Home is Where the Air Force Sends You

When Andrew was in Basic Training he was able to create something called a "Dream Sheet" of the top 10 places we would like to be stationed.  Of course, as it is well known, no one gets the option of choosing their first location.  They are randomly assigned to that group and Andrew's group was assigned to either Georgia or North Dakota. Our assignment has us leaving the end of April. Not that I would want to go to either place, we of course got the worst of both....Minot. 

We are coming from this...

...going to this...

I am ALWAYS cold so hopefully I survive while I am there.  When we were told we were going to Minot, Andrew blamed his bad luck.  Honestly, I was definitely not excited about going as North Dakota is probably the last place I would ever choose to go.  But one thing I can choose, is to have a positive attitude about going.  Obviously the Lord has a plan for us and is sending us there for a reason.  So instead of constantly complaining about my circumstances I need to start looking for the good in us going there.

But first, a little information from the Welcome to Minot AFB fact sheet:

• the climate is mostly cold, dry and windy (gusts getting up to 50mph!)
• the average annual snow fall is 40 inches
• the record snow fall in 24 hours is 17 inches
• the coldest temperature ever recorded is -35 degrees
• the hottest temperature has been 107
• Minot is called "the magic city"
• occasionally "northern lights" can be seen

Just because I am going to try to be happy doesn't mean you can't feel a little sorry for my drastic change in scenery.  Just kidding, but seriously...

One positive thing I have heard many times told to me is based from our relationship.  For the first time since we have been together we are actually going to have lots of time to spend together.  We are going to be VERY far from our families and with it snowing most of time that leaves us getting snowed in together! While the next 4 years seem very daunting at least we will be there together. 

So as they say in the military...

"Why Not Minot?!"

~The Andersons

 



Life As We Know It

Our first official blog post!  I have been wanting for a while to create a blog to keep our family and friends up on our life.  We have been married for a while but we feel as though we are just getting started with our life together!  This past little while has been insane to keep up to date as to where we have been and what we have been doing.  So let me fill you in on the last 8 months...

To start off, the 1st of September I went on an AMAZING adventure on a service-learning internship to Romania where I worked with children with disabilities (with no moms) at an orphanage and hospital...

...meanwhile on October 4th, Andrew started one of his own



We were so lucky to accomplish these experiences at the same time when I was able to attend Andrew's Basic Training Graduation for the Air Force in December!

...this included his family coming and spending the weekend in San Antonio!  So time together at Sea World was of course expected!



But, the weekend soon ended...and the rest of our time apart began as Andrew went immediately to Tech School in Missouri.  It was then that I went and stayed with my grandparents in Mountain Home, AR and with with my aunts in Iowa.  I was so fortunate to be able to see Andrew once a month for the weekend.  That's right- ONCE A MONTH! 

It was once said...

“True love doesn't have a happy ending, because true love never ends. Letting go is one way of saying I love you.”

We said goodbye but knew if we could just get through these next few months our lives would be better because of this sacrifice!

In the meantime...last Tuesday I came and stayed with my parents in Utah to wait for Andrew to finish and graduate from tech school April 2! 

Love Always,

The Andersons