Spring Forward with the Ratliffs in 2016

Dear Friends & Family, We hope our annual missive finds you in good stead. The video, which is accessible through the link below, highlights our last year. Here is a recap in the order of the pictures and clips you’ll see in the video. In February, Alan took a two week trip with four friends to South Africa for a photo safari, scuba diving and sightseeing. Staying at a half million acre open wildlife reserve, Alan had two daily safaris in a large jeep where he got up close to the Big 5 including lions and cheetahs walking right up to the jeep. Also, a herd of 40 migrating elephants stopped to water for an hour and a half at the plunge pools on back decks of their cabins. And, yes, there was elephant riding and elephant kisses, and apes on the beach at Cape Point (very Planet of the Apes-esque)! We also went back to Puerto Rico in early March this year to get Tricia some much needed R&R, and it did just the trick. Oh that spa at the Ritz-Carlton! Sunny, friendly and warm for a week in the winter! For our 29th anniversary in early January, we spent a week in Kauai, one of the Hawaiian Islands. We saw the “Fantasy Island” falls, flew over the Hawaiian Grand Canyon in a helicopter, rode horses in the hills, zip-lined forests, and snorkeled in the bay. Yes, those are pictures of white tip sharks during Alan’s warm up dive before heading to Africa. Yikes! Back before last Thanksgiving, we went to Cozumel, Mexico for a long weekend, so Alan could get his advanced diving certification (for deeper dives) which he needed for his trip to South Africa. Alan did 7 dives in a day and a half, but got it done. Pictures are from our water front room, followed by scuba photos from Cozumel, Kauai and South Africa. Of particular note was the large school of dolphins on the last dive in South Africa, more sharks including two great whites on a cage dive in Capetown, along with rays, eels and other exotic fish. Apart from these big trips, we also enjoyed seeing family and friends across the U.S. including watching our Baylor Bears beat the Tarheels in Orlando after Christmas, horseback riding in Colorado during last summer, a week on the West Coast in Carmel and the Wine Country (including a stay in a French-style Chalet), and pictures with cousins Beth and Glenn and their kids who we saw in South Carolina for a “fun run” and in Houston for an obstacle “mud run” both to support medical research. Back in Houston, we hosted a charity event at which actress Laura Dern spoke, and we watched nephew Jack play basketball – his team won their league championship and he received his team’s sportsmanship award. Other fun pictures of Jack and Uncle Al playing football and in Star Wars costumes at Halloween, niece Vivian with Aunt T and the Grinch at Christmas, a girls trip (Tricia, her sister, mother and niece) to Chicago, Tricia with her parents at a Texans/Saints game, with her mom on a camel, combined family at Thanksgiving dinner, Tricia and friend Kelly at a Baylor game, Tricia with the famous Fixer Uppers from TV, and cats Hiphop and Beebop. Also photos of Spring Break in New York for Broadway shows including Hamilton (it’s as great as they say and yes that’s Secretary of State Kerry in the crowd), the revival of Fiddler (we saw it at the Broadway Theater on Broadway), and Woody Allen playing with the New Orleans Jazz Band at the historic Carlyle Hotel. There are also photos of more skydiving friends, Alan rappelling a 25-story hotel (for charity), a Texans road game with his brother, and us with Jill Conner Browne of Sweet Potato Queens-fame (we sponsored the world premiere of musical based on the book). Finally, we pay tribute to our youngest nephew Ben who passed in January before his 8th birthday. Tricia continues to enjoy making a difference with the kids at Chinquapin Prep, and Alan is still consulting and expert-ing, having testified at 4 trials last year in Boston, Dallas, East Texas and Phoenix. Keep in touch, tricia.ratliff@comcast.net, 713-705-7422, and aratliff@stoneturn.com, 832-435-3535, and come see us!
Spring Forward with the Ratliffs in 2016
Spring Forward with the Ratliffs in 2016
Spring Forward with the Ratliffs in 2016
Spring Forward with the Ratliffs in 2016
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