Hello
to everyone from 5157 Oak Tree Drive in Kettering! It is hard to
believe another year has flown by, as they seem to go all too
quickly! We do enjoy taking our annual turn to tell of our adventures!
We
have had a wonderful year as new Grandparents! Holly and Bryan
have added to the family tree with three super grandchildren.
Zachary Ryan Underwood arrived on August 18th of 2007 and just
passed 6 months of age. He is sitting up and seems to enjoy the
world around him. Anna and Theo arrived in Boulder on April 20th
and are marvelously adapting to their new home and family.
It
is such a joy to watch the grandchildren learn and grow. They are
all having fun and learning lots every day! We are trying hard not
to spoil them all silly, but hey! That’s what grandparents are
supposed to do!
I
am learning to fully enjoy retirement! The important thing is to
stay busy doing the things that you like that are MOST important, such
as woodworking, travel, playing golf, traveling, did I say playing
golf?? I still do some “work” of both plan review for several local
Building Departments along with Architectural Design for selected
projects. I just finished a new automotive dealership for Bill
Marine Honda in Springfield that is now under construction.
Rusty
enjoys being a “resource” for her former department by working a
couple days a week based upon her own schedule. This approach keeps
her busy doing some outside work, but still allows her to do other
things she likes.
Rusty
and I are continuing to volunteer for the Victoria Theatre
Association as ushers for the live theatre productions that go on
at several venues in Dayton. We really like seeing live theatre in
exchange for our time. We also joined the Cincinnati Pops and have
enjoyed the many varied shows down at Music Hall.
We
are maintaining our interest in travel, having just returned
from an 8-day adventure in Egypt. Sometimes it was surreal to
know that we were actually cruising on the historic Nile
River….sightseeing the Great Pyramids in the Giza….. riding a
camel on your birthday….. having an Egyptian Bouzouki band play
Happy Birthday……….seeing the temples of Ancient
Times……visiting the tombs of famous Egyptian Pharaohs and
Queens…..seeing the celebrated Sphinx…….getting a first hand
look at the actual glorious treasures found in the tomb of King
Tut! While the schedule was very hectic we did pack an awful lot
of Egypt in those 8 days! We met many new fellow adventurers! In many
ways it was a once in a lifetime trip. 
In
February of 2007, we celebrated my birthday and our wedding
anniversary by enjoying a 7 day cruise to the Southern
Caribbean aboard the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Adventure of
the Seas. A giant monster of a ship that was surprisingly easy
to navigate. We saw the new ports of Aruba and Curacao and
re-visited the familiar ones of San Juan, Saint Maarten and
Saint Thomas. Always a great time with our cruising buddies! Ruthie
and I got to ride Segways in St.Maarten, which were a blast.
Last
July, Alaska beckoned and we answered. We had a busy adventure
with Princess Cruise lines starting with a 4-day land tour, which
included two train rides via the well-known vista dome railcars. We
stayed in Princess Lodges; the best being the lodge at Denali
National Park, where we were fortunate enough to see Mt. McKinley
clear of clouds….a magnificent sight. We also went whale watching
and saw multiple
pods of Killer Whales (Orcas), which can be a rare sighting event.
We then took the train down to the dock where we boarded the Coral
Princess and sailed down to Vancouver, Canada via Glacier Bay,
Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan. We finished the trip with several
extra days in Vancouver including a trip via ferry to Victoria and
the beautiful Buchart Gardens.
Several
trips to Colorado were also part of our year. Ruthie went out by
herself to help Bryan and Leigh get rebalanced in their work/parenting
arrangements before Montessori school got underway in Boulder. We
also went out in early December to celebrate Christmas together. We
enjoyed being part of Anna and Theo’s first American Christmas.
Wonderful Times!!
Well, that is it for now,
Our love to all,
Bill and Rusty
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