Visit to the West Side of the World

My trip home in August was positively delightful.  I loved  playing with friends and fam.

The trip started with a nice homecoming at the airport and then we drove straight to my favorite mexican restaurant in Beaverton to have lunch with the fam.  No better way to start a vacation.

With Steph here there were bodies everywhere.  I loved every moment of it.  We spent the first weekend doing what we do best, eating and playing games.

    

After a few days, Steph and I headed for Boise, her new home.  Pops joined us as well.  We spent some time at the pool, playing games, jumping on the tramp, eating froyo, shopping, and watching movies.

I loved spending time with this delightful little angel.  She is certainly precious.

After a few days in Boise, I hopped a plane to SLC where Scott, Chloe, and Heidi picked me up from the airport and we headed to the Uintahs to hike the tallest mountain in Utah, Kings Peak.  This would be the second attempt for me and Scott and this time it was successful.  The weather was perfect, company unbeatable, and my knees gave me no problems.  This was my first hike since Kilimanjaro and I had certainly missed hiking.

Highest point in Utah!

Nothing like ending a good hike with a late night meal at Denny’s.

I got to spend the next few days visiting with friends and family in Utah.  I enjoyed seeing everyone but certainly wish I had more time.  It was entirely too short.

I LOVED seeing my nieces and nephews again.

Mike is preparing the most divine CCC’s.  Wow, they were good!

 

We played games and I laughed harder than I have in a long time.  My brothers are hilarious.

  Floated down the Provo River with John and Mirm’s kids.  I think Zach is done going on adventures with his Aunt.  There are usually tears involved.  Poor kid.  The rest of us had a wonderful time.  Just barely missed the rain.

Loved seeing friends. 

Breakfast with Dre…

Cafe Rio with Cindy…

Froyo with Tess…

Late night chat with Raq and Brian…

Lunch with Becks…

A tender mercy running into the women from my home ward.  My “substitute” mothers sitting at the same table.  Seeing these women just made the tears flow.  Can’t express how grateful I am for all the women who took such good care of me when my mom died.

Dinner with Bryce and the fam and of course a movie afterwards…

A little meeting with my Zam friends off the freeway at Thanksgiving Point…

So many more people I wish I could have seen.  I’ll just have to save it for my next trip to Utah. 

Back in Portland the girls went on a dinner date with Pops.

 

The next day we headed out for a long awaited camping trip with the fam (of course that includes the Barker gang as well).  The plan was to head up to Mt Rainier but the weather was so bad we ended up staying in a random campground on the way out to the beach.  We spent the next day at the beach and the Tillamook cheese factory.

The beautiful beach…

The Octopus tree…

Pops enjoying his smores…

 

Robin and Steph also enjoying…

 

Sagie sporting her new implants…

 

Celebrating Pops birthday…

Roasting baby Hazel…

 

These two mischievous girls…

 

Enjoying the water…

Steph being obstinate by not looking at the camera after several attempts I finally gave up…

 

Nothing like singing with the sisters…

 

The biggest marshmallows I’ve ever seen…probably my most favorite part of the camping trip…

 

The orange burrito…

 

Jaxon…self-explanatory…

 

Hiking with the kids…

 

The babies…

 

Lighthouse…

 

After the camping trip, I got to spend time with some Oregon friends…

Sweet adorable baby not pictured here…

Love that my dear friend has herself a little belly.  Can’t wait to meet her little one.

 

I got to play mom while Rick and Heidi took a weekend getaway to the beach to celebrate their anniversary.

Of course we made cookies…

Went for a bike ride/walk…

 

Got injured and then had to show off the injury…

 

Sat around on the kitchen floor…

Enjoyed some great bowling…

 

The dreaded trip to Oaks Park actually turned out quite delightful.  The weather was perfect and I loved hanging out with Heidi, Brenda, and all the kids.

Apparently I was too big to go on this ride.

 

We spent the couple days before I left celebrating Heidi’s birthday.  Spent some time bowling and soaking up the sun at Battleground Lake.  It was the perfect way to end a month of bliss in America.

 

Just hoping to make Steph jealous with this pic…

      

My Pops’ Visit Part 3

Lusaka

I took Dad to visit my sweet little son Evans.  I thought he would be quite content with the public transport situation but I was wrong.  It wasn’t the most comfortable ride for him but we survived.

Here’s just a little sidenote for you about this visit (I didn’t find this out until a few months later)…everyone in the picture below was sick sick sick.  Evans said they all had malaria.  It made me sad that they were so sick.  I found out later that it wasn’t actually malaria, the sister-in-law had poisoned the food.  She was pregnant with another man’s child and was trying to abort the baby so she poisoned the food without anyone knowing.  She did kill the unborn child and almost killed everyone else in the process.  Fortunately, Evans is no longer staying with his brother.  Not a good situation.

We got home to find Febby plucking chickens.

Later that night we attended the wedding for Fred Likonge’s son.  I was so happy that Dad got to see an African wedding with all the dancing and food and festivities.  It was a fun evening.

 

  

The next day we went to the hospital.  I hate this hospital.  I’ve included a separate blog about the hospital but here are some pictures.

The signs above these babies say, “No Mum, please feed”

 

The hospital charts all hand written.

Charity the head nurse.

 

Outside the hospital.

 

After we left the hospital we headed over to the Kabwata Market.  This is a quaint little market in the city of Lusaka.  I love this place.  It’s filled with so many fun things.  Dad also enjoyed himself.  It took us forever to decide what to get the nieces and nephews but I think we did a great job gathering everything.

 

We visited with my friend Matilda.  I love this woman.

 

We went and saw my dear friend Thelma at Kilimanjaro Cafe (she is currently working as a permanent sub at our school…I love having her around everyday).  

Alice also came and visited while we were in Lusaka.  It was fun having her around.  

On Monday we headed out to the farm.  We made a stop at Jacquie’s mom’s shop to pick something up for Jacquie.

 

We stopped at Zambike so Pops could meet my favorites, Chrispen and Benjamin.

Made a trip to see Miriam and Elizabeth, my dear sister and her daughter.

 

Stopped at the shop where I buy all my sweets and fritas and so I could greet Livenice.

Took some pictures of the charcoal men.

 

After a few hours we finally around at The Farm where we spent the next couple of days with the kids.  Out of the whole trip, I think this was Dad’s favorite part.  He loved spending time with these kids.  He loved seeing the school. 

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I loved having Dad there.  It was wonderful sharing my African life with him.  I loved that he got to see all I’ve been doing these past couple of years.  I loved that he got to meet all these kids that I consider my own.  I can’t begin to tell you how many times the tears flowed down his cheeks.  It was a miracle and blessing to have him there with me.  I can’t wait for him to come back.

The kids

 

Dad fell in love with this little Justina.  It’s hard not to, she’s so adorable and she loved Pops.

The kids did their program for Pops.  I loved watching them dance and sing.

 

 

The school

     

There was a snake in the Insaka so we moved school to the warehouse.  Everyone is so afraid of snakes in this country.  It took a while to coax them back into the Insaka.

 

The dead goat, just chillin’ out in the kitchen.  This is what they had for dinner that evening.  As always, I declined the food.