Steamboat Springs

Wonderful couple of days in Steamboat Springs with Matt's family.  Went for the balloon festival.

A favorite spot...the Wipeout type play area at the pool.

Girls on their front porch.

Emma's golf lessons

Emma and Abby are taking golf lessons and I took her today because mom took Abby to the orthodontist.
Had a great time!

Love this one...looks like such a pro!

June Brunch

Having brunch once a month...gets the family together oftener.

Mark and Joel initiating my new ping pong table

Enjoying the real reason to get together...food.

Julianne

Mark and Matt have been trying to beat each other for 35 years...this one ended in a draw.

Joel taking up the challenge...he lost.

Cabinet update

Love my kitchen but it's a little narrow and I decided that putting glass in some of the doors would help...and it did.  Thanks to my brother, Edward, for doing the update.

Small town living...

I joined a local CSA...the vegetable shares are just too much for me, but I'm getting a 1/2 egg share and a bread share. And the pickup site is close enough that I can ride my bike...LOVE living in a small town.

Joel and Julianne

One of the summer's highlights, the visit from Joel and Julianne.  They live in Indiana and we only get to see them twice a year.   This get-together was at Michele's...she was still on bed rest...and ate pizza, played games and enjoyed the time together.

Playing the "telephone" game.

Senior Follies

Yes, this is me...John Adams. Doing this play was the most fun I've had in several years. There were three performances...about 200 people each time...average age of the audience: 75. They're a great audience...very appreciative. All my family was able to attend...I think they were surprised that I could act (a little) and sing.

In the second half of the show, three of us did a tap dance to Boot Scootin' Boogie. You probably recognize Emma and Abby and that's their other grandmother, Carol, and she's one of the dancers.

Stage Debut

Big day today...I'm about to make my stage debut. At 73 I'm getting the chance to be the singing and dancing star I've always dreamed of being...well, star is a bit overstated, but it's still fun. I'll be performing in an abbreviated version of the Broadway hit 1776. I play John Adams. This is a production of the Fort Collins Senior Follies...and how fun that there's this group that lets all us Slightly Older Adult Players perform. At this moment, I'm terrified...wish me luck...pictures to follow.

Mike's 50th Birthday

First of my children to turn 50!!!  Wow, how is that possible?  We tried to surprise him...not sure we did.

Paper Chain

Emma and Abby are making a paper chain to help Auntie Michele count down her days on bedrest.

Michele had to have a cerclage and is now on bed rest until August.  I now spend every day over there and we're trying to keep her sane...playing games, trying to learn to knit, looking at baby names, baby furniture, baby curtains.  The current frontrunners are Eden and Laurel...we'll see.

Storm

An absolutely gorgeous dog...and by the looks of those paws, he's going to be BIG!

Storm and his buddy

Man's best friend...definitely.

Storm

Mark finally got the dog he wanted...a purebred German Shepherd...such a cutie...destined to be really big!

Fashion Shoot

Spent the day with the girls taking "fashion" pictures.  They were very creative and we got some good ones.

Michele

Michele is on bed rest following her IVF implantation...not supposed to be up for three days. She's 42 and they've been trying for about 6 years.   (Edit:  On New Year's Eve they found out she is pregnant...yippee, hooray, yahoo!!!)

Abby's 9th Birthday

Exactly what she wanted...soooooooooo cute...the girl and the bike!

Happy New Year

Still very cold here. The snow from New Year's Eve is still on the ground...melting slowly. Jessica has moved into the basement apartment...probably here for a couple of months while she gets a job and finds a place to live. Here are some more pictures from Christmas. Michele and Emma.

Emma and Abby helping dad get the sugar on the creme brulee...his world famous Christmas Eve dessert...well, if it isn't world famous, it should be...absolutely the best I've ever tasted.

Will and Abby.

This year's Rock-Paper-Scissors winner...Stef...first female winner...yea!

Year 2 - January 1

Happy New Year! Lots of thoughts about things I'd like to do differently...we'll see. Emma and Abby with their calendars...I give them one every year.

These pictures are from the 2010 annual Haines Christmas party. Lots of fun!

Rock-paper-scissors is a game we play every year...we even have a trophy now...I'll put that on tomorrow.