Quasny Wedding

I finally got all of our pictures posted from the last couple of weeks. The pictures of Jackson waddling around as a penguin are in the 12-18 months album, and the pictures from my cousin, John's, wedding are in the Rainwater Wedding Album.

After my cousin's wedding in Arkansas, Ross and I made our way to St. Lucia for another wedding. We spent several days relaxing on the beach before our friends, Todd and Heather, got hitched! They let me and another friend, Kathy, document the event, so there are lots of pics in the album. Here are my favorites from the day of the big event.

The morning of the wedding, Kathy and Ryan and Ross and I took a short hike to Fort Rodney.

Then the girls got together for a little relaxation, fun, and pedicures. Here are Heather and her mom enjoying their pedis.

The guys spent their morning relaxing in their own way, but we managed to catch a glimpse of them at lunch.

After lunch the girls got busy getting ready for the big event!

Here comes the bride.

Getting hitched!

The happily married couple at their reception.

A couple of posed shots.

A walk on the beach before wrecking the dress...

Skipping away to change for dinner.

The whole group after dinner.

It was a beautiful wedding and a great week! We can't thank Ross' mom enough for watching Jackson so we could be a part of these events. She had her hands full with a sick, teething baby and a broken down car. Fortunately, everyone is doing better this week!

While He Was Gone...

While Ross was busy in Korea, Jackson and I dealt with some ups and downs, which were expected since Ross was out of town. The day Ross left was the day Jackson had a fever of 103 and was found to have an ear infection on top of the flu! With Jackson being sick that Friday and Monday being Columbus Day, we enjoyed a 4 day weekend together. Once the medicine kicked in he seemed like his usual, happy self.

We had a short work/school week because Jackson and I headed to Ruston, LA on Thursday for LA Tech's Homecoming Weekend festivities. My mom graciously volunteered to drive to Houston and make the trip with us to help entertain Jackson on the 5.5 hour drive.

Friday was a big day for me. Aside from my usual Industrial Engineering Advisory Board meetings, I was honored as Louisiana Tech University's Young Alumnus of the Year.

Since Ross was in Korea and wasn't able to join us, a lot of our family and friends came to support me. I had to give a short thank you speech in front of a crowd that we're guessing was between 200-300 people. There were 7 other people recognized as well, the Disitinguished Alumnus of the Year and an alumnus of the year from each college. It was a really nice ceremony, and I made it through my speech!

After the ceremony I was asked to speak to the engineering students, so we talked about NASA and what flight control is all about. Then we wrapped up our advisory board meeting with mock interviews for the students who wanted a little practice. When I got back to my grandparents house that evening, Jackson was sick again! This time with a stomach bug that fortunately only lasted the day.

Saturday was LA Tech's Homecoming game, which they won! My cousin, Meg, and I made it to the tailgating events along with Jackson and my parents just before the game started, so we managed to catch a few friends and check out the Eco Car our friend, Heath, has helped oversee. Jackson loved honking it's horn!

We also had a great time hanging out at my Grandparents' house. There are lots of pictures from the weekend in our album, but here are a few more to enjoy now.

IAC in Korea

As many of you know, I spent last week at the International Astronautical Congress in Daejeon, Korea. This was an amazing experience culturally and professionally. I had the opportunity to have conversations with the current NASA Administrator, Charles Bolden, two of the Associate Administrators, many astronauts, and several big wigs in large aerospace companies. I, also, saw the President of Korea speak and had dinner with the Vice Mayor of Daejeon. In addition, the organizers provided many opportunities to experience the culture of Korea. While I must admit that I wasn't crazy about all of the food, the entertainment was great! Unfortunately, I was using my point-and-shoot camera and the lighting was rarely good so I don't have much in the way of pictures. That said, here are a few pictures and a video.