What a week!

Hello everyone,

We just got back from a destination wedding in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Our friends, Sam and Ian, (both of whom attended our wedding, perhaps you met them?) were wedded in a waterfront ceremony that was capped off with a spectacular fireworks display. Once the official-wedding related festivities ended, an impromptu "MTV Beach House" style party broke out near the pool - complete with formally dressed drunk people (bride included) jumping in the water (and proceeding to continue 'getting their groove on').

It was a great time, and we're working through the withdrawal that comes from the end of a great vacation. The best part was that the hotel was booked only with wedding guests (approximately 40 total) and no one else. In that environment, the entire wedding list became really close, and I honestly think some of us will stay in touch in the future. Enjoy our pictures that will hopefully do justice to the beauty of the Mexican coast (there are more on facebook if anyone's interested).

With Love,

Ryan and Amber

Wonderful Weekend

Pappy, Tom, and I were blessed with visitors this past weekend.  Jay, T, Mack, and Maddie made a road trip to see all of us.  The beautiful South Carolina weather made for a perfect weekend.  Time spent outside watching the children play was a real treat for us.  Mack and Maddie delighted us with their treasures found in the forest.  My table centerpieces have never been more gorgeous! It just goes to prove that there is nothing better than spending time with loved ones. Thanks for coming. We can't wait for your next visit.

Since Thanksgiving is next week, I'm hoping the blog will be filled with "turkey" photos and stories about festivities in NY (Matt and Stephanie), CA (Ryan and Amber), FL (all of the Howells) and SC (my gang).  If we can't be together for every holiday this needs to be the next best thing!

Happy Thanksgiving!  Love and hugs to all of you.  AD

Hero Pilot

Above is a picture of Marv Vikla, who is Ryan's Godfather, shaking Chesley Sullenberger's hand at Sully's book signing at the Mall of America.  Recall that it was Sully who safely glided the US Airways flight into the Hudson R. last January.  Marv and I were classmates with Sully in USAF Undergraduate Pilot Training at Columbus MS back in 1974.  Cindy and I have remained close to the Viklas since then.  In fact, we just saw them on our recent trip to the upper midwest and west.  Marv went to the book signing to see if Sully remembered all of us, and he said he did.  Marv then got us a personalized copy of the book.
Small world.  Hope to see lots of you as the holidays beckon!
Love to all,
Denny & Cindy

Matt's New Company

All,

I wanted to pass along some exciting news from my world... I have accepted a new job effective this week. I will be a National Account Manager with a company called Jig-A-Loo. It's a Canadian-based company with its US headquarters in Statesville, NC, only 30 minutes from my place in Charlotte.

This opportunity came about through a former colleague of mine at Newell Rubbermaid. He landed at Jig-A-Loo last March and has been part of the huge success they've enjoyed recently. He approached me for this role, because the focus of my new position will be independent hardware (Ace, True Value, etc.), which was my focus last year when I traveled extensively in 2008.

Check out the website if you're interested: http://www.jigaloo.com/

They are a consumer goods manufacturer that has only had a retail presence in the United States since 2007, so the growth potential is amazing. As you may suspect, with a funny name, we're able to capitalize on that with effective marketing communications. Watch these videos from youtube of commercials we've aired in Canada. Too racy for the U.S...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HsZZp16WoE

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtKLIxzkMWs

Just wanted to pass that news along. I hope you're all doing well!

-Matt

A River Runs Through It

Hola Mi Familia -

We just had the worst storm since we've lived in California (no contest). Normally we don't get rain at all until after Halloween, but this year a typhoon meandered across the pacific to say hello. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Check out the "before and after" - we had up to 2 feet of water flooding our cul-de-sac (unofficial-crocs-assisted-shin-measurement). The water had crept up onto our lawn! However, soon after I took the "flood pics" somebody turned a nozzle and everything drained away - thank goodness! The next day, all was back to normal...except for our wounded Satellite dish.

Con Amor,

Ryan and Amber

Eight hours, six states!

We are coming to the end of our wonderful New England vacation.  Below is a Cape Cod sunset that Tom and I were lucky enough to witness last evening.  We had a delightful visit with Tom's aunt and uncle (Dick's sister and husband) and really enjoyed learning the ways of living on the Cape. Today we heard that a noreaster is expected to hit there this weekend.  Maybe it's a good thing we are heading south.

Having driven through NH and VT and today driving through MA, Conn, RI, NY, NJ, and ending up in PA tonight, we would like to leave you with this....  The most expensive gas we've seen is in NY, $2.69 a gallon. All gas stations in NJ are FULL service, it's a state law.  In Boston, MA during rush hour you are allowed to drive in the emergency lane (shoulder of the road).  ME has the most toll roads. And this is by far the best, in NH we saw state stores (liquor stores)  located in rest areas on the interstate!

We think the next time we sing "America the Beautiful" it will have a whole new meaning to us.  We can't wait to share more stories with you all the next time you're at the Lake.

Hugs, AD

Our Feline Alcoholics...

The other day, our cats - "Sugar" and "Spice" saddled up to their usual spots at the Mitchell Bar. After months and months of tolerating their loitering, I insisted they buy a drink as the bar is running into tough times economically. We're no longer in a position to allow seats to be taken by non-paying customers. After some debate, and customary ID checks (everyone turned out to be of legal age in "cat years") they each ordered one of our fine Northern California beers ("Alley Cat" - go figure). Each feline happily lapped up the beer until they had finished round number one in short order. With increased enthusiasm Sugar ordered a Tequila Shot for himself and his brother Spice. No salt, or lemon required...cheers...bottoms up...gulp...gone. Pic 3 shows the two just after they finished their shots (you can see sugar's already regretting his decision to be cheap and order bottom shelf/"plastic bottle" tequila)... Anyways, calculating that these two weigh a combined 25 lbs. and had just consumed 2 drinks apiece, I thanked them for the business, abruptly cut them off, and sent them on their way. Amber found them later on our orange chair fast asleep...no doubt resolved to never drink again...

Ryan

P.S. - No animals consumed any alcohol during the production of this blog post.

Word from Raleigh and 'Posted By' fix!

Hello Everyone!

I know I am really late in posting to the blog. I apologize! Thank you Matt for setting this up.

Life is good for Lila Bell and I here in Raleigh. I can not believe I have been here 10 months this week. Work is going well I am always busy but am able to breathe a little easier. Lila Bell just turned 1 and I thought that the ‘puppy stage’ was behind us but not so much luck. We are both looking forward to relaxing at the Lake for the Clemson Wake Forest game this weekend. The weather this past weekend was great and even put me in the mood to decorate the house for fall and carve the pumpkins. I forgot how much I disliked carving pumpkins.

I think I may have fixed the ‘Posted By’ issue. Lets Hope! I have added everyone to the blog as ‘Authors’ so you will be recieving an email from ‘Uncle Denny.’ The email will provide a web address. When you launch the web address and complete the prompts you will be able to log in using your own log in and password. Anyone that logs in through the Email lewisfamilyblog@gmail.com Password: LakeHartwell it will be posted as ‘Uncle Denny.’ I used the addresses on the email so if I have left anyone off it was not intentional and I apologize. If the email address that I added for you is incorrect please let me know and I will be happy to add you as an author. If you wish to change the email address or add someone as an author you can by clicking New Post/Settings (tab)/Permissions (tab) then click ‘Invite’ and enter the email address in the text box. If ya’ll have any questions let me know I might be able to help. This worked for me so I am hoping that it will work for ya’ll as well.

Take Care and Love Always,

Kelly Kay and Little Miss Lila Bell

Hey Gang,

Posted above are a few of several Costa Rica photos that I have finally got around to uploading. I am slowly getting rid of my collegiate procrastination. I attempted to provide a variety of photos that would illustrate the natural fun and vibrant beauty of this country. The picture directly above is me during a sunset with the Tamarindo Bay providing a tranquil anchor for numerous boats. Moving upward, the four of us finally dished out the Colones (Costa Rican currency) to rent a 4x4 SUV and took a day trip to a local hidden waterfall. We all were pleasantly surprised. I local Tico led us to the top of the cascade that revealed a pastoral creek feeding this natural feat. The next picture is what I labeled as one of the best of the trip. It is unfortunately Isaiah who is walking up from the ocean with a bright-beautiful sunset laying to rest behind him. Wish it was my shadowed silhouette! The final two give a small sample of the local waves. I convinced my groupies to take an underrated walk along the bay to this distant rocky point. It was close to two miles, one-way! At least it produced some quality pictures. A cool feature of my camera is that it is water resistant. I was quite apprehensive the fist time I submerged. The last photo (top) is of me standing in the local break. Being at the trough of this wave, it was on the smaller side of what we were able to surf.

It was a great trip and recommend any of you to pursue Costa Rica as a foreign destination, as long as you take me with you. Hope everyone is doing well and getting ready for the holiday season.

Love,

Kyle

Bath, Maine

Lake George is a beautiful glacier lake in the Adirondeck Mountains. The lodge we stayed at had three labs of various ages that ran the place. We thought about how much Tucker would have enjoyed this visit, water and all!

This morning we left Lake George headed east to Maine. The drive was absolutely gorgeous! We stopped in Woodstock, Vermont to take in the "walking village". The Chamber of Commerce is located on the towns village

green and is open daily. Image a quaint New England town, add fall leaves and pumpkins, and top it off with children playing in their front yard. I now know where Norman Rockwell got his inspiration!

The last photo is of a covered bridge we crossed on our way to Sugarbush Farm. Here we sampled maple syrup and various cheeses. After spending a fortune on both products we headed out and arrived in Bath, the "City of Ships". Tomorrow we plan on eating lobster , and then more lobster, and then walking it off along the coast. The weather has been cool, high 40's and windy. It feels cool to us South Carolinians!

Matt Checking In

Hey all,

Hope everyone is enjoying the cooler weather (...that means low 80's for you Florida folks?) and the fall foliage.

I realize I haven't been participating in the blog lately, mainly because I haven't been traveling to cool places like many of you. However, I wanted to drop a quick line and share some photos of my life lately.

No, I haven't taken up agriculture as a career change, but, there is a farm right behind my place and there have been around 8 new calfs born in the last two weeks. The view out my window is what I've captured in these photos. It's nice to relax on my patio looking at cows grazing.

Also, I wanted to showcase Steph's artwork. She is a budding Picasso and I'm quite proud of what she's done so far. I've included a portrait she painted recently of the classic South Carolina "palmetto and crescent moon" landscape that is ubiquitous in these parts. It's hanging in my living room as I type. She's planning to take some art classes at the local C.C. this winter, so hopefully the new hobby won't be fleeting for her.

We're playing intramural soccer this fall, and I have to admit, it's revealing how out of shape I am! Since it's been probably 15 years since I last played soccer, I have an even greater respect for you cousins who were so gifted in this game.

Anyway, that's all for now. I hope you are all doing well and I've really been enjoying this blog and the great entries so far.

Love you all,

Matt

Gettysburg, PA.

Red, orange, and yellow leaves made our visit to historic Gettysburg all the more enjoyable. Standing in the very spot where Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address was moving. We really enjoyed a walking tour guided by a local park ranger. He was a walking history book!

Tom loved the entire day especially knowing he was getting a preview of his next "Civil War" trip with Art and the "Louisville Round Table group".

Tomorrow we are off to Schenectady, NY to see where Tom lived during his middle school years.

Love to all of you, AD

Practice makes perfect??

I am learning how to upload photos for our upcoming trip to Cape Cod. If I am successful you will be seeing additional photos of New England. My fingers are crossed.

I particularly like this photo of Kyle's graduation weekend.

Love to all,
AD

Devil's Tower

Hello all,
Cindy and I rolled into Devil's Tower in Northeastern Wyoming early Sunday morning. This site was made famous in the movie "Close Encounters of a Third Kind" in the 70s. Ryan and I came out here in '96. This thing just juts right out from the surrounding terrain. Aunt Cindy sent Kyle a bunch of material about climbing this thing. The Rangers said the most difficult face takes 6-8 hours to climb up and come back down. After seeing this we headed off to Mt Rushmore hoping to beat impending rain and low ceilings. Cindy will blog about that adventure. Love to all as our western vacation starts coming to a close.
Dad/Uncle Den & Mom/Aunt Cindy

Snow at Mount Rushmore

Hi All,
We got to Keystone, SD on Sunday afternoon (10/4), and we were in a lot of fog with weather threatening. We drove up to the gate at Mount Rushmore, but it was obvious we wouldn't be able to see anything. We went back down to the town and got a hotel room to wait out the weather until Monday. Rain turned to snow flurries that evening, but we went to bed hoping for the best. We awakened to a hotel room with no electricity (none in the whole hotel) and looked out to see 6-8" of snow. After digging our car out of the parking lot, we headed back to Rapid City for coffee and breakfast with plans to try Mount Rushmore on another visit.

As we drove across SD, we kept seeing signs for Wall Drug store and had to stop. Years ago the owners advertised free ice water on billboards to attract thirsty travelers crossing SD prairie. The store (in the middle of nowhere) now takes up more than a block with various shops and attractions. For winter visitors, they now also offer 5 cent coffee. All we bought was post cards and stamps for Pappy, but it was a worthwhile stop. The food choices looked good there too. It's not Wall Drug because of the name of the owners, it is the name of the town in SD. Named for a 9 mile "wall" of rock that borders the town on the edge of the "Badlands".

Spent Monday night in Mitchell, SD for obvious reasons. Plan to see the Corn Palace here. We stayed at a Kelly Inn. Denny thinks he should have gotten a discount for two reasons (a grandmother's maiden name was Kelly). After we see Mitchell today, we're heading back to Minneapolis. Hope to see Mike and Lisa Vogel and the Viklas again. We fly home Thursday.

Love to all,
Cindy

Photos for Montana & Yellowstone

Mitchell's in Montana & Yellowstone

Hello All,
We've been busy putting down the miles across Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. We stopped at the Little Bighorn National Battlefield Site where Custer made his last stand. Attached are photos of where some of the 7th Cavalry Troopers fell. The Obelisk is over a common gravesite for the fallen Troopers. The magenta stones commemorate where two of the warriors fell. The stone with the black writing is where Custer's body was found. We headed onto Yellowstone. Saw lots of wildlife and Old Faithful spew. We got Cindy over to Idaho. We think it has the most beautiful scenery. We think we need to fly out to Boise, rent a car and just drive around Idaho. Most of Saturday was spent driving across Wyoming. We are spending the night in Buffalo WY. We went to dinner at a restaurant attached to the Occidental Hotel. The hotel has a lot of history and is certainly a place we need to stay if we ever get back to these parts. Tomorrow we're off to see Devil's Tower and Mount Rushmore. We'll be in touch...
Love,
Denny & Cindy

North Dakota to Montana - October 1

We've now moved right past fall into winter. Today continued to be windy with rain added. We got up to Minot, North Dakota to see Minot Air Force Base. When Denny got his assignment to Guam, Minot was the other choice; so, it was fun to see where Matt could have been born. I don't know what it looked like 26 years ago, but it looked pretty good today. The base housing, BX, commissary were all new. From Minot, we headed through the Badlands and past the Theodore Roosevelt National Park to Montana. I would recommend that anyone taking this type of road trip do it with a geographer and retired military officer. I've been in a traveling geography lab as Denny's pointed out land forms, weather patterns, cloud formations as well as underground missile silos. Denny now has seen all 50 states; I'm on 48 but will finish when we get to South Dakota and Idaho. We heard of a retired couple today who have already been to the 50 states; they are now off to see all 50 capital cities. This may not be our last trip out here.
Cindy

Mitchell Upper Midwest Trip

Cindy and I have set out from Minneapolis to points west in order to fulfill our "bucket lists" of traveling to all the 50 states. We started out the journey visiting with Marv and Linda Vikla in Minneapolis. They are our friends from our Air Force days. Marv and I were pilot training classmates. Also, Marv and Linda are Ryan's godparents. Our first tourist stop was in Sauk Center, MN. This is the boyhood home of Sinclair Lewis. He was the first American author to win the Nobel prize for literature. His "big five" books written during the 1920s were my favorite novels from literature classes in school. So, I had to get a picture posing with his bust at the museum in Sauk Center. Heading west, we entered North Dakota. Man is it flat and windy here! We stopped in the town of Valley City to check out a quilt shop. This shop is probably the nicest one I've accompanied Cindy to in our travels. Really friendly people here in NoDak! Everyone we have talked to have been down home and couldn't be nicer. We kept heading west on I-94 to the town of Jamestown. They have a bison herd here with a couple of albinos. After taking this picture of Cindy, we headed north to spend the night in Carrington. Tomorrow we'll check out Minot AFB (a place I avoided getting assigned to during my Air Force career). Thought I would check out what I avoided. Hope to make it well into Montana before we bed down tomorrow night. Lots of rain in the forecast so I hope we can keep on our schedule.

From Raleigh to Townville

I am procrastinating. I should be packing the house up but I love to check this blog and thought that a wonderful way to continue not getting things done would be to try and add to the blog. Kitson and I loaded up the dog and the kids and drove to Raleigh to introduce Zoe Cate to her Aunt Kelly Kay last week. Kel was letting us stay at her house and play with Lila Belle while she took a well deserved break. We did some job searching and house/area searching while we were there and have decided that North Carolina is where we belong. There is a picture of Darcy and Lila Belle at Kelly's house and a picture of Cole at the Farmers Market less than two miles from Kelly's house that is already selling pumpkins.

When we left North Carolina we were able to spend a few days with Mom, Dad, and Ky. Mom and Kyle showed us around The Biltmore house. It was more awe inspiring than I remember. We were able to relax in the mountains with a late lunch at the Cliffs and then back to the lake. Cole introduced both his great-grandfathers to Zoe Cate. Pappy didn't disappoint; he was his baby whisperer self. The newest Lewis was lovingly welcomed. It was a wonderful trip. I didn't think taking a one month old on a 12 hour road trip would be this easy. Can't wait for our next trip to the wonderland.

Have a great week.
Love to all,
Kristin