Best Friends Forevah! or my BFF's

Tracy, Becky and Mary

Here we are, 17 years ago (I think) in Corpus Christi the week before Tracy's wedding to Charles. I've known these two girls for over 20 years now!
I met Becky freshman year in the dorms at University of Oklahoma and then we both met Tracy a year later when Tracy and I pledged Kappa Delta together. Tracy has always been with Charles as long as we've known her. Becky and I took a little more time to find our soul-mates!

And no matter how long it's been since we've last talked or seen each other, it's always just like old times. Whenever we are all in the same time zone, we try to get together. The last time was six years ago in Savannah, Georgia. Since I've been overseas it is harder to see each other. I will always cherish Tracy and Becky! Mostly because of all the things they know about me and they still love me! Plus, I know a few things about them, too! We did a few crazy things in our younger days!

Tracy, Mary and Becky

Here we are 17 years later in Virginia Beach in July. A little older, a little wiser, a little grayer (well, one of us anyway), seven kids between us and no divorces! Amen!

Hooah Army Moment from Matt

(photo courtesy of the US Army Joint Mulitnational Readiness Center)

These are the news releases of what I was doing the day before I left for the wedding. See the links below. If the links don't work when you click on them then just copy them into the URL window.
This is an annual event we conduct with a German reserve unit that we have a social relationship with. We do a lot of things with them and they are good Bavarians and very supportive of us. In the pictures... I am in the second aircraft of the formation and the camouflage one (we call them the HITS or HIND birds) in the close-up. For anyone who may be confused... No this is not my normal aircraft that I fly. It is the one that we use to tag along and observe the training units that come here to Hohenfels and will be replaced after I leave with the new EC 145 LUH around 2010. The old Huey is finally being put out to pasture. She's been a grand old lady and a signature of US Army Aviation.
Obviously the articles are cheesy but the pictures are alright.

http://www.army.mil/-slideshows/2008/06/27/10410-us---german-army-partnership-air-assault-training-joint-multinational-readiness-center/

http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=63018&archive=true

http://www.oberpfalznetz.de/zeitung/1430545-100-im_teppichklopfer_ueber_hohenfels,1,0.html

Visit to Our Nation's Capitol

We had the opportunity to visit our Nation's Capitol. Matt's cousin, Elizabeth works for Oklahoma Congressman John Sullivan and arranged a Capitol tour for us. Here we are with Elizabeth in Congressman Sullivan's office while he was in Oklahoma on recess. The coolest part was getting to go in the tunnel system that runs under all the Capitol buildings. Pretty neat. And we got to sit in the gallery of the room where the House of Representatives meet. You know, the one shown on CSPAN?

It is quite simple to tour the Capitol; go to your Congressman's website and request a Capitol tour. Very worth it.

Up Close to the Liberty Bell

After the wedding, we had an extra day in Pennsylvania before Matt flew back to Germany and MK and I went on to DC. We hopped a train to the historical center of Philadelphia and went to visit the Liberty Bell. Normally, to visit the Liberty Bell you have to pick up timed tickets at the Information Center and then wait for your turn with a few hundred other tourists. On this day, we walked right into the visitor center without a ticket and was able to get up close and personal with the Liberty Bell.
We also went to Independence Hall and saw the places where George Washington and John Adams were sworn in as Presidents; George Washington's personal copy of the Declaration of Independence and Thomas Jeffeson's copy of the Constitution. This wasn't very interesting to MK but Matt and I could have stayed all day. We also took a ride on a horse carriage and realized that we could use another day to see all the historical sites of Philadelphia. Sadly, we didn't have the time but would love to go back again some day.
More posts coming later about mine and MK's trip to DC and Virginia Beach!

The Wedding

We just returned from our nephews wedding in Radnor, Pennsylvania near Philadelphia. The entire Fitter clan came from various places to see Aaron marry Stephanie. Our MK was a flower girl. She has been waiting her entire life to be a flower girl and her wish finally came true! Above, she dances the night away with her daddy. Below is a picture of her $85 updo. I made an appointment at the hotel beauty salon to get her hair done for the wedding. I never asked how much an updo would cost, my mistake. However, she looked beautiful and felt like a princess.

A picture of us before the wedding. The location was the Radnor Country Club in Bryn Mawr, PA. Just want to say thank you to Aaron and Stephanie, the Wilson's and the Kaplan's for a wonderful weekend!