Happy Easter !!
NEW IN THIS UPDATE:
Updates from Asa, Johnna's Sevestopol trip,
COMING SOON:
Crockett's first rugby tournament, the boys and Clay visit
Harry Potter's England, Pine Wood Derby (on Adventures page), Easter
2007
In other news...
Crockett has found a place to run
non-stop, get really dirty, and crash into other kids...all in the name
of sport! He's playing rugby with a local boys team in Mons
(about 10 km from our house). He practices once a week and is
competing in his first tournament this weekend...
Clay is finished with another semester of school...maybe that's the light at the end of the tunnel we see...
...and apparently, we never actually posted the Ice Sculpture Festival
pictures from New Year's Day...here are a few examples of the really
cool (no pun intended) artwork with snow and ice!
Prayer Requests
Last
week, Johnna's dad Jack fell and dislocated his knee and shredded his
ACL. He underwent reconstructive surgery and is recovering at
home. Hopefully he will be able to begin physical therapy in
three weeks or so.
NEW IN THIS UPDATE:
Ice Scuplture Festival in Brugges, family trip to Oberammergau,
COMING SOON:
Lexie's first hair cut, Asa and Crockett's first Pine Wood Derby,
Valentines Day, Johnna's trip to Sevastopol Ukraine, and Easter 2007
In other news...
He's early, but he's here!!!
Sunday morning, 11 Feb, we got a phone call telling us that Baby
Bosetti was on his way a month of so early! We jumped in the car
and drove the 3 hours to Germany to visit, Dad, Mom, and newly arrived
Joseph Timothy Bosetti...six and a half pounds, 20 inches...a beautiful
little boy!!! Lexie took quite a shine to him and ended up
coining his newborn moniker, "Baby Cho".
Prayer Requests
Continued health for new baby Joseph Bosetti!!
Our dear friend, Linda Goodwin, lost her brother-in-law. Our thoughts
and prayers are with the Goodwins during this difficult time.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
**UPDATE**
International Christmas in the Our Adventures section...scroll down past Christmas 06**
Santa Claus is comin' to town...
Hanta Clops has come and gone here in Belgium.
We hope he was good to you and yours too!!
OK, I know the eyes are red, but I didn't have time to get into Photoshop to fix them yet...
Asa, Crockett, and Lexie took a moment Christmas morning
while still in their jammies to let us take a picture...Lexie is
holding the "prize" she got after the Christmas Eve service. The
symbology is from the Anglican church...the orange represents the
world, the red around the outside represents the blood shed by Christ,
the dried fruits on the four sides of the orange represent the fruits
and offereings of each of the four seasons. The candle on the top
represents the light and hope that Jesus' birth brings to the world...
NEW IN THIS UPDATE:
Christmas 2006 (see Our Adventures), Johnna's work trips to Rome and
London, and re-working the archive pages so that the most recent things
are at the top.
WHAT'S NOT UPDATED YET:
Children's Christmas party, Crockett's Scouting project...
In other news...
One of Johnna's former cadets, (brand
new) 2Lt Jamie Edelin, was married late last week (shortly after
graduating and commissioning into the Air Force). We wish him and
his new wife Lacy all the best as they begin their married life
together!! Jamie's mom sent great pictures of Jamie and some of
his '06 Squadron 3 buddies..it was nice to see them all grown up!
Also getting ready to be married, another of Johnna's former cadets,
1Lt Aaron Cavazos...he and his fiancee Ashley will be married 29 Jan in
San Diego...hmmmm...isn't that the day after Texas A&M plays Cal in
the Holiday Bowl? Talk about good planning...I'd imagine that
Aaron and his '05 Squadron 3 and other Corps buddies will have a great
bachelor party night...if you're reading this, don't do anything too
stupid!!
As 2006 draws to a close, we wish everyone a wonderful, safe, and
prosperous New Year! Enjoy the freedom and security the men and
women on the front lines defend each day...that's the reason we take
the oath...for all of us!
One more thing...this picture was too cute not to post...Lexie got "caught" playing at the potty...
Prayer Requests
Please keep Clay's Aunt Sandra in your thoughts and prayers. She will undergo minor surgery 4 Jan.
We just
found out today that our friends' son, Aaron, got out of the hospital
today after being treated for viral meningitis and the flu. It
was touch and go for a while as they tried to diagnose why he had lost
motor skills, but it seems to all be sorting itself out. Thank
you if you saw the prayer request posted previously and said a prayer
for them.
Johnna's
Mom is continuing to improve. She got out of the house to do a
little Christmas shopping in a few of her favorite places in Danville,
Virginia and had dinner with some friends. Thanks for all the
prayers and good thoughts...and keep 'em coming!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
--NEW IN THIS UPDATE--
Interesting things about our host nation!
Updates on Johnns'a October trip to Russia and her November trip to Germany (finally)
--What's NOT new in this update--
Updates
on Johnna's trips to Rome and London, the International Christmas
party, Crockett's Cub Scout astronomy project, and the family's holiday
preparations...
In Other News...
I know it was in the last update, but its so huge that I think it deserves to stay on the front page...The
biggest and most exciting news is that our friends Tim and Christi
Bosetti are going to have a BABY!
Here he is...
He's due in late February or early March...we can't wait!!
One of Johnna's most influential bosses, and one of her mentors,
retired on the 18th of December this year. Col
Crooks will retire as the Deputy Director of Communications and
Information for the Air Force's Air Education and Training
Command. He and his family have been great friends since we first
met them in Utah. It is a sad day for the Air Force as it loses a
great leader, but a great day for the Col since he is now free to
follow around his Buckeyes during football season and dote even
more on his two daughters!
Prayer Requests
Please
send your strongest prayers to our family friends, the
Litterinis. Today we learned that their youngest son has been
hospitalized after suddenly losing the ability to use his legs.
He is two years old and really an adorable little boy. While
testing has so far ruled out meningitis, there is still no definative
diagnosis and the condition seems to be progressing. He will be
hospitalized for at least three weeks or so. Please keep them in
your thoughts and prayers, especially during this time of year.
Johnna's
mom continues to progress and is using her walker fairly
regularly. She continues physical therapy and seems to be in much
better spirits! Please keep the prayers coming--they're working!!
Please keep the Bosettis in your prayers as well as Christi enters
her third trimester. She's starting to have some contractions, so
the baby must be starting to get a little impatient!!
December is upon us!!
ok...so its Germany and not Belgium...but its a wintery picture, huh?
With colder temperatures (and lots more nasty weather), we're
entering our first winter in Europe. This means a fire in our
fireplace some evenings, hot chocolate for the boys when they get home
from school (they walk alone now that Asa has turned 9 and proven
himself a "responsible" guardian for Crockett since first graders
aren't allowed to walk alone), and difficult mornings getting out of
warm flannel sheets. We're getting used to having a house without
true central heating (we have radiators heated by "mazout" or heating
oil), although there are some floor vents that channel some of the heat
as well in the living and dining room.
We're looking forward to Christmas break and the New Year!
--NEW IN THIS UPDATE--
Asa
and Crockett have asked to have their very own webpages. While they
don't contain much yet, the boys will be updating them with interesting
information as time permits.
Look back often to see what they
have to say!
We've
also added a "Host Nation" page (also the boys' idea) so that they can
share the things they've learned about Belgium at school. We may
add other things as they come up from outside school. There's
some cool stuff in it already...learn about stoemp and Black Peter...
--What's NOT new in this update--
We
still haven't had a chance to describe and upload the pictures from
Johnna's last trip to Russia, nor her quick trips to Oberammergau,
Germany, Northwood, UK, or Rome, Italy. Hopefully when she takes leave at the end
of next week, she can get caught up! There will also be updates
from the Cub Scout Raingutter Regatta (including video of Crockett's
first ever scouting event).
In Other News...
The
biggest and most exciting news is that our friends Tim and Christi
Bosetti are going to have a BABY!
Here he is...
He's due in late February or early March...we can't wait!!
One of Johnna's most influential bosses, and one of her mentors,
will retire on the 18th of December this year. Col
Crooks will retire as the Deputy Director of Communications and
Information for the Air Force's Air Education and Training
Command. He and his family have been great friends since we first
met them in Utah. It is a sad day for the Air Force as it loses a
great leader, but a great day for the Col since he is now free to
follow around his Buckeyes during football season and dote even
more on his two daughters!
Prayer Requests
Johnna's
mom continues to progress. DUring the Thanksgiving holiday, she
and Johnna's dad visited her sister Ann and her family at the
beach. Since her wheelchair would not fit through the doorway,
she was forced to stand and work with her walker to get to and from the
bed. The physical therapists were amazed by the progress she made
just over that weekend! Now she can get around with her walker
fairly consistently and conitues her occupational therapy as
well. Please keep the prayers coming--they're working!!
Johnna is done travelling until the New Year. However, please
keep eveyone who is travelling in your prayers. And say a prayer
for all of us who aren't with our extended family this holiday season.
Updates are waiting!!
And updates to the updates...
(since the "Our Adventures" file was getting so large, we moved the
previous adventures to "Adventure Archive". Now the adventures in
"Our Adventures" will be the most current things we have had a chance
to upload and describe!)
Paris! Garden Parties!
A (shaky) photo of the Eiffel Tower just as the lights are coming on.
In the "Our Adventures" section, you'll finally
find updated pictures and some descriptions of things, people, and
experiences.
The boys are on a week-long break for All Saints holiday so the
house has been full this week. Lexie is making phrases and
sentences, has developed a new love for bologna and cheese, and is
newly fond of ponies and tea sets. Clay started classes this week
for the winter term, so he's a busy guy too. Johnna is preparing
for another set of trips and very much looking forward to the holidays.
In Other News...
Asa
is currently working on a robot project at school. He has to
decide on a problem he would like to solve, determine how a robot might
help solve the problem, then design and make a poster of it. If
he decides to build it he gets extra credit. Its a more
difficult process than it sounds...he's having trouble deciding
on the "right" problem to solve.
Cub Scouts starts back up next week. The boys attended their
first Pack Meeting week before last and seem to really like their den
leaders.
Prayer Requests
Johnna's
mom has come home from the hospital, gone back to the hospital, and
then returned home again. Her physical therapy is going as well
as can be expected, but was interrupted for a few days based on
unexplained shortness of breath. After a few EKGs and a few days
in the hospital, she's back at home, but will be undergoing a stress
test and some other monitoring at Duke.
Johnna will be travelling over the next few weeks of and on.
Please say a prayer for safe travel for her and a prayer for patience
and lots of energy for Clay.
Even after over two weeks in Moscow seeing things like this everyday,
its nice to be back "home"...
This fabulous artwork is at the end of a subway platform
Its
been a while since there has been an update. Over the next few
days, we'll work to get things updated with photos from the garden
party last month, photos from a rare evening out in the Grand Place in
Mons, Clay's visit wo SHAPE's Oktoberfest, as well as Johnna's
most recent trip to Moscow (most updates will be in "Our Aventures" and
"Work Travels").
Its been a busy month and we're hoping that the harvest season where
you are is as pretty as it is here in Europe...trees are turning in way
we haven't seen since our time at West Point, the farmers have just
finished harvesting corn and plowing down the fields for the winter,
and fall festivals and carnivals seem to be popping up everywhere.
In Other News...
Crockett's
first grade class visited an apple orchard this week. Accompanied
by the french teacher (since the farmers all speak French), they
visited the farm, learned about the process and even got to pick some
apples to eat. Crockett said it was great fun, even through they
didn't take any photos while they were there.
Lexie is talking more and more everyday. She has somewhere
between 40 and 50 words in her voacbulary (maybe more), and surprised
as with her first sentence yesterday. After moving a small piece
of furniture and wedging herself behind it she looked at us and said
very clearly, "I'm stuck!"
Prayer Requests
Johnna's
Mom continues to recover slowly, now at Person County Memorial
Hospital's Annex--a set of halls dedicated to longer term care.
Her physical therapy progresses in fits and starts and she occasionally
becomes disoriented and confused--but like the strong woman she is, she
keeps trying and keeps fighting. Jack is trying to get her to the
point where she can sit unassisted and possibly even support herself
while standing; if she can get to this point, Jack will be able to take
her home (where she'll be happier and probably get better
faster). If she can't get to this point, we will begin to have to
look at long-term care options outside the home. Please say a
prayer for her recovery, and absent that a prayer for all of us who
will be involved in helping make the decisions about where we go from
here...
We
have come to grips with the passing of our cat Professor. Since
it has been over a three weeks since he left the house, and since his
health was in steady decline, we acknowledges that he will not be
coming home and said a memorial prayer for him. Please say a
prayer for Crockett--he feels responsible since he thinks Professor
died because he left the door open...
A quick trip to Bruxelles...
In order to ensure that everyone's
tourist passports were in order for some possible upcoming trips to
Paris and Flanders Fields, the whole family loaded up and took the 40
minunte trip up to the US Consulate in Bruxelles. After a
relatively painless stack of paperwork and a few hundred dollars, we
were good to go and decided that rather than head straight back home
we'd take a look at the nearby park. It is immediately behind the
row of consular buildings and upscale shops and borders the Royal
Palace (Belgium is a monarchy with a reigning king).
 
We ran into a couple of Aggies (Class of '99) who were visiting from
Florida. They had just left Paris and were on their way to a
"Hamster Dam"...or at least that's what Crockett said after we walked
away a few minutes later. After a quick rest, we headed out and
stopped at a Belgian "fast food" restaurant Asa will be writing a
report about later in the fall...more on that another time.
Here's hoping your days are going as well as Asa and Crockett's...
In other news...
CONGRATULATIONS
TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL TIMOTHY BOSETTI!!! One of our great
friends will be promoted to Army LTC in a ceremony Monday, October
2nd. Tim is one of the most squared away guys we know --we can't
think of anyone who more deserves a promotion. Congrats also to
Christi, his wife, for being the spouse behind the success--every
married active duty officer has to have spouse support to be successful
and make things work.
Johnna leaves again for Russia this week--this time for about 16
days. She will miss her birthday and Asa's but is looking forward
to celebrating upon her return...
A sad update on our cat, Professor. If you have been following
the saga, Professor has been having a problem with his eye since
mid-Spring. After several courses of antibiotics, it was finally
diagnosed as a tumor about a month ago. After a rapid decline in
the eye's health, the veterinary opthomologist removed the eye several
weeks ago. The tumor was tested and turned out to be malignant,
along with another mass of cells outside the eye. The doctor
removed as much as he could but was not hopeful. Professor came
home and started getting used to his life with one eye. He
returned to his old affectionate self, although he did yowl on
occassion, sometimes lose his bowels, and start to lose weight.
About five days ago he started hanging around by the front door and
attempting to get out whenever it opened--very unlike him. Two
days ago, while unloading from a trip to store, he managed to get out
undetected. After searching for the better part of the evening
while the boys did homework, we came to the conclusion that Professor
was possibly responding to his natural instincts to go off to be by
himself as he felt his health decline in preparation for his
death. We have not seen him since two evenings ago and are
assuming the worst...but at least he won't be in pain anymore.
Prayer Requests
Continued prayer requests for Johnna's mother as she continues to recover in Durham Regional Hospital.
Safe travel for Johnna during her upcoming trip.
Patience and good humor for Clay as he spends 16 days of "quality time" alone with Asa, Crockett, and Lexie...
Finally some pictures from Russia...
While Johnna is preparing
for her final trip to Moscow of the year, we're finally able to get
some decent pictures posted. The one below is only a teaser...for
more, see the new section "Work Travels".
This photo is taken while standing in the center of the painted lines
within Red Square. These lines guided Soviet troops during May
Day parades when the USSR showcased its weaponry and finest soldiers
and unit. The church in the distance is Saint Basil's
Catherdral. If you look just above the heads of the two people in
the front of the picture, you see what looks like a stairstep...this is
Lenin's Tomb. The Kremlin wall is just out of frame ot the right.
In other news...
Professor, the cat, is continuing to recover from his eye
removal. The lid is sown shut and still has stitches, but the
swelling has gone down and he seems to be adjusting. He spends a
lot of time resting (which come to think of it is not so different than
before the surgery) and is light-sensitive since the remaining eye is
still dialated (and will probably remain so unfortunately).
Lexie is beginning to parrot words all the time, most recently
"touchdown" and "cooking". The boys still enjoy school, and
lately have taken to asking to get out of the car at the turn off of
the major road to walk home (up a narrow lane and then our driveway
that winds through some trees). Crockett's new favorite thing is
watching DVDs of "Leave it to Beaver"...strange, but true.
Coming soon: Some photos (and maybe even some video) of our first
"official" social gathering...an evening garden cocktail party at the
home of the British Brigadier I work for. But wait, there's
more...after the formal event, we went to dinner with some of our new
friends and happened on a very interesting place...come back soon for
details...
Prayer Requests
Johnna's mom continues to recover from her
fall. She is in Durham Regional Hospital in the physical
therapy/occupational therapy ward for another week or so. Once
released, she and Jack will spend some time living in the basement
apartment of their home. This will allow them to avoid all of the
stairs in the main house and provide easy access to the cars.
Clay's cousin Greg underwent hernia surgery. He is recovering in Port Lavaca Texas, his home town.
Its been a while...
Sorry for the delay. It took
a while for the pictures from Moscow to be developed and when
they were, it was disappointing. However, the best one of the lot
is below. The remainders are in "Our Adventures". The photo
below is of a park and fountain immediately outside of the hotel where
we stayed--the Raddison Slavskaya. The sculpture was actually a
gift from Belgium and was a symbolic invitation and welcoming gift as
Russia re-approached the rest of Europe after the Wall came down.
There were always people sitting and reading, meeting with friends, or
just sitting around it. The other photo is the inside of one of
the subway stations...these by far were the most pleasant surprise of
the trip. The interiors of the subway stations were filled with
beautiful bas-reliefs, statues, and mosaics. Most of the artwork
celebrated the peasant/worker, not surprising since most stations were
build during the Soviet regime. It would be possible to take an
entire trip just riding the subways and enjoying the artwork at each
station...
Johnna will be in Moscow again beginning tomrrow and will try to get
some better photos. If not, she will return again a few weeks
later and will be better prepared.
In Other News...
One of our cats, Professor,
had a very eventful and sad week. Late last Sunday and into Monday
we noticed that the eye containing the tumor was beginning to weep and
little and sometimes was tinged with blood. We took Professor
back to the veterinarian opthomologist with the idea that he would
prescribe some additional medicine and then move up his recommendation
to remove the eye (and the tumor with it). What really happened
was that the vet kept Professor there in the clinic and then removed
the eye the next morning. Professor stayed there until Friday
evening recovering. When we went to pick him up, the vet said
that he was not happy with Professor's prognosis. After removing
the eye, he found a mass of what he called "bad cells" behind the
eye--no way to know if they are cancerous without lab testing. He
removed the cells, but sais he was not optomistic because usually in
cases where masses of cells are removed, the vet would take an
additional 2-3 centimeters of tissue around the mass as well. In
this case, there was not an additional 2-3 cm because of the
location. His concern is that if he did not get all of the cells,
the optic nerve of the eye he removed joins the optic nerve of the
other eye serveral centimeters back...that may be an avenue for
continued growth, loss of sight in the other eye, or even worse.
We left with some antibiotics, a very sad looking Professor (they had
to shave the top right quadrant of his face to do the surgery), and
heavy hearts. We hope the surgery was successful and that
Professor adapts quickly to the loss of the eye.
Also since our last post, we attended a picnic. See the photos and description in "Our Adventures".
Prayer Requests...
UPDATE on Johnnna's Mom: She
stayed a little over a week at Duke Hospital where the staff ran every
test known to man "just in case". Despite the fact that Jack told
them to administer insulin at every meal, no matter what her blood
sugar testing showed, the staff decided that if her readings were
normal, they would not administer a dose. This caused Mom's
glucose levels to bounce around and on one occasion shy-rocket to the
point she became disoriented; Mom's regular doctor stepped in at Jack's
demand and everything eventually went back to normal. Mom has
since been discharged from Duke and is now in a rehabilitation facility
to do some occupational therapy to improve her left arm and leg (which
were weak anyway, but then injured when she fell).
Update on our landlord: He is
recuperating at home from his appendectomy. He looks tired, but
just his morning came over to feed and water Charlie, his dog (whose
house is in our yard). He also just brought Lexie back after she
snuck out the door by the dining room and was walking around in the
yard...no worse for the wear and happy to have spent a little time with
the neighbors (she loves them).
BACK FROM MOCKBA PUCCU
(Moscow Russia, transliterated in Cyrillic)
Johnna returned late SAturday evening from
her first trip to Russia. Photos will be forthcoming and the trip
will be cataloged in "Our Adventures". As a tantalizing teaser,
we'll show pic of Red Square and the Kremlin, Russian commoner markets
and upscale evening life, and other local attractions. Menu
included Uzbekistani, Japanese, traditional Russian, Azerbijani, and a
quick stop at a good old fashioned McDonalds...
CROCKETT SELECTED FOR "UPSTAIRS READERS"
When
Crockett came home today, he brought a letter from Mrs Ostrander,
Gifted Education Resource Specialist, stating, "Because of your child's
ability to read at a higher level than most of the first grade
students, we will cover the first grade materials at a slightly
accelerated rate...Since my classroom is upstairs and the students will
be working with me in my room, we have named the group the UPSTAIRS
READERS." We are VERY proud of Crockett not only because he was
selected, but becasue he took advantage of the first week, worked very
hard, and made a good first impression.
In Other News...
The boys are enjoying
school and most of all riding a school bus!! The school busses
are contracted from a travel tourism company so they go to school each
day in a big, yellow tourist bus with big windows. Teachers are
good, cafeteria food is even good...what more could we ask?
Lexie has a well baby check
up tomorrow and a follow up for her arm. UPDATE:
All is
well. Lex is in the 90% for weight, the 85% for height, and 75%
for "head big-ness". Her arm is all healed and the doctor
remarked at how well behaved and coopeartive she was (she saved it for
when we got home later today). No shots until next time...she was
a happy girl.
Clay and Johnna get to
spend some extra time together this week thanks to a Learning About
Belgium (LAB) class. It is three half days where we learn all
sorts of useful info about utilities, public transporation, local
customs, and who knows what else. We've been advised that this is
the one class we would be sorry if we missed, so we're looking forward
to it. UPDATE: Child care fell through so no class...we'll try again in September.
Prayer Requests...
We just learned that Johnna's mom fell
during the week last week while Johnna was in Moscow. After a few
days in the local hospital in Roxboro, she has been moved to Duke for
further evaluation. They will apparently be doing CAT scans and
some other tests because there is some suspicion of another light
stroke. We have not been able to get Mom or Jack on the phone to
get an update.
UPDATE:
We just finished talking to Jack and Mom. Based on Jack's info,
Mom tripped over Denver (the hugely immensely obese and geriatric
yellow lab) and fell against an antique ice box in the kitchen.
When she hit the floor, she lost consciousness for a minute of
two. The hospital in Roxboro evaluated her and found nothing
wrong, but wanted Duke to evaluate as well based on her history.
So far, all of the tests at Duke have returned no bad news; the only
remaining test is an MRI tomorrow (Tuesday). They are
recommending that once she is discharged that she spend 2-3 weeks in a
rehabilitation center because she is still sore/weak in her left ankle
and wrist (both previously injured and both on the side effected by her
strokes). This will also afford the opportunity for some
occupational therapy, always in need since her strokes and not her
favorite activity (so it often doesn't happen at home). After
this update, we also talked to Mom...she seemed to be doing fine and
was happy to be able eat finally. We also let Crockett talk to
her and tell her his big news. (see below...)
Also, a prayer request for our landlord, Mr Jules Pirotte. Early
last week, he had an emergency appendectomy. He is recovering at
home and seems to be doing well.
NEW REQUEST:
Based on conversations with folks from home, we've learned that NC, SC,
and GA may be in for a huge hurricane set to make landfall at the end
of this week. Authorities are already evacuating the Florida Keys
and suggest that the storm will gather even more strength when it goes
back out into the warm waters off the Carolina shores. Please
keep all those in that area in your thoughts...Johnna's family has a
beach house in that area and her sister and her family live on the
inland waterway itself.
School's in session...
 
The boys started school today at the American Sector of SHAPE International School...Asa's teacher is
Mr. Jones; Crockett's is Mrs. Lewis. Both seem to be very
nice.
The boys were both excited to see a
familiar thing at lunch--pizza! Crockett was also excited to see
his friend Alex in his class. She and her family were at the
hotel with us and visited us for dinner just after we moved into the
house.
Although it rained most of the
day, they did get a recess...they've both made friends already
too. We couldn't get much more out of them...
Clay got to stay
with Crockett for the first hour of the day since he is a first grader;
Asa went to class with his teacher...no parents allowed.
Unfortunately, Johnna had to miss sending Crockett off because she had
to go back to Brussels to try again to get her visa for her trip to
Moscow. Luckily, this time she was successful (and in record
time...see Our Adventures), so she was able to be there to meet the boys and pick them up
when they got out of school.
 
In Other News...
Lexie is cutting more teeth
(and making everyone aware that she is uncomfortable). We've
noticed that when she teethes, she does it in groups (3-4 teeth at a
time)...maybe its just advanced pain management or budding
multitasking, who knows. Also, she takes great pleasure in
standing at her play kitchen and banging plastic pots and dishes
together with jars of peanut butter and cans of soup while we cook
meals. She has also taken to coloring and drawing (mostly on
paper at this point)...
That's it from this side of the Atlantic...
A little expedition around Mons...
In response to the fact that we had to
find a place to do identification photos on the spot, we explored the
town a little. See "Our adventures" for details. This is a
photo of the kids at Place du Parc in Mons...
In other news...
Tomorrow we make our first foray into
Bruxelles as a family. After a brief stop to pick up my visa for
an upcoming trip, we are going to (hopefully) have lunch in the Grand
Place and who knows what else...it promises to be an adventure no
matter what (but don't worry, we have our GPS...) UPDATE:
Just returned...red tape as far as the eye can see...45 minutes waiting
in line in the rain...trumped up reasons why my paperwork was not
appropriate for the visa...and a non-functioning cell phone.
Fabulous. Needless to say, no fun lunch in the Grand Place and no
sight seeing. (Did we mention Crockett spilled all over his pants
on the trip up and so was pantless for the remainder of the
trip?) Will return Monday to try again before leaving Tuesday
morning. Will miss seeing boys off for first day of school
because of this. Not happy.
School begins for the boys on Monday. We attended Newcomers'
Orientation Wednesday where we were briefed by the school counsellor
and then went on a tour of the campus. It truly is a campus,
too. Each day, the kids will be in no less than three different
buildings as they go through their day. They will have art,
music, gym, French, and Belgian culture/social studies each week.
We also registered them to ride the bus. Luckily, the bus stop is
just at the base of our street, so it should be fairly easy for all of
us.
Johnna is also preparing for her first trip to Moscow. She is
hoping to be able to do a little site seeing while there and maybe
provide some good pictures to document the experience. We'll see.
Clay had an adventure this week as well. As you may know, one of
our cats, Professor, has had an eye infection since early in the
year. It got better just before we travelled, but it suddenly got
much worse over last weekend. We made an appointment with the
veterinarian on Daumes Casserne (local Army post). When we went
in, she was examining Professor and what did we note on her hand but an
Aggie ring! In any case, they were not able to do the
needed tests since the eye was so severe, so we were referred to a
Belgian veterinarian in the next town, Ath. Clay took the boys
and the baby, and headed to Ath to have the cat seen. He said the
vet was very nice, spoke pretty good English, and he was all-in-all
pleased with everyone's behavior--boys, baby, and cat. Professor
got a shot and two weeks worth of medicine...all for just over 40 euros
(about $55...not too bad).
We're still looking for folks to instant message (with or without
voice) with us. Use Caeletos or HayesinBelgium to call us if
you're using Yahoo...its free and we'd love to hear from you.
Finally, Johnna's 20th high school reunion was last weekend.
While we weren't able to go, the organizers posted some great pictures
and in the wake of the event launched a Yahoo group so everyone would
stay in touch. Johnna emailed with several old friends already
(Krisitin Kelly, Nancy Sills, Tye Jones, Angela Kissell, etc) and hopes
to be able to contact a few more in the coming weeks (Karen Caiola, Joy
Jacobson, Caroline McIver to name a few)...
That's it for now...check back in Our Adventures for updates on the upcoming Bruxelles trip...
Countdown to school...
School begins 22 Aug...so we're getting in some trips while we can...
Here we are in Kaiserslautern Germany...for details, visit Our Adventures.
In other news...
Football begins soon...its Sunday
afternoon and Clay is watching pre-season football. For an up to
the minute countdown on college ball (for exactly, Texas A&M), click here...
The unpacking continues...it seems that just as we get one set of boxes
taken care of, another appears from somewhere...Lexie and the boys
think its great though...Lexie finds any excuse to climb as high as she
can...
Another step forward!!
One
more little piece of the puzzle has fallen into place...so that we have
a little more flexibility, we got a small car just for Johnna to drive
back and forth to work. It is a 1995 Pontiac Sunfire...its not the
flashiest or coolest car on the planet, but it is in really good shape
and will get the job done.
In Other News...
Follow
up: The boys are successfully registered in school. Johnna's first
trip to Brussels for work was a success. Lexie cut two more teeth (top
middle on both sides).
BUT THE BIGGEST
NEWS: If you have a Yahoo! account, you can register for instant
messaging with voice. What this means is that if you click a button,
you can talk to us over the internet for free...if you want details on
how to do it, just check the Yahoo! page or email us. When "IM"-ing
us, use "hayesinbelgium" in the "Address" line. We'll hear a ring and
accept the call if we're here. Pretty cool. (No offical endorsement
of Yahoo intended, but whatever...)
The van has arrived !!
Another step towards normalcy...
its not registered yet and it doesn't have Belgian plates yet,
but it's off the boat and in our possession!
In other news...
Follow up: In case you're wondering,
the Tooth Fairy visits in Belgium too! Asa left his tooth for her
and found 2 Euros the next day (I guess she gets a Cost of Living
Allowance when working in Europe...2 Euros equals about $2.50--that's a
lot for a tooth!)
Also, we have our Armed Forces Network
(AFN) television receiver up and running...8 channels of news and
entertainment programming (most a season or two old already, but
hey...).
School starts 22 August for the boys. Registration is 2 August.
Pausing a moment to remember...
We
learned yesterday the father of our dear friend Kathleen Doucette,
passed away unexpectedly. Kathleen, Lou, Katey, and Steven are in our
hearts and prayers. Although we never met Kathleen's father in person,
if his daughter and her family are any indication of the kind of man
and father he was, he was truly wonderful. The obituary from the
San-Antonio Express News is below.
 |
Another member of 'the greatest generation' has left us. Ferdinand
Gustave Zedler, Jr., age 81, was called Home unexpectedly in the early
morning hours of August 4, 2006. We know he ran to meet his beloved
Savior Jesus Christ face to face, and afterward was joyfully reunited
with his 'Number One Daughter' Bonnie Hollman who preceded him into
Eternity in 2003. Ferd suffered a ruptured aorta late Thursday
afternoon, was airlifted to Houston at midnight, then went into fatal
cardiac arrest immediately upon arrival at the specialty hospital.
While we are still adjusting to his sudden departure, we thank God for
His great mercy in taking Daddy quickly as he would have wanted. Daddy
was born at home in Bexar County on December 23, 1924. He proudly
served his country in the U. S. Navy aboard the U.S.S. Portland; in
fact, he 'celebrated' his 18th birthday on the train from San Antonio
to San Diego for Navy basic training. He worked as a civil servant at
Kelly A.F.B. and retired after 35 years. Remaining behind are his wife
of 60 years, Mable Burkett Zedler; children Linda Talley; Carol and Ron
Steward; Kathleen and Louis Doucette; Kevin and Mary Zedler; and Collin
Zedler. Grandchildren and great grandchildren: David, Tabitha, and
Connor Hollman; John Hollman; Melinda and Stephen Black; Steven
Doucette; Katie Doucette; Katey Beth Zedler; and his sister, Mary Anna
Simpson. The family is grateful for the compassionate care provided by
and valiant efforts of the staffs of the Geronimo Village Volunteer
Fire Department, Methodist Hospital ER, SA Airlift, and Houston's St.
Luke's Hospital. A memorial service will be held 10:00 A.M., Tuesday,
August 8, 2006 at Calvary Hills Baptist Church, 910 W. Loop 1604 N,
681-2446. 'Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His
saints.' |
24 Jul 06
In Memorium.
Earlier today,
we learned that a dear friend, Meredith Paddison passed away.
Meredith was the mother of one of Johnna's best friends from
school. Johnna spent many fun summer vacations and Easter
weekends with the Paddison family and enjoyed countless junior high
school and high school activities with Julie. Meredith's health
began declining several years ago; she endured a liver transplant and
several post-operative complications. Each time we visited
Durham, we made a point to visit Meredith, say hello, catch up on Julie
and Jim, and let her and Dr Paddison visit with Asa and Crockett, and
most recently Lexie. Without fail, Meredith was always smiling
and ready to be a gracious host--even when it was apparent she was
tired or did not feel well. She made a point to send a promotion
gift to Johnna when she pinned on Major, shortly thereafter followed by
a set of oak leafs Dr. Paddison wore during his time in VietNam.
We most recently visited the Paddisons only a
few days before leaving for Belgium. Meredith had just returned
from a hospital stay and was visibly worn...however, in true fashion,
she offered the boys sodas and snacks, tried to convince us to have a
seat, and even put cookies in the boys hands when we left. As we
walked out the door, she gave us a hug and made Johnna promise to write
her some old-fashioned letters instead of email...she said she
preferred getting letters in the mail and email was just too
difficult. She passed away 20 days later.
As Julie and Johnna prepare separately for
their 20 year high school reunion next weekend, they have not seen each
other since the last reunion 10 years ago. Yet Johnna knows what
Julie's been up to and we can guess she knows what we've been doing as
well. Meredith kept us connected through the years.
We wish we could be there with
Julie, Jim, Julie's husband John,
and of course Dr. Paddison or "Daddy Padd".
Please take a moment after reading this
and say a prayer for a woman who
had a spritely soul and sky blue eyes
...and who left us far too soon.
In other news...
As copied from The Durham Herald-Sun
| PADDISON
|
 |
DURHAM - Mrs. Meredith Chandler Paddison, 63, of 3920 Regent Road,
passed away at Duke University Medical Center on Wednesday, July 19,
2006. The funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 23, 2006, at
The Epworth United Methodist Church, 3002 Hope Valley Road, by Pastor
A. Gene Cobb.
Meredith was a native of Asheville, N.C. She was a graduate of The
Charlotte Memorial School of Nursing. She moved to Durham in 1972,
where she became a member of Epworth United Methodist Church, the
Junior League of Durham-Orange Counties, the Durham Orange Medical
Auxiliary and several other organizations. She was a lifetime member of
the Town and Country Garden Club. Artistically talented, she enjoyed
working on many creative projects for friends and organization.
Most of all, in spite of many years of increasing health problems, she
lived her life to the fullest and had a wonderful ability to befriend,
love and inspire those around her. She was a best friend to all and a
beloved wife and mother.
She is survived by her husband, Dr. George M. Paddison; daughter, Julie
P. Cronin; son-in-law, John S. Cronin; son, James P. Paddison; and her
mother, Marian S. Linn.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Martha Society at
The Epworth United Methodist Church, 3002 Hope Valley Road, Durham,
N.C. 27707.
There will be a reception at Epworth United Methodist Church on Sunday following the service. |
In Memorium.
Today we learned that Clay's great-uncle, Alvin Wynn passed
away.
While the details are still coming in, Alvin suffered a
heart attack a few months ago and had been trying to recover ever
since.
He was a veteran of WWII and participated in the Battle of the Bulge.
We were planning to visit some of the locations he logged in his
journal (he was actually in Mons at one point), take pictures, and send
them to him.
Please take a moment to read a link to his obituary in The
Victoria Advocate, his local newspaper.
He was a kind man with a loving family who will miss his quiet dignity and Texan charm.
In other news...
Asa lost a tooth!!
Everyone else is trying to settle in and relax for a day or two while its hot before we start another round of unpacking...
Crockett sits on the dining room terrace playing with his GameBoy and Clay reads Dr. Suess' Eye Book to Lexie.
The move from hotel to house is underway...
We'll probably be off line
for a few days.
In other news...
Clay takes his driver's test today...cross your fingers!
W e h a v e o u r s t u f f ! !
All nine crates of furniture arrived
(mostly in one piece)
and are safely in the house!
Asa and Crockett playing in the packing material
while the movers take a well deserved lunch break.
In other news...
One More Day!!
Appliances arrive tomorrow and the unpacking continues!!!
16 Jul 06:
Godspeed STS-121
We look heavenward
today as STS-121 Discovery returns to eath after its 13 day
mission. Our friend Mission Specialist Mike Fossum is aboard
Discovery. Mike has been a steady and encouraging voice for me
since we met while in College Station. We wish him and the rest
of the crew Godspeed as they prepare for re-entry. Gig 'Em,
Mike...
Listen here to confirm Aggies are EVERYWHERE
(The news story only)
Listen here for Mike's "special" wake up on Day 10
|
