Spring(?) Break

We were happy to have her home!


Crystal came home for Spring break. We had a few warm days , but several cold ones and even some snow :( We had fun together; going through her closet, reselling some of her clothes, shopping, watching American Idol and a movie, and eating out. Crys went to Bluffton for parts of two days to visit friends. She spoke with one of her friends who was a passenger on the bus involved in the tragic accident, he was unhurt. On Sunday, she flew back to Kansas to finish her school year. Seven weeks until graduation!

Red Lobster

We enjoyed a yummy lunch at Red Lobster today. My grilled shrimp/salmon and Marks stuffed flounder tasted great! Our waiter kept bringing refills. This is my fourth glass of iced tea!! Glug, glug. Caffeine baby!! We were playing with our new Fugi digital that's very slim and slides right in my purse.

This week Mark got a new pair of eye glasses. They're not all that different, just semi-rimless. What do you think?

Working man

After working in the cold, Mark was ready for his Valentine meal. I hope the cake doesn't slide out of the pan!

Finally, enough snow to use the Ventrac snow blower. Someone's having fun!

Valentines Snow Storm

A look out the back window. Wouldn't it be great if a few deer walked into the clearing?

It's been snowing since 5 am Tuesday. Now (3 pm Wed.), it's letting up - just snow flurries/squalls and some wind. There's more than a foot of snow in the Steiner woods. It is beautiful! The system that brought this storm is called a panhandle hook. Because of it I've had 2 days off-SNOW DAYS. I've sorted through my closet and gathered two nice sized bags of stuff to donate to MCC Connections. Today, I'm making my Valentine a nice Cherry Chocolate Cake and a special meal. Stay tuned for more snow photos......

Just me and the birds

Staying warm in the blizzard.



A fight breaks out in the buffet line. "Look out fellas, there's plenty of seed for every-birdy!"



A line forms.

This morning, after about 28 hours of continuous snow, the bird feeder was a busy place. I took some photos of the action (yes, I know it's pathetic when watching birds at the feeder is the only thing going on).

More relaxed pace

January is passing quickly, although we're enjoying a less hectic pace than in December. It is good to have some evenings and weekends without commitments or responsibilities.

The weather has just now gotten cold with our first snowfall and a SNOW DAY this past Thursday. Thanks, Canadian friends (aunt Ellen and others), for sending us the chilly clipper that turned Lake Erie into a snow machine.

I've (Karen) been really busy at work with 5 new students enrolled this past week. Prospective Student Visitation Day is less than a month away - a lot of planning going into that. In a few days the post card invitations that I designed will be mailed, 2 billboards go up on RT 30, and posters hanging in churches and public places. We expect 70+ guests to visit that day. I hope my department will be very active the next 6 months with lots of new recruits!

Mark's recovery from surgery has gone very well. He is back to his normal pace and nearly pain free. He continues to rehab and is walking without his former limp. He's needed to retrain himself, working on extension because his leg isn't used to being straightened. At this point his only limitations are not running, jumping, or kneeling on that knee. Starting this week both of us are going to the rehab gym to workout 2 x's a week. When we signed up it was the first time for me to actually get a senior discount. At first that was a little ouchy for me, but I got over it when I saw the savings!

3+1 =4

There's been no new ruling in Tati's adoption status since the her grandparents filed an appeal. We'll keep you posted as soon as we have word. We do, however, have some great news from their little family. A tiny addition is expected in August. Julie has been experiencing some mommy sickness with the pregnancy. We ask our friends to please remember both of these situations in your prayers.