MJ & Gregg, Our World

Issac Is A Newly Naturalized Citizen Of The United States Of America

2011-10-20T15:02:00.000-04:00

Issac and Gregg waiting in line, prior to the ceremony.

Linnea and Issac waiting patiently for the ceremony to begin.

:~)

Issac showing his certificate of citizenship.

The ceremony was inspirational; the entire day was brilliant!

2011-09-18T00:35:00.000-04:00

GreggR

Marcos is ready for school !

2011-09-08T12:22:00.000-04:00

GreggR

Mateo taking a short flight.

2011-08-22T14:01:00.001-04:00

sent from my ppc

Mateo clockin some flying time.

2011-08-22T13:02:00.000-04:00

sent from my ppc

2011-07-10T00:23:00.001-04:00

sent from my ppc

Memorial Day Pictures

2011-05-30T13:18:00.000-04:00

Sent from my ppc

2011-05-29T19:38:00.000-04:00

Sent from my ppc

Pie for our new neighbor, she was at MSU with Em.

2011-05-07T16:05:00.000-04:00

Sent from my ppc

Easter Fun, 2011

2011-05-01T14:07:00.002-04:00

Marcos taking care of his little brother; thanks Em

2011-04-29T10:40:00.000-04:00

Ready for the Baptism!

2011-04-28T20:53:00.001-04:00

Mateo was feeling pretty happy about getting dressed up in his baptism outfit! Emily took the kids to Riverside Park for this photo shoot. The first semi-sunny day in a week! As you can see from the background, the flowers are loving all the rain, and the Grand River (waaayyy in the background) is overflowing its banks. Linnea tells me that she and Marcos were "running around" while Em was taking this photo. No doubt that's what was keeping Mateo smiling - he sure loves to watch his brother and cousin!

So thankful that the worst of the storms missed us. It's heartbreaking to hear about the devastation in other parts of the south and mid-west. Sure are keeping those folks in our prayers.

The Lopez' will be traveling back to Morelia to spend 3 weeks, introducing the rest of the family to Mateo, celebrating his baptism and mother's day and generally enjoying some nice warm weather!

Jill and Nea will be house-sitting for them while their gone. I have a feeling that after all this rain, that lawn mowing will be one of the duties as well.....(sorry, Jilly!).

The mama robin on our porch is acting like she may have hatched some babies recently. No official sighting, but guessing there could be as many as 4 babes.

I'd better get to bed soon. I'm heading over to Mom's around 5:30am to royal-watch with her, do some grocery shopping and get to a Dr.'s appt. on that side of town. Issac will be stopping by too....A full day.

Saturday shots

2011-04-23T19:49:00.000-04:00

Sent from my ppc

Happy Easter

2011-04-23T16:45:00.009-04:00

Jill has been getting ready to do this for a while.....Sunday marks the official start to a "smoke free" lifestyle.. Yeah Jill! We're all rooting for her. She's got a Facebook challenge going to get inspirational support posters sent to her and so far, she's received a few really nicely done "atta-girls".

This is a ring Jill's been using as incentive to quit smoking as well. It's her "reward" to self for getting to this point. She even had her car detailed to remove smoke smell, clean and restore the interior. Very symbolic too of the benefits fresh air in her lungs!

Mateo and Grandpa, watching the action in the kitchen.

Linnea in her bunny ears, decorating easter eggs.

Easter preparations were well underway ....the Lopez' came for a visit and after the decorating, our house was "nap central" as Em, Mateo, Jill and Nea snuggled down for a couple of hours. I enjoyed some play time with Marcos and he and Grandpa watched some TV in between watching the coming and going of the robin family and their nest tending. A robin has made a nest and laid two beautiful blue eggs on our front porch.

Yes, the birds eggs are about the color of Linnea's eyes!

Winter seemed awfully long this year and its so wonderful to see some sunshine. Thunder storms last night and cloudy, rainy days this past week have primed us to be especially grateful for the signs of spring.

Note the updated backyard view in the header at the top of this page - no more snow! This is a view from the swing in the back.

Junk Drawers

2011-01-22T23:29:00.000-05:00

Cleaned out 2 junk drawers today. Lots of memories.

Sent from my ppc

Christmas Eve, 2010

2010-12-25T00:23:00.000-05:00

Marcia and Al discuss the finer points of juicing and orange,,,,I think.

Bill getting the Swedish meatballs ready.

A few hot items baking/warming.

We think Mateo is teething.

Herring/Fish Buffet

Bill milling the rotmos.

Cold Buffet

Hot Buffet

Em is modeling the kronekake. Mom made the cake and

Em made the flags, which represent our heritage.

Pre-Christmas Pictures

2010-12-18T23:19:00.001-05:00

Issac post graduation.

Nice picture of Em and,,,,,hey, is Mateo

sticking his tongue out at me!

The next generation eating lunch at the Baumgartner Christmas party.

Beth's nieces and nephews.

Nea just before jumping into the pool.

Cousins.

Dick and Y joined us today for Christmas this year.

Linnea helped Grandma play scrabble.

Issac right after graduation.

Thanksgiving Dessert

2010-11-24T16:12:00.000-05:00

GreggR
Sent from my ppc

Santa Parade Today

2010-11-20T18:28:00.001-05:00

Linnea is waiting patiently for the parade to begin.

She collected candy and had fun. It was quiet cold down town.

A State Police color guard started the parade.

The sign said this is an award wining ski team.

Misc pics

2010-11-14T15:31:00.001-05:00

sent from my ppc

Visit To Holland Robinsons

2010-11-06T17:14:00.002-04:00

Despite the very serious looks, this was a nice relaxed visit to the Rs new apartment. Not having to lift, tote, or otherwise pack, unpack, or move furniture for us, Jill's 1st visit there, and a little belated b-day for Linnea all made for a nice visit! Soup was delicious! Thanks, Lois!

We walked the few blocks over to 8th St and enjoyed the crisp, autumn day. The Rs are settling in little by little, and adjusting to the new community.

sent from my ppc

Linnea's Birthday Party

2010-10-28T20:17:00.000-04:00

GreggR
Sent from my ppc

It's All About the Crowns!/Send in the Crowns!

2010-10-27T13:09:00.001-04:00

Early impromptu Linnea birthday celebrations.

--
Gregg R

Saturday, October 16th, 2010

2010-10-16T22:22:00.000-04:00

This is part of an assignment for an entimology class at Alpena Community College, back in '78

We had a final day of clean up/moving Mom and Dad today. Bill scored a nice "new" apron. He wore this first when he was know as Little Billy.

These ladies are going for a spin at Teusink's Pony Farm.

The H-R women.

Great picture Jill took with her phone.

Misc. Fall Fotos

2010-10-10T16:20:00.000-04:00

Nea playing in the corn crib.

Nea feeding the goats.

Marcos, smiles from the straw bale castle.

Should I?

Preparation,,,,,get set,,,,go!

Tunnel of fun!

Halloween teeth.

2010-10-09T20:20:00.001-04:00

sent from my ppc

2010-10-05T17:21:00.000-04:00

Before.

GreggR
Sent from my ppc

Some misc. pictures.

2010-10-02T19:37:00.001-04:00

sent from my ppc

Sunday fare

2010-09-19T15:32:00.000-04:00

sent from my ppc

Mateo

2010-09-15T17:09:00.001-04:00

sent from my ppc

GF cookin'

2010-09-12T12:00:00.000-04:00

Squash on the George Foreman.

sent from my ppc

Marshmallow Fun

2010-09-10T22:44:00.000-04:00

Marcos & Nea enjoying one of life's little pleasures.

GreggR
Sent from my ppc

Foley Clock

2010-09-10T19:27:00.000-04:00

The Foley clock sure looks good sitting on the Foley bookshelf

GreggR
Sent from my ppc

Recycling Day

2010-09-10T18:56:00.000-04:00

Eight houses on a row and only one isn't recycling.

GreggR
Sent from my ppc

2010-09-10T18:35:00.001-04:00

sent from my ppc

Grandma B's birthday weekend

2010-08-22T11:03:00.002-04:00

To celebrate my mom's 76th, we had a wonderful early dinner at Leo's last night. Linnea spent the evening at Jill's friend's so that Jill could have an evening out with the her parents, aunts, uncles and Grandma B. But she recorded her birthday greeting to share with Gigi, just the same.

Likewise, Emily joined us though, Sergio was not able to make it because of back problems. So she was semi-solo (baby Lopez enjoyed the gathering too) as Marcos stayed home to help out his daddy. Bill brought photos from the trip to Harry Potter's world with the kids. And mom had her photo album of Ireland as well as her written narrative of the trip to share with each of us. Since Dave had the weekend off work, he and Patty drove in from Grand Haven to join us. All-in-all, a very nice evening.

With the weather taking a nice cool turn, (ahh waking up with windows open Sunday morning), maybe I'll get out to do some gardening today. Time to think about planting a cool weather

2010-08-21T23:54:00.000-04:00

GreggR
Sent from my ppc

2010-08-21T21:18:00.001-04:00

We had a great birthday dinner @ Leo's, Janet's day.

2010-08-20T22:43:00.001-04:00

Helllooo

Register

2010-08-20T22:24:00.001-04:00

Mission mushrooms

2010-07-16T14:41:00.002-04:00

Gregg is a busy guy this week and next out in Connecticut learning the ins-and-outs of SUBWAY. So I tried my hand at some culinary domesticity. This is a mushroom, shrimp quiche with a homemade crust. I made it in the small springform pan so it's nice and thick. Jill, Nea and I will try it out with a salad tonight. We're slowly using up all the stuff in the fridge, freezer and cupboard. I'm avoiding a trip to the grocery for anything but essentials!

Tomorrow afternoon is a block party down the street so will need to bring a dish to pass. Our driveway is scheduled to be seal coated tomorrow too, so lets hope for no rain. There have been a series of short, but intense thunder and lightning storms the last few days here and south of town. I guess quite a few Detroit area folks are out of power today.

Looking forward to a Skype chat with Gregg tonight.

Extended 4th Misc.

2010-07-07T17:28:00.002-04:00

Honey-do list....

2010-07-06T18:17:00.003-04:00

Gregg's already tackled a big chunk of the honey-do list over this longggg holiday vacation:
hook-up the rain barrel - check
remove garden hook over a volunteer rose 0f sharon that's really taking off - check
supervise creation of drip hose (so MJ doesn't drill a hole in her own hand) - check
help out at the R's for a chore day - check, check....

Requests for tomorrow: please take new photo for blog header showing the gi-normous sunflowers. And how about one of that dandy rain barrel too?

Thanks for all this, especially since most of it was done during some of the hottest days of the year so far!

Nea is fighting a bout of common childhood virus. She's not able to go to school until she is asymptomatic. I got to be with her all day to day and Gregg is taking tomorrow. Nea is thrilled to be spending this much time at home I think! She's keeping close track of who has to go to work and who gets to "tay here!!!!"

Not quite ready for the family reunion and feeling lonesome already for Gregg who will be leaving that day for 2 wks in Connecticut doing some training for the opening of the new SUBWAY franchise at school.

Stay cool everyone!

Misc. Photos

2010-07-05T12:07:00.002-04:00

Issac paid us a short visit on the 3rd. Linnea
was able to entertain him a bit, and had him
crackin' up.

Marcos and Linnea helped Grandpa make
focaccia earlier this summer.

Some backyard fun.

Marcos and Linnea had a blast playing at Kent
County's Millennium Park.

This look may have been in reaction to a seagull flying down out of the sky and stealing some carne right off the grill......cheeky birds at this park!

Stormy but wonderful weekend catchup

2010-06-27T19:22:00.006-04:00

Nea enjoyed her slide-assisted-jump in the backyard. Yesterday the slide got put into the wading pool for better splash effect-wonderful sunny afternoon just hanging out in the backyard!

And then I just had to run down the street to see the wonderful homemade octopus costume being worn by Marcos!

If we had to watch Mexico get booted from the World Cup, we couldn't have had better company. The Lopez' joined us for homemade pizza while we watched the sad end to that soccer match. Our pizza brigade was in fine form.

Hope everyone's week gets off to a good start. It's going to be rough getting ready for a really short week with the holiday ahead....gotta do whatcha gotta do!

Freaky Friday Family News!

2010-06-25T14:26:00.002-04:00

OK, mom agreed to meet for lunch today and warned me that she had something that would "knock my socks off"! Sure, mom....OK.

She's doing a little family history homework, preparing for a trip to Wexford, Ireland in July with Bill and Dave to look up the family connection to all things Lamport. My great-grandmother, Jenny Lamport DuBail's brother Richard did extensive research into the family line more than 50 years ago. Mom inherited much of the family history documentation including a tracing of the Lamport line back to the early 1600's in Ireland.

So here's the cool thing that mom and Bill found out......William Lamport, our distant relative, turns out to be more famously known as "Zorro"! Mom had the pages of family history to prove it and its just incredible to learn about our tie then, to the precursors of the Mexican revolution as well.

There seems to be some pretty reliable confirmation of this link to the real life inspiration for the characters of "Zorro" and the "Scarlett Pimpernell".

Makes me want to travel to Mexico City again and visit his tomb. I think at the very least, we'll make a movie marathon or two of my favorite movies celebrating these characters.

Can't wait to hear the tales Mom and the boys uncover on their trip to Wexford. Marcos is so happy to learn that he has a legitimate claim to pirates!

Fun at Kent County's Millenium Park

2010-06-12T22:23:00.000-04:00

Friday updates

2010-06-11T11:24:00.002-04:00

The new header photo says it all. Most weekends since Memorial Day have been muggy, stormy, rainy, in short....great growing weather.

As you can see, the garden is thriving and as I sit here updating the blog, I'm thinking I should try to mow the grass between raindrops today. Otherwise, I'm just checking off the usual chore list and getting caught up on some work I brought home. This seems like the final week of coughing and hacking...a bothersome chest cold that mom, Anne and I all seemed to share post-Milwaukee adventure. Hope you're feeling better, Mom....you too, Anne!

This past month we've seen 0ur share of doctors and hospitals. Quite enough for the time being with Gregg's cyst and gall bladder surgeries, Nea's poison scare (she ate a seed pod from the neighbor's false indigo plant-no harm done) and Em's pregnancy getting really uncomfortable. On top of that, Gregg was told he should get his deviated septum repaired and yet another cyst (this time in his sinus cavity) checked out. We think he'll hold off til the fall for that. Enough with the sickness, etc. eh?

Ahhh, Mexico just scored! FIFA fever has struck Elmwood Ave and the rest of the world this weekend. Gregg had official Marcos-sized jersey's delivered just in time for our grandson to dress appropriately to watch the matches with his poppa this week!

To do list for the rest of June: to Holland for Father's Day; trip to Mt. Pleasant and then Chicago for work the next consecutive weeks for me; birthday's, birthdays, birthdays.....9 total this month in the family. Plus a couple of anniversaries for good measure!

Looks like the rain and now thunder will keep me in the house today after all, though I need to clean up the paint on the decorative window frames I painted last week for the garden fence.

Happy Friday to all. GO MEXICO!!

Can't resist.....

2010-05-31T10:26:00.002-04:00

One more story or two about the trip. Those of you who know my mom, know that you can't go anywhere (in the world) without her bumping into someone she knows or whom she points out as being well known. Well this time, I almost got that prize....and believe it or not, Mom did not run into any "old friends". We were sitting in the lobby at check-out time and it got quite busy with people doing the same or heading out for the Brewers vs. Mets game at the stadium. I looked up to see a woman and young girl getting off the elevator and was surprised to see my cousin, Kathy Forney! "Kathy!" I exclaimed, and she just smiled and shook her head, no. Exact twin, maybe, but not my cousin. She was a dead ringer, from head to toe, even had the same walk. They say we all have a twin. So we had fun anyway discussing times we've each been mistaken for someone else.

Here's another thing we learned about Milwaukee: friday fish-frys may have started because of religion, but in Milwaukee, the friday fish fry IS a religion. And I do mean every friday, all year round. We did our part and had the fish fry (only substituted baked fish) at the hotel restaurant.

I'll mention too, that we were welcomed back in style at the pier in Muskegon by brother Paul. He couldn't see the Lake Express very well from his house due to haze, so drove over to the breakwater and sat and waved as we came through the channel. Thanks Paulie! He was a bit let down that Mom, Lois and I weren't hunkered down under the bulkhead on the top deck, drinking brewskies to keep warm on the way back. Let me tell you, the wind up there was so fierce, I couldn't even open my eyes until they cut the engines down to get in the channel.

It was really fun to see all the sail boats as we came into Muskegon. Our ride back to deliver everyone at their respective homes and car included a slight detour as I made a beeline for I-96 instead of taking US-31 to Holland. So I took the opportunity to show the mom's some of the properties in Ottawa Co. I've been talking about for 10 years, including our newest construction at the WTP. We also drove past the R's new church. Just a bit more sight-seeing.

Milwaukee continued....

2010-05-31T09:18:00.007-04:00

Here's another photo from the tour guide's car as we drove along the lakeshore. There were crowds of people enjoying the beaches and park. Thanks again Anne, for being such a great guide. The Milwaukee tourism board needs to hire you!!

At Mader's everyone has to sit in the "chair", so of course we obliged. There is also an impressive hall of fame, with framed, signed photos from all the famous folks who've had a meal at this old german restaurant. It sure made me lonesome for the old Schnitz here in GR. Our food was wonderful. Lois took one of each entree, so I'll have to direct you to her blog for more photos of food!

After lunch, we walked next door to the Spice Shop and I bought some juniper berries and cardamom for Gregg. Then a stop across the street to take in the smells and sight of the famous Usinger sausages. We were all too full from lunch to be tempted to buy any more food there. However, there's ALWAYS room for cheese! So we did make a few purchases at the cheese store at the corner.

Milwaukee is well worth the trip. We really enjoyed exploring the city and I'd go back again soon if I could. Thanks so much again, Anne! And thanks to my mother and mother-in-law for being such good sports for this late mother's day trip.

Belated Mother's Day trip - Milwaukee for Memorial weekend

2010-05-30T21:01:00.015-04:00

My mom, mother-in-law, Lois, and often one or another of the girls and I have made a tradition of spending the friday before Mother's Day together for the last nearly 10 years or so. We go to the same restaurant, eat at the same table look at the same view over wonderful conversation and then maybe do some shopping. Since my work schedule last year meant we missed the date, I suggested a special road trip this year. A weekend in Milwaukee to see a special exhibit of american quilts and visit with my friend Anne (with an "E"). Originally, it was to have been the three of us and Gregg, but because of his gall bladder surgery last week, he was not able to come along for this trip.

We took the Lake Express across lake michigan and couldn't have asked for a better day. Beautiful weather and calm seas. Anne met us at the pier and kindly became our tour guide for the duration of the trip.

We stayed at the Ambassador Hotel which is on the edge of Marquette University's campus. This hotel has free shuttle service and we could have used it to go anywhere in town with a pick-up and return to the hotel. Lois and I did use it for a short shopping expedition into the 3rd Ward district on Friday evening.

Saturday, Anne picked us up and we arrived at the Milwaukee Art Museum just after it opened. A helpful employee promptly directed us to the Baumgartner pavilion where the quilts were on display. He seemed duly impressed to be in the presence of an actual Baumgartner! The photo above is our arrival in the main entrance as everyone stood amazedly looking up at the atrium. The museum is spectacularly designed!

We thoroughly enjoyed the quilts and then viewed the special Raphael painting, "Women with veil". I love historical novels and have read many set in the same era as this magnificent painting. So it was a special treat to see the Raphael too. A must do stop in the gift shop and then it was time for a quick cup of tea as we waited for a three masted schooner to pull into the harbor, just south of the museum.

As you can see, the cannoli treat mom ordered as a pre-lunch knosh, was so pretty. But moments later was a cracked and spintered mess as we all shared bites.

Look closely at this photo of Lois, as she suffered some cannoli splatter. Hint: the museum visitor decal did not originally include ricotta and chocolate.

As every Baumgartner woman knows, the bosom is meant to catch meal-time spillage, and ALWAYS results in an embarrasing wet spot as we try to clean ourselves up. Lois clearly displayed the scandinavian talent for precision and efficiency even in snack time splatter.

Tired feet and a 1:30 lunch reservation at Mader's german restaurant to meet Anne's husband, Bob, meant that we only had time for a quick drive over to the discovery center to peak at the schooner.

An octopus kite at Milwaukee's veteran's park. One of many, many kites flying during the grand launch at this memorial day kite event.

Anne drove us a bit north along the parkway to see the great public parks and beaches all along the lake shore. It was like a mini-chicago-lakeshore drive....only better! No lack of entertainment there and wonderful to see all the mansions and high-rise condos just off the causeway looking down over the lakeshore.

Surprise Anniversery Party At The Lopez', Sunday, April 18th

2010-04-25T13:58:00.000-04:00

Easter Dinner

2010-04-06T21:02:00.001-04:00

Friday-Downtown and Saturday-Palmer School Easter Egg Hunts

2010-04-06T16:49:00.000-04:00

Linnea enjoying the fruits of her labor.

Snow again!

2010-03-20T16:17:00.004-04:00

Hopefully this is the last snowfall! Very wet, inch or so on the ground by 6am and its been snowing off and on all day. Nothing is sticking to the roads or sidewalks as its really not that cold out.

The girls and Marcos and I had a nice pancake breakfast, sponsored by the Creston Neighborhood Assoc. Gregg had to work-- this was science olympiad weekend.

The new spring hairdo-s were well represented as seen above (back view) and below with Jill and Nea. Em and Marcos went with on Thursday, so all four got their new doos and look marvelous!!

Last night Mom treated me to a wonderful concert at the cathedral with the GR Symphony. Dinner at her place just before brought some sad news about Sarah and Ramon. Just about the time Em found out she's pregnant, they found out they'd be having twins. But yesterday they learned that baby A had died and now wait to find out how to keep Baby B well. Our thoughts and prayers are with them!

Mother nature delivers too!

2010-03-16T20:10:00.002-04:00

I've got this 12" X 70" stretch of garden in the front yard that gets full southern exposure, and reflective heat to boot...last year I planted, like three little hens, no chicks. And this is what I found under the leaves this evening! Temps reached 60 degrees today with the promise of more warm weather tomorrow.

I remember this week in 2003...the year Issac arrived in the US and joined our family! I introduced him to GR by taking him downtown for the St. Patrick Day parade. He met Bill, Joey and Abby at the parade. It was very blustery and COLD! I believe we had a bit more snow after that and on April 3rd (welcome to Michigan, Issac) West Michigan experienced a devastating (4 mil $ damage) ice storm which brought down trees and power lines. Now, compared to everything he'd been through in his life prior to landing in WMI, this event wasn't much off the norm. It could only get better after that.

By the way, Issac graduates from Western in December with a degree in aeronautics and administration. Michael graduates in May-just a few more months; we'll see if med-school is still in the horizon or not.

Census 2010

2010-03-16T18:53:00.003-04:00

Did you get one of these in the mail today? We'll be filling out the census soon. For those of you who fill out those surveys on-line, don't you think the GOV could have offered this on-line too? It will be very interesting to get some real numbers on families in our area. The economy has affected so many lives.

Our weekend was full of sickies here. If you feel the need to use some handy sanitizer while you read this, no offense taken. Stomach flu is nasty! Glad we only get it once a year and it only lasts a day or two, but yuck...Poor Nea! Her first introduction to the "spit bowl".....so probably a dozen loads of laundry later- We are all back to normal - I think.

We are planning a trip to Milwaukee for Memorial Day weekend. It will be great to see Anne and Bob and enjoy some culture on the other side of the lake! First stop will be the MAM! Mom and Lois are signed up too....there's a special quilt exhibit this weekend so bonus viewing!

Mom and I have tickets to the GR Symphony at church on Friday, but I think we're both a little shy of getting out into crowds and germs. It should be a beautiful concert anyway.

Catch up photos

2010-03-06T17:44:00.006-05:00

Here are a few favorite photos of the new year.

How many sunny days in a row can we take? It's been so wonderful to see the snow melting and spring flowers beginning to pop up. Marcos and Nea spent good part of the day outside. Jill helped to get the front porch ready to enjoy the sunshine.

Where ever you are, hoping that you too are enjoying a few days of wonderful weather!

Neglect

2010-02-28T20:26:00.001-05:00

Owing to woeful neglect, brought on by rampant FB postings, and inattention to photos waiting to be downloaded, we are overdue for an update here.

So just to keep you guessing, here's an old photo or two. The one above is some tulips in the front yard a year or two ago. I have'nt seen them since! Not holding out much hope for this year, but we'll see-that's part of the reason I love gardening so.....always a nice mystery or two.

The lovely gears and cranks above were all part of an amazing display of inventions at the GR Museum this past fall. Simple mechanics ingeniously and intricately functional. DaVinci at his most devine.

Hoping to beat the head and chest colds this week, esp. as Gregg now has to get in to the dentist for some emergency repair work - Yikes....no fun anyway, but that much worse with a cold.

Look for me at the H& G show on Friday. I'll be hawking HBVB's and dye tests for leaks and generally encouraging folks to drink tap water!

2010-02-14T14:29:00.001-05:00

2010-01-16T17:35:00.002-05:00

Linnea ate a great lunch; homemade lasagna,
some salad and garlic bread.

Anja enjoyed sharing her lunch with her cousins.

Nea closely watching.

Marcos taking a break from being a puppy.

Our Day With The Birthday Girl

2010-01-09T21:12:00.003-05:00

We went to Holland today to spend some time
with and to celebrate Grandma Robinson's
birthday with her and Grandpa.
MJ finished touching up some painting she did
before Thanksgiving.

Emily, Jill, Marcos and Linnea were with us today.
We had a great lunch at Thai Palace restaurant.

Our dessert and Grandma's cake were delicious
little cakes the girls purchased at DeBoer's.

Linnea With Marcos' New Tiger Friend

2010-01-09T21:05:00.006-05:00

Linnea meeting Marcos' new Christmas tiger.

This is a totally throw away video, but I loved the
smile on Linnea's face.

One tree down...

2010-01-02T16:06:00.002-05:00

During L's nap today, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to put away the big Christmas tree. Mission accomplished. The spot in front of the window seemed way too empty so we moved the small tree from the entry way into that spot. Just as L and Gregg sat down to enjoy the new look, a well intentioned adjustment caused the whole shebang to topple over. Only one broken ornament, but the next 30 minutes involved vacuuming, and some creative re-engineering to stabilize the little tree.

As the long holiday vacation comes to an end, its nice to enjoy a bit more of the decorations. A few more hours of quilting would be nice too!

B's celebration and New Years

2010-01-01T15:30:00.005-05:00

Thanks to Bill for hosting the B's on the 26th. We were missing the Raleigh B's, Michael, Patty and Nicky, but the accomodations worked out well for the 24 of us. Munchies included pigs-in-blankets, pizza, meatballs, Baumgartner cheese from Wisconsin, shrimp, chex mix, sweets, stuffed mushrooms, twice baked potatoes, and more.....

After kids and Mom opened presents (Abby gets the Grandma tears award - a hand-made book of her stories), the scrabble and Gin-13 began.

Check back for photos later. Below, are a few cute pics from New Year's Eve at the Radisson. J and friend took advantage of a nice holiday package deal which included an dinner, entertainment and an overnight. The hotel is just a few blocks from home and has a nice pool.

Today, New Year'sDay included a sunny afternoon, visit from Em and M, and an hour or so outside after L's nap. "Grooming" the small luge hill we've started and checking out a suitable site for some snow angels.

L's rosy cheeks.

Our Christmas Morning

2009-12-28T11:43:00.003-05:00

We had a nice brunch before we opened presents.

Marcos did a great job handing out presents.

Linnea was still kind of sleepy as she

got started on her gifts.

Marcos got a great, muscles built in,

Spiderman costume.

Christmas Eve 2009

2009-12-25T22:10:00.009-05:00

It was great having Issac with us,

he helped out by playing with Marcos.

Yes Virginia, there was lutefisk.
Fish coarse.

Cold coarse.
Hot coarse.

Marcos handing our gifts.

Lovely,,,,
Anja handing out pictures.
Marcos tiger.

Gregg's Birthday

2009-12-25T21:03:00.004-05:00

Linnea and Grandpa.

Linnea, offering her expertise in present opening.

Marcos, Checo and Linnea.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2009-12-25T17:08:00.002-05:00

We woke up to a thick glaze of ice on EVERYTHING outside this morning. Not a nice morning to be out and about! Which I learned the hard way as I stepped out on the porch to retrieve a present that Santa forgot in the car last night......one slip, fall, bruised bum, near vasovagal event later.

The Lopez' and Issac were able to join us for brunch. Mom stayed home with bad chest cold and a good thing too, as it just was not a good idea for her to try to "skate" across her parking lot.

The rest of the afternoon has been nap filled, checking out the gifts with Nea and the promise of left-overs this evening. We're looking forward to getting together with all the B's tomorrow.

Best wishes to everyone for an equally laid back, holiday weekend ahead.

Some Misc. Action From The Last Few Weeks

2009-12-22T21:07:00.003-05:00

Marcos really enjoyed the dry jello mix.

Marcos wasn't into making cookies, but he

did watch closely; maybe next year.
Marcos got some new soldiers at Schuler's.
They are guarding the Christmas tree here.

MJ and Marcos attended a fun Feast of

Guadalupe party at the GR Public Library.

Christmas vacation has begun!

2009-12-18T19:33:00.002-05:00

Gregg and I are officially on VACATION. School is done at the college and Gregg doesn't have to go back until the 4th. Except for a 1/2 day next week....I'm also off until the 4th. Yeah!

We have a little more shopping to do and have decided that brunch next Friday will be our celebration here at home, in between the celebration in Holland the night before and the big gathering at Bill's on the day after Christmas.

The christmas cards are going slowly, so please don't think we've forgotten! As everyone heads into the last weekend before the holiday, we hope you all enjoy time with family and friends. Treat yourself to a random act of kindness and bask in the glow!

Winter is here...its official!

2009-12-08T19:09:00.002-05:00

Gregg shoveled the drive 3 times on Friday last week! While everything beyond 20 miles from us was practically snowflake free!! What's up with that? The snow in the street is barely melted and the next storm is predicted for tomorrow. Blustery winds have just begun.

The good news is that our colds and Gregg's sinus infection have finally cleared up...I think....
Shopping is nearly done, baking and Christmas cards are on the agenda this weekend and the last full week of work for the month is next week.

The Linnea quilt is yet to finish, but she actually helped me with a few stitches the other night; carefully pulling the needle through the fabric for me. Think I might have a sewer in the making? I'm guessing a darning needle and some plastic or burlap is just the ticket.

Michael's birthday is Saturday, so we're hoping to connect with the guys this weekend too..

Anyone doing St. Lucia rolls on Sunday? I'm looking at my collection of St. Lucia figures right now.

Stay warm everyone...(OK, you guys out in Phoenix just stay cool).

Thanksgiving Week Views

2009-11-27T20:47:00.004-05:00

Linnea enjoying some coconut chicken curry with

fruit loops, while enjoying some

Christmas music.

She loves her curry!

Thanksgiving Nea.

K and Linnea getting to know each other.Gregg and Marcos enjoying a moment.Rachael and Allison sharing stories.
Janet and Allison.

Issac and Grandma.
Linnea getting a pre-dinner snack,

while the dog hovers, waiting for a snack.

Trimming The Robinson's House For The Holidays

2009-11-22T18:42:00.008-05:00

Linnea had lots of fun helping Grandma
decorate our tree.
Marcos helped earlier bringing things
up from the basement and getting the
tree up.

The red decorations are Linnea's hands,

traced and made in '07 & '08.

View from the driveway.

Linnea did a great job and was in good voice.

Fall Fun

2009-11-08T12:43:00.004-05:00

Linnea and Mary Jane made a new
Thanksgiving window decoration.
Lots of Nea's hands make this a
very special turkey.

Today was another beautiful day. Yesterday
we pretty much finished up yard work and
today the garage go a good cleaning/re-arranging.
Linnea and MJ enjoyed a break by eating
a wonderful Michigan apple.

Welcome to the Christian Family, M!

2009-11-04T19:38:00.005-05:00

Sunday was Baptism day for M, at the same church where his daddy was baptised nearly 36 years ago. He looked so handsome in his white suit (thanks godparents, Caro and Oscar!) Just moments after arriving at the church, he started chasing little buddy Oscar, Jr. and took a tumble; there went the knees. Another few moments and a misdirected hug from Grma L. and he had lipstick on his shoulder.

During the ceremony, the priest explained the symbolism of the sacrament; the oil, the water, the candle and, "white is the symbol of new life in Christ, which is why M is wearing pure white.....(pause).....ALMOST pure white."

We all went back to casa rosa for the party. It all worked out just fine. Though Sergio lost his voice and began to feel really bad. He headed upstairs to the bedroom and missed most of the party.

More photos from our few days of sight-seeing and celebration of Dia de los Muertos. Wish we could have stayed longer-great having Beth as a travel companion. Missed having Gregg and Jill and Nea along!

Halloween Fun

2009-10-31T21:12:00.001-04:00

Linnea trick-or-treating at
Woodland Mall.

Good Byes And Nea In The Leaves

2009-10-29T17:35:00.004-04:00

The Lopez' with MJ got off on time this

afternoon for their trip to Morelia.

According to Em, at one point this afternoon

Marcos said he didn't want to go; she then

gave him a piece of candy and voila, let's

go to Mexico!

Grandma gets to play the, I see something

you don't see game, with Marcos.

She's so lucky!

Issac's Congrats Party and Some Pictures From Nea's Trip To The Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-23T22:48:00.004-04:00

We had a pizza party in honor of Issac's
getting his commercial pilot's license.
Present were: GiGi, Paul, Jake, Marcos, Linnea,
Jill, Emily, Sergio, MJ and Gregg.

We had a great visit with Issac. It took a
little while, but Nea warmed up to Issac
before she went to bed.

Linnea from last Sunday.

Video Of Linnea's Birthday Party

2009-10-21T20:06:00.001-04:00

Good news to share.

2009-10-20T18:57:00.002-04:00

Stay tuned for pics from this coming Friday when we celebrate with Issac. Last week he successfully passed the FAA exam for his commercial pilot license. He's got one more year at Western MI and will graduate with his Aeronautics and Technology degree as well as a Business Degree.

This was a huge milestone for Issac and we're very proud of his accomplishments. So its just a simple pizza party to celebrate (he's working steadily at the airport in between classes and was able to get somebody to cover for him on Friday.)

MJ is boning up on her Spanish language, getting ready for the trip to Morelia with Beth next week (Gregg cannot get away this trip).,. M will be baptized at the same church where Sergio was baptised. It will be so good to see the Lopez and share this special occassion with them. They have not seen M and Em for about a 18 months, though Sergio has been able to visit several times.

Beth and I will stay just through the weekend, but the L's will stay about 2 weeks. Seems like lots to do to get ready yet.

Linnea's Birthday

2009-10-18T18:16:00.007-04:00

Since there were only three little ones at the party, we had a mini-pinata. Here it is suspended between two ladders. The birthday theme was "Tinkerbell". L loves all things fairie.

This Fisher Price doll house was a big hit.
Cousin Elena, below found a quiet spot to enjoy her treats.

Sounds of candy chasing kids attracted some neighbor kids from over the fence. Plenty of treats to share.

Mmmmmmm.........CAKE!!! Birthday's are so fun.

Taking a moment after everyone was gone.

New Fish Friends

2009-10-11T15:34:00.002-04:00

Admiring our new friends.

Mac & cheese.

Misc. Photos From The Last Week Or So, In No Particular Order

2009-10-04T13:45:00.006-04:00

Early Halloween Preparation & Fun

2009-09-30T18:09:00.001-04:00

Bliss-full?

2009-09-27T16:28:00.001-04:00

Some Misc. Thursday ArtPrize Pictures

2009-09-26T12:51:00.004-04:00

Em and Jill took Marcos and
Linnea downtown to view as
many pieces of art that they
could before they tired out.
They totally enjoyed the time
and were very well behave; no
surprise there.
They started at the U.I.C.A.

Then to the Catheral Square.

I'm not sure where the T-shirt tunnel

was displayed.

ArtFun!

2009-09-21T16:25:00.006-04:00

Jill, MJ and kids headed downtown for a beautiful Sunday stroll along the Gerald R. Ford Museum/GR Museum grounds and then across the pedestrian bridge to see some of the ArtPrize installations. The Giant Button here however, is a permanent installation that has been on the grounds of the GRF Museum for some time.

Marcos enjoying the reflecting pool.

This spiral of branches stood a good 15 feet high.

Below, Marcos points out the fish mobile rising

up out of the Grand River.

The perspective was just too large to understand

for M & L....see the gi-normous table and chairs

sitting on top of the bridge?

Marcos peers longingly at the Tiger on

the Museum Carousel......
The sculpture below was huge in scale,

placed on the entrance to the pedestrian bridge.

Below, M &L anticipate a giant "Stomp"....the steel

sculpture in the previous photo can be seen in the distance.

Back at home, a restful moment by the garden.

The kids literally walked, ran, jogged and jumped

their way through the art-walk. Peanut butter/jelly

and strawberries followed by a nice nap topped off the afternoon.

Fellowship At The R's

2009-09-19T21:04:00.004-04:00

We had a great day today; doing some chores at the
R's in Holland.

The bamboo jungle was thinned, maple,
hemlock, oak and tamarack were pruned,
toilet tanks got new works, driveways got
edged, some carpet got replace, sort of,
and we had a fun time with family.
Anja joined us today to. The three little
ones had lot of fun together and all in all
were very helpful.

Getting ready to head back to GR.

Guess what's happening.

No, you're wrong.

New flash light being tested; what's

under Grandma's sofa? Marcos found

a quarter!

Saturday Fun

2009-09-12T21:50:00.005-04:00

Some how we miss posting pictures from
Em's birthday party. We supplied the
candles, but Em supplied her own
frozen pie.

Linnea loves wearing Grandpa's glasses.

We attended the Grand Valley American Indian Lodge
Traditional Pow Wow for a while today.

Linnea had lots of fun helping Grandma
water the garden this evening.

A Fun Weekend

2009-09-07T14:56:00.004-04:00

We have had a fun weekend. Marcos was with
us Friday and Saturday nights.
He's a fun guy to have around.
Today we went to the Public Museum of
Grand Rapids. Free admission today.
They had an exhibit showing lots of da
Vinci's inventions. Most of the exhibits
were hands on.
Linnea tolerated the carousel, but didn't really
enjoy it. Em, Marcos and Anthony did
enjoy their ride though.

Everyone got the most out of the

museum visit today; not many areas that

the little ones didn't explore.

September 1, 1980

2009-09-01T18:44:00.002-04:00

29 years ago today was actually Labor Day! Gregg was working at Metro Hospital at the time as a phlebotomist. We were living on Lake Drive. I remember waking up as a thunder storm began and as Gregg left for work, told him to be prepared to come right back home because I thought it really was labor day......he thought I was joking of course. Not more than an hour later, sure enough, I called the Lab to have him paged. As it happened, Maxine Smith, a family friend, was the person who took the call. She did page Gregg, but also phoned the B's on Kimball Ave. to inform them that MJ was on her way to the hospital. This was fortunate because the B's were also packing up to drive Paul to Michigan Tech - a very long drive.

Gregg made it home quickly and we made a bumpy ride down Fulton to Michigan and Butterworth Hospital. Another hour or so and Emily made here grand entrance, full head of thick, white, blonde hair and all. I remember she had a very good appetite and she and I happily had breakfast before our first visitors arrived.....The B's were able to say hello as they headed out of GR. Granny and Gramps happened to be in Holland for the holiday, visiting from Clare. They mistakenly drove to Blodgett and wound up looking in on another Mary Robinson, who also gave birth that same day. Eventually, they did make it to Butterworth to greet our little Emily.

What a happy day! We love you Emily.....Happy, Happy Birthday!

MJ's Birthday

2009-08-30T15:02:00.004-04:00

Birthday Fun At The Beach

2009-08-22T19:32:00.007-04:00

Lois and Janet always enjoy their visits together.

Allison and Linnea getting to know each

other; ah, Allison, don't even think about
touching Nea's Ruby.

It was pretty cold on the channel at Holland

State Park.

Then it got pretty wet. Please note how

close the horizon seems to be. That's

rain that is just about to move the party.

Linnea keeping warm and eating her

Cheerios while watching the party being

taken apart,,,,and moved to,,,,,,,

Jill took this video while we were driving

to Mom and Dad's; without Lois or Gregg

knowing.

,,,,Lois and Jerry's house.

Family photo. A keeper.

Mom was having so much fun taking these

pictures. Using 4 cameras, she must have

taken 20 0r more pictures. She had the

banter of a professional photographer,

it was a hoot.

Not a keeper.

Emily and Michael. Michael will be taking

the mcats on Tuesday. We will be thinking

about you!

Issac is doing well at Western.

Our Monday

2009-08-18T16:01:00.006-04:00

Marcos loves cantaloupe.

Linnea loves it too. Relaxing in her Nemo

floaty ring.

Tiger Marcos check his 6 for anyone

following him.

Em and Checo's Godmother Rose just got

back from Mexico. Gregg asked her to find

some ceramic art from an artist located in

Tzintzuntzan, Michoacan, MX, Luis Manuel Morales Gámez.

She was able to find the artist, literally, and purchased

this bowl for us. It's beautiful and exactly

what we were looking for. Thanks Rose,

we owe you again!

Maestro Morales often includes fish

in his works.

We visited Tzintzuntzan while in Mexico

during our first visit with Em and Checo.

That was B-M, before Marcos. The visit

to Tzin was a very quick visit, but we were

able to visit the Purhépechan temple.

MJ, Isaac-aka, Michael Jordan and Gregg.

Please note, Isaac must be standing in a hole,

because he is at least 3 inches taller than Gregg:~)

Saturday Shots

2009-08-16T11:48:00.003-04:00

The garden goddess is looking good.

Linnea, pool fun.

This monarch has a bumper sticker, that

you can't see that says, "Michoacan or Bust".

Nea is missing her cousin, who is in Chicago

this weekend with his Mom and Dad.

New taste sensation.

The Swede. Hamburger with inlagd gurka

and course grain mustard.

I guess the bun should be made from a

limpa dough; maybe next time.

A Few Misc. Shot From This Week

2009-08-14T13:34:00.002-04:00

Pre-fútbol meal. Mexico defeated the US, 2-1.

Marcos was helping in the kitchen this morning....

..and also outback.

2009-08-09T18:41:00.003-04:00

Fun in Sidewalk Sprinkler

2009-08-08T22:33:00.003-04:00

Linnea loved the water.

Marcos showing his moves.

MJ's maize.

Misc. Grandchildren Shot, AR #3, (Anne Report)

2009-08-02T14:33:00.002-04:00

Nea ina Hello Kitty box.

MJ's maize, looking good!

Garden goddess feeling the love.

Can't get me.

Shhh,,,Marcos is sleeping.

Tiger Marcos and Linnea lovin' the weather.