Summer in The States

Once Justin and I arrived in the United States we realized that we wouldn’t be escaping the heat we experienced back in India. Washington, Idaho and Oregon were all experiencing a severe heat wave with temperatures reaching beyond the triple digits. On the bright side the weather made for great days out on the lake. We spent the first part of our vacation in and around Sandpoint, Idaho. My dad drove up from Oregon and was able to spend time with everyone which was terrific. Plus, he is great at manning the grill which was essential considering the kind of cravings Justin was having for red meat. I think my system was on “beef overload” by about the fourth day of barbequing. Damien and Tiffany our close friends from Tacoma, Washington also drove to Sandpoint. After meeting up with them at Tiffany’s parent’s home we spent time lounging in the sun, painting rocks with the kids and we even took the jet-ski out for a spin. Right before we heading down to Oregon, Dan and Carrie, our friends in Spokane had a BBQ at their home in Liberty Lake where a huge group of all our friends came together to see us for a great night of food and fun. On our way to Salem we stopped near Portland and met up with Justin’s grandparents for a quick chat and some hot cocoa. Once we reached Justin’s mom’s house in Oregon we could hardly wait for the ultrasound that was scheduled for the following day. As many of you know, it’s illegal to find out the sex of the baby in India. So this was our only chance of knowing whether we were going to have a boy or a girl. It took a lot of leg work by my sister-in-law Katie as well as my dad in order to find a clinic that was willing to accept me without a referral and not charge an absolutely absurd amount. It was amazing having my parents, Justin’s sister Nikki and my Aunt Becky all there to discover the sex of the baby with Justin and me. I have felt like I’ve really missed out when it comes to having friends and family close by during my pregnancy so it truly meant a great deal to have everyone there to share in our excitement that we are going to have a baby girl. We spent that week running around seeing as many people as possible; both our families and also many of Justin’s good friends in Eugene. We were even able to meet up with Thaddeus and Chong Chong who were both visiting from China. We spent a day at the beach with my brother Jay and Katie and I finally got to enjoy the one thing I have been craving since about my seventh week of pregnancy; the famous chowder at the Sea Hag.  That night we stayed at my Aunt Becky's house this is also where Marvin, our cat is living.  It was so wonderful to be with him and see that he still remembers us.  After returning to Idaho we spend a few days camping, floating inner tubes down the river, and of course indulging in a few smores. Justin spent his last few days tying up loose ends, renewing his visa and simply relaxing before heading back to India. I stayed behind in order to give myself a little more leeway with my visa. I can only be in India for 180 consecutive days and since I won’t be able to return until February because of flight restrictions due to pregnancy and the birth itself I needed to give myself a little bit of a buffer incase there is a delay in Justin’s block-off. I needed to unwind a little after Justin left. We always seem to be running around like crazy and there never seems to be enough time to see everyone. Since I just wanted to relax I decided to take on a project and make a quilt for our daughter. I hadn’t made a quilt before, but all things considered I think it turned out wonderfully. I also spent time hanging out with our friends Shaun and Phedra as well as Chad and Kealan. Although I had a wonderful time with everyone there was a part of me that missed Justin and actually as strange as it may sound, India. I definitely would not want to live in India forever, but right now it is our home. Plus, there is part of me that knows that this isn’t forever and that it really is a once in a lifetime experience that shouldn't be wasted.

Comments

[Sheri Pankion]

Hey - A quilt!?! I'm so proud! Post a picture, please...I need some inspiration... 4 kids later it's difficult to drag out the stuff...but they're so fun when they're done. I look at each of the quilts I've made for my kids and they bring back multiple memories...fun times, even hard times, but nothing I would trade for anything in the world. God has truly blessed! You have wonderful days ahead!

Sheri

[Lloyd]

Hey Sheri! I am so happy to hear from you. How is everything going? I'll post a picture of my quilt in the "Summer in the USA" album. It's a little rough, but at least she'll know it was made with love. Are you still in Alaska? Justin and I miss living there, it is so beautiful, we loved it. I hope you and your family are doing well, tell everyone "Hi."

[Sheri Pankion]

Rebecca -
Yes! I am still in Alaska. Given my husband's affinity for the "final frontier" I think we'll both be buried here...I know that's what he wants, and he'd have to leave the state to take me somewhere else - so here we are! :-) Everything is going well. Andy just passed 4 months on Wednesday and he's doing great. Got his first big sickness last week but he's come through nicely and is back to his happy self. Alex went to kindergarten this week, and missed Tuesday and Thursday because Andy shared his bug with everyone (what a nice brother!). Alden will be two next Wendesday and Charlotte will be four in December...they're awesome! I had a Mary Kay party last night and Charlotte came out to "play make-up" with us. It was really cute. She did a great job until the mascara...after that she nearly resembled a singer from Kiss. :-) I don't know which one, mind you....but she had black lines drawn all over her face. Oh well - it made for an interesting bath time. There's so much ahead of you!

Your new home is beautiful! It looks like some of the Ikea type apartments I've seen, only a lot bigger and classier...nice taste. I love the lighter wood (but the dark trim is nice too). I wouldn't have put the two together probably - but it looks great.

I read your blog posts about once a month...don't worry about labor. In my experience, your body knows what to do - and the nurses and doctors are just icing. Nothing major ever happened during my labors, but they were all quick and intense (between 2 and 6 hours). You'll do fine. :-)

Great to keep up with you. I don't know if you're on facebook - but we post pictures and stuff on there. Keep in touch!

Sheri