Best Western Inn of Tempe

... at each other, "Where in the world are we?"

The show was rollicking and the food, great, but you know what was the very best? During the before show entertainment we noticed this Down Syndrome girl sitting under the window writing in her workbook, grinning at nobody, singing along to herself...

Well, the singer introduced her to us. Her name is Melissa and she's the singer's sister. She had written a song and been to Nashville to record it about this ...

Maybe we've been in the desert too long, but the Salt river was gorgeous. Clear, cold and full of pools and riffles, it flows out of seemingly dry mountains east of Phoenix like a miracle--a wet mirage.

Along it's length from Mesa to Saguaro Lake (backed up by the Stewart Mountain Dam) are access points with parking lots the size of Target, but today, Black Friday, they were mostly empty--just us and a few others avoiding the mania in town.

Further up the river lie Apache ...

... discovered, even older skeleton, were discovered and also is the home of the 4th highest mountain in Africa - Das Rashem at over 14,000 feet. Contrary to the images of drought and mass starvation that most westerners remember about Ethiopia, the country is also home to the most extensive indigenous rainforest to be found anywhere in Eastern Africa. The Central highlands are openly vegetated, green fertile and densely cultivated. The ...

Happy Thanksgiving from the Alvrez's in Phoenix, Arizona. Only a quick trip to the grocery store with Janine & the kids today, otherwise a cruisy day at home. Bruce deep fried a turkey – yes, that's right, he put this huge bird into a deep frier – but it was really, really yummy and not at all oily as you would think. Thanksgiving Dinner was lovely thanks to the Olivers and what a delicious spread of turkey, mashed potatoes, roast potatoes ...

... to see some Saguaro cactus (the ones you see in cartoons and Westerns that are tall with arms sticking upright like a bank teller in a holdup) and the closer we got to the Saguaro National Park the more we saw – fields of them and covering the rocky hills too. Took a few photos of them and with the kids posing beside them, and then onwards to Phoenix, and the Oliver family!

We leave for Ethiopia on December 15th and are getting very excited. This is one of the first steps
towards keeping friends and family updated while we are gone.
This is our first trip to an African country so we are extra excited for a completely different experience.

Gotta be at Sky Harbor at 5:00 a.m. Plane leaves at 7 a.m. First stop Philly then arriving in Athens @ 9:10 a.m. which is 11:10 p.m. Az. time and 1:10 a.m. Missouri time.
Here we go!!..........and so The Big Fat Greek Adventure begins!!.....................??......I can't really believe it's happening ...

... changes. Later in the day they called to say the Jeep was ready to pick up - we had both forgotten about it since we have another car! Picked it up - $400 bill, and now can go wheelin' again. The repairs were on the rear differential. Had a big package from Dar today. We opened it and took out the mail but will wait to open the rest. I baked 3 kinds of cookies today- one I will not take to the public-I just can't get the hang of this oven for baking! I have ruined ...

... Amish country, asked us if we would send her some apple butter when we get home. She said she would trade some of her tie-die pillow cases for some apple butter. We agreed... besides, I can't blame her for loving apple butter. We got back to Prescott in time to have a fantastic dinner with Rick and Sally... who are both amazing cooks... and even more so when compared to camping food, although I can't say I mind that much either. Tuesday was the day for the Grand Canyon. The drive up ...

Update. . .So I am now 3 months and 7 days from when I leave. As you can probably imagine there are a lot of little things that need to happen to move overseas. As time gets closer it gets easier to take things into my own hands and try and make them happen without consulting or relying on God. Reality is that everything I try and do in my own strength usually fails. It's only in God's timing and ...