"2009 - A YEAR OF "CHANGE"
WHAT A YEAR!!!
The first special event in our lives this year was the wedding of Shannon and Mike in May.
The day could not have been more perfect. The nuptials were performed by Mike's mom's cousin, Chuck Peiper, at the beautiful Japanese Gardens' Tea House.
Jennifer and Mike's brother, Tyler, were the attendants. Brendan and Élodie were the ring bearer and flower girl and performed their duties flawlessly - before discovering the comfy grass.
Shannon
was a beautiful bride and both she and Mike radiated so much love that
it was catching.
Jim and I are delighted to welcome our wonderful new son-in-law and his
family to ours.
(For
more wedding pictures,
click here
Jim
continues to root for the Dallas Cowboys, even though it's been a tough
season.
There's been a lot of obscene yelling at the TV so far this year.
And his fishing trips were cut short when, on his 1st trip out in May,
he slipped on some big rocks,
fell and broke 3 ribs.
He finished out the day
but had to make the painful drive back home from the Sierras the next
morning.
When his ribs healed, we hit the road, finally making that trip to the Canadian Rockies and the Columbia Icefields we'd dreamed about, where Jim climbed to the top of Sulfur Mountain...on stairs, not rocks... and we experienced the Athabasca Glacier, which feeds the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic Oceans.
Brendan
and Élodie really got into the fun of camping at Campland in San
Diego this year, winning 2nd place in the scavenger hunt and cheering
Mark's Bingo win of a free night's stay.
They made friends and ate S'mores and played in the sand and surf 'til
after dark each day.
Immediately, upon our return home, they began asking when we would go
again.
We no sooner got back from camping than we had the "fun" of keeping an eye on the gigantic "STATION" forest fire that found its way into our neighborhood. Luckily, we had no damage but, in its wake, a lot of ashes continue to be blown in with each breeze. The cleanup is never-ending.
Back
to the grandkids!
Brendan is proud to be in "Pre-K". (Where has the time gone?)
His favorite activity is building volcanoes in the sandbox with his teachers.
He loves when they "splode all over!"
Élodie
started real preschool this year and is proud she gets to go to school
like her big brother does. She can count from 1-13, then from 31-49 (?).
She loves to wish everyone, "Ho, ho, ho!
Meh-wy Missmas!"
And,
although he is really just learning the basics right now, Brendan happily
invites us to attend his "soccer game" each Saturday. This is
usually followed by brunch with
"our WHOLE fam-i-ly!"
In October,
I traveled to Utah to play in the Huntsman
World Senior Games.
My usual team
was sidelined by illness and injury, so I was happy to play with the Beach
Classics.
We had 4 LONG days of disappointing games and entered the playoffs ready
to do or die. Happily, we won all of our matches except the last and came
home with the Silver Medal in the 60+ age division. We were quite proud
of ourselves!!
We followed that with a Gold Medal win at the Southland Senior Olympics
games in November. Not as large a tournament as the Huntsman Games, but
just as much fun!
After
over 22 years of driving my '85 Blazer, Jim insisted that I have the next
new car, so we went shopping and decided on a new GMC Acadia. Now no one
recognizes me on the road anymore, but I'll get used to it!
We took it on a "shake down cruise" to San Diego for Thanksgiving.
A great way to celebrate our 46th wedding anniversary and get some Christmas
shopping done too.
Jennifer
decided to go back to work after a 5 year "hiatus," and is now
heading up international servicing for her company's newest, high-profile
account.
But to her, the most important job is being a mommy, and she still finds
time to be lead room-parent for Brendan's class.
Their family took a cruise to Catalina Island and Ensenada to celebrate Mark's parents '50th wedding anniversary. The kids loved Camp Carnival and did a great job in the talent show, where they sang "Do-Re-Mi", from the Sound of Music.
Brendan loved the fact that the portholes were just his size.
BREAKING NEWS!!!
Speaking
of grandkids!
Shannon and Mike have just revealed that they are expecting a baby GIRL
in early July.
Of course
we have no pictures of "Sweetpea" right now, but this graphic
will give you an idea. You can certainly expect plenty of real pics -
once the big day comes.
And, when it does, there will be a large, loving family anxiously waiting
the arrival.
(Some TLC from his favorite grandkids speeded up the healing process.)
So,
except for the uncertainty of the economy, our lives have been blessed
with good health, plenty of time and opportunities to share
with our grandchildren...
...who continue to grow and mature - much faster than we would like - but are now so much fun that we can barely stand to be without them.
Please feel free to email us anytime at LHoran@JandLEnt.com
We love hearing from so many of you during the year.
May
you have a peaceful, restful holiday season, filled with love and good
friends to share it with.
And may your New Year be filled with smiles and prosperity!
Jim and Lynda