Christmas 2006

Nancy begins the Christmas Holiday by hosting a beautiful luncheon on the 23rd. We grab a group shot:

The next night ... Christmas Eve ... we gather at the O's for dinner and pictures. Here are some:
Christmas Day we spend at the G's for lunch and gift exchange. Melissa was unable to come. We Google Talk Andy in Baghdad and SACII in Ethiopia. Granddad quizzes SRC on her love life. It was great. Pictures are taken. Here are some:

AFS Holiday Party - December 10, 2006

On SACII's birthday, we host the Annual AFS Holiday Party. Students from all over the world bring a tasty dessert and tell of a Holiday they celebrate at home. Here is a picture of the students and their host families or parents:

Dad - 25 years on the bench ....12-2-06

It was 1981 when Dad first took a seat on the bench. Now 25 years later, his staff throws a party. Here are a couple of shots:

Thanksgiving 2006

We have Thanksgiving at home. Melissa comes from Missouri and Mark from Minnesota. Samantha brings her friend Mayumi from California. Other guests are the Gs, the Os, Nancy, Abbie, Gus and Emily, Maurice, Elisa, Caroyln, Sanjay, Asha, Naha and Sachin. We ate, talked, Google-Talked Ethiopia, played games, laughed and even went for a hike. Here are some assorted shots:

G & G visit Andy - November 2006

Andy goes to Iraq. Before he goes, he gets a visit from the Gs. Here is a picture:

Abilene dinner with old friends - November 2006

Dan and Helen drive to Abilene to have a Veteran's Day dinner with some old Veteran real estate people. Helen met Bob and Stu over 30 years ago at a real estate class and has stayed in touch ever since. It was the first time all 6 of us had gotten together.

It was blast!

Dan marries 2 more - November 2006

Dan marries 2 more couples in November. He has now "married" 9 couples. Here are the nice November people:

Opa turns 85 - October 31, 2006

Opa turned 85 on October 31st. Here is a picture of Opa at 85 followed by a nice picture of the Os.

Halloween - 2006

Potwin does Halloween. The Sunday before, we get a costume preview from the neighborhood kids. Nelson visits as Kansas is the half-way point on his move from California to New York. Halloween night is cold. Even so, friends stop by to help serve treats to the 1,000 or so Tricksters.

Samantha turns 26

On October 25th, Samantha celebrated her 26th birthday. Her mother sent her goodies. She spent the day in a work meeting which was surprisingly interrupted by a singing telegram delivered by an old Kansas native, Dorothy and her little dog Toto. That evening, friends gathered to play games and wish her a Happy Birthday.

Topeka High School Birthday Party - September 17, 2006

Topeka High School (the building) turned 75 years old in 2006. On September 17th, the Topeka High School Historical Society hosted an open house. Thousands of people came. Dan presided over the assembly which featured a speaker from the first entering Sophomore class of 1931.

People explored the school, ate cinnamon rolls and even waited in line to climb the Tower.

It was a nice tribute to a wonderful school and a magnificent building.

Fenty comes to Kansas - September 2006

Fenty, an exchange student from Indonesia, ends up in Topeka. Helen introduces Fenty to Laurel and Gianfranco who open their home (and their hearts) to her. Here are a couple of pictures of Fenty's 17th Birthday Party:

HRC and DWC go to Santa Fe, New Mexico 09-09-06

HRC and DWC travel to Santa Fe, New Mexico, to witness a truly beautiful wedding that united 2 dear people and their 2 loving families. Here are some photos:

Andy turns 28

We were lucky to host Andy for his 28th birthday. We caught him on his way from Springfield to Colorado Springs. Here are a couple of pictures:

Mark in Minnesota - Labor Day 2006

Samantha met us in Minneapolis to visit Mark. We attended Daya's Bat Mitzvah and dance, ate great food, met some of Mark's friends, saw the Body Works at the Science Museum of Minnesota and got to catch up with the Minnesota family. Here is a sampling of photos:

July 4, 2006

We had a bunch of people for the 4th of July. Samantha brought 3 friends (Heather, Rune and Nelson) from California and Andy brought a friend (Marcus) from Colorado. We also had Lee and his girlfriend Madison join us for most of the weekend. While we missed SACII, Cheryl and Melissa as they celebrated in Ethiopia, we had a blast! From the Bocce Ball Tournament to the Potwin Parade to the Pot Luck Dinner, we were busy for days. Here is a sampling of the events:

Lee and Madison join us in Lawrence

These guys are watching Heather as she marches in the Potwin Parade playing the Big Bass Drum. Click here to see her yourself.