It’s been a while. Much has happened since I last wrote. Lots
of travel. Lots of time with family. Lots of fatigue.
We’re back in Burundi and gradually back into our routines.
Happy to be here. With all its flaws, it is home.
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| cuteness |
After my last posting Since I last wrote we were in Indiana
for two weeks after a brief stop in Minnesota. We visited our friend Kathy and,
as the travel gods would have it, were dealt with an odd storm that caused us
yet another wasted day in an airport (and subsequently a hotel). We eventually
made it out and were soon settled into our semi-annual routines at Priya’s
parents’ place. Doing this pilgrimage twice a year, as we have been for the
past few years, is good in that it does preserve some good continuity with
family. A year is a bit long, particularly for the children, and so we’re
committed to maintaining this sort of rhythm for at least now. We’ll see how it
goes down the road but for now we are happy that the girls are getting to know
their relatives and seeing something besides their African home.
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| April & Steve |
The first big event was Priya’s brother’s wedding. Steve and
April picked a date that seemed to work out ok for us and allowed us to be
there a week in advance and a week after. It was a good time and it was nice to
get to know April and her family. Otherwise, time was spent hanging out with
family, working out, visiting Louisville, etc.
(and doing a bit of work on the side). Before long, however, it was time
to return to the airport again and head west.
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| reception with a view |
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| who doesn't like Dr. Seuss |
Much about the trip to Idaho was as usual: hanging out with
family, camping, outdoor activities, etc. There were a few interesting
differences this time. One such pleasant opportunity was the ability to spend a
weekend in our old family cabin north of Sun Valley. It’s a long story and I
won’t go into it here but it was a weird and wonderful series of events that
connected us to this cherished cabin that our family sold back in 1983.
Entering the cabin for the first time after so many decades was, without a
doubt, one of the highlights of the summer. It drove home once again how much I
enjoy a mountain cabin. Hard to say if it will ever become a reality for us but
it can’t hurt to dream.
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| the ol' cabin |
We briefly went to Kimberly to spend a bit of time with my parents.
It was tough on the kids to be shuttled around so much but it was also quite
precious to see them interacting with her grandparents, cousins, aunts and
uncles.
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| start 'em early |
The big camping trip was great as usual. My sister Cheryl
had invested a ton of time in planning and preparation. We bought a big tent
for the car camping experience. It worked out fine and I was glad to see the
girls getting exposed to all the outdoor activities.
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| who would have thought - something yummy in a Coors Lite box |
Poor Kiran for weeks had been dealing with a nose problem.
First it was sensitive to the touch. Then some blood. Then days and days of
pus. Initially we thought it was a cyst of some kind but it never really
improved. When we took her for her check-up, the pediatrician advised us to see
an ear, nose and throat specialist. Forced to miss the Brazil-Germany World Cup
match, we begrudgingly took her to the ENT guy. Very glad we did. It turns out
she had a foreign object up her nose. I was in the role of holding my poor
daughter down while the doctor busted out his crazy extraction tools, including
a pen-shaped vacuum that sucked with enough force to pop the thing out. The
bloody little mass landed on my forearm. Upon inspection we discovered that
Kiran had been living with the bottom half of an almond far up her right
nostril. The thing was pushed up cone
first, like an umbrella, which made a natural exit unlikely. Added to this is
the nature of a nut to absorb moisture and expand. Once the thing was out, our
little girl was rapidly on the mend. Must have been a huge relief. Ugh.
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| the manly way to cook a steak |
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| lone swimmer (Curtis) |
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| group shot |
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| beautiful 4th of July on the lake |
And so it was. The four weeks of travel are now a blur. We’re back. Planning birthday parties. Travel to Rwanda. Connecting with friends. Work. Etc. Here's to family.
"A ship in port is safe; but that is not what ships are built
for."
-Grace Hopper, computer scientist and US Navy Rear Admiral (1906-1992)
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