Merry New Year!

Happy Holidays all! And a Happy & Healthy New Year! It's been a while since our last post but we've been busy.

I got a job at the Orleans Yacht Club beating out over 70 other candidates for the position; I'm their Club Administrator which, as the only paid employee, means that I pretty much do everything from the books to membership. The last few days were spent organizing and cleaning up the filing cabinets (be still my Virgo heart) and getting the place in shape for the upcoming season. As they put it, the OYC is a drinking club with a sailing problem. And they do LOVE to sail. My "corner office with a view" does indeed look out over Town Cove which is the body of water that runs parallel to Route 28 in Orleans. So far I love it. The people are really nice, and, if you can imagine, are great to work with. The majority of them are retired and do what they do because they WANT to be there. Imagine no one saying "I hate my job" or "I want a raise" or any of the other usual workplace complaints. It sure does make for a productive and extrememly pleasant environment. I get to play my iPod and they don't seem to mind that 80's are blaring.

Randy has been working with Liam and are getting ready to go to Patrick's house to do some custom work for them. His music career is moving along nicely too. Santa brought him some music lessons and some rock & roll shirts and he's been getting on stage quite regularly with different local musicians. And loving it. Who knew he was a rock star??? He's working on some new material as he has been ok'd to get a new guitar (a Gretsch) if he learns and knows 50 songs well enough to play on stage.

In public.

I'm so unreasonable I know.

We had a great time with Ned & Laurie when we were in CO a couple of weeks ago and got to hang out some with Ned's son Brent who we hadn't seen since their wedding. Kim looks great and was super excited to graduate and get on with life. Mike & Tiff have a VERY cute and good natured little girl that we got to visit with too. She likes ice cream cake so we know she's one of the family for sure. Laurie - I made your salsa and Randy says that it's almost there...

Randy has been busy doing other things too:


Yes folks, that is "Uncle Randy" behind the white beard. We'd been invited to some friends' house for a little Xmas Eve cheer (lots of cheer as this was a Beachcomber family party) and the hostess called in a panic as her Santa had just canceled and would Randy be interested in the job? The good sport that he is, he agreed and voila!

The two kids in the bottom photo belong to our good friends/landlords Chris & Susan. Lucy knew her Uncle Randy was Santa, but when he showed up in costume, she was not quite so sure. She's 6. Her brother Simon, 3, is convinced that Santa's reindeer will eat him on Xmas Eve. He survived I am happy to report.

We spent Xmas at our friend Val's house with some of her wacky family and enjoyed the holiday spirit. Lots of holiday spirit. The food was excellent as she is a great cook and the company was lots of fun. The rest of the weekend has been low key and we're back to work tomorrow and off to my Dad's house in MD for a few days.

Love to all!
oxoxox
Liz & Randy

Montana checkin in

Hello everyone!
Holy below zero...has been for weeks here. We are working on staying warm.
Highs this weekend are -20! I know the East Coast has been getting pounded as well. Geez! Love to all.
Always,
Angela

Hello Everyone,

Well, I am slowly trying to master this two child thing. They don't warn you how hard it is to have three crying people in one room, Jesse is going nuts!. THings went well with the birth and now Dean is one month old, I can't believe it. He is giving me a run for my money, he is already 10 lbs. 6oz. and has decided to be a night owl. Well, hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and is doing well. Love Lindsay

A Quick Hello

I'm showing Dad and Ona the website. Promise to get them registered before they leave. We had a fun day - babysat Kamryn all day, went to the airport to see Shaun fly in on a training flight. Tomorrow we're going to Cripple Creek. Kim is over 21, so she thinks she's going to show Grandpa Glenn a thing or two with Texas Hold 'Em. Wednesday Dad and Mike are going to play golf. Of course Thursday we'll be stuffing our faces. Turducken and deep fried turkey are on the menu again this year. We're supposed to get snow, so will probably stay inside, eat, watch TV and play board games.
Love to All, will blog again soon.

Hello

Good Morning!
This is how our day begins...bright and early! Our dog, Piper had a toe removed a week ago. She is doing just fine, however , it is just like having a child in the home once again. She has the cone and bandaged foot during the day, everything off while we are here. Have to wrap the foot in an IV bag to go outside! It is the rain and snow season...yuck. Piper's tumor that was removed was tested and is not malignent. Besides that, we are all just fine. Lauren's beau Jeff got a real nice six point buck yesterday. She is experiencing her first "gut and dress" this weekend ! Not really like the prom theme!! John is doing well. Off to Vegas for trade shows in a few weeks. Me, just jammin! Let us know if you want anything. Thanks for the pic's Laurie. Glad to here you are on the roster again to hit the slopes! Good job Lindsay! The clan keeps growing and growing. Will post/talk soon, love to all,
Angela, John, Lauren, Fatty-oh,and Girley :>)

Hello All

I've been meaning to do this for weeks. Ned and I settled in with a glass of wine, some cheese and crackers, and football on TV, so it seems like a good time to catch up. It's been beautiful in Colorado, no real consistent cold weather yet. We planted daffodil bulbs last weekend and tried to get a few more shrubs in the ground this weekend before it freezes.

Congratulations to Lindsay and Jesse! We can't wait to see pictures of Dean. Sounds like he's a big boy. Tiffany and I, and Tiffany's mom Donna, took Kamryn to get pictures taken yesterday. She was a little cranky and not many smiles, but that didn't stop me from ordering a butt load of pictures. She is a cutie!

Here's a quick catch up of what's happening in our family: Brent and Caroline are engaged (you can google her by searching for Caroline Brady at KAKE, her TV station), not sure when the wedding will be. They won't be here for Thanksgiving, but will visit for Christmas before Brent leaves for Japan in Jan. Shaun and his Tiffany will most likely be engaged before Thanksgiving. She is moving to Oklahoma to live with him sometime around Thanksgiving. Meagan is getting all A's in college - her last semester of her AA degree. Not sure when we'll see her again. Kim is finishing her last semester, graduates 19 Dec. Mike, Tiff and Kamryn are all doing well. Ned and I are fine. My knee has been declared done with physical therapy, so technically I'm ready for ski season. Ned is doing some travel, but not unreasonable. We're both taking some time off for Turkey Day week - Dad and Ona are coming out for the week.

Here's a recent picture of Kamryn, and a photo during a Sunday dinner a few weeks ago. The people you probably don't recognize are Ned's sister Debbie, and Shaun's girlfriend Tiffany (wearing white shirt). Brent is the other handsome guy standing behind Mike.

Signing off for now, will be back on soon. Love you all! Laurie

Hello Everyone!!

Hey there all you guys. I just saw the website and after about an hour I finally figured out how to get to it and actually use it (I think). Computers and me are not the best of friends.
Well, I am sitting here as big as humanly possible and just waiting for little devil to come out. I have one more week until they will finally agree to induce me and let me see my feet again.
We are all doing great and Jesse was really happy to finally get to see pictures of my family and he can't wait to be able to meet everyone.
Keara is growing like a weed and learning new words everyday, some that we wished she did not know, like "boobies". I have a feeling that Jesse and I are going to have our hands full with this little girl.
Hope everyone is doing well and I can't wait to see more picutes and here from you all.
Love, Lindsay

I'm a slug, I know

OK, OK, OK....almost as bad as Randy when it comes to the frickin' puter.  I'm on horse and hound duty today. Judy's on day 2 of some 3 day equestrian thingy up in Amherst. I've been bonding w/ Oz & Milo, Savannah and Ella, swabbing the stalls, chucking hay and grain and nasty looking things that all the animals seem to enjoy. I am skipping dinner (yes, I ate all the left-overs for lunch) and sitting and figuring out how to blog tonite. Look out Clamlies!! If I get this thing sent and remember how to get back here.....(I've danced with the devil and his name is Alzheimer).....I'm liable to start spewing.

Getting back together on The Cape was a ball. A dream. A very, very nice thing. Thanks so much to all the Capers for digging and husking, shucking and buttering, hosting and preparing, feeding the whole famn damily. It was inspiring. Way warm and a fantastic reconnect. I don't want to let the next get-together get too far away in the future, OK?

Lindsay just called and has finally resorted to the tried and true labor inducers. "Dean" is due 11/5 but Lins hasn't got enough skin to keep stretching to supply him growing room, so she says. Tonite they did the hot mustard and before he goes to bed....husband Jesse's gonna get lucky ;-) Lindsay says "whatever it takes"....woo hooo.

I'll fire out the announcement w/ pictures as soon as Dean is boots on ground.

(Hope this make sit. It's taken me over an hour to type and spell check. I am a pathetic typist, or keyboarder as they call it today. Keyboard, snowboard, skateboard......I'm old)

See everyone soon....hanging here in Blog-land. Gonna go find a place that can supply some of that "Reverend Horton Heat", torch the fireplace and let Oz play lap dog.

Love to all,

Gregg

Hello!

Hey Everyone,

I love this blog! It's funny I have to bolg on this for school also! But, I have to admit this one is much more entertaining, and I'm sure it will keep me productive during my class!

Well, everything in Colorado is well. I'm SO excited to be almost done with school, its been a long last semester. I hear Lindsey is due any day now, I'm excited for Kamyrn to have a new cousin!! I'm sure all the 'little ones' will be fun to see together!

I hope everyone is doing well. I can't wait for another reunion!

Love You All,

Kim

notes from Randy

Hello everyone,
just a quick update from Cape Cod,so far the Fall has been beautiful,with the exception of a few rain storms the weather has been quite nice. Liz and I are missing Colorado but not missing having to shovel in October.
Last weekend we brought the pedi-cabs to Wellfleet for the 'oyster fest' to shuttle people from the pier to town,the town was very welcoming and the cabs were a big hit.Yes,Liz and i ate alot of oysters and i actually found a small pearl in my first oyster of the festival. Maybe next year Angela, we could set up a booth with your jams and jellies. hint hint hint hint hint Angela hint hint. Maybe some of Laurie's salsa??????? and Mary's sandwiches!?!?!?!
I have recently had a wonderful opportunity come my way and wanted to brag a little, a local and wonderfully talented musician (Sarah Swain) has invited me to guest appear at her gigs from now until next summer. I played out last night at the Island Merchant restaurant in Hyannis, I didn't poop myself or throw up on anyone so i think it was a success.

Good Sunday Morning!

Good morning everyone! It's a beautiful fall day in Colorado, and I'm on my second cup of Jamaican Me Crazy (really good local coffee), so I'm awake enough to post a short note. Thank you Liz for creating this site and posting pictures. I'm looking forward to staying in closer touch with everyone. And thank you to our beautiful family for each part you played in our weekend reunion. It was beautiful. Next time I'm bringing the whole Colorado clan.

It's been a hectic week...a quick trip to Santa Maria, CA for me (business of course), a long week at work (Friday's work day ended at 9:30 pm), and weekend guests. Brent, Ned's son who graduated from the Air Force Academy, is visiting this weekend for an impromptu reunion with some of his classmates and the football rivaly between Air Force and Navy. It was fun seeing them again, having a great tailgate (about 50 people), but not so fun seeing the Air Force lose to Navy yet again. There's always next year!

Mike, Tiff, Kamryn, Kim and Tiffany (Shaun's girlfried) are joining us for a Sunday dinner before Brent leaves today. I think a big lasagna is on the menu. We'll try to get a picture or two to post.

Speaking of pictures, Ned and I are working on dowloading our pictures and the ones Dad gave me, onto CDs for everyone. We promise to do it, it just may take a little while.

We love you all - have a great day!

Our last beach photos (really)

More beach photos!!

And, yup, more beach photos

And more beach photos

Beach photos

News fron Montana!

Hello!
No pictures yet! Just to say hello from John, Lauren, Piper the dog, Fatty-oh, Girley,the cats and myself! All is well, loved the East Coast visit. Will bring John and the girl (Lauren) next time...promise! Thank you to Laurie and Ned, Gregg and Judy, Mary and John, Toro and Sharon, Randy and Liz, Dad. Could not have done it without you. Thanks for the pic's Sharon. I love you all.
Angela

More Feasting Photos

Feasting

Family Time

I am a McDonald by marriage. A wonderful thing I have to admit. A little daunting at first - did I mention that my husband is one of six? And that there are 13 nieces/nephews and now great-nieces/nephews too? I've stopped counting.

I have to say that being an only child in no way prepared me to be incorporated into a family of 6 siblings. Wow. There are so many nuances to being part of a family - how can anyone possibly claim to know "the right way" to be a member? It's all very much a learning process for me anyway.

Recently, the McDonald siblings came together for a long overdue weekend "reunion" which was dubbed the "clamly reunion." As I watched them come together, some for the first time in many, many years, I was struck by the unquestionable ties that make up a family. No matter how different the personalities may be or how different the physical make up, there are identical gestures, facial expressions and tones of voice. Bonds that go deeper than what you can see. There are private jokes and old stories remembered and re-told. And with age, there also is acceptance, patience and wisdom. And most importantly, there is love.