In all shapes and sizes

Have you seen this picture that has caused so much buzz lately? Glamour magazine had an article recently about women's body confidence and this model is Lizzi Miller. She is a plus-size model (by the industry standards...by real standards, she is the same weight as the average woman today) and she is comfortable enough in her image to pose for the article, imperfections and all.

And I love it. I love that she is not airbrushed. She is not hidden. She is not cinched into a corset. And I love that she is smiling so confidently, as if she is saying, "This is me. All of me. And I love it."

I especially love her stomach. It's a real stomach. It's not the airbrushed 6-pack you often see in so many articles. I think I also love it because I have one just like it.

I won't lie and say that I love my stomach. But I am comfortable with it. It helped me carry and nurture three healthy babies. It's the stomach of a woman, not a little girl.

So, I shared this article with someone close to me in the store the other day. I had mentioned it previously to her and she agreed with me about the need to portray women more realistically in the media. But as soon as I showed her the picture a couple of days later, the first thing out of her mouth was that the woman was pretty but "the only problem is her stomach." It made me sad to hear her point that out so quickly. But that is how we've been trained by years of "perfect" bodies in movies and print. We point out the negative immediately.

The articles that followed after this picture was released stated that the magazine was receiving hundreds of positive letters from women, thanking them for finally portraying women as they really are...flawed, beautiful, and confident. Let's just hope they take it to heart and keep this as as a standard. I know I would rather have my daughter read a magazine that shows women come in different shapes and sizes.

Life...I'm loving it.

Not much to report. The kids are back in school and seem to like the new schools okay. Mister was able to get into Orchestra and will be playing the cello for the third year in a row. He enjoys it. Tiny is in a class with two of her cousins and seems to like that. She also has another cousin in the school that is a teacher. Little Man is making up for the two others being at school by getting into EVERYTHING, all day. He's doing well too. Learning new words and the fine art of temper tantrums. He's got it down; the pouty lip, the tears, and throwing himself on the floor. Ah yes, he is my child.

As for the AF application process, I am awaiting some medical records to be delivered to my recruiter before I can set up my physical. Will let you know when I set that up and how it will go. The physical may be the biggest obstacle I face. Not that I'm not healthy. But I had an illness when I was 2 that put me in the hospital for a bit and caused some things that may scare off the review board. Hopefully, they will focus on the tests and exams that I have had recently that show no current problems from that long ago illness and that I am in great health. Pray for me, cross your fingers, and send me good vibes. I know it definitely worked when you did it for me before my test. Love to all.

I DID IT!!!

AFOQT update: I NAILED IT!!!

There are 5 main sections to the AFOQT: Pilot, Navigator, Academic Aptitude, Verbal, Quantitative.

The first two sections don't matter much since I'm not trying to become a pilot. But I needed a minimum combined score of 150 in the last three. The recruiter told me to shoot for 220-240 to be competitive in my application process. My score........................drum roll please....................235!!!!!!!!!

That felt awesome to see those scores. Those are some hard-earned numbers and I'm really proud of them. I hope they will give me an advantage. Just wanted to share.

Walking Tall, Feeling Proud...and REALLY Tired

A quick post to let you know how I did. I won't get the actual results for 10-12 days, but I can say that I feel that I did pretty well. There were three sections that were the most important for my application, and I feel really confident about those sections. Thanks again for all your well wishes and prayers. I'll let you know when I get the actual score.

AFOQT

I will be heading down to El Paso, TX tomorrow to take the AFOQT. I have been studying for over a month now and feel about as ready as I can be. My math skills are good, just slow. The test gives you just over a minute for each math question and I'm taking much longer for some of them. But I have practiced as many as I can and will just hope for the best. My vocabulary has expanded exponentially in the last few weeks and I am more confident about taking that section of the test. There are other sections of the test that I will be taking, but will not have much impact on my application since I am not trying to become a pilot, navigator, or mechanic. But, just for the record, I was pretty proud that I scored well on the mechanic's practice test. I guess being a mechanic's daughter, and driving my share of clunkers, has paid off. So wish me luck as I jump off this cliff as prepared as I can be. Love ya!

Just Inching Along

Not much new. Still studying for the AFOQT. I'm focusing on the vocabulary right now and can't believe how many words there are that I just have never heard. And there are a ton of words that I have heard and thought I knew, but now know that I was very mistaken. I really hope that I can do well on this test. Standardized test are not my favorite.

The kids are doing well. Little Man said Tiny's name today, but I couldn't get him to do it again. He is a lot more vocal lately and I'm sure he will be talking a great deal.

There have been a few new developments in the area of H's job search, but I won't elaborate right now. I will wait until something is more concrete. Prayers for direction would be really appreciated.

Hope you're all doing well.