Michigan 2010

From July 10 - 17, Dad, Mom, Jenny, Abbey, and Mandy took a vacation to Michigan. We had a wonderful time! The vacation started on Saturday with a reunion of all former Evergreen students and staff. What a wonderful time we had visiting with everyone! It was especially neat because Dad was the guest of honor, and EVERYONE loved seeing him! On Sunday, we visited Barnard Methodist Church with Grandpa and Grandma Saunders. On Sunday evening, we went to Grace Baptist Church in Gaylord, Michigan. Monday was spent with Dad's side of the family in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We traveled about three hours to Manistique and had a picnic lunch on Lake Michigan. The weather was beautiful!!! Uncle Chuck and the cousins went to Big Springs to see the 45 feet deep springs. What an awesome sight! On Tuesday, we spent the day getting Grandpa and Grandma Saunders house ready for their 60th wedding anniversary/80th birthday party. With over 60 guests, a great time was had by all. The cake by Aunt Dottie was the highlight of the party! After the party, Jenny, Abbey, Mandy, Mallory, Peter, and Paul took a walk to the Charlevoix lighthouse. Wednesday dawned bright and clear. We were able to take a pontoon boat ride on Lake Charleoix - something we have always wanted to do! We couldn't have asked for better weather! A special thanks to the Sonnenbergs for giving us a ride. We were able to see the Coast Guard performing some maneuvers, tour Round Lake to see the beautiful houses, travel down the Pine River Channel to Lake Michigan, and jump overboard at Ferry Beach for some swim time. On Thursday, we spent the day in Charlevoix shopping and seeing the sights. We finally got to see the Beaver Islander boat leave the port through the channel. That evening, we shared a meal with Grandpa and Grandma Saunders. On Friday, we started our journey home with a quick trip at Birch Run for some shopping. We also ate lunch there at A & W. We arrive home on Saturday around 4:30, exhausted but excited about the awesome vacation we just experienced!

Ryan and Lindy Metzger

Here are some more pics of our adorable Ryan and Lindy. Ryan recently turned three, and Lindy recently had her first birthday.

"Murder in Riotsville"

On Tuesday evening, March 30, Jenny, Abbey, and Mandy were part of a murder mystery dinner entitled "Murder in Riotsville." Our Sunday school class ladies were the participants. As you can tell from the pictures, the mystery was set in the 1920's during the time of gangsters. It was a lot of fun dressing up and trying to figure out who the murderer was.

"Little House on the Prairie"

On Thursday, March 18, Virginia, Jenny, and Abbey got to go the the Raleigh Progress Energy Center to see the musical "Little House on the Prairie." Melissa Gilbert, who played Laura in the original TV series, played Carolina ("Ma") in this Broadway show. It started at 2:00 and didn't end 'til almost 5:00. It was a wonderful show and an awesome experience. There were many girls there dressed in their "prairie finest." We greatly enjoyed the show!

Winter Snow Fun

The end of January and the beginning of February brought a wonderful winter storm our way - very unusual for North Carolina. We enjoyed a few "snow-bound" days. Here are a few pictures of our "winter wonderland".

Abbey's Birthday Party

On Thursday, January 28, Abbey and several of her friends went to Red Robin to celebrate her 28th birthday. As an extra bonus to her, when we were leaving, Kyle Singler (Duke basketball player), walked in. Abbey got to take a picture with him and get his autograph on her Duke hat.

Cute Christmas Kids!

Our Ryan and Lindy are so cute! Here they are all dressed up for Christmas!

Metzgers out West

Our newest additions - Ryan and Lindy - are so cute! Here are a few pictures of our family "out West."

Christmas 2009

Another Christmas has come and gone. Dad, Mom, Jenny, Abbey, and Mandy spent the morning leisurely opening their presents. Around 3:00, the Carrera family, Edgar, and Bubba came over for Christmas dinner. We enjoyed a pleasant meal with them. Daniel, Claudia, and Leslie came for a visit for New Year's. They arrived on Thursday afternoon. We spent New Year's Eve eating snacks and visiting with one another. On Friday, we went shopping and enjoyed another Christmas together. On Saturday evening, we ate dinner at Karama's Japanese grill. After a delicious and filling meal, we went to the Morehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill for the show "Star of Bethlehem." After that show, we stayed for a second show - "Carolina Skies." After church on Sunday, Daniel, Claudia, and Leslie had to return home. Again, we had a wonderful visit with them!

Thanksgiving in New York 2009

For Thanksgiving, Dad, Mom, Jenny, Abbey, and Mandy traveled to New York City to visit with Daniel and Claudia. We left on Wednesday afternoon after school and returned home on Saturday. Though the trip was short, we had a wonderful visit. On Thanksgiving morning, Dad, Jenny, and Abbey got up early and went to the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade at 65th and Central Park West. The weather was actually kind of warm, and the people were out! It was very crowded but a lot of fun! After returning back to Daniel and Claudia's apartment, we got things ready for our Thanksgiving dinner at Claudia's parent's house. We had a lot of delicious food and wonderful conversation. The evening was topped off with a Haagan Daz ice cream cake for Leslie's birthday as her birthday was on Thanksgiving day. On Friday, we drove to the Bronx and went to the Bronx Zoo. It was chilly so there weren't a lot of people out. But, the animals put on a great show! We returned back to the apartment for a "leftovers" dinner. All in all, it was a wonderful visit.

Metzger Family - September 2009

Last week, we had the blessing of all being together for a 24 hour period of time. Richard, Joanna, Ryan, and Lindy (along with Arturo) came for the week with Daniel and Claudia arriving on Friday. We were able to go to Duke Gardens on Friday night and take family pictures. On Saturday, we had a cook-out at Jenny and Abbey's house with some friends over. All in all, it was wonderful to be able to be with family, even though the time was short.

New York - Summer 2009

Last weekend, Jenny, Abbey, and Mandy took a quick trip to New York City for the wedding of Maria DeLeon and Danny Palmer. In the process, we got to have a nice, albeit quick, visit with Daniel and Claudia. We left on Thursday and arrived around 2:30 A.M. Friday morning. After eating breakfast/lunch at Bagel Boy, we rode the Staten Island Ferry. Then, we took the subway to Dylan's Candy Bar. It started raining really hard so we got soaking wet! After a quick visit to Times Square to get some t-shirts, we returned to Brooklyn. We ate dinner at 86 Noodles right down the street from Daniel and Claudia's apartment. The next day, we made a quick trip to Manhattan to help Claudia's brother Jose move to his new apartment. We hurridly cleaned up and went to the wedding and reception. Our former "bus kid", Melyssa Alegria" from Chicago was at Coney Island, so we had a quick visit with her. We then returned to the apartment where we ate New York style pizza, watched a movie, and visited with one another. Up at 5:00 in the morning, we traveled to Dundalk, Maryland, and attended Calvary Baptist Church. We arrived back in Durham around 7:00 - later than we anticipated because of traffic. It was a fun but quick trip!