A Visit to Chicago and A Tribute

We've been busy, obviously, and our lives are simply not as interesting as they were last year in the DR; however, we are really enjoying our non-interesting, stable, convenient, and fairly predictable lives.

A few weekends ago, we took a trip up to Chicago to visit my (Claire) Grandpa Verch and his wife Jan. My mom's side of the family all resides in Chicago, so we made a few other stops, too.
We really enjoyed spending time with Grandpa - we don't get to

spend much time with him because of the distance, so we tried to pack in as much quality time as possible. We played a few games, went to a park, relaxed at home, and went out to eat while we were there, and it was so nice to just talk and catch up. Of course, we talked about our experience last year, but Grandpa and Jan already knew a whole lot about what we did since they're avid blog-readers.

While we were there, we also went to visit Aunt Irma, who is 103
and just as spunky as she was at 25 - or maybe moreso. In fact, while we were sitting with her in her room, she brought up politics, which is always a dangerous subject, and in the course of the conversation, she said that she doesn't vote anymore, and when asked why, she said, "Well, I stopped voting when I was 100," like that was the most natural explanation possible. We got a kick out of that for a long time after we left.

As for other news in our lives, we're getting more and more involved in our church, which is so great since last year we were pretty much churchless. That was one of the biggest holes in our lives, and now it's filled and wonderful. We're also really enjoying hanging out with friends, new and old. I (Claire) am still working at the office in Human Resources which has proved to be an experience I will never forget, but one thing that has made the schedule a little more enjoyable for me is that I've begun walking to work on a daily basis. It's two miles one way, and the quiet time in the morning is one of my favorite times of the day. On the way home, I have the chance to de-stress from the day and wind down in a healthy and constructive way before I get home to enjoy my evening. Life is good.

A Tribute
Last week, our family friend Galen Dolby passed away. He was an incredible man who lived life with passion and purpose all the way down to the last day. He passed away at home with his wife and two daughters nearby. Galen was my dad's best friend for 35 years, and his family has been practically like family to us ever since I can remember. We will really miss him, but we know where he is, and we'll see him again soon. If you are a praying person, please pray for his wife Laura, and his children, Liz, Adrianne, and Ike as they try to adjust to living life without Galen.