Sunday, February 28, 2010

Happy Happy 27th Birthday Lexi!

Billingsley's T-39 baby

by J03 Mike Peckham

"Sherry Billingsley gave birth to an eight pound, one ounce baby girl March 1st at 4:30 in the morning. That in itself is not terribly unusual since babies are born all the time, but this baby just happened to enter the world on board a T-39 jet, 26,000 miles above the Aeolian Islands.
Mrs. Billingsley had expected her second child around mid-March and was a little upset when she told her husband, Ensign Bill Billingsley, Public Works Facility Planning Officer, about some pains she'd been experiencing that evening. That was the last day in February and the countdown was on. They drove from their home in Motta Saint Anastasia to the NAS I medical clinic where the doctor on duty diagnosed the pains as labor and quickly arranged for an emergency MEDEVAC flight to Naples.
Fifteen minutes into the flight the labor pains grew in frequency and intensity. Mrs. Billingsley felt that delivery was imminent...a hunch quickly confirmed by the attending hospital corpman, HM1 Ron Germain. Petty Officer Germain jerry-rigged a delivery room in the plane's cabin with passenger seats and the birth began.
Sherry was more than a little concerned about this arrangement remembering the trouble she had delivering her first child back in Bozeman, Montana with the advantages of a hospital.
With her husband behind her coaching her breathing and Petty Officer Germain taking charge with 15 births already to his credit, the delivery came off without a hitch.
The baby girl, Alexia Anne Billingsley, was placed in an incubator for the remainder of the flight.
Upon landing in Naples, Alexia Anne was carried out the door while her mother went out the emergency hatch and over the wing strapped on a stretcher on her way to recovery in the Naples hospital "Storks Nest."
So, years from now when an older Alexia Anne Billingsley is asked her place of birth, she'll be one of the few people on this planet who will require a three-dimensional map."

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday dear Lexi
Happy Birthday to you.

We love you Lex, wishing we were there to celebrate with you!




Thursday, February 25, 2010

Memories

Bella Italia:
I just wrapped up my 4th Cultural Activity at school - this latest was "All About Italy". I taught 12 sessions - 680 children from 1st - 6th grades. As I prepared the things that I would teach it took me back about 26 years and made me homesick for a beautiful country that I did not have to grow to love, but that captured my heart the minute we arrived.

I remembered all that I loved about living there. I miss the sights, the smells and especially the pace of life that the Sicilian people live.

They say that if you throw a coin over your left shoulder into Trevi Fountain that you will get to come back. I can only hope. But for now, sono nostalgico per lei la bell' Italia!!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Fun times in Missoula

We had such a fun time celebrating Mom and Dad - they are truly amazing - what an example of lives well lived!!

72 years and still in love!

Mom and Dad and their 4 kids

Goodbye Missoula - till next time

Great trip until I dared utter the words - "gee Bill, your new (old) car proved herself worthy" - no sooner had those words left my mouth she moaned and groaned and had to get towed! Thanks Bill for having the foresight to put roadside assistance on our insurance - thanks tow guy for hurrying - thanks Eaton Auto in Shelley for still being open and taking us right in.
1 hour, $130.00 and a hot fudge sundae later and we were back on the road. : )
I love road trips!!





Saturday, February 13, 2010

Tubing

Tubing at Soldier Hollow
so much fun - especially when we discovered how much faster we went when we all went
together
one of the best parts was not having to walk back up the mountain
Thanks Ben and Kami for a very fun Christmas present!!