Home

December 2007

Another year has come and (nearly) gone. This one has been the busiest that either of us has had in a long time, and also one of the most satisfying.

We left for Australia on December 28, 2006. We were gone for almost five weeks. During our three weeks in Australia we dove on the Great Barrier Reef and in the Coral Sea, toured the Penfold Estate Winery in Adelaide, toured the Outback for 4 days with a guide and a 4-wheel drive vehicle, and spent several days in Sydney. While in New Zealand for two weeks we went white water rafting, toured an underground cave system, drove 2,500km across both islands, and ended by racing in the Auckland Anniversary Day regatta. Neither words nor pictures can do this trip justice; in short it was the trip of a lifetime!

Shortly after returning from Australia we started a major remodeling project in our walk-out lower level. It encompasses about 2,000 square feet, and includes a large area for Sue’s embroidery business, a 6-seat dedicated home theater with a 110 inch screen, and an open plan area with spaces for a pool table, exercise equipment, a library, and a family room. We handled much of the project ourselves, so we were very busy through the project. We also wired the house for whole house audio, computer networking, and television. Now that it’s done we love it.

Our sailing season was pretty lackluster. Tim’s parents bought a new house and he spent time helping them move. The remodeling project also kept us very busy throughout the season. We are looking forward to the 2008 sailing season. Chris and some friends will join us for the Mackinac Race, and we’re going back to Lake Michigan.

In September and November we helped our friends Dave and Carol Bechen as they left on what they plan to be a world cruise on their 46-foot sailboat. We helped them move their boat across Lake Erie, through the Erie Canal and partway down the Hudson River. In November Tim rejoined them for a 1,300 mile trip from Hampton, VA, to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.

As if we weren’t already busy enough, we decided that we needed more storage space for lawn and landscaping equipment. We built a 14-foot by 30-foot detached garage to solve that problem. Now Tim has more space in the attached garage for his workshop.

Sue’s embroidery business continues to do well. This year she expanded her offerings to include printed items such as T-shirts, bags, and mouse pads. She will use a special ink jet printer to produce these items, and they should really complement her embroidery.

Chris continues to do well in Seattle. Amazon keeps him very busy and his management has a lot of confidence in him. In November he and Sarah, a former girlfriend got back together. We like her very much and are happy for both of them.

It has been a great year for us, and we hope for you too. Best wishes for an enjoyable holiday season, and for a challenging and rewarding new year. If your travels find you in the Detroit area, please stop and see us.

Sue and Tim

Go to our 2007 Highlight Photos

Go to our Flickr Photo Page