Welcome to the Connell Family
Christmas / New Year 2007 web page

           

 

Janet and Chuck: We had a good year. All three kids continue to grow up nicely and are wonderful to be with. Charles is moving through high school quickly (now a junior) and has started to look at colleges for computer science. Katie is in the middle of middle school (seventh grade) and doing well, although she does not like that the homework load has jumped up this year. Elizabeth started kindergarten, with the same teacher that Katie had, and is enjoying learning to read.

The biggest event of our year was that our friend Phil Margolis invited us to his 50th birthday party, for which he rented a rural home in Scotland for a week! People from various countries attended and many, including us, used it as an excuse to visit some other places in Europe. We traveled to London, Edinburgh, the party near Newton-Stewart, then Paris. All of our other family vacations have been close to home, usually southern Maine, so this was quite an adventure for us. The kids became good travelers, and learned to put up with travel headaches, like being stuck on a 100+ degree airplane with no air conditioning. We have many lifetime memories from the trip, some of which are in the pictures below. (Click on any photo for a larger image.)

These pictures show: a visit to Ogunquit Beach in Maine; our family in front of the bronze lions in Trafalgar Square London; standing at the tip of Ile de la Cite in Paris; and Chuck giving Lance some cycling tips. (Unfortunately, Lance was made of wax so he didn't say much.)

               

Elizabeth: This summer I went to my parents’ friend’s birthday party in Scotland. I played with the other kids and had a fun time. I also started kindergarten and it is really fun. I ride on the bus to and from school for the first time. I think it is really fun. My teacher is Mrs. Butterick. She is nice. I started ballet class with my friends. My favorite series of books are the Rainbow Fairies (www.rainbowmagic.co.uk). My favorite fairy is Heather The Violet Fairy.  I love Easter, birthday parties, and playing on Webkinz (www.webkinz.com). Also, I love play dates with my friends.

These pictures show some of my favorite activities: me and my Mom, playing with my brother and sister on the beach, and a taking a rest break during a walk in New York City.

     

Katie:  This summer we went to Europe and it was really fun. We visited London, Scotland and Paris. I liked Paris the best but our hotel in Scotland was so cool. It had two bathrooms which were bigger than our bathrooms at home!!! They each had a bath tub, shower and towel warmer. It was really fun to use. I started seventh grade this year and I love not being the youngest at the school. But, the work is so much harder this year and I have about twice the amount of homework than I used to have. We don’t travel to classes by group anymore so I had to get used to that. I am taking three dance classes: jazz, hip-hop and tap. My favorite type is jazz. Also, I am still doing Girl Scouts and working on the Silver Award. Last year I earned the Bronze Award and when I’m in high school I can earn the Gold Award. It is the hardest to get, but I really want it. Overall, I have had a pretty good year. Oh!, and I learned how to blog and made one from Europe.

These pictures show: the house in Scotland that my parents forced me to go to for a five-day party; Charles and I in the Eiffel Tower after climbing to the top of the 2nd level (670 steps); a street performer I met on the Thames River; and me on a date with Prince William, the future king of England.

        

 

Charles: (I informed my parents that web animations went out of style in the 80s. They didn't listen, so as an act of protest my section has no dancing reindeer or flashing lights.) Junior year at school is as difficult as I had expected it to be. Luckily, senior year is easier, so I've finally hit the peak of school work. Next year I plan to lead a class in the Computer Science department as a senior project. The Office, the best show on television, is currently in danger of being permanently canceled, thus convincing me of the stupidity of service-sector unions. Europe was awesome.

These pictures show: a few of the people I met in London; me outside the Louvre; and my sisters and I about to board the train for Hogwarts.

       

 

Happy New Year everyone. We hope your coming year is as peaceful as this evening on the Seine...