Jared and Mary's Excellent Adventure

Yes, Anna is a little Texan

2009-06-07T18:06:00.000-07:00

Anna and Mary visited Fort Worth recently, stopping at the famous Stockyards. There Anna sat on her first longhorn steer and tried buy a few longhorns of her own...

Jared makes local news!

2009-05-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

http://ktxs.com/newsroom/newsclips/big_talk.wmv

She's becoming her own little person...

2009-05-02T21:39:00.000-07:00

Anna Caileigh certainly has plenty of personality! Whether she is contemplating English poets or Easter egg kits, she has a great time...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNA!

2009-03-31T22:17:00.000-07:00

Its Anna's very first birthday! She is such a special little girl that people from all over the world wanted to wish Anna a Happy Birthday. Check it out. Sorry for the poor editing but video making isn't easy out here. You'll have to turn the volume up too. Hope you like it.

If there are any skeptics as to the accuracy of the counting, I promise it all adds up. It took me a while, but I made sure I got it right.

Our Special Valentine

2009-02-16T21:50:00.001-08:00

Check out this video of our special Valentine's surprise. Thank you Jared!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wj_5H9lz7M&feature=channel_page

She's so big! Photos from February 5th and 6th

2009-02-06T19:12:00.000-08:00

Anna on the move...mostly eating...

2009-02-02T19:21:00.000-08:00

Here we go!

2009-01-24T07:46:00.000-08:00

From Mary's students and on its way to the Middle East.

One last cuddle.

Sleeping while Daddy reads a story.

Daddy reads a story for the DVD he made Anna.

Future Computer Engineer?

See, Mommy does need more bookshelves!

Anna's First Christmas

2009-01-04T22:10:00.000-08:00

Happy holidays to all!

Lots of firsts!

2008-09-21T16:26:00.000-07:00

This particular blog is dedicated to all of Anna's first that have happened recently. The first first is Anna's newly discovered ability to roll over. She shocked daddy one day after work because when he wasn't looking she rolled from her back to her tummy. Daddy, who was currently unaware that Anna had secretly acquired this ability on her own during intense middle of the night training, was perplexed. He could have sworn he laid her down on her back. Upon being put back on her back, Anna, determined not to go unnoticed, once again performed the horizontal 180 inverted pike that would soon become her signature move. Yet again, daddy was distracted and missed the floor routine. However, when he discovered her on her stomach again, he was sure somebody had moved her! Since the dogs were outside and Mary still at work, he suspected it was the legendary phantom flipper who waits for parents to turn their backs so he can turn their toddlers. This time daddy put Anna on her stomach and watched very closey hoping to catch the phantom flipper in the act. To his astonishment, no less than 10 seconds later, Anna, under her own power threw her legs aside, lifted her chin and arched her back in near perfect form (points were deducted for feet not together)...and in one mighty heave, rolled her body onto her stomach and lay with her arms out, head up as if to say...what's the big deal?

What's the big deal?

In other firsts, Anna has started eating semi-solid foods. She is a very good eater and enjoys her oatmeal and rice with milk. Apples and banannas will be next. Anna is also sitting up by herself for brief moments (about the time it takes for a top heavy object to fall backward once you let go of it). Though, every now and then she stays uprights much like a weeble wobble. She continue to develop a strong grabbing action. Mary has to be careful what earing she now wears. The upside is that Anna can now auto feed. A favorite capability for Jared because it dramatically reduces bottle holding time by 75%. Sippee cups are around the corner. Anna also met her first Isaeli. Jared's high school bff came to visit us last weekend and had a great time in Abilene with the Burns family. We took Anna and Lerone to the squadron and got them thier first close look at the B-1.

We're putting new cover sheets on all our TPS reports. Didn't you get the memo?

What? I can't hear you!....WHAT!?! YOU HAVE TO SPEAK UP!!

Lerone, this one is for you. MMMmmmmm.....Texas!

Brakes - check, fuel - check, flaps - check, cuteness - check, ready for takeoff!

Classic cowboy riding into the sunset. Except in this case a WSO walking to a B-1 at high noon....with a baby. Same thing really.
All these first make us very happy but the best one yet came while Anna was home with Mary. Being of such quick wit and wanting to share the moment, Mom called Dad on his cell phone so he could witness himself. He was very greatfull to have been called at work to experience this real-time, although if it were not for his genious suggestion for Mom to get the camera out, and use it for the very reason it was purchased, this moment may have been lost to our family history. Enjoy!

Growing, growing, growing...

2008-08-30T08:27:00.000-07:00

Anna loves her dogs..
Drying off after her morning bath
Yes, Anna can feed herself. Those hands will either go to playing the piano or cello or make her a fantastic swimmer....
Anna prepares for her first meal of solid food (oatmeal mush). She looks so clean and pristine here, doesn't she? Jared was happy to help Anna have her first meal, but wasn't looking forward to wearing it...

Don't worry Cleveland friends and family...Anna doesn't wear Red Sox stuff all time. And Jayne even helped by eating the Red Sox pacifier this morning....She must be a Tribe fan too...

Here we go!

2008-08-25T20:21:00.000-07:00

Hello~ We have been absent for a while, but for good reason. Between bouts of pink eye, sinus infections, sore throats and serious sleep issues, the Texas Burns family has been busy busy busy.

After throwing a party for about 30 or so friends at the beginning of August, Jared, Mary and Anna each battled severe colds and eye infections for the women. Once those cleared up, they travelled to Possom Kingdom Lake with some friends for some r & r before school began. They all went out on the pontoon boat several times, and Jared and Mary zoomed around on the jet ski for a bit. Photos coming soon.

Mary returned to Abilene in time for a week of orientation at school and to get her room set up. It came together pretty well (photos coming shortly). Today was the first day of school for everyone in Abilene, literally everyone since the universities, two public school districts and St. John's all opened their doors today. Check out the webpage to learn more about St. John's: www.stjohnsabilene.org Overall, the school day went well and Mary is so pleased to be at SJES. It should be a good year!

Itchy Itchy Itchy

2008-07-15T10:05:00.000-07:00

So Mary decided to do a little gardening with Anna this morning, just re-potting two plants. An easy quick job and a chance to get Anna in the fresh air. The first re-potting, a mint plant, went quickly, just moved from a little black seedling pot to a larger plastic pot. The second was a larger plant, an orchid-like plant that Anna got as a gift. It was going to require a lot more dirt, so Mary opened her gardening shed and starting scooping out trowels of potting soil.

On the second or third scoop, Mary noticed something moving to her right. A round black mass was crawling out of the soil, not far from her hand. Ugh! She quickly shut the drawer. "What was that?" she said to Anna who continued to happily suck on her fingers.

Trying to summon the courage to match her curiosity, Mary carefully opened the drawer again. She leaned in to take a closer look. The black mass was still moving to the right, but now Mary could make out the white spots on the back of the black spider, which had the front half of a wasp in its mouth. Mary shivered and yelped, jumping back as she slammed the drawer shut. When she jumped back, her head bumped against the white hanging basket above her. The basket had a white begonia blooming and apparently some sort of Texas bird. It flew out, offended that it had been disturbed. Mary yelped again. This upset another kind of Texas bird that had made a nest in the roof of the porch and buzzed by her head.

"Since when did we become a nature sanctuary?" she asked Anna, who hadn't noticed a thing. Mary rapidly finished her potting and managed to get baby, plants and herself inside without injury from the local wildlife. She's still feeling itchy at the thought of the spider devouring the wasp. Ugh!

Our Bluebonnet is also a Connecticut Yankee

2008-07-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

We have recently returned from a trip to CT to get Anna baptized with her cousins Juan and Benicio. A video of that will be coming soon. In the meantime, here are some photos of our trip: Anna with her grandmothers, grandfathers, aunties, cousins and friends:

First volunteer activity

2008-06-27T12:46:00.001-07:00

Gotta start 'em early...Anna and Mary at the United Way of Abilene Day of Action

Hello!

2008-06-27T04:58:00.000-07:00

Look at my belly as I swing away~ Welcoming daddy home from Alaska at 3 AM on Sunday morning. I was up anyway!
Talking to Nana and Granddad back in Ohio.
Off for a walk to the mailbox, which is down the street. I really don't like hats, but I put up with this one.

I'm working my core here. a little baby pilates, so to speak...
And one and two and one and two...C'mon Dad, join me...

Yes, Texas can be green but it takes work

2008-06-10T22:04:00.000-07:00

Our little tomboy in the making. Anna turned to watch the NBA finals. For some reason, Anna always looks darker in pictures.

Trying out the Sleepy Wrap. I think Anna might actually like it.

Hanging out with Mom

2008-06-06T06:49:00.000-07:00

Music Video

2008-06-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

Here's our first motion picture using our new miniDV camcorder!

Ol' blue eyes

2008-05-25T17:39:00.000-07:00

Here's our girl...Her eyes may look dark here, but they are a lovely shade of blue..and that hair is getting a bit lighter each day. Mary is amazed her genes are sneaking in so much....

Here she is...

2008-04-04T20:52:00.000-07:00

Our beautiful Anna Caileigh isn't camera shy. Here's how our first week has gone. A few photos from our time at Abilene Regional Hospital and from our first days at home, including her first car ride, first walk outside and first visit to Dyess AFB. She is a joy!

Jared and Mary's little April fool!

2008-04-02T07:48:00.000-07:00

Anna Caileigh Burns born April 1st 2008 in Abilene Texas at 2:43 pm CST. Weighing in at 6 lbs, 12 oz and 19" tall. 10 fingers, 10 toes and a loud set of pipes on one very healthy baby girl!

Mary needs a vacation

2008-03-08T07:23:00.000-08:00

Two major events have made mama-to-be Mary very tired...

First a dupa rear ended her while she was at a stop light. Sittnig at the red stop light. No where to go. Excellent.

Luckily she was in the Volkswagen and most of the impact was absorbed by the car. The bumper is cracked and will need repairs, upward of $600. Jared is being great and arguing with the dupa about paying. Dupa's insurance has now been involved.

Next, Mary's office building caught on fire Friday afternoon. No flames but plenty of smoke. It was the standing outside for two and a half hours that really did her in. She slept long and hard Friday night, though not much fun for Jared. The building is pretty old for West Texas, about 75-100 years old, and it appears that the fire was electrical. Mary's workmates are going back in this weekend to salvage what they can, Mary's opted out of that adventure, since the fire was in a crawl space under the floor (UW is on the second floor) and the firemen had to destroy part of the floor to get to it. Leaping over holes in old floor boards doesn't sound like a good activity at 35 weeks. Work will continue Monday morning...though she isn't she where. Maybe even back in the building...

The child is spoiled already!

2008-02-03T11:02:00.001-08:00

Baby Gurry-Burns will be well-dressed if nothing else~ Here are some photos from the shower in Solon, Mary's hometown.

Guessing the size of Mary's belly

Jared and Bonnie relearn cat's cradle from Aunt Bonnie
Sigbritt steps in to help
Yum!

Jared was a very good sport.

Always good to see the cousins, Allyse and Meredith.

My partner in life Becky Meiser~

Yes, we are lazy...

2008-02-03T10:51:00.000-08:00

It has been WAY too long since last posted, so here are some updates...

Mary and baby are doing fine, both are quite healthy despite getting some nasty viral infection around MLK day. Abilene is having a bit of an outbreak. It isn't the flu, but that's the easiest way to describe it. There has been a run on Lysol all over town.

On a lighter note, it is sunny and warm this Superbowl Sunday. Jared is off to play football on base in the 70 degree weather. Mary should be studying for her classes (yes, Mary was accepted and has enrolled at the University of London external programme to get a BSc in Sociology) but is blogging instead.

The baby room is a mess, but coming together. Photos of it soon, once it is done.

In the meantime, here's a little holiday cheer for ya:

Weird angle, but Aunt Mary Jo and Mary
Better angle: Bill, Maggie, Mary and JaredMary, Alana, Uncle Jon and Bree
Grandma Anne and Mary
Look at those great gold shoes...

And a bit more

2007-05-28T15:39:00.000-07:00

Sunset from our backyard

Los Lonely Boys in concert in AbileneMary visiting Heinz Field while in Pittsburgh for the United Way of America conference

No, we haven't disappeared....

2007-05-28T15:06:00.000-07:00

Climbing water towers with friend Tommy White
Chasing armadillos
Mary riding her librarian bicycle Camping with friend Jason Levy and his hound Mercedes
Celebrating Easter with the Gurry family
Checking out the rattlers at the Mangum, OK Rattlesnake Derby with Jason

Visiting the TX Book Depository in Dallas and the Sixth Floor Museum Eating ourselves silly at the Texas de Brasil restuarant

Tumble Weeds roll and the Stars shine ; Wind Howls, dawn breaks

2007-02-24T12:50:00.000-08:00

Today Jared, Belle, Jayne and I are experiencing our first dust storm...I would post a photo, but there isn't much to see. This is a photo someone else took to give you an idea of what a dust storm is like:
Jared keeps calling it Mars...

I have been keeping my health checkups done sinec our military medical coverage has now transferred to Texas. I am perfectly healthy in every way.....except my cholesterol...take a guess, what could I be? 140? Oh no. 180? Not even close. 210? Higher. 250? Higher...

Yep, I am a walking blob of cholesterol at 279. UGH! Silly genes. I got frustrated and had a bowl of ice cream the evening I found out...The moose tracks ice cream probably didn't help things, but that's ok.

Jared is taking a motorcycle safety course today, so I've got the house to myself. Not that we have a motorcylce or plan on getting one, but it's ok to let them dream, right? haha. SO before the dust storm rolled in I was planting and reorganizing the library...Jayne only tried to eat one book, so it has been a good morning.

(I am using lyrics from a song for the title of this post. Bonus points if you can name the song or artist!)

Whims are quite dangerous!

2007-01-02T20:53:00.000-08:00

We have GREAT news!

There is going to be a new addition to our happy family...

Introducing JAYNE! <--- Inspired by Dianna's Jane Austin action figure, but with a "funky" spelling that can either be pronounced "JANE" or "JAY-NEE" according to Jared.

Jayne has made herself at home, though Belle is still trying to figure her out. There have only been a couple fights between the two, luckily Jared was there to intervene on Belle's behalf. Though Mary reports Belle held her own on their first walk together. You may have also noticed that we now have 2 blonde and 2 black haired creatures in the house. We don't know if we're starting to look like the dogs or if they are starting to look like us.

Keep those comments coming people!!!

Wonderfulest Christmas in the New Nited States

2006-12-23T12:06:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas~ Happy Hanukah~Happy New Year~ No matter what your religion you must listen to this fantastic story about Texas:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5028755

Wishing you all the very best...

Saturday in San Antonio

2006-10-01T18:24:00.000-07:00

Since Jared is still in San Antonio for training, Mary went down to see him this weekend. Here are some photos of that quick visit. We are at the Alamo, the Riverwalk and the Spanish governor's palace.

More photos of our house

2006-09-24T18:59:00.000-07:00

Our back yard.

This is our back porch and part of our yard.
This is the view to our front door, living room and now library (their dining room).

This is the kitchen. Mary is checking out the cabinent while our realtor Joe walks us through the area.

And this is the rest of the kitchen.

Lastly, our newly painted bedroom, which used to be yellow.

Don't ya wanna come visit now?

This is the house that Jared and Mary found...

2006-09-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

Finally, we are able to post photos of our house. These were taken while the previous owners were still here, but you get the general idea. The curtains and blinds are the same and we have painted the master bedroom a hunter green. We hope you all come and see our place in person. Consider this an open invitation...

The view down our street, Willow Ridge Road; nearly every house is military owned. Then you have a couple of photos of the front of the house. And last you have the living room.

Just so's there's no confusion....

2006-09-16T21:20:00.000-07:00

I definitely didn't cheer for UT during the UT-OSU game. Buckeyes all the way, trust me. I have bothered many a Texan about that game~ I just couldn't make up my mind whether to stay home and watch or go to the concert. Life's tough. Photos coming soon of our house. Jared and I are trying to get that set up. In the meantime our address is:

5425 Willow Ridge Road
Abilene, TX 79606

Oh an amusing detail. We are living across the street from a Miami University grad, who is married to a AF Academy grad. Small world, huh? Our other neighbor is a cop, so the neighborhood seems pretty good so far.....

What to do?!

2006-09-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

Is it bad that I am torn between the OSU-UTexas game and the opening of the Abilene Philharmoic season? Both are at 8pm tomorrow night. One is the so-called 'game of the century' and the other is the height of Abilene's fine arts, to which I have season tickets. Maybe I can catch the score at intermission....

GO BUCKS!

Howdy y'all...

2006-09-02T10:11:00.000-07:00

Jared and I are officially Yankees deep in the heart of Texas. We eat Yankee burgers (hamburgers or cheeseburgers with ketchup on them). We resist saying y'all and to be honest, I'm not always sure what it means....

Life is pretty good down here and will be even in better when we get into our house. All the paperwork has been done on our end and we're just waiting for the sellers to get back into town. We're buying from an Air Force family and the husband has been in Germany. So by the 14th of September we should have the keys! We'll put photos of the house up soon.

I am actually typing this on my new laptop from a hotel in Broomfield, Colorado. Jared and I are here for the wedding of his good friend Chandler. It has been a long time since I was last in Colorado, not since Jared and I got engaged in May of 2004. I really have missed it. The landscape is lovely, the weather is great (in the mid50s, drizzling a bit). Ater Florida and Texas, a little cool weather feels good. This is just a quick trip and then it's back to the grind for Jared and me.

I have started working at the United Way of Abilene as the Community Impact Director. So far so good, though I have lots to learn. Jared is in training in San Antonio for radar and electronic warfare. Cheerful stuff.

Well must run, we have to go to a brunch but I promise to post more soon. Hopefully with some pictures next time!

Closing time

2006-08-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

According to the checklist book (about a twenty page checklist) from the Family and Fleet Support Center here at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Jared and I were supposed to find some pleasant way to enjoy the last few days here before moving, do something relaxing and fun and totally unrelated to moving. It is seriously on the list. As is the item "tell your children about the move, get their input." We got thoughts on this one (yes tell them, but way before you get the checklist but while input is nice, you can't not move). Anyway, Jared found just the thing, a sunset sailboat cruise in the Pensacola Bay. A husband and wife team sailed the beautiful boat and served us h'or d'oeuvres. It was a lot of fun, a great way to end our time here, just take a look.

Abilene! Abilene!

2006-07-13T07:31:00.000-07:00

We're moving...finally~ We got word yesterday that our application for TDY en route (meaning I go to Abilene on the Air Force's dime) was accepted. We leave within the month or less. What this means exactly is that AF will move me to Abilene and Jared will go to training in San Antonio through December. Then he will move to be in Abilene full-time.

I will be writing my two-week notice today. We've applied for pre-approval on a home loan...it's starting. Here's some links about Abilene and photos.
www.abilene.com
www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/AA/hda1.html
www.america-dreamz.com/texas/villes/abilene.php (in French, but interesting)

Do YOU know where your fuel pump is?

2006-07-12T19:09:00.001-07:00

I do! Now that Jared (with the essential help of Tommy White) has taken apart, replaced, and put the Camaro back together. It kept acting up, including not completely starting. Luckily it died in the parking space on base. We managed to get it to the mechanic's, but they told us it would cost $1000.00 to fix it.

That's right, $1000.00. The car's only worth $6000.00 or according to Kelly's Blue Book.

So with the blessing of Jared's uncle Paul (a mechanic in CT), Jared did the repair himself. Three days at the base auto hobby shop (meaning a nearly free mechanic's for the base, $3 per day for bay and tools) and the car is as good as new. Mostly....the gas gauge reads empty, but that's ok! We know how much is in the tank...or at least Jared does. And I learned a thing or two about car repair.
1. Do not get hair caught under creeper. It really hurts when you move forward and your scalp doesn't.
2. Kicking braces and mufflers and other parts is acceptible car repair technique.
3. My Ohio accent is strong yet. A mechanic who works at the hobby shop picked it out right away. "You from Ohio?" "Yeah..." "You sound just like my cousin from Akron."
4. I now know how to use the impact wrench to remove lug nuts. Zssht zshht.

Still waiting...

2006-06-19T21:24:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, Jared and I are waiting to hear when we will go to Abilene, TX and Dyess Air Force Base. Still no word yet, but keep your fingers crossed. Maybe this week....

In the meantime, here's what we've been up to lately:

Cheering on the Pensacola Pelicans

Eating at one of our favorite restaurants here in P'cola
Dragging Jared out dancing...He's pretty good too!

Erin go bragh!

2006-06-08T15:17:00.000-07:00

Did you know that palm trees grow in both Ireland and Florida? Or that there seem to be as many sheep in Ireland as people? How about the fact that haggis is actually quite good? These and many other things I learned during my trip to Ireland and Scotland, a really fantastic experience. My parents are still in the UK, exploring Wales and England. Hopefully they won't get too lost....

I travelled to the western part of Ireland with my family and then we headed towards to Dublin before going to Scotland. In 'Alba' (as it used to be known) we visited Edinburgh, the highlands, and Glasgow. I think the most important part for me was visiting Achill, the island birthplace of my great grandmother Bridget. Here are some photos of that lovely island:

Mary's blog for now...

2006-05-23T09:07:00.000-07:00

Since J is at resistence training in WA state, this posting will be about me solely. The less info they can dig up on him, the better. We'll explain this more when he gets home after Thursday. In the meantime, I've been getting ready for the trip to the old sod. I leave Thursday, just a few hours before J gets home, unfortunately.

If you'd like a postcard from Eire, drop me a line and I'll send you one!

Witness

2006-05-18T12:40:00.000-07:00

http://www.nike.com/nikebasketball/usa/index.jhtml?ref=global_home

Watch Friday 7pm EST ESPN. We might just pull this off! I will be screaming from Florida, Jared might be able to watch from Spokane (he's at resistence training), and hopefully my Cleveland friends in NC, Cali, Chicago, NY etc will all watch too!

Yes we are alive

2006-05-11T09:57:00.000-07:00

My friend Jerry asked that in the subject heading of an email to me recently. And who can blame him? My emails and this blog have fallen into neglect, but this is all about to change. A little electronic spring cleaning you might say.

So what is the latest around our house? Lots of traveling. After our trip to New England, which was great, we returned for a whirlwind April and May. I traveled to Indiana the following weekend for the American Hungarian Educators Association conferenece in Bloomington. My parents met me there and we attended all the lectures (topics included the uprising in 1956 against the Soviets, cannibalism in the Gulag, the Hungarian diaspora around Hungary's borders). I presented my research about Romani (gypsy) kids and education. I met lots of folks and made important contacts. I may just make a future in Hungarian/education research. Who knows.

Then I returned for a few days to Florida. Just three days, enough time to say hello to the neighbors, do my laundry and pack, because I returned to the Midwest. I went to Ohio for the weekend to see my grandmothers and to graduate from Miami. I got to see a few friends in the process too, which is always good. Katie, I got to the stadium right on time, it was great seeing you! Thank you Becky for letting me drop by at midnight! Here I am right after graduation; Peggy Noonan gave the commencement speech. When Jared goes to Washington State for training, I will be in Ireland! I can hardly believe it myself. My parents were going to Ireland and the UK on their own but then wanted to make it a family trip. Jared was invited too but he can't make it because of the training. So we Gurry girls are going for about ten days. With all this traveling my poor boss at Sylvan learning center is a bit confused~

Here is a photo of one the places we will be, the ancestral homeland for many Clevelanders, Achill Island. This is where my great-grandma was born and raised:

The Big Apple and The Frog Bridge

2006-04-12T08:09:00.000-07:00

Could these two places be more different? Tranquil, unique Willimantic (that is the frog bridge, commemorating an incident in the Revolutionary war and the textile industry) and Times Square. Jared's hometown and Bonnie's adopted hometown. We are going to both for Easter and Jared's leave time. Should be fun and I'll even try to be Ooont Mary instead of Ant Mary.

Wings and Sausages

2006-03-25T18:08:00.000-08:00

So what do wings have to do with sausages? Moreover, what does South Alabama have to do with German sausages? We're still not sure, but it has been an exciting week. Jared was given his wings yesterday, essentially a graduation from training. And since Mary has all but officially graduated from grad school, we can both celebrate a bit.

Sue and Bob Burns, Jared's parents, arrived from Connecticut earlier in the week to attend all the winging ceremonies. There were plenty of things to do: blessings on the wings, speeches, official ceremonies, receptions, breaking champaign glasses, after parties. As Sarah Weber Young said: "It sounds like a bachelor party mixed with a Jewish wedding." All the winging events were moving and memorable. The main ceremony, held at the National Museum of Naval Aviation, recognized Jared as a top graduate. He is in the top 15% of the last two hundred graduates, which is how the Navy grades them. Mary clearly married well. She even got her own recognition from the Navy for putting up with an aviation student, quite a nice surprise.

In addition to having his parents visit and getting his wings, Jared is happy with Mary's new job, which she stumbled into. Stumbled because Mary applied, was called back, interviewed, and hired on the spot all on Tuesday. She will be working at a Sylvan learning center here in P'cola, helping kids who struggle in school. Jared's looking forward to the nice increase in the household income. The job is good because it allows her to still travel and prepare for the upcoming move to Texas. Mary has applied to other jobs in P'cola, just to see what's out there. All good additions to the resume before heading off to Abilene.

And now to explain the sausages. After dropping Bob and Sue off at the airport early Saturday morning (everyone woke up at 4am), we took a long and well-deserved nap. We woke up midmorning to a sunny, warm day, so we decided to explore the Gulf Coast a bit. Our plan was to go to Fairhope, Alabama, a small town about an hour away. Instead we ended up in Elberta, Alabama, a town along the way on the scenic route between P'cola and Fairhope. This Saturday happened to be the annual German Sausage Festival and the little town was packed. We couldn't resist a festival like this (and the road was like a parking lot) so we stopped to see it. The festival turned out to be a little gem. The food was great, plenty to see and interesting music. Mary particularly enjoyed a band with an electric washboard, toilet banjo, and pogostick marraca thingy.
Ah Alabama.

PS: Ask us about the dolphins!

What, we don't have to be anywhere Monday?

2006-03-12T17:17:00.000-08:00

What?
No search for a teaching outfit tomorrow morning?
No late night flight planning? No 9pm bedtime?
A MOVIE on a school night???

It is hard to believe, but for the first time in a long time, Jared and I have some time off together. Jared had his last flight on Monday the 6th and I finished my student teaching on Friday the 10th. Here are some photos of Jared's final flight at NAS with our friend (who is also going B1s), Tara Hart. They stand together after getting drenched in champaign.

And here are some photos of my last day at Warrington, which happened to also be field day. My cooperating teacher, Mrs. Hieb, stands with me and Officer Dees outside the school. We were quickly surrounded by students. I was able to walk around the basketball court and fields to get a few photos of the students, who all loved to pose for me. Many of them had signed the blue artwork I am standing next to; I was so surprised and touched. I was also very moved by the afghan Mrs. Hieb made for me as a present. Perfect size and colors. What's better than homemade gifts?
Next installment, the latest changes at the Burns' house....

Missing my snow

2006-02-25T07:31:00.000-08:00

It is a Saturday morning in Pensacola. The rain is coming sometime today, dunno when, but until then it is about 60 and overcast. The chirping of the birds is the only sound I hear, now that the loudspeakers that blast the national anthem are done. Yes, around 8am on Saturdays we hear the national anthem and at sunset, there is a bugle call to give us the five minute warning. Life on a base. No jets flying, I suppose because of the cloudy skies.

It is a pleasant, relaxing day, but you know what I would rather be doing? I would love to be trekking around the South Chagrin Metroparks Reservation off of Rt. 91 in this:

Now all you back home in Cleveland and friends in Chicago and elsewhere may think I'm crazy, but I love the stuff. I'll trade Pensacola's white beaches and warm breezes for some snow any day. It's snowing all weekend in Solon and I'm missing out. I think Jared would agree, if he were awake (he is completely conked out. Promises of making me breakfast are looking slim).

We got together with Jason Levi, an Academy grad and fellow Wizzo who will be on the B1s with Jared. (Wizzo-weapons system officer, Air Force speak). It looks like Jared and I will be toting the dog and all our stuff to Abilene, Texas late this summer or fallish...Hard to say. We'll be there for about a year and then either will stay there or be moved to Rapid City, SD. I've been looking at houses in Abilene and Rapid City and I gotta say, I'm starting to pull for South Dakota. We could get acres of land that will be covered in snow for months!! And no huge, flying roaches, as the South affectionately calls Palmetto bugs. Or fire ants. Or flesh eating mosquitoes. The bugs are getting to me. But you all should come visit! haha.

Alright. I'm hungry and Jared's the cook (as my family knew would happen) so I'm getting him up. Perhaps more on snow later.....

We can be hermits no longer...

2006-02-09T15:41:00.000-08:00

Poor Jared has 12 hour duty tonight at the squadron (5pm to 5am tomorrow, just sitting at the duty desk. SO boring) so I thought I'd update the blog. With no one to talk to but Belle and my plants, I have plenty to say online. Jared and I have let our truly busy schedules detract from our blog, so no one knows what's up with us. Here's a brief synopsis:

I have nearly finished my 6th week of my 10 week student teaching internship at Warrington Middle School, just off the base. It looks calm and pleasant (which it is sometimes) though more often than not it is a bit chaotic and wild. Fights, rude remarks, loud voices, and unmotivated students dominant the classes. I didn't realize it when I helped to set up the internship, but this is a D-ranked school, according to the state. Had I realized that I might not have gone to Warrington, but in a way, I'm glad I have. I am learning more now than I would have elsewhere, 'real' teaching I guess. We'll see what I think at the end of the ten weeks.... Meanwhile, I am aiming to convince the students I am actually American (they think I'm possibly German. "You American?" is a common question), get the students to actually read something, and not get in the middle of an all-out brawl. I've been told that if I get called the b word, then I've made it with these kids. I've done my job in disciplining and giving them structure.

And Jared has been both swamped with flights and now has had a few days of down time. Except twelve hour duty, of course. Recently Jared was selected to be on B1bombers.

Here are a few photos of that lovely bird. With this plane, we will be base out of Texas (Dyess AFB) and South Dakota (Ellsworth AFB). We don't know when we'll be moving, but perhaps in the spring. Jared should be getting his wings this month or next and then we're done with NAS Pensacola!

Lately, Jared and I haven't done too much except grade papers and make lesson plans (me) and study and make charts (Jared). We did host a Super Bowl party, for which we bought an area rug, clock, and kitchen rug. Moving the furniture and adding these new things made the house really seem more of a home. And less black (many of Jared's things are black and blue). We ended up with nine pizzas for six adults, but that's another story.

This weekend looks like it will be full with a birthday party for the neighbor's baby (Cerys turns 1!) and a trip to Panama City. Our friend Lerone's dad is on a business trip to Panama City and wants to get together. Sarah and Bill are also in Florida this weekend and maybe we'll find a way to see them too....As for the rest of you, start planning to come to Texas!

Here she is....

2006-01-21T10:14:00.000-08:00

Look at that beautiful head of hair! Photos done by proud grandma Sue Burns. Speaking of grandamas, Jared sees a bit of his grammy in Baby Nina's face...which is a lovely little face indeed...

Introducing....

2006-01-16T14:08:00.000-08:00

Nina Rose Starkey! Born today at around 330 eastern time at 7lbs, 11oz. Pictures coming....Good job Nicole and Andrew!

Sunshine and sadness

2006-01-14T11:41:00.000-08:00

Our worst nightmares came to be this week here in Pensacola. As some of you know, a plane was lost this week from Jared's squadron. A training jet, the very same that Jared and our friends fly regularly, crashed in Northern Georgia on a routine training mission. They were below radar, which is part of the training program. All four on board died, leaving behind spouses, children and babies on the way. I can't begin to explain the fear, confusion, relief that it wasn't Jared (which it could have been, had the schedule been different), grief, sadness, sick to your stomach feeling which I and many others have been feeling this week. I try to not think too much when Jared flies, but it is going to be hard to do in the future. As I write this, I'm trying to not get upset. I didn't even know the guys, but I can only imagine what the wives are going through; I've had nightmares about it. Please keep these families and all military members in your thoughts. A collection is being made for the men's children. When I have more information I will pass it along, if any of you are interested.

ok.

On a lighter note, today is baby shower day! Most of the women I know down here in P'cola are pregnant or have small children of their own. Two of our good friends, Colleen and Sol, are due soon and we're throwing a shower for them. Friends, cake, presents, wine...ingredients for a good time, which we all need right now. And I just learned that Jared's sister Nicole is going to be induced on Monday! These babies are my sunshine and they haven't even arrived....

The First Noel

2005-12-26T20:24:00.000-08:00

So this is our first actual co-located blog. There are a million things to write about but in the interest of time and space we'll try to keep it brief. (hmMary cringes when I use words like "brief" and "space" and "the") SO, now that I've "secured" the "perimeter" to the key "interface" I'll continue. UGH military talk. Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! We're actually living together! Amazing. Happy Hanukkah to Lerone, Kate, Seth, and all others celebrating it! Way too many !s but it's exciting to type with Jared. hahah. Ok photos. The 1st pic is Mary's wonderful peanut butter cookies. Her family has never been a fan of them so she was finally able to make as many as she wanted. They were good too. The 2nd pic is the notorious Budapest 1000 piece puzzle. A Christmas puzzle may become a tradition...we'll see. The 3rd pic is our collection of Christmas cards on the "mantle". It was very pretty but they all fell down everytime we went up and down the stairs. Mary tells me to mention her parents visiting. Done. The 4th pic.....No, it was nice to play host to my folks and Jared was a good sport despite having a horrible schedule last week. Thank you for driving a total of 19 hours! So, the 4th pic is the dog sunbathing in our backyard, it was about 55 degrees today and sunny. I hated it. The dog, Belle, is now in a kennel with chickens and other dogs whose owners don't want to pay $100 to take them on a flight. The very last pic is our beautiful $9.97 Christmas tree thanks to the Navy Commisary). I picked it out, but Mary decorated most of it. It is a good tree. Not bad for our first Christmas eh? We're off to Connecticut in a few hours where we'll spend some quality time with the Burns clan. Till then, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night! (Happy New Year too)

Florida Eve

2005-12-14T14:37:00.000-08:00

Tonight is my last night in beautiful Oxford, Ohio. Snow covers the campus like a blanket tucked up against the red brick buildings. From my dorm room window I can see the main American flag on campus, flood lights shine up to it and the smaller Ohio flag below; the chilly wind makes those red and white stripes strech out gently. For years I slept under one version of the American flag or another. I guess this semester a real flag kept watch.

I stopped by my advisor/professor's office this afternoon to pick up one of two final papers. Dr. Romano took me on as an independent study this fall for a class that is normally taught in the spring. "Mary Gurry Burns!" he announced. He is one of the reasons I was convinced to come back to Miami and mentioned that it was a good thing that I returned. I definitely agreed. For this period in my life, I think Miami has been the best place for me. Through all the ups and downs, it has been a growing experience. I've learned a lot about myself and my studies. Sappy for you all, too much sister sunshine perhaps, but it's the truth. During my time here, a professor has passed away, along with a couple close relatives. I have written more in four semesters than I did in four years at Northwestern as an English major. I got engaged, left the country, came back, got married and am moving South. It's been a wild ride. Romano wanted to know if I'll walk in May, when I graduate. I had told a friend just a day or so before that I wouldn't, but now I think I'll try to. We'll see. Miami has been called the Harvard of Ohio, I'm glad to be part of its ranks. Me and Senator DeWine, Donna Shalala, President Harrison, my cousin Katie, Neil Reardon and so many others.

But I am also glad to be moving on to the next phase: actually living with the husband. I can hardly believe it, frankly! Hopefully we won't drive each other too crazy...well, ok I'll be honest, hopefully I won't drive Jared too crazy. So soon and very soon I will be at home making lesson plans or attempting dinner while Jared flies around the literary South...You are all welcome to visit us too!

I should be studying for my last final, linguistics and the history of English. Unfortunately, I have lost all interest in studying. I'm sure this will change tomorrow morning around 7:30 when I take the exam...Instead I'm writing this and packing. And organizing a little trick on my poor parents who are driving down at the moment. All through my years a Northwestern I had this terrible habit of taking home huge amounts of stuff at the end of the year. I even held onto boxes and containers for friends! Oh how my parents cursed me. So now they don't believe me when I tell them I just have a few bags to put in the trunk of Ruby the Kia. I've decided to fill up the room so it looks like there are several boxes and bags, things I'll borrow from the dorm. haha. I'm really about 5 years old mentally.

Here is a bad photo of my dorm and the bell; I was just getting too cold...

Weekend at Burnsy's

2005-12-10T10:40:00.000-08:00

Yes, it has been a while but writing is Mary's thing and my thing is yet to be determined. I have asked Mary for a hobby for Christmas. She has assured me she's found the perfect hobby for both of us and I can't wait to find out. The entire block is decorated in true Christmas fashion, complete with wreaths and reindeer and all the wintery fun that seems so out of place in 68 degrees. But despite the warm weather it is starting to feel like the Holidays. We haven't got our tree yet, I'm waiting for Mary to get here so we can pick it out together.

As far as work goes, I've moved on from the simulators to the real thing. Thus far I've navigated my way to such notable places as Bayou La Batre, the hometown of Benjamin Bufford Blue, aka Bubba. I've landed at Monreoville, the home of the classic "To Kill A Mockingbird", and I've dined in Acadiana which is renowned in the aviation community for their crawfish etouffe (sp?). Its all going very well and quite more interesting navigation off a radar scope.

But enough of that, I'm sure my readers want to hear about how Jared locked himself out of the house and climbed up on the roof only to discover the windows were locked too. Or how I successfully babysat the 8 month old across the street last night. Or how I had Multi Grain Cheerioes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner the other day. Subsequently, the promise of beer and pizza is how I was bribed into watching a baby in the first place. Well there you have it. Jared is miserable and pathetic without his Mary and hopes the next 5 days pass quickly. I suppose I should end on a positive note.........ah yes, I just got my leave approved so Mary and I will be spending Dec 27th - Jan 2nd in Connecticut for a well deserved mini-holiday vacation. There you have it. To receap, new hobby coming soon, Benjamin Bufford Blue, and New Years in CT.

In the hustle and bustle of the holidays...

2005-12-07T06:46:00.000-08:00

12/7/41

The Ten Commandments of the Military Spouse

2005-12-02T08:47:00.000-08:00

(http://www.hill.af.mil/family/AF101.pdf#search=)

I found this amusing and true; I'm sure my military friends would agree. This listing gives an insight to our life and what's to come!

The Ten Commandments of a Military Spouse
1. Thou shalt not write in ink in thy address book.
2. Thou shalt not covet choice assignments.
3. Love thy neighbors from other branches of the service no matter how superior the Air Force may seem.
4. Honor all thy benefits for as long as they all shall live.
5. Be thou kind and gentle to retired, white-haired Commissary, Exchange, and Thrift Store customers, because someday thou too will be a retiree.
6. Thou shalt not threaten to, or kill thy children or spouse when your spouse is TDY (temporary duty).
7. Thou shalt look for the best in every assignment even though the best may refer to "most childhood diseases in one year" or "record snow in one month’s time".
8. Thou shalt remember all thy friends from all thy assignments with holiday greeting cards, for thou never knowest when thou may wish to spendeth the night with them while enroute to a new duty station.
9. Thou shalt not curse your spouse when s/he is TDY during moving days, holidays, birthdays, or anniversaries.
10. Thou must never arrive at a new duty station and constantly speaketh about how much better thy last base was.

Hó!!!!!!!!

2005-12-01T15:06:00.000-08:00

There are times when Hungarian is just so much fun to use! It is hó-ing! (It's too complicated to spell it all out, esik a hó...etc) Beautiful little hópihek! I should make a hóember and give him a carrot nose. There, now you know some Magyarul!

Mary's brain is still in Florida....

2005-11-28T18:43:00.000-08:00

This blog is increasinly becoming the Mary blog...Hopefully this will change in a few weeks when Jared and Mary are together in the Sunshine State. Until Mary will keep it going. At the prodding of her favorite Chicago soon-to-be teacher, Katie Reardon, the blog is finally getting updated.

Mary left Oxford on Wed., Nov. 23rd at 3:18am to make a 6am flight. Why so early? Cause the Cincinnati Airport is in Kentucky. Good thing the Union won the Civil War, otherwise she'd have to cross the border...Anyhow, the flights were all on time and thanks to neighbor Melanie White, her daughter and friend Babs, Mary arrived at the house safe, sound, and sleepy. She proceeded to make silly mistakes all day long, but what can you expect?

Much to Mary's amazement Jared helped make kolachky, their contribution to the neighborhood pot-luck Thanksgiving. She doesn't think she's ever seen a man make kolachky before and he did a pretty good job,while taking breaks to watch the Macy's parade...Dinner, hosted by the Whites, was delicious and fun. Lots of catching up, poker, and football. Mary even played catch with the pigskin while in heels, thank you very much. Photos hopefully coming soon from friends.

The next day was sunny and fairly warm, so Jared, Mary, and Belle went camping that afternoon and overnight at the nearby campgrounds. There are a couple on base with nice views of the bay and lighthouse. Most of the grounds were for RVs (many from Louisiana). It only took two tries to get the tent up...Dinner was cooked on a little portable grill and occasional random bloody piece of meat would fall at Belle's paws like manna from heaven. Despite the upscale dinner for the dog, she didn't seem to like sleeping much in a tent (we shoulda brought her dog bed).

Saturday, after much washing up and eating real food for everybody, Mary Jared and Belle got haircuts. The dog's was actually the most expensive, but she seems to like it...perhaps because she actually see where she's going now. Mary must have lost half a foot (pictures coming). Jared..well, same military cut as always. To celebrate their newly groomed selves, Jared and Mary went to Granny Cantrell's Southern Cooking Restaurant where many of the vegetables remained a mystery to them both. What exactly is okra? Greens?

Sunday, that dreaded day of packing up and leaving, was spent decorating for Christmas and laundry, mostly. Belle escaped during a little cooking experiment (not Mary's this time, but Jared making lunch), ran out the open front door. Luckily she stopped to sniff the shoes of a neighbor down the street and Mary dragged her back home...A little while later, Mary was at the Pensacola airport where she discovered she could follow the people in orange and brown to her gate: both for the Browns and Bengals. There was also the random Ohio State hat and sweatshirt...You know you're from Ohio when....

Now Mary is back in Oxford, trying vainly to concentrate on work. She suspects she has the worst case of senioritis ever, though friends also about to graduate say otherwise. Jared is currently (10pm EST) sitting duty at the squadron. Another 12 hour shift. He is there to protect VT86 from terrorists, spies, and the occasional Palmetto bug. Very exciting. Try to stay awake!

Date Night

2005-11-19T19:27:00.000-08:00

For Mary, today, the 19th, was dreaded Praxis day. Two tests, seven and a half hours of testing, two hour break (lunch, powernap, studying), and three bubblesheets later, she was exhausted. So she took herself on a date: movie and ice cream. "Walk the Line" was really good, but full of country/bluegrass/early rock n roll, so if you don't like that stuff, you might not like the movie. Mary's two week stint at Union County High School has come to an end and despite the bomb scare, it was a fantastic time. The cooperating teacher was great, got Mary involved from the first day. Hopefully student teaching in Pensacola will be just as good.

Unfortunately Jared is on 12 hour duty tonight so he'll probably spend most of Sunday sleeping. Perhaps this is a trade off for getting most of Thanksgiving week off....so goes the military.

Since life isn't so exciting right now, mostly work, Mary has made some suggestions for your Thanksgiving break:
Listen to: "Dream Big" by Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband
Read: A Prayer for Owen Meany
Watch: Finding Nemo or Remember the Titans

Overreacting or proper precautions?

2005-11-14T09:04:00.000-08:00

So I learned over the weekend and again this morning at Union County High School that the bomb threat was just a hoax, which was expected. In total, three sweeps of the school were conducted by authorities and a lock down was issued by the administration. Were all three sweeps needed...and a lock down? I suspect yes, just to be sure.

A dear friend who works in Chicago told me that she thinks schools aren't what they used to be, that kids aren't like they used to be. I disagree...We were just too sheltered I think. After all, as my Gastel cousins know, our grandfather would rig the front door bell to shock his sister's would-be suitors, there are always creative troublemakers. Not that Grandpa would have threatened a bomb...

A little something called lockdown...

2005-11-11T09:32:00.000-08:00

It is never a good sign for your Air Force navigator pilot-in-training to say "I'm more worried about you than you are of me!" Of course, what other response could there be when the school you are observing in for two weeks recieves a bomb threat?

Today my carpool group came down to the classroom I am in to find me. I was happily grading quizzes, chatting with the student aide and listening to Mozart as the teacher worked on lesson plans. My group mates, two guys and a girl, all looked worried.
"Get your things, we have to leave now."
"Has something happened?" I asked.
"Just get your things, we'll explain later."

Confused, I went back into the room. I gave the rest of the quizzes to Ciara, the student, and apologetically left. At that point, I don't think my cooperating teacher knew about the threat, or if she did, she kept it to herself. As we walked to get the last student of our group and then to the car, they explained a bomb threat had been found in the boys bathroom. According to a memo given to teachers, the threat had been found last night and claimed a bomb would go off today at 3:15. Local police, county sheriffs and other officials made a sweep of the school. The lockdown was used because special investigators from Cincinnati were coming with bomb sniffing dogs this morning.

Now, this is probably all an empty threat, but still very odd. I am realzing more and more how sheltered my childhood and adolescence were, how safe and carefree. And I expected the same from this community. Union County High School is set in a rural, mainly farming community of several small towns in Union County Indiana, which borders Ohio. I would imagine, as I told my carpool group, that whoever this was who made the threat was trying to make a statement, not necessarily to hurt people. If the bomb is real...What this statement could be, I don't know.

As I write this, I remember a comment made yesterday by one of the students in the first period class. The students were trying to pick speech topics for persuasive speeches. Many of the boys hunt and wanted to talk about gun control. I mentioned that I had heard of some Ohio schools (in rural areas) where students learned about proper gun use and care, like learning how to drive a car. They thought this was 'cool' and that if their school had such a class, 'the Goths would probably shoot us all up.' Do I tell someone about this? I don't even know...

Mary...what's a blog?

2005-11-07T16:50:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't associated the title with this entry I'll repost my question. Mary, what exactly is a blog? And why does Jared have to write in the third person. Jared finds this odd and unnatural. Jared is remined of how Marine recruits must refer to themselves in the third person to break down individualistic thinking. Jared has decided a blog isn't a bad idea and that perhaps he too should contribute to this endevear. Jared isn't sure if he spelled endeveor correctly. Jared is now telling me not to type everything he thinks. But he digresses. Jared had a good Monday. He passes his first exam and spent the rest of the day studing and thinking of Mary. He also bought carpet cleaner to remove the newest pet stains in the carpet. Jared was glad to be getting things done. Jared cannot speak for Mary entireley but is pretty sure she would like to hear your comments on how impressive Jared's housekeeping skills are. Jared has to get back to studying seeing as he has another exam tomorrow.

Jimmy....

2005-11-07T12:47:00.000-08:00

My two weeks in Indiana are off to a good start. I am actually with English teachers this time! (Had mostly math teachers for some reason last time.) And we don't have to leave until 7:25am, which is MUCH better than 6:25am.

Part of the reason I am going into teaching is because I enjoy kids and the amusing way they think. Today was no exception. Here's a sample (meant in no way to be mean):

The students have to make mandalas, which are American adaptations of the Indian artform. These are circles filled with symbols to represent the person. Some students make them look like ying-yangs, one side good, one side bad. When talking about mandalas today, several of the boys started thinking aloud about them, all talking at the same time.
"Mandala?"
"That sounds funny to say."
"I thought it was Mandela."
"That's somebody's name" (the teacher said).
"What's his first name?"
"Jimmy. Jimmy Mandela" (said in all seriousness).
"What's his name?" (to me this time).
"Nelson."
"Nelson...Nelson...." turning back to face the front of the room, thinking about this.

Life after the wedding

2005-11-06T17:44:00.000-08:00

"So how's married life treatin' ya?" "I dunno, I'll let you know..." Life is very similar to life before the wedding, minus all the planning, but this will all change in December when Mary goes down to Florida for good....until we move again.

Here are some of the things we have been doing or are working on lately:
Jared graduated top of his class for the second phase of training! He has started the third phase and is studying like mad. The dog he is watching for a friend ate all his pencils this weekend, a slight setback.
Mary takes the Praxis exam November 19th. This will allow her to earn a license to teach. She is also observing and helping at Union County High School (Indiana) for the next two weeks.

And the Browns, Northwestern and Miami all won this weekend! Amazing.....Despite what Jared might think, the Patriots aren't that great....

Since it may be a while.....

2005-11-06T17:34:00.000-08:00

before Jared and I can live in either Ohio or Connecticut, I've (Mary) decided to make a blog for our families and friends. This way you can keep up with our daily lives, see where we're living (so you can come visit us!) and be entertained at work!