World Travelers

We've had a busy and fun month! I'll try not to write too much here since I know you all just want to see pictures anyway, but I might get a little carried away...

Kimberlee started preschool again this month. She loves going with her friend Sydney (from church) and being back with her teachers doing her own special thing - she asked a lot during the summer when she could go back to school. Keira somehow survives the 4 hours twice a week that Kimmee is gone, although she really struggled the first couple of days. As much as they fight, they really are good friends and keep each other busy.

There is a lot going on in Ed's squadron right now, and the information coming down seems to change every day. They were originally told they would stop flying the C-21s on September 15th. It's a tradition for the pilot's last flight in a plane (his "fini-flight") to be sprayed down with water (or something alcoholic if you prefer) after landing, and then having food and a little party for everyone. Knowing the end was coming Ed scheduled his own fini-flight for last Tuesday, even though there was some question as to whether or not it would actually happen. It all worked out though and Ed was properly said goodbye to. Now the question is whether or not that was his actual last flight - they are currently not flying the planes anymore, but as I said before, things change on a daily basis right now. In the meantime, Col. Kisch made Ed an exec again, so Ed is spending lots of time helping to close down the squadron.

After Ed's fini-flight, we took off for a quick trip to Quebec. Ed served his mission there and has wanted to take a trip there the whole time we've been in Ohio. We stayed the first night in Syracuse, NY, and then drove on to Quebec City. It was so beautiful! It is the oldest city in Canada, and has survived six sieges by being built on a massive cliff above the St. Lawrence river and surrounded by a huge wall. We spent our time walking the touristy streets and stepping into very old Catholic churches. We also did a lot of driving and tried to avoid being hit by the crazy drivers there. Ed showed me the scary apartment he lived in while he was assigned to the area, and everyone we talked to assumed he was French. Then they'd try to talk to me and I'd just smile. Thankfully almost everyone spoke very clear English. After two days in Quebec City we went to Montreal. We had an amazing Italian dinner with a girl and her husband that Ed knew on his mission, and then they took us on the metro to see Old Montreal. Kimberlee and Keira loved riding the "train" - their eyes lit up! The next morning (Sunday) we stumbled onto the LDS stake center in Montreal (during the Spanish-speaking Sunday School class), and ended up going to Mass at Notre Dame church. Then it was back to Syracuse for a night and on our way home the next day we stopped in Palmyra, NY for a little Mormon history. We stood on the Hill Cumorah, went to the Smith family log home and frame house, and walked through the beautiful Sacred Grove. My only wish was that the girls were older so they could appreciate these things we were able to see. It was a nice trip, and the girls did better than we could have expected (thank goodness for portable DVD players).

Now it's back to normal life and getting ready for the next big changes that are coming. I am 4 weeks from my due date and starting to really feel like I'm nearing the end. I'm doing a little nesting, but mostly just trying to find energy to do Anything! We sent away for passports and attended a briefing on moving, and of course we are constantly trying to separate our possessions into "storage" and "take to Japan." Life seems to be in constant overdrive right now, but it's all exciting stuff so we're not complaining.

Love to all. We miss everyone and love hearing from you, so leave comments or send us an email!