Graduation

Ryan's AEGD Program ended this last week and they had graduation on Friday. It was an enjoyable day. We spent a few hours at the Ft. Lewis Museum.



Then went and changed for the ceremony. The graduates each got a medal and Ryan even got an extra one that he wasn't expecting for being MC at the Birthday Ball.


Ryan's class of AEGD Residents.


He got to give a short speech since he was the class president. It was a nice event with cake afterward. Kimberly enjoyed the frosting flowers a lot.



After the ceremony we went to the Varsity Grill in downtown Tacoma and had dinner and a little reception.

Glade didn't make it all the way there in the car and actually slept for about an hour after we got there.


The seats were very comfortable.


The residents made a movie that we enjoyed watching. There was a fun fountain outside the restaurant that the kids enjoyed playing around.

Cousins

Kim and the kids came to visit us on Monday afternoon. We met them at Ft. Lewis and showed them around a little bit. We saw a Chinook hovering and landing, which was fun, went to the hospital on post (my sister-in-law is a nurse), stopped by the dental clinic where Ryan works, and also got out by some helicopters and an old tank on display outside of various buildings. We enjoyed having them come. They spent the night and then while Ryan had to go back to work on Tuesday, the rest of us spent the afternoon at Pt. Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, which I again took no pictures of. Help me out please Kim. Thanks for taking the time to come and see us. We really enjoyed it!

Kim, Ryan, and the kids in front of the old Ft. Lewis gate.


Ryan showing the kids something in the dental clinic.


We had what I had planned on for the 4th of July for dinner, including a BBQ and then cookies with fruit topping. Red, white, and blue, you know!

O-Day

Apparently, in the Army they have what is called Organization Day (O-day for short). It is basically a company party with mandatory attendance for all servicemen and women. We decided to check it out. They had it on base at a park by the Sound. It was a little cold, but nice most of the time. We waited in a VERY long line for lunch of hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, etc. etc. picnic food. They had some races and other things. Kim did a cake walk that they had for the kids.

Still in the game and things are good!

She took this very seriously and got really upset when she got out. She was pacified when they gave her a gigantic cupcake though, so it turned out OK.

Ryan and Kim went out on the Sound on a ride-on kayak. Then we all went out on a paddleboat.

It rained a little, but not too bad. All in all it was a fun day and great to be together as a family.

Can You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street?

This last month it came to us. We were lucky to have a free USO show of Sesame Street on the Air Force Base next to Ft. Lewis. There were a LOT of people there, but we really enjoyed the break from moving in.

Ryan and Glade in self-portrait



Elmo and the gang

Fun on the 4th

After the race, which I wrote about in the previous post, we just took it easy for the afternoon. In the evening we waited for the rain to stop and then went a few blocks over for the program. They had a carnival and we let Kim ride a few rides. I think those were her first carnival rides except the carousel at the zoo in Columbus.

Here's Kim at the race waiting for Dad to run by.



She was really excited to ride the airplane ride, but when it started she thought it went too fast.




After that, Dad went with her on the fire engine ride and she seemed to like that better.




After that we went and sat on the bleachers while they had the Salute to the Union, which included a cannon blast for each of the fifty states. Then there was an Army band concert, which was great, but by the end the kids were starting to get tired. Then it was fireworks time. The fireworks were some of the best I've ever seen. Glade managed to see most of them, but Kim was just too darn tired. It's that darn daylight savings time. It was too late for the kids by the time it was dark enough for fireworks.



At the end of the day, I realized I hadn't gotten any pictures of Glade, so I snapped one back in our hotel room in his cute 4th of July outfit from Grammy and Granddad. He is tired, but still happy.

Mud Run

On the 4th of July they had a 7.5 K Mud Run here on base. Ryan decided to run in it. It was a really fun race. It was a run on dirt trails with lots of obstacles and water squirting over them in places. At the end there was a mud pit that they had to crawl through. He said it was one of the funnest races he's ever done. He did really well and finished 2nd in his age group.