I'm ENGAGED!

So there was a request for "the" story, which I'm more than happy to share. :-)

As you can see in the picture above, Cory and I are wearing BRIGHT orange jerseys. These should not be confused with the Auburn jerseys, which I would never wear. These are actually throwback Broncos jerseys that they wore through the 1996 season. Cory is from Castle Rock, so he is a huge Denver Broncos fan. I had to work part of Thanksgiving, so we stayed in Tucson for the holiday. We spent Thursday night watching the Broncos beat the Giants, and then Friday watching the Iron Bowl and Alabama go 12-0 for the second straight season. We were both pretty excited about that. During the week he'd found the John Elway jersey he's had since he was 10, and he mentioned that he really wanted another one that fit him today. I told him that I would buy it for him as an early Christmas present, so we braved the mall on Black Friday and bought the jersey. He was so excited and accordingly, we both wore the jerseys around that night.

When we got home, he asked me if I wanted one of my presents early. I replied that that would be cool but I also really love opening presents on Christmas day, so I didn't mind waiting. He let it go, but then later that night, we were watching an episode of The Office where two of the main characters get married. He looked at me and asked me what he could say that would be really romantic. I said, well if I tell you what to say, it's no longer romantic, but I love you is a good start. He then told me that he loved me, that I was beautiful, that he was so excited to be with me, that he loved that I love watching football and spending time with him. Then he kissed me said, "That's all" with a smile on his face. Then, after the final wedding scene of The Office he looked at me and said, "I want to marry you." I kinda looked at him and said something like aw, that's sweet. Then he pulled out the ring and asked me to marry him. What's funny is that when I saw the ring I tried to take it to get a closer look at it, and he said, "no, no, you have to give me an answer first." Of course I said yes, he gave me the ring, and we were both thrilled.

I was wondering why he'd chosen this particular moment to propose, which he then answered. He said that he'd had the ring since before I moved down here in August, but he kept trying to think of the perfect moment. The more he thought about it, he wanted to propose in the setting he was the happiest with me, just spending time together on the couch. While it wasn't an over-the-top situation, it's still incredibly romantic to me. I hope you all think so too. (And the ring is gorgeous!)

Meet Dr. Hugh Herbert

Greetings Herberts and Herbertians!

A few years ago while researching the Herbert family history in Wales, I met several cousins of ours across the pond, including Dr. Hugh Herbert. He is descended from Daniel and Eliza Herbert, whose graves some of us visited in Lledrod, near Tregaron. Dr. Herbert was born 04 Feb 1922, and is the oldest living Herbert descendant I've found.

I've spoken to Dr. Herbert via email, voicemail and through another cousin of ours (Jenni Hyatt) who occasionally visits him. After finding him, Chip and I started sending him a little something on his birthday and at Christmas to let him know he's loved by his American cousins.

Today while ordering Christmas gifts, I did a little double-check to ensure I had the correct format for his address (it's a road without a street name or house address)...and lo' and behold look what I found. A YouTube interview of him!

Check it out at the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccrDX9l8hUA

Love,

A Herbertian And Proud Of It

Mr. and Mrs. Dale Thomas Millns III

The Newest Herbertian

I confess I can't recall when the phrase was coined, but I'm certain Andy Betz was at the epicenter. Those who enter this clan by birth are Herberts; those they marry are Herbertians. Herberts by marriage. We Herbertians must stick together, help each other, and provide coaching and guidance as we weave in and out of Herbert Land.

Our newest Herbertian is Jill Farrand, new bride of Dale Millns, III. They were married this past weekend in Shelby Township, Michigan, and I can safely report she is by far one of the most beautiful Herbertians I've ever seen. I wish I'd taken pictures...but alas, the camera I'd so carefully laid out was resting comfortably on my dresser drawer throughout the weekend.

So take a moment today and imagine a beautiful, slender, smart and charming blonde bride on the arm of Dale Millns, III, and welcome the newest Herbertian into our hearts and minds.

Lydia The Tattoed Lady

During Uncle Danny's Memorial Service on Saturday, I learned something about him that I hadn't known. I would've loved to hear him sing "Lydia The Tattooed Lady", and had I known...well...I most surely would've begged and pleaded for an encore. Perhaps he's thanking God right now that I never knew. :-)

I'd never even heard of the song until Saturday, and decided right then and there that I had to hear it. Turns out it became the signature song of Groucho Marx, after being performed in the 1939 movie "At The Circus". Here's a clip on YouTube from the original movie. I'm thinking this is a "must do" at our next reunion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4zRe_wvJw8

Oh Lydia, oh Lydia, say, have you met Lydia?
Lydia The Tattooed Lady.
She has eyes that folks adore so,
and a torso even more so.
Lydia, oh Lydia, that encyclo-pidia.
Oh Lydia The Queen of Tattoo.
On her back is The Battle of Waterloo.
Beside it, The Wreck of the Hesperus too.
And proudly above waves the red, white, and blue.
You can learn a lot from Lydia!

La-la-la...la-la-la.
La-la-la...la-la-la.

When her robe is unfurled she will show you the world,
if you step up and tell her where.
For a dime you can see Kankakee or Paree,
or Washington crossing The Delaware.

La-la-la...la-la-la.
La-la-la...la-la-la.

Oh Lydia, oh Lydia, say, have you met Lydia?
Lydia The Tattooed Lady.
When her muscles start relaxin',
up the hill comes Andrew Jackson.
Lydia, oh Lydia, that encyclo-pidia.
Oh Lydia The Queen of them all.
For two bits she will do a mazurka in jazz,
with a view of Niagara that nobody has.
And on a clear day you can see Alcatraz.
You can learn a lot from Lydia!

La-la-la...la-la-la.
La-la-la...la-la-la.

Come along and see Buffalo Bill with his lasso.
Just a little classic by Mendel Picasso.
Here is Captain Spaulding exploring the Amazon.
Here's Godiva, but with her pajamas on.

La-la-la...la-la-la.
La-la-la...la-la-la.

Here is Grover Whelan unveilin' The Trilon.
Over on the west coast we have Treasure Isle-on.
Here's Nijinsky a-doin' the rhumba.
Here's her social security numba.

La-la-la...la-la-la.
La-la-la...la-la-la.

Lydia, oh Lydia, that encyclo-pidia.
Oh Lydia The Champ of them all.
She once swept an Admiral clear off his feet.
The ships on her hips made his heart skip a beat.
And now the old boy's in command of the fleet,
for he went and married Lydia!

I said Lydia...
(He said Lydia...)
They said Lydia...
We said Lydia, la, la!

Music: Harold Arlen
Lyrics: E.Y. Harburg

And if I close my eyes, I can imagine Uncle Danny giving me that encore....

Uncle Danny

Sometimes a picture is worth more than a thousand words. Here's a few from our recent visit to Uncle Danny a few weeks ago. We managed to get in a few phone calls before he became tired...here he is talking to Aunt Rosie, Uncle John and Jeannie on that wonderful day.

The young woman with Uncle Danny and Chip is Christina, one of Uncle Danny's compassionate care-givers in his cottage.

Tho' he was frail and at times seemed lost in his own thoughts, his wonderfully warm smile filled the room again and again.

Rod's Recent Adventures

Hi Herberts & Herbertians,

Rod just spent a few days at Fletcher Pond with his friend, Mike. They caught lots of fish -- including Rod's bass pictured above. When he got back he invited me to go check out the new Ohio history museum at the statehouse. It's downstairs -- in the basement of the old Supreme Court building -- and this election poster of Dad's features prominently in the Executive Branch display.

We'd love to read about your summer adventures here...

From John & Eunice

An update on what's been happening: We spent this past weekend with the Ohio Commodores. I was an original Commodore in 1966 when J.T. Rhodes began the organization. The Commodores were started to act as an honor guard for the governor and other dignitaries at special occasions, etc. They have become much more over the years. Saturday evening we enjoyed a boat ride on the Ohio here in Cincy and then a formal dinner at the Westin on Sunday evening with Governor Strickland as guest speaker. For us the exciting part of the evening was the fact that the Grand Commodore asked me to give the invocation before dinner. We were very pleased to have an important role in the event. When the evening at the Westin ended we all walked the skywalk over to the Netherland Hotel for a post-party party at Palm Court. For two of the older Herberts we managed to stay until the wee hours and left the party after midnight. We are looking forward to the next party which will be in September. The Commodores are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of the late Governor Jim Rhodes.


And a note from Jenni -- if any of you would like to post to the Herbert Blog, but aren't confident in doing so, if you'd write your post in an e-mail, and send it to me or to Mom (Rosie) we'd be glad to cut and paste and publish it for you. Feel free to attach pictures or links, too. The family would love to hear from you!

Smart Bunch!

Congratulations Rhett!

And congratulations Dr. Granger -- and Beka, and Abby and Alli! The next generation is looking good indeed...

Almost Famous

This week, Tucker and I shot an instructional DVD for a new breast pump. Through my agent, who usually helps me find voiceover work, we were chosen for this on-camera spot. And boy, did we learn a lot! Andy came with us to the set both days, to take care of Tuck when he wasn't in a scene (although the craft services ladies and the makeup and prop stylists coddled him much of the time) while Celia stayed with G'Ro. All three of us were exhausted at the end of each day. We have a new appreciation for real actors, directors, camera and lighting and makeup and prop guys and gals... Who would've thought that you could spend an hour opening and closing a freezer door, shooting the same thing, wide and tight, from four angles? But there were numerous bennies on set, too -- craft services was delish, someone else chose (and ironed!) my clothes, and I got paid!
Because the video demonstrates new technology, and because I signed some nondisclosure paperwork, I can't go into much detail, nor can I share photos.

So instead we'll share another recent photo of the Herbert Family's newest little Thomas:

Update and this summer's trip to Ireland

Hey everybody! It has been awhile since I have seen or talked to a lot you and I wanted to take the opportunity to let you all know what is going on with me these days. I am in the second semester of my junior year at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, where I am pursuing a double major in Economics and Business Management with a minor in Communications. In addition to my full course load, I also am very active in my fraternity on campus (The Fraternal Society - OKE) and I am a three year member of Hope’s Men’s Varsity Soccer team. I am also active in the Holland community by coaching a local High School JV Lacrosse team and working at both on campus and off campus jobs.

I have a girlfriend named Lauren who I will have been dating for 2 years in April. She is a tall, skinny blonde, but my sisters have forgiven her for that and seem to have given their stamp of approval. This is a picture of us during homecoming last year. She is also a junior at Hope and her family is from Grand Rapids, which is only about 30 minutes from Holland. Her brother and father were both members of the same fraternity that I am in right now at Hope, which has served as a nice connection.

Every five years the men’s soccer team travels to Europe to experience the roots of the game that has been such a large part of my life. This summer the team will be traveling to Ireland and will spend 10 days touring around the sites and experiencing the Irish culture, playing in and watching several friendly soccer matches, as well as doing some community service at an Irish community center. I will try to post a copy of our trip’s proposed itinerary and I have include a few picture of me from this last season. Everyone around here is getting very excited because we will be using the trip as a spring board into our fall training.

This past season I worked to secure a starting spot on the team and ended up being voted as a captain for next year’s 2009 season. This trip is going to be a once in a lifetime experience for me and it is important for the team that I be a part of the trip because of my leadership role for next year. This is not a cheap trip and, although Hope is covering a portion of each student’s/player’s trip, it is up to me to cover $2,000 in order to pay for airfare, lodging and transportation for the 10 days that we are over there. I am trying to get as much out of my college experience as possible, and I wanted to ask for your help to make this dream of mine become a reality.

I realize that many of you visited Ireland and Wales a few years ago and that you had a fantastic trip. If you have any advice/information for me about the area or if you would like to make any financial contributions to help make this trip possible, I would be extremely appreciative. Please feel free to send me an email (john.herbert@hope.edu) or give me a call sometime (574-339-6114) and we can catch up. Hopefully I’ll talk to a lot of you soon.

Love,

John David

Welcome Tucker!

J & A,
Tucker is beautiful!!!! Congratulations. Give Celia and Tucker xoxoxoxoxo from the California cousins. We love you all.

Kathy & Rob

Introducing....

Thomas Everett Betz -- the newest member of the Herbert/Betz family. "Tucker" shares his big sister Celia's and his mom's birthday -- arriving about 11 o'clock this morning. Aunt Kate, now home from CA, was the first person (after Jenni and Andy) to hold him.

Helloooooo?

Should have grabbed my camera today, but I didn't... so all you get is text. John David, Lauren (sp?), Kate Herbert and I enjoyed lunch together at the Northstar restaurant near Kate's HNB branch in the Short North. Kate is clearly happy in her new and well-earned position as the lead customer service rep there. John David is looking forward to visiting Ireland this summer with his soccer team -- yes, he is captain! -- and to playing on a brand new field back home. Lauren, whom I had the pleasure of meeting for the first time today, is an amazing young woman who needs to meet and talk with Judd before she heads for Spain.

Happy February birthday wishes to Andy, Eunice, Walt, Maggie, Kathy, Benjamin, Tom, Josh & Will!!! Got any postable celebratory photos?

Rosie's Black Hat

Dear Family & Friends,

Thanks for honoring our requests for no calls, for allowing us a much needed time-out to try to absorb the devastating news that we are losing Celia to a hideous disease. There are times now when I can talk about it, and times when I'd rather not. Rod was wise enough to tell his colleagues, “Please, let’s do us both a favor and just don’t say anything.” Our wonderful ministers & spiritual friends have jumped down in the hole with us (instead of just offering some infuriating nonsense about “God’s plan” and walking by, but that’s another story.) All your patience & kindness & prayers are appreciated.

Jenni, Andy & Celia joined us for dinner this evening, and after dinner (while Celia watched Moose A. Moose) I told the story of my black hat. As a young teacher I kept a black hat in my classroom. For the most part, the hat stayed on its hook in the corner, but my students knew that if I put that hat on my head, they were not to approach me for anything short of a real emergency. In the fall of 1974, as Dad was slipping away, I wore the hat more than usual – but never long, and not often. I remember one day I was seated at my desk, trying to get hold of myself, hat brim dipping over my face, when our principal walked through the classroom door. Some of my students, who had been working quietly, rushed up to him saying, “Sorry, Mr. Harmon, you can’t talk to her now unless it’s an emergency -- she’s wearing the hat. You’ll have to come back later.” And he did!

I tell the story here because we all need a black hat from time to time. [A student taught me that by asking to borrow my hat one day. From that day on, my students and I shared the hat – and no one ever abused it.] Figuratively speaking, I’ve put the hat back on its hook tonight, knowing I’ll need it again, but who knows when? We need your love and support and prayers as well -- and I’ve felt those despite my recent reluctance to communicate – so please don’t rush to the phone – let’s just know that we’ll email & talk again sometime soon.

Celia wore a black bow in her beautiful red hair tonight… and she has several, fetching hats from which to choose!

The Night Santa Came To Town

We moved to our new home in 2005, when our streets were unpaved and muddy, and MapQuest had no idea we existed as a little community, called Old Trail #9, in the hilly farmlands south of Pittsburgh. It was common to find delivery trucks wandering up and down our streets looking for a particular family, repair men knocking on doors asking for directions, and folks who knew each other by lot number instead of street address. As Christmas 2005 loomed before us, the kids in the 'hood were deeply troubled. How would Santa find us if FedEx can't? Mothers sent emails to the North Pole, with specific travel directions, but the absence of street signs to guide Santa's way was a persistent topic of conversation and concern. As children of all ages pondered this dilemma, an idea began to take hold: what if there was a Santa Sighting in the distant hills and fields, demonstrating Santa's commitment to make sure he knew where everyone lived? And who better to play this part than Chip Stevers? No kids in the house to bust his cover, and since we were all still getting to know one another, the kids in the 'hood would surely not recognize him from afar! In December of 2005, the first Santa Sighting in Old Trail #9 was born.

Our plans were great, on paper. Santa would tromp around in the snow, a safe distance from the houses, and the kids would be alerted by the sound of sleigh bells (with the added protection of cell phones ringing). Santa was so hugely effective that the completely unexpected occurred: little people in bare feet and pajamas were running out their front doors, following Santa as he tried to make an escape. The Pied Piper in Red. Sounds of clapping, shouting, running and laughing filled the air. Mothers and fathers scurrying behind, snatching up the littlest and slowest. Poor Santa slipping and sliding down the back hills, trying to get away without losing his pants or his beard.

We had to make some changes in subsequent years. Now parents are on-guard for escapees, but Santa actually knocks on front doors. He's accompanied by Rudolph, who helps him remember kid's names and distribute chocolate-covered pretzel rods made by Mrs. Claus. The 4th Annual Santa Visit occurred on December 22, 2008, and was a huge success: what started as a visit to less than 25 children for not more than 30 minutes has expanded to visiting close to 100 children in a period of about 2.5 hours. The shouts of glee and absolute delight on little faces is truly a sight to behold, creating a feeling of Christmas in the air that can practically be touched with your fingers.

Deployed

Hey Herberts!

I just wanted to write you all a quick note now that I'm at Al Udeid AB, Qatar. I've been here just under a day, and will be staying the next 4 months, thru the middle of May '09. Fortunately, I was able to get back to Covina and the family for Christmas, and spend the New Year with good friends in Seattle before I left.

While I'm out here I'll be working in the Combined Air Operations Center, which controls all allied airspace/planes for both wars...so, a pretty important thing if you ask me ;) My contribution will be as part of a 2-man team coordinating the diplomatic clearances of US mobility (cargo) aircraft as they overfly other countries enroute to/from Iraq and Afghanistan. It shouldn't be too difficult as many countries have already pre-approved most overflights, but there will certainly be some short-notice taskings that aren't quite as vanilla. Good-times for sure. The biggest bummer is that I won't get to fly at all while I'm out here.

Anyway, I hope you all had a great holiday season...though we still have one day left of Christmas, so make the 12th day great...get those 12 drummers to drum! haha. I plan on enjoying the relatively chilly weather since it's going to get really hot and humid here in a few months. I miss you all and hope to hear from you soon. I'll post my mailing address here as soon as I get it, and feel free to send me an email or post some great stuff here to the blog to let me (and everyone else) know what you're up to.

Take care!

Aaron