Christmas 2008

The entire Walters clan gathered to celebrate Christmas this year -- in all, 28 folks from all over made their way through snow, sleet, and rain to be here for the big day. Some were delayed in their arrival, but all made it in time to celebrate at India's on Christmas. Erick will be putting together a Picaso slideshow, but for now we just thank God for family and friends and all the incredible blessings He has put in our lives. We were able to gather together to spread our parents' ashes at the favorite family picnic site (even though snow fell in large flakes all around us and threatened to thwart our attempt). It took us 11 years to all be together after Mom died to do this, and it was a very moving and memorable tribute.

As we prepare for the many changes that 2009 will bring, we know we'll have the memory of this short time together to look back on and smile. Everyone left Saturday and made it safely home, again with some delays, but home nonetheless.

Wishing each of you a surprisingly delightful 2009!

Noah Harper Seidel

Thanksgiving in Lafayette '08

We are having a great time in Lafayette. We are glad Olivia and Nini were able to join in all the festivities. We even got some snow. Enjoy the pics.

Miss Lainie Slidin' High!

Sarah and Lainie are in Toledo this week to celebrate Lainie's 2nd birthday and Sarah's ##'nd birthday! The family is thrilled to have some time to spend together since their house hasn't sold and they've been living apart for months. They went to the zoo even though snow flurries and rain accompanied them, and Lainie had a great time! They'll be with us for Christmas this year as the whole family is coming. We cannot wait! Hard to believe Miss Lainie and Mr. K are already 2!

Aunt Martha's 90th Birthday

Our incredible Aunt Martha celebrated with her family to commemorate her 90th birthday! Roger, India, John and I represented our side of the family and got to visit with all of our Texas cousins (some a few times removed!). Anyway, it was a grand weekend full of stories, jokes, memories, and picture taking. India and I are exhausted!

Ah, Vermont!

The fall colors were no disappointment this year! What an incredible respite for reading, hiking, plowing, and reflection. Thanks to Barb and Rosemary for sharing their time, their vehicle, their place, their dog Lucy, and their friendship. It was a wonderful trip; enjoy the slideshow!

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety Jig!

After a 3-week jaunt to adjust to retirement, I am back home again and in the throes of preparing a home-cooked meal for my sweetie! While I loved every minute of family and friend time in Colorado and Nevada, I'm glad to be back home with Erick. We have a whole 2 weeks until I'm off again, and we're going to enjoy it! Thanks to everyone for the fun, the help, the hugs and kisses, and the smoochies!

The kitchen in detail...

The master bedroom...

Heading upstairs...

And now the back yard...

Into the family room...

Beginning of the Lafayette tour...

The Last Day

Yes, it's true! Today was my last day as a Tucson Police Sergeant. The balding guy is the Chief, presenting me with my retirement credentials. The three badges are my Reserve, Officer, and Sergeant badges (the actual ones I wore). And of course, you recognize that handsome guy with me, taken after it was all over. It was a great career and now I'm hitting the road full speed ahead. Thanks to all of you for supporting me in my career over the years. It was quite a ride.

Florida Trip Jul 08

We had a great trip to Florida under the circumstances. It was great to see the family, and introduce Charlotte to Aunt Fe and Uncle Beeb. The flight there was pretty uneventful, but our return trip took awhile. We had a lay-over in Charlotte, then after we pushed away from the gate, the thunderstorm came. We didn't get back to Tucson until after 1 a.m.

The memorial service was very nice. We will truly miss our Grandma, but she is in a better place.

We had dinner at Shells afterwards, and we were able to re-live our fondest memories of Grandma, and we got a chance to celebrate Uncle Beeb's birthday.

Thank-you all for your support and prayers.

On the mend...

Charlotte's surgery on the 10th went well. The doc was able to get the cyst out and a bunch of scar tissue to boot. Let the healing begin! Thanks for all your prayers, well wishes, and phone calls. She'll be back to full speed before we know it!

May Birthdays

India and Julie had their birthday celebration last night at Texas Roadhouse followed by cake and presents at India and Matt's house. As you can see in the video, it was a "yee-haw'n" good time! The angel food cake and chocolate cream pie weren't bad either!

Fishing Tournament, Hawley Lake

We headed up to the White Mountains in Northern Arizona for the 2008 FOP Hawley Lake Invitational to see if we could catch the big one. Unfortunately, none of the big ones wanted what we were offering. Lots of little ones (9-12 inches) were hitting our lines and stealing our hooks (their mouths were too small to get the hooks out without gutting em!), but the big ones evaded us. It was still great to be up north in a little bit of cooler weather and surrounded by pines and the serenity of the lake. And hey, we each got a book read while we were there, too! All in all a great weekend!

Vegas, Baby

Char and the Huesgen girls (Tai, Ryn, and Jora) took a trip to Vegas to kick off the summer and visit with Sarah, Kirk, and Lainie. The trip lasted 6 days, and included everything from sightseeing at Hoover Dam, to swimming through the sharks at the Golden Nugget, to the Fremont Experience in Downtown Vegas, to magnet making, to Springs Preserve, to the public pool for a water day. Miss Lainie is growing like a weed and really starting to talk (her own language). Sarah and Kirk have listed their house for sale in preparation for the move to Toledo in July. Enjoy our pics and video!

Hawg Roast

Since Erick works on the A-10 "Warthog", his squadron has an annual Hawg Roast/Sports Day. He was on the cooking committee this year, and they ended up smoking 12 pork shoulders, 8 chuck roasts, and a 122-lbs pig. They started early on Thursday and finished on Friday in time for lunch. Needless to say, Erick is pretty tired from pulling an all-nighter cooking. Please enjoy the pics!

Family Visit

We were fortunate to have several family members come visit over the weekend. Sarah, Kirk, and Lainie flew in from Vegas while Roger and Ruthy flew in from Chicago. We had a family dinner over at our house on Friday, and on Saturday, Julie and Terri hosted the family gathering. Sarah and Kirk brought their Wii, and needless to say we are all addicted. On Sunday the cousins went to the zoo with Char and Sarah and got to feed the giraffes, see lions, tigers, bears, elephants, monkeys, zebras, corn snakes, and lots and lots of birds including white peacocks! It was so much fun! Enjoy the pictures and let us know what you think.

Last Days in Bahamas

We spent our last days indoors due to inclimate weather, so our golf ball total wasn't up to par from previous years (only 75 ball this year).

Betty's taxi was involved in an accident (nobody was injured), and they were unable to come over for our annual spaghetti dinner. We were able to briefly see them Friday night, and as always, it was a tearful good-bye.

We made it back safely to Tucson after a lengthy delay in Dallas. While we are glad to be home again, we will miss our time in Paradise. I hope you've enjoyed our pics.

Golf Ball Poacher

Golf balls have been slim pickings this year, and we found out why.

Bahamas Birthdays

The kids came over to swim and celebrate their birthdays.

Another Sunny Day in Paradise

Fan-tastic

The Bahamas, At Last!!!

After a couple of cloudy days, we finally got a chance to go to "Golf Ball Cove." Here are a couple of pictures taken with our Under Water Camera. Wish you all were here. Enjoy

Vroom, Vroom

Lainie with her new toy

Lil Miss Lainie

Well, the Tucson Gem Show starts this week, so Charlotte flew up to see the Baird's over the weekend. Here are a couple of pics of Lainie.

Fixing the New Townhome

Putting in the new kitchen sink!!!

Tony contemplating the new locks for the door.


Tony fixing the front door lock.

Brrrr

Charlotte and her friend Tony went up to Lafayette over MLK weekend to do a little remodeling. It was super chilly, but Charlotte came armed with her slanket to keep her warm.

It's Finally Here!

Thanks to Eliz, Erynn, and Chad and many trips to the Apple Store, we got hooked on an Apple. We are slowly learning how to use it, but it's been fun.

We finally closed on our new place in Lafayette. All we have to do now is retire so we can spend more time with family. Tick-tock, clock, tick-tock!

Prepping for the arrival of the Gem Show and 15-hour days. Oh boy! Any takers on visiting so you can see it?

Hoping some of the family will join us in the Bahamas. If anyone wins the lottery, we can all go!