Back in Michigan

 We are back in Michigan after a two day drive home through Canada from Vermont.  We were sad to leave our new grandson, Seamus Patrick, and of course his parents.   He is changing so fast even when he is just a week old.  He has more time when he is awake and as you can see from the picture below he is wide eyed and alert.  He is already a pound up on his weight from his birth weight!!!   Great job Casey with the feeding!!

The weather cleared up and finally warmed up by the time we got into Michigan today. No snow left here but my lawn needs to be mowed!!  We had a great time with Casey's mother Kym and we were so glad that we could share such a wonderful experience with her.
We were able to Skype with Patrick, Heather and Finnley so that they could see Seamus and talk to him.  Computers are wonderful!

                                                   Wide awake and ready to party!!

                                                     Is this what his smile is going to be like???

Kathy driving the big bad boy...it was good to be behind the wheel again.  We have a trip  out west scheduled for August to fly fish.  
We are very thankful for the love of our family and for our new grandchildren.
Love and hugs to all   Kathy and Michael

Happy Mothers Day

 Happy Mothers Day

We spent this Mothers Day in Vermont with our new grandson Seamus Patrick McKenzie Nolan
and his parents and his other grandmother Kym McKenzie.  The weather has been cool and rainy but when there was a little sunshine we ran outside for a family pic.

                            Happy parents and a not so happy Seamus...I think it was time to eat.

                                                                      Grandma Kym

                                                           Grandma Kathy rocking away

Such a sweet boy...he is still sleeping lots which is good and seems to be nursing well.  He gained weight after being around only 3 days.  Mike, Kym and I  will be here two more days and then start back to Michigan.  But it is to be cold here tonight ..32 ..but no snow is predicted.
It is so wonderful to see your son become a father.  Both my sons are going to be fantastic fathers and I am so grateful that I am able to see that happen.
Truly a blessed time to be a mother on Mothers Day.  Thank you to my sons for making me a happy grandma.     Kathy and Michael

 Welcome to the world to
Seamus Patrick Mckenzie Nolan
born on May 7th in Putney Vermont.

We traveled to Vermont over the last two daysin the BBB and met Seamus tonight.  It was wonderful!!!  We brought Casey's mother Kym with us so we were in Grandma heaven!!   Grandpa was pretty excited too!

                                   Motherhood seems to agree with Casey...she is glowing

                                                                    New father and son

                          Mike brought Timothy some Cigar...Its a boy!!!  He sure looks happy!
                                                Grandpa is just ga ga over his grandson

So here is grandma cuddling with Seamus Patrick ...so sweet and just perfect.  I think he looks like Timothy.  Lots of hair..not blonde but not real dark either...slate blue eyes and he is a cuddler.  We will be here for 4
days so i will post again.
Love and hugs Kathy and Mike

Weekend away

 It has been a month since I did a blog...not sure where the time went or why I checked out.  We traveled to Ann Arbor and Detroit area last weekend.  Michael had his heart surgeon doctors appt in Ann Arbor...all went well and we do not have to go back for 2 years!!! Yea!!!
Thursday night we stayed with Mike's cousin Chris and husband Marti in Fenton.  Great to catch up and make summer plans with them.(forgot to take their picture)
We had lunch with some TC friends, Jeff and Kathleen, who were in Ann Arbor for a doctor appt....great middle eastern restaurant...Ann Arbor has so many options .  Weather was cold and it felt like we were still in TC.  It had been 60 the day before!
We then went to Birmingham to stay with college friends Dan and Elaine.  Elaine is a very talented person...she makes pottery and made the beautiful tiles in her entrance way.

 We also visited my college suite mate  Cathy, her leader dog Lucy and her friend Michael.
We had not seen her in two years and she has a new house and had not met Lucy yet.  Cathy has had several leader dogs and we were lucky enough to adopt two when she retired them.. Louie and Era.  They were great dogs!!  It was fun to go out to lunch..at an Irish Pub...and catch up.
Cathy sang at our wedding and we hope she gets her guitar out to play at one of our anniversaries!!  She was the hit of our wedding!

We also had a great dinner with other college friends..lots of laughs and toasts.  There is nothing better than old friends

 Dan and Elaine in the back yard...we brought the cold TC weather with us.

 We took Riggs to the vet last week for his yearly check up and Finnley went with us...both dog and baby were a hit with the staff.

 Almost 8 months old and she is just adorable!!  Love the overalls with hearts.  We are waiting for her cousin  in Vermont to be born...due may 4th.  So exciting!!!  Love to all   Kathy and Michael

PEO Program

 I am a member of a great group called PEO.  It is a group of  "sisters" who work to help women move forward in life thru education.  We are a local chapter but under the umbrella of the national organization.  Many  of you are aware of my involvement as well as that o of my mother and aunt Kay.
I had the St Patrick's Day meeting at my house in honor and memory of my mom..she was the ultimate entertainer for PEO.
It is also the meeting that we install the new officers. the picture to the left is most of the officers after they took the oath of office.

 We have a corned beef dinner and I provide the green scarfs for those who do not have green in their wardrobe.   It is a fun evening with lots of laughing and socializing.

 The new President,Karen on the left and Judy is the out going President.  I gave the  PEO program to a small but mighty and brave group to come to the meeting on a snowy Traverse City day.  I talked about my blog , how to make a blog and why to make a blog.  Lots of good questions and comments.
Thanks PEO's for listening to me!!!  Kathy Nola

St Patricks Day 2013

St Patrick's Day for 2013 was a milestone...Finnleys first celebration!  She had a blast as you can see by the pictures.  We celebrate St Patrick's day and being Irish all of March and she has been wearing shamrock outfits for weeks.
We started the day at North Peak with lunch and socializing.  Finnley was the hit of the party with smiling and flirting all the way around.
Lots of older men for her to charm...she seems a sucker for men with beards and Hibernian shashes!

                                                       What a beautiful Irish family!!!

                                        Grandma made Finnley's outfit and so we had to show it off!!

 The weather for the parade was cold but sunny which was nice.  Last years 70-80 degrees was a fluke that will not soon be repeated.  Patrick decorated the stroller with shamrocks and Finnley stayed awake for the whole parade.

                                                              Two handsome Nolan guys!!

 The Irish princess who is the apple of her daddy's eye!!
The picture below is at the end of our St Patricks Day party.  We had the Irish "Chinese" Auction and lots of laughs and lots of great food with wonderful friends!  We  now look forward to spring...it can't be long now!!   Kathy and Michael

Mexico Vacation

 Mike and I took a trip to Xcalak  Mexico in the southern Yucatan Peninsula.  We went to the Tierra Maya Hotel which caters to bone fisherpeople.
It is a small hotel with only 7 rooms and run by some Americans but managed by local people...Edwardo was our host and took very good care of us.  Great food with a Mexican theme, of course, and wonderful coconut cream pie for desert.  There is something about fresh coconut that is fantastic...it also went well in the pina coladas!
The picture to the left is the view from our balcony.

 The beach was small but kept clean by raking every day.  This area is part of a National Park that values the environment...We did see a military presence with a gun boat patrolling and  a beach patrol one day. However we felt very safe.   There is lots of sea grass in the shallow areas but that is protected so swimming was done at the end of the dock...The tree in the background is a mangrove.

 This is a picture of the motel...very much the Mexican theme in all the rooms.

 Pam, Aimie and Liz at the bar the first night relaxing after our long trip. Can you tell they are sisters!   We traveled in a big white van and it took 5 hours to drive from the Cancun area.  We went thru various towns and saw many different types of homes, farms and of course resorts on the water side of the road.

Mike and Dennis on the way to the fishing boat at 7am...lots of bone fish.  I do not have pictures as I was not with them out there but they will probably be in another blog since they assure me that they exist!

Lots of sun and fun and a few cuban cigars to relax with after fishing.

Tom(brother in law to Dennis and Pam), Sorell (brother in law to Dennis and Pam), Dennis and Mike.  The dining room had these great windows that opened up like doors and let in the breeze.

We took a day boat trip the Belize...Ambergris Caye.. to visit our nephew Espen who is doing research there for his Masters.  It has something to do with oil drilling and he has been gathering info and doing interviews with his research partner Carl.  Espen is in the middle, Carl on the left.   We had lunch in a restaurant out on a pier.  Very fun.  It was interesting to see how the area has developed in the last 8 or so years since we were there to bone fish.  Lots of building and lots more people...not a sleepy little island anymore.

Great food like I said...This is a sample of breakfast... huevos davos...named for the owner.

The guys had two guides and this one above is Victor...He is taking Mike and Tom out this day...they caught  lots and lots of bone fish that day.

We spent two nights and one day in Playa de Carmen and did some shopping as well as people watching on the beach...this guy was ready to pull his pistols at any moment but Mike held him off with a Cuban cigar!!

We stopped at Telum...Mayan ruins.. on the way up to Cancun.  Very impressive.  Very HOT HOT HOT.
We flew out on Tuesday and got to Chicago to find out that over 300 flights had been cancelled due to snow and ice.  We ended up staying in a motel for the night and rented a car do drive home the next day..it was 3 days till they could get us out.  Great to get home to reasonable temps and we even have sunshine.
It was a great time, lots of laughs and great people.
Kathy and Michael