Ketchup

Gonna try to catch up on some older stuff here....since summer is coming fast and I'm like over a month behind on the 'ole blog. I finished up this semester of MBA a few weeks ago and still have a 4.0 going. Only 1 class left, but I can't take that yet 'cuz I've hit the IRS maximum for tuition deduction for 2009, and my employer has suspended the tuition reimbursement program at the moment. I'm thinking the summer blog posts aren't going to be as extravagant as they were last year, only because we are watching the finances a bit and plan to stick closer to home and spend more time on the boat. "Just in case," if you catch my drift.

The first pic below is just one of many random "sky" pictures I have taken recently. The spring sky is totally gorgeous here in farm country; it's impossible to do it justice in a picture.
This next one was taken Easter Sunday morning (yeah, I'm that far behind...) Notice all the squinting eyes because Daddy wanted good lighting. "1-2-3 open your eyes" didn't quite work out. I told Jakob he couldn't wear jeans to church on Easter, and he came out of his room as you see below all by himself. He's gonna make all the girls cry one day. Any problems with the girls' clothing are also my fault, Rebekah had to go to church early to practice with the praise band and I was in charge of the kids attire...
This next one wasn't Easter Sunday morning, I think it was the Sunday after. But I couldn't resist posting it here. Aren't they pretty?
Jakob turned ELEVEN years old in April. (Has it been THAT LONG??? Am I THAT OLD???) Here are a few pics from his birthday. I decided to spare you the video of us singing and him putting all the trick candles out by licking his fingers and pinching them.
We hit the nail on the head with this present...
Jakob and some of his friends:
Here's another random one. Rebekah continues to bake all manner of bread completely from scratch. And I mean from scratch, starting with grinding the wheat from the kernels. Raisin, pumpkin, etc. Too bad you can't smell things on a blog...
A few weeks ago we had a bunch of the Hrubiks over for a shindig. (Sounds painful, eh? Digging one's shins.)
Luke, cute as a button:
Rebekah and Granny, the matriarch of the family.
We were able to get the boat out of storage and into the water a few Saturdays ago, when it was 80 degrees out. Its been sitting down there moored to the dock, but we haven't been able to get back down yet. Its still a bit on the chilly side. Notice the pasty white skin on the three little monkeys...
Finally (only because I really do need to get to bed - there's more), I went on a biz trip to Scottsdale last week. I didn't do much of anything there other than sit in meetings and take customers out to dinner. I did have an incredible rib dinner to DIE FOR one night, though. Here are some pics from the trip home.
Notice the jet in this one. It crossed right under our plane! I also thought these "circle" crops (located somewhere in the midwest between AZ and OH) were pretty interesting.

Here's a panoramic shot I took shortly after take-off.
OK, this one was just too cute not to post. Here is our nephew Tony, performing "Beggie-Tales" for your listening pleasure.