Sandy's "FACE SPACE"

La Paz

Robert felt it was his last fatherly duty to give Hannah the opportunity to get her scuba certification since Rob, Jordan and Nathan are all certified.

He booked us on a flight to La Paz on Christmas Day. It was 74 degrees when we landed. Hannah began her lessons on the 26th with a "family dive" scheduled for the 28th, the day before Rob, Jordan and Nathan returned home.

I don't think I have ever seen Robert in more bliss. He truly felt that once this was accomplished he was off the hook per say or that he had no more responsibilities.

AM of the 27th-we were notified that we MUST dive as a family this day because the winds were coming! We all, very willing, boarded the boat to find out that they only had planned on 4 divers. Huh! Family of six, Family Dive???

This also meant that Hannah would take one of her certification dives earlier than scheduled. Remember, we are in Mexico. Hannah was very willing.

Our first spot....Sea Lion Cove. Hannah is now making her first dive, a day early, in Mexico, among 60 Sea Lions.

What a trouper, she did two dives that day......and the winds had already picked up and our 74 degree weather had now become 60 degrees and felt like 40. It was freezing....and you know it is cold if the dive master never warms up!!

Needless to say....Hannah is now certified and Robert has completed all his fatherly duties.........so he thinks!

ITALIAN GROUP

The Italian Group began because our Three Daughter's, Aly, Kristen and Jordan, and of course, Patti, thought that a trip to Italian might be good way to bring all the families together....I think it was that Patti wanted to tour Italy. The D'Ippolito's were the first on Patti's list because of Blake's and Charlie's friendship. Year's after the Italy Trip and many celebrations before and after, the Group is still together and celebrate most holidays together...or was that bowl games????

Our trip to Italian began with a whole year of Italian lessons for the Mothers of the group with Patti being our Italian expertise.

We had so much fun that we are going again in 2009 the year our daughters (and a few more, hopefully) graduate from University and Hannah from High School. We had so much fun that we wanted to make sure our friends the Coldrens and the Hurleys would join us....so in 2009 it is off to Tuscany with another group of 21.

THANKSGIVING

Our family ( my family) has decided that one of the ways we can stay connected after the death of our Mother is for each of us to take turns hosting Thanksgiving. We don't expect everyone of us to attend each year but we sure hope that they make the effort. If we all attend (original siblings and their children and their children) we would total somewhere between 50-60 bodies.

Close to 30 of us descended on my brother's (2200 acres) and sister in law, Louise's beautiful home 20 minutes out side of Santa Fe for three nights.

We immediately were part of their family tradition which begins with the preparation of charcoal intended to cook the briskets of beef that are part of a purchase from their friends ranch in Oklahoma (i hope i got that right).

Steve, up at the crack of dawn (always) digs a 10 feet x 6 feet hole in the ground and from 7:00-10:00 PM the kids (now adults) burn wood (large cable spools) to make the charcoal. At 10:00 PM the brisket goes into the ground and is buried. They uncovered the brisket at 3:00 PM on Thanksgiving Day an hour before the 2 Turkey's were ready. A wonderful Thanksgiving! It even snowed that night.

The next day we took a field trip into Santa Fe to view all the luminaries and to visit Stepanie's fabulous store.

Next year....Sharon's Home.