A Brand New Year! (well...not so new anymore)

It's really easy to tell that everyone has been traveling at the beginning of 2009, because no one has blogged anything yet.  I'm still waiting to hear how things went for Karl and Emily in Chicago (Did the Bulls win?  Were you able to get any sleep?  How much did parking cost?  What else did you do?  When did you head back to Indiana?) and I'm wondering how the wedding went for Margie and Brandon in Pennsylvania (Is Lilly sick of traveling yet?  When will you be home?  What are your schedules for the next couple of weeks?  Are you flying anywhere?)  Edward and Meridth are in San Diego for her sister's wedding, so I'm wondering how the trip went and when they plan to head back to Monterey.  Betsey, Richard and Nora are in Utah, so I'm wondering when they will see Ryan, Casey and the girls.  I am just so nosy, I want to know everything.  What did the Utah Gimbel's do for new year's eve?  I miss you all!

Since everyone left, I am mostly just grading papers.  Dad has taken Betsey's room apart, and will begin scraping wallpaper today.  Any suggestions for room colors?  We are pretty open to different ideas, but we are ready to ditch the wallpaper, and smooth out the walls for paint.  I wish we could do our bathroom.  After twenty-two years, I'm ready for it to be finished!

Anyway, Happy New Year to everyone, including all our readers.  Let us know what's new for you in this new year.

Love, Claudia and Ed

NYE 2009

Karl and I had planned on seeing the BULLS play on NYE and then spending a quiet night in Chicago, you know pizza, a movie, trying to stay up to see the ball drop, the usual. Then while searching for fun things to do around midnight I came across the party that our hotel is throwing:


It's in the ballrooms on the floor right above our room, and is for 3,500 people. YIKES! we have to wear wristbands so they know not to kick us out!

I'm nervous.




So what does everyone else have planned for NYE 09?

Ryan & Santa

hello!

Hey Ash!

Check our blog out! We think you might like this. Let us know if you do. (We always love hearing your sage advice :)

Turned phone back on, calls keeping me up. (see previous post)

I think South Park is funny.  I'm not sure about the rest of you, but here's a blog appropriate NPR story about the show... listen to some of the stuff, it's funny.

Please stop calling me.

I've had over 50 calls since about noon from someone in the Allen County lockup.  She thinks I'm Jim.  She wants me to bail her out.  She wants me to take care of her pets.  She's sorry... I'm sorry, but you have the wrong number.

music video

My friends and I are thinking about remaking another video.  Any suggestions?

Don't let Betsey fool you.

I know Betsey said her gingerbread house was bad, but I think it looks pretty good... very modern.  What do you guys think?

It is what it is.

I hate this saying... what is a saying or phrase you don't like?

I thought Halloween was a month ago...

Today you are ONE!

Eleanor Iris Hawkins is one year old today.  I remember how excited I was, waiting word on her safe arrival.  What a wonderful sweet spirit she is, and what joy she has added to  our lives this past year.

Baby Nora, I wish you all the greatest blessings on this next year.  You will have another year of great changes as you begin walking, talking, and interacting more with your environment, and the people who come into your life every day.  You will move again--this time to far-away Hong Kong, and, Oh, what adventures you will have with your mom and dad.  This year you will begin to attend nursery on Sundays, and build friendship with wonderful cousins!  And we will  love you more and more each day!

Have a happy day today.  We are sorry we are going to make you ride in the car another four hours, but we hope it isn't too awful!  We love you so much!

Grandpa Ed and Grandma Claudia

Detroit's Big Three: A look at the American automakers

Check out this interactive guide to the history of the Big Three.

http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/_business/big_three/index.html?SITE=YAHOO

A Brand-New Christmas Survey

So... we got home from North Carolina Sunday evening and there, in our pile of mail, were our very first two Christmas Cards.  One card was from my cousin, Darlene Boehm, who lives in the Kansas City area, and the other was from Jeanie Ferderber, who currently lives about three hours away in Michigan.  Kudos to those two wonderful women for being so prompt about getting those cards out, in this busy holiday season.  Then on Monday, card number three came from Julie and Dannie Probst (he's worked with Dad at GM since the very beginning) and today came card four, from my dear friend, Kris Wood in Minnesota.  

Before you become deluged in holiday wishes, tell us when you got your first cards and from whom.  It's just some fun trivia to share!

(Who wants to help write the Gimbel holiday letter this year?)

Love you all,

Claudia

Viewer Discretion is Advised

So this is a video in Chinese about a man who bakes bread in the shapes of dismembered bits of humans.


I'll be honest, part of the reason I wanted to post it is because I'm pretty sure everyone else in the fambly will be extremely disturbed and totally grossed out by it. The other part is that I didn't want to give up on daily blogging. Did I make it in under the time limit?

We Did It!

Way to Go Gimbel Family! We posted everyday during the month of November. We are pretty darn awesome.

You know what else is awesome? Margie, cause she put up with a bunch of people at her house for Thanksgiving. Thanks Margie! You are a great hostess and we love you!

Here are some pictures from the holiday!

Karl and Emily.  

Dad and Baby Nora.  It was beautiful weather and we enjoyed the screened in porch very much.  

The beautiful hostess.  Margie is amazing!

The delicious pies and cupcakes.  I'm sad that I didn't get a piece of Claudia's pumpkin pie.  I think that I am going to have to help her make one for Christmas.

The spread.  It was as delicious as it looked.

Love and miss you all!