Vander Spotlight - Chris VanderStoep

Where do you currently live and work. How did you arrive at this position?
Greetings from sunny San Diego. I’ve been in the San Diego area for 22 years. I love it! I’ve persevered through the snow. I’ve endured the desert heat. Given the choice, I’ll take the mild “Sun & Surf” thank you very much! It has been a long and circuitous road, but I am currently an Administrative Assistant at a mid-sized bio-tech company. It’s a good job. It’s a good company to work for. I really enjoy going to work. I’m blessed.

Do you have any hobbies or activities that you really enjoy when you aren't working?
I enjoy reading, playing the piano (or perhaps playing WITH the piano would be more accurate.), going to the movies, playing solitaire on my lap-top, hanging out with friends in any form. Most of my outside activities revolve around my Church family (That’s where I have most of my friends). I have been part of my little Church for 20 years. They are my surrogate family. We find lots of excuses to be together; sometimes to worship and learn a little more about Jesus, sometimes to eat, sometimes just to play and sometimes, for no particular reason at all, except to be together.

Deserted Island!! If you were dropped off on a deserted island and had the option to bring 5 items, what would they be?
If I were going to be deserted on an island, it would have to have electrical power, because I would DIE in about a week without my stereo!! I’d need my Bible. I’d have my laptop. And I guess that only leaves enough room for 2 CDs. (I don’t know how I’d choose just 2, but…)

What are some of your favorite childhood memories?
My very favorite childhood memory is probably riding the ATC wildly down the path around the corn field, singing at the top of my lungs. I also loved it when we would get to skip school for the day to go water-skiing. I LOVED water-skiing. I miss water-skiing.

If you could have one special super-power what would it be?
If I could have one super power… wow… that’s tricky. For myself, I think just the ability to control my tongue, and never say anything unkind would be extremely super-human. I’d love to have that super-power.

Please share a paragraph or two about your life, and anything in general that you would like the Vander-Bloggers to know!
I don’t think there is actually anything else very interesting to say about myself. I am very happily single. I love my job. I love my little studio house. I love my life. My life is certainly not without its struggles; but I’d rather have my problems that any one else’s I know. God is good. Life is good.

Flu Bug Bites Central Iowa

Hello all,
I haven't been to active on the blog lately as I have been glued to the couch. I went to the doc on thursday afternoon and he confirmed it, Influenza. The symptoms seem to be taking turns. Headache, sore throat, cough, puking, squirting, insert your own symptom here __________. I haven't done much of anything but lay on the couch and try to rest, drink some fluids, hack up loogies in random glasses (or whatever is close) and so on :). Kari is in New York City visiting one of her friends from college. She has been planning this trip since before Christmas and it sounds like she is having a good time. She has apparently called some different people to check in on me while she is away. Her Aunt Barbara called and offered to bring out some home made chicken noodle soup, a couple other friends have called and asked if they could bring me anything. I do believe I am over the worst of it, but still not feeling 100%. I'd appreciate any prayers you can toss my way if you have some spare time! Hope this blog finds you feeling better than I!

Ben

"Comment" by Aunt Laura

Ben and Steph, and anyone else who's interested. I just figured out how to read "comments" and added one of my own addressed to both of you and attached to my last posting. You may have given up that I was going to respond, so I'm just letting you know I did. Love, Aunt Laura

This is REALLY from Rachel Johns (not Ben)

I don't know why this keeps switching to Ben's account, and I'm in a hurry and my brain won't give me the info I need to fix it. So! Try to cope...I'll get to that part later.

Gramma Vander Stoep's 85th birthday is March 14, this year. Let me know if there's any interest in having a party. My house would be fine. We can find room for anyone who might want to come from a distance.

Randy & I are doing fine. We've been busy trying to get the house next door ready to rent out. For those of you who don't already know this, Jim McClain, our neighbor for the last 28 years, died last fall. We were able to buy his house...more or less of a self protection kind of thing...we want some input as to who will be our new neighbors. Anyway: this has turned into a real project. We've been enjoying it (mostly) but feel the need to start MAKING some money from it, instead of just investing more.

I hope to hear from you all soon.

Welcome (finally) to the "new guys."

Love, Rachel

Hi from Aunt Laura

Hi Ben and everyone else, We just came home from Robben's basketball game. It was a good game with them winning it 57 to 82. Robben's knee is getting better, after the second time of being decapitated ( knees can have this as well as heads,) so that was good also. We went out for supper with Robben, two of his teammates T.J. and Andrew, and their parents at the Nederlander in Orange City. Robben is doing well at college. He hardly ever comes home, and it's only 21 miles away, but if he likes college that much, I guess that's good. I miss him though. It was fun to sit and eat and talk with him and his friends. As we talked, the topic of this web site came up and since I shrink from using the computer in everyday life as I am not very skilled in it's use, my interest was piqued enough so that when we got home I asked Bob to help me get on so I could see the Christmas pictures etc. I am glad I did. I was glad to see everyone again, even if it was only via pictures. Ben, you asked for birthdays for the calendar so since I'm writing this I'll just give them to you now. Robben's is August 29. He will be 22. A grown up and it happened so fast! Bob's is coming right up, Feb. l6. He will be 59 years old. He's having a good time being retired and does not wish to return to the workforce as of yet. Some day, if he gets bored, maybe, but as of yet he's showing no signs of this happening. Aleisa, who is back at T.C.U in Fort Worth, has a birthday Mar.16. She will be 24. I can't believe she's that old either, but she is. She is having a much better semester this semester than last semester, which was quite a load, for both of us. For her- the work, for me- the worry that she would make it and hoping she could hold up under the stress as she didn't even have time to take a walk, most of the time. It's going better this semester. She seems to be enjoying her classes more, has more time for walks, and even had two of her professors offer to help publish a couple of her papers from last semester. Way to go Aleisa Rose. I love you! My birthday is November 3 and since I was born in l951 that makes me, let me think, (it's true as you get older your memory gets worse:( I will be 57! Some days I really feel like it too! However, Thank God for good days! Anyway, Ben, I'm not sure if this is what you had in mind when you encouraged us to post stuff on here but here is my attempt. I hope everyone is well and we will see each other soon. Love Aunt Laura