Home Leave 2008 Round One

We're baaaack!

Although plans are still a bit unsettled, we are officially back in the US, and are loving it. The jet lag is starting to wane, we hope, although we are all certainly a bit off our normal schedules. This morning I was partially awake at 3:30, and managed to doze on and off until 5:30, when I got up. As I write this we are in Northfield with Jess, Andy and Simon, so of course Andy was long since up. Simon was sleeping, but we chatted a while, and then when Simon woke up, we played with him until his morning nap time, at which point Jen and the kids were starting to stir. In any event, clearly if I am an early bird and Jen sleeps in, we are not in our normal sleep schedules.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Round One of home leave 2008 took us to Wisconsin, where we arrived sleepy but happy after an entirely routine set of flights. Not great, but no flight from Cambodia to Madison ever was, I suspect. John and Phyllis were waiting for us with two cars, so we were able to load all of our luggage up and get back to their house.

Rather than describing the rest, I'll show off some of the work of our lovely new Canon S5 IS camera.

We started off our visit with a round of letterboxing in Owen Park,
or a temperate forest, as Ben and Ellie would call it.

The walk there and back had many sticks and flowers, which delighted the kids
and adults alike. Ellie was particularly happy to have the weather
cold enough to actually warrant a long sleeved shirt.

We also took advantage of familial photographic skills to get the
first of what will no doubt be many family photos.

The kids enjoyed going on John's nightly inspection of the grounds.
They are exhibiting a fondness for the outdoors that is making us very
excited for a place where the outdoors is actually inviting!

We spent a bit of time in Appleton with great-grandpa Howard and great-grandma Carole.
We started this time planting flowers at the graves of many relatives from both sides of their families.
This was actually in Manitowoc, WI, where I think they must be related to nearly
the entire city in one way or another!

Ben was excited to be there, and of course did what all young children do in cemeteries.

We then went to Appleton and helped Howard plant his front garden. Ben liked the digging part.

All of us really got into it, in fact. Jen also helped plant when she wasn't photographing.

And what planting session would be complete without some watering?

The next day we took all four generations letterboxing, which Howard really got into!

The kids saw their first white-tailed deer while out in the woods.

We even found two boxes, although sadly after Carole had gotten too tired and
went to rest in the car. We all had a blast, enjoying the outdoors and each other.

And because I just can't resist, here's a shot of our kids giving some cousinly love to Simon.
More shots like this will follow, I'm sure, but you'll have to wait until the official Round Two
entry, coming straight from Minnesota!