Farewell 2011!

This will be the last Hollywood Four blog post for 2011. The video below contains some picture memories from December 2011. Please check back on January 1, 2012 for a fresh, newly designed hollywood-four.blogspot.com website ... oh, and we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

A Trio of Christmas Parties

As is normally the case, the Hollywood Four celebrated Christmas three times this past week. First we had our own Hollywood Four Family Christmas last Friday; then the Ott Family Christmas in Brighton, MI on Saturday; and finally the Frederick Family Christmas in Big Rapids, MI on Monday. It is always exhausting, but the kids make out pretty well (and the weather was very cooperative). The family time is nice, but it's also good to return home and get ready for the New Year.

Christmas Fun Revisted

Abby and I were feeling nostalgic this evening so we got our our old collection of family Christmas DVDs. Just as many families send Christmas cards and letters during the holiday season, the Hollywood Four used to send Christmas DVDs to our family and friends. This video contains highlights from the first Christmas DVD we produced in 2004 while living in Chicago. We continued the tradition for three additional years - until I no longer had willing and cooperative participants. It was fun while it lasted ... and definitely fun to look back upon again. They used to be so cute!

A Local Christmas Light Show

How would you like to live next to these five houses? This Medina, OH couple have become legendary in the area for their Disney Christmas light display. Here is a local newspaper article on the subject. We took a drive through last night and here is a short clip of what we saw (you even tune in your car radio to a specific station to here the music that goes with the lights).

Happy Halloween

Tonight Andrew went trick-or-treating with a couple of his buddies on the neighborhood hay wagon. Andrew's costume was a homemade human iPod (middle in photo). The hayride has been a tradition every year we have lived in Ohio. Since we live in a very rural area, the Boyerts of Boyert's Greenhouse & Farm fire up the tractor and hay wagon and cart the kids all around the houses in the area. It's great for the kids and it's great for the folks who live in the area who enjoy giving out candy. Abby didn't go trick-or-treating this year, but she did go to a friend's bonfire party.

Happy 4th of July

Our neighbors seem to be taking the 4th of July celebration seriously this year. They have been launching quite an arsenal of fireworks this evening. Fine by me as it is a great show over Lake Frogerick (our back yard). Here is a quick clip of the action before it gets too dark. Happy 4th of July!

Annual Launch of Kevin

It's a hot Memorial Day here in northeast Ohio. So ... as we did in 2009 and last year, today we launched Kevin into Lake Frogerick. On hand this year to help Abby and Andrew were friends Rebecca and Sean. Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Easter!

The past few years, Karen, Abby and Andrew went to upstate New York for Easter weekend (while dad stayed home to work). This year, the party was at our house with Grandpa, Grandma, Kathy, Chris, Erica, Kelly, Emily, Jake and Chloe all coming to town. Yesterday we colored eggs and celebrated Grandma Barb's birthday. Today we went to church, opened Easter baskets and had a nice dinner. Happy Easter!

First Night Akron 2011

Just as she did last year, Abby again danced at the First Night Akron celebration (two back-to-back performances). Mom took our guests, Susanne, Craig, Myranda and Ellie to watch the performance while Dad and Andrew stayed home to prepare some snacks for New Year's Eve. At the conclusion of the performance, Ellie even got to dance with the help and instruction of the O'Hare Irish Dance girls. Here is some video footage that Mom shot while at the event.