&
HAPPY NEW YEAR
WELCOME
Please enjoy our family's on line card for 2010
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We spent 2 weeks in Hawaii where we visited with Bills daughter Diane and her husband Kapule and we co-hosted a birthday party for our granddaughter Desire, at our hotel. Rosemarie did take her balloons with her so balloons all around. We met Kapule's mom and other family members. We were spoiled rotten while there and we are so appreciative of the wonderful experience, their amazing company. We were overwhelmed! I think they know everyone on the island. Kapule's deceased uncle Duke is one of the surfers who made that activity famous. If you go to Maui make sure you eat at Dukes. Great food and you can see pictures of his famous family. Kapule hooked us up for a round of golf at Kaanapali. It is a beautiful course and the tropical island breeze wasn't bad either. Besides Golf there was a dinner cruise, snorkeling, zip-lineing, a Luau, and much more!
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Our social calendar is still about birthday parties. We are either going to one or Rosemarie "Wower the Clown" is entertaining at a party. There is a lot for a family to celebrate! Bill is golfing with Ron, Lori, and Billy on Wednesday mornings and this makes him very happy! He came close to his goal of shooting his age. Shot 76 and he is 73. We spent some time with all of the kid's families during the year. We have the best grandchildren! We are all so busy that family time is precious. One birthday party this year was awesome. We celebrated Rosemarie's BD with a huge back yard Luau! A lot of friends came and enjoyed all of the entertainment (band, cartoonist, balloon art and great food). Lori Smith chronicled the event by creating a cherished picture book (real book). Rosemarie got a new 2011 KIA Sportage (like the red one on TV) for her BD. It was good we had ordered it because her Lincoln was totaled when she got rear ended.
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Rosemarie was hired to entertain on St Patrick's Day for a Fleetwood Rally in Hemet CA. Her performance included singing, impersonations, mime, Irish jokes and storytelling. Rosemarie has found a new talent. She is a natural storyteller (all the other skills she has acquired make it seem easy). The pay was nice but the rally cost us a fortune because we bought a new RV. We of course lost money on the trade-in. It was a good, but costly decision. We absolutely love the new 2010 Fleetwood Bounder. It is 5 feet shorter.
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We spent a week in Las Vegas before we headed on our two month long trip to Alaska. We always have a great time in Vegas. It is a good opportunity to visit son Shawn and our grandchildren Cedar & Kayl. Shawn & Glenda divorced a while back and divorce is hard on all of them. Glenda is very cooperative and makes our visits easy. This will probably be our last year for that set up. Shawn is working in Tucson and Cedar is with him.
The trip to Alaska was our 6th trip of a lifetime. What an amazing experience. We stopped at Zion and Bryce Canyon again. We did a lot of hiking in Zion last year so we just hiked there a little.
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We hooked up with Rosemarie's brother Tony, his wife Shirley, her sister Joann and her sisters husband Don, near Bryce. We got to hike down the Queens Path at Bryce Canyon. It was so much fun. One of our best days with the group! We then headed for Salt Lake City. Been there done that, but this time we actually went to a performance of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Their new huge center is so big, WOW!
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After that we drove to Glacier National Park. Bill and I went the wrong way and lost the others for a while. It was a good mistake, although the road was hairy, the views were so great. The drive through Canada was OK but you knew you were not at home "Dorothy". Our convoy home based at Shirley's brother Quinton & his wife Shirley's (2 different Shirley's) home at Soldotna on the Kenai Peninsula. We also spent time with her little brother Hardy and his wife Nancy who lived nearby. The five couples enjoyed their time together. They were great hosts and Shirley is a great cook although we all took turns cooking. From there we enjoyed a day in Homer, a cruise at Seward. Some of our stops included Denali National Park, Mt. McKinley, Anchorage, The North Pole(we visited with Santa WOW! ), and we golfed in Fairbanks at 12:00 midnight.
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The course is the one course that is farthest North you can golf. We saw the Exit Glacier and a lot of critters including a Grizzly Bear on the highway. That was unbelievable and so exciting! The next few pictures were from our trip
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When people talk about the bad roads on the Alaskan Highway they are not kidding. It is an "E" ticket in some places. If you want to know more just call us. We had a wonderful trip but do not plan on ever driving there again. Thank God we had a new RV. I don't believe the other one would have made it in one piece because some of the grades were 10%.
On our 2200 mile trip through Canada we stopped at the Edmonton Mall in Edmonton. We were so impressed, not with the prices, but with the size and amazing stuff we saw there: an inside beach with waves, a full amusement park. A Sea World type seal and otter show and much more.
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We also stopped at Lake Louise and hiked 3 ½ miles to the tea house. It was much easier 14 years ago, but we met our goal and did it. It was exhilarating!
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On our way home we visited Bill's daughter Holly, husband John and Andrew our grandson. We were glad to spend time with them again. The visit was short and sweet.
The worst part of the year was losing Rosemarie's Mom. She passed away on September 7th. The family was with her. Marie Mitrione was a special woman who left her mark on the world. Her traits and characteristics will live on in her offspring. We had a great celebration of her life. Rosemarie will never recover from the loss of her Mom and will be reunited in heaven when the time comes.
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Part of the family marched in the Mother Goose Parade. It was so weird because the sun was out until the parade started and then it rained and the rain stopped when the parade ended. All of us but Bill got soaked! We had a ball in spite of the rain!
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In our last ditch effort to save the economy, Bill got a 2011 Chevy Equinox with all the bells and whistles. This is his first purchase of this magnitude ever.
He usually leaves of the bells and whistles.
Maybe it is because for the first time in Bill's life at age 73 he got to sit on Santa's lap.
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We had an amazing year and hope you did as well.
We are so looking forward to 2011.
We love the Lord and are so grateful for all of our many blessings.
Thankful for our health and our healthy family!
God Bless You and Yours
Bill & Rosemarie
Home (619) 482-8856
Ro Cell (619) 549-8856
Bill Cell (619) 549-8855
Web: http://www.rosemarieballard.com
http://www.ieallaboard.org
http://www.learnmime.com
YouTube: Chanel: rosemarie101
There is beauty in growing older.
Life is sweeter.
Friends are more precious.
Love is stronger
But time flies to fast
As time flies by be:
Appreciated
Accepted
Assisted
Happy
Healthy
Loved
And
Blessed
BY BY
