The Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas

Last night I browsed the bookshelf and Max joined me to ask if I thought he could read The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.  I didn't think so.  Max burst into tears.  Through the sobbing I managed to discern that he was worried about not being able to read that level of book yet and that he really wanted to read that particular book.  Jesse came to the rescue and empathised and suggested that I read it to him.

And so we sat right there on the reading couch and read for a long time.  We are up to chapter 5 and Max thinks that from now on we should read during the day - 'not because it will be scary but it will get sad' - which is true.

Later that night Max mused that he always thought the pyjamas would be blue striped when the book says they are grey striped.  I suggested maybe a grey-blue stripe.  "Oh yes," he answered, "like the grey-blue distance."*  And off he went to watch Call of the Wild on DVD.

* That's a reference to My Country which includes the line 'Strong love of grey-blue distance'

Alec

 - is still in Armidale - and likes it.
 - had a baptism last weekend.

 - has been trout fishing - and catching little trout.
 - likes his companion Elder Chan.
- is teaching quite a few Chinese students - and is therefore grateful for Elder Chan who speaks chinese.
 - thinks he will be home on November 15.
Hooray!

Winter - Queensland style

We are loving the chill in the air and the early nights.  Max has begun to memorise My Country by Dorothea McKellar - he's about half way through.

Peet continues to take lovely photos.

There is knitting going on - booties and scarfs and coasters.

Dressing gowns are out of hibernation, Fisher is wearing her coat, oven dinners are favoured, quilts are draped over the lounge, and we're trying out new brownie recipes.

Brisbane has just the right amount of winter for me - enough to enjoy winters pleasures but not so much that it becomes tedious.

Happy Mothers Day - to Roger

Roger's birthday fell on Mothers Day this year - we think it's a good idea.  Lots of celebrations - lots of food - lots of presents.

Max caught up the chart that we colour in to mark the months till Alec returns - it's starting to look good at last.

Then it was on to baking.

 And relaxing.

 And a little bit of tidying even though it was Sunday since Anne, Lee & Joan and Thomas & Kathleen were all coming for dinner.

This was a good year for presents - which included a big stack of handmade tortillas for me to freeze from Tom and Kathleen, photos from Peet for Roger and I, food from Louisa, soap and a game from Max, manly presents for  Roger including a bullet puller, a thermos, and a book and for me a quilt from Jesse.  It's divine - the backing is part of a blanket Lee brought from Canada more than 50 years ago.

I love it - and I am not alone.

The days menu went:
Breakfast - baked oatmeal.
Lunch - make your own left overs
Dinner - a cheese board as an entree followed by roast venison with a rocket, pear, blue cheese and walnut salad and a warm pumpkin, feta and beetroot salad, and a three milk cake for dessert - delicious.

And then Alec phoned - and we talked for a couple of hours.  Max and Louisa both sobbed intermittently and only managed a few words.  Alec sounds happy, complete, and fulfilled - and looking forward to coming home.  Not as much as we are looking forward to having him home though.

The day ended with family prayer with a long list of grateful things.

The Wedding

I had always hoped that Thomas would marry someone kind, and smart, and strong, and sensitive, with a loving and supportive family, a faithful, gentle type of woman.

I always worried that he might get it wrong - that was time utterly wasted - he got it absolutely right.

It was a happy and relaxed day for all of us - it helps when you are the interstate family and hence have no wedding day responsibilities beyond getting the groom to the temple - and, let's face it, wild horses couldn't have kept him away.

The wedding was gift enough for all of us - but there were some bonus moments for me - meeting the Fornaro family again after the engagement party, seeing Donald and Lisha and their lovely boys for a couple of hours (that doesn't happen often enough), having a day in Melbourne with Anne and Joan and Louisa, having Samantha Gilkes (complete with her wicked sense of humour) there, and being in the temple on Good Friday for a sacred and lasting moment.

More than a few photos follow.

Max in a rare cheerful moment.

A more representative Max moment - he spent most of the day in tears - and this in spite of the fact that Tom and Kathleen will be living about 100 m away.

One of my favourites - just after the wedding.

Kathleen with one of her twin nieces - just quietly I am very excited to see what cute kids the Fornaro girls produce!

The official wedding party.

The Fulcher side at the temple - David and Daniel, Anne, Lee & Joan and all of us (except for Alec of course) - you can see how pleased I am to have had each of these with us since I am including a bad photo of me! 

Roger took this photo - I think it's my favourite.

Max - still crying - with the girls who were working to cheer him up - it was starting to create a scene. 

Tom with his in-laws - fabulous family - no wonder Kathleen is delightful - a brother is missing from this photo too - Michael is also on his mission - and in the same mission as Alec.

Just us - totally wishing we had Alec.  (Max looks a bit like he is being sent to the gallows - the pashmina doesn't help but he was cold and weepy so what could I do.)

Peet is actually taller than Tom now.

Tom with his groomsmen - Peet & Daniel - they did make a gorgeous trio.

The reception was lovely - beautifully decorated tables, a bridal waltz that was as sweet as the couple themselves, a little bit of dancing (but they missed the Macarena and the Hokey Pokey so we worried that the marriage might not be legal), and another chance to admire such a pretty couple.   It was an elegant and relaxed affair  and couldn't have been more lovely.

We did miss Alec all day long - and I guess the Fornaros missed Michael all day too.  Can't wait till December to have all of my family together for the first time!

Mexico

So once we recovered from the excitement of Jesse presenting at the War and Peace: A Mormon Perspective conference we started to plan the trip and a big black cloud settled over Jesse and I as we contemplated a few days to a week in LA doing really not much else but shopping.  (We are not good shoppers - we keep trying - but we're just not that good.)

Then - I discovered that Mexico was right next to California - who knew!  And so began my search for cheap flights to somewhere cool in Mexico.  Mission accomplished - cheap flights were available to Merida which is right near ancient Mayan ruins.

So that meant the choice was shopping in LA or climbing ancient ruins in Mexico - now that's a no-brainer.

So much fun - Merida is a delightful town - it's a big tourist centre for Mexicans but very few western tourists - which means it's totally set up for tourists but still exotic and fascinating.

We found a great hotel right on the main square which cost us all of $25 a night and included a great breakfast of crepes, fruit, yogurt and wholemeal bread rolls.

The main square was the centre of everything - and every night from Thursday to Monday there is Salsa dancing in the street - families turn out with their littlies and grandparents alike - all salsa-ing away the night.  Traditional Mayan dancing - which turns out to involve trays of tequila balanced on heads - and a boy band to finish the night.

Jesse salsa-ed with one of the locals boys about town - that means she has danced on tables in Nepal, in a cafe in Greece and in the street in Mexico. (How do I keep her down on the farm!)

We spent a day admiring the architecture - well.. admiring and pondering what it all meant to the Mayans - and sampling the chocolate - and loving the markets.

Then a day at Chichin Itza - it's one of the wonders of the ancient world for a reason.  It's also gruesome - all about human sacrifice - but incredible and beautiful.  We took a tour which was a mistake - a long lunch at a big tourist place and not enough time to wander.  

So the next day we took the bus to Uxmal by ourselves.  We bought 2nd class tickets - which turned out to mean no seat belts.  Chichin Itza was great and we both thought it was worth the trip but Uxmal was one of the great days in life.  It is just as beautiful as Chichin Itza though not as big - the big difference is that at Uxmal you can climb anywhere - even inside a little bit.

The buildings are massive and quieting - and there was no human sacrifice at Uxmal.  We spent the whole day wandering, listening in to the English speaking guides, sitting and wondering, and climbing.  Jesse is not a fan of heights but did the climb to the top of this tower anyway - and gingerly made it down to the applause and congratulations of a group of German tourists.

We made it back to Merida after dark and walked home along little narrow streets where people smiled and where we both felt completely safe.  The whole day felt like a dream really.

Then it was on to California for the conference.

At the Mexico City airport we amused ourselves by people watching - our favourites were the flock of long haired suave Latino boys heading to Miami who swanned around the departure lounge striking a new pose every few minutes.

Mexico City is high on both our lists of places to visit -' sprawling' doesn't even come close to describing the view from the air.