Rent-a-dog!

Katy and I have had this problem that we had to deal with since we got married. For those of you who know us well, it may come as no surprise. This problem revolves around us and our pawed companions. I have always had dogs around me growing up as has Katy. Unfortunately, our lives have not been ideally suited to welcome our furry buddies to join our family because of our fear that no sooner we get settled into a groove, that we have to pick up and go overseas. It is a small price to pay for the blessings that we are showered with in this cross-cultural marriage of ours. But it is a price nonetheless.

I am happy to report though that I think we may have found a solution to our dog-situation. There are no rent-a-dog programs.. or even a “lease-a-pet” arrangement we can find in Holland. (Speaking of which, wouldn’t that be a great idea?). We do the next best thing…which is to take care of dogs that belong to family and friends. We are familiar holiday resorts for Bo, Whidbey, Tobey, Max, Libby and now… to Ike and Coen. I like this. We get to “rent” different dogs so we have our dog fix but in doing so, we are also helping our family and friends. Plus, it has to drive our neighbors crazy… seriously… everytime we pass by their windows, they have no idea what is going on. One week its a yellow lab who lumbers along, the next week, its the tallest horse-dog combo, then we have a couple of dogs that look like stuffed animals (or Ewoks as my friend Chad put it)… well.. I guess, its actually more fun to imagine what is going through people’s heads.

So anyway… the Ewoks are with us this week. They add a new dimension to our dog-sitting program…they aren’t house-broken… at least not completely, and they like to burrow. So while our backyard has a couple of HUGE holes in it, the silver lining to that problem is that we may have found a cheaper way to get to India.

Here are a couple of pictures from the weekend including an earlier picture of Bo…and a couple of pictures of Whidbey, the dog-horse… he’s really just a dog…but you know what I mean.

Spring Colors and Tastes

Check out some of the lovely spring flowers and tulip time flavors that we’ve been enjoying over the last couple of weeks! God has made Holland beautiful. Now we’re just waiting for some consistently warm weather.

We’re loving our new camera!!!

So near and yet…

This last week has been a strange week for Katy and me. It started last weekend when my brother James boarded his plane to come to the U.S. He has been in the U.S. this past week and will be headed back to India today. The strangeness, for me, comes from the fact that even though James is here… in the U.S… Katy and I do not get to see him. He is here attending a conference on behalf of the Google/Youtube conglomerate. And yet, not being able to see him, much less even talk to him as much as we normally would…adds to surreal nature of the week. I am really glad he was able to come here but a part of me wishes trips like this remain few and far between. I’d rather he come for a conference but have the luxury of coming and spending some days with us up in Michigan.

Coming up to Michigan would definitely mean connecting with us and other friends he has made along the way. However, more importantly, he would then cut through the layers and get into true Americana. While San Francisco and California have a charm uniquely their own, his home in Michigan would help him stop being a business traveler and enter into a family. When we lead teams to India, this is one of the best gifts we can offer people, the gift of family. I feel bad that he was not able to experience that this time around.

I have been trying to figure out how his week has been. He has done some shopping, has enjoyed waffles (even made one himself), but mostly, spent most of his time at the conference. Poor kid. Then again, I remarked to him the last time we talked…”Can you believe it? In a little more than a year, you have been in the U.S. twice already?” That is definitely something we never saw coming. Hoped for? Yes! Optimistic? Not really.

I hope he has a safe trip home. I hope he can come back again. I hope he can visit us in Michigan.