Kindergarten Cousins

These are the kindergarten pictures of all of Grandma Alma Phillip's grandchildren. She had these three frames hanging in her home as long as I can remember. How many can you name? I'll list the names at the end of this blog. You can click on the pictures to enlarge them.

Seven female and ten male grandchildren from the four Phillip sons (Ken, Jean, Bob, Leo)

Can you match the birth year with the person???

1. 1941
2. 1942
3. 1943
4. 1943
5. 1945
6. 1947
7. 1948
8. 1948
9. 1950
10. 1951
11. 1952
12. 1953
13. 1953
14. 1954
15. 1955
16. 1958
17. 1959

Hope you are all having a Merry Christmas and will have a very Happy New Year!!

Answers to the pictures are below. Have fun seeing if you were right!

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First picture (left to right) - Bill, Dean, Jim, Paul

Second picture (left to right) - Judy, Mary, Janice, Sharon, Lynella, Julie, Roberta

Third picture (left to right) - Ray, Jary, Don, Steve, Dick, Randy

Christmas Pictures & Christmas Past Article

Published December 14, 2008, in the Scottsbluff NE Star Herald was an article in the Lifestyles section about "Christmas Past" featuring Jean as a resident at the Alliance Crossroads Assisted Living.

(Our family has changed the popcorn ball tradition by adding a small portion of cinnamon oil to the red colored popcorn balls.)




Jean mentioned getting ice-skates for Christmas. Here are a couple pictures of Ken's ice skates (probably received for Christmas sometime in the 1920s). Notice the raised part in the middle of the heel. The next pictures shows a side view and bottom view.

Also, on the top skate in this picture you can see two metal pieces attached with string. These were the pieces that you attached to the heel of your shoe so your shoe would attach to the raised part in the middle of the ice skate heel (shown above)

And here are more Christmas pictures received through snail mail:

Coulter & Chloe (Cory Mann's kids, Judy Mann's grandkids)







Next picture is of Dani (Judi & Ray Phillip's daughter), daughter Jackie, and husband Jack with Santa Claus

Phillip Christmas Greetings

Below are two Christmas pictures I have received through the snail mail which are too good to not share with everyone. As always, click on picture to see a larger version.

The first one is from Jary & Dee Phillip and their extended family.

Back row: Daughter Jennifer & Tom; Kevin & Daughter Alison
Seated: Jary & Dee
Front row: Grandchildren Sarah, Anna, Kate, Claire, and Olivia








The next is from my son Dennis & Jeanna - a picture of their two youngest visiting Santa Claus....Caily on the left, and Cody on the right (Cody is not looking as if he is enjoying the Santa visit).

Thanks again

• to everyone who is reading the blog
• to all who have sent me pictures that I needed for the blog

Hopefully in 2009 the blog will have posts by many of you....you must be just waiting until the hustle and bustle of Christmas is over. :-)

If anyone wants instructions on how to post, just email me at singo2@verizon.net. Tony and I will be leaving to go to Arizona shortly after Christmas, but we will be able to keep in touch through a wireless connection while we are away.

As you can see on the right of the blog below the list of archives, there is a live traffic feed. It is so interesting to watch. After I send all of you an email, I click on the live traffic feed and leave it up on my computer. Later I look and see how many of you are visiting the blog (this is what keeps my posting to this blog) :-). Below are a list of the cities and states, and in some cases different countries that have visited the Phillip Blog. Sometimes it doesn't make sense what city and state come up when you get on - once mine was Midlothian, VA, but usually I think it is close to where you live. Sometimes readers find their way to the blog by googling some words such as "wish you a Merry Christmas letter".

This is a list of the ones I have noticed through the Live Traffic Feed site. I'm sure I have missed some.

Amsterdam Noord-Holland

Ark Little Rock

CA no city listed
CA Covina
CA Los Angeles
CA Redwood City
CA San Jose

CO Boulder
CO Denver
CO Walsenburg

FL Orlando

GA Jonesboro

Germany Munich, Bayern google search "wish you a merry christmas letter" Germany Friedrichsdorf Hessen

ID Coeur D Alene
ID Hayden
ID Lewiston
ID Moscow
ID Post Falls

IL Granite City

NC Asheville

NE Alliance
NE Crawford
NE Crete
NE Gering
NE Grand Island
NE Lincoln
NE Mitchell
NE Ogallala
NE Omaha
NE Plattsmouth
NE Scottsbluff

Norway Rogaland google search "wish you all a merry christmas letter"

OH Cincinnati

OR LaGrande

Philippines Manila (from my Grandson Phillip, Ken's son who is with his mother)

SD Hermosa
SD Huron
SD Keystone
SD Rapid City

Spain Port-of-Spain (Tony's son Jonathan)

TX Houston

United Kingdom Truro, Cornwall (Tony's brother Terry)

UT Salt Lake City

VA Midlothian

WA Bellevue
WA Casper
WA Cheney
WA Davenport
WA Ford
WA Medical Lake
WA Pullman
WA Seattle
WA Spokane
WA Winthrop

WI Lake Geneva
WI Williams Bay

WY Casper
WY Green River
WY Laramie
WY Riverton

I hope many of you have enjoyed reading the blog as much as I have enjoyed putting it up on the web. They say you have to have a hobby in retirement....I guess this will be my hobby for the next year at least. I have a lot of memories I want to share with all of you. If you find any errors, let me know so I can correct them. mailto:singo2@verizon.net) Please comment whenever you can at the end of the posts. It will make the blog more interesting and interactive for everyone.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Look on Christmas morning for a special post entitled "Kindergarten Cousins"

Merry Christmas from Ray & Judi

2008 Holidays

Dear Friends and Family,

We are sure looking forward to ’09. We have had a lot going on in ’08, a year full of surprises. First, last year I had told you we had sold our extra land and they would be building four new homes out beside us. We were a couple of months late on our land contract and the developers’ money ran dry just about the time we were to be paid out. Disappointing, but they aren’t making any more land so we’ll just sell again when the market returns!

January 30th, Ray & I were passing our six month cancer check-ups with flying colors when Ray happened to mention he had been having a chest pain for the past year. Dr. looked at him and asked if he meant right then and Ray said yes. We were immediately sent down to the ER and on Feb 20th after lots of tests, Ray had five-way by-pass open heart surgery.

My Dad passed away three weeks later in March. Ray couldn’t fly nor drive so we had the air bag on the passenger side disconnected and set out for Denver with Ray being the best passenger he’s ever been. I knew he was in a lot of pain, but I couldn’t leave him at home alone. The trip and all the drama was very hard on him. I am so glad that Dad, Myself, Scott, Ruby & my Great Grandson Zane had a five-generation picture taken last fall.

We did get to visit with Scott & Leanne, and family last spring. When I call the house and Zane is up he sounds so strong and so active. His pictures look like a typical active little boy. We were at the wrong time of the year and our time in Denver was too short to see Ethan play in any games. He is so big to just be turning 15 years old this month (6’ & 170 lbs). The schools love him for their football and wrestling teams.

We had a pretty peaceful summer, which gave Ray time to catch up and begin to think and even talk about getting started on his friend’s ’55 Chevy project that has been down in our garage for about two years now.

Our 38th anniversary was coming up in September and most of you know how well thought out and romantic Ray’s gifts have always been to me. For instance - a snow shovel, a sympathy card that he swears was misfiled in the anniversary section, pierced earrings when my ears weren’t pierced, left-handed scissors even though I’m right handed. Well anyway, he tells me at about midnight to get him to the hospital in a hurry! It’s late (or rather early) and the traffic is light so I raced him to the ER (about 80 or so) and of course with my caution lights on and even picked up a cop somewhere along the way. He saw Ray get out of the car and start moving for the doors at the same time the ER doctors were coming out to get him since they saw him holding his chest. I guess the cop thought no one would pay attention to him so he got lost. On our anniversary, Ray had more surgery, this time to have his gallbladder removed and upon release couldn’t drive again for a few weeks, boy does he hate that! Too bad, no gift, but good news - Ray is doing well and promises he will not go back to the hospital for a long time.

In November, the annual dreary rains started and we had the perfect excuse to go south, to sun and warmth. Race School! (www.driveSRT.com) When we bought the Chrysler, I might have mentioned it is an SRT8 model (meaning faster than hell). Part of the price is a one-day, Richard Petty SRT Driving School. We had two years to use it and the time was ending soon so I signed up for it at Firebird International Race Way in Chandler, Arizona, which is a little suburb south of Phoenix. It was just for one driver and then you pay for the spouse to watch and eat and ride along at the end with the instructors if they wanted. Ray insisted that I do the driving and I am so glad. I had the most exciting day I’ve had for a long time. It was just a blast!! There were five different parts to the class but I liked the drag racing and road racing parts the best. What a day!

We spent a couple of days in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area sightseeing and then on to Palm Springs to visit with some friends from home who wisely spend their winters down there. We spent a night in Santa Marie, CA visiting with a school friend of mine and by this time it was time to head home to our main job – taking care of Granddaughter Jackie five days a week.

Our little sweetie is growing so fast and we’re so lucky to be able to take care of her. She is 2 ½ and keeps us very busy. She is Granpa’s girl and spends time down in the garage with the guys where she is known by Jake or Jakie. She gets him out walking to the park.

Dani and Jack are doing fine. They both feel pretty secure in their jobs and that is good in this economy. Jack is still teaching a Wednesday evening class so Dani and I have that one night a week to spend together.

Ray and I wish you a very happy holiday season and the best New Year.

Love and Peace, Ray & Judi

11203 Newcastle Way Newcastle WA 98056-1001

Please, if you haven’t updated our address, please do so; the post office is getting picky about it, as if they have too much to do! We have not moved but have had the name of our town and now the street changed.

Harriet & Bob Christmas Greetings

Greetings from Idaho,

I am so pleased to be able to reach many members of the family this quick and easy way as time is flying and Christmas is nearly here.

Bob and I manage to keep busy with Senior Citizen dinners, card playing, my regimented exercising at the hospital and just recently joining the Road Runners. Our first trip was to Coeur d'Alene to take a boat trip to see the fabulous Christmas lights and have dinner at the Coeur d'Alene resort. We hope to take advantage of bus trips with this group throughout the year. Highlights of 2008 were a trip to South Dakota, Nebraska and Wyoming with Sharon and Tony. Bob was anxious to meet as many of the Phillip family as we could and we both enjoyed seeing many of you.

In October we flew to Salt Lake so Bob could have a Cyberknife treatment for his trigeminal neuralgia which had been a big problem for many months. The treatment seems to be successful as he is much improved. Dick & Cindy came down for an evening visit while we were there. I had my six month check-up in Spokane and received "greatly improved" news from the doctor. We celebrated with a meal for seven of us in Spokane – Ray & Ruth Stroud, Sharon & Tony, and Janet (Bill’s wife).

Most recently Paul took us to the University of Idaho Christmas musical. It was great.

It is wonderful to read the blogs that have been put on and we enjoy the personal messages and pictures we have received.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a

Happy New Year.

Our love, Bob and Harriet

Janice & Archie Lawrence Christmas Greetings

Merry Christmas - 2008

Back Row: Brian & Meghann, Archie & Janice, Kelli, Carter & Kyle
Middle: Rick & Desirae Jesse, Linda & Tom Lawrence
Front: Megan & Caitlynn Jesse
Emelia Lawrence

(Click on picture to enlarge)

We were very blessed this year to have all our family home over the July 4th weekend to celebrate Archie’s 70th and Janice’s 65th birthday (we share the same July 14th birthday!)

Brian & Meghann are in Seattle where he is Dist. Mgr. of McMennamin’s six Washington breweries; Meghann is Ch. of Operations of Ummelina Intn’l. Day Spa; they (& we) are so excited for arrival of Baby Lawrence in July!!

Kyle, Kelli & Carter are in Elm Creek, NE. Kyle is now working for Kinder Morgan (but still enjoys bricklaying in spare time); Kelli is at Marshall Engines in Kearney and Carter (14 mos.) is walking all over & being himself!

Rick, Desirae, Megan & Caitlynn are in Fallbrook, CA – Rick in home remodeling; Desirae teaching. Megan (17) will graduate in June and Caitlynn (15) is a sophomore.

Tom, Linda & Emmie are in Fountain Hills, AZ where Tom is Asst. Supt. of Schools, Linda teaches and Emmie is 12 and in the 6th grade.

and a Very Happy New Year

Janice & Archie Lawrence

Judy & Larry Mann Wish You A Merry Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

We began 2008 with all cousins and one uncle within 60 miles celebrating Mom’s 90th birthday at the Country Club. What fun it was to see all of them. Dad celebrated his 91st birthday in November. They moved into Crossroads Assisted Living in April and really enjoy living there.

All of us youngsters got to enjoy a few days at the lake where jet skiing was enjoyed by all. I will NEVER ride on another jet ski with Larry.

Sherry & Cory

Melanie & Jared

"NEVER AGAIN Judy" & Larry

In early summer, after staring at white, orange & brown woodwork and a pink bathtub, pink sink and white toilet for 30 some years, I got busy. I ripped out, replaced, painted, stained, varnished, sheet rocked and plastered. My favorite tools are the miter saw and nail set. Larry won’t let me use the Saws All but I’m sure I would enjoy it. Larry wants you to know it was a “we” project at times. Our new Volkswagen (a/k/a bathtub) is now in the living room and we are wondering how we are going to get it into the bathroom without any more demolition.

Larry, Cory, Sherry, Jared and Melanie were busy with their own project as they remodeled an old barn. They added hydraulic operated indoor cattle working implements and also finished the attached heat room complete with all kitchen appliances, cupboards, and sink. It is so nice.

We enjoy the little grandkids and get to see them so often. Babysitting is my favorite thing to do.

Keaton--2






Chloe--5






Colter--6






The crops got off to a slow start this spring and all our fields were hailed on Labor Day. Some fields were worse than others. We did enjoy higher commodity prices until the whole economy went south.

We hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Love, Judy & Larry