Long Time No See!

Hello fellow bloggers! I apologize for not putting more posts on the site. I've been really busy lately with work, training for the Dam to Dam, preparing for our trip to New York City to watch the beloved Yankees crush the Seattle Mariners and take in some sights, and some other general house maintenance issues. On top of that softball and sand volleyball are now starting up, which will eat up a lot of the other "free" time I would otherwise have.

Things in Waukee are going well. Kari and I fly out on Thursday for NYC, and fly back Sunday. Kari has a friend (Alison) who lives in New Jersey who we are going to stay with. Kari loves planning all the activities for the weekend. If she wasn't a physical therapist I am sure she would be an excellent travel agent. Kari is dropping the dog off with her parents tonight after work and I'm sure that will make the cat very happy. When we get back from NYC I will try to post some pictures up.

Hope everyone is doing well! Again, I apologize for my lack of input lately, I will try to be more dedicated. Without it, I'm not sure what Steph will do :).

Daniel Johns new contact information

Hey everybody....Dan has moved to a new home, temporarily. (Until the end of June, I think.) His e-mail address is the same as before. He's living in a ladies house who's name is Leslie. Her phone # is 707-443-4433. Address: 4569 Campton Rd., Eureka,CA 95503

Rachel

Hi everybody.

I just thought I'd write a little as I was gone and didn't even have a chance to check in lately. I went to see Aleisa in Texas March 10 thru sixteen, I had to leave early Sunday morning which was her birthday. We had a good time celebrating the night before as I and Aleisa, Amy (her roommate), Jordan, and six friends of theirs, all went to a Mexican restaurant called "Jo T's." They only had two items on the menu, fajitas and burritos. However, they were good and the restaurant was set in a walled in patio with fountains and open sky overhead and lots of flowers. We all enjoyed ourselves and everyone was invited over to Aleisa and Amy's for cake afterwards. Aleisa and I went to buy the cake and trimmings and just before we got back to her apartment Jordan called and said the dog had had a major accident and the place reeked and needed cleaning up. Not up to snuff for company.:( (I had made the mistake of feeding it ham bones when I was making pea soup the day before and it wasn't used to anything but dog food.) Anyway, being the normal Mom (and it was really my fault) I went with Aleisa and had cake at Jordan's apartment and then went and cleaned up the mess. Most of it was contained in the kennel so that was a good thing. No more ham bones for Geoffry! Other news, Robben"s team got to the final four at the NAIA bball tournaments at Branson. Robben played only a couple of minutes due to his still screwed up foot. He's got one more year at this college basketball and we are praying for an injury free one. Believe me, he can play well when he's in his zone and it's a lot more fun than nursing an injured body part. Robben is also trying to make up for missing 25 days of school with Basketball tournaments, Easter and spring breaks. I talked to him this morning and his voice was weary. He is looking ahead to the end of May when he"s scheduled to go on a Summer of service project which Luke Society sponsors. He'll be working with a Dr Martin Luther, a black man who grew up in the area and is now a Dr. to seven villages in Benin, Africa. I bought him a sleeping bag with a pad built in while in Texas as the last guy Robben knows who went on a service project like this only slept in a bed three nights of the six weeks he was gone. That's hard on the bones! If everyone could keep him in their prayers while he's there I'd appreciate it. Well, I think I've written enough. Who else is out there? I hope you're well in every way. Love Laura

It's March...let's not let this slide.

Hey Everybody! I've been checking for any updates and haven't seen any for a while. Does anybody else have something? Remember I said we had a Renter. Wrong. In fact, wrong twice. Now that I know about background checks and all the info a person can get from them, I feel less stupid.

Randy has been spending a lot of his free time over at the other house. He's painting this week. (He's become really good at texturing.) The place keeps looking better and better. If it gets much better, we might move in. (Not really)

Gramma VanderStoep was here, along with Glenda, Ben & Kari, for her 85th birtday on March 14th and 15th. I think it's fair to say that we had a pretty good time. (The carrot cake had a REALLY soft spot in the middle, but we ate around it.)

Does anybody have any contact with Carol's kids?

My life has been pretty much the same lately. I've been working alot of hours. It's a good thing that I enjoy my job.

okay how.....any body else out there? Love, Rachel

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.