Friday, October 29, 2010

This and That

Before the fall holidays hit, we thought we'd catch up and share a few pictures. The first group were e-mailed to us from mobile phones, and Barb cannot figure out how to make them bigger or clearer. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Anyway, here's our latest: Sami at about 2 1/2 months, Michaela and Nathan previewing their pumpkin cookie jar, Carly and Scout on a roadtrip, and Scout in her Browns' jersey awaiting kick-off.










Jim had a business meeting in Washington in mid-October, but was able to spend an evening with the NY/DC Pearce family. As always, he had a great time playing with Michaela and Nathan.





Here Barb is modeling the "lovely" retirement hat she received from Margaret. We think Margaret looks stunning in it - and if anyone wants to borrow it, just let us know!



And finally, here's the "over fifty" crowd after they completed the Cleveland Rite-Aid 10K (6.2 miles) race this past spring. Not bad for some aging boomers!

Monday, September 27, 2010

From Ontario to Virgina

Barb and Jim spent a delightful September weekend visiting John, Karen, Jacob and Jonah in beautiful Southampton, Ontario, on the shores of Lake Huron. From fine dining, exploring local shops and experiencing the sunsets to discovering wind farms, lovely beaches and mammoth powerplants, they got a great introduction to the Zoll's new stomping grounds. Impressions? Get up there and visit - it's a great area and the "tour guides" are tops - eh?

The Zoll Homestead (a ten minute walk from the beach)


A beach at a nearby nature preserve


Jake contemplating Life



Very cool rocks



The renowned sunsets of the Saugeen Shores, Southampton style





The last weekend in September, Barb accompanied Jennifer to Lexington, Virginia to see Anne at Washington and Lee. After spending an afternoon on campus and having dinner at The Red Hen (highly recommended!), they drove up a winding country road in the moonlight to The Homestead, located in Hot Springs. The Homestead was established in 1766, and is one of the oldest inns/resorts in the country. It has a great reputation and they were not disappointed. Thanks Jen and Anne, for including Barb! She WILL be back!

Washington and Lee Administration Building


Robert E. Lee Memorial Chapel (He is buried here along with family members.)


Lee's horse, Traveller, is buried outside the Chapel - note the apple!


The Homestead grounds - what a beautiful setting!










On a side note, Anne and her friend, Zach, are very involved with the historic Mock Convention that is held every four years at W & L. Zach is the political chair and Anne is the editor-in-chief of The General Constitution, the official publication of the 2012 convention. The first issue just came out - very impressive and interesting reading.

Here's a description of the convention, straight from their website. "Washington and Lee's Mock Convention has been billed as the nation’s most accurate mock convention since its inception in 1908, but cannot claim to be the oldest such exercise; Oberlin College has one that dates back to pre-Civil War days. Nevertheless, for consistent accuracy—and eye-filling opulence—the Mock Convention simply has no peer. With 18 correct predictions in 23 attempts, the convention has been described by Time as the “biggest and boomingest” of all amateur gatherings."

As 2012 approaches, keep an ear out for MockCon, with our very own Anne in the midst of the action!

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Oceanside Visit

Jim and Barb spent a few days in Oceanside to help celebrate Nathan's first birthday and Michaela's fourth. They got the opportunity to play nonstop with the children on Friday while Jeff and Lexi were working, and then participate in the gala birthday event on Saturday. Carly and Tiffany were in town for the party as well. As usual, Lexi and Jeff did a stellar job in planning and executing another memorable birthday bash.

FRIDAY FUN!!!
Our new favorite game is pirates, and Michaela (AKA Captain Pink) has successfully defeated Jimbo Bones.




"Arrrgh"



Michaela demonstrates climbing on her new climbing wall, designed and built by Papa.




BIRTHDAY HAPPENINGS!!!









See Lexi's blog for more (and better!) pictures.

(We are having technical difficulties -again- with our camera/editing program.)

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Celebrating Barb's Retirement

On August 15, close to forty people gathered in a party suite at Progressive Field to celebrate Barb's retirement. Carly and Jim hit a grand slam (just like Pronk) in planning and executing the event, and it was wonderful to have so many family members, friends and colleagues there. From the venue to Carly's speech, Jim's display, the fun games that Jen and family planned, and Tiffany getting the "gameball" with all the participants' signatures, everyone had a great time. And you can't forget the "dessert cart"! To top it all off, The Tribe defeated the Mariners 9 to 1.

Partygoers pause for a group photo.


On the viewing platform enjoying the action











Carly's speech is currently on Youtube, and we hope to add it soon.