The 2014 Kansas Winter Olympics

The 2014 Winter Olympics have started.

Some are in Sochi, Russia, and some are right here in Kansas, USA. 

The Kansas events include snow cycling

sidewalk shoveling

endurance driveway shoveling

and the always popular snow picnic challenge.

Eat your heart out, Sochi.

Crow Folks' 66th wedding anniversary

Today my dear parents celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary. They were married on January 30, 1948.

Sixty-six years later, they are still holding hands and smiling. They are the best!

Lee Offill visits

Through a series of quirky circumstances, and incredible good luck, in May of 2006 we met a 15 year-old boy from Wichita named Lee Offill. Lee had won a statewide competition in computer technology sponsored by the division of information technology for the State of Kansas. The prize was a paid summer internship. It was clearly designed for college students. The good people at the State were very surprised to learn that their prize winner was a mere 15 years old. In fact, they wouldn't allow Lee to start his internship until he turned 16. In a flashback to 2006, here is Lee as we helped him celebrate his 16th birthday.

Lee (and his then girlfriend, Madison) joined us for 4th of July activities in 2006

 introduced us to his sister, Ruthe, over the 2006 Christmas Holiday

and again joined us for the 4th of July in 2007

even though he was living in Oregon at the time. 

Now ... flash forward more than 6 years to last weekend when Lee visited us from Oregon. He brought along two friends from his early high schools days at Wichita East High School, Sydne and Sarah.

Lee is doing great. He has an interesting job and interesting friends. Thanks, Lee for taking time to come see us.

Anniversary trip to see George + Goodbye Kina

No Florida. 

No Bahamas.

No Costa Rica. 

For the last several years, Helen and I have celebrated our wedding anniversaries by traveling south, lounging around on sandy beaches and watching the sun set. This year, we celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary by traveling west, lounging around in a comfy cottage and watching George dance.


Thanks to the generosity of the Holmes family, we were treated to the perfect cottage hideaway in Hillsborough.

While there, we followed George and his parents on a hike through the redwoods

and witnessed a nice sunset at Half Moon Bay.

But mostly, we just hung out and played with George.

No doubt, it was an Anniversary trip fit for Grandparents.

Happy Anniversary, Helen.

When we returned home, we had the sad task of taking Katharina to the airport for her return trip to Germany.

Thank you, Kina for visiting. We miss you already.

Christmas 2013

Christmas 2013 was a week-long explosion of adventure and joy. Braving snow and ice, George arrived with his parents early (really early) Sunday morning. By Sunday afternoon he was filled with the wonder of the Holidays.

Christmas caroling on the Potwin circle Sunday night

was followed by the arrival of Mark on Monday and Andy, Donna and Hope on Tuesday. Christmas Eve allowed Dad to meet his Great Grandson George and snuggle with his Great Granddaughter Hope.

Granny got her Hope time too.

Our Christmas Eve also included Nancy, Mary and Kina.

Christmas Day brought Melissa & Roby from St. Louis and Anthony, SACII & Cheryl from Springfield

and lots of Christmas loot.

Chaos ensued.

Many traditional photos were taken.

But somehow I missed a couples photo of SACII and Cheryl ... as well as one of Helen and me. Bummer.

Some new tradition photos might have been born as well like Jake hangin' with the kids

and cool guys hangin' in white golf shirts and jeans.

Oh yes ... while no major additions were mysteriously added to our exterior Christmas decorations this year, an unknown Holiday elf did discretely perch two crows on our south wreath.

Merry Christmas to all.

Katharina arrives

Katharina, one of Helen's many German cousins, arrived today from Germany to spend the Holidays with us.

Katharina (Kina) is fun, beautiful and inspiring.
This will be fun.

Welcome to Kansas, Kina.

Ryan leaves - AFS International Desserts Party

After finishing his internship at WIBW,  Ryan (pictured here with his driver) left Topeka at 5 AM on a cold Saturday morning. Even so, check out Ryan's warm smile ... a true testament to his unfailingly good nature and positive attitude. We will miss him.

Ryan's 10 weeks here were filled with adventure. It was our pleasure to get to know him. We look forward to following him throughout his professional career. You can follow him too at RyanConnellyHolmes.com

After a fun Potwin Place Holiday Party Saturday night, Sunday afternoon we hosted the AFS International Desserts Party. Students brought a favorite dessert from their homeland to share. It was a full house as 11 exchange students ... and their host families ... participated this year. 

Brazil, Germany, Italy, Japan, Cameroon, Argentina and Pakistan were all represented. As you can tell, the girls easily outnumbered the boys.

Oh yes ... all of the desserts were very yummy.

Dulce de leche never gets old.

Cheers to all.

Thanksgiving, wedding and Phil

Our quiet Thanksgiving Day lunch included our parents, our friend Doug, and Enrique and Renato, two Washburn University students from Paraguay.

Changing continents, our international Thanksgiving weekend continued Friday when Helen helped organize a traditional American wedding for friends from India. It was the 13th time I officiated a wedding ceremony. Prudhvi's and Suneeta's wedding brought people together from India, Lebanon and the Philippines.

Changing continents again, Saturday brought German-son Phil to town for a short visit. He is in the US for the final year of his masters program at Columbia University in New York. Lucky for all of us, Audrey was also in town from Taiwan. Phil and Audrey were exchange student classmates at Topeka High School in 2005. It was fun to see them together again. Kem and Christa provided a yummy lunch for all of us ... including Henry from Boulder.

Ryan returned from his California Thanksgiving in time to join Phil and the Gs for a Sunday afternoon photo.

We then shamelessly put the guys to work installing exterior Christmas decorations and carrying giant bags of leaves to the alley.

Sadly, on Monday we put Phil on an airplane for his return trip to New York. Even so, it was fun to share pieces of this quintessential US Thanksgiving Holiday with friends from 4 different continents.

Happy Thanksgiving.