About Us

My Wife and Me

Janet and I went to an expensive restaurant and when she was eating her salad, she noticed some gold words on the plate. It said, "Janet will you marry me?"

Two weeks later, when she came to visit, I asked her to make me some brownies. When she cracked open the egg, she found her wedding rings inside. It took me 10 hours to get the ring inside the egg.

Proposal moment
Celebration dinner
Our journey
Happy moments
Together forever
Wedding preparation
Our journey
Our journey
Janet is very skilled in sewing. She makes clothing and blanket for a lot of children.
Our journey
Janet often put sews embroidery on a lot of her projects.

Princess Di Look-Alike

When Janet was young and Princess Diana was in the news on a daily basis, people would often take a second look at Janet. They would look at Janet, then at a picture of Princess Diana in the magazines, and then look back at Janet. It was very comical. This happened all the time.

Janet
Janet
Janet
Princess Diana
Princess Diana
Princess Diana

Prince Charles Look-Alike

To make this phenomenon even more interesting, I have had many people say that I looked like Prince Charles. Personally, I do not see it.

A man at church would always bow and say, “Prince Charles.” In Japan, a woman at a restaurant looked at me and started speaking excitedly in Japanese. I couldn't understand her, but I did hear the words “Prince Charles.” A similar thing happened in Brazil. It also occurred three times in different locations in China. Even in Bali, Indonesia, someone approached us and said, “You guys look like Prince Charles and Princess Diana.”

Mike
Mike
Mike
"King (prince) Charles".
"King (prince) Charles".
"King (prince) Charles"
Guess which one is me.
Guess which one is me.

My Job and One of My Injuries

Mike was selected to be on the Honor Guard within his department.
On his 6th year, Mike was awarded "Officer of the Year“.
An injury at work breaking up a fight.

Our 10 Years in China.

We retired at a young age and moved to China to help the Chinese people. We were not part of a group; we went there at our own expense. I was 58 and Janet was 47. We were in China for 10 years. I’ll mention a few things that we did there.

We visited a very poor school in a different part of our province. One year Janet bought spring jackets for all 400 students. Another time she helped pay for new lights to be installed in the poor school. Many classrooms did not even have lights.

Several times she donated money to the school to be put in a slush fund. The slush fund was administered by the headmaster, and he could immediately provide the teachers and students the things they need without having to go through a committee.

For example, if a poor student did not have a warm coat in the winter, the teacher could buy one for the student. Or, if a student needed glasses, the teacher could buy the student glasses. As a chemistry and physics teacher in America, Janet knew that it is important to be able to quickly get money for important needs.

The bathrooms were just holes in the floor, so Janet started a project that resulted in new bathrooms being built in the school.

The jackets
Some of the poor families she visited.
The old bathrooms.
The new bathrooms.
The new bathrooms.
The discretionary slush fund.

Helping Others

Chinese lose their teeth at a young age because of rampant gingivitis.

Over the 10 years, we gave our students almost 3,000 electric toothbrushes / Listerine mouthwash / floss.

We had a student who had skin falling off her hands and feet. We flew her to University of Michigan Hospital to see some of the best skin doctors in the world.

A student had problems with her teeth, so we paid for her to have a dentist put veneer on her front teeth.

Self-confidence is so important at that age.

Janet Being Recognized and Honored

As a result of her teaching skills and sacrifices, Janet was awarded and recognized many times throughout the 10 years.

Janet being photographed at our table during one of the ceremonies
This is me trying to act cool.
The owner (lower right) is speaking about Janet.
Janet being hugged by the owner of her school.
Waiting for Janet to be called up front.
Me being silly.
I’m very proud of Janet.
One of the award ceremonie.
During the Chinese Red Cross award ceremonies, we met the South Korean Consulate (far right in the photo above). A few weeks later we had dinner with him and his wife.
The consulate for South Korea having dinner with us.

Thanksgiving Meals

We tried to give the college students a chance to relax from their busy schedule and give them a chance to experience some American culture.

Over the 10 years, we had 47 Thanksgiving meals. Each meal had about 30 to 35 students. In total, we served 94 turkeys.

Students cutting the meat off the bones
Our last year we had 10 Thanksgiving meals with a total of about 330 students. Above are photos of those meals.
Our last year we had 10 Thanksgiving meals with a total of about 330 students. Above are photos of those meals.

Pizza Parties and Meals

Several times a year we would take some of my new students to a pizza restaurant. Usually, about 20 to 55 students would come to each meal.

In addition, we had about 4 or 5 large pizza parties a year at our apartment. We normally had about 100 to 150 students at each party and about 15 to 20 large pizzas (see the photos below).

Exposure to International Meals

We had many parties where the students could eat meals from different countries. For example, we had a big taco dinner party. This is the food that we got for the party.

This is a different party where we had Mexican bean dip.

Teaching Some Bad Habits

I was able to teach the students some bad habits.

A Tearful Goodbye

After 10 years in China, we had a tearful goodbye.

One person was happy we left (I’m joking)
This is only part of the group that said goodbye to us an hour before we left

Living with COVID in China

At the outbreak of COVID, we went to Bali Indonesia for three months. As China started to close down, we flew back to China.

We were stranded in China for about four years because of COVID. We had to be tested every morning at 6 am for almost the whole time.

Girl next to us on an airplane
Our greeting party at the airport in China
Girl next to us at the airport
Signing up for our 2-week quarantine

Traveling Adventures

We have traveled to about 35 different countries. Here are some photos of our travel.

Japan
South Korea
The Caribbean
The Caribbean
Part of the Great Wall of China.
Australia.
Making paper in Japan.
Fishing on Lake Michigan.
Switzerland.
Janet’s family in Mexico.
Mayan pyramid at Chichén Itzá, Mexico.
Alaska.
Bali Indonesia.
Dachau Germany.
Thailand.
A cruise in China.
Some of the bathrooms that we helped build at a church in Brazil.
Brazil.
Japan (helping remodel a Christian camp).
Stonehenge, England.
White Cliffs of Dover, England.
British Palace Guard.
Diner in France
Austria.
Swimming in a 200-foot-deep sinkhole in Mexico.
We had exotic food from all over the world.
Scorpion.
Squid.
Century egg.
Stinky tofu. It really stinks.
Many meals with the head still on.

Home Sweet Home (Construction Projects)

We completely gutted and rebuilt the Kitchen and dining room.
We completely gutted and rebuilt the Kitchen and dining room.
We built this patio in 12 weeks.
Our fountain and the pumping system.
We designed and built the new pump system for the fountain.
We designed and built our new fire pit
Our dogs loved the small pool.
The patio after completion.
We built our car garage in about 12 weeks.
The garage after it was finished.
Our house, garage, and game room at night.
Our house at night.
Our yard.
We built our game room in about 12 weeks.
Our game room at night.
Inside our game room.
Inside our game room.
Inside our game room.
The shuffleboard court inside our game room.
We built a racquetball court in our car garage
Looking out our front window.
Deer love our property.
Our front yard
Our side yard
Our back yard
I tore my rotator cuff when I was constructing the patio.
I got shot in the hand with a nail gun. Fortunately, it missed all the bones, nerves, and ligaments
I got shot in the hand with a nail gun. Fortunately, it missed all the bones, nerves, and ligaments
I got shot in the hand with a nail gun. Fortunately, it missed all the bones, nerves, and ligaments

My Dad in WW2.

×
Enlarged view