We are the mundane
…in the sun! Yes, it will be 25 years of wedded bliss on Wednesday. To celebrate, we went to Key West, with good friends of ours, Ed & Mary Kipp. They are celebrating 30 years the day before us (and they’re younger than us!).
Here are a few pictures:Â 1) Sunset on the pier 2) Lobster dinner at an outdoor cafe 3) Poolside at our B&B
Next week we’re off to Orlando with Dawn, Chris & the “K-boys”. That should be interesting! Â We’ll post more pictures upon our return!
Finally uploaded pictures from vacation. Loved Paris…most impressed with Notre Dame (although indoor pictures of most buildings we took on vacation did not turn out). Also got to see Mona and Venus at the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triumph. We definitely wished we had more time, three days is not enough (especially when we had very bad rain one evening).
Geneva was more relaxed. Steve’s class (on cultural relationships) was a week long. It gave me time to go out and about on my own. We know a couple from HSBC who live there, so the wife showed me around one day. I know Geneva’s public transportation system better than Chicago’s. One evening I was the tour guide for a group of Steve’s co-workers.
Than, three days in Italy. Much too short! We took the train from Geneva to Milan, then Milan to Genoa. We stayed in Genoa, at the Hotel Bristol Palace. The spiral staircase is rumored to be the inspiration to Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo”. We crammed in Pisa and then two days visiting Cinque Terre (fives lands). The Leaning Tower of Pisa and the surrounding “Field of Miracles” was fascinating (again though, several of my pictures did not turn out). There is a domed Baptistery with amazing acoustics. You can hear an echo for ten seconds…enabling a person to harmonize with himself. A security guard sings every half hour to demonstrate. It’s pretty neat!
Cinque Terre was the best. We decided to go there on the recommendation of a friend of Shannon. There are five adorable villages built on the cliffs of the Italian Riviera. They’re connected by hiking paths through the cliffs (trust me, we took the simple trails). We hiked from the first to the fourth village. Unfortunately our train was 1 1/2 hours late, so our schedule got a little fouled up. We got to the fourth village at 8PM and decided not to attempt the fifth in the dark. We then sat outside along a bay and had a wonderful Italian dinner.
Reid looks more and more like Blake every day. Â Blake is very tall for his age…for 17 months he towers over two year olds! But Reid is on track to surpass that! I think Dawn will have two very big boys, and very big grocery bills!Â
I took Blake to a family music class at the local Gymboree yesterday. He wanted nothing to do with the class. Of the ten children (six of them were reserved oriental children), Blake was the only one who would not sit still, play the instruments nor sing the songs. He did participate in chasing bubbles around the room. I think it was even in beat to the music being played. Â
So, afterwards we went to the gym class. I lost control during the “Hello” song. I guess he felt he suffered through enough music for one day. Once we had free play he went crazy…jumping on the trampoline, dunking all the balls (about 25) in the 3 ft. basketball hoop, running through tunnels and climbing up and down the slides (yes, he didn’t use the steps, he climbed back up the slide).
At the end of class the instructor came and spoke to me and suggested Blake be enrolled in a Park District sport, that he really wasn’t suited for Gymboree. Can a 17 month old really be expelled from Gymboree??? Â
Guess Grandpa and Grandmar both have their hands full (not to mention Mommy & Daddy)!
Reid (no middle name yet), was born about 6:30 this evening! 8lbs. 8oz., 21in. long. Both Mom and baby are fine. Dawn says he might be a red-head…the name kinda fits. Hope Charlotte doesn’t mind sharing her birthday!
The Utah Falls were the lucky recipients of some pretty tasty gifts this Christmas. Check it out…Gary sent Lisa a spectacular photo book – National Geographic “Greatest Places.†500 pages of awesome contemporary pics from around the globe. Really cool stuff. And it benefits UNICEF. Way to go, Gary! Can’t go wrong with photos. The gift I got was aimed straight at the gut. Crème-filled Cupcakes, Butterscotch Krimpets, Peanut Butter KandyKakes (still the best)…there’s even some new thing – Crème-filled Coffee Cakes. I’m saving that for last. I’ve used my power of deduction to conclude these came from UncleLar, it didn’t really say. (If I’m wrong about that I apologize to the giver). Anyway, UncLar – sweet job. They will be devoured in a most appreciative way. I’m thinking tomorrow’s lunch is a Chocolate Junior. Happy New Year,
Kenny & Lisa
P.S. – Gary…very nice Christmas Card post. Setting the bar pretty high!
Big soccer news out of the state of Utah. While his Dad was helping lead the Judge Memorial Girl’s soccer team to a state title, Elliot scores a full-time gig with a Major League Soccer Club. Real (pronounced “ray-al”, like the Madrid club) Salt Lake has hired the boy to work in their Marketing/Communications Department. Hey that’s two Fall’s (Gary) working for a major league team…though the Yankees and oft-losing RSL exist on opposite ends of the sports spectrum.
RSL finished it’s third year here, and failed to make the playoffs again. Elliot had an internship this past season (April to Oct) and they loved having him…hired him first chance they got. His title is now Public Relations Coordinator – e-mail efall@realsaltlake.com He’ll stay in school and work part-time til the ’08 season starts. After he earns his degree (economics ) in May he starts full-time at the club.
He’s pictured here holding up the Rocky Mountain Cup trophy, making the trip to Colorado where RSL beat the Rapids to win their annual competition.
Meanwhile, the Judge Memorial Girl’s team (I’m still assistant coach) startled the Utah high school scene by going on a blistering run through the playoffs – giving up just one goal in four games – to capture the state title. The team had begun the season 1-6, but turned things around and beat three number one seeds to win State. It’s our third state championship in six years.
I had planned on posting pictures of Blake’s first birthday, but we’ll have to wait a little longer for that. I can’t find them! I thought they had been uploaded to our new computer, but they aren’t. Steve is in Hong Kong & India on business and has our camera with the disk, so…blah, blah, blah. Instead, I’ll post my favorite picture of Blake…he was all sweaty with his hair slicked back but he looks so cute. By the way, Larry, you’re probably the only family member who doesn’t know this, but Dawn is pregnant again. She’s due March 3rd with another boy. How about some Penn State memorabilia if the baby is born on your birthday, the 2nd? Chris’ family has bombarded Blake with University of Illinois stuff and Dawn really wants to get the competition going. Can you help?
Better late than never. October is such a busy, fun-filled month for us; Steve’s father’s birthday, Steve’s birthday and Blake’s birthday so we’re having a party and even a play ground for the kids from www.softplaydesignandinstallation.co.uk. But best of all this year, was getting together with family to celebrate Gary’s 50th. My pictures are a little out of focus (hopefully Kenny & Gary have better), but I thought my few pictures might get the ball rolling with others posting theirs.
The first two pictures are from our evening at Havana’s. The third is a shot of the Neshaminy Creek in Chalfont from the bridge (remember when it was an old wooden bridge?). The last is one of the covered bridges we visited.
This is going to break Gary’s heart, but I set foot in Yankee Stadium (in full Red Sox gear) on Sunday to see the Red Sox beat the Yankees. It was a great game, Manny hit a homer as soon as we were walking to our seats. The bus picked us up in Portsmouth, NH at 6am and dropped us back off around midnight. Thank God I took the next day off of work!
We just spent a week in Orlando at our timeshare checking out what amenities Marriott had to offer families…we can’t wait to take Blake (with or without his parents). We probably should wait till he can appreciate Disney, but we were pleased to see how family oriented the timeshare is.
Of course, while there, we saw Linda, Richie and Harry. Harry looks absolutely fabulous (as you can see in these pictures)! He’s 92 now, 93 in June. He’s in assisted living and still has his driver’s license. He basically drives to Linda’s once or twice a week, or to a store here or there (only day-time). We met for lunch the day we arrived, then golfed another day at Linda and Richie’s country club. Harry joined us for lunch after the first nine holes, then watched us tee off the back nine. Had a great visit with all of them!
