Happy 51st Anniversary

 

I'd hoped at one time to have a 50th Anniversary party with our children, our siblings and a few cousins, but covid came and I was happy we could celebrate with our children and grandchildren (click here).  But, I missed celebrating with siblings.  We had a small family reunion this year with my siblings and our family at the Doubletree in Chesterfield. 

That's been our "go-to" hotel for many years because they have a full health club attached with indoor and outdoor pools and tennis courts.  They also have a small gym for basketball.  With 8 active grandchildren, it's been a wonderful place for the kids to work off some energy at our winter family gatherings.

We swam, played tennis, played games and some even went to the outlets shopping.  Mostly we just hung out and had a great time.  Kansas City, Minneapolis, Rhode Island, Ballwin and Union all came together for a Western Dinner on Saturday night.

We also managed to get some grandchildren photos in front of our house despite several clowning around!

Birth order and ages:  Brett 20, Davis 18, Roman 16, Libby 15, Eli almost 15, Anna 12, Sam 9 and Silas 7.

Watch out world---here we come (until mid December)!

I now have the Covid Booster #3.  Because of medicines I take for auto-immune disease, I never felt like I was fully immunized.  My sister-in-law (Debbie), a liver transplant, is part of a Johns Hopkin's study of people taking immune suppressing drugs.  She got her third shot in August and further testing showed that she was fully immunized, at last.  So, I patiently waited for my turn to get the booster, confident that I, too, will be fully immunized.

Debbie and my brother Jim are so confident of her immunization they are now on a cruise.  After almost two weeks of having the booster, I am feeling more confident that I can  get out, too, but I'm not quite ready for a cruise.  I am ready to get out of the house, though, and explore some places that I haven't seen in more than 3 years:  Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis Art Museum, the Butterfly House, Kohl's Department Store, Costco.

Our self-imposed isolation began in December 2018.  Since my diagnosis with auto-immune disease, I traditionally isolate from mid December until mid March.  But, in January 2019, my husband was diagnosed with lymphoma.  So, we never emerged in mid March 2019. . . .  Just as I was beginning to feel confident I could leave him at home alone to have lunch with my sister and cousin in late February 2020, Covid reared its ugly head. 

I took some baby steps in May and June 2021:  I had a pedicure, a hair cut, went to 2 thrift stores, CVS,  Dierberg's and Schnuck's.  We also went to the Doubletree to celebrate our 50th anniversary with our children and their families.  We watched our grandchildren play in the pool, had lunch in a cabana, had a catered dinner in our own hospitality room with some video entertainment put together by our daughters and spent the night at the hotel.  Did I feel safe?  NO!  The hotel was packed with two huge parties none of which wore masks.  I refused to get on an elevator with anyone other than family members.  We only spent one night at the hotel despite paying for two.  We were luckier than many of our friends, though, whose anniversary plans were totally destroyed by Covid.

So, I am ready to step out again for the next two months.  We are not ready to travel or eat in a restaurant.  But, we are ready to visit some much loved places and people.  So, while Jim and Deb are dining on fine cruise cuisine, we will still be eating at home, eating out-doors, getting take out.  While they are seeing the tropical sights in the Bahamas, we will be  enjoying the tropical Butterfly House.  While they are playing socially distanced Bingo, we will be attending socially distanced church one Saturday night.

Baby steps. . . .

Class of '63 Part 2

Dick H.  Gary K.  Bob M.  Victoria A. D.

Eileen, Jane and spouses

Bob Z. and Judy S.

Bill C, Joyce N. hubby, Kathy

The Durands

The Haunschilds

Kathy L. Bill W and Pam J

Steve G. Gene R. Dennis B.

Bev T. Leslie W. Gerry M.

Patty, Carol F, Diana J, Gail S. 
Back row: Elaine, Judy P., Barb S.

Bill C's wife and Bill W.

Carol and Jane

Vito

Dick and Gerry

Carol, Jane, Sandy W and Judy S.

Bill C, Joyce N, Bill W.

Class of '63 Part One

John, Nick and LynDee

Terry

John and Peggy

Judy S. and Paul

B. Cirra, spouse, D. Wraussmann

Clione, Diana, Gail, Judy

Liz

Margie

Ed and ??

Clione and Paula

George and Patti

Bucket List Part 2

 #21 Visit Hadrian's Wall 1985

It was so cold in June that we had to buy gloves at a local store.

#20 Take the Kids to Europe

Top left photo is Port Isaac in England, bottom right is Linderhof in Germany

#22 Take kids on a train
Britannia Express 1985 took us from Netherlands to Munich, Germany.  We had a sleeper with triple bunks.  I never slept a wink thinking we would be stopped at the border for passports.  But, apparently we were in a sealed car and just sailed through.
 

#23 Live overseas

Photo with students in Memmingen Germany 1967.  To be fair, they were just 1-2 years younger than I was since Gymnasium in Germany goes to the 14th grade.  And, I should have been a Junior or Senior in college.

#24 Go to City Museum

We went with Tom, Donna, Meredith and Glen in 1998.  They couldn't believe the creativity but also worried about the quality of the work and their safety (see bus upper right)

 #25 Visit Savannah, Georgia

We went with Rachel, Kyle and Brett in 2003.  It is as beautiful as I'd heard but the cobblestones. . . .

 #26 Visit Ancestral Home

Park Hall, Healaugh, Yorkshire, England---Alderson Family Home. (Dave's grandmother's family)  Home after 286 years.  We located villages where my family lived but could never pinpoint exactly where they lived.  But still, loved walking the streets of these villages.

 #27. Weigh below 140 lbs.

#28. Stay with Weight Watchers for 6 months.

Photos were 1998 an 2000 Founder's Day Banquets

#30 Take a Cruise

This was our first---a Caribbean cruise in 1996 for our 25th anniversary

 #29 Snorkel in the Caribbean

Actually Dave and I had snorkeled on the 1996 cruise, but we snorkeled with the girls in Cancun also.

 #31 Ride a Double-decker Bus
Actually we usually do that on our first day in London (when we are sleep deprived) but this photos is from Rachel and Kyle's wedding transportation.

#32 Stay in a B & B in the USA

We made a habit of staying in them in Europe with the kids and thought it would be fun to do it in USA.  What were we thinking?  We took 6 kids (ours and Tom and Donna's) to this sleepy little inn in New Hampshire)

 #33 Visit Taliesin in Arizona

Having read Fountainhead, I became interested in Frank Lloyd Wright.  Living near Fallingwater increased my interest.  We visited Taliesin (not really pictured here) in 1997.  We have video tapes for more information.

 #34 Visit Charleston, South Carolina

This was part of a family reunion excursion out to Ft. Sumter.  White haired man is  Uncle Hale, with Michelle, Don, Don, Dave, Rebecca, Leah, Rachel 1983

 #35 Visit Washington D.C.

White House, July 1982

 #36 Go White Water Rafting

1997 Pigeon Forge

Dave, Meredith Me

Rachel, Rebecca, Leah

#37 Take the kids to California

We usually went at Christmas to visit with Dave's parents 1985 and 1986 

 #38 Take the kids to NYC

1986 Statue of Liberty

 #39 Go to Switzerland

Being a fan of Heidi, I took German just so I could go to Switzerland.  Visited Bern in 1966 and Luzern in 1967.  Had my first fondue here.  Have since discovered Dave and I both have ancestors from Switzerland!

 #40 See the pyramids of Mexico

While the girls learned to scuba, Dave and I took an excursion to Chichen Itza.  We climbed to the top---coming down was the challenge!