Phil, Tama & Joseph Kline 22570 Klines Resort Rd., Three Rivers MI 49093

(269)649-5350

lakefrontphil@msn.com

from the Kline Family

Rejoice

in the

Lord always.

I will say it again:

rejoice! Let your

gentleness be evident

to all. The Lord is near.

Do not be anxious

about anything, but in

every situation, by prayer

and petition, with thanksgiving,

present your requests to God.

And the peace of God, which

transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your

minds in Christ Jesus. Finally...

whatever is true, whatever is noble,

whatever is right, whatever is pure,

whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable –

if anything is excellent or praiseworthy –

think about such things. (Phil 4: 4-8 NIV)

Trip, stumble and fall! It started last Octo-

ber, when brother Wayne fell out the win-

dow of the home he is rehabbing. He made

the evening news when Kalamazoo Mayor

Bobby Hopwell, who happened to be can-

vasing the neighborhood, assisted Wayne

until the ambulance arrived. Then in April,

Dad Kline tripped on a sidewalk in Sun City,

leading to hip surgery and rehab. Brother

Kevin joined the list this summer, when he

fell down the stairs in the dark, resulting in

a slow-healing bone fracture in his foot. It’s

been a long road to recovery for the Kline

boys. Thankfully all are doing well.

Mayor Hopwell served our family again,

performing Kim & Tim’s wedding ceremony

in Bronson Park this summer. We celebrat-

ed later with an amazing reception dinner

on a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. It was

the highlight of the year!

Speaking of weddings… Our first exchange

son, Tam Nguyen, was married in Vietnam

in March. His lovely wife, Pjhu, gave birth to

a daughter on Dec 12! We missed the

March wedding, but we won’t miss seeing

our first exchange-grandchild! Tama and I

fly to Ho Chi Minh City in February.

We had a great visit with Andras Antal this

summer. He’s still the most outgoing of our

exchange sons, and helped out with several

Resort events. Andy returned to Romania

for his senior year and college entrance

exams.

Phil’s sister Carol Higgins worked valiantly

to unseat our Republican State Rep in the

fall election. We’re proud of all her hard

work… it seems the country wanted a

different kind of change.

It’s been a rough year for our Klines Resort/

West Mendon neighbors. We lost good

friends Dick Horn, Betty Salisbury, June

Morley, Carol Collins, Bonnie Cole, and Bill

Kirk over the course of the year…

Joseph has a great life… IMHO… He just

turned 20! Joe hit a deer this spring and

totaled his car. He’s in a newer Chevy now.

Joe spent summer working on the resort

grounds crew. Now he’s commuting to

KVCC where he’s working on his Associates

degree in business. He plans to transfer to

WMU next fall, where Amanda is also stud-

ying. He loves WMU marching band; they

get to play at the Cotton Bowl on Jan 2nd!

Row the Boat!

Clockwise from top: Joe & Amanda help at Fun Day, Zong and

friend visit for Joe’s birthday, Tim & Kim (Nemire) Marlow,

Carol & granddaughters, Kevin, Andras & Joe at Sleeping Bear

Dunes, Tam & Pjhu’s wedding, Mom and Dad back in Arizona.

Kline Family News

January in Arizona: (left) Kline get-

together selfie, (rt) hiking White

Tank. We spent a week at the Mesa

time share, explored Scottsdale, saw

a Phoenix Suns game, toured Zoo

Lights and Thompson

Arboretum.

March in Florida: college Spring

Break at the time share with

Shane, Richy, & Amanda.

July in NYC: Canceled flights

forced a detour to Washington

DC. We walked the mall at 4 am,

then bussed to New York where

Zong was working as an

intern. We stayed in Brook-

lyn, rode the ferry, saw a

musical and explored

Greenwich Village.

February San Francisco: We avoided Super Bowl

crowds, hiked the coastal trail, biked the Golden

Gate, met up with Garrett Collins, toured the

“painted ladies” Victorians, and rode the cable

cars to and from our Russian Hill Airbnb flat.

Click to add photo

My goal this year was to race a half-ironman to celebrate

turning 60… But a minor bike crash last Thanksgiving left me

unable to run for months. Instead of rehab, I fit in regular

massages with Ty and worked at the gym with my amazing

trainer – Kerry Miller. By June, I was able to join friends racing

the “Run Michigan Cheap” 10 km race on the Kal Haven Trail. I

was first in my age group – out of two.

Biking was a challenge for a different reason. The tragic deaths

of 5 cyclists in Kalamazoo, coupled with my own close call with

a county bus, made me wary of riding alone. It didn’t help

when friends Scott and Bruce both suffered bike crashes

caused by chasing dogs. Bike camp in March was in Texas Hill

County. But my best training was on weekly KBC group rides,

where I slowly improved my ability to keep the 18+ mph pace

on a hilly route. On weekends I practiced “bricks” with friends

also preparing for triathlons.

Swimming was great. It helped me stay limber, and I swam at

least a mile in Portage Lake 2 or 3 times a week, dragging an

orange pull buoy for safety. As my running improved I worked

up to 3 runs a week, and added bleacher workouts on Fridays.

My winter weight finally came off. In August I raced the Three

Rivers Tri, placing third in my age group!

So I felt confident I could finish the Sunrise Side Half Ironman in

early September. Joe Bippus and I went to East Tawas to

scope out the course a day early. On our practice swim we

enjoyed perfectly flat water on Tawas Bay. Race day was a

different story. Heavy chop made me immediately dizzy and

sick in the water, probably due to a nagging inner ear problem.

I repeatedly lost direction and struggled to swim half the

course. Finally I hailed the Coast Guard for a humorous rescue,

swamping the Jet Ski that came to carry me to shore – twice.

Disqualified, I hopped on my bike never the less and rode the

beautiful 56 mile course, coughing up water for the first 15

minutes. It was all I could do to finish the bike; I decided not to

attempt the run. When I failed to join Joe on the run course,

he bailed too. Friends Tim and Tammy both finished with

great times, and we stayed to celebrate with them afterwards.

In hindsight I’m glad I had a big goal, even though I failed to

achieve it. It kept me motivated and helped me overcome the

challenges, both physical and mental. I’m blessed to be in the

best shape I’ve been in for years, with no chronic problems

keeping me down. I think I’m learning to maintain a more

balanced life, to be patient with adversity, to be thankful and

take nothing for granted. Older and wiser? I hope!

From top: Run group kept me going - even when I couldn’t run.

Texas bike camp with Scott, Bruce & Joe based in Dripping

Springs TX so that Bruce could attend a family wedding nearby.

On the bike and the podium (with Kevin S.) at Three Rivers Tri.

With Tim, Tammy and Joe at the Sunrise Side Half Ironman.

Phil’s ironman quest...

“Life is not about making others happy. Life is

about sharing your happiness with others.”

unknown

As a kid, I didn’t like to share. I admit it.

“Share your toys” meant giving something

of mine to a younger brother, wondering if it

would return in one piece. “Share the bed”

meant being kicked by Keith all night. “Share

the potatoes” meant leaving just enough for

Bobby to have seconds - somehow the

nearly empty bowl always ended up in front

of him. “Share the canoe” meant hauling Ric

all the way down river in the middle, only to

have him swamp us at the end. “Share the

television” meant watching someone else’s

favorite show. I know it’s selfish and petty,

but I hated sharing. Something bad always

came of it.

Maybe that’s why the “Share the Road”

campaign does little to protect bikers. It im-

plies that motor vehicles own the road, and

are doing bikes a favor by even allowing

them on the pavement. It sounds optional…

like, “be a good boy and leave a little room

for the bikes.” There’s the bully factor; we

think nothing of slowing down for a garbage

truck or moving over for farm equipment.

They’re bigger than us. And bikes are little.

We can “share” the same lane with a bike

and never move over or slow down… Just

who do they think they are, anyhow?

That’s why I support the “Give ‘em 5” rule.

Requiring 5 ft. clearance for bikers, pedestri-

ans and wheelchairs creates an unambigu-

ous safety zone. “Give” orders you to relin-

quish control. “Five” feet means traffic has

to move partially into the next lane to pass,

or slow down until it’s safe to do so. Grand

Rapids, Kalamazoo and Portage all approved

5’ passing ordinances this year. Now the

push is on to legislate it state wide.

I know… It’s hard to enforce. It won’t stop

road rage, dogs or distracted driving. It won’t

help the foolish bikers who wear all black

and ride after dark without lights. It wouldn’t

have saved the Kalamazoo 5. But it raises

the bar, changes the discussion, and gives

law enforcement an objective definition of

“safe passing distance.” It’s a tool we need.

Let’s get it done!

Below:

Florida vacation

shots from Cocoa

Beach, Gatorland,

stand up paddle boarding

near Cape Canaveral, &

Capones Dinner Theater

“There are two ways to live life; as

though nothing is a miracle, and as

though everything is.” Albert Einstein

Historical nonfiction by Erik Larson: “Devil in the White City”

wet my whistle for these true stories. From the rise of Hitler (In

the Garden of the Beasts) to the sinking of the Lusitania (Dead

Wake), Larson puts you in the midst of historic events.

“Matilda” on Broadway: Creative staging, enjoyable musical

about an unusually gifted girl. Don’t rent the movie – you have

to hear the musical version on stage!

Never Go Back: Tom Cruise finally fills Jack Reacher’s shoes in

his second outing. Race - the true story of Jessie Owens jour-

ney to Olympic gold in 1936 Nazi Germany - also makes my

favorite movies list. Star Trek Beyond - a disappointment…

“How to Get Away with Murder” Season 3: Wes is dead. Viola

Davis is incredible! I’m hooked. Where will it end?

“All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr tells the story

of a blind French girl and a young German soldier whose paths

intersect in occupied France. Je suis enchante’...

“If/Then” at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago: Stunning theater,

lovely music. If I see it again I might understand the story line.

Scotty McCreery at the State Theater: He can make a “water

tower town” sound fab. Great night out with Mark & Lisa.

Sing along Messiah in Kalamazoo: Can’t beat the classics to get

in the Christmas spirit! “And he shall reign forever and ever….”

Best cheap seats with a view of Chicago.…

Sarah McLachlan, Foy Vance, & Josh Groben

“In the Arms of an Angel.” last August.

Blake Lewis &

Elliott Yamen at

7 Steps Up in

September:

Intimate venue,

talented former

American Idols,

great music.

Vocal jazz great

Sheila Jordan live

at Lincoln Center

this November.

“Dat dere”

proves you’re

never too old to

do the things you

love (she’s 88).

Hometown favorite Matt Weddon solos with the

MSU symphony in March. This guy’s goin’ places!

Top: WMU

Marching Band

(Joe is front row

middle)

Rt: Bronco Joe

Left: Gold Co’s

James Richard-

son entertains at

the Resort. Loved

his recital too.

...my favorite things

Best cheap concert seats: Sunset over Chicago from our $19

bleacher seats at the Josh Grobin Concert.

Best cheap flight vacation: San Francisco RT from Grand Rap-

ids for $128. Oops… it’s during Super Bowl week.

Best way to find a room Super Bowl week: Airbnb. Also used it

to find a perfect farmhouse for bike camp. Our Brooklyn

loft was a disappointment; the Barcelona loft was perfect.

Best room with a view: It’s a tie! San Francisco from the balco-

ny of our 6th floor Airbnb apartment on Russian Hill or Chi-

cago from Tom’s 22nd floor condo near Navy Pier.

Best ride to the airport: Uber or Lyft. Garrett Collins showed us

how in San Francisco. It was a big help in Washington DC,

New York and Chicago. But forget about it at rush hour.

Best Family Vacation: Florida with Amanda, Shane, Richy and

Joseph. Beach and sun. Gatorland, gangsters & chocolate.

Best road trip: Dripping Springs, Texas with Joe, Bruce, Scott

and our 8 bikes to ride the Hill Country in March.

Best bike ride: The road to the lighthouse at Cap de Formentor

in Mallorca. Best bike camp too!

Best bike ride in all four seasons: Mann Road with my fat tire

bike. Winter, Spring Summer and Fall….

Best Gadget: Phil’s Android phone. He’s never looking back!

Best Google maps restaurant find: Red Rock BBQ, Ypsilanti.

Best Google maps brew pub: Stormcloud Brewing, Frankfort.

Best coffee shop: Union Coffee House, Buchanan saved Bruce

and me from hypothermia on our rain soaked Hospice Ride.

Best Saturday morning run group: Susan pushes. Bart enter-

tains. Patty keeps us safe. Joe & Scott keep getting faster.

Best camping trip: Sleeping Bear Dunes with Andras, Joseph

and Kevin. No one gives a bear hug like Andy!

Best Father’s Day gift: Mug #4 at Vicksburg’s new brew pub,

the Distant Whistle. Yes, Tama loves me….

2nd best smile: The look on Dad’s face playing ping pong at the

family reunion. He made the quarterfinal!

Best smile: Tama - while singing for Dick Horn’s memorial ser-

vice. She’s even more beautiful when she sings.

Best wedding to crash: The outdoor wedding for Bruce’s niece

at Villa Antonia outside Austin.

Best wedding: Jimmy & Elena’s first kiss before 800+ guests at

the Three Rivers PAC.

Best wedding reception: The outdoor dinner reception for Tim

& Kim (Nemire) Marlow overlooking Lake Michigan.

Best surprise: Resort friends lining streets to welcome Mom &

Dad home in June, following dad’s hip surgery in Arizona.

Best news: Tam and Pjhu’s marriage and baby! Can’t wait to

meet the little one when we visit Vietnam in Feb.

Never Say Never Again…. Never again will I … Pull a bike trailer

behind the van to Texas and back…. Drive straight thru to

Orlando (even if there are 6 drivers in the car)… Ride the

WMU fan bus to a football game in Detroit… Attend the

Westgate “Owners Update” breakfast (aka sales pitch)...

Best of 2016

Biking the Golden Gate Bridge

Best BBQ: Salt Lick

BBQ, Driftwood TX

Best way to see the monuments in

Washington DC: a bike tour!

Best fall view: porch at Mt. Vernon

with Cheryl & Evan

Below: at WMU

football game

with Matt Liston

“When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work

becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just

mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought

on anything but the ride you are taking.” Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Our long awaited bike trip to Mallorca,

Spain came in October. Bruce and I enjoyed

some of the most amazing and challenging

road biking we’ve ever experienced on this

rocky Mediterranean Isle. It was awesome.

Our camp was run by Sport Active, based

in Ireland, and the other bikers were mostly

British and Irish. They came not only for scen-

ery and fair climate but also the chance to

ride with biking legend Sean “King” Kelly.

Bruce and I enjoyed riding with guides

Alfonso and Derek, and managed to keep

pace pretty well except for on long climbs.

Coffee & lunch stops allowed R&R and a

chance to sample local foods like almond

cake and crusty breads. Evenings were spent

at our all-inclusive resort in Port d'Alcúdia on

the island’s north shore.

We ended our trip with two memorable

days touring Barcelona. Can’t wait to go back!

Above: with cycling

great Sean Kelly.

Rt: Windmill ruins dot

the interior valleys.

Phil sported a tour director cap to

help best friend Joe and his family

navigate our nation’s capital. We

used public transit to make the

most of 3 days in DC, touring Capi-

tal Hill, the Library of Congress, Air

& Space Museum, & biking to all

the monuments - in one day!

Next we payed visits to Mt. Vernon

and Arlington Cemetery. Day 3

took us to a street market, the

White House, Museum of Ameri-

can History, and food trucks out-

side the new African American

History Museum. Somewhere we

fit in Georgetown and a show at

the Kennedy Center.

We came home tired and inspired

by America’s amazing place in his-

tory and democracy.

Resort Report We enjoyed a milestone in 2016: For the first time in over 20

years, every site was filled and - for a short time - not a single

home was “For Sale” in the park. Tama continues to be a

limitless source of information and encouragement to our

many current and prospective residents. The waiting list for

RV sites is huge, and the demand for quality homes is high.

We enjoy our work and seeing the results of years of effort.

We celebrated the new landscaping on the north side of the roundabout in July. The

Squires family honored Janet’s parents with a memorial bench, and a tree was plant-

ed in memory of our long time landscape architect, Larry Harris.

We couldn’t do it without the help of Mark & Lisa Wright and the rest of the crew,

who faithfully care for the community and its residents and “hold down the fort”

when we’re away. While

several of our team had

health issues this year,

we’re thankful that all

have come thru and are

carrying on their work.

We’re thankful for an-

swered prayers for Ken,

Tom and Don in particular.

God is good.

From top:

Mark with new snowplow.

Don & Mark on leaf crew.

New landscaping.

Dedication.

Thanksgiving dinner with Shane.

Mark, John & Tom landscaping.

At Appreciation Dinner.

Made for you, with love from The Kline Family

~ December 2016 ~

Congratulations if you made it this far! We hope you enjoy hearing about our adventures. We appreciate your love and friendship, and pray you have a safe, blessed, and happy Christmas!

Love you!

Phil, Tama and Joseph

It’s a girl! Congrats Tam & Pjhu!