Cancun, Mexico

This past week Lana, Liam, and I spent a great week in Cancun, Mexico. We spent most of our time at an all inclusive resort, Iberostar Paraiso Maya, and the last couple of days at the Westin with some other family who were in Cancun the same time. I have to say the ocean color is the most aqua blue I've ever seen, and Lana and I have seen quite a few places. Lana and I love to travel and enjoy seeing what God has created. Our trip began with the alarm going off at 0300 in the morning to make our 0755 flight out of Charlotte. We flew standby, so thankfully we made the first flight to Cancun. We were at our resort relaxing by noon on Saturday! This was our first experience at an all inclusive resort, and it was a good one. Lots of great food, drinks, and time in the sun. Each night we had to make a reservation at one of the many restaurants at the resort. Some of these included Italian, Brazilian Steakhouse, Japanese Steakhouse, and American Steakhouse...lots of steak this trip!

Our days were spent getting up somewhat early with Liam, working out and then relaxing by the pool or on the beach...a nice change of pace from the busy work weeks! On Tuesday morning, we met up with family (Brent, Lori, Elli, and Devin) and drove to tour theTulum Mayan Runis. It was a cool sight to see, and it also had great beaches.

On Thursday afternoon, after having some professional pictures taken, we checked out of our resort and then in to The Westin where our other family was staying...about 25 min north. We spent the next couple of days doing more of the same, relaxing at the pool and beach. Sadly, our week in Cancun came to an end and we were soon on a flight back to the USA. It was a much needed holiday, and one we'll always remember...but, we're already talking about the next trip!!

More Pictures:
Cancun, Mexico

C-Flight Cross-Country

Last weekend I was given the "keys" to 4 F-16s to take a few of my C-Flight guys cross-country. After a few ideas on location, we decided to land at Homestead Air Force Reserve Base near Miami, FL. Being a flight commander has certain perks, and leading a cross-country has been a goal of mine since moving into this this job.

The first leg of our trip took us to Eglin AFB, which is near Destin Beach, FL. Having flown the F-16 for almost five years now, I know a lot of F-16 pilots...some of which are stationed at Eglin. While our jets were being refueled, we grabbed a good lunch off base and caught up a bit with friends. With a full load of fuel and a full stomach, we blasted off towards Homestead. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, so I coordinated with Air Traffic Control (ATC) for a low departure from Eglin and to fly at 1000 ft down the FL coast towards Tallahassee. After about 100 mi of flying low, we climbed up to 25,000 enroute to Miami.

Since we had Saturday and Sunday to relax, we decided to spend one night near South Beach and then drive to Key West the next day. The weather was great the whole weekend! South Beach has a nice running trail with outdoor workout equipment, so Saturday morning a couple of us went for a 4 mi run and worked out a bit before hitting the road for Key West. Enroute to Key West, we passed a mile marker sign with the perfect number...it said "Key West...77 miles." Being in the 77th Fighter Squadron, it doesn't get any better than that. The sign now proudly bears our squadron's sticker!

We found rooms on the Key West Navy Base (yeah, I wish Air Force bases were in these kind of places), which was near the center of town and the beach. The island of Key West isn't that big, so we were able to walk to most places. After a couple days of fun in Key West, we headed back to Homestead and made our way back to Shaw stopping again at Eglin for gas and lunch. This was the first cross-country I had been on since being stationed in Italy, and I'm thankful I had the chance to lead it while being a flight commander. Until next time...

President's Day Weekend

Lana, Liam and I spent our Presidents Day weekend in downtown Charlotte, NC enjoying a nice hotel, nice weather and good food. Since we needed to purchase standby tickets at the Charlotte airport through Lufthansa, it was a good long weekend to make the two hour trip. Lana and I are really blessed to still be able to fly cheap through her flight attendant job with Lufthansa while she's on maternity leave. When we fly standby with an airline other than Lufthansa, we're required to buy paper tickets. The closest Lufthansa ticket counter to us is in Charlotte. On March 5th, we are taking a week holiday to Cancun, Mexico to an all-inclusive resort, also discounted through Lufthansa! We now have standby tickets in hand and our names are on the waiting list! My brother and sister-n-law, Brent and Lori, will be in Cancun at a resort just up the beach during the same time frame.

A couple of days before the trip, Lana made a reservation through hotwire.com and was able to book a discounted room at the Westin in downtown Charlotte. The guy helping us check in was previous military, so when he found out I was in the Air Force he upgraded our room to one with a big bed and great view of the city. For lunch we enjoyed some Irish food in town, and spent the afternoon sight seeing. For dinner, we went to Alexander Michael's...a highly recommended local restaurant near downtown.

The next day was relaxing and started with a nice workout in the Westin gym and mid morning nap with Liam before checking out and getting some Indian food for lunch. Since we were in a big city, we took advantage of more things to do and bought a couple tickets to see the Charlotte Civic Orchestra. It was enjoyable and we made it through 75% of the program before Liam got a little too restless. Liam was dressed appropriately with his little tuxedo onesie!

We're now back in Sumter making the most of my day off...time to trim the bushes, clean the house, and get some exercise.

Liam Is 7.7 Months Old

The 7.7 months goes well with the 77th Fighter Squadron...

It's hard to believe that our son Liam is almost 8 months old already! The time is flying by, just like everyone told us it would, and we're really enjoying being parents. Liam continues to be a very happy boy, making our parenting experience that much more enjoyable. Lana is a great mother, and has be speaking as much German as she can with him so he'll be bilingual when older. About one week ago, he popped his third and fourth tooth after a few nights of pain. In the past couple of days, he's really gotten a grip (no pun intended) on picking up snack food and putting it in his mouth...he's learning more every day and occasionally will give a small wave.

The three of us had a great Christmas holiday back home in Michigan / Ohio with my family (read more here). Time with family, especially as more and more young ones enter the picture, is always enjoyable. Liam is one of three grandchildren, with a fourth on the way. In the not too distant future, we hope to add another to the mix...the future being at least 15-16 months from now!

Instructor Pilot of the Quarter / Year

Over this past year, God has continued His blessings in my work. For the 3rd quarter of 2010 I received the 77 FS 'Instructor Pilot of the Quarter' Award and for 2010 I received the 77 FS 'Instructor Pilot of the Year' Award. All the guys I work with are driven and smart, so it's humbling to say the least. I am continuously learning more about the jet and the systems on board, seeking to get better at what I do. At the same time, I am seeking to keep a good balance in my life between work, the family and spiritual things. Sadly, work many times seems to take the front seat as there is so much to do with so little time to do them.
Looking ahead to this next year, there is one big opportunity that Lana and I are praying about, and that is the USAF Fighter Weapons School. This is a six month instructor training program at Nellis AFB, NV that I have applied for. It will be very tough six months of intense training in the F-16 if I get selected. Graduates of Weapons School are known as the squadron "patch" because in order wear the patch shown above (always worn on the left shoulder of a flight suit), a pilot must prove himself worthy enough to wear it through well honed briefing and flying skills. As I mentioned before, keeping a balance is a goal of mine, so Lana and I have been praying a lot about it and sought to put Weapons School is God's hands. We are content with whatever direction He takes us.

Well, I have a rare day off work for snow here in SC, so it's time to play with Liam!