This morning, Sarah graduated her Basic Officer Leaders Course at Fort Lee, VA. She finished the 4-month class with a #2 ranking, and she received the highest rating possible on her evaluation.

We are very proud of her, congrats!

The next step is a long drive/move to Kansas. It will take a few days to get there, and we don’t even know when we’ll be receiving our belongings from storage. But we are excited to start the next step in our lives.

Today is Gameday! The 2011 college football season is finally here, with OU taking on Tulsa at 8pm tonight. Emma, Sarah, & I are dressed in our Gameday best.

Boomer Sooner!

Emma & I were talking on the phone with Sarah when we felt it: a 5.9M earthquake! The shaking was a little scary in our apartment building, but Emma didn’t even wake up from her nap.

We hosted my Mom and Aunt last week. Emma really enjoyed all of the extra attention, clothes, toys, etc., and Sarah & I enjoyed some needed adult time together. It was really nice seeing my Mom in person, and I’m looking forward to seeing her again along with my Dad after we leave Virginia next month.

Hurricane Irene is headed our way, but I’m not too worried. I’ve never been so close to a hurricane before, but I plan on getting some bottled water to go along with the food in the pantry before the weekend. Virginia is expected to see the worst sometime Saturday afternoon/evening. Sarah is supposed to go to the field starting Saturday, but she’s been warned that if the winds are too high, she will stay home. We’re both rooting for some strong winds so she can spend the weekend indoors.

We’ve past the halfway point of our Virginia stay, and optimism is slowly returning. Both Sarah & I want to leave to begin another chapter in our lives.

Emma and Braeden are growing like weeds. Braeden is nearly four feet tall, and his sister weighs over 15 pounds! Emma will be 6 months young in a few days, and we can’t believe how different she looks. She’s taken on a unique personality already.

Braeden will be starting school in a few weeks. 1st grade! He’s excited to be a first grader – apparently kindergarteners are ‘babies’.

The heat has picked up here, and the humidity hasn’t let off. I’m not used to such high humidity, but surprisingly I’m liking it so far. Sarah has a different opinion of the humidity. But then again, she spends a day or two each week enjoying it.

The weather here is very humid, much more than Oklahoma. None of us are used to it yet, but Braeden has been staying cool by taking a few dips in the pool. We’re still getting used to our surroundings – and our new routines – but we’re optimistic that the time we spend here will be positive!

And maybe someday we’ll move back to Norman and get season tickets to OU football.

I’ve been home from training for almost a month now, and it’s been great being able to spend so much time with Sarah & the kids. I didn’t realize just how much I missed them until I got home. Luckily for us, Sarah won’t be separated from the kids when she’s training, which will make life easier for both everyone.

Braeden’s becoming incredibly confident on his Razor scooter, and he’s learning how to ride his bike, too. At school, he was identified as one of the brightest kids and one of the best readers. Listening to him read now, he sounds like a completely different reader than before the school year started. Pretty soon he’ll be reading Tolstoy and Dostoevsky!

Last Friday, February 4, Sarah & I added a new member to our family: Emma Grace Wright. She came out in full fury, and we’ve been in amazement ever since.

Sarah had decided to go through the birth without taking an epidural, and she followed through. I still can’t believe how tough and devoted she is, and I’m very proud of her.

Emma is full of personality – even though she sleeps through most of the day. She makes funny faces, winks, and even noticeably responds to facial expressions and voices. Braeden has been a great big brother so far, and we’re excited to watch him take Emma under his wing and teach her his ornery ways.