We took Feleke to visit our family in Alabama. These are now Feleke's (southern) American grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. His family has grown as much as ours has.
Here Feleke is pictured with Ruth Ann, our three younger kids (Thomas, Caroline, and Mary Claire), and Ruth Ann's parents. Ruth Ann's father (far left) is from Piedmont, Alabama, was a decorated fighter pilot in the Korean war, and, as an engineer, designed things that went on early missions to the moon. Ruth Ann's mom, seated, is from Greenville, Mississippi, raised five amazing kids, and is responsible for my willingness to eat squash.
And here the kids are with my parents. The kids are wearing their new Auburn t-shirts in all of these. My mom, in the middle, grew up on a farm near Coolidge, Georgia. She learned to drive a truck when she was 13 and rode horses throughout her childhood. She also taught English in the Auburn City School system for years. She still sometimes corrects my grammar. My dad, peaking from behind Caroline, grew up in several small southern Alabama towns, including Bay Minette, Evergreen, and Pine Apple. He was a professor of journalism at Auburn for 30 years and wrote for a newspaper before that. He and my mom have taken my kids on many trips around the country and the world.
Here are a few pictures of Feleke at Lake Martin, in Electic, Alabama, on July 4th. In the first, he's riding with me on the sea doo.
Here Feleke is pictured with Ruth Ann, our three younger kids (Thomas, Caroline, and Mary Claire), and Ruth Ann's parents. Ruth Ann's father (far left) is from Piedmont, Alabama, was a decorated fighter pilot in the Korean war, and, as an engineer, designed things that went on early missions to the moon. Ruth Ann's mom, seated, is from Greenville, Mississippi, raised five amazing kids, and is responsible for my willingness to eat squash.
And here the kids are with my parents. The kids are wearing their new Auburn t-shirts in all of these. My mom, in the middle, grew up on a farm near Coolidge, Georgia. She learned to drive a truck when she was 13 and rode horses throughout her childhood. She also taught English in the Auburn City School system for years. She still sometimes corrects my grammar. My dad, peaking from behind Caroline, grew up in several small southern Alabama towns, including Bay Minette, Evergreen, and Pine Apple. He was a professor of journalism at Auburn for 30 years and wrote for a newspaper before that. He and my mom have taken my kids on many trips around the country and the world.
Here are a few pictures of Feleke at Lake Martin, in Electic, Alabama, on July 4th. In the first, he's riding with me on the sea doo.
This was taken with one of his Alabama cousins.
Here he is paddling in a kayak, heading out for deep water.
We drove home in 12 hours. The kids were exhausted when we arrived home, around 11pm. As he was going to bed, Feleke went over all of the names of the new family he had met and how "awesome" they all were. And he concluded this way: "Alabama was awesome. But I am so hoppy to be back home."
