The Hills' Adventures: Working with Dad

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Working with Dad

One of Mike's projects earlier this year was bulldozing this old house and building two new ones. Mike being the great father that he is looks for every oppurtunity to teach his children how to work. So for this project he took Jake out of school for the day. Jake, Dallas and Mike went in before the bulldozer and broke all the windows in the house. The boys really enjoyed this project. Although it may confuse them a bit in the future when they don't get the same reaction for braking other windows.

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FROM THE MOUTHS OF BABES

"Work is no fun." Jake 9 years

"Candy." Natalie 22 months

"Oh mom, could you change her diaper somewhere else, it's making this taste disgusting." Dallas 7 years

"I know the answers to everything!" Katie 5 years

"The prophet says if you don't spend time with your kids, you'll regret it." Jake 8 years

"Mom, I wished you lived on Jupiter."
"Dad made me change my mind."
"What do you want to do before you die?"
"Mom, I dropped my hot wheels in the toilet." Dallas 6 years

"Come on husband, you need to read our daughter a story...I'll do it myself."
"When will you be able to go? I'm exhausted with you."Katie 4 years

"Dad, Mom lets us get one choice. You just get us what we need." Katie (4) and Dallas (6)to dad at the store

"No", "Toe", "Nose", "Hi mom" "Hi Dad" "a-da-no?" Natalie 19 months

DREAMS DO COME TRUE--Mike's New Job

Mike was recently selected to fly AH-64 Apache attack helicopters for the Idaho National Guard! We'll be in Alabama for flight school for two years, then back to Idaho where he'll be a part-time Apache pilot(this video is from the Utah Guard, but you get the idea).

[Mike] I recently embarked on a great adventure. My whole life I’ve been fascinated with military aviation. As a kid I could name any jet or chopper flying. I studied them, built models of them, drew them. But I never pursued my dream of flying because I didn’t think life in the military would suit me and my future family, and I thought that passion was something I'd grow out of. So I chose a career I considered more practical. In my 20s, though, I began regretting not taking that path. That regret grew worse and worse.

Long story short, in the fall of 2008 I put it all on the line and finally went for it. I joined the Army National Guard here in my home town, with the long-shot hope of flying the AH-64 Apache helicopter (the best attack helicopter in the world). The training just to be considered was tough and required quite a commitment: nine weeks of Basic Training, 8 weeks of Officer Candidate School, academic and physical tests, a 6-year commitment regardless of the outcome, plus the preparation on my own time. All that, just to qualify to go before a "flight board" that selects future pilots. The field is very competitive, but failure was not an option—given the wars we’re fighting, I didn’t want to be in the Army, stuck on the ground. I had to succeed.

By some miracle, everything lined up perfectly and I was selected for flight school, despite my lack of experience and prior service, and despite being 3 years over the age limit (I got an age waiver).

In the spring of '10 my family and I moved to Fort Rucker, Alabama for two years of flight training, after which I’ll come back home to Idaho and be a part-time pilot. I’m so excited I can hardly stand it. Getting selected to serve my country, flying the world's best attack helicopter, based right in my home town, is incredible. It still blows me away.

I have the best wife in the world for supporting me in this adventure. She initially told me to do something about this ache in late summer of '08. She encouraged me every step of the way, even while I was gone for months on end, leaving her to manage the home, business, and take care of our babies. And Army pay is not good, especially considering my life may someday be on the line in Afghanistan, Iraq or who-knows-where-else. Thank you, thank you, Cass, for all you are to me.

We may not have it all together...But together we have it all.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Working with Dad

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DREAMS DO COME TRUE--Mike's New Job