Mom & Dad Sailing with Friends

Mom and I were invited to go sailing with Rob and Deb Fulton a couple of weeks ago. We had so much fun that it would be hard to describe! More pictures later.

But for now, how is this for two old Vietnam Vets having a BLAST!!!!

My first saling lesson with Rob.
ROPES! Uuuuhh ... or SHEETS!
Just keep 'em straight!



Pull Bob! Pull! .......LEECHES!!! Right out of "The African Queen"!!!

After a few hours under the sail, we had a scrumptous mid-afternoon meal at the Fulton's house. Perfect day with friends!

Mom & Dad Take a Road-Trip Aug/Sept 2010

MOM & DAD ROAD TRIP SUMMER/FALL 2010

Wow! Mom and I had quite the road-trip this summer/fall. We drove without incident from home in Estero, FL to Cartersville, GA. After spending the night there in the foothills of the Great Smokie Mountains, we drove to Winchester, VA and spent the night in the Historic George Wahington Hotel. Georgeous! - to say the least! On the way, we visited one of the "Seven Natural Wonders of the World" - Natural Bridge, once owned by Thomas Jefferson and quite the "in-demand" site for Civil War soldiers to take side trips as their military columns moved north or south (Union and Confederate).

Next day, we drove to Hershey, PA. FUN!!! We still love chocolate, though!

We then drove to Manchester, VT, a boyhood home of Joseph Smith, Jr.

It happens to also be the world headquarters for Orvis. We found a few items of necessity there and went on to Sharon, VT, the birth-place of Joesph Smith, Jr.

Debora and I have now visited all of the prominent historic sites relating to the Restoration of the Gospel and the establishment of the Church. Check off one more item from the ole bucket list!

We drove to Bangor, ME to visit and have dinner with an old friend, Sharon Egolf. Saw lots of moose crossing signs!

Had a great time and drove on to Kennibunkport, ME.

Talk about a great place to visit! We took a jillion pictures, bought some locally made pottery and wild blueberry jam.

Please also refer to the picture below of Mom eating lobster on the fishing dock! Fresh is an understatement (yeah, take that any way you want!).

We holed up in Boston while the first hurricane in forty years threatened Cape Cod. We visited Glouschester, the major fishing port of the east coast and had a blast! A most solemn memorial to Glouscester fishermen lost at sea stands right on the harbor side. A memorial to the crew that was chronicaled in The Perfect Storm is included with the rest.

We visited Cape Cod National Sea-shore and LOVED it!

Then, it was on to Washington, DC where we toured the the National Mall, the Holicost Museum and Museum of American History.

But the BIGGIE for us in DC was returning to the Washington, DC Temple where we both received our Endowments in 1976/77. We last had visited the Washington Temple about twenty-five years ago, so this was a very special occassion for us. It was another very rewarding visit to the Temple.

We then drove to Hiltonhead Island and then on home.

We simply had a great time! Wish you had all been there with us! We love you!

It's updated!

check it out! www.pickledharing.blogspot.com

Free at last, Free at last!!!

We are so happy to announce that we graduated from law school this weekend. I say "we" because it took the whole family to git 'er done. In reality I finished school in December and shortly there after, took the bar and was fired from my job on the last day of the bar exam. (He hired his nephew, who quit 6 weeks later after he learned that he failed the bar exam! Karma.) I went several weeks without a job and ended up doing the lawyer equivalent of picking strawberries in a field, document review. I sat for 10 to 12 hours a day reading thousands of emails and "tagging" them as responsive, privileged, confidential, etc. etc. etc. Then, six weeks later, I found out I had passed the bar, and been admitted! Within two weeks we had two job offers, one at the Tampa PD and the other at the Seminole County Prosecutor's office. I took the Prosecutor job and have been working there for the last two weeks. We will move the house up next weekend and Melanie will follow the week after that with the babies. Woohoo!!! We got 'er done!!!

Finally!

So after a year-and-a-half, a lot of work and lots of stress....wait did I say "lots"?....that's a bit of an understatement.........anyway.....Sterling got into Medical School!!!! I am sooo proud of him, and we are super psyched! He got into Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. I know, you're thinking we're going to live in igloos and snowmobile to school, but lucky for us they have a Bradenton campus, which is where Sterling was accepted! Woohoo!!! It is about 12 miles from Siesta Key, so that's a nice bonus. Besides beach time, it is a pretty new campus with new technology, and they have the highest Board passing rate in the country. We are very excited. =)

Mom & Dad Caribbean Cruise

Mom and I enjoyed a wonderful few days of rest and adventure on our 1st-ever cruise in the Caribbean. We visited ports in Haita where we re-connected with that country and Jamaica where we visited a rain forest and enjoyed touring small mountain villages near Ocho Rios.

We had a BLAST on-board Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas. Shows every night and delicious food 24/7! We met some wonderful people at dinner. But, mostly, it was rewarding, relaxing time together. Highly recommended!!!

One Year and One Month.......

.....yep! That is Tyler is one year and Sophia is one month! We were lucky enough to ride down to Miami with Mom and Dad Haring to participate in the celebration!

Tyler had just woken up, and was getting

some bonding time with Uncle Sterling.

Yep. That is quality bonding time if I've ever seen it.

Now for the good stuff! The cake!

What manners!

Oh yeah...now he's got it

Happy Birthday Tyler!!!