My Friend Flora

I have known Flora for about 8 years now... I first met her her freshman year at University in Budapest.  This was us then...

This is us now - ok well a few years ago now but I think we look pretty much like this now!:)

She became a believer through the CRU program in Budapest and now works with the CRU program in Budapest!  It's the gift that keeps on giving!

She's now married to Atti...

(Warning this is what happens when you steal Alison's phone and put a selfie of yourself on it... It gets reused and resused:)

Ok I'll give you a more flattering picture from around the time they first got married.

Cute right?:)

Anyways - all this to say I've known Flora a long time ... I'm bringing it up now as they're staying with me this week while they do some support raising in the area. And we met up yesterday and talked for about 3 hours and they gave me this adorable picture collage with all these pictures that I didn't even remember!  So I had to look back in my pictures and, it just made me smile!:)

I've been not only in Budapest with her but all over the world!:). Almost:)...

Eating our way around Venice - I never noticed that we ate so much there!

And speaking of food, there was this year in Budapest that we drove out to Floras home town and her mom and dad cooked this huge Hungarian meal... Complete with the forced drinking of the Palinka!  Ok it wasn't forced but it was strongly encouraged:)!  It's this really strong alcohol that they drink before their meal and it supposedly helps to digest food.  They made it homemade so - it was STRONG:)

And then there's Floras excitement for their ministry there in Budapest.  

It's pretty cool to see a passion that started in her in high school years and that's just growing stronger now in her 20s.  And to see this passion trickle into other people and make them love God more and pass her faith along.

I love Flora!:). She's only gotten better with age!!! 

Puszi!😘

BTW - if you happen to want to donate to Atti and Floras ministry...

http://give.cru.org/0693120

F. Scott What?!

Saturday was a busy but enjoyable day spent with many various friends!

We had a wedding in Lake Forest to attend.  The wedding was downtown and then the reception was out by their house.  We didn't spend all day and actually left before everyone started eating. Which just means that I'll have to try Urban Barbeque on my own!

And then we went downtown to our friends - I had to return some stuff that I was storing for Kim - because she's getting married next week!!!

We ended up spending a good portion of time helping her move and then chatting with Steve and her and then, because we were there so late, we ended up going out to dinner with them.  

So the super amazing thing that made my morning is that... The house we were at for the reception was across the street from this abandoned house that they were using for everyone to park at.  As were talking to someone - he tells us the significance of this abandoned house and I don't think I could have been more excited!!!

http://chicago.curbed.com/2013/11/5/10179166/estate-that-may-have-inspired-fitzgeralds-gatsby-lists-for-165m

Creepy but so cool that possibly F Scott Fitzgerald walked through these doors at some point?

And I think my favorite thing that I learned is that F Scott Fitzgerald was told "poor boys shouldn't consider marrying rich girls"!  I wonder if Mr Rich Banker ever felt stupid anytime in his lifetime?:)

Camping Catch Up

Last weekend we strapped our kayaks on the car and headed up to Door County for a weekend camping trip away from the world!

We drove up after a morning meeting and got on the ferry from the mainland to Washington Island!  It was actually pretty calm for a holiday weekend!

Ah the wonderful first site of the island!  The flags of the Norsk!

I took Sean by one of my old nanny day haunts... The Holiday Inn!  Melissa and I used to come here for breakfast - Irish oatmeal!  Yum!

We then headed over to the other dock to catch the Karfi, the ferry, to Rock Island.

It takes about 20 minutes to get to Rock and then we grabbed a cart (courtesy of FORI - friends of rock island!) and loaded our camp gear in it and trucked over to our campsite.

We put our campsite together and then headed out in the spattering rain and started on a hike around the island.

Such messy trails, we felt the need to clean up a little!

And then after an exhausting hike, we found a shore and sat down for a nice little lunch of crackers and local smoked fish.

On the far side of the island there was a fishing settlement back in the 1800s... And so being said, a little cemetary.

We climbed down a bank to the water.

And then hiked back to our campsite, being welcomed by the amazing sun that had be alluding us all day!

We even thought it was sunny enough to take the kayaks out!

But ended up heading back with some rain clouds - where we made it to the 4:3 wood fetching:)

And wandered around the campground area and enjoyed the lake views!

Got back to the campsite and I HAD to have a cup of burner brewed coffee!

We roasted fish and potatos on the campfire and watch the sun set over our lake view!

Night came and we tucked into our sleeping bags by 9 - but had some amazing campsite neighbors who had a nice all night party...:(

Breakfast at the campsite!

And then kayaking out around Rock Island in the amazingly crystal clear water with the amazingly bright sun shining!!!

The long hike up to the lighthouse where we kayaked around to.  It's like 200 steps up or something and the lighthouse keepers used to have to bring water up from the lake that way!

The weekend ended on Monday and we loaded up our stuff on the Karfi to head home!

Such an amazing weekend of campfires, tents, no showers, hiking and kayaking!  And tons of time with Sean!  Good times!