Kent & Sharon's Echo Acres Excerpts: January 2009

Thursday, January 29, 2009

JANUARY 29, 2009 & FEB. 2, 2009 -- HAPPY 9TH B'DAY, ELLIE!

Brad & Shelley had Dad & Joan, Naomi Nicholson (she has been staying with Brad's this week), Brent's family, and Kent & me for Ellie's birthday dinner tonight, Jan. 29th. Ellie chose the menu, and it was scrumptious! We got Ellie two hermit crabs for her birthday, and the kids kept quite enamored with them all evening. Ava reminds us that her birthday is coming up soon, and...... "maybe I could get a hampster or some hermit crabs too!" :) We also got her some craft stuff and a craft bag for all her supplies. So she will be busy making cards and stuff. HAPPY 9th BIRTHDAY, ELLIE!!!

Ava, Ellie, & Paxton with Ellie's two hermit crabs.

Birthday dinner

Shaelyn is quite the happy character and chatter box!

HAPPY 9TH BIRTHDAY, ELLIE!

Shelley had just our family and Grampie & Joan for Ellie's birthday dinner Thursday night, and then had all the cousins and local kids' families for pizza party Monday night Feb. 2nd to finish off the birthday. So another cake and fun time!

4 cousins at Ellie's birthday

Opening presents

All the kids watching Ellie open her presents

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGAIN, ELLIE!

She was well celebrated!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA -- JAN. 20, 2009

Farewell President Bush! Today was the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama.

President Barack Obama

President Obama & Michelle at Inaugural ball

ARUBA -- JAN. 2009

Dad & Joan, Roger & Bonnie, Ivan & Norma, Carl & Sally, and Kent & I flew to Aruba for 9 days. The villa we like to stay in right on the ocean wasn't available the first two days, so we stayed at one right behind it until we could move into the one on the ocean. There was always lots of activity to watch while we relaxed and swam, as all the tourists, snorkellers, cruise ship bus loads, jeeps & 4-wheelers, party busses all came by that spot all day long waving and taking pictures, etc. It was entertaining! We ate out at some nice restaurants every other night and cooked at the villa the other evenings. We fixed our own breakfasts and lunches at the villa. We walked every morning, sometimes up to the lighthouse and other times the opposite direction along the beach towards the Merriott Hotel. Both are very pleasant walks. It was special to be with the Nedds again for meetings and dinner with them on Sunday. We had them for a cook-out the last evening we were there. It was nice to visit with Petre Bloecker from Holland who is staying with them and making visits on the island. Dad & Joan had to leave two days earlier than planned due to the death of her sister-in-law in NY. But we all had a great and relaxing time together!

The first villa we stayed at for 2 nights.

Our villa for a week.
The same place we stayed last year.

Entrance to our villa.

View across the infinity pool out to the ocean.

Kent & Sharon

Ivan & Norma

Carl & Sally

Dinner after meeting at the Nedds.

Vel serving delicious dessert!

Meeting at the Nedds.

Enjoyed our walks every AM.

Party bus going by with a happy crowd!

Our friendly iguana.

Ivan enjoyed his bike rides.

Kent chilling out in the shade.

Relaxing in the sun by the pool.

Met Carl & Sally out walking.

Coming back to our villa from our AM walk along the beach.

Dad & Joan enjoying the view of the ocean.

Gorgeous sunsets every evening!

Pretty little lizards scurried everywhere!

Dad & Joan

Horse back riders on the beach

The Matthews stopped by on their day in ARUBA on their cruise.

Enjoyed walking to the lighthouse

Our favorite party bus with the iguana on top

Another beautiful sunset in ARUBA!

The end of a wonderful 9 days in ARUBA!

Farewell ARUBA!

ICE STORM -- DECEMBER 11, 2008

We had a vicious ice storm which caused massive destruction and wide spread power outage throughout New Hampshire. It was the worst storm here in history as far as power outage and destruction. We were without power for a week, but some were without power for two weeks or more. Generators were in great demand and they sold like hotcakes! We were able to have heat and running water and kept our refrigerator and freezer running and could cook with the microwave, so we got along fine. We had no lights and only one outlet live in the kitchen besides the one the refrigerator was plugged into, so we ran an extension cord into the living room to plug lamps into and ran the same extension cord into the laundry to run the washing machine a few times. I hung the clothes up to dry in our old garage where the furnaces are. Amazing how imaginative you can be! Made good use of the crock pot and microwave and griddle for meals. We even had over night guests and made use of candles and flashlights. It was an interesting week!!!