Home for the Holidays

 December Happenings

On Wednesday, November 27, Ricky traveled from New Day to Lusaka and stayed 2 nights at the guesthouse. On Friday, November 29, he traveled from Lusaka to Ethiopia (losing his luggage in route) and onto Nairobi, Kenya. He arrived after 1:00am and had to fill out paperwork for the lost luggage. He finally made it to the guesthouse in Nairobi at 3:00am!

On Saturday, November 30, Coby arrives from Kijabe into Nairobi on the school bus, and Ricky is waiting for his arrival. It was a great reunion for both of them, having not seen each other in 3 months! After some lunch and shopping, they begin getting ready for the long journey home.

Saturday night, November 30 - Ricky & Coby make their way to the airport in Nairobi. Ricky has to pickup his luggage that finally arrived. They board the plane for Dubai. A few hours layover in Dubai and then it was off to Milan, Italy. They had a few hours in Milan before heading across the ocean to New York.  Arriving in NY on Sunday night, December 1, they realize they cannot stay in the terminal overnight because they were transferring to a domestic flight to Charlotte. So, they call in a panic that they need a hotel.  I am able to book them a hotel near the airport, and they get a few hours of horizontal sleep and a good shower!

The next morning, Monday, December 2, they make their way back to the aiport and are told by US Airways they missed the check-in by 4 minutes!  After trying to convince USAir that the flight was not leaving for another 45 minutes, they were still forced to wait on the next flight which was 2 hours later. Ugh!!! In the meantime, the family have gathered at Charlotte Airport to await their arrival.

Ricky & Coby finally made it home!!!  It was a long, tiresome journey, but we were SOOOO HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY to see them!

Granddaddy, PopPop, Coby, Niki, Ricky, Mama, Kelsey, Meme

Tracy (our BFF), Coby, Niki, Ricky, Kelsey, Mama, Granddaddy

Once we were back home, Coby immediately headed to see his friends that he missed. The first week he was back, he spent every day with a friend and even went to eat lunch with the 9th graders at the High School.  He also got a much needed HAIRCUT (3 months without one is a long time)!  Both Ricky and Coby caught up on their sleep that first week.  Plus, there were dinners with friends and doctors appointments to go to.

Kelsey was able to schedule some time to say "farewell" to some of her friends. We had a bowling night and the girls were able to write messages to Kelsey on a Jenga game so when she plays the game in Zambia she will get to read all of their special words of love!

The second week home, there were more dinners & lunches with friends, more doctors appointments, and family gatherings to attend. Coby was reunited with his baby cousin, Logan, at the Abstance Christmas party.  Coby also got to go hunting that weekend with his Uncle John on 2 different occasions. He shot at one deer, but they couldn't find it :(  He's looking forward to hunting in Zambia when he's on his next break!

This is baby Haley, born on March 14, 2013 (Austin's birthday) and we were so excited to see her before she goes back to Cincinati for surgery in January. She was born premature with a rare birth defect called Long Gap Esophageal Atresia.

 We have spent a lot of time traveling to see friends and family, but now that school has finished for Kelsey & Austin for this semester, we are traveling to the beach for Christmas for some much needed relaxing!

Kelsey at her last band concert. She's in the flute section (3rd to left)