Tanya Turns ???

We traveled to Manchester to celebrate Tanya's birthday. And as you can see by the title we are not revealing her age.

While waiting for Greg to arrive the kids played on the trampoline. Cait's cousins liked the fact she could bounce them.




Tired but Happy!!!!! Renae, Cait, Rachel, Richard.









Lola and Shadow getting to know each other.







Lola thinks its great, someone to chase and chase her back.







Was that a kiss?!?









Someone got winded, want to guess which one?









HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!








Tanya greeted by her cake and her children. Only one candle to disguise her age.









Cake, cake, we want cake. Wheres the ice cream?





Happy Birthday Tanya!!

Last stop on the Tour De New England

I have been here before, but never as the PPANE president. And I will tell you this was the best visit to the North Conway Hotel EVER! NHPPA really went out of their way to make me feel welcome!

I did it!! 6 convention in New England with NO SNOW STORMS and NO SPEEDING TICKETS. My Dad's will be proud of ME!! My last stop was NHPPA, it was in the 90's the whole weekend and blue skies the whole time!








This was the only second convention that Brad didn't make and it turned out to be a girls weekend! Gillian and I had planned on going being that both of us were judging. Last minute Nancy was added to the list. Night one was out to dinner at a special restaurant with special toasts of happiness. What comes around, goes around!



Oh the FUN we had!! This is one panel to remember!





Here I am with my PPANE board members from NHPPA. I can not say enough about these three, other then I am VERY thankful to have you on the PPANE team.


Look at this SMILE. Could it be refective of my LAST state speech???

Brad went 3 for 3!!

"Crokus Tears"

Brad made a goal last year to enter VPP print competition. Well.......he DID IT!! And he got THREE red ribbons! ( I took this photo in Luedinghausen, Germany on Windmuhlenburg Strasse on an early misty morning stroll to the Backeri for morning pastry)

"Psychedelic Journey" (shot this inside the exhibit from worlds fair in Brussells, Belgium)






"Limited Access" (This is shot across the moat at Berg Vischering in Luedinghausen, Germany)

The Emperess of PPANE

Ok... how many Vermonters get to stay at the Equinox?? VPP got an AWESOME deal for rooms and meal packages for our annual convention!




Being PPANE president made the stay EXTRA special!



Keeping up the Vermont tradition of having a kick ass convention, we had the coolest hospitality suite in all New England. I can officially say this after attending all of the state conventions this year. How COOL ... is this fire pit!!



Brad was happy... I was looking to him to cuddle up for some extra body heat!!




Nothing like a good story to go with a toasting fire. Good thing Ed Pedi was there to tell us a story!!






One of my finer moments this winter was the forthought to ask Helen Yancy to do my official PPANE president's portrait. The pressure was off me to ask ONLY ONE New England friend to do it. Not only is she out of area, she is the BEST at what she does!!



And the fact that she LOVES Golden Doodles too! It was awesome for Helen to meet Lola after all the stories and photos we have exchanged about our doodles!






I have been in a lot of board photos for VPP, but this year was special. Don being president of VPP and me being president of PPANE. It was just plain COOL!



VPP kept it's tradition and made my visit as PPANE president extra special. Years back I crowned Arny Spann as the PPANE King, then Bob Lizzari as the Jester, and Gillian as the Queen. I am offically the VPP Emperess of PPANE.


OK, I have given way too many speaches this year. And this was by far the hardest to do. You would think amongst friends it would have been a breeze. Nope, quite the oppisite. I was full of emotion and overwhelmed with graditude. VPP has made me who I am, for good or bad and looking out and seeing the faces that did this was hard to hold the tears back!


WE could RULE the world!! Nancy and I really admire and look up to Helen. She is one of a kind. I want to be her when I grow up!








Nancy with Nancy. You had to be there to really get this!!















My one and ONLY award this year. Maybe next year when I stay home long enough to actually work on my comp prints I will do better. I did need to win this award as Brad was the creator of this particular competition!!





VPP at 80! WOW!! We get it at 80!!









Matty and Me! Matty the MARRIED man now!! I am showing off my medal I was awarded at his wedding! Best one I wear around my neck!






Don and I awarding the National Award to Nancy. This what what this award is all about. Nancy you are the best example I give to explain what the National Award is about.






VPP wouldn't be VPP without Anne Jenks. Memere is our Groton matriarch. She is the mother of VPP'r Bob Jenks... enough said!




SURPRISE! SURPISE! ... ok I wasn't surprised but what a thrill to have Bernie and Ricky there. Bernie went home with two new golden girls!




Nancy danced the night away!










My all time bestest VPP friend, Sharron. Life has taken Sharron in a different direction but we still keep in touch and it meant the WORLD to me having her at the banquet this year.





Blast from the past. Mr Kennedy graced us with his presence at VPP this year. Jay was my mentor for years and he introduced me to VPP.







One BIG family!! Brad was upset we didn't do this the banquet night. He left for work before this shot. We got busy with all the 80th celebrations. Sorry Brad, you will have to wait till next year! ( thought you guys had photoshop skills...hint hint )



When you look at this group, you can see why VPP is the association it is. The past presidents vision, dedication and heart is what makes VPP what it is!!

VPP Blogging

Donna teaching at VPP . This post was from my cell phone I posted in real time as a demonstration of mobile blogging. Donna gave a lecture on blogging called Create your Buzz. Not too shabby for a 7am session, Huh!

Cait at VPP

Brad and I were happy that our weekend with Caitlyn fell on the weekend that the VPP convention was at the Equinox. Cait got to see first hand about my job as photographer and my job as the president of PPANE. She even helped out with print competition.


Since Groton is made up of photographers and their families, Cait got to see many of her Groton friends at VPP.





As usual I had more to do then I expected and didn't even get a chance to see the spa or pool.











As you can see Cait and Brad had some down time to hang out in the pool.




Hard for Cait to believe she was only 5 minutes from home! And living the life of luxury.




Brad and I were happy that Caitlyn finally got to meet one of your dear friends Don Whipple. Don has a way of reaching out to young people. He had some nice words of wisdom for Cait.





Here we are at the banquet. It was really a fun weekend to share with Caitlyn. I think it will be one she remember in years to come!