The visit so far

Its been busy, thats for sure, also with lots of fun and lots of sad times too, but generally we are enjoying a lot the opportunity to be useful, see family, and help out around the house.

We generally have been heading out early each morning, but have been able to spend a bit of time with Grandpa, who is still doing things around the farm that make him feel good. The other day I caught this late morning shot of him on his Mahindra tractor and I couldn't resist taking a picture.

We haven't been able to help out at all around the farm, but thats okay maybe next spring we'll come up and do some work.

We have, on the other hand, been able to get grandma's new place almost (almost) set up. We still have a few more minor things to do, we plan on heading back monday to leave it ready for a first impression, but the main stuff is done.

Furniture in place, almost 100 boxes unpacked, pictures hung and books and bits and bobs arranged, hopefully this can feel like home for her.

Its a nice place, and she no longer has to worry about getting her lawn mowed - I've even found some cool benches around the property - nice places to sit that I hope I get a chance to show her someday.

But so far grandma hasn't made it home yet :(

But my wife found this old picture, from 1996, in her photo albums. It shows me with my parents and grandpa, my dad's dad, the same one from the tractor. Grandma, my mom's mom, is not in the picture but she recognized it immediately, from her house at the 'after party' to my first communion.

The two pictures on the wall I recently hung in her new hallway.

Somehow the new apartment has her energy, but not her. I think she'll like it, but she has to make it.

The whole processes has been hard on @snook, and we haven't had much time to spend with her really either. Just been running around putting out the most urgent fires. But we did get to eat a fish fry dinner with them, including grandma, on Friday.

There were some nice laughs, and it was good to get a group together for a meal.

We head back to Colombia this week, and I feel like we are leaving the main job half done, which was - get grandma into her new apartment.

And when you only come up once a year, everybody feels like they didn't quite see you enough.

We saw this uncle for about ten minutes, and it reminded me of something he said to us a few years ago -

"Alex it's better to go back when everybody is still sad to see you leave, and not wait around until they are happy to see you go."

Wise words, but not much solice, I'm going to miss them all and probably hope to come up next spring instead of waiting a year.

Freedom and Friendship