Good Friends, Sweet Times

What a blessing to see good friends in MN! We took walks around lakes, talked over ice-cream, sewed tablecloths, and even spent an overnight together. These ladies sharpen and encourage me!

Sarah

Charity, Mel and Kari

Charity and Mercy at the U of MN

My previous roommate of six years, Angie!

My Alaska Cousins Migrate South

My Uncle David, Aunt Sarah and cousins from Alaska came south to visit this summer. It was so much fun to see how Rebekah, Emily and Brian have grown - not only taller, but smarter and funnier! We enjoyed a long weekend at the cottage together, as well as some time at my grandparent's house. Thanks for making the effort to come see me while I was home!

Stateside with Sandi

My roommate and friend of the past two years moved home to the States this summer. Her friendship has been so precious to me and I am thankful for these two years we've had together in Austria. I'm also thankful that we got to visit each other in the midwest this summer and I know that we'll keep in touch and see each other again. Sandi, thank you for getting to know me, caring about me and being willing to invest in my life.

4th of July at the Cottage

I spent the 4th of July weekend with family at my grandparent's cottage. Family members came from Alaska, Virginia, Idaho, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. What a gathering! We ate well, slept close and played hard all weekend. We also took advantage of this chance to celebrate my grandparent's 60th wedding anniversary while we were all together.

The girl cousins share a special bond in our family, mostly because we're outnumbered by boys. Here we all are at the 4th of July parade.

Happy Belated Father's Day!

After leaving Sandi's family, I went to visit my dad. We celebrated Father's Day fashionably late with ice cream at Dairy Queen. I also enjoyed going to church with my dad and taking a Sunday drive together.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Yvonne, Sandi and I flew home to the States at the end of June. We flew into Chicago and I spent several days with Sandi and her family.

Sandi and her dad showed me some of the historical sights of their area, including Bloody Mary's Bridge and a restored canal boat on the Erie Canal. It was also a time of catching up on sleep and getting over jet-lag. It feels great to be on summer vacation and to be back in the States!

We ate a leisurely dinner on the deck. Grilled chicken, sweet potatoes and fresh fruit - yum! I really enjoyed my time with Sandi's family!

Camping in the Lakes District

Before parting ways for the summer, six VCS teachers went on a fabulous camping trip on the edge of Lake Attersee.

Our campsite was literally at the edge of the lake! We could hear a gentle lapping of water as we slept in our tents at night. During the day, we enjoyed hiking, boating, swimming, sitting in camp chairs and cooking our own meals together. No campfires are allowed here, picnic tables are not standard in campsites, and we forgot to bring any large pots and pans, but these complications forced us to be creative and have fun working together. We borrowed a charcoal grill from some fellow campers, sat on our table cloth on the ground for meals, and (thankfully!) had planned foil dinners on the menu.