Monday, January 07, 2008

I was shocked to discover that I have not added to my blog since October! However, we've had an "interesting" late fall/early winter with travels, and with some knee issues on my part. I'm glad to finally be adding some photos today, and hope you'll enjoy what I'm posting. After the Christmas photos, there will also be some taken at Thanksgiving in San Francisco.
Christmas, 2007, doesn't seem that long ago, but was actually two weeks ago now. Phil and I traveled to Phoenix this year in order to be with our two daughters who live there and their families.
The photo above: dear sweet Paulie (Kim's husband) doing what he does so well, that of holding and/or playing with a niece or two nephews when he isn't cuddling his own little JJ. In this instance, Lalo is settled snugly in Paulie's lap, playing with the lid of a food container. :-)
Our two granddaughters, Raquel and JJ
Paulie and Antonio checking out a toy
There's a princess underneath that Princess shower cape! :-)
Phil, Karma and Kimmer Dec. 27th at Kim's home
Thursday evening, 12/27, Kim graciously hosted 18 of us at her home and served us all spaghetti pie, a family favorite! A great joy for us was a visit by our dear friend, Carole, and her husband, Bill. They live in Montana but were spending Christmas vacation in Sedona. How we loved seeing them and having such a wonderful evening...and meal!
Karma, pictured above with Carole, was about 3 years old when Carole began working for Phil when he was Controller at Friendship Village of Schaumburg, IL.
Bill and Carole
Bill and Carole's daughter and her friend joined us also. :-)
The Corens girls, all prettied up Christmas day....
...and JJ sported a fancy hairdo, thanks to her mommy.

Thanksgiving 2007 was special for us, in that we had family from Florida, Tennessee, Illinois and Arizona join us in San Francisco for that very special time. The arrivals and departures of those who came varied, but Phil and I were able to enjoy having all three of our daughters and their families, as well as my brother, his friend, one of my sisters and her son with us.
Above, from left to right: Nephew Christopher, PJW, my sister Teecie, MKW, Inez with my brother Bob, Kim, Paul and JJ (in her beautiful lavender silk Chinese dress).
Myrna and Teecie
Inez and Bob
Christopher and Teecie






Phil and our oldest grandchild, Antonio, enjoying their ice cream cones at Ghirardelli Square.
Phil and Antonio enjoying PHIL'S ice cream cone, ten years earlier in Phoenix!
(Just had to include this one!) :-)

Out to dinner Saturday evening, Ghirardelli Square area. Karma, her three children, and Aimee.
The Corenses in a hollowed-out Redwood tree, Muir Woods
Teecie holding a beautiful, large leaf - Muir Woods
A stop at a favorite location - overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge
The Corenses, MKW, Teecie, and Christopher
Christopher and Teecie pausing to reflect on the magnanimous
surroundings of Muir Woods.

Bob photographing Inez with an enormous Redwood as "backdrop."
I took the above photo and the two below when some of us took a ride along the California coast, Route 1. It's impossible to take a 'bad' photo!