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Has it been a year since we all received an email from Dan reminding us it is time for the newsletter and family update? Where does the time go?
About this time last year Jim had left knee replacement surgery. He is doing so much better now. However, he still has trouble squatting or getting down on his knees. At the end of September he had right shoulder surgery. After a lot of therapy, he is much better. All and all, we are both enjoying good health
January brought a lot of birthdays in our family. On the 13th Jim wrecked his truck. No one was seriously injured. His truck had a lot of damage so we convinced him to sell it and get a new one. Here we go truck shopping. He ordered one and did not get it until the first of March. He got a 2005 long bed 4-door 4x4 Tacoma. He is real happy with it.
Jim still takes care of the home place, the yard, the grove, the house, etc. He takes Jake and Shelbie to school in the mornings, then off to who knows where, breakfast, the flea market, the antique car shows with his 1968 Cadillac, visiting Mary Beth or his cousin Jim Stephens, (Who can no longer drive).
Quilting is still my hobby. I entered some of my recent quilts in the Pasco County Fair and I won some nice ribbons again this year.
I’m still working at HeavyQuip and enjoying it. The first of June, Jessica left HeavyQuip and moved to Alabama. She moved back home the first of September. HeavyQuip hired her back. I am sure glad that she decided to come back. We have been real busy. October sales month for the Dade City Branch was over $1 million. This was the highest of any of the 13 HeavyQuip branches. Last week there were 97 jobs at our shop with 5 more tractors coming in the next day. We have put on a second shift with a total work force of 49.
During the year we had several family gatherings, January Birthdays, Easter, Mothers Day/Anniversary, Lake Weir, Denney Reunion, October Birthdays, Thanksgiving. Next will be Christmas. It is always good to get with Family and Friends.
We extend greetings to all for a safe, Happy Holiday Season and year to come.
Love,
Jim & Margie
Hi all. Hope everyone had a good year. We had a pretty eventful year. Steve still works at Spring Hill Fire Rescue. He's been there over 20 years now. He still loves it, even though it is getting busier every year, the area is growing so fast. They have more intense training, newer and more sophisticated equipment, more drugs, and definitely more calls. He has been working a lot of overtime to help towards his retirement pension in a few years. He is still active in the boy scouts. He no longer works at Spring Hill Regional ER. He wants to spend more time at home with Mae and Chris.
Mae has had a few illnesses over the past year. She had a problem with her blood pressure suddenly dropping, but that has been controlled with medication. Then she thought she was getting the chest cold/flu that was going around, but to make a long story short, she was diagnosed with a blood clot in her lung. The doctors said she was very lucky to be alive. She is on blood thinners and has a mild case of asthma now, but has recovered well from it. She has retired from Spring Hill Fire Rescue in June on the advise of her doctor. She had her time in (total of 27 years) and was able to fully retire. She is getting used to retirement quite well.
Chris is doing great. He is 17 now! He is a junior in high school. He gets great grades, he drives, he has a girlfriend, he is a certified scuba diver, he is currently working on his eagle project with boy scouts and hopefully this time next year he will be an eagle scout. Chris is still very active in stage craft at school. He is the assistant stage manager in charge of setting and controlling the lights on stage during the shows that are put on during the year at the high school theater. He also helps with the band when they go to games and competitions. The band placed 2nd in state at the Florida Marching Band Competition.
Chris is also a submarine pilot! At school he got interested in the "sub club". They built a one person-wet-submarine to race. He had to become a certified diver to pilot the sub because the sub fills with water. They have a special air tank by their feet, and they power the sub by pedaling with their feet using bicycle gears that turns the propeller plus they have 2 hand controllers to steer the sub. They did some trial runs in the gulf then at Weekee Wachee Springs in between shows (a few mermaids swam along with them). Then during the summer, Mae and Chris went to the 8th International Submarine Races in Maryland, at a naval base (it alternates between there and California every year) There were about 23 other teams from all over the country, Canada and even the Netherlands. Chris was 1 of 5 pilots to race the sub which was named "Sublime". There were only two high school teams there, the rest were different colleges and technological universities. Some of them had budgets as high as $50,000 for their sub, but we had only $2000 (and $1000 of that was entry fee). His team came in 3rd over all and set a record for fastest female pilot of a one person sub. It was an awesome experience. We had to be checked out and cleared months in advance to even enter the base. There is a web site that has some pictures and tells more about the races. www.isrsubrace.org After the holidays they will start working on the sub again to improve their speed which came in a just under 5 knots. Some of the other sub teams want to come to Florida so it looks like there will be a race during spring break around March 10th at Weekee Wachee Springs (if you want to go-or want info let us know).
Lori, Maes daughter is doing good. She recently got engaged. Her fiance's name is Dan, he is a great guy and treats her well. She is currently recooperating from her 4th surgery on her jaw joint. She was in a car accident, had surgery, then was in the process of healing when she was accidently hit in the jaw at work, has had 3 more surgeries since. Hopefully this will give her relief and be the last surgery.
Lori's son Spencer is also doing good. He is in high school this year and his grades are great. He is in the marching band which recieved straight superiors during marching contests. He is 16 now and is getting taller every day.
During Thanksgiving week, Steve, Mae and Chris went to Williamsburg, Va. We toured D.C., spent Thanksgiving day at Jamestown, and before we came home we were able to meet up with Mike Petters, Carolyn and her friend for lunch. It was great to see them. We had a great time.
Well thats about it for now.
Our love to all and may everyone have a happy, healthy, blessed and loving holiday season.
Love Steve, Mae and Chris
It’s been a busy year. Hope this letter finds everyone well.
In January Clark had hernia surgery & recovered just in time to oversee the Pasco County Fair in February.
In March I had to take a course for work to receive a Customer Service Specialist Certification & a Help Desk Analyst Certification. I passed both exams at the top of the class.
In May Jessica decided to spread her wings and move to Alabama. She moved into a 3-bedroom home across the street from some friends that she knew from here. She took a job working at Ruby Tuesdays until something better came along. She has never been a waitress before, it was hard work but she had fun doing it and she made a lot of new friends.
In June the four grandchildren came from Arizona to spend a week with us. The first half of the week was spent at Lake Weir. We taught them all how to water ski and kneeboard. Papa took them all fishing at different times. We had a really good time. The second half of the week was at home doing several different things, including a trip to Busch Gardens & a day at the beach.
After the kids went back to Arizona, Clark’s son Shawn moved down from Wisconsin to help with the business. His wife Michele came behind him in September. They are living with us until they get a place of their own. She has gotten a position of General Manager for the new Papa John’s pizza restaurant in Wesley Chapel.
In August Jessica decided she wanted to be closer to her family and made a deal to get her old job back. She returned to Florida and found a place of her own. She is renting a 3-bedroom home just outside San Antonio. She is really enjoying her life.
In November while this letter is being composed Clark is own his way to Las Vegas for the annual International Fair convention. Unfortunately because of scheduling I am not making the trip with him this year.
In December Clark goes back in for additional surgery for repairs to be made to the previous hernia surgery.
The business continues to do well, and with the purchase of a new bucket truck & chipper, the focus has shifted almost entirely to tree work. I’m at 25+ years and counting at the same job.
Jessica’s friend Ashley continues to live with us. So we still have a house full but we enjoy having them all around.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Lots of Love and God Bless,
Clark & Renee
We've had another great year! Elise is doing great in second grade and is keeping us really busy with her gymnastics. She competes quite often around the state and her room is full of trophies. Eli (almost two now) is like Elise's shadow. He thinks he's a gymnast too. If he see's someone he wants to impress, he'll drop to the floor in a headstand or some other kind of stunt. It doesn't matter if it's the mall, church, or grocery store, he's not picky. The difference is, Eli has no trophies! Actually it's great to see how well the two get along. Elise is soooo good with him and he's thinks she's the best.
Gene is still traveling in the jewelry world. He's gone most of the week and I love being at home with the kids. (Although second grade homework can be challenging and I could occasionally use adult input.)
We did our usual vacations this year. Lake Weir with the family in June, Fort Lauderdale for the 4th of July and now we're headed to New York for a few days before Christmas, then we'll be seeing "Mickey" in Orlando for New Years. (Elise actually has a competition there New Years Eve.)
I get to have breakfast with Dad every other Thursday and he keeps me up on any important gossip, and our family always heads to Dade City for any holidays, but it seems we still don't see everyone enough. Time flies, but that's no excuse! Let's all make a resolution to get together more often!
Hope everyone is doing well and may God bless each of you. Love, Mary Beth
It's hard to believe another year has come and gone. Seems as though I have accomplished nothing.
My house is finally back in order, after being damaged by 3 hurricanes last year. (Almost back in order, there are still a few minor things to be done.) Now I understand why people say you should not live in a house while it is being remodeled or reconstructed. What a mess!
Teresa has been helping me put everything back where it belongs, and getting rid of a lot of junk. God bless her! I don't think I would have ever gotten it done by myself. It was a big job, almost overwhelming. She is a great organizer. Wonder where she got that. Sure wasn't me, that's for sure.
Maybe now I will be able to start sewing again. My machines were buried when everything was pulled from 3 bedrooms and piled in the dining and family rooms. I couldn't even get to them. I'm still working at the hospital, but only part time now. So there is more time for things like sewing.
Here's wishing everyone a year of health and happiness. God bless you all.
Joan
I am the same but have been able to get in more running this past year, the most since Katie has been born. We had a lot of wonderful visits this year. Sam came in January and went skiing for the first time, snow skiing that is. What a blast we had! Our only problem however was that neither Alan nor I could keep up with him. One time we topped a hill to see this black puddle a ways down the mountain in the middle of a snow white trail with little black things strewn all about in every direction. You guessed it, it was Sam. As we gathered his equipment and tried to help put him back together, Alan discovered the reason for our dilemma in keeping up with him. As Alan looked back up the trail there were several sweeping S turns all over the mountain and then there was one set of parallel tracks coming straight down the middle of the trail ending precisely at the spot where Sam was in a heap. Sam’s only explanation….”What can I say, I like to go fast!” It was a wonderful time and we’re hoping he comes back again and again. We also got a visit from Sam and his boys in June and that was terrific as well. Kyle is growing into quite a responsible young gentleman. As for Andy, every time I see him I say that he can’t get any cuter and I am proven wrong every time. At the end of July, Melinda came to visit and then we did a road trip to Cooperstown, NY. It was absolutely gorgeous. We got to watch Warren play quite a bit of baseball. The highlight was watching him hit a grand slam in the third game. I was a softball freak as a kid, losing my voice often, and well let’s just say that several of Warren’s team members as well as their parents are convinced that his aunt is not quite normal. Wayne Gretsky was also at the tournament and that was quite a treat for a lot of the kids as well. Apparently his son was playing in the tournament. I believe there were 80 to 90 teams there. They played two games per day for three days to determine seeding, and then they went into a single elimination play off. I think Warren’s team, the St. Pete Stingers, placed 36th. The Tampa Yankees made it to the finals but ended up losing the last game to place 2nd. It was all very exciting! In the summer we went to Florida and had the chance to water ski. It has been several years for me, but I managed to get up. Thanks Bonnie and Mike, that was great fun too! Alan’s parents as well as his sister and her family came to visit at Thanksgiving. It was wonderful having them all up at once and being able to share Thanksgiving with them as well.
Becca is a senior in high school. She is also a co-section leader of the clarinets in the band. She maintains high honors and has begun looking at colleges, particularly those that have a good music and language program. She started driving this past March and her employment changed this past September. She is now an employee of Target. She loves being able to work more hours and be closer to home.
Katie is in third grade now and continues with her gymnastic program which she likes a lot. Just recently she signed up to begin basketball for the first time. She is also very excited about a bible teaching program that she goes to weekly which is called Awana Club.
May God Bless You All and May You All have a Wonderful New Year!
We hope everyone is happy and healthy this holiday season. God has brought us safely through another year. He is faithful. Caleb crashed his cool truck into a telephone pole. Jessica crashed her cute little car into a big truck. I crashed my friend's hot MR2 Spyder into a mountain. Did that get your attention?!
Caleb obtained moderate injuries, and he got to keep his truck...lost control going over a hill. No other car or passenger was involved. He's healed, and his truck is working well now, with only slight aesthic work left to be done. Thank God!
Jessica received minor injuries, but she lost her car...rearended truck when he slammed on the brakes. The other driver wasn't injured at all. She received more money from the car being totaled than she would have from selling it or trading it in. She was in the market for another car, so that turned out to be a blessing. She's happy with her newer, cuter car. Thank God!
I and my friend sustained no injuries, but killed the Spyder...caught gravel rounding a corner, and almost rolled after slamming into the mountain. No other car was involved. Not only did the insurance money cover the new Spyder, which was procured in California within two weeks, but it covered a scenic route back across the country. Several historical sites were taken in, as well as very picturesque scenes along the way. The new car (same body and interior as the beloved first spyder) is in better shape, has lower mileage, and a newer, higher performance engine than the old one. My friend actually thanked me for the opportunity to get a newer, better car, and to take a trip that was dreamed about for many years. Thank God!
Other than that, we are all leading very quiet and peacable lives. :) Jessica and I are still working at the restaurant, and I started up my organizing business again. Caleb is now down by the Everglades with his father, Glenn. They bought a camper, and are doing tree and stump work for those hit by hurricane Wilma.
We love and miss you all. May God richly bless you, and keep you through this holiday season and the next year. Y'all drive safely now, ya hear.
Love
Teresa, Jessica and Caleb
I want to share with you all that I am no longer working for Interstate Bakery Corporation. The company went into bankruptcy in Miami. My last day of work was July 15th. I have been looking for a job but so far, no luck.
So for now I am Mr. Mom for a while. I enjoy very much staying at home and taking care of the kids and running errands. I might go back to school to study something like plumbing, roofing or even carpentry. I am not sure yet.
My wife Sandra is still working and she has asked for a transfer to Lakeland but so far no word from the main office in Lakeland.
Our Kids are growing tall and beautiful.
I want to share with you a cute story about Jennifer. We went to Coconut Grove last March 2005 for DEAF NATION. Jennifer was so surprised that old deaf people and black people sign. I told her that when your mom and I get old we will sign because we are old deaf people. She said “Oh but how come black deaf people sign?” My wife questioned her “How come hearing black people can talk and old people can talk too? She said “Oh I never thought of that. She had never seen these kind of people signing since she has only seen white and Hispanic young people who are deafies. Hmm!
Lily is learning to sign with us. She likes to learn new things. She loves to make a mess when she plays with her toys. When it is time to clean up she says, “I didn’t make a mess, I am tired can you help us?”
This past October 24th, hurricane Wilma came through Dade and Broward County. The first night we lost power for nine days. Jennifer was so happy that she didn’t have to go to school. We played games, Skipbo & Trouble, and also the Story of Halloween Day. I made shadow animals to keep the kids busy during the night time. A lot of trees fell apart. There was also a lot of roof shingles on the street and power lines were on the ground. It was very dangerous to go on the street. There was a curfew and no one could go out after 7pm except for people who worked at night. They were allowed!
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays & Happy New Year to You All
Love always,
Michael, Sandra, Jennifer & Lily
Jimmy got a new job at the Post Office last April so he resigned from his old job with the dental lab after 25 years of work. Hard to believe, that he took the test 5 years ago then they finally called me. He had to study three different zones which are the biggest partly along US 19. His position is mail processing clerk. Congratulations to him! It was very sad news that his older brother D.B. passed away last July 7, 2005. He was 57 years old. We were very shocked and couldn’t believe it. He is gone way too quickly. We all miss him. Jimmy had only one brother in his family. But he still has Warren and me plus my relatives.
Warren still plays baseball. He played on two different teams this year. Last spring he played and hit 6 homeruns and 1 grand slam. His first homer was a “moon shot” it went over 255 feet! Twice he hit back to back homeruns in two different games. We were not expecting what our son did. He was an outstanding player and selected as an All-Star with the 12 year old group. Of course we were proud of him. He and his All-Star players went to Key West for the State Championship last June. I asked my sister Bonnie if she wanted to join me in Key West to watch Warren play baseball. We had a good time and went shopping. I thanked Bonnie for going with me. Also last July Warren and I went to Cooperstown, NY with my sister Lisa and her family. We had a good time and it was a beautiful place. It was a perfect day for Lisa and her family and I to watch Warren play and he hit a grand slam. I was recording with a digital video camera when he hit the grand slam. It was perfect timing. Also Lisa was so wildly excited when she saw with her own eyes what happened. Even her family was surprised to see what happened. I was so happy that they got see Warren play. So far he has 8 homeruns and two grand slams this year.
I got promoted again and still work at Bay Pines Veteran Adm. I have worked there for 14 years. I can’t believe that I have worked there so long. I had a good time with Bonnie. I also had a good time with Lisa and her family. Warren and I would like to visit them again next year in (February) for winter. Warren has never seen snow before in his life. Jimmy might go but it depends on his new job. I hope he can go with us. It will be fun to go together.
Have a wonderful year and Happy Holidays to you all!
Melinda, Jimmy & Warren
Work is good. I can honestly say I like my job. Publix is doing very well. How am I doing? Well let’s just say divorce is tough, but God is faithful. Blessed be His Holy Name.
God bless all of you.
Love Sam
Did you hear the one about the feller that forgot his wife's birthday?.... Well it wasn't a pretty scene, (him begging for her forgiveness and all). She demanded that he get her something that went from zero to two hundred in two seconds flat, and that it better be sitting in the driveway the following morning. The next day she got up and saw a small box, gift wrapped and with a bow, sitting in the middle of the driveway. She opened it and it was a brand new bathroom scale!!!!!!! His funeral is set for next Thursday.
On a lighter note: KEVIN IS DOING GREAT!!! (Poor guy went through hell last year and earlier this year), but is doing fine like nothing was ever wrong. God is Great. He is growing like a weed and doing well in school. He ran in the Red Ribbon Run, (which is a drug awareness campaign for Polk County Schools) in the second grade. They ran a half mile. This half mile was a bunch of ess curves due to space, but me being a proud father had to see him start and finish, (which were in two different areas) so when he started, I ran over to the finish line to cheer him on. I'm talking maybe 120 yards straight shot?? The little brat beat me to the line. He came in 5th. I'm getting old.
Kenny is still holding on to his perfect attendance in school. He is taller than his momma but a lot shorter than his ego. (go figure). Must get that from his mom's side of the family. (God I hope Janet don't read this...) He still loves baseball and played a little football this year. I hope he sticks with baseball.
Jenna is doing great. She loves school and school loves her. Her teachers call her the classroom mom. Making sure the other students do their work so they don't get into trouble. She must get that from me. (note to self..Hide Janet's reading glasses.) She is wanting to trade baseball for softball, (which if she has any of my sisters' genes, she should be great at!) I'm sure she will love it!
Janet is still at Florida Refuse and really liking her job. She is running the office for the repair shop. She works a lot of hours and sees less of me. (Hey,,.,wait a minute, why is she so happy?) Anyway, she works really hard and I am proud of her.
I am still with the City and loving it. I have time on several of the guys I work with and get to SHOT CALL every now and then. We moved to a condo in May. It is right on a lake and we have a pool. The kids love it. Other than that, everything is NORMAL.... if you can call it that...
Looking forward to the reunion! Hope everyone has a great year! God Bless and WE LOVE YOU!!!!
Fred, Janet, Kenny, Jenna & Kevin
In a very busy year, there have been a couple of special highlights. A family get together at Lake Gaston was especially fun, as was a celebration for Nancy’s parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. We made a trip to visit Sarah in London during spring break, and a visit to Houston to see her over Thanksgiving. In August, Caroline and I also spent a day at Trophy Lakes in Charleston SC taking slalom lessons from some real pros.
After being forced out of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina, Sarah has been taking classes at the University of Houston (Go Cougars!). Tulane is planning to reopen for classes in January, and she will be back in New Orleans completing the requirements for her degree so that she can graduate in May. Graduate school is on the horizon, and we wonder where that road will take our world traveler.
Caroline is now a junior at Warwick High School and is beginning the process of taking SATs and studying college catalogues. We will probably be taking a trip in the spring to visit some of her choices. She is doing very well in school, and finished her first varsity season on the field hockey team. She also has her driver’s license.
Nancy is still enjoying working with the 3 year old group at the preschool. And I am still working at the shipyard. There’s been more travel for me this year, but Nancy has been able to join me on a couple of trips, and so we have made the best of it.
While the places we visit and the things we do are interesting, it is the opportunity to be with our family that makes those events so memorable. Please let us know if any of you find yourselves in our part of the country.
Merry Christmas! Love,
Caroline and Sarah, Nancy and Mike.
We started the year with Matthew and Nathaniel continuing in Scouts. In January, our ‘Big Event’ was a trip to Chattanooga to visit the Tennessee Aquarium. Of course, while we were there we had to “see Rock City” and Ruby Falls.
In February, Matthew and Bernie returned to Chattanooga for spelunking with Matthew’s Scout troop through Raccoon Mountain cavern. This was quite different from Ruby Falls. They spent the night in the cave. When they got home, they had that tired but satisfied look of accomplishment.
For Spring Break it was off to Orlando for four days of Disney fun. We were able to visit the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, MGM Studios and Animal Kingdom.
In July, we traveled to Mike’s lake house in North Carolina for a week of skiing and relaxation. All of us were able to get up on skis and the boys even rode the wake board.
Fall brought another series of scout activities. Nathaniel is now in his first year as a Webelo. He and Bernie went to Scoutland (near Gainesville, GA) for Webelo Woods in September and the whole family braved 25° temperatures for Fall Family Camping at Camp Rainey Mountain in November.
Bernie’s helicopter flying took him to San Francisco, Philadelphia (twice), Milwaukee, Tennessee and West Virginia. This fall he spent the better part of three months in Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida contributing to the recovery effort after hurricanes Katrina and Wilma.
Jennifer had another successful year with Newland Communities. Her position has become more challenging and rewarding, much to her liking. In the spring, she began filming a weekly segment about her community which airs on the Fox affiliate in the Atlanta market and is viewable online. Her show is called “Atlanta's Best New Homes” and it features segments on new communities throughout the Atlanta area. Not only does she write her script but also her polished delivery has garnered her much praise from both company management and the general public.
Matthew began the 7th grade this fall. He is enrolled in the maximum 3 advanced classes: math, science and social studies. These classes are demanding, but he really enjoys the challenge.
Nathaniel rose to the 4th grade this year. He is continuing to get excellent grades and was a finalist for student council vice president.
While Bernie was away this fall, Jennifer, Matthew and Nathaniel began TaeKwonDo classes. They are really enjoying them and have already earned the rank of yellow belt.
Best wishes to everyone for a happy and healthy holiday season!
Nicholas started Pre-K at St. Anthony’s Catholic School in San Antonio this year and is loving every minute of it. He continues to be the light of our lives and keeps us on the go with his fun loving anecdotes and heart warming laughter.
To fill the void of Debbie’s new found days, she began working part-time in town. This opportunity truly is a blessing and could not have been designed any better for her. She is able to work completely around Nicholas’ school schedule and has not missed one classroom event.
Tim started a new contract with Titan Corporation as a Technical Lead for integration and testing in Special Operations Joint Interagency Collaboration Center at MacDill Air Force Base. This is a very exciting opportunity for him and has so far proven to be a great move.
On the home front, we’ve added a final horse to our herd. She is three years old and her name is Peanut. She stands 21 inches tall and melts the hearts of all who meet her.
Finally, in June we purchased our first travel trailer and have been enjoying lots of family time at various campgrounds around Florida. Our first trip was 4th July weekend with Susie, Jennifer and Michael. We had a great time and Nicholas really enjoyed fishing and playing miniature golf. We are looking forward to creating a lot more great memories.
Tim, Debbie and Nicholas Petters
Carrie just turned 4 this past month. She is now going to pre-school two days a week. She already knows her alphabet and numbers (up to 20) and can write her name (and yes, we can even read her writing). She spent the summer learning how to swim and now has little fear of the water. She absolutely loved jumping off the back of her uncle’s ski boat and swimming around. Maybe next time we’ll get her on an inner tube.
Tony started 2nd grade in August. His favorite subjects are math, science, reading and anything but penmanship. He is now preparing for his first communion and confirmation next spring. Both sacraments will be received in May of next year. His big accomplishment this year, though, was becoming a member of Uncle Mike’s Ski Team. He was smiling for the rest of the summer!
Anne’s about halfway through her second (and final) year as Holy Cross School PTO President. She’s also working two days a week as a school lunch monitor. All of this in addition to the tremendous job she does just keeping the house running. Even with all this, she still finds time for her stamping, scrapbooking and crafting.
Work at NASA continues to challenge me. Sometimes this challenge is interesting and sometimes it’s just a challenge. All the programs that I was working on last year were cancelled over the summer. So I’ve started working about half time on analyzing the electrical power system on the International Space Station. The remaining time is now spent working on the main propulsion system on the Crew Exploration Vehicle; the primary component of the next class of US manned spacecraft which will take us to the Space Station, the moon and beyond.
Anne and I also celebrated our 10th year together this past August. Marriage is a strange and wonderful thing (I’m strange, Anne’s wonderful). It seems like only yesterday we were saying “I do” and yet, it’s hard to imaging a time when we weren’t together. In celebration of 10 years, Anne and I snuck off to Key West for a week of warmth and sunshine before the clouds of winter rolled in to Ohio.
May the New Year find you in good health and good cheer. And if you’re ever in the neighborhood of Cleveland, OH, be sure to give us a call.
Dean, Anne, Tony and Carrie Petters
Early in the year, Brian fulfilled a lifelong goal and bought himself a tuba. He had been playing on a borrowed horn in Dayton, which had really gotten him hooked again. So when a used tuba, very similar to the one he played in college, showed up a local music store, he jumped at the chance. He has been playing with the Capital Sounds, the Montgomery community band. The performances have been a lot of fun. His purchase also inspired the creation of a "brass" quintet at our church. We play one weekend a month, including for a Mass said by Fr Mitch Pacwa, and will have a lot of music at Christmas.
All of this has offset the pain of hearing that Brian was passed over for promotion to Lieutenant Colonel. While not a total surprise, that was a disappointment. He has one more chance in 2006, but the odds are very poor. That said, he will be proud to serve as a Major, hopefully until he retires in 2010.
Music also influenced Vicki's life as she continued to play piano at church. The choir director relies on her a lot and if you listen to her you know why. She also started playing the oboe and alto saxophone to fill out the "brass" quintet parts, since we only have one cornet. I am constantly amazed by the talent God has given her. At the end of the year, Vicki's parents gave us the piano she learned to play on. We have had a wonderful digital piano since we were married, but a real piano, especially a good one with sentimental value, will be a lot better. Vicki is really excited.
John started playing clarinet as part of a home school band we have here. He was very reluctant at first, but he does seem to like it some. He is also very active in scouts, where he was selected to be a Patrol Leader in his troop. He is very close to reaching the "Life" rank and loves every minute of it.
Ben started playing trumpet in the home school band and is also taking a liking to it. He reached the "First Class Scout" rank, showing that he has all the skills expected of a good scout. He also enjoys camping and has a lot of fun at the meetings.
Leo has started taking piano lessons and has shown quite a lot of ability for a beginner. He had his First Communion this year. He is now a Bear in Cub Scouts and enjoys the den meetings a lot.
Henry is teaching himself piano from Leo's books. While he's not as good as Leo yet, he really likes sitting down and hitting the keys. He also keeps up his full time job of being an active 5-year-old.
We really enjoyed the summer week of skiing! The boys learned a lot and had a blast. Thanks to Mike and Nancy!
We were in Baton Rouge the weekend before Hurricane Katrina hit. Vicki's family is OK, but our prayers go out to all the families that have lost everything and have to start over. Life will never be the same in Baton Rouge, as the size of the town has doubled. Let's pray next year's hurricane season will be a mild one.
God Bless you all and Merry Christmas,
Brian, Vicki, John, Ben, Leo and Henry
I want to start this with my thanks to Dan for finding the time and effort for the tremendous job he does with the newsletter each year. I know that I’m not the only one that looks forward to receiving the Newsletter from him each year.
I have been enjoying the luxury of driving and running errands in a nice Van this year.It comes in handy for picking up grandkids after school, and other errands that Grandma can help out with. I’m still helping pick up Chris at St. Leo Univ., when Marie is working late. It gives me a chance to catch up with what the youngsters are up to these days.
I’m still working part time with Lanny, doing errands, typing and reminding him of when he has to be somewhere for appointments.
I’ve been to Dr. Praphat twice this year only because he is retiring at the end of this year, meanwhile he is handing me off to another Dr. that is also approved by the Military Health Plan. I don’t need to return for a checkup until next November, so far the tests are coming back with normal results.
I am still happy with the Lasik surgery, I had last year. I have to use reading glasses for reading a book or close work. What a difference it has made. I don’t have to put on glasses to see the clock in the morning.
Now for the news from Thom, his medical problems seem to be under control now, he returned to OTR (over the road) driving. He went back to work with Lester Coggins Trucking in February, roughly the middle of the month. Then by the middle of April, he started checking around and was hired by Werner Enterprises. He usually gets home for doctor appointments (usually every month, until now). His next appointment is scheduled for January 11, 2006. They do give him a 4 day down time once a month. That gives him a chance to take care of personal business, and a chance to sleep in a regular bed. This month I kept him busy every day he was home.
The Doctors are pleased with his progress medically, he did a Pulmonary Function Test at his last appointment, it had been a year since the last PFT, and they noted an improvement. It appears the Quinine treatment is doing some good.
For Thanksgiving, yesterday, he had a load to deliver in Youngstown, Ohio. I talked to him on Wednesday and he was in New Hampshire, where he is today is anybody’s guess. With Werner Enterprises, most of his loads are in box trailers, not refrigerated like the loads he was hauling for LCT. Most of the Werner loads are what they call drop and hook. He drops a loaded trailer at a site, and picks up an empty trailer, then goes to the next location to pick up another loaded trailer.
I want to wish everyone a safe and Joyous Christmas and a Happy New Year.
I go for testing for asst. Deli manger Dec. 2 and hopefully should do good everyone say with my knowlede of the Deli it will be a breeze for me.
Oh, yeh and my brother Joe has joined in at working for Publix. And everyone I know working at the same store with him say he is doing Great and should be able to move up the ranks, Which is great to hear Since This is from my old store Manger.
Chris is still at St. Leo and still making the Deans List. Tiffany is still in Middle School at Pasco and she has made Straight A honor roll.
Mostly just about the same old things every year, the kids doing great in school and we just work all the time.
We hope everyone is having a Great Holidays and a Very Happy New Year.
And send our love out to all.
Love Marie, Joe, Chris, Tiffany
Well, it’s been another year! Time sure does fly fast when you’re having fun. This year has been pretty uneventful for us. Which I guess is a good thing considering the alternatives. Well lets see where to start I guess with the girls. They seem to have to most going on. They keep us going from one place to another.
Baylee turned 7 this year. She is in her 4th year of dance. For the last two years she has been taking Jazz but this year she started taking Acro. Boy does she love it. Her dance studio opened a new facility this year so they offered summer classes. So that gave her the opportunity to try a new dance before the new dance year started. She also had the opportunity to see a cruise boat dance crew perform thanks to Hurricane Wilma. They sail out of Italy and rehearse in Miami. So for two weeks they practiced at the studio then performed for the kids before they sailed out. Baylee is also participating in Odyssey of the Mind again.
Nichole will be turning 13 this year. She made the 7th grade volleyball team. This was the first year in a very long time that the school could afford two girls volleyball teams. Nichole also volunteered at Wesley Chapel Elementary all of last school year. She also got to participate in Project Harmony last spring. Project Harmony is a program sponsored by the Sheriffs Youth Ranch. Several girls are picked from Pasco County middle schools. Different backgrounds, religions and nationalities these girls then go to camp for a week. They learn to work together, live together, and play together.
Amy turned 16 this year. I have been teaching her to drive. Yes, I said drive! She also ordered her class ring. They will be having a class ring ceremony sometime in December. She still participates in the Wesley Chapel High School Wildcat Marching Band. They recently participated in their annual Florida Bandmaster Association marching competition. They earned Straight Superior ratings for a second year in a row. They are the largest marching band in Pasco County 140 members strong. Hard to believe in a county as big as Pasco but that just goes to show you how fast Wesley Chapel is growing. She also wants to thank Aunt Melda and Grandma Connie for their donation of embroidery hoops and Aunt Cinda for the funds donation for the material for their marching show.
As for Joe and I…not a whole lot. I’m still with Frost Mgmt I’ve been with them almost 18 years. Joe is still with Kearney for now. He will be leaving Kearney at the end of November and changing professions. He is currently working part time at Publix and will going full time in December. Sometime next year he will be going into their management program. He is really enjoying the different pace! Well I guess that’s it from the Carr household.
Love to all,
Joe, Amy, Amy, Nichole, Baylee and all the pups!
Since Barbara has retired, we have been able to travel together quite a bit, going to places like Palm Desert (CA), Washington State, Idaho, South Dakota, Ohio, New York, Virginia, Washington DC, Georgia and of course Florida. During our travels we were able to spend time with good friends and family. We enjoyed time with our Grand-Daughter Briana, husband Jason and Great Grand-Daughter Halli in Idaho and we had a wonderful lunch and visit with Aunt Hilda, Deletta and husband Don in South Dakota. We did a lot of site seeing along our travels across the United States and had a great time. We arrived in New York to see our newest beautiful Grandbaby Samantha being born on July 18th and spending fun times with Nicholas and Rhapsody. We were happy to have Nicholas with us on some of our travels and headed South to Virginia and Washington DC. We were excited about spending some time with Susie, Jennifer and Michael as we went into DC for some touring. Atlanta was the next stop and had wonderful visit with Cinda and Ben who always make us feel very special when we visit. Thank You again for being so loving and fun! We arrived at our last stop Florida and it’s always great being with Ralph and Paula who also make us feel special and loved. Thank you both for doing everything to make us comfortable when we visit! It was also wonderful visiting with Melda at work and at home with family numerous times. We enjoyed times getting together with Margie, Jessica, and Monica for some lunchtime visits. During our visit we also had a lot of fun checking out some quilt shops in the area with Connie and Cinda.
During our visit we were saddened by Uncle Louis’s passing who was Dan’s Godfather but at the same time Thankful that God’s will was to have us there to be able to attend the services.
Before heading back to CA we stayed in the Orlando area. During that time we enjoyed visiting and having dinner with Rebecca and Travis and seeing their beautiful home.
There just doesn’t seem like enough time to get with everyone but even though our visits are short we want you to know we cherish every minute that we get to spend with all of you!
We headed back to CA taking an alternate route thanks to Katrina but we were very thankful that all of the family were spared during this storm.
We arrived back to the California Desert with days still in the 100’s but started cooling down after a few weeks. We now are in cold nights 20s and in the 50’s – low 60’s during the day. This is the time of year when we enjoy these incredible sunrises and sunsets over the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The beautiful shades of pinks, reds and blues spread out across the skies, it is truly a magnificent site to enjoy.
Our Grandson Evan has been playing youth (Pop Warner) Football and is on the sophomore team. They are the only sophomore team in the history of their league that has been undefeated during any season and they went onto the “Super bowl” which they won!!!!!. Dan and I have enjoyed going to all of the games and spending a lot of time with Evan and family here. Evan has his first Band Concert for the Middle School this week and like his Grandfather and Father before him, quite a good Drummer and Percussionist. He has a natural talent!
We were very happy and fortunate to be able to have Danny home from time to time with his business travels back to the states. He has a nice “Island Tan”and looks great!
We have had a really great year and feel very blessed!
We are heading for New York to spend time with Laurie & Family for Christmas and New Years. Maybe we will even have a “White Christmas”. Danny will fly to NY after spending Christmas with Evan and it will be exciting having our family all together. JRs family will also be there so Laurie and JR will have a “Full House”! It should be a truly “Merry Christmas” for all of the Dan Barthle family!!
God Bless all of you and we wish you and your families a very “MERRY CHRISTMAS” AND “BLESSED NEW YEAR”!!
Hope you are all having a wonderful, safe holiday season.
It will soon be one year since we ended our careers at Delta. Sadly, things still look bleak for the company; but 2005 has been a good year for us, personally.
We so much enjoyed Melda and Jack's hosting of Susie's family "welcome home from Iraq" event. It was such a privilege and blessing to see her and to hear her recount some of her experiences.
Another highlight of our year, was going to Ft. Hood to attend Michael and Jen's end of the school year concert and awards ceremonies while Susie was TDY in Iraq. We had a great time, and are so grateful that Susie again made it home safely .
We are enjoying the Nana and Papa role immensely. We've had the privilege to stay with Ryan in Charlotte while his parents were away a couple of times this year, and Alexa, Chris and Ryan have come to Atlanta numerous times as well. One of the highlights of our year was Ryan's second birthday party. Rebecca, who does free-lance children's photography on the side, did a great shoot of all the fun.
One of our more time-consuming events this year was a surprise move. I say surprise, because we hadn't really planned to relocate...we very much like our community and the area where we live. They say "Be careful what you wish for", but I say "Be careful what you say....people may remember." Several years ago, while engaged in a woodworking project in our hot street-exposed garage, Ben told a neighbor that while he never wanted them to move away, if they ever did decide to leave, he would like them to let us know first. (He knew they had a basement in their townhome unit....with a workshop.) The neighbor obviously didn't forget Ben's comment. One night in February, they stopped by to say they were moving to a golf-course community. So...we sold our townhome #126 and moved across the street to townhome # 127. Now Ben has a year-round workshop in a climate controlled environment, and I don't worry so much about him having a heat-stroke. Besides the workshop, we gained more living space (including more quilting space!), so we have even more room for visitors. Yes, that is an invitation for everyone reading this. We would be delighted to have you come (hurricane or no hurricane!).
Many thanks Danny for coming to visit while on his technical study tour in February, and to Dan and Barbara for coming through ATL this summer when it wasn't exactly "on their way", and for Paula for her short overnight during one of her work assignments. And a million thanks to Dan and Barbara for their efforts in putting together this newletter each year. It is a priceless gift to us all.
We wish everyone a very blessed Christmas and a safe and wonderful 2006.
With love, Cinda and Ben
This is our first contribution to the newsletter – thanks for inviting us to be a part of it!
We just celebrated 1 year of being back in the southeast. We are really enjoying being closer to family – just a quick drive to Atlanta to see Nana & Papa! (Or, as Ryan says, “nanapapa, nanapapa, nanapapa”)
Chris and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary in June with a romantic trip to Italy. We visited Rome, Florence, and Venice with another couple from Charlotte who also had their 10 year anniversary this year. A highlight of the trip was climbing a million steps (well, it felt like a million, anyway, by the time we were done) to the only remaining church in Florence where the monks still sing daily vespers to hear them and then watching the sunset from the same hill – beautiful! Another fun trip was to Colorado for skiing last winter – I say “fun”, but Chris may disagree since he broke his collar bone on the last run!
Ryan turned two in October, and is a running, jumping, singing, laughing, sometimes stubborn, but always loving toddler! It is hard for me to believe that he is already so grown up. We had a construction theme for his birthday party, since his favorite toys are tools and construction vehicles. He walks around the house with his drill and screwdriver “fixing” everything. Imagine 10 two-year olds walking around in hard hats and home depot aprons – it was really cute! He is really looking forward to Christmas and “Tanta Caudee” (i.e. Santa Claus) this year – it should be a lot of fun!
We wish everyone a joyous holiday season and a wonderful year!
Love, Chris, Alexa & Ryan Lupfer
It’s always so hard to remember what has happened in a year’s time. It’s also hard to believe that this year is almost over.
Jacade and I joined an area church earlier this year. The church is Rock Springs Church, in Milner. We have really enjoyed attending the services, and have made a lot of close friends.
We’ve taken a couple of nice trips this year. We celebrated the Fourth of July at the Biltmore Estate – wow! What a beautiful place! We bought a lot of wine – but it was just so good! Went to the Grand Cayman Islands for Jacade’s best friend’s wedding. Gorgeous there, but really expensive. Then went camping to Fort Mountain State Park in North GA for our 1-year wedding anniversary. Our trip was cut short, but we really enjoyed a couple of days in the cold!!!
I (Rebecca) am still working at the newspaper, the Jackson Progress-Argus. I have been here for 3 years now. I am still taking pictures (on the side). I want to get more involved with it, but just need to do it and stop talking about it. Jacade quit the fire department and is now buying real estate and renovating homes full time. We now have 3 rental homes and trying to buy 2 more. And still trying to finish renovating our house – for the 2nd time.
We also have a new addition to our family! We got a new puppy in August – an Akita. Her name is Bella. The intentions for her was to be a playmate for our other Akita, Wheeler. She has filled her shoes well.
Cinda is helping me make a new quilt. My first project is a table runner. It is ready to be quilted – I just haven’t had the time to start it. But it’s going to be gorgeous when it’s finished. We’ll be sure to send out pictures!
Cinda and I recently attended a Prayer Seminar in November. It was exactly what we both needed. On that note, on November 27, I got baptized. Ben and Cinda drove down from Smyrna to witness the memorable event.
Jacade and I want to wish everyone a fun Christmas holiday and hope the new year brings much happiness!!!
Another year gone by . . . it doesn’t seem possible. We continue to be as busy as ever. Our new role as grandparents has been wonderful in every way. Eighteen month old Laney is such a joy and we are fortunate that we get to spend a lot of time with her.
It has been great having Rebecca and Travis back in Florida for a little over a year now even though we don’t get to see them nearly as much as we would like . . . at least they are close enough we can meet for lunch periodically and get together most holidays. They have a beautiful home and our grand-dog, Reagan, is cute as can be.
Congratulations to Rob’s wife, Casey, for taking her girls varsity basketball team from the Academy of the Holy Names to state last spring. Unfortunately, they lost to Bishop Moore of Orlando in the semi-final round, but they were the only boys or girls basketball team from this part of the state in any division boys or girls to go to state. Casey was named by the Tampa Tribune as the Hillsborough County Coach of the Year for high school girls basketball.
Of course, Rob has made us proud, too. He was recently selected as one of Tampa’s Top 30 Under 30 Class of 2005 by the Tampa Bay Business Journal. The Florida Trend magazine also published an article on him in the November issue. The events he has had a hand in bringing to the Tampa area have and will have a significant economic impact.
Jack will have 30 years in with the state in January, but he has no plans for early retirement just yet. Jack’s mother is doing as well as can be expected with very little short-term memory. She seems happy and enjoys seeing family as often as possible. She still lives at the Lodge, a memory care unit, at Lakeshore Villas in North Tampa. We are lucky to have such a facility in our vicinity.
Many of you may be curious as to the status of the completion of our new home and plans for moving. Well, with the hurricanes of 2004 and 2005 (Katrina, Rita and Wilma), the construction industry has slowed to a snail’s pace in this area. We had expected to be in our new place late this past summer. It is now looking like the end of January. But it could be even later than that. We’ll send out a change of address as soon as we make the move.
Many beautiful fabrics have been received for the family quilt project. Hopefully, soon after the first of the year, we will be able to work on the project. It is still not too late for any of you who were not able to contribute some fabric to do so. Just send me a piece of blue or green and it will be included.
We enjoyed hosting a little get-together last spring when Susie, Jennifer and Michael were in town. We don’t get to see everyone nearly enough, but appreciate the emails from time to time. Hope everyone is planning to come to the 2006 family reunion next summer. As soon as a date is set, we will let you know.
Our best to each and everyone for the holidays and new year!
Love, Melda and Jack
In June, we visited Travis' family at their farm in Virginia and in September we vacationed in Hawaii. We've each had several quick business trips to New York City this year, including one this past week. It was so much fun to see the city all decked out in its holiday glamour. Reagan (our Goldendoodle) is especially appreciative to her grandparents for looking after her while her parents are away from time to time.
We really enjoyed visiting with Uncle Dan and Aunt Barbara in August and are looking forward to seeing more of them next summer.
It's always good to see my parents, and Rob, Casey and Laney when we all get the chance to get together. Laney is such a pleasure and it's always remarkable to see how much she's changed since the last visit. We're looking forward to meeting their newest addition to the family, Landon, in January.
We'll be spending time at home over the holidays. We wish everyone a healthy, happy and prosperous 2006!
This year has been one of change. As most of you know, Herman has been a citrus farmer all of his life. He has also worked with cattle, but the main focus of his career has been citrus farming. Many of the groves in this area are afflicted with a disease called “Tristasia”. This is a disease of the bud union on trees grown on sour stock. The root system is good, and the top of the tree is good, but the center of the tree, where the bud was grafted on, clogs up and will not allow fluid to go up and nourish the tree. For a long time, the trees would look wilted and after a rain, they would look very much restored because they could absorb the nutrients from the rain. As the disease progresses, fewer fluids are able to flow up to the top of the tree, and the tree ultimately dies. Herman has equated it to the trees needing stints to keep the arteries open or open heart surgery. There is no known cure. Although most of the groves Herman takes care of are afflicted, some groves are in more advanced stages of the disease than others. The grove behind our house is in fairly early stages, so it looks better than some of the others.
This year some of Herman’s nieces and nephews divided up some properties, and Herman’s niece, Peggy Barons, now owns the field between our house and the Jiffy Store. Herman’s nephew, Jerry Schrader, now owns the property along 52 where the fruit stand is situated. Jerry orchestrated a redesign of the property and had all the grapefruit trees removed, and had the land graded to create a beautiful scenic landscape on both his and his sister, Peggy’s property. When you turn onto Pompanic Street from State Road 52, you can see the lake and it is truly beautiful. They are currently in the process of putting in a pretty wooden fence.
Joe’s long time girlfriend, Anne Guha, graduated from New College in Sarasota this year and they moved to Jacksonville near where her mother and her mother’s family lives. Anne is doing research for a law firm and Joe got a job working for Best Buy as a member of the “Geek Squad”. His company car is too cute! They both are enjoying their jobs and Anne is getting ready to start taking exams to get into law school.
Bill finished his requirements for his AA at Pasco Hernando Community College and started at USF this fall. He continues to work at Sacino’s and enjoys the challenges working in formal wear presents. He was working on a wedding with a lady named “Heather Smith” from Texas for an October wedding. Only very shortly before the wedding did he find out she was Mandi’s friend, “Heather Smith”, that grew up on Darby Road! It was great fun to make the discovery! It was equally tragic to learn only five weeks after the wedding that Heather’s new husband was killed in a car accident in Texas. Please keep Heather in your prayers as she goes through this difficult time.
My work is still work. This time last year we had just gone live on a new system, and they had to “fall back” because our mainframe didn’t have the needed resources to handle the new system. We only had rights to 17 percent of the mainframe’s capacity and the new system required 42 percent. The company that serviced our mainframe was going to charge an extraordinary price for the additional resources we needed, and the decision was made not to buy it. At that point the heads of our department began looking at alternate ways to upgrade our system. We are now in the process of converting from our mainframe to an IBM I5 EServer. It has been challenging to go from Ascii to Ebsedic, to learn new sorting orders, and to learn new ways of doing everything. Our company hired a computer software company to convert our programs and help with our conversion and we are now testing in preparation for a go-live date in mid-January. We are supposed to have all programs system tested by December 12th. To achieve this goal, we started working late one hour a night last week, and when last week’s progress is evaluated, it will be determined how late we will be working this week. As in most new ventures, progress is unsteady. Sometimes it clicks right along then it bogs down. I’m currently working on converting from the print utility we used on the mainframe to the one we will be using on the IBM. We survived warehouse and truck stock inventory last month and tomorrow we start transportation inventory. Like I’ve heard so many times before, this too shall pass!!
Mandi and her family came to Florida for Thanksgiving, and we have all had a very special time. Whenever she comes, all the “kids” who live close enough come as often as they can so we can spend as much time together as we can before she has to leave. This year Joe was able to come for a few hours on Thanksgiving before heading back to Jacksonville for a 4:00 am shift. It’s not an easy thing to get everyone together at the same time, so it was really wonderful to have that time together. It gets loud and there’s lots of laughter and stories told and we are all trying to catch up on what’s going on…I, of course, love it! The little cousins get a chance to reacquaint, and I squeeze in time to spend with each of them…they grow so fast!
We have had some challenges this year, but we are so very thankful for so many things. Thankful for God’s unfailing love, blessings and protection, for the love of a wonderful family (we love you all), and for the sacrifices made by our military to secure our freedom (thank you to all of you who have served in the military and to all of you who have family members in the military). Thank you, Dan, for continuing to keep the family connected through this wonderful newletter! We love you all!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! May God bless you and keep you!
Love, Herman and Monica
Christmas 2004... Work... New Years 2005... Work... Work... Work...Easter... Work... Work... Work... Summer... Long Weekend just my boys, me,
Mandi, her boys and Rascal the beagle puppy in Yennessee, South Carolina. It was the best rainy weekend of my life... Work... Work... Work... Fourth
of July... Work... Work... Work... Back to school - Luke is now taller than me (not much of a feat I know but he is very impressed)... Hunter is in
Pre-K at Sacred Heart and looking forward to starting "Big School" so he can ride the bus...... Work... Work... Work... Rattlesnake Festival: Luke had a great time working cooking chicken and hanging out with Jake Denney and the guys... Thanksgiving Mandi and family came to Florida: we always have the best time... P.S. The lake is REALLY COLD in November... Both boys got puppies this year and are really enjoying them... They are Beagle Brothers (same parents just different litters) and are now 11 months and 4 months, Rascal and Scout are quite the addition to our family. I thank you Lord for allowing us to live in a land were we are free to love, laugh, cry and pray. I thank you Lord that we can wake up to the chatter of birds and squirrels and not gunshots, mortor fire, or planes overhead. I thank you Lord for the Men and Women of our Military that protect these Freedoms at all costs.
May God continue to Bless all of our family. Amen. Until next year...
The Olivers, Darrell, Shelley, Luke, Hunter, Rascal & Scout.
Another year flew past and drug me along for the ride. We hit some bumps along the way but made it to this point o.k. Here are some high and low lights from here at the Parsons’ house. Ty turned ten this year and is growing like a weed. He is very impressed with the fact that he wears the same size shoe as his Mom. He is in the fourth grade this year and loves his teacher. He is still a straight A student and has made a deal with his Mom for an I-pod. He has to make certain goals during the rest of the year and I will get him one…and I know he will do it so I am saving up now. He had a rough start to his year though. Ty has had a best friend since Kindergarten named Hunter. Unfortunately, on a very cold night early in January, Hunter was sleeping on the couch with his Mom and their house caught fire killing Hunter, his Mom and step dad. His sister just happened to be staying at her grandmothers that night. So he has learned a lot about loss this year. Ty we love you bud!
Dylan is still Dylan! We were told earlier in the year that we would have to take him to a specialist because he hasn’t grown in almost 3 years. He will be 6 December 3 and was still wearing a 12-24 months or 2T in August. I called to get him in and never got called back, then missed the call from the Dr. and played phone tag for awhile. We just kept praying that God would do what he needed to do and we wouldn’t have to put him through the series of shots a few times a day for YEARS. Well Dylan entered Kindergarten this year and low and behold HE GREW!! He went from a 2T to a size 6 in three months. I feel like I am watching weeds grow. He thinks it’s nice to have new clothes every few weeks. He went from an 8 to a 12 in shoes. Thank you God and all you guys for the prayers….KEEP IT UP!
Jayden is our little princess…..and she knows it. She will be turning 2 in January but thinks she’s been there for quite some time. Jon asked me what happened to our nice, sweet, well behaved little girl. I just laugh and tell him it’s all his fault….she’s Daddy’s girl. She is talking up a storm and sings and dances every chance she gets. She loves shoes and we can’t make it out of the store without looking at some. She even has some of her own “credit cards” in her purse. I even caught her taking some out of Jon’s wallet and I had to explain to her that she can’t have those. She is all girl!! This year, as if it weren’t crazy enough, I got roped into coaching Ty’s baseball team. The original coach walked off because her son didn’t want to play any more. So it was either I coach or the team would be eliminated. I would never do it again. The kids were great but the parents were awful! Once that was over I started toying with the idea of going back to school. So in August I started classes to get my Business degree. It was culture shock at first but I am slowly getting back in the swing of things. I enjoy my night classes so far. I am still selling Princess House but not as much as before. I still enjoy the products and can still do parties when I want.
Jon is still working for his Dad. He has gone hunting with Herman a few times. He is still trying to teach me to play golf. He has gotten to play more this year than the past couple years. I guess he likes watching me try to hit the ball so he can laugh. We have a good time. He is enjoying his Daddy time with Jayden at night when I’m at class. He also gets a better idea of what I do all day.
We took a family vacation this summer to Mandi and Billy’s and had a great time. We were gone for 10 days and saw a lot of great stuff. Jon played golf with Billy and I took the three kids to a state park and hiked 2 miles up a mountain…..I don’t recommend this to anyone!! Jon bought me a new car for my birthday this year so we had more room for everyone. I loved my Jeep but we just out grew it. I got a 2005 Chevy Trailblazer EXT, which I love!
We also have a new addition to our house. November 19, we bought another poodle. He is solid black with one white streak on his chin. He is 11 weeks old and his name is Jaxon! Freddy isn’t sure about him yet, but we still have hope.
We hope everyone has a great Holiday season!
Love you and stay safe,
Natalie, Jon, Ty, Dylan, and Jayden
We enrolled Joshua in a Kindergarten Readiness Program at First Assembly Christian Preschool in January. The school is about 5 minutes from Aon, which makes it easy to drop-off, pick-up and participate in school activities. Joshua was set to start Kindergarten in the fall, but the school we are zoned for doesn’t offer after-school care (which we need). First Assembly Christian School is setup a lot like St. Anthony’s (in San Antonio). They offer a very challenging K – 8th grade study program. With him so close to my work I am able to volunteer and stay very involved with his schooling. Joshua loves his school and consistently amazes his Nana with stories from the Bible.
Chase will turn 3 years old in a couple days (Nov 30) and he continues to amaze us. He loves to help his daddy with the horses and drive the tractor at every opportunity. He also loves to help me bake and wash dishes. He is a well rounded little boy. Joshua is Chase’s idol. Anything Joshua does is the coolest thing Chase has ever seen and he can’t wait to try to do it himself. We love to watch the boys play and grow.
Billy was promoted at the beginning of the year and is now a QA inspector at John Deere-Hitachi. He enjoys his job and just completed UT (Ultrasonic Testing) training. He has been very lucky in the hunting department this year. He killed three deer on three consecutive Saturdays. His latest was a 10-point buck weighing in at 190 lbs. We are very proud of him.
I am still with Aon (5 years in January). I enjoy my job and really enjoy the fact that Joshua is so close. We were able to make the trip to FL for Thanksgiving and I am always thankful when we can get together. We wish all of you safe travels and hope you have a wonderful 2006.
Love to All, Mandi, Billy, Joshua, and Chase
This year has been, for the most part, rather quiet. Things in St. Joe change slowly, but things are changing. New homes continue to appear. The biggest news around here is Mathilda Frassrand’s house was, remodeled, repainted (still green of course), redecorated, new windows, new furniture, and now has central heat and air conditioning. It looks great. Mathilda had heart surgery in February and after a long recovery is doing well.
In March, Paula started a new job training accounting software at Golf & Country Clubs. She travels overnight a bit through the southeastern states, more or less two weeks per month, though it’s a somewhat variable schedule. So she’s home a fair amount too. The software is rather complex, and she’s persevered through the learning curve. For the most part, it’s an interesting and challenging business.
Please keep Paula’s parents, George and Margie Tubbs in your prayers. Some days are better than others for them, health wise…
Ralph observed the completion of his 18th year with the lottery in November.
We enjoyed Barbara and Dan being here for a while during the summer. Time goes much too quickly while they are here.
In late July we spent a few days at Lake Gaston, NC with the Petters clan. Mike and Nancy are excellent hosts. Lots of fun boating, skiing, swimming, eating, and just spending time with the Petters family. Thanks for including us.
The projects here at the house continue, one after another. Things change in St. Joe slowly……
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.
Love,
Ralph and Paula