Sarine Cousins Gathering 11-28-08

"Cousin to Cousin we'll always be, Special friends from the same family tree." Author: Unknown


















The Entire Group!



























The Raleigh, NC; Minnesota, California Contingent!




























The DC, NJ Contingent!

























The Greensboro, NC; NY & Texas Contingent



















Ninja Sis & Mom






















The next generation of cousins!





















"Cousins are those childhood playmates who grow up to be forever friends." Author: Unknown



















Michael & Danielle




















(L to R) Terrin, Mark, Bill, Dick, JB, Jeff





















Doug, Bill, John




















Rudy, Joe, Dick



















Uncle Bill & Susan

























Jeff, Janet, Vicky, Greg

























El doctoro & the nurse... Rudy & Rebecca





















Jeremy, Baby Gabe, Doug, Jansyn























Terrin & Uncle Mark

"Cousins by blood ~ friends by choice." Author: Darlene Shaw


















Cousins hanging out.... Maddie, McKinney & Olivia #1

'Foster Grant' John, Aunt MJ, Laura























Susan & Bill























JB & Olivia #1























JB & his Pop




















'Kinney & Olivia #1


















Proud papa Jeremy & Gabriel



















"It's a long way down".....Katelin






















Jansyn Holding Gabe






















Olivia #2...



















Kira & Nana






















Kira in her 'super model' pose....






















Jake, Jack, Terrin, Michael

Doug & Janet

JB






















Doug demonstrating a Ninja stretch....

Danielle & Jansyn

"Cousins are friends that will love you forever"... Author: Constance Richards


































Bedding down the younger generation!






















Breakfast Bedlam!

"Sometimes I wish we could go back to our childhood days.

Yet here we are, all of us grown.

With busy lives; out on our own.

Things change, but you'll always be

My cousin, my friend....loved by me." Author Unknown

Thanksgiving 2008

We were blessed to have everyone together this Thanksgiving. As usual we had our share of laughs, good times and even got to exchange Crazy Santa (or in this case, Crazy Turkey) gifts since it's an "outlaw" year for Christmas. We somehow managed to even get the Christmas tree up early!
















Some of the crew...and Olivia showing Pop Pop "I love you this much"!























Jeremy's Version of Weight-lifting! Who's the turkey???























































It was a beautiful day in Greensboro...Jeff & Kira at the pond across the street...



































































Gabe surveying things from Nana's shoulder....


















Dr. of Fun & his missus dancing the crazy chicken....













































Some people never grow up... Greg with his nieces! He's so great with kids!



















Sisters-in-law....Vick & Danielle


















"Socks? Anyone want to trade me for socks?"


















There's nothing like the wonder & amazement of little ones when they open gifts!








































Kira and Aunt Danielle





















Aunt Maddie & Kira






































Olivia (3 1/2) & Kira (2 1/2) Playing Dress-up






































Dweezle (at 15) Chillin'






















Aunt Vicky getting some baby time in with nephew Gabe


















This is the first time the girls have been old enough to actually play together. They had a great time!

Vicky, Danielle, Jeff & Kira, Olivia & Jeremy, Rebecca, Greg & Rudy

Great Article About Gabe's Birth

Click on these two pages to enlarge for reading....

Greetings From Tulum, Part II

More Scenic Pictures.....

"View from a Lounge Chair"

Mr. Magoo... I mean Dickle

chillin with a book.

Look closely.....you never know what scenic wonders you might miss!

Greetings from Tulum, Mexico

Hola...Pictures from our balcony at Palace Resort's beautiful vacation spot about 50 miles south of Cancun called "Aventura". We've been fortunate to have visited four other of Palace's resorts, and last March we had the family trip of a lifetime at the Sunrise Palace with all of our kids and the grand chillin's to date....All have been great 'disconnect' vacations for us. This one so far is no exception....

Picture of our friend, Richie's brother "Earl"... didn't know he was here too! Notice the family resemblance!

Rich & Kathy

Picture of all of us at dinner....

Jack, Caroline, Richie, Kathy,

Dick & Sherry

Our Presidential Suite, compliments of Rich and Kathy

Sunrise over the Caribbean Sea...

The Fall Furniture Market

This week has been a bit bizarre because it is the time of the year when people in our business or related careers go nuts trying to juggle their regular work load in between visits to the Fall Furniture Market, a semi annual event which typically brings 85,000 visitors to the Triad area. We're lucky because it's located only 25 minutes from our offices in Greensboro, a factor that allows us to do the juggling bit alot more effectively than some of the 85,000 other attendees who have flown or driven in from various other parts of the world.













The market takes place in 188 buildings around the High Point area, a factor that makes one wonder how they were able to come up with a transportation system so elaborate that they could effectively shuttle so many people from one spot to another in record time. In addition there are 2000 exibitors, all of which translates into an enormous financial bonanza for our area!

I can remember when we first moved here in the early 90's that I was totally amazed by the fact that these huge buildings were only open twenty days out of the calendar year! It actually still is an amazement although there are some, like the one above called "Showplace" that now is rented out for special events like conferences, weddings and the like. It, in and of itself, is an architectual marvel!

And like any huge event that competes with other similar venues (in this case with the new Las Vegas Furniture Market), the Home Furnishings Council brings and hosts wonderful, free entertainment to entice the attendees to come to High Point. This year it was KC & The Sunshine Band and Peter Frampton. Dickle and I attended Peter Frampton and managed to stay through most of the concert before we decided that we were then deaf and our feet were numb from standing for three hours!

So weary as we are we're glad to be back to the normal routine; glad to put the market beind us until next April when we'll look forward to it once again. Hopefully the economy will have rebounded by then and we'll start to see a glimmer of the good 'ol days!

Friends & Our W/E Trip to Brunswick County, NC

We headed out of town this weekend to visit good friends, Bill & Ro, in Calabash, NC who live 15 minutes North of Myrtle Beach. Can't believe that we hadn't been there in more than a year, although we managed to pick up right where we left off!
Our other great friends, Rich and Kathy joined us on the trip and we reconnected with transplanted former "Greensbor-in-ians", Jack and Caroline,...more great friends.... who moved their residential building business to Shalotte, NC almost 4 years ago. Needless to say there was lots of conversation about McCain/Pailin and Obama/Bidden; the state of the economy; the status of the building industry (Many of us there, in some way or another, were/are in directly-related jobs that have been affected...although that's a subject for another blog...); Probably the best things shared were the funny stories, hearty laughs and some great recipes!


Ya just have to know that Bill & Ro have the BEST unofficial bed and breakfast in the area. They are the greatest hosts...traveled us all over the area looking for and at beach condominiums for sale...(no, we're not in the market...but R & K are...). And food? Amazing meal on Friday night along with a great restaurant choice on Ocean Isle Beach for a fabulous lunch on Saturday. It certainly wasn't a w/e to lose weight!

Thanks Shepherd's for a wonderful weekend and an opportunity to share time away some of our "best-est" friends!