Hello dear family!
Well, two days ago our new roof trusses were delivered, we have cleared out the entire kitchen except for the things we will need to eat/cook on and will tear down the upper cabinets next week. We will set up room for working on them in Larry's shop where the stripping and sanding will take place. Now at this point we must stop and wait for better weather to continue the roof project. Meanwhile I am back in the studio working on "The Soldiers Wife"...an art collage honoring our mothers years as an Army wife. I got "Our American Hero" done for our father last week. When Moms peice is done I will do one honoring Larry and my life together and then another military peice for all the Military men in this family for which I need 'stuff' to create this peice out of. The stuff of which I speak is anything military. I go to antiques fairs to find old memorabilia, etc. Once I have gathered enough 'stuff' then I can get to work on the art. Lin, hold onto that uniform of Eriks.....Cin, grab anything of Reeses that you can once he gets back...k? I will let everyone see what I have done when all four are finished.
Hope Reece has a safe trip home...Know you must be dizzy with joy and anticipation! Kiss him for all of us....he is a sweetheart!
Lin, I hope Peter gets better soon. Larry had a bad cold too but is better now. He hates being sick! Weather is in the 70s today, grass is green, trees are budding and everything is coming back to life!!! Yayeeee!!! I feel so much better now that spring has sprung...I have more energy and feel happier.
So, on that note I have another poem for you guys. Hope you like it...I do. Will write again soon. Love you all, Aunt Rose

Take the World as it is!
by Charles Swain

Take the world as it is
with its smiles and its sorrow,
Its love and its friendship-
its falsehood and truth-
Its scheme's that depend on
the breath of tomorrow!
Its hopes which pass by
like the dreams of our youth-
Yet, oh, whilst the light of
affection may shine,
The heart in itself hath
a fountain of bliss!
In the worst there's some
spark of a nature devine,
And the wisest and best
take the world as it is.

Im still here....

Hello family, sorry I havent written in a while, seems there is no time for anything lately. We are settled into the house as much as we will be until Kelly and Maya go back home to Virginia with Reese. As it stands right now, he will be home on Wednesday, May 23rd and will fly into Nashville that night. We will pick him up and then hang round Kentucky so he can soak up some baby, wife, mom and dad love before we all caravan back to Virginia. That way Maya will be in an environment she is used to they will have time on Thursday and Friday while Ed and I are at work. We are going to all wear a welcome home helium balloon tied to our wrists and make a banner for the airport. He has promised to wear his dress whites. We are excited at his return, only 28 days to go. Then the baby gets ripped from my arms.......haha just kidding, Im preparing for it. It will be difficult, but it will happen and I am preparing. I already said that, didnt I.

As for the house, we found a couch and loveseat for the living room at a great price. Sorry about that Lin, but we got it very cheap and found out to get your two would have costed more then we figured. We do appreciate the thought though. Right now our new ones are covered in plastic and blankets and turned around the wrong way, we dont want the animals having a good time on them. Once the house is empty and all the baby stuff is in Virginia, Ed and I will organize and finish decorating. For now it looks like baby central everywhere....haha

Ed has a problem with his ears again that cause him to feel off balance and that has made him irritable somewhat. Its finally getting better but it is something that they cant do anything for. We know that because he has been to the doctor twice and an ear, nose and throat specialist. Its crystal things that dislodge and cause the unbalance. Its been rough for him but he is tough and still plugs along. was grumpy.....but doing better. It is something that keeps coming back and very common per the specialist. He has had it before but it never lasted this long.

Otherwise, we have had rain for two days which makes our back yard a muddy freakin mess because our grass is not in yet because the fense is still not done!!! The builder is on it though and it will come along soon.

Well, thats about it. sorry this is so long but i had to fill you in....hahah now dont you wish you wouldnt have said its been a while. I love you all dearly and personally love this blog. i read it daily. keep the updates and all coming everyone. I miss and love you, cindy

Just Hello

Hi All,

It is 70 degrees here in Napa and Peter is in bed with a cold. I just wanted to write and say hi. Cin, haven't heard from you in a while, do write. Kathy, where are you? Ing, we need new pictures in your blog. Es, congratulations on the boys games and do write and let me know about dates for summer camp.

Love, Linda

Hockey tournament

Well we just returned from the Ring of Fire tournament in Farmington Hills big winners. Both boys teams made it to their championship games today. Devin's team took runner up, didnt play well and Devin was pulled for two goals on his first two shots. The little girl back up goalie was put in and though she allowed three goals, she did well but we lost 5 to 1. Reese's team was better, winning all three of their games and the championship. Their goalie had two shutouts and they won the championship 3-0. He is on a very good team, will need to pick up his game alittle if he wants to make this team in the fall, but did well. It is nice to see him win for a change, his team over the winter stank up the place......ha ha. All in all it was a great weekend with lots of hockey. Lin and Peter, great to see you both. Love to all, Es.

Well, we got home around midnight. Hit some delays in Chicago. Thank you for a great time everyone. Loved just sitting around with you guys and catching up. It is raining here and looking very wet and dreary, ughhhhhhhhhhhhh. Head home tomorrow sometime, if the weather is ok.

Love Linda

The mourning after.....

Hi all!
Just wanted to let Linda and Peter know how much we enjoyed their visit out here last week. The guys seemed to have a good time doing their wine "stuff" in Petoskey and we girls just sat for three days and talked, talked, talked! The first nite the Snowdens arrived we dove right into the Rombauer which led to two more bottles of wine while we all reconnected. By the time midnight rolled around we could hardly focus our eyes so Larry and I went home. The next day we could barely get out of bed! Now that we are getting old we cannot take those rough nites like we used to. But we all had fun with eachother and I hated to see them leave.
All is well here with us. Larry and I bought our new kitchen floor last night. It was on sale at home depot....solid oak, light, beautiful. We looked at counter tops but dont need to worry about that till we get the roof torn off and repaired. Will let you know as things progress.
Hope you are all well and happy. I love you every one!
Aunt Rose

Ingrid's House

I finally got a photo of the house off Mark's camera... isn't she lovely? (click to enlarge). We are trying to decide what colors to repaint it... the beige is okay but the faded rotton peach trim color has got to go.

Of course, first we need to pull out the cabinets where the fridge is supposed to be, it's too low for our fridge; we need to re-do the floor in the kitchen; we need to patch up the hole in the shower doorframe if not reno that bathroom; we need to get a gardener; we need to organize the garage; we need to do something about my room........

:) Ing

Well, I really think we will do a sister trip here to Washington, it is without a doubt one of the prettest places in the country. Right now I am sitting at the dining table and watching two eagles try and mate. The ferry goes by every half hour and the tide is going out quickly that the birds are diving for things in the water. It is cold and overcast but just magnificent.

We flew in yesterday having to fly low due to clouds but I love that anyway because you can really see everything so clearly. We left yesterday morning but only got as far as Coos bay in Oregon where we spent the night. Had dinner at this little restaurant called Oyster Cove bar and grill. Tiny place with mom and pop doing the cooking. What great food that was. The people in Coos Bay are really friendly and helpful. It is always a great surprise when we land somewhere we have never been and the food and people are wonderful. We think we may start writing down our adventures across the country because we have had some wonderful and not so great experiences zig zaging across this wonderful country of ours.

Love, Linda

Game Over

Well the game is over and Tate's team won.....:-). All the kids are small like him, some skated better than others, but oh how cute to watch. This is the greatest age to watch play, no pressure-just fun. Each child rotated as goalie and Tate did not like that one bit. He wanted to skate and did manage to get his stick on the puck once or twice. He hung with the rest pretty much, just needs to know which net he is supposed to shoot on.......hee hee. It was cute and he is going to make a great player just like his big brother.

The Evacuation!

Hi everyone!
Well, the contractors were here yesterday and have ordered the new rafters!! Next week after Lin and Peter leave we will start shopping for shingles, flooring, counter tops, sinks, garbage disposals, sky light, light fixtures etc!! Woohoo I cannot wait! This original kitcken is 30 years old and needs a facelift and its going to get one! It will be a mess but ohhh sooo worth it in the end! This will take up most of our summer but we are prepared. We will have to live out of our camper for a period of time when the roof comes but no biggie...I LOVE my little mobile cottage! We are fine. Olivia and Nathan are starting spring soccor...Logan is holding out for basketball again. They are doing great in school and seem happy. Life is good! Have to go now to do a mattress exchange. New one we bought has weak sides so we are upgrading. Need a good bed for our guests.
I love you all,
Rose

Little Man Tate

Well I've talked enough about his brothers, now its his turn. Tate has his first hockey game today. He is now an atom and has his own team, he is soooooo excited. He has only skated about four times, but is doing quite well. We tried to put him in learn to skate, he hated it. He wanted his own team like his brothers and wanted to play hockey so we threw him to the wolves, covered him from head to toe in gear, gave him a stick and a puck and away he went. He can stay up, skate pretty fast, but doesnt know how to stop yet and ......falls alot. ha. He will learn quickly though, as he really is doing well already, for the short time he has been skating. He skates out of Saginaw, so we cover the tri city area as Devin skates out of Bay City and Reese out of Midland. I will let you know how he does, I plan on taping it, as I have video of when the older boys first started when they were five and six. Will let everyone know how it goes. Love you all and love hearing about you on this website.

Hi All,

Peter and I are off tomorrow for the rainy weather of the Pacific Northwest. We will be there until Tuesday when we head to Michigan for even colder weather. Burrrrrrrrrrr, will summer ever get here? Keep the updates coming, I love this. No boast is to big or small. We all want to know all the great stuff going on in everyones life, right? I have all these great pictures I took of Finny last week but I don't know how to put them on this blog. Anyone out there willing to walk me through it, PLLLLEASE! I haven't heard from Erik so I have no news about him at the moment but will let everyone know the minute he passes his tests. Love to all, Linda

Blogger-Bragger

I'm not much of a blogger or a bragger, let alone a blogger-bragger, but I thought I'd give ya'all some exciting scoop while I have a minute to be out here.

You all know that my job is as a Marketing Communications Manager for a software company. That software company produces simulation and modeling software for the oil & gas and chemicals industries. I won't bore you to tears with the intricate details. The holding company a $3Billion business, and I work for a brand of the holding company that is about $100Million. Kind of like GM owns Hummer or Chevy. Same type of scenario. Different industry.

Anyway, part of my job responsibility is advertising. We have a dedicated agency that does our ads, but I've been one of the stubborn ones who (after much resistance) poo-poo'd the system (mostly because it's a waste of $$ when I know how to do graphic design anyway) and broke away from the rest of the Marketing Managers to do my own thing, while (of course) following design policies. :)

I've now done 2 ads on my own. One of which just recently won an award in a chemicals magazine! This magazine just happens to be the largest in our industry and distributes to over 65,000 readers worldwide. An independent survey was done on the January issue for readership analysis: Ad effectiveness, recall seeing/reading. My design placed within the top 10% of 50 ads in the survey. I know you probably don't understand the full context of its meaning, but my ad beat out much bigger competitor companies, like Honeywell, Intergraph, and Siemens - who historically use dedicated agencies for their ad programs.

In doing this myself, I saved the company a quick $20,000! Think I'll ever see a bonus check? No. That's just big business. Right Ing?? BUT, I have gotten lots of very nice praise from our Exec. VPs, front-page write-up in our corporate newspaper, etc. And it's review season, so the timing is PERFECT! Another reason this is so significant within our company is that the chemicals market is historically smaller for us than oil & gas, and it's an area we're really trying to ramp up. So to know our potential market is watching us this closely is a very good thing. Sales is very happy. :)

Long story short... This is obviously very good for my resume... :)
Love you guys!

So Lin finally got on....

Yayeeeee!! Go Linda, go Linda!! You got on!! Good for you...now we can keep better track of eachother from now on. I am sitting here today with a snowstorm blowing outside! I spent several hours snuggled in my studio working on the Military art piece honoring Dad. Also began putting together an art piece for mom...takes much planning...lots of time. I am using an old robe, nightgown, lace curtains, photos etc for hers....things that represent her/her life/her loves. When I get the two done I will photo them and post them on the blog for you to see. Noone sees them before that...sorry! I love my little studio!
Christy told me to tell everyone she cannot participate on this blog as she has absolutly no time. Between classes, homework, study, kids, dogs, a husband, a house, a job she just cannot take on another thing. She says she will have more time next year when she graduates. She loves you all and wishes you well. I do too and hope you are all happy. I love you!
Now, I would like to share a lovely poem with my sisters;
by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Already I have shed the leaves of youth,
Stripped by the wind of time down to the truth
Of winter branches. Linear and alone
I stand, a lens for lives beyond
my own,
A frame through which anothers fire may blow,
A harp on which another's passions blow.
The patterns of my boughs,
an open chart
Spread on the sky, to others
may impart
Its leafless mysteries that once
I prized,
Before bare roots and
branches equalized;
Tendrils that tap the rain
or twigs the sun
Are all the same, shadow and
substance one.
Now that my vulnerable leaves
are cast aside,
There's nothing left to shield,
nothing to hide.
Blow through me, Life, pared down
at last to bone,
So fragile and so fearless
have I grown!

Devins picture

OK, I forgot to put a check in the small box at the bottom. Here goes one more time.

Devin's MVP award

Thought I would experiment by adding a picture of Devin's MVP award. Wanted to see if I could get it to work. Love you all and Lin, Im so happy you can now get on.

I made it home!

Hi all,

I made the long trip home and after 6 hours of rest I am ready for my baby again. What is wrong with me?????????????????? Next trip is to Michigan where the guys go off and do wine stuff and I don't have do anything wine related. YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Love to all, Linda

I miss my mama!

Well Linda-mom has left and is driving home, and Finny is off with Isabel going to the park, and I am here working from home (procrastinating). I love when Omi visits because she has so much fun with Fin and gives me a break, and somehow she also cleans my house, washes all our clothes, does all the dishes, makes repairs, goes shopping, takes Fin to the park, goes for walks--- I mean it's like she comes with a clone! Plus she and I get to catch up and bond, which I love.

I miss all the rest of you. I heard Xmas may be at Cindy's this year? I would love to be there but I promised Mark we'd have Xmas at our house this year, since we went to Omi's last year. Not likely we're going to go to NY or Vancouver to be with his parents, though it's a possibility. Man it's hard when family is all over the place! Maybe next year... but then it will probably be back in MI so who knows. I want to bring Fin again and spend a Christmas with you all.

I love hearing all about all the great stuff - Omi read me an email about Devin's latest adventures last night. I am so proud of all our kids, they are all so smart, talented, etc. I hope Finny and Maya will be able to hold a candle to them! :) hehe

LOVE YOU ALL,
Me

P.S. If any of the kids need some supplemental Math help, I met this teacher who created these self-learning modules for kids that look really great. They are only $3 each. I am tempted to get some for Omi (just kidding!!).

Hi Family,

Wow, it took long enough but I am in now and try and stop me now!!! I have had a wonderful time with Ing and Finny. He is growing so fast and is soooooooooooo cute that I miss him already and I haven't left yet. Cin, I wish Iwas as lucky as you are right now, I wish he lived with me. We are developing a very sweet relationship, he kisses me a lot. I think I'm in with him. Ok enough grandma stuff. Have had a lovely time with Mark and Ingrid as well. Their
new bedroom furniture came today and so they are now no longer living out of boxes. Slowly their little house is becoming a home.
Peter went to Scotts house for Easter dinner. They always throw a big dinner for friends and family so I didn't feel bad leaving him for Finny. I head home tomorrow, have to drive 6 hours to get there. I couldn't fly myself because the weather wouldn't cooperate. I have a new car so the drive out was great and will be nice going back.
Well, I better go before I bore you all to death. I love and miss each and every one of you guys, keep writing, this is fun.

Love,
Linda

HAPPY EASTER!!!

Hello family, now i'm really on - Ingrid is helping me with this so i can post to the blog.

Fintan says hello!

Happy Easter, miss you all, and love you very much!

Love,
Linda & Ingrid

Happy Easter Wonderful Family

Us southern folk here in Kentucky want to wish yall a very Happy Easter. We miss being all together and are excited for Christmas. We had our Easter dinner yesterday while Autumn and Travis were still here visiting. They came down for four days and had to take off today. It was a great visit, I always love seeing her and we had a nice visit. Travis is a little hand full but sweet most of the time. We did alot of free marketing stuff. It was nice. We have heard from Reese and so far nothing has changed as far as when he comes home. In fact, they are in a port right now and they wouldnt do that if they were on a high watch. So as of now we are 47 days and counting until he comes home to his family!!!! Yahoo.........The house is coming along more and more, picking up little things here and there. We have a lotttttt of furniture we are going to have to get to make it into a home, so it will just have to come slowly. It is ready for company though, so once again......come on down! Love to everyone, Cindy, Ed, Kelly, Reese and Maya

My Easter wish to you......

Hello everyone!
I want to wish everyone a very Happy Easter Sunday! We will be having dinner here with Christy's family and Sean's father Denny. Esther is having dinner for her brood at her house. Families are growing, changing and we have no choice but to go with it. I will miss you tomorrow, Es. Have a happy day everyone!
Olivia is now on Nathan's soccer team (mom got her on)....she is sooo excited. They canceled the last two practices because of the snow and cold we have had but will make it up in the next two weeks. She plays well at home...hope she does as well for the team!
Larry has been busy in the shop, got contractors coming and going in preps for the remodle. Am getting anxious to get going. Had the kids the whole week for spring break....now its ME who needs a break!!!! :) They go home tomorrow after dinner. :)
We are fine and hope the same of you all. Glad you LOVE your house, Cin. Hope to get down your way soon. Lin, did you figure out how to get on here? Did Ing help? Hurry up!!!
Well, I need to go and feed the kids lunch. Take care and be safe. I love you all very, very much.
Your,
Aunt Rose

HAPPY EASTER!!

Just wanted to wish my dear family a very Happy Easter. For those far away, I miss you all terribly, for those closer to home I miss you as well. I will be thinking of you all this Sunday and want to send my love and appreciation for being a part of this wonderful group of people, Mom and Dad would be proud! Love and kisses, Es.