Homegroup Homies

 Fun to drop into Everette Burk's homegroup and get to see the famed Homegroup Wall of Fame.  Wild that Zoe has now graduated and is off in Baltimore.  Some legendary members of the homegroup that have come through the the middle school. 

The title, I believe, comes from the greeting of Mr. Burk's homegroup when they connect with each other. 

After Church

Great that Phil is still in town - and he had a chance to come to a double church morning, visiting HTBB after his time at St. Mary's earlier in the morning.  Fun to catch a Five Guys meal after the service and seeing the decorations at the Pavilion.

 

Sky over KL

 A beautiful sight of the skyline and clouds from the 4th floor of the middle school.  

Wow!

Billie Eilish Concert

 

What an incredible experience.  Billie Eilish put on an absolutely amazing concert in KL.  It was such a great event with Rania and her friends getting to attend.  I think this officially may count as her first concert - and a huge relief after so many years of covid, travel and group restrictions, and getting to feel a bit more normal!

Around Campus

Some great views of the spectacular Notre Dame campus - and getting to see Gabi as she moves into J-Fam (Johnson Family Hall). 

Her room is looking pretty great - and amazingly well organized!  The big smile is a great start.

 

Notre Dame Arrival

 

Wow!  It is looking real.  Gabi got into her room, and with tons of help on hand, got everything moved in, starting to get her side of the room ready.  International Student Orientation provides a big help to be there a bit early in terms of getting settled with fewer people on campus.  She's been in touch with Josie, her roommate from suburban Chicago, though Tracy did not stay for the full student orientation event.

Packing Up and Departing

 

What!?! Gabi is off to college.  It is pretty wild with everything packed up and fitting in the van - and off for the 2+ hour drive from Maumee to South Bend.  Add in the around-the-world flight, and it gets a whole lot farther!

Here is the departure from Maumee.

The MS Courtyard

 A picture of students enjoying the turtle pond during a Wednesday at ISKL.  It is always great to be reminded of the beauty of the campus.

Carrie at School

 

Another benefit of the surprise trip is getting to see events that are usually hidden from our summer travel.  Specifically, Tracy got to spend some time with Carrie at work.  Fun to see her in her element, doing such incredible work with kids - even though this year's class is significantly larger than previous years as they only have two sections of 5th grade.  Luckily, Carrie, as a master teacher, will do amazingly with the kids.  The big smiles don't hurt.

Freeze Daddy's

 Of course, with a quick return to Maumee, a visit to Freeze Daddy's and its yummy ice cream is a required part of the process. 

In this case, Jason gave a special tour of the back area, it would sure appear.  

Reeve @ First Solar

While security, access and protocols make it a bit tricky (obviously) to see Reeve's actual working space, the view from the outside will have to suffice.

So proud of him with is co-op with First Solar - and getting some great practical experience and hands-on learning.  Fabulous opportunity, for sure.
 

Getting Ready for Merdeka

 

With Merdeka, Malaysian Independence Day, still about two weeks away, the decorations are beginning.  The fountain in front of the Pavilion after church is one place where we see the Malaysian flags.

What!?! Back Again

 The joys and challenge of putting the first born in college means that Tracy had just barely gotten settled here before returning to Ohio to take Gabi to Notre Dame. 

Reminders of KL via Starbucks.

Rania's Friends

Alice's parents, who also live in our condo building, hosted a gathering for all of the eight girls and their parents.

Not surprisingly, in addition to delicious food, there was a lot of fun - both from conversation with the parents, and also laughter and joy from the girls.

 

First Day!

 Great to welcome kids to school.  So wonderful to see the enthusiasm and eagerness from kids. 

Faculty Start

 It was the start of school for faculty - with Rami leading us off and getting us ready for the 2022-23 school year.   It should be a big change from the last several covid years.  Amazing to be able to have activities!

Anniversary

 Happy Anniversary.  Pretty low-key when it is working and preparing for school. 

We went with Indian food as a tribute to our memories from last year - and pretty simple on a Saturday night via Grab Food.

Goodbyes & Return to KL

 At Schiphol, it was time to say goodbye to Livia - at least for now.  

All of us were able to enjoy several hours in the Delta Sky Lounge before our return trip.  So amazing to get a shower! That's a thrilling experience in the middle of a very long trip. 

Walking Around the Hague

 After the museum, Livia helped us go on a bit of a walking tour around the Hague, seeing some of the city and enjoying the sights.  We also were able to catch lunch in a Dutch cafe. 

Battling jetlag can be a challenge during an all-day layover.

Fun to get some group pictures - though can always be tricky to tell if Michael's eyes are open!

The Mauritshuis

 What a museum!  So incredible to see some of the most famous works of art in the world - and get to do it with family and friends.