Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Graduation Day Part 3

For our third and final graduation this season we got to go back to my alma mater. My youngest sister Lauren graduated high school from IHA the first Sunday in June.  Catherine of course slept through the whole graduation.  Jackie started getting rowdy during the opening prayer, was quickly escorted out and returned just as the graduates recessed out of the gym.  Of course.  I heard the guest speaker, Mary Beth Kean Class of '95, had the best speech of the afternoon.

In the fall Lauren moves onto Monmouth University to study both Education and Art.  Two days after graduating she celebrated her 18th birthday, so congratulations and happy birthday Lauren!

I guess it is important to note that at the Baccalaureate Mass on Saturday night my parents received the IHA Family Award.  This special recognition is given to those parents who have three or more girls graduate IHA.  While most years would be lucky to have one family get the award, this years class had about six or seven families receive it.  I think my mom first got excited about the award when she found out about it at my Baccalaureate Mass.  I heard she has put a call out to the National Archives for tips on properly preserving the plaque.

The happy graduate

Sleepy Catherine

Where's Waldo? Or should it be 'Where's Frank?'

One of the very first bricks on the pathway to the multipurpose room

The IHA Family Award proudly on display








Saturday, June 15, 2013

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day from Elvis
Alison procured this incredible flag to hang for the "holiday".

Friday, June 14, 2013

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Graduation Day Part 2

The third weekend in May was a very busy time for us.  First Maryellen had her graduation.  Since her graduating class at TCNJ was so large they had a graduation ceremony on the football field for everyone on Thursday and then Friday everyone broke off into their specific field for a more intimate ceremony.  She now holds a BS in both Biology and Psychology.  Next Jon, Maryellen's boyfriend, had his graduation on Sunday.  He graduated from Rutgers with a BS in Criminal Justice.  Also that weekend was Robert Louis' baptism, post about that to follow at a later date.

Congratulations Jon and Mel!
Catherine attempts to photobomb this picture


Monday, June 10, 2013

Dancing Machine

Alison is always looking for fun activities to do with Jackie, and the Bridgewater Library usually delivers the goods a few times a month. Today was a toddler dancing activity, Jackie appears to have had a ball.


CGT 2 Months

Catherine Grace wanted everyone to know that she is two months old today. She's such a happy baby.



Friday, June 7, 2013

Getting back into the swing of things...

For the one or two regular readers, who are actually just family members and a phone call away, I'm sorry for the long layoff. I had stuff to talk about, but just needed a sabbatical from the blog. Not like it's an especially onerous task to whip up a few posts a week that feature mostly pictures and videos of my kids doing cute things, but for whatever reason I just didn't have the motivation to follow through with it. We are back now, with a back log of stuff to write about, and I think the wife is going to be helping with a few more of these posts from time to time. She is the boots on the ground so to speak, being home with the dynamic duo of Jackie and Catherine most of the time, so expect her to dash off a quick post now and again whenever they do anything fun.


Jackie the Builder or Jackie the Destroyer

Jackie is honing her skills to become an Architect, a Contractor or the star of a Japanese Monster Movie.


Catherine is still upset about last weeks episode of Game of Thrones. Don't worry Catherine, good times ahead for the Lannisters of Casterly Rock.

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Memorial Day 2013

This post is a bit late, (as are all posts the last 9 months), but Grandpa T does a Memorial Day presentation to Boy Scout Troop #27 each year. Here is the post from 2013.



1st Cavalry Division
Their paths didn't cross in Korea that winter of 1950 but their destinies did. Sixty-three years later, they did again in Washington D.C. Father Emil Kapaun was the son of a Kansas farmer. He served as Chaplain in WWII and rejoined the Army in the late 1940's. With the North Korean invasion of the South in June of 1950, Father Kapaun found himself serving with the 1st Cavalry Division when it was attached by the Red Chinese Army. He ignored the chance to escape and rescued the wounded. When the unit could fight no more, Chaplain Kapaun, who was tending to a wounded Red Chinese officer convinced the officer to negotiate a surrender. The Chinese soldiers were about to kill the wounded Americans when the Chaplain placed himself between a wounded American and a bayonet wielding enemy soldier. He accompanied the captives to a POW camp deep in North Korea. During their captivity, Fr. Kapaun became known as "the Good Theif", for the food he stole from the guards to feed the starving prisoners. He gave up his own food and ministered to the sick. He was singled out for punishment many times for his efforts and for his faith. He was tied up naked by his captors and left outside overnight in below zero temperatures.
Chaplain Emil Kapaun
He refused all attempts at brainwashing and urged his fellow POW's to keep their faith in God and in the United States. Against regulations he led an Easter Sunrise Mass in 1951 using a missal a solder had hidden from the guards and a crucifix made from sticks. Punished again, father Kapaun developed dysentery, a blood clot in his leg and finally pneumonia, which killed him. His last words to his men were to keep their faith. his last words to God where to forgive his captors for they knew not what they were doing. 


7th Infantry Division
Lt. Col Don Carlos Faith was also a WWII re-tred. Born in Washington, Indiana he was denied admittance to West Point because fo his health. After being rejected for enlistment he sought and received a waiver and was commissioned a Lieutenant through OCS in 1942. He served with the 82nd Airborne Division, throughout WWII. The outbreak of the Korean War found him on occupation duty in Japan. His unit was immediately shipped to Korea and by November 1950 found themselves in the Chosin Reservoir near the Chinese borer. When China entered the war, all units in the area including Faith's 7th Division were cut off and surrounded by superior forces. Whi the death of the Regimental commander, Don Faith found himself in command. For five days without sleep in a time where 90% of his troops became casualties, Col. Faith personally led attack after attack against the enemy in sub-zero temperatures. He seemed, as his men later stated, to be everywhere. 

Lt. Col Don Carlos Faith Jr.


His mission was to keep the only road to safety open and he succeeded. on 1 December Col. Faith was wounded by a grenade. The next day the truck he was being evacuated in was ambushed and he was killed. His body was not recovered. 

63 years later the legend's of these two men crossed paths in Washington. On April 10th 2013, The Congressional Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously to Chaplain Captain Emil Joseph Kapaun for actions above and beyond the call of duty. The medal was presented to his nephew. A week later, the recently identified body of Lt. Col. Don Faith, awarded the Medal of Honor in 1951 was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. The flag draping his coffin was presented to Barbara Boyles, her three children and two grandchildren. Barbara, Don Faith's only child was four years old when her father died. 

Father Kapaun was recently declared a Servant of God by the Catholic Church, the first step on the road to being raised to Sainthood.


Monday, June 3, 2013

The Future of Aircraft Maintenance?

It looks like Jackie may be getting ready to follow in Uncle Joe's Air Force career path. Here she is putting the finishing touches on some stabilizer repairs for her air force's latest acquisition.









Catherine was looking on in amusement, Jackie thinks she likes the repair work.

Graduation Day Part 1

We're playing catch up here at the Bridgewater Bugle, we've had a lot of events the past few months, and they will be posted in random order over the next few weeks. There were a lot of Graduations this past month, the first one we were able to attend was Aunt Maryellen's (aka Aunt MiMi), from TCNJ.

Despite the heat Jacqueline and Catherine were happy to attend.

Going for a spin together 

Jackie with an Ipad AKA the Jackie Jammer


Catherine is completely bewildered. 

Congratulations Maryellen!

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Class Picture

Jackie had her last day at what I call "pre-pre-school" on Thursday. She has been attending the Little Lambs program at North Branch Reformed Church for the past 10 weeks. Every Thursday she gets to meet up with her new little friends, do some arts and crafts, story time, and a snack. She seems to like it, so I think we may be signing up again in the fall.

Jackie in her first school environment