♥ Be My Valentine Bulletin ♥ A Hip Alternative To Tell You What’s Happenin’ With The Blicks
Volume 5 February 2010
Forth Times A Charm
Berryville—Karen and Richie celebrated the arrival of their fourth
child, Lillie, in the middle of record snowfall for the DC area.
“She‟s our snow angel,” laughs Karen, “we think she had
something to do with the 1 ½ feet of snow that fell in Berryville
between the 19th
and 20th
of December.” Richie continues, “Drama,
it‟s all about drama, and she was born with it, but I‟m glad she‟s
here and she‟s healthy.” (For the record, we‟re pretty sure she had
something to do with the 3 ½ feet of snow that fell in the coarse of
one week in January).
Lillie enriches the lives of all she meets. Her red hair and
blue eyes are captivating. She enjoys being held, loves to snuggle
and cuddle and enjoys mealtimes. “She‟s a happy baby,” says
Karen, “until she‟s hungry, then all bets are off.”
Richie gazes at her throughout the day and talks to her about
their busy day and all they need to do to get dinner ready. She
helps him strategize what chores to do first and which to delegate to
Karen, Elle, Spencer and Harrison. Most get delegated in exchange
for some snuggle time between Lillie and her daddy.
Elle, Spencer and Harrison have stepped up in their role as
older siblings to help with diaper changes, poofing her with powder
and retrieving sleep sacks, blankets and her pacifier. Lillie‟s very
appreciative of their hard work and dedication. She exhibits her
appreciation with an endearing smile, adorable coo or heart-
warming touch. “This is hard work,” says Elle, “but I love Lillie,
so that‟s ok.” “She‟s my best friend,” comments Harrison. Spencer
sits and smiles as he pushes Lillie in her swing. “They‟re really
good with her and they‟re starting to understand that sometimes
Lillie‟s needs have to come first and I think they‟re ok with that.”
Next Edit ion The winds of change may arrive in Berryville during 2010—what‟s in store for the Blicks?
Spencer begins Kindergarten—how will his experience with public education shape his personality?
It’s All In A Name
Berryville—Lillie‟s name is a compilation of her
grandmothers names. Jillianne is a morph of Millie and
Jean, Karen‟s mother‟s name, and Leigh is a different
spelling of Richie‟s mother‟s middle name, Lee. “We‟re
honored to have our daughter named after two very
important women in our lives. We are confident she‟ll
continue their legacy of kindness and caring as she grows,”
says Karen and Richie.
“Lillie” Jillianne Leigh Curtis Blick
Born: Monday, December 21, 2009
Time: 2:50 AM
Weight: 9 lbs. 5 oz.
Length: 20 ¾ inches
Me and Grammy Above: Lillie and Grandma; Right:
Lillie and Grammy
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L e g e n d s The Blick Matriarch Begins New Role as Angel
Emporia— Our family suffered a great loss with the passing of Grandma
Blick. Memories of her fixing meals that would feed an army, watching
out for the wielding spoon full of mashed potatoes (and the numerous
plates she broke as a result of getting every last bit of potato off the
spoon), finding her tending to her flower garden in her 70‟s or up on a
ladder cleaning her gutters help paint a picture of her independent nature.
“I remember dad talking about how she was in the attic not too long ago
searching for things—she was 80 something!” exclaimed Richie. He
continues, “I miss her rolls, choco-cake and fudge, but most of all I miss
visiting with her. I wish she would have lived long enough to meet
Lillie, but at least she knew about her impending arrival after looking at
ultrasound pictures. Words can‟t even describe how much I miss her and
how sad I am that my children will never experience sneaking hard candy
out of the bottom shelf of her refrigerator, or playing „pee-pie‟ with her.
I was lucky to get one of her handmade quilts for each of my children
and a few other sets of chotchkes for them to have when they‟re older.”
Richie displays the furniture given to him from grandma‟s house
with pride. It‟s ironic that the dining room set was made in Winchester,
VA and that it was in Emporia for all those years only to make it back
close to Winchester. Her picture sits proudly on a shelf in her secretary.
Richie says, “It‟s great to look at her everyday. It‟s a constant reminder
of how lucky I was to have her in my life.”
Virginia Bell Wrenn Blick
September 16, 1916 - June 8, 2009
A Grandmother’s Love
Golf Expert Finds the 18th
Hole in Heaven Durham, NC—Karen‟s cousin, Andy, passed suddenly from a
heart attack. “I‟m going to miss visiting with him at family
reunions. His golfing tips were always helpful,” remarks Karen
An Artist’s Canvas Becomes Heavenly Scenes Sioux Falls, SD—Karen‟s cousin passed after a long battle with
emphysema. “One of my fondest memories of Savella was her
artistic talent. She was a great painter,” says Karen. Savella Elsa Gayle Olesen
5/16/48-2/14/10 James Andrew Barringer
10/1/62-3/1/09
Pictured from L to R: Baby Richie with Grandma and Grandad Blick;
Grandma holding Elle (Elle is named after her, in part); Richie and Grandma
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C l a s s i f i e d s
Snow Angel
Guaranteed snowfall with the charm of this
little angel. Resume reflects record-breaking
snowfall.
Big Brothers and Big Sister This trio takes their responsibility as role
models seriously as each helps guide the
physical, social and emotional development
of their little sister. Their commitment to her
is evident in every hug and kiss.
Techie Need help with computers? If so, contact
Spencer at 1-800-Compute. His expertise
with computers and hand held electronics
surpass his competitors.
Secretary of State This young lady is inquisitive about the
world and all its cultures. She has spent
hours examining world maps and the globe
discovering all the world has to offer.
Birth Announcement Karen and Richie proudly announce the
arrival of their daughter Jillianne Leigh
“Lillie” to the world. It‟s a better place now.
she‟s here .
Book Critic
Need to know about quality reading
material? Ask this accomplished critic.
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C l a s s i f i e d s
Wildlife Protectors at Eaton Ferry Marina These three dedicated public servants take it
upon themselves to ensure ducks and fish
alike are served plenty of food.
Santa’s Helper
This little elf guarantees smiles are plentiful
throughout the year, not just during
Christmas.
Carnival Ride Inspectors at White Lake
Quality control defines this duo. They take
their job seriously by thoroughly inspecting
each ride personally.
Collectors Experienced sticker collectors searching for
stickers to add to their collections. Pays in
hugs, kisses and big smiles.
Disc Jockey In need of a DJ? Let this officianoto host
your next event. You‟re guaranteed to have
a blast!
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Sports, Health and Leisure
Six One Way, A Half Dozen the Other
Berryville—No matter how you look at it, the Blick family has grown.
Lillie‟s arrival created a renewed sense of optimism and hope for
family and friends. “She‟s so precious”, says Karen as she cradles
Lillie in her arms. Elle, Spencer and Harrison are the best older
siblings. “They take their job seriously, tending to Lillie‟s every
need—as long as it doesn‟t interfere with their Scooby-Doo episodes or
Wii tournaments,” says Richie.
The challenges of being older siblings are met with enthusiasm.
Karen comments, “We‟re very proud of how Lillie‟s arrival has been
embraced by Elle, Spencer and Harrison. They usually introduce her as
their „best friend‟, it warms our hearts.”
The Wonder of the Wii
Berryville—Santa knew how much the children would enjoy having a Wii,
which is why he paid heed to Elle‟s written request and delivered one with
several games this past Christmas. Elle was so excited when she woke up
to see the Wii under the tree. It wasn‟t long before the sound of Wii
bowling filled the air followed by a demolition game played by Spencer.
Harrison and Lillie were (and continue to be) content cheering the others as
they play their respective games. Once the novelty of the Wii waned,
Karen took control of a Wii remote to play a shooting game. So far she‟s
claimed the Bronze, Silver and Gold metals. Richie enjoys playing Wii
golf. “I‟m pretty good at golf,” he says, “I‟m good at bowling too.”
Competition has its place. Elle and Spencer play several games
together and are learning that they can‟t win every time. They are
beginning to learn the lesson of competing with themselves as opposed to
competing with one another. “This lesson is starting to sink in as cheers of
congratulations can be heard throughout the house,” says Karen as she
picks up the Wii remote to shatter her current record of 491. “I‟m shooting
(pun intended) for 600. If I can shoot more ducks, I‟ll be set.”
The Blick RV aka
The Rollin‟ Terd (from the movie RV)
The Blick Family
Let’s Go RVing!
Berryville—And that‟s exactly what Karen, Richie and the kids did
this past October. After finding an RV for sale on the Internet, Richie
picked it up for a test drive. We then decided to take it on a trip and
visit friends in Montoursville, PA. “It was a lesson in cooperation,”
commented Karen, “but the kids had a great time in spite of the
cramped quarters.” Richie spends time looking through the book,
Scenic Places in America, determining future destinations, “I can‟t
wait to take the kids on trips across the country!” exclaims Richie.
Earl and Diana are taking part in the RV experience as well so watch
out for The Blicks!
Spencer and Elle battle it out on the Wii screen
Wii Statistics Elle—“Charge”—Silver Metal
Spencer—“Bowling”—6-Pack Strike
Karen—“Shooting Range”—Gold Metal
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S t y l e
This Year’s Picks
Elle’s Favorites
Spencer’s Favorites
Harrison’s Favorites
Lillie’s Favorites
Book Amelia Bedilia series Pixar ® Cars
book series
Chicka Chicka
Boom Boom
Family Fun
Magazine
Movie/Video Wonder Woman Pixar ® Cars Scooby-Doo What‟s the
Name of That
Song
Song You Belong with Me
by Taylor Swift
Life is a
Highway by
Rascal Flats
4 Minutes by
Madonna and
Justin Timberlake
Rock-A-By
Baby
Toy Stickers Pixar ® Cars
movie Cars
iPod Pacifier
Pastime Gymnastics Running and
standing on
head
Jumping and
summer salts
Looking at Elle,
Spencer and
Harrison
Chore Doing Dishes,
Sweeping and
Vacuuming
Sweep Wiping off tables Supervising
family members
Responsibility Changing Lillie‟s
Diaper
Keeping his toy
cars in order
Cleaning up all
his messes
Keeping
Mommy on her
toes
Outdoor Activity Swinging on the tire
swing
Racing on his
scooter
Pushing his Little
Tikes car
Looking at all
the snow
Character/Cartoon Sponge Bob Patrick (from
Sponge Bob)
Tootie from Yo
Gabba Gabba
Daddy
Food Fruit Cocktail Cereal with
Milk
Milk, Milk and
more Milk
Milk
Berryville—This
year‟s
favorites
are in!
From
favorite
song to
favorite
chore, this
list tells
readers
what‟s in at
the Blick
household.
Left—This year‟s
picks
decided by
Elle,
Spencer,
Harrison
and Lillie.
Picture of the Year The Meeting
December 2010
The Parent‟s Pride Gallery Berryville, Virginia
The Eclectic Collection
“My Famile” by Elle
“School
Bus” by Spencer
“Hands and
Heart” by
Harrison (on loan from the I Have a Dream
Exhibit)
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L i f e Mt. Vernon HS Class of 1989 Celebrates
Alexandria, VA—Karen, her sister Kathy,
and her best friend from high school,
Laura, reunited for a trip down memory
lane in August 2009. Their 20th
high
school reunion brought them and quite a
few of their former classmates together to
reminisce and catch up on the past two
decades. “It was fun to see everyone
again,” remarks Karen as she flips through
old photographs to post on Facebook.
What a Decade Brings…..
Berryville—In short, 4 children, laughter, stress, homes,
career changes, college degrees and many, many funny
stories. Karen and Richie celebrated their 10th
wedding
anniversary this past April at a quaint restaurant in White
Post, VA. Richie surprised Karen with a diamond
anniversary band; Karen surprised Richie with the news
that Lillie was on her way (to which he confirmed with
multiple pregnancy tests!).
“Our marriage hasn‟t been
without its share of ups
and downs, but we keep
our focus on the positive.
We‟re looking forward to
the next 50+ years,” says
Karen. “I‟d do it all over
again,” smiles Richie. The
big question is, would Karen? To which she replies, “yes.”
Richie’s Real Estate Reality
Berryville— An improving market keeps Richie busy. After a lull in
the industry, Richie continues to use technology, specifically his
websites and personal contacts to maintain and increase business. The
loss of his cell phone over Christmas proved to be quite an obstacle to
overcome, then his main computer crashed and he lost a program that
he used religiously, but he managed these obstacles in stride.
In spite of a slow real estate market, Richie has helped several
people find their dream home or dream property. He also sold our
additional lot at the lake. “It‟s a thrill for me to help people realize their
dream of owning a home. Good deals are to be had out there; 2010 is
looking very promising. I‟m hopeful for a good year.” Richie remarks.
Richie‟s Goin‟ Green Business Card
Karen and Laura, 1988 Kathy, Laura and Karen, 2009
Our View
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a certificate of appreciation from the Clarke County Animal
Society and a Nintendo DS from her mom and dad. She
continues her community service pursuits by volunteering her
time to visit the animal shelter and pet the animals. “I like
holding the cats,” says Elle.
“She‟s getting so big and comes up with great ideas and
ways to help others. She‟s the first to pack bread when we go out
on the boat to feed the ducks while at Lake Gaston. She was the
first one to put change in the Salvation Army pots during the
holidays and deposited her contribution to the school‟s food drive
with pride. She immediately went to work sweeping and
organizing toys, wiping off countertops and vacuuming to earn
canned goods to contribute to a local family for the holidays. We
have a genuine philanthropist in the family,” gleams Karen.
Another thing that Elle is proud of is the fact that she‟s
Elle’s Excellent Adventure
Berryville—Elle finished Kindergarten with excellent
marks and started 1st grade with the teacher she adores.
“I like Mrs. Newcomb because she decorates her door,”
explained Elle when she received notice of who her
teacher was going to be. She began this school year
excited to share all of her summer feats with her friends,
starting with how she learned to swim without floaties
and that she could swim underwater. She was able to
showcase her skills at her first Daisy Scout event—a
pool party! Elle has also learned to read quite well and
advanced to reading Amelia Bedelia stories. Her face
beamed with pride when she commented at the dinner
table that she could read „congratulations‟. “We‟re very
proud of our little girl,” comments Richie as he gives Elle a big hug.
Another accomplishment that Elle has made is with her artwork.
“She really enjoys painting,” remarks Karen, “I‟ve enjoyed working
with her on class projects. She started the year researching flamingos
and painted a poster size flamingo for her project and included some
important facts about them, then she had an art project to create using
noodles and she decided to do a fish, and then there was her planet
project. She did a great 3-D rendering of Neptune by painting a ½
sphere different shades of blue, mounting it on foam board, and
including facts about the „blue planet‟.
Elle is also proud of her commitment to community service.
She asked her friends to bring presents for the local animal shelter to
her birthday party in lieu of presents for herself. In return, she received
Elle‟s mermaid pose at Lake Gaston
Inspiration
Above: Elle tries hard to keep the class members‟
attention as she reviews Annie‟s spelling words.
Elle with Mrs. Newcomb at the Annual Christmas Program
lost 4 teeth and the tooth fairy has visited her every time. “The tooth fairy has a special bank where she gets silver
dollars and two dollar bills,” says Elle, “Mommy and Daddy say I can‟t spend them, so I have them in my bank.
They told me that I have to keep my teeth squeaky clean so I don‟t get any cavities. The tooth fairy doesn‟t bring as
much for those teeth and I need money to buy stuff.” “We think her smile is precious,” Karen remarks.
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Inspiration
Spencer‟s 5-Year Portrait
greeted with, “What did you bring for show and tell today,
Spencer?”
Spencer‟s love of cars has defined the past year of his
life. He has become an avid collector of Pixar © Cars toy cars.
He knows which cars belong to him (over 50) and which belong
to Harrison and Elle. He loves racing them, crashing them and
organizing them along the back of the couch. He‟s very
prideful of his collection.
His love of action keeps Richie and Karen on their toes.
He enjoys racing, running, jumping and climbing. And he likes
doing it faster and/or better than anyone. His competitive spirit
can sometimes get the better of him, but he‟s learning to control
his temper and play fair with others. His infrequent outbursts
for calls of justice break his normal persona of a very quiet and
reserved little boy. “We just love his sweet nature,” says Karen.
Above: Spencer spent most of his time at Lake Gaston
practicing casting his rod and reel; Right: Spencer‟s
little boy portrait, commissioned by his Daddy.
Spencer’s Charm is Infectious
Berryville—Spencer continues to charm his way into the hearts
of many. He enjoys riding his scooter at high speeds and has
gone through several pairs of shoes because he uses his right
foot as the brake. He has recently taken up writing. He writes
his name without help, practices the other letters of the alphabet
and has started practicing writing numbers. “He‟s a doer,”
comments Richie, “if you need anything figured out on a
computer, he‟s your guy. He really likes technology and enjoys
problem-solving.”
Spencer enjoys the teachers at his school. He looks
forward to show and tell every week. Spencer and Karen
worked out a deal where he takes a toy one week and an object
from nature the next. This alternating schedule has encouraged
Spencer to explore nature. So far he has brought a dead snake
(frozen), a hornet‟s nest, a variety of dead bugs, a snakeskin and
a turtle shell to share with classmates. His teachers are a little
anxious on show and tell day because they‟ve never had a
student bring a snake for show and tell before. Spencer is often
10
fall. He was standing on a stool and leaned
forward. The stool came out from under him
and he bit part of his tongue
Keep in Touch! Berryville Home—111 Battletown Drive, Berryville, VA 22611—540.955.2039
Soggy Britches—224 Kelly Drive, Valentines, VA 23887
Karen‟s email—[email protected] Karen‟s cell—703.314.5849
Richie‟s email—[email protected] Richie‟s cell—703.401.7980
Inspiration A Force of Nature
Berryville—Karen and Richie can‟t really seem to define
Harrison. He‟s a love bug one minute and a bull the next. His
zest for life is apparent as he gives everything he does his all.
He enjoys the company of others and doesn‟t hesitate to carry
on conversations with those he meets. He spends hours
listening to music on his iPod. His favorite song continues to
be Justin Timberlake and Madonna‟s 4 Minutes although he
has expanded his listening pleasure to include Lady Ga-Ga
and Nellie & Fergie. “He‟s our DJ,” laughs Karen, “he knows
more about that iPod than I do. If I need to find something, I
usually have to get his help. That‟s pretty impressive
considering he‟s 3 years old!”
Harrison looks forward to school. He enjoys his
teachers and likes to share his knowledge with others. “It‟s
adorable to hear him using his words. Some favorites include:
re-dic-kley-us (ridiculous), havit (habit), and much a lot (slang
for „more‟). His insistent tone commands the attention of his
teachers and classmates. Harrison did suffer an unavoidable
accident while at school one day this past fall. He was
standing on a stool and slipped. He bit part of his tongue
July 2009 for a busted chin), but this is a first for
Harrison and he was a trooper. Once he knew he
could get popsicles, he was happy.”
Harrison has taken the responsibility of big
brother very seriously. He won‟t hesitate to
correct Elle, Spencer, his Mommy or his Daddy if
they wake her up or do something to upset her. He
even supervises Elle when she carries Lillie to
ensure that her head is supported and her feet are
covered. “We‟re so proud of our „little man‟, he‟s
growing up so fast,” comments Richie, “it won‟t
be long before he‟s in Kindergarten too.
Hopefully we‟ll be able to tame his mischievous
nature by then!” Karen adds, “I‟ve already warned
the principal at the primary school to be prepared!”
off and bit through his bottom lip. Richie took him to the emergency room where he was taken to surgery to repair his
tongue and lip. “We‟re lucky this accident didn‟t impair his speech considering how much of his tongue was
severed,” comments Karen. Richie adds, “we‟re used to taking Spencer in for stitches (his latest trip to the ER was
Above Left: Harrison fishing; Above Right: Harrison stops for a
quick photo with his idol “The Abominable Snowman