Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Happy 60th!!!!!








When I look at these pictures and think of Rudy and Verna's 60 years together, I'm so inspired by their relationship.  In their daily routines they do so many things for each other and keep smiling through it all (or most of it). Their attention to each other and to our family always appears so natural and easy. I love to spend mornings with them at their breakfast table and listen to Rudy reading everyone's horoscopes and listening to their asides. "Well, I guess it'll be OK if Kenny sells the truck" or  "Sounds like Joe'll be having alot of fun."  I don't know a more inspirational couple or anyone more devoted to their family. 

Rudy and Verna have shown us how it's done - all these years.

Happy Anniversary! We love you so! 

Monday, April 14, 2008

10 Things About Christie (check out 10 Things About Katie at http://theclymers.blogspot.com)

10 Things About Christie -- You may already know or may be new to you!

Number 1.
I love nature; on our first date, Randy and I went to take pictures of a prairie dog farm. For years, I thought this was really romantic and tended to buy him cards with pictures of prairie dogs nibbling grass. I wrote sappy love notes on those cards. Finally, he told me that he had previously taken two other girls to that same prairie dog farm....

Number 2.
My favorite musical performer is Bruce Springsteen and he wrote a song about me called "My Love Will Not Let You Down" - something about tearing all my walls down.

Number 3.
I have 2 brothers and 1 sister and we've NEVER all voted for the same presidential candidate.  Some of us get a little carried away and have difficulty breathing the same air during election years. On July 5th, we'll all be under the same roof at my nephew's wedding; if you're a praying person, put us on your list for that weekend!

Number 4.
I was born with a giant hairy nevus on my back and it's still there.

Number 5.
I do like change; I've lived in our house on Goodwin St. for 31 years and been married to the same funny man for 33 years.

Number 6.
My Mom gave birth to me on Christmas Eve in Memphis, Tennessee exactly 364 days after my Mother-in-law gave birth to my husband on Christmas Day in Pasadena, Texas. Our daughter's middle name is Noel and our first dog, Fiver, was born the day after Christmas. My Father-in-Law, Rudolph, was named after the head reindeer. I'm not going to talk about Jackson's conception.

Number 7.
My middle name is Fern and my first name is Virginia; I've used an alias for 55 years.

Number 8.
I'm hard-wired with the lyrics to Southern Baptist hymns.  Do you know all the words to all the verses of "Just As I Am"?  I spent ALOT of time during my wonder years at choir practices because Papa was the choir director at Levi Baptist.

Number 9.
I carry a balloon blaster with a pump and many balloons in my purse for use during occupational therapy sessions with blind students.  Did you know that blind kids really get a kick out of pumping up giant balloons and letting go of them to have them blast around the classroom?  I get paid for this.

Number 10.
Sorry, there are only 9 memorable things about me.

This is a blatant rip-off of Katie's hilarious blog http://theclymers.blogspot.com  Feel free to post your own!

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Latest Lily Pic


Here's the latest Lily picture. She just gets cuter and more precious every day!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Valentine's Day


Happy Hearts Week, Grothes!

This heart-headed jumper is something I turned in for my Flash animation class last year.

With love,
Elena

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Crazy Snowboarding Boys

Here's a link to a YouTube video of Kenny's friend. Kenny, Seth and a bunch of their friends went to Pagosa Springs, CO last week to snowboard. Apparently they all took turns doing this crazy stunt but this particular one isn't Kenny or Seth (thank goodness). I have to admit that it is pretty funny but I would have had a heart attack had I known about it.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=iKyyNlaFBzw

Friday, February 1, 2008

Cincinnati Weekend

We had a good visit in Cincy Friday night (thanks for having a birthday, Joe!!). Josh said he and Joe haven't seen eachother in 5 months, so they were pretty excited about this visit.

We ate dinner with Joe and 2 of his friends from Saint Joseph's - Matt and Ben - who are both Cincinnati boys. They introduced us to chili served on top of spaghetti, smothered in cheese. I had no idea!

Luiz and I rented a car for the day, and made the 3 hour drive from Athens to Cincinnati. Very exciting..

Here we are on a ferry, crossing water between Kentucky (where we picked Josh up at the airport) and Ohio.



Cincinnati Weekend






Since Josh's flight was delayed, Luiz and I made stops at the Cincinnati Art Museum, and Chuck E. Cheese for skee ball.  Good times  /  E!


Happy Birthday Joe!





I hope you have a great day Joe. We'll be thinking about you (as always).

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Internship news

Hello Grothes, 
I'll be headed to Hong Kong next Fall for a 3-month picture editing internship with TIME Asia (Oct 1st - Dec 31st). I'm excited! I had a phone conference with two of their photo editors earlier this week, and it sounds like good work experience  /  E. 

Monday, January 14, 2008

Pictures from the Sip and See




Here are a couple of pics of Lily from the Sip and See (perhaps she should have her own blog).

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Jackson's upcoming shows

Jackson's next show will be Saturday night, January 26th, at the Gingerman Club in uptown Dallas from 9 to 1.  Following that, he'll play there on Feb. 1st and then again on March 8th. Y'all come!

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Batman!

Jackson plays "Batman!" during his "Surf Medley" at the country bar Adair's in Deep Ellum.  

Rudy and Verna on our 59th anniversary


Saturday, January 5, 2008



Hello Lily!!

Happy New Year...Nothing to "Blog" about yet, but the year is as young as our new family member...Can't wait to "see" what happens.

Privacy

Because of concerns of privacy, I've set up the blog so that it can only be viewed by trusted family and friends that we invite.  So, if any of you have someone that you'd like to share the blog with - family or friends - Christina's family, Doug's family, Seth's family, Marilyn Ruth, Steven, Steeles, Pam's family, friends, cousins, in-laws, please just send me their e-mail addresses so that they can be invited as viewers.

Friday, January 4, 2008

Christmas 2007











Lily the Rapper

rudy and verna are online

Thank you Christie for setting this up. As you know I am not doing this by myself. Thanks to Laura for her help.

Lily


Here is a picture of Lily. Its a little blurry but she does have her eyes open. I think this is one with EV holding her. I'll post more after tonight as she is coming to our house for the first time. I have to be careful though. Wendy now refers to us as the papparazzi. She is the cutest baby EVER though so its hard to resist. I can't wait for you all to meet her. Wendy and Doug are doing a great job and really enjoying her. Its true what they say--being a grandma is a lot more fun.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Randy Eli Having Fun With The iMac!

Jackson's new trick

This was a real crowd pleaser and, soon, I'll figure out how to add a video and you can see what I mean!

New Years in NJ!

Thanks for setting this up, MaMaa ;) Here's a picture of Luiz and me on New Year's Eve at his parents' condo in New Jersey.

Hope everyone had a Happy New Year!! E

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Happy New Year!

I'm creating a Grothe family blog for us all to use to share family updates and photos. I'm new at this, but know it can be great fun.  Tonight when Elena and Randy come home, I'll try to add some photos or videos. Hope everyone will add some Lily photos or Christmas photos.