Canada

So the short story for the last few days is...
parties, commissioning, finishing training, packing again...., Sahara's 8th birthday, flying from Virginia to Seattle then driving from Seattle to Surrey, BC, swimming, Tirza's 3rd birthday.... still packing BUT this time actually packing for Portugal, lots of fun and very tired!
Okay, this is the super short version and I plan someday to give the long version with pictures but for now just know we are relaxing in Canada. If you want us to call and chat before we fly again just email us with your phone number and we'll give you a call:)
11 days...

Washington DC

Tirzy was excited about the trip! The girls loved riding the bus and the metro. Good thing because they will ride both a lot in Lisbon.

Our first stop was to visit the Basilica, the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in DC. As we arrived we realized that there was a huge Vietnamese celebration and processional going on. It was fascinating and broke our hearts.

The processional and event was all about Mary... it was really interesting to us that there was such a blend of culture and religion. The processionals will look different in Portugal but the misguided worship is the same.

We were supose to eat an ethnic lunch but none of the Portuguese restaurants, in DC, were open for lunch so we found a Mediterranean place. We rode the metro and walked quite a ways to get there but it was really good. We had kabobs (I had chicken and Mark had lamb), it was great! The girls even tried some new things and liked them.

Next stop... some real Portuguese salted cod!

Mark really wanted the girls to see the White House so we quickly walked to it and got some pictures there. The girls weren't real impressed but there were some squirrels playing in the yard that entertained them:)

It was a fun day, the girls did great, we accomplished all our assignments and made it back to the bus (with dinner) just in time.

Countdown... 15 days!

Attempted Post

I wanted to post some pictures of our trip to DC this last Saturday... But the internet is running so slow that only the first picture would upload. So for today you get to see the picture of me and Bria on the bus ride to DC. More to come...

Tickets

We got our tickets to Portugal today. We have touched them, held them in our hands... Friends, I think they are actually going to send us to Lisbon, Portugal!

21 days and counting...

Water Day

On Friday, Tirza had Water Day at school. She got to wear her swimsuit to school and play in the water all morning. She loved it! Tirza was so proud of her swimsuit. And to top it off for her they had pizza for lunch- her favorite (just like her momma).

Since it was Friday we got to pick her up right after lunch. It was shot day but the girls didn't have to get shots:) So it was really just a great day, a great water day for Tirza!!!

Our narrow escape

Last week we had our Security training, and I am happy to announce that we have survived! we survived without getting chosen. I can't tell you much so don't ask or I'll ask you for a drink of water... Those of you who have been through the training know what I'm talking about.
Anyways, we are over half way done with our training now. YEAH! And one month from today we will be landing in Lisbon. Can you believe it!!! We are getting SO close, we can almost smell the ocean salt water. We are checking off all our "things to do", our wills are done, we survived security training, most of our assignments are done... we are truly in the final count down.
Okay, just wanted to give a quick update, since I am so far behind. We have some exciting things to tell you all about but need pictures to go with it, but right now I am sitting on the playground typing so SOON. I hope:)

Tetanus

Well after 25 years of no tetanus shots... I am fully vaccinated again. Funny thing is that they did a blood test and it turns out that I was never not fully protected. Yep, I went for 25 years without ever getting a tetanus booster and still had 8 times more antibodies than I needed to be fully protected. Makes you think doesn't it.
Anyways, I should problay back up and explain that as a child I had a severe reaction to the tetanus vaccine. At the time, I think, my parents were told it was an allergic reaction, now I know that it wasn't an allergic reaction, just a really bad local reaction. Honestly, I am still not sure what the difference is but apparently it makes a huge difference. So, as I child I was just told not to ever get the vaccine again, wore the alert bracelet... the whole deal.
Then I get here to our training and they say- nope you have to get the vaccine and we know an allergist who can desensitize you and give you the vaccine. Let me explain what desensitize means... it means not just one shot but about 15! Okay 15 is an exaggeration but really I had 11. They just inject it over a longer period of time and in smaller amounts. Not fun! What was fun was that my friend, Nicole, didn't want me to have to go alone so she took me and we got to sit and chat for hours at a time. We both have 3 kids... so uninterrupted adult chat time never happens. It was great!!!
So 4 long doctor visits- totaling over 8 hours of my time, lots of pokes, oh and sharpie marks all over my arms because they mark with a sharpie how much they are injecting you with each time... I am now fully vaccinated against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis!