BAUER, JOHN

John Bauer’s Predictions for 2008
I predict there will be a multi-million dollar judgment against the makers of Cymbalta, the anti-depressant drug. The relatives of a pour soul who commits suicide after watching their TV commercial countless times, with its relentlessly depressing tone, will sue and win.

I predict that sometime in early summer, when families prepare to take their driving vacation (because they can’t afford to fly), the price of gasoline will spike to $4.00 a gallon. We will all sigh with relief when the price settles back down around $3.50.

I predict that television watching will become particularly bleak when the summer replacement shows begin. The ever-creative TV execs will attempt variations on the current crop of low-cost, money-making reality/game shows to come up with new shows like "Are You Dumber Than A Rock?" and "Celebrity Wife Swap." How about making a show called "The Biggest Big Brother" where they bring overweight people ala "The Biggest Loser" into the setting for "Big Brother." Wait… that’s pretty much what "The Biggest Loser" is anyway. (Please don’t forward these ideas to any TV executives – I don’t really want these reality shows to become reality).

I predict that Brittany Spears, distraught over losing custody of her two children, will attempt to conceive two more kids with the first bozo that crosses her path. I also predict she will do a TV Christmas special from prison where she will be incarcerated for five to seven years for mortally wounding a tabloid photographer with her Mercedes convertible. She will be sporting a tattoo on the back of her shaved head professing her love for her prison bitch, Bertha.

I predict that at the end of 2008, we will be preparing for the inauguration of President Hillary Clinton. (It’s a prediction, not a wish). Former President Bill Clinton will be ready to prowl the halls and back rooms of the White House once again, but now with more time for the big job. Unfortunately for Hillary, it will be awhile before her blue dress gets stained.

I predict that Conservatives, not wanting to be pushed out of the limelight, will continue (yes continue, because this is something they are doing now) to defend the right of televangelists to make ungodly amounts of money at the expense of the weak and naive people of this country, while violating the laws for non-profit organizations. It may be immoral and illegal, but who said that two wrongs don’t make it Right?

The picture was taken at Mt. Hood in Oregon , on vacation in September 2007. People were still skiing and snowboarding in that patch of snow behind my shoulders, and continuing down the snowy gully to my left.

KEENA FAMILY: SARAH, MIKE AND NATALIE

KEENA FAMILY: SARAH, MIKE AND NATALIE





So another year passes by and it's time to reflect, let go and look forward to the future. My husband and I have compiled a list of predictions for the new year and here they are:

Mike's predictions for 2008:
Natalie (our daughter) will be practicing and playing guitar with me. Sarah will be pregnant with our second child. For myself, I will finally get all of my projects around the house done. For sports, the Pistons will win the NBA title. The Tigers will make the playoffs and the Lions will finally fire Matt Millen. Politics - My prediction is that no matter who becomes elected this upcoming election year, the world will still have problems.

Sarah's predictions for 2008:
We hope to be blessed with a second pregnancy in the upcoming year and build our family from three to four.
Work life - I will still participate in all of the committees and have a voice in nursing to make positive changes for the benefit of the community that we serve. I will pursue further education in the nursing field and finally take my CEN exam.
Fun - I will find time for myself and participate actively in my hobbies - I will finally catch up with my scrapbooking. I will make time for friends more regularly and hopefully establish a regular girls night out for all my fellow lady friends.
Family Life - Mike will finally complete the finishing touches on our bathroom project, so that we can move on to our next home project and the next and the next. I will build on my beginning gardening skills and continue to add to the landscaping in our front yard and establish a vegetable garden in our backyard. We will take a road trip with my sister and her family and it will be awesome. Mike, myself and our daughter will see the ocean all together for the first time. Our daughter will start school (and she will be so excited to do so).
Politics - I will have an open mind during this upcoming election year and my prediction is that Barak Obama may be our next president - Hillary Clinton won't even come close. God, grant me patience during all of the political commercials.
Sports - I can't even pretend to care as much as Mike does about sports - that's his love.

I look forward to the new year for all of its possibilities.

LINK FAMILY

LINK, ANNIE [Gerry, Joanna, William, and James]

My prediction for the Link Family in 2008...

We will get a camper and spend lots of time in our fishing boat:)

My prediction for Britney Spears...gets knocked-up and thrown in jail for endangering her fetus.

My prediction for the Presidential campaign..."Slick Willy" has some tricks up his sleeve - Hillary wins :(

My prediction for me...Sub 2 hours in the River Bank Run, Dairy Discovery doubles customers from 07.

My prediction for you (Steph)... baby due Nov. 30th (cut-off for Kdg. is Dec.1 ;)

MORRIS, KAREN [Mike, Joey, and Ryan]

KAREN MORRIS
My prediction for 2008 is that Brett Favre will NOT retire!!!!

NELSON, SHAUN

pop culture
. jamie lynn spears will keep baby and she will never have an entertainment career again (jamie lynn who...)
. kanye west's mother's death during surgery will remain a mystery - he will blame it on the white surgeon
. the writers strike will continue...forcing us to remain without desperate housewives but american idol will go on
. jessica simpson and cowboy's QB tony romo will remain a "thing" until the offseason when they vacation together. tony will call it off citing nuisances by jessica's father, joe simpson, always taking all the covers in bed.
. beyonce to remain an item with a black rapper touting very large lips (his name also is shaun)

personal
. i will finish making a 6 drawer log dresser for our bedroom
. gabrielle's first word will be "ouch" - her older sisters are kinda rough with her
. rachel will remain on weekend 3rd shift
. we will not get pregnant this year...for a change.
. 3 more of my good friends will get married...you know who you are
. my 18 yr old brother will move into our house to be closer to college. he will expect no rules and i will ground him so fast

sports
. new england to win super bowl, breaking the '72 dolphins record number of wins in a single season
. brett favre will come back for one last year again. it will be his last
. soccer will not catch on in america, but we will continue to make posh spice feel comfortable in the states with soccer sensation husband
. pistons will continue to do well but choke in the playoffs
. entire mitchell report, a document that rocked the baseball world, will be defunct due to the author admitting steroid use to help him finish the report

PEARSON, TOM

In the year 2008, I, Thomas Pearson, will begin my lifelong dream of becoming a Russian astronaut (I always liked the name "Sputnik"). I will email Vladimir Putin and request a seat on their next space mission. If Vlad doesn't reply to my email within a week, I will quit my journey to be an astronaut and focus on my love of fresh water algae. How can't you love the freshwater algae?!? I mean, the salt water algae's okay, but the fresh water ... good golly, I love the fresh water!!! After two months of working with the microorganism, I'll discover that I'm allergic to fresh water algae through a heart-wrenching algae accident off the coast of Nicaragua. You may think to your self, "Hey isn't the water off the coast of Nicaragua salt water???" But no, it is a widely known fact that the government sectioned off a portion of the coast that only fresh water (mostly used for senior citizen water exercise classes but also for freshwater algae research). And that'll be January.

Days before the big Super Tuesday primary elections, I will throw my hat into the ring and declare my intent to wrestle the Junkyard Dog. I know he's like 60 years old now, but I figure I'll start out with a retired wrestler and work my way back to the WWE.

During my match with "JYD", I'll "pull a hammy" and my career as a wrestler of the retired will over. During the post-match press conference, a representative from Subway (the restaurant, not the transportation system) will hire me to be the new "Jared". I'll think about and decline, because, gosh-darn it, I'm not changing my name for any amount of money. I like "Tom".

Depressed after the wrestling loss, I return home to the love of my life, "Stove Top Stuffing". After ten months of spending time with Stovey, I'll be recruited to be on "The Biggest Loser: Couples". After the first weigh in, I'll be disqualified because I'm only one person, not two, as they originally thought.

Depressed after the Biggest Loser thing, I'll return home to the new love of my life, "liposuction". During my recovery, I'll fall in love with my doctor's wife, Mrs. Dr. Rey, and we'll move to the coast of Nicaragua. I know I'm allergic, but I just can't stay away from those fresh water algae!

HAPPY 2008!!!

PEARSON, TONY

TONY PEARSON
PREDICTIONS:
January
Well, since I am not filling out my predictions until February 19, 2008 I guess I can’t make any predictions…

February
We will sell our house and move into a nearly finished new house in Caledonia.

March
MSU will advance into the Final Four of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, only to lose to UCLA.

April
John McCain will pass away while campaigning for President, opening the door for Rudy Juliani to re-enter the race.

May
As previously predicted…Amanda Chan will have a healthy baby BOY, Alexa will turn two years old, and frustrated with her hair in her face, will go all Britney on us and shave her head.

June
Halfway through the year, Tony will have doubled his 2007 income, and take the summer off to freshwater surf on Lake Michigan.

July
Colin will turn 14, deciding that he must be older than 4! Stephanie will decide to turn 25 again – not because she’s upset about getting older, but be she likes the way the number looks graphically.

August
Tony and Stephanie celebrate their 7 year anniversary by skinny dipping in the pond behind their new house, and having an allergic reaction to the pond scum – giving a new meaning to seven year itch.

September
Stephanie has our next child early (no, we’re not prego yet), on Labor Day, because it just “feels right”.

October
The Detroit Tigers win the World Series in a sweep!

November
In a landslide victory, Barrack Obama defeats Rudy Juliani to become the next President.

December
The Pearson Cast (+1) celebrates another prosperous year, and welcomes in 2009 in Orlando Florida (with little Mickey)!

PEARSON, STEPHANIE [tony, colin and alexa]

STEPHANIE PEARSON
HIGHLIGHTS: seeing that our holiday card contained all of the year's highlights...i'm just going to attach it :)

PREDICTIONS: i predict, this year is full of big changes...not that this is anything new. if we go back through the 6 ½ years of our marriage, we’ve married, bought a new house, had children, experienced extreme medical conditions, started new jobs, left jobs, started new businesses, bought new vehicles, etc. etc…all in the same year [ok…not all, but some years it was close].

so here’s to 2008:
. we will move into a new, and almost completed house in february, after being stressed out all of january from the idea of packing, oh and the fact that as of january 1, there are still no walls.
. graphic i will continue to grow, both with current clients, and a large number of recommendations. paper u [my charitable designs for patients at devos children’s hospital] will be a hit and I’ll get the opportunity to design for at least 1 new patient each month. true north real estate will stay strong.
. colin will continue to scare us with his smartness and will move from typing his golden book dictionary, straight to webster. he’ll love his new preschool, and will be told to go right to 2nd grade.
. alexa will continue climbing [literally]…and one day, we’ll find her hanging from the light in the stairwell. she’ll also suddenly find her full vocabulary, and never stop talking.
. the kids will spend the summer running in our new lawn [yes lawn…it’s a prediction and a prayer, after the messy spring we’re to experience] and catching fish in the pond behind the house.
. the winter will bring less snow than this year, and also another little one [so I pray], which also means another new vehicle with three rows of seats [notice I still won’t say mini….yuck].

God bless…and good luck in ’08!

PYKE FAMILY: DOROTHY, BOB & BRYAN

DOROTHY, BOB & BRYAN PYKE
We are very thankful to God for all of His blessings in 2007, we pray for God's continued blessings of health and happiness for everyone in 2008 and beyond.