Let's Discuss Good Stuff for a Bit

Happy Birthday to Dale for September 30!

Things we are looking forward to in the near future:
*Aunt Sam (Tris' aunt) is coming to Indo and arriving on Matt's 14th birthday (October 15th). We're getting excited!
*Tris and Sunny (Tris' parents) are coming for 5 weeks beginning December 11. We're not doing the countdown yet because it's too hard. I don't let myself begin anticipating someone's arrival until just weeks before, or else the wait is too long...BUT we are still getting excited to see them, too.
*I am going to be Auntie Kimmie for the 3rd time for Tyler and Tanya sometime around the beginning of December. That means Abby and Matt get another 'sepupu' and mom and dad one more 'cucu'. This is very, very hard for me to not be there or see the baby, or see Lucy and Elijah's response to the baby, or TJ with his newest, or Tan after she does one more great job of making an incredible baby, OR see my kids with the little one. Wow, hard to type that without tears. I miss family.

Speaking of new ones, these are the newest editions to our family:

This is a photo of Darren, my big brother, and his wife, Chrystal. They were married September 12 of this year. Congratulations, Darren and Chrystal. We are looking forward to meeting Chrystal and her 2 girls next summer. Welcome to the family!

Tris' cousin Jain was married to Peter on the same date as Darren and Chrystal. Although we wouldn't have been able to go to both weddings even if we lived in Canada (one on the island, one in Alberta), we are sorry to have missed either one. Congratulations to Jain and Peter!


Our Australian friends, Jonny and Mel, that I've written about over our time here, aren't blood family but we love and miss them since they've moved back to Adelaide, Australia. They've just had a baby girl, Zoey Sheree, and we're hoping one day to meet her.

On our end, as much as Abby wants to adopt, there are no babies in our home and no weddings yet. Matt's learning how to flirt but hey, that's all for now. Abby's not interested in boys, and in fact, they're "horrid," to quote Ab.
Junior school had an Athletics Day yesterday and Abby ran in 7 of the 8 events. She came home a very tired young lady yesterday, but had a good time. She placed first in a relay and 2nd in long jump. I ran a relay for parents at the end but I didn't place. I just ran.


Totally aside, but something exciting to me...I went to a gardening area along a main road in Jakarta, where you walk along the road, dicker and sweat in the hot sun until you have a car full of plants. I bought a hydrangea plant and it sits outside my kitchen, across from my rosemary plant (which one day will be a bush). In my front yard is a basket of petunias that I have to admit are getting a bit faded in the sun...they need a new location. The hydrangea plant at home would be about $25. I bought it for rp 30 000 ($3).

Thanks for reading.