SHARON'S 63RD B'DAY

The kids had my birthday early since Brad & Shelley's family were leaving for GA. What a gorgeous and yummy chocolate cake! Thanks, guys!

RED HAT TEA PARTY -- November 2007

We had a RED HAT TEA PARTY at Mom's this morning and had a very wonderful time!!! Mom got all dressed up in her purple suit and red hat. There were 17 of us around the table. We all shared a special thought or verse or woman in the Bible. It was a very touching and special tea party! Dad came and took pictures of the group of us before we left. So glad Mom was able to enjoy it and stayed up the whole time for it. A very memorable time for us all.

Norma's pic of her and Mom

Norma's pic of Mom & Ella is so cute!

Life long friends --
Aunt Alice, Mom, & Ella.

The whole group of us.

TRIP TO CHINA -- OCTOBER 2007

We had a wonderful trip to China! Flew to Beijing and met up with Warren & Sue Wainwright from CA and Anders & Joyce Lewis from WI to spend a few days in Beijing before our tour started. It was great to see Wendy again, who went to college in Boston for a couple of years and now lives back in Beijing. Enjoyed a visit to a violin factory, and all bought violins! Beautiful craftsmanship and so inexpensive! Enjoyed meeting some who live there. Great way to begin the trip. Then Ron & Kathleen Williams from MT joined the rest of us for the Viking tour of China beginning in Beijing, taking in the Great Wall and Ming Tombs, flying to Xian to see the Terra Cotta Warriors, flying on to Chongqing and boarding our ship for a 9 day river cruise on the Yangtze River, ending up in Shanghai. We enjoyed a fun day of shopping with some who live there. Met up with John & Marjorie Weida from ND our last evening in Shanghai at an acrobat performance, and they were just beginning the same tour in reverse. Flew home after a grand "Cultural Delight" in China! These pictures are just a little sampling of our trip.

Dressed in our Chinese finery -- Sharon's custom made jacket & Kent's Viking tie.










Typical mix of trash & markets amidst beautiful new sky scrapers.
















Enjoyed a day with Wendy in Beijing.















Visited a violin factory -- the owner helping us decide on which violin we wanted.

















Mao's picture in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, which is the entrance to The Forbidden City.

Walking on the Great Wall.

We four couples on the Great Wall.

The "Hello people" swarmed us at every stop & in the market places -- "Hello Lady! Wanna buy? Look, Look!"

Visited the silk weaving workshop and showroom in Xian.



















Excavation site in Xian of the Terra Cotta Army buried there over 2000 years ago.









Viking Century Sun -- our home for 9 days on the Yangtze River.









Snow Jade Cave in Fengdu -- beautiful limestone formations and colorful pools.


















Cruised through the scenic 3 Gorges.







The huge Three Gorges Dam project.
















Visited a Viking primary school, and this is the band greeting us. "Nin hau!"












Beautiful ceramic factory in Jingdezhen.













Garden of the Master of Nets in Suzhou.
















Went to a silk spinning factory and the showrooms full of beautiful silk garments, bedding, etc.











Rode the Maglev train in Shanghai at 260+ mph!







Typical city traffic waiting for light to turn green, and then "watch out!"

HALLOWEEN FUN

BOO! Here we are clowning around!




Kent & Sharon


















Even Mom dressed up and joined in the fun!












Brent's
"CRAYOLA"
family














Brad's family