Fall in Connecticut

I made this slide show for my kids for Thanksgiving...enjoy! (There is sound if you have speakers.... :)

Mom and Dad in Connecticut

We finished up the month with my parents joining us here. We had a wonderful time together. We went up to Newport and toured a mansion, into the city where they saw "Mary Poppins" (and loved it), tooled around the small towns here, and just generally enjoyed each other. We are so lucky to have such a loving family. Now what are we going to do with ourselves until someone comes again to visit?

Michelle in Connecticut

Shell on West Wharf Beach, Madison

Shell and I at the Irish Famine Memorial in Lower Manhattan, looking out on the Hudson.

This is Shell's "Schedule of Fun!" She's the party girl.

Shell and I in Newport, RI

Michelle joined us for a few wonderful days toward the end of October. We had such fun! This was her classic line; she said she wanted to relax while she was here, not go a mile a minute. Above you'll see her agenda for one night while she was here - and this was scheduled to begin around 5:00 PM. On top of all this, we managed to see Boston, NYC, Newport, and she even helped me paint the kitchen! It was a great time. I love my kids!

An experiment with Smilebox

Click to play | Make your own Smilebox

George's Birthday

October 3 was George's 16th birthday! It was fun to be here to celebrate with him. Chip gave him one of his guitars -- a guitar that has some personal history. It was fun to pass on a legacy of sorts. Tim and Jane were here, staying for a brief time enroute to Florida, so it was fun to gather everyone together to celebrate.

Natalie and James in Connecticut

We enjoyed Natalie and James for a few days beginning Oct. 6. We had so much fun! Boston, Harvard, an afternoon on Long Island Sound, Yale, and then New York! Hopefully they enjoyed it so much that soon they'll be moving east! (Wishful thinking...) James honored us with his rendition of Disney's "Fantasmic" in the pool. We'll keep these pictures in a safe place so they can be proudly displayed in the White House. They are such fun and an absolute pleasure to be around.

Bradford's Mission

Guess it's about time I enter the stuff about Bradford's mission. Maybe subconsciously I was thinking that if I didn't post anything he would still be here. We do miss him, but he's doing well and doing that which he believes. It was great to have everyone together to say good-bye...lots of events that week. He's completely amazing and will do great as a missionary. One unexpected positive of his being away are the letters we share. I think most of us say more in writing than vocally. It's been a treasure and strange as it may seem, I believe we've grown closer since he's been away.