you get rid of 38 married years of stuff? It's not like I'm a pack rat the way my mom was. I remember when we were cleaning out the family home after she died, there were actually pieces of yarn all knotted together. I think she liked the color and wanted to match it to something. She also had a lot of knickknacks from her days as an elementary school teacher. We don't know that they even meant anything to her, but there they were. We suspect that even she didn't know what was in the cupboards. I have a pact with some of my closest friends; when I die, they are to hurry over and burn the house down!
Anyway, as we went through things that I've had tucked away, I was reminded of the feelings we had when we went to Nauvoo on our way home from Pennsylvania. There wasn't a lot of choice about what they would take across the plains; food, shelter and warm clothes were top priority. I thought about being told that they could only take 17 lbs by handcart. At that point my choice became more simple. Get rid of the stuff that will make my kids life more difficult should they have to deal with it. I thought to myself after we were finished with my moms house; you don't get to hitch a U-Haul to your casket! I think I'm ready to really unload a lot of my earthly trappings. Now if I could get my kids to stop fighting over my stuff. "You take it" "No, YOU take it!"

Where's the Bathroom?



I've traveled 11,000 miles by car since July 7th, stayed in a dozen or more hotels, gained 30# because there really isn't such a thing as diet friendly restaurant eating (seriously, why would you eat a salad when the enchiladas are the best in the world?). My point is; sometimes when you wake up in the middle of the night, you have to sit for a moment to remember where you are before you can go to the bathroom. We're home now and guess what; I still have to sit for a moment to remember where I am.
We got home on the 15th of October after Mike's Army mission in Pennsylvania and Nebraska. While we were away our home was taken care of by Rachel and Jana along with their families. One family upstairs, one family downstairs. Basically all the rooms were "ocupado"! Well, there's really no reason to cause undue stress for the two families so Mike and are making the sacrifice and moving out. Whoa, I can hear you say to yourselves. Where will they go, what will they do? Simple, really. We'll accept another Army assignment and go to Texas for a year. Actually, we'll go to California first then Texas.
Yep, Mike is being mobilized to teach the class he's spent the most time teaching this year. Combat Life Saver (CLS). Most of the soldiers take the class because they will probably be mobilized in the next year. They learn IV's, chest decompressions and other life saving stuff. Mike's a really great instructor and they need his skills so...off we go.
I had a rough time thinking about being away from all the grandkids but had such a great time with just me and Mike that I'm biting the bullet and going with him.
We'll be stationed in Grand Prairie, Texas located near Dallas and Plano (kind of in the middle of Texas). I'm excited to do this and have learned that all the family is fine when I'm gone. So, with a departure date of November 3rd, we look forward to seeing as many of you as possible before we leave.
I can't wait to see how long it takes me to know where the new bathroom will be!

9/29/08

Trip to Canada


I still haven't written about my trip to Canada. There is so much to catch up on but briefly; Rachel, Luke, Emily and I made a trip to Windsor, Ontario, Canada in July. The trip took several weeks and we passed several time zones but the most critical was the ET which as most mothers would know is Emily's Tired (and we have to stop NOW). We only traveled what the two kids could tolerate and usually that was six hours or so. We had a fantastic time and saw more on that trip than most people get to see in a lifetime. We made use of KOA's (Kampgrounds of America) most of the time and they were quite the set up. The kids slept well in the cabins (actually, I couldn't tell you if they slept well or not, I was asleep!) In the morning we had warm showers before heading out for the days (daze) drive. Rachel kept asking me if I would like her to drive but I don't have stupid written on my forehead and said I was fine. Near the end of the trip she was BEGGING to drive.
We stopped at Cabela's in Nebraska, we saw the LDS Winter Quarters Temple in Omaha. We saw my good friend Cathrin in St Joseph, Missouri, toured Nauvoo City and Carthage Jail. Luke and I had a blast in Nauvoo and saw a dress rehersal of the famous "Nauvoo Pageant" which focuses on Joseph Smith and life for the Saints in Nauvoo. Words cannot express the emotions we felt as we watched the production.
On the 11th we picked Jamie up at the Chicago airport and made it to Windsor the following day.
This was the first time I'd ever met Jamie's family and they were really great. A few days later, Rachel, Luke and I headed to Palmyra, NY to watch the "Hill Cumorah Pageant". Again, words fail to describe what we felt there, the site where Joseph Smith met the Angel Moroni to aquire the Gold Plates (Book of Mormon). Nearby is the Sacred Grove where Joseph asked the most simple question, "Which church is true"? This ground, so hallowed, is where he received his answer in the presence of God, the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, "None of them"! The rest is found in LDS history. I spent a lot of time watching Luke to see if he was aware of what he was doing and I had my answer shortly thereafter when he asked, "Grandma, can I say a prayer"? When asked what he wanted to know he said, most sweetly, "I want to know if Joseph really saw God and Jesus". After a brief pause he added, "Then I want to know why Santa didn't bring me the things at the top of my list"! Baby steps...
We rounded out the trip with a stop at Mt Rushmore. On the way home from there we made a wrong turn and took a different way. It was meant to be for on the way home we passed by Martin's Cove where the Saints with their meager belongings sought shelter from the bitter winter cold.
I can't tell it all in one sitting but will try a little here and a little there.
That was in July and I haven't been home since but for a very few days.
It's been an awesome summer and continues still!

9/18/08

Thank You, Mark Johnson!

My sister, Yvonne, is married to Don Johnson (the ORIGINAL) and Don has a brother, Mark, who plays golf. Currently he plays on the senior tour with notables like Tom Kite, Tom Watson, Ben Crenshaw etc. Let me pause for a moment to explain something. My dad played a lot of golf. He used to say, "I shoot in the low 70's. If it gets any colder, I QUIT!" I can only remember watching him play once and that was only because he LET ME pull the new bag carrier, puller, thingy with wheels. I never watched golf, never cared about golf...until August 2008.
While in Washington we found out that Mark was playing in the Boeing Classic, a huge tournament (part of the senior tour) in Snoqualmie, east of Seattle. So Mike and I decided it would be fun to go see him play (getting free VIP passes didn't hurt). End result; we loved it! So much in fact that we went to the Willow Brook tournament a few weeks later in Sandy, Utah. We took Jamie 'cause he DOES play golf. Again, a very enjoyable day and now...we are way into that small tournament called The Ryder Cup. Next, when we truly retire and finish up all that we want to do, we will become tournament followers. I hope Mark will remember to let us know when he plays in Europe (and gives us free VIP passes)!
Go team USA!

Facebook

Well, I've really done it this time! I've made another leap into a whole new world and joined Facebook. Actually, I did it to spy on my family and see what they're really doing while I'm away. For example; Rachel's having a candle party on the 24th (check out her site for more info). I found out all my children who are signed up on this site have a lot of friends who in turn have a lot of friends...infinity! I'd love to know, who is a person you have stumbled across that you would least expect?

9/17/08

Happy Constitution Day

I've had many occasions to reflect on the meaning of our Constitution and what it affords us. I can use one word...EVERYTHING!
Look around you and see all that is made possible by that document; the right to choose who leads you, the right to live where you want, the right to believe or not believe in the God of your choice, on and on.
This summer I've had some really reflective moments as I've traveled around this great country of ours and some of those moments have brought tears to my eyes as I think of those who made it all possible.
It's hard not to look around the fields of Pennsylvania without thinking of tattered armies fighting to be liberated from England. When a fog kisses the ground, I see those men coming out of the trees. They are barefooted, hungry and ragged but still they go forward toward freedom.
God bless us and our Constitution!

Mobile Living

Mike and I have been talking for awhile about ridding ourselves of all our earthly possessions and living in a trailer. Now, before you conjour up thoughts of a "shack type" existence let me say that trailer living is hugely improved!
"The Worlds Largest RV Show" was in Hershey, PA last week-end (9/12-14) and I took the opportunity to do some trailer research before I went with Mike later that evening. I hooked up with the representative from Fleetwood and he was most helpful in answering all of the questions I could come up with and some I hadn't thought of. Originally I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted and looked at about a half dozen units to see if what I wanted was what was being built. I narrowed it down to two I really liked that I felt I could live in for the remainder of my days. Later, when I went back with Mike I showed him the two I had picked out and he agreed that they would fit the bill. However, we decided to check out the 5th wheel models (the trailer is mounted to the inside of the truck bed) just to see what they offered that the conventional trailer did not. WOW! I was totally blown away by the differences. What it boiled down to was this. Trailers are great for traveling and making vacation trips BUT a 5th wheel is like having an apartment on wheels; dining sets instead of cafe booths, countertop islands instead of a small counter next to the sink, "upstairs bedrooms" and space for a small washer/dryer, etc. Truly, these things are made to live in "happily ever after"!
It makes it so much easier to make the life changing event exciting. Did I mention that Mike will have to get that new truck he's been wanting to pull our new home?

Goates Family

On Sunday (9/14) I had a chance to attend church in Shippensburg, PA with close friends of Sara and Matt. The Goates family (Nathan, Valerie, and daughters Audrey and Marian) lived in Nashville, TN the same time as the Nagels. They were most gracious hosts and it was a fun visit. Valerie looked wonderful, even if she thinks she's as big as a house! Her baby boy will be here in a couple of months. Nathan in a counselor in the bishopric. The girls are both so beautiful. The drive down was a mixture of sunshine and fog. It wasn't hard to visualize earlier times in history with families on farms and cattle in the fields. I plan on making the drive again next Sunday. Pictures will be available as soon as I figure out how to do it.

9/15/08

Army Life (Wife)

Gotta love it!
After 25+ years of Army life, I'm finally following Mike wherever the Army takes him! Who could resist? I mean, y'all are footing the bill for my room and board :)
This has been an amazing summer and rather than start at the beginning (my fabulous road trip with the Moroz family) I've decided to start with the "here and now" and go backwards. So...hang on to your passports, it's going to be a long trip!
For those of you who don't know (is there really anyone out there who DOESN'T know?) Mike has been in the Army for a long, long time (all the way back to Viet Nam and Desert Storm). For the past 5 yrs or so, he's travelled around the country teaching CLS (Combat Life Saver) and leadership courses (ANOC, BNOC, knock-knock). This past year he's been to Pennsylvania, Washington, Texas, California and probably a few places I don't remember. Let me start with the beginning of this trip to Ft Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. Actually, we shouldn't be sitting here at all! We (anytime I say WE, it usually means Mike but you know how that goes) waited and WAITED for orders to teach this class. When it looked as if they were not coming, we planned a really great trip with Don and Yvonne (my sister and her hubby). We were going through Bryce Canyon, the Grand Canyon, Jerome, Arizona (where my dad was born), Carlsbad Caverns then north to Denver where we would pick up Jaira (Yvonne's daughter). Then on to Montana, Wyoming and home again. We planned on fishing, touring and all manner of "ings" in-between. By noon on the 8th we received official word that no orders would be coming and so our bags were packed and ready to go. By the morning of the 9th (happy anniversary to us, 38 yrs) we would be outta there! On the evening of the 8th the orders appeared! Not only that, when Mike originally requested his orders, he asked to take his POV (personally operated vehicle). We thought we would make it a real slow trip and see a lot of our beautiful country on the way to Pennsylvania. Now, we would have to make the 2300 mile trip in 2 1/2 days! We had to re-do our packing list and now had Army gear instead of fishing gear :(
We drove almost 900 miles the first day and stopped in Lincoln, Nebraska. We stayed at the motel for just 6 hrs of sleep and breakfast before heading out the morning of the 10th. We made all the stops necessary for creature comfort but I know there was so much we missed. We did get to listen to a book on tape and that helped pass the time.
I digress for a moment to tell you that Mike has a really, REALLY bad back because while we were in Washington he did a sit-up and we heard a "snap" and then he said, "Oh, that can't be good"! and it wasn't and he had to go to a chiropractor and then it got a little better and then he picked up Charley(our grandaughter, no offense Charley)and he said, "Uggg" and now he hurts again! (I'm taking a breath now). . .the whole point being, it didn't make for a comfortable drive.
The 10th we made another 800+ miles but didn't get to make many stops. However, we didn't have to go so fast as to miss the beautiful countryside. That night we stayed in a room that, well, how do I put it? It just plain stunk!
We entered Pennsylvania on the 11th and were suddenly struck with the knowledge that we were very close to hallowed ground. It was just seven years ago that the hijacked plane was sent to the ground in the fields of Shanksville, Pennsylvania. We paused with the rest of the nation to observe the moment of silence that morning as we drove within 1/2 hour of the site. We're planning on going to the site on the trip back.
Ft Indiantown Gap is just beautiful and I've enjoyed Mike telling me about the surroundings. This area is filled with so many historical sites and things to do: Hershey Chocolate factory, Gettysburg, Hershey Chocolate factory, Amish country, Hershey Chocolate factory, the Susquehanna River (where Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdry were baptized) and the Hershey Chocolate factory.
There is also a lot going on here, the most interesting being the country's biggest RV show.
For now we are back in a motel room after two nights at a KOA cabin. We'll be here until the 28th so I'm taking the opportunity to read, tour and eat chocolate! More later. . .