U.S. Trip Stravaganza

After three weeks, seven flights and six states we have returned back to our home in Scotland. We had the most marvelous time visiting family and friends. The following will be a photo tour of our time. We began our visit in sunny California (Aug 23) with Tristan's brother Troy and his family. We got to meet our new niece Taylor first time. We had a great time at the beach and on Santa Monica's 3rd street promenade.

Trid, Les, Trey, Nicole and Troy at the Getty Museum.


Tristan and Trey.
Taylor and Leslie.

We continued our visit in Texas (Aug 25) with Tristan's other brother Travis and his family, also meeting our other new niece, Chloe for the first time. Travis was a great cook. Thanks for the salsa and homemade icecream. We're so happy we were able to spend time with them, however short it was!

Leslie and Chloe.

Noah and Tristan playing together.
Our next stop was Colorado (Aug 27) to visit Tristan's parents. We had a great time at the presidential experience exhibit while it was in town during the Democratic National Convention. We also we able to go to the mountains for a picnic and a drive up Mount Evans. It was a wonderful time with great company!

Tristan's parents, Jim and Brenda, posing at the presidential podium.


One of about 30 mountain goats we saw on our drive up Mount Evans. (Yes, he's sticking his tongue out at you!)
Us at the summit, 14,264 feet.

Our travels continued in Oklahoma (Aug 30), where my Uncle Nick picked us up. He held a sign for "Mr. and Mrs. Haagis McBlocky". Hilarious!
We went to church at Memorial Road in Edmond where Tristan gave a presentation of our work during a class and then off to Muskogee.

Girls reunited in Muskogee, OK (Aug 31)! My sis Jenna, mom Nancy, sis Callie and me at my Grandparents 50th wedding anniversary party.
Me and my Grandma Rose.

My brother Derek and his girlfriend Megan.

My family: Les, Trid, Mom, Dad, Callie, Jenna and Derek.

And on to Windom, Kansas (Sept 2), but only for an evening to catch Callie's volleyball game. She's a senior this year and just pretty much an awesome person.
The next morning we were off to Wichita to visit our previous employers. Tristan gave another presentation at the Assisted Living Home where he used to work. We had a meal with a Northside church family that evening and attended church that evening.

Then up to Blair, Nebraska (Sept 4) the following morning to go visit Tristan's Grandma Pearl. It was wonderful to be able to visit with her and some of Tristan's other family that live in Blair.

That evening we traveled over to Albion to spend about a day and a half with more family. Here we are with Tristan's cousins, Spencer and Dustin. It was great to be able to watch Spencer play football and visit with aunts and uncles and grandparents.

Tristan's Grandparents: Grandpa and Grammy

Aaaannnnddd... back to Kansas (Sept 6). By this time I (Leslie) am feeling pretty icky with a cold. But, my parents surprised Tristan and I (especially me) with celebrating our birthdays that evening. I assumed they would celebrate Tristan's, since it was on the 15th, but I had no clue about mine. It was great!

Sunday we worshipped with the Windom Church of Christ. Tristan had a full plate, with presenting our work during class time and preaching during worship. He did a great job, such a proud wife here! It was so wonderful to be with the church that I grew up in.

That afternoon Tristan and I absolutely crashed! We were shattered from all of the traveling we had done up to that point. We laid on my parent's lovely reclining love seat and watched a movie. That evening I went to bed rather early, since I still wasn't feeling that great. At around midnight I started getting up to throw up and like clockwork every 20 to 30 minutes until four in the morning I was tossing my cookies until there were no cookies left. Amazingly enough, the next morning I felt better, my cold even seemed to be gone!

That week, my new cousin was born. My cousin Justin, and his wife Krista, had their first child Kate. We were so glad to be able to go and visit them in their beautiful house.

Probably one of the funniest things that's ever happened in my life occured on this trip. I was able to get my sister, Callie, to teach Tristan her cheerleading dance one night. Callie and I were absolutely rolling and crying with laughter. I love that my husband is such a good sport and an awesome dancer!
We are so thankful for the time we were able to visit with family! Tristan and my cousin Kyler.

Brother and Sister: Kyler and Jaylie

One thing that really worked out during our trip is that our very good friend Jonathan was able to visit the States at the same time as us. It had been over 2 years since we last saw him! Good buddies and college roomies: Jonathan and Tristan.Saturday (Sept 13) we were able to have lunch with some of our friends from college/Northside. In the evening my dear sweet friends Jennifer and Donna organized and hosted a party for us. It was wonderful to see so many of our young adult friends again and so many new babies added to their families since we've been in Scotland.

On Sunday Tristan again presented our work during class time and preached during worship. Jonathan led singing. :)

Friends! Sam, Ryan, Me, Trid, Jonathan, Paul and Stacey. Ryan and Sam opened up their home and good cooking to us for a couple of nights while we were in Wichita. Thanks guys!

Monday (Sept 15) we headed back to Oklahoma, but not before a birthday lunch at Chipotle, Tristan's favorite! No, that's not food. That's blood on Tristan's lip. In a freak burrito eating accident, Tristan's lip was cut, and it bled throughout the entire meal. Poor soul, and on his birthday too! He powered through though, and ate that monster burrito anyway.

To get the bleeding to stop we had to go over to Walgreens next door and get a little white stick thing that would stop the bleeding. Good times!

Jonathan drove us down to Oklahoma. We were so happy to be able to spend that time with him! That evening our last presentation was at Outreach at OC. We were happy to share our experiences with college students, imagining ourselves in their position not too long ago. After Outreach many of our college friends gathered at Clyde and Gwen Antwine's house for a get together and to celebrate Trid's B-day. It was wonderful to get to see those people again, and actually a majority of the people that were there were involved in the Germany campaigns that we went on in college. What a reunion! It was also wonderful for my brother to be there and to say goodbye to him.

Birthday cake number 3 or 4?

Me and Amy Nickerson. Love this girl!

Tristan and Kevin. Oh my what they are laughing about!
Trid, Me, Courtney and Ed. Such an encouraging and inspiring couple to know!

Trid, Kerbs, and me. (Yes, I know your last name is now Woods, but you'll always be Kerbs in my heart dear lodgemate!)

Thus concluding our photo tour. The next morning (Sept 16), Jonathan deposited us at the aeropuerto at a rediculously early hour. We traveled to Newark and arrived their early, making our layover about 8 hours. We wandered around the shops and watched episodes of Smallville (Thanks Ryan and Sam) on our laptop until our flight. We flew back to Scotland arriving Wednesday morning (Sept 17).

We are now trying to adjust to this time zone, but as it is 1:15 a.m. as I write this, you can guess how we are doing. :)

Look for our next update as Tristan describes his adventure with OC campus security. Cheerio the now!