Greetings from Evan, Katie, Erika, Mick, EJ, Rachel, and Cal
Author: Mostly Evan
2022 - Thanks for the memories !!
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Season's Greetings to All!   Our 19th Christmas newsletter!

Right:   Evan, Katie, Cal, Rachel, EJ, and Erika at EJ's annual Christmas Bash 

Just like last year, our 2022 started out in Bonita Springs staying at Mona's place.   We were visited by Steve & Bonnie this time.   Later in January, we finally made the leap to Medicare health insurance...guess we are officially old now.

February saw an RV trip down to the Gulf Coast ending up in New Orleans (on Katie's bucket list).   We caught a Major League Rugby match there with Duane & Nancy.   Watching the Super Bowl at Pat O'Briens on Bourbon Street was interesting!

Left:   Katie with her gal-pals celbrating her birthday in downtown Zionsville.  

March led us to our normal timeshare in Orlando…this time with Erika & Mick (and Mona and her sisters, of course).   With Medicare's Silver Sneakers, Katie & I started taking up Pickleball.   That lasted until summer.

April was special in that Erika got engaged...wedding planned in late 2023.   Shortly after that, Katie flew to Denver to "help" Erika with her wedding plans.   Evan took that opportunity to head to Portland for a visit to Steve & Bonnie's new abode.

Then the fun started...in August, Erika brought Mick to Indiana to visit Zionsville and her alma mater (IU).   This just happened to coincide with Evan's trip to Bloomington for the 60th anniversary of IU Rugby and reunion with his friends from eras gone by.

Right:   Evan & Katie at Jacob Kowal's wedding  

The same weekend as Evan's reunion, EJ threw himself a large 30th birthday party.... with Rachel being 38 weeks pregnant.   Luckily, their baby was nice enough to wait until Sunday night to put Rachel into labor.   Calihan Douglas Williams was born Monday, August 29th, with a birth that could not have gone any better.   I guess Cal just wanted to join the party!

Katie & Evan are now grandparents!   Interestingly, our almost lifelong friend Mona beat us to that distinction by 9 days with Gracelyn!

Left:   Erika & Mick in the grasslands of Colorado being protected by Ranger  

September brought sorrow with the passing of Evan's oldest brother Cliff's wife, Linda.   Later in September, Katie & Evan went on another RV trip - this time to the Thumb after catching Evan's 50th college reunion in Michigan.

In October, Katie headed back "home" to Michigan for her 50th high school class reunion.   I'm pretty sure there's been far too many 50th & 60th year references in this newsletter!   How can we be that old??   Well, at least when we celebrated our wedding anniversary this fall, it was "only" 38 years.

Later in October, Katie squeezed in a golf weekend down in Nashville, Indiana with her gal-pals.   Meanwhile, Evan headed back to Bloomington to catch an IU Rugby game in the football stadium that he basically organized.   Unfortunately, soon after that, one of Evan's longtime rugby pals, Mike Chase, lost his battle with cancer.

Right:   EJ & Rachel with 5-day old Cal taking him for a sail  

Later in November, we took a trip to Golden, Colorado to help finalize Erika's wedding plans there.   Interesting to run into another of Evan's ol' rugby buddies, Billy, in downtown Golden.

December brought our now seemingly annual trip to the Island...this time St. Kitts...with Steve & Bonnie again. Sun & Sand.   Next up, probably our last trip to Detroit for Christmas with Katie's family & relatives.   Then, right back to Mona's bungalow in Bonita Springs for sun and New Years.   The cycle is complete once again!

Evan is in his 19th year as IT Manager for VS Engineering.   He was also on the Board of our sailing club.   Katie has been taking up golf much more often with her gal-pals.   She's also in her 6th year as a virtual assistant for Vida Aventura.

Left:   Evan & Katie in St. Kitts  

Erika is still living in Denver and working remotely for Stoic Lane out of Chicago.   She and Mick are both quite active taking in Colorado's best hiking, skiing, and enjoying Ranger who still thinks he's a puppy.   Mick finished his residency and is now a hospitalist in the Denver area (Lafayette).

EJ & Rachel are now a year into owning the family company that runs 17 Jiffy Lubes across Indiana.   In his "spare time," EJ goes to Purdue once a week to teach an Electric Vehicle class and help run Purdue's EV Grand Prix (www.evgrandprix.org).   The higher ups at Purdue wanted him to have a Masters Degree for this, so he is now a Grad Student, as well, pursuing a Masters in Mechanical Engineering.   It's fun watching him also squeeze in time to coach Purdue's sailing club.

Right:   EJ showing off Cal to sister Erika  

Rachel took a leave from nursing to help with the Jiffy Lube empire - strike that - to dedicate to the upbringing of newborn Calihan.   EJ & Rachel seem to have not missed a beat with their travel & busy lives.   They just bring the little guy along for the ride!   As for Cal, he's doing his job perfectly of being a bundle of joy to love.   We hope he can continue that through his teens!

All in all, we've been fairly lucky with our health and adventures.

Below is a pictorial of many of the events throughout this last year.

We hope you and your family enjoy the Christmas season and most of all, be sure to enjoy New Year's Eve...Evan's favorite holiday!!

Evan, Katie, Erika, Mick, EJ, Rachel, and Cal



More Pictures


Mick, Erika, Katie, and Evan at Nick's for the 60th IU Rugby reunion


Rachel at Put-In-Bay

EJ & Rachel at polo in Zionsville


Evan lounging on the Gulf Coast somewhere

Erika & Mick landing in Iceland


EJ & Cal "bonding"

EJ multitasking with Cal


The New Year's crew at the Island House in Bonita Springs


Evan, Katie, Mick, and Erika at Disney Springs

Katie, Evan, Erika, & Mick at Epcot


Cal under the Christmas Tree

Katie with her favorite grandchild


Corbett, Tito, EJ, and Rachel hiking in Hawaii

Jesse awarding EJ & Rachel the Party Trophy for our sailing club


Erika & Mick musing their future from Lookout Mountain over Golden, Colorado


Rachel amid their remodeling of their new house

Katie trying to turn on the lights


Evan & Katie checking out Bonnie's old Ft. Myers haunt

Katie & Bonnie taking in a sunset in Bonita Springs


At our sailing club Beach Bash

With Angie and Alex in Naples


Evan with the IU 7s rugby team at Benecki's palace in Atlanta



Evan with the IU 7s rugby team at the Kennesaw State football stadium


Katie trying to stay warm in the Thumb

Rachel, Betty Jo, Cal, Jean, and Emily - 4 generations


EJ, Rachel, & Cal in Punta Gorda

The crew enjoying the sailboat this summer


The crew at EJ's 30th birthday bash

EJ's students testing battery-powered go karts


Joey, Kelsey, Conner, EJ, Rachel, Landon, Torrey, and Levi at Bailey's wedding at TPC Sawgrass


Cal and gramps at 1 week old

Cal and father at 1 hour old


Katie with her favorite grandchild newborn

Cal with parents at 2 hours old


Introducing Cal to the World

Cal's first tailgate - 6 weeks old


Mona, Val, Jack, Rich, and Katie at the Dead Lizard in Orlando


The summer before Cal arrives

EJ with his Christmas Bash costume


Evan & Katie at some beach on the Gulf (That's not snow)

Evan & Katie at the VS Christmas Bash


Katie at Red Rock - Erika's wedding venue

Mick, Erika, Evan, & Katie sampling wedding plates


Erika's wedding venue - Red Rock amphitheater area near Golden


Katie & Bonnie at the Shipwreck in St. Kitts

Katie in St. Kitts


Katie arriving in St. Kitts

Evan & Katie liming at the Sunshine in Nevis


Evan & Katie at Glenn's place in Cape Coral

Katie, Evan, & Mona - New Year's at the Island House


Evan and his frat brothers at his 50th college anniversary


Katie in St. Kitts

Evan in Portland, Katie in Denver, EJ/Rachel in Indiana, and Erika/Mick in Iceland


Cal's first stroller ride at 4 days old

Katie & Jean for Rachel's shower with a diaper cake


Evan & Steve in St. Kitts

Evan, Katie, Bonnie, & Steve at the Reggae Beach Bar in St. Kitts


Katie & Erika in the Ladies Regatta at our sailing club


Scott Jr, Scott Sr, EJ, & Evan playing a round

Katie, Jane, & Mona sunning on the lake


Rachel & Cal with Maggie & Gracelyn

Cal's first bath


Mona, Berna, Cheryl, Katie, Jane, and Evan at Rick's Boatyard

Looks like a Purdue Fest - Katie, Mona, Dell, & Donna


Katie, Erika, and Mick on Eagle Creek


Rachel- 2 days before delivery

Cal at 6 days old


RVing in the Gulf somewhere

Katie, Donna, Berna, and Mona admiring Evan's scooter


EJ, Katie, Jean, and Rachel at Rachel's shower

Jean, Doug, Katie & Cal, and Evan at Thanksgiving


Raftup on Eagle Creek Reservoir - with the new owners of our old boat




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