Father’s Day Surprise

My brother and his family are on vacation. They are in Washington DC. They paid a visit to someone I know…

3 girls and a city

Taylor went back to school today.
But not before a girls trip to New York City.

We took the redeye Wednesday,
slept as much as we could on the plane,
took a wild taxi ride to the hotel,
was lucky enough to check into a room at 7:30AM,
took a nap for a couple of hours,
then hit the ground, running.

We DID NOT STOP for 4 whole days.

We toured, shopped, ate, theatered, subwayed, museumed, walked,
walked, walked, walked, walked and walked.

We learned a lot about the city and ourselves.
We decided how to best approach our next trip.
We  discovered so many new loves.

Be sure to check Kylee’s blog for details and awesome photos!
Check back here too…. I may be able to muster up a post or two.

Arrival

Kylee has sent me another brief email, with a promise of more details to follow.
I don’t want to share too much, as she will be certain to blog once she returns!

I do, however, feel that I need to share a little…
She has arrived to her final destination: Chamba.

Her duffle bag, and the bag belonging to one other girl, were the ONLY two bags
to get DRENCHED during their adventurous travels.
Her entire wardrobe is hanging out to dry…I hope the humidity does not impede the progress.

Finally… A photo of the orphanage.

Chamba, India is where she will be spending her days for the next week. Teaching and loving 20+ girls.

LOVING email!

Kylee finally has internet and we received her first email. She is tired and her thoughts are jumbled, but she is safe and enjoying her experience so far. Here are a few excerpts...

the traveling has been loooonnnggg, three days worth of it. i have no sense of time here and forget what day it is constantly. we head to chamba today (6 hour jeep ride)

we flew into qatar … and got there around 3AM (india time) and then we waited for about an hour for our bus to show up. we then traveled 12-14 hours on a bus. it was nice, had AC and we all had our own rows. i had taken dramamine and was doing well. there was a point later on the bus ride that i got sick, real sick. throwing up and everything. thank goodness for those airplane barf bags (saved me entirely). i didn't necessarily feel nauseous but i could not stop throwing up.

my first indian meal was sort of awful. i hated it. it was like this bread thing filled with potatoes and onions that was meant to be dipped in either those nasty curd stuff or some pickle spice thing. i seriously had to force myself to eat it and i definitely ate less than half. that first meal had me seriously worried about the food i would be eating for the next two weeks (but things have been better since, not my favorite but i do eat). the nam is the best - crisp bread (we always get garlic).

the weather & smells have been less shocking than i anticipated. not as hot and not as smelly. despite the poverty, india is GORGEOUS. the himalayas are unreal. i have taken over 300 pictures and we are only on what, day four? five? see i have no concept of time. i think going to chamba is where the shock will hit because the places we have stayed so far are so nice. our first hotel was good (minus the mouse we discovered in our room) but the one we are at now..... soooo nice. i definitely did not expect such nice places to stay while here.

i miss you guys. i especially missed mom when i was sick on the bus. sure am grateful for all you guys do… i have been near tears and cried to myself many times already. when we first arrived and were taking our early morning bus ride was when it first hit me. we are so blessed and i take so much of it for granted. the people here are so beautiful (inside & out). they find happiness in family, friends & work, not material things or money. i really feel so blessed to be here right now, to be experiencing these feelings (totally crying again as i write this).

All three of us at home were quite the site as we were reading her email. We were all in tears too.
I am so grateful, first of all for her safe arrival. Secondly, for this life changing experience. I am looking forward to meeting the changed person that will come home in a couple of weeks.

THANK YOU to everyone who has helped make this possible for Kylee. So many of you have donated time, money, laptops, and most importantly… encouragement, love and support. We are blessed to know so many wonderful people!

Music to my ears!

The YMAD blog was finally updated…

They made it!

Just wanted to let you know that as of this morning they were in Manali, India. Safe. They said the bus ride was long and uncomfortable…

They are working on Blogs tonight and we should hear more from them tomorrow!

Kylee and her group have been traveling since Friday at noon… a few more days on the road and they will be in Chamba, changing their lives!

Finally…

Two years later, we finally made it back to Lake Powell. (A crazy year, coupled with bad timing, caused us  to cancel all of last years plans.)  We hit the road Sunday afternoon and enjoyed a leisurely drive, taking in the beauty along the way…



As usual, we camped at the Super 8 in Page… Kylee and friends managed to find a friend. Without delay, I was summoned to remove him from the premises.

Setting aside unwanted guests, we hiked, relaxed, read, napped, swam, played, and laughed for three full days…

the…

(the photographer... me, & mostly Kylee!)

July’s travel log…

On Sunday, Evan left for Phoenix for a business trip.
He was gone only a few days, but we scheduled a slight detour.

Bright and early Wednesday morning, the girls and I packed up the car,
dropped Chester off at Grandpa & Grandmas
and started our road trip.

First destination, Las Vegas.
Only for dinner and a nights rest…
but not before picking up an extra passenger.
Evan joined us and was our chauffer to our final destination…

But first, a cold trip to the beach
where we laid around, took pictures (acquiring some scrapes in the process)
and shivered.

it was relaxing, in spite of the chill.

We spent the next three days in the park.
After the first day, I came to accept two facts.
1] no matter what care and attention I pay to my feet, Disney always delivers blisters
2] prickly heat has become a permanent part of my early summer wardrobe

 

I will share more later.
As for now, I am tired and I am so very much looking forwarding to sleeping in my own surroundings!!
It is not very Disney…. but it is fitting to say
There is no place like home!

Boston Day 4

Our last day.
Mostly, a travel day.
But, before we left for the airport
the Choir took one more trip on the subway.

We went to the New England Conservatory,
where they participated in a Choral Workshop…

… then, a couple of  hours of leisure time,
followed by a 6 hour flight home.

As always - - -
it is nice being HOME!

Boston Day 3

This day we visited Harvard University…

…on our way to Lexington and Concord Battle Fields.
I snapped a photo of the temple from the bus as we passed by.

After eating lunch at the Wayside Inn
(the oldest operating Inn on the one of the oldest commissioned roads in the United States),
we spent the rest of the day enjoying a little R&R.

Boston Day 2

This day was spent walking the Freedom Trail.

We started at The Boston Common,
America’s oldest public park.

Many statues are placed through out the park
including The Boston Massacre Memorial

and George Washington:

The better part of a 3 mile walk,
seeming like 30 miles as we tackled the cobblestones
and weaved through side alleys.

The State House:

Next stop: the Granary Burying Ground.
This is the burial site for
John Hancock, Paul Revere, Samuel Adams,
all five Boston Massacre victims and
Benjamin Franklin’s parents.

More statues, church’s and historical buildings:

and a little Paul Revere

before ending up at the Old North Church
where the choir sang a few songs
ending with America The Beautiful.

We topped the day off with dinner and Mary Poppins.

Bed time did not come soon enough!

Boston Day 1

This morning we received our Charlie Pass.
This gave us access to the Subway for the duration of our stay.

We jumped on board and headed into town.
We spent a few hours at Quincy Market…
eating lunch and shopping.

We wandered around, soaking up the city before we meet the group
prior to our next stop…

We met at Long Wharf.
Long Wharf was the busiest pier in the busiest port in America during early colonial times.
It extended nearly a half-mile into the harbor during that time.

From there, we caught a ferry to the USS Constitution.
We spent some time at the museum and the ship itself.
The 44-gun USS Constitution, built in Boston, was launched on Oct. 21, 1797
It is the world's oldest commissioned warship afloat.

We ended the day with front row tickets to
The Blue Man Group
The perfect ending to a perfect day!