Welcome to the 2011 Newsletter
for A. B. Barthle family!

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Front cover

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From Margie:

Hello, to each of you.

My health is good and I am still working for Duane at both of his stores a half day twice a week. I enjoy being out with people. Also, I’m able to do most of the yard maintenance except the mowing.

October 15, (Mom’s 100th Birthday) Mike, Jennifer, Lily, Melinda and Jimmy came by for a visit. It just happened that Duane, Renee, Clark, Jessica, Allen and Emma were here to visit. It was so good to see them again.

This year St. Joe lost several people that a lot of you will remember, Father Paul Romfh, Margie Tubbs, Art Frassrand, Art Molnar, Alice Gude, (Walt’s wife), Francis Blommel, and Leo Neuhofer. At the time I send this, Tony Gude has been in Hospice for a few weeks already.

I’ve made a couple of quilts this year. For Christmas one year I received a perpetual quilt calendar. I made a quilt block for each of the days of the year, now I’m beginning to put them together for crazy quilts. I made one for a lady in the nursing home as part of my Christmas Basket for her. (This is one of the projects of the Lady Bugs.)

Christmas Blessings to each of you and May you have a wonderful 2012. Also, REMEMBER TO VOTE.
Love to All,
Margie



From Steve and family:

Hello to everyone

Hope everyone is happy and well. As you may have known Mae has been taking care of her mom for about 2 years, she has been in and out of the hospital and rehab--(which recently did her more harm than good) but thats another letter! Mae knew she could take better care of her at home (which she did)-- so her mom came home under hospice care-who by the way were wonderful!! But in the early morning of October 11th with her family all around her--she passed peacefully and is now with our Lord--and her beloved husband and sons. She was truly loved and will be greatly missed. Nine days later our 15 year old pomeranian started having seizures and died in Maes arms-so it has been a difficult couple of months--but with our faith and the support and prayers from our family and friends we are coping--a gracious thank you--we are truly blessed to have such a great family!!! Chris is doing very well-he still works for Busch Gardens--he worked on dismantling the Katonga show which had been there for 9 years and then worked on the install of the new stage and ice arena (which included new lighting and sound system) and is being used now for the holiday ice show--then a new ice show will open in Feb which will run for several years- which includes quite a few live animals--can't wait to see that! (hint: there are huskies in the new show!) He is still working on his degree at USF and loves having his own house and living in Tampa. Spencer is also doing good--he graduates from PHCC this month--he is not sure if he will take a semester off before continuing on. He just spent 10 days in Michigan with his father and half brothers & sisters and really enjoyed it. He works with his friend seasonally at a charter boat business where they go out--sometimes overnight to a local island-and Spencer is the chef! His friend (who is a captain) just bought his very own 40' sailboat--so it should be even better--maybe some week long cruises? They plan on going down to the keys in the summer when the boy scouts are there and giving classes on sailing--should be a lot of fun. Lori is also doing very well--her health has greatly improved, she is off most of her medications and feeling good--thank the Lord--she still works for Wilton located inside Michaels store teaching classes on how to make different cakes including wedding cakes! She is SO talented!! Her fiance' Dan was able to get a job and is also doing good (which as you know is very hard to get these days) Steve is doing great!! He is busier now than when he worked!! He is VERY active in church--Elder-Usher-participates in church programs--and very busy with the Stephens Ministry program--he is still involved in Boy Scouts but has slowed down some--just not enough hours in a day or days in a week--I'm sure you know what I'm talking about!!

Our love to all and trust in the Lord He will bless us and take care of us.

Love; Steve, Mae, & Chris,

Lori & Spencer



From Renee and family:

Greetings to all,

It has been a very busy year for all of us. Our business continues to do well. I have reached the 30 year mark with Pasco County and am now eligible for full retirement but do not have any plans to do so at this time. Jessie has gone back to school full time and is pursuing a career in nursing. She is doing fantastic!! We are so very proud of her. She & Allen are doing great. Allen is still with the US Postal Service and has a great career. Clark & I get to keep Emma quite a bit and really enjoy our time with her. She is growing like a weed and is a joy to be around.

We want to thank God for our family and friends and all the many Blessings we have received and wish all of you happiness, peace, love & good health.

We have been truly Blessed!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Love you all!!

Clark & Renee


From Mary Beth

Wow! If it's true that time flies when you're having fun, then I've been having a BLAST! Better slow down a little so I can better appreciate it.
I have finally opened my dream business (with lots of help from my family), named Laser Affair. It's a small, private, Permanent Laser Hair Removal studio located in New Tampa only a couple miles from my home. I purchased the best laser money can buy (just ask my banker), and although the economy has proven a challenge getting started, business is now looking quite positive.
The kids are fantastic and soooo much fun. Elise is in an 8th grade honors charter school, so she spends a great deal of her time studying. She is a tremendous help to me around the house, and with Eli, and still has time for a very intense social life. She is also quite active in the church and will be confirmed in February. Eli is in the second grade and is "all boy". So active and sweet. He is really getting into sports but tennis is his passion. Pretty good at it too! Eli will receive his first communion next year. Gene is still in the jewelry business and lives in Jacksonville. He comes to Tampa quite often and spends almost every-other weekend with the kids Although we are divorced we have a good relationship and spend holidays and most of his visitation weekends together as a family.
So, although my heart was saddened by the loss of some of our precious family (close and extended), God has blessed me tremendously. I pray for his continued blessings for all our families. Merry Christmas!
Mary Beth


From Lisa and family:

Hello, hello,

What a great opportunity to send our love to everyone! Sadly, Alan’s father Paul passed very quickly after his initial cancer diagnosis last Thanksgiving. It was a whirlwind of very serious complications and he passed on Jan 6th of this year. We were grateful to see him the day before he passed. We thank everyone for your prayers & thoughtfulness, and are also grateful for the gifts given in his memory. We received a particularly moving gift from some “wonderful family and friends” and were able to transplant a Wisteria tree in our yard in his memory. Wisteria’s natural form is a vine but it can be trained to be a tree. Dad was particularly fond of the Wisteria fragrance and had actually remarked about “loving” the very tree we were able to transplant. We actually had two small blossoms appear in September shortly before all the leaves dropped. It was a beautiful and encouraging sight after the somewhat traumatic transplanting of such a mature tree. We love the gift and will cherish it always!

We were very sorry to learn of Jerry’s sudden passing this year, even now I really struggle. I don’t think it was the fact that his passing was on the same day as my own father’s so many years ago, as much as it was the knowing how difficult “sudden separations” can be on the loved ones that remain. Teresa and Mike both shared with me about the wonderful Memorial Service held for him and once again I praise my Savior that we live with a very real hope and promise that we will meet them again!

Becca was able to secure another long term substitute teaching position again this year for which we are grateful. She has been teaching 6th – 8th grade chorus since September 1st. She is thrilled to be working with older kids and very happy to have a 15 minute commute instead of the 50 minute commute of last year. She is expecting the position to last until approximately April 9th. On Thanksgiving Day her beloved 19 year old Toyota Camry quit on the road with a terrible grinding protest. We have yet to hear from the mechanic but everyone is thinking “after 19 years, it might just be time for a new one”. She still participates in the local community band every week and has added a night of “trivia competition” to her weekly activities which she really enjoys.

Katie is a freshman this year and has become a Bedford Bulldog cheerleader. She earned her spot on their Varsity squad. We were all thrilled to watch her cheer team become the “state champions” in their division a few weeks ago, and her cheer team was also awarded 1st place in the sportsmanship category out of 24 schools who participated in casting votes. She is off to a very good start in high school and we are very proud. Last June Katie and I were fortunate to get down to Florida to attend the graduations of Rachael, Warren and Kenny. We are very proud of them as well.

Happy Holidays, God Bless and Much Love Always,

Lisa, Alan, Becca & Katie

P.S. We are happy to update that it only cost $175 to replace a right front axle on Becca’s car, so I guess the 19 year old Camry carries on a bit longer : )


From Teresa and family:

Greetings to all,
The time seems to get shorter and shorter between newsletters.  Not much has really changed in my routine lately.  Kita, my beautiful, all white Japanese Akita is gone now, so it is very quiet at my house.   She was a precious dog, and I miss her.  A retired man who lives down the street from me spotted my pond, and asked if he could fish in it from time to time.  Not only has he found that I have much more fish than I thought (the freeze last year took most of the ones that didn't die from the spraying of the mosquito fern a few years back), but he likes to clear out the weeds around the pond.  Yeah!  I told him to come over any time.  Workwise, I've been taking care of the investments and insurance for the Verner family in Plant City for two years now and still love it.  Playwise, Sam and I have taken a couple swing dance classes, and, surprise!--I love it.  Well, I turned the big five-o this year.  Stop laughing Marybeth, you're right on my coattails.  It's surprising how old one can get and still be so lifelike.  People still call me a kid, and I guess I do still act like one.  When we all get together at Mom's, we still play all day long.  I guess that Barthle blood just keeps you young at heart, but the recovery time just keeps getting longer and longer.  
Jessica is still in the Tampa area, and is still working two jobs, but has a hopeful lead with the schoolboard.  We'll see if that pans out.  If so, any classes she takes would be fully paid by her employer.  I hope it works out for her.  Caleb left his job with a gas company north of Atlanta for a position with two brothers who are friends of his.  They detail private jets.  One of them is an airplane mechanic, and is teaching that to Caleb.  He is also giving him free flying lessons.  Well, you gotta check out the plane after you repair it, right?!  They have one fleet account, and several individual accounts so he stays pretty busy.  They also want to move into detailing boats.  It makes me tired just to hear him tell about it. 
I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Love, Teresa


From Mike and family:

HELLO ALL, IT’S UNBELIEVABLE THAT 2012 IS COMING SOON. I HOPE ALL OF YOU ARE DOING GOOD SO FAR IN 2011.

IN MAY WE FLEW TO PUERTO RICO FOR FIVE DAYS. SANDRA’S GODPARENTS CELEBRATED THEIR 60TH WEDDING ANNVERSARY SINCE THEY WERE MARRIED. FINALLY THEY WEAR RINGS. THEY HAD NO RINGS FOR 60 YEARS AND NOW THEY ARE HAPPY TO HAVE AND WEAR EACH OTHERS RINGS. WE WANTED TO STAY THERE LONGER BUT OF COURSE THE KIDS HAD TO BET BACK TO CLASSES AT SCHOOL. IT WAS A GOOD TIME!

JENNFER GOT THE RED BELT FROM THE AMERICAN TAEKWONDO ASSOCIATION AND LILY GOT THE BROWN BELT. JENNIFER GOT 3RD PLACE IN SPARRING AT ESPN WORLD WIDE OF SPORT IN ORLANDO AND 2ND PLACE IN FORMS AT THE REGIONAL TAEKWONDO CHAMPIONSHIP IN PERRY, GEORGIA. OF COURSE WE ARE PROUD OF HER. THE NEXT TOURNEY WILL BE AT VALDOSTA, GEORGIA. LILY WANTS TO GO TOO, WE HOPE SHE WILL GET SOME MEDALS TOO! SANDRA STILL WORKS AT THE POSTAL OFFICE AND SHE STILL LOVES THAT WORK. I’ M STILL MR. MOM. I’VE HAD NO LUCK GETTING A JOB AND AM STILL LOOKING FOR A PART TIME JOB. I HOPE TO HAVE A JOB SOON.  LILY IS DOING GOOD AT SCHOOL.  
 MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEARS!!  
LOVE,   MIKE, SANDRA, JENNIFER AND LILY


From Melinda and family:

Happy Holidays to you all,
 Last Jan. my friend Krista invited me to join her on a cruise to surprise her friend Sally on her 50th birthday.  There were about 12 women (No MEN) except for the two ASL interpreters who were men.  Sally was very shocked and we paid for her to go on the cruise.  It was my first time on a cruise and also out of the USA.  We went from Mobile, AL to Progreso, Mexico. We rode a tour car to Chichen Itza. It was interesting to look at the various histories.  Then we went to Cozumel, oh my gosh it is such a beautiful beach.  We love that place.  We were using snorkels, it is so beautiful with all the varieties of fishes and then I found smooth rock with "y". It was perfect for me because of my last name. Y for “Young”  We had a good time and very nice trip.     

Last April Warren hit the ball so beautiful and it was home run. It was his first time in high school.  So we went to look for that baseball and picked it up to keep it & remember history.  A few weeks later they had senior baseball night at the last home game. They gave flowers to all mothers and gave red wooden bats with the coaches and players' signatures to all the senior players.  It is a cool one.  

Last June we (20) all went to Warren's graduation at the Rays' dome then we all went to Warren's favorite restaurant Sonny's BBQ.  We had good time.  We thank you all for coming to congratulate Warren.  We also went to watch Kenny's graduation and then Rachael's graduation...  Congratulations to you Kenny and Rachael.  What's a crazy week?  

Last Oct. I have worked at Dept of VA Health Care System for 20 years. I couldn't believe that 20 years have passed.  Finally they provided me a videophone since I did fight to get one.  I don't want to depend on employees to call vendors/veterans for me... now it is my own videophone so I can call without depending on employees. YAH  

Jimmy and I met Mike/girls at the Rattlesnake festival in San Antonio.  I haven’t come to the festival since I was little.  I couldn't believe the big changes even in the crowds of people and it has added lot of booths.  When we were done we went to Duane's mart.  We remember that mart when we were little.  We had hoped to surprise Duane but he was not there.  Also, it happened that Clark and Renee came in at that time and they were surprised. Renee wanted us to visit Aunt Margie so we visited them for short time.  We were glad to see them.  

The Post Office is revising their system across the whole nation. Because they are reducing the number of employees they have, also known as “excessing”, almost everyone’s job is affected. Jimmy was moved from the Customer Service Post Office to the St. Petersburg plant. He is now in the mail handler position on the night shift. I don't know how much more is going to change unless Congress takes action to save our Post Office. He is doing all right for now and he is looking forward to retiring in couple of years.   
~Take Care~  
Love - Melinda, Jimmy and Warren


From Bonnie and family:

Hello everyone.

What another busy year we had. At the end of last year I got my concealed weapons permit. The man I took the class from didn’t charge me cause he said that he thinks every woman should get one. Mike got his three years ago. We had a bull butchered at the end of last year. When the man came out to do it he said probably 700lbs of meat. We had over 1000 lbs of meat (where are we gonna put all that?) Mike has a friend named Mike that is in the bee business so they decided to go into business together. We have three different properties (friends) that we keep bees on. Mike found (internet) a 1949 Chevy 1 ½ ton flat bed in Washington State. Buying it was the easy part, getting it here is a whole nother story. He said its perfect for haulin bees. The man in Washington said the writing on the door says something about bees. Cool huh?

Mike and I are still with the post office. Mikes been there 17 yrs and I’ve been there 16 yrs but I just became a regular rural carrier in May so only 6 months count for me so far. Rachael graduated high school this year (along with Warren and Kenny). Three graduations this year on three different nights. It was nice that Lisa and family could come down for that. They were all within three days of each other. I think next year we only have one graduating. Rachael got a job two weeks before graduation at Citi Trends. It’s a clothing store in Auburndale so she only has a short drive to work. When Lisa was here this summer for the graduations Rachael and Katie (Lisa’s) and Jenna (Fred’s) went to the beach for the day. This summer she went campin with her boyfriend and his family. She’s growin up too fast. She plans to start college next year.

Samson on the other hand is a different story. He is a senior this year. He was on the swim team again this year. He got like 12 ribbons. He is a really good swimmer. I love to watch him do the butterfly. This summer he mastered the wake board. Mike took him to the different lakes this summer so he could do it. He really likes it. He told his dad he wanted a job so Mike gave him a job pullin a 600 foot barbed wire fence (a dollar a foot.) He only made 500 cause he lost tools and had to buy new ones. He doesn’t plan on doin any more sports this year because he wants to get a job. He has to do community service to get 75 hours toward his scholarship. He plans to go to turbine maintenance school in Fort Myers next year.

Merry Chirstmas and a Happy New Year to All!
Christ is all, and in all. Colossians 3:11
GOD Bless You All-ways
Bonnie, Mike, Rachael, Samson


From Fred and family:

Happy Holidays Everyone!  
This has been a good year for the Freddie Claus Clan. "Jenna, go type up a News Letter and send it to Lisa!". Those are the last words I heard my dad say. So, here it goes. My first newsletter (:  
Dad and Mom are both still working for the city. I'm guessing they like it 'cause they're still there. lol. This year is the 20th year anniversary for the two of them. I'm not sure how she puts up with that man, but then again, I don’t know how he puts up with her either. But I am one proud daughter. We went camping several times this year. We also brought Sam, Andy, Kyle, and some other friends along with us for the first time. What a great experience! Mom and Dad have been going to the Hard Rock Casino lately along with Kenny. Unfortunately we haven't had any luck... yet (;   Kenny graduated from George Jenkins High School this year. He turned 18. He is still working at ProCare Auto Repair as a technician in training. Kenny applied for a job as a Mechanic One for the City. He passed the test, had the interview and is waiting for a phone call. Him and his girlfriend Christina are still together. It's been over a year now. I am so happy for them. He really turned out to be an alright young man.  
Now it's my turn (: I had an okay year. I am currently in 10th grade at George Jenkins High and I'll be lucky number 16 on Christmas Day. Grades are... well who cares. Over summer I got to be with my best friends Katie and Rachael at the beach and pretty much all over Lakeland. lol. But I did have a downfall in my year. I lost a really close friend. It's been hard for me and his family, but God has definitely brought me a long way. I thank Him so much. I finally found out what I want to do in my future. That is, I want to be a pilot. Possibly for the Air Force, but I'm not a hundred percent sure yet. You would never expect this coming from a girl who's scared to death of heights. But that sums up my year.  
Kevin is in the 8th grade at Lakeland Highlands Middle School. He's 14!! His year was quite good. He just recently went hunting and shot his first a squirrel. "It taste like chicken!". Kevin made AllStars and his team made it to State in Sebring where he broke his thumb. Being the trooper he is, that didn't stop him. Even though his team went 2 and out, we all had a fun time. Kevin is planning on trying out for summer ball at George Jenkins. We all wish him the best of luck.  
We hope all of our friends and family have a blessed 2012. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We love you all.
The Freddie Claus Family.


From Bernie and family:

Yes folks, another year has flown by…this time at a blurring pace! The year started out with a bang for one particular family member – Bernie’s (and Dean’s) Auburn Tigers captured the BCS National Championship! For the highly devoted college football fans that make up the Petters’ clan, this was big! Interestingly, the night of the game was the first day of Atlanta’s Ice Jam 2011. The boys missed an entire week of school due to a layer of ice that coated the city.
We enjoyed a family first in February by heading north to Beech Mountain, N.C. for a weekend of snow skiing. The boys spent their days maneuvering around on snow boards while Mom and Dad took to the slopes on two skis. After a couple of days, Mom had officially mastered the snow plow technique!
In March after struggling with failing health, Jennifer’s mom, Mary Couch, went to be with the Lord. After her service the Couch family gathered together to celebrate her life at Long Horn, Mary’s favorite restaurant. The family truly appreciated all the love, prayers, and support offered.
Spring came in like a lion for us. Jennifer and Bernie continued their annual tradition of running in the Publix Atlanta Half-Marathon. Preparation for Matthew’s High School Graduation went into full swing and in May we watched Matt receive his diploma, along with 790 other Collins Hill High graduates. Afterward, we headed downtown to celebrate this milestone at The Sun Dial restaurant.
The highlight of the summer came in July when we joined the Petters’ gang at Mike and Nancy’s Lake Gaston home for a week of good ole’ fashion family fun. Skiing, fishing, group games, and of course, lots of great food and company! Shortly after returning, it was time to shift gears to preparations for school.
With college dorm shopping finally complete, we moved Matthew into his dorm room at The University Lofts on the Georgia State Campus in August. It was an exciting day and, at the end, no tears were shed, only big smiles of happiness for Matt’s new adventure. During this busy time, Bernie and Jennifer celebrated 20 years of marriage with a delicious dinner at Aria and dancing afterward.
The family took in a couple of terrific music events during our busy August. The four of us enjoyed an evening under the stars at Chastain Park listening to ‘Steely Dan’. We followed that up a few weeks later at Piedmont Park for Atlanta’s ‘Music Midtown’ festival.
With school back in session for both, we resumed a more routine pace. Lots of football Saturdays including a day in Athens to watch the Georgia Bulldogs become the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division Champions! Nathaniel attended his first Homecoming Dance and stayed busy with school. He drives us everywhere and is eagerly anticipating getting his ‘real’ license in April. We’ve survived one new driver; guess we’ll make it through another!
Jennifer was recruited to host her Atlanta family’s Thanksgiving gathering this year and did a magnificent job. With the help of everyone, we feasted on many delectable traditional Thanksgiving dishes including her now famous ‘Southern Cornbread Dressing’ and genuine turkey gravy. Nate’s new favorite dishes made by Mom! We all look forward to a nice Christmas at home with the whole family relaxing and reflecting on what a blessed year we have had.
Best wished to everyone for a very Merry Christmas and a joyous New Year!
Love, Bernie, Jennifer, Matthew and Nathaniel


From Susie and family:

2011--- where did it go? It was a most fabulous year for the Davidson Hobby clan! I gave Redding a pair of tickets to USMA’s bowl game in Dallas, the trip was unbelievable, even if we did forget the game tickets at home, that 32” flat screen in the hotel showed every replay with great clarity,(besides, it was cold outside). The New Year rolled in and Jenn went back to Ave, only to return to DC a couple weeks later to participate in the National March For Life with several of her friends. We met them downtown for some touring and were fortunate enough to get 10 of them up in the monument. Although it was really cold, it was a fantastic experience and that group of college kids really gives us hope for our future. February took me to FL for work and I visited Jenn, staying on campus and meeting all her friends. In March the President nominated me for Brigadier General… am still having a hard time believing it! Redding and I went to FL for Easter to help Jenn pack out of the dorm after her first year and will say that going to the high Mass at Ave on Holy Saturday (or even just attending the Stations of the Cross of Good Friday) is well worth the trip down there! Mikie was selected to set up and be part of the tech crew for the High School CAPPIE Awards at the Kennedy Center, it was an experience he will not soon forget and cemented his belief that photography and tech work is what his future holds. In the meantime, I got orders to go to Scott AFB for a year and we made the decision to leave Mikie and Redding at Ft Belvoir to allow Mikie to finish his senior year. In July came we celebrated the 4th at Fort McNair just down the Potomac from DC, it was simply spectacular! Dean and Anne arrived on the 5th for a fantastic DC visit, and then off to the Lake for the Petters’ reunion… what an amazing time, Mike and Nancy certainly outdid themselves once again!! It was great to see everyone and our only regret is that Redding and I had to leave early to head out to Scott. On the way out, we stopped in Louisville and visited both the Louisville Bat Factory and Church Hill Downs (including indulging in a mint julep). When Redding got back to DC, we were honored to be informed that he’d received a promotion and move to a new position in DLA. He is real happy working there; it gives him a chance to really make a difference for our Forces at home as well as those deployed. As Jenn headed back to school in late August, upon leaving VA, DC decided having both Davidson girls gone was just too much! An earthquake rattled the town! It was followed by a hurricane which kept Redding from meeting me in FL to help Jenn move back into the dorm, I enjoyed setting up a dorm room with three wonderful young ladies. Over the summer we found out that Ann Davidson had moved into an assisted living home in Dover, but she is doing well and is near her sister. The fall has flown by; I have made several trips back to DC for business and even took leave to be there for Thanksgiving. Jenn stayed in FL, where she successfully cooked her first Thanksgiving meal while hosting her boyfriend Mikey (note the ‘ey’ not her brother ‘ie’) and 3 best guy friends, reports are: she made a meal that would make “Mom-Mom” proud. Mikie is playing soccer most days recently and as the true sports fan that he is, even dressed as a turkey to run the annual turkey-trot for his school, placing in the top 10 finalists (he was a great looking turkey). Not sure where he gets his athletic talent, but he surely has it. Redding’s daughters are all doing well, Rebecca and Billy are still at UAH and are expecting their second child, Anna moved to Agnes Scott College this fall, taking a position as the Director of Residence Life and Rachel and Jake are still outside of Chicago, where she is teaching and will finish her Master’s Degree this Spring. As the Christmas season approaches, we all want to wish each of you the most blessed season ever and ask you to pause to remember our Service Members continuing to serve for our freedom. Merry Christmas to all, and to All a Most Holy Night!!
We love you!! Redding, Susie, Jenn and Mikie




From Dean and family:

Greetings from northeast Ohio!
Our year was highlighted with a trip to Washington DC and then to Lake Gaston, NC. While in DC, we spent a great week with Susie, Redd, Jen and Mikie running all around the monuments and museums around our nation's capitol. Then on to Lake Gaston for the Petters reunion. We want to thank Mike and Nancy for once again hosting our week-long get-together for swimming and skiing. By the end of the week, Tony had slalomed and Carrie was zipping in and out of the wakes. It was a joy to see everyone again and, as always, sad to leave!

Tony is now in 8th grade. He's still playing basketball and playing clarinet in band. He is also going through the process of picking his high school, and has spend many a Saturday morning taking entrance exams around town. Carrie is now in 4th grade, and has started band (flute) and basketball. Both she and Tony are avid readers and trying to find new books for them has become one of our biggest challenges.

Anne is now in her fourth year as auxiliary services clerk at school. She is still room mom for both Tony's and Carrie's classes. She is also once again the chair for the annual “Life on the Lake” fund-raiser, with a goal this year of raising $60,000 for Our Lady of the Lake school!  Even with all this going on at school, Anne still finds time to keep our house running smoothly and time for her crafting! 

Dean is still at NASA and continues working on the Orion Service Module Propulsion system. He is now the propulsion subsystem manager and is responsible for ensuring the propulsion system meets all the requirements. As part of this, he is now looking at using hardware from the space shuttle propulsion systems for use in Orion. The highlight of the year, though, was when the team he led won the “Engineering Project of the Year”.


From Brian and family:

This year has been one of continual changes at our house.

Brian started off the year looking for a job. As everyone can guess, that’s pretty tough sledding at this time. He did several phone interviews, but was never able to get anything to stick. In June, a friend had an opening for a computer analyst for General Dynamic IT, and thought Brian would be a good fit. While he liked the people he worked with, he hated the work, so when GDIT lost a contract he was not working on, he resigned so that they would have more flexibility to move people who were much more qualified to work there. About the same time, our church’s business manager retired, and our priest thought Brian would be a good fit. So now, Brian is a church employee and he likes it a lot more, even though he is making a lot less.

Vicki entered her second year of teaching 8th grade science at Montgomery Catholic Middle School. This year is going better so far. She is more comfortable in front of the students and has a more realistic attitude. She still gives it her all.

John is now a sophomore at Montevallo. He made the Dean’s List both of his freshman semesters, and is really enjoying his classes. Anyone that friends him on Facebook will see all the math jokes he has. We also got him a car to take to school this year. Montevallo is in the middle of nowhere, so not having to rely on others for transportation is a big relief.

Ben graduated from Montgomery Catholic as the Valedictorian. He was so far ahead of his classmates that it became pretty anti-climactic, but he was nervous about his speech. He passed that with flying colors, just like everything else he does. His strong grades and test scores earned him the title of “National Merit Finalist”. He and Brian went on a tour of several private colleges in the Northeast, but he accepted the full ride he got to Auburn instead, and is studying Mechanical Engineering. He really likes it there. He is in the marching band, which has challenged his trumpet playing a lot. This allows him to travel to some away games, and when Auburn was at LSU, the cameras focused on him when they showed the band for the first time. He is also in one of the basketball bands.

Leo has finally made the leap to high school. He isn’t playing football this year, focusing instead on Scouts. He is a Life Scout and is currently considering options for his Eagle project. He was recently elected as our troop’s Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, meaning he will be the SPL next summer when we go to camp. He really is a good leader for his age.

Henry is enjoying his last year at the elementary school level. He is very active in Scouts, Science Olympiad and the Math team. His teachers love to work with him due to his steady work and quick mind. He also started band this year. He is playing drums, and at his first concert he was already doing very good rolls. Last spring, he finished second in the school spelling bee, and is looking forward to competing again this year. He has nearly read through the school library.

Because Brian started a new job, and the older boys had JLTC camp, only Henry and Vicki were able to go to Mike’s this summer. They came home with many great memories, including the Couch game!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all! Brian, Vicki, John, Ben, Leo and Henry


From Connie and Thom:

Merry Christmas from Connie & Thom,
Let me get the Christmas Music playing on the MP3 player and start gathering my thoughts of the year drawing to a close soon. Hope you all had a reasonably good year. Our year was kind of what can be expected; have to always brace for the unexpected that can happen at any time.
My year started out with Dr. visits at Moffitt to check for an anemic problem I was having, they did a colonoscopy, and endoscopy to check for a possible bleeder causing the problem. I was very fortunate all the tests came back normal and they prescribed me Iron tablets, to build up my iron in the blood. So far so good.
In March, the water conditioner decided to wear out, (I rent the unit) so they rebuild the unit, I’d been using Pellet Salt, yet when they rebuild the unit, they changed the salt to a crushed variety. So I had to call them back as the salt they were using wasn’t getting the Iron out of the water, so our” tidy whities”, were coming out of the laundry as” Golden Oldies”. So I called them back and they now are using a salt that takes the iron out. Finally I think that problem is taken care of. April our 1961 Graduation Class held our 50th Class reunion, in Dade City at Scotland Yard Country Club. We had a great turnout of the about 125 graduates; we had at least 85 that attended. We memorialized all the classmates that passed away with a long stem Rose for each, formed into a bouquet. It was a fun evening, catching up on what they have done with their lives; the photo op was the funniest. We were trying to recreate photographing the groups as when we were in school, some couldn’t remember what clubs they were in.
Also, in April, I told Lanny I wanted to retire at the end of this year. He was grateful that I gave him a long notice. Well we tried a couple people for a replacement for me; it wasn’t long before he decided he was going to be getting out of the business. So I agreed to stay on with him, until November 2012.
May was a difficult month, with the sudden loss of Jerry. He will be missed so much. He did come by and spend some time with me on Mother’s Day.
Pasco County had their Graduation on the 27th, I had a dilemma, Tiffany was Graduating from Pasco High School and Nichole from Wesley Chapel High School and the ceremonies were in different areas, within a half hour of each other. So I went to Tiffany’s Graduation in Dade City, Nichole’s Graduation was at the Tampa Convention Center downtown Tampa. Nichole then had a graduation party at the complex pool where she lives that Saturday.
In early June, David’s cousin (Margaret “Tinker” Strickland) came down from South Carolina, for a short visit. She visited for about 2 hours then she had to head back, she’d come down to check on us and some things in Dade City.
July –Margurite, the lady from the Church that I take to the beauty shop for her to get her hair done every other week. Her Birthday was in July, she turned 90 Years young this year. Her Daughter-in-Law surprised her with a Birthday Party. There were some of her Grandchildren came in from out of town she was truly surprised; several of her friends from Church attended the party. (Margurite couldn’t imagine the friends from church even knew her relatives.) She was ecstatic with the party.
Also in July, Lanny got a good report from his doctors he is now cancer free, his wife Pat is also cancer free.
August was a quiet month. In September I took a road trip with a Friend from school, Janet “Jones” Pitts, her daughter and son have bought a sandwich shop in Deland, so we went up for the day. The ride gave us a chance to visit. We checked out some antique shops, and jewelry making shops.
October came and Lanny had some friends came to visit from Michigan, and California and he wanted to show them some of the jobs he has done. So he asked me to provide the transportation as the van seats 7 people. It was a great day. We also went to Tarpon Springs, and ate a Paul’s Seafood Restaurant, the best boiled shrimp. They couldn’t get over the comfortable ride in the Van. November arrived and I had noticed a hairline crack on my top denture plate, so I decided it was time to maybe get a complete new set of dentures. I’ll be picking them up on Nov. 29th.
Then on Saturday Nov. 12, when I got up and went to the refrigerator, I noticed the ice in the freezer was melted and the fridge wasn’t running, so I called American Home Shield, to get a repairman out to fix it. Since it was a Saturday they let me know Sears would be calling me to do the repairs. They waited until Monday to call me, as they have 24 hours to call (on a normal workday). I got a call about 1:30 Monday afternoon. Sears was here by 8:00 am. Tuesday morning and replaced the thermostat and the defrost switch. Work was completed by 9:30 a.m. AHS charges $60.00 for the service call. And with the two parts needed not knowing witch one I needed, they charged me $38.88 for the second part. So my expense was $ 98.88 and they put on $ 449.88 worth of parts. Well worth the expense to have this warranty service on the appliances in the house.
Now December is upon us, and the decorating of the house is about to get underway. Along with getting the baking supplies to do Christmas baking, and get ready for the Holiday.

Thom is still working with Busch Garden’s Rhino Rally, The park has changed hands and is known as SeaWorld Parks Entertainment. They have changed some of the rides, and areas within the Park. Come March he will have completed three years with this position.

We would like to wish everyone a safe and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. God place his blessings upon all of you.
Love to all
Connie & Thom


From Mary and family:

Hello to all, hope all are doing well.
This has been a weird year for us. Starts off around Christmas with a bad cold which I found out was a bad sinusitis and then could not get rid of it. By the mid of Jan we were sent to a ENT doctor and had a lot of allergy testing done. Well come to find out I have really bad allergies. Started taking 4 shots a week and doing better have been lucky no more bad colds, thank goodness. Then our next fun event was one of our cats was out and we where working in yard and he came hopping home he had been shot we took him to vet did not know if he would make it thru the nite or weekend, Well he did and They had to remove one of his legs as the person who shot him shatter his shoulder, and it was beyond repair so he no long stays out side.
Well things were good till till May 9, I got up and went out to feed cats out side and did not get the phone in time came in and Kathy called asked me to call her back, (I was getting ready for work) So I called her and she told me the worst news I wanted to hear.
That my Brother Jerry Passed away in the nite. I did not want to here that. It hurt, and still does we were all so close as kids because moved so much as being kids with dad in army and you move a lot so you have to always meet new friends but your best friends for us were each other. And it just seem to tear a big whole in my heart when I found out, Then at work one of the cashiers her hubby passed away 3 days after Jerry, and so that made it evern harder at work beouse every time I saw her I thougt of Jerry, Kelly and the Kids and even more how Kelly must be like her trying to go on with life, But it is hard when you love some one so much. When we all Loved Jerry so much….
Then things were doing great for and few months, then in Oct on the 16 the start of our vacation Joe decide to climb on roof and clean the roof off and climb down the old unstable ladder with out asking someone to hold it and guess who fell and broke his shoulder.. Well just put it this way he told the cat he knows what the cat went thru…but we spent a lot of time at hospital, and they did surgery on Nov 4, and he goes to physical therapy, we are hopeful that he will get most of the movement and range he had, but like doc said won’t be total.
Well let’s see still have Chris & Tiffany, they are doing good nothing crazy going on there. Chris still working at Lowe’s. Tiffany still looking for job.
Joe and I still with Publix me started my 12 yr in Oct. And I think Joe is 3 yrs now. Boy the years just fly by.. They kids grow and we get older .
Love you all
And see all my prayers to all
Mary


From Joe and Family:

Happy Holidays to all! Well, another year has come and gone again! Time just seems to keep flying by us. We started the year off with Joe retiring from Publix in March. He started a new job in May working for Pet Supermarket as an Assistant Store Manager. Then in May we lost his brother Jerry suddenly (may he rest in peace). He is greatly missed by all of us. Joe finally got a truck again after driving a car and a little SUV for a few years. So he is a happy man again! Our oldest daughter Amy is still in college and working full time. She moved out to live on her own in September. She became engaged to her longtime boyfriend John in February. They have set their wedding date for June 9, 2012. They will get married in Zephyrhills and reside in Zephyrhills. Then Nichole graduated from Wesley Chapel High School in May and is now attending Pasco Hernando Community College. She is currently working for a daycare here in New Tampa (close to the Sam’s Club). She finally got herself a set of wheels! Baylee is now in the 8th grade and is still on the Honor Roll. She is playing softball at our local recreation park her team the Dirtsurferz ending the season 12-0. She is also playing soccer for the Wesley Chapel TARSA League on a U14 team the Orange Crush. This is the first time she has played soccer and she really is enjoying it. As for me not much has changed. I still work for Frost Management going on 24 years and I am still working on getting my degree although, I have decided to change my major to Webmaster. I am hoping to learn how to build and maintain websites so I may someday work from home (we can dream can’t we). We hope 2012 brings everyone much peace, joy and prosperity! Love to all Joe, Amy, Nichole, Baylee Carr and Amy Felts


From Kelly and family:

Guess it’s time to check in and give everyone our Family update and celebrate the birth of our Savior. Jessica is 18 and a senior in high school, Noah is 15 and a sophomore. Where has the time gone? Jessica once again swam on the varsity swim team at school advancing on to districts for her 200 IM and 100 Fly, got a car and doing well in school. Noah is working at McDonalds on the weekends, playing video games and hanging out with friends and also doing well in school. For me well I have stayed very busy learning how to fix the A/C, hot water heater and sweat copper. This year has been very difficult but with the Lords help and the love and support received from Family and friends we have managed to move forward taking with us the Memories Love, Inspiration and Smile, Jerry blessed us all with.  

God Bless and Marry Christmas  

Kelly, Jessica and Noah


From Kathy and family:

Hello All,

Let me start off by saying this has been a very tuff year. I am hopeful that 2012 will be nothing but fabulous. January started off with the loss of someone very special to me and my kids. My sitter “Gigi” passed away on January 10th. She helped raise Hunter and Sierra from the time they were born. She is truly missed every day.  Then in May, my brother who is also one of my best friends passed away unexpectedly. He is thought of and missed every single day. Jerry was a very kind and cheerful person. He would do anything for anyone. I will miss his big infectious smile and big brown eyes.     

 Hunter is in the 11th grade in Honors and Advanced classes. He has been working at the McDonalds in Wesley Chapel since February. He loves working. Gigi left him her 2003 Ford F150. He is so proud of that vehicle. Mostly because of whom it belonged to and that she and her family thought so much of him.  Sierra is in the 7th grade. She got braces on her teeth in April. She is growing so fast, turning into such a beautiful young lady. She is still dancing and has made the Tap Team at her studio again this year. In October the kids and I moved into our own apartment. It is very nice and we are doing great. Things are starting to look up and I am looking forward to an awesome new year.  I am so proud to be a part of this family. You are all very loving, supportive and caring. This year would have definitely been a lot harder to handle if I didn’t have such an unbelievable family. Thank you all for everything you do, big and small!  
Sending love far and near,
Kathy, Hunter and Sierra Himes


From Dan and Barbara:

The year two thousand eleven started out at a slow pace for us. We had our usual RV trips around southern Florida seeing family and friends. As time went on into February our pace started to excel. There were many emotional issues throughout the year with highs and lows that we all go through in life. With prayer we seem to move on with a slower pace but we manage to get through the rough times.
At the end of February I made a trip to NY to stay with Rhapsody and Samantha. These trips are my favorite times because I get to spend so much quality time with the girls. They keep me going from morning to night with all their activities and I love it!!!! J.R. had a business trip to Atlanta and laurie was able to tag along. While there Laurie got to spend time with Cinda sightseeing and just having fun. The guys joined them for some dinners and were able to visit some too.
I got back from NY the first week of March when some of the lows in our lives began. I started having some health issues and we got word that our dear friend in California Joe Beilins became very ill. Joe, Dan and another Grummanite from Long Island were the original three chosen for work on the A-6 Intruder at The Naval Weapons Station at China Lake, CA. We have been friends with Joe and family for 37 years. He passed on April 16th after this short illness. Dan misses Joe very much as they spent many times on the phone while we were traveling and many visits while we traveled to California and we even got together meeting somewhere while traveling the U.S. During this same time we were aware and concerned about Paula’s Mom. Margie has had health problems for quite a while and added to that she had taken some falls. While Dan was in California attending Joe’s memorial services we got word that Margie has passed into a better place on April 30th and her suffering had ended. Dan and I both loved Margie very much as we were blessed to have known her these past years. We got to spend time with Margie and George for many dinners and breakfast visits along with some Holidays while we were still in Florida. We felt very close to her and still feel very close to George. We are so grateful to God that we had the chance to talk and laugh with Margie at the hospital. This was a good memory in our hearts and didn’t realize at the time that this was the last visit we would have. I’m having some trouble putting into words just how much Margie and George mean to Dan and I and we feel the void.
May arrived and Dan flew back on the 1st and by the 9th we were facing yet another passing of a young nephew. Jerry was so young and even though we feel he was taken too soon God had a plan for Jerry. He is missed very much and another void is felt but knowing he too is in a better place somehow gives comfort.
At the end of May our 17 yr old Grandson Evan started Army Basic Training at Fort Jackson, SC. He was able to get into a program where you complete your basic training on your summer vacation between Junior and Senior years of high school. Some vacation!!!!
Things quieted down in June and July and we continued traveling in Florida. In August we headed south and stopped at Lake Oconee for almost a week. While there we were able to visit with Cinda and Ben in Atlanta. We also spent time with John, Leo and Henry at Cinda’s and got caught up on all their activities. We even got together with Brett Denney for dinner in the historic town of Madison and enjoyed hearing about his internship working at a poultry farm. We also were able to have a pizza with Jennifer, Matt, and Nate Petters along with John, Leo and Henry and Cinda. It was so nice seeing these fine young men and hearing about their goals and the things they were doing. It’s so hard to keep track of great nephews these days and we were thrilled to have spent some time with all of them. We then headed for South Carolina to attend family day and see our young grandson Evan graduate from basic training. Laurie flew down from NY with the girls and Danny flew in from Kwajalein. He was joined by his good friend Diane from Fairfax who met Evan while in Hawaii. Evan’s family came in from Colorado and Cinda drove from Atlanta. We had such a wonderful reunion with everyone. EvaN had quite the cheering section. He surprised us with news that he was cne of 6soldiers chosen to be Leader of the Cycle. These 6 were chosen out of over 1500 soldiers and we couldn’t have been prouder. We are so proud of him and our other soldier Nick who is stationed at Fort Hood, TX. After Evan’s graduation we headed to NY with Laurie and the girls in the Danbar mobile and had a fun trip. We were only able to stay in NY for a couple of days when our tenants called that they were moving out o f our house as he got a job in TN, so we headed to CA. While on route to CA our tenant called us saying he didn’t have a start date yet so he wanted to stay in the house a while longer. Sooooooooooo, we decided to go and visit with Nick in TX. He is such a great guy and we enjoyed our short visit with him. That took care of August.
Things were quiet again for a while and then in October I had surgery. I want to thank everyone for all your prayers, thoughts and concerns. It made me feel very loved!! Right after the doctor released me for travel we headed to California to get our house ready to lease and out again. We made the trip in record time. Dan worked nonstop and I helped when I could. We were able to lease it once more to a Military Family for 2 ½ yrs. We were so lucky that we had such a quick turnaround. We spent a very special Thanksgiving with the Beilins family and friends. We visited with other old friends and did have an enjoyable time between all the hard labor. I really enjoyed my time with with my quilting buddy Patty, shopping and hitting some quilt shops! I really miss her!!!
Here we are in December and Dan is working on the Family Newsletter. We will be spending Christmas with laurie and Family in NY. Our Grandson Nick will be there too. We are so looking forward to that. Maybe Dan will be able to relax some. I know he will be happy to enjoy the Christmas Lights on the Walden Home knowing he didn’t have to hang them.
I want to close this asking for some special prayers for our Grandson Nick. He will be driving to NY as he will have to store his car and several personal items. Nick is being deployed to Afghanistan sometime in February. We will pray for him and as always all the military serving our Great Country!
Dan and I wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year


From Laurie and family:

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I am a little late this year. Oh wait, I am a little late most years in getting this to my dad. I always say I am going to start putting together our yearly adventures early…turns out it is not happening. There is another way to look at it I suppose: I am early for next year! As usual we were very busy throughout the year.

Nick has been busy with his life as an Army Soldier. From what he tells me he spends a lot of time in the motor pool (garage) helping the mechanics with maintenance on equipment and vehicles. He finds time to call me once in a while. Of course, I worry when I do not hear from him for more then two weeks. Right now he is getting ready to deploy over seas early next year. I am not looking forward to him being so far away. It is hard enough with him in Texas. He should be home this year for Christmas! We all miss him very much.

Rhapsody is in the third grade. She joined the Library Club at the beginning of the year. She enjoyed it so much she wants to join next year as well. Rhapsody is busy with other activities as well. She is in her last year as a Girl Scout Brownie; she will bridge over to a Junior next year. She enjoyed Girl Scout Day camp this summer for a week with one of her fellow Scouts. She and her sister wanted to be in separate dance classes this year so Rhapsody pick a Junior Pop Star class (Jazz with a little theater). It so happens that her class was picked to be in the Nutcracker Musical for the dance studio. We look forward to seeing her performance. She is continues to enjoy gymnastics. This is her first year competing in the USAIGC as a Copper Level gymnast. So far she has been in two meets and has done very well. We are so proud of her.

Samantha is in the first grade. Turns out, her teacher is our neighbor. Samantha is really excited about school. She comes home and wants to do her homework! We will see how long that lasts. She tries so hard to keep up with her big sister. She is in her last year as a Daisy, as she will bridge over to Brownies next year. Samantha liked the tap part of her dance class last year so we focused on finding her a tap class. We were able to find her a tap and jazz class with a little acting. Samantha is also competing in the USAIGC as a Copper Level gymnast for the first time. It is exciting to see how much her and her sister have improved since being on the “team”.

JR continues to work hard at Mediacom. It seems he has travelled a bit more this year for work but, was able to throw a little leisure in there as well. He scored Super Bowl tickets in Dallas this past year and surprised Nick by taking him. They both had a great time. JR went to California for work in October and was able to meet up with Nick to attend the Blizzcon Conference in Anaheim, Ca. Exciting news for Mediacom; after being a publicly traded company for the past 10-11 years, the CEO decided to take it private again. He also decided it was time to build his own building on the land he has had for many, many years. It is going to be a stunning facility!

As for myself; I seemed to keep really busy with shuttling the girls to and from their activities. I continue to try to keep the new house in order (a lot harder than I thought it would be). I was able to make Presidents Club again this year with my Avon business. I was asked to help coach at the gym where the girls are taking gymnastics. So, now I’m working part time two nights a week for two hours a night. I also get paid to go to the meets with the girls as the coach. It is so exciting for me to be back in the gym coaching! With everything going on I manage to occasionally post on my new blog: http://stampinbeautylady.blogspot.com/
Wishing everyone a Blessed Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!
The House of Walden (JR, Laurie, Nicholas, Rhapsody and Samantha)
PS: Nick said to use our mailing address not the FT. Hood one because he will be in Afghanistan by February..


From Cinda and Ben:

Greetings to all,
First, I’d like to mention that quite a few very special people graduated to heaven this year. Our hearts and love go out to each of you who lost family members this year. We are saddened with each loss, but we know they have moved on to a better place. We have been so blessed to have known them or to have known their family. A few that come to mind include…Paul Berger (Alan Berger’s father), Mary Couch (Jennifer Petter’s mother), Margie Tubbs (Paula’s mother), Jerry Carr, Ken Webster (cousin Sara’s husband), Mae Johnson (Mae Denney’s mother), and Uncle Leo. No doubt there are some I’ve missed, so please forgive…and we have each lost friends during the year as well. May their memories live on in our hearts forever.
Each year when it is time to recap events, I think “what did we do this year?”. I can’t think of much we accomplished in 2011. Then I look at our refrigerator calendar and realize we had a year filled with important things, even if we didn’t “accomplish” much.
As has become our custom, Ben and I spent a few wonderful days at Christmastime in Charlotte with the Lupfers. A significant (for us Southerners!) snow event occurred the evening before we were to return home, so we postponed our interstate travel for an extra day. Such a sacrifice to spend an extra day with Alexa, Chris, and Ryan in their beautiful home on Lake Norman! Then we were blessed all over again with our traditional Christmas time in Atlanta with Rebecca, Jacade and Millie.
In mid-January we had a snow/ice event in Atlanta, but came through it without any major power-outage or other discomfort. Then we headed back to Charlotte to stay with Ryan while his parents were out of the country. In February, we finally got down to some work! We re-carpeted our basement and renovated the custom bar area (that had been installed by the previous owners), turning it into an office, which is a much more useful space for us! At the end of that month, JR and Laurie came to Atlanta (business conference for JR). We got to enjoy an evening meal with both of them during that trip. And Laurie and I spent our days being tourists at such places as the World of Coke and the Fernback Museum of Natural History.
The end of March was a very proud and exciting time as we watched Mike Petters interviewed on The Opening Bell on CNBC as he took his company (Huntington Ingalls) public on the New York Stock Exchange.
In early May, we had a fun evening /dinner with Rebecca True while she was in town on business. Later that same week, we went to Charlotte for Ryan’s show choir performance called Rats! (modern version of The Pied Piper…adorable!). We also attended Millie’s end of school year program called Jesus Rocks! It is so much fun to watch all these talented little ones!
The following week we went to Chattanooga to see Ben’s sister, Betsy, as she followed Ben’s lead in acquiring her very own pacemaker. All went well, and she is doing great now. Her son, Robert was married this fall, and we were able to attend the lovely wedding in the beautiful Middle-Tennessee mountains.
Later in May, we were invited to Matthew Petters’ high school graduation at the Gwinnett Center followed by a wonderful time and a lovely meal with Bernie, Jennifer and the boys at the Sun Dial Restaurant. The Sun Dial is 73 stories above Atlanta, rotating 360-degrees in an hour, giving a fabulous view of the entire city during dinner. Great restaurant pick, Matt!
In July, I was truly blessed to hitch a ride with Ralph and Paula as they headed to Mike and Nancy’s wonderful place at Lake Gaston. Thanks so much to Ralph and Paula! And a big thanks to Mike and Nancy for your generosity and warmth, and especially for what you are doing for the next generation of the Petters Clan. It is truly inspiring to see firsthand how the Petters cousins have this special chance to bond in the most nurturing of environments. I’m embarrassed at how many times I teared-up seeing the “magic” happen. Nancy, it was so great to see your parents again after 28 years! Upon our return to Atlanta, Sarah (who was teaching school at the time, and consequently unable to join us at the lake) was able to come over at suppertime for a little visit with Ralph, Paula, Ben and me. It was wonderful hearing of the work she and her school leadership are doing in an underprivileged part of the city of Atlanta. Ben topped the evening off with a special dessert he had read about in the paper…”Chocolate Slap Yo’ Mama” ice cream!
August was another eventful month. Dan and Barbara came through Atlanta for a few days (ultimately on their way to New York). Ben and I met them for lunch at a restaurant on Lake Oconee, east of Atlanta, then connected up with Bret Denney in Madison, Georgia, for dinner. Bret attends the University of Florida. He was doing a summer internship at a poultry farm in Georgia working toward another of many certifications toward applying eventually to Veterinary School. He is such a hard working, mature, and impressive young man.
John, Leo, and Henry Petters were able to come visit us for a few days that month also. So we rounded up the Atlanta relatives who were free one evening for a meet-in-the-middle meal at Everybody’s Pizza. There were nine of us: John, Leo, Henry, Jennifer, Matt and Nate Petters, Dan, Barbara, and I.
The following week, Dan and Barbara’s grandson, Evan McIntee, graduated from Army basic training at Ft. Jackson, SC. It was great to attend his graduation and to spend time with his family and extended family. Besides Dan and Barbara, Laurie and her girls (Rhapsody and Samantha) came from New York, and Danny came from half way around the world to be there (from the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands!). It was great to meet Evan’s mother, Amy along with her husband, Wayne, and son, Joshua. Evan graduated as a leader of his group (in the top 6 among 1800 soldiers) and with impressive honors. One would never have guessed he is only 17 years old. (He even had to leave immediately after the ceremony to catch a flight home to begin his senior year of high school!) Evan, you make us all incredibly proud.
Ben and I also attended a Braves game in August. Lexi, Chris and Ryan along with other friends from Charlotte (Denise, Pat and Sean Clark) came to Atlanta to experience Turner Field and all the amenities offers, not to mention BASEBALL! Ryan and Sean are both eight years old, so it was great fun for them, too!
2011 seemed to be the year for fall weddings. In September, we headed back to Charlotte to stay with Ryan while his parents went to New York City for a wedding. And as mentioned earlier, Ben’s nephew, Robert Dickinson, was married in Tennessee in October. Then in November, Ryan himself was ring-bearer in a wedding in Vero Beach, FL. (We especially liked this wedding, as it meant that we got to keep the granddog, Callie, during that time. Callie is a nearly 6-month old Boston Terrier.)
Besides “consulting” for our neighborhood homeowners association (he isn’t officially on the board anymore, but the phone still tends to ring fairly often), Ben has spent a good bit of time boning up on the latest JavaScript and other computer programming disciplines, sometimes tutoring his daughter, Rebecca. Rebecca is studying web design and development. With Ben’s many years of teaching experience as well as his information technology background, he is enjoying spending time learning and coaching when and as needed. This arrangement has worked out well for me, too, as I sometimes get to spend more time with Millie (four years old now) when they are studying.
We are hoping to see Nick Barthle in December as he heads home from Ft. Hood to New York over the holidays, prior to his deployment to Afghanistan in February 2012.
Nick, Evan, Susie, Redding, Jake Denney and all those families who currently serve and to those who have served our country both directly and indirectly in the past, please know that we are so grateful for your commitment and dedication to preserving our freedom. We can never express our appreciation enough. Our prayers go with you. Before closing I must tell you about Tomatozilla. I credit my brother, Dan, and Ben with creating and nurturing this monster. Ben and I had planted a tomato bush in a pot on our deck in April. Well beyond the middle of its normal tomato production season, Dan and I had a conversation when I mentioned that our tomato was started to slow down in its blooming. He suggested that we dilute the normal tomato food mixture by half and to feed it weekly instead of bi-weekly. The tomato LOVED the new regime! It has gone on producing to this day! Ben has covered it and provided light bulb heat through several freezes already. At this very moment on November 27th, Tomatozilla’s vines are nearly 8 feet long, reaching up over the top of its trellises and draping nearly to the ground, loaded with over 90 tomatoes, still blooming and adding new babies! Who knew!
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a safe and wonderful 2012. May God protect and keep you always. Love to all, Cinda and Ben


From Alexa and family:

Merry Christmas to Everyone!  It always amazes me how quickly the year flies by & that it is already time to do another update!  

We had a great start to the year by celebrating our 15th anniversary with a trip to Costa Rica in January.  What a beautiful country!  We hiked through the rain forest and ziplined through the mountains and had a wonderful time.   

Ryan continues to enjoy school and sports - he had a busy year playing soccer, lacrosse and swimming for his neighborhood's championship swim team this summer!  He also got to perform in his first school play in May, called "Rats!," and we were excited that Nana & Papa got to come see it.   

We hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas season & a fantastic 2012!
Love,
Chris, Alexa & Ryan Lupfer


From Melda and Jack:

Merry Christmas to our wonderful family—we love each of you more than you know!

We have many blessings to be thankful for this past year, but we also lost some very special people leaving us feeling sad, for example, Paula’s mother, Sara Webster’s husband, Mae Denney’s mother, and, of course, our nephew, Jerry Carr. I want to mention Jerry especially because something we did not know about Jerry until his death, was that he gave the gift of life by donating blood regularly. He was an inspiration to Jack, who has given blood honoring his memory. It turns out that Jack has the universal blood type which is a plus. Jerry’s goodness and love of life lives on . . .

On October 15, 2011, the 100th anniversary of our mom’s birthday, Jack and I “celebrated” by attending Mass at St. Timothy’s Catholic Church where the traveling Fatima Statue was visiting that day. It was a very moving and spiritual service. When Mom’s memory started slipping, we took her to visit Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Inverness – praying for a miracle.

We want to thank all those family members who have served or are currently serving in the U.S. military and especially Susie, Nick and Evan. We pray for the safety of all our military and for our family members every day.

Much of our daily routine continues day-to-day, as it has over the years. We enjoy our early morning walks through the neighborhood—always seeing rabbits and often deer. Our ballroom dance lessons continue and we performed with a “flash mob” group on two occasions which was a lot of fun.

After resisting for years, I gave in and joined Face Book. While I don’t add much on my wall, I really like keeping up with all my FB family and friends. If I’m not your friend yet, please “friend” me so that we can keep up with you and your family.

Our thanks to Dan and Barbara for continuing their tradition of keeping us all in touch and doing a fantastic job presenting the family newsletter!

Melda and Jack


From Rebecca and Family:

Hope this note finds each of you well and enjoying time with family and friends over the holidays.  Our year was a good one, but as usual time flies when you are having fun.  Our girls are growing up very fast. Leah is 4 years old and in Pre-K4.  She participated in gymnastics and soccer throughout the year.  She scored the very 1st goal in the 1st game of the season.  Unfortunately, it was for the opposing team!  In school she is learning so many things which amaze us each day, but we are especially pleased that they spend a lot of time emphasizing language development -- Spanish, Chinese and Sign Language.  For Leah’s 4th Birthday, we had a big Hello Kitty pool party and many of her friends from school and family celebrated the day with us.     
Lauren turned 2 in October and is doing everything she can to keep up with her big sister.  The past 6 months really mark the turning point in their relationship. It’s so nice to see that they are playing together and built in best buddies.  Lauren has continued with her twice weekly swimming lessons which she loves so much, and spending time going to the library, play dates, and the park with her nanny.  Her conversation skills are really exceptional for someone her age.  She’s definitely our little social butterfly – she’s never met someone that’s not instantly her friend.  
In March, we took the girls to Deer Valley, Utah for some spring break skiing.  It was Leah’s 2nd trip there, and she really caught on with her lessons and is skiing pretty well for a Florida toddler.  Lauren enjoyed sledding down the hills and seeing snow for the 1st time.  We are heading out for another trip in mid-December and both girls are incredibly excited, especially since Rob and Casey and their kids will be in Utah during the same time.   
For the 4th of July we visited Travis’ parents farm in Hot Springs, Virginia, and celebrated a traditional 4th of July picnic at the Homestead Resort.  It’s always nice to get away to the country and we managed to sneak in a couple of rounds of golf and the girls loved every minute running around the farm and riding horses.  
In August, Travis and I travelled to Half Moon Bay, CA for a few days of getaway and visited some friends in Monterrey.  We spent a day in San Francisco sightseeing and visited Niles where my Dad’s Mom grew up.  Pebble Beach and Carmel were stunning as was the drive to Big Sur.  We had a great time!  
Travis is still working for Citigroup managing global technology kinds of things and I’m coming up on the 3rd year anniversary of the founding of True Capital Advisors.  We both had a fair amount of business trips throughout the year --- Travis  to New York, Texas and California several times each and several trips to NYC, Atlanta, Las Vegas, and Palm Beach for me.  
We feel very fortunate to live in Orlando near our families and enjoy spending time with them as often as possible.  Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.  All the best for each of you in 2012!  Love, Rebecca, Travis, Leah & Lauren


From Rob and Family:

Hi all! 2011 has been another great year for our family. The kids continue to grow so fast with Landon turning five last January and Laney turning seven in May. Casey teaches and serves as Athletic Director at the same school the kids attend (Kindergarten and 2nd Grade, Corpus Christi). I'm really enjoying my work at the Tampa Bay Sports Commission. Our organization hosts nearly 130 events each year now, so that definitely keeps us busy. Casey and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary in September and feel blessed to have such a wonderful relationship and family. We wish everyone a great holiday season and the happiest of New Years!

Sincerely,
Rob, Casey, Laney and Landon


From Monica and Herman:

Merry Christmas to all!! Best wishes for all the blessings He brings!

What a year of change! Lots of changes at work, lots of changes in routine, lots of changes in attitude! Shelley moved from San Antonio to North Port (near Sarasota), and Bill moved from Ruskin to San Antonio. Shelley's move included changes in school for Hunter and Sarah, and Bill's move included a change of career!

The year started out with some problems with my lower back. Although I'd had problems for years, it went to a different level this year. By mid-March, I realized I would have to make some serious changes in my routine. I worked it out so I could stand most of the day at work (sitting made the issues I was having with my back much worse). Then I realized I also needed to work with a personal trainer to strengthen and correct what was correctible in my back. I had worked with a woman who's son (Joel Stephens) was a CrossFit Trainer, so I asked her for contact info, and after emailing back and forth he agreed to give me an assessment to see where I was and determine whether he thought he could help me. The training I've gotten has helped me tremendously.

I was going to train one day when I mentioned to Bill that I'd be training at the park and he could come by if he wanted. Bill has been training himself for years, so he came to see what I was doing. He and Joel started talking and I think it was two months later Bill got certified to teach CrossFit, working for and with Joel! Now he gets to do what he loves to do, helping people improve their health!

Herman's health remains good, with few problems. He is working out with Bill one day a week, working mostly on flexibility, and is making really good progress. He continues to work in the groves, although he continues to think about retirement. Maybe he'll retire when I do...if I do!!!

Herman and I traveled to Virginia in May to celebrate with Chase his First Communion. It was wonderful and Chase was very solemn and respectful. This month Lane celebrated his 12th birthday! Time is flying! Megan decided she was going to China with me, but we haven't been able to schedule it ...

Mandi found two houses on a lake in Summerton, SC, that is a midpoint for all of us. We spent a long weekend there together...all of us together for the first time in 6 years! It was absolutely tremendous and I really hope we'll be able to make it a yearly event. It was amazing!

We found out Joe and Anne also do CrossFit training! It's hard to fit it in and their schedules are packed, but I give them great Kudos! It was wonderful to spend time with Joe and Anne on our weekend at the lake in South Carolina this summer. I'm looking forward to visiting them in Alexandria when work settles down and we can go.

Natalie has been busy with her family and with her work at WalGreens. She always has a smile and knows how to take care of whatever problem comes along. She certainly is an asset as an employee! And all the nieces and nephew sure love Aunt Nat!

God continues to teach and guide us. His blessings are all around us. Thank you to all of you, our wonderful family, for who you are and what you do, making life better for each of us and all of humanity as well. May God bless all of you in this Christmas Season and in the coming New Year!

Love,
Herman and Monica


From Shelley and family:

Let's see I missed last years news letter.  I remembered it as soon as Mom said...  Shelley the newsletter is here!   Ooooo, wait!!!  Bummer!  And it's not like Uncle Dan didn't send requests, and reminders, and final calls.  I just, well missed it.  Anyway, it was a sign of the speed of last year.  Luke was a high school senior with a 30 hour per week job and a serious social agenda, Darrell was commuting 100 miles one way or sleeping in the office, Hunter and Sarah were growing likes weeds, and I was getting broken into a new job. The good news is we survived last year, and this year has brought a hurricane of it's own changes.  

Luke graduated on a Friday in June, rolled to full time with C&N Foundation on Monday, and moved into his first place the following week. He has a beautiful, smart, and sassy young lady in his life that we all just adore. It's Shooowanna, I mean Joanna. To give you an idea of her personality, the first image I have of her was a picture Luke showed me before we actually met. She was standing there in pull on boots and cut off jeans shorts, sporting a smile a mile wide, and holding a 5 foot rattlesnake that she had just killed. I have seen her gussied up for prom and covered in mud from head to toe, all with that same lovely smile. She's a great foil for Luke, always ready to hang with him in the mud, mechanic'n, with friends, or dancing the night away. Luke is as usual working two jobs. I swear one has never been enough for that boy. In addition to his full time gig at C&N, he is also working odd hours and weekends for Robby at Team Tire. Luke and Joanna have a one bedroom stilt house on the river and two dogs, Harley is a black lab, and Hazel is a ah ah oh creole I can't remember, some kind a hound dog. Joanna graduated the same night as Luke, but from South Sumter High, and has since completed a basic dental assisting course, and is looking forward to her advanced dental assistant practices course after the first of the year, so that she can get a job in the dental field. Until then she's working her hind end off out at Kumquat Growers to make ends meet. We are extremely proud of both of these hardworking young'ins and applaud their ability balance it all while still enjoying their down time.

Darrell, Hunter, Sarah, Rascal, Scout, and I all moved away from San Ann for the first time in our lives. We are currently in North Port, FL about 30 minutes south of Sarasota and are enjoying our new house, neighborhood, and school. We are however, missing the heck out of everybody back home.  Darrell was promoted to the Sarasota branch manager for American Ecosystems, with training starting in late October/early November of last year, and in position by January 1st, 2011. And the commute began. Within a few weeks it was clear that driving 100 miles one way was really wearing him down. So the hunt for a more local house began. We found a great 3 bedroom home that was five years old, but had never been lived in. When I say "we" I mean Darrell and God. I actually took one look at the house and said, nope not interested. God knows what we need so much better than I do. Anyway, after a couple of weeks of God doing things only God can do, it was clear that we were supposed to get this house. So I did something biblical. I gave it up to God and turned all the decision power over to my husband and said you find us a home.  It has been perfect, all except it's so far away from everybody else. Hush Mandi!!!  I know I'm being a big baby, I'm gonna cause I wanna! :op  Anyway, I am continuing to work from home writing medical legal reports, which has been a blessing and tough all at the same time. Sarah has been hanging at home with me, which would be so much fun if I could actually play with her instead of working. Anyway, Hunter is at Lamarque Elementary in the 5th grade.  He's making great grades, but hasn't been able to participate in sports since we got moved as life has been going 150 miles per hour. We have acquired a few new pets since I wrote last, Chewy Lewis bunny rabbit extraordinare and Chippy the Chocolate Chip who happens to be a Guinea Pig by trade. Long story short is that we are all doing just fine, with good points, and bad points everyday, but making ends meet by the grace of the Good Lord.  We wish each and everyone of you a peaceful new year and a million hidden blessings. All our love, The Olivers, Darrell, Shelley, Luke, Joanna (well close enough), Hunter, Sarah, Rascal, Scout, Chewy Lewis, Chippy, Harley, and Hazel


From Natalie and family:

Greetings from the Parsons’ Household!!
Well this year has been packed full of non-stop action….some of which I could have passed on and been perfectly fine. This year I will start with me since that’s how last year ended and this year began…I’ll give you the short version….
On Christmas Day last year, as I was going to put a ham in the oven, I started feeling weird. Within a few seconds I was headed for the floor. I wound up catching myself between the frig and the island in the kitchen. Jon came and picked me up off the floor and got me to the couch. The room was spinning and I felt like my heart was going to beat right out of my chest. I told Jon I wanted to wait and see if it would stop before a trip to the E.R…..bad idea….after about an hour… no change…SOOO…off to the hospital I went. They took me right in and started tests…I was diagnosed with vertigo and SVHT (super ventricular hyper tachycardia) ….after three days I BEGGED them to let me come home. They said ok as long as I would follow directions and keep my heart monitor on at ALL times….like a good girl I did….we tried medications to keep my heart rate under control but nothing was working. I wore the monitor until the end of February when they called me in and said they had to do surgery. I was NOT happy about heart surgery but knew God would get me through it. I went in on March 15th and they closed off the portion of my heart that was “bad”….I had to go back to work 4 days later or I would have lost my job…at the end of March I went back for my 3 week follow up and they did and ultrasound…. They found some “abnormalities” and sent me to my OB/GYN to have more tests done. On April 19th I was in surgery again having a complete hysterectomy and tumors removed. The largest one was the size of a softball, and unfortunately ruptured when they tried to remove it. They scraped the lining of my stomach and sent me home the next day….once again I had to return to work in 4 days in order to keep my job. The good news is…I am finally off all heart meds, but still have to give myself 1-2 shots a week for my critical B-12 deficiency, and still have 3 meds I will probably be on for the rest of my life…. BUT I’M ALIVE! At the beginning of November I got a call at work from a Dr’s office that I deal with a lot…..and they offered me a job! I hadn’t even put in an application…she just knew me from Walgreens Pharmacy and wanted me at their office. It’s 8-5 Mon-Fri…paid holidays…an hour and a half for lunch…my own office….and they pay overtime! I LOVE MY NEW JOB! Jon is still running our business as usual. It did slow down over the summer a bit but is slowly picking back up. He has been to Georgia hunting this year with his friend Jamie and even taken Jayden with him so I could go visit Mandi for a week in November. I am hoping he will be able to get away more this next year since he won’t have to be watching out for me. He is the best! I couldn’t ask for anyone better. Thank you Jon for EVERYTHING you have done for me this year….I literally wouldn’t be here without you!
Ty is a sophomore this year at PHS. He decided after a bad experience in band last year that he wasn’t going to get back in this year. I told him I would support him in whatever he chooses to do. He started wrestling this year and has done VERY well. This is not a sport for a mother with a heart condition to watch….lol….I take extra meds on these days. He turned 16 in September and he got his license. I bought him a fully loaded Ford Explorer EXT, which he LOVES! We have been getting letters from colleges that want him. University of Miami and a college in Washington D.C. are two of the most recent, but he has his heart set on U.F. I cry every time we get one in the mail…I’m NOT ready for that step yet.
Dylan is in 6th grade at Pasco Middle this year. He has done better this year than I have ever seen him do. I think being able to be with different teachers during the day helps him out. It keeps him going so he doesn’t get bored…and for him that is what he needs. He has been a tremendous help after school watching Jayden since Ty has practice. Dylan and I took a trip to Universal Studios in March and had a blast. I think he liked the one on one time since we don’t get enough of that. He is also looking forward to baseball in the spring. Jayden is in the 2nd grade at Pasco Elementary. She is still ALL girl.. all the time. She is still taking ballet with Mrs. Sally Blackwood. They are currently working on the Christmas play they will do later this month. She loves every minute of it! She also loves to sing and has been writing some of her own songs. I got her a notebook to start writing them down….some of them are actually REALLY good. Who knows maybe one day she’ll be paying my bills….lol….

We took a trip to Santee, S.C. with ALL of my siblings, their families, and Mom and Pop in August. We had two cabins on the lake. It was the first time we have ALL been together in 17 years. We are thinking about making it an annual trip.
I guess that wraps it up from our end. I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season…we love and miss all of you!!!
Merry Christmas!!
Natalie, Jon, Ty, Dylan and Jayden


From Mandi and family:

Merry Christmas from the Milams:  

Whew...since Megan thinks the world revolves around her no sense changing it for the Family newsletter. Megan is 3 going 6 and is a true delight in every way. I love to watch her personality developing and listen to her ramble on about her day. I remember when I was pregnant with her I thought "what am I suppose to do with a baby girl!?!?!" I truly believe God gives you the children you need in your life. I can't imagine one minute without any of my children and Megan has helped me appreciate them all for their differences.  

Now for Chase...oh yes Chase. He is still going 100 miles an hour and only stopping to sleep. He is enjoying the 3rd grade and having the elementary school all to himself. No siblings to compete with or to boss him around. Chase has made straight A's on both report cards so far this year and he is working very hard to keep it that way all year. Over the summer Chase managed to master the kneeboard and can now do 360's and everything. He also caught his first catfish...which was a highlight for the whole summer. As winter is starting to set in....we are already planning for next summer.  

Lane is taking the middle school by storm. He is in 6th grade and due to test scores was placed in 7th grade math. I was a little nervous it would be too much, but he has brought home straight A's for both report cards. Words of wisdom from my 12 year old son: Mom: "Hi Lane, how was your day at school?" Lane: "I won the math challenge today!" Mom: "WOW! That is great. Tell me about it." Lane: "Today we had a chance to get an extra 100 points counted toward our final grade. Mr. Jackson posted a problem on the board and the first one that got it right would get the extra points." Mom: "So you answered the question first? That's great." Lane: "No Mom. Almost everyone in the class went up to Mr. Jackson with their papers and I just knew one of them would get it, but he kept saying nope and handing their paper back! So I just kept working it out. Almost the entire class had finished and taken their papers up by the time I finished. I handed my paper to Mr. Jackson and was waiting for the nope that I was sure would come, when I heard GREAT Job Lane. Lane wins the 100 points. I couldn't believe it mom. You were right "slow and steady does win the race"." I think about that conversation a lot lately....we all want things now, quickly, overnight, FedEx, UPS, instant results, but in reality slow and steady will always get you where you need to be. We have faced many challenges this year and I am sure there are more to come our way, but I know that slowly and steadily we will get through everything.  

Billy has made a career change this year, he left the Pocahontas State Correctional Center and has moved into the Federal sector. He is enjoying the change of pace, the new people and new opportunities. A Correctional Officers work is never done, but Billy is taking his new job in stride.  

As for me, I am still working as a Discovery Consultant for Aon Hewitt (going on 12 years now). Due to my client workload, I made it to Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver and New York a couple times this past year. All of those places are nice to visit, but Dorothy had it right when she said "there is no place like home". Times are changing and even on the bad days I am very thankful to have a good job.  

Many thanks to all my family that helped me through this past year. Your prayers and love are felt. I love you too. May 2012 bring you peace and love.    

Love,
Mandi, Billy, Lane, Chase and Megan Milam


From Ralph and Paula:

Seasons Greetings!

We hope this finds everyone doing well. Time to click off another year, so here goes...

The latest trip around the sun started off normal enough, same old craziness between our jobs and home.

On April 30th, Paula's mom, Margie Tubbs left us for a better place. She had a tough battle with several health issues, especially the last few years. In the end, she had a peaceful transition, and we are thankful for the prayers that many of you offered on her behalf. It made all the difference. She was cremated, and rests in the Sacred Heart Cemetery, along with many of our loved ones. Couldn’t be in a more honored place. Paula's dad, George, is doing well considering he lost the love of his life, and as you can imagine, some days are better than others. We see him everyday (except when we leave town for a few days, and he has to "cat sit"!), so we keep tabs on him very closely. Paula is hanging in there as well, and we're all adjusting as time passes along. We think Margie is trying to prepare heaven for when we have a chance to join her there!

In July we spent a few days at Mike and Nancy's house at Lake Gaston, NC. Cinda was able to take a little time to be there too, and we all had a lot of fun as always. You may have already read about how Hurricane Irene deposited some trees (at least two) on their house there in late August. Those storms are scary bad!

In November, we had a chance to travel to Syracuse, NY with the USF Bulls football team for their game against the Orange. (How did they choose to become the Orange???) We had a great time on the 40 hour trip, and were very glad that the game was in the Carrier Dome, as the rain/snow mix outside was COLD. And the Bulls won! Did we ever sleep when we got home...

And Paula played golf in the Charlie Daniels/Angelus (a.k.a. Charlie-palooza) fund raiser tournament in early December. Her team shot 14 under par, so they had a great round!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love to all,
Paula and Ralph

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“Some Highlights of the year” Evan James McEntee, on January 18, 2011, after researching all branches of the military and several different job options joined the Army reserves, being not yet 18 his parents were required to sign paperwork supporting his decision.

PFC Nicholas Andrew Barthle-Bartyczak, February 01, 2011, was promoted to SPC-4. I received my rank on 01 Feb 2011. My Sgt put a waiver in for me to get it 6 months early and it was approved.

Colonel Susan A. Davidson, March 03, 2011, Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced that President Obama nominated her for promotion to the rank of Brigadier General.

Mike Petters, on March 31, 2011 assumed the role as president and chief executive officer of Huntington Ingalls Industries, America’s largest military shipbuilder.
http://www.huntingtoningalls.com/about_us/assets/petters_.pdf

Margie Helen (Burney) Tubbs (Paula’s Mother) age 73, of Dade City, Fla., died on April 30, 2011.
http://home.earthlink.net/~dbarthle1/BARTHLE/Ralphjohnbarthle.htm

Jerry Carr, 44, of Land O’Lakes, Fl., died May 9th, 2011.
http://home.earthlink.net/~dbarthle1/BARTHLE/Jeromepaulcarr.htm

Jerome Carr CARR, Jerome, 45, of Land O' Lakes, Fla., walked into heaven May 9, 2011. He is survived by his wife of 22 years, Kelly; children, Jessica and Noah. Memorial services will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at Trinity Memorial Gardens, with family receiving friends 1-2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, a trust fund is being established for the children at SunTrust Bank.
Published in TBO.com on May 13, 2011

Evan James McEntee, May 30, 2011 departed for basic combat training at Fort Jackson, SC. Family day was August 10, 2011. Note: Evan was promoted PFC and graduated from basic training on August 11, also received the award as the “Soldier leader of the cycle” for CO F, 2nd Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment. “Soldier leader of the cycle” The soldier who held position of squad leader and demonstrated outstanding leadership throughout the training cycle

Jake Denney, July 2011 he signed up for the Army, he will report to FT. Benning in January 2012 for basic training.

Clyde R Hobby, Redding, July 26, 2011, named new deputy director of DLA Logistics Operations, being selected to this new position; it is a Tier III Senior Executive Service (SES) position (he is currently a Tier I SES). What this means is he will have 3-Star protocol rating and the authorities and responsibilities to match.

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