Happy Summer!

Hello one and all!

It has been a long time since our (i.e. Marvin's) last blog update. We've been busy and the growing kids never stop - that's not an excuse, but just a weaselly explanation about why I haven't done it.

The last pictures from Ames are WHITE and now it is quite GREEN. We have been occasionally exploring the country side in the MANTRUK and finding some beautiful areas. Some areas are a little off the beaten path. The kids have helped move cattle between pastures (1), explored streams (2), went to Adveureland (3 - Gavin is a daredevil and he missed his riding partner, Chase!), and peed in bushes (4). Below are some other pictures of areas around Ames (5 & 6).

Since our last update we've done some traveling:


1. Marvin went to Neumunster, Germany and Nordburg, Denmark for a week for work where I saw some familiar sites and ate at my FAVORITE Doner Kebap sandwich stand (Turkish rotisserie cooked lamb).


2. The whole family went to Gilbert, AZ to visit all of our family. While there the kids 'camped' in the Fruehan's backyard for a week, went to the Pima Air Museum, played in the cool water, played a lot of XBOX (no picture included - duh), and many other fun things.

3. Marvin went to Las Vegas for a working conference. There are no pictures. Marvin doesn't really like Las Vegas, it was work, and it wasn't great.

4. Marvin went to Shanghai, China, for 3 weeks for work. This was a very long trip; long time away from home and a very long flight - Chicago to Shanghai direct, 14 hours. However, Shanghai is a very large and sometimes pretty city. It was very interesting. I strengthened my heritage as a "hard dealer" by reviving skills taught to me by my father on the streets of Mexico about how to bargain with street vendors. I also continued a family tradition (OK, maybe just dad) of eating food from vendors with street carts. I ate some sort of meet on a stick; I followed sage advice while traveling in Asia - "don't eat anything with eyes on it" and "don't ask, don't tell" regarding 'what kind of meat is that on the stick?' Pictures: 1 - Flight path from Chicago to Shanghai; 2- Shanghai Pearl Tower and city skyline at night; 3 - Papa John's pizza delivery fleet.

5. Marvin went to Osaka, Japan, for a week for work. I tried to follow the "no eating things with eye's" rule, but we were 'hosted' for every dinner meal (very proper and hospitable people) and the 1st night was "traditional Japanese". Let's just say that the appetizer was raw sea urchin served on some sort of tofu or starchy lump all served in a cold sea broth. The rest of the dinner went downhill from there. However, since I was unfortunately seated at a small table with the Plant Manager, Project Manager, APAC Regional VP, and a couple of other people I couldn't just decline to eat this "special" dinner. I only gagged twice the whole night and I don't think anyone even noticed. Particularly disturbing to my palate was the completely cold and raw WHOLE SHRIMP. Just like they plucked it straight from the ocean, bonked it on the head, and tossed it onto a cabbage leaf atop a bowl of rice. Did I say "just like"? I meant that's EXACTLY what it was. You had to pluck off the legs, peel it, rip off the head, then eat the whole 'body' and then toss away the tail. No, I didn't forget the part where it's deveined. This was gag #2 for the evening. I almost went down, but thanks to the constant replenishment of my glass of O.J., I survived. Oh, and don't even get me started on the toilets!!!! No pictures from this trip. Maybe next time.

6. Deborah went to "Girl's Camp" for church for a week and since Madeline will be 12 in September (oh my!), she got to attend as well . They loved it and both had a great time.

7. Deborah and Marvin went to Savannah, GA (without the kids) for a long weekend with Marvin's sister Lisa and bro-in-law Craig. Marvin had a free airline ticket that had to be used before expiration and mistakenly asked Deborah where she wanted to go while she was watching the Food Network. 1 - Deborah 'finishing' her Gooey Chocolate Butter Cake desert at Paula Dean's restaurant "The Lady and Sons"; 2 - Deborah wading in the Atlantic Ocean for the 1st time (this was a 1st for Marvin also); 3 - Lisa and Craig shopping in a little highway-side store; 4 - the local "Piggly Wiggly" with the BBQ in the front; 5 - This is Chico our friend from the Savannah Riverfront Marriott. Chico was milling about in the open river while carefree boaters zoomed by. Chico was the 2nd alligator that we saw in GA. Craig and I saw a small 8 footer at Fort Pulaski that we named Casimir (in honor of Casimir Pulaski - like the fort itself). Casimir wasn't as photogenic as Chico, so he didn't make the page. However, Chico was at least a 12 footer that made Craig and I squeal like little girls every time it moved, even though we were 2 stories above it on a concrete walkway behind a sturdy steel railing. We liked this excitement though, so Craig proceeded to walk up to another walkway 3 stories above Chico and dump water on his head to make him 'react'. You may notice in the 'action shot' below that there is some water splashing around Chico's head. Chico didn't cause these splashes. Enough said. By the way, this is what happens when men are left unattended in the neighborhood of a class A predator while the wives "SPA". Additionally, I know it's hard to tell that Chico is really about 12 feet long, but you'll have to trust me since Craig refused to go down on the shore so that we get a picture that shows comparative size. Craig, you wee girl.






I am sure we've had many other adventures and Marvin has HUNDREDS more pictures, but this is all I have time for in this installment. To summarize: Harry Potter movie at the IMAX with Madeline and Gavin; Deborah, Madeline, and Marvin finished the new Harry Potter book (in that order) within 48 hours of release (Gavin is admirably still working on it); Gavin has 2 days of Cub Scout day camp; Marvin is speaking in church; one of our missionaries was in the hospital for a week and had to go home do to illness (he's OK); Deborah was promoted with Marriott and is the lead admin for the Western Region, is going to start working full-time once the kids ALL start school (yes, Everett is in kindergarten), and is still Young Women's president for our ward; and all the kids are growing like weeds.


We love you all and hope you're all doing well.


The Smiths.