Easter at the GoodHale's 2008

Vegas Baby! Nancy's 50th!!!

OK, don't feel too sorry for me! I was off AGAIN! This time to VEGAS! Nancy's big wish was to have a group go to Vegas to celebrate her 50th Birthday! We were there for a week. A few nights at Balley's and then the rest in the penthouse suite at The Bellagio. Yes you read that right, one of the TOP floors, had to use SPECIAL elevators with a SPECIAL key to get to our SPECIAL room. Oh the fun we had!!

Our room!!!
View from our Room......

Vegas FUN!

Where does the time go

Wow, seems like we had a good head of steam going with the blog then along comes March!!!! Donna had been traveling earlier in the month to Milwaukee to judge for print competition and then 2 days after getting home off to Vegas for WPPI and to celebrate Nancy's birthday. As for me I have been holding down the fort, keeping the indians at bay and the home fires burning. But stay tuned there are plenty of posts to come

Brad

Donna's 2008 Convention Travel

The many hotels, airplanes and rooms that I was in this winter!
2008 brought me as much travel as 2007 did! I judged at 5 conventions. Two of which were Affiliated. I guess it will give me a good idea for next year when I am PPANE President.

This is me with Nancy Green and Ken Wilson at the MA convention the end of February.


This is the print room in Wisconsin, and the print I gave my first 100 to!!


In April I was off to NEIPP! I was in a computer class the whole week, my only venture outside was to watch the Polar Bear swim! Way to make PPANE proud Bernie!!!

Lolo in the snow!

Cait's Science Fair

This year Caitlyn did her project for science fair on how music effects peoples moods.

Caitlyn explaining her project!



Look at all Cait's hard work! She got an A!!! Way to go Cait!

Big Head Todd & The Monsters

This my friends is Big Head Todd and the Monsters. An absolutely great band that I have only been recently introduced to. BHTM is the #1 Band according to Donna. And as luck would have it they were playing two gigs in Vermont during February. Donna got two sets of tickets for Xmas.
The crew above is the group that accompanied us to the Higher Ground show in South Burlington. Me, Donna, Don Whipple, Louise Whipple, Mike Perrin and Lisa Perrin.

Todd Mohr seen here led the Monsters for two straight hours non-stop mixing newer stuff with some well worn classics of theirs. All were really new to me only having heard the older stuff just recently. What a show the put on, just straight forward, rocking, soulful music, purely for the fans.

Don and Louise
Brad and Donna

Mike and Lisa

BHTM at the Pickle Barrel in Killington....one week later. An even better show than Burlington.

Donna and I arrived and had a lite fare dinner and then scored a great position at the balcony. The crowd was very into the Monsters, think everyone sang along with most songs. Donna had brought her camera and scored almost 500 images. She also increased her obsession for Mr Mohr....wink, wink.

Todd seduces the crowd with his fantastic voice range as well as his mastery of the lead guitar. His skills blew me away, in person he just wails, period!!!!!

Heres a funny note, while waiting for the show to start in Burlington, Donna leaned over and said "I think my cousin just went into the bathroom". We staked out the door and sure enough out she came. What a surprise. Not only her but a whole crew of her family was there.

Want to sample what we heard....www.bigheadtodd.com.....even better BHTM gives away their music, how cool is that.

Valentine's Day 2008

Valentine's Day this year was celebrated on a budget.  Donna got me my favorite sweet treats I haven't had in more then a year a whole bunch of photos on magnets for my locker at work.  Donna had been hinting all during our card games that she would like a new deck of Phase 10 cards. So like any man in a relationship, you try, key word here TRY to listen. I got a deck of new cards but also wrote a poem to go along with it.

The Game of Love........

by Brad Hale

Our love is like the cards we play, We play the hand we're dealt

deal and draw and discard, for a wild card to show itself

Everyday we cut the cards, finding where we stand

Are we high of low for the day, we check the card in hand

When in love we play to win, some just like the game

Hand after hand we raise the stakes, going for glory and fame

Its not a game of solitaire, but a give and take between two

We ante up the stakes get high, but whoever wins, I love you!

In the afternoon we ventured south to Manchester to see Caitlyn and take her out for ice cream after school. We went to Friendly's and had a treat and here she is opening a Journaling program for her computer pen she got for Xmas

Miss Whitney McNeil's Birthday!!!

Sunday brought an adventure. Leaving Vermont in a near blinding snowstorm, we were New Hampshire bound. You see, the young lady pictured here is Ms. Whitney McNeil. A freshman at SNHU and who just happened to be turning 19 on February 10th.

La La Lola is patiently waiting for her piece of cake, even foregoing all the attention she was receiving from Whit's dorm mates. Lola also garnered many invitations for sleep overs with all of the ladies.

The birthday girl blows out her candle. We can only wonder what the wish was?!? But the best things about wishes is that you must keep them a secret to come true.  We hope yours does Whit!!!!!!

Posing with the birthday girl is the Birthday Queen. Donna makes all birthdays her mission!

Whitney and Lauren! Living the dream (in a closet)! Amazing what a little decoration will do for a walk in closet!   

Before leaving, the redheads share hair secrets.   Happy Birthday Whit.....We love you.

Lola's play date

So here I am on my first play date. Mommy and Daddy

had to be gone for the day and asked Auntie Beth if I 

could over to her house and play with Remy and her 

new sissy, Harper.

This is my Daddy and baby Harper!

Oh my gosh!  I had SOOO 

SOOO much fun!!

I hope I get to have another play date soon.  It was such much fun to be around doggy friends!!