Monday, October 01, 2007
In Green Pastures
There are times when the goodness of life astounds me. Of course, there are also times when its difficulties astound me, but lately the times have been good. Reminds me of a winter trip to Phoenix a few years ago, leaving snow and overcast skies for sunshine and deep blue (see below).
Brian, Sarah and Alex arrived safely in Grand Rapids from Australia and promptly set to work figuring out what to do next. Brian received several employment offers from naval architecture firms in the DC area and one from a small pipeline engineering firm in west Michigan (which happens to be mine). He and Sarah chose the latter, and we are very pleased to have them back in Grand Rapids along with their wonderful son (and our grandson!).
I think the prospect of inexpensive and loving child care may have entered into their decision. They have purchased a car (Scion XB) and are in the process of purchasing a beautiful house, soon to be their loving home. We pray for God's blessing as they settle in, and I look forward to October 8 when a quality engineer joins the crew at HT Engineering!
Tom's Army National Guard training is stepping up as he prepares for overseas deployment next year. We pray for his growth in grace, his safety and that the Lord will allow stability in the Middle East! We love you, Tom!
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Monday, July 02, 2007
Family Reunion Vacation
Monday, May 14, 2007
So Far Away
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Nate & Katie Wedding Prep
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Progressive Dinner Party
Dessert at Bradys' included a very nice port, R.L.Buller & Son “Victoria Tawny” from Victoria, Australia. Excellent choice.
You may notice some new dining furniture, recently made by Amish crafstmen in southeastern Ohio. The table is actually a loaner graciously provided by Bears in the Woods (the retailer) until ours, which is running late, is ready.
This rocking chair was a gift from the Oostermans, our next-door neighbors in Alger Heights about 25 years ago. It was Mr. Oosterman's disabled brother's favorite chair, who's belt rubbed the paint off the spindles during many years of use. We have left them so in his honor.
This would be a nice place to rock our grandson, Alex, if he came for a visit. But alas, he is far away for now.
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Eskimo Slumber Party
Here are Danny, John and Kate, all snug in their sleeping bags and ready for lights out! They put down a tarp and foam pads and woke up warm and dry. Quite cozy.
Elizabeth waxing artistic with Paint
A study in Cranberry Juice
Saturday, February 10, 2007
John's New Mullet
Sunday, February 04, 2007
The Blizzard of 2007
Driveway Snow Piles Higher than the Mailbox
Roof Snow Drifts on Mrs. Caulkins' House
Mr. Heron Blowing the Driveway
Backyard Snowboarding Hill
Lots of Snow on the Deck
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Australian Holiday - From Cairns Home - 3 Nov 2006
We arrived in Grand Rapids at 12:30 AM (about an hour late) and Steve picked us up. It was great to get home again, where Tom, Suz, Steve, Kate, John, Danny and Liz had survived our two week absence with no problem. We were very grateful for God’s care of us and our kids as we enjoyed this wonderful trip.
Recovery from jet lag and travel fatigue was not easy, but as I (Dan) write this on December 3, 2006, we are about back to normal.
Thanks to Brian and Sarah for being such excellent hosts. Seeing Australia was great, but sharing it with them made it pure delight.
Australian Holiday - Great Barrier Reef - 2 Nov 2006
Clown Fish
A woman on our tour broke her upper arm while stepping off the Poseidon’s rear platform into the water. Before long, a helicopter appeared, landing on a floating helipad anchored about ¼ mile from our dive site. The crew took her to the helipad in a motorized raft, and she was soon off to the Cairns hospital. The crew handled the situation very smoothly with little or no disturbance to the other passengers.
The Poseidon crew served us a fine lunch between the second and third dives and had snacks and drinks available throughout the day. We slathered up with sun screen at the beginning of the day, but missed a few spots such as the back of Rhonda’s and Sarah’s legs and Dan’s chest. The sun has lots of power that close to the equator.
After returning to Port Douglas, we drove back to the Roydon for showers, then to Cairns for great Chinese food at the Golden Boat. We returned to the apartment after supper, where Dan and Rhonda packed up and we all applied aloe vera to our sunburned places – then to bed in preparation for Dan and Rhonda’s early departure.
Monday, January 01, 2007
Australian Holiday - Rain Forest Tour & Cairns Waterfront - 1 Nov 2006
At the Barron Falls Station, we walked to three different lookouts providing views of the Barron River gorge and falls.
We ate lunch and shopped in Kuranda for a couple of hours (looked at about 3,000 T-shirts and bought some more souvenirs), then took the Kuranda Scenic Railway back to Cairns. The railway skirts the southern rim of the Barron River gorge, which widens to a valley as it approaches Cairns, providing spectacular views along the way.
From the train station we took a bus to retrieve the car in Carvonica and drove back to Cairns for a tour of the city. We parked by the public pool on the waterfront, a kind of man-made lagoon, and walked out on the wharf to view the yachts docked at the Marlin Marina. Brian, as a naval architect, appreciated several specimens, especially the Kokomo, a 170 foot fast cruising sloop launched just over a year ago. Very sweet!
We drove back to Trinity Beach and had an excellent Italian dinner at L’unico, with children at nearby tables providing entertainment; then back to the Roydon for a few more rounds of Greed before bed.