Lydia's Mud Day

A mud puddle proved irresistible to Lydia.
Splashing in mud wearing white pants- a childhood joy!

Eight Cousins

In late April all of our grandchildren were in town for the weekend. The weather was glorious and the company delightful.

Aunt Carolyn enjoyed her goddaughter Alexandra.
Gemma loved the spring sunshine, the day after her first birthday!

John Paul celebrated his 5th birthday with the help of Frederick.

Lydia graciously served Grandad tea.


Birthday parties are fun!


A great train layout completed with the help of cousins.
The older boys took turns driving the gator, with happy passengers.

Grandad practiced his free throw.


Jack enthusiastically played in the fountains at Longwood Gardens.


Spring beauty!

Happy Birthday Catherine!

Today we celebrate the gift of Catherine in our lives!
My girl!




Thank you Catherine for being you!
A loving wife and mother, and devoted daughter, sister, and friend.
May God abundantly bless the coming year of your life!

Our Hero Fred

On April 23, 2009, The Fighting Back program had an Annual Achievement Night. Fred was honored, as well as two other individuals, Erica and Beth. Fred received a plaque with a quote from Anthony Robbins: "In every man and woman's life there comes a time of ultimate challenge-a time when every resource we have is tested. A time when life seems unfair, a time when our faith, our values, our patience, our compassion, our ability to persist are all pushed to our limits and beyond. Some people use such tests as opportunities to become better people-others allow these experiences of life to destroy them."
IN HONOR OF FRED PIERCE FOR EXEMPLIFYING THE TERM FIGHTING BACK.

Fred powerfully delivered a speech heard clearly by everyone present: "I want to thank the Fighting Back program for the award tonight.
I thank my trainer Noah Maxwell for nominating me for perseverance, courage, and hard work. He makes me laugh while pushing me to exercise.
Many thanks to my trainer Mike also.
I thank my beautiful wife Lorrie, who gets me out of bed and drives me to the gym three times a week.
That may not sound like much, but getting me out of bed is not for the weak and weary.
I thank God and Fighting Back for the ability to get stronger.


To my family, friends, and benefactors, I thank you for your love and support.

I am a man whom God has blessed!"

Easter: A Time for Celebration!

We were very happy to share an Easter Sunday with our family. At Mass we heard the best Easter homily ever- "We need Easter Sunday, but we can't have it without our Good Fridays. When we carry our cross joyfully, we will have our Easter Sunday."
A Brown family portrait.
Getting ready for a big egg hunt!
Gabe sampled the treats hidden in the eggs almost as fast as he collected them.
Monica took a breather from searching for eggs to catch some sun!
Success!
These Easter egg hunts require dedication.
Resting after the search!
Our next door neighbors came over for some driveway racing. John Paul enjoyed his lead!!
There's nothing like a big wheel race to get your blood flowing!

What a Great Season!

Final Four!!! Amazing wins over UCLA, Duke, and Pitt!! Scottie Reynold's buzzer beater that sent us to the final four for the first time in 24 years! A season with 32 wins, most ever! Thank you Jay Wright and all the Wildcats who played with great heart and unselfishness!

V for Villanova! Go Wildcats!

Fred and I were very fortunate to attend several basketball games this year. Early in the season we put aside our Villanova-St Joe's rivalry for a picture with our Hawk friends.
The Wildcats are a hard working group who just completed a very successful regular season. Fred exemplifies the Wildcat work ethic in his therapy sessions, and is proud of his team.

We're gearing up for March Madness!