Happy Birthday Granny!

Happy 120th Birthday Luella Bockstaller Higgins! Your Wood great grandchildren will never forget you!

2008 Winds Down

This has been a challenging year. Three of our loved ones are battling cancer and of course the economy stinks. But as Julie says, we remain joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer. Here are five reasons for us to be joyful.

Matt and Joyce - November 18, 1950

Today would have been Mom and Dad's 58th wedding anniversary.

Happy Birthday Noelle!

Today is Noelle's birthday!

Nick is 26!

Nick turned 26 on August 28.

Today is Will's Birthday!

Happy Birthday Sean!

Wild West Adventure

We're wrapping up a wild west adventure with grandson Malory. Our stops included the John Deere Pavilion, Winnebago tour, Mount Rushmore, Devil's Tower, BMW Rally in Gillette, Frontier Days in Cheyenne, and Pioneer Village in Nebraska. We're spending time among the Amish in Shipshewana as we wind down. Lots of fun, laughs annd great memories.

Happy Birthday Frank!

Today is Julie's Birthday!

Happy Birthday Brandon!

Today is Brandon's birthday . . . Brandon enjoys dancing and is a Billy Joel fan.

Clanfest 2008

We just returned from our bi-annual reunion in Blue Ridge Georgia. Here is our patriarch, Matthew W. Wood. We wish that Ruth could have joined us.
We celebrated Christine's 50th birthday during the reunion.

Here is a memorable moment. Uncle Butch (Matt Jr.) organized a fishing tournament and Larry must have thought the worms were for snacking. More images to follow.

Grandad's Birthday

Today is the 101st anniversary of the day that James Bell Higgins was born. His grandchildren will never forget him. Spring has sprung in West Michigan.

Special Anniversary

Julie and Frank celebrated their 30th anniversary on April 8.

Happy Easter

Stan clearing the driveway after our Good Friday snow event . . .

Snowmobiling in the Keweenaw

Our last snowmobile trip of the season . . . Stan and Kathleen at High Rock (the end of the Keweenaw Peninsula) - Pardon the cock-eyed horizon - our camera was propped on a pole
Kathleen on Brockway Mountain
View of Copper Harbor
Cozy cabin in Centennial

Grapefruit Wine

One of Stan's Christmas gifts was a winemaking kit and here is the first "fruit" of our endeavor -- grapefruit wine. It should be ready on or about Mother's Day.

Grandmom's Birthday

Today, February 23, is the 100th anniversary of Helen McKee Higgins' birth. Here is her picture in 1950.

Special Birthday

Today is our baby Barbe's birthday (then and now)!

Snowmobiling in the UP

We just returned from another wonderful week of snowmobiling in the Curtis area (in the eastern part of the UP). Stan made some adjustments to my sled so that it handles much better. We took a number of day trips including a 150 mile round trip to Grand Marais. My favorite trip was to Tahquamenon Falls. The trail between Newberry and Tahquamenon was straight and smooth. I was even persuaded to snowmobile across Big Manistique Lake!

Snowmobiling in Northern Michigan

We spent last week snowmobiling in the Petoskey area. The trails were in great condition and the traffic was light. One of our most interesting discoveries was some excellent cuisine at the Pellston airport. That's the airport that serves Mackinaw Island and it's not like any airport you've ever seen. It's more like a grand lodge. The restaurant is operated by the same group that runs the Village Inn on Mackinaw Island.

Best Christmas Ever!

Stan and I agree that it was possibly our best Christmas ever. Barbe, Tony, Ronald, Malory and Bryce arrived on December 23 and we had fun preparing for Santa. Mitze, Katie and Will arrived on Christmas evening and our home was full of life and laughter. The week flew by and before we knew it, the house became quiet again. Stan helped me avert post-holiday blues by taking me snowmobiling on New Year's Day. The conditions on the White Pine Trail were perfect and even though it was a holiday, riders on the trailer were courteous. We're in the midst of a January thaw today but are looking forward to the next snow event.