Everyone should get a chance to have a first birthday party. You should get to have everyone dote over you; cheering over even a baby step. You should get to have lots of other babies your age around to play with your new toys while you have fun bopping the helium balloons around. You should get to have your own special birthday cake all to yourself. You should be allowed to eat it with both fists and rub a little chocolate frosting in your hair if you choose to. Grandparents should be all around you ready to love you and spoil you at the drop of a hat. Yes turning one is a very special time.

Georgia Ann has celebrated her first birthday. Both sets of grandparents were on hand and as you probably have guessed, she had more fun playing with the helium balloons than unwrapping and playing with the new toys. There were three or four toddlers that were just a bit older than Georgia Ann that were able to pick up the slack and give the new toys a good test run. A couple of them became immediate candidates for becoming battery-less toys after the 200th playing of the same theme song. A good time was had by all and today Georgia Ann’s Paternal Grandparents, Gerry and Janene Tice are on the plane headed back to Illinois. You will be able to check out my collection of birthday photos below.

We have been hanging out in the Portland Oregon region for a couple weeks now. We are spending our time getting some minor maintenance work done on the coach and some dental work done for Judy. These activities will probably occupy us until about Thanksgiving, but then we expect to make it to California-Arizona this winter in time to catch the best Bluegrass Festivals.

Bye for now, and we hope to get to visit with all our local friends while we are in the region. Call or e-mail us and we can do some short trips to meet you, or you can meet us here at the Hillsboro Elks Lodge for a visit.

Gary and Judy