Photo Catch-Up

Posting to catch-up for family on what's been going on:

GRADUATION: It was a rainy day, but a great day! So proud of our guy for the long road to get here!

GRANDMA & GRANDPA'S VISIT IN MAY: We had a nice week exploring DC (instead of on the beach in FL... darnit for the vacation, but not the post). Went to museums, out to eat and lots of parks.

Mt. Vernon- George & Martha Washington's home & estate

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Museum

Beach Shack & Ceiba showing Gpa the alligators

SWIMMING: we have been swimming almost every day!

 

 

MEMORIAL DAY PICNIC: Papa had to do a detail (ALL day and several more days), so Ceiba and I went to a picnic uptown. It was VERY hot, but she enjoyed the rides and playing.

 

FRIENDS: Ceiba's best buddy "A". They were in bed at Ikea a few weeks ago and now holding hands

at the mall... Papa is getting nervous. We are enjoying time with

his family until they leave for Africa next month.

Falls Church Farmer's Market / Bosch Mixer

For weeks, we have driven under a banner in town for the Falls Church Farmer's Market. And for as many weeks, I've said I'd get up on a Saturday to go. Well, finally yesterday we did!

Alas, no photos... bad me, sorry. We've been to many farmer's markets, and I must give credit to Madison WI for being the winner, though Portland, Soulard and Atlanta fare well too. Our old hometown also had Land of Goshen market all summer where we were regulars. Falls Church's market was small, but nice. It still takes a while to get used to the crazy prices out here, but fresh is fresh and buying local is good for everyone :) Our purchases included bing cherries, blueberries, squash, radishes and some spectacular honey.

Now just hoping our new Bosch mixer arrives this week to share in the baking festivities!!! I was planning on purchasing a new mixer when we arrived in Miami, but since we aren't going, went ahead and ordered from here last week. Some baker DS friends really pumped me up on the Bosch vs the KitchenAid, so I did my homework and even watched the videos online. Also bought the blender and food processor attachments, extra beaters, cookie paddles and a stainless bowl. Ouch to the purse, but excited for their arrival!! It's also 10 lbs lighter than the KitchenAid... and let's face it, every pound counts in this lifestyle. Let's just hope the pound savings on the appliances does not create pound additions to the derriere!

Cancun Envy

Our niece graduated from high school over the weekend. Hard to believe she's that old, especially since I can remember the day they wheeled her out of the delivery room with her round little pumpkin head in a sockboggen.
All 9 lbs, 1 ounce of her little chubbiness! Congrats kiddo!!, we're proud of you always!

To celebrate, a bunch of moms and daughters are heading to Cancun tomorrow for a week of fun on the beach! Wish you gals a WONDERFUL trip! Take lots of pics and do me proud with bartering for goodies!

To my brother-in-law, RELAX. Mexico isn't all scary. And Chris's got your back watching for news updates, which we do not expect to hear :)

We'll see you in IL in July to celebrate in the grad party festivities and hear all about your fun trip. XO

(below pics from our FUN 2006 trip)

 

Bear love

We were sitting at the table for lunch today. Chris was taking the whole tostida chips from his bowl and placing them into mine, while keeping the broken chips. I asked what he was doing.

Explanation:
                    "It's like when one bear brings another bear a salmon."

He smiled at me, and I exploded with the feeling of love.... and ABSOLUTE laughter for several minutes.

Yes, we were married when we were 10

What, we don't look old enough to be married 15 years? Gosh, thanks :)
Yah, you know... we were um 10 when we got married. I'd post a picture to prove it, but they're in storage.
So you'll just have to take our word for it.

When we were first married, I used to look at older couples and love the way they were so comfortable together. It didn't matter if they were in bathing suits that weren't flattering... in tank tops with arm "wings"... with wrinkles... spider veins... ear hair... and all. You could just look at them and see confidence, experience and contentment. Genuine happiness and real love.  They had been in the spotlight years before and were happy to be out of it, even happier for their children or someone they love to now be in the light. They sit back and enjoy memories, their loved ones and just life in general. They grow old together and don't even realize life is moving so fast, because the ride is so good.

Hopefully newlyweds will look at us down the road- with our arm wings, purple veins and ear hair- and think that real love is present.

I simply wouldn't want to imagine not having you beside me all the way...  Happy 15th Anniversary :)

FSI unaccompanied

I've been wanting to get over to FSI (Foreign Service Institute) since Chris got panelled for Dhaka. He is busy at work and would be hard to get off to escort me, so he forwarded me an email on the OBC (Overseas Briefing Center). The OBC has a nice area to research overseas posts and get good general info on moving, finances, taxes, legal, etc.  So I emailed them on Monday, got on the visitors list for today, packed up (a lunch, some snacks, toys, movie, and kiddo) and off we went.

Smooth as silk :) We got there easily, good parking, name on the list, through the metal detectors, our own "VISITOR" badge and then freedom to research on our own time. Ceiba was terrific, with the minor moment of playing "come get me" in the grass! Even managed to stop at the medical office to arrange the plethora of vaccinations we'll be needing prior to departure. Scheduled our 3 visits for rabies rounds and have plans for the rest. Not exactly a "wow, what fun!" thought, but nice to make progress and be prepared.

Four months to go and hoping to do what we can early to avoid being overwhelmed closer to departure.

I had a farm in Africa at the foot of the Ngong Hills...

A complete sucker for travel inspired movies, I completely am! When I was young it was Goonies, Lord of the Flies, Blue Lagoon, Swiss Family Robinson, Stand by Me, Romancing the Stone and more. And as an adult - Under the Tuscan Sun, Anna and the King, Out of Africa, Constant Gardener, Chocolate, Blood Diamond, Memoirs of a Geisha, Last Samuri. The lists could go on and on. I AM the world's easiest movie critic... just give me a dreamy story or great scenery.

Over the weekend, we received 2 books and a map on Bangladesh. You can't exactly walk in a bookstore and find much on this seldom touristy country. It's been 2 days, and I've almost read them cover to cover. The "Dangers and Annoyances" sections raised my eyebrows a bit, but no worries. Just jab us with every inoculation known to man, and we should be good to go. We'll also pack plenty of Charmin in our HHE.

But the pages and pages of words regarding the beautiful, good hearted and persevering people of Bangladesh has me eager. The lines reading "Yet within the flat framework are primeval swamps full of man-eating tigers, the unseen tribal groups with Burmese faces, glorious beaches that stretch for eternity, freshwater dolphins and deep-water whales, and some of the most openhearted people you will ever have the honor to meet. This is a country where genuine adventure is not just a possibility, but a certainty." per Lonely Planet.

Though we'll live in Dhaka, which won't exactly be full of nature and beauty, it will still be an adventure. And though trips to the Maldives, Nepal, Thailand, India and more will surely be on the agenda, so too will interior get-aways to enjoy Bangladesh's sites.

Bathroom trouble inevitability, mosquitos, crazy traffic and pollution aside, get in line for a visit!
We'll show you all we can of the amazing country we're excited to venture to this fall!

Really starting to feel like we've seen this UAB enough...

So since Miami got nixed, but our UAB was packed out, we had to wait a week to get it back.
Our scene looked like this (below left), while Ceiba had more in mind (below rt) at the rediscovery of her gone-for-a-week toys.

In the middle of it, Gma & Gpa were here instead of on a beach in Miami....sorry. We whirlwind unpacked and headed out to sightsee. More fam pics to follow this week.

My how we've grown...

(above left, 4 mos in Guatemala - above rt, 34 mos in DC)

(below left, 6 mos in IL - below rt, 34 mos in DC)

 

Great Falls N.P.

On Sunday morning, we took a drive (about 20 minutes) to Great Falls and were rewarded with BEAUTIFUL weather and scenery. Great Falls is on the Potomac River and is a very accessible National Park with 3 stunning lookouts on the Virginia side of the river.

Seems we always doddle leaving the house on the weekends and leave too close to naptime. So though we didn't stay as long as we would have liked, we had a great time. Great Falls is definately on the do-again-list, especially if we are still here when the leaves begin to turn in the fall.

Goodbye Miami... Hello Bangladesh!

Okay, so a little bitty change of plans as of yesterday (the day before graduation & 3 days after UAB pack out).

We are now moving to DHAKA, BANGLADESH instead of Miami!! So those who don't know where it is, get out your map and look between India and Burma/Myanmar.

Some reading may be saying "wow", as in "what in the world are you thinking?!". We are just saying "woo hoo"! The Foreign Service to us means - get out there and do it... overseas. Most know the idea of another 2-3 years stateside was NOT what we had in mind. So we are ecstatic!

Lots of details to work out, but stopped the UAB and HHE (that was coming out of storage) in its tracks yesterday. Told most of our friends and family. Chris's parents got the crazy news as soon as they got off the plane here in DC yesterday. A few more months of training now, but we should all stay put here in DC during that time. We are estimating being in Dhaka this fall.

Much more to come, as we find out!