Year at a Glance

A little less talk, and a lot more action! It finally happened...we have a blog! Blogs usually start because of a new addition to the family, or the blogger is just a really good writer. Unfortunately, we don't fall into either category. I just want to stop feeling like I'm stalking all my friends because I know all about them from reading their blogs, and knowing they are wondering if we are even still alive. Well, the answer to that question is YES! We're still alive! 

This is kind of like trying to catch up on my journal writing...where do I start? Since I would like to sleep sometime tonight, I'll try for a quick overview since moving to Texas.  

First Officer Travis: "Ladies and gentlemen, we will be taking off in a few moments. Flight attendants, please prepare for takeoff. "

Friendly Flight Attendant: "Please fasten your seat belts, make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their upright and locked positions, and properly store all of your carry-on item underneath the seat in front of you. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight!"

We moved to Arlington, Texas for flight school. It was a very crazy 10 months of training and flight instructing for Travis. We never knew where he would be or what he would be doing the next day, let alone the next hour. The hardest part was the 11 weeks during training he spent in Florida, not knowing when he would be able to come home. Fortunately I had some heaven sent friends that helped me stay busy. 

Time Out For Fun

We tried to take advantage of any of the free hours we had by doing something fun, getting out and experiencing Texas. We lived just across I-30 from Six Flags, the Rangers Stadium, and the new Cowboys Stadium, which made it nice for a quick, fun outing.

Ft. Worth Rodeo

Six Flags

Rangers Baseball

Never Enough BYU Football

The Linton Boys all met here in Dallas, and took a road trip to Tulsa for a BYU Football game. I'm really good at crashing their plans...so I went too. It was very fun, even if BYU didn't win the game.

Hawaii

In between flight instructing and starting the new job with American Eagle, Travis's parents gave us a much needed break! They were kind enough to take us on their trip to Hawaii. It was wonderful! This is my form of scrapbooking these days...digital :)

American Eagle

The end of November Travis started working for American Eagle, which is American's regional airline. We were so glad that the training facility is here in Texas and not too far from where we were living. They provided a hotel room for all trainees and believe it or not, Travis stayed all but a few night there over the 2 and a half months. The pilots all eat, breath, and sleep their study material so being there created the best study situation...but the hotel was 3 miles from home! Crazy! I may have bribed Travis a time or two to come home for a hot meal:) Hehehe...thirsty? (my family will get that) Most other times I stopped by for an hour on my way home from work while he took a dinner break. One very good perk about being hired when he was, was that we got to pick our base. Our choices consisted of LA, Chicago, Boston, New York, Miami, San Juan, and Dallas. Looking at that list we decided to stay here in Texas, just maybe not Arlington. This is my handsome husband in his uniform, and the ERJ-145 that he flies.

A Change of Scenery

That brings me to our next life event...a new place to live. In January we found this cute little house in Keller, and in one month we were moving into it. Our relator was not our favorite, don't get me started, but when all was said and done, she got us the house. It was sad to say goodbye to our apartment in the ghetto, the numerous species of bugs, the late night relationship disputes in the parking lot and on the other side of our wall, and crazy congestedtraffic. Oh wait, those might of been the things we were glad to say goodbye to...yes, yes, that's right. Goodbye!

The house was a foreclosure that had been built a year ago but no one had ever lived in it. My dad came to help us move and spent his entire 10 days here doing finishing work on the house!Thank you dad! We would still be painting trim if you hadn't been here. I have a lot of fun pictures of us three working on the house. Someday: get a little scrapbook put together of that.Today: finish catching up.

Coast Family

We try to visit our families every now and then. It's always fun to get together! My parents are still in Oregon (west coast) and Andrew is a junior in high school. Kellene is a junior at BYU Hawaii, and Helen and her family live in DC (east coast). You heard me right, my little sister...ok younger, they are all taller than me now...has a little family. Her husband works for the US Capital Police and Joshua just turned one. Whenever I visit DC, I always think of the girls trip there during my college days.

 

Sisters together. Once kids always kids, having fun.  Dad working on the house. Hmm, don't have many photos of my mom, better practice your "say cheese" for next time mom. Andrew, this haircut picture is for you and any girls you might meet at the stake dance...you can thank me later!

Working on Andrew's Eagle Scout project and the DC clan. This officer is running a marathon soon. Good luck Brant!

This is my nephew Joshua. He gets his own slide because, well, he's the cutest of us all!

Mountain Family

I'm going to call Travis's side the mountain family since he's from Utah. Funny thing is, three (and it had been four for a while) out of the five kids live in Texas now. "Go figure!" says his parents. Well, 4th of July means a week in Park City for the Linton family. This year was no different. Thanks to Travis's parents for organizing and providing, we all had at least a couple of days to boat, to play, and make memories together. And in case anyone wants to know...the Alpine Slide is fun, the Roller Coaster is fun-er, and the Roller Coaster with two passengers is the fun-est!

 

Everyone always loves boating at Jordanelle. And after years of no success, the boat driver was finally able to dump six year old Cam off the inter tubes. We were beginning to think it would never happen :)

The day at Park City Resort. I love Travis's sister Lindi in the first photo...she thinks she is going to crash into me...I think she did too. What?!? I had to stop my little coater car to get an action shot.

I've been running for a while now, and was offered to do the Freedom Festival 10k in Provo with my cousin, Ashlee. Like she was inviting me to do something fun...oh sure. Since when is running just over six miles ever fun? Once I got to Utah, Travis's dad drug me over the hills of Bountiful on a 4.5 mile run, and I didn't die so I thought why not? It actually turned out to be really fun and I'd even do another. 

We watched fireworks from a field of tall weeds and rocks next to our condo in Park City. I may have helped picked that location, but I just can't quite remember if it was me or Lindi :) Travis had to work that day, but saw a few shows from the air. He said it was very cool!