The Hills' Adventures: March 2009

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!

ZOO TRIP!

Well the Boise Zoo doesn't have lions, but we saw tigers and a bear.

My camera ran out of batteries so I missed some good pictures, but luckily it's the Boise zoo. It's small and cheap! Perfect when you have 9 children 10 and under with 2 moms.

From left to right, Riley, Porter and Patrice Whetten (cousins), Katie and Jake. There is a bald eagle in the background.

Natalie's 1st trip to the zoo. There's a crane.

Dallas with a snow leopard in the background.

We had a great time with Aunt Megan and her 5 children. We have another trip planned for the summer because the penguins are having babies. I'll charge the camera battery this time.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Boy, do we know how to have fun??? Or what???

Dad's home. Adventure time again.

Snow caving above Idaho City.

Tubing the next day. The smiles say it all.

Jack Rabbit hunt in the Owyhees.

Cooked and eaten over a fire. Also a Robin was cooked and eaten.

(No really, they did!)

Wendy's. It's their place!

Each of the kids got to choose something they wanted to do with Daddy. Jake chose a Jack Rabbit hunt. Katie wanted a date at Wendy's. Dallas wanted to build a tree house in the backyard. They started on the tree house three Saturday's ago. I'll get a picture of that when there is more than one 2x4 nailed to the tree:).

...And I am back to blogging

FROM THE MOUTHS OF BABES

"Work is no fun." Jake 9 years

"Candy." Natalie 22 months

"Oh mom, could you change her diaper somewhere else, it's making this taste disgusting." Dallas 7 years

"I know the answers to everything!" Katie 5 years

"The prophet says if you don't spend time with your kids, you'll regret it." Jake 8 years

"Mom, I wished you lived on Jupiter."
"Dad made me change my mind."
"What do you want to do before you die?"
"Mom, I dropped my hot wheels in the toilet." Dallas 6 years

"Come on husband, you need to read our daughter a story...I'll do it myself."
"When will you be able to go? I'm exhausted with you."Katie 4 years

"Dad, Mom lets us get one choice. You just get us what we need." Katie (4) and Dallas (6)to dad at the store

"No", "Toe", "Nose", "Hi mom" "Hi Dad" "a-da-no?" Natalie 19 months

DREAMS DO COME TRUE--Mike's New Job

Mike was recently selected to fly AH-64 Apache attack helicopters for the Idaho National Guard! We'll be in Alabama for flight school for two years, then back to Idaho where he'll be a part-time Apache pilot(this video is from the Utah Guard, but you get the idea).

[Mike] I recently embarked on a great adventure. My whole life I’ve been fascinated with military aviation. As a kid I could name any jet or chopper flying. I studied them, built models of them, drew them. But I never pursued my dream of flying because I didn’t think life in the military would suit me and my future family, and I thought that passion was something I'd grow out of. So I chose a career I considered more practical. In my 20s, though, I began regretting not taking that path. That regret grew worse and worse.

Long story short, in the fall of 2008 I put it all on the line and finally went for it. I joined the Army National Guard here in my home town, with the long-shot hope of flying the AH-64 Apache helicopter (the best attack helicopter in the world). The training just to be considered was tough and required quite a commitment: nine weeks of Basic Training, 8 weeks of Officer Candidate School, academic and physical tests, a 6-year commitment regardless of the outcome, plus the preparation on my own time. All that, just to qualify to go before a "flight board" that selects future pilots. The field is very competitive, but failure was not an option—given the wars we’re fighting, I didn’t want to be in the Army, stuck on the ground. I had to succeed.

By some miracle, everything lined up perfectly and I was selected for flight school, despite my lack of experience and prior service, and despite being 3 years over the age limit (I got an age waiver).

In the spring of '10 my family and I moved to Fort Rucker, Alabama for two years of flight training, after which I’ll come back home to Idaho and be a part-time pilot. I’m so excited I can hardly stand it. Getting selected to serve my country, flying the world's best attack helicopter, based right in my home town, is incredible. It still blows me away.

I have the best wife in the world for supporting me in this adventure. She initially told me to do something about this ache in late summer of '08. She encouraged me every step of the way, even while I was gone for months on end, leaving her to manage the home, business, and take care of our babies. And Army pay is not good, especially considering my life may someday be on the line in Afghanistan, Iraq or who-knows-where-else. Thank you, thank you, Cass, for all you are to me.

We may not have it all together...But together we have it all.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Boy, do we know how to have fun??? Or what???

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FROM THE MOUTHS OF BABES

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DREAMS DO COME TRUE--Mike's New Job