Allie, Barb and I went to Florida for a summer break, starting on June 28. We stayed with Grandmom and Grandpop for a few days, probably staying at the Hilton on Singer Island. Sue was staying with Grandmom and Grandpop, too.
Reading to Aunt Sue and Grandmom 
Random shot of us with Grandpop. Not sure where or when this was taken.
Might have been on this trip.
Ready for pool time at Sugar Sands 
Grabbing a meal…somewhere
On July 1, Barb, Allie and I checked into The Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach. We got a decent deal at summer rates and I wanted to treat Barb to a first class pool as an incentive for her to come down. The Breakers had a good Kids Club where we deposited Allie for a couple of days. I think we stayed there three nights and I played golf a couple of times while the girls were at the pool or Allie in the Club. We had a good time, feeling a little bit like Palm Beach royalty. It was definitely off-season and the hotel was nowhere near full, nor were the people too obnoxiously snobby though there were a few. I couldn’t imagine going there in season; we enjoyed our little Breaker break but we never returned.
My artsy shot 
The pool was more popular than the beach 
Allie in the Kids Club 
Allie and Barb pooling it
In late August we took a week-long roadtrip to upstate NY, making stops at Hyde Park, Mohonk Mountain, Cooperstown and Niagara Falls. See details in separate post.
Waiting for dinner at Culinary Institute of America near Hyde Park 
Mohonk Mountain Hotel 
Otesaga Hotel in Cooperstown 
On the Maid of the Mist at Niagara Falls
The Embreys of them visiting a park somewhere in Colorado that included a baby llama (or alpaca? or guanaco?). Who keeps a llama indoors?
In the same deck of photos, the Embreys visited Pine Valley Ranch Park near Denver and we got a sampling of Kristen dance and soccer activities.
Kristen onstage 
Congrats! 
Early Kristen soccer exploits. Looks like she had the same shirt supplier as Allie’s team.
I’m not sure the boots were regulation footwear.
As September rolled around, Allie started third grade at Glenelg Country School. I had stopped working so began my career as chauffeur for Allie. I became quite skilled at the dropoff and pickup lines. GCS was a new world of school uniforms, smaller classes and new kids, some nice and some snotty. We liked the smaller class size and Allie’s main teacher, Ms. (who was it?). Allie seemed to take to the new environment pretty well.
I got tabbed as a volunteer room-dad to help with Allie’s class from time to time. It was me and a bunch of more experienced mothers who suffered my presence with something less than grace. They made it plain they deemed me incompetent no matter how many cookies or cupcakes Barb baked to bring in. I persevered as a room-dad but was always monitored closely by one of the other moms.
On September 3, Barb left for two weeks to accompany Leslie Stafford to China to pick up Leslie’s new adopted daughter, Emery. They went first to Beijing for a little tourism and then in Guangzhou for paperwork and to actually get Emery. See separate post for details of that trip.
When they returned, we all met Emery.
Welcome, Emery…and Leslie! 
Allie gives feeding a go 
Emery is happy to be here 
Do not disturb
Barb found this interesting headgear in China and brought it back for Allie.
Big cat, little girl
We celebrated Allie’s 8th birthday at home, starting with a few presents.
Fancy dress, soon to be used at Keri’s wedding 
Cool artist box. Still available, hardly used.
I burned a birthday CD for Allie, this time focused on dance music or at least my interpretation of dance music.
Later in the day, we had a pool party at Columbia’s Splashdown swim center. This was a smaller affair than the previous few years, partly because Allie was in a new school and we hadn’t quite sorted out a new set of friends yet.
You had to drag your tube up the stairs to the top of the slide 
Then slide all the way down 
Happy girl 
I’ve forgotten her name, but also happy 
Kristin 
Allie and Kristin drying off
We headed down to Gainesville, Florida to attend Keri and Jon’s wedding in mid-October. The ceremony was at Jon’s family home under a canopy of lovely oak trees.
Getting ready for the ceremony in the Shinn’s backyard. We had a nice time chatting with cousin Ann Carroll who was, besides Sue and her girls, the only other family member from the Duncan/Garbutt side of the family. Ann Carroll was Sister’s oldest daughter, I believe. She lived in Ocala’s horse country in a nice house that I remember visiting only once but it made an impression. Ann was sweet, one of the relations I would have liked to have known better.
Keri and Jon get ready at the Shinn house, the night before 
Mother of the bride in her front row seat 
Grandmom and Grandpop arrive 
Waiting for the show 
We were there too, all dressed up!
The wedding ceremony…
Keri with flower girl, Hannah 
The bride and her flowers 
Bridesmaids and groomsmen aplenty…this is a small sample 
Father of the bride, Tom Blythe and Keri walking down the aisle 
The wedding ceremony
The reception took place at the nearby Gainesville Women’s Center.
Sue, Allie, Barb 
…and Jill 
…and Susanna and someone (a Shinn?) 
Cousins! 
Allie and Jill 
Sisters! 
Us! 
With Ann Carroll 
The sisters make a toast 
Keri dances with her dad 
The grandparents dance
And then there was dancing, and more dancing. So much dancing. Allie had a great time, almost as big a time as Keri.
Inviting Grandpop to dance 
Dancing with Grandpop 
Happy hugs 
Dancing with Dad 
And with Mom 
Not sure who this is dancing with Allie but they cut a rug 
Dancing with Jill 
Dancing with the bride! 
In other news from people far away, Laurie had started teaching in Sao Paulo, Brazil and sent photos from one of her trips to Rio de Janeiro and Paraty, a smaller colonial town in between.
Rio! 
Enjoying the view 
Laurie with people we don’t know 
Beach at Rio…Copacana? 
Fantastic sandcastle 
Posing as a redeemer 
Boatride at Paraty 
Paraty colonial architecture 
Halloween approached. We prepared for a Harry Potter themed sleepover party for Allie and friends. First order of business was carving some pumpkins for the front porch.
Allie participated in the Halloween Parade at school.
Allie as Hermione flanked by KevinAnne as Aussie, Ellen as Pocahontas and Hanna as a pop star 
Welcoming guests for the sleepover.
Allie with Blair, Lily and a ghoul. Lily and the ghoul didn’t stay. 
With Blair, Maddie and ?? 
Maddie 
Not sure…Jess W? 
Dinner time 
On November 5, a deer participated in the fall foliage in back of Paddington.
December 5 brought a snowstorm, a good 8 or 9 inches according to our meteorologist.
Snow angel 
Harry Potter makes a run for it 
Barb’s office held their holiday party on December 18. See more photos here.
Barb and Mary Salhus 
Emery and Leslie 
Barb and an admirer 
Also on the 18th, I had Allie pose for photos for our 2003 Holiday letter. Our goofball model.
The shot we used
We took a few minutes to do our traditional rendering of the Christmas Story with our tacky manger and creche. This was as close to religious education that Allie got.
Our manger scene 
Baby Jesus 
Christmas Day!
A Christmas call to Grandmom and Grandpop, and some time with Mom.
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