Happy New Year!

Our holidays are ongoing (yeah, still Christmas shopping, even), since the Grunzingers will be joining us in a couple of days. But we did actually get to see my entire family for Christmas. No great pics of the family per se (although an amusing video of my nephew Steven soloing in Rockband), but Mika provided amusement as usual, proving that a dog will chase a laser pointer (!) and that a five-squeaker toy can be reduced to a three-squeaker toy in under 20 seconds (note the severed leg next to her).

From New Album 12/31/08 2:25 PM

It was great to see everyone, and it's rare for both pilots to make it in when all the normal people do, so that was a pretty good Christmas present unto itself.

Ray has continued his home improvement and we have a functional shower, so here are the updated pics. We do have an amusing video of him soldering - soldering right next to the fire alarm is sort of entertaining. For the first few joints, anyway. But until I figure those out, here is the current state of the shower (and maybe some help figuring out where it is):

From New Album 12/31/08 2:25 PM

From New Album 12/31/08 2:25 PM

Jimmy has reserved it (and the murphy bed) for tonight after the New Year's party next door. We'll see if he's brave enough to use it without the hallway door (there is a pretty blue curtain).

Things are pretty calm here otherwise. Hope everyone is having a great holiday and has a fun (and safe) New Years!

Happy Holidays!

This probably isn't a surprise to anyone who knows us, but we didn't get holiday cards out this year. Or ever, really. Although we are enjoying all of the updates and pics that we have been getting, we are slackers (sorry!). Hopefully you'll all get cards from us soon enough anyway...

In the meantime, I did want to send out happy holiday wishes to all of you! It's a spread out holiday- I think we've got people from Maine to California this year (with the usual concentration in the Midwest). I hope everyone has a good holiday, good cheer, and as much snow as they want (you can have some of ours!)

Ray is, of course, flying on Christmas. But we will make it down to my parents' to see my whole family, which is rare with two pilots! And then we'll get some portion of the Grunzinger clan here soon thereafter. So that's a pretty good holiday in our books.

Wishing you all the best!

Crazy Busy

So, with classes, end of semester, work, and heavy home improvement, we haven't posted much here... Some highlights that we need to post:

-Ray is continuing the house improvement. The upstairs pantry now has a shower pan and a drain, so you could take a shower there if you had a big bucket. An actual spigot and tile will be forthcoming. For now, it looks more like this (except the showerpan is down and the drain is in):

-Friday night poker saw a rare Royal Flush. Wasn't either of us, although we did plenty well anyway (doubled our money!! both of us!!!) Congrats to Ken Lehman on his 1:220,000 hand. 

-I'm pretty sure no one wants to hear about all of the child-associated classes at the hospital that have been sucking up our weekends. But hey, perhaps we're more prepared. Maybe. I've never done CPR WITH a video before.. don't recommend it.

-We did get a fun new camera with video, but I won't torture with the video of Ray doing Rock Band. Yet, anyway.

In the meantime, if you want cute, all I can offer is this... at least one family member is quite mellow. :) Hope everyone is having a happy holiday season, and I promise more. Soon.