Three Weeks in the USA

This might be my longest stretch of not writing since I started my blog seven years ago. We have certainly had the busiest summer I’ve ever had, between Brittany and Switzerland and the States. There was so much moving around during our US visit, and so many friends and family to see, I didn’t even try to blog. But I have a few pictures to share with you.

Our first and second stop has no pictures, probably because we were too jet lagged. We flew into DC and drove for 2 hours (which ended up being nearly 4 with DC traffic) to Glen Allen, VA where we stayed in a hotel to break up the drive. Then we visited our friends Rosalind and Anton (plus kids) in Chapel Hill. We go way back to our NY days, and they are faithful friends of ours.

Then we went to Saluda, NC where my mom and step-dad rented a house on the lake. I don’t have a lot of pictures to show you because my extended family is private and most of our pictures have people in them. But here is the room we stayed in, with air conditioning and cool stone floors (it was hot and humid outside). It was spacious enough to accommodate several of us and was quite luxurious, despite the rustic decoration.

I’ve become squeamish about lakes because you can’t see what’s down there, and sure enough, I got BIT by a FISH! It left a mark! My husband got bitten too and said, “I don’t know what they’re trying to achieve.”

But I did enjoy taking (very) quick dips to cool off, then lying in the sun on the dock. It was also magnificent when Matthieu rowed me into the middle of the lake and we sat there quietly, surrounded by hills and trees. Where is THAT picture, I ask you? I didn’t take enough pictures on this trip.

After the extended weekend with my mom and her husband, we went to my dad and step-mom’s house near Asheville. This is the view from their dining room.

Nice, huh?

I do have a few more pictures from this portion of the trip that contain just my kids, so I’m able to share them with you. This is at the fish hatchery. The kids are waiting to give worms. Or was it corn?

And here are three pictures from their successful fishing expedition. This is worth noting because my father despaired of any of his kids enjoying fishing (none of us do), but he has three grandkids who love it.

I think part of the success was in actually catching something.

Juliet is afraid of spiders, but had no problem handling wiggly fish.

Or wiggly lizards.

It was all fun and games until Gabriel got stung twice in the ankle by a yellow jacket. It stayed itchy, discolored and slightly swollen for two weeks (which I didn’t fully realise was related to the sting, but later contributed to an outbreak of hives all over his body right before we had to fly back to France).

When we left my dad’s, we went to Atlanta.

Part of our reason for going was because I have never been there and had heard so much about it. Part of it was because our sister church in Atlanta sends groups of students to Paris (and other places) to get a taste of mission work and I felt a connection with this church.

We’ve hosted students only once because house construction made it impossible the last two summers, but we were invited by Paige, and her sister Hallie’s family – who we hosted – to eat dinner with them (and lunch after church, and to go swimming in their pool – basically, treated royally). I thought the dining room was so beautifully decorated.

I surprised the campus ministry leader by taking a picture of him and texting it to his mom (he didn’t connect me with Paris and thought I was just some weird lady at first). His mom and her husband lead our ministry in Paris and the highest cost they had to count was being so far from their (grown) kids. The picture made her day, just as I knew it would.

Our kids were amazed at the size of the church, and had fun going to the children’s ministry where they learned Bible stuff in English.

Juliet and I got a mother-daughter manicure / pedicure, which is not something you can easily do in France.

And we basically took full advantage of being on vacation by going to restaurants, and enjoying life to the hilt.

There was just one moment to mar the fun memories, and that was when William almost drown. I’m not sure if I’m exaggerating when I say that. All I know is that he got too tired to swim to the side, and began to whimper, while I (looking at my phone instead of watching them – stupid, stupid me because I KNOW what can happen – I used to be a lifeguard!) finally noticed and got him help. I think I’ve finally stopped visualising the nightmare. What ifs are terrible, and you can almost feel like you’re not thanking God enough for what IS.

We stayed another night at Rosalind’s when going from Atlanta to Northern VA (I can’t believe I didn’t take any pictures. This time I didn’t even have jet lag for an excuse).

And then we were in the DC area, visiting old friends from our (original) home church in NY, many of whom we’d not seen in 14 years. Rana and me.

Mari, Christianne and me.

(I seem to be the only one who has aged).

And Sissi, represented through her kids because she appears only behind the lens, not in front.

All our kids played together, and we had a barbecue in the evening, and it was so great to catch up.

The next day we spent just as a family, and we went to the Smithsonian museum(s), then to get Korean food.

And the last day in the States was spent meeting up with blogging friends. There’s Andrea, from About 100%. She’s understated and funny, on her blog and in real life. She drove up to see me since we’d been friends for years but never met in person. (I felt loved).

Her personality really comes through when you read her words.

Then there’s Anna from An Inch of Gray, with her miracle baby Andrew. I wonder if you, my readers, know of Anna, who lost her son five years ago in a flash flood, and then had a surprise pregnancy just last year. That one sentence cannot do justice to the intensity of grief, love, and joy – sometimes all at once – of these five years, but you get all these rich emotions when you read her posts.

But let me back up. Before Andrea and I (and Matthieu and the kids) went to Anna’s, I got to meet Kiran (another first-time meeting) Kiraib, musician and writer, and she gave us such a warm welcome to her house and pool. I was glad we got the afternoon to get real-life acquainted because she is just as lovely in person as she is online. She’s the one holding Andrew below.

We spent the evening eating and talking and letting our kids (all but Andrea’s) run around together, for which my kids were extremely grateful. The only one I haven’t mentioned yet is Kate, who has been recording her cross-country family adventures on Mama Don’t Camp – she is on the far right. I had already met Kate in person before, and I adore her. She is also funny and understated. I could listen to her for hours.

The next day we had to fly back, so Andrea and I had breakfast together. Then we spent some time at the pool (after which Gabriel got the hives). The flight was uneventful if you don’t count the continual sprouting of new hives and another kid getting sick as we landed.

It really and truly was wonderful to get back home. I mean, we’re all horribly jet lagged – I caught the kids playing Cluedo at 1 in the morning. And there is so much laundry. And the house is a mess because we only had two full days in between Switzerland and the States. And the construction is still not done, nor is it moving forward (breathes into a paper bag).

But we’re home.

 

Home sweet home!

A photo posted by Jennie Goutet (@aladyinfrance) on Aug 28, 2016 at 12:24am PDT

And home is good.

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