HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010!!!

Hope everyone has a great year full of wonderful tomorrows!

WEEK-END IN NY CITY WITH JOHN & ESTER

On the spur of the moment, we decided to go to NY City for the week-end and visit John & Ester Lynch and Domingos -- a fella from E. Temor. We called, and it would work for them! So Saturday AM off we went to "The Big Apple"! We got to John & Ester's around 2 PM and had tea and goodies (that would mean CALORIES!) and a good long chat. Domingos arrived while we were finishing up dinner and spent the night there as well. Off to union meeting Sunday AM and to Cheese Cake Factory for dinner (YUM!), then to Mark & Owen's meeting in the PM. Mark & Owen joined us for supper at Panera Bread before heading on to their evening meeting. We headed on to CT for the night. Monday we stopped at Margaret & Gerry Gundersons for a visit with Al Overway. They wanted to see our Russia trip pictures, so we had tea and cookies while we looked at pictures and visited. From there, we went on to RI and the Parsons to visit Betty, who had had shoulder surgery. Susan & Alicia were there too, so another tea & goodies and visit. Got home Monday evening FAT & HAPPY! Ha! Sure had a nice week-end!

John & Ester

Domingos heads home to E. Temor in a couple of weeks.

WINTER IS HERE & SNOW IS COMING!

Decided it was time to give my BLOG a more wintry look since it IS December! They say snow is on its way, so maybe Ole Man Winter is coming out of hiding.... HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

2009 NOVEMBER -- Lacquered box from Russia

SPEECHLESS AGAIN!!! We looked at so many gorgeous lacquered boxes in Russia but didn't buy any ( I thought....). The one day I stayed on the ship to rest my broken foot while the rest had a free day to shop, etc., Kent had Sue help pick out a box for me for my birthday. I don't know how Kent so cleverly hid it all that time and got it packed in his suitcase to come home. I was so totally SHOCKED at my birthday dinner when I opened the package with this gorgeous lacquered box from Russia!!! Speechless for the 2nd time that night! Thanks for your help, Sue, in picking it out. It is beautiful! WHAT A BIRTHDAY!

THANKSGIVING 2009

The family is getting so large that it works out well to have our Thanksgiving in the finished room in the barn at Roger & Bonnie's. So many have other plans or in-laws to be with over the Thanksgiving holiday, that we decided to have our dinner the Saturday before Thanksgiving so everyone could be together. Everyone was able to make it except Ryan & Theresa. We also had Lucille, Eunhui, & Naomi with us and David & Eleanor Barkley, so there were about 58 of us, I think. We had a wonderful day -- tons of scrumptious food and pies of every kind. A very nice Thanksgiving and much to be thankful for!

Have to have pumpkin pie!

Jananne, Jody, Shelley, Johanna, Mamie set up the tables, etc.

Even had wicker furniture for relaxing!

My sisters
Marilyn & Donna were glad to get in on our big dinner!

Kent & Roger ordered flowers for the tables

Lots of yummy food!

Good food & fellowship!

Roger, Ivan, Carl, Norma, Sharon & Kent singing a hymn (Brent's pic)

Kent & Sharon

Marilyn & Kent having fun at the piano!

Kelly & Tucker announced their engagement!
(Brent's pic)

Kids crafting

Lots of laughs at the game table!

NOVEMBER, 2009 HAPPY 65TH BIRTHDAY, SHARON!

Kent surprised me and flew my two sisters here for my birthday. We walked in the restaurant for dinner with Brent's and Brad's families, and there sat Marilyn & Donna at the table with everyone! I was so shocked! Speechless! What a great surprise and a wonderful birthday week-end! It was very special!
Donna & Marilyn waiting to surprise me...
(Brent's pic)












Shocked & speechless!
(Brent's pic)












I can't believe you guys are here!
(Brent's pic)


























Gag gift from Brent & Brad -- steel toed boots for their clutzy mother!!! (Brent's pic)













WHAT A BIRTHDAY!!! THANKS EVERYONE!

2009 HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words....

"The happy tourists!"

Dad & Joan

Brent & Johanna

Paxton

Shelley

(Brad's malfunctioned... so no costume!)

Ellie & Ava

2009 HALLOWEEN PARADE

We went to the elementary school this PM to watch the kindergarteners and 1st graders march with their teachers and classes in their Halloween parade. Lots of cute costumes! Paxton, Braden, & Brody were all in the parade. The band lined up on the playground playing while the kids marched all around the playground a couple of times showing off their costumes. Cute! It has been a tradition in Milford for years & years, although when grades 1-5 were all together they marched behind the band all around the oval in the center of town.

The band playing

Paxton with his class

Braden with his class

Grampa & Shaelyn watching the parade

Brody with his class

Mr. Paxton the magician

2009 OCTOBER -- APPLE PIES!!!

Dad, Joan, and I made 10 apple pies Thursday AM to take to Chappell Tractor for the employees. Dad & Mom started that a few years ago, and Dad & I continued it last year. This year Joan joined in the fun, and we made enough pies for both the Milford and Brentwood dealerships. Dad used the corer/peeler/slicer tool and prepared all the apples in jig time. Joan mixed up the apples, sugar, & spices, and I did the pie crusts and filled the pies. We had quite an assembly line going. Had great fun! All the pies fit in my two ovens, so that was great. And what a delicious aroma floated through the house as they were baking! Took the warm pies along with some vanilla ice cream to the shop for their afternoon break, and the pies were gobbled right down. Brad took the ones for Brentwood over with him Friday AM. We didn't have any problem getting rid of the 10 pies...





Dad & Joan at work.










8 done and 2 to go!













All baked! Smells so good!



























Ready to serve!

2009 OCTOBER -- MUSICIANS!

Ellie & Ava both continue taking piano lessons and do well. They have a very enthusiastic Russian piano teacher who is great with kids. Now Ellie has started flute in 4th grade and is in the band. She is quite excited! She has just had two lessons so far. Ava has started trying to learn to play some hymns on her own on the piano besides her lessons and has 3 mastered now with one hand. She is thrilled! Gramma sometimes plays the bottom hand along with her.

Ellie with her very own flute. "Now I don't have to rent one!"












"I like There is Rest, There is Peace in the Fold the best!"

2009 OCTOBER -- ELLIE GOT BRACES!

WELCOME FALL!

Fall at our house...

2009 SEPTEMBER -- TRIP TO RUSSIA

Glenn & Shirley Spunnaugle













Kent & Sharon













Dennis & Cherry Good

Warren & Sue Wainwright

Don & Eve Strassburg

Jack & Leona Koefoed

Arnie & Marion Lyon

We had a wonderful 13 day river cruise in Russia from St. Petersburg to Moscow with 6 other couples -- Arnie & Marion Lyon, Warren & Sue Wainwright, Don & Eve Strassburg (all from CA), Glenn & Shirley Spunnaugle (OK), Dennis & Cherry Good and Jack & Leona Koefoed (both from British Columbia).

Had a great time together! It was special to be with the workers and friends in both St. Petersburg and Moscow. Both cities were so beautiful and interesting. We toured St. Petersburg and all its sites and beauty, including the famous and gorgeous Hermitage, Winter Palace, beautiful churches, a canal cruise, Russian performance of Swan Lake ballet, a Russian folklore ensemble performance, and much more. Then we cruised on Lake Ldoga & Svir River with a stop in the quaint village of Mandrogy. We ladies participated in a Nesting Doll painting class there and decorated our own nesting dolls. Fun! Cruised on through Lake Onega with a stop in Kizhi Island, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with an amazing wooden structures and the Transfiguration Church built completely of wood without a single nail and has 22 timbered onion domes! Continued on through the Volga-Baltic Waterway and its pastoral country-side with a stop in Goritzy to visit some old churches filled with beautiful frescoes and icons. Continued on with a stop the next day in the picturesque city of Yaroslavl with its ancient monuments and beautiful churches. Had time to explore the market and shop. Gorgeous painted boxes, etc!!! Our last stop before Moscow was a walking tour in Uglich and tours of some beautiful and unique churches. Cruised on along the Volga and through Muscovy territory and along the Moscow Canal, and docked in Moscow. Loved the city of Moscow!!! We were there for 3 days and saw so much -- their amazing Metro with elegant stations, famed Bolshoi Theater, Red Square, the Kremlin, St. Basil's Cathedral with its colorful onion domes, and enjoyed a classical folklore concert (fantastic!) on their traditional folk instruments, the famous Armory Museum, the famed GUM department store ( a gorgeous store and mall!), etc. Enjoyed being with Enid & Lyle Dean in their apartment for yummy supper and visit and fellowship. Even met up with Ken & Kathy Newman (TX) for a day together, as they were there the same few days as us on business. Hated to leave and say good-bye to all after our grand time together for two weeks

in Russia!!!

ST. PETERSBURG

Here we are in St. Petersburg!

The whole gang!

Swan Lake ballet

Beautiful onion domes!

Russian folklore performance

Scrumptious Russian pies!

Canal cruise

CRUISING...

MANDROGY

Painting our nesting dolls.

Our finished products!

Nesting dolls

KIZHI

Unique ancient wooden architecture!

CRUISING ALONG....

ONE OF SEVERAL LOCKS

YAROSLAVL

Gorgeous painted boxes!

One of many statues
in city

Bought a Russian cup & saucer

UGLICH

MOSCOW

Gorgeous shopping mall!

Lunch with Ken & Kathy Newman

Super market on lower level
& typical apts. above.

Former KGB bldg.

Entering Red Square

Billboard for Mercedes

Lyle & Enid Dean

Ongoing saga of Talarico sign...

arrived in Moscow in our ship cabin!!!

Ask Kent!

Saying good-bye at the ship...

Farewell Russia and a wonderful time!