MERRY CHRISTMAS 2017

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Love ♥ The Rowes and all our blessings over the past year & dreams for the future

P.S. Thank you so much for visiting this page to read my blog. I can't put into words how much it means to me.

Past Christmas cards: 2011 │ 2012 │ 2013 │ 2014 │ 2015 │ 2016

Maui Dreamin'

What's a better way to celebrate a five-year anniversary than on the sandy shores of Maui? After taking this vacation, I don't think anything could have beat it.

Daniel and I have talked about this vacation since we first met in 2011. We have both been to Maui separately, and we always talk about how it's our favorite place to go. It was time we vacationed there together! We booked our tickets the week of Thanksgiving and spent the first two weeks of December basking in the Hawaiian sun.

Knowing us, of course we made use of every spare minute of our vacation. We were up before the sun rose each day, walking or jogging along the coastline, then filling our bellies at our hotel's breakfast buffet (the Ka'anapali Beach Hotel), and heading off every morning to enjoy a new beach or "must-do" on the island.

We ended up visiting ten different beaches, snorkeling eight beaches, eating all the fresh fish we could find, scouting the best happy hours on the island, and spending absolutely as much time soaking up the Hawaiian life we dream about so often.

See some of the photos and stories of our trip below!

We rented snorkel gear, chairs, and a boogie board from The Snorkel Store. Their staff was absolutely awesome, and they gave us an easy-to-read map with all their best spots for snorkeling detailed and specified to what we were looking for. Their map often lead us south to Kihei or Wailea, which had the best conditions during the weeks we were there.

The photo above was from one of the eight beaches we snorkeled--the Black Sand Beach, which is just north of Makena State Park and south of Wailea. The current was heavy the day we were there, but we saw plenty of their reef life, including a huge moray eel.

On our third day in Maui, we took to the seas with the Hawaii Ocean Project and cruised on a day trip to Lanai. Daniel and I had both snorkeled Molokini during our past trips to Hawaii, so this time we opted for something new. Our crew was a seasoned group of guides and they were fantastic, and we also lucked out with a smaller tour group that day with about 20 people who were all middle-aged. It was very different than most of the other boats we saw setting sail that had 100+ people and 50+ kids in their groups.

We set out for Lanai early in the morning, the trip lasting just a little over an hour. Along the way, we spotted humpback whales in the distance, a bottlenose dolphin that came to check out our boat, and a pod of over 50 spinner dolphins that were hungry for some camera time. They ended up circling our boat for a good ten minutes, and I scored some fantastic videos and live photos of the action. The shot above was one of the stills, and I still think it's the best thing I saw the entire trip.

When we arrived at Lanai, we snorkeled at Manele Bay for an hour and then also snorkeled at a remote location called "The Club" for another hour. The coral reefs at The Club were immaculate and the water was so clear. The tour guides said they don't often get to go to that spot due to the weather, so we were so grateful for a beautiful, clear day. The tour also served us breakfast, lunch, and a complimentary cocktail. We both agreed that the Lanai snorkel trip was the best investment we made while on the trip and it was our favorite day overall.

The two photos above were taken at 5 Caves in Wailea, just north of Makena Landing and Turtle Town. We first were going to snorkel at Poolenalena Beach, but it was pretty busy so we ventured down the road and ended up at 5 Caves. We had to scale down the rocky beach to get into the water, and we were the only ones in sight. We weren't quite sure if we were even in an actual snorkel spot until we hit the ocean. And let me tell you--it was our favorite spot to snorkel. Within 20 feet of the water's edge, we were greeted by four turtles who were catching their morning reef breakfast. We took a corner and were greeted by five more. The water was absolutely pristine and the conditions could not have been better.

Once we finished snorkeling, we dried off and climbed the rocks around 5 Caves to check out the turtles. They were just hanging out, surfing the waves and enjoying their breakfast. We snagged some very cool photos and hung out for 30 minutes or so before heading off to enjoy margaritas at Fred's Mexican Café. It was the perfect ending to our best day of snorkeling.

On our second-to-last day, we did the legendary Road to Hana, taking the winding roads on the northern coast to the remote beaches that Hana is famous for. Along the way, we stopped at viewpoints, waterfalls, and at any location that struck our fancy. It was a really fun day, and very different than all the other days we had spent snorkeling.

These were the 3 Bears waterfalls along the Road to Hana. We had to climb down a steep pathway to get up close and personal to these falls, but it was so worth it. Speaking of "falls," I took a pretty good one while trying to climb out of the waterfall area. I totally ate it off of a rock and slid my way down a huge boulder, taking all the skin off of my shin with it. And as a side-story, I also got stung by a black sea urchin in the hand while snorkeling at Ulua Beach in Kihei the day before. I was an accident-prone tourist on this trip!

This was on the rocks at Hana Bay Beach Park on the Road to Hana.

If we did the Black Sand Beach in Wailea, we had to visit the Red Sand Beach at Kaihalulu Beach in Hana. The hike down to it wasn't quite as bad as everyone had let on, but the aquamarine blue water and rich red sand at the end were so worth the trip. We didn't stay at the beach for too long, there were quite a few people there and we'd heard about another amazing beach along the coastline, so we enjoyed the cool water and pebble-filled sand for a bit before heading down the road.

Our last stop in Hana was Hamoa Beach, and it was the perfect, picturesque beach we had been hoping for. Many of the beaches in Kihei and Wailea were good for snorkeling but were often busy and not quite as breathtaking as Hamoa. This beach was pretty much deserted and we felt like we had the whole thing to ourselves. The water was sky-blue, the sand was soft and light, and we sat in the sun for a couple hours, just soaking it all in. We are grateful one of the locals we'd met along the Road to Hana told us to visit Hamoa Beach. It was our favorite lounging beach of the trip.

While I didn't share any of the photos of any of our spectacular meals, we sure did dine like kings on the trip. The Ka'anapali Beach Hotel (which we loved by the way for it's affordable prices, friendly staff, easy-going rooms, and prime location on Ka'anapali Beach), had a great breakfast buffet each morning that was more than just your typical Continental Breakfast. It boasted tables filled with all the breakfast food you could imagine, plus local Hawaiian foods and delicacies. We pretty much ate a big breakfast and then a lunch/dinner combo each day, saving room for scoops of ice cream in a waffle cone from Banyan Treat in Lahaina (ice cream is always a staple on our trips). We had the BEST EVER fish tacos at Paia Fish Market in Lahaina, loved the food and atmosphere combo (plus the Lava Lava Shrimp) at Down the Hatch in Lahaina, sipped on the most delicious strawberry margaritas at Fred's Mexican Café in Kihei, and ate the best sushi of our lives at Miso Phat Sushi in Kahana. What's best about all that food was that those places were our top spots, but only about half of what we actually got to enjoy. Let's just say we live with absolutely no food regrets while on vacation. Diet is not a word we even talk about!

Well, after six years of talking about it, we finally did it... we did Maui. And it was the vacation we had dreamed about (and then some). Talk about celebrating our anniversary... we fell even more in love with each other on the trip and we both fell back in love with Maui. We're already talking about wanting to go back, in addition to all the other fun places we'd like to explore, but for now, Maui is at the top of our "favorites" list.

So I'll leave this post with a "See you later, Maui," or as the Hawaiians say, "A hui hou koke iā ʻoe!"

Our Fifth Anniversary

Five years. How does time go by so quickly? You know what I love about us?

We fist-bump it three times, every time.
We don't take many photos... in fact, I have like 10 of us from this year... it's slim-pickins'.
We know all the best happy hours in town.
We are rockin' our careers.
We are saving for our future.
We are cool with cereal for dinner like every single night and there's never an argument about it.
We do the best dance moves with awkward faces.
We do good hugs.
We don't keep up with the Joneses.
We geek out over finances.
We watch sports and Stranger Things and Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
We love our baby bearded dragon.
We travel and hike and live for vacations.
We don't say no to pizza or Chipotle or Chick-fil-a.
We don't do fancy cars.
We do long bouts of Scrabble over margaritas until way too late.
We do love leading our church group.
We make mad dashes to DQ for Blizz-dogs right before they close.
We laugh, rewind, and watch parts of movies over and over until our sides hurt.
We keep each other accountable and the trust that's grown because of it is so beautiful.
We don't discriminate with Mexican food. Bring on the chips & salsa & margaritas.
We garden and take care of our yard together.
We plan and dream for the future.
We love loving on each other.
We sing silly songs, "Deck, deck, ba-da-da-ba-dah..."

We do US. And that's what I love. Happy fifth, luh-luhs.

Past Anniversary Posts: Year One │ Year Two │ Year Three │ Year Four

My Interview Process to Become an Officer in the Idaho Air National Guard

I will begin this post by stating that my interview process for being selected as a Security Forces Officer with the Idaho Air National Guard (IDANG) is probably going to be vastly—if not 100% different—than any other officer selection procedure I've ever seen. So be advised... most other individuals selected for commission will most likely not experience these same things!

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It all started off when I was a new Airman First Class (A1C) and had recently returned from Personnel Tech School. I knew that I wanted to commission and become an officer, so I was waiting for job openings so I could apply. The way it works in the IDANG is that there has to be an open officer position that you qualify for before you can put in to apply for it. And then, after you apply, you typically interview among 5-20 of your ANG colleagues and, of course—may the best candidate win!

In May, 2015, my chance came. I saw an announcement for an open officer position within the Security Forces Squadron (SFS). I was immediately interested, though a few people were quick to throw out hesitation because being a "cop" was so unlike me in almost every way. But to me, that didn't matter. I thought it sounded legit and it sounded so cool to have the chance to learn an entirely different career than what I had graduated with (B.S. in Health Promotion) and my new enlisted career of human resources. I put in my application and let the waiting game begin.

In June, 2015 I received information (a WARNO) from the SFS Commander, detailing our interview process which was to take place in August. I knew right away that this interview was going to be different than most because there were reporting instructions, a packing list, physical fitness requirements, a detailed itinerary for the first day of interviews (which was a ruck), and information for the second day (which was the formal board interview). I was stoked at the chance to be able to prove myself not only personally with the interview, but physically with the ruck. That sounded hardcore and I was all about it. It also helped that I was in the peak of my training for that year's USAF Half Marathon, so I took the challenge to prep head-on and added rucking/hiking to my training.

When August rolled around, I was ready for the interview. A little bit apprehensive of what was in store, I showed up at 0500 on the first day of interviews with my ruck loaded and all of my tactical gear on (at least, I thought I looked tactical). Our rucks were 35% of our body weight + 12 pounds of water (mine was just over 50 pounds). I completely stood out like a sore thumb... an A1C personnelist among an elite group of Security Forces non-commissioned officer (NCO) troops and gung-ho enlisted members from across the wing. There were 19 of us in all, and like I said, upon first glance I was probably at the bottom of the selection pool.

The initial interview, the ruck up Tablerock (a local Boise hiking hotspot), turned into an all-day event. We met on base to receive the Operation Order (OPORD) detailing what was to come. Then, we drove to Tablerock to prepare for the hardest interview of our lives. Immediately upon arriving at the site, we unloaded our bags and the yelling and screaming ensued. One of our troops, a former Marine, was putting us through the rigors to simulate what Officer Training School (OTS) and the Security Forces Officer Course (SFOC) were going to be like. He smoked us on the spot, having us do sprinting drills, burpees, carrying our bags from here to there, and whatever else he could to burn us out prior to the ruck. After working up a sweat for 30 minutes, we loaded up our rucks and began heading up the hill.

The hike was steep as we headed off in a group, stopping at cones about every 100m for "intel," which was found on laminated pieces of paper. Each of us were required to memorize an intel card, which contained the name, photo and biography of one of the 14 fallen defenders. We had to memorize all the information, including the entire paragraph of the fallen defender—word for word.

As we finally approached the top of the hill, the former Marine went at it again, screaming for us to drop our bags, don our weapons, and prepare to be smoked. Another 45-minutes of smoking ensued, leaving us completely exhausted and drenched in sweat. We did everything from push-ups until failure, squats, overhead presses with our rucks, drills with the weapons until muscle failure, and more burpees than I can even count. During the smoke session, there were also several SF cadre in our faces, yelling random things, pointing out where we were falling behind, and truly overwhelming each of our senses.

We were all completely spent when we finally were told to ruck back up and head down the hill. When we arrived back at the squadron, we had to stand before a panel and recite our intel cards word for word. I know I didn't repeat mine 100% accurately, but I gave it my best shot. We were dismissed and told to return the next day for the formal board interview.

I showed up in my dress blues the next morning, making sure they were lint-rolled to perfection and my lines were ironed and crisp. I went before the board and saluted our Commander, a Major, and greeted my other board members (who were all officers from around the wing, including several Senior NCO Security Forces members). My Commander always invites people from outside the unit to sit on the board, hoping to negate bias and present an unfiltered opinion of the candidate. Some of the areas represented by our board were Finance, Maintenance, Emergency Management, and Logistics. Each board member asked questions, I responded in kind to each one. Being an A1C, I didn't have a lot of experience within the military to base my answers, so I tried to come up with examples from my limited Air Force trainings and then from my civilian employment with the hospital as well. My interview lasted just about an hour, and I thanked the board for their time as I saluted and left the room. And then, the waiting began.

I hadn't heard anything at all for almost three weeks when I got a phone call from the Commander, asking me to come back in for another interview. He told me to just come straight over from work and that I didn't need to wear my uniform. I showed up in my work outfit, a shirt with our hospital's logo and some black pants and sneakers, and went in for the second round. Each member of the board was present again, and I was in a chair in front of them answering questions for close to 20 minutes. They asked some follow-up questions from my first interview, including, "How would you conduct yourself to stay humble if you got this position?" and other questions similar in nature. It made sense—it's not that often that an A1C is selected for commission against other NCO's, but I answered all the questions to the best of my ability. The last question the Commander asked me, which he almost fired my direction as soon as I'd finished an answer was, "So, do you want the job?" I looked at him, mouth open in awe and for the first time at a loss for words, and didn't even have a chance to respond before my husband walked through the door, a smile on his face from ear to ear, and the Commander handed me a bottle of Patrón and said, "CONGRATULATIONS, LT! You got the job!"

To say that I was stunned would be an understatement. I'm not normally a "speechless" kind of person, but I literally couldn't even find the words to say thank you. I was overwhelmed with joy, surprise, excitement, and pure happiness. I gave each of my board members the strongest handshake I could muster and hugged my husband like there was no tomorrow. I couldn't believe it—they had selected me for a Security Forces commission!

Just a couple days later, the following email went out to the 1,400 members of the Idaho Air National Guard,

"Please join me and my fellow Defenders in congratulating and welcoming A1C Annelise Rowe for being selected as the new 124 Security Forces Squadron Operations Officer. A1C Rowe's proven communication skills, enthusiasm for a challenge, and fitness excellence have prepared her for her new role as a leader in the always demanding, challenging, and proud 124 SFS.

Congrats A1C Annelise Rowe"

Shortly after the announcement was made, I transferred from personnel to be the Commander's Support Staff (CSS) in the Security Forces Squadron while I awaited my commission. I attended Officer Training School eight months later, and the Security Forces Officer Course seven months after that. And now, here I sit, two years after my selection for commission, as the Security Forces Operations Officer for the 124th Fighter Wing in Boise, Idaho. It's a pretty cool gig, I'll tell you that much. I love my job, wouldn't trade it for anything, and can't wait to see what the future holds!

Again, I know this description of my interview is drastically different than what most officer hopefuls & selectees will experience when commissioning, but I love the story and the process by which we were interviewed... so if anything—at least I wrote it down for myself so I could remember all the nitty gritty details. HOOAH!

US Air Force Half Marathon & MAJCOM Challenge 2017

For the third year in a row, I had the honor of representing the Air National Guard, the 124th Fighter Wing, and the great state of Idaho at the United States Air Force Marathon. I was on the ANG team the last two years for the MAJCOM Challenge, and this year I traveled to the event as their team alternate (in case anyone was injured leading up to the race). To support this amazing group of super-human runners was just incredible, and to run the race alongside them as an individual was also a great experience. Luckily for them, as you'll read below, my time did not count toward the team time. It just wasn't my day for a good race—but we all have those—and the trip in itself far outweighed simply "having a bad race."

To start, I didn't put my name in for the team this year for a couple of reasons, but the main factor being that since we are the only un-funded team in the entire MAJCOM Challenge, shilling $1,200 out-of-pocket to participate in this event was a bit of a stretch for me, my husband, and our financial goals this year. The second reason I didn't apply is that I'm nursing a fractured sesamoid bone injury in my foot, one that's been plaguing me off-and-on throughout my marathon training for the last two years. I had intended to give it some R&R, but clearly that didn't happen. The third reason I didn't apply was that I spent half the year in Texas for Security Forces training, and the rigors our bodies were put through down there didn't lead very well to long-distance running. I was stronger, sure, but definitely not faster. So I told the team I'd be an alternate this year and let an amazing gal from New York have my spot. She ended up being the only new addition to the team and absolutely killed her race. So all in all, it was a win!

Now, I'm sure you're already asking yourself how I was able to go since $1,200 was going to hit my bank account hard, right? Well, a blessing came my way and I was completely blown away when our Idaho National Guard Officer's Association offered to sponsor my entire trip. Holy cow, what a gift—my prayers were answered! I literally would not have even been able to fathom going on this trip if it wasn't for them, so I was (and still am!) ever-so grateful for their support to send me to Ohio for this race, morale, and team-building event.

I flew out to Dayton on Thursday, two days before the race, to help acclimatize to the Ohio humidity and avoid any last-minute stressful travels. I walked around the Wright Patterson AFB BX for a while, met one of my teammates at the Expo, and went to dinner with half the team at Texas Roadhouse.

On Friday, I woke up and went for an easy 3-mile run around Wright Patterson AFB, and relaxed/stretched prior to heading to the USAF Marathon Expo to meet up with the team and pick up our race packets. After the Expo, we enjoyed the Gourmet Pasta Dinner, hosted at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. I love that dinner and their guest speakers... it's always one of the highlights of the trip.

Saturday morning began early for us as we boarded the busses at 5:30 am to head to the race. Everyone seemed pretty nervous, though since I didn't have the pressure of competing with the team this year—but instead as an individual—I didn't feel my usual pre-race jitters. We arrived and set up camp in the MAJCOM tent, waiting for the race to start.

The Air National Guard MAJCOM Challenge team prior to the race. We had six half marathoners—2 females/4 males—and four full marathoners—1 female/3 males. I was the alternate juuuuust in case anything happened!

F-22 & P-51 flyover to kick-off the race.

At 7:30 am, our marathoners were off, and as half marathoners, we followed shortly behind with a start at 8:30 am. I began running with our Chief who organizes our team and we held a 7:45/mile pace for the first mile. Compared to the last couple years and my prior race paces between 6:00-7:00/miles, this didn't feel so bad. Again, my training was off this year due to SF training in Texas and my injury, so I wasn't really going for anything special with this race... I was just glad to be there to participate!

It was a pretty muggy morning, but not too hot at the start, so I was able to maintain between 7:24-7:51/mile for the first 8-miles—I even stopped at the "free bacon!" table for a sampling, which I'd always been too afraid to do in years prior. Mile 9 hit me pretty hard as I crested the big hill on the course, sending my heart racing to an uncomfortable level. I lost feeling in my hands and got the chills and knew I was pretty close to passing out. It was then, for my first time in a race, that I had to walk. HOLY MOLY you guys—talk about a gut check there. I knew my heart was beating way too fast for my normal running state and it was all I could do to just walk it out without completely collapsing and pulling myself from the race. I was so bummed. The last four miles were MISERABLE, and I had to walk-jog the entire way just to make it across the finish line. I almost stopped at every medical tent I saw during the last four miles, but just couldn't bring myself to quit the race. I've never had such a rough race nor have struggled so much to eke out the last few miles. I mean, I was walking down the home stretch to the finish line (though I did muster enough strength to jog the last 100m or so). Oofda. I had nothing left. As I received my finisher medal and reflected on the race, I was not only glad that I was the alternate for our ANG team this year and that my time didn't count toward their time since I did so poorly, but heck, I was just glad I finished at all.

After I recovered from the race and settled my heart rate back to normal, I cheered on the rest of my full marathon teammates as they finished their races. When all was said and done, one of our half marathon ladies won the 1st place overall female award and our full marathon gal won first place military female. One of our male marathoners also ran a PR, and almost all our other runners had stellar races. So exciting! Overall, the team was about 20 minutes slower than last year's team time, so we will have a competitive team time to compete against the other MAJCOMs. They should be releasing results later this year—so fingers crossed that we won!

The Command Chief who organizes our race (left) and the MAJCOM Challenge team coordinator and USAF Marathon staff member extraordinaire, Rachael (right). These two are so supportive, uplifting and helpful, and have become very good friends over the last two years.

After the race—and a nap of course—most of our team headed to the race's "After Party at the Greene" for some good British food at The Pub and live music. I was so excited to get to spend some time with one of my best buddies from Officer Training School, Nick, who I'd met two years prior at the 2015 MAJCOM Challenge when he was running for PACAF. I talked with him briefly at that race and immediately recognized him when I saw him at OTS last year. We ended up running 13-miles almost every Sunday at OTS, and got to know each other really well. This year, he came back to run for Global Strike, so we got to spend almost all day hanging out in the MAJCOM tent and then he joined us for dinner at The Greene. I tell you what, it was so good being able to catch back up with my old running friend!

Well, I may not have had my best race, but it definitely wasn't my slowest ever. The entire experience in itself was pretty humbling—you're not going to win everything, right? In addition, the honor of being able to represent the Air National Guard, the 124th Fighter Wing, the state of Idaho, and to be the alternate support for this year's ANG team far outweighed the perks of bringing home any flashy trophy. This weekend was for team building, morale, fostering relationships, having fun, honoring service through fitness excellence, and a camaraderie that you can't really find anywhere else. So no, as everyone back home has been asking, I didn't win, but really? Yes... I did.

Thank you again to the Idaho National Guard Officer's Association who sponsored this trip for me. I would not have been able to travel to this race or gain the personal/professional development I did without your support!

Previous Two USAF Marathon & MAJCOM Challenge Posts: United States Air Force Half Marathon & MAJCOM Challenge 2015 │ Air Force Marathon & MAJCOM Challenge 2016

thirty-one.

Well, I've done it. I've officially hit the age where I'm now "in my 30's." I'm no longer just thirty (which was a pretty killer age if I do say so myself), my grays/whites are creeping steadfastly through my scalp and becoming more and more visible, I hardly ever get carded anymore, and gosh dangit--I still feel like a kid but have all the responsibilities of an adult. Welcome to 31, Annelise.

In all actuality, I'm thrilled about turning 31. Daniel and I have accomplished some big goals for ourselves over the past year, and I can't wait to see what we will do together this year now that so many of our boxes have been checked. For instance, we recently did a very Dave-Ramsey-esque "Debt Free Scream," after getting ourselves completely out of debt for the first time in almost five years of marriage. Now THAT was exciting. I also finished up the last bit of my out-of-state training for the Air National Guard, and have no more commitments in the foreseeable future where I'll have to be away from Daniel for an extended period of time... HOORAY!

So you know what that means? That means 31 is going to be a banner year. That's what I was praying for when I blew out my candles, anyway. I've got some big hopes and big dreams, and regardless of what does or doesn't happen, I'm happier than I've ever been and there's no value or price tag I can place on that feeling.

To celebrate my birthday this year, Daniel and I road-tripped to Seattle, Washington to spend some time with my sister and family. It's the third year I've been with my sister on my birthday, and I'm liking the idea of making it an annual thing. We are 12 months and 6 days apart, so sharing our birthday weeks together is pretty darn special.

Over the course of the weekend we played games (10 Penny & Scattegories), ate all the food we could possibly fit into our bellies, took two delightfully long beachwalks and filled our pockets with agates, hugged all the family members we could find (all grandparents & one uncle), and regretted the fact that we didn't have just a couple more days to do it all over again.

If you're taking the Mukilteo Ferry to Whidbey Island, stopping at Ivar's for a cup of chowder and a soft serve swirl cone is a must. Now the real question... cake cone or waffle? We stop every single time we take the ferry and this tradition has been a treat for me since I was a kid.

Some of our foodie adventures included chowing down on slices of Neapolitan pesto pizza and caesar salad at Village Pizzeria in Langley on Whidbey Island, savoring Penn Cove mussels and clams in green curry broth with a dessert of a key lime tart at Gordon's on Blueberry Hill on Whidbey Island, destroying a pot of chilled peel-and-eat shrimp alongside a Bloody Mary at Doc's Marina Grill on Bainbridge Island, demolishing a soft serve swirl cone at Ivar's, tasting the delights of Mexican mole enchiladas and ultimate margaritas at Senor Moose in Seattle, overlooking Seattle with a caesar salad and white chocolate mousse cake at Salty's on Alki Beach, and treating myself to a double scoop of oatmeal cookie dough and smore's ice cream at Molly Moon's in Seattle. I mean, can-I-get-a-food-AMEN?!

My happy place--Maxwelton Beach. I don't know how many times I've walked these beaches scouring the rocks for agates, but I will never turn down a 2+ hour beach walk or a chance to make it to the point.

I found this big & beautiful agate nestled in the tide flats on Maxwelton Beach. It was glowing just enough for me to spot it amidst the sand. I did an agate dance for that one!

Our second beach walk landed us at Ebey's Landing, just outside of Coupeville on Whidbey Island. We took home 23 agates of all different shapes, sizes and colors. Daniel did really well... he didn't have time for the small ones that day!

I hardly get to see my grandparents enough (mom's & dad's), so it was our pleasure to treat them to dinner at Gordon's on Blueberry Hill in Freeland on Whidbey Island. I don't know if I've ever dined at such a fine restaurant (read: expensive), but every penny spent was so worth the experience... plus the food was DELICIOUS, so it made for a very memorable, enjoyable evening. I'm so blessed to be able to spend time with all my grandparents and treasure our time together.

This delectable dessert was the key lime tart from Gordon's. For my actual birthday, my grandma took me, Daniel and my sister to Salty's on Alki Beach in Seattle. The food wasn't quite as spectacular as Gordon's, but again... the time spent with Grandma meant more to me than any gift or birthday treat.

You know, I don't think I've ever had a birthday that I just didn't love. But this one felt different. It felt exciting. It felt real. It felt new. I felt so loved. And most of all, I feel ready for what's next. So let's go, 31, show me what you've got.  

Past birthday posts: twenty-six │ twenty-seven │ twenty-eight │ twenty-nine │ thirty

Security Forces Training

Since June of last year, I've been working as the full-time Operations Officer for our Security Forces Squadron. However, it wasn't until graduating the Security Forces Officer Course back in May that I actually received the training to enable me to do the job. So here I sit--several months later--still working as the Operations Officer and absolutely loving every minute of it.

Since coming home from school, I've taken a team out to the desert for two weeks of field training, gone to Dayton, Ohio for the MAJCOM Challenge trophy presentation, gone TDY to Klamath Falls, Oregon to support the Sentry Eagle open house as the lead of a security detail, and have worked more 60+ hour weeks than I can even count on two hands. And seriously, I love it.

Anyway, today's post is not about how insanely rad AND tactical AND sah-weet my job is, but instead it's to show some of the cool photos of our field training exercise (FTX) we did back in June. When I got home from school, I transitioned straight into an entire month of work (one single day off), and part of that month was planning and executing a four-day field training exercise out in the Idaho desert for our Defenders.

My role in the exercise was to be the Flight Commander for our three flights of 27 total troops. I wrote and presented the Operation Order (OPORD), planned the 3.5-hour convoy to get us to the site, set up a bare base, and then rocked it out in the field with the troops for four days while we held security of our base, ran missions against opposing forces (OPFOR), and had a heck-of-a-time bonding in the middle of nowhere. I mean, when you have no showers, eat nothing but MREs, sleep out in the open air, and have no cell phone connection... what's better than some good 'ol squad bonding? Nothing, I tell you, nothing beats it. Man, I love being a Defender.

During the two-week training and prior to heading out to the field, we started most mornings off with squadron PT. For this session, we hit our range and did log, sandbag and bucket carries up a 200m hill ten times, with sets of 15 burpees & log jumps between each hill repeat. It was a killer workout and we really bonded as a team. Break down the body--build up the resilience--bond the team!

A shot from our lead vehicle of our convoy headed out to the training area. Our convoy was 3.5-hours long. We suffered a broken down HMMWV on the way out, so we had to tow it the entire way. Talk about a wrench in the system! But hey, we made it and it was just one more lesson learned--always have a back-up plan!

We set up this bare base around these conex boxes that were out in the middle of the desert at the Saylor Creek Training Area. With the help of a ladder, they provided a place for us to make static overwatch posts and they also provided nice wind barriers at night! We held this camp as well as the base perimeter, which was blocked with C-wire, for four days.

One of our missions/trainings involved a Blackhawk Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC). Typically, we rehearse MEDEVACs with 9-line cards and radio traffic. This time, however, Blackhawks showed up to pick up our guys and we were really able to put our SABC (self aid buddy care) and litter carry training to the test. The ride in the Blackhawks was the favorite experience by most of our troops at the FTX.

Both Blackhawks landing at our camp after being signaled by one of our troops who popped smoke to signify their safe and designated landing point.

I lead our MEDEVAC mission from our Base Defense Operations Center (BDOC), because I didn't want any of our troops to miss out on the Blackhawk ride. To my surprise, after the mission ended they came back to give the rest of us joyrides who didn't get to go. Just my luck!

Our entire FTX flight. What a great group of people this was. This was our flight (Armageddon Flight! BOOM!) and OPFOR members on our last night of training.

If the pictures didn't do it justice, check out the video of our training that a visiting troop put together for us.



I don't think I can say it enough--I love my job. The opportunities I'm being given at the Air National Guard and within Security Forces are more than I could ever have asked for. Every single day brings something new--a new challenge, a new dilemma, a new way to help, a new lesson to learn. The hours are long and the work can be rough, but this job and the people I get to work with make all the difference in the world. As I say every single day (and sometimes it's to remind myself as well--trust me--we all have those days)... "I love my job. I love my job. I love my job!"

Arizona Road Trip

After spending 4.5-months away from home at the Security Forces Officer Course in San Antonio, Texas, I was ready to spend some much-needed time with my husband! He flew down to make the drive home with me, and we decided to turn the road trip into a week-long vacation through Arizona. In fact, in the 4+ years we have been married, it was the very first vacation we have taken where it's been just the two of us for the entire time (without another family member/friend). This was our trip!

My favorite part of the vacation was that he surprised me with the entire trip, taking us to amazing and scenic locations all across Arizona on the way back. Prior to our departure, all I knew was that we were going to be driving home and stopping at a couple places along the way... he orchestrated the entire adventure and I couldn't have been more grateful or appreciative of the amount of time he took to set it all up for us. Man, I'm a lucky wife!

Needless to say, the vacation--true to our style--was jam-packed with hikes, restaurant exploration, poolside relaxation, and a list of "must-do-agains" for next time! Check out some of my favorite photos from the trip below...

The day before the road trip, we had to have one last trip to Gruene, Texas to enjoy a margarita at Cantina del Rio (BEST MARGARITAS EVER!). We also ate a delicious dinner at the Gristmill.

Before leaving Texas, we visited the Natural Bridge Caverns in New Braunfels. They were stunning!

Our first stop was in Tuscon, Arizona. We stayed at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tanque Verde. That place was a dream getaway. The hotel was exquisite, secluded, and so romantic! We hiked all over the area while we were there. Our first hike was the Bear Canyon Trail to 7 Falls at Sabino Canyon.

Our favorite hike of the trip was the Ventana Canyon trail, with the trailhead beginning at our resort. The trail was an intermediate level hike and got our blood pumping. We loved that it was a longer trail and could have spent all day on it. The views were incredible.

After all our hikes, desert was a must. The Screamery in Tuscon was so yummy--their homemade ice cream was to die for. This was a cup of honeycomb & oatmeal monster cookie. It was not enough... I could have eaten an entire quart of it!

We also visited the Sonoran Desert Museum just outside of Tuscon. It reminded us a lot of the Living Desert in Palm Desert, California. If you like zoos, this place was a must!

Our next stop after Tuscon was Scottsdale, Arizona. We stayed at the Eagle Mountain Inn in Fountain Hills. We found this chuckwalla on the Sunrise Trail in Scottsdale. That trail had a great incline, the most beautiful views, and tons and tons of lizards.

This is a shot from the top of the Sunrise Trail. It's a must to make it to the top!

In addition to ice cream, we had to try each town's #1 Mexican spot. Our new favorite Mexican joint in Arizona (coming in closely behind Armando's in Palm Desert, California) is Cien Agaves in Old Town Scottsdale. This was the cheese crispy and it was the size of a huge pizza. That, along with their margaritas, made for our favorite meal of the entire trip.

Our next stop was Chandler, Arizona (Daniel's hometown) and we stayed at the Wild Horse Casino. Our first evening there, we did a night time hike at the Siphon Draw Trail at the Lost Dutchman State Park (Superstition Mountains) in Apache Junction, AZ. It was a VERY, very cool hike... beautiful during the day and CRAZY at night because that's when the "creatures" come out to play (if you don't like spiders, DO NOT look at the next photo...)!

We saw at least 30 GIANT tarantulas and a bark scorpion as soon as the sun went down on the Siphon Draw trail. If the park didn't close at 10:00 pm, we would have spent all night looking for cool (read: creepy) things!

The last night of our road trip was spent at the Plaza Hotel at Fremont Street in Vegas, though on the way there we stopped in Sedona, Arizona to check out the quaint little town. It was so scenic and the perfect spot to spend a couple of hours before hitting Vegas.

The entire week was so magical. I didn't share photos of all our hikes or every adventure we took... but each one was one for the memory books. I was blown away by the amount of time that Daniel took to research and plan our trip, and so grateful that he did it all as a surprise for me. The trip was exactly the vacation I needed to bookend my training prior to going back to work. I don't think it could have been any better!

It may have been our first trip to Arizona together, but it certainly won't be our last!