Swimming at the Pool!

Hot Dog! The embassy now has a pool. Thank you honey and the gang! The kids are enjoying some fun in the sun! We better get all we can, before leaving Addis this summer. :-)

Look at those riders go.........more horseback riding!

Just sharing some fun pictures of the kids riding. The kids just received their official riding gear.....helmets, pants and riding boots. They are having a blast! Mom gets a little nervous, but encourages them to keep practicing. :-)

Happy Easter from the Big E!

Hello and Happy Easter from the Big E!

We had a nice time at the Embassy Easter party and decorating eggs at home.

Hope all is well and you enjoyed your Easter Sunday!

Love and miss you all!

Girl Power in Abuna Yemata (Tigray Region of Northern Ethiopia)

In October, our family with some friends took a trip to Northern Ethiopia. Fantastic trip! The girls did some great hiking and free climbing to a church built into a cave. It is said that the church started being built in 800AD. There are also 14th century Frescoes inside.

However, in order to get to this church (which served as a refuge for many years) you have to climb 45 meters from the base to the final ledge mingling through these footholds and shear drop offs.

This was a true highlight for me and my friends. It was incredible. I did it and Mitch is still very proud since he knows I am a scaredy cat of heights. Yikes!!!!

Enjoy the pics!

Poinsettas Growing Wild!

In October we took a trip to the Northern Ethiopian Region known as the Tigray Region. It was a fabulous trip.......one of our "highlights" of being here for 3 1/2 years. More pics to follow from this trip. However, I took these pictures when we deplained in Axum, Ethiopia.

I thought it was fitting to post a couple of pictures of the Poinsettas that grow in different parts of Ethiopia on the first day of December. We are getting ready for the holidays.........Happy decorating!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today was a special day for our "Lone Scouters" (cub scouts and boy scouts) in Addis. The day after Thanksgiving, the boys were able to learn about the American Flag, what does it mean, how to take care of it and also how to hang and fold it. The group was also able to "raise" the flag above the US Embassy with the Marines.

Eli's American Flag now has a certificate that it has been flown above the US Embassy Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was a neat ceremony and we wanted to share with you.

We thought it was a wonderful way to end our American Thankgiving Holiday. Hope yours was great too!

Eli's Cross Country Meet

Eli had his first "official" cross country meet in Addis. The entire ICS high, middle and elementary team competed with 4 or 5 other schools. ICS finished 1st place in the team division.

Eli placed 4th place with a time of 3:51 for 1k in the elementary division consisting of 4th and 5th graders. Eli is in 4th grade. He improved his time by 14 seconds from two weeks ago at the fun run. He almost passed the boys in 2nd and 3rd place......they were only 1 second apart. Sooooo close!

We are so proud of him. He really did enjoy his first year of cross country and I enjoyed being a parent volunteer coach. :-)

P.S. Did you see his Boise State hat on? Go Broncos!

We hate saying Good Bye!

Today, we said goodbye to our friends and neighbors in Addis Ababa. The Whitts have been our neighbors for over 2 years. We were their sponsors when they arrived. Now, we are watching them leave and we are STILL here. sniff, sniff They are a wonderful family and we wish them well. Take care and safe travels. We love you guys and will miss you tons!

This part of the Foreign Service stinks. I am quickly learning that there are two types of ways you "deal" or "cope" with the goodbye situation. One way usually consists of a group of veteran, foreign servicers who have said so many goodbyes over the years in so many countries that they AVOID (at all costs) goodbyes and say SEE YA LATER! No tears and no drama!

The other way of coping is to say goodbye, hug, shed some tears, and sulk the rest of the day. Well, I am in this category. What can I say? I am a newbie and sometimes you just need a good cry! Eating Halloween candy is also part of the "coping" process.

Marine Corp. Ball - Thanks Marines!

Last night was the Marine Corp. Ball in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was a very nice evening with an emotional Marine presentation, guest speakers and ofcourse the social aspect of dancing, eating and mingling.

Here are some "candid" pics from the evening. Mitch was in the states on training, so I went with friends. We had a group of gals at a table. We danced the night away to some oldies and some goodies.......like Lady Gaga! My Zumba dance classes have come in handy. hee, hee

Happy Birthday Marines and THANK YOU for all that you do around the world!

The Kids Love Horseback Riding!

Wow, we have great internet today so I am blasting through some blog posts. Hooray! I know I have been sooooooooooooo behind, but what can I do?

The Latest..........the kids have been taking horse riding lessons since August. They love it! Eli just went off leash last week....meaning that he controls the horse and not the instructor. Glori Sue has been doing great as well. She looks so proper when she prances around. Even Sophers gets to have a pony ride around the track. Enjoy the pics!