Family in Gallery St. John, Dayton, in front of Mary Lou's La Maddalena mural she painted for Felix. From the left: Hilary, Ben holding Felix, Mary Lou, Bill, and Ruth holding Max.
Our second grandchild, Felix Sagan Vandermeer, was born on April 30 to our son Benjamin W. Vandermeer and Hilary Shawn Atkinson. He was born in Jeffersonville, Indiana --just across the Ohio River from Louisville-- and shares the same birthday as Ben. He is Ben's and Hilary's first child. He is healthy and happy in Ben and Hilary's new house in Louisville. Congratulations Ben and Hilary!
In April 2010, we traveled to China with the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce. We enjoyed the attractions of Beijing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Shanghai, including visits to the Great Wall, to traditional neighborhoods, and to gardens, temples, and pagodas.
In May 2010, we participated in a Friendship Force exchange to western Michigan. We learned about the area history and culture and enjoyed the generous hospitality of new Friendshp Force friends in Grand Rapids and Lansing. Highlights were visits to the Holland Tulip Festival, the Nokomis Native American Center, the Gerald Ford Musuem, Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, the Grand Rapids Art Museum, and the Michigan Historical Museum.
View Images of Michigan Cultural Sites, Art, and Friendship Force Friends
View Images of Mother's Day at Churchill Downs with Max, Ruth, and Dannie