My BEST BUD: the BIG-O

OK, I finally received my just dues.....

Being the strict dye-in-the-wool Republican, I realized that there was a need for change in Washington....  I supported, financed and voted for the Big-O....  Due, in part, to my loyal support, we were invited to the Gala Washington Celebration...  After the oath and speech after speech, the Big-O invited us into the Oval Office for a minor Tete-a-tete...  Unfortunately I was beeped by my equally supportive daughter, Robyn, and "O" let me use "The Phone"......  So, to heretoforever mark this joyous occasion, Jan popped a quick-pic of me in The Office...  After a night filled with one gala festive party after another, we headed back home to mingle with the common folk...  As always, I am available to all of my friends...  Just give me a jingle.....  Stay tuned for further adventures including the "winter white-out" that closed Denver International Airport....as well as the "thawing-out" of St. Louis.....

ABIGAIL RULES

Well, while Abby's Blog is quiet...the Wandering Wallaces' has picked up on the action!  Wednesday, 1/7, we took Abby out of Enterprise, AL and into Sandestin, FL...and I have to say, she hasn't looked back yet!  (Course, maybe that is because Mom and Dad are not there...they are aboard Carnival enjoying anniversary #4!) So far I can honestly say..."Grandparenting is FUN!"(at least in limited doses!).  We have managed to "stick toes and thumbs" in the Gulf...enjoy a Thomas the Train party with audio (naturally..what do we know about this group is limited...tho have to admit...Jim is becoming somewhat of an expert on Thomas and his gang as well as the Doodlebops!)...and even a challenging game of Balloon Bop!   Why store bought cookies even take on a new delight around her!  The action is non-stop and will be apparently until the 17th when "The Honeymooners" return to reality!  Course, one of the pluses we have to accept is naptime and early bedtime...not bad for these two old duffers!  Hope all are enjoying the New Year as much as we are.....well, I hear a "Gramercy" calling so naptime must be over!

   HAPPY  HOLIDAYS

             TO OUR

 FRIENDS AND FAMILY

 Hoping  your Christmas

was as wonderful and blessed as ours...and

may your New Year be

one of Hope, Spirit and 

Promise...

We gathered together in 

Sandestin...Kelly and her Molly driving here after finals and a short stay in both VA with Matt and Enterprise with Barbara, Eric and Niece Abby Lee...Kelly and Jan drove to Atlanta to pick up Robyn and her Marley (we girls did a weekend outing too to look for a wedding dress for Kelly's August wedding and also bridesmaids' dresses, as Robyn is one of the Honor Maids)...back to Sandestin to join Jim and our L.C. adopted cat just in time for a Christmas Eve candle-light service and a Christmas Day of stockings to open, gifts to unwrap, and dinner to fix ( each one of us did a "special" part of the meal making it a family fun affair!).  The festivities were grand...and we all enjoyed the togetherness, rest and recouping too.  Barbara and Abby Lee joined the festivities on the 26th...and it has been non-stop since!  Soon, the travels will be reversed...with Kelly and Molly leaving to head back to Birmingham and her LAST semester of law school....wo-hoo!...Jim and Jan will take Robyn and Marley to the Atl. airport so they can fly back to the icy roads of CO and work's reality...as for Jim and Jan (an L.C.)....this IS reality..and we are loving it!

T-DAY AND

THE FAMILY GATHERED IN SANDESTIN

Our "NEW" Stomping Grounds!

Before feasting, we had candid

picture taking...so you can share with us! 

All the "girls "gathered together...all ages..from Kimberly and Kelly followed by "Gramercy"

 then Barbara with her Abby and Robyn.  Believe it or not, we even got EVERYONE in the swing...Jeff and Kimberly (Phillips; St. Louis); Papa Doc and Gramercy (Sandestin); Barbara and Eric (Wade; Enterprise, AL)...then there is Logan (Philips; almost 5) checking out the "tree" candy...with Carter (Phillips; 2+) in front of "Aunt" Kelly...then Abby (Wade; almost 2)

challenging "Aunt" Robyn.  YEP....that's all..except for the grand-dogs Molly and Marley...and the feline "L.C."  We had a wonderful time together at Thanksgiving....the "kids" gifted us with a Thanksgiving night of "making ornament" for our tree...as all "precious" ones (as well as not-so-precious!) were lost.  We all spent about 4 hours creating!  What fun!..and you should see the tree now!  By Monday, all were either home or heading home...and we were back to being two "busy" retirees..as we headed to Gadsden, packed up the house in a U-Haul and headed south again.  We have some things at condo...some at house...some in Gadsden.  Talk about being "spread thinly!"  One more trip to Gadsden pre-Christmas, and then we will be in Sandestin for the holidays...and for the rest of this grand retirement!  Hope you'all enjoyed the Thanksgiving gatherings as much as we did...now...off to try and put lights on the house!

.....SCUBA-MAN.....

Well, here I sit in the Miami airport, madder then a wet-rooster... we had to pay $ 15 for Jan's one checked bag and $ 25 for my one checked bay and we each still had our carry-on bag..... Only an AMERICAN company could do this AA (of course)...............

Well, back to my post.... I'm now SCUBA-man....I got my certificate to scuba dive.....

Here are some pics.... Me going in and me coming out of the Caribbean waters....  Fantastic dive over a sunken submarine and a coral reef and several other sunken ships and gazillions of fish......  Oh, by the way, I added an extra picture of my newest "tats".....  I'm a sailor now....

Daddy-O/Papa Doc

...who are these people ?????????

Well, who could imagine who these two happy people are?????

Could it be the two cruisers of the Freedom of the Seas............

Well, we're back in Miami, resting for our flight back to reality....

Family, obligations, Thanksgiving, oh yeah and RETIREMENT...