Sunny pictures from Michigan

I think Spring is finally on it's way. We were able to get to take walks, open up the windows to air out this stuffed up house and see some butterflies. I posted a longer blog on my site, but I wanted to give you some sunny pictures. :) Hope to see you all at the end of April!





Love,
Gary, Christie and the Booger

my spring break.

The best photo of the trip

^Eric and I at Disneyland

Hiking at Torrey Pines State Park (near a huge golf course)

San Diego Wild Animal Park (above and below)

also, I got bangs--which I decided afterward was a bad decision

Torrey Pines again
Also did a bunch of reading, sleeping and relaxing. The weather was sunny and in the mid-70's all week :-). Eric and I took a tour of Westminster Seminary, where he is enrolling for this fall (about 10 minutes from his house in Escondido)

Overall, this trip was a much needed break to get us through the last 7 weeks of school. Now it's back to dreary spring in Chicago.

San Antonio

San Antonio is our home for tonight, spent today walking on the Riverwalk in downtown San A, and exploring the Alamo. Very interesting. Tomorrow will travel to Lafayette, La., Sat we are going to a tour of Stuller, a supplier of findings, and mountings which we purchased from for many years. Sat we will go to an area near Franklin, La to work from next week. Then on the road towards home. Yesterday was not a good day for traveling, much wind. Mon evening we were in Van Horn, Texas. middle of nowhere. Had a great day Easter. Good to see some of the family. We ate well, but its not Mom's cooking.

Love Mom and Dad

I tried the blog after someone gave me a tip on getting rid of cookies and it worked!!!

Posting for Mom & Dad from Arizona!

We are basking in 85 degree weather and enjoying the dickens out of it. I sent 2 emails to Christie, but they aren't going through, so here goes a brief version of our trip, only backwards. Today is nice and sunny, tonight we are going into town for Good Friday services at Christ Community Church, a somewhat modern version of our church. This morning I finished in the workshop, and this afternoon Mom is finishing with Nimble Fingers, a sewing class she has been in. Yesterday, was another day in fine Az, woodshop and eating, and reading and walking, not all at the same time. We each have lost about 10 pounds and are trying to lose another 5. This AM we went to The Good Egg for breakfast, great breakfast, even if it cost 23 dollars. Now this is all out of order, yesterday and today are running together. Oh well. We went for a couple road trips to see ghost towns and found all kinds of things, cactus which are starting to bloom, and rocks and critters.
We have had a good trip this winter, but it is ending here in Az on Mon. Then we go to Texas to look around and meander to Franklin Louisiana on Sat.Then it is work for a week and boogy for home around the 7th of April.
Love Mom and Dad

Skunks galore

Well, if no one is going to post, I will post again. This post's topic is: More skunk fun. Tyson got bit and sprayed by a skunk last Sunday. Unlike the neighbor's dog, our dog did NOT kill it. At least we don't think so, because we can't find a carcass. The likely scenario is that Tyson tried to play with it.

This, among other reasons, is why we call him Big Stupid.

Varmints

We have had a new resident in the chicken coop last few weeks - a skunk. When I went out there to take care of the chickens after dark one time, I nearly walked in on a skunk. About every other night I would see it out there. I began to think I ought to do something about it, but didn't really want to shoot it in the coop - it stinks enough out there already. Well, last Sunday about ten we went outside to let the dogs out and we got a good whiff. I saw my neighbor out there with a flashlight, and knowing that his dog has killed skunks before, I went out there to see if that was the case this time. And yes, it was. So the neighbors got to enjoy the smell on their dog and I didn't have to worry about the skunk anymore. Or so I thought. I went over to the coop after leaving Steve and his dogs and stepped in. When I turned on the light, there was another skunk. I went and got the .22 and went back out there. I watched it for a while while it snuffled around the floor of the chicken area (I was in the feed storage area watching through the chicken wire.) When it went up on its hind legs to nose around at the chickens, I figured I better do something. I had read up and found that skunks will kill small chickens and eat eggs, and we had some chicks in the basement that will be going out there soon. So I shot it. About five times. I wanted to make sure it died before it could spray. And it did. Die, that is. I went back out there after a while to get it and it was quite dead and quite smelly. But it's gone. So there is my story of killing the ferocious skunk. The end.

Uncle Al update

on Sat Uncle Al was transferred to room 209 at the St James Manor on 394 by the Bible League. I went to visit on Monday, and he had not started therapy yet. He was alert and eating a little bit for the first time in a while. It took too much energy for him to eat as his breathing was so labored before. He was drinking some Ensure for nutrition during that time. He is on a higher level of oxygen and they are regulating his medication to make him as comfortable as possible.

My new "addiction"

I've found a new addiction - one that I've been looking for a long time. Etsy.com. It's site that is a place to buy and sell everything handmade. A place to talk with people about their craft, what inspires them, a resource for materials - a place with a lot of talented people and where I spend hours browsing other shops. I have my place there at http://www.christabelle81.etsy.com/. I have a lot of ideas, it's only time that's holding me back. Along with this, hopefully sometime early summer I'll have my revamped website up that'll showcase all my projects that I and/or Gary have done and a link to sell on Etsy. It's really excited and hopefully the beginning of something really cool!

On another note, Anna's baptism last weekend went really well. It was great seeing everyone and have them over at our house. :) Anna did well, she smiled when the pastor started putting the water on head. She looked beautiful in her dress - it was mom's baptism dress - as she's named after mom. What was a beautiful day!

While Gary's out in DC on a business trip, Anna once again did something for the first time. She got down the rolling on to her tummy thing from her back, but she couldn't get that darn arm out of the way to complete the task. Sunday she figured it out. :) Now she won't stop doing it and getting all tangled up in her bed resulting in crying and mom comes to the rescue. :) I think she'll walk in a month. Hehe.

Hope to see all of you very soon!

Love,

Christie

Uncle Al Klunder

Uncle Al has been in the hospital for 9 days now. The last time I e-mailed, he went in for pneumonia and was released in a day or two. He was home for a week or so and went back in for his COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) acting up.

He has grown weaker and weaker, he is not eating much, and his oxygen levels in his blood is low until he get a breathing treatment. He is unable to walk at this point. Carol and Sue have met with the St James Manor (on 394 by the Bible League), to get him admitted there to do therapy when he is released from the hospital. That is all still in the workings.

I talked to Sue tonight, and she said he is having a very bad day today.

Marge says she doesn't stay more than 1/2 hour at the hospital as he is so weak.

I just wanted to give you an update.

Kristi

what are YOU doing for spring break?

Alright folks, I know it's not everyone senior year of college spring break, so you may not have crazy exciting plans, but what is everyone doing for spring break?

[and I expect a comment from EVERYONE on this one!]

As for me: I am going to San Diego with Eric for the week (including Easter)--I'm sorry I will be missing you all!

However, I will be going to Disneyland (again!)

bike-riding in the mountains

hanging out with a grown-up Pookiegoing to the San Diego Wild Animal Park, which Eric thinks I will like better than Africa

sunbasking near Coronado

and eating carne fries which is one the best foods I have ever had in my life. (That is my roommate marcy with eric)

^Escondido, Ca. July 15th, 2007.

So what are you doing on your spring breaks, fam?