Spring Break '09

I have crazy layouts but as I type them they look great but then I post and they go wacko!!! Sorry :( I'm not sure I will get the hang of this but I will keep trying!

Spring break was fabulous! I love the time spent with the whole family together 24/7 no dance, no games, no rushing around and everyone eating at different times. Now that everyone is back to work and school I really miss them. We of course went to Disney's Magic Kingdom where right off the bat Ridge bought his Mickey Mouse ears and wore them continually for 2 days. He loved it and so did Sky. From there we went back to my Dad and Karen's in St. Pete. We did 5 days of beach and it was beautiful and relaxing. We ate good and shopped a little too.

We are already making plans for our return next year.

Career Day for 1st graders

Well I'm so sorry I have not been on here more, but I will try to catch you up on some things.

Career day for 1st graders at RP-E! Ever since Ridge could talk he has always told us that he wants to be a farmer and own John Deere's well we seized the opportunity to show his peers just that. They had a community stage presentation and then a parade around the whole school so every grade could see the little citizens and they're chosen career. Ridge loved it and he was a ham and he told me later that everyone was giving him knucks and high fives through out the entire school. I engineered the John Deere and Michael labored and built it and Ridge Painted and helped Dad too.

Hip Hop Class

Most Competitions that Sky attends with her studio there are also convention classes from master teachers who are there from New York, California etc... they have extensive backgrounds in the entertainment industry. So this past weekend she took ballet, tap, lyrical, jazz and her favorite hip hop! In the photo you can see she is right up front by the stage dancing in her Chuck Taylor's with rhinestones on them of course. She was rippin' up the dance floor. The room behind her was full maybe 150 dancers. You Go Girl!

Sorry

Still trying to get the hang of this blog thing the photo's never upload where I want them too. then I change, them align them, and it still does not work when I post. I'll keep trying!

Lots of things!

Two weeks ago, Ridge went to the Monster Jam Meet and Greet for boy scouts it was awesome as you can see from the photo they got up close and personal and got to take pictures and meet the drivers.

That same weekend Sky came home with some exciting news! She received Student of the month. Sky was nominated by her Physical Education teacher, from there all of her teachers voted and she won. This I believe is a high honor to receive considering there are 300 kids in her class. Comments sent home in a letter from the teachers were: Positive attitude, excellent citizenship, perfect example to classmates, assumes leadership responsibilities. Good job Sky!

This weekend was the 1st dance competition of the season Sky danced along with the Senior Company. They were very good, all the dances they performed received 1st place and one of the 4 dances they did won "high score" for the whole competition. They danced to an instrumental version of "with or without you" by U2. The picture of Sky was backstage and the other is of the "Senior Company" Receiving the trophy and plaque for the competitions highest scored dance. Sky is the one holding the trophy with a scarf on.

USAirways

Yesterday the plane crash of USAirways into the Hudson River was a site to see. What a miracle that everyone survived! How amazing!!! After working many years at the airline we have seen our share of horrible crash's and devastation from them and it saddens your heart. It's rare to have a pilot and his crew to walk away alive. What hero's! Michael and I anxious to hear the stories of the survivors and the first hand accounts from the pilots and crew of what they did, and how they did it. Of all things USAirways has had it share of losses which has shaped our life to what it is today. The airline was good to us back in the day, if it was not for the airline we would have never met. It did help us make our early dreams come true.....getting married, our house, traveling, and being able to provide for our children. Today we say to each other a lot "those were the days". And as you know the hard economic times seemed to really start with the downfall of the airlines at least we felt it did. The problems with the airline started to affect us and our family when Sky turned 2, that was 12 1/2 years ago. Then September 11th did us in. Then towards the end the 2 year long commute for him to Charlotte.
28 years after Michael followed in his father's footsteps when it was a dream job and hard to get, Michael had no better choice but to take the money and run, so he retired. I guess what I'm trying to say is that USAir has a special place in our hearts, and praise God for saving those people from disaster. They're lives will be changed forever and those haunting few minutes of the thought of facing death was overcome from God's saving grace. God is good!
The top photo is Michael and Sky in the cockpit of 737 when she was 2.
The bottom photo is when Michael worked at the new hanger that was built because USAir was expanding in Indianapolis at least that is what they thought.(it closed only after a couple of years after it opened)Michael came home for lunch that warm day in December to see his baby and wife. "Those were the days"

The Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby

This past Saturday Ridge competed in his 1st derby! We think he did awesome.

Ridge came in 3rd out of about 25 cars. And won 6th overall ( out of about 60 cars) He won 3 of his 4 heats.

We were there for hours. The competition was fierce and exciting. We had a really good time. ( Especially because he was winning!) Michael already has ideas and plans of how to make it even faster for next year.
The making of the car...

Ridge drew Michael a picture of how he wanted it to look. So Michael whittled it out for him.(we decided that you just can't give a 7 year a big knife so Dad helped.)

They said it was a roadster. And it looked to me like the ZZtop car, at least that is what I called it. Ridge picked out his colors and painted it and I helped him with the flames on the sides. He wanted the number 24 on it. ( Jeff Gordon his favorite) And he had a star on top of it. Ridge really loves cub scouts, he looks forward to it every week