Lisa - Summer Vacation 2006

Our summer vacation is being spent in the exotic vacation destination of Storm Lake, Iowa! We are staying at a great resort featuring catered meals, free child care, lake excursions, a little shopping, a backyard pool (3' x 6'), and free party planning services. Yes, we are spending a week here to celebrate my {*choke*} 40th birthday. I'm a little leary of the festivities that are being planned for tomorrow. It seems that Mom (Fran) is having a little too much fun with this one. We may stay for the 4th of July "Star Spangled Spectacular" that Storm Lake always has, which is acutally a lot of fun. All joking aside, we are having a great time here seeing Dawn, Eric, Sebastian, and their new baby Charlotte - she is a little sweetie. It is a full house and everyone is getting along great. (I was talking about the kids.)

Summer Vacation 2006

Tom and I had our summer vacation early spring. Tom won an all expense paid trip to Aruba for one whole week of just laying in the sun on the white sandy beaches, drinking fruity drinks, eating expensive dinners with a different "theme night" every night, free excursion of snorkeling with open bar and lunch bar all day! Sounds like a great trip huh? Here is when we should have known things were not going to run as smooth as we had dreamed! Dad (Marv) drops us off at the airport at 4:30 AM, yes AM! We start the check in process when the guy behind the counter says, is this the only birth certificate you have? OH sh*t, I knew that was not going to be good. Tom said yes, why is that going to be a problem in Atlanta, GA? he said that is going to be problem here! We need the State issued birth certificate the county issued certificate is not good and I am sorry we cannot let you board. I looked at the guy and said are you kidding. NOPE! Long story short we did not leave Monday morning, re-booked the same flight for Tuesday morning same time. Yes, Tom did get the state issued birth certificate and we boarded the plan Tuesay morning at 5:30 am and were on our way to Aruba. Everything went great, flew in to the island (by the way part of the landing lights are in the ocean, little scary to see that). Got to the check in desk, sorry your room is not ready yet, however we have a room with 2 queen size beds. We said sure no problem (we now look back and see that was clue #2 that things were still going to go down hill). We got into our room at 1:30 pm, got settled and headed for the pool. It was so pretty, warm, light music playing and we were just a cross from the ocean. At about 4 we had to go and get ready for Tom's awards banquette. Got back up to the room, i sat there for a little bit and thought hmmm I really do not feel that good. Sat there a little longer and said you are right you are not feeling good, had to run to the bathroom to throw up, few minutes later back to the bathroom to do other things. Spent the rest of the night doing the same routine while Tom left for the banquette. (Side note: NO ...NOT PREGNANT!!) Spent all day Wednesday in bed sleeping! By Thursday felt better, so we had to pack in a little sight seeing, shopping and beach time all in one day. Then we left on Friday. So that is how the Nyren's spent their vacation time! Side note #2: My husband thought it was great, sick Mom, he did not have to watch the kids, he could gamble, drink and hang out in the warm Carribiean weather! So a lesson learned from the Nyren's, if leaving the country always have a passport!!

Leo's Bio Since High School

I graduated from Kuemper High School in Carroll in 1963, the year John Kennedy was shot. Eleven days after I graduated, I left for Winona, Minnesota to join the Christian Brothers, an international religious order of teaching brothers. I stayed with them for four years and then decided it was no longer my calling.

I did continue to attend college at St. Marys in Winona and graduated in 1968 with a BA in English and Theology and a minor Education.

The Viet Nam War was on; I met with the draft board in Carroll and told them I would not participate in the war. They gave me a Conscientious Objector status and assigned me to two years of alternative service which I had to find. It had to be far from home, low pay, and for a non-profit organization.

I moved to Miami, Florida with my girlfriend, Kathy, and found work in a residential treatment center for troubled or retarded children. That was my "alternative service" for the draft. Two years later, Kathy and I were married; we stayed in Miami for one more year, then took a three month trip through Europe and traveled by train to 14 different countries.

We moved to Denver in 1972 and found teaching jobs in a small private school for troubled kids. I have worked at six different schools in Denver over the last 35 years, always with children with emotional or learning problems. I’ve always enjoyed working with those kids in small settings where we could develop a real sense of community.

Our three kids, Aaron, Bridget and Martin are all married and living in Denver also. Aaron is married to Kelly, Bridget is married to Pablo, and Martin is married to Maggie. Bridgie and Pablo have a 20 month old son, Nicholas Andres.
It is great having everyone close by.

I retired a year ago but still teach part time in some alternative high schools; I teach a class that I developed called Leadership and Character Development. It’s still fun being around kids and it gets me out of the house. I also do some pottery, composting with worms, meet at the coffee shop with friends, read, take walks, ride my bike with Kathy. Life is good.