Pictures!!

Birthdays!!!

Oh my, October has been CRAZY! We have celebrated and had more cake than the law should allow. It was so much fun to watch the kids with their friends at school and at their parties. We had a great visit at home and I was able to speak for Community Bible Study. This has been a month filled with bittersweetness on more than one level. But beyond the hole that we felt without Blair there to watch Davis drive his new battery operated red Mustang, to watch Campbell blow out her one candle and not burn herself :) and to watch her stand up alone, to go trick or treating as Captain Hook with us as Wendy, Tink, and Peter Pan, we still have joy and we know that our new normal is reality. We have had so much fun and as much as we hurt I still know that our hurt is his gain! Oooo, I could write a book but I'll spare you the details. Here are just a few of the 300 pictures (and that is no joke but I wasn't taking all those:) I have taken this month! Miss you and love you all!

September-Where did it go??

Every month that goes by I am just amazed and what all has happened and where the time has truly gone. I know, I know the older you get the faster it goes. And, since I turned 32 this past Friday I feel like no truer words have been spoken!

This month has been so busy with MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) getting started back, my Family Time Kindermusik class, Gustav evacuees, one Bible study ending and another one starting, a trip to Birmingham and did I mention 2 children, one of whom is going to take her first steps any day!! Oh my how crazy! But, all that being said it has been a great 'birthday' month all in all and we continue to thank God everyday for what we have and not what we lack.

Personally, one of the most interesting things that has taken place this month has been the Daniel Bible study ending and us starting 'The 66 club'. This refers to the books of the Bible of which I am desperately interested in putting it all together for once. I have been in 'church' before I was born but haven't really 'studied' cover to cover or have I studied the basics of Bible knowledge. Yes, Noah, Moses, woman at the well and all the stories and parables are of course extremely familiar but the history and chronology have been a mystery to me and I really wanted that to change. How many Beth Moore studies over the years have I done without getting the big picture?? Not anymore!! God says his Word will never come back void and HE is crying out to us to learn it, know it, hide it, teach it and do it every day!! So, thus the 66 club began out of a song that I learned at VBS in 6th grade with the 66 books of the Bible as the subject. So, on Tuesday nights about 20 women show up to learn and admit that we always can't find Hebrews or Zephaniah, and that we didn't know that the Old Testament is not chronological, and that only 11 of the 39 books in the Old Testament tell the 'story'. But, in one accord we admit our desire and it has been awesome. Again, what have I been doing for the last 32 years when it comes to all the basics--who knows?? But, I know I am passionate about taking others on this pursuit and falling in love with the Word like never before!! How can you love something you don't spend time with? Answer-you can't, so this is my futile attempt to learn and love. If you read this and want the same thing and think to yourself, 'that is so me', then log on to http://www.christiancourses.com/ and do it with us. We are doing the Bible Basics track and it has been fabulous. I just know that God gets so excited when we get excited about His precious Word. Oooo, gotta love it!! Join in--I promise you will not be disappointed and you will be amazed at what you don't know!! Good stuff!!

The kids are doing great and Campbell is learning something new everyday. We are clapping on command, dancing to the Wiggles (which I can't believe I got sucked in to that one and just goes to show that we were born to dance), signing 'more,' 'all done', and 'fish' and she is just about the sweetest little thing ever. She loves school and you have never seen a baby light up like she does when her prince Davis walks in the room. She adores him more than she can even express and it is precious. Davis has turned a corner and now that she is more animated and 'gives back' he is definitely more into his role as big brother. They are the most precious gift a mother could ask for and every night I put them to bed and get the priviledge of waking up to their precious faces is just one more chance to say thanks be to God for all that HE has and will do through them!!

Birthdays come and go but I have to say that my sweet friends and family made this one very special and I will forever be grateful for all that they did. I think for me Blair's birthday will always be harder than mine could ever be without him but all those who 'stood' in the gap made every effort to make it special this year. I spent a precious night at Restaurant Tyler in Starkville with Columbus friends and then headed to Birmingham for a weekend with Beth and Rebecca, oh yeah and did I mention our 6 kids under 4. That alone is funny! We had a Florence/New Orleans reunion on Friday night with old friends and their sweet kids and it was so fun to see everyone. What a treat! Then Saturday we headed to the new Robert Trent Jones resort, Ross Bridge, for the royal spa treatment and loved all of it! Dinner at Surin West topped off our perfect night and weekend!! What a blessing I have in my sweet friends! I truly thank my God every time I remember them and all they have done for me!!

So, maybe October will be a little slower. Yeah, no, because both of the children were born this month and it will be filled with fall fun, birthdays, and some great costumes. Stay tuned for Tinkerbell, Peter Pan, and Wendy photos to come! How cute is that?? Loving me some dress up! I know, I'm such a girl!!:))

Pictures!!

Just a quick note so you can see our latest photo shoot. This was probably the most crazy photo session ever but girlfriend, Heather Mitchell, was an absolute magician with these shots. Hope you enjoy!! They will only be up for a week! www.heathermitchellphotography.com and the password is falkner22 (not a typo). Enjoy!

Milestones

I sat by Carrie Emmons tonight as they honored Blair and Matthew at Matthew's 'former' class's assignment night. They had a moment of silence for them, introduced us, and rang the bell in honor of their fallen commrades and our husbands. As I sat there, my heart broke for Carrie. She held her 3 week old baby, Laban Matthew, in her arms and just wept. It was rivoting and pitiful and made me sick to think of all that they missed out on as a couple and as an Air Force pilot. Matthew will never know the success of seeing a fighter pop onto that screen tonight, he'll never know the joy and terror of flying a fighter into battle, he will never know the joy of dropping bombs and firing the pickle button to shack, he will never know the pride of a squadron at Hawgsmoke, he will never know the sheer joy of holding his baby boy, he will never see another wedding anniversary. Yes, his joy is much greater now but Blair knew all of these things and so much more. He lived the ultimate dream for a pilot, father, and husband on this earth. I sat there beside her thanking my God for what I did know and what Blair so valiantly experienced everyday. How unmatched are your blessings upon me!! Thank you sweet Jesus for what I had and have today in this moment.

So amongst the craziness of school starting back, we are finally in the groove of a new year and that is honestly refreshing. Davis and Campbell both began at Fairview Baptist Church's Mom's Day Out this past week. Campbell is now a crawler almost walker and is into everything. She loves Davis so much and just needs to be where he is. She said some of her first real words in the last two weeks. 'Mama' and 'Bye-Bye' were the first two and if she is anything like me the others won't be far behind. She is changing everyday and has so much going on in her head, not to mention the teeth that keep popping out and interrupting her sweet sleep.

Davis and I just returned from the beach and had a great time with friends. It was a treat to be with just him and spend time playing in the sand and surf. He loves the beach and everything about it. We ate hibachi one night and he thought Ratatouille was under the chef's hat. Japan and France -you know they are so similar to a 2 year old. So funny! He had his first scooter ride this week as well and did quite well. He's a little slow but we love our new 'neighborhood' hand me down. We call ourselves the 'Palmer Home (our local orphanage that has a thrift store) of Hunnigton' because all of the neighbors pass on their outgrown awesome toys to us. What a treat for Davis and for me!!

Pray for Carrie this week. She is in Columbus for 2 weeks and will attend the class graduation. She is struggling because she loved the Air Force life and everything about it. She misses this love and bond that we share here and she is so far removed fromit because she is in Pennsylvania. God give her strength to be the best mom sweet Laban could ask for. Give her a hope and a future that she cannot even imagine. He did for me, He'll do it again, and He will for her!!

No Greater Love

First, thank you so much for your prayers on Sunday and frankly everyday. I am blessed to know that you are truly lifting our family to the Father every day! We met with the Accident Investigation Board and because I can't possibly reach you all with the news I just wanted you know that I will do my best to inform you this way--clearly and accurately.

They began by saying that definitively and 100% positively that Matthew and Blair died immediately and did not suffer in any way. A relief for us all.... The sequence of events began upon takeoff and 3.6 seconds later it was over and they had met their Maker. So, you can imagine that time frame as an eternity in some ways but honestly just a blink in others.

The wings on airplanes have flaps that raise up and down and they are called ailerons. Basically, the right aileron failed causing the plane to roll to the left and making it impossible for Blair to recover into a normal takeoff sequence. He initially corrected but in this critical phase of flight it could not be saved. The plane struck the ground upside down and slid off the runway where it burst into flames. According to our brief, all the flight controls indicated that Blair told Matthew to eject and upon the ejection initiation the plane was rolling too fast and Matthew's trajectory was amiss. Blair stayed with the plane trying to recover with a hard right stick and rudder but to no avail. You and I both know he was trying to save it with all he had after Matthew ejected. Blair impacted the ground and died instantly without the ability to eject properly upside down. The plane tilted in the skid off the runway and Blair basically was thrown from the plane at that moment of the tilt due to the seat seperation sequence for the ejection seat.

This is the basis of 500 page report we received. The report is thorough beyond your wildest imagination, has testimonies from everyone who had any chance of seeing it happen or did see it happen, and is a comforting but yet a piercing document of epic proportions for our family that was given to us today. We are grateful for the detail because it is such a blessing to read the testimonies of the first people on the scene, the men and women that flew with Blair, and to see the 'big picture' of it all.

So, what do I think? I'm beyond proud of Blair's heroism. He died knowing that he did everything he could to lay down his life for his brother. I know Blair, he was the 'daddy' in charge of that jet and that 'son' was gettin' out if it was the last thing he did. "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.' John 15:14. He did it---no doubt in my mind. I am so unbelievably grateful that I can tell my children that their daddy died a hero. He is the epitome of the word. I am blessed that they have that kind of heritage to remember and reflect on when the going seems so tough. Thank you Jesus for giving me this story of exteme intrepidation. He is my 'Braveheart' and the greatest earthly super hero my children could ever ask for. WHAT A GIFT!

Honestly, today has been brutally painful and truly nauseating in some regards. The reenactment of it all has given us some missing links into our own closure. I truly feel like all day I was reminded that Christ is in control and no matter what this report says-the end is still the same and HE is still on the throne. Intense focus on that one thing is all I can do from here on out. It is a requirement for my own survival and that is just honestly the way I HAVE to view this whole process. We are blessed to have the detailed information, the promise of the Air Force to prevent this again, and the love of a country for Blair's selfless service to keep us all safe.

And by the way, Campbell's crawling. WHAT?? She is loving her new freedom and I am astonished at the difference in Campbell and Davis on the whole 'movement' thing. No comparisons! Here's a video and notice Davis's crawling 'debut' --so typical.:)

5 years ago today....

I just felt like I couldn't let today, our anniversary, go by without writing something about 5 years of a blissful marriage. What could I possibly say to make this day more palatable? There is nothing but sweetness to remember. So, that is what I choose--the greatness of it all. I thought that most of you reading this have probably never seen this picture---but it was so us! Me laughing and Blair being the funniest person you could imagine. He had that knack like none other and I miss it terribly. But, make no mistake his little man has that knack and he graciously has stepped in to make his mommy laugh hysterically at the things he says and does. So, till I get to heaven to hear that quick wit again I will just let Davis fill in.

I am singing at a wedding next weekend and I as was practicing today I couldn't help but be completely overcome with emotion about our marriage and my relationship with Christ at this very hour. The song 'How Beautiful' is so gorgeous and the words are truly perfection. As I sang, 'How beautiful the radiant bride who waits for her groom with his light in her eyes. How beautiful when humble hearts give the fruit of pure lives so that others may live,' ---all I could think was, "Could this really be the words that so poignantly express my deepest emotion of Blair's death and life?" As I reflect on our wedding photos, this picture, the ceremony, our 5 years of highs and lows, I can't help but think that the fruit of Blair's life culminated so that others could truly live! But, those others can't 'live' if we won't do what the last verse of that song says-'How beautiful the feet (mine and yours) that bring the sound of good news and the LOVE of the King." Tell someone you love that Jesus is the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE! He is it! Nothing else--just Him!

Marriage is such an awesome gift that I was blessed to experience. From the moment we discussed getting married, I knew that God had ordained us to be together. I am thankful and grateful that I could experience so much with a man that loved me selflessly. Thank you, dear Jesus, that you allowed me this gift for 5 years. I am blessed by the fruit of Blair's life and lives that we created together.