JuLy

I was really excited for the 4th this year. We had everyone at our house and grilled out. And if you know Aaron there were fireworks...and lots of them. But before the fireworks we went to the concert and fireworks show that the base had for all the families. As always I was a big baby and cried when the music played and they started the fireworks. Who wouldn't cry? Really obviously I love my country and I'm very senitmental when it comes to it. But seeing all the kids there with one parent while the other was deployed was really sad. I know, I can't help it. Oh yeah so we went with the group there and Jennie & Tim's kids who I don't think I have talked about yet where also there. Oh man I think I left out when they got here. So Jennie and I have become very good friends. She and Tim are always doing something crafty or saving us off the side of the road when my car breaks down then feeds us dinner. Oh what would we do with out them....I guess I will find out when she leaves me for the Air Force! Gee that's a whole different blog. Back to the 4th after the show we went to the TAC-P house. That's where some of the single guys Aaron works with live. That's where it got interesting. Once again it was just me and Monique the only girls and the guys. We tried to stay out of the romancandle wars but still had to hide out in the jeep. Then someone got the bright idea to light AND THROW the big ball missle ones....not a good idea. While trying to make sure the car, house, yard AND people didn't catch on fire I was dodging sparks. It was crazy. Oh yeah thanks for the clothes Gates and Smith. They were getting ready to move to Korea and we found some clothes they were getting rid of and we didn't want ours to have burn holes in them so we dressed ourselves right up. Obviously not safe enough for a camera so I had to steal some pics from Jennie. Oh the memories...
Lake was teaching the girls to throw the poppers at people!

At the TAC-P House

And the fun begins!

We were scared!

Awww Our first 4th of July!

~ Mexico~

I love Mexico! Aaron surprised me with a cruise to Cozumel, and Progreso Yucatan Mexico for our 2nd honeymoon. Several of our couple friends went too. Monique & Adam, Kami & Cody, Lindsey & Gates and us. We had a blast! Aaron wasn't going to tell me til the day we actually left but then realized that probably wouldn't be a good idea. So we left a day early with Gates and Lindsey and spent the night in Galveston where the ship left out. I don't even know where to begin. We got to swim with dophins, go to a resort on a beautiful beach and make so many fun memories. And there was so much food. I feel like a ate more than anything. Oh and one day after a long day on the beach Aaron and I decided to go down the big water slide in the pool on the ship. Seemed like a good idea until I LOST MY WEDDING RING! I was crying Aaron was diving all over the place trying to find it. Then some man with goggles found it! Maybe I should get that sized right now. Well it was a very sad day when we came home. But we still have the memories and pictures. And we all plan to go back. Maybe we can make it a tradition and go on one couples trip a year!

Everywhere you went they had these photographers taking your picture. Then they print them off and hang them all around the ship so you will buy them!


Aaron about to swim with the dolphins!

The pool that stole my ring!

At dinner one night

This was Joseph he was with us everynight at dinner!

I love Jimmy Buffets Margaritaville!

The Girls before the comedy club....where is Lindsey?

June-What a Month!

I guess my biggest accomplishment this month was finally getting a job. After turning down a job with my neighbors I decided I was going to go crazy sitting at home all the time. Did I mention that we had started going to a church in Rosepine? It's a really good one too. There are two services on Sunday mornings, first the traditional and then contempory. We go to the second one. Everyone there is really nice. And we both enjoy his sermons. Anyway another Air Force couple that goes there got me a job at Re/Max Excel Real Estate in DeRidder. I was so happy. I took some classes in college for real estate and have always been interested in it. Maybe that's how I will get my house in Florida?!? I love my job and all the people I work with are great!

Another exciting thing we did this month was paintball...did I say exciting I meant dumb. I went with Aaron and some guys he works with and Monique. I will probably never go again so here was my game plan. We spilt up on 2 teams. Obviously they seperated the 2 girls. I didn't want on Aarons team because I knew he wouldn't shoot me. So that just left Gary and Adam to actually get me because I knew Monique wouldn't get me either. I thought I was on the hardcore team of Lake, Smith and Gates. (all of them would have been fair game to shoot me if I was on the opposite team) Well of course Gary and Adam were the ones to shoot me. I can't believe I let them talk me in to this. Not to mention most of them just got back from Iraq and were good at hiding and shooting. Then they tried to get us to play with some rednecks, who I'm sure hunt everything that is legal and probably illegal. That's when I drew the line. I watched on that game. The owners were even kind enough to take our pictures after we had been injuried! Thanks!

Another smart but yet fun thing we did was go floating with Throy and Marian. They had invited us along with some other Air Force couples. So we packed up and went. It started out ok. I'm a little scarred when it comes to floating especially in southern Louisiana. But they told me it was fine and I wouldn't get wet. So we were floating along enjoying the nice weather. Next thing I know we are all trying to paddle around a group of trees and a big pile of sand in the middle of the river. Aaron and I made it around the pile of sand, with Throy and Marian behind us. So we stopped on the other side to wait. Finally we got out and right when I was yelling to Marian to ask if everything was ok I heard her scream. Aaron jumps in our canoe leaving me on the pile while he chases down our lunch that is floating down the river. Marian is doggy paddling and Throy is trying to grab the boat, his stuff, and Marian's giant purse that she insisted on bringing. I tried telling her not to but she wouldn't listen. But no worries we got everything back and had a nice lunch. Ok and the guy in the picture with the orange hat was not part of our group. We had just met him and he went down the river with us. Throy and Aaron kept telling Marian and I that he was a killer and lived up in the woods off the river. Luckily he wasn't! And Marian made him eat lunch with us. Her being the mom type she packed everyones lunch and made extras for other people. And me and Aaron never got wet....I only had to yell at him a few times for shaking the canoe!

Madri Gras

Since we live in the middle of nowhere we are always up for a little getaway! And my parents have always told me to travel and do all the things we want now because it won't be easy when we have kids.Well why did I listen to them this weekend?!?! Two of the guys Aaron works with, Kenny & Ryan asked us if we wanted to go to New Orleans for Madri Gras. Of course we said yes and boy was it exciting. As soon as we got there, we were lost because no one tells you that the GPS doesn't work downtown inbetween large buildings....so we ended up driving in the first parade to kick it all off! I was waving at people as we drove by! We finally found our hotel on the parade route and got back out to watch the rest of the parades. We got so many beads...and no not from flashing. The family parades throw out beads for everyone. It's Bourbon Street where everything goes down. Obviously we were in New Orleans so we had to go to Bourbon Street and check it out. Aaron had never been before. Some man started cleaning Aaron's shoes for money, it was crazy! There were so many people there you could barely walk. And naked people everyone. Filthy disguisting trash everywhere. Don't worry mom I didn't touch anything.
I can't forget our first visits. Aarons' friend Jamie decided to come visit. We didn't do anything to extreme. We did make it to Galeveston TX. It's about 3 hours from here. We hung out at the beach and had dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. Oh and Aaron hit a very large seagull with an empty bottle. The guys thought that was funny, but not me. AND Debbie got to come visit too! It was here Spring Break and what better place to come then Ft. Polk! Maybe she just loves us. But I was so excited. No job and sitting at home all day gets very boring and lonely fast. It was a very exciting/interesting week to say the least. We went bowling, to basketball games,movies and back to Galveston.I can't wait til she comes back again...maybe she can move here?!?!

The Big Move...

So I want to start this off by saying yes I'm still a little bitter we are in Louisiana. I know there are much worse places we could be. A few days after our wedding we packed up and hit the road for the long 18 hour drive ahead of us. Missouri was the half way stopping point so I got to visit the family a few days before we got here. We arrived here at Fort Polk Louisiana late one night in January. It was cold, raining and very depressing. Haha it gets better. I will say that I cried when we drove in. A week after arriving here we had already seen everything there was to see. Wal-Mart, bowling, PX, and very small cinema. And we had picked our new house in South Fort. Oh wait I can't forget. So if you don't know being in the military really gets you out of your shyness. The 2nd night we were here I got a call from the Commanders' wife, Terria. She invited me along with some other wives to a small party. At first I wasn't sure about this but I decided to go. So the night of the party comes and a convoy of cars come to my house to meet and pick me up. Everyone was so nice and helpful. I knew right away I would get along with them all. Marian even brought us real food when we were in the moving process. Terria and Marian are like my second, third, fourth mothers....something like that. They also had A Hale and Farewell for Aaron at work. I'm sure there are some pictures of that floating around out there, I will try and get them up. Then I got to meet all the guys he was going to be working with. Well most of them, 9 were deployed. I knew it was going to be an exciting group! You will hear much more about all them in future posts! Oh yeah back to moving in. So we picked our house and my wonderful family moved our stuff here. I know they had lots of fun doing it though. It was even my dads birthday the day they moved us in. Don't worry I was a good daughter, I got him a cake and did NOT cook for him. Remember I just got married, he would not want me to cook for him yet! In one day we had the place looking better. See.

Aaron & I at our new house

See I told you I got him a cake

Maybe we worked him a little too hard!

Family/Professional Movers

How it all got started!

Glad you made it to our page! Since we live so far away from family and friends we decided to start this so we can keep in touch with everyone and let them in on all our journeys. Remember I'm not the writter in the family. Hope you enjoy!
Aaron and I got married on January 5, 2008. I guess I could skip back a little and feel you in on everything. So here it goes! We meet at HomeSlice a restaurant/bar in Toledo Ohio.

Aaron & I the 3rd night after we met!

One month later Aaron left for basic. The day he got out he called and told me that he was going to Hurlbert AFB in Florida. Right then my parents and I started planning our yearly beach vacation for Pensacola FL. We went there in June and my parents met and loved him.

I went back to Florida at least once a month until November when he graduated. Fortunely I met a retired Air Force pilot that owned 3 condos in Destin and he let me stay there on my visits! October 5, 2007 my brave sister and I traveled to Toledo to meet Aaron's family. Aaron was still in Florida and I was so scared to meet them alone so my sister went with me. After 2 nasty hot dogs, getting arrested and getting lost going 98 mph we finally made it there. They invited us over for dinner where I met most of them. They were all so nice and had lots of stories to tell about Aaron. I am so thankful for them, I couldn't ask for better in-laws!(However his mom wouldn't let me talk to him on the phone until I ate all my veggies!) On October 25, 2007 Aaron asked me to marry him. Here's how it happened...I had been waiting patiently at the condo for him to get out of class. Finally he got in and asked if I wanted to go for a walk down the beach. Of course I said yes and we headed out. I remember hearing the song " Hey There Deliah" and then stopping to read something written in the sand. There it was " Ashley, Will You Marry Me" after me reading it several times to make sure it said what I thought it said, he pulled out the ring and proposed. It was beautiful. There were flowers, music, the ocean, and his 3 friends who were recording it all! It was a night I will never forget.

The 3 guys!

Milan, Clark & Trimble


November came and Aaron got a few days off for Thanksgiving, so he decided to come to Missouri to meet the rest of my family. November 2007 Aaron graduated and both our parents got to meet each other! We had so much fun.

Yes that's Aaron's Mom climbing a tree!

Right after his graduation Aaron was off to Washington to another school. While I was home planning the wedding. Since Aaron had not been home since April we decided to spend Christmas and New Years with his family in Ohio. That was exciting to say the least but I still really missed my family. During that time we stayed very busy. I got to meet his Aunts, Uncles, counsins and church family. Somehow we squeezed in Christmas with some of my family that live there and we did last minute things for the wedding. We decided to get married at his church. All the people there were so nice. They helped with everything, from the cake to the pictures! It was so nice. Now the wedding was over and we were on our way to Louisiana as Mr. & Mrs. Kimmel!

Enjoy!