December Kite Surfers!

Walking the Petoskey State Park beach on a bright sunny mid-December day, Erich and I spotted some kites in the distance and got some pretty good photos as we got closer.  The surfers were thrilled to have such a nice sunny day with good wind so late in the season.

Bright sunshine, fierce breeze, waves not too big - perfect day for kite surfing

Can you see all three kites in this pic?

Closeup!

Headed back to the beach

All three over the beach, sun is about to set

A big colorful seagull??

All three together

Boards on the beach

Madrigals

Sally and Bob invited us to the Madrigal Singers Dinner at the Perry Hotel the weekend before Christmas.  Bob has played the role of King Robert, emcee and joke teller extraordinaire for over 20 years and he does it well!  The dinner was great, the students who sing are wonderful and their costumes were magnificent!

Mary, Erich, Bob, Sally

                                                                                     

King Robert

Petoskey High School Madrigal Singers

Undecorating

The last week of December is for "undecorating". 

 One more photo before I begin...something a little different.

Angel on a Cloud

Ellis Michael
One Week Old

Holiday Rain

Thanksgiving Weekend

Holy Childhood Church
Harbor Springs, MI

New Life

A sincere thank you to Jim and Jenice for inviting me to be in the birthing room when

 Ellis was born.  It was one of the most amazing, heart warming, spiritual, and moving
experiences I have ever had and is a memory that will live in my heart forever.

A gentle kiss from new dad to new mom with baby's
tiny fingers showing -just minutes after his birth

Jenice holds Ellis just before he is officially weighed

About a half hour after his birth, Ellis looks
content  with his beautiful mom and proud dad

Skype Toast*

Erich and I had a nice Skype call last night that ended with a toast to Skype!
This is the Skype Snapshot I took of it.  Ah, technology!

*or..What life is like in an international relationship

Holiday Transitions

I vowed to enjoy one holiday at a time  this year (unlike Retail America!).  Now that Thanksgiving

 is behind us I can remove all my harvest decorations and start thinking about Christmas.

  It helped that we haven't gotten any significant snow yet this year.  

Pumpkins and shades of orange are on their way out to make
way for  evergreens, holly berries and  silver stars.

Different Thanks

Different people have different thoughts on Thanksgiving Day...

                                                             

                                                             

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,             

For health and food, for love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thanksgiving, man.  Not a good day to be my pants.  ~Kevin James

Four Generations

On this Thanksgiving Day I am thankful for the meeting of my

 grandson Ellis with his Great Grandmother Priscilla.

Priscilla, Jim, Ellis, Mary Hansen

                                                                                       

Sparkles

Maddie's super awesome sparkly shoes, way cool sox and pretty pink tights

Long Shadows

Mary and Maddie a the beach
 making  long legged shadows
11-4-11

Different

Last week could not have been more different for my daughters in law. 

 Linda was in Costa Rica for yoga and surfing, 

Jenice was in Big Rapids having a baby.
Totally different experiences!

Not Linda--this is an unnamed girl surfing in Costa Rica

Jenice with little Ellis

Long and Narrow

He's got Wild feet...

...and he's a Red Wings fan!

                                                                                 

Grandma!

New Grandma with her
 grandson soon after birth

Mary and Ellis the second day  

Love at first sight!

The new little family, looking a little tired but happy!

New Family

The new family
Ellis with his Mama and Daddy

New Daddy Jim admires his little son.

Jenice looks amazingly calm and beautiful.
 This is the easy contented smile of a happy new mother!

Ellis Michael Hansen

My new buddy, the most perfect little boy on earth.  My grandson.  A new life.  New beginnings with endless possibilities.  Limitless potential.  There's something awe inspiring about a newborn.  I fell in love at first sight!

Meet Ellis Michael Hansen

Born 11-11-11 at 11:39am

8lbs 13.4 ou

21.5 in long

Girls Weekend

Last weekend Heather, her mother Lynn, Maddie, and Brooke came to visit for a "Girls Up North Weekend"...the second annual I might add.  It was sunny and warmer than most November days so we spent some time at the beach, in the yard,  shopping around town, dinner out and all kinds of fun indoor stuff!

The girls with their bag of beach treasures

Maddie in the late afternoon sun
Petoskey State Park

Maddie and Heather at La Senorita

Brooke with her baby and all the proper equipment

Brooke's new friends look on while she
 colors her place mat

A visit to Grandma Hansen

                                                                                       

The Girls!
Lynn, Heather, Madison, Mary, Brooke

Maddie picked a flower for "Grandma Handsome"

Maddie's very awesome shoes and sox

Erich wasn't allowed until the last day.
 Then he made a big hit with the young ladies.