MERRY CHRISTMAS 2018, AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

We are thinking and cherishing our family and friends with wonderful memories at this Christmas time.

Our year has been busy again, as Bob is still on the VA Research Board, I'm still dancing and Bob is the show MC. We got our trip to Italy in April. Hope you enjoy scrolling through our year,

We are wishing you all the very best for the New Year, with good health, love, and many blessings.
Love,
Marilyn and Bob

The famous Cantebury Gardens Christmas in Escondido, CA

THE HALDER OFFSPRING

 Abby, doing her 
favorite thing....







Luke, with his coach. Following in his sister's footsteps, soccer. 

 Craig was able to get in a quick visit while in San Diego on business.

The quick update on the families... We're very thankful Mike and family were safe during the hurricane and floods. Very close, indeed. A few of Mike's employees lost their homes so he and his boss, owner of all the McDonald stores in the area, took them shopping to help replace many items.
Mike and family, Tracey, Kaili,Gavin and Aaron are doing well and kids growing too quickly. Look forward to seeing them in NC next year.

Craig's family, up north in NJ, handling the cold and snow. Marie, Abby and Luke, all very busy, as usual. Abby will be graduating in June and has been accepted to Colby College (Ivy League). She will be playing on their Soccer team! Yay!!! Super excited. Luke is playing soccer now too. And Mike's boys are involved in sports as well. 
                                         

Mike and Tracey, Kaili, Gavin  and Aaron

IT'S PARTY TIME AT THE WELTERS

Our friend, the Welters, love to give parties... just to give you a glance.Marlene will use any occasion to celebrate. When asked who's coming, she'll tell you "the usual suspects"......Fun!

 Fun -Food - Music

Bob and Mick in a skit. Can you tell, an old Johnny Carson skit. 




Mick,Diane and Norm

OUR DAILY ROUTINE WITH MIKA

Let's see if I can upload this video...... haven't done this before.

BACK TO US AND DANCE

It's back to routine and keep up rehearsals with the Toe Tappers. You can go to the website and check out a bit of video. www.toetappers.org.

AND THEN THERE IS MORE

Just a few more of Italy and friends and then back to the US. Then going to our little place to pick up olives and some olive oil. Our good friends that also keep going back to Italy are the Eytchisons. Then there is my shopping friend Etsuko. Our favorite Gelateria, with Vito.... all new, and oh so delicious!

 I had these spoon rests made for my friends, our dance group, Toe Tappers. 

Just another great lunch! 

A fun shadow shot 

 Ron and Pat Eytchison, Ron, Vice Admiral (Ret)

Etsuko Barnabee

 With friends, Frediana, and Pia

 Our beach in Formia

Vito in his new Gelateria. Mmmmm good! 

GOING THROUGH THE YEAR

It's always nice to see our friends in Italy,some Italian and some of the retired Military that live there. Each time we do get together with a certain group from the 80's and go to our favorite restaurant, that being Le Sciantose, in Pozzuoli (near Naples). Others are near us in Formia.

 Luciana and Vincenzo, above. Below with Wylie  and Renata.

30 year reunion with Tony, Wylie, Bob W, Jerry,  and Bob 

 We are the wives: Susan, me, Renee, and Renata.

Here with Federico, restaurant owner.

 You need to look closely at the trucks, yes,trucks... the tow truck (red) has loaded the other(white) and on one of many very narrow streets in front of our restaurant. Some cars are parked on the sidewalk and the Smart cars can barely get by. Just you normal Naples day in Italy!! 

AROUND OUR SECOND HOME

The plan was to hang out a lot at 'home', just wanted to do day trips to some of our favorite places, see  friends, favorite restaurants, etc. The routine in the early mornings was Bob and former neighbor, Guiseppe,going for their morning cappuccino. Yes, he would bring me my favorite back for me. 
I wanted to keep my brother's promise and take some of his ashes back to Italy. He is now on our beach where we live and he enjoyed every day, also at the tomb of Cicero, and later on, a trip to Rome to take some to the famous Forum. He got his wish.

Cicero's tomb

 Giuseppe (Joe) & Bob



    The Forum








Our Formia beach.Look closely,I'm walking out there between the sail boats.

Time for Italy

Mika sleeps pretty well all the way to Italy. She was at the window when we took off. 
We look forward to our favorite place to stay, above.

SO THIS IS 2018

Well, might as well get the year started right!! A good way to get ready for our trip later in the year so we enjoyed our Caprese on our deck, and, of course, perfect weather.
Actually, it was a needed break after all the chaos of the fire and clean up. It took time and patience, like a lot of things. Other than this, it was the usual routine of setting up plans, calendars, rehearsals and appointments.

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR

I know this is coming a little later than usual, so we are sure you had a wonderful Christmas and now looking forward, as we are, to a spectacular New Year. 
This has been a ..... well, I don't know what to call it other than 'from the high to the low and high again' in a short time. Here goes...... Late Nov three long time friends got together for a Birthday celebration, show girls, that is, that danced together MANY years ago. 

December first was a real hi-light..... We went from our Toe Tappers show directly to Palm Desert to see, and reunite after many years, Vikki Carr. We were former roommates early in our careers, in our 20's !!! Wow, we were so excited. You're getting a history story here...... 
We had more time to get together and really catch up after the show, and the week following, when she would be over here in Carlsbad visiting more of her family. 

On Dec 7, as you probably heard or saw on the news, a fire hit our area. Ventura was already burning out of control. However, we got home from our early Toe Tappers show and in half an hour got a call we needed to evacuate...... This was at our driveway:

We quickly gathered stuff and got out of there. We went down to Solana Beach and stayed with dear and long time friends, the Halsey's place. After 5 days of staying with Halsey's, and balancing 4 of those days doing shows, the nerves were all over the place. What helped mostly was seeing our place on TV the next day, (Bob paused the TV so we could see it), that our place was saved and covered with pink retardant. As we have learned since, one of our neighbors stayed and held the flare so the planes could see where to drop the retardant. Ours was the bank that kept it from going down the hill, and meeting the track and barns, that you saw the horses running from, that we look down on. 

We got home on Tues and the Cal Fire men were washing it down. The cleaning up is still going on and we are thanking God every day that we are safe and our home is safe. So many of you were writing and texting to see if we were ok.  We certainly do appreciate knowing we had so many prayers going for us. They worked. THANK YOU. 

We love you all and now look forward to a fantastic year for everyone. 

Love, Marilyn, Bob, and Mika too