Airborne Laser

Since Dave began working for the Air Force in June, he has been sitting in what they call "the cooler" waiting for his security clearance.  Yes, that's right.  He has been sitting for almost three months.  They have filled some of the time with classes on specific areas, which has sometimes been really interesting and great and sometimes just plain boring.

HOWEVER, that is all about to change because his clearance just came, and they just assigned him to a "matrix."  He will be working with the Airborne Laser.  I don't know any more about it than this short video clip (in the post below this one) explains.  But he is excited.  In his exact words, "Yeah - it will be cool, I mean I was worried they were going to have me working on cargo planes, so this is MUCH better than that!"

Yeah -- I guess it wouldn't be that cool to tell people you work on Air Force Cargo planes.  An airborne laser really DOES sound more exciting!

Other than that, he also took the GRE to start applying to grad schools.  As soon as he did, though, his "adviser" asked him what his score was, congratulated him, and told him that if his other interests don't pan out for him, they do have a few programs set up with Georgia Tech and Purdue where their engineers can earn an M.S. while taking classes on-site and save quite a bit of money (like the Air Force pays for a certain percentage of his costs, so it ends up being almost too good to pass up).

So we're still at the drawing board, trying to figure out where our priorities are, where the Lord wants and needs us, where WE want and need us, and what kinds of adventures will be best for our family in the short and long run. (And what sacrifices are worth making in the interim.) 

In the meantime, Dave was called as the First Counselor in our ward's Young Men's Presidency and I was called as the Ward Activities Chairperson.  So far, Dave has had an end-of-summer swimming party, an activity to build a spook alley for the Ward Halloween Party next month, an overnight shooting activity (combine camping and guns and you have some happy leaders -- er, I mean, young men), and they have a temple trip to the L.A. Temple next weekend.  So it has been a busy month, but he is loving every minute of it!

And I can't leave a post about Dave's life without including his 32 birthday!!!!!  And what a life to celebrate adding another year of adventures and accomplishments to!!!

He's had a great month!

And with any luck, September will wrap up with him becoming a daddy again!  This is a month to remember!