The Gazebo

This is my favorite place in town.

Every 4th of July, Labor day, Veterans day and Memorial Day the city decorates the gazebo with flags. In the summer they have free concerts here. It’s a great place to rest during a walk or bike ride, there always seems to be a little breeze flowing through. It reminds me of simpler times when life was less stressful. And it makes me glad I live in a small town.

Every so often you’ll see people there having a picnic, a birthday party or even a wedding. Actually Casey, Connor and I celebrated his 10th birthday there. I enjoy the Gazebo all year long, but my favorite is Christmas time. Every year they decorate it a little differently. We’ve had many pictures taken there through the years

Here are a few of them.
Connor, 2001

This was the first Christmas after 9-11. The tree was decorated with flags. It really lifted my spirit.

Derek, Delaney and Zoe, 2002

This was the first year Don and the boys moved in. It was a good year.

Tim, Casey and Connor, 2003

This was their first year as a family. They were married May of 2003

Connor, 2005

2006
The kids, 2007This is probably one of the last of all of them together for a long time.

Derek, 2008 His first Christmas home from the Navy

Connor's Christmas at Granny's

This year I won't be seeing Connor on Christmas day.

Casey and Tim want to start a new tradition of staying home for Christmas. He'll be going to Tim's family's Christmas Eve, spending the morning at his house with Tim and Casey and in the afternoon he goes to his Mimi and Papa's house to celebrate with that side of the family. He should be back home on friday. I hope to spend some time with him then. Connor and I decided that he would open his gifts at my house on the 23rd. So thats our new tradition

Look Whose Livin' on Tulsa Time

Derek went stand by on an earlier flight out of O'Hare which was a good thing because his original flight was cancelled due to weather. He got up at midnight got everything ready and took the first shuttle to the airport at 3am. O'Hare cancelled 300 flights. My heart goes out to the Sailors who's flights were cancelled and their families.

He's home.

Cousin Mike

Mike and Michele

My cousin from Wichita was in town on business and was able to spend an evening with us. We’ve not seen him in almost 4 years. His father and my mother were brother and sister.

It was a nice evening. It felt good to be around family.

He’s a very talented guy, he has a beautiful voice, is a gifted musician and is very artistic. Not to mention a really nice person. Somehow I missed out in the gene pool though, he got the voice, I got the red hair, he has a passion for music and art, I like to eat. . .(sigh).
He also brought Michele with him, his live in girlfriend. That was the first time I’d met her. I like her very much. They make an awesome couple. I sense they are both deeply in love. I'm happy for them.
Here is a video of them singing bluebird. Well, not the whole song because I kept stopping the recording by accident. The video part of my camera doesn’t take a very good video but I think you’ll get the idea. At one point in the video you'll see Mike kind of smile and glance over at Don. Don had started singing harmony with them. It sounded good.