A Minute to Say "Thanks"

I'm so behind on my blog lately that it feels like I'll never catch up with all that has happened in the past couple of weeks. But I thought it was important to take a quick second to say a big "thank you" to all of the men and women who keep our country safe and free.

 (via)

It is because of you that we can enjoy a holiday like today in the sunshine and cooking out with friends and family. The United States is the home of the free because of the brave. Your sacrifices, and the sacrifices of your families, do not go unnoticed.

I hope to get caught up soon, but remember today to thank the heroes who serve and have served our country to protect our freedom!

“Salute the ones who died, the ones who gave their lives, so we don’t have to sacrifice all the things we love.” -Zac Brown Band

Brian's Graduation and Commissioning!

On Saturday, May 22nd, Brian graduated from West Point as part of the USMA Class of 2010! The day started very, very early; we woke up around 4 a.m. to wait in line at the gates and head over to the stadium. The theme of the whole week was "hurry up and wait," and graduation day was certainly no exception! We got into the stadium around 7:30, and waited for the ceremony to begin. At 9:35 a.m., the graduating class began marching in!

When all of the cadets were seated, we waited for the President's motorcade to arrive so the ceremony could begin.

Obama and a couple of other speakers addressed the graduating cadets, and then they began to cross the stage to receive their diplomas! Brian's company was sitting at the back of the class, so it was almost an hour before we heard his name, watched him cross the stage and salute the Supe, receive his diploma, and shake hands with Obama.

A couple of minutes later, everyone had received their diplomas. After the benediction, the order "Class Dismissed!" was given, and the Class of 2010 did the traditional hat toss! Children line up during the ceremony for the chance to run out onto the field and grab one of the hats. :)

I wish I could put into words how unbelievably proud of Brian I am. It was a long road for him to even get to WP, and everything he has accomplished while there has taken a lot of hard work. I am so lucky to call him my boyfriend!

After graduation, Brian had to run back to his room to change out of his cadet uniform and finish checking out of his room, for good! We had a picnic at Trophy Point and waited for him to join us. When he finally did, he was definitely looking sharp. :)

Brian was commissioned in a small group by his TAC, someone he worked closely with when he was in a leadership position in his company. His parents added his shoulder boards to his uniform...

  ...and I pinned his beret with a gold bar.

Brian then recited the Oath of Office, promising to defend the Constitution of the United States in his new role as second lieutenant in the Army.

Seriously, I could not be prouder of him.

After the commissioning ceremony, Brian and I rushed over to a wedding rehearsal, and then we drove away from WP for (almost) the last time.

Brian and I met everyone at The Stadium. An occasion like this one definitely requires celebration! We got a chance to have dinner with everyone who was there to support Brian on one of the most important days of his life thus far, and just unwind and relax! It was so nice to share this very special day with Brian's family, including his parents, sister, cousin, and aunt, my parents, and Brian's classmates and friends, including his Beast roommate, Pat. Pat just graduated from UNC and lives in Chicago, but he is one of Brian's best friends. I'm so glad he and his mom made the trip to be there, as well.

It was definitely a long day, and a long week, but celebrating all of Brian's accomplishments was definitely worth the early mornings, late nights, and chaotic running around. I know it's one of those things I will look back on fondly and remember forever.

Brian's Grad Week: Part II

On Friday morning, Brian's mom, sister, and I woke up and headed to West Point for the Graduation Parade! The last parade of Brian's cadet career!

During the Acceptance Day parade, plebes who have just gone through Beast (Cadet Basic Training) march towards the Corps and officially become cadets. I thought it was really neat that during the Graduation Parade, the Firsties marched away from the Corps, signifying the end of their time at WP. Then, the juniors took over each company and marched them by the graduating class. As their company passed them, the graduating cadets each saluted their companies as they watched them return to the barracks.

After the parade, Brian ran over to find us in the stands.

Of course, we had to take pictures with his funny hat!

We walked over to Trophy Point, which makes quite the nice backdrop.  :)

We grabbed lunch at Ike Hall and I ran around with Brian while he finished up some last minute check-out things in his room. Then, I headed back to the hotel with his family to get ready for the Graduation Banquet! My parents also got in on Friday night, so they got to meet up with us to head back to WP. (I even did my own hair!)

It's kind of sad realizing that this was our last formal event in the Mess Hall at WP (number 6!)

We had such a good time with his family, enjoying Filet Mignon and, of course, Oreo Cheesecake! When we sat down, each place setting belonging to a woman had a rose on it, which was a sweet touch. :)

The distinguished guest for the night was General Casey, Chief of Staff of the Army. He had a really good message for the graduating class, and it was really cool to hear him speak!

When we were leaving the banquet, he was walking out of the Supe's house with his wife to get on their private helicopter...already having changed into khakis and a polo!

Watching them take off from the Plain was really neat!  It got reeeeally windy, and then the helicopter just jumped off the ground! I told Brian that I would be fine if he wanted to find a job that afforded us a private helicopter to get around. This picture is supposed to be of us in front of the helicopter, which was so close!, but it is really too dark to see. :)

We headed over to the hop, or dance, after the banquet, but we only ended up staying for a couple minutes. We quickly realized that the wake-up call for graduation in the morning was only in a handful of hours!

Brian's Grad Week: Part I

Brian's graduation week was so crazy; looking back, it went by in such a blur! The time between last Tuesday when I left and Sunday night when we drove back feels like a whole month has passed when, in reality, it wasn't even an entire week. Graduation activities didn't really start until Thursday, so Brian's mom and I spent a couple of days before the rest of his family came up seeing the sights around WP one last time, hanging out with Brian when we could, and just relaxing before the chaos began. We packed so much stuff into a couple of days, didn't sleep much, and spent a lot of time running around, but I have never been happier or prouder of my boyfriend!

Thursday morning was the Superintendent's Awards and Farewell Review. We met Brian before the parade...he had been up since 4 a.m. practicing for graduation! While our days were long, his were definitely longer.

After a short performance by the Cadet Drill Team, the parade began. Parading is a constant at important WP events. The purpose is to demonstrate the military drill they have practiced, and each company marches by the 'Supe' to be reviewed.

After the Parade, the Firsties on the Cadet Parachute Team got to jump onto the field one last time!

Brian had to rush back to change into yet another uniform (his 3rd of the day, if you're keeping track), we grabbed some food in Ike Hall, and then we headed over to the Awards Ceremony for his academic department. Brian's Capstone group was given the Hollis Award for their work on deployment cycles in relation to soldier morale. His group presented the project to the DoD, and they are actually going to be using Brian's research to re-evaluate how often soldiers deploy! He was also announced as one of the cadets from the Systems Department graduating with honors!

After doing some shopping in the Cadet Store for last minute WP merchandise, we headed over to the Superintendent's Reception. The Supe holds four receptions for the graduating cadets in each regiment of the Corps. Brian shook hands with LTG Hagenbeck and his wife, and then introduced us each to them.

We stayed and mingled with Brian's classmates and their families for a bit and grabbed a much-needed beverage, before heading out (again, quickly) to have dinner at Grey Line Eatery.

Later that night, we went to the Cadet Chapel for a Baccalaureate Service for the Class of 2010. It was a really nice service to pause and reflect, and a good break from running around!

After the service, we were all exhausted...Brian still had to pack up his room and be awake in a handful of hours for more graduation practice!

We ended up dropping Brian off at his barracks and heading back to the hotel. It was definitely necessary to call it an early night so we could be well-rested for all the events of Friday, the day before graduation. :)

Airplane Weekend Wrap-up!

On Saturday, Brian and I headed to Andrews Air Force Base for the 2010 Joint Service Open House and Air Show for Armed Forces Day! This was my second experience at JSOH, but Brian and his family have been going every year for quite a while. This time around, though, it was just the two of us. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, and I, of course, was in heaven!

We spent the day walking around looking at the static displays and watching the air performances! Between the F-16, F-22, P-51 Mustang, and helicopter demos, it's almost impossible for me to pick a favorite! I was floored, however, by the AV-8B Harrier--it is a HUGE, incredibly powerful plane that can hover and fly backwards! It can even take off VERTICALLY!! Part of the reason I love airplanes so much is that I am fascinated by how they work; the Harrier demonstration totally blew my mind! So much so that I didn't even take any pictures of it (a rarity for me, as I'm sure you can tell). :) We also got to see Sean Tucker fly again; he is easily the best acrobatic pilot ever and one of our favorites to watch!

There were also plenty of airplanes painted with mouths and teeth, which is something I just find hilarious. If (When) I have my own airplane, I think I'll totally give it a mouth.

I had never seen the Blue Angels, so the last performance of the day was exciting for me! While I have gone to air shows that have had similar groups (like the Thunderbirds, who were at JSOH last year), it's good to say I have finally seen the real deal.

After the air show, we were pretty exhausted, but headed over to Annapolis and walked around the mall before grabbing something to eat at Punk's Backyard Grill (introduced to me by Amber and completely fabulous!) In keeping with the airplane theme of the day, we grabbed some ice cream from 7-11 and had a dessert picnic at my favorite airplane-watching spot.

I spent a lot of time here in college, reading/studying and watching planes land.

Brian took this perfectly-timed picture of me; he said that if I ever record an album, this could be the cover. Now I just have to learn how to carry a tune and we'll be set!

I think Saturday was one of my favorite days ever. Filled with my best friend and some of my favorite things...I just don't think it gets much better! Tomorrow, Brian's mom is picking me up and we are headed up to WP for Brian's Grad Week! I hope to have some time to post while I'm there. This is a crazy busy time with so many different events to go to, but I want to be able to blog about it all to remember later. :)

P.S. Amber is having a fun giveaway for her 100th post! Go over there and check it out. :)

From the Sorority Files...

As most of you know, I was a member of Phi Mu Fraternity for Women in my college days (which wrapped up almost exactly 2 years ago!) Even though I've graduated, I try my best to stay involved in my chapter, especially because two of my best friends are a bit younger than I am.

In the past couple of months, a few exciting things have happened in my sorority world. First, my Grand-Little Angela (my lovely Little's Little) took her own Little, Melanie! Melanie is therefore my Great-Grand-Little. That whole thing is confusing but, basically...gosh, I am old!

At the end of April, Melanie was initiated and became a sister of Phi Mu...

...which comes with the privilege of wearing letters for the first time!

This past weekend, Kristi and Joella became alums of Phi Mu. They are two of my closest friends, and two of the reasons I know Phi Mu will have brought me lifelong relationships. The 3-D ceremony is held to signify the moment when seniors enter the 'third dimension' of Phi Mu, or alumna membership. Seven women joined our ranks on Saturday.

I am beyond lucky that Kristi is not only my Little, but also one of my best friends.

 The day Kristi became my Little- March 2007

It is amazing to see what she has done in the chapter, especially during her time as President, and to see how she has changed over the past 3 years. I am more proud of her than words can say.

Joella has grown so much in Phi Mu, and she is almost unrecognizable from the person I met almost 4 years ago. She is so strong! Even though she is packing up to move to NYC to do fabulous things, I know we will stay close.

It's hard to say just how much they mean to me, except to say that know what friendship is because of them (and Amber, too). I can't wait to see these two wonderful ladies walk across that stage in less than two weeks. :)

The Beginning of the Lasts

With May upon us, I have started to get a little bit sentimental. It's hard to believe that Brian's graduation is this month; when we met, the end of his time at WP seemed light years away. What would happen when he was done in New York didn't come up until almost a year after we started dating. Now, here we are.

This past weekend, I took my last trip up to New York before graduation. It was weird to know that it was the last time I'll make that drive alone; I'm riding up with Brian's mom for Grad Week and coming back, I'll sit in the passenger seat as Brian drives away for the last time (at least for quite a while). Weird, and a bit surreal.

Brian was done class on Friday around lunch time, which made our weekend together feel so long. We went over to Central Valley, checked into our hotel and relaxed for a while before venturing over to Chili's to grab dinner. The Quesadilla Explosion salad is my absolute favorite! Brian was fighting a nasty sickness, so we took the rest of the night easy.

On Saturday, Brian woke up feeling a lot better, so we ventured out to Woodbury Commons and the Palisades Mall (seriously one of the hugest malls I've ever been to) to do some shopping for summer clothes! It was sunny and in the 90's all weekend, which definitely put us in the mood for summertime. I got a really cute dress at the J. Crew outlet, and Brian picked up a couple pairs of shorts. Now that he is going to have to dress himself every day instead of just grabbing whatever the uniform of the day is, he needs to start putting together a decent wardrobe. :)

That afternoon, we met a group of Brian's friends at the Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown!

Everyone had pulled their cars into a field overlooking the track...I have never seen so many pick-up trucks in one place! For a minute, I forgot I was as far north as New York.

I had never been to anything like it, but it was so much fun to hang out at the dirt track watching the races, grilling hot dogs and toasting marshmallows, enjoying a couple of drinks, and spending time with Brian's friends.

Later in the night, the cars were much faster and so loud! We are so bummed we only made it out to the dirt track once; if we had known about it before this weekend, I am pretty sure it would have become a tradition! :)

On Sunday morning, we woke up with a mission. There were a couple of last minute things to accomplish in our last NY weekend. Brian has been wanting to visit the headquarters of Orange County Choppers for a while, so when we woke up on Sunday we headed over to  Newburgh to check it out.

OCC is the custom motorcycle company featured on the TLC show American Chopper, and a lot bikes built on the show are actually kept in the shop. Brian's favorite was the Comanche Chopper, designed to look like the RAH-66 Comanche Helicopter. On the show, they actually debuted the final bike design by riding it side by side with the airborne helicopter!

I don't really know anything about motorcycles like Brian, but I really liked this one. It had the space shuttle Discovery on it, which is the one we saw launch from Cape Canaveral in March 2009.

Later that afternoon, we grabbed some lunch to go and scouted out a place we could watch some airplanes land. This is one of my favorite pastimes, and there was a perfect place near Stewart Airport/Air Force Base in Newburgh to park my car and have an airplane-watching picnic.

 They were doing some practice runs with the C-130's, so we got to watch them take off, do a quick loop, and then land. It was so cool, and probably the closest I've ever seen an airplane that wasn't parked!

After our picnic, we drove back towards WP in an attempt to find a place across the river that Brian can see sometimes when he is running. We ended up finding Cold Spring, a cute historic town right on the Hudson. Walking down Main Street and looking into all of the shops kind of felt like traveling back in time. You could even see all of the buildings of WP across the river! We grabbed a couple of ice cream cones and sat outside on a bench enjoying the beautiful weather before I had to head back home.

When I left, we said our last ever goodbye in the parking lot of Arvin. I have such sad memories of that place, having to end our fun weekends and prolonging our goodbyes. I have really treasured these weekends we have together when I go up to visit him; they are a lot like mini-vacations for us, and this weekend was definitely one of my favorites. I know that we'll look back fondly on the time we've spent together at WP, but I'm glad the next time we will be leaving together!