All,

In light of the recent dearth of blog entries and the subsequent (and well-deserved) call-out by Aunt Katie, here is what has been happening in my life. On May 17^th I commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force in a formal ceremony with all of the other cadets, as my parents, maternal grandmother, Father Beaver, and childhood friends looked on. The evening prior to that, I had a private commissioning performed by Father Beaver. We were both in our dress blues (he in army, I in air force). The ceremony consisted of Father saying a few words (attached in comments per Father's request), the administering of the Oath of Office, my parents pinning on my gold second lieutenant bars, me saying a few words, me receiving my first salute, and then lots of pictures with friends and family (full video available). On May 18^th I graduated from Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. The ceremony was certainly full of pomp and grandeur and guests Cardinal McCarrick and Martin Sheen each spoke.

After moving out of my house, I departed South Bend with four of my friends from Walla Walla and we drove home, stopping to stay at Bart’s in Omaha, and in Boise at another friend’s house. Following that, I spent one night in Walla Walla before attending Chris Campbell’s wedding. The next day I left for Orlando to spend a week with several college friends for one last hurrah. I then came home for my sister’s high school graduation and two more nights in Walla Walla before beginning my next journey.

On June 2, I left Walla Walla and picked up Kevin Johnston in Portland and then headed down to San Francisco. We spent the night at Matt Baumel’s and the next day I headed up to Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield for my first day of work. I have been slowly getting acclimated to my job (official title – project programmer, which means securing funds from congress for construction projects 5+ years down the road (yawn?)) and more quickly getting acclimated to the fun of San Francisco as I have spent every weekend there with a couple of my college buddies.

I am spending the 4^th of July in Laguna Beach with several other college friends. To continue on with my immediate future plans, I leave here at the end of July for 7 weeks of school in Montgomery, AL followed soon after by 7 more weeks of school in Dayton, OH which leads into Thanksgiving. If you are still reading, there is the rundown of my life for the last 2 months and the next 5. I cannot wait to get settled in down here and start having visitors. I look forward to seeing everyone for Thanksgiving (as I have missed the last 4 -so it better be a great one!).

Colin

Pipe Stress

All,

Since most people don't know what I do, and verbalizing my occupation is often a better sedative than a conversation starter, I sent my family this email to give them a visual. Enjoy.

Family,

Pop quiz, what the hell is it I do? Most couldn't answer, so while I'm waiting for this program to run it's computations, I grabbed a snapshot of the pipe system I'm analyzing to give you an idea. It's part of a nuke process plant in Savannah River.

Each pipe has to be analyzed to make sure the stress and deflections are below allowable. Most of the pipes you see are 2-6" diameter, about 50' from floor to structural steel. I find out where and how the pipes need to be supported during normal and occassional (seismic) loading conditions. The calculations are anywhere from 600 to 2,400 pages when complete, and I had 2 weeks to finish the 2,400 pager.

Good times…

Looks like I have the Record for Posts for the month of JUNE!!!

You are a sad lot who have no time to post a simple blog for our enjoyment!

John, maybe everyone needs a little refresher....I have heard several comments in the past about people not being able to blog because they don't have a password or were not invited or something.

We haven't heard what Eammon is studying these days and we miss him. Haven't heard what Dom is doing lately, or Will or Maggie, etc, etc..........
Come on...give us a thrill!

Love,
Katie

While I'm at it......Aggie Steeves is in the hospital

I just spoke with Mom who heard from Rosie Campbell last night that Aggie Steeves is in Lourdes Medical Ctr.

They aren't sure exactly what is wrong with her....possibly pneumonia, but sounded like other things also. She's been there for a few days apparently and didn't recognize her kids the first few days. She does recognize them today and she's in ICU.

Please pray for her.

Eat Your Hearts Out!!!!!

Okay, don't be too jealous....we had lumpia today at Tere's office for lunch made by his new employee who is Filipino. It was very good and then he had Avocado Icecream for dessert for us!!!! Yes, It was very good....had to share.....have a good weekend.

Happy Birthday Clare and Sean the Johnston!!!!

Hope you guys are enjoying (or did enjoy, Sean!) your birthday.....we've been thinking about you today.
Love, The Thornhills

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARY CHAMBERS & COLLEEN COOKE!!!

Girls,
The Thornhills hope you have great birthday celebrations today (this week!) Update us on what you are doing!
Love,
Katie

Luke's Thinkin' Spot...

Salutations, my illustrious clan.

I believe there are a few places on Earth where Heaven is the ideal, and their residents actively try to create it. Zug is one of those places, where culture and civility is ostensible in everything they build...

I am staying with the Landtwings right now, and just returned from a tiny park just down the street from their house, where Luke would, as Karl says, "write letters to his family, drink a beer, and make his dreams."

Unfortunately I have not seen a single mountain in europe, as they are socked in by fog -- just another reason to visit again. But when I visited Luke's thinking spot, the sun broke through the clouds for the first time, and I got that feeling that we all have felt before -- his supernatural presence. I know Luke's spirit resides at that point, on a regular basis.

I miss you all, and look forward to telling you all about my adventures here.

Cheers Luke! Cheers Uncle Bill! May we keep them in our minds and hearts forever...

HAPPY GRADUATION COLIN!!!

Hope the weekend is all fun and games for you! Too cool that your hometown boys are coming to help you celebrate along with your parents.

Wow....that'll be 18 of 44 of the Roach Grandkids that will have graduated from college to date ....very impressive I'd say.

Hey when are we going to see baby Clara???

Jimmy, Shashee, BooBoo, Uncle Meezy--
Come on guys I want to see pics of baby Clara! Especially with Lucia and Clara together....I mean who's with me on this! It has been well over a week now. Get yo blog on....

HAPPY GRADUATION KEVIN!!!!

Hope it all goes well and you have lots of fun!!! Just found out from an email that your Mom sent (not particularly about your graduation) that this is the weekend. Glad you made it!
Love,
Your Godmother

WUT WUT Portland Timbers!!

I am very excited at the moment because I just discovered that my BF Miguelito is on youtube.com. WOAH! like a celebrity! He is currently pursuing his futbol carreer and had his third game last Saturday. He's seriously tearing it up, not to brag. The first game, he didn't play, boo. The second game, they put him in for the last 30 min of the game and he had an assist to a goal...the THIRD game, happened to be against the Seattle Sounders (who won the championship last season), he started, played the entire game...AND...SCORED! I've attached the youtube link for you all to witness the glorious goal yourselves and experience some of the madness that goes on in the cheering section at Portland's PGE Park.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYYfAd8EfvI

FYI, he has another game against the Seattle Flounders on May 10 here in Seattle. Get ready to see another @bleep$$ whooping. And if any of you are ever in Portland, let me or him know, and he can hook you up with some tickets. SO FUN!
~Kitty Cat

Hey guys... this is my first blog ever!! This is my THANKS to everyone who bought coffee from me for my trip to Washington DC. I went with my class on April 6th, after a little bit of trouble at the airport, and then spent six days in WA DC seeing the sights, meeting our senators, seeing Obama about 20 feet away.... (haha uncle ed!) and all that jazz. The group picture above is the 9 of us who went from my school.

THEN after a fun week in DC, Lib picked me up and we had a fun week together. We went to Philly for a few days, Annapolis for a day trip, then hung around Baltimore for the rest of the week until I came home on Thursday the 17th. We went to an Orioles game on Tuesday night, bought $8 seats and then somehow ended up sitting in the VERY FRONT ROW behind home plate from about the fourth inning on. Sneaky, sneaky :)

In other news, and I'm sure its no suprise to anyone, I have decided that come September, I will be a Zag. I'm glad to have that all decided, and I think I'll know just a few people on campus when I get there... :)

Okay thanks again to all! I can't wait to see you all again, until then I hope everything is great. If anyone wants to see the Chambers real soon, my graduation in on June 6th. :)

-Clare

Happy Birthday Tere & Jack Chambers!!!!!

Today is the big day for Tere Thornhill and for Jack Chambers! Tere is 48 today and Jack, I'm guessing is 20???

Hope you boys have good days today!


Love,
Katie

(Tere was a bit dismayed this morning to read that he shares a birthday with Michael Moore also!!)

Bush Flatscreen Rebate

All: I have not talked to my accountant yet about this, but here is the quandry: If you file your income tax late (as I always seem to do for 401k issues I have), then is it true that you will not be able to partake in the george bush 2100 dollar flat screen tax rebate? Somebody please advise as to whether we can still get the flatscreen rebate. Or if certain of us even qualify. I want another free flatscreen.

bpr

Great HBO Miniseries that all of you should watch

Hi All,
There is this great Miniseries on HBO right now that any of you who have access to should be watching! It is called JOHN ADAMS, and it is very well acted and extremely interesting. It is about the founding of our nation. I think it is 7 parts (about an hour or hour and a half each). It's On Demand on HBO and doesn't cost extra once you have access to HBO on your cable package. You can order it any time of day. We have seen the first 4 episodes and it is EXCELLENT! Let me know what you think about it. It's great / historical for kids too!
Here is the link online to preview it. Watch them in order if you can!

http://www.hbo.com/

Happy Birthday John! AND Happy Anniversary Mike & Nancy!

Long Rifle Lives

Happy 29th Birthday to Luke Michael Roach. Though no longer with us in body, his presence and Spirit remain ever more strongly in and through the Body of Christ.

I always like this day better than that other day we tend to remember him on. It is spring, it is joyful, and the spirit of Resurrection is in the air.

So today, in his memory, go climb a tree, pet your dog, ride your horse, comfort a friend, or toss a small child high into the air!

Viva Espiritu!

Baseball

hey all,

today we won our third baseball game of the season. so far we are 3-1, and 1-0 in league play. we beat columbia-burbank 7-6 in the first game. we then beat liberty christain 6-0. We lost to the defending oregon 4a state champion La Grande baseball team 13-9. Today we beat Mac-Hi, the milton-freewater school, 4-3 in the bottom of the 7th. I haven't played in any of the games because of my surgery, but in two weeks when I get back, Richie Westphal, one of my teammates, is going into surgery to get his shoulder repaired, so i will be playing left field for him on varsity. I'll be back and playing in the Tri-Cities Prep game. I can't wait.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAITLIN!!!!!

Hope it's Happy!!!!!