Applejack Pumpkin Patch

Saturday, October 22, 2011 - 10am McConnell is really fabulous about their morale programs for families with deployed members. This month's event was centered around Applejack Pumpkin Patch just on the east side of Wichita. This was the first time for both Rachel and I at a pumpkin patch and it has set the standards very high. The normal admission price for the pumkin patch is $6, and they have all sorts of games, rides, slides, a corn maze, and of course a pumpkin patch. They also have some food concessions available. The Heart's Apart group got a wristband and voucher ticket which allowed us to get into the patch for free, a pumpkin each for free, adults got a $5 concession voucher and kids a $3 voucher. This was good enough for me to get a cheeseburger and drink and Rachel to get a hotdog and drink while we were there.

I got a stranger to take a picture of us at one of the "kodak moments" set ups. (it turned out good except for being crooked)

Here's a picture of the farm. Across the field they were doing tractor rides, but you had to be at least 2 to ride. They also had a place where you could shoot a pumpkin out of a cannon, shoot paintball shots and pumpkins, and some other fun things. Behind us (outside of the picture) was a big playground for the kids. Rachel ended up standing in this one spot sort of spinning around just looking at everything.


This was our first corn maze...

We made it out, without too many dead ends.

Rachel and the pumpkin patch. Obviously we're getting towards the end of the season, so it was slim picking in the "free pumpkin" lot.

Rachel and her pumpkin. Mine is the green one on the ground. I really like this picture, I just wish she had been looking at me.

Our first hayride - back to the car we go after a fun-filled, and free morning!

McConnell Family Mobility Line

On Saturday, October 15, 2011, we took Rachel (and myself) to our first Family Mobility Line. The purpose is to show families how our heros prepare for deployments, but obviously they tried to make it a little more fun for us.

Isaiah with Rachel when we first got here. Everyone is still happy in this photo, that's how you know we had just got here. Rachel got a camo hat so the deployment could be more realistic.


Rachel and I - we were assigned to Chalk #3. Even though we got here right when they told us to - 10am. We were assigned to the 3rd group to proceed through the mobility line.





Isaiah was impressed that they were true to their word of showing how a mobility line works - having to wait in line for a long time. We ended up waiting outside in our chalks for an hour.



OK, now we're "marching" to the mobility building so we can get our intel briefings and then proceed to the jet. Notice Rachel did no marching.

Rachel was super excited about her dog tags.

Now we're on the bus to head to air plane.

Mom and Rachel outside of the airplane. As you can tell from our hair, it was a typical windy Kansas day. But other than that, I like this photo.

Rachel checking out the cockpit. Apparently there were a couple buttons and flashy lights that caught her attention. I don't believe it though.

All the jets here at McConnell. Since coming from MacDill its still impressive to me how big this 135 wing is and how many jets they have here.