Crocodile Bank

Before summer break we took a quick trip down to Crocodile Bank in the middle of May. This is a park..you guessed it full of crocodiles! It was not quite like our zoos as it seem like it would be far too easy for a crocodile to get out or a human to get in the pen. Kind of scary. But it was amazing to see all the different species of crocodiles. The funnest part was holding a baby crocodile. The crocodile pens were full of white feathers which I assumed were chicken feathers but a friend later told me white birds would land and get gobbled up! Of course the joke for the day was we went to Crocodile Bank and didn't even make a withdrawal at the ATM!!

Life in Illinois has been crazy. It seems like there is so much going on yet when my friends tell of their kids summer sports schedule we have it easy! It just seems like there has been stuff to do around the house, shopping to get done and friends and family to visit. Ted only has a little over a week left in the US. Before I know it the kids and I will boarding the plane back to India! This weekend we are heading to a family get together at my brother Scott's house in Southern Illinois. It is an annual tradition and will be a blast.

Back in the US

We are back in the US for several weeks. While many people in Chennai travel a lot over summer break we are just back in our home and have several trips planned to various locations in the Midwest over the summer. For some this may seem boring but for us it is a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of the city life in Chennai. At our house in Illinois we only see around 20 cars a day, hear no horns and can actually get junk mail 6 days a week! The kids can hike in the woods, camp out, fish in the river and ride their dirt bikes. It is a fun time for the kids to be able to get in touch with the great outdoors again where there is no fear of any poisonous snakes...not that I have seen one in India. Plus it is fun to see grandparents, family and friends again. It was such a awesome site to see the kids see their close friends after being away for so long. Totally priceless. There are some bonuses to being stateside again...western toilets with toilet paper, drinking fountains with good water, good beef, traffic that flows in an orderly fashion, clean roadsides, salad in a bag, peeled baby carrots, etc. But life in India is really pretty good after all in the US I have to open my own door, carry my groceries, do the laundry, dishes and housework, drive myself and be called by my first name instead of ma'am! I may just be ready to head back to India! One advantage to being away from the US for awhile makes us appreciate our government. When you see a policeman you know that the person being stopped won't be able to bribe their way out of a ticket. I seem to see open fields with a new perspective, the grass is so green, crisp and clean.

The trip to the US was uneventful. The flights were smooth and we were able to sleep off and on. Coming from India to the US I feel is easier as far as jet lag as the flight didn't leave until 1:45 am so we were so tired when we took off we slept for a while. The kids griped (and me too) about flying in economy class, but that was our only option. It is pretty bad when you hear a seven year old complaining to her playmate about flying economy instead of business! I didn't know the difference until a few years ago.

We left Millie and Cleo in India with some friends of ours. They seem to be adjusting fine and are making themselves at home. When my friend goes out for a long time during the day she drops Millie off at our house to visit with our staff. I had to chuckle when one of our guards thought Millie was never coming back...he was really sad!

I am writing this post from Indiana. We are visiting Ted's family for the weekend. The weather is beautiful, low 80's and sunny. Today we are going to be having a cookout and we requested that anything but chicken be served!

Stay tuned this summer as I still have photos to share from adventures that I just never took the time to write about.

The end of school

The past week has been a whirl of activities at school, everything from the Science fair to Spanish parties to water parties. I am so pleased with how well the kids did adjusting to India and the new school system. Moving to a new school in mid year is difficult and let alone the new school being located in a third world country with all different nationalities of kids. Our kids did fantastic and I am so proud of them! Here are just a few photos taken at school recently.

Emily at her water party

S

Mason and his buddies

The Spanish Party

The Swim Party

Emily's class

Logan's science experiment

Emily's science experiment

It is really amazing that we have been in India for over 5 months and are packing to return to the US for the summer. I never would have believed that we would be so well adjusted to our life here. But God has been good and has granted us peace here. We are all very much looking forward to the time spent with friends and family in the US but are looking forward to seeing friends and meeting new people upon our return to India!

The Funeral

It was really interesting to witness the whole ceremony of the man that died. He was laid out on a bed of palm leaves and had a canopy above him. There were chairs placed around the body. People would just sit and look at his body and weep while drums were played loudly outside there property. In the morning men began preparing the bed of wood in which the body would then be placed on. The man had been bathed, dressed in white, his hair combed and surround by beautiful flowers. Later in the day the man was placed on the bed of wood and driven to the electric cemetery (crematory) where his body was then returned to ashes. The drummers beat the drums and flowers trailed behind the cart as the procession made its way to the crematory. Today the family will be gathering some of the ashes and throw them to the sea. A very interesting cultural experience but yet so sad to witness the harshness the people of India deal with every day.