In case you don't know - my baby brother is a pilot for the Blue Angels. He flew jet #3 for the 2024 season (insert big, proud grin) and will transition to jet #4 for the 2025 season.
Some background: Wesley has wanted to be a Blue Angel pilot since he was a toddler. He played with metal airplanes like most toddlers play with stuffed animals: snuggling them and sleeping with them, lining them up, and calling them by name. And of course, flying them everywhere. Wes knew the name of every airplane in the sky by sound, and could also name his diecast metal airplanes in the dark by feeling. He got his pilot's license before his driver's license. Wesley was destined to be a career pilot, which he achieved in the Navy. And then, on his third "try out" Wesley achieved his dream of being a Blue Angel pilot. (If you watch the Blue Angels documentary on Amazon Prime you will catch a glimpse of my brother prior to one of his interviews to become a Blue Angel pilot).
Fast-forward to September - the Blue Angels were performing a show in Owensboro, KY, and we were able to get the VIP treatment by being Friends and Family. The Malones came with us and enjoyed the VIP treatment as well. We were able to watch the practice show on Friday and then rub shoulders with the team at the airport, then Saturday was the big show. We had awesome seats and the company was great too! I got to meet Wesley's and Lindsey's little boy Jesse (my nephew!!), and the kids are obsessed with him.
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| driving into Owensboro, we passed the airport in the distance and could see Fat Albert! |
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| meeting their first first-cousin Jesse! |
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| Wesley's wife Lindsey - showing off our tall skinny coozies that Mom made us! (Mom also made mine and Stacey's earrings and the kids shirts they wore on Saturday!) |
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| Mom and her best friend Suzanne from years ago when my parents lived in Clarksville, TN |
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| Mom and two of her daughters - and Keagan in the background being airplane photographer |
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| here they come!! |
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| not sure if you can see Lindsey's shirt - but it has Wesley's face all over it! |
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| Grandpa, Keagan, Finn going to check out some airplanes |
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| When the pilots arrival was announced, I ran over to see Wesley. I hadn't seen him in a few years and just wanted to give him a hug. I did realize that they were in a professional parade but when he got close I got all big-sister-fan-girl on him and asked him for a hug! He smiled really big and laughed, and said Later. I knew he couldn't stop what he was doing but I loved every bit of this encounter! I am so glad I snapped pictures of the whole thing too. |
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| This is Oleg - he is Wesley's crew chief that ensures Wesley's jet is ready to go! |
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| we may have fan-girled the whole afternoon |
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| with Commander Armatas who flies the number 1 jet |
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| I got my hug!! |
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| family picture - too bad we were missing Hannah and Adam |
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| As we were leaving Ivy snuck back to give Uncle Wesley one last hug, cutting in front of the line! Luckily, her uncle obliged and the line of people were kind. |
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| And it's a good thing the line of people were kind, because when Mac saw Ivy getting a hug she rushed back to get one too! |
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| One of the families that my girls cut in line to get more hugs happened to be one of Keagan's childcare workers, Ms. Valerie!! That was pretty neat because Ms. Valerie was a life saver for us when I went into labor with Finn. She was there with her grandson! |
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| Bye Uncle Wesley!!! |
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| That night we all went to eat supper together and it was a lovely evening. |
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| Grandpa bet Finn $1 that he couldn't eat his entire calzone - he demolished it but definitely looks like his face is swollen from the over-consumption! |
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| walking back to the hotel with Annie |
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| late night visiting outside our hotel with live music and a lot of laughs |
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| we even got the teenagers to join us! |
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| this teenager was not very pleasant or thrilled to be with us |
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| a smile! |
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| Jesse turned two the week before so the kids picked out a present for him! And Ivy gifted him one of her "two tags" since he only had one (and she has 6)... He loved it and snuggled it the whole weekend! Lindsey texted me a month or so later and told me that he still loves on it and will sometimes choose it first! |
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| after breakfast we walked down to the "blue park" and let the kids play before all the airshow stuff started up |
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| Grandma and Grandpa and their grandkids |
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| Airshow time! |
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a pretty awesome group of Jet #3 Groupies!
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| it doesn't matter how many times I see the Blue Angels - my heart gets pumping from the very first sighting! |
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| Pilot #7 is the narrator (doesn't fly for the airshows) |
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| 'til next time... |
