Goodbye

I really don't have a clue how to write this post.

My father in law, Dennis Blackburn, passed away very unexpectedly last Thursday. We will miss him terribly. He was a great father in law, father, and grandfather. He was a great example to Phil. I credit him with teaching Phil how to be the great husband and father that he is.

As a result we are back in the US earlier than we expected. We finished things up as quickly as we could in India, had our movers come a few days early, cancelled our travel plans, and returned to Utah to be with Phil's family. It was one of life's tender mercies that those arrangements all went as well as they possibly could have. We will be here for a few weeks.

And you miss out on all the witty little goodbye India posts I had planned. Maybe at some point I'll get back around to posting about our last few weeks there.

The night Max wore his wolf suit...

The invitation:

I was highly entertained, but then, I am his mother, and yes, sometimes I want to send him off to bed without his supper.

Church Worlds Colide

Some friends from Dallas are currently in India so we went to Chennai this past weekend to spend a little more time with them. You'll have to check out benac.com for the true lowdown on their travels, since I'm relying on their photography. Their travel agent/guide is a man we go to church with here. Also in Chennai are the McKinleys, some great friends of my parents, and mine as well.

You'll have to ignore N's frightful eyes, we are in the mad dash that is the last few weeks before we leave India. I don't have time to worry about devil eyes.
They are missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I credit them with my travel bug, since my first international experience was under their wing.

It was an interesting mix: influential family friends, Indian acquaintance, post marriage friends from Dallas, all shaken together in Chennai, with a heavy dose of monsoon thrown in. In the end it was a great weekend. It felt really good to see familiar faces.

The boys, including Phil, just wore their swimsuits for Saturday's sightseeing.