Okinawa-rama

Gabe has been a very busy 4 month old.

He started doing Push-Ups:

Sit-Ups:

Sit-Ups w/ Big Toe Sucking:

and Teeth-Ups (Those little white nubs are actually teeth):


Joe

So, after a week in lovely North Carolina, we set out to the Southwest. New Mexico. We started out our stay there with a little roadtrip -- me, Joe, Gabe, and Joe's mom. We headed for the south and saw some pretty dramatic scenery. Here's some of it:


This was taken at the site of some ancient lava flows. I don't remember the name of it, but I'm sure Joe will fill me in.


While we waited for the public library to open in Alamogordo to use the internet, we took a drive up the mountainside. I saw my first real live roadrunner there. Unfortantely it's not captured on film. Think a much smaller version of the cartoon.



We took a drive through White Sands National Park. The sand dunes were pretty spectacular. I've gotta say, New Mexico's natural treasures are quite impressive.

We made an effort to climb up one of the little dunes on the side of the road. Gabriel was NOT having it. This little photo op you are seeing right here took a lot of effort, folks. So I hope y'all appreciate it.



Chun Ae's about to fall down the dune. She's a good sport.




Yeah! We made it. Now let's get the !%&TGDUQYU@&!! back in the car.

A little rain shower cooled the air and by the time of the wedding, the weather was clear and the light was perfect, making for a gorgeous little ceremony. We all waited at the top of a little hill for the bride to arrive. Teresa and her dad's violin music floated through the air. We waited a little more. Teresa and Mr. Skrypczk played a little more. Hmmm... Where was Tasha? Ahh... there she is. Girl's gotta make an entrance. Tasha's dad zips her up to the ceremony in the bridal golf cart, drops off his daughter and continues on his way past the wedding gathering. Where was he going? A little more waiting, while Mr. Henderson flips a U-ey, and then the ceremony could begin. It was beautiful. The bride was radiant and Thorsten handsome and standing up there I saw such love in their eyes. I love a good wedding!

I wish I had pictures of the after reception party, when we tore up Tasha and Thorsten's room, per German tradition - fingerpainting their mirrors, leaving alarm clocks in their drawers, plastic bugs in every knook and cranny, and much much more. But I'll leave the chaos to y'alls imagination.

Anyway, congratulations Tasha and Thorsten! We love ya.



Oh Tasha!


There they are!


Love this pic.


Smooches!


The happy couple!


Kelly gets two escorts. Nice!


The girls prepare for paparazzi time.


Awww...snuggles.


The proud papa!

Friday was wedding day for Tasha and Thorsten. Time to beautify. But first a trip to Starbucks.




Of course, we've got to get those fingers ready for ring wearing...




And how about that hair!




Amanda treated us to chocolate covered strawberries to ease the pre-wedding jitters. Did it do the trick, Tasha?




We apply makeup.




And make table numbers.




We are down to the wire, with last minute dress adjustments and a plastic cup of champagne or two.









Ah! Beautifaction complete. Now it's time for business!

So, a few days into our trip, we headed north to Stafford, VA to help our friends Tasha and Thorsten celebrate their marriage. Thorsten is from Germany, so the day before, instead of a rehearsal dinner, we celebrated "Polterabend", a German custom in which guests bring their old china, smash it to the ground, and watch as the bride and groom to be sweep up the pieces together in a symbol of all the hard work that they will have to face as a team in their marriage...or something like that.

The smashing was fun, I must say, and so was watching Thorsten's buddies dump the carefully swept up pottery shards to the ground again and again and again, so that their cleaning task went on all night long.

So, I've been home now for one full day. It's good to be home. Although, since I've been home the following things have happened: my car battery died. The TV broke. (fixed now, thank goodness). My car radio is busted. Poor Gabriel has been dealing w/ his jetlag, which seems much worse coming back here than going to the States. And he's certainly exercised his lungs since being home. Luckily, he did well on the plane, and the big tub of earplugs Joe bought for our airplane mates went unused.

Now we're just trying to get back into a routine, and I'm just praying that our three weeks of jetsetting didn't cause permanent damage to his little baby development! Well, he can't complain too much, 'cause whatever disruption he had to his routine, should be more than offset by the outpouring of love that that he received on this trip. Grandparents, friends, aunts, uncles and cousins. Flight attendants. Old Japanese ladies in restrooms. Old American ladies in nursing homes. That little guy got showered with affection. He's probably missing it all now, stuck at home w/ mom...and broken TV, car, and radio!

Well, I've got loads of pictures and will put them up here in installments since I can only write during naptimes and I here the young 'un rousing.

Let the parade of Gabe Love begin:



Mom, Gabe, Dylan and McKenna


My sister and G-man


Greatgrandma and Gabriel


Here's the whole Race family