just arrived!

world, please welcome Avery Marie Koster. born january 23, 7lb 9oz. 10 fingers, 10 toes. she is doing well (but im pretty sure she doesnt know whats going on yet...), and my sister is doing well too. and so is the proud uncle!

here are a few more pics

eagerly awaiting...

my big sister is big. i mean BIG! dont take that the wrong way, when i say big its a good thing, she is pregnant after all...
she is due at the end of the month, but she was about two weeks early with each of the last two, so shes thinking (and hoping) this one will follow the trend. if thats the case, i may be getting a phone call in the next day or two! i am very excited abou this- i am planning to head up to see here as soon as i get the call. i have been unable to with each of them so far, but i would really love to be able to visit her in the hospital. im sure its not a time when she feels her prettiest, but i would really love to have the memory of seeing her there with her brand new baby girl.
so im waiting for the call.
just waiting.
waiting.

i think i need a new hobby...

expensive lessons to teach

for the third time in four years i had to have my places pipes cleaned out. what a pain in the butt. whenever the pipes get backed up water comes up through the floor drain by the water heater. unfortunately i dont have a basement, so this means water comes up through the closet right next to my kitchen. its never too bad, usually just a puddle that expands for a minute or two, then goes back down. this was very frustrating for me the first time it happened because i was a bit unprepared. and by unprepared i mean i had two large boxes of comic books on the floor right next to the closet. a hundred or so got destroyed. i then learned my lesson- put the boxes on a wooden plank. theyve been safe ever since.
what happens to the pipes is this: the trees in my yard really like the water that flows right by their roots through the sewer system. they like it so much that many roots have busted through the pipes and are now growing in there. just for fun these crazy roots decided that they should do some exploring and so they started to grow up into my sewer pipe! lucky me! so, every so often i have to call the plumber to clean out the pipe and cut all the roots that are growing in there.
the problem is this- i just had someone come and do it this past spring! there is no way the tree roots grew that much over the course of one summer. in years past it has always taken at least two growing seasons to clogg it up. but clogged they were, so i had to call the plumber. on a sunday. after not being able to shower and go to church. needless to say i felt like crap, and looked like it too.
the guys come and clean it out, but the tree roots are only a small part of the problem. a couple months ago my renter had his son and daughter-in-law move in with him. and it seems that she needs to learn how to properly use a toilet. here are the simple guide lines: pee- yes. poo- yes. toilet paper- yes. feminine products- no. she seems to struggle with that last one. the plumbers found about 15 of these 'products' lodged in the pipe and had to stick a tool down the sewer pipe to dislodge said clogg.
toilet ettiquite is an important lesson to learn, and im glad i got the opportunity to teach her this lesson. all for only $170! what a deal!

gerald r ford

former president ford has a special place in the hearts of the people of grand rapids. he wasnt originally from here, but this is where he grew up and who he prepresented for 25 years in congress. we have a special presidential museum for him here right on the edge of the grand river and have always looked to him as one of grand rapids favorite sons.
he was president long before i was around, but his importance and his history was always a part of my upbringing. around here he was always a favorite figure during history classes, and we visited his museum for class trips on more than one occassion. as an adult i have looked deeper and understood better why he is so revered here in grand rapids. he was truly a strong leader unafraid of grace.
last week we lost him. a city mourned. a couple friends and i took an evening and headed down to the museum to pay our respects. it was no small surprise that we were not alone down there. dozens were gathered to reflect on his life. there was a signature book that we could leave our thoughts on. one of the workers told us that there had already been more than eight thousand people who came to share their respects with the family. the mood was respectful, but actually quite chatty. everyone seemed to have a story of fords kindness. a neighbor who remembered his firm handshake, a family friend who remembered getting a card when his mother passed away. all stories of a gentle man and a loving servent of his people. a rare thing to find in politics these days. the stories remembered were not of power or money, but of a kind man who loved those around him. an example we can all look to and admire.