and Sunday on Sunday

Once more on the base at 0900 for Base Liberty, V met us at the BMT Center lot with her hands full of things to take home with us. Then it was on to the mini mall to pick up flight shirts and my necklace (grin). We were all curious about the other mini mall so we headed there too.

The mini mall on Fenmoyer is oddly the same as the other, but different. There's a gas station out front, the only one I saw on base, with a convenience store. There are more little shops, a smaller "baby comms" (mini commisary), and more (and different) restaurants in the food court. They're due to add a coffee shop there soon too, called Green Beans, I think.
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A note to the public-bathroom-phobic among you (and I know a few of you are, so don't make me name names!): These washrooms are not nearly as clean or big as the ones at the mini mall close to the BMT Center.
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Tim finally found a shirt he liked and got it. Yay! (He doesn't wear regular t-shirts much, neither do I, so this was a very good thing.) Then V got a craving for a plain vanilla ice cream sandwich and guess what? There's an ice cream vending machine right outside this mini mall! It made for one tail-waggingly happy V.

After that we headed to check out the real BX, which is the size of a WalMart, with a JC Penney attached, a full food court, tons of kiosks and more little shops to browse. It was here at a kiosk that I bought our blue star banner for our front door. In the main BX we found these cool massagers. I have a family of funny people! This reminds me of the Beatles pic on Abby Road. LoL

V found a massage chair while Grandma and I browsed. I brought her back this huge squishy stuffed sheep. V found out that when you hug it tight enough it makes... a farting sound! Seriously. She cracked up. We all did.

Then she taked to her best bud, Pete and she chatted with him for a while. I tried to get this pic to you Pete, but your phone doesn't get pics, so here it is!

We had lunch at the food court there and then it was 1330 and time to leave for Chapel. I had a super time there and we met a bunch of really nice trainees. Lots of them were curious and wanted to see Avivah's Airman's Coin. You could see the desire in their eyes. They'll soon have their own.

We enjoyed our Chapel time tremendously. When it was over (and we were still inside the building) I handed my phone to a couple of trainees who were so appreciative of the chance to call home. I nearly cried listening to these young Airmen-to-be tell their moms and dads "I miss you" and "I love you".

Justin, V's bf, also attended Chapel and we were able to visit a little with him. As I write this today he is now an Airman spending his Sunday Base Lib with his mom, Cheryl. I snapped this pic of him on the way out of Chapel. Lookin' sharp there, Male!

Also walking with Justin to their next stop is another male whose name I never got (Justin, help me here). He asked me if I'd take a pic of him with my camera phone and send it to his parents - in Ann Arbor, Michigan! Small world. So of course I did. I got back a text message that said "Thank you, but I don't know you" So I responded that I was standing right beside their son, that he looked strong and proud and was anxious to see them the following weekend. Dang, here come those tears again.

After Chapel we met up with Grandma and Joshua to go bowling! 35 lanes of non-smoking, bright, clean bowling alley. What a joy!

Now, I DO NOT bowl. I make the same motions as someone who bowls (badly), but make no mistake: I'm thrilled to hit any pin that's actually in my own lane!!!! Here are a 2 pics from that little adventure/debacle.

Joshua won, Grandma and V tied, then Tim and then... me.

We dashed over to the mini mall because V decided that a rolling bag would be easier for her to handle with her military duffle than her small bag and stuffed-full carry on. Grandma stepped in and it was a gift to V.

Unfortunately, it was now time for our last Lackland Goodbye to V. Yes, I cried. I told her how incredibly proud I was of her and that she was on to her next wonderful adventure... and I cried some more. Darn it, still doing it now and then... like now.

And off she went. *sniff!*