Florida Vacation Part 1

Our Florida vacation got off to a great start. With Jane doing the driving it was a smooth trip. Out first stop was Leesburg to see our friends Rich and Jean. They were great hosts. They treated us like royalty and fed us with tasty home cooking. We had a great time just exploring and visiting. One of the highlights was a tour of "The Villages" a giant development just for seniors ... VERY upscale. There were hundreds of seniors driving extremely classy customized golf carts. It seemed strange not to see any children and our friends Rich and Jean say that's what they miss the most about Florida. We dined on gator tail at R. J. Gator's. It was quite tasty. We were all sorry to part company, but it was a great start to our trip.

Happy Birthday, Sully!

Being Sully

"O birds, your perfect virtues bring.

Your song, your forms, your rhythmic flight,

Your manners for the heart's delight...." R.W.E.

You do not have to be good.

You have only to be Sully

And love what you love.

Many things...

Yet you make it look so easy

Our memories delight in watching you.

Skater like your Dad,

Maker of beautiful artifacts like your Grammy,

Runner like your Mom.

Sweetheart like your Gramma,

Swimmer like your Papa,

Commentator on life and a readiness to stir the pot like your Grampy,

Reader like all of us,

You even look like us-- brown eyes, handsome, ready smile.

Whoever you are,

The world offers itself

To your imagination

Again and again

Forging your place in the family.

How readily you accept the task

Of carrying our lives forward.

Happy Birthday, Abby!!!

Skater Girl

You carve
a line through life,
going with the flow,
throwing yourself
into everything you do.

You fly
through life stoked;
looking ahead,
never missing a chance
to challenge yourself.

You grab
life, and never bail
on friends, family,
school, sports,
or yourself.

You are
regular and you're goofy too;
no fakies and nothing sketchy.
What you see is always
what you get.

Happy Birthday, Charlie Bear! Part 3

No birthday celebration would be complete without pizza, cake, and toys to assemble. Charlie's party had all of these. Andy and Uncle Jim did a great job of helping Charlie to put together his new tricycle. Fortunately he was persuaded to wait until he got home to try it out. Grammy and Mommy did a fab job serving the cake. All Charlie wanted was a "sparkle " but he did force himself to have some cake and ice cream as well. Great job, everyone. And thanks to Grammy and Grampy for hosting the party. You both were wonderful hosts and provided the perfect setting for an amazing party!

Happy Birthday, Charlie Bear! Part 2

Everyone got into the act as the adults snapped photos, the children dueled each other with their birthday blowers, and Grammy and Grampy observed the chaos from a safe distance. Charlie loved EVERY present and card. He'd just barely begin to open a present and exclaim, "I know what this is!". When asked, "What is it, Charlie?" he'd answer, "It will be something when I open it!".

Happy Birthday, Charlie Bear!

The whole family braved a 6 inch snowfall to celebrate Charlie's 3rd birthday. We all met at his Grammy and Grampy's house. It was a Christmas card "picture-perfect" evening with the new snow as we gathered in the living room to open presents. Charlie's grandparents' home is so warm and inviting that it truly seemed a Norman Rockwell painting. Charlie certainly enjoyed being the center of attention with his birthday crown as he began ripping into his presents with unbridled enthusiasm.

Thanksgiving 2010

This Thanksgiving we all had much for which to be thankful. Jane (with a minor bit of help from me) prepared an amazing dinner. After so many years she now makes it look easy. This year was extra special because Mark and Janet were able to join us. We had a great visit and Mark helped out by carving the turkey. He's much better at it than I am! All of us had enjoyed visiting and we sat, and talked and ate until we could hardly get up from the table. Of course Trevor and Abby were ready for seconds a few hours later. If they continue to grow the way they did this year we may have to cook an extra turkey next year. We missed those who weren't with us but I know they were there in spirit.