Happy Holidays from the Bells! We hope and pray that you are healthy and well. We apologize for missing 2007, but will try to make it up with an overview of everything "Bell" for 2008 below. Feel free to comment and add stories about your own happenings. Easy to do, and we'd love to read it!
2008 started off wonderfully, with a family trip to Palm Springs. This was a first for us, and a request of Colleen's. We stayed at the Marriott Desert Palms Resort. The week was very relaxing, with sun and pool each day. We also drove to the Joshua Tree National Park, which is stunning in its size and beauty. The town of Palms Springs is very interesting. It is a fascinating hybrid of old Hollywood (we attended the Vaudville Show) and the new West (lots of development, and a strong hispanic influence). We enjoyed our time and may return again. Our only frustration was in not being able to hook up Rock Band in our hotel room, and having to suffer through the Oklahoma Sooners loss to West Virginia in the Sugar Bowl!
Josh is enjoying his college experience at Notre Dame. This picture is from his fresh
man dorm room. He and Jeff went snowboarding at Crystal Mountain, which was a very pleasant surprise...far exceeding expectations (small issue with losing the car keys on the mountain, but otherwise super time). Josh's first year at Notre Dame was fantastic, and his sophomore year has been even better. Josh is playing soccer for the Stanford Hall team. He is a disc jockey at the Voice of the Fighting Irish on Sunday evenings. Josh has been tutoring and volunteering at the South Bend homeless shelter. And yes, he is enjoying his studies, with newly declared English and Economics majors. This past summer Josh worked at Vasa Park, and is thinking of studying abroad in the summer of 2009; perhpas Ireland or Spain or Italy. Joshua is planning on returning in the fall to live off campus with two friends. We had the good luck of seeing Notre Dame play against
Jeff, Jon and Matt were able to steal away for a wonderfu
l weekend together in March. They flew to Salt Lake City Utah and skiied at Park City and Deer Valley. The weather was beautiful, as was the snow. There was a small problem when Jeff broke his toe on the bedpost the first day, but he wrapped it up tight and it seemed to heal ok in the end. The U.S. Ski Team was holding their finals at Park City, and the boys had a chance to see some of the finest athletes compete at the highest level. Lots of snow and fun!
Matt had a great 5th grade at Sacred Heart, and super Crossfire Soccer and Sammamish Lacrosse seasons. Matt's U11 Crossfire team won the State Champion's Cup in January, and he played midfield and forward on his Lacrosse Team. This summer, he had lots of camps -- space camp, crime investigation camp, lacrosse camp and cooking school. The big news this fall is that Matthew was accepted at the Lakeside School (Bill Gates' Alma Mater) and is loving it!
The entire f
amily had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Ohio. Here is a picture of all the "cousins" and their grandmother, Nancy Murphy. Top row is Ben Murphy, Samantha Murphy, Josh Bell, Jon Bell, Sheamus Dalton, Katie Dalton. Lower row is Ian Dalton, Matthew Bell, Jamison Murphy, Dylan Murphy being held by Nancy Murphy, and Aidan Dalton. Lots of football, and soccer, and food. It was long-overdue vacation with family. Katie Dalton has recently been accepted to the College of Wooster. Colleen and I lobbied for Kenyon, and her uncle Brian lobbied for Ohio Weslyan, but Wooster seems to be 1st choice.
We send our love and prayers to you and yours this holiday season!
2008 started off wonderfully, with a family trip to Palm Springs. This was a first for us, and a request of Colleen's. We stayed at the Marriott Desert Palms Resort. The week was very relaxing, with sun and pool each day. We also drove to the Joshua Tree National Park, which is stunning in its size and beauty. The town of Palms Springs is very interesting. It is a fascinating hybrid of old Hollywood (we attended the Vaudville Show) and the new West (lots of development, and a strong hispanic influence). We enjoyed our time and may return again. Our only frustration was in not being able to hook up Rock Band in our hotel room, and having to suffer through the Oklahoma Sooners loss to West Virginia in the Sugar Bowl!Josh is enjoying his college experience at Notre Dame. This picture is from his fresh
man dorm room. He and Jeff went snowboarding at Crystal Mountain, which was a very pleasant surprise...far exceeding expectations (small issue with losing the car keys on the mountain, but otherwise super time). Josh's first year at Notre Dame was fantastic, and his sophomore year has been even better. Josh is playing soccer for the Stanford Hall team. He is a disc jockey at the Voice of the Fighting Irish on Sunday evenings. Josh has been tutoring and volunteering at the South Bend homeless shelter. And yes, he is enjoying his studies, with newly declared English and Economics majors. This past summer Josh worked at Vasa Park, and is thinking of studying abroad in the summer of 2009; perhpas Ireland or Spain or Italy. Joshua is planning on returning in the fall to live off campus with two friends. We had the good luck of seeing Notre Dame play against
the University of Washington in Seattle this fall. A great ND victory and lots of fun for all. We also hosted Aunt Carol, Uncle Gary, Andy and Amanda from Oklahoma for the Sooners game againt UW. Another great victory for the vistors, and a wonderful trip!
Jon is a sophomore at Seattle Prep. During his freshman year, he decided to join the Chess Team. He played on the junior varsity, and continued to improve through the year. This fall, he is on varsity, and is playing 3rd board, with a ranking of 1314! Jon just turned 16 this November, and has his driving permit, but the big news was a brand new 16GB 3G iPhone for his birthday! He is continuing to enjoy theatre at Youth Theatre Northwest. Jon will be performing in "Into the Woods" in Spring 2009. Jon has inherited his Dad's love of music, and this summer, both attended the Sasquatch Festival. Jon had the chance to meet with Rainn Wilson from The Office. Jeff and Jon also went to see Radiohead, which was nothing short of extraordinary!
Jeff, Jon and Matt were able to steal away for a wonderfu
l weekend together in March. They flew to Salt Lake City Utah and skiied at Park City and Deer Valley. The weather was beautiful, as was the snow. There was a small problem when Jeff broke his toe on the bedpost the first day, but he wrapped it up tight and it seemed to heal ok in the end. The U.S. Ski Team was holding their finals at Park City, and the boys had a chance to see some of the finest athletes compete at the highest level. Lots of snow and fun!
Matt had a great 5th grade at Sacred Heart, and super Crossfire Soccer and Sammamish Lacrosse seasons. Matt's U11 Crossfire team won the State Champion's Cup in January, and he played midfield and forward on his Lacrosse Team. This summer, he had lots of camps -- space camp, crime investigation camp, lacrosse camp and cooking school. The big news this fall is that Matthew was accepted at the Lakeside School (Bill Gates' Alma Mater) and is loving it! Colleen 
has had a busy and fun-filled 2008. As a surprise for her birthday, she was kidnapped by Jeff for a long weekend in Napa Valley. We won't mention the historic milestone, but this photograph captures the lovebirds at an outdoor cafe. An all-day wine tasting tour (with a car service) and an all-day spa were the highlights of the weekend. Ok, maybe dinner at the French Laundrette was the highlight. Colleen continues with weekly bible study and now is participating in two book clubs! She has also discovered the wonders and pleasures of fitness classes, having started with a group of friends from tennis. The other big news is the arrival of our first dog, Hugo, a Havanese, and the loss of a long time pet, Michi, our tabby cat. Here are photos of Hugomania!
has had a busy and fun-filled 2008. As a surprise for her birthday, she was kidnapped by Jeff for a long weekend in Napa Valley. We won't mention the historic milestone, but this photograph captures the lovebirds at an outdoor cafe. An all-day wine tasting tour (with a car service) and an all-day spa were the highlights of the weekend. Ok, maybe dinner at the French Laundrette was the highlight. Colleen continues with weekly bible study and now is participating in two book clubs! She has also discovered the wonders and pleasures of fitness classes, having started with a group of friends from tennis. The other big news is the arrival of our first dog, Hugo, a Havanese, and the loss of a long time pet, Michi, our tabby cat. Here are photos of Hugomania!
You can catch up on Jeff on Facebook or Linkedin or on his blog http://www.jeff-bell.net/. After 2 1/2 years, he left Microsoft and is pursuing Venture Capital and Consulting --learning and enjoying business more than he has in years. He is looking forward to serving as Assistant Scout Master to Matthew's Boy Scout Troup.
The entire f
amily had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Ohio. Here is a picture of all the "cousins" and their grandmother, Nancy Murphy. Top row is Ben Murphy, Samantha Murphy, Josh Bell, Jon Bell, Sheamus Dalton, Katie Dalton. Lower row is Ian Dalton, Matthew Bell, Jamison Murphy, Dylan Murphy being held by Nancy Murphy, and Aidan Dalton. Lots of football, and soccer, and food. It was long-overdue vacation with family. Katie Dalton has recently been accepted to the College of Wooster. Colleen and I lobbied for Kenyon, and her uncle Brian lobbied for Ohio Weslyan, but Wooster seems to be 1st choice.As we write this, our beloved Seattle has been overcome with snow, ice and cold. We love the Northwest, and the snow makes it beautiful, but they certainly don't know how to handle this weather! No ploughs, no salt. But we'll let the photos tell the story...spendid isolation!
We send our love and prayers to you and yours this holiday season!
Jeff, Colleen, Josh, Jon and Matt Bell
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