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November 2024 (Part 02)

Missouri Trip and the 249th US Marine Corp Birthday Ball

We headed to Missouri for a long weekend to see Grandpa Bill and go with him to the Marine Corps Birthday Ball.  So glad to see Bill and Ro Boston, along with Aunt Catherine and Barb.  Really enjoyed the guest speaker, Cpl Todd Nicely.  He had been deployed to Iraq, then was sent to Afghanistan as a platoon sergeant.  While deployed, he stepped on a land mine and became one of only two quadruple amputees to have made it off the battlefield and survived.  He clearly went to dark place after a while, even admitting he attempted suicide, and was eventually helped by the Focus Marines Foundation, which helped him slowly turn his life around.  Bless this young man and his family.

We got an "official" group photo.

Managed to get a couple more group photos at the end of the evening. 

Here are Nancy and her dad.

Here are Nancy, Bill, Bill and Ro.

Here is Bill Feind and his sisters: Barb (l) and Catherine (r).

Adding Nancy to the group.

Nancy and Ro.

Wait, need one with the Steve who was busy taking the pictures.

While there, we investigated Bill's freezer and he decided he wanted Nancy to use several items to make pies.  She made three gooseberry pies, freezing two and baking one.  She also based a cherry pie, a pecan pie (which she had never made before), and made raspberry jam.

 to the Marine Corps Birthday Ball.  So glad to see Bill and Ro Boston, along with Aunt Catherine and Barb.  Really enjoyed the guest speaker, Cpl Todd Nicely.  He had been deployed to Iraq, then was sent to Afghanistan as a platoon sergeant.  While deployed, he stepped on a land mine and became one of only two quadruple amputees to have made it off the battlefield and survived.  He clearly went to dark place after a while, even admitting he attempted suicide, and was eventually helped by the Focus Marines Foundation, which helped him slowly turn his life around.  Bless this young man and his family.

We got an "official" group photo.

Managed to get a couple more group photos at the end of the evening. 

Here are Nancy and her dad.

Here are Nancy, Bill, Bill and Ro.

Here is Bill Feind and his sisters: Barb (l) and Catherine (r).

Adding Nancy to the group.

Nancy and Ro.

Wait, need one with the Steve who was busy taking the pictures.

While there, we investigated Bill's freezer and he decided he wanted Nancy to use several items to make pies.  She made three gooseberry pies, freezing two and baking one.  She also based a cherry pie, a pecan pie (which she had never made before), and made raspberry jam.