Resolved

Working at the Pentagon is a constant reminder that we are in a war, and no, we aren't over the attacks of Sept 11, 2001 yet. At least the families of the victims and the people I work with are not over it. I had the privilege Monday of helping with the 911 memorial services here. Got to listen to the Vice President's speech up close; meet the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and watched President Bush and the First Lady hug and cry with the victims' familes at the wreath laying at the crash site on the Western Wall. From what I saw, our leaders sincerely care. But the most profound moments of the day were spent with two of the still-grieving families, just sitting down and listening to where they are in this journey of sorrow. As folks were milling about the memorial, waiting for the President to appear, I sat down beside an older couple and struck up conversation. The father, a retired sheet metal contractor, was talkative about his son who was in the Pentagon that day. Trying to get beyond the agony of his death, he volunteered to join the team rebuilding the site. He would personally lay the duct work in the office where his son died, a memorial to his boy and a testament to the American spirit. What a family. What a nation. I said goodbye to him and his wife realizing that we are in this fight for many reasons, not the least of which are the families. They deserve to see justice served. May God grant us the resolve to serve it.

--A.T.

Home, Sweet Home

You've heard, "Home is where your heart is." Or "Home is where you hang your hat." Well, it's a puzzling question, but where is home exactly? Especially for a PK, now turned military wife, where is home? Well, our earthly home is just where we are together as a family. It can be TLF quarters, our parent's homes, a church, or right here in our beautiful new place. We are together. We are hanging pictures. We are trying to learn our way around. We are "home" again, at least for a little while. BTW- there are some pretty famous homes in this neck of the woods...

Thanks for all your prayers and support. Andy's new job assignment for six months is in the Secretary of Defense's office with a Families Commission. His next rotation will be at Bolling AFB in the Chief of Chaplain's office for six months. After that, we don't know. He is learning the DC bus system, and it seems to get him there in one piece without any road rage to speak of. It has been long days with an "Early to bed, early to rise..." Ben Franklin theme. The girls are settling in and I started back to work this week. It's a wonderful school and better yet, just down the street from our house! We are enjoying God and hopefully, glorifying Him and looking forward to a permanent eternal home. Blessings from the Commonwealth of Virginia, LT

Our Time in SC...

Thanks for all the prayers. We made it safely to visit family and friends in SC. You've heard of "jet lag", well, we had "car lag." It seemed to take me a few days to recover from the long trip. Andy said all that needed a rest was his ears- because little Rachel and Abigail were his passengers.

Time in Spartanburg flew by and included a birthday party for Sarah, lots of family time, too much good food, a trip to a water park, and Piggy Park in Columbia. We had a reunion with some dear old friends from high school (and earlier). It was great to see all our children together.

We've been in Georgetown this week with family. We've enjoyed some beach time at Pawley's Island, the Myrtle Beach Pavillion, and visiting more good, old friends. I even ran into some former students. I taught them in first grade and now they are sophomores in college. Could I really be that old?? We are ready to hit the road on Sunday for our last leg of this PCS. We will be glad to come to rest at our new home in Virginia. The Lord is so good... LT

Coast to Coast: Days Six and Seven

Twin cities? Or Twilight Zone?

The blog went undone last night because we got lost in a time portal or parallel universe. And when the portal is East St Loius, bad things are gonna happen . . . .

This was pretty bad. As we were laying around in our comfy Comfort Inn after the days journey, eager to visit old friends in O'Fallon, it was brought to our attention by one of these old friends on the phone that something was terribly wrong. We were in the wrong O'Fallon . . . and the wrong state, for that matter! Did you know there are two cities named "O'Fallon" within 45 miles of each other? That's right--neither did we. One is west of St. Louis and the other is east of St. Louis. And both have Comfort Inns. Guess which one we were in? Yep, the wrong one. So we had to scramble, reload the caravan, and head through St Louis at rush hour and a blinding thunderstorm. Our friends got a good laugh out of this, but I think we still could use some counseling to get over the trauma. Apparently this happens quite a bit since the cities are so close. It just seems plain wrong that the O'Fallon clan of old couldn't get along and had to start dueling cities on opposites sides of the river!

Meeting with friends has been the icing on the cake for this trip, though. Leigh gets all the credit for setting these reunions up. Last night we saw the gang from the McGuire Evangelical Service (01-04) at the Dougherty's, and tonight we had dinner with our dear friends from our last pastorate, the Fowlers. Jason is an archivist at the Southern Theo Seminary library, and one of the smartest and funniest guys we know. Michelle is an awesome school teacher who can match his wit. We have too much fun chewing on theological, philosophy, and schemes to save organized religion in America. They are great and we miss their fellowship. Thanks for a great night in Louisville!

Tomorrow is the last leg of the trip to SC. We hope to see my brother in Ashville before rolling into Spartanburg in the evening. Keep us in your prayers--we ain't there yet!

SDG--AT

Coast to Coast: Day Five

We swung into Fort Hays (or what's left of it) this morning on the way out because the kids wanted to see the buffalo herd. We weren't really interested in taking the tour of the fort, particularly after the museum worker told me that Matt Dillion never really delivered any prisoners there. The Officer's Quarters (virtually all that's left of the fort's structures) caught our attention. They almost looked more inhabitable than the one's we just left at our last assignment!

The buffalo "herd" (as it was advertized) looked pretty thin at five. Tetunka has seen better days. Sorry for the rear shot, but apparently these guys aren't real impressed with tourists.


We passed the Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abeliene, and if we had more time we would have stopped. We like Ike. Ironically, road crews were reconstructing I-70 along that stretch of highway with some of the most elaborate machinery and materials I've ever seen in road construction. Perhaps it was a nod to the President who concieved of the interstate system 50 years ago.

We rest tonight in Independence, Missouri, home of the 33rd POTUS, Harry Truman. We'll drop into his presidential library and home in the morning, Lord willing. I've gotta admit I'd much rather see Eisenhower's crib, but Truman intrigues me. One of our most unlikely of presidents, he was a failed businessman who never graduated college. He was the last choice to replace an unpopular VP under Roosevelt, who apparently rarely if ever met with him. HE FIRED GEN MACARTHUR (that's a foul), and he had an approval rating of 22% the last year of his presidency (and the press sounded the death knell when Pres Bush's rating hit 31% in May?!). Through all that and numerous scandals caused by his political appointees, ole Harry still rates as one of our best presidents. Maybe it is because he honestly spoke his mind. Or maybe he didn't have a pollster on staff. And maybe we'll get enlightened tomorrow.

After that, its off to St Loius to see our old pals from the McGuire AFB Chapel. I love reuinions.

SDG--AT

Coast to Coast: Day Four

So this is Middle America.

Oh yes, we are in Kansas, Dorothy. Hays, Kansas, a name I remember from Gunsmoke episodes as a town where Marshall Dillion always had to go to fetch a prisoner (and usually get bushwhacked by said prisoner and his buddies on the way back). There's not much to Hays, pop. 20,103. But it looked like the gates of heaven after 350 miles of nothing from Denver. In fact, I think "Hays" is a Shawnee Indian word meaning "finally, something!"

So that's our one Kansas photo. Don't let those trees in the foreground fool you--that shot was actually on the Colorado border. I just couldn't motivate myself to take a picture of endless prairies. We came a gopher's breath from going into "Prairie Dog Town" to see "the world's biggest prairie dog" and "6-legged steer." That's what prairie stare will do to you.

Seriously though, we realize we are in America's Breadbasket. We would be hurting without the vast agricultural activity of this state.

So we ate at the Golden Corral tonight to celebrate.

See you in Missouri tomorrow, Lord willing!

SDG--AT

Coast to Coast: Days Two and Three

Hi folks:

Sorry for combining two days, but it turns out that the internet doesn't work too well in Green River, Utah. It is in the middle of NOWHERE, after all. They did have a cool Jon Heder (Napolean Dynamite) billboard though. The kids spotted it first. Figures. They all know the "I Love Technology" song by heart.

Today we stopped in Rifle, Colorado. Had lunch with old friend Cathy Rex Rossilli and her family. Cathy was in our wedding 16 years ago and discipled Leigh. Great people and we wanted to spend more than 45 minutes with them, but we had a train to catch.

If you've never been up I-70 from Grand Junction to Denver, you have yet to see God's Country. Plug in a little John Denver and enjoy the view. The kids miss most of that, of course, and just want to know when the next tunnel is ahead. The Eisenhower Tunnel is the mother of all tunnels that we've ever traveled--1.7 miles long, with an elevation of 11,000 feet. It was a chore making it up the 7 percent grade pulling 3,000 lbs, expecially after lunch at Sonic.

But Georgetown, Colorado was waiting at the top! I called Dad and told him we were in town, but he figured out pretty quickly it was not Georgetown, South Carolina, the place of my nativity. Still can't pull one over on that guy . . . .

We arrived just in time to catch the last train on the Georgetown Loop Railroad. Check out the pictures and you'll get the "loop" part. It was a trip back in time as one can imagine it hauling silver ore down the mountains. Apparently the silver mining was so big in the late nineteenth century that it was the 3rd-largest city in the state. Its pretty much a ghost town now, which may be bad since we're staying here tonight.

Its Kansas tomorrow, Deo volente.

Coast to Coast: Day One

Greetings Friends--

Having completed our tour at Vandenberg AFB on Friday, we have set out on our cross-country trip back to SC and then on to the Pentagon assignment. Thought you might be interested to read our travelogue, since nothing is ever boring with three little girls in tow . . . especially for 3,000 miles.

Today we are overnighting in Henderson, NV, the less-grungy sister city of Las Vegas. Yeh, they still have the casinos, but you don't get the street hawkers passing out flyers to peep shows. This is probably because with no shade and 110 degrees, hawkers would have to be on an IV to avoid passing out themselves.

The big jewel today was the Hoover Dam, and yes, it was "dam" big. Sorry, I couldn't help myself. No more cussing, but take a look at the pics (click on to enlarge). It is quite the engineering marvel, a testament to a time in America when people worked harder. Apparently the project was completed two years early and several million under budget (and this was government work?!). We didn't take the tour (couldn't imagine a 7 and 5 year old being interested in water turbines), but we drove over and peered over the sides. I would have gotten more dizzy if I weren't so sick from the 108 degree heat. Somehow, a more sturdy generation of Americans braved the heat and the heights putting this thing in place.

Back in town, we enjoyed a West Coast experience we will sorely miss--the good ole In-N-Out Burger. We ate there for the last time tonight, since there are none outside of CA, AZ, and NV. Fresh cut fries, never frozen hamburger meat, absolutely fresh everything, in the cleanest restaurant you've ever stepped into, and with workers who look like they just walked out of a "Leave It to Beaver" episode. And this is cool--John 3:16 printed on all the cups! So eating fatty meats and fried potatoes is actually supporting the Kingdom of God, wouldn't you say? Yes, I hear that "AMEN" from my portly buddies across America.

Off to Utah tomorrow . . . another state I am fairly certain the Lord never intended for man to inhabit. We'll just be "pilgrims passing through," of course.

Good night.

Two Unforgettable Sights....

Check out these bad boys--"The Twins" @ Sequioia Nat'l Park. That's Leigh and the girls standing to the right (left click for a better view). That sort of big sets one to pondering, "What was God thinking when He made this?" If the desired effect was to mess with our heads, He nailed it. These things don't look real, folks. So I think trees are special to the Lord . . . particularly that one that held His Son.

In honor of us leaving California, they shot off a very large bottle rocket, aka, a Delta 4 last night. They said it was to launch a spy satellite, but we like to think of it as a nice gesture to send us off. Seriously though, it is remarkable the knowledgethat the Lord has freely put into the mind of man. These guys with the pocket protectors are definitely recipients of divine wisdom when they can put a rocket into orbit flying 14,000+ mph. A rocket launched from Vandenberg AFB will be over the Falkland Islands within 30 minutes. If you're interested, check out www.spaceflightnow.com for some good pics of last night's launch. Of course, Leigh's look even better, don't you agree? A.T.

T-minus 10 days left for us in California. Man I'm gonna miss the view . . . .

So Long Golden State...

Well, the sun is setting on our time here in the Golden State. Packers come in one week and then a week in lodging on the base. We head out on Saturday, July 8, 2006. We are living out Johnny Cash's song "I've Been Everywhere." Seriously though, we would appreciate your prayers for safety (and sanity- traveling with 3 little girls for 3,000 miles puts James 1 to the test!) We hope to see some of you along the way. We will spend a few days in SC with family, then up to VA to get settled.
Some good news- Leigh got a teaching job at the elementary school in our new neighborhood. She'll be teaching First Grade, while Rachel is in all day Kindergarten and Abigail is in Second Grade there. All the girls are excited about Mommy's new job- Sarah can't wait to help grade papers.

Some things we'll miss about CA- no humidity, cool temps, the Pacific, the beautiful mountains, the sunsets, the strawberries, and In-and-Out Burgers.
Some things we won't miss- the wind, the fog, the LA traffic, and the gas prices!
All in all, we are so blessed to have seen and experienced this beautiful place.
We are also blessed to get to see this country from sea to shining sea! It is truly America, the beautiful. Blessings to you and yours.

My Father Rejoices...

If you live in our house, chances are pretty good that you have many nicknames. Well, June 1st marks a special day for a special little girl, affectionately known as "Abby-girl", "Abby-dinks", "Cutie-gail", and "Sweet Abby".... Abigail Grace is turning seven! "Abigail" means "My Father rejoices" and "Grace" means "unmerited gift." She continues to live up to her precious name. Her birthday is special even though none of us were there the day she came into the world. But God, in His mercy, was there and preserved her until 5 months later when she became our little girl. It seems like she's always been with us. She is made of lots of sugar and a little spice. She's happy, assertive, VERY social, athletic, beautiful and quite oblivious. It's adorable. The Lord continues to show her His grace and continues to bless us to be her family and watch her grow.
We love you!
Happy Birthday, Abigail!

The Woman of My Dreams

Name droppers. You know the type--can't get through a conversation without giving you their resume and listing the important people they know. I don't really care for their company, and you probably don't either. Still, I hope you don't mind me sharing a little story about a 5 second encounter I had with Nancy Reagan a couple of weeks ago.

I make no secret of the fact that I am a Reaganphile (like many of you). I loved the man. Cried when he died. And I still miss him. He was, in no small part, responsible for me joining the Air Force the first time (way back in 1983). I even sent him a letter telling him so, and he wrote back--real White House letterhead, signature, and everything (unlike the stamped post card I received in reply from a letter I sent the 42nd POTUS). Ronald Reagan was a complex, even elusive man. Even his children express that there was a mystery about his innermost thoughts. Close friends said he was very friendly, but they didn't really know him. But one person did. She knew him like no other on earth, and I got to stand by her and shake her hand. Somebody pinch me--I love the Air Force!

As the photo-op broke up, eveyone walked away rather quickly, since the next group was coming up for a shot (and probably because the Secret Service was eyeballing us pretty good). But I was determined to say something to this remarkable little lady who had Ronald Reagan wrapped around her pinky all their married life. So I reached for her hand and said, "Ma'am, I want to thank you for showing America how to love your spouse." She smiled, demurred, and I walked away really believing what I had just said. Say what you will about the Reagans, but only a fool would doubt that those two were google-eyed in love all their days together. Read the love notes they wrote to each other right up till the end of Ronald Reagan's sanity and you will see they weren't faking it for the cameras.

On the eve of the 16th anniversary of sheer bliss with the woman of my dreams, I only hope I can have a tenth of the Reagan passion for my mate. She rates all of my energy and love. She never bores me. She is my life apart from Christ. I pray the Lord keeps me from making an idol of the lady, because its hard not to. I understand they celebrate Cinco de Mayo in Mexico, yet that light you see in the western sky Friday is not Mexico, but the glow of a grateful husband's heart in central California, celebrating the time of my life with the lady of my dreams.

It All Started With A Mouse...

Well, we just got back from a trip to the Wonderful World of Disneyland. Wow-
From the flower beds, to every employee we encountered, to the beautifully detailed rides, the parades, the shows, the musicians, the princesses, it was truly unforgettable. There is certainly attention to detail which is evident at every turn. We wondered why it had taken us so long to make it there...until we got in line with the other "one hundred billion" people there the same weekend. Even with the crowds, we had an unbelievably fun time making lots of memories. Sarah is fearless- from the fastest roller coaster to the haunted mansion, she'll do anything! Abigail wants to ride it all until it starts and then the tears begin. When the ride is over and the tears are gone, inevitably she said "Could I ride this again?" We're not sure what Rachel saw as her head was usually buried in one of our arms. She maintains that her favorite was the log ride in which she squealed with glee. We left with the sense that we needed a couple more days to see it all. Oh well, maybe next time. It took Leigh 37 years, but she finally met Minnie!


An answered prayer- the Lord has provided a home to rent in Virginia. We are so thankful that He is always faithful to work out all the details!
Blessings...

Exciting Times

March 7th marks a special day for our family. Our little Rachel will be five years old. On that day five years ago, we sat beside a brave, selfless young woman who handed us the greatest gift anyone could give. She gave us our baby girl. You're busy, smart and the happiest little person I know. Happy Birthday, Rachel! --Love, Mom

Rachie Lou. Wow, you've changed! And for the better. From screaming during your first 6 mos of existence, to smiling almost perpetually, you are a different girl. You are a special girl. Not many people I know can look up into the sky and see Jesus' legs hanging out of a cloud. Blessed child, God's hand of grace is upon you--has been long before we knew you. What a wonder to watch His providence in your life. You've been on this earth only 5 years, but I feel like you've been in my heart forever. Indeed, I know you will be. --Love, Dad

Well, the word is in. We are headed to Washington, D.C. this summer. Andy was selected for an AFIP (Air Force Intern Program) assignment. We are excited to head back east. We are already looking forward to traveling back across this great land. Hope to see some of you along the way and lots of you back in the Promised Land (below the Mason-Dixon). Take care and give your families our love.

That Tears It!

For anyone who thought the US should not be engaged in a war, take a look at this: Ronald McDonald being pummeled! Poor guy . . . just sitting there, minding his own Mcbusiness, and then being attacked (obviously by the kitchen crew from Burger King)! If it were the Hamburgler I could understand--he's unsavory. Or even Mayor McCheese, whose lack of dietary discipline has contributed to American obesity. But Ronald?! This cannot stand! To the barricades . . . or the drive-thrus! The dark side has really done it this time. Its time to take their order and supersize it!!

Hills that is, swimming pools, movie stars...

A December Sunset from our patio- wow! We can't believe it is already February. The holidays came and went. We enjoyed some rest and a visit from Leigh's mom. We took her to historic Solvang and Pismo Beach to see a Monarch butterfly grove. It was good to see her. The girls loved their time with MaMa.

In January we had the rare opportunity for a night away without the children so we chose to spend it in Hollywood. We drove around Beverly Hills and Bel Air oohing and ahhing at mansion after mansion. The one we wanted to see was completely blocked- the Beverly Hillbillies mansion. It is located right next door to the Reagans- not the Dryesdales. Our minds wondered back to days gone by when Lucille Ball lived next door to Jimmy Stewart, etc. What must it have been like? Raquel Welch and Jack Palance seemed to have modest homes by today's standards. Of course, I'm sure they have more than one. The most interesting thing we did was visit several "famous" cemeteries. We saw the tombstones of many a famous folk and were surprised to see the simplicity or complete absence of others. Roy Orbison is buried in an unmarked grave. A small patch of grass marks the spot. Family members never returned to purchase a headstone. George C. Scott is also in an unmarked grave. The grumpy old men (Lemmon and Mattheau) are buried together. Marilyn Monroe's plaque had people's lipstick kisses all over it. Dean Martin had a fresh dozen roses in his vase. Donna Reed was noted with a small plaque on the ground reading "Wife and mother" with a small, withered plant beside it. It was striking that one could have it "all" and still die with nothing. Another cemetery actually backs right up to the Paramount Pictures studios. The irony was too rich. The contrast too stark. Funny, I don't think Hollywood gets it.

Ethics Anyone?

One of the neat things about being the chaplain of a training group is having access to a few hundred young men and women whose morality has been colored by Postmodern principles (an oxymornon?!). The challenge is not to get them to change their morality, but to admit that one can have an objective morality at all. Enter Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the US, who left us with an abiding sense that we must stand against evil as a nation. Vandenberg AFB is only a couple of hours from the Reagan Presidential Library which is filled with exhibits regarding the moral lessons he lived and learned. So we put together a one-day event that begins with an overview of the life and ethics of the 40th POTUS and concludes with a trip down to the Reagan Library in Simi Valley. ICBM missile students (yes, the ones who would launch nuclear weapons) have been our target audience. If anyone needs to hear the message that morality is not relative it is those who could completely change the face of the earth via nuclear war. So here are some pics from our latest trip, which included a walk-through of the newly opened Air Force One.
To view the pictures in a larger view, simply left click on the photo.