Merry Christmas from the Blaney Family
2011 was a good year for us as we hope it was for you. Those of you who have been reading our Christmas letters over the years may remember that I’ve mentioned Erin or Kathleen going to Canton, Mississippi for a habitat-type house build/remodel. That tradition continued in 2011 as Kathleen flew home from Rhode Island to help chaperone a group from Notre Dame Academy.
In May, Erin graduated from Marquette University. We, of course, were very proud parents. Her degree is in Social Welfare and Justice. In August she started working for Family Services of Northeastern Wisconsin in the Healthy Families program as a Bilingual Social Worker. She is very excited about her job, they are lucky to have her, and I’m sure many people in our area will benefit from her expertise and her compassion.
This summer, as temperatures hit the 90s on the East Coast, we decided that it would be a good time for us to pack up the van and drive to Rhode Island to visit Kathleen. She is currently completing her Master’s degree in public health and working at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in pediatric endocrinology. She also does HIV research at Brown. During our visit we saw and did a lot. We toured Brown and Harvard Universities, spent time in Newport and Cape Cod, went to Boston and met up with my cousins, the Sheldons. On our return trip home we stopped in Connecticut to visit another cousin and her family, the Hoags. They have a beautiful home and could not have been more gracious. Our only regret was that we could not spend more time with them. We also stopped to visit yet another cousin, Bill Early on our trip through Illinois. Alas, that visit was too short as well.
The rest of the summer was filled with time at the cottage. It’s always a highlight when friends and family come up for a visit.
In October there was an Early Family reunion up in Door County. All but five cousins attended. I think it says a lot about how much we enjoy each others’ company. Getting forty-two Earlys in one place almost guarantees a fun time. A number of people commented that surely our parents were looking down upon us and their Irish Eyes were smiling.
2011 was a special milestone for Cathy and I as we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. We have truly been blessed.
Ken, Cathy, Kathleen and Erin
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
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