UP IN THE AIR

This post is about my son, Austin. Being six years behind his older sisters, he was a favorite to them, until he learned the pleasure of pestering them. He could get them up in the air pretty quick. But they also forgave him just a quick. Once he got a beebe gun for Christmas. He was down in a big box, and Beth was trying to get the gun from him. She accidently shot him in the lower lip. He screamed out, and covered his face. From the kitchen, we heard "Oh my God, I've shot him." Well, we expected the worst, and came running. Dad had to squeeze the shot out of his lip, and he got okay. He sure had Beth in the air that day. When Austin was about 2, Fonda convinced him that if he came into her room, the curtain, which was her door, would pinch him. She stood behind the curtain and pinched him when he decided to try it. He was convinced. After baby sister, Cassie came along, he was scrouged out of the parent bed, so he was making the rounds of the other beds to keep from having to sleep by himself. Fonda told him he was not going to sleep in her bed. But she did let him sleep on the floor by her bed. That was good enough for him. (Who would have ever thought she would turn out to be such a good mother?) Next time, he asked Beth first, and got a better welcome.

Austin made straight A's from kindergarten on, with the older sisters saying, 'Just you wait; middle school is harder' and then 'Just you wait; you won't do that in high school'. He continued to make excellent grades, (maybe not all A's, but high grades), even in college algebra, and college calculus.

He worked summers for a local farmer throughout high school. He enjoyed the work, and Mr. Wally thought highly of him, teaching him many things about farming and life in general. One day, Austin had to 'flag' for the crop dusters, which involves standing at the end of the field to mark the row for the pilot as he sprays chemicals on the crops. That is when he decided he wanted to fly. For his sixteenth birthday, his dad got him a flight in a small plane. After graduation, he went to college and earned a 'Professional Pilot' degree. He now teaches flight, and is learning to fly bigger planes. Next will be a jet. Maybe someday, he'll be flying for some corporation, and like Dr. Seuss says, 'Oh, the places you'll go.'

Austin is engaged to Rejhaun, and this is how he asked her to marry him. He was flying for a sky diving outfit near the college. They required him to tandem dive (strapped to an instructor). So he asked Rejhaun if she wanted to go skydiving. She said yes, (which I thought was funny, since she didn't even want to get on Cassie's horse a few days earlier). They took off. Austin was the first to jump, then after he had landed, the plane came back across the field and Rejhaun jumped (tandem, also, of course). As she was coming down, she saw in large letters across the field. I LOVE YOU. WILL YOU MARRY ME? When she landed, there was Austin on one knee with an engagement ring in his hand. Of course, she said 'YES!' Later, Austin said that he figured if she just landed alive, she couldn't say anything but yes! ;) They haven't set a date, yet, but when they do, we'll be glad to be there.

My sister said, " Well, Austin always did like to keep people up in the air." So what can I say? There he goes 'up in the air and flying high'.