Another two months go by, and busy ones at that. At the end of April we took a week's vacation and stayed in a little "gite", or cottage, in the Provence region of southern France. It was a great trip, and we picked a good time to be there; it was still wet and cool in Paris, so it felt like being in a different world to be able to walk around the beautiful little villages in short sleeves. Highlights of that trip included dancing "sur le pont d'Avignon", testing the aromas at a perfume museum until our noses were numb, and watching a demonstration of a working catapult at the dramatic fortress of Baux de Provence. A highly recommended part of France to visit - friendly people, great food, mild weather and too many cultural sites to see on one trip.

May brought a visit from Gramma Thora and Grampa Wafik, who were able to stay for several weeks and participate in lots of the routine and special happenings going on at the time. They visited the Kindergarten art show at Tasman's school, played at Parc Monceau with the kids, and also got to spend time in some of their old haunts here in this wonderful city.

Crystal, Adham and the kids also spent a weekend at the Medieval Festival in Sedan, France, a town near the border with Belgium which features Europe's largest fortress castle. The castle, parts of which have been converted into a nice hotel, hosted the Festival, so we had a great time watching the sword fights, jousting matches, and other activities on display. The kids even got knighted, so remember to call them Sir Tasman and Sir Atlas next time you see them!

Of course it hasn't been all fun and games the past couple months. Adham has been busy at the Embassy, gearing up for the busy transfer season in his housing and shipping portfolios, and also taking a major role in the logistical planning of this year's official 4th of July event.

Crystal's responsibilities keep her busy and involved with life at Tasman's school. She's also now researching ways to keep us all busy and entertained during the kids' summer vacation period. Tasman and Atlas are doing great, enjoying their schools and their lives here.

Here are our most recent photos -