This year started out very sad for us as a family.  We lost our last remaining grandparent, Pat’s mother, Olivia Boland Jones on January 10.  We were all home with her at the time; it was a very quiet passing.  She was interned at Myrtle Grove Methodist’s graveyard with a quiet graveside service.

Pat finally reached official retirement age this year, good ol’ 65.  He stays busy at the bakery most of the time.  His leisure is spent at the house reading World magazine and whatever books are around; he read all of the Redwall books by Brian Jacques.  He has continued to be the "head chef" at the house, cooking some wonderful gormet dinners for the family.  He had his own computer “souped up” this year, plus we got cable internet, so he enjoys many hours of eBay auctioning and research for bakery products.

Julie continues to be Mama around here.  She does most of the bookkeeping for both the bakery and school, with Tricia helping her as she is able.  She got a new iBook laptop this year to help make her records portable and easier to manage.  Her most enjoyable pastime is to surround herself with her Bible, many devotionals, and an catalogue! J  Her new author discovery this year is Bob Sorge.  His books, The Fire of Delayed Answers and Secrets of the Secret Place are her favorites.  She loves searching out great new restaurants to enjoy, having discovered Thai and Japanese food this year.  She and Dad are celebrating their 40th Wedding Anniversary on December 30.  We are so proud of them!!!

Our latest accomplishment…over the Thanksgiving holiday, we managed to renovate our Recreation Room.  It had an awful painted floor that didn’t turn out as planned and was peeling up.  So we hauled all the furniture out, including two large freezers, a fridge, four floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, four couches, and a billiards table, and had the floor tiled.  Then we decided to splurge and had a gorgeous gas fireplace with an oak mantle put in as well.  Everything was done the day before we had our annual CIAS Christmas party on the 6th and the Liberty Singles party on the 20th.  Now, it is the cozy room we always wanted it to be!