S is for Summary of 2007

Friends and Family,

So I know it isn't December anymore or 2007 for that matter, but I have hit a bit of a blog wall with this post and so I'm sure you'll forgive my cheating on the date. We have had a wonderful 2007 and are looking forward to an equally eventful and change laden 2008.

January: We celebrated Caleb's 1st birthday January 28th with a Peruvian style, Hawaiian Luau. Caleb is a delightful child who brings us endless joy. He loves to run, sing, read stories, watch airplanes, watch movies and dance. We are sure that after a hopefully short period of adjustment, he will also prove to be an excellent older brother.

February: We took a wonderful family trip to the "resort" town of Lunahuana in Peru. We went swimming, white water rafting and biking. We played in the river and sampled the local seafood.

March: This month we did some exploring in Lima and then took off on one of the most amazing adventures of our lives to visit and explore Cuzco and Machu Picchu. Cuzco is an incredible city filled with beautiful churches and Inca ruins. Machu Picchu is indescribable. It really is extraordinary and nothing about it was disappointing. We'll be in Peru until the Summer of 2008 so if you want to visit this amazing site, you're still welcome to crash with us on the way.

April: Our trip to the Amazon jungle in April was spectacular. We were so thrilled to be able to see this beautiful jungle with its abundance of wildlife and vegetation. And, even though we were in some of the more heavily human trafficked parts of the jungle, the vastness of the Amazon was astonishing. We hope to make it back there someday even with the sweltering heat and ravenous mosquitoes.

May: This month we traveled to Lake Titicaca on the rooftop of the world. This was not the most fun we have ever had, but we are not sorry to have made the trip. Lake Titicaca is so large it seems more like an ocean than a lake. The water is a blue I have never seen before, even in Hawaii - and that is saying a lot. The floating reed islands were fascinating and the people who inhabit them and the other stationary islands in the middle of the Lake were generous and friendly.

June: Caleb started running in earnest this month and our days of keeping him contained came to a sudden halt. He was a late walker and I wished for him to walk forever only to realize that walking leads to running and running leads to chasing and general tiring out of all adults in his vicinity. He also, finally, got his first haircut and went to his first boy/girl party. Okay, so it was for a 1-year old, but there were definitely both genders in attendance.

July: We had a much welcomed onslaught of visitors in July including 1 brother-in-law, 2 sisters-in-law, one sister-in-law's brother, 2 parents (grandparents), 1 sister and 2 brothers. We played tour guide some of the time and just hung out most of the time. Visitors are great, especially when you live a million miles away from home.

August: Kenny and my Dad triumphantly hiked the Inca trail into Machu Picchu over 4 days and 3 nights. I don't know that it was "fun" for them, but I think they appreciated the experience and now can always say they've done it. We ended the month with a weekend trip to Trujillo and Chiclayo to see more of the spectacular sites of Peru.

September: More visitors, hurray (note, all are always welcome anywhere we live regardless of how well we may or may not know you). We also had a little blog-based toy drive for our Church congregation's toddler class and want to say again a great big thank you to those who participated and contributed.

October: It's hard to find a highlight in such an amazing year, but it would be equally hard not to say that our 2 week trip to Paris wasn't at least tied for first in terms of our favorite things in 2007. We visited everywhere we could cram in and had so much fun with our friends Nate and Sina who are posted there until Summer 2008.

November: With the visit of our final visitors of the year we took a trip to one more Peru destination, Nazca, to see the ancient lines carved into the desert floor. Despite the heat and sometimes unpleasantness of the trip, we were astonished by yet another Peruvian phenomenon and thrilled with the opportunity to visit.

December: The month seemed to evaporate as we made preparations for Caleb and me to come to the US and to pack everything else in beforehand so Kenny wouldn't miss out on holiday fun. Caleb has discovered he loves snow and being around family and so many wonderful American delicacies like Hostess Snack Cakes and fresh milk.
We are grateful this time of year and always for each of you and what you bring to our lives. We are grateful for a generous Heavenly Father and loving Savior. We are looking forward anxiously to adventures in 2008 not the least of which will be a new baby (arriving any day now) and a move to Venezuela.

God bless each of you with health, happiness and prosperity this year and always.