As soon as Jim earned his IFR pilot rating, Derek’s wish was to fly in the clouds for his 9th birthday flight. Derek’s wish was granted. You might say the ante has been significantly raised after this birthday flight…not only did they fly in the clouds, but in lieu of flying to Janesville for breakfast, Jim flew Derek, Jake, and Peter to Minnesota to watch the Air Force vs. University of Minnesota football game.

Here is a glimpse of the flight: (for you keen observers, you’ll notice that the pilot is shooting the video. The plane was on auto-pilot. And the propellor only looks freaky on video, not in real life)

They may have been the only Air Force fans in the stadium, but they wore their blue proudly.

It was a historic game because up until now, U of Minn never had their own stadium. They built one this year, and the game against Air Force was the first game played there.

The following weekend Derek (and Peter) enjoyed having family come out to the football game. We then gathered at our place for lunch and birthday cake.

I thank God for this second-born son of ours. He is a unique gift. I love how God is shaping his heart and mind and look forward to the next nine years of his life!