STATESIDE BESTS

It's late Tuesday night. My Dad, the ultimate packer, is helping me cram the last minute items in the duffle bags. Grandpa and Grandma and Tony and Christi and Mili just left after one last family meal together. You can see our ATTEMPT at a family photo there, to the right. Seth is now upstairs working on video and floats down to check-in on my progress, every so often. (He's hanging out here a couple more weeks to finish a project). And in a few hours, at a very uncomfortable hour (3h15am, argh), I'm waking up and heading to the airport. Back to the Buj.

Our time here in Oregon / Canada / Montana has been a whirlwind, but an incredible time of fun and connection.

As I look back over our month in the States, here are some of the highlights:

* Best meal: hands down, scallops at BISHOP'S, a swanky Vancouver restaurant, with Seth, Becky, and Jonathan. My mouth waters thinking about it.
* Best coffee: always Stumptown.
* Best dessert: I think I hit my favorite frozen yogurt place, TCBY, at least 5 times while here!
* Best drink: the created "trinitini" at Oba's. Mmmm... basil.
* Best re-connect: Starbucks with Terry Jackson, missionary in Slovenia and former youth leader, dreaming about future potential youth ministry ventures together.
* Best sporting event: toss up between roller-blading with Christi and Mili on the spring water trail and getting beat at ping pong by Holzer.
* Best Seth time: AMAZING meal to celebrate 6 years together at our favorite Portland restaurant, Oba's. Thanks Dan and Tam!
* Best Mili time: her birthday photo shoot at Laurelhurst park. That girl melts my heart.

* Best Portland moment: incredible timing... getting to see our fave band, STORYHILL, with some of our bestest Portland buddies. I seriously smiled all night, I was so pumped. And we are SUCH groupies, borderline stalkers... a traditional front row seat for yet another concert at Alberta Street Pub.
* Most memorable sleep: Seth, Cooper (Christi and Tony's LARGE dog), and I together on a floor mattress at my parents' house. Yeah, not so comfortable.
* Coolest moment: riding behind Bob (Seth's dad) on his incredibly cool Victory motorcycle through beautiful Montana canyons.

* Most random moment: Bob bringing the lost "Joey, the dog from Billings" to our bedroom so we could watch him until his owner showed up for him. Little RAT of a dog! We laughed so hard.

So many highlights, reunions, laughter, and memories created. It was good.

Thanks to all you friends and family who took the time to see us, encourage us, help us, pray for us, and be a part of it all with us. We are refreshed and encouraged by you. And now, back to it... back to Burundi, baby!