CJ & Autumn Miller

We have been at the JAARS base in NC since Tuesday of last week. We both took time off work & CJ is working hard here at his AIM Air technical evaluation (proctored by JAARS). Last week he was tested orally & practically on aircraft maintenance. Starting tomorrow, Monday, CJ will begin the flight tests. He will be flying a large six person tailwheel that he is not familiar with, & for that matter – hardly anyone is familiar with. Using the Helio Courier for the test enables them to evaluate much more than just hands-on skills, but how a person learns new information & practically applies it. This weekend he has been studying the Helio Courier Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH), memorizing checklists, & familiarizing himself with the cockpit. I sat copilot with him this afternoon & induced imaginary fires & engine failures into the regular routine so he could practice the emergency procedures. Please pray for CJ this week – it is a big test.

Meanwhile, in Harrisonburg our good friends Mike & Ana are watching over the house & Teco. Ana texted me Friday night & said that it might snow & I was like “I hope it does”, not really thinking that it would actually REALLY snow. I am new at this whole living farther North thing! Well it did really snow & as of Saturday morning they had already built two substantial sized snowmen in our yard. CJ & I were so jealous. I mean, we leave for one week & all the action happens at our house! Our backyard hill would be great for sledding & I have been daydreaming about it ever since we moved in six months ago. CJ called Mike to inform him about where the sled was kept & I hope they got some good runs in for us. I sure hope it snows again so I can play in the snow this winter. I have already hyped myself up & bought gloves. Below is the picture they texted us of the snowman in our yard & cold Teco in the snow….aw.

The week of Thanksgiving is quite possibly the busiest week of the year at the bakery. You can only imagine how many pies & rolls we made in preparation for everyone’s big feast. By the time Thursday came around, I thought I would be tired of cooking, but I wasn’t. It was still fun & exciting to be cooking for MY feast & MY family. My parents drove up from Alabama to spend the holiday with us in Harrisonburg since it was a bad week for me to try to get extra time off. It was the first time they had visited our house in VA, so it was especially fun to show them around. They were amazed at how truly beautiful the mountains are & took several walks in our neighborhood past the cattle grazing over the rolling hills. Thanksgiving Eve we took them to Kline’s Dairy Bar for a true Harrisonburg experience. Dad talked about his Eggnog ice cream for the rest of the weekend. They will probably come back, if only for some more Kline’s ice cream! Who could blame them?!

I consider this Thanksgiving a success. It was my first Thanksgiving meal at my own house & I didn’t burn anything down, so it should be rightfully considered a success. You agree? Dad kept referring to mom as the “Turkey Coach” all weekend, so with that in mind I will admit I had some help. But, with one home-cooked turkey under my belt & lots of Birmingham Thanksgivings spent as the kitchen slave, I think I am experienced enough to do it on my own if need be.

Yes, I admit, I went shopping on Black Friday. And I dragged sleepy CJ with me. We left for Old Navy at 4am the morning after the feast. It was dark & cold outside & the parking lot was packed. There were excited caffeine induced screams coming from the saleswomen when we arrived & I looked for the dressing room in a blur. Like an idiot, I left my phone at home still charging by the bed. I didn’t think I would need it at this time of the morning. CJ separated to scour the men’s jeans & that was the last I saw of him, for literally hours. I waited in line for a ridiculously long time to purchase a jacket & CJ was no where to be found. I checked the car, the bookstore, the coffeeshop, GAP outlet, Eddie Bauer, the curb, everywhere I thought likely. I had no car keys & it was too cold to stand by the car, so I wandered around sleep deprived until 6:30am when I finally found him exhausted, trying to sleep in the car. How had we missed each other? We were both too sleepy to make any sense of it & went back to bed.

I think CJ’s in-laws made him sick, or at least they apologized for it in jest. Or maybe it was the holiday shopping that did him in. He spent his extra long weekend mostly taking it easy. CJ in turn gave me the infirmity & earlier this week I felt as if my eyes would pop out from all the sinus pressure. Needless to say, we didn’t cut down a Christmas tree as originally planned & the house is still decorated for fall.