Sunday, February 13, 2022

Jan 2022: Skiing, USA (again!), back to Kenya

It was a busy month full of lots of travel.  The highlight was watching Maria embrace skiing which is certainly now on the top of her passion list.

Hiking to the "Big Red Bench" near our home in Italy.


Gio was, as always busy with friends,
 but we enjoyed the walk with Maria!

Right after the New Year we drove up to La Thuile
for a week of skiing.

Maria started each morning with ski school.

She loved every minute of the ski week and improved so quickly that by the 3rd day we were taking her up the gondola to ski up top.

A private lesson....


All too soon it was time to leave the ski slopes (Maria made us promise for a return next year).  Paolo and Gio headed back to Nairobi while  Maria and I were on our way back to the USA. We will have passed through Frankfurt Airport 4 times this holiday and took  a photo with Einstein  each time (this was #3).

Pfizer jab  #2.

We spent much of this week with my parents but also took some time to explore DC.  The highlight for me was the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Quilt of Harriet Tubman

Breonna Taylor

Chuck Berry's Cadillac


Touring around Georgetown.
 
It was cold!

Another big chair.

An afternoon alone in a movie theatre (Maria loves her scooter helmet A LOT!).

We got passes to the zoo to see the baby panda. 
He did not disappoint...


As always a trip to DC means a visit to the cat cafe.

And in what seemed like a minute it was time to start the long journey (30+ hours) back to Nairobi.

So happy to be back with the gang...



Celebrating Maria's HALF (8.5) birthday at the water park.  Since  Maria is a summer  baby she usually has a party and brings snacks to her class on her half birthday.


Gio and his gang came along to help celebrate.  When 7 girls from their 7th grade class showed up the fun really began!

Back home for pizza and  cake.

After nearly two years our school campus has finally opened up to families on weekends.  We headed straight to the tennis courts.

Jagger was invited to school to visit a Middle  School after school group that is learning about animals.  I talked to the group about Jagger's work as a therapy dog in South Africa.

He was a star.

February will take Gio and Paolo to Diani to do a SCUBA course.  More soon.  Love,  Clara