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!