New Changes...A New Path

So much has happened since my last post. Let me try to catch up a bit...

First of all, my back is better and after much physical therapy and exercise, I feel stronger than I have in a long time. My back is still not 100%, but I am back at work and boy, have things changed!

I got to Portland last Thursday evening so that I could be on call the following Friday. It was hard to go back knowing that the flying is not great out of that base and, true to form, I didn't fly on Friday, however...it was a VERY eventful day! It started out fairly typical. I got up showered and as I was putting my make up on, I received a phone call from SkyWest telling me to check my email in the next hour for a possible transfer to Minneapolis. I had put my transfer in back in December. Minneapolis (MSP) has more options for me and I will not be on Reserve (on call) but instead will be able to hold a line (where I have more control over my schedule and ultimately the ability to make more money!!)

Needless to say, I was anxious as I checked my email. I tried to focus on improving my face, but was so distracted. Then, there it was! I opened the email, saw the "granted transfer" and quickly accepted it. Then the phone call followed. Normally, transfers are granted at the end/beginning of the month. The actual transfer does not become effective until the first of the following month. In this case, that would be March 1st. But, since we are very short of people in MSP, I was asked to move immediately! "What does immediately mean?" I asked. I was told that I would have 4 moving days then would need to report to my new domicile.

So now, Brad and I are planning to fly to MSP Tuesday morning, check things out, see my new crashpad and return home that evening. I will then turn around and fly back on Thursday and be ready to FLY on Friday!! Big changes...Huge!! Thankfully, I have some friends there who have opened their apartment up to me and will show me the ropes in my new base...God bless them!

I have become a voracious reader. I have always read, but lately I can't get enough! I have to recommend two incredibly inspirational books that, in my opinion, are "must reads". The first is called: "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom. It is a true account of a family who hid Jews during the occupation of Holland during WWII. Without giving too much away, they are discovered and are sent to Nazi Concentration camps. The amazing accounts of the faith of two sisters is completely moving and overwhelming. I couldn't read this book fast enough and was actually sad when I finished it. It changed me...

The second book is: "Left To Tell:Discovering God Amongst The Rwandan Holocaust" by Immaculee Ilibagiza. Again, a similar story (true story) of incredible faith and strength. In this book, she survived the Rwandan genocide as her family is butchered. And I was sad to finish this book too. Both of these books changed me. These women showed me how incredibly blessed I am and they made me wonder if my faith would be strong enough to sustain me through such atrocities, terror, fear and even torture. Is my relationship with God strong enough? Do I know Him as intimately as I should? Both are beautifully and poignantly written. I urge you all to get these books, then please, let me know what you think of them. I promise, you will be inspired!

As my life has taken a big turn, once again, I am renewed, energized and anxious to move forward. No, I did not receive my transfer to Salt Lake City, but that's OK because new experiences and opportunities await me in MSP. I'm anxious to meet new people, see new places and make more money!! God will take care of me and walk beside me. I have faith that He has led me to where I am today and look forward to the challenges and adventures ahead.

My children and *Littles* are doing great. My girls have their challenges, but face them head on and are growing into extremely strong women and amazing mothers. Ty is clean and sober, he smiles, he laughs, he talks rationally, he has a great job, is a full time college student, is active in AA/NA and once again, loves his life. He shines!! He is reconnecting to the Lord and he is healing. Everyday is a gift for him and he recognizes that. He calls me just to talk! I feel so much joy around him; something I haven't felt around him for about 7 years. I am even thankful to him for taking me on this treacherous journey with him. Don't get me wrong, I NEVER want to ever go through the darkness and hell that we have experienced during his drug abuse years again, but I am a better person for having survived it. Mistakes were made. I didn't always handle things with dignity and grace, and I even broke down many, many times. But I am stronger, a bit wiser, less judgmental and more compassionate to these precious children of God who are lost in the depths of hell. I ache for their families and especially their mothers. Tyler is not out of the woods yet, but he knows this and takes it one day at a time. He has surrounded himself with good people with similar goals and values. He has changed his thinking and, most importantly, he is growing and he is on the right path...he's becoming whole again!

I am a blessed woman. I am thankful for the challenges that have come my way. They are not fun, or easy or even seemingly bearable at times, but the emergence of survival and strength is the greatest reward. Most importantly, I am thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who has never left me OR my sweet son. He has held us both up and has sent His love and protection at times when we both have, many times, felt unworthy. But He is God. He never bailed on us even when we may have bailed on Him.

Life is amazing. I found a quote on Pinterest that touched my heart to the core:
"Successful women build a strong foundation with the bricks that have been thrown at them."

I only hope and pray that I can pay honor to that saying. I have been broken many times, but am healing.

Impossible Possibilities

**WARNING** Lots of Acronyms in this post...Welcome to the Airline Industry!

For the past 4 months, I have been living away from my sweet home. It all started in June when I entered Flight Attendant training and was required to stay in a hotel in Salt Lake City (SLC) near the airport. I was one of the lucky ones because I was only 1 hour from my home and was able to see my hubs, kids and grandchildren periodically. Most of the people in my class were hundreds, even thousands of miles from their loved ones...

As soon as training was over, I was immediately assigned to the Portland (PDX) domicile. I finished my initial flight and was sent to PDX the very next day. Again, I was blessed to be sent with several of my friends whom I had grown to love during our 29 day training in SLC. We each had 3 nights in a hotel so we combined our nights, stayed together and stretched our hotel stay into 9 days. During that time, we found a crash pad not far from the city train fondly called the Max which meant that we could leave our cars home and have readily available, affordable transportation to the airport. (More on the crash pad in a later post...after I get back to SLC for good...!!)

So now it is October. I am still in PDX and I am still living in a crash pad with anywhere from 5-15 people in a small 2 bedroom/1 bath apartment, depending on the particular month. It's a challenge to say the least.

I have been very fortunate during the month of Oct to have been awarded a Reserve Line with Sunday/Monday/Tuesdays off. Reserve is simply being available at your domicile in the event that you are called to fly. That means that I HAVE to be in PDX available for a possible assignment from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM on my duty days= a LOT of down time=a LOT of sitting around=potential boredom=precious time away from my family and home.

With my Oct. schedule, I was able to usually get back to SLC Saturday evening and able to get back to Portland Wednesday morning before 9:00...not bad at all. Nov is a different story! I was assigned Mon/Tues with only two weeks of Mon/Tues/Wed off...no more Sundays, no more church! I'm bummed!

So yesterday, I finished a 2 day trip to Burbank, which by the way, was incredibly beautiful with very blue skies, clean air and 78° weather. It was a long layover and so nice for a change. But the problem that I had was that we would get in to PDX AFTER the last flight left for SLC on ANY airline out of PDX. That meant that I would miss church and seeing 2 of my precious *Littles* in Primary (Sunday School). One gave a talk about the power of prayer and the other gave a scripture found in John. It's a big deal to a 4 and 5 year old. I listed myself on the 6:00 AM flight this morning from PDX-SLC but it was pretty full and since we fly "Space Available", I was concerned. After all, it is UEA (Utah Educators Association) convention in Utah and since kids are out of school, many families take a mini vacation, thus filling up the flights in and out of SLC...Ugh!!

I am forever amazed at the tender mercies of the Lord. I prayed that I would be able to get back to SLC this weekend and the way things were looking yesterday, there was no way that I could get back until Sunday night at the earliest...if then...and more than likely not until Monday afternoon...if then!! As my crew and I arrived to the Burbank (BUR) airport yesterday to work our last leg back to PDX, my First Officer (FO) informed me that if I was willing to fly to Redmond/Bend, OR (RDM) on the 10:10 PM flight, I would be able to get on the 6:10 AM flight from RDM to SLC. This meant staying overnight in a hotel...I called our crew hotel in RDM, secured a room for $42 and bolted to RDM.

Yes, I arrived home this morning at 8:30 and my sweet hubs picked me up, dropped me off at home so I could change into appropriate church attire and I made it in time to see my *beauties* give their talk/scripture!

Again, the Lord blessed me and cleared a path for me to get to my precious family. This has happened to me over and over and over again. Impossible options mysteriously appear at just the right moment.

When my sweet father passed away, I was in Burbank, working a trip, scheduled to fly one leg back to PDX then was going to try to get on an oversold flight back to SLC. Unbelievably, a SLC based flight attendant rode to the airport with my crew and we were able to swap trips. She flew to Portland and I flew to Salt Lake in time to be with my family and have a few priceless moments with my dad before the mortuary took his body out of the home. Coincidence?!? Absolutely not. I believe that it was a well laid plan by the Good Lord above who knew my needs and provided a path for me.

So today, I am home with my family. I ended up getting about 3 hours of sleep last night and I am TOTALLY exhausted but sleeping in my own bed, eating a home cooked meal and attending my own ward (church) with my family is more precious than anything. The Lord once again provided a way for me to find my way back. That is the most amazing thing about God. He knows each of us and loves all of us no matter who we are or how we live our lives. He is always available to bless us with tremendous abundance if we will but ask and have faith that He has all power to make the impossible possible. That's all we have to do!!