Our 5 days in Marietta were packed with special times with family members. One of my favorite things was our "Girls Day Out" with my two sisters, Elizabeth and Karin. So, do we look alike? I've always thought they looked like each other and I was the odd one out but in this picture, I see some resemblance in our mouths.
We went with Glenn's mother to visit two of her friends that have been special to us through the years (Anne C. and Mary Jean W.) and stopped by Burger King for a quick lunch. As on each of our trips to the U.S., I am amazed at how things change in such a short time, and I always enjoy seeing what is "new". The new drink machines at Burger King are new since we were here in May! We have Burger King in Budapest. I wonder how many years it will be before these drink machines make it over there?!? They still don't have the "free refills/self-serve" at our Burger Kings so it may be a while before we get one of these fancy machines
Sunday "lupper" at Red Lobster was a fun time. We went after church on Sunday and service was so slow that we didn't leave there until close to 4 pm so we ended up eating both lunch and supper meals there in the middle of the afternoon.
Sister-in-law Becky was kind and brave and generously spent one full day shopping with me for things for Kari and Jonathan and Alec. We both love SAM's pizzas and enjoyed one for lunch, and in addition, she brought one home for her hubby for that night.
And what trip to Marietta would be complete without Glenn's favorite, The Varsity???
We flew from Atlanta to Budapest, repacked our suitcases, paid some bills, cut the grass, picked the apples and then flew out the next day to Senegal. I'm getting to be a pro at packing!
I know you've all be waiting for photos of Alec so here are a few. We are proud grandparents, for sure, and doubly blessed! We've got teeny tiny Jazzy and moving, muscular Alec and we love them so much!!! Holding those sweet babies bring back such wonderful memories of when our own children were infants.
Both Alec and Jazzy are good sleepers.
Alec likes sitting in Grampy Glenn's lap but really doesn't believe all his Grampy tells him about when his mother was a little girl.
Even though Alec will let me hold him, he prefers his mother. Natch!
He loves everything about his mother, even her pinkie.
Of course, he loves his daddy too. He feels very safe and comfy on Jonathan's chest.
And while Jonathan is babysitting Alec, Kari takes advantage of the "disconnection" to grab a few minutes of rest for herself.
The ladies of the organization with which Kari and Jonathan are affiliated had a baby shower for her the morning we arrived (boy, was I tired!) It was so nice to meet everyone that Kari talks works with and to put faces with their names.
One of the ladies Kari knew from her Journeymen days, when she was in Senegal from 2002-2004. Maggie was the daughter of Kari's supervisor and was 13 years old when Kari first met her. She is living again in Dakar, married and with a child of her own.
It has been hot here, in the mid- to upper 80's with 80%-90% humidity. Pretty hot and very sticky. Rainy season has begun and fortunately, when it rains, it cools things down a few degrees. One afternoon we went for a drive through the city. (A co-worker loaned Kari and Jonathan a vehicle to use while we are here which has been a blessing, and it has a wonderful feature called air conditioning!) I'm not sure which we enjoyed more...the sights or the cool air!
These are colorful fishing boats along the waters' edge.
We're not sure what the real deal is with the man on the stilts since this is not a traditional Senegalese art form or part of their dance, but it is a great money maker! He blocked the road until we gave him a few coins to move out of our way.
We still have a little over a week here so you'll see more of our time with Kari and Jonathan and little Alec the next time I update. Until then, "stay cool".
3 comments:
Natch, I am impressed by your use of 'Natch!'
Thanks for the post - so glad you're having a good time!!
Miss you all - Jaz says to tell Alec hi :)
Love,
Kate
Beautiful post, Cile. You certainly look 'at home' with Alec! He does look bigger than Jazmine! So great to be able to meet Kari's friends, so soon after arriving. I miss you... wish you were closer!
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