Dear Family and Friends:
Welcome to Vogtian Chronicles 2008. If you can't get this because you don't have email, be sure to notify us .
As a quick recap, we are well and happy as clams as we close out the Bush Era and move forward. Our only loss is our wonderful Golden Retriever, Denali, who passed away last Spring.
But we are thrilled with our new pets and you are invited to our housewarming anytime.
They would love to have you for dinner.
So, the economy sucks and we decided to look for a new home.
First, we borrowed the corporate jet from General Motors,
En route to our destination we stopped off to pick up a few essentials:
And upon landing we purchased a used 4x4
When it broke down [while still on warranty] we had to resort to alternative transportation.
When the balloon ran out of air, we chose yet another mode of travel
But the river got a bit rough and scary,
So, after fighting off the hippos and crocs we decided to take a local taxi
Eventually we reached our destination.
Some of the ladies were a bit hesitant to welcome us with open arms when they saw Jim
But the guys were literally jumping with joy when they saw Suzi.
After washing our hands we decided to enjoy a picnic and the local constable joined us.
You can tell by his expression that he couldn't wait until we moved into the community.
Finally, we got around to house-shopping. Here we are inspecting a prospective home with our Century 21 realtor
:
While we really liked the home, the neighborhood was a bit shabby.
We kept looking and finally we found our dream home
And the Mother-in-Law guest house was perfect
but we insisted on some needed repairs before moving in:
Fed EX delivered our luggage just on time
And after we cleaned up litter in the backyard,
We decided to throw a block party. At first our new neighbors were rather suspicious
Fortunately the president of the Homeowners' Association held a meeting to discuss us,
And with his help and Suzi's charm the community accepted us and joined the party.
Water is a bit of a problem, however we frequently visit the nearby pump and fill up our jugs.
We don't have a clothes dryer yet, so we improvise.
W
While you might not be impressed with our new home's exterior, Suzi really turns out some gourmet meals in the kitchen
and to save a few bucks and not have to hassle with local traffic, we usually eat and entertain guests at
home.
We can't say enough about our local wildlife
The vegetation is fascinating and we can always find firewood.
And, of course, we absolutely love our sunrises and sunsets and the great outdoors
Certainly, most importantly, we were fortunate to meet some really cool people who we are proud to call friends
friends
We also enjoy going for walks with our pets.
While we were happy in our new locale, the presidential election caused us to return to the good old USA. Here's looking forward to a new and brighter future.
This lengthy blog is the result of Jim having too much time on his hands.
Suzi has become a gym rat, Tai Chi, weights and aqua programs almost daily, while simultaneously helping Kelly taking care of Everett.
Everett is now 3 1/2 years old and a standout in his Bumblebee pre-school class.
Everett is a big Brando fan - absolutely loves On the Waterfront
Here is our favorite Christmas present for Everett:
Kelly is working for a public relations firm and PR looks like a career field for her, although she has talked about going back to grad school once she and Aaron have established their family.
Aaron is a fundraiser for Outward Bound. We are giving him your home phone numbers so he can call and solicit donations. We suggested he call in the late evenings, around midnight. Be nice.
Wendy was fortunate to get two prestigious grants, a Fulbright-Hays and a National Science Foundation grant, and is doing research in Oaxaca in preparation for writing her doctoral thesis on the immigration of Central American women moving through Southern Mexico hoping to reach the Land of Opportunity.
Her grants will most likely keep her in Mexico through 2009, but she will be back in Tucson in May to get married.
Married! "OMG"! Little Wendy with the scuffed knees from soccer, the mischievous child that kept us up at night. The one who brought us to tears at the airport when she flew off to Europe with a friend after graduating high school!
So, Nick Rattray will be the newest addition to our family. He is also on a Fulbright and has spent the last year in Ecuador doing his research and writing his dissertation in disability and social inclusion (whatever that is). He should be getting his doctorate in 2009. This summer they traveled the Amazon. I think Nick ran out of razor blades in the jungle.
Kristina, the baby, is now 23. She spent a year in San Francisco rooming with her friend Danielle before entering a masters' program in Art Therapy at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She absolutely loves Chicago and, being a devoted Obamamaniac she regaled at Grant Park on Election Night. If you saw the crowds there that night, you undoubtedly saw her. She was the one with dark hair.
Kris has not been without company She arranged to visit Danielle, who is now in her first year at Harvard Med., in Boston and Wendy visited her in Chicago en route to Mexico. Suzi and Jim visited in late October.
Kris has finished her first semester and is right now in Mexico visiting Wendy and brushing up on her Spanish and tequila. In fact, while writing this we received a Skype call from her and Wendy. They are going to a party tonight. Not like they've been deprived of parties recently.
Kris and Wendy will be home for Christmas. ETA is December 22nd.
In March everyone went to Puerto Vallarta for a week and were able to escape without buying even one timeshare.
Our resort had a small train ride around the grounds and Everett loved it. He also got to see a bunch of turtles hatching on the sand. As you can see from this picture, he literally wore himself out. Too much cerveza.While in Mexico he gave his dad a lesson in slam dunking.
As you may have gleaned, Jim and Suzi visited Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana this summer. They also had a brief layover in Amsterdam but did not actually stock up on essentials.
On behalf of the entire clan, we wish all of you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanakuh and a better new year.
Love, the Vogts (and Campbells)
