Admittance to the Air Force Academy is a two-step process: a candidate must be nominated by a Congressman or Senator, as well as receive an appointment from the Academy.

Jake received a letter from Congressman Bill Foster a month ago informing him that he was nominated, and this past weekend there were two separate events celebrating this part of the process. First, Foster held a ceremony for all the candidates whom he nominated to all of the military academies.

While I was in attendance with Jake, Jim was in Princeton, IL with Derek for wrestling sectionals. We were dividing and conquering that weekend!

I couldn’t help but snap a picture showing the parent paparazzi in the foreground.

Jake, knowing Mr. Foster’s scientific background, was eager to talk with him about their similar one-time place of employment: FermiLab. They talked quarks and such.

The next day we attended a nominee brunch for all the candidates from northern Illinois who were nominated to the Air Force Academy.

The kids posed for a parent paparazzi moment.

Each candidate introduced themselves and picked a rose to bring to their mom. So sweet.

The brunch was particularly beneficial to Jake, as he was able to meet some current cadets and ask questions of them.

We won’t hear from the Air Force until late March or early April regarding his appointment. Until then, we continue to wait and pray for God’s direction!