Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Shopping, Cooking and Visiting

Yes, there WERE other happenings today.

Some went to Portland, after Krista's commissioning. JaRissa miss Chick Fil A....and off they went.

Michael and I spent the afternoon with things....baking, shopping, cooking dinner... we even got to bake with Bella and Bre.
Dipping the last of the buckeyes

Today's haul
Cooking with the big pans again - glad I had the foresight to give them to Krista when we moved into the Caboose. LOL  
Many Gherkins love Chicken Divan


Mom, Dad and Lorri came over and we had dinner, visited and played games.

Card playing Gherkins


Nintendo Playing Gherkins

A New 2nd Lieutenant in Our Midst

Krista came by the motor home bright and early! With DOUGHNUTS! 

JaRissa, Josiah, Jamin, my parents, Lorri and all five us us piled into cars and headed to Corvallis, OR. Home of the OSU Beavers. It turns out the nearest active duty Air Force Officer is assigned to the ROTC at OSU.  Krista had an appointment with Lt Col Brainerd. As they talked, Michael  couldn't help himself and had to straighten out the flag so it was laying right.

Ah, they had  a set of the material he has been talking to Jamin about - diplomacy, DOD et al. 

BUT the purpose of our journey and meeting was for Krista to be sworn in as a 2nd Lieut. She's been licensed, ordained, serves on staff at a church and is 1/2 way through her M Div....now she's also an officer in the Air Force Reserves, accepted into the Chaplain Candidacy program, and will be attending OTS (Officer Training School) this summer.

Lt Col Brainerd was GREAT. He took the time to explain the oath she would be taking so that all attending understood. Her oath is not to a man or a service....but to a piece of paper...the Constitution of the United States of America.  He also had some kind words for the Air Force chaplaincy.

"I, (name) do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God. "

The journey comes full circle as Michael watches Krista begin the journey he has ended. 

Kirsta shared words for Michael, myself, her siblings and grandparents. There may have been some wet eyes in the room.  

Lt Col Brainerd gave Krista a pocket-size copy of the constitution and there was paperwork..... 

While we took photos, Michael and Lt Col Brainerd established that they had been at Malmstrom AFB at the same time. He grew up in the area and graduated from Thurston high school. It's a small world.
2nd Lt, Chaplain Candidate  Krista G & Me 

G'ma, Krista and G'pa
 Seven Gherkins
Jamin, Nolan, Krista, Josiah, Jared, Stacia, Alex
2nd Lt, Chaplain Candidate Krista G and Chaplain, Major (Ret) Michael G
  
Josiah, Nolan, De'Etta, Jamin, Krista, Michael, Alex, Stacia, Jared, Larissa