Celebrity

Lara had to work today (Sunday, February 8, 2009). Today, high school students could go to NMU to learn more about financial aid and get assistance from people in the know (like Lara!). Lara was also able to earn comp time today to use on a future day off, but really it was to help the kids. With her mind on helping students and gaining some comp time for herself, I don't think she was prepared for the celebrity storm that was about to rain down upon her...

When Lara left this morning, there was no way of knowing that by this evening, she would be one of the UPs most popular celebrities. That's right, Lara made it onto TV6. Not just the evening news, no-no-no, but also the TV6 website! Check out the picture below. There she is, on the right by the door! We know her!

I know you will want to share this with family, friends, and heck, even strangers. We can all say, "I knew her before she was a star." Here is the actual website, just in case someone tries to claim that we just Photshopped her into a TV6 picture. You can let those jokers know this is the big league, baby!

http://www.uppermichiganssource.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=257153

-Brian, secretly posting as Lara! I can do this! Even with her celebrity status, I can do this! Now I just need to wait for the swag!

Grandma and Evelyn...

Grandma reading a story to Evelyn in the kitchen.

Evelyn chompin' on Grandma's cheek!

Evelyn in her new sweater (knit by Grandma Winterfield.) She has some room to grow in to it yet. Grandma Rice was able to quickly knit up the matching hat from the left over yarn from the sweater.

Another matching hat knit from the leftover yarn!

We enjoyed a visit from Grandma Winterfield recently. She flew in from Naples, FL on Saturday, Jan. 17th and stayed an entire week before having to depart at 6am on Sunday, Jan. 25th. Evelyn really enjoyed having her Grandma here with her for the week. They played, read books, sang Grandma's "Zoo Song" and enjoyed some giggles together. We took lots of photos and video all week so we could send a DVD home with Grandma so she could show Grandpa how big Evelyn has gotten.

Sorting through old photos...

I've been sorting through some old photos lately and am getting the hang of scanning and uploading them to Picasa 3. It's been fun picking out some favorites and revisiting old memories.

This first photo is from my Camp Fire Girls days. Our group rented a house at Camp Wathana in Holly, MI for a weekend. This photo was taken just before we left to head back home. I can actually remember almost everyone's name:

Standing: Catarina Palazzolo, Kathy McPherson (our leader), Michelle Weisend, Jenny Engel, Kathleen Winterfield (my mom), Debbie Engel, Jennifer Weisend.
Sitting: Virginia Marsack, Me, Robin Cunningham, Judy Chapman, Karen Krok. Unfortunately, the last girl has her face covered with her hand--can't remember who that would have been.




This next photo is from my sister's 2nd birthday in 1977. Looks like she may have been dipping into the birthday cake ahead of time! She's sitting at our little play table and to the left you can see our "kitchen". We had lots of fun playing "house" in our basement.


















This photo is of my great uncles and my grandpa. From the left, Ralph Barber, Vincent Barber (my grandpa), and Harry Barber. I don't know why, but I've always loved this photo and have had it framed and on a bookshelf for quite some time. I think I got this photo after my grandpa passed away in 1991.

Sweet Potato!

Evelyn tried her first "real" food - not just that paste they call rice & oatmeal. Her first sampling was Sweet Potatoes. As you can see, she didn't take to it right away, but after a few bites she came around.

Evelyn sitting up & playing

A special post for Grandma "P" down in Florida. Hope you can get to the library to view this sometime this week. Yes, Evelyn was having a bad hair day on Saturday, but she didn't really care!

We sure are looking forward to your visit on Saturday! Only 5 more days until you arrive in the much colder U.P.! Better get your long johns on!!!

Growing and changing...

We can't believe how much Evelyn has been growing and changing lately! Everyone warned us about this, but until you are experiencing it yourself, you really don't believe it. Brian and I both thought that Evelyn looked really different the other day, so we got the camera out & took a few photos.




Although she still has tons of hair on top of her head, you can see she's lost quite a bit off the back and sides! But, it's slowly growing back in.




















She's enjoying the toys she got for Christmas from Santa, family & friends. She's able to sit up on her own (well, we sit her up, but she does all the work to stay up!) and move her toys about--throwing them this way and that, then reaching to pick them up again. She does eventually get tired out and flops backwards, so we try to keep her Boppy pillow behind her or we sit with her so she doesn't bang her head on the floor!

Downstate visit

The day after Christmas we headed downstate to stay with my brother, David and his wife, Becka, in their new home in Royal Oak. My sister, Ann and her boyfriend, James, came over on Saturday to celebrate Christmas. We enjoyed a delicious dinner cooked from scratch by Becka and Ann, and then opened gifts. It was a very relaxing evening.















Evelyn taking a bite out of Uncle David's hand!






James with his green "hair"!























Aunt Becka tickling Evelyn!













The dogs relaxing in the living room (Sam, Cooper and Murphy.) They spent lots of time in the yard chasing squirrels up in to the trees!












Brian, Dad, Evelyn, & Lara