Annual kids skating party

For the past 3 or 4 years Daryl's family and Lori's family have met at the Howard skating rink in St. Joseph, MI during one afternoon of the week between Christmas and New Years. Here are Tyler and Rachel burning up the ice.

Tyler, Rachel, and Cheyenne stopped long enough for Grandpa to take this picture. Tanner and Allison, along with Daryl, were unavailable for pictures. Actually the lighting and large number of skaters made it difficult to get them in a picture.

Christmas 2010

The Grandkids who were able to come this year (l-r) Rachel, Cheyenne, Allison, Tanner, and Tyler. Shawn's kids Lexi, Zack, and Connor were not able to make it and we missed them.

The stockings all hung by the chimney with care in the hopes that the Grandkids will soon be here...

Of course they came and along with them lots of goodies. We had a nice visit while the last minute preparations were being done - opps we forgot to make the mashed potatoes.. so our visiting time was just extented. Then everyone dug in.



The Grandkids ate at the bar while the adults ate at the table. We have (l-r) Rachel, Cheyenne, Allison, Tanner, and Tyler. Rachel, Allison (she is wearing her invisible makeup so see first picture to see her), and Tyler are our oldest son Daryl's kids and Cheyenne and Tanner are our daughter Lori's kids.

Here are the adults enjoying the fine food. They are (l-r) Brian, Lori's husband then Daryl and then Tammy, Daryl's wife. Then comes Grandma (Fran) and I'm taking the picture.

After eating it was time to open presents. Tyler played the role of Santa by hauling the presents from under the tree to each family member.

Each Grandchild took turns opening a present so everyone could enjoy the opening of the presents.

Rachel began the opening.

Cheyenne was really happy with her presents especially the cell phone. She promised to phone Grandpa every day to "check in" especially when she starts Junior High next year!!!!

Allison and Tanner opening their gifts. Tanner loves to read, especially books that have a lot of facts about the world around us

Allison opening another gift while Tanner looks through his Facts Book.

Grandma asking something?

Tanner getting ready to open another gift.

Looks like Santas workshop on a very bad day. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the kids interaction with sharing of new things to play with.

Tyler and Tanner joined their presents of Hex Bugs to make one large habitat.

Then it was time to enjoy some special goodies. Tammy brought several trays of her famous chocholate treats. Grandma made her pie in the sky. Lori made shortbread. Cheyenne and Grandpa made ginger cookies and Cheyenne made some peppermint bark.

Lori made my Mom's christmas cake, jujubes and all. It was very good and reminded me of Christmas' past.

Family Pre-Christmas dinner

Since our youngest son Shawn could come down on Monday, Dec 20th we had an early Christmas dinner. These are our three kids; Daryl, Lori, and Shawn.

Daryl giving his youngest son Tyler a helicopter ride. He landed kinda heavily and wasn't sure about that kinda ride.

We are truly blessed. Three great kids and 8 wonderful Grandkids.

Aunt Lori with Tyler.

Tanner, Allison, Tyler, Cheyenne, and Rachel watching Miracle on 34th Street. Shawn's kids were uable to come down since they are in school until December 23rd (Zack and Connor). Lexi, his oldest, is in college at Central Michigan University.

Tanner turns 11

Sunday, December 19th we celebrated Tanner's 11th birthday by doing breakfast at Sophia's in Benton Harbor.

Nana and Tanner after breakfast.

Grandma, Tanner, and Grandpa with sign for Tanner's room. Tanner's Mom, Dad, and Sister Chey were also present. Our prayer is that Tanner will continue to enjoy life and music.

Happy 11th Tanner.

Daryl's family in Christmas play

The Granger Community Church where Daryl works and worships put on their Christmas play. Tammy, Allison and Rachel were part of the play cast. The story of Christ's birth was set in a modern story of a family torn apart by the father leaving and the son, daughter, and wife coping with the seperation at Christmas time. The Grandpa who use to work in the circus told the story about the good ringmaster who left and the wicked ringmaster who took over the circus. Then the angel anounced the birth of a child who would take over the role of the good ringmaster. It was a very good adaptation of the Christmas story set in a modern setting.
To view video go to http://www.gccwired.com/midnightclear

This was some of the cast. The fellow dressed in the clown suit has a very nice voice and sang several songs during the play.

This is Rachel looking very artistic!

Allison, Tammy, and Rachel. Tammy did a great job of keeping the smiles away!

Rachel seems to have caught the SAD part also.

I think Allison is having a hard time keeping the SAD look going.

Rachel enjoyed that bag of popcorn.

Allison seems to be asking "what comes next?"

Grandma & Grandpa McMullen 2010

These were taken at the CLS Departmental brunch on Sunday, October 28th.

Zack on High school hockey team

Zack is on the Chiefs hockey team. This is the High School varsity team in Cheboygan, MI. To follow his team go to www.cheboyganchiefshockey.com

Grandkids perform at Christmas program

On Sabbath, December 4th the Village school put on their Christmas program. Cheyenne played her guitar.

Can't believe our Granddaughter is in grade 8. She participates in just about all school activities from sports, music, school out reach programs etc.

Tanner loves the violin. He played the solo part for the program.

Very good job Tanner. We like to hear you perform.

Cheyenne sang in the mixed choir.

Good job Cheyenne. We are proud of our first Grandchild.

Chey performing a duet.

Celtic Woman / Chloe Agnew - ''O Holy Night''

Early Thanksgiving

Since Lori and her family were leaving for Oklahoma on Tuesday, in order to celebrate Thanksgiving with Brian's relatives, we got together with Lori's close friend Laura Bowlby and her two foster children.

Lori's family, Cheyenne, Brian, Lori, and Tanner

Cheyenne with Laura's foster children Kenzie and Kendra.

Grandpa gets a new camera

After struggling with my old camera on my trip through Yellowstone I decided it was time for a new camera. Since BestBuy had the Canon T2i EOS Rebel on sale as a package deal, camera body, 18-55 mm lens, 55-250 mm lens, 8GB memory card, and camera case I decided to get it. Now comes the learning to operate a new system.

Trip to Vernon

On Thursday Fran and I left for Vernon, BC to visit Fran's Mom Mary. We spent about a week with Mary before Fran had to fly back to Berrien Springs. She left Kelowna at 6:30 am on November 1st and I drove back to Berrien by myself. After driving through a snow storm on the pass between Kelowna and Kamloops I stopped at Dalton and Gail Heyland's for breakfast and a short visit. Then I drove to Hattonford, AB where I slept in the van.

On Tuesday morning I drove around Hattonford to take pictures and clock distances for my life story DVD. I want to be sure how far it was when we walked to school and to our friends house.These are the restrooms we had at our one-room-school. Note His and Her facilities.

Although the school at Hattonford was torn down it was the same style as this one.


This is a side view. Lots of windows.

This was the road we travelled from Hattonford out to Niton Junction (12 miles) where the centralized school was located. When we travelled it there was no gravel and if it rained the bus often got stuck and we missed school.

This was the store the bus stopped at on the way home. We could go in and buy candy or pop to have as we drove home.

Tuesday morning, after touring Hattonford, I drove down to Drayton Valley, AB via Cynthia and Lodgepole. This is a hill on which I experienced two hair-raising events. You'll have to watch my life story DVD to hear about them.

This is the type of road we travelled on throughout the oilfield. This would be a good road as most of the time there was no gravel on the road and when it rained the roads turned in to one giant mudhole. Often our trucks would be towed or pushed in to the oil site by a caterpillar.

This is the end-of-development for the oilwell. These pumps were put on to raise the oil up out of the well. When we performed the fracturing process it was before the pumps were put in place so all that would be on the site was the wellhead. Thats the valves that are on the pipe that comes up out of the ground (just in front of the trailer).

This is the view looking West from the highway between Cynthia and Lodgepole. I don't remember being impressed with the mountains off in the distance when I was driving truck in this area. Guess age brings a better appreciation of God's creation. After visiting Bud and May Wiseman and May Barker in Drayton Valley I drove to Edmonton to visit my Sister-In-Law Eva. I got to meet her friend Ben Hort and enjoyed Eva's cooking.

On Wednesday Ben and Eva took me on a tour of the Bonnie Doon area of Edmonton. We were looking for the house we use to live in before moving to Hattonford. This is the house. Compare the brick work around the door with the one around Grandpa's house. Same brick work. This is the house I lived in and where my Mom use to make the donuts. On the days she made donuts there was a steady stream of kids up that sidewalk to the kitchen door. Yum - Krispy Kreams don't even make it as donuts compared to those Spudnut donuts that Mom made.

This is Edmonton Central SDA church where I was baptized and where Fran and I got married.

On Thursday morning as I was getting ready to leave Edmonton I drove back to the area where we use to live before moving to Hattonford. This is the field where the outdoor ice rink was. It was just a block from our house and the McMullen boys and Brown boys spend most winter evenings at the rink. There's an indoor arena at the end of the field. Bunch of whimps!!!

This is the field where the skating rinks was located. Before we could skate we often had to shovel the snow off the ice. And after skating we would help clean the ice so the maintenance man could flood the rink. That way it was ready for the next night.

This is the house where my friend Jerry Brown lived. It was just a block from our house.

After talking with my sister Marg I was able to locate the house my Grandparents lived in. It is in the Scona neighborhood of South Edmonton. The brickwork that my Dad, older brother Wally, and Grandpa use to add to most of the houses they stuccoed was still in good shape (around front door). That would be 60 years since they did it. After leaving Edmonton on Thursday I drove to Carstairs, AB (just north of calgary, AB) and spent the night with Bob and Norma Disney. We had a great time remembering our times spent in Drayton Valley. Layed some plans for another Drayton Valley reunion next Summer as there are alot of us who will be turning 70 next year.

After leaving Bob and Norma Disney's I drove South to Lethbridge, AB then down to Great Falls, MT. This is the view between Calgary, AB and Lethbridge, AB. I spent Friday night in a Super 8 motel at Big Timber, MT which is about 60 miles from the North entrance to Yellowstone. I decided to spend the night in Big Timber because of the numerous deer I saw along the side of the highway. I figured driving after dark would greatly increase the chance of having a deer wrapped arounf the front end of the van. I got up at 5:30 am and after a waffle breakfast at the motel I headed for Yellowstone National Park entering at Gardner, MT

I spent Sabbath, Nov 6th in Yellowstone. The weather was beautiful and since it was late in the Fall there were very few tourists.

Saw buffalo, coyotes, deer, Elk, pronghorns, and 8 wolves.

This is Lake Yellowstone. Beautiful place to spend a few Sabbath hours in God's creation. No wind so the reflections were great.

I arrived in the park at sunrise and with the sun hitting the mountain tops it was really beautiful. These pronghorns were just inside the north entrance, right on the outskirts of Gardner, MT. And they weren't concerned that I was less than 100 ft from them. After spending 6 hours in the park I headed home. The drive from Sheridan, WY to Berrien Springs isn't all that exciting so I drove until 10 pm then slept in the va until 2 am. Then I drove from 2 am until about 5 am until there were so many fresh deer kills on the road that I felt I was being a little presumptuous in asking God for a save trip but continuing to drive through an area where the deer were all along the road. After the sun came up I continued my trip arriving home at about 9 pm Sunday. Thank you Lord for a safe and spiritually rewarding trip. I had bought the New Testament on CDs and listened to the last one (Revelation) as I was entering Chicago.