Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Christmas 2009 - Year in Review




Tolman Family Highlights – 2009

Jan 1 – Deanna awakes to the sound of snoring and determines that Wendell is still alive.

Jan 26 – Independence, Missouri – Birth of Nora Deanne Tolman (daughter of Jon & Becky) brings the number of grandchildren to 10, increasing the girls lead over the boys to 8-2, in the bottom of the 9th or so their parents say.

April 19 – 35th wedding anniversary was noted and we can’t remember a darn thing about it. I think there were church meetings.

May – Deanna is accepted into a doctoral program at Columbia University in New York City beginning in August 2009. Wendell’s request to telecommute from New York is denied.
Sister missionaries move out to make room for the Bunker family to inhabit the basement until school ends prior to their move to Kansas, near to, but not in the Leavenworth prison.

June 5-11 – Deanna and Wendell travel to Austin for the baptism of granddaughter Emma Benefield. We spent 10 hours in the sun at Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels to ensure we got sufficient value and sunburn for the investment.

Father’s Day – Adjacent to daughter Rachel’s home in Broomfield is a traffic signal that posts the speed of approaching objects. While on a walk in the neighborhood, son-in-law Ben and grandson Spencer post 10 mph speeds on their Razor scooters. Grandpa Wendell, a long-time Pepsi drinker (for those who think young…) tries to top their mark and hits 13 mph. He attempts to top his own mark, pulls up lame with a sharp pain in right hamstring. The pain dissipates for a time, but reappears several days later along with a slight discoloration.
Emily was the subject of testing at the Salk Institute in San Diego.

Later in June - Jon & Becky visit from Independence, MO. Trips to Tiny Town, the Denver Acquarium. More pictures and commentary can always be seen at ttp://tolmanitude.blogspot.com/
July – Emily is brought back from Provo, kicking and screaming, to have surgery (not related to the Salk visit) and to chaperone her father during the fall when Deanna moves to New York City in August.

August to present – Deanna flies off to NYC to become intimate with the subway system, balancing teaching assignments, term papers, exams and a church calling. Emily volunteers for weekly duty in the Denver Temple cafeteria and teaches father lessons about various virtues – patience, brotherly kindness, etc, etc, etc.

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