2017: A Year in Review

2017 was a year we knew would be exciting... but we didn't bet on SO MUCH excitement!

We were able to travel a few times - to San Antonio for Dan's centrifuge training, to Dallas / Ft. Worth for a long weekend, and to Kansas City, MO for a week and a half! We didn't take any huge trips, but that's okay. Sometimes, less is more.

We celebrated eight years together as a couple and Dan flying (and completing) the T-38 at pilot training. We shockingly found out we were pregnant with Baby Cookie 2.0 (a total surprise!) and celebrated our third wedding anniversary.

The biggest event of the summer was drop night - finally finding out that Dan will be flying to F-22 Raptor for the world's greatest Air Force! He graduated from pilot training later than month, and Annabelle took swim lessons and went to her first movie in a theater (to see Trolls) - fun times!

Shortly after, we found out Baby Cookie 2.0 was another girl - yay! We celebrated Annabelle's second birthday in September, Dan's start and finish of IFF (Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals), had maternity photos taken in early November, and welcomed tiny Josephine in late November!

And our last major event for the year? Moving across the country! The Air Force sent us to Tyndall AFB in Panama City, FL, where we'll be for about 10 months.

I hope everyone else had a great 2017 as well. Cheers to 2018!

ENJJPT (Pilot Training) Graduation

A couple weeks after drop night (where Dan found out what jet he'll be flying for his career), Dan accomplished a huge dream! He graduated from Air Force Pilot Training and pinned on his shiny new wings! He is officially an Air Force pilot! I couldn't be more proud of him and all the hard work he has put in over the last many, many years to reach this goal.

His flight from class 17-06 (L Flight) is pictured below - he's right in the middle!

Dan also received an award at graduation that was a surprise to us all - the Officership Excellence Award from the Military Officers Association of America! He is a true leader and is always putting others before himself to help them when they need it. I am so proud of him for receiving this!

ENJJPT Drop Night Recap AKA My Husband is a Stud!

We found out on Friday night what Lieutenant Lovemuffin will be flying for his Air Force career, and he was selected to fly the F-22 Raptor! Pretty badass. If you remember my last post about drop night looming over us, you'll recall that the F-22 was at the top of his list, so we are definitely pleased. (There's a video of the moment we found at at the very end of this post - check it out!)

We'll be moving to sunny Florida... Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, to be exact. We don't have dates yet, but we're assuming we'll head that way sometime this fall. He still has three weeks of UPT left, followed by another trip to the Centrifuge in San Antonio, a few months of IFF (Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals) here at Sheppard, and then SERE (survival training) up in Washington state all before we can head that way. We're hoping to get there and get settled before Baby Cookie #2 makes his or her appearance, but we'll see what happens.

Here's the video! This video is VERY dark (sorry!), but turn up the volume - it shows the moment Dan caught the inflatable shark and found out what plane he was assigned to! The person who jumps up to the left is me... hahaha! I shot out of my seat when he yelled, "RAPTOR!!!" Such an amazing, fun night last night for ENJJPT Class 17-06's Drop Night! A moment we will NEVER forget! (PS - their class is called SharkNATO, hence the inflatable sharks and Hawaiian themed shirts!)

Drop Night is Coming!

Drop night is QUICKLY approaching, and I just wanted to write about it and what it means to us.

First and foremost, it is set for Friday, June 2nd, 2017 at 7:00PM for Dan's class at ENJJPT.

What is drop night? I get asked this question ALL. THE. TIME. Drop night is when the student pilots from one class (my husband is at Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training (ENJJPT) at Sheppard Air Force Base, but there are three other Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) bases too - Vance AFB, Laughlin AFB, and Columbus AFB) find out IN FRONT OF EVERYONE what plane they will be flying for their Air Force career.

Dan is specifically in class 17-06, but there is a drop night every six weeks here at Sheppard. The dates vary with the other three UPT bases, but drop nights happen at regular intervals.

How are the student pilots selected for their aircraft assignments? I also hear this one a lot. The student pilots are ranked within their flights and their classes (each class has two flights) based on several factors from their training, check rides, etc. throughout the year-long program. They also get to submit a "dream sheet", where they rank each and every aircraft the Air Force has to offer, starting with their top choice and going all the way to last place. Based on their ranking AND what they hope the fly, the people who choose just kind of go down the list.

What does Dan hope to fly? This is probably the most frequent question I get from family and friends - ALL THE TIME! While he certainly has preferences (and I'll get to those), he has longed to be an Air Force pilot for so long that he will just be happy to get paid to fly anything! He's not one of those people (and oh do they exist!) who will be super upset and unable to function if he doesn't get one of his top choices. But, hey, Air Force Gods... it wouldn't hurt to give him one anyway! ;-) Dan's top three planes on his dream sheet are the F-35, F-22, and F-15E. We really struggled to place those in any kind of order, though, so if he gets ANY of those top three, it'll be like winning the jackpot! His next three are the F-16, A-10, and F-15C, which would still be cool but aren't AS desirable. Then, he skips down to the heavies - or cargo planes - C-130, C-17, C-21, C-5, etc. After the heavies come the bombers and finally FAIPing, which is what we absolutely do NOT want (staying here at Sheppard and him being an instructor pilot - he's already a 1st Lieutenant, prior enlisted, and pretty old for the average student pilot), so we're hoping to avoid this step, but each drop has at least one and sometimes two in the mix... so we know it's still a possibility.

No matte what the outcome, we are just excited to KNOW so we can start planning our next move! That's right - whatever plane he is assigned also tells us what specific base we will be moving to! We won't know EXACTLY when, but we'll have a pretty good idea, and the planner in me is just dying to start looking at houses, activities for Annabelle, an OB and hospital for Baby Cookie #2, etc. I NEED TO KNOW.

This journey really has been a long time coming. When I met Dan in 2008, he was already in the Air National Guard and pursuing a degree in Aviation. He had always dreamed of flying in the Air Force, but that didn't seem like a reality until he was accepted into the Air Force Academy shortly after we started dating in 2009 and went active duty. Basically, our entire relationship has been focused on this one long-term dream and goal. He has poured every little bit of himself into being the best cadet, then officer, then Master's student, and now student pilot that he could possibly be in order to achieve his dreams. No matter what aircraft he is assigned to, we know it will be the right fit for our family because you just don't work this hard for nothing. It's all coming to fruition NEXT WEEK, He will still have three more weeks of pilot training after drop night before graduation, but I can already tell those three weeks are going to be so amazing because we'll KNOW everything we need to know. No more guessing. No more fretting.

This studly husband of mine has worked his tail off for NO JOKE eight years to achieve the goal of becoming a pilot in the world's greatest Air Force. And here we are... about to watch an absolute DREAM COME TRUE. (I'm not proud or anything... ;-) )

Please pray, send good wishes, positive thoughts, crossed fingers, etc. our way next week, as I know we will both be an anxious, nervous wreck!

Dan's T-38 Solo Flight at ENJJPT

Last August (which feels like an eternity ago, to be honest), I blogged about Dan's solo flight in the T-6. He has now soloed in the T-38 and is well on his way to completely pilot training at ENJJPT (Euro-Nato Joint Jet Pilot Training) at Sheppard Air Force Base. He's such a stud, and I am SO proud of him. He is putting in a lot of hard work and long days, but it's all for the best for him and our family, and one day, when this is all over with, it will be worth it!

Unfortunately for his solo, no one was available to take Annabelle and me out to the flight line like we were able to for his T-6 solo. Everyone was busy flying at the same time that day, so it just didn't work out. But I made sure he snapped a photo afterward anyway!

The T-38 is a lot faster (and more fun, according to Dan) than the T-6. He has been having a blast flying it. Since his solo, he has also passed his first check ride! More to come, though!

Pilot training certainly isn't for the faint of heart. And I can definitely see why there are so few married student pilots and even fewer with children. Dan is gone ALL DAY five days a week. He gets to see Annabelle for about an hour a day ON GOOD DAYS. We're sacrificing so much time with him right now, and the single parenting gig isn't easy. BUT we try to make up for it on the weekends. Annie is SO excited when she gets to see him and play with him.

Drop night is quickly approaching, though, and that will bring an end to this crazy season... as least for a while. (B Course or whatever follow-on assignment he gets based on his assigned plane will be just as crazy, but we'll hopefully have a short break in between!)

Since many people have asked what drop night is, I'll give a quick run-down. Basically, all of the student pilots in one class (about 25) will receive their assignments (aka what plane they'll be flying for their Air Force careers, along with their first base) in a public setting on base on a Friday night. Drop nights happen every six weeks at Sheppard, and they're SO much fun. One at a time, the student pilots take turns standing up in front of everyone and learning their entire future right along with the hundred of people filling the room. It's exhilarating, nerve-racking, and crazy all at once. There's free beer involved and lots of screaming! It's a really fun tradition... but just know that my own husband is the one in the hot seat, I'm going to be one big ball of nerves. He has just under 11 weeks to go until it's his drop night! Only one more takes place before his. AAHHHH!

Dan's T-6 Dollar Ride at ENJJPT

After yesterday's more serious post, I wanted to share something fun today!

Dan officially started his ENJJPT pilot training in June, and a couple weeks ago, he had his Dollar Ride - aka his first flight in the T-6 with an IP (instructor pilot). (He will also have a Dollar Ride in the T-38 in January or February, so stay tuned for that post in the future!)

He has flown many times since then, and it's amazing what that change means. He comes home in a much better mood and has SO much to talk about - compared to when he was in graduate school and doing the initial academic phase of pilot training.

Soon, Dan will solo in this aircraft, and he can't wait! This is a dream that's been a long time in the making, and I am so proud of him for sticking through it all. I am hoping to have the opportunity to go watch him when he does his first solo flight, so expect some fun photos sometime soon!

Ten Years of Service and Still Lookin' Good

It's been a big week for my handsome husband, Lieutenant Lovemuffin. Earlier this week, he finally had his very first day of Air Force pilot training (and just a couple weeks ago, he promoted to First Lieutenant!)

Yesterday, however, was a big milestone for him. It marked exactly TEN YEARS since he first joined the US military. I don't say the US Air Force because he enlisted in the Army first, way back in 2006.

Dan was in between his junior and senior years of high school when he went to his very first basic training (of three because of USAFA) at Ft. Benning in Georgia.

Since his enlistment in the Army, he has played in the Army band, performed funeral honors for many veterans, transferred to the Air Guard, trained to become a B-2 Crew Chief, received acceptance to the Air Force Academy Preparatory School, earned the Top Science Student award, receive an appointment to the Air Force Academy, worked hard to earn a Bachelor's degree in Physics while competing on the flying team, commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, attended the Air Force Institute of Technology and earned a Master's degree in Applied Physics, and started pilot training to fulfill a long-held dream.

I'd say he's accomplished a lot in his ten years of service, but he is itching to finally REALLY get out there and serve his country instead of being in classes!

Really, I just thought he deserved a huge shout-out for all of the hard work he's put in over the past ten years! I love how selfless he is to defend our country, and I am so proud of all he has accomplished and all he will achieve for the rest of his career!

Taking Off on a New Journey: Pilot Training Has Begun!

Is my post title cheesy enough?! I sure hope so! Anyway, yesterday was my handsome husband's very first day of pilot training.

This is a huge accomplishment in and of itself because only so many people are picked for Air Force pilot training, let alone his program (ENJJPT), where they track to T-38s no matter what after T-6s, but he has worked SO hard for this.

You see, he enlisted in the Army ten years ago (more on that in the next post!), eventually switched the Air Force Guard, and was accepted to the Air Force Academy Prep School in 2009... where he earned his appointment to the Air Force Academy... and graduated from there and commissioned in 2014.

He has gone from a high school boy enlisted in the Army to a leader in the Air Force as an officer. He promoted just over a week ago, and now all of his hoping, wishing, praying, and flat out HARD FREAKING WORK is coming to fruition.

He is FINALLY where he wanted to be all along.

He is FINALLY in pilot training.

Sure, the days (and weeks and months) are going to be long and like nothing we've experienced before... but this is the realization of a dream, and I couldn't be prouder of my husband. He has earned this, and he is going to do so well. He always does. He sets his mind on something, and he accomplishes it.

I am so excited to be his figurative co-pilot on this new and exciting journey!

PS - I had to share this picture of Annabelle since this onesie FINALLY fits... and it matches our whole pilot theme here. This is the onesie I gave Dan when I told him he was going to be a dad... way back on January 1st, 2015. She is nine months old and finally fits into it! And she's on her daddy's airplane blanket playing with her stuffed Air Force One and Spruce Goose planes.

No More Butter Bars: Promoted to 1st Lieutenant

On Saturday, May 28th, Dan promoted from 2nd Lieutenant to 1st Lieutenant in the US Air Force! It had been two years since he first commissioned from the Air Force Academy.

Since he's in between jobs right now (aka hasn't started pilot training yet but is already at the base waiting on casual status), there was no promotion ceremony. There are a few others this affected as well, and I'm pretty bummed no one recognized them... so I made sure to make him put on his flight suit with his new rank to at least acknowledge his accomplishment with a photo... or a few.

I know this promotion is automatic in the Air Force, but I am still incredibly proud of my hard-working husband. He has an insane work ethic, so I just know he's going to crush pilot training (which he starts REALLY soon, guys!).

Out with the butter bars... in with... more bars! No catchy nickname for this rank, but it's still so fun!

He has his ENJJPT patch showing in the bottom right... I love it and am so excited for him to get started!

A PCS is Upon Us

When Lieutenant Lovemuffin graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2014, he was all set to head to pilot training. He's been flying for YEARS and can't wait to train in Air Force planes.

... but then he was offered a slot at AFIT, the Air Force Institute of Technology. A free master's degree? Heck yeah! Dan will be graduating in March as a Master of Physics, and his ladies (Annabelle and I) are pretty proud of his hard work while writing his incredibly long thesis.

He is chomping at the bit to be in the air again, though. His old flying team teammates are finishing pilot training in waves, and he is just stuck in Ohio going to school... still. But it'll all be worth it!

In fact, it'll SOON be here... because we are moving to TEXAS! Sheppard Air Force Base, here we come!

We've actually known since before heading to AFIT. These were his original orders... but we didn't know if the Air Force would mess anything up. Dan received his official orders about a month ago, and he'll be flying down soon to look at houses. We'll leave Ohio at the end of March, and Dan is SO excited to start flying again!

He'll be at ENJJPT (Euro-Nato Joint Jet Pilot Training), where he will start out flying the T-6 and move on to the T-38 before finding out what aircraft he'll be flying for his career. We are so ready to be there!


    

Proud Military Spouse {a link-up}

Today is Military Spouse Appreciation Day. This is the first year I've been a spouse instead of a girlfriend or fiancée for this day, so I'm pretty excited!

I am linking up with Amanda from Somewhere over the Camo and Jen from Marathons and Dog Tags for the "Proud Military Spouse" link-up! How fun!

I've been married for almost a year now, and it's been so much fun! Dan and I were together for over five years before tying the knot (thanks, USAFA), so I've learned quite a bit about this military journey along the way... but I learn more each and every day! 

Amanda and Jen listed some questions to answer for the link-up, and I'm so excited!

1. Tell us about yourself and your blog. Well, I'm Janelle, and I'm a newlywed to Dan. I am a former 8th grade teacher, and now I have a home based business making crafts and selling them through my Etsy shop. We have two cats and a dog - OH, and we have a baby on the way! We currently live in Dayton, OH while Dan gets his Master's degree in Applied Physics at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), but we are moving to Wichita Falls, TX next spring for him to begin Euro Nato Joint Jet Pilot Training, and we couldn't be more excited about that! My blog started as a platform to keep family up to date on what we're up to since we live far away from them, but it turned into so much more. Shortly after starting this blog, I found the amazing (and huge) military spouse community, and I began reaching out to other significant others of America's warriors. It's been so fun connecting with others and even meeting some of them.

2. What branch of the military are you affiliated with? While Dan originally enlisted in the US Army way back in 2006, he switched a couple years later (and before we met) and is now an officer in the greatest Air Force in the world... so we are a proud Air Force family!

3. What is one thing you enjoy about the military lifestyle? I love a lot of things and TRY to focus on the positives. I love all the uniforms my husband gets to wear... I love going to balls... I love traveling for free via Space A... I love making new friends all over the world... I love the possibility of living in really cool places... heck, I even love those giant green onesies (aka flight suits).

4. What advice would you give other military spouses who are new? The biggest adjustment I had to make was my flexibility, and while it's commonly said that flexibility is the key to air power, I think flexibility is also the key to a military marriage. After all, plans are going to change last minute. You're bound to get orders to an undesirable location someday. Training, TDYs, and deployments can and will interfere with life... but making the most of the time you do have together and being flexible about when that is will make all the difference. Each experience in life is what you make it - so have a positive outlook, and enjoy the ride!

Check out the rest of the wonderful ladies who posted in the link-up at the bottom of this post!

How would YOU answer questions 3 and 4? I am always looking for more uplifting stories and advice!


    

A New Adventure (Thanks, Air Force)

Recently, I alluded to a change in our plans when I posted this post last week.

I wasn't trying to hold back information, but nothing was 100% official yet. Actually, it still isn't because it's the Air Force... what can I say?

As some of you will remember, I posted at the very end of January that Dan will be going to pilot training at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas, his top choice. Well, that is still true... but it has been pushed back a bit.

It's been pushed back 18 months, to be exact.

That's because Dan has been honored with a graduate school slot at AFIT, the Air Force Institute of Technology, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. He will get his Master's degree in Applied Physics through the Engineering Physics program.

Nothing is set in stone yet, and I feel like we're in limbo. His report date is currently July 31st, so we will pack up and move there immediately after we return from our honeymoon this summer. If funding falls through for whatever reason, though, this will all be off.

As of now, however, we are confident that we are moving to Ohio in July rather than to Texas next March. Goodbye, Colorado... in a couple months!

• Does anyone have experience with AFIT?
• Has anyone ever been stationed at Wright-Pat?
• What do we need to know about Ohio?

We Found Out Where We're Going -- Our First PCS!

Last night, Dan received his FIRST BASE assignment... it's where we will head after his graduation / our wedding this summer!

He has officially been chosen to complete Euro Nato Joint Jet Pilot Training at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas!!!

I have literally NEVER even stepped foot in Texas before... not even for a layover at an airport. It's going to be an entirely new world for me, but thankfully, it's on the Northern side of Texas, so that's still considered the Midwest, right? ;) 

Wichita Falls is the bright green star! I'm so excited that we'll be close to Dallas and Oklahoma City. That will be so much fun! 

While we're there (for a little over a year), Dan will be training in the T-38, which is a fighter trainer. It does not guarantee that he will drop fighters at the end of pilot training, but it helps, and it will be an amazing experience for him. He had the opportunity to fly in one this past semester for one of his classes when they traveled to Edwards AFB in California, and he fell in love with it. 

Has anyone reading this been stationed at Sheppard before? We are SO thrilled that we got our number one choice because I know that certainly doesn't happen often in the military. 

• Where is the best place you've ever lived?
• Where is the worst place you've ever lived?
• Do you ENJOY moving, or do you hate it?

Exciting Air Force News!!!

As many of you know, my fiancé is graduating from the United States Air Force Academy on May 28th, 2014.

We have been in suspense for a while now, waiting for his AFSC (Air Force Specialty Code... or job title), especially since the government shutdown happened in October when the Firsties (seniors) were originally supposed to find out.

Well, they had their AFSC Drop Night tonight, and it's a darn good thing his butt looks so cute in a flight suit because...

DAN IS GOING TO BE AN AIR FORCE PILOT! 

We will find out in early 2014 if we will move to Texas, Oklahoma, or Mississippi for his pilot training, and we will head there after his graduation/our wedding. 

I am SO proud of him. He has worked his butt off for the past four and a half years, and all of that hard work is finally paying off! God is good.