Apple pies

We went apple picking while the kids were home from Beijing. What an event.....our new daughter in law is amazed by all the land that is available to walk on and where we went apple picking was very nice (battery ran out on the camera....errgghh!! so no shots of THAT!). But anytime you can get a son to peel apples is a good time to make pies!

meeting the bride's family

This is the bride's family...on her dad's side. We had a wonderful dinner with them--even thought they don't speak English and we don't speak Chinese.....The bride and groom speak both and were exhausted at the end of this event from doing much translating!

Meeting the wedding party

The bride and groom and the best man and maid of honor meeting the groom's parents...Yes, we did "stick out" in China. Notice the guys in the back of us.....they did that all evening....I felt like a movie star must.....and we had a fabulous dinner. Chinese meals are served in the round on a lazy susan and I LOVED that....just had to be quick with the chop sticks as it came by you!!

2 Mothers

Gregory, our oldest son, got married in June this summer, 2010. Aunt Olivia has been like his second mother since he moved to Beijing. They first met when Gregory was her ring bearer when Olivia married my husband's brother, Mike. She has been wonderful and Gregory has been blessed to have Uncle Mike and Aunt Olivia close to him since they live in China (really---as far from LA to Chicago but close none the less!!!). Thank you Olivia for all you have done for Gregory and for me...you are the best sister in law one could have...and YES...I KNOW we are not REALLY related as we married brothers....but in our hearts we are sisters...love you Olivia!!!

A wedding in China

My niece, my 90 y/o Mother in law and me and Gregory's Aunt Olivia...his mother in China......at the occasion of his wedding in Beijing in June 2010.

 

Shannon with her grandmother's at her engagement party.

How tall are you?

 
Uncle Ed says that the people he works with thinks he is "freakin" tall....well...he wanted to prove that he really isn't. His older brother has that title as well as one of his nephews. This is for you Ed so you can show everyone the truth of the height thingy!

Welcome to the Family!

It is a very busy year for us! Greg has chosen Rainey to be his wife....wedding to be in October 2010 we hope! (Depends on how the visa works out.) We are so happy to have her in our family....I feel sure she will be overwhelmed by the amount of family Gregory has! but she sure will be loved by a lot of people!
This is their "marriage photo" for the "marriage license" they had to pick up in Beijing. I am not sure what all that means other than they will be getting married!

Happy photo!

 
Shannon has found her soulmate.....meet Arya.....and, yes, we like him very very much.

siblings...some of them

 
4 of the 10 brothers and sisters....Kathleen #2, Tom #3, Charley #1 and Ellen #9....at Christmas. We had a lovely time!

 

Newest addition to the family......

 

Welcome to Gigi!!!..here with her Great Aunt Neva....and we all know how I feel about actually being CALLED "GREAT" Aunt Neva...I AM a great aunt...but Aunt Neva works for me......

2 Brothers and 1 cousin

 
2 well dressed young men at the club.

The brothers (Eric and Greg) with their youngest male cousin. Grandma has 22 grandchildren --11 grandsons and 11 granddaughters...Gregory is #3 grandson, Eric is #4 and Kieran is #11.
 

Spongebob square pants

 
Gives SpongeBomb Square pants a whole new dimension doesn't this?
Greg in Las Vegas in September..

Paul Bunyan

 
You might have thought that Paul Bunyan was just a story....but....I am here to tell you that 2 of them were in my backyard chopping down the dead Austrian pine. When I asked what killed it to the daughter who is a Natural Resource Environmental Scienc resource major and got a 100% in her dendrology class....her answer..."we don't live in Austria"..
my rsponse....really?

Take me for a ride

 
I have been gone so much lately that this is the only way this little guy seems to think he can see me. ...He LOVES the car but he is IMPOSSIBLE to drive with......

A Graduation Day

The Graduate
 
Graduation for our second son ....and the first son is home from Beijing for the week and the daughter is home from India.....all the children in Illinois at the same time.....that is very unusual!!!

 

You'd think you would get used to how tall the kids are when you see them with others...not so much! The poor little guy in the back was totally obscured by Eric....These were the recipients of the Bachelor Degree....there were 30 who received their associate degree.



 

They were given a rose to give to the person they felt helped them the most during their schooling.

I have never seen this boy smile so large....

 

 

Always nice to have a Cake!!



 

See who got the rose......:)

 

His diploma.....
The man who spoke at graduation kept it short and sweet....the theme was network network network.....we liked his talk ....if not only for the brevity but because of his theme.

Michigania family portrait 09

 

Getting 30 people ready for a family portrait is an heroic effort!

 

The final result!