Like last year, our 2023 started out in Bonita Springs staying at Mona's place...only two weeks this time. But, our warmth quickly changed in early February on a family-plus trip to Vail & Beaver Creek for some skiing (Katie & I watched Calihan). Finally in March, back to the warmth for yet another family gathering at our timeshare in Orlando. Mona was there as well with her family.
In April, I joined EJ while he once again organized the EV Grand Prix at Purdue. We got to tag-team the announcing for the collegiate electric go-kart race. Interestingly, we stuck around with EJ's PA system and I announced the qualifications for the traditional gas-powered Grand Prix.
May brought about a fun bachelorette trip for Erika to Louisville. EJ and buddy Scott were the chauffeurs in a rented party bus! Also in May, Evan headed to the St. Lucia area for a sailing excursion with four old-timer rugby buddies.
Left: Erika with her bachelorette crew in Louisville.
This Spring finally saw success in figuring out how to feed/house our local bluebirds. We managed three separate consecutive broods from one large Bluebird family! It spanned two separate bluebird houses.
June saw a bash at Urban Vines for Katie's 70th birthday. We also hosted a wedding shower for Erika here in the Indy area. Then, we helped EJ host a regatta at our sailing club in support of the Chasing Bubbles Foundation. EJ sits on the board for it (click Here to watch the documentary). In July, Katie & I got our RV trip in - short venture down to southern Indiana.
In finishing 2023, we took a family sail to the BVIs once again...celebrating Rachel's last few days in her 20's. Just like last year, 2023 will end with a trip down to Bonita Springs again.
In adding Calihan to this blast, his current main effort (now that he's walking) is to understand us and start talking himself. He seems also quite thankful for all the experiences he's been able to partake in. He flew 12 times in the first 12 months of his life. He seems to be just as social and fun-loving as his parents.
Left: Ringbearer Cal at Erika's wedding.
As for EJ & Rachel, they finished their first full year of parenthood all the while personally completely remodeling their quite unique habitat in the Village of Zionsville. EJ is continuing to develop and teach his own class at Purdue...in between managing his Jiffy Lube conglomerate. Rachel is putting her nursing degree on hold while caring for Cal and maybe soon another wee bairn! Another big step for the two of them...they joined a CEO/business-owner peer group called YPO (Young President's Organization) and have networked quite well around Indiana over the last year.
Now in December, Erika & Mick seem to have quite the agenda scheduled next year for domestic and international travel. They appear to be taking full advantage of their pre-children lifestyle (while it lasts). So, more adventure stories to come from those two.
Katie retired from Vida Aventura in February after 5 years. While helping Erika with the wedding planning, she still had more time to play golf with her golf group at River Glen Golf Course. That connection has led her to working part time for the golf club on events and website content.
Left: Katie with her little bundle of joy.
Katie also had quite the travel year...starting with a long sister's weekend in Houston in February to visit Linda and Eileen. Then wedding planning trips to Denver in April & June...followed by another sister's week at Palm Desert California in October. More travel trips for golf and a visit with an old high school friend rounded out her fall travel. No moss growing under her feet.
While putting more miles on his scooter than potentially any other vehicle, Evan enjoys cruising around town and hitting just about every beer-fest in the state. You can often find Katie & Evan at the local cafe on Zionsville's main street, when of course they aren't being tagged in as babysitters for Cal...the perks of living 5 minutes away from your only grandchild!
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!!
Season's Greetings to All! Our 20th Christmas newsletter!
August was quite a busy time...Katie & I drove out to Colorado a week early for Erika's wedding. The wedding itself was in beautiful Red Rocks Park at the Trading Post next to the Amphitheater. We then returned to Golden for the reception at the Rose Event Center, part of the Buffalo Rose Tavern on main Street. We stayed in Denver for another three weeks to help watch their dog, Ranger, during their two-week honeymoon cruise around the Mediterranean. Thank you to all our/her friends who came from all parts of the country for her wedding!
Erika & Mick are settling in after a hectic, but hugely successful, wedding venture. Now comes their winter sports - in between Mick's odd working shifts and Erika's 8-5 remote working for StoicLane out of Chicago. And, there's not much downtime with Ranger ever gnawing at them for a walk around their Denver neighborhood. They've entered year 4 of homeownership and have only had to deal with a couple "major" repairs. However, they seem to love their location in the up-and-coming "9+CO" neighborhood (9th and Colorado).
Evan (doing the authoring) is in his 20th year as IT Manager at VS Engineering. His main task this year was moving all their engineering data from local servers to the cloud. Thankfully, no clouds felt like storming on changeover day!
 Erika & Mick with all their relatives at Red Rocks Park near Golden, Colorado
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 EJ & Rachel out sailing with Cal |  Great EJ, Rachel, and Cal family pose
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 Katie out strolling with Gracelyn and Cal |  Cal meeting Ranger
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 Our sailing club Final Bash at the Colts Complex |  EJ, Rach & Cal with Evan at our boat dock
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 Katie and her gal friends at her 70th birthday bash at Urban Vines
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 The crew at the Boathouse in Disney Springs |  Katie & Erika with Cal & Gracelyn at The Boathouse
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 Glamour shots taken on their honeymoon Cruise |  Private tour of the galley on the cruise ship
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 Our annual Ladies' Regatta at our sailing club
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 EJ after running a sub 8-minute mile pace for the Indy Mini Marathon |  Katie doing some boot-scootin' in Houston at a sister's weekend
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 EJ's Kokomo Jiffy Lube mural - with the artist and the city mayor |  Family roof-building day at their Warsaw Jiffy
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 All the participants in the Chasing Bubbles Foundation regatta organized by EJ
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 Our crew at The Top of the Baths on Virgin Gorda in the BVIs |  Evan (and Katie) on a road trip to Phantom Canyon
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 EJ/Rach/Cal skiing in Vail |  I'm fairly sure this is our crew skiing in Vail
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 Katie at the helm during the Ladies Regatta
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 X-Ray of Mick's broken collarbone |  Mick feeling great about his sling - and, was back on the slopes before the season ended
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 Ranger served as a witness to the marriage license (allowable in Colorado!) |  Erika & Mick at the wedding shower in Indy
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 The whole crew at Katie's 70th Bash at Urban Vines
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 Katie & Evan on the transport bus to Red Rocks |  Erika & Mick filling their mini cask with their chosen local bourbons
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 A formal picture EJ needed for - work?? |  A less formal picture of EJ working
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 The whole crew at the Buffalo Rose for Erika & Mick's reception
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 Cal looking at a picture of EJ at 1 years old |  Cal at his 1 years old celebration in Golden
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 EJ & Evan announcing events & times at the Purdue Grand Prix |  Coach EJ with the Purdue sailors at Eagle Creek Sailing Club
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 Evan & Katie and friends for Cheryl's birthday
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 Cal turning nerdy early |  More! More!!
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 Bluebird eggs - different color - hence from different mothers |  The brood
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 EJ/Rachel's kitchen entirely gutted - note lots of walls being removed
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 Erika doing a Paelle cooking class in Barcelona |  Rachel knocking down a wall
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 The invitation to Erika & Mick's shower |  EJ, Rach, & Cal at Lego Land in Disney Springs |
 EJ & Rachel at the Electric Forest Fest in Michigan | |
 The fam on Doug's boat in Punta Gorda |  Evan with his ol' rugby buddies in St. Vincent |
 Evan at the Grand Opening of the Tipsy Mermaid - first in the door! |  Evan & Katie on our "Harley" at the Biker Boogie |
 Evan with the IU Rugby team after a game in the IU Football Stadium that he announced | |
 Cal at 4 months |  Cal at 6 months |
 Cal up & at 'em at 9 months! |  A Cal Sandwich |
 The wedding ceremony at Red Rocks | |
 Katie's 70th birthday invitation |  Katie with her sisters, Linda & Eileen, in Houston |
 Cal with cousins Marshall & Essie in the V-berth |  The raftup after the Ladies Regatta |
 EJ & Rachel with Joey taking in the Apres Ski | |
 Erika with Mick and his fam - Jack, sister Jessica, and Linda |  Our fam in front of Erika & Mick's house in the Hale area in Denver (near 9+CO) |
 Erika with her chauffeurs for her Bachelorette Bash - EJ & Scott |  Erika & Mick's annual trek to his family farm to pick out a Christmas tree |
 Erika & gals at her Bachelorette Bash in Louisville | |
 * EJ/Rach/Cal at the pumpkin launcher at Doles Tree Farm |  Mick comes to Indy |
 Evan with his boating buds at the annual summer trip to Monroe |  Mick helping Evan split logs |
 Our last venture to the Dead Lizard craft brewery in Orlando | |
 EJ/Rach at the BrewFari at the Indy Zoo |  EJ & Rach at a YPO event - spray painting anything in white (including each other) |
 Erika & Mick with Wayne & Madonna in Vail |  Katie with her siblings - Eileen, Linda, and Tom |
 Erika & Mick honeymooning at a winery in Santorini, Greece |  The crew skiing in Vail |
 Evan, Scott, Katie, Emily, EJ, Jean, and Doug at Foxy's in Great Harbour at Yost Van Dyke in the BVIs | |
 Heading for The Baths on Virgin Gorda in the dingy |  Scott, Rachel, EJ, Nathan, and Emily in The Baths |
 Evan, Katie, Scott, Nathan, EJ, Emily, and Rachel | |
 Katie, Jean, Cal, Rachel, & Emily on the bow |  The crew on Willy T's at Norman Island |
 Having breakfast in Great Harbour (near Foxy's) |  Lobster dinner at Potters by the Sea on Anegada - before dancing to the DJ |
 The crew before dinner at The Bitter End Yacht Club on Virgin Gorda | |
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