Easter pics!

This a little non-sequential, but I wanted to share a fun picture of the family at Easter!  Their all beautiful!  God has truly blessed me!  We also have a wonderful pear tree in bloom behind us.  That's in our front yard.  Just more evidence of God's natural revelation on the day we celebrate the completed work of His special revelation through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Masters in full swing

So there I was...

A day late and a dollar short, so its a good thing this masters program doesn't cost me a dime.  Run and paid for by your government.  So far so good.  It started Monday and I am getting used to keeping up with readings and daily responses to other student threads and comments.  Should be good, but definitely taking some self-discipline.  Gonna lose even more time with the family too!  Blah...

Kilroy was here!

Home again...alot going on!

So there I was...

A few days off from work to catch up on undone tasks at home.  I have about a dozen pictures to hang, a yard to catch up on, house to help clean and I still haven't unpacked from my last trip.  I hate having suitcases full of stuff on my bedroom floor, but it seems like more often than not, I'm either loading or unloading one these days.
Well, on another note, I start my masters next Monday.  I am not really looking forward to a year and a half to two year commitment to reading every night and writing papers and commenting online, but it has to be done.  So here we go.  My first class is Foundations of Officership.  Pretty cheesy I know.  Its a free degree offered by the military though, and I need to check this box...and soon.  Hopefully I'll learn something along the way.

Kilroy was here!

A new start...to blogging that is.

So there I was...

Two and a half years after my son's birth...on the road again, and bored to tears. I just saw some great photos of Jelaine, Trey and Penny playing with their friends at the Omaha Children's museum. They had a great time and Cassandra took some great photos! She posted them to her blogspot and it reminded me that I had one of those once upon a time and so I went to search it out. What do you know, it's still here! So with no one watching because they have all given up on me, I will begin again. I won't bother catching you up, but I will start from the present. You will soon learn about my faith, my family and the fun we have together and apart as we enjoy God's creation and the many blessings He graciously provides us in this present life. God bless you all!

Kilroy was here!

...and now the moment you've all been waiting for.

ARMAND GENE FONDREN III 

"TREY"

I'll spare you the rhetoric for a picture is worth a thousand words. 

Welcome to the planet

Ah swaddling...the one thing daddy does well

Trey and Jelaine...beyond words

Look at the size of those things

Getting ready to come home

Fist time in his bed...sweet dreams

Styling' and profilin' in his first cargo pants

More to come...standby for more adventures of Trey...

Kilroy was here!

Finally here...

So there I was...

49 1/2 hrs after it all began. Tired, but not near as tired as my darling wife, but ecstatic about the arrival of our baby boy. Here's the stats. Pictures and more to come, but I am going to get some lunch.

Time: 0133, 1 Sep 2008 (Labor Day)
Length: 21 1/2 inches long
Weight: a WHOPPING 9 lbs 11 oz.
Name: Armand "TREY" Gene Fondren III

Mom and baby are awesome. We are stil in the hospital but should go home tomorrow. Call us and say hey when you get the chance:

Kilroy was here!

Is it time yet?

So there I was...

30 Aug 2008, sleeping peacefully in my bed when Jelaine awoke...this time not from her ever shrinking bladder, but from her intensifying contractions.  We began timing them at about 0315 this morning.  It's a bit inconclusive as of yet, but she tells me they are definitely working now and they are getting harder.  These are all great signs.

My parents came into town last night for

 the long weekend and hopefully they will go home with some great pictures of their newest grandbaby.  Jelaine called her parents at 0400 and they are supposed to be heading this way via car from Hot Springs, AR.  

Please pray for us as we begin what promises to be a long and fulfilling day.  Glory be to God for His perfect plan for our lives.  We look forward to sharing more with you all as often as possible.  Check back frequently.

Kilroy was here!

PS:  This picture is for Ethan.  He had us take pictures of Jelaine at 9 months prego in uniform.  :-)

I finally got the website to let me post a picture and here it is!  This is Jelaine on our 4th anniversary, just a few days ago.  She is 33 weeks pregnant.  Feel free to comment on her resemblance to a penguin or a pot bellied pig.  :-)  She's gonna get me for that last one, but I love her and think she is absolutely adorable!  

Kilroy was here!

Preparation for fatherhood...

So there I was...

Six weeks away from that special day...the day we bring a little boy into the world, and all I can think is that there are some people who haven't even heard that Jelaine is pregnant yet.  Ah well, those who don't know certainly have long since given up checking my blog anyway.  Well, I am trying to catch up once again.  But now I can't even read Trey's blog because I didn't check his and my invitation to view was revoked.  Serves me right. 

Anyway, I know these are a bit old but I did want to post at least one picture of my pregnant wife.  It is soooooo cool.  Our little guy inside her is growing rapidly and he doesn't stop kicking ever.  It is a wonder she can sleep, but ironically she sleeps harder now than ever before. 

Well I tried 8 times to post a picture of my bride to no avail so i give up for now.  I'll try again soon.

I'll check back, but I am going to have to send out an email to tell people I posted or no one will ever see the picture anyway.

A hole through the earth...

So there I was...bored out of my mind when I decided to dig a hole straight through the earth just see where I would end up.

Turns out if you dig a whole straight through you end up near Antarctica, but I must have taken a wrong turn at Albequeque, and I ended up in Okinawa...and for those of you like myself, who are not geographically inclined Okinawa is an island south of mainland Japan. Also the alleged home of Mr. Miagi. Come to find out Miagi is a pretty common Okinawan name.

Anyway, I have been here since mid January and have seen and done a lot. I have had some amazing food: of course sushi, japanese steakhouse, traditional japanese noodles (with the occasional surprize raw egg and dried seaweed) and japanese curry. I have had my fill of Turkish food from a real Turk, Indian, Hawaiian, Persian, French pastry, and most rescently some excellent TexMex believe it or not. I've also tried Ube (purple sweet potato) ice cream. It tastes a little bit like sweet cold buttered popcorn...delicious.

I got to see the Cherry Blossom Festival (Sakura Festival). I have been shopping in Naha and Nago (cities on island). I've been to church every weekend including one church off base that sung both Japanese and English praise songs, that was neat. I even got "stuck" in Tokyo for a few days and got to go up in the Tokyo tower to see the city from above. I have taken a ton of pictures, 5 gigs to be exact, and hope to share them all with you sometime. And for those of you who didn't get this post in the email version I'll add a few details. I got to go climbing in climbing gym and see a high school play (american). I wanted to go diving but doesn't look like that is going to happen. I have gotten to hang out with some friends who are stationed here too and that was really awesome.

And when I wasn't doing all that great stuff I was doing what you sent me here to do and that is work. And believe me we have been doing a lot of that too. That being said my time here is coming to a close and I am thankful for that. Please pray that we get home on time. Also pray for Jelaine and my two month old nephew who is now recovering well from open heart surgery. Jelaine has gotten to spend this long weekend with her family in Arkansas and was the first to hold him after his surgery. He is amazing. I am praying for you all while I am gone and I look forward to seeing you all soon. God bless you all.

Kilroy was here!

Technical Difficulties

So there I was...trying to share some really great photos of my trip with my friends, from my awesome new camera when I realized my camera is too good for the computer I am on.

Turns out if you take pictures in RAW (I don't really know what that means but it is the best quality) you have to have an advanced photoshop type program just to view those photos much less edit them.

So anyway, I am trying to find a friend with a computer that I can view them on and then I will upload them.

The trip is going well. We are working a bunch, but I have a few days off this weekend and I am going to go spend the night with my friends here Ryan and Brandis. They have a new baby, Caleb, who shares my birthday and he is very cute. They are taking me to church with them tomorrow and tonight we are going to dinner at a restaurant called the Asian Gate. Sounds good to me.

Nothing to exciting lately, except that the two fish I caught at the fair (Goldfish) died over the last two days. Kinda sad, but reminded me that Goldfish suck. When I get home, I am taking the inspiration from my father and Trey and making one of my tanks livebearers and live plants. I can't wait...just gotta convince Jelaine now. :-)

Kilroy was here!