Tradition of Family Service Rolls On

For Immediate Release

Vermonter Accepts Appointment

United States Military Academy, West point, NY

C LaJeunesse, son of Lt.Col. and Mrs. LaJeunesse, has received an appointment to the Class of 2019 at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

C is scheduled to graduate from high school in June of 2015. He is also a VAST student at Vermont Tech College in Randolph. C is an Eagle Scout, plays lacrosse for Montpelier High School, attends early morning Seminary at his church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), and is an Assistant Scoutmaster in BSA Troop 478. He is also a Lifeguard and Tour Guide at VTC, and has worked at Mt Norris BSA Camp for two years.  He is disappointed he will not be back there this summer. The appointed members of the Class of 2019 report to West Point for the first time on June 29, 2015.

About West Point

The U. S. Military Academy at West Point is a four-year, co-educational, federal, liberal arts college located 50 miles north of New York City. It was founded in 1802 as America's first college of engineering and continues today as one of our nation’s premier leader-development institutions, consistently ranked among top colleges in the country. Its mission remains constant—to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the nation as an officer in the U. S. Army.

For more information, go to www.westpoint.edu.

Retirement

Retirement Ceremony
10 April 2015

D Day Remembered 70th Anniversary

National Memorial Day Concert | PBS

National Memorial Day Concert | PBS

One more year

(Sigh) ... It was a little disappointing to not see hubby's name on official promotion list today. It's a one year below the zone so we have another year to promote.  He had an awesome stratification, just not awesome enough I suppose. 

His father is still going through chemo and radiation and hopefully he'll be getting a stem cell transplant in a week. That being said, our humanitarian assignment could leave us here another year or we could end up getting a call to go anywhere at anytime, so we wait and see what another year brings us...

Decisions

It was a long weekend for our family. After many months of talking out various scenarios and many prayers regarding our family's future, we've decided to continue our AF adventures and see what military life brings us over the next few years. 

We are currently serving outside OSI command right now.  (Many thanks to those AF personnel who helped us find an assignment close to hubby's father while he undergoes extreme cancer treatments!)

Our oldest son has also been making decisions over the last few months. He's in his Junior year of HS right now and was recent accepted to a state college for his senior year- a great opportunity to knock out some GE courses before his freshman year of college. He's also been accepted to a military academy's summer program, is wait listed for another, been nominated to Boys State, has decided to forgo a high paying summer job to continue working at BSA summer camp, and is growing up way too fast for his mom. :) 

Our Aspergers daughter has decided to try and get a music degree after HS since that's what she loves to do- she's a talented pianist!! We are excited for her and hope this could lead to a future in her own and successful employment and a happy life. But this is the start- the decision to do something and to start to setting goals.

And our 10 year old has decided to keep being a 10year old and not make any decisions at all. :). He will go to scout camp- his first away from home camp- an will continue to play lacrosse and may even try his hand at a ski camp. He's learned to ski this year and is amazing!! He's skied double black diamond trails several times, loves moguls, and doesn't like to leave the slope style terrain parks when the days is done. 

So instead of being upset that the Colonel's promotion list has onceagain been delayed (to mid to late April), we are ok waiting a little longer. Retirement job/plans can wait for a few more years, just as I had made peace with the whole idea of finally settling down. :)

Delayed again!

Now they say the list will be out mid to late April. Ugh!!!

Are you kidding me?

The Colonels' list has been pushed back yet again- to "late March to early April".

So very frustrating!! I guess they did the same to the SNCOs too. Although they now have an official release date of 20 March. 

the waiting goes on...

The promotion list was sent to the OSD, but theyve pushed back the timing to end of Feb/early March.

patience is not one of my fortes

Being a "Modern" Mother

Yesterday on Morning Joe, they had a guest who spoke of Modern Parenting.  And I found myself fascinated, more so than the previous story on the Chris Christie mess.

I felt so un-alone (is that even a word?) in my current mothering-stage!! Being a mother to a teenage daughter is hard. Add Aspergers to the mix and things get real ugly at times. That's whats been going on in my house- I'm the worst parent ever and don't know anything about anything- even though I have the college education (not to mention the life experience) to back me up. Frustrating to say the least. But I keep smiling and hope that the next hour gets a little bit better and that the mood of my teenagers is more pleasant than before. :)

Will post more soon

I haven't forgotten this blog, honest! Things have been a little busy, crazy, confusing. As our military career winds down (it's been 19+ yrs!) and we try to think about life outside of the Air Force, we get nervous and anxious. 

Yet there could still be a couple more assignments in store so we're waiting for the promotion list to come out this month. One more promotion means a few more years in the military. 

So more to come ...

Kids Give Military Dad trip of a life time

http://www.stripes.com/news/veterans/kids-give-veteran-dad-the-trip-of-a-lifetime-1.261745?reminder=off

Military Retirement Cuts?

As hubby gets closer to retirement we are a little wary at how much we will actually get after 20+ years of service.
Morning Joe had a good conversation on this topic.

What to Expect

They tell me that the flags on top of the fire hydrants are to let the Fire Dept know where the hydrants are when we're in the middle of all the snow that comes.  I guess it hasn't really hit me yet on just what to expect this winter.  Are we really going to get that much snow?

Mormon Tabernacle Choir Veteran's Day Special

Veteran's Day video

This was a really cool video sent to Hubby.

Veteran's Day 2013

A friend of mine recently posted about Veteran's Day.
We Salute You
http://fivetdsisters.blogspot.com/2013/11/we-salute-you.html?showComment=1384192990342#c1175567051226531766

Casualty Notification

Hubby got a call this morning and was asked to go make a casualty notification. We are the closest active duty to the family. He's only done this once before and that time it was by accident. He was asked to o to the airport to pick up a family member of an airman who had passed away. He didn't know this brother hadn't been told why he was coming out, and had to explain to the brother in the middle of the airport. Hubby was a little upset no one had told him that the brother didn't know. 

Anyway... He came home today to change into his dress blues. It's a sad thing to do. But hubby has had to meet with individuals before in his church service as a bishop so he's a little prepared. There's no active duty chaplain on campus here- just a guard chaplain. So he and a Capt. from the office are going together. 

My thoughts and prayers go out to this family.

"Grown Men Began to Weep" at wounded soldier's salute

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New Addition

We had an initial meeting with new psychiatrist and were introduced to a Bernese Mountain Dog that was used for pet therapy (unfortunately for younger kids with ADHD and autism spectrum disorders). We fell in love. It was so gentle and calm. We did some research and decided we'd get a dog anyway to do our own pet therapy at home.

We found a Bernese about an hour away and can't wait to bring her home. Am I crazy? :)