Promotion! And Going to the Moon in My House!

It is now February of 2012. A LOT has happened since last October when I last blogged. Things have gotten a little crazy, but they are good...no-GREAT!

Right as we get into the "groove" of Chris being home, the typical constant in our lives occurred: CHANGE! About a week before Halloween 2011, I (Robin) was put on furlough from Yingling Aviation. So...I was kind-of-a: "Part-Time-Full-Time Stay at Home Mom." What a deal! I got the priveledge of trying out the staying home gig with the intent of being home only about 6 weeks  and then going back to work around Christmas time. What a deal! It's like an internship...only better! I get the best of both worlds! Job waiting for me at work and wonderful time at home with my darling, Theo!

I was told to expect to go back around December 15th...ish. The date came and went. No Call. So-I enjoyed some wonderful time at home with the family for the holidays. No problem-thank you !!

I kept in touch with "the guys" and they kept me updated on progress, and how things were. Slowly, things I began to get the feeling that I wasn't going to get to go back. Long story short, Yingling was up for another contract with Cessna to discuss whether to "renew" the contract on the Skycatcher Program. I do not know all the details-but what I do know is no agreement was reached-all the individuals on the program were either repositioned as much as possible or laid off. While this is sad news for a number of wonderful individuals that I worked with, it was nice closure for me. I felt like I always "had to be ready" to go back into work, get daycare, arrange things, etc. when I got called to go back. BUT--the call never came, and it will not any more. The program has gone down to Independance, Kansas where they will continue to reassemble the Skycatcher aircraft for Cessna.

While I had a BLAST working on the program-and it was an honor to be selected-I feel I gained valuable experience while employed and expanded my skill set, yet again. I have been extremely blessed to have worked with such talented, dedicated individuals, as well as made some life-long friends. Cheers to that!

So-where do I go from here? While I am sad to not be up in the air daily, I am thrilled to be here at home with my little darling, Theo. Chris has finally settled into his job at Flight Safety in the King Air 350 Program as an Instructor. It is nice having him home and being able to enjoy some much needed family time.

So...what am I going to do now? Well, for those of you who know me well, I will always love space...and I have had the priviledge to have had the opportunity to take a little glimpse of what it might be like to go to the Moon. Last week, I was watching my friends kiddo's, and the oldest, Danny, was looking at a space book we had here on the shelf. He was so funny. He asked some simple questions, and I explained things to him. Just a few short minutes later, he grabbed a puzzle-piece foam cube I had made, and put it on his head, and was walking around the basement being "an astronaut" !!! So, while it appears that I may not be getting any closer to going to the Moon, these kiddo's sure put a smile on my face that day. And, even if I never make it there, I feel like I have gotten to experience it a little...! See a picture of Danny and his two sisters being "astronauts". They even were on the couch, pretending to "take off" and it was soooooo cuuuuute!

So, here's to the many adventures that are ahead!

Fall Cleaning

Well, I FINALLY did it...I moved my junk out of my parent's house...yeah...after...entirely too many years of telling them "yeah mom n dad...I am going to clean out my old room" So.....I finally did...HOW did I accumulate so MUCH junk!?

I think there is an art to cleaning and I am not so good at either art or cleaning...! Needless to say we took the 'box and sort later' approach. We loaded up our car with boxes and set out on the endeavor at my parent's house. It took most of the day...cleaning the closet, boxing up stuffed animals (a lot of cows!), and clothes. So now...all that stuff is in my garage. And this week's project is to sort through it, donate, recycle, and trash items as needed. Motivation: we need to insulate the garage and I would LOVE to park my car in the garage again this winter....and my car has been sitting on the driveway since June...when we began our bathroom project. So...needless to say, it's time to clean the garage and my junk and park in the garage again.

So...What have I found with my cleaning? Well...Memories:
I found that I have a wonderful network of friends. Some I have kept up with, some I have not. I have Had some wonderful pictures, memories, and even some funny stories to go along with the years of junk I have accumulated. I had a lot of letters that I had kept and enjoyed re-reading the memories and seeing the pictures of faces I had long ago forgotten. I am really blessed.

So the sorting began, much like the Harry Potter fans will relate to with the sorting hat. I set out my boxes: donate, trash, recycle, re-gift (toys to friends kids), etc.

I have now made it through ALL the boxes...but still not a clean garage. Well...closer! So my job for the rest of the week is to clean up the piles, etc. And hopefully we will get to start insulating the garage this weekend! Keep your fingers crossed!

So--that's my latest project.

On another note, Chris passed his King Air 350 Checkride last Friday. YAY! So proud of him!
Kiddo Update: He figured out how to open and close the screen door. Lucky us. And...he has started the "tantrum" stage....oh boy...here goes nuthin'!

Its September!

Wow...September...ALREADY!?!

What have we been up to lately? Let me start today and roll backwards:

For me, things have been busy as ever at work...a "typical" week we deliver 4ish...more or less... airplanes. In the past couple of weeks, I have been blessed to double that number...so I have been flying like crazy. This past week, I have finally had a chance to catch my breath. YAY! I am still loving what I'm doing. In fact-yesterday I even got to make a "short approach" (aka...hurry up and go to the runway and land as quickly as possible) so I zoomed in...fast...(ok...so like 120 knots...plus a bit of a tail wind)...and that is still way slower than Chris' beloved 757 or 767..but it's fast for a Skycatcher!...landed, pulled off, and the controller says: Nice Job, Thanks for the help! (and I grin thinking, THAT was fun!)

Chris started a new job last week. Working here in town again...5 or 6 days a week, but home every night. WOW...never thought we would have a "normal" life again. I guess we are transitioning to a new "normal." Theodore is LOVING it and I am getting used to seeing my other 1/2 again.

It's funny: When we dated...we only lived in the same place for three months until Chris graduated...and dated for eight months...were engaged....then got married just over a year later...of that time...we only lived in the same town for three months...wow...I guess looking back at it-it's pretty good we are good at communicating-since we ended up spending so much time apart! In the past two years, (well, 1.75 years), our schedule has been to see each other two weeks on and two weeks off (if we were lucky)...and seeing each other every day is going to take some getting used to. Not to mention, the past year, my work schedule had been CRAZY...so we are looking forward to a new "normal" and "family" life. FINALLY!

A comical moment:
This morning,  I wake up for my usual routine, then the baby wakes up. Rats. I think he heard my alarm. grr... Oh and Chris is home-uhh...maybe the baby will go back to sleep? (no such luck) ok, I shower, then get him up, feed him....get ready....happy baby? yes-he is playing with daddy. Good! (that's a nice addition) Now...breakfast..hmm..oh he wants to eat my breakfast. No bubba, you get milk and graham crackers for now...you get breakfast at daycare.....and on we go...load up the car, get the baby and the essentials...off we go!

We are getting used to the fact that I am the morning person and Chris is the night owl. Right as I am winding down from my day, he asks something "important" like about the bank, or a schedule, or something....and I look at him: Darlin, I know this is important, but it's past my internal clock's ability to function with any intelligent thought process right now. Can it wait until morning when I can comprehend this topic? (and he usually responds..but I will not be able to comprehend it in the morning...it can wait until lunch!) hahahaaa.....equal and opposite. Love it!


Last week (or two?? Whenever Labor Day was) I had the privilege of introducing Dr. Peggy Chabrian (founder and President of Women in Aviation International www.wai.org) to a group for lunch. I was honored and excited! I am the president of a local provisional chapter for this group...and still have some paperwork to finish to become an official chapter.(I need to finish that! the "to do list" keeps getting longer!) She and her husband, Jerry, were even able to come to Yingling for a tour of the Skycatchers and I was excited to show them around. What an honor.


We also finished our BATHROOM PROJECT! WOW! Yes...after about two months of anxious anticipation of the "unfinished" bathroom in our basement, we FINALLY got the walls painted, trim up, towel racks up, etc. We even had a "potty party" to celebrate the hard work of our friend and carpenter. It was a great time.

Oh---and August...we celebrated Theodore's 1st Birthday!
We had family over to celebrate his big day. Our friend, Niki, also has kiddo's with his birthday, so we even had a small friend party. Theodore enjoyed the cake and ice cream...and I think now he knows what they are....so we have to be careful!

Much before that, my brain is going foggy on what we have been up to. I spend most of July flying in 115 degree heat...in my flight suit...and chugging Gatorade like it was going out of style. It was sad when 95 degrees felt like a cold front. And now we have 75 degree weather....and colder...it feels like winter.

Other than that, we are LOVING being in Wichita with some great family and friends. I am sad to say that I will not be getting much more international chocolate. sigh....I guess there was something good about Chris flying all over the world. But I am sure glad to have him home.

God Bless Friends. We love you all!

Weekend Trip

This past weekend, Chris, Theodore, and I went to Salina on Friday night. Chris went on to Kansas City and Theodore and I had a wonderful weekend. Saturday we hung out with Auntie Karen and Uncle Erik and Fur-Cousin Bailey Dog and Fur-Cousin Essie-Cat. Watching Theodore and Bailey play together was funny. As Chris describes it: They are both uncontrolled creatures. Theodore is trying to walk and then falls over. Bailey tries to move and figure out where Theodore's going, then ends up walking into him. They both end up wondering what the other is going to do! Needless to say, they both had a good time. Theodore seems to like animals. He even found Essie sitting patiently on a chair....and Theodore decided to go pet the kitty. Well, he got one or two good, soft pets in before Essie decided she was done with that! It was pretty cute.

We also went to the swimming pool. Theodore seems to enjoy that quite a bit. He loves splashing and playing with fountains of water. He doesn't seem to be afraid of getting his face wet either, so that's good! We all had a wonderful time.

Saturday night Karen watched the baby while I went to church. It was nice to have some me and God time without wondering what Theodore was getting into. THANKS AUNTIE KAREN!!!

After church, we had a quick dinner and then departed for Wakefield, KS where our friends from college, Cristina, Josh and their two kiddo's live. It was WAY past Theodore's bedtime by the time we arrived, but luckily he settled in quickly and fell asleep for the night. Cristina and I enjoyed chatting and even got a little laundry folding done. We both agreed that it's nice to have wonderful hubby's who are better at putting clothes away than we are! They also do well at matching the socks....and Chris is especially good at making sure the things get put on hangers....which is nice because by the time I get all the shirts folded, he has everything hung up. What a team. Speaking of which...I think I have at least 3 baskets of folded laundry to attend to at home....hmm....Chris....you will be home soon, right?!

Today is a little slow for me. I am not doing much flying, but that's OK. I am hoping to be "done" working today by lunchtime because the heat is...well...hot. Somehow wearing a flame retardant flight suit gets warm....it doesn't breathe much, but we sure look cool.

Last night I got to see some good friends of ours who live in Indiana! Theodore and I had a wonderful time seeing them, and hope they get to come back soon.

Tomorrow I'm looking forward to a visit from a college friend who will be in town for a few hours. We might even get to fo for a fun flight! Can't wait!

So...whatever each of you are doing today...stay cool and enjoy!

Happy 4th of July

Well, this weekend has come and gone. I hope you each had a wonderful 4th!

I got to thinking about how blessed we all are to live in this country, where we have freedoms we don't ever think about. As many of you know, Chris travels around the world (literally) and sometimes stays in countries where there are not freedoms of speech, religion, etc. I cannot be more thankful of the wonderful country we live in. I remember several days when Chris could not even call home because some countries have "censored" or "monitored" connections. WOW. I have a hard time even fathoming that...but I know that it exists because we could not talk on the phone (well, phone via Internet) and that is an eye opener for me. Also, thanks to our wonderful military who give up years of their lives in serving this country to protect the freedoms we have. I can only understand a small portion of the sacrifice they give the rest of us, and I am so grateful for that. They give up time spent at home with loved ones, they sacrifice their lives--all for the rest of us. Thank you.

On the 3rd, our neighborhood decided to celebrate the holiday. The "party" started early--and there were things blowing up all night long. My parents and two brothers came over to see the festivities. Theodore loved the extra company and we all had a wonderful time. Our entire block comes together and has fireworks all night...it's pretty cool. So next year-anyone who doesn't have plans is welcome to invite themselves over for a good show. There are loud fireworks, pretty fireworks, and even a few smoke bombs in the mix. Plenty of entertainment !

On the 4th, we went to a fly-in at a local 99's (organization of women pilots: www.ninety-nines.org ) at an airstrip just West of Wichita. We had a wonderful time as a family! We visited with the pilots and Theodore even got to go on his first "small" airplane ride! He did REALLY well! I will try to post a few pictures soon.

Jobs, Birthday, Life

Wow...long time no chat!

Quick catch up:
In March, I put in my two weeks notice at the City of Wichita in the Operations Department. While I loved the work I was doing, the hours were tough, and getting increasingly more difficult with family life (and Theresa moving out in May). I accepted a job working for Yingling Aviation as a Production Test Pilot. WHAT?! Yes...."test" ...but "production test" is the important part. I am now back to flying airplanes...and loving it. Without going into a huge sappy story about how I enjoyed chasing coyotes...and the people I worked with, I will sum it all up in this phrase: I am grateful for the people who dedicated time and effort into expanding my opportunities in aviation. Thanks does not quite seem like enough gratitude to put into those who trained me--but I suppose it will have to suffice.

Now...Mid-March I began working as a Production Test Pilot. No...I'm not the person who is testing the limits of the airplane. Basically, in plain English-this is what I do:
The mechanics pull the airplanes off of crates and assemble the aircraft. I fly the newly assembled aircraft to make sure it meets certain specifications before it is delivered to the customer. So there is really nothing to be worried about! (heehee) As the girls at daycare say: "oh my! how dangerous!?!" But as my coworker says, "danger is not knowing what you are doing. I know exactly what I'm doing." And friends, I have to agree. I know the limits and I know when something is not right. And it's not knowing the limits that is dangerous. Thanks friend.

So...new job...yes..hours: roughtly 7am to whenever I get done. If it's too windy...well...sometimes there is work to do on the ground, sometimes not. Needless to say, I'm having to figure out what to do in my spare time.  It's been great for family and friend life. I no longer to go to bed at 7pm. WOW! And yes, sometimes I still wake up at 4am...but that's OK. I get to stay up until 9-10pm now (YEAH...wow!) and I don't have to wake up until 5:15am. It's a nice change...and I'm loving the schedule.

Chris: still working for Omni and having fun going places. Speaking of....my sister-in-law, Theresa, did live with us for the past year or so. She moved out in May and also got a job at Omni...as a flight attendant! She is nearly done with training and (we are thrilled to report) that she is at the top of her class. We are so proud of her! She has missed Theodore dearly and I'm sure will pay us a visit soon.

Speaking of Theodore....he is nearly 10 months old...wow..........! He is crawling like crazy and still has only 6 teeth...but I have a sneaking suspicion that there are a handful more coming in any day. He is nearly walking...so close...but still likes to hold onto our fingers as he meanders around the house. He loves to play with open doors...and even tries to help me cook now and then. I let him play with tupperware and sometimes I even hold him while I'm food-processing stuff. He likes to watch me while I make his food. He's quite the big helper.

Birthday: Well, I'm now a quarter of a century old! wow. I had the most wonderful birthday. Most of my family/friends won the "rabbit rabbit" game...but that's OK. I went to work, came home, and had a wonderful dinner with my family. We tried a new recipe and even had time to play the game Boggle (one of my favorite games!! and Chris got it for me for my bday). I went to bed that night knowing I am loved, and thanking God for the many blessings in my life.

Well, that's most of what is on my mind for now. I figured it's been awhile, so I owed you all an update.
Much love,
The Laws Family

PS: Air Race Classic starts soon....10 days away! I'm going to be blogging for the KSU  team...see the website:
ksuarc.blogspot.com

Snow Pictures!

Check out this link/story...
http://www.kansascw.com/kscw/news/kwch-news-dmh-crews-clear-runways-at-midcontinent-airport-20110209,0,6895925.story

AND: Compliments of my co-worker, Ty, he caught a few cool pics I would like to share. This is a great picture of a few pieces of equipment we have:

(From Left to Right: broom, snowplow, broom, snow-blower)




THIS is just GORGEOUS! It is the snow-blower:



Again, photo credit: my co-worker, Ty!!