Gene and Mary, Larry and Rose Kentucky Visit

Well, I posted an email to the whole family but wanted to add a bit to our sister blog also. Our visit with Gene and Mary was really nice. We always love having Rose and Larry here so that is a given. It was so good to see Gene and Mary. Besides us all aging, they looked great. They have had some major illness challenges and are very strong. We did alot of talking, eating and just being together. It was a great time and I wish we all could have been here together. Here are a few pictures. Love to you all, Cindy

Climbing Cotopaxi

INGRID'S TRIP TO ECUADOR... I know you're all dying to see it!

http://travel.webshots.com/album/573296306LXdGuA

There are over 300 photos here. I wrote captions. Enjoy.

Hello my sisters!

Hello my lovely sisters!
It feels as tho it has been a long time since I have been able to write on this blog...mostly because my computer has been very temperamental for awhile now. I have had computer help from Jeff and Cindy so hopefully we have a few of the kinks out of it. Time will tell but for now I will enjoy being connected with you all again.
We are well. Have had a lot of company as of late and will again on Sunday when the kids come for a week during summer vacation. Cindy and Ed just left this morning after being with us for a week and before that Kathy and Jeff and Christy and her crew were here for a long visit. We had family portraits taken which you will all get a copy. It was wonderful having everyone home with us for a while.
This month we are working on our bathroom remodle, next month we are camping and going to Miss. to hook up with our brother at Cindy and Eds for a few days. Then in Aug. more camping and a rummage sale at Christy's and in Sept. we are considering a boat trip with Linda and Peter. During those months we will also have the children here off and on for summer fun. It will be a busy time around here.
Hope everyone is in good health and enjoying the warmer weather. Be safe and remember how much I love you all. Here is a bit of wisdom from John Updike: " Dreams come true; without that possibility nature would not incite us to have them".
Keep in touch...I will too!
Love, Rose

I'm Back!!

Hello everyone! Thanks to the wonderful help of my favorite little sister I was able to get back on to the Memoirs site. She is so great I can't believe it. (teehee, yes, Cindy is typing this!) Anyway, we are having a good visit and tomorrow Ed and Cindy will stay the night with Esther and we are going to the Williams to have a bar-b-que. Should be fun. Will write more when I get home and Rose will write more when she gets control of this computer again.

Sister Trip

While Erik's wedding was our main focus, when it was over the rest of our trip became a sister trip. The four of us went to Reno, where we stayed at Harrah's casino and had a blast. Though there wasnt much to do besides gamble, we got to spend time together, take a river walk and get tipsy playing video poker at the bar. It is always so good to get together with the four of us, we have such a great time. I love all of you and cannot wait till we can get together again. Linda, take good care of the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Wine Glasses", hopefully we will be using them again soon!

Eriks Wedding

Well the wedding of the year is over and what a beautiful wedding it was. Erik looked his usual handsome self and his bride is a doll. She and her family were very welcoming to the Barrett side and we felt right at home. The setting was to die for, a beautiful day with the mountains surrounding the ceremony complete with snow on the peaks. Though the service was short, it was very sweet and I want to congratulate the happy couple once again. With the exception of the cake, it suffered from its transport, everything went well and the reception was great. Thank you again Peter and Linda for allowing us to be a part of this wonderful weekend, we love you both.

New Orleans

Well I finally figured out how to get back to the blog since I got my new laptop! What a great time I had at Mardi Gras. Esther, our room location was so perfect. You walk out our hotel and there stood Harrahs Casino! We were a couple of blocks from the riverfront, and about 4 blocks from the French Quarter. It was just prime location. what an experience. Lots of different people all getting along. Perfect 5 star service from our hotel and the places we ate at. It was just really fun. Would be a great place for a sister trip some time. Have to do it during the celebration though to get the true effect. Just a thought. Looking so forward to Tahoe. It will be great. Love you all, Cindy

Christmas in Dixie!

Hello my sisters!
We got home late Sat. nite from our 10 hr. drive from Kentucky! Christmas in Dixie was wonderful and we thank you , Cindy and Ed, from the bottom of our hearts for the great time had by all. Most of us arrived the day before Christmas eve... Christy and Sean had to work an additional day and arrived Christmas Eve afternoon. We visited and caught up with eachothers lives before dinner and gift opening. The children sang Christmas songs for us first and then we did our rounds ooohing and ahhhing over our gifts. Christmas Day was quiet with ball games and boggle and food and laughing. Noone wanted to go anywhere so we did not move from our places for four days! Then the Holmes family went home, next day Kathy and Jeff flew back to Ca. and we rested for the next two days. Larry and Ed got to golf while the weather was in the 40-50s so they were happy campers! Then on New Years Day Es and Stan drove in for a nice New Year celebration. We played cards and then the girls watched two movies. We had good food and lots of laughs. We all headed for home on Sat. It was a great time and we thank you, Cin and Ed, for being such good hosts and hostess. You made us feel right at home. I missed the rest of the gang who could not be with us....seemed strange to be without them. Next year we will be back in Mi. for Christmas. I hope the New Year prooves to be a healthy and happy one for all of us and if God wills it that we may all be together next year. I love you all, Rose
ps. I just wanted to share this little goody...you may already know it but I think its worth repeating: Yesterday is history, Tomorrow a mystery, today is a gift...thats why it's called the present!

Hello Dear Family

Well 2008 is history and it was a good year. Starting 2009 with Cindy, Ed, Rose and Larry was great, we had a wonderful time. Christmas was subdued this year with everyone in Kentucky, but spending it with my grandkids was all that mattered, though we missed everyone. It has been a great year for the boys, all three doing well in school and growing so fast. Reese has found his sport and is an awesome soccer player, so much so that his coach thinks he needs to play up two years. He is still on a travel team and they have games every saturday till spring . Devin's new team won their division and now we are waiting for playoffs. He will be trying out for Selects in March, which is a tryout for Team Michigan. If they make the cut they go to a week long camp in the Soo and if they make that cut they go to New York. Mostly AAA kids make it so he has a good chance because he continues to practise with the AAA team down south. Tate is getting very tall and loves his music. He got an electric guitar for Christmas and plays so much he is going through alot of strings. He is going to play soccer in the spring, he seems to like it, but wants to try his hand at basketball also. He will be tall so that might be his sport. Last but not least my Sophie is almost six months old and cute as a button. We took her to Kentucky and she did real well, getting along with Cindys dogs no problem. I hope everyone has a great 2009 and hopefully we will see each other alot this year. Love Es