Today was the day that I have been looking forward to since last February. Last February the University of St. Thomas approved my research proposal and gave me the go-ahead to begin the process of collecting the data needed for my dissertation. I developed a detailed work plan that laid out the list of activities that I had to complete to comply with the approved research proposal.

The research process began in March when two nonprofit organizations consented to participate in the case study research. By the end of May I had obtained all the data needed from the boards of directors, board chairs and the chief executives of both organizations. The data analysis and writing process began in June and lasted through most of the summer. The writing process primarily took place in our doctoral dungeon (the name of my basement level home office). Throughout the summer my dissertation committee chair read drafts of my work offering needed guidance and advice. Vicki provided me with moral support, encourgement, and an occasional Starbucks to get me through….

And finally, today…… a 212 page document emerged from the doctoral dungeon. That document was mailed and emailed to the three dissertation committee members! The work plan is now complete, but the process is not yet over.

The final step in the dissertation process occurs on September 19th. The dissertation committee will be meeting on that day to listen to my dissertation defense and presentation. The committee must decide, in the words of the committee chair, if the work meets their expectations of an “independent scholar”. If they decide, agree and accept my dissertation, I hope to participate in the University of St Thomas commencement activities in December 2008.

I will keep you posted when there is a ….final finally!

Three quick rather un-related (or perhaps related more than we realize) updates:

#1) For those of you who have not already heard, Salome and Isaiah will be moving to Texas next week. Salome was recently accepted by Texas Wesleyan University (located east side of Ft. Worth) as transfer student from Thomas Cooley Law School in Lansing, MI, for her final two years of law school. There are likely more post-graduation employment opportunities for Salome and current job opportunities for Isaiah in Texas than in Lansing, MI. Thus the pursuit of a transfer. A week ago, Salome and Isaiah did not know where, if at all, they would be moving. Salome had applied to law schools in Las Vegas, Arizona, Oklahoma and Texas. Now they know, and are making plans to leave Lansing on Sunday (August 10) after church, for TX. Pastor Don Dryer and his wife, Joanne, friends of ours (Don used to work as campus pastor for Dordt College, and was colleague of mine in 1992, when I worked part-time for Dordt as Coordinator of International Students) are currently living in Frisco, Texas, about 40-45 minutes north of the University where Salome will be studying law. They have opened their home as initial “home base” for Salome andIsaiah, until they are able to find their own apartment. Joanne “just happens” to have started a new job with real estate, and will be able to help them locate an apartment in a decent area, and in a price range they are able to afford. An interesting detail, is that Don and Joanne’s daughter, Natalie (we remember her as a young girl during our Sioux Center years) married a Nigerian guy named David, this past May. It just happens to be, that Salome and David used to hang out alot together at Dordt. Small world! Please join us in wishing the best to Salome and Isaiah as they settle into new life in TX.

#2) Michael dropped by our house today to coordinate details on the football equipment he needs for this school year. He is about to start school as a SOPHMORE at Valley High School this year. He had a class last year at Valley Southwoods, with Shawn Johnson, who is currently the World Champion for gymnastics. Shawn is currently in Beijing, China, for the Olympics, and everybody in Des Moines is proud of it. Anyways, Michael came to see us about his football aspirations, and we took a quick photo of his recent tattoo. He is still really proud of it, and his family is doing very well:

#3) A very possible record for the Guiness Book of World Records was set in Des Moines, IA, yesterday at the IA State Fair: 8,400 people got free corn dogs at the IA State Fair, and ate the corn dogs at the same time!! 11,000 people WANTED to be part of this, and were present at the Fair Grandstands, but there were not enough corn dogs to go around. Only IOWA We had considered being part of this, but our schedules did not permit.

There are many more things going on in our lives here in Des Moines, but these are three quick updates:)

LAST weekend, Kristin and Curt, Emma and Claire passed through Des Moines, IA, enroute from Grand Rapids, MI to Sioux Center, IA, for a family reunion on Curt’s side of the family. We enjoyed a few “book-end” days with them, before and then after the Kuiper family reunion. On one of the days, we went to Big Creek State Park, about 1/2 hour from our home, to watch Carrie VQ (one of our running friends-she did Boston 2003 with me) compete in the Big Creek State Triathlon (Olympic). This was Carrie’s 2nd triathlon, and she was defenitely inspiring! We packed a picnic lunch and enjoyed watching Carrie finish, playing on some super-cool wooden playground equipment, and then having a picnic together:

The rest of these pictures were taken post-Big Creek Picnic, at our house:

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Wonder what they are talking about???? Bet it’s about management:)

THIS weekend (we just got home), we went to Racine, WI, to visit my parents. My Dad, who has been painfully walking “bone-on-bone”, had recent ankle surgery which involved the fusing of several ankle bones and insertion of numerous pins and plates. He is starting to feel better and sports a bright red cast, with color chosen by 6 year old neighbor girl, Sophie (she visits 807 Perry daily to visit and to get a cookie or piece of candy). He is quite a sight:

Another thing that happenend this weekend, was the “unveiling” of my parent’s new RED phone. We are remiss, because we did not take a picture of their brand new “Juke” ph0ne in red! All of us siblings pitched in to provide them with this phone and a two year Verizon plan. The juke phone came programmed with all important contact numbers with pictures already in the phone, as well as several play-lists for Mom (along with ear-buds) since she walks several miles every am. It was fun to watch her receive several cell phone calls during the lunch we shared at Ivanhoe’s on Main St. in downtown Racine yesterday. We sat outdoors on patio tables, and while waiting for our food, she receieved or made several calls from various states. This will truly be a way for her (and my Dad) to feel connected to their larger family, which is quite geographically scattered.

We will be home this coming weekend, and looking forward to it. First though, a week of paying attention to our work here in Des Moines.