The absolute other side

I remember the day three years ago like it was yesterday. I was sitting in the living room in our house in New Prague feeding Mallory (who was 6 months old) a bottle. Brent came into the room and said "I am going back to school to be an Air Traffic Controller. I signed up for school." The conversation continued with me asking a bunch of questions about this new found passion and career. I will be the first to admit that I was skeptical. I was worried. With all the cards stacked against him for this career, I never thought he would get a job, much less in Minnesota. As best as I could, I put my fears aside, nervously stepped on board, fastened my seat belt, and held on tight for the upcoming roller coaster of a journey we would take. I tried not to wavier. I tried to be supportive through all of the ups and downs.

Brent has always been good at proving me wrong and boy did he do the ultimate in proving me wrong. He not only followed through, he prevailed with exactly what he had envisioned...

Why, today, are we sitting on the "absolute other side"? Today when Brent went to work he was truly an Air Traffic Controller. Sure he's been working since January between Oklahoma and Minnesota, but that was all classroom training and simulated work. Today when he stepped foot on the "floor" he was going to be talking to real pilots and controlling real airplanes. Before you cancel any upcoming airline travel and book the next ride on an Am track train, don't worry. For the next year and a half he will be closely monitored by a training controller.

We have come a long way and most of you have followed our journey from the beginning. I've realized it will never be a chapter in our 'book of life' that we will close and never look back on. It's a chapter that has changed us and taught us more than we ever could have imagined. It is a chapter that will be used as reference, if and when, things ever get tough again.