One Moore Year
2007
Taking down the calendar on the fridge to see what we did this
year!
You know let me start with Christmas last year since I send this out before
Christmas.
December '06
Mim and Norm came out Christmas Eve but they were a bit
uneasy,
it seems there was some type of animal that came through the chimney
and was trapped in the laundry room ceiling when they left. They thought
it was a raccoon.
When they got home they saw the little foot prints everywhere....
whatever it was got into a box of pancake mix and scattered it around the
whole room.
Here's your hint...
Don't know?
Scroll down a bit more....
a bit more....
a bit more....
a little more...
Yeppers, the squirrel did everything but the laundry in the laundry room overnight.
January
Well after doing this Christmas letter for more years than I
remember,
I have come to the
conclusion that we don't do crap in January, February and March!
This
might have something to do with it dropping below 40.
We do however spend
a lot of time at the doctors and dentist offices...so let's just move
on.
April
Alrightie then...
Lego turned six this month!
Okay, I know still sorta slow going.
Brian turned 45 this month.
He also went to Houston this month for work...and that is about
it.
May
Niece Kim (Georgia's oldest girl) graduated from Mount St. Joseph's College for physical therapy.
We went and saw the play Spamalot. Brian and I saw it in
Chicago years ago when it was in previews.
We love Monty Python and the Holy
Grail in this house, and that's the movie the play was based on,
so we decided to
take the kids when it came to Indy.
June
I started blogging in June.
Sometimes life gets all crazy and
hectic and you just have to sit back and relax,
and nothing is more relaxing
than reading a blog by me. Guaranteed to put you to sleep!
I must say
though, it's a bit more helpful than my fridge calendar
Sniff, sniff!
Rachael, my God daughter and Gretchen's
oldest graduated High School.
So I went up to Chicago to attend her graduation party.
The kids were still in school and couldn't join me and we're leaving the next
day for their...
Mancation!
This year was special, they spent five days at Yellowstone
National Park in Wyoming.
They stayed right in the park at Grant Village.
Many buffalo and bears to be seen....many a pants to be
wet!
I told Brian, when you get there you don't have to call,
just give me the thumbs up when you get to the top of a mountain!
Here's some pictures....just would like to say, the kids actually do smile occasionally in real life.
http://ivmoores.com/family/slides/mt.washington.html
Niece Kim's Bridal Shower at Georgia's.
Renee and Elise came up the night before and spent the night and we all traveled
together.
Renee's cancer scans have been moved up to six months so that's very good
news!
The radiation has reeked havoc on her arthritis though, so think happy thoughts
for Renee.
I started making a website for one of my very favorite
authors.
I noticed hers was a bit blah...and I offered my services.
She turned out to be as great as her books.
This is a great series of books, I read the first one in 1999 and it was the
type of book that stayed with you.
Great strong female character with an even better sense of humor.
Nancy E. Turner - Author
July
Ian turns 18!
I think this makes Brian and I officially old
too!
Lake James with the Simpsons. Our former neighbor Soncerae from Granger stopped by.
A girlfriend of mine makes these wonderful candles and I made a website
and graphics for her...
The Tartan Candle Co.
August
We took Ian for a college tour at Purdue University.
Lucked out since we were in a heat wave
we got the air-conditioned bus tour instead of the walking in 100 degree heat
tour.
It's a beautiful campus and about an hour and half from Indy.
Ian decided on the spot that's where he wanted to go,
Brian was very impressed
with the engineering dept. and wants to go back too!
We went to Collin's Open House.
We also went to Ian's Open House got
Senioritis and left after an hour and went to Target!
Brian and I went to Niagara Falls! We didn't take a whole
lot of pictures, as usual.
We got there around 8 at
night and stayed on the New York side.
We could walk from the hotel to the American falls, saw it at lit up and purty at night.
Everyone told us to view it
from the Canadian side for a better view, so we did that the next
day.
Boy everyone is right too!
What a difference! We didn't take a lot of pictures but here's a few...
http://ivmoores.com//family/niagarafalls/index.html
The falls are incredible.
We weren't expecting the whole
Wisconsin Dells atmosphere though around the falls.
We also went to visit a jewelers I have been working with for
about a year and a half
on a ring that was made from the Diana Gabaldon
novels. A friend of mine asked her if we could have them
made for fans and
we got permission. Then I found a jeweler and took the first 300 orders
myself,
it went so well they are still taking orders, thankfully not me any
more!
To date we have sold over 690 rings! I was also offered a unique
opportunity from them,
hopefully there will be more on that next year, they are a wee pokey! :-)
After Niagara we met up with some more of my net reading group
friends in Fergus, Ontario!
Where?
Fergus, Ontario!
For some
Scottish Highland Games.....no haggis!
Although we did get a 400 dollar
donut! We were hit in the parking lot at Tom Hortons.
September
Brian is off to Liverpool for a week for work..
He had some time off and went to the Beatles museum, he said he loved it, yeah, yeah, yeah!
Ian gets accepted to Purdue University!
He will be
majoring in Engineering, thinking electrical but he's not quite sure.
They have a first year engineering course that involves speakers from every type
of degree
so the students have a better grip on it before choosing their major.
Aunt Cheryl comes for a visit, the next day her son Brent and
fiance Rosebud come.
Then we all headed for Ohio for Kim and Mike's wedding.
Jamie - Kim - Georgia
Kim and Mike both accepted positions in Dallas, we hope they
aren't there long and come back soon.
We miss you two!
October
October is always nuts!
Brian and I made a quick trip up to Wisconsin. Aunt
Bette's companion Bob of 13 years passed on.
What a man! I went
knowing he was a great guy, after attending his service,
I left knowing he was
an exceptional father and wonderful man.
He will be missed. God Speed Bob!
We stopped at my mom's grave the night before, I hadn't seen it with the
stone up yet.
There is something comforting and terribly wrong with seeing her and Mark's
stones together.
Mark would of been 47 this year, my mom 74.
Bob was buried at the same cemetery my dad is at, just a very sad two days.
On the 14th I went up to South Bend to take part in the
Hospice Walk with Fr. Bill.
We walked for one mile and went to Dairy
Queen.
Where I let him treat and thought I was a cheap date, till I asked
when his last date was?
1949!
A sundae he said was 35
cents back then, and it seems I'm not such a cheap date after all!
I made my annual trip out to British Columbia.
I plan a
little gathering with some net reading group friends and our favorite
author.
This year however the group found out I hated bananas and had a banana
intervention.
How many friends would dress up like a giant banana for you...not a lot thank
goodness! :-)
This is Ginny in the banana outfit, she comes with her best
friend Gayle every year.
"Gayle and Ginny" crack me up, because they are a tad older
"Gretchen & Michelle".
The day after I got back from Canada we went......yes
again......to Walt Disney World.
We had plans and hotel reservations for
Washington D.C.,
but we all sat down and talked about it and we all
decided we would have more fun at Disney.
The kids can do D.C. by themselves
when they are older and can complain to themselves...
instead of Brian and I.
The rapids ride at Animal Kingdom, it was the last ride on the last day.
November
I completed and made graphics for two websites this
month.
One for a friend who is a custom kilt maker.
She
makes the most adorable little Scottish Pegdolls.
The other for these incredible horse hair bracelets...
Spirit Horse
Designs.
We bought a new car for Brian.
Thanksgiving was spent at home with one more turkey than
usual.
Saturday after
Thanksgiving Collin turned 14!
I can hardly believe it...especially since
this is the age Brian and I met.
Collin had some friends over for the day, and
Barry and the kids came later and spent the night.
So it was nice to
have some family for his birthday.
He wanted a Wii, we said he had to pay
half, and started looking in August.
No luck. When I went to
Vancouver, I found one in Washington state on the way up...phew!
That game
system is fun!
Collin gave us a gift this Thanksgiving, he started liking
pizza again.
We tried to convince him we had evidence that he liked it when he was younger, we
had a picture!
...then kids being kids he wouldn't touch it anymore. He
was the only kid we ever knew that didn't like pizza.
Did we throw a pizza intervention........noooooooooo! We waited it out and
about ten years later here we are!
Sure he is on the Honor Roll at school, he actually likes science, he's
kind hearted, good to animals....
but, since we are from Chicago,
we have never been more proud then when he ate 8 pieces of pepperoni pizza on
Thanksgiving weekend.
You do us proud Collin!
December
Ahhhhhhh......December.
Well, it's the third and this past weekend I spent baking and getting cards
ready for the mail tomorrow.
Saw Georgia and Will today...that little drop by made our weekend!
The lights
are up on the house, and the inside decorated too.
Brian's parents
and Sylvia usually come and spend Christmas Eve and spend the night,
we open presents and have a
big breakfast Christmas morning.
It's absolutely wonderful having them here.
Wishing you all a very happy, and healthy 2008!
The Moores
....okay you can go watch paint dry now!