I wish you all Greetings, Good Will, Good Health, Joy and Good Cheer! I write this year from Spokane, WA where I am currently flying as a Captain for Empire Airlines and FedEx throughout the Northwest, Alaska and the Southwest. I have been in the Spokane area since July, permanently moving here in late August from Richland, WA. The job keeps me on the road a fair amount, but I only had two moves this year, less than in other years. Last Christmas I was finishing up a year flying for McCall Aviation from Boise and McCall, ID into the Idaho back country Wilderness and National Forest areas. At that time I was also flying the UPS cargo Boise-McCall-Boise weekdays, but that was extremely weather dependent and in Dec. last year I only made it to McCall about 10 days out of the month; January was worse. As I only was paid on days when I was able to fly to McCall, Christmas and Jan. last year were pretty lean.

I left McCall Aviation in January '04 and in Feb. began flying a Cessna Caravan for Mid-Atlantic Freight, headquartered in Greensboro, NC, on a Pasco-Seattle-Pasco, WA freight run Monday PM through Sat AM weekly. Mid-Atlantic had a contract to fly Airborne/DHL freight over the Cascades and I was their pilot until late May when another company flying larger aircraft won the contract from Airborne. I had only permanently moved to Richland (Tri-Cities), WA Mar. 31. The Tri-Cities area is not a hotbed of aviation activity, but with a LOT of Divine Assistance I was able to connect with the Chief Pilot for Empire Airlines, the local FedEx feeder airline, who just happened to live across the Columbia River in Pasco.

I now fly the Caravan, F27 and ATR42(the F27 and ATR are large, twin-engine turbo props; ex-airliners that require a 1st Officer in addition to the Captain). Empire used to be a passenger airline that gradually became the primary short and medium distance feeder operator for FedEx in the Western U.S.). Currently we do not carry passengers, but the company still is authorized by the FAA to do so if the need arose in the future. HQ is Coeur d' Alene, ID. I am enjoying myself flying well-maintained aircraft for a really First Class operator. FedEx is #1 in overnight package delivery for good reasons. I have a schedule each month, time off, vacation, travel, insurance and a lot of other benefits. I am planning to visit Robert in France next Aug. on my 2 week vacation. As part of the FedEx Feeder System I also have to opportunity to transfer anywhere that FedEx operates feeder aircraft should I choose to relocate from the Northwest.

Robert, is now a full professor at the University of Lyon and the University of Savioe in Chambery, France. He lives in Chambery and commutes to Lyon (about 1 hr each way) M/T/W each week. His classes there are from 8AM-1PM. He then returns to Chambery by 2PM and is off until 4PM when he teaches class at Savioe from 4PM-7PM. He has Thursday through Sunday off. He teaches a variety of classes to European students in English and does computer work for both schools as well. He is paid well by both schools and will be up for permanent appointment next year in the French university system. He enjoys both schools very much and feels that it helps him that there is a little competition for his expertise between them. He loves Chambery, which is a city of about 30,000 located in the French Alps and that is where he will continue to live. He has a small car which he drives to and from Lyon as well as to/from other places in the local area. He has a French-Italian girlfriend, Eva, who is teaching in Ireland this year. Robert recently returned from Ireland and visited Austria, Germany and Scandinavia last summer. He is very cosmopolitan and blends well with European life. He is living his dream every day.

James, my older son, I have not heard from since Christmas last year. When I tracked him down then he was staying with his mother, Carmelita, at her home in Portland, OR. Jim is not one to be in touch very much and I have learned from him that no news means things are moving along all right. Jim has moved around almost as much as I have these past few years and it has sometimes been tough to stay connected. Now that I have a stable base I feel that we will be able to have more contact and communication.

I continue to love flying airplanes; it is like oxygen to me. I am also beginning to pursue several business opportunities in addition to flying for a living. My goal is to develop a passive income that will replace the salary that flying for Empire provides within 2 years. Then I will be able to offer my flying, construction, engineering and life expertise to individuals and organizations in need, something I have wanted to do for years. I would probably continue to fly for Empire or another FedEx feeder operator as well.

I am in the process of tying up all of the "loose ends" following Skip's farewell party yesterday and things wouldn't be complete without a final email to all of you wonderful caring people.  I hope I didn't alarm anyone by sending it from his email but it just felt like the thing to do.

As I sit here reflecting on all of those late nights and early mornings when I turned to all of you with my joy when things seemed better and heartfelt pleas for prayer when I wasn't sure what was coming at us, I can't begin to find the words to adequately say thank you.  You have all walked with me through this journey and I just had to send one more note, this time of celebration that my hero and your friend is now celebrating in Heaven.  Many of you already know all to well the details of his final days and in reflecting upon each moment over and over again I am amazed at little things I recall for the first time about miracle moments when he touched my heart with a look, a smile, a hug, a kiss and even tears.  My best friend, lover, hero and champion (borrowed from Pastor Marc's comments yesterday) is physically gone from me now but his imprint on my heart and soul will never fade. 

I take such pleasure in cherishing the years we had together and, yes, even the special relationship we developed throughout our illness for I feel like it was mine as well.  For in those moments I learned things about Skip for the first time, things that reinforced the love we shared and gave me a glimpse of what Heaven will be like when we are reunited.  I'm not sure what exactly he is doing right now, but I know that he isn't being poked and prodded, that there are no more bone marrow biopsies in his future, that there will be no more reactions to transfusions, no more pained and confused looks in his eyes and no more pills.  In their place I picture eyes filled with tears of joy and amazement as he looks into the eyes of our Savior, songs of praise from his lips, and long wonderful talks with family members who preceded him, authors of his favorite books of scripture (St. Paul, James, Timothy, Matthew, King David...the list goes on), his historical heroes like Abe Lincoln.  In short, I envision him in bliss.

You are an amazing group of people and I plan to continue to communicate with you and rely on you for strength during those moments I know only too well will come when I just don't know if I can go on without him.  I must and will go on, however, because that is what he asked me to do.

God Bless all of you and your families.  Please appreciate each and every day that God gives you and praise Him for it.

Our God is an Awesome God!

With love and gratitude,