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| Balloon glow - St. Louis |
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| Tyler and his son Gideon |
The rub was that one day after we made it back to St. Louis,
they asked us to pick them up at Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, six hours
one way from St. Louis.
We had a serpentine belt break on our Durango just outside
of Rawlins, Wyoming. The location was extremely fortunate and we had a
relatively quick but expensive repair and we were on the road again.
After one day at our home, I was on the road again back to
Omaha. On the way to pick them up, I used this trip to pick up a few more items
from an Amish store near Jamesport, Missouri.
Tyler, April and their four children flew from Okinawa to
Alaska to Omaha to meet me with incredible timing just as I was driving up to the
main gate at Offutt AFB. We drove all night, arriving at 4:00 am at our home.
We
hosted their family in our home. Having their family in St. Louis set off a
wild and busy week of reunion and cousin activities.
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| Cousins getting together |
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| sitting - April, Tawny, Tassa - standing Mariah and Tyler |
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| Fire pit fun |
Others join the fun.
Our oldest daughter Tara had previously arranged to attend a dermatology
conference in St. Louis so that meant four of our seven adult children and 14
cousins would be reunited.
Our daughter Tawny’s in-laws were also arriving midweek
for a planned visit from Pocatello, Idaho to join this burgeoning mass of
humanity.
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| Left to right - Tara, April, Tyler, Tassa. Tawny, and Brian |
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| Two cousins didn't make the picture |
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| Kesner family with Brian's parents |
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| Ourselves with our two newest grandsons, Max and Gideon |
Balloon glow. One special event we enjoyed together was
the annual Balloon Glow event held at Forrest Park.
This is a prelude to a Hot Air Balloon race to be held the next day. I hadn’t attended before but Darlene had.
This is a prelude to a Hot Air Balloon race to be held the next day. I hadn’t attended before but Darlene had.
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| Two grandmothers walking with progeny to the Balloon glow |
It was a wondrous surreal event - well worth the hassle of crowds and traffic coming
and going.
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| Camping out in a crowd |
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| Hot air balloon |
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| Firing hot air into a balloon |
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| Dazzling colors |
If you are ever in St. Louis in September, put this on your calendar.
Our new post-mission
life. Our company left on Saturday and Sunday and we are finally into our daily
routine. I got some good news on my heart health and am managing my diabetes
through an effective low carbohydrate diet.
I have picked up a couple of
speaking engagements ad have one farm family business consultation in the
offing.
Darlene has been called as a Ward Family History Consultant (what
else?) and I will be starting an eight week marriage and family relations class
on Sundays beginning Oct. 12.
Last blog. This
will be the last regular blog for “Musings in Mongolia”. The blog will remain
on the Internet for viewers to read for background information and photography about
Mongolia.
From time to time I will add church-related information about
Mongolia, reunion events about Mongolian returned missionaries and
announcements about a future publication of a photographic journal of our
mission.
I will be starting a new blog, “Musings in Missouri”. This will be a more traditional family blog
though I am still contemplating offering social and cultural commentary and
advice on the blog also. This will be a work in progress.
Working with my son-in-law, Darin Andersen, I will be
revising my website, www.valfarmer.com
to make access to my archived writings more user friendly.
I will also be
writing a new book on family farm relationships to go with my two other books
on marriage and farm stress. I think I will be busy. I know my wife Darlene will be
busy and productive. It is her nature.
Thank you all my dependable and faithful reader/viewers who
received “Musings in Mongolia” so well. It chronicled an unbelievably rewarding
two years of our lives and we were pleased to share it with you.
