Our family celebrated Christmas in many different places and at many different times in 2014. On Christmas Day Al and I enjoyed being at Nancy and Gary’s home in Lancaster with most of their family.
Nancy and Geoff Bennett always have much to talk about, and sisters-in-law Amanda Bennett and Rachel Lassman share a quiet moment.
Henry Lassman livens the scene while Elly, John, Michael, and Al look on.
A sumptuous dinner is a great opportunity to catch up on family news. Jaime’s family was here for Thanksgiving this year, and spends the alternate years at home in Lexington, KY.
Dessert follows later after cleanup, and is Henry and Dillon’s favorite part.
Al is recovering well after a difficult year, although his confusion is requiring his continuing residence at the Glen at Willow Valley. At 95 years of age he still enjoys the stimulation of every chance to be with family.
Elly and John Thomson’s wedding on September 12 at Rockford is the next big event for all of us to get together, and we look forward to it with great anticipation.
On Friday, December 26, 2014, Anna and Mike Himes brought Ryan, Molly, and Leela to the Clubhouse at Willow Valley to bowl with Michael and Rachel Lassman’s Henry and Dillon.
I don’t know who had more fun, the kids or their parents.
On Sunday, Dec. 28, 2014, David and Janet Best arrived from Rochester, NY with Jill, Ben, and Jacob Staggert for Sunday dinner at Manor North.
Ben is a sophomore in high school this year, and Jacob is in sixth grade. I took them to the Clubhouse where they decided the golf simulator was more interesting than the bowling.
Matt Best spent his Christmas holidays in England visiting friends. He is still in the Peace Corps at the Borjomi National Park in the former republic of Georgia. He expects to be home on leave May 14 to May 24, 2015.
Barby and Paul Ruskin came with Becky and Dan Shirer and their girls, Evy and Cora, on Monday, December 29, 2014, to Willow Valley.
Cora’s first birthday anniversary is January 23rd, and Evy is five years old and in Kindergarten in Albany, NY.
Barby and Paul’s other daughter, Anna Himes, brought her family back again on January 4, 2015, for our Christmas celebration, and again on January 25, 2015, to celebrate my 89th birthday.
Suzy and Fran Talarowski and Andy, Meghan, and Amelia Talarowski came on Saturday. December 6, 2014, to celebrate our Christmas because this was Andy’s year to go to California for Christmas Day. Suzy and Fran had dinner with Al and I on Saturday, December 27, 2014, and again on Monday, January 19, 2015, to celebrate my birthday.
Andy’s family returned from California in time to leave on January 4, 2015, for London, England, where they will spend six months while he completes work with his Ace Insurance Company there.
Fran spent several days at the Grand Canyon during the holidays, and showed us great photos of his camping trip when they were here on January 19.
All in all, it was a very busy and fulfilling time for all of us. Our family of 39 people is still the center of our retirement years, and we treasure every opportunity to be with them, or at least hear about all their adventures.