Ellie makes the Fondy marquee!

Birthdays and other celebrations!

Congratulations to the Fondy High Jazz Band for taking first place honors in the UWGB jazz festival yesterday. We are also very proud of Elle who received the exemplary award for best jazz solo of the event. This is quite an honor, as there were 13 bands and twice as many soloists. We celebrated with some fresh flowers and a red velvet cake. Thanks to Chris for the lovely pics. Birthday wishes go out today to my niece Natalie, and also to my nephew's wife Greta. We hope they celebrate in style! Eva will be a featured soloist in Symphonic Band concert today at 3 at Church of our Savior, for all interested locals. It should be a very nice concert. (Free will offering.) Elle is busy practicing harness flying for the upcoming show, The Lion, Witch and Wardrobe, which will be performed the 9Th. 10Th. and 11Th. of March. The group home folks may want to come to the dress rehearsal the day before. Now off to walk Magnus and wash our gym clothes for later today. Paul has a membership now, so it is nice going together:)

Birthday wishes...

Best wishes to our nephew Tyler on his 35th. birthday, and also to our musician friend Gloria as she celebrates her special day. Just back from a long walk with Magnus before the freezing rain hits. Quiet day planned with the regular routine of choir practices and mass, and in the evening Elle and I plan on hitting the gym, then coming home to rosemary potatoes and steak :)

4 months old :)

Little Magnus is 4 months old now, and becoming a very good walker. Yesterday we hiked over an hour with his new harness, and he did quite well. Today the snow and visibility makes hiking very difficult, so we plan to go to the gym rather than on the trails. Afterward I'm having lunch with a friend, and this evening, Elle plays at the Windhover with the Big Band! Any interested locals should brave the snow and enjoy an early show...7:30-9:30. Birthday Wishes go out today to our friend Katie, as well as Elle's friend Chris and my coworker Lori:) Hope everyone gets to celebrate in style.

Half way home...

Today we say good-bye to Elise and the babies as they head back to Nashville, shown here having lunch in Lebanon, Indiana. They will head up again at the end of March, for Eva's engagement party, and to celebrate multiple birthdays:) A quiet day of cleaning and laundry is planned today, followed by a long walk with a friend, and finally some preparation for the big Packer game tomorrow. Paul wants a big pot of chili, and Elle will plan the dessert...which she is very good at:)

Happy 24th. Birthday to Eva :)

Enjoying the week off

Still enjoying a long week off from work, but it is bittersweet. Everyone here, from babies to big kids, had an aggressive stomach virus. Ugh. We seem to be over it, but we are very weak yet. I lost 7 pounds because nothing would stay down for days. Now we are on the road to recovery. This morning, I plan to take Belle to church with Elle for choir rehearsal, and then mass. Later we plan to take advantage of the sun and nice weather and grill out. James is in Canada, so Elise and the girls extended their stay, which was a good thing, considering everyone was so sick. Next weekend they will return, which means they will be here to celebrate Eva's birthday on the 12Th:) Elle and Paul arrived home with some wonderful memories of an exciting trip, and Paul is busy making travel plans which will include France in the fall. I am definitely going on that trip. So much to look forward to!

Still in Rome...

More of Rome

Pro photos of the Estes family