So, it is FINALLY here!! My baby brother is graduating from college!! Not just any college, the United States Military Academy at West Point!! His degree is Strategic Planning with a minor in engineering. Basically, he will be the one planning and laying out the best strategy's on how to carry out attacks on our enemies!! He graduates as a Second Lieutenant in the Unites States Army. He has been stationed in Fort Hood, Texas but will train at Fort Benning, Georgia for the first year and then move to Texas.
Here is the graduate in his Senior portrait (sorry for the quality, I had to scan it from my wallet)
Isn't he handsome!!
I can not tell you how proud I am of him and what he has been through on his journey. Words can not express how grateful and proud I am of him to have decided to become one of our nation's ELITE groups of servicemen and women. I am sure you all know what a huge honor it is for anyone to be accepted to West Point and to graduate!!
Just to let you know, in case you don't (and so I can brag a little bit more :) West Point doesn't just accept anyone. Some of the great notables who have graduated before Michael include President Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, President Ulysses S. Grant, Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, George Pickett, George Custer, George S. Patton, President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, just to name a few. You have to meet many, many strict requirements to get in. Michael had to have a certain GPA, meet certain test scores, do many physical tests as well as have numerous Letters of Recommendation, including from the Alabama Congressman and one from an Alabama House of Representative Members. He accomplished a great deal just getting in to the Academy. Going through this journey, he has come so far and done so many great feats I could never have imagined! Some of the training he has accomplished include parachuting out of a Black Hawk, leading a platoon of tankers (I don't know all the technical terms), meeting President (at the time) George W. Bush, being chosen as one of 8 cadets out of his class to be selected to visit the Pentagon and meet with General Petrious and the list goes on and on! He has not only went through and made good grades, he has been selected (by his commanding officers) for so many other leadership opportunities throughout his studies. He has just EXCELLED at West Point and his journey there has been AMAZING to say the least!
I could go on and on about how proud I am of his accomplishments, but I am a little teary eyed already thinking about it! It is just hard to imagine what a great, GREAT man my little brother has become and I love him so much and wish him all the best in his forthcoming career in the United States Army!
With that said, Emmie and I wil be flying to New York Wednesday morning and returning Monday to participate in all the activities!! Paul has to work, so isn't able to go, but ALL my other family will be there. My mom and grandmother are flying in, my Uncle from Las Vegas, my cousins from Ft. Walton, my dad and stepmom, and my sister, brother-in-law and Ellie, Abram and Eli!! It is going to be sooooo fun and I am so excited to see everybody!! We have many, many activities and events to go to at West Point, including the General's Dinner which I get to go to and am super excited about because I get to wear a formal and get all dressed up!! And as all you girls know, after highschool, you get limited opportunities to do!! LOL But, we also have a couple of nights we are going to go into the city (New York City is only about 45 minutes from West Point, guess where Michael has spent many, many weekends... LOL :) We have FRONT row tickets to go see the Broadway musical Phantom of the Opera!! Michael has also decided he wants to take Nikki and I "out on the town" in NYC one night just as his last "HOO-RAH" with his sisters before becoming a "real" adult!! LOL THAT will be interesting, probably more so to see if Nikki and I can still stay up past 10 o'clock!! LOL
So, we have so many exciting things to do and I am just super, super excited to go. With all that being said, please say prayers for all my family and Emmie and I for safe travels there and back and a safe trip while we are there. I will post TONS of pictures as soon as we get back next week!!
Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!!
Oh and I haven't posted any recent pictures of my beautiful neice, Ellie and my handsome nephews, Abram and Eli. Here is their latest portrait Nikki had done (again, sorry for the scanned quality :)
Aren't they just precious!!
8 comments:
Wow! What an accomplishment. Tell Michael I said congrats. Have a safe trip. Watch out for the swine flu while you're there:)
Congratulations to Michael That's a huge accomplishment!!
You guys have a wonderful trip - so exciting!!
I always tell people that I know someone at West Point. It's kinda like a celebrity!! I can't imagine the pride you feel telling people that your BROTHER is at West Point when I have pride just telling people I know SOMEONE at West Point! HAHHA! I know your parents are proud of all three of you, you have all accomplished great things with your educations!
WOW!!! Y'all have fun...you are going to be very busy!!! I can't wait to see pictures of you dressed up in your formal wear - I bet you will look just as good in it as you did in high school:) Be careful and tell Michael congrats for me...that is so exciting!!!
Congrats to such a well rounded man! It sounds like he is going to do great and make someone a great husband some day! We will pray for your safe return and hope you have a great time visiting with all the family.
I am so proud of him and so happy for your family. What a wonderful accomplishment!!
Yes, this trip will top several in my days of travel:)! Although we have many in our family now that are military and have been to several graduations/cermonies at this point, but I am thrilled to be a part of Michael's special day. He really has accomplished a lot and we are proud of him too down here in FL.
I will fly out on Thursday and Crystal will fly out on Friday and we can't wait. We are both very excited to get to go.
And the pic of Nikki's kids is really nice! Everyone has such good looking kids in our family:)!! We've been blessed!
Send my best wishes to Michael!! You should be proud of him because that IS a HUGE accomplishmentgraduating from the prestigious West Point!!!!! I can't wait to see all of the pictures from all of your excursions throughout NYC and especially at the formal--how fun is that?
Beautiful pictures of some beautiful kids!! :) Ellie looks like Nikki to me in the photo, and Abram looks like your brother, Michael. As for Eli-not sure just yet. Still equally cute, though.
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