Georgia Day 7

Friday was hubby's graduation from Airborne school.  I was so glad that I was able to make the trip down with C to watch hubby jump and see him graduate. 

This was before the ceremony started and we were just milling around.  The company was marching by and we were searching for hubby.  Apparantley he thought we looked like creepers with all our crazy camera-ready staring so he hollered at us to get our attention.

C spent lots of time racing around these sidewalks before we found a spot on the bleachers.  I think he looks like such a big kid in these pictures. :(

The Silver Wings did a jump demonstration and it was really neat!

This is obviously a different kind of jump than what hubby did.  It's called halo (high altitude low opening) where they jump from much higher up, free fall before pulling their chutes, and have much smoother landings. ;)  Their parachutes are steerable so they pretty much just walked onto the ground right in between the bleachers.

The ceremony is starting.  This was one of my favorite parts where they all marched over singing cadence.

Hubby was in the front row!  (I told him it made up for being one of the last jumpers almost every time)  He's the 4th one from the left if you don't count the jump master in the black hat.

They "opened ranks" or in civilian terms "spread out" so family members would have room to come down and pin their wings on.

It was really neat to be able to pin his wings on and actually share a part of this whole experience with him.  I am so proud of my soldier.  He works hard and he's good at what he does.  I know he was happy to get to go to Airborne school, happy to graduate, and most of all, happy all of his chutes opened!!!

After the ceremony I walked across the field and took some pictures of the training areas.  These are mainly for hubby so he can remember what he went through. :)  But, feel free to keep scrolling down.

C getting some practice jumping out of the mock plane.

And then we started our long drive home to be back in time for the March for Babies the next morning.  Pictures from our walk coming soon...

Georgia Day 6

C and I went for another jog in the sweltering heat this morning!  I have been away from the south too long because the humidity just about killed me.  Then we met hubby for lunch on base.  After that C and I went back to the hotel where I made Mr. Attitude take a nap. 

Later we all went to dinner and then hit up some of the shops that sell military paraphernalia so we could get some Airborne stuff.  I got an Airborne wife t-shirt, we got a sweet little "future paratrooper" onesie for the lil' peanut, and C picked out this beauty.

This was the smallest size available.  And it's an Army Ranger shirt, which hubby is not.  But, hello, do you see that sweet rattlesnake on the front?!?

Blessed with a boy!

 I can't speak to what it's like raising girls...

but my goodness...

 I love this boy!

Georgia Day 5

Jump #5

 Hehe.  We actually didn't watch jump #5.  Instead Grandpa spent some time at the Infantry museum and C and I played in the indoor pool at the fitness center on base. 

 Some of this little guy's landings look surprisingly similar to the real thing.  Ha!

 In the afternoon Grandpa, C and I headed to the Coca-Cola Space Center.  When we walked in and I saw how small it was I thought for sure we'd be done in no time.  But, we closed the place down.  C spent most of his time operating these little mars rovers.

 He also did some amazing weather broadcasts.  "There's a big storm coming today.  So, if you want to play at the park, the only park you can play at is your backyard park.  And if you want to go to a friend's house you gotta bring your life jacket."

 We all took a turn with these flight simulators.  And I'll go ahead and mention that I was the only one to get a bogey, aka I shot a plane out of the sky with my missile!

 They also had a planetarium and we were able to see the Sesame Street show about the stars.

 We met up with hubby after he was finished for the day and went to dinner.  C could not keep his hands off his Daddy!  Hubby had told him not to pull on his shirt at least 10 times.  The hubs was getting really frustrated and my father-in-law and I were finding it pretty amusing.  I told them it was a huge boost to my self confidence to see that after spending like an hour with C he was already losing his patience.  I lose my patience too, but after days.  "Your fuse is short," I said.  "Well, what do you expect?  I've been living on my own for the past five months, able to do whatever I want, whenever I want."  My father-in-law and I looked at each other as he asked, "Is this supposed to make you feel sorry for him?"  Exactly.

That night in the hotel hubby was reading (actually paraphrasing) a book to C before bedtime.  He skipped a part and C called him out on it.  "You forgot to say it's like the batmobile on monster truck wheels.  You forgot that part Daddy."  To which hubby quipped, "Well, good thing you know it then."  I looked at hubby, held my thumb and index finger as close together as I could get them and said, "Your fuse."  "Yeah Daddy, you're confused."  Ha!

Georgia Day 4

Jump #3

 The same family that provided the water bottles was out again today.  Thank goodness because hubby was on one of the last planes again!!!

 There he is! (For real, that's him)

 Hubby's dad came down from KS to see him jump!

 Jump #4
My father-in-law graciously offered to hang out with C at the hotel so I could head out to the drop zone solo for the afternoon jump.  It's a good thing C wasn't out there because it was incredibly HOT!  And there was no shade to be had.  Except under one family's tent.  The same family with the water bottles. (They came prepared!)  They were happy to share and I spent some time under there because, as you guessed it, hubby was in one of the last groups again!

 This was a combat jump so they jumped with gear this time.  Here is hubby walking in after his landing.