klink

I can't believe Christmas is over. It went pretty well. Liz's mother stayed over the night before and the four of us opened presents together. Then Liz, Matthew and I went to the Whites were we open more presents with the extended family. We stayed there the rest of the day. I've had a good Christmas. It has taken me a while to get my Sirius radio working. I had to get a home kit. Even with that it didn't work until I put the antenna through the window and outside the house about three feet. But it is working now and I understand the multifaceted approach the radio offers with Satellite and Internet listening. Outside of that we have a lot going on. Liz is 17 weeks pregnant. She's doing pretty well but she has been suffering from headaches. Liz and I both have sore throats right now. Anyway the new semester is coming up fast. It's the last one.

In less than two weeks we'll be leaving for D.C. and my grandparents 50th anniversary party. I'm looking forward to it. I think Liz and Matthew are too. As of today Liz is nine weeks pregnant. Just a few days ago we were given a gift for the baby: little cowboy boots. They look pretty cool. Liz and Matthew are asleep right now. It's Friday night. Today we saw Bee Movie. It wasn't very good. It wasn't horrible but it wasn't good either. Liz just mumbled from the other room that she was dreaming. I'd have to agree with her.

Well, we're having a baby. We're so happy. I can't believe it. Matthew is going to be a big brother. We will be going to the doctor for our first visit in just a few weeks. Liz is about two months pregnant right now. We have basically settled on the names for either a boy or a girl already. That may change. Liz wants to know what the gender is as soon as we can find out. However in my family we don't usually find out. So against my better wishes I think that I am going to have capitulate. Well, I am so happy. I'm learning so much about pregnancy and babies. However I feel like I know so little.

Well it was a long six weeks. There was a lot of intensity as we conducted a field school in Cleveland, Tennessee. Eight churches from the surrounding area were involved. We had between 10-15 baptisms. However we had around 40 decisions for baptism in the near future. I helped with giving out the lessons and materials throughout the meetings. We had the meetings in the Bradley Square Mall. It definitely was a learning experience. While I was there I lived in a mother-in-law suite in someone's house. I had my own living room, dining area, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. Liz and Matthew were able to come down twice for a few days each time. I'm really glad to be back home. I'll be going back to classes tomorrow.

I haven't written for a while. It's not that there isn't a lot going on. I'm just lazy. Liz and Matthew are over at Karen's. I'm about to go and watch a new episode of Man vs. Wild.

I just got an email from Ron Clouzet who is conducting the field school in Cleveland, Tennessee. Among other things he informed the students that our responsibilities continue to October 13. This was news to me. I thought the program ended on the fifth. I'm not going to enjoy being down there for that long away from my family. I don't think my family likes it either. Well on another note it's Sabbath and we're going to eat soon. I am really hungry. We're having like a chicken stroganoff or something similar. Matthew starts third grade on Monday. It's hard to believe. Liz starts the week after. I will leave on the 30th to head down to Tennessee.

Liz and Matthew are at Memorial Hospital visiting Karen. After going to the hospital for shortness of breath doctors found a growth that is likely cancerous. The final word will be given tomorrow when the doctors produce the results of the biopsies taken Monday. As a result of Karen's illness Liz, Matthew and I are obviously upset. Liz also has to go to work at her externship in Kalamazoo. She is working in Borgess hospital--a Catholic non-profit institution. I am in the second summer session and I am finding Dr. Choi's Pauline Writings class to be difficult. I enjoy his lectures but I am finding his tests to be hard. After taking Matthew to the White's, attending Pauline Writings, going to work and then going to Understanding the Christian World I did try and work on my Exegesis paper for Choi's class. Right now I am at the house by myself.

Well, a lot has happened since the last time I posted an entry. Lissy graduated from Spring Valley. We went down there for the weekend and there were 21 family members and one boyfriend that came up for the different events. We had a lot of fun. We've also found out that Liz got a job at Borges hospital in the Med-surge unit. I'm proud and happy for her. I just finished my Jewish Life and Thought class today. Oh and two days ago I got a weight bench from the Whites. I like it because it has a separate wide rack for the weights. It's nice and Sam gave me the olympic bars and weights that go with it. I've figured out that I need to deadlift to balance out my posterior chain of muscles. I've learned how to deadlift with proper form and I think that it's going to be beneficial.

It's Friday evening and the Sabbath is almost here. Today was a full day. I went to work at Guest Services around eight thirty. I was pretty busy, although I had a lot of fun joking around with Marcus, Vincent and Chabu. We were anticipating all the people coming for the Yugoslavian Sabor conference today. While I was working Matthew stayed home with Liz. He was sick again today. I came home around twelve and then Liz and Matthew went with Mary Ellen, our neighbor to plant some fruits, vegetables and other things in Niles. I went back to work. But this time I worked with Marcus in the Campus Center and we sold Meal Cards to the Yugoslavians. I had a good time. I got off at six and after eating dinner I convinced Liz and a napping Matthew to go to Udder's for ice cream. Then Liz decided to go for a drive and we went out down old 31 towards Benton Harbor. We ended up at an old Antique shop on Shawnee Rd. There were two nice people a man and woman that ran the place. Liz got two ...

Liz found my striped green tie today. It's been missing for over six months. I really like that tie so I'm excited. I'm going to wear it on Sabbath. Liz has moved around our bed so that the books are closest to the window. Our floor spaced is more broken up but I think it will work better for us. Well, I have to go to my Jewish Life and Thought class in a few minutes. Dr. Doukhan is gone again today so are going to watch a video. I hope it is informative.

We saw Shrek 3 today. It was all right. I think that the change in directors didn't benefit the movie however. It was not as edgy as the others and there wasn't any new material. We also went to Cafe Gulistan today. It is a Turkish restaurant . We enjoyed it but the food was very expensive. With groceries going to Carrabba's on Friday, gas, the movie and Cafe Gulistan we spent a fortune this weekend. On another note I was able to finish reading Paul's epistles for class. Liz is happy because some of her favorite shows are on tonight.

So I'm done with my first week of class for the summer because you know school's really not out for the summer. Anyway today was pretty busy. I went to the only scheduled class I had today--Pauline Writings. I learned again. I'm happy. Then I went to work where I lifted heavy chairs up from a basement to a chapel. For the rest of work I talked with my coworkers and spent time on the internet. After work I took Matthew to McDonald's and then I went to Taco Bell. The wait was enormous. After that Matthew cleaned his room, I cleaned the basement and then I went for a run with Matthew following behind for the first mile with his scooter. He left after that and went to the woods. Liz came home and we all went to Mishawaka to pick up our other laptop at a Fedex location. It's been repaired for the second time. Then we went to Carrabbas and finally to the Meier to get our weekly groceries. On the way back I realized it was Pappaw's birthday. So I called him and talked ...

The season finales of Smallville and CSI are on in a few minutes. We just got back from preregistration at Ruth Murdoch. We helped with some games and got Matthew squared away for third grade next year. Right now Liz is reading Tarzan to Matthew. I just had one class today--Pauline Writings. My Jewish Life and Thought class was canceled while Doukhan is out in California. I was able to finish reading Romans and I read the majority of 1 Corinthians as well. Well I have to go.... Smallville is on!

Matthew's soccer game was canceled today because of the thunderstorms. After learning about the tornado and thunderstorm warnings we went outside to watch the developing clouds. All of a sudden a wall of water came over the tree next to our house and were in the middle of heavy downpour. We raced inside and we still got wet. In between classes I went to work and found out from Marcus that he wants me to work in the afternoon next Friday to hand out meal cards to the Yugoslavian conference. I said I'd do it. My dad called me while I was at work and we talked about Ernie Knoll my classes and he just wanted to check up on me. I enjoyed my classes today even with Dr. Doukhan gone in my Jewish Life and Thought class. After my classes I went for a jog for a couple of miles. It was so hot and humid. I'm glad I'm running though. It's good for me. Right now I'm going to go see what my other half is doing.

Today was eventful. I went to Pauline Writings and was a few minutes late. The class is going to be difficult but Dr. Choi seems very passionate about the subject matter. That's good. Dr. Choi never called my name when he read the roll. I along with several others were dropped from the class early this morning because we didn't make sure that we were financially cleared online. I got an email concerning this but I disregarded thinking that it didn't apply to me. I don't know why because even though I'm sponsored I had to fill out the financial clearance online for the past two semesters after Texas picked my up. I was able to fix the problem pretty quickly at records and I got my books. I came back home and Liz decided to clean out the garage. It looks a lot better. I also enjoyed Dr. Doukhan's class. I think that both my classes will be good for this first session.

Matthew made Liz breakfast in bed this morning. He also brought in the card that he made for her at school and the one he made for her on his computer. I mowed the yard again today. I probably unloaded the bag close to thirty times. While I was mowing Liz and Matthew went to Kathy and Bob's for Mother's Day. They made flower pots. I also went for a run for about a mile. I really want to get into running as a way to have consistent physical exercise. Around one thirty I went over to Kathy and Bob's. Sam was able to fix my computer. I am so grateful. I couldn't get that error message to go away no matter what I did. Well, I start summer classes tomorrow. I have Pauline Writings with Choi. I think that class will be challenging. I also have the Jewish Life and Teachings with Doukhan. It should be interesting.

Well, the HP laptop is doing better now. After restoring the system and reinstalling the home premium upgrade we are back in business. We're still waiting for the school subsidized version of Microsoft Office 2007 to come in to ITS. Right now Liz is at work at St. Joseph in the Psych unit. She worked last night and this morning. I know she's going to be very tired. I have to pick up Matthew and his classmate Ruth and take her home today. Matthew needs my help to print out his Mother's day card. I hope we can do that. I can't find the cd that installs the software on the computer.

Today I woke up groggy. I've been waking up feeling groggy a lot lately. Yesterday Liz asked our neighbor if we could use his ladder so I could take down the tv antenna I put on our roof last summer. It never really worked and it has just been laying on the roof for months. I borrowed the ladder around 11:00 a.m. and then I mowed the lawn. I probably emptied the bag twenty times and I should have done it even more. Liz, Matthew and I went to Kathy and Bob's to celebrate Liz's birthday belatedly. We had Manicotti and three tier strawberry cake that is Liz's favorite. I got to watch some of the Wachovia golf tournament. Liz wanted to play games so I played Pop Cranium and then went back to watching the tournament while Liz, Karen, Kathy, Kieran, Sam and Ben and Angie played Apples to Apples. Tiger Woods won the tournament. Liz was happy that she got a gift certificate to Best Buy. She used it a few hours ago to buy a new digital camera. Matt also got a pentium 3 computer ...

Today was all about the tepee. Matthew, Liz and I went into the woods and we decided to build a tepee. Liz went back to the house and got my hatchet and then I started cutting down saplings. Liz and Matthew began to pull off the branches while I cut down the straightest trees I could find. I cut down about six or so and positioned them together with Matt and Liz. It was a lot of fun and we have the start of a really good tepee. The tepee is about 12 feet tall and about ten feet in diameter. We've got a lot of work left but it's already pretty cool. I really enjoyed this and it reminded me of all the forts that I built like this when I was a child. I hope Matthew catches the fever and continues to build up the colony.