Airforce Comemorative AirBase

Before Arizona got really hot, we tried to quickly do as many outside things as we could. One of the things on my list included the Air Force Commemorative Air Base out in Gilbert area. It was quiet a drive but totally worth it. I don't remember a lot about the Air Force. In fact the only memories I have include standing in a parking lot while I saw cars crashed together, clapping at a table (apparently in the Pentagon while my dad got something),  walking into my dad's office and seeing someone with a mustache (again in the Pentagon), seeing movers in my house in California, watching my Dad on TV for something, and going to temporary housing in Spokane and thinking it was the coolest thing ever because we ate out. Pretty sad. I know.

Regardless of the sad memories I have about the Air Force, it still means so much to mean. As I've gotten older, I think I have learned to appreciate just what it means to have a spouse or parent in the services. Maybe it was watching Carolyn go through 3 deployments with all those kids or listening to my mom tell stories about flight training. I don't know. once I had kids I think I really started to appreciate the sacrifices that were made to make this life possible. I LOVE hearing planes fly over, I LOVE seeing planes, I look forward to patriotic songs and being in crowds that truly honor those who serve, I love watching videos of soldiers coming home and the emotions that everyone feels being reunited, and I love knowing that I was born at the Academy. I take a lot of pride in the few years I was able to associate with the Air Force.

With that knowledge, I hope it is clear why I find old air plane museums super cool. We went to this museum and it was just awesome. The museum consisted of two hangers: one for repairs and one for the planes fixed up. They had some very old planes there and I was just loving it. The girls made it hard to really enjoy it, but KaMaili came with us so all the kids kind of entertained each other. It got hot near the end but it was such a fun field trip for me.

 The crazies in action! So in the middle of the all the models, there was this tiny plane that the kids could ride. Naturally that is where they wanted to be the whole time and between the two of us we had 5 kids. The workers were amazed at how well the kids behaved but let me tell you, it wasn't easy. I think the biggest problem was managing who's turn was next on the little plane!

Took this pictures specifically for Poppa! 

 We were a week late, but normally the museum has 4 bombers that you can go into. Unfortunately they were all on tour but we were still able to go into this one. Hoover vacuum company bought it so the inside now looks like a commercial plane, but it was still fun especially for the kids.

A fun memory of this place:
I thought it would be cool to buy my dad something B52 related. I saw these coookie cutters and thought that that would be a fun gift. Either for the cookies or even just to hang on the tree etc. Anyway, I went to buy one but as the 95 year old man was swiping my card I realized I had grabbed a B25 cutter and not a B52 cutter. My brain had  done one of those flippy do thingys and I had read 25 as 52. "I am so sorry to do this to you, but I am not going to purchase this cutter anymore." You would have thought I told him WWIII was starting! He tried his hardest but just could not figure it out so he went to go get Janice to hopefully help him. After 10 minutes, Janice couldn't figure it out so they got Phil. After 20 minutes of all three of them trying to return my cutter I told them that it really was okay. My bad! No biggy. They INSISTED on helping me. As a result from their kindness I ended up returning the original, buying two more, returning one, and keeping the original. :) Lets remember too, while this was happening, all 6 kids were outside with KaMaili in the 105 degree weather singing primary songs to stay happy as their hungry tummies were pushing them to misbehave.  As I was walking out the door I said, " I'm not stealing this right?" You would have thought Jim Gaffigin was in the room by the roar of laughter I got. It made me feel so good. Bless all the sweet little hearts to try to deal with new technologies just to correct my error. And bless KaMailis heart for keeping all the kids at bay while I went through this headache! Happy Father's Day Dad. I got you a B25 cookie Cutter!! Thanks for your service and for flying B52s!!!