Lydie and September

Well, it's about time we have a brief update before September passes us by without a blog update! (haha, I guess it did. October too. Wow.)

The big thing this month has been Lydie, one of Isaac and Sonia's tanties, coming to visit us! We have been pretty busy each weekend and working during the week. The first weekend we went to Central Oregon to our very good friend Craig and Lisa's wedding, then went by Crater Lake.

The second weekend, we went to Oktoberfest in Mt. Angel. Ignore my face. The chicken was really good.

Then we went to the Portland Zoo.

Then Lydie went to Newport for two days with my family.

 (Photo by London)

The next weekend we went to Seattle (almost immediately after we picked up Ibrahim, Papa's nephew). Obviously the goal was to show Lydie as many places as possible in one month. :) We stayed with a friend from Burkina who we have been meaning to see for awhile, (but we have always cancelled our trips because, well, things come up...) Victorien and his family.

 Funny story - the sandals I am wearing in this picture broke while we were in Seattle. I bought them about 2 years ago when Isaac and I were visiting Seattle and the only pair of sandals I had brought broke. I guess they just wanted to make it back to Seattle before giving out on me.

We got to see Victorien's daughter play in her soccer game too, and on the way back, got to stop by a birthday party for Auntie Fritz and meet Uncle Doug, Great Aunt Christy and Great Aunt Kathy and Great Uncles John and George in one fell swoop. So, it was a nice, although exhausting weekend. Driving tires me out and we couldn't quite fit everyone in one car so we took two. 

The next weekend was special because it was the wedding reception of one of my best childhood friends and bridesmaids, Chel, and her new husband Kai! Many happy years to you two! They are a ridiculously good-looking couple. :) Apparently, though, I did not get a flattering picture of them. Don't worry, I didn't overdo it and ruin all their wedding photos with the flash. Just the three I tried didn't turn out well enough to put here.

They had the reception at a neat location where I didn't have to worry about the kids getting run over if they ran off :) and they had a special play area just for the kids too. The ArtFarm Barn in Seal Rock. Artsy.

I felt kind of dumb because I told Auntie Anna that it would be fine to leave London with us and she could go home to study, then London had a total meltdown and we almost had to leave early. Next time I will NOT do that if it is near bedtime.

We loved having you here, Tantie Lydie!

Sonia still asks, "Where's Tantie Lydie?"  She will actually answer her own question now. "She's in Burkina."