Pioneer play

Happy Birthday, Dad!

I love this picture that one of my brothers took of my dad.

Boys and their toys

The dads/uncles brought their Blackberrys along.

The girls are here

They're louder, gigglyer, and pre-pubescenter than they were last year but it's been a fun first day!

May 2008

Dear friends and family,

The Brain Tumor Society’s annual RIDE FOR RESEARCH is only two weeks away. My bike has been tuned up and I’ve been on my first training ride of the year. These three girls—Emma, Adrienne, and Tyler are the POWER OF PATTON”S ARMY—and are riding on the streets of Tualatin OR, Columbus OH, and Boca Raton FL to get ready for the Ride. Emma and Adrienne are my nieces and Tyler is Adrienne’s cousin. Emma and Tyler were babies when (Adrienne’s dad) their uncle Robes died. It looks like we will have our biggest team ever this year: my nephew Jamel (he’s 17), his uncle Rick, my brother Chuck, Tyler’s dad Stephen, and some local friends. The ride is on May 18^th and we will be riding 25 miles through the beautiful Greater Boston suburbs of Waltham, Lincoln, Concord, and Weston (rain or shine!).

[Ride 2007: Emma 9, Adrienne 11, Tyler 9]

This is my tenth year doing the Ride and September 28^th will mark ten years since my brother Robes died from an anaplastic astrocytoma. We continue to ride in his memory as well as in honor of the many others who are on the “BT Express” and for those like Robes who have not survived this disease.

The Ride for Research last year raised more than $2 million and 95% of these essential funds go straight to BTS programs and services. Over its history BTS has granted over $13 million in research funding. In addition, each year they help thousands of patients, survivors and caregivers cope with the challenges of a brain tumor diagnosis.

PATTON’S ARMY has a goal this year of raising $5,000. If you would like to support our team, please mail your check made out to The Brain Tumor Society in the enclosed envelope. You can also donate on-line (www.tbts.org – Ride for Research –donate – search for PATTON’S ARMY).

Help us advance the vision of the Brain Tumor Society: A WORLD WITHOUT BRAIN TUMORS.

Thank you very much!

Ellen Patton

PATTON’S ARMY

Count the sheets and towels

I've got 7 visitors arriving this weekend to do the Brain Tumor Society Ride for Research. I have a long list of things to do before they arrive (Chuck and Emma are arriving from Oregon at 10:00am in the morning). One of them is to be sure I have enough sheets and towels for everyone. Oh...and wash cloths. Because last year one of my guests used this sponge (well, not this exact one, but one that used to be in its place and was not nearly as nice and new as this blue one because I used it for cleaning the shower!) as a wash cloth.

Yuck!

McBalmforth McBrothers

Late night...

Flea marketing/antiquing

Mail that makes my day

Happy Mother's Day, Nan!

Meet Mr. & Mrs. Lillrose

The bride and groom

The LaPs can throw a party!

It was their day!

Group shots

Wedding shoes

The last LaPierre wedding

I don't mean last as in there will be no more...I mean these pictures were taken at the last wedding (two years ago). There are ten kids in the family and their fifth wedding is tomorrow. I will have lots of pictures to share of Katy and Micah but here are a few of my favorites from Lisa and Jim's wedding.



































On the way home tonight I stopped to buy some film. I always shoot a few rolls of film at a wedding. And, like this guy says: Film is not dead.

From Hyde Park to Kimballs

The Corcorans are visiting from UtaR and all they wanted to do was go to Kimballs! Note: That's a small cone on the right.

I'm trying to drink a boatload of this...

...and it's not easy.

Signed,

epee