Summer in LA LA Land

Oh joy to visit the happiest place on earth!!! We had a great time with my nephews Riley and Evan getting there at the opening and staying until after 10pm...well worth every bit of the (seemingly exorbitant) entrance fee.

We HAD to go on the jungle cruise to see how different the Disney safari was from the REAL safaris we've been on ...so you be the judge. Which is the real thing of the two images above??

Real?? Or fake???

When we walked out of Adventure Land, I saw a wall of masks where I remembered taking a photo a few years ago with the kids...so just to compare - the top photos were from three years ago and the bottom photos are from this year...LOTS of growth over those years.

So fantastic to see Minnie right before we walked out for the night! The timing was perfect since Sophie had just purchased her Minnie ears! I know these characters have smiles plastered permanently on their faces, but even their bodies seem happy - and I'm sure they must get sick of posing for pictures, but whoever lives in those costumes seem like really nice people! I mean, they wouldn't have drug dealers dressed up as Minnie and Mickey, would they?

Autotopia - everyone's favorite! New cars! Sophie drove the car I was in - and if her driving is any indication of her future driving habits, then we will have to insure her to the max when she gets her driver's license!

I used our new Nikon to take these pics of the fireworks show!

Wow, the pics turned out great - and the fireworks were pretty amazing!

Cousin Matt met us in Santa Monica for breakfast and a stroll along the beach and the pier. We were total tourists! Thank goodness I had to buy a touristy trinket for a work colleague so the pier was the perfect shopping spot - even though I'd never go into those shops as a near-native Southern California! Horrors.

One of Sophie's requests was to see the Hollywood sign.

One ideal spot was at the Griffith Park Observatory, which had been recently remodeled.

The observtory and the planetarium show were highlights of our trip.

We got to see cousin Evan play basketball and a bonus was that Rob was the substitute coach - with support from Riley. I can't remember who won, but the team played really well!

Auntie Lisa and Sophie

Hanging with cousins Riley and Evan before the big DS face off!

Auntie Lisa and Peter

It was so great to be with family... just hanging, catching up, living every day life - and eating great food. Cleaning and purging at my parents ... a good reminder NOT to wait 40+ years to start cleaning out the closets! And, lest we think we are without fault, believe me in our nearly 20 years of marriage, we have accumulated much. And, being in Africa, away from our stuff, we realize how little stuff we really need - but how much in relationship we need!

Visit to Truckee, CA

We visited Rob, Kerry, Jessie and Ryan Kautz in Truckee. Wow, what a beautiful place in the summer time!

First stop: Ryan's new MERC (Mobile Emergency Response Center) - a super cool container with everything that's needed to respond to an emergency (including office, equipment, beds, and the satellite you see on the front of the truck). Ryan has done an incredible job with his business and it was such a joy to spend time with him (especially for John who got to spend 2+ hours talking with him about the biz). We were so impressed with the work Ryan is doing - and his business acumen and hard work. We are so proud of you, Ryan!

Some of Ryan's equipment

We took a great hike up near Rob's ski area.

Miniature golf with Jessie!! This was a great course and naturally, the Kautz competetiveness was out in all its glory.

This was a hilarious position that Kerry got into - she had to hit the ball with a bear nuzzling her bosom!

Very fun, short hike down the street from Rob and Kerry's.

Rafting on the Truckee River - with about 75 other boats. We tried with all our might to get Rob pushed into the river...and only when ALL of us put our effort into it, did we finally get the old man out of the boat and into the river!

These very Harry Potter-ish clouds were so cool over Lake Tahoe.

Our last funny shot: the dandelions were HUGE...couldn't help but do something creative with them!

Back to Tacoma!!

It was wonderful to plop back down in the U.S. for almost 6 weeks after two years away. Our first stop: Tacoma. So great to be with family and friends!

Summer is the most beatiful time to be in the NW and we were blessed to enjoy the best the NW has to offer: long sunny days, fantastic fresh fruit - especially berries, melons and cherries and all kinds of great food!

Of course, what we've missed most are relationships -so it was fantastic to be with friends and family... Here's some photos from our first few weeks in Tacoma.

I spent most of the first two weeks working - but had a great time connecting with work friends, and the kids connected with their school buddies. I'm so sad that I didn't take more photos of our time with friends (like our time on Vashon!).

We stayed with Mimi - and bless her for letting us invade her world! It was great to be in the neighborhood and fun to look out her kitchen window at our house (which looks great!).

Best of buddies: Kent and Kelsey Silver with the kids

So fun to catch the weekly Seattle regatta.

Dinner on the Seattle waterfront with Auntie Mimi - it was a beautiful (albeit windy) evening.

Loved getting together with our Tacoma church buddies! Harlan, Lori Bekker, Teresa Enslin

Harlan, Max (the host together with Edwina), John and John Bekker


Our small group reunion - it was so great to hang with these guys again after two years. We miss the fellowship, laughter and meaningful conversation (what little there is of it!!).

We did a triathlon!!

We did another first: a (super) mini triathlon!! Miyon did an individual one and joined a team with John and Peter; and Sophie was also on a team with her friends.

When I say mini, I mean mini... 800meter swim, 6 km bike, 2km run.

On our team - the "Furious Three" (I was going for "Two Oldsters and Kid"...) finished in 35:40. Sophie's team (she was the biker with her friends Ava and Tino) called "The Macaroonies" finished in 36:32. And I finished my individual in 36:20 which put me in fourth place overall, and 2nd place women (the first place woman was a 14 year old!). We had so much fun and we're definitely in to better our times next year!

With our medals. I got a trophy for finishing first in the women's 40+ category!

After finishing the race - tired but really excited to know I finished - and kept ahead of the other ladies in my heat!! Ironically, we were on vacation at Lake Malawi the week prior to the race and I broke/strained my big toe and was afraid I wouldn't be able to do the race.

My friend, Jamo, who was the one who convinced me to do the race. This was also her first time to do the individual race.

Peter waiting for the hand off from John (who is riding up the driveway).

John running the last few feet with Peter.

You may be wondering where the photos are of Sophie...because the heats are leaving and returning at all different times, we weren't able to capture her, but next year she'll be featured!

Bathrooms - which one to choose?

For some reason this struck me as funny... I was at a government school and needed to use the pit latrine. I found there were three choices:

- Girls Lower

- Girls Upper

- Ladies

I chose "Ladies" because I figured it had the least use!

John's Workshop

John took the camera to his work one day so we can show you some of the guys he's working with - and what they're making.

Organizing a new shipment of rosewood.

Our most skilled worker Sylvester

Emanuel straightening a piece of teak on the jointer

Banda preparing a board for gluing.

Simon and Harrison assembling a kitchen cabinet.

John Dindy installing hardware for a set of kitchen drawwers.

Sylvester, Banda, and John.

Sylvester installing pullout shelves.

Sylvester and Emanuel cleaning up. They sell the wood shavings to horse owners who use it to put in the bottoms of their horse stalls - recyling at work.

At a recent show (the Diplomatic Spouses Luncheon), John gets surrounded by a group of chefs admirinig their rosewood butcher block table.

The First Lady of Zambia stopped by the booth to admire the handiwork. Scott, John's partner and Peter are in the front.

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Everyday life!

It's almost getting too cold to get into the pool - but Sophie is enjoying one of the last few warm days. Winter here generally starts in June-ish, but the mornings and evenings are getting chilly (which means we have to throw on a jacket or sweatshirt!).

Peter and the brothers find ways to entertain themselves on a regular basis. It's amazing what a little creativity - and plants - can make! Here Peter is with Billy (11) and Mutale (14).

It's getting cold enough that our mutantly large poinsettias are in full bloom - beautiful.