Ashe Co Armed Forces Tribute 2008

The 3rd annual Ashe Co Armed Forces Tribute was held this past weekend in Jefferson, NC. As part of the tribute, Mike's brother, Mark, was honored. Rebecca Pepin, author of Faces of Freedom, helped to MC the event. During the program, we were able to contact by satellite members of the Army and Marines who are presently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. People in the audience were encouraged to ask questions and some family members were even able to talk with their soldier.

Booths were set up on the field, along with a Black Hawk helicopter, jeeps from WWII, the Marine band, and a memorial wall. Members of the 82nd Airborne parachuted in during the morning and also during the afternoon. After lunch, the Black Hawk took off from the field and did a "fly by". The entire event honored Veterans and Active Duty soldiers. What a privilege to be a part of this tribute.

1st jump - morning

Marine band

Black Hawk leaving at lunch

Rebecca Pepin with her husband, Derek, Rene' and Phillip, Miriam and Mike
Derek and Rebecca

2nd jump - afternoon




Derek and Rebecca, Miriam and Mike, Blue and Polly at the New River

Mt. Jefferson
Miriam and Blue

This is how we found Polly when we came out of the restaurant after dinner.
at the cabin


Sleepy...

Polly
Blue

Happy 4th!

We hope you had a happy 4th of July! We are so privileged to live in a free country. We are so thankful for the men and women who have fought and continue to fight and die for our freedoms! Some of the men and women, including Mike's brother, Mark, who have given their lives more recently for our freedom have been remembered in a book entitled Faces of Freedom by Rebecca Pepin. ALL proceeds from the sale of this book will go to Fisher House and Wounded Warrior Project. We are thankful for this remembrance and honor for our soldiers.

Our 4th consisted of doing a little around the house while Mike prepared ribs and got them on the grill early. We enjoyed dinner with our friends, Codey and Laura, and filled ourselves to the top (with ribs, corn, pasta salad, cole slaw, gilled onions, and potato wedges)! And then ate homemade ice cream to fill in any extra spaces! After dinner, we met more friends, Joe and Abby, in Raleigh to watch fireworks. What a fun evening. And all possible because of our freedoms.