A Daring Adventure

All Good Things Must Come to an End

Hello from Florida!


I haven't blogged in a while because, well, I don't usually blog during R&R breaks. Which is what we're on right now.


For the last several weeks, Matthew and Zachary and I have been in the U.S. James was able to join us a couple of weeks ago. So here we all are. Together. It's wonderful.


Unfortunately, we're only here for one more day.


James literally made it to Florida (the boys and I were already here, having left Chengdu the day school got out for the holidays) on Christmas Eve Day. I was a nervous WRECK that he would end up getting caught in bad weather while he was traveling, and would thus get stuck in an airport for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but we were very blessed in that he arrived on Christmas Eve Day, just barely in time to celebrate with us. He was jetlagged and exhausted, but we were all thrilled to be in the States, to be with our families, and to be together.

James's beard is reaching back through time and space to wish you a belated Merry Christmas. Unless you don't celebrate Christmas. At which point James's beard wishes you a happy whatever you celebrate. Because James's beard is culturally sensitive like that.

 

How to put this nicely? Oh, hell, I can't. I don't say things nicely, anyway, which is why I always get myself into trouble. So I guess I'll just come out and say it: Christmas in the States this year was FAR FAR FAR FAR better than Christmas in Chengdu, like what we did last year. Which sucked. This year, Christmas didn't suck. Didn't suck AT ALL.

Christmas this year was actually FANTASTIC, just ask Matthew, who actually smiles when we're in the States. I had forgotten what Matthew's smile looked like, since he never smiles in Chengdu.

 
 Yeah, both of my boys were/are glad to be back.

This is Zachary. Smiling. Zachary smiles sometimes in Chengdu. In direct contrast to Matthew, who NEVER EVER smiles in Chengdu.

 
Christmas Day provided me with many photo ops, which made me happy.


 

Look! ALL THREE of my guys together - smiling! A true Christmas miracle. Kid you not.

I can't even tell you how exhausted poor James was on Christmas Day. He powered through it - through the jetlag and everything - like a good husband and father. 

Please ignore how badly my sons need haircuts and focus only on the familial joy.

 
My parents were forced to cook a huge Christmas spread full of food we cannot get in China. Like, you know, mashed potatoes and stuffing and cranberry sauce and yeast rolls.

And turkey. You cannot get turkey in China.

It's very, very difficult for normal Americans to understand the depth and breadth of the items you cannot get in China. 

Like a "Happy Birthday Jesus" birthday cake. Can't get that in China. And, anyway, poor Jesus didn't even get ONE SINGLE PIECE of His own birthday cake. How sucky is THAT?!

 

So, anyway, that was Christmas.


New Year's was far less exciting, owing to the fact that I was desperately sick with the stomach flu and was vomiting everywhere. And actually, any and all womanly mystery that I may have held on to over these last zillions of years of marriage (and after birthing many babies, with James present every time) FLEW out the window as I lay on the bedroom floor, sobbing and wailing and VOMITING, right in front of James. Vomiting so hard and fast that I literally couldn't breathe in between violent heaves.


All RIGHT. IN. FRONT. OF. JAMES. Who sat, eyes wide in horror, tapping furiously on his iPad trying to figure out which hospital to try to take me to at 3 am.


(Spoiler: I lived. Without even needing to go to the hospital.) 

Everything else over our R&R has been shopping and eating and smiling and being together as a family. 

 

And pelicans. Because there are pelicans in Florida.

 
Which is why I haven't been online much. Haven't been blogging, haven't been returning emails, haven't been on Facebook.

I've actually been standing underneath flying Florida wildlife, looking up into the air and holding my mouth open. Or not.

 

Life looks very different from Florida than it does from Chengdu.  

 

Of course, this may be because Chengdu doesn't, you know, have an ocean. JUST SAYING.

 
Tomorrow is our family's last day of R&R. Last day of the States. Last day of U.S. food. Etc.


::sob::


                                              ~   ~   ~


I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions. But I do believe in New Year's Revelations, which is where you think/write about what you learned over the past year.


Over the past year I have learned many things. The most important things I have learned - not that I didn't already know them, but they've become even more obvious over this last year - are:


1.) Going through incredibly painful, very difficult circumstances that would most certainly tear other relationships apart serve to actually strengthen our marriage, which is an amazing blessing, when you think about it. And...

2.) When we are going through horrible trials and my husband is forced to choose between family and anything else in this world, my husband chooses family. Always. ALWAYS. And, to me, this makes James a man of character and strength and morals, which is a rare find in this day and age. I am a lucky girl.


                                               ~   ~   ~

James and I were walking along the beach today, just the two of us. The eighth (I think? I'm actually losing count...) DS panel for last year's summer bidders (which James is) has come and gone and no, we have no clue where we're going when our assignment to Chengdu is over this coming summer.  

And as we were walking and talking about what in the world 2013 might end up looking like for us, James gave my hand a squeeze, shrugged his shoulders and said...

..."I have no idea what in the world will happen in 2013, except that I know that we'll have each other... and so nothing else matters."

 
Exactly. 

 

Hello From America's Heartland!!

Zachary and James flew back to Chengdu about a week ago and got there safe and sound (yay!), so that's good. 


Matthew and I have a few more days left here in the United States on our R&R, so we're living it up! I feel guilty, actually, with James and Zachary not here, that Matthew and I are doing so much fun stuff without them.


Guilt. It's my ever-present companion.


So, anyway, since I'm still on American high-speed internet (what a HUGE difference! I would blog every day in China if I had internet like this!), it's a good time to show you guys what we've been doing here in the States. Other than thinking deeply about life, of course.


So: a summary of the last couple of weeks.


Back in Florida, before Zachary and James left to go back to China, some of us went on airboat rides.  Airboats are great in Florida because they can glide along on top of all of the vegetation, unlike normal boats. They're just... loud and huge. But that's okay - they're fun!





Airboats zip along and can go really fast. We even saw some gators!





(Not that seeing gators is surprising in Florida. Because it isn't.)


Zachary LOVED the airboat ride:





We cut through serious vegetation:





And just in general acted as though we didn't care if we lived or died. IT WAS AWESOME!


But that was before James and Zachary left to go back to China. And now that they are gone, Matthew and I have gone off on a trip through the gorgeous (albeit burnt to a crisp because of some epic, hideous drought that is torturing the middle of the US right now) states of Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.


Oh, Wisconsin. How insanely, breathtakingly gorgeous you are.


My Auntie hangs out sometimes up in Door County, Wisconsin, and let me just say that it's about the prettiest spot you could ever imagine.  Matthew and I would just gaze around at the gorgeousness, in awe.


The little fishing and boating towns are so adorable:




 We were super blessed in that family friends own an extra jetski, and for the first time in Matthew's memory he got to ride one. Talk about HAPPY GUY:





The Wisconsin beaches on Lake Michigan are rocky, but pretty:





Believe it or not, the whole month that our family was in Florida, no one got a sunburn. Matthew and I get up to Wisconsin, though, and are immediately burned to a crisp!  It was so funny!  Just totally unexpected.


Matthew even got to ski for the first time in his life:





Since it was the first time he'd ever tried, it took him a while to get up onto those skis, and let me tell you - - three or four days later and he is STILL sore and walking like an old man!


The playing around on other people's toys was super fun, but really - the biggest treat was just to look around at how beautiful it is up there.  Here are two pictures from the area, because I couldn't choose which one to post and so I posted both (yay high speed internet!):









 
We went through some museums in the area - tiny but adorable - and I found the most disturbing object!  It's a tiny set of medical razor blades that used to be used in bleeding patients back when bloodletting was the thing to do.  Can you IMAGINE a doctor using THIS thing on you??





I don't know if you can make it out in the picture, but it's a square contraption out of which razor blades pop up.

Medicine. We've come a long way, baby!


If a doting, obliging Auntie gave an 18-year-old-Matthew his first ever bottle of beer, it's not like I would post that here because, HELLO, that would be ILLEGAL and underaged drinking is BAD and all sorts of law enforcement-y types read this blog, etc.  But...


Oh, look! Matthew holding a beer! I wonder why.  It must have been someone else's and he must have grabbed it for a photo op or to read the label or something...





I'm sorry, I have to post one more gratuitous shot of the gorgeousness of the water:






Because HOLY BEAUTIFUL, BATMAN.


It was so pretty, Matthew even voluntarily went swimming there:





Which says a lot, because Matthew never voluntarily swims.


But how could you resist swimming here?





And, of course, no blog post of mine going on and on about how beautiful it is here would be complete without... BIRDS!!






(Of which there are a gazillion)


And... SQUIRRELS!!






(Of which there are an even BIGGER gazillion.)


So, anyway, this is the longest blog post in the universe with the most pictures EVER (thank you if you're still reading... you're a trooper! Or you're my mom, dad, husband or youngest child, all of whom are required to read. Apologies, again, to my husband and youngest child. I MISS YOU. I'M SORRY WE HAD TO HAVE FUN WITHOUT YOU. DON'T HATE ME!)


So, anyway, I just wanted to say hello from R&R





Either that or goodbye to our R&R, as Matthew and I head back to China in just a few days.


::sob::


And also, that picture makes my rear end look HUGE.


My shadow needs to go on a diet.


 

Oh HELLLLS Yeah!

We only gots FIFTEEN more days to go until we leave for our first R&R, people! 


Which also coincides exactly with when school gets out for the kids!





 
We came to Chengdu last September. The kids started school six weeks late and loads behind. Not only did they have a ton of school work to catch up on (and not only was it their first time ever being in school AND first time ever being in a foreign country), they've also been sick (or injured) huge portions of the school year. Heck, we ALL have been sick constantly.


Since getting here, half of us pretty much haven't left Chengdu, and 75% of us haven't left China (you get one guess as to which one of us has left China). Matthew and I literally haven't left our tiny little slice of Chengdu but for one day, to go two hours away on a school field trip (See: squatty potties).


IN EIGHT MONTHS.


My family MIGHT have a dry erase board in our kitchen, which changes daily, counting down the days until we leave on our first R&R:






 My husband MIGHT update that dry erase board first thing every single morning so early that the kids haven't even left for school yet.


(I'm saying MIGHT, of course.) 


And, yeah, we're totally headed back to my Mom & Dad's house on the Florida beaches, where pretty much our whole family is gonna be all:




 


Of course, we're going to Florida during hurricane season, which is probably less than optimal. 


I know that Florida has already gotten tagged once this year, and hurricane season hadn't even started yet then. (Which doesn't bode well for the tone of this hurricane season, to put it lightly.)


Back in 2006, before James got hired by State and when we owned a house in Florida, that house of ours got directly hit by THREE hurricanes in a span of less than five weeks, with our electricity out for a week each time. So, yeah. We're not big fans of hurricanes.


The only amusement they add to the day is that about a hundred zillion lame-o weather people and news people line up on the beaches and do live news broadcasts in the hurricane-force gale winds while the hurricane is hitting, so you get to watch those people be IDIOTS: 



 

Which is always fun for us native Floridians, and which always adds a bit of levity to the situation.


Other than that, though, I would be MOST GRATEFUL if mother nature could steer her hurricanes (because there WILL be hurricanes, make no mistake about it) in a different direction, please. 

 
'Cause we all be needing some REST & RELAXATION up in here right about now!
 

Other than hurricanes, the only other thing that could mess with our fab summer break would be bidding. But I ain't gonna think about that right now...

 

Don't Hate Us. Unless You Already Do. Not That I Blame You.

Okay, so, you already know our family lives in Florida. And that we're visiting them before we head to China. And that James and I were high school sweethearts here in our Hometown.


A thousand years ago.

Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth.


Some (most? almost all?) things here in sleepy little Hometown never change.  


The beach is always yummily inviting, and only a few steps away (as I said, don't hate me!):





Since it's only September (it doesn't get coolish here until about November), it's still warm out on the beach:





This next picture is pretty much a free (FREE!) ad for Nikon, which is both the kind of camera that I have AND the kind of lenses that I use, even though my favorite lens broke randomly a week or two ago and I had to mail it into Nikon AND THEY DON'T MAIL TO DPO ADDRESSES, so they won't mail it to me in Chengdu once they fix it. DARNIT.  


But, my current issues with Nikon notwithstanding, I just *love* my camera and my lenses.  Just look what they can do:





Oh yes, there are some fabulous photo opportunities in Florida.


Floridian sunrises are gorgeous, and worth waking up for:











Know what else? 


Florida wildlife wears weaponry on its face.  But is still pretty:





If you don't think that the above beak is "weaponry," then I invite you to get really close to that bird while holding something in your hand that it wants to eat. 


Let me know how that goes for you.


Here's another picture I've taken recently that I adore.  I call it "And This is Pretty Much What I Look Like From My Husband's Perspective ALL THE TIME:"






As for us, today is Thursday.  This weekend we will leave quiet little Hometown, FL and start our winding journey to Chengdu, China (our new post).  


We're making a few stops along the way for meetings here and happenings there, etc., so we're not going to get to post for, like, a whole 'nother week or something... but it's getting close.


It's getting realllllllllllly close.


And as interesting as travel/going to new places/experiencing new things is... it's hard to leave our Hometown and our families.  


Oh yes, it's VERY hard to leave.

My Eyes! My Eyes!

So. 


James, the boys and I are currently on pre-traveling-to-post vacation in Hometown, Florida.


The Land of Bathing Suits.


Because even though I'm hearing that my girlfriends in Virginia, etc., are starting to have cooler weather... we are not. Not at all. It's in the 90s here.


So the other day we bundled up Zachary (age 12) and took him to a Florida touristy water park. You know the sort - the kind with flumes and slides and stuff.


WELL.  How to put this?  Some people at that water park... didn't exactly choose to wear... body-appropriate swimwear that day. (Picture The People of Wal-Mart IN BATHING SUITS and that will get you pretty much where you need to be.)


In the spirit of what my husband, son and I were forced to look at while at said water park, I have come up with some guidelines for people who will be seen in public in swimwear.  Ready?


                                                  LADIES:


There are two kinds of you. One kind can pull off wearing a string, thong bikini (yes, both string AND thong)... and one cannot.


NEITHER OF YOU SHOULD WEAR THEM AT A FAMILY WATER PARK.


Those of you who CAN pull off wearing a string, thong bikini should COVER YOUR SKIN UP ALREADY.  Because, HELLO, this is a FAMILY water park and I have a twelve-year-old son here! And you're scaring him.


If you want to show yourself off, there are about a zillion and a half ways that you can do that. And even get paid in the process, if you're really adventurous. But that topic is, mercifully, beyond the scope of my blog, so we'll end there.  Suffice it will to say: PUT MORE MATERIAL ON YOUR BODY, PLEASE.  I'M BEGGING YOU.


Those of you who CANNOT pull off a string, thong bikini should LOOK IN THE MIRROR. If you weigh upwards of 300+ pounds (I'm not making this up) THEN YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS IN A STRING, THONG BIKINI.


I'm sorry to be harsh, but you need an intervention. They make cute, fashionable bathing suits in plus sizes - I know this personally, for years ago I used to weigh a hundred pounds more than I do now - all of which are quite appropriate and even - honestly - adorable. CHOOSE ONE.


And also:  PLEASE SHAVE. (And no, you don't get a pass for not shaving because you're from another country - you're 100% AMERCIAN and that's what U.S. girls who are about to put on bikinis DO.)



                                             GENTLEMEN:


There are two kinds of you. One kind can pull off wearing a Speedo... and one cannot.


NEITHER OF YOU SHOULD WEAR THEM AT A FAMILY WATER PARK.


Those of you who CAN pull off wearing a Speedo should COVER YOUR SKIN AND BODY HAIR UP ALREADY.  Because, HELLO, I do NOT want to look at your hairy legs and your hairy everything else, and sometimes a Speedo doesn't cover up everything a Speedo TRIES to cover up.


I don't care if you think you're all muscular and buff or whatever - I have no desire to look at you and neither do the other women. Get a LIFE and a pair of swimming trunks. There are little girls here and you are scaring them.  In fact, I've SEEN you scaring them.  Have you not?


Those of you who CANNOT pull off a Speedo - those who have circled the earth for many decades and who very much like your beer and donuts - NEED TO LOOK IN THE MIRROR.


If your tummy hangs over your Speedo to the point where it threatens to touch your legs, then you need a bathing suit intervention. They make fashionable, (blessedly) long swim trunks that will help you be more discreet and covered, and you can find them even at Wal-Mart. Again, there are little girls here and you are scaring them. Heck, you're scaring ME, and I'm a married woman pushing 40!


                                                 PARENTS:


Your pre-teen daughter?


The one in a string bikini THAT IS ALSO A THONG BIKINI that has "Yummy" written across the bikini top? Who looks to be between 8-12 years old?


WHAT?  IS?  YOUR?  PROBLEM?


I don't know when you lost any kind of parenting control in her life, but you need to throw a towel around her body and forcibly carry her to the gift store at the front of the water park where they sell cover-ups for bathing suits. (Or even just put a t-shirt on her!)  If you're too useless to do either of these, I will assist you if you just ask. (It's easy to recognize me - I'm the one glaring holes through your skull.)


I don't know what you think you're teaching her other than: "Wow! If I dress like a whore, guys will look at me!" And, seriously, is that the lesson you want her to learn?  Please, please tell me the answer to that question is no.


Ugh.


I mean, really, you guys. All you have to do to lose all hope for society is to spend the day at a Florida family water park.  It's almost traumatic.

Now Introducing: The Newest Eagle Scout in the Central Florida District

It all started with... a State Department blog.  Seriously.


There was a State Department blog out there whose sidebars I was mining back when I started the Weekly RoundUp.  Since I'm on my Dad's computer, and not on my own computer, I don't have any of my State Department blog links... so I can't find (and then show you) which blog it was right now, unfortunately...

...But that's how we found Chaplain Darren.   


Up until we found Chaplain Darren, Matthew had been hoping to do an Eagle Scout project that benefited US military Troops somehow.  That's his passion, since for the last five or six years Matthew has been hoping to get into the Air Force Academy or the Naval Academy after high school (so that he can get a flight slot).  Also, James was in both the Coast Guard and the Army, so we're a family of militaryphiles.  And since Boy Scouts get to choose everything about their Eagle Project, Matthew had long ago wanted his Eagle Project to benefit members of the US military.


Before finding Chaplain Darren (a Chaplain in the US Army who is currently serving troops in Afghanistan), Matthew had resigned himself to partnering with a large group such as the Adopt a Platoon folks.   And while partnering with a large group would have certainly been a wonderful option, he'd always hoped to have his Eagle Project be a bit more... personal.  To know where his items were going and who received them on the other side.
 

So when we found Chaplain Darren, we were thrilled.  We contacted him and he graciously helped us connect with a Chaplain (I'll call him Chaplain Y) who would be in Afghanistan long enough for an Eagle Project to be able to be completed (for Chaplain Darren is soon to return home).  


Chaplain Y was very kind and agreed to work with Matthew on his Eagle Project, which became a project of sending care package items and notes of encouragement over to soldiers in combat who are under Chaplain Y's care.  


Chaplain Y explained the following about the soldiers targeted for Matthew's Eagle Project: 

~  ~  ~

   

Imagine yourself in an area roughly the size of a football field.  You are surrounded by walls made out of sandbags.  There are no trees and no grass... just dirt and gravel.  There are no buildings... only guard towers.  There is no running water or plumbing of any kind.  Any electricity is only for tactical use.  There is no shade, and there are no buildings but guard towers.  There is no kitchen and there are no restrooms...although they did receive a few port-a-johns recently.  There are no telephones, and there is no internet.


Soldiers arrive with only what they can carry on their backs.  They work very long hours.  In these conditions, every letter, card, or care package is precious.  To get a personal note or gift feels much like Christmas morning did when you were eight years old.  Anything you do will be appreciated and will make an impact.  Soldiers keep handwritten letters from people they have never met.  In the midst of their uncomfortable situations, it just feels good when someone says Thank You. 

~  ~  ~

   

We had initially partnered with our phenomenal Church back in Texas (Grace Presbyterian Church) in order to complete the project, but that whole plan fell through in the blink of a Chengdu, China, NOW bid eye.  When we were given less than a few hours to leave Houston to get to Washington DC to begin James' training for Chengdu, we left Houston so quickly that we inadvertently left behind all of Matthew's Boy Scout things... including his uniform, merit badge sash, and Order of the Arrow sash.  


Matthew's Eagle Project had to be re-started with another group of folks... but who?  We didn't know anyone well enough in Washington DC, and this summer was our only chance to get his project done.  So we turned to our hometown Church (Oviedo Presbyterian Church) in Oviedo, Florida, which is where we lived before the State Department hired James.  They are also the Church that sponsors our Boy Scout Troop, Troop 672.  


And did I mention that James, Matthew and I helped to start this Troop a few years ago...and that James was its first Scoutmaster?  So it was good to come back here to complete Matthew's Eagle Scout journey.  Matthew, Zachary and I flew down here to Florida about 10 days ago so that Matthew could complete his Eagle Scout project. 


They day before we left DC to fly down to Florida, we bought Matthew and Zachary brand new Boy Scout uniforms.  Since theirs are - ahem - sitting in their drawers in Texas! 


Oviedo Presbyterian Church graciously allowed Matthew time during its Sunday morning service to describe his Eagle Project (sending care package items to the Troops in Afghanistan through Chaplain Y) to the congregation and ask for their assistance.  He wrote out a speech and had a supporting PowerPoint presentation on the screen behind him:

   

      
   
 

After the service, Matthew and two other Scouts staffed a table in the back of the Church.  There were blank notecards for people to use to write letters or notes of encouragement to the Troops.  There was a basket for cash donations.  

One of the other Scouts at the table was... duh... Zachary: 
 
  




Church members FLOODED Matthew's table after the service.  


See all these grownups?  They're all writing notes to the soldiers, and there are tons of other folks sitting and standing outside the camera's view who are writing, also:   

   


      

That Sunday morning, Matthew received more than 45 notes to include with the care package items, and $278 in cash donations!  

Between the Church donations and other donations from family, friends and other sources, Matthew's project received $619.15.  


That's a LOT of baby wipes!


So Matthew went out and purchased the list of items that Chaplain Y had suggested.  Between those purchased items and the donations of items he received, Matthew's full list of donated/purchased care package items to the soldiers was as follows:

  

100 personal sized bottles of shampoo/body wash

183 magazines

50 packages baby wipes (80 wipes per package)

72 greeting cards/letters/notes of encouragement

56 boxes snack crackers

51 packages honey roasted peanut snacks

25 paperback books

10 packages sunflower snacks

5 packages peanut snacks

2 extra large jugs of baby wipes

8 packages baby wipes (85 wipes per package)

7 packages eyeglass cleaner wipes (it's a dusty world out there)

14 bottles of hand sanitizer

3 bottles of sunscreen

This past Sunday evening, members of the Church and the Troop gathered together to lay out all of the donations onto tables and pack them into boxes to be shipped:   

 

 
  
Even the Youth Group got into the packing spirit!  

  

   

And not only that - the Youth Group also contributed tons of notes to the Troops (which is, in large part, how we got our final number of 72 notes!):

    

By the end of Sunday night, Matthew's Eagle Project items had been packed into 19 boxes to be sent over to Chaplain Y.  

(And this didn't even include the KLENZ "shower in a towel" boxes that we ordered online and that are being sent directly to the Troops!) 


Monday morning, Matthew and I hit the Post Office with his 19 boxes.  There we were very grateful that we had previously been advised not to fully seal the boxes, for we learned that EACH BOX HAD TO HAVE A DETAILED CUSTOMS FORM FILLED OUT FOR IT.  And so, each box needed a full list of the items that were inside of it!  Needless to say, we were at the Post Office a REALLY long time!   

 



    

But finally, all 19 boxes were sealed and ready to ship!  





At that point, Matthew was smiling.  But the poor postal guy was NOT: 

  

(Just kidding- the postal guy was actually really, really nice and he really, really liked Matthew's project.  In fact, we created quite a sensation there at the little Post Office!) 

In fact, the Postal Guy even had this totally nifty Mandarin Chinese set of characters tattooed on his arm.  He says it means "big brother" in Mandarin.  I can't wait to show this picture to our FSI tutor and ask for the direct translation!  

  


            

After the boxes were shipped out, Matthew and I mistakenly believed that his project was done.

Silly us!!


For the next day (Tuesday evening), we received THREE MORE BOXES' WORTH of donations!!  So another trip to the Post Office was in order on Wednesday morning!
 

All in all, Matthew sent out 22 boxes of care package items and notes to the Troops via kind Chaplain Y, who will facilitate their distribution...and that's not EVEN counting however many boxes are being sent full of KLENZ "shower in a towel" packages.

~  ~  ~

With his project done, Matthew appeared before his Board of Review last night in order to be... I don't know how else to put it... interviewed for the rank of Eagle.   These folks knew of our circumstances (we're flying back to Washington DC today), and all of them worked incredibly hard to make sure that Matthew was able to sit for the Board (interview) before we left.  

He passed the Board examination/interview last night, and was declared Central Florida Council's newest Eagle Scout!






We are so deeply grateful to everyone who helped Matthew achieve this goal.  From various selfless letter-of-recommendation writers who rushed to get their letters out immediately (Matthew can't appear before the Eagle Board without having lots of letters of recommendation) to the Churches involved and the Troop that we love and very much miss... we thank you all.   

Chaplain Darren... Chaplain Y... everyone who donated (time/money/items) toward this project... both Churches' leadership... the Session of Oviedo Presbyterian Church... the leadership/members/Scouts of Troop 672... the adults/leaders who selflessly served (at the very last minute) on Matthew's Board of Review... our family and friends both here and scattered about...

  
...Matthew wouldn't be an Eagle Scout today had it not been for each and every one of you. Thank you so very, very much for everything.


(And if anyone figures out before I do which State Department blog directed us to Chaplain Darren, could you please let me know?  We owe them a huge thank you as well!)

  

Wings of Death (or: One Less Fish in the World)

The boys and I are still in Florida, hanging out at my parents' condo on the beach. 


Newz includes:  we have a contract on our house.  Mercifully, it's with a different family than the crazy psycho people from the other day.  The contract now goes into the ten day period within which they have inspections done to our house, etc.    


Also, my son Matthew has officially completed his Eagle Scout project and is awaiting his Eagle Scout Board of Review (almost like a really big and REALLY stressful job interview!) tonight (Tuesday) at 7 pm EST.  If he is passed at his Board of Review tonight by the Board members (folks from Council, the Church who hosts our Troop, and other adults in leadership capacities), he will be an Eagle Scout.  Updates later. 

 
In all honesty, being here at the condo has been almost all work and no play.  We haven't been down to the beach in DAYS.  Actually... we haven't been down to the beach since I took the last pictures I posted.  So I'm about to recycle some pictures here, because I can't NOT post these... 

~  ~  ~

     

Circling overhead, over the surf and beach, are the Osprey.  (Ospreys?)





The Ultimate Fish-Hunting Machine.  


Eyesight so sharp that this osprey can circle over the ocean at a height that is taller than my parents' seven story condominium... and then dive in a split second into the water at the speed of a bullet and grab an unfortunate fish.


I have never seen an osprey miss.  Once a fish is targeted, the fish is doomed.


Circling overhead, the osprey scans the sea:    





A fish is targeted.  The osprey begins its downward hurtle toward the ocean:





A moment before impact with the water (and the fish).  The talons are aimed down into the water, the head/eyes are focused on the fish, the wings are tucked behind the bird... almost like a feathered torpedo:





Splash!!






All we see are the tips of its wings sticking out from above the water, but you can be sure that talons are meeting fish.


And, indeed - the osprey is victorious: 
 
          

 


Like I said - I've never seen one miss.  

   


   


As the osprey rises from the water and begins to fly back to wherever the osprey calls home, it shakes the water off itself in mid-flight.  You'll see it sort of pause while flying and shake itself - almost like a wet dog does after a bath:  
   



    

As it was flying back to its nest, it passed by some random folks swimming around in the ocean: 



     

Had they just watched the osprey capture the fish?  I don't think they had.

It's so interesting.  With nature, life and death struggles happen all around, and most of the time they are unseen.  Even when they happen so very close to us.     

Fun in the Waves and How We Lost a Buyer

Not sure which to start with - family newz or pictures?


Guess I'll start with newz.


I'm still here in Florida at my parents' condo, and James is still (stranded) up in Virginia being a good little breadwinner and training for our new assignment (Chengdu, China, in fall of 2011).  Our house in Houston (our previous post) is still for sale - I think we're around Day 12 on that or something.

Speaking of our house- an interesting story.  Out of nowhere the other day, we had an interested buyer.  They were in a crazy, crazy hurry to know:  could we be out by (a date certain a few weeks in the future) so they could close on our house by then?


Well, in order to answer that question, our Federal Government family needed to contact The Federal Government Moving People.  "Hi, Moving People," I said on the phone to them.  "I have a rush-rush-hurry-hurry-potential buyer for my house, but they would need me to have moved by (date certain).  Can you please tell me if that's possible?  They need an answer quickly or they'll move on to another house they like."


I think you know how this story ends, right?  


The Moving People couldn't/didn't get back to me about the dates (not from my lack of calling and asking for updates).  The Moving People even went so far as to REFUSE to tell me who the local moving company in Texas would be so that I could call the movers myself and try to coordinate the dates.


(Well, actually, it's worse than that.  The Moving People told me that they would tell me who the local moving company would be IF I SIGNED A DOCUMENT STATING THAT STATE NO LONGER HAD TO PAY FOR ANY OF MY MOVE.  Um, yeah.  I didn't sign that document.)
      

Bottom line:  the Potential Buyers walked and found a different house.  


The End. 


Now, to be fair, Potential Buyers were sorta basket cases.  They had their own particular brand of Crazy going on.  But gosh, folks - a buyer is a buyer, especially in this economy.  And buyers like to know if they can close by a certain date.  So The Moving People failed me in this instance.  And I lost a buyer.        

~  ~  ~

Now it's time for pictures!  Because poor James, stuck up in Virginia alone, being a good little breadwinner, isn't feeling left out enough by looking at the pictures I posted a few days ago.  


I have titled the following pictures:

"Thank God None of Them Got Eaten By a Shark" 

(because that is, actually, my constant fear when people I love are floating in the ocean.)

   

     

The other day, somehow Zachary got Matthew dragged into the ocean.  Glad I was there to take pictures; it probably won't happen again!


But, after being dragged into the ocean, Matthew started enjoying it.  Really enjoying it.  In fact, I now have pictures of my sixteen-year-old-son leaping through the waves.  





He gets ready...





...and leaps!












...until he's nothin' but feet.


He did this leaping thing over and over again.  












At one point, chatty little Zachary is standing around having what he thought was a conversation with Matthew.  But, I guess it wasn't.  Since Matthew wasn't really holding up his end of the discussion.





"Blah blah blah," Zachary is saying to no one in particular.





"And then blah blah blah..." Zachary continues.





All that's left of Matthew are his feet.  And Zachary is still holding a conversation with them. 


Guess Matthew's feet are thrilling conversationalists.  


Over and over again my daredevil 16 yr old leaped about in the waves.  And his mother was there, with her zoom lens and plenty of sunlight, capturing the whole entire thing. 



    










Goodbye, Matthew's feet.  


My father needs his computer back now.  Since he works from home and all.               

Don't Hate Me...

... Even though you would, like, TOTALLY have every reason to.


Nope, don't hate me.  Here in Florida.  With these views from my parents' condo.  Of the beach:



      

See the tracks in the sand - sort of like a car tire would make - that start in the water and come up to the beach and then go back down?   The tracks are on the left hand side of the picture (in the sand) and cross each other like an X?


Turtle tracks.  A lady turtle dragged her tired, heavily-pregnant self up out of the water, dug her deep nest (one flipper scoop of sand after another), laid her multiple dozens of eggs, covered her nest with sand (one flipper scoop of sand after another), and then dragged her exhausted-but-no-longer-pregnant self back into the ocean.  Right outside my parents' condo.  
 

We went down to the beach yesterday.  

There were shells: 

 


There were birds:
  



A great blue heron.    
  
 


A brown pelican.
  


     

An osprey.


There are waves:
   


    

And there are rocks in the surf:



  

Which would require surf adventurers to wear special protective footwear: 

   


   

The green-toed Vibram Five Fingered feet, above, would belong to my father.  Which means that my father has now succumbed to the Cyberbones Peer Pressure.  Although - full disclosure - I do have to tell you that he is having a terrible time with them because they are giving him wicked blisters on his heels.  But at low tide, there are serious rocks sticking up out of the water:



    

So feet must be prepared.


But it's okay!  We try to go down to the ocean at low tide, because...

Fun things live under the rocks.  (And you can see them if you're wearing a mask.  Which we, of course, DO.)



 

Things like...

 



Crabs.  

   
So you have to be careful!  Those things have claws!


Know why else you should be careful in the water?   Things even MORE dangerous than CRABS are out there.  Lurking in the water, ready to strike at any moment...
 




SHARKS.  See the scary dorsal fin sticking up out of the water?  Telltale sign it's a shark.


And it's not just ANY shark.  Oh no!  It's actually a...

Man-eating shark!

(I know... I know... *GROAN* right?)        

 

But it's okay.  No grandfathers were harmed in the making of this blog post!

When we'd been in the water long enough, we climbed the boardwalk back up to the condo:





And continued on with our day.  
 

My poor husband.  He's missing it all.  


Away in the middle of nowhere, training for something or other.  But - if Daddy doesn't work, we do not eat.  Right?  So the children and I are here, and he is not.     


Love you, Honey!  Thank you for being such a hard worker.  And when you DO get back here sometime, be careful.  The man-eating-shark is hungry. It strikes when you least expect it.  You've been warned. 


:)