Friday, November 27, 2009

November

The month of November started in grand fashion with the baptism of our new grandson.

Nathan meets his godmother, Beth, the morning of the baptism.

Godparents Beth and Greg present Nathan for baptism at the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church.

Michaela enjoys herself at the reception following the ceremony.

"Great Aunt" Mary Lou gets acquainted with Nathan.

Jeff and Lexi take a breather near the end of the reception - and Alice is still working away in the kitchen.

Granddad, GB and Nathan


Now, fast forward to Thanksgiving!

Great Granddad checks on Mr. Turkey, a free range local Ohio bird, cooked to perfection by Grandmama.

David has mastered the art of turkey carving.

What a photo op...four great grand children sitting still...in one place...waiting for the official start of Thanksgiving dinner.

One last opportunity for a family photo, as Ben, Amy and the girls leave for Singapore next week for a three year adventure.

Carly and Anne arrived early to help Grandmama, while Jen, Barb and Tiffany did their best to sample the savory selections.

Jim, Dave, Tom and Parker form the welcoming committee.

Cold weather and intermittant bouts of rain did not deter these participants in the annual Thanksgiving football classic.


Another event that Jim participated in during November was the groundbreaking ceremony for a new residential facility for homeless veterans, at the VA Medical Center in Cleveland. The residence will be managed by the Volunteers of America. On Veteran's Day, along with a US senator, two current and one retired congressmen, Jim wielded a shovel to commemorate this major VA project. He even shared the podium and spoke a few words as a representative of the National Board of Directors for VOA.