Welcome to John and Sharon's Photo Album -- 2011: 2010

John & Sharon Beauman

"2010 Christmas Letter"

This blog is a companion to the 2010 Christmas letter we sent to friends and family. We hope you enjoy it.

Jesus is the reason
for the season!

"It Was a Very Good Year," was Frank Sinatra’s 1966 Grammy Award winning song included in his album, the "September of My Years." Both titles connected with John when he made the decision to actually retire and not run for a third four-year term on the Brea City Council. This means that we are both actually retired together for the very first time. John sees this new phase of life as the "September of His Years", one of the events that prompted out 2010 Christmas letter. Our last one was in 2006; each letter was prompted by certain milestones in our lives and those of our children. Since 2010 is a transition year for us (retirement), we felt it warranted picking up the pen one more time. To add a little zest, we decided to post some family photos on this newly created blog as a companion to this Christmas letter.

The table has been set just for you.

Welcome to our home-blog. Thank you for being our guest. The table has been set as our way of saying "Welcome".

We wish you and yours a very blessed Christmas and joyful holiday season...

Retirement is finally here for the Beaumans!

John as Mayor, shown in his City Hall office

December 2010 ended John's 9-year political career as a member of the Brea City Council, which began in November 2001. John's decision not to run for reelection for another 4-year term, launched us into a life of retirement, versus several years of semi-retirement. John retired from the corporate world in 2003 and Sharon in 2001 when her company was sold. She remained active in our church and still is active in leading a women's Bible study.

Political life pretty much took center stage for a large portion of the last nine years.

John's installation as president

at the Nixon Library.
Does the pose look familiar?
John says he got caught up in the moment.

There were certain joint activities in which we both participated. John's installation as President of the Orange County Division of the League of California Cities was one such event. The adjacent photo was taken at his installation, held at the Richard Nixon Library in the adjacent city of Yorba Linda, Nixon's birthplace.

John was careful not to let the
Presidential Seal go to his head.

A very familiar sight.
Cosmo helping John study for City Council

Preparing for City Council meetings
took hours of study time.
Cosmo thought John's Council packet
was somehow the best place for his afternoon nap. John decided an afternoon nap
wasn't such a bad idea after all, just as he was getting ready to doze off, himself.

Justin and Matthew (Joe) Maguire (daughter Kelli's boys)

visiting John at City Hall

And no, they're not standing on a box.

Kelli and husband Pat Maguire's only granddaughter, Kenzi (our only great grandchild)

Isn't she a doll?

Husband Pat, granddaughter Kenzi and Kelli

John Jr. / Colorado Beaumans

John Jr. (photo below) holds the newest addition to our family: our 20th grandchild.

John lives and practices family medicine in Colorado.

John Jr. with his son, John III (June 2010). See the resemblance?

John Jr. M.D.
Family Medicine

Our Hero!
While serving his second tour
in Iraq, John Jr. was awarded the
Bronze Star Medal
After 13 years in the Army as a flight surgeon,
he retired as a Lt. Colonel,
and entered private practice
in Colorado

John III at 6 months old

"Attention Walmart shoppers."
John III's first trip to Walmart.

(John III) Snookie"s first visit with Santa

Lisa, John III and John Jr., MD

John Sr.'s son, Jerry (Palm Springs, CA) 

Son, Jerry at the Great Wall of China
during one of his business trips to the Far East.
Other visits included Korea and Japan

It isn't all work and no play. Deep sea fishing provides a balance.

Son, Jerry, Hiking at Whitewater

Jerry's Best Friend: Rusty

John's daughter Debbie Harvey's family / Ventura

Debbie, husband Andy and their five children live in Ventura.

A very talented and musical family.

John, Katie and Kevin are all into Irish dancing.

We call them the O'Harveys. Not a drop of Irish blood in any of them,

but they might as well be Irish with the world champions awards.

Sisters Katie and Samantha

Samantha during her semester in Europe, at the Vatican.
I think she's smiling because tourists kept
dropping money into her hat.
Not a bad way to see Europe.

Kevin, Samantha, Katie, Thomas (foreground), John

All the Harvey kids in the same place at the same time. Wow!

husband, Andy Harvey

Daughter Debbie with sons
John and Thomas

The Harveys on their NYC adventure.
Husband Andy in background.

Harvey clan, getting ready to welcome in the New Year.

The Harveys!

John's daughter Brenda Rode's Family / Colorado

daughter Brenda and husband Travis Rode

Hats are a must when you live on the Colorado prairie.

Brenda and Travis' four girls.

Shoshannah, Sarah, Leah, Hannah

Rode boys:
Matthew, Daniel, Michael and Samuel

Our Scott Valley, Northern California Getaway

Our cozy Scott Valley hideaway

John being greeted by our Scott Valley neighbor--Mr. Ed.

The trip over Forest Mountain Summit in the winter is quite an adventure.

Bluegrass Festival in Scott Valley. A lot of fun.

Deer are a common sight.

We often wake up to deer on our front lawn.

Isn't God's nature wonderful?

View of a common sight from our living room window.
Scott Valley wild life

Back home again in Brea

Sharon's son Russell Bartling and wife Julie and their three sons (Bradley, Max and Parker), are Brea residents. Russ and Julie grew up in Brea and so did a whole host of their friends.

Russ, Julie and boys enjoying Kauai vacation

Hawaii vacation

Maximo the slugger!

Bradley, #81, at Pop Warner football practice.
Russ' friends that played Pop Warner football
are now watching their own sons playing football together.
It's easy to see why Brea offers that home town feeling.

Back at our House