Mt. Vernon

On Sunday, January 6th we left DC and stopped at Mt. Vernon. I do believe this has been Ralph's favorite place so far. The history of George Washington is incredible. His home is beautiful and full of history. The bottom photo is the friend I met on the grounds. What a cutie! Our next stop was a quick stop at the Williamsburg visitors' center. We decided to move on as Williamsburg is a vacation destination in and of itself. On to Kitty Hawk !!

Washington DC

Our adventure in Washington DC began on December 30, 2007. We saw it all, but yet, missed so much. I had always wanted to bring Ralph to DC since this is one place I have been and loved that he had never seen. We saw the White House, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, WWII Memorial, Viet Nam Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Smithsonian's Natural History Museum, Air & Space Museum, Portriat Museum, Ford's Theatre, Supreme Court, Capital (with our own personal tour by Rep. Bart Stupak's Aide), Botanical Gardens, Union Station, Arlington National Cemetery, the Women's Memorial (I saw my information on the wall - very special to me). Our week flew by. We need to return to see the places we missed. Here is Ralph in front of the White House. Too bad he couldn't meet the President.

Rob Kozar's Wedding

From Kalamazoo we headed to Pittsburgh for Rob & Christy's wedding weekend. Their entire wedding was beautiful, loving, and elegant. I wish them a lifetime of happiness together.

Prior to the ceremony we got together for a few photos. Here are (left to right) Ralph, Bill Kozar (father of the groom), Mike Whites (our good friend) and Ellen Kozar (mother of the groom).

Our winter travels

Ralph & I left Mackinaw City on Christmas Eve to begin our winter travels. We spent Christmas with my family in Kalamazoo. Thank you Ralph for being the guy behind the camera.

December 11th. Marty meets his sister.

Baby Anastasia has arrived.

After a night of no sleep, baby Anastasia Lorraine Lougen made her arrival at 4:21 pm, Monday December 10, 2007. Weighing in at 7 pounds, 3 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long, she is a beautiful addition to the Leino and Lougen families.

Winter has arrived on the Island. I thought I would give you just of taste of what we left behind - at least for a bit. I miss my horse friends.