Road Trips

There are some pretty big changes coming up in the Loftus house this week, namely, that it's going to be empty!

Tomorrow morning, Joel and his friends Mark and Gianluigi will be driving to Colorado where all three of them will have to complete Initial Flight Screening. They are planning on taking two days to make the 20-hour drive, and then they will in-process on Monday, February 28. Please keep them in your prayers.

For those of you not well-versed in Air Force lingo, IFS is a mandatory program prior to the start of pilot training. It usually takes four weeks to complete, meaning Joel is anticipating being there from March 1 - April 1. IFS is intended to "weed out" those who will not be able to cut it as pilots before the Air Force has invested a lot of time and money in them. In other words, it's intense, and it's a big deal. Also, IFS is an "unaccompanied" TDY, meaning that spouses are not allowed to tag along, or even visit for a weekend.

Calvin and I will be taking a road trip of our own while Joel is away. Originally, I had been planning on flying home for a week while Joel is in Colorado. Then, my school situation changed and the opportunity to go to PA for the whole month presented itself. Joel and I deliberated and prayed about this option for quite a while. Ultimately, we concluded that this opportunity is a really special blessing. God is allowing me to spend time with my family to ease the loneliness of being away from Joel.

Anyway, Calvin and I will be departing Tuesday, March 1 to drive North to my grandparent's home in Kentucky - about a 7 hour drive. I'll spend a few days there visiting my extended family, including my 103 year old great-grandmother! Next, I'll head East for approximately 11 hours to visit the little Lofti in Maryland. Finally, I'll head an hour North to Pennsylvania to see my incredible parents and brother. Also on the agenda are a visit to West Chester and a possible trip to Carlo's Bakery. (AKA Cake Boss!) So, there's your update. Hopefully, I'll be seeing many of you soon!