Short Trip to Hilton Head, SC

Two weeks ago we sold Lana's car and this past Friday we took our BMW to the Charleston port for shipment to Germany.  Thanks to our neighbors and friends from church for letting us borrow their cars!  Since we were already at the coast, we decided to make a short holiday out of it and spend a couple days in Hilton Head, SC.  It was our first trip as a family of four and an enjoyable time.

While there we rented bikes for a ride on the hard sandy beach, had great food, and enjoyed relaxing by the pool (until storms arrived).  This was our last trip in the USA for a few years while we're living in Germany.  We move to Germany in only two short weeks!

Selected For Major

Today I received word I was selected for the rank of Major.  Along with that, I was also selected to attend Air Command and Staff College (ACSC) in residence (some accomplish this online only).  Major is a little different in that I won't pin on the rank for another year or so.  The Air Force can only have so many Majors, so I have to wait until either enough retire or get promoted to Lt Colonel.  It was June of 2007 when I pinned on Captain rank while stationed at Aviano (click here).

As a Major, I'll continue to do my Weapons Officer job at Spangdahlem for the next three years.  After our assignment in Germany is when I would attend ACSC and then do a staff job (usuallt no flying) after.  It is also the point I could get out of the active duty Air Force and join the Air National Guard or Air Force Reserves either part or full time.  After I completed pilot training in January of 2005 I incurred a 10 year commitment to the active duty Air Force, which is up in 2015.  So, we'll see where God leads us in the future...more traveling and seeing the World in the meantime!

Germany Soon...

In a little less than a month we will be on our way to Spangdahlem, Gemany to start our next assignment, enjoying Lufthansa business class enroute (Lana is still on flight attendant maternity leave).  Before then, we have to drop a car at the Charleston, SC port, pack up our house, and receive Liam and Lillian's passports in the mail.  Thankfully, the extent of our packing is essentially organizing our things for the moving company to pack.  We have three different shippments starting the 3rd of April and our house should be empty by the 11th.  Thankfully we already have renters for our house, who move in on the 16th of April.

Lana and I are really looking forward to being in Europe again and look forward to the many travel opportunities.  Castles, the Alps, gasthof's, schnitzel and more await us!  Our first stop will be in Munich to visit Lana's family there.  I'm taking three weeks off so that we can relax a bit and spend some time in the German Alps before getting back into the work routine.  I think I mentioned this previously, but it is a blessing to be stationed at Spangdahlem.  I know of other F-16 pilots who have not been to Europe at all, and we'll have been at both European F-16 bases.

Once at Spangdahlem, we will be living on base until we're able to find a house off base we like.  So far Lana and I have a town we think we'd like to live in, but we'll have to see what it's like in person first.  We'll also be buying a second car...we just sold Lana's this past Sunday after advertising it on the internet for one day.  The Air Force will only ship one of our vehicles overseas.  Once we're somewhat settled, I'll start flying in the 480th Fighter Squadron and eventually take over as their Weapons Offcer sometime mid summer.  My job title will be "Chief of Weapons and Tactics."  While here at Shaw I've been instructing a lot, but have not been a squadron "patch" yet.  As the schedule stands right now, I have 3-4 flights left here at Shaw before we move...the time is passing fast!

Lillian Kate Ferguson

On February 24th at 1:11 AM, God blessed Lana and I with a healthy baby girl - Lillian Kate Ferguson!  Lana and I did not know the gender, so as with Liam it was a big surprise.  The delivery was very easy for Lana, and the experience enjoyable since she had the same doctor and same two nurses as she did with Liam.  One nurse came in during her time off and the other worked an 18 hour shift just to be there for the delivery.  Lana became good friends with them after her first delivery and wanted them there for the second.

We were able to leave the hospital a little early on Saturday evening and be home together now as a family of four.  Difficult to believe we have two children now...time flies!  Family will be visiting over the next couple of weeks and the military gives me two weeks off to help around the house and adjust to our new family member.  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Crossing The USA, Christmas & New Years 2011

On December 12th Lana, Liam and I started our trip back from Weapons School at Nellis AFB, NV to Adrian, MI.  We took our time along the way, stopping in Boulder, CO for a day with friends and only drove 8 hours / day.  Liam did great while driving and overall kept himself entertained in the little space he had amongst all our luggage.  Thank God for a boy with a great and relaxed personality.  Lana did well too being 8 months pregnant and not being able to recline her seat.  The first half of the trip was more enjoyable than the second as we drove through the Rockies.  East of Denver it's just farm land.

We arrived in Adrian, MI at my parent's place on December 17th after about 2,200 miles and enjoyed the next week relaxing with family and decompressing from Weapons School. Lana, Liam and I have enjoyed more time together during my time off! As I wrote about in the last post, we had a chance to visit family in Canada and take Liam to my Dad's farm where he had his first tractor ride. He and I both enjoyed it since I miss the farm.

After a week in Adrian, we made our way to Mansfield, OH to my Grandmother's place for Christmas. Lot's of family around on my Mom's side with almost every square in of the floor taken by someone at night.

We're now wrapping up our time in Xenia, OH where most of my family lives now. Lots of relaxing, eating, lifting / running with my youngest brother Devin without the routine of work is coming to an end. Tomorrow morning we'll be driving back to South Carolina where I'll return to work on January 4th. Crazy it's already 2012...seems as though that's become my normal response to each New Year's Day. This coming April I'll have been in the Air Force 9 years, and time is literally flying! April also means we move to Germany, which will be done with an additional family member due February 19th. Lots of cool changes ahead as we anticipate returning to Europe!