Family Photo Album Travel and Visitors 1988 Smaller Trips: See pictures and Stories Below Link Month Days Place Who April 7 Houston: Show off the new baby to Dave's Sister   June 2 New Gas Grill / New Central A/C   June 2 Jesse in the Hospital: Eye Infection (Day 1 of deck) July 14 Build the new Deck at home   Sep 1 Visit Domino Farms in Ann Arbor, MI   Oct 1 Family Time to Pick Apples   This Trip and Visitor Page  Is Still Under Construction June 1988 Making our house a home All Lyn's brother-in-law worked for MichCon (the gas company) and we all got the 'employee special' on in-ground gas grills the previous fall.  But when June arrived, ours was the only one still in the box. Also, on Jesse's first birthday in May, as we opened presents and ate our pizza and cake, people gravitated to the small concrete porch and ugly green patio blocks (with dozens of strategically placed exposed concrete corners). It was obvious that with Jesse walking very soon, barring him from the backyard (or risking stitches on his head) was a bad strategy. It was time to get moving again just like "hell week" in February of the previous year. In June, Dave planned out the changes. But it was Lyn that solved the grill problem by suggesting that we simply hire someone to install it (while Dave was away on a business trip). Then Dave formalized the plans to tear apart the yard and build a huge baby friendly deck (playpen) for Jesse. Then, just before summer's heat arrived, Dave surprised everyone by having central air conditioning installed, when Lyn started pricing window AC boxes. We would live in this home until Jesse was in kindergarten, and Dave already had bad memories of the heat wave that arrived right as Jesse came home from the hospital one year previously. The grill went in first, then the central A/C. We broke up the old porch and just one month later were all enjoying our new deck (although it did take Dave almost two years to finally install the wood stairs). Our last surprise was in the fall, when it was discovered that the crank-out windows placed sharp metal corners at eye level on the new deck, so Dave had them pulled out and replaced by a spectacular double-paned picture window. It took the better part of two years, but we finally put our fingerprints all over our cozy little cottage. We had a party after the central air was installed The grill was installed while Dave was consulting in Indianapolis We enjoyed the grill throughout the year (this picture taken after deck was built) June 1988 Jesse in the hospital All No sooner had we broken ground on the new deck, had literally just smashed up the old cement porch and had dug just two of the fourteen necessary post holes, Jesse's right eye showed signs of an infection and began to swell. A quick family trip to the see Dr Peters, and we all agreed to take a cautious approach. Although he would probably be just fine, and the infection would probably clear up on its own, the close proximity to Jesse's eye raised everybody's fear of danger. We all decided it would be best to check the twelve-month-old into Oakwood Hospital's pediatrics ward where he could receive potent antibiotics as an intravenous drip. Although it was distressing to his new parents (and the whole yard was a disaster area back at home), we patiently took the few days and stayed with him until his eye showed signs of definitely clearing up. After that it was back home to wheelbarrows, levels, saws and hammers. You can see Jesse's infected eye and IV tube We tried to make the best of the pediatric ward Sept 1988 Domino Farms, Ann Arbor, MI All We took a Sunday afternoon drive over to Ann Arbor to see the petting zoo at Domino Farms. We knew, based on our lifestyle, tjat we would be taking lots of little trips like this and had hoped to include his cousins. This would expose them to our more frentic and flexible lifestyle, let them both help and bond with 15 month old Jesse, and create a lifelong relationship  we would be able to enjoy as the two of them grew to be adults. Alas, the trips were strictly monitored, weighed as to whether they encouraged or discouraged "obedience" and "self-control" in the girls, and (needless to add) soon were cut short except for the exchange of holiday gifts at regimented times. Oct 1988 Apple Picking All Jesse was 18 months old when we went apple picking for the first time as a threesome. Lyn and Dave had celebrated several Michigan autumns this way, but this was the first time with Jesse. He wanted so badly to help but we had to stop him from picking apples from the ground and putting them in the bags. It is hard to remember him being so small. Jesse helps bag a "good" apple Click to view a different holiday or year Original Web Upload July, 2001 Last Update: February 21, 2003