More Jack

Jenna went trick-or-treating for probably the last time.

Creation of Jack

Jenna took charge of the jack-o-lanterns this year.

More pictures to follow.

fantasy fest 2007

Tried to blog this on the way home and seems it did not take, may appear later ?? But took off for a quick weekend to Key West to check one more item off in my baby book. The 2007 version of Fantasy Fest, one step wilder than the Persimion Festival Parade. Posted just a few pics and if anyone would wish to view more pics they can go to www.fantasyfest.com and see plenty of more. A lot better than i expected and seems everyone enjoyed themselves at the 10 day event. they say there are around 50-70K people at this and that is probably correct. Have intentions of taking pops next year since i believe this will help get his BP from the 74/38 now and up a bit. and sorry Carrie but since we were not raised in a trailer I don't think this is something you should take your baby sister to.

PHS FB 2007

The PHS football season came to an end last night @ Brownstown...26-7.
With the loss the Mighty Rams finished the season @ 6-5....not bad..
The 1st pic is of the cheerleaders before the game....the 2nd pic of
Megan is @ games end.....Bring on the Basketball!!!

2nd snowbirds of the season

Tom & Lisa Spencer in for a few days, weather was suspect one day but the rest were fine. Headed down to Everglades City from here. Wesley is supposed to be here the 30th so maybe have some pics then.

Thanks for all the happy birthdays!! To celebrate up here in Chicago, a bunch of friends and I went out to Promontory Point and had a marshmallow roast. It was a fantastic time, as you might see in the next several photos:












Of course, we decided to visit The Cocktail Lounge on our way back home.





Other recent activities, besides problem sets, have included a trip to Hot Doug's, home of delicious gourmet sausages (we had to wait in line for 45 minutes to get in, and it was completely worth it) and girls' night (during which we ate a lot of junk food and tried to learn the moves to a Paula Abdul video...).





















So basically, school is swell. Classes are, as well, though every day I'm wondering exactly why it was I thought taking the more math-intensive "advanced" statistics class was a good idea. It's definitely the hardest class I've ever taken. I also just got accepted onto the staff of the Chicago Policy Review (like a law review, but for policy) as the production manager, which means more work...but work I'll enjoy (hopefully!). It's about mid-term right now and things are really picking up. The weeks are just flying by.

Laura through the ages (only a few)

Laura's first Easter. Dad put her dress on backwards.
Laura and everybody's favorite uncle JB
An Easter 5 years later. This time Mom dressed her.
Laura in 1995

Who knows what she is doing.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRANDDAUGHTER!!!

I remember well they day you made your appearance in this big world.. Pops was so excited he couldnot wait for me to go with him to Terre Haute and when he got there --he had forgotten to take money. (Days before the bank card.) So he bought a winter coat on his credit card and took it around the corner to the service center and returned it for cash.
Hope you make lots of good memories today. Love you and thinking about you and missing you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LAURA!!

Laura is 24 today.--more to follow.

Commentary

I don't know why there are 2 pictures of Joe making pizza, I guess it was subliminal. The bear is on the lot of our cabin. I was hurrying to get pictures before he got away, some are, therefore, blurry-sorry. Carrie was cheering for the view and the waterfall. The kids had lots of fun and played together very well. The views were spectacular.

The Birthday Girls

Smoky Mountains

Smoky Mountain Retreat

Finally--Pictures!

A "bear"able trip

We saw 6! bears. The last one was right beside the cabin and wandered around for awhile. We watched from the deck and tried to get him to stay around so we could take more pictures but he was uncooperative. These pictures are random but I think they give you an idea of our short vacation.
All together I believe there were 90 pictures taken. Carrie, I will send you a disk and you can share with the other 2 families (although most of them are of us).
Joe cooked a fantastic birthday dinner for Carrie. He made like a dozen pizzas with all different toppings. It was wonderful. Mort and Joe got a lot of fishing in even though I left Mort's fly rod at home. (It was an accident--really!)
We shopped some, hiked some, and ate a lot. The kids all got along great and left the adults alone for the most part. The only downer was trying to get home through Seiverville. We will have to find an alternative route.

A looooonnnng hike for my 38th birthday!

This morning Mort, Lisa, Joe, Emily, and I hiked 4+ miles to Hen Wallows (sp?) Falls. It was a beautiful hike and fun to climb on all the rocks. I may have to have Wes teach me how to rock climb! (okay - maybe not..)

Lisa took lots of pix...She'll have to post them when she gets back to Greenfield.

Instead of hiking with us, Katie went horseback riding with the Craws - She's not much of a hiker....I can only listen to ...."I caaann't breathe....I'm not going to make it....This is toooooo hard....I'm thirsty....I'm getting dehydrated....." for so many miles.

Lisa and I visited the Fall Craft Fair today...same stuff - different year.

Joe Crocker is in the kitchen cooking up his tasty pizzas for all 14 of us!

Thanks for all the birthday wishes! It has been a nice day!

Where did all the candy go???

Kyle enjoys his new "hat"

(Tutu wouldn't let me post the one where SHE has the hat on!)

Happy Birthday, Carrie!

Everyone is thinking of you and wishing you a very special day!

HOW CAN IT BE 38 YEARS LATER?

Thirty eight years ago tonight, Teresa was in the front yard singing, "Dumb A-- without any gas!!" After buying the gas, we left for our trip to Louisville. At the hospital , a gentleman ask Pops if this was his first child because he had on two different shoes. When he answered that it was his seventh, the gentleman said he sure would have hated to seen him on the first!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CARRIE ANN

Greetings from Gatlinburg!

All is well in the Smokies. The boys are standing in a stream somewhere trying to catch supper. Lisa and I just returned from Five Oaks Outlet Mall. The girls are playing XBox and Wii.

We hiked Grotto Falls yesterday. On our way to the trail we saw FIVE bears - the most bears we have seen on one vacation! Four of the bears were pretty close - one was just across the trail.

We would post some pix but this computer doesn't have a slot for Lisa's pix card.....She'll have to post some when she gets home.

We're so Happy ! ! ! !

It's almost our sister's birthday!!

(better see some blog-action from TN tomorrow...)

friday afternoon at the Wharf

Dave had a good time last time in town at the Wharf that he wanted Caryn to experience this so off we went on Friday to The Wharf and a few other eateries. figured mom would get florida fever when she catches a view of her favorite bar hangout.

first snowbirds of the season

the Andersons from Zionville came down for a short visit, after an afternoon of tennis with Jan we headed out to a dive grunge bar for the evening. Me, Dave, Barb, and Caryn

CELEBRATORS STORM BRANSON...

Hello from Branson. I fell with Glenda's 60th birthday cake, candles ablaze.... Mel and Dave loved Tutu's cinnamon rolls (so did everyone!) All the ladies ate and shopped today... the guys were on their own but didn't suffer as a result! Having fun. Gaither Vocal Band was absolutely INCREDIBLE and we are enjoying David Jeremiah, Ken Davis and Charles Billingsley... and having a lot of laughs, too.

Be home Thursday!!!