Stokes in Peru

Bryce is in red, Raymond in blue: Greetings Peeps, Did you experience in your childhood, after the excitement and candy rush of Halloween, gazing at the calendar to see the imminent approach of Christmas and how the march of the days would slow to a glacial pace?  I haven't had that experience for nearly 40 years and certainly adulthood with each passing year has most often moved as regularly and swiftly as a Swiss train (or how I would imagine trains to run in Switzerland). I admire Bryce's choice of apparel: Raymond evidently has begun working on his portrait pose: However, since departing Lima on August 24, the unpleasant experience of childhood has rushed back not only in memory but in execution.  Adult logic told me that September 30 was a handful of weeks and then days away-but the time away from Marianella and the boys has been rather challenging, particularly once the work day ended. I'm coming Mama, hang in there!: But the calendar has continue

Alright Everyone, Well, the boys decided they didn't want to hang out inside Marianella's belly any longer (we guess there was no more room in the inn), so the delivery date got bumped up a week to Friday, August 4 when Bryce Alexander (5.37 lbs; 2.44 kilograms) and Raymond David (3.88 lbs; 1.76 kilograms) arrived at 12:58 and 12:59 in the afternoon, respectively. Bryce: Ray: The boys are doing very well-Raymond will be having a bit of an extended stay in the clinic until he gains some more weight, but both boys are strong and healthy.  They were breathing on their own from the start and while we haven't been able to yet take them into our arms, we are able to caress their soft little bodies. Marianella meeting Bryce on the other side: Mama is doing well too-she continues to glow with happiness and is recovering well from the delivery. Before: After: I'll share a few photos now-as we get to spend more time with the boys, we will

Greetings Loyal Readers, I am going to take this entry in a different direction than what you've expected in the approximately nine years I've been doing this blog.  Recently, one of my favorite sports writers did a post entitled "50 Things That Make Me Happy", as an antidote to the wave of negativity that seems to permeate any visit to the Internet these days.  After reading through the list (you can see it here ), I found myself alternately smiling and thinking it was a great idea for both my sake and hopefully, those of my family and friends too. There is no particular order to the list, except for #1-that item is perfectly placed.  Keep in mind that the focus is upon things, otherwise the list would be dominated by you all. So, here you are-50 Things That Make Me Happy.  Ohh, and if you are pressed for time, I do encourage you to skip right ahead to #1 on the list. Enjoy! 50.  A Walk Around The Block At My Mom's To be accurate, we are talking abo

Hello Again, I promised you that I'd be coming back quickly! As we were planning our trip to Portugal, one thing we did not really anticipate was catching live music.  We were going to schedule a night of Fado (more on that in a bit), but unlike any other place we have visited, the music came at us from unexpected and various places. On our first day out and about in Lisbon, we were near the main square when we saw these nattily dressed youngsters with their big band instruments.  We arrived just in time for the performance and Marianella explained how this is a common group in South American also, a group of business school students who busk for projects or trips.  Especially impressive was the gymnastics of the young guy with the tiny hand cymbals: The only occurrence where we paid to see live music on the vacation was a fado dinner show on Saturday night.  Fado is the traditional music of Portugal, their version of the blues that is sung in dimly lit clubs (as you will s

Greetings All, As the birds begin to chirp and the trees blossom in Beijing, the cold and dark months of January and February are inching towards a distant memory.  We had forgotten what winter was all about, having lived the last four years in Dhaka; while we did not have to endure the snow and ice that mark a Minnesota winter, we got close enough to the experience to remember the joys of spring. During Chinese New Year (at the end of January) we escaped to Portugal, specifically the cities of Lisbon and Porto.  While Europe may not be a traditional winter destination, we were quite eager to experience our first excursion together into the continent.  While it was warm compared to Beijing and the rest of Europe, we certainly were not roaming about in shorts and flip flops; instead, we strolled through the rolling, tiled streets of these ancient cities as the crisp autumn-like air would compel us to duck inside every so often for a delicious pastry and hot drink.  The definition of