New Year's Eve

Well, here it is, December 31st and I just have to remark that this has been the most fun blog year! Thank you so much, Karl, for setting this up, and making sure it is inhabited with interesting, insightful, and delightful blogs. I was thinking that, on this New Year's Eve it would be fun to have a little contest of sorts, and see who could be the first to post a blog in 2008. I know that the times are always a little off on the posting. For example, as I'm writing this it's 4:20. I'll type a little more, and put a time at the end of my post, and then I'll comment right away, so you can see how far off the time is. Then you can use that strategy to help you post the first blog of the new year.

Now I know what you're all going to say, that you'll all be out celebrating, and that I'm the only one that doesn't have a life. but that's not true. Betsey and Rich are pretty much homebodies these days, and Edward and Meridth are in a new area, still making new friends. Who knows what they're doing tonight. Also, Ryan and Casey like to party with the fam, so they might be around too. We'll just see.

Anyway, just a couple more comments, and I'll end. Eleanor Iris is beautiful, and so quiet and good. Ed and I are so lucky we got to hang out with her for four days (and her mom and dad). We had a wonderful time, we loved seeing the play "Wicked" and we loved holding Nora!

-Claudia- 4:27

Merry Christmas to loved ones

We slept until 9:00 in the morning this year for the first time ever on a Christmas morning. There were five presents under the tree. Two for Karl, two for Emily and one for Dad. Yesterday, we went to see the newest National Treasure movie. It was enjoyable but not particularly memorable. We went to Asakusa for dinner and had Japanese food to appease Mom Then we came home, and played a round of Skipbo (again, to appease Mom). After posting this low-key blog, I will make some breakfast while Dad works out on the eliptical trainer. Then we will begin sorting out what we need to pack for our trip to Los Angeles.

Karl and Emily are heading up to Chicago on Thursday to watch the Bulls play, without a head coach. All-in-all, it's just a quiet Christmas.

But I am thinking of you all, and missing you. I can never get over how fast you all grew up, and how time passes so very quickly. It just seems like yesterday that I was a little girl, waiting for the excitement of Christmas morning. I have always loved the songs, the stories, the lights, and the happy times with family members, outdoor activities in the snow, the memories of playing games, doing jigsaw puzzles, Lego projects, and wonderful food. I look forward to next year, when, hopefully, we can all be together again.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Love, Mother

Karl is too modest!

I just found this message on my email, and wanted to share it with you all. Edward and I have always felt that you kids have been such great children, and when we see the problems that so many other people have with their kids, we feel so humble that you have all been so good. We have never felt that it is anything in particular that we've done special, but just that Heavenly Father sent down some wonderful spirits to come and live in our home. Anyway, this is a tribute to all of you, especially you older siblings that helped get Karl up every morning, fed, and out the door, since I always left for school before you did. I love you all and am grateful to be your mom.


To the family of Karl Gimbel

Hello. My name is Dwight Worker. I was your son's instructor in Systems
Analysis and Design this semester.

I want to tell you that Karl was a very good student in my class.
He worked hard and had a positive attitude in class. He earned a solid 'A' and
had perfect attendance. He is
also well-spoken and mannered. My father would have said about him that he
was 'well brought up'.

My son recently graduated from IU. I know how we, as parents, can worry
about how well our children are doing. I feel confident in saying that Karl
will succeed in
whatever he chooses in life.


Good work!

Sincerely,

Dwight Worker
Professor of Information Systems
Kelley School of Business

Happy Holidays

I recently got these great Christmas cards. LOOK HOW BIG ALL THESE DUDES ARE!!! Send them to the old-folks home!!! And I got a great Polar Bear from mom and dad. It was so thick that I think someone thought there would be money in it or something because it came to me opened (you didn't send anything did you? cause I didn't get it).

Snow in Indiana

Snow job remains as 8-16 inches fall, drifting an issue. Today's morning commute is expected to be complicated after an early-winter storm dumped more than a foot snow in some areas of northeast Indiana over the weekend.

Overall snow accumulations ranged from about 8 inches in Fort Wayne to more than 16 inches at the National Weather Service Office in Syracuse, according to meteorologist Earl Breon.

Statewide, average snow accumulation amounts varied from 6 to 14 inches, according to the National Weather Service Web site.

According to the National Weather Service, less than an inch of new snow was expected Sunday night.

While motorists in Fort Wayne will hopefully see clear main streets this morning, caution is still advised because some hazardous conditions may exist, said Bernie Beier, of the Fort Wayne-Allen County Office of Homeland Security.

County roads may be a different matter. Beier said main county roads are expected to passable, but secondary roads could be drifted shut.

City crews were running 24 hours, and county crews had all their employees and equipment on the roads, though Beier said county crews struggled with drifting snow Sunday afternoon.

For the most part, Beier said the public responded to officials' requests to stay off the roads Sunday.

“We've had really surprisingly few slide-offs and accidents today,” Beier said.

Allen County was among seven counties that issued weather alerts.

The snowstorm hit before the first day of winter, which is Saturday, National Weather Service meteorologist Mark Steinwedel said.

“So this would be considered an early-season snowstorm, but it's not uncommon.”

About 4:30 p.m. Sunday, the National Weather Service canceled a winter weather warning originally in effect until 7 p.m. Sunday, Steinwedel said. The agency did issue a special weather statement. Steinwedel said blowing and drifting snow would continue to be a problem throughout Sunday night into today.

Overnight, 20- to 25-mph winds were expected with possible gusts up to 35 mph, Steinwedel said.

Graduation

Sam says I look like Harry Potter with my glasses on... with my gown I really felt like Harry... EXPECTO PATRONUM!!!!!!!
I thought I looked more like a Jedi though... I've always wanted to be a Jedi... These aren't the droids you're looking for,

Worst movie ever

I know I've talked about it with some of you, but let me tell all of you. Because I Said So was the worst movie ever and I was just wondering what movie you guys thought was the worst movie of all time. Let me know.

More Gingerbread Man Sightings

Look at this! The Gingerbread Man is working on a new 2008 Chevy pick-up truck! I hope that he is earning $25.00 an hour, instead of the paltry $19.00 that the other new hires get. Do you suppose he has health insurance to cover when he gets soaked with milk, or when he loses one of his gumdrop buttons?

We mailed this picture, along with the math picture, and the Gingerbread Man, to Chloe's kindergarten teacher, Miss Moore. It was a lot of fun to help document his travels. Run, run as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!

The Gingerbread Man

So I found the Gingerbread Man! He came to my seventh grade classroom to help me teach a class on fraction equivalents. He is especially accomplished with fractions, since he contains 3/4ths of a cup of brown sugar, and 1/2 cup of molasses. We are sending a copy of this picture to Chloe's kindergarten class, and I am hoping that Ed will get a picture of him tomorrow, working on a brand new pick-up truck!

All our love,
Ed and Claudia

You know how Ashley loves snowglobes......

There is a wonderful site out there with a snowglobe that you can shake, and it is so cute. I wanted you all to have the joy this Christmas season to shake the snowglobe in honor of Ashley, so here is the website.

ww12.e-tractions.com/snowglobe/globe.htm

I wanted to put a button in that would automatically take you there, but I can't seem to get to it. So, because of my technical inexperience, you will just have to enter the website by yourselves.

Hey, isn't it so fun to see all the pictures of baby Eleanor? Just like when Chloe was born, I can't wait to fly out and see the precious new little one.

Claudia

Happy "We Love Nora" Day!

I'm not sure if Edward and I are going to be able to print our Christmas cards this year so here it is. I definitely had Eleanor on the brain...so this is what I came up with.

Congrats Betsey and Richard and Happy Christmas everyone!

love,

Meridth

Another update

Sorry we've had a hard time keeping in touch with the family. Between feedings and nurse checkups and sleep, the day has flown by. Betsey and the baby are doing really well. We're all very enamored by each other and have enjoyed the day together. Betsey is a champ at nursing her, which makes us feel very fortunate because we've heard that this can be very difficult. Maybe it will get harder for us in the future. Who knows?

I've posted some more pictures on richardandbetsey.blogspot.com. There's a beautiful one of Betsey just moments after delivering Baby Nora. I can't believe how beautiful, peaceful, and happy she looks. Many thanks to the Gimbel clan for raising such an amazing daughter, sister, and cousin!

Picture of Betsey

Also, there may be a picture of Betsey at richardandbetsey.blogspot.com. I've had trouble uploading, but I think I managed to get one up there.

Eleanor is Coming to Town

Betsey has just received an epidural a few minutes ago and is sleeping comfortably beside me. Prior to receiving the epidural, her water broke naturally, her cervix was completely effaced and dilated between 4 and 5 centimeters, and she was experiencing contractions every 2 minutes. The doctor was pleasantly surprised by how far the baby's head had descended. Everything has proceeded pretty much as Betsey had hoped and planned. Now she just needs to save up energy for the final phase of pushing.

The hospital is beautiful and the staff has been great. It's a brand new maternity wing with amazing private rooms. Some pictures of Betsey a few hours prior to the excitement will follow.

Thanks for all of the phone calls and well wishes! She has really appreciated knowing that her friends and family are rooting for her. We also both feel appreciation for and comforted by your many prayers.

Presentations finished!

I made it! My presentations for school are done and now we are just waiting for Baby Nora to arrive. The doctor scheduled my induction for Tuesday morning at 7:30 a.m. It is so strange to think that we will have a baby by Tuesday!

Richard and I are trying to keep busy with the rest of our school work, but I'm afraid I'm rather unfocused. I just keep thinking about our baby and how excited we are for her arrival! We'll be sure to post again before we leave for the hospital...whenever that may be! Thank you all so much for the phone calls, emails, and comments. We have the best friends and family in the world!