Fellowship Day 14 "High on a Mountain Top"

Gorakshep - Kala Patthar (5545 m/18192 ft) - Lobuche (4930 m / 6 hours / 16174 ft)

The trail becomes rougher now as it makes steeper ascent when it crosses several side moraines past the Gorakshep. From here onward you will find the trail in constantly changing all the way across the moraine through the snow and glaciers. Route finding techniques here include looking for stone cairns (heaps of stone and rocks) as markers, a sure sign of the correct trail. After rounding a bend, the trail leads to the base of the small peak - Kala Patthar. We start early to climb the viewing peak Kala Patthar to see sunrise over Everest. The ascent is steep, so it is important to take it slow and maintain a steady pace. It takes up to to 2½ hours to reach the summit at 5600 m (18372 ft), the highest point on the trek, and the best vantage point to view Everest. Here the view is outstanding, with 360 degree panorama of the mountains, and emotional experience. We return by the same route down to Gorakshep and then down the valley to Periche. Tonight you should sleep well, benefitting from a significant descent. Walking time: 8½ - 9 hours. Final altitude: 4200 m. (13779 ft)

Classic view from Kala Patthar

Fellowship Day 13 "BASE CAMP"

Lobuche - Everest Base Camp (5364 m/17598 ft) - Gorakshep (5170 m / 7 hours / 16961 ft)

The trail ascends along boulder fields and glacial debris to the edge of the Khumbu Glacier then continue up to Gorakshep 5160 m (16929 ft), nestled below the coned summit of Mt. Pumori 7191 m (23592 ft) and the sheer west face of Nuptse. Excursion to Everest Base Camp if there are any climbers just return from Everest Expedition.

Fellowship Day 12

Dzongiha to Lobuche (4930m/16174ft)

The trail ascends the broad, gently sloping valley from Dzongla. In many places the trail crosses small streams on boulders. You can look back down the deep valley from Phalang Karpo to see how much elevation you have gained. The views of Tawoche and Cholatse are particualarly good from this portion of the trail as it passes through country reported to be the habitat of the snow leopard and yeti. Beyond Phalang Karpo the trail climbs steeply onto the terminal moraine of the Khumbu glacier then contours down to a stream, crossing it on a bridge just before the village of Thukiha. The trail climbs up the moraine to a row of stone monuments of dead climbers (thanks, I didn't need to know that), then drops a bit and follows the western side of the valley to Lobuche, a summer village that boasts several well stocked hotels.

Lobuche

Kharkas (stone hut)

Fellowship Day 10 & 11

Day 10

Goykyo to Chhyungima (Dragnag) (4680m/15354ft)

A long day and the most difficult part of this trek. We will cross the southern end of the Ngozumpa Glacier, pass by the stone huts of Thagna Kharka then climb steadily up a narrow and steep valley which opens up to a wide shallow valley leading to our camp at Kharka, Chhyugima 517m/16962ft.

Day 11

Chhyugima to Dzongiha (4845m/15895ft)

You have to descend from the pass, cross a small glacier, negotiate the ice fall at the end of it and descend via Leisyasa to our camp at Dzongiha Kharka 4730m/15518ft, a high altitude summer pasture directly benieath the north wall of Cholatse Peak 6440m/21128ft.

Fellowship Day 9

Rest Day for acclimatization
Trek around Gokyo Ri, the views in the Gokyo region are tremendous. For the best view climb to Gokyo Ri, the small peak obove the lake. This peaks of 5318m/17447ft, it's a 2 hour climb to the top of the peak, providing a panoramic view of Cho Oyu, Gyachung Kang, Everest Lhotse, Makalu, Cholatse and Twachee. Those with more time and energy can make a trip up the valley to another lake marked with the name Ngozumpa on the maps or even beyond to a fith lake. There are several small peaks in this region that offer vantage points for the surrounding peaks.

Just one of the amazing views they will be seeing.

Fellowship Day 8

Machhermo to Gokyo (4751m/15587ft)

You will climb a ridge from where the valley opens wide as the trail passes through Pangkha. Mt. Cho Oyo 8153m dominates the skyline to the north as you can climb the moraine on the left flank of the Ngozumpa Glacier. The climb is steep to the first of the four lakes that lie in the Gokyo area past the largest of the lakes Dudh Pokhari to Gokyo at 4750m. Gokyo is a typical Kharka stone houses and stonewalled pastures.

Fellowship Day 7

Dole to Machhermo (4410m/14468ft)
In the morning you will follow a steep but beautiful climb through conifer and rhododendron forests and stands of juniper to Lhabarma 4220m and Luza 4360m. There are Kharkas wherever there is a flat spot and the slightest hint of water. You will continue to climb along the side of the valley, high above the river to the camp at Machhermo 4410m.

Thank heavens for cell phones!

Got a call a couple nights ago from the the Everest Crew! They are all doing well. Big T (Gimli) and Pipin both got what they think was food poisoning. Gimli recovered quicker than Pipin thus losing out on the chance to get carried up the mountain on horse back. They both are doing better and both hiking on their own two feet once again.

Mo and R were ecstatic with the amazing views and I was shocked to here they had already had their first glimpses of Mt. Everest from Namche Bazaar.

Not sure I've ever seen R this excited about anything.

The weather has been fairly mild and no one has complained yet of being too cold. I wonder if that may change as they go higher (better not after spending all that money on cold weather gear)!

They all sounded in great spirits and have been pleasantly surprised with the taste and quality of food so far and grateful for the months of training they put in to be prepared! And thanks to their pre-hike trips to the sub zero freezer at ACSA to test out their gear, hopefully no one will come home with frostbite! I'm sure all their advanced preparation will serve them all well.

Temperature gage in the ACSA freezer.

Carving out a space between the tater-tots and frozen orange juice.
Two frozen peas in a pod!

The fellowship on ice.

On the home front, Me and the two little ones are trying not to miss the rest of our family too much, but its kinda hard when I'm sitting alone on Christmas Eve writing a blog post rather than enjoying quiet time with my husband before the hustle and bustle of Christmas morning begins. But knowing they will remember this experience for the rest of their lives helps make the sacrifice seem worthwhile.

Merry Christmas!

Fellowship Day 6

Khumjung to Dole (4090m) 13418 ft
This is the most difficult trek among the rest, leaving the main trail to Mt. Everest, we will follow high on a ridge to 4000 meters past a large chorten at the village of Mong, said to be the birthplace of the saint Lama Sange Dorge, the reincarnate lama of Rongbuk Monastery in Tibet who introduced Buddhism to Khumbu. From there we descend to the village of Phortse Tenga by the Dudh Kosi (river). From Phortse the trail climbs steeply through forests of rhododendrons and then stands of juniper and large conifers as the altitude increases.

Fellowship of the Trek Day 5

Namche Bazaar to Jhumjung (3780m/5hours)12401ft

You will Climb to Syanboche, then trek to two serene Sherpa villages, Khumjung and Khude (3890m) where Sir Edmund Hillary established his first hospital and Khumjung (3790m) where he established a school, both in the early sixties. The Khumjung Gompa possess what is supposed to be a Yeti Skull. (Welcome to the Himalayas!)


P.S. We forced Mo to have her hair corn-rowed for this little adventure, to hopefully make things a little less complicated for her. So, as any good mother would do, I thought I'd throw in a couple of embarrassing photos of the process.
We hired a lady from the Congo, she started at 6:30pm and finished up at 11:30pm. That night Mo did not have a very good sense of humour. But on Day 2 was grateful she had it done.
Just in case your wondering why her hair is so dark; the lady had no idea Mo was white (guess we didn't think to mention that over the phone) and so she only brought black hair extentions.

Fellowship Of The Trek

R, Big T and Mo left on Thursday for their once in a lifetime adventure, hike to Base Camp Everest or as it has lovingly been dubbed by the adolescents of the group; The Fellowship of the Trek. They spent a good portion of their last group hike comparing and adopting characters from the original 'fellowhip' cast from Lord of the Rings. Below you can see what they came up with.

Boromir (Al), Pippin (Matt), Gimli (Big T), Legolas (Mo), Sam (Dave), Frodo (Zac), Merry (Cam), Aragorn (Richard), (Gandalf (Al's Dad) not pictured, but the only one with completely white hair so his character was a given)

(L to R: Al, Matt, Big T, Mo, Dave, Zac, Cam, Richard)

I've decided to try and give a little tidbit each day from their itinerary so anyone who would like to follow along vicariously may do so! The following is day 1-4

Day 1


Welcome to Kathmandu: (O/N @ Hotel Vaishali)

Langtang RI Representative will welcome groups at Kathmandu Airport with a banner and drop them to Hotel. After check-in at the hotel and refreshments, LRT- office management and guide will formally introduce themselves and provide a trip briefing. The rest of the day is to explore the local area.

Day 2


Kathmandu - Lukla fly (2800m/ 45min) Trek to Phakding (2600m/3 hours)

We will transfer you to Tribhuvan Airport for a twin Otter flight to STOL airstrip in Lukla that takes about 35 to 40 minutes. Our trekking crew at Lukla will recieve you. After final preparations, the treking starts passing Chaurikharka village, and makes a descent towards the Dudhkosi Ghat (2530m). the trail follows right back on the Dudhkosi River until camp at Phakding is reached. This first day is short for acclimatization reasons. Walking distance is approximately 4 hours.

Day 3

Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3450/ 6 hours)

You will have breakfast around 7, and you will trek along the river crossing it at different points by means of wooden bridges at Benkar (2713 m), Jarsale (2804 m), and two Hillary bridges at the confluence off the Bhotekosi and dudhkosi Rivers. You will stop for lunch near the confluence. after lunch, it is an uphill climb of over 304 meters towards Namche Bazaar. here your Park fees will be checked by the Park Check Post. There are shops, a health clinic, banks, and telephone services. Walking distance is approximately 6 to 7 hours.

Hillary Bridge

Day 4

Rest Day for acclimatization:

You can relax and take a look around the shops and Sherpa houses, observe their culture and life style in this beautiful valley surrounded by high hills and majestic snow-capped mountain peaks. A hike to the Everest View Hotel in Syangboche will be a good option. The rest day is intended for acclimatization purposes.

We have been lucky enough to talk with them a couple of times since they left. They are amazed by the incredible views and have already gotten to see Mt. Everest from their current position. A couple of the boys have gotten sick, Big T being one of them. He told me over the phone he was throwing up yesterday but felt much better today except for the diarrheas! Poor thing. Nothing like having the runs while hiking!

The excitement in their voices is contagious and I wish I was there with them. Who knows, maybe next year...

Condi visits Delhi!

On her somewhat sudden visit to New Delhi promoting solidarity between the US and India, Secretary Rice was gracious enough to devote a few minutes of her time to Embassy personnel and their families. She spoke outside the Ambassadors Residence to about 100 plus Americans and Indian hires. After a brief speech regarding India and terrorism she then stepped down to the awaiting crowd and shook hands and took a few photos.

It's unfortunate that, after two years of Richard being on her personal protection detail I had to come all the way to India to see her up close and personal. But however and wherever it happened I am still grateful for the oppurtunity all the same!

Mo was ecstatic about not only seeing her, but getting to take a picture with her (heck, even I was pretty chuffed about doing that myself!). She has been some what of a role model for Mo ever since she had to write a school report about her way back in 3rd grade.

Richard of course was doing security during the visit so we haven't seen much of him for the last 3 days, but I did get a few snap shots just to show the kids, "Yes that is too your Daddy!"

The white haired guy in some of the pics is the US Ambassador to India, Ambassador Mulford. Not as exciting as the Secretary, as we see him a bit more often but still a great photo op for Mo. She will have an amazing photo album to share with her children some day.

Why is Big T not pictured with the Secretary you ask? I think he was worried that she might not have withstood the aura of his 'coolness'...he is almost 17, need I say more?

Our Brother...our Friend.

In Loving Memory of Brandon Chandler Seipert.

Son, Brother, Husband, Father and Friend.

Brandon, you were a precious part of our family and our lives will never be the same.

We find great solace in the knowledge that you are at peace; and that the Lord will make you whole.

Until we meet again; may the Lord bless you, comfort you and heal you.

The Brothers: Brandon, Richard, Kyle, Jeff, & Todd

Psams 23

The Lord is my sherpherd; I shall not want....He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness ...though I walk through the shadow of the valley of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me ...thou annointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over ...and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

It's raining, its pouring, the old man is......... really, really wet!

I have used the expression "drown rat" to describe many a situations. Like when we bath the dog or see someone cruelly throw a cat in the lake (wasn't me, promise). Not to mention after the kids jump in the pool or come home soaked from the gym. But the day we took these pictures was the first time I've ever used that term to describe my own precarious state of being.
R and I had been at the school for Mo's swim meet when it started to rain. We naively crowded under a not-so-huge deck umbrella and waited, in hopes it would die down enough to walk home. But after a half hour under the umbrella we came to the not-so-quick conclusion that it was a lost cause. We had no choice but to make a run for it. One..two..ready...GO! Instantly we were soaked, we walked the rest of the way.
Unfortunately, the pictures do not do justice to just how badly it was raining or how soaking wet we actually were by the time we arrived home. I might as well have stopped by the pool and gone for a swim, I wouldn't have looked any different.





These pictures of Mishy show a little better just how much rain had fallen in the course of about a half hour. There was approx. 4-6 inches of standing water in the street in front of our house.




FYI: Yes, the swim meet was cancelled because of the rain.

Swim Meet

Mo & Ali getting their game faces on!











Mo doing the butterfly











Mo smoking all the boys in the butterfly











Mo competed in the AES swim meet on Wednesday where she performed very well. Here she is competing against the 13-14 yr old boys in the butterfly. I, of course, forgot my camera, but thanks to my best mate, I still have pics! Thanks Ange!

New Delhi Bombings

Since I haven't received one frantic phone call, not a single anxiety-ridden email or even a slightly concerned blog comment....I have to assume that not a single person I know and love around the globe has had access to the news or current events in the past 72 hours, so...

Just thought I would let everyone know that even though there were 5 bombings in New Delhi Saturday evening, all of which were within approx. 30 minutes of us......we're okay.

Since you've all so obviously been out of the loop, I will fill you in as best I can; Between 6:15 and 6:45 Saturday evening 5 bombs went off in different market areas and parks within Delhi. Later 4 more bombs were discovered and diffused making a total of 9 bombs. Last I had heard, over 20 were killed and over a hundred injured.

I can't pronounce the name of the terrorist group claiming responsibility and so I have no idea how to spell it, but they are a fairly 'new' organization. They didn't seem to be targeting any particular ethnic group or religious fashion, but one of their reasons for the bombings was 'to cleanse us from our sins'...wow I wonder how long it took them to come up with that garbage.

I think because they are so newly organized they just haven't had enough time to get their 'act together'. Or maybe they simply lack the leadership skills that older, more established terrorist organizations have. Its possible that since they're so new they may have to go through some sort of initiation period where they have to plan and carry out a certain number of mindless acts of violence before they can become full-fledged members of the terrorist fraternity? Or...maybe they just haven't had enough time to brainstorm and refine more intriguing, self-righteous excuses for spreading death and destruction, after all, it takes time to hone those kinds of skills.....seriously, how do they come up with the crap they spew.

I just can't seem to wrap my mind around the idea of terrorism. I might be a little slow (ok...a lot, but) could it be because we aren't really supposed to? By definition it is mindless acts of terror, not actually meant to have rhyme or reason. I guess that's the point. Inevitably they all claim some sort of spiritual, political or distorted ethical reasons for their diabolical schemes, as if that somehow absolves them from their heinous actions. But in the end, in my opinion, its pure evil, designed by evil men and women who are inspired by evil itself.

I'm grateful that no one I know was injured, especially since several of the bomb sites are popular shopping areas for many Americans posted in Delhi. In fact, while watching the news that evening in the diner, we spoke with a woman sitting next to us, who said she had just come from one of the markets not more than a half hour before the bomb went off. The only reason she left was for a baseball game she thought her son had that evening, which ended up he did not. If that doesn't make you think someones watching out for you....

Anyway, exciting things are always going on here in Delhi! But don't worry about us. No need for all those emails and phone calls full of worry and concern that I'm sure would have come.....eventually....had I not gotten to you first! :)

My Conundrum

We recently had an experience I thought I should share. In preface I should remind you of what I have previously shared about the huge begging problems in India.

Most of the beggars are women and children with plenty of handicapped beggars in the mix as well. We as a family have made it a policy not to give to beggars. Why? Because first it is against the law. Second, most of the beggars are not working for themselves but are begging for someone else who then takes their money. Whether or not they get any in return I am oblivious. Excuse the crude analogy, but it is much like a whore working for a 'madam' or 'pimp'. The third reason is that although it would make me feel better to give them something, in the end, I am doing them no favors and only perpetuating the problem. Not to get overly gruesome but it is not unheard of for parents to maim their children in some form to add to the 'sympathy-factor'. The practise of exploitation for gain is an abusive and destructive practise for all who are involved and I do not wish to be a participant. As you might guess, this is not as easy as it might sound, regardless of the valid reasoning.

Hence my conundrum:

Big T was asked to give a talk in church about the example of the Savior. Ever the procrastinator, on our way to church he started asking us for examples or characteristics the Savior had that we could emulate. Randomly we all start giving him ideas. "Love, kindness, patients, faith," and then R turned to him and said "Charity". Just then out of the corner of my eye I saw two men walking toward our car. The first man was obviously blind. The second man followed closely behind him, guiding him, one hand on his back, the other holding his outstretched arm. Suddenly they were at the drivers-side window, tapping...waiting...tapping again.

I don't think I've ever been in a situation where I felt more at odds with myself in my entire life. Here we were, trying to explain what charity meant to our son and how Christ was the greatest example of charity, while a blind man begged at our window. Richard and I starred at each other in silence, each feeling the battle within. My insides struggled. My heart and mind in utter conflict. What should I do. The moment was surreal.

My thoughts twisted within me. What kind of example was I setting for my children? Here I was talking about Christ's example while not emulating it. But then, what did it say if I broke my own policy regarding the perpetuation of exploitation. I was frozen. I didn't know what to do, my conundrum stumped me, I could see now way out.

The whole scene lasted only seconds, but felt like an eternity. I sat there incapacitated by my inner conflict. In the end, the decision was made for me. By the time I pulled my eyes from R's and looked up, they were gone, moving slowly on to the next waiting vehicle, the next potential hand-out.

I've thought a lot about this since then and unfortunately, I still haven't come to a comfortable conclusion. I am bothered that I didn't follow the example of Christ but yet at the same time I feel like the circumstances are different...but are they really? Were there 'beggar masters' and exploitation of women and children at the time of Christ? Would it have made a difference to him?

We have shared our views and opinions regarding the begging issue with our children and I think they understand but I am worried. Was this one of those defining moments? Did I make the right decision, even though technically I made no decision at all. What did my inaction say, what did they take away from that experience, what did they learn from my example? If I am this confused and unnerved by the experience, what might they be thinking or feeling?

In the end, I hope it will be a learning experience for us all. I know it has given me a great deal to "chew" on, thoughts to ponder and feelings explore. It will be a platform for a great family discussion at the very least, and at best, a life changing experience.

I-FLY

Instead of doing our traditional trip to the amusement park Lagoon this year, we had the brilliant idea of doing the latest thrill seekers dream to I-Fly.

Mo came up with the idea and of course everyone was on board accept me. I thought I would get out of it since my body is not what you would call aerodynamic and besides, they only had family packages of 5. But wait! "For just 30 more bucks you can turn your party of 5 into a party of 6!" Yeah for me!

After signing the normal, we-promise-not-to-sue-your-butts-off-if-one-of-us-plummets-to-our-death-waiver, we were ready. Off we go for a 5 minute training video before being suited up like the tel-e-tubbies and then thrown into a clear cylinder-like room with no ceiling and a metal grate for a floor. Oh yeah, and a gigantic fan blowing air fast and hard enough to lift you off your feet. Well, let me tell you...it takes a lot of wind to lift this lovely mass of womanhood of her feet! But just in case your not terrified or insecure enough, there are bleachers perched around the room for complete strangers to join vicariously in your flights of fancy! That part I could have done without.

One thing I'm going to recommend they hand out with their gear in the future is hair nets. The helmets have holes all over them that allow stray hair to escape and then it is free to roll and twist in the wind creating a matted and tangled mess in a matter of seconds. I looked like something they pick up on Animal Cops.

All in all it was a great experience and the rest of the family LOVED it! Good times, good times!

Another 'First' in India

The weather here is extremely muggy. The air so thick with moisture that we run 5 dehumidifiers continuously and still deal with soft crackers and persistent mold.

So I just had to share my latest humidity-related 'first' since living in India.

I've recently discovered that after sitting under the hot and humid sink cupboard all summer that about 50% of my tampons have been rendered useless and I'm guessing the remaining half is 50% less absorbant. They have absorbed so much moisture out of the air and are wedged so tightly in their cardboard applicators that they are unusable.

Wow, who would have thought....guess I should have splurged for the plasic applicators.

Summer Vacation Highlights 2008

Horseback riding in the Idaho mountains
(thank-you Grandma & Grandpa).

Vacation Highlights 1

I've been extremely negligent in blogging since we left for our summer vacation to the states. But I thought I would just share a few of the major highlights (good and bad) since we left India.

*Spending time with all our great friends and family.

*Mishy having a head on collision with a tree in our friends golf cart. (She ended up with a huge goose-egg on her head and a bruise on her chest from where she hit the steering wheel).
The Fitzgeralds have since changed their golf cart driving age to 12 and over! :)

*Going to the temple!

*Going to the movies! Wall-e is my favorite so far!

*Finally eating my first BK Whopper mmmmm....

*Eating steak on the barbie and corn on the cob!! (except Mo the brace-face had to have hers cut off the cob).

*The Kalmbach's pool! Mish and Little T swam from sun-up to sun-down for 4 straight days.

*Riding motorcycles with the Kalmbach's in Georgia

*Hitting 6 different pools in 7 days in Vegas and then boating on Lake Mead! Mo can still wake board and I can still tube with the best of them.

*Seeing our dog Lilly who really isn't "our" dog anymore but we still love her like she is! She loves her new family and we love them too! We're so happy she is with such a great family who loves her.

We've had such a great time so far and we still have a month to go. I'll have to share the highlights that are still to come on "vacation highlights 2".

America the Beautiful

We are now one month into our 2 month R&R in the United States!

One of the most intense side affects of living overseas, for me, is the increased sense of gratitude and patriotism I feel for this promised land. My experiences living overseas have created a new understanding and appreciation in my heart and mind that cannot be explained.

The first 4th of July after coming home from our first overseas post we attended the fireworks display in my home town held in a University football stadium. As the flag was raised and we started to sing the national anthem I was completely overwhelmed by emotion. I could barely squeak out the words my heart so desperately wanted to sing as tears streamed down my face.

Not much has changed since then. I still cry whenever the national anthem is sung and I get a lump in my throat whenever I see the flag marched past me in a parade.

We are again looking forward to a traditional home-town 4th of July celebration complete with parades, barbeque's and massive fireworks displays. But I am also mindful of the many Americans living and working overseas who are not as fortunate, including many of my close friends in India. I hope you have a wonderful holiday wherever you are and in whatever circumstances you find yourselves, and thank-you for all you do to make America GREAT!

On a jet plane...

Tomorrow we wave good-bye to all that we loath and love about India. I suddenly feel the need to sing....(breaking into song)..I'm leavin, on a jet plane, don't know if I'll be back again...(actually, I know exactly when I'll be back again, but Aerosmith wouldn't agree to change the lyrics, go figure!)

We've had to peel Mo off the ceiling several times today because she can't sit still or stop herself from sudden, ear-piercing outbursts and fits of laughter.

I intend to continue blogging during our stateside adventures this summer but, don't be surprised if I'm a little more lackadaisical about it. After all, I am supposed to be on vacation! :)

BK here I come!

P.S. Conversation between Daddy and Little T;

"Little T, do you know the difference between a snail and a slug?" "Oh yes, that's easy Daddy!" "Oh yeah? How can you tell?" Because Daddy...a snail hides in its shell!"

Lice is Nice.....NOT!

As if we haven't been plagued enough by giant cockroaches, ants and a recent swarm of suicide bees, our family has now been visited by and old, but new "bug visitor".....LICE!

For those of you who are totally grossed out, thinking I never bathe my children, just a little FYI:

*Lice LIKE clean hair, much better than they like dirty hair.

*They especially lOVE long, clean hair, and they ADORE long, clean, course hair. That is 3 strikes against Mo and 2 strikes against Mishy. (Mish has fine hair)

*Also, its not just for girls anymore. Lice are not gender specific so just because you have a boy don't get lured into a false sense of security.

*Lice can only live for up to 8 hours on surfaces other than the back of your skull. So cleaning and disinfecting the whole house is a waste of time. Treat your head and go to bed. By morning anyone left on the carpet or couch is now collateral damage.

Unfortunately we are no strangers to lice. Living over seas has given us many opportunities to get to know these little head-biters and I am a proficient when it comes to inspecting little heads. I now have an eagle eye that can spot a knit from centimeters away!

England has by far been the absolute worst place with regards to lice. Our kids attended the local British school where the policy on head lice was "Mums the word"! Teachers were not even allowed to tell a student they had it, and telling the parent was an absolute no-no. Needless to say, my Mo had lice 3 times in one year, hence my professional lice investigative skills. By the end of the year we cut her hair so short that it looked more like a helmet than hair.

Cairo was a nice reprieve from head lice for our family. Although, since I was 'experienced' with inspecting and detecting, I was recruited by the head nurse at the school to help with classroom lice checks throughout the year. Good times!

Believe it or not we even had a case while living in the states. Those little buggers know no bounds.

I don't know why, maybe its because its been so long since we've had to include RID on the grocery list, or just that my kids are older now, but I have sort of felt immune to this problem....until now.

Last week I got a call from the nurse, Mishy has head-lice and they are sending Mo home as well, just to be safe because they think they may have found an egg in her hair. As soon as the nurse said the word "lice" I had a really bad feeling in my gut. I had noticed the last couple of days that the back of my head was itching an awful lot. NICE, now I have it too!

So home we went, recruited a neighbor to help and we had a RID party in the bathroom. Three hours later we all emerged with wet heads and a sigh of relief. End of the lice story right.....NOT.

Although Big T and Little T had been checked the same day as the girls, being family members and all, they received a clean bill of health. Two days later however, I received a call to come and get the boys. There were 6 students going home that day from Little T's class alone. Apparently there has been an outbreak in the school just 2 weeks before school is out. Thanks for that!

Richard was they only lucky one in the family that didn't have to deal with pesticide shampoo or lice combing. He doesn't realize how lucky he is!

On a side note; Medicated shampoo wasn't going to cut it for Big T. He decided to take a much more aggressive approach in defense of his head.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Is your head itching yet?

Dreams

In the process of making plans for our long awaited trip home we keep finding ourselves discussing food. What, when and where we want to eat while in the US this summer.

At the top of Big T's list is a Wendy's frosty a double whopper with a side of Checkers fries and a Taco Bell crunch wrap on the side. Don't forget the American coke, supersized!

On the top of Mo's list is; Milk and Sakura's Japanese steak house! Then throw in a giant Oreo shake and she'll be squeeling with delight! She has her Father's good taste, what can I say.

The little ones...well anything fast food is okay with them. Little T has mentioned McDonald's several times but I'm not sure that is because he really loves the food or its just the only restaurant he can remember (that's a sad thought I know).

Mishy is the healthiest eater of us all. She wants a "safe" salad...giardia free.

Speaking of R...He has his own tradition. Every time we go home to Logan (Utah) the first thing he eats is a "Big Blue" (a hamburger the size of a frisbee) at A&W!

Me? Well, that brings me to my dream last night. After all this 'food' talk I dreamt that after arriving in the US I was with my Mom and sister somewhere I didn't know or recognize and they asked what I wanted to eat for my first meal. As I smacked my lips I wistfully replied "A Whopper from BK"! My sister, pointing up the road says, "That's easy, there's one right up there". Through tear blurred eyes, I looked up in anticipation to see the giant neon sign of BK in the distance. But, the harder I tried to get there the further away it was. Everyone kept reassuring me we would get there eventually, all the while I am frantically searching for my blasted Whopper!
Anyone want to guess where my first stop will be after arriving in the US?

Seipert Family early morning scripture study

"What chapter are we on?"

"zzzz...."

You might live in India if...

...your so excited about your first solid BM in 3 weeks you phone a friend to share the news! (don't laugh, true story)

...the most current state of yours or others intestinal tracts are topic of daily conversation, and it's completely acceptable!

...even the cows have diarhea!

Please come visit me, PLEASE! Don't forget to BYOBOP! (bring your own bottle of Pepto)

White water rafting on the Ganges

Last weekend we started off our spring break with an exciting trip to Rishikesh for some white water rafting down the Ganga (otherwise known in America as the Ganges). Never having been white water rafting before, I have to say, it was absolutely thrilling!

We awoke just several hours after having gone to bed so we could catch the bus to the Delhi train station for our 5 hour train ride only to be followed up by a two hour bus ride up the steep and treacherous rodes of the Himalayan foothills.

The mountain roads have been under construction for some time now in an attempt to widen them for increased traffic. Our driver was obviously very experienced as he manoeuvred the switchbacks at an ever increasing speed all the while dodging other moving vehicles, rock slides, people and animals without so much as a flinch. Me on the other hand...lets just say I was braced for impact most of the drive.

After arriving at camp we played a little in the (freezing cold) river while some tried their hand at repelling and others at kayaking. Mo, Mish and Big T all repelled and kayaked. Little T tried his hand at kayaking as well but you could barely see his head over the life preserver and the paddles were almost twice his height. Although he enjoyed the kayaking he seemed to be more gifted at the art of rock busting and sand castle building. He must take after his father who was busily constructing the Indian version of Stonehenge (see photo slide show).

After that we lazed around the camp and waited for the nightly barbecue and dinner, however, most were so full from eating all the yummy chicken, paneer (an Indian cheese) and vegetables that were barbecued as appetizers that only a few took part in the evening meal of soup and lamb curry. As I am not very fond of lamb, I didn't mind so much.

The next morning we climbed out of our tents to an unpleasantly, overcast, rainy day. We pushed back our rafting trip 30 minutes in hopes the rain would let up. It soon became obvious that we would have to press on rain or shine. So we all dawned our life vests, helmets and with oars in hand we boarded our water crafts.

The children were all able to accompany us for the first few kilometers of the trip at which point they were met buy a bus and taken back to camp with their parent or appointed guardian. Since R has actually rafted the Colorado river (yeah, I know, what hasn't he done) he graciously took our two youngest and several other children back to camp so that I could continue the trip.
While rafting there were plenty of water fights, hostile boardings and of course "smack-talk". I forgot to mention we had a group of marines on the trip who made sure there was never a dull moment...unless of course they were in a weakened state of 'hang-over'.

When we hit the big rapids though, it was all "business". Our guides would refocus our attentions on the challenge ahead by practising our commands including; forward all, back paddle, down (reserved only for the 4+ rapids), and my personal favorite; high-side!(High-side is when the person sitting in the middle in the front sacrificially throws themselves to the front of the raft in hope the added weight will stabalize the craft and help prevent us from flipping during the big waves! ROCK ON!)

At one point in the river we stopped for cliff diving. Now, I consider myself a pretty adventurous person and in my youth I was known to have dove off a cliff or two. But that was a long time ago and in my frozen condition I wasn't sure I could manage my fear long enough to make it up the cliff-side. I was chilled to the bone by the time I climbed from my boat. Mo was at the top of the cliff waiting her turn to jump (she was actually the first one to jump! That's my girl!) with Big T at her heals (Big T ended up jumping 6 times, more than anyone else in the group) and my friend A and her husband yelling for me to "come on!"

So with a great deal of fear and trepidation I climbed to what I thought might just be my death. Once at the top I should have thought twice when the guy before me turned back. But no, I couldn't let my kids think I was any lamer than they already do. So I jumped....

I remember cliff diving to be much more exciting as a teenager but once my feet left the cliff I was gripped by one thought and one thought only; "WHAT....THE....HELL....AM....I...DOING!!!!!!" I sailed through the air as if I was trying to climb every rain drop I could grasp to get back to the top of the cliff. I then hit the water with such force I thought my hand had been broken, but no, it was just frozen and beet read from slapping the water at 50 miles an hour! (trust me, I'm a big woman)

Just barely recovered from my cliff diving accident we hit some of the biggest rapids of the trip. I was sitting in the front left rowing position and as the waves crested over our entire raft engulfing me in the process, I literally had a 'brain-freeze'. Our guide was screaming "forward team, forward team!" as I sat with the oars frozen in my hands, trying hard for the second time in mere hours, to push the thoughts of death from my frozen brain cells. After what seemed like minutes instead of seconds I lurched forward digging my paddle as hard as I could into the icy waters. It took less than a minute to clear the rapids but it felt much longer. After each rapid I wanted to stand up and beat my chest but, opted for whooping and hollering. The adrenalin was pumping through my veins and after surviving two near-death-experiences, I was ready for whatever the river was able to dish out!

After the rafting we ate lunch. It wasn't anything special, in fact I'm pretty sure it didn't even taste very good, but after nearly drowning and freezing to death, it was the best food I've ever tasted.

Back at camp we tried to clean up the best we could and recover from the onset of hypothermia. The evening events were much the same as the night before. The marines started drinking, we ate barbecue, the marines drank, we sat around the campfire, the marines still drinking. Finally we surrendered to bed (while the marines stayed up to....you guessed it, drink some more).

Sunday morning we woke up to a beautifully sunny day and one more 4+ rated rapid to go. This would be our last opportunity to cleanse ourselves in the waters of the Ganges and I was looking forward to it, especially now that the sun was shinning!

It was a much more relaxed ride with only one big rapid during the hour and a half ride. R rode ahead and stopped to take pictures of each our rafts as we entered the big rapid. He got some amazing photos. (see slide show below)

Once back at camp we started the tedious job of drying wet clothing on rocks, chairs, tents and the volleyball net. We cleaned up for the second time in 3 days and hiked up to the buses for our back-track to Delhi.

Once again we had the Himalayan Nascar bus driver and one of our friends eventually told him he could not exceed 40 miles per hour for the rest of the drive. We were all on separate buses, hanging with friends and family. R was on the same bus as Little T but was in the front of the bus taking pictures when Little T decided to up-chuck his lunch. Luckily, those present were very gracious about the whole situation and after Little T was cleaned up they were underway once again.

We arrived back at home safe and sound and exhausted. The rest of our spring break has been....well, a lot less adrenaline pumping than white water rafting the Ganga! Mostly we've been hanging with friends, swimming at the pool and eating at ACSA.

Tomorrow the kids go back to school and life will unfortunately, resume to "normal". No near-death-experiences, terrifying bus rides or rock busting. No stinky out-door toilets, bucket showers or cardboard mattresses. No drunken marines, sandy bums or frozen limbs.....I can't wait for next year!!!!

Dharamsala

Richard recently went to Dharamsala, the Tibetan head quarters and home-away-from-home for the Dhali Lama, on a protection detail for the speaker of the house when she recently visited India. Wow, that was a mouth-full.
From what he told me and what I gathered from others who were present, it was an amazing experience.
There has been a recent surge in violent 'crack-downs' by China in Tibet and the Dharamsala community, made up of Tibetan refugees, was charged and an intense sense of revolution permeated the air.
Richard brought home a piece of cloth that was blessed by the Dhali Lama and given to him. I thought that was pretty cool, wish he could have gotten him to autograph it though!
I hoped I could pin him down to tell you his personal experiences but alas I cannot.
But even though I do not have access to his mind, I at least have access to his photos!

Mehandi

Before the Night Under the Stars event I decided to get a Mehandi (or henna) done.

Traditionally they do these for special occasions and holidays. Most commonly it is done for brides and grooms for their weddings.

I went with 2 friends and we all had different artists. One friend had two different artists doing each arm and they turned out completely different. She wasn't so happy.

My other friend ended up picking the best artist and got both the tops and bottoms of her hands done (up to her elbows) and then a small design around her bicep. Her design was our favorite.

I picked a design that I loved and as he was about half way done I realized that it was not even close to the design I had picked out. Needless to say I drew a bit of a crowd while expressing my displeasure. Finally after speaking my peace another artist said "okay, you no like, you no pay". I'm sure my henna artist didn't appreciate his advice but I sure did!

I felt a little guilty afterwards for not paying because it really was a nice design and I ended up liking it a lot later, but at the time I was feeling very angry and a bit taken advantage of.

We used to get henna done when we lived in Cairo and I was so excited to learn they did it here as well. It is a lot of fun and great because nothing is permanent. It all wears off in a week or two!

I love his people...

While talking with Little T's teacher at a recent parent-teacher-conference, she once again shared with me her "love" of Little T's "people". I'm not sure if she remembers telling me the exact same thing at the last parent teacher conference, but she seemed just as earnest this time as the first.

Which got me thinking....

She has been an elementary teacher for quite some time and would be considered somewhat of an authority on children's art, maybe she was trying to tell me something.

But then, I don't want to be one of those obnoxious parents who thinks any old chicken scratch their child produces is a Picasso!

So, I'll let you be the judge. Skills or no skills?

I think he's captured such emotion in my eyes, and R's hair looks so, so...natural!

Personally, I think the resemblance to Big T is just uncanny, don't you?

I'm not afraid to admit that I'm not a big fan of abstract art but...I just can't stop looking at it!

Oh, this is a personal favorite! There is something magical about it. I don't know if its the whimsical way her hair curls or the delicate lines of her fingers...or possibly the mischief portrayed in her eyes, its just all so captivating.

Last, but not least he did this amazing self-portrait. I'm convinced...he's a genius!

Seriously, this art is magic! MOMMY MAGIC!

(Mommy loves your people too Little T!)