WESTFIELD – Although it has only been public for just over a week, Christine Gustafson has had more than a month to let it sink in that she and her husband Ken are millionaires.

Gustafson, owner and baker at Chrissy G’s Bakery and a retired Westfield public safety dispatcher, won $4 million on a lottery ticket that Ken tucked into her Christmas stocking.

When she scratched it, she thought it was a joke.

“At first I looked at Ken and asked him, ‘Are these tickets real? Because I think I just won $4 million,’” she said.

When they realized it was real, they felt all the emotions.

“We were excited, crazy happy, and started thinking about all the things we needed to do, who to contact, how to invest properly,” said the lifetime Westfield resident. “We thought about all the kids and what we plan to do for them and also how we were going to invest for our future.”

The Gustafsons have adult children as well as two teenagers. Gustafson’s mother, Ann Lentini, operates DOMUS, a local nonprofit low-income housing developer. When asked if this windfall would convince Lentini to retire, Gustafson laughed at the thought.

“Nothing is going to convince my mom to retire, although she was talking about slowing down a little,” said Gustafson.

The Gustafsons have always worked hard and lived within their means. The winnings – which Gustafson took in a one-time payment of $2.6 million – will help secure her family’s future. Of course, she plans to have some fun and has been longing for a beach house for years, and now plans to purchase a family summer home.

“Besides the summer home, we plan on investing our money, putting money aside for college, paying off our house and other bills. Ken will be retiring from his job from Homeland Security and putting more time into his amplifier repair business,” she said.

The youngest Gustafsons, like their parents, are not particularly materialistic and while most children of new millionaires would be starting their Christmas lists now, Gustafson said everyone is taking the win in stride.

“One thing we plan on doing is buying our son a car, since he will be getting his license in the next couple of months, but that is something we already had planned on and saved for,” she said. “All our kids have what they need and we are not materialistic people, so they haven’t really thought about getting anything. Well, I should take that back, our daughter wants us to take the rug out of her room and put in hardwood floors, but she has been saying that for a couple of years now, and since we can afford it, she wants it done sooner rather than later!”

Although their children have not asked for handouts, strangers have. Gustafson said she has received pleas for money since her win was announced last week.

“I have received several requests to help strangers who are down on their luck and feel the need to reach out to me to help pay for their bills, fix a car engine, or – my favorite – move a family down to Florida because they have spent all their money helping ex-cons and don’t have enough to relocate,” she said. “I have also received requests to invest in a business venture and in return their husband will build me a house in Florida – how crazy. Does it say ‘gullible’ on my forehead?”

Gustafson said her winnings are reserved for her family, and her bakery business remains separate and thriving since she opened the doors at 124 Elm St., Westfield, in October.

“Business is great,” she said. “We have great customers, many of whom have become regulars. We have added soups to our menu and plan on adding cold sandwiches in the near future, as soon as we are able to hire another baker to assist in the back.”

Chrissy G’s menu varies each week and the top sellers include Gustafson’s cinnamon twists, homemade cookies, lemon squares, tarts and bread.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, Chrissy G’s is taking special orders through Feb. 6 for sweet treats for sweethearts, including a red velvet cake with chocolate ganache, chocolate caramel tarts, chocolate mousse cups, salted caramel puff pastry and cupcake roses.

Gustafson said opening the bakery was her dream and she plans to stay open and grow her business with help from daughter Leeanne for years to come.