Easter Weekend

Happy Thursday! I hope you all had a wonderful Easter! Matthew and I enjoyed a very active weekend with something planned every day. Good Friday we spent the evening with friends dyeing Easter eggs and playing games. We didn’t get home until just after midnight. After sleeping in until 10:00am Saturday morning we went bowling where I had the very rare pleasure of beating Matthew our last game of the night.

Sunday morning we went to church not once but twice at different churches! It was a busy morning with one service ending at 9:30am and the next starting at 10:00am with a 25 min drive in between. We barely made it. In the afternoon we sat down for a fantastic Easter lunch with the McVay’s, Marlow’s and Arun Chittur. After lunch we enjoyed the beautiful weather outside playing Corn Hole, my competitive side tried to stay calm when the game was boys against girls. Dana, Jen and I put up a fight but the boys won every game. We finished the night talking and eating delicious homemade strawberry shortcake made by Dana. All in all a great Easter weekend!

Matthew aced his test on Monday and has a big trainer ride today. He gets to practice the all important key turn for the first time. Yikes, scary! But at least from now on he gets to wear his flight suit. YAY! I love the flight suits.

This weekend we are going to try our San Diego trip again barring any unforeseen traffic citations from Italy. Oops.

Enjoy the slide show below showing our Easter fun!

Back From Colorado

Well, I just got home Monday from my quick trip to Colorado. I was there to help throw a bridal shower for my friend Danae Jensen who is getting married May 28. It was also a great time to catch up with family and friends. Although not as much as I would like because I was so busy running around like a crazy person! I was able to have a wonderful dinner with Floyd and Laurel, go to a fun Pampered Chief party, and go to church at Foothills on Palm Sunday. I also had a terrific time seeing Danae and Scott’s new apartment after coffee, and then of course the bridal shower, which went off without a hitch I am happy to say.

I am so happy to be back in the warm weather! Now that I am home it is time to start focusing on getting ready to move. I can’t believe we are just two months away from being out of our
first house. I am going to be sure to take lots of pictures. Please keep this move in your prayers as it looks like we are going to have to move ourselves because Matthew is not going to get his orders early enough to have the Air Force move us before I leave for Colorado once again.

However, there is a light at the end of this tunnel. Matthew and I both get to join my family on an Alaskan cruse to celebrate my grandparent’s fiftieth anniversary! Matthew graduates from class on June 12 and the cruse leaves June 13 so even though it’s cutting it close he will be able to come with us. YAY!

I hope you all are having a great week!

Here is a picture of Danae (far right) and her mother and sister at the shower.

Seal Beach

A few miles north of Hearst Castle there is a beautiful beach where Elephant Seals like to come and hang out throughout the year. It was so fun to go see the seals in the wild with some good friends of ours, Stephen and Jen McVay. See the slideshow below for pictures!

Hearst Castle

Yesterday we had a great time visiting Hearst Castle. It's amazing! This place is so big there are five different tours you can take to look at different parts of the castle and grounds. We took "The Experience" tour which is the one recommended for first time visitors. It is an overview of the castle and includes looking at both swimming pools, the guest houses, and the main floor.

The castle was built by William Hearst who built his fortune though the newspaper industry in the first part of the 1900s. Hearst formally named the estate “La Cuesta Encantada” (“The Enchanted Hill”). Here is a slideshow of pictures that capture some of what we experienced.

And Now There Are Two

I just wanted to give you an update. Matthew and I have decided to keep Cali! We are very excited about the new addition to our family. Romeo and Cali are already great friends and have quickly become partners in crime as we have found out from the complete bag of treats they got off the counter when we went to town the other day.

Happy Thursday!

Happy Thursday! I hope you all are having a wonderful week! These last few weeks have been very busy here at the Ditson home. Matthew had his first test in his IQT (Initial Qualification Training) class last Thursday and says overall he feels good but he knows he still has a lot to learn. He also had his first training ride. This simulates what it is going to like inside the missle silo at Malmstrom AFB. We are very excited that Matthew’s partner in these training rides is our good friend Brian Marlo. Brian and his wife Dana live right down the street from us and are also going to Montana! I am so excited that I am going to be able to have the car sometimes and they get to carpool!

Here at the house we have become a foster family to the most adorable little Beagle. Her name is Cali and our friends who originally had her couldn’t keep her in the house they are renting. Cali and Rome love to play chase and tug-a-war and she has made herself at home very quickly, but she still seems a little small for Romeo to play the way he wants to. Matthew and I are really struggling with the decision to keep her or not.

I have finally found a job! I am going to work from home doing Xocai Healthy Chocolate! I am so excited about the opportunities and options this business opens up for us! I am having my first Chocolate Tasting and my Business Launch April 9! This is right after I get home from visiting CO for a bridal shower for my dear friend Danae!

Last but not least, this weekend we are headed to San Diego! YAY! We are hoping to take in the zoo and Sea World and many other fun stops along the way! Pictures and updates to come!

I just realized that is nine exclaimation marks in a row... I am REALLY EXCITED!

One Step Closer!

Hi All!
Yesterday Matthew graduated from his Space 100 class. He received academic achievement, which was only given to the top 10% of students. Matthew graduated with an overall score of just over a 99%! I am so proud! Last night we celebrated by going to Red Robin with some of our friends who were also in Matthew’s graduating class. Can you believe that two of them had never been to Red Robin before! We are so excited that we are one step closer to leaving for Montana! Matthew starts his classes for the missile career field today.

As much as we love CA we are ready to get the show on the road. This last week I have gone through a number of different emotions concerning our move. At first, although I tried to have a positive attitude, I was really disappointed that we weren’t going home to CO. I was sure that was where we were supposed to go! However, I have been able to think and pray this week and I remembered something that Matthew and I talked about when we first got married. We said that the Air Force was a great opportunity to see things and places that we might otherwise not be able to see. We decided that we wanted to go to as many different places as possible. Every new place we move is a new adventure, and a chance to meet people that could be lifelong friends. I also remembered that we have been praying about this move for months and I know others have been praying as well. I know that the Lord has a plan for us and that if he put us in Montana that is where we are supposed to be! I am now so excited to go to Montana! Matthew and I are already planning some fun trips to Canada, and go white water rafting! It is also exciting that home is only a one day drive, and we are only a six hour drive to my grandparent’s house in Idaho!

Thank you all for your continued prayers for our family. I would like to share with you another prayer request that have been on my heart this week. One of the chaplains here at Vandenberg, Chaplain Baker, received orders last week for a one year, unaccompanied tour to Korea. His family will be moving closer to Mrs. Baker’s family while he is gone. They were not expecting this assignment for at least another year and it looks like he will be leaving in May. I know your prayers are greatly appreciated.

Below are just a couple pictures from yesterday’s ceremony. Enjoy! :)