Until Next Time, Alabama

It's been three months since our last move, and it's time to hit the road again. Bring on military related move number nine. It's hard to fathom that I've lived in eight different houses since Tim started his Army career, but it's the truth! Here's the breakdown: 

1. Tucson to Ft. Rucker (2008)
2. Ft. Rucker to Ft. Hood (2009)
3. Ft. Hood to Ft. Rucker (2011)
4. Ft. Rucker to Ft. Bliss (2011)
5. Ft. Bliss to Tucson (2013)
6. Tucson to Ft. Bliss (2013)
7. Ft. Bliss to Tucson (2014)
8. Tucson to Ft. Rucker (2016)
9. Ft. Rucker to West Point (2016)

Tim has been assigned to Ft. Rucker on temporary duty (TDY), in order to complete the fixed wing course. He needs this certification because in addition to instructing classes, Tim will be part of the flight detachment at USMA. This means that as part of the aeronautical engineering program, Tim will fly the cadets around the New York area to apply the principles of flight they are learning in class. A pretty awesome opportunity for those young men and women! While here, Tim learned how to fly four different fixed wing airplane models, and still managed to have plenty of family time. His schedule changed every week, but we either had a couple hours in morning or afternoon with him and every weekend was free to to enjoy exploring the area. 

We rented a fully furnished TDY rental, sight unseen, and it worked perfect for our stay. There were a few hiccups with the house, but it was all we could ask for considering our situation. The kids had plenty of room to play inside and out and it was in a nice location. 

Our TDY house is directly behind a cupcake shop so I restrained myself to one cupcake per week, making sure never to miss a week. A dozen cupcakes later, and I'm still craving more! Look at this creation--can you blame me? The kids loved this treat as much as I did, but Tim wasn't as appreciative since he has to main his weight for the Army. I'm still dealing with my medically deemed and undiagnosed "zebra" issue, which is causing unexplained weight loss and nausea, so I figured the more cupcakes I ate, the better chance I had of gaining weight, a perfectly good justification ;). 

​Despite moving to a small town, our days and weekends were full or activities and weekend trips. God provided some new friends to enjoy the area with during our short stay, and also gave us the opportunity to reconnect with old friends from posts past. 

Tim finishes his course today and then we'll  leave Alabama tomorrow morning. We're going to take four days to reach West Point. If God puts our family on your heart, I'd sincerely appreciate your prayers for our road trip. Lincoln is less than fond of riding in the carseat, which makes it trying for all the rest of us in the car. We would love your prayers for his health, comfort, and silence =). We plan to stop in Atlanta, Charlotte, Roanoke, and Harrisburgh before reaching our destination on the 31st. Wish us luck!