In front of Grandma Call's tree
Happy New Year from the Rawhouser’s
We love you. We’re back enjoying the freedoms and opportunities of the U.S. and being a bit closer to many of our loved ones (although there are many things that we miss from Europe, eg. friends, beautiful landscapes, and being stretched to learn about other cultures). For a complete story, visit our website, www.rawhouser.org
Monica – just completed a psychology dream journaling class (only 9 classes left for her BA!). Pregnancy helped to magnify the hard-to-separate-from-reality factor of her dreams, which sound even better on paper for college credit. She even dreamed about some of you (ask if you dare). The class proved to be a real healing experience, but these memoirs will have to be published posthumously to protect the reputation of unwilling protagonists. She (with a third child) has found sympathetic parents and grandparents at Trader Joe’s, while the why-don’t-you-stop-at-two-and-buy-a-pure-bred-dog crowd seems to be growing elsewhere.
Hans – enjoyed doing research for 2 weeks in Peru, and like a moth drawn to a candle’s flickering flame, he is planning further doctoral studies later this fall. He is currently applying (hence the delayed letter), so we will probably be moving later this year. His Dad died February 18th and we flew back from France and buried him “on the prairie,” just a few hundred yards from where his one-room school house stood. At the funeral, Conrad sang, “You are My Sunshine,” we sang “I am a Child of God,” and Hans spoke on the lessons learned from his father. Thanks to all for your thoughts and prayers.
Conrad – started Kindergarten this fall, and is learning to read. He enjoys recess, including when little girls ask for his phone number on the swings. While on the subway in Paris, he remarked, “Yuck. They’re eating each other up,” as we were surrounded by various couples unworried to show affection in public (French kissing must be a national sport). He might follow in Monica’s thespian footsteps: he has a pretty good English accent and does a good Drako Malfo (from Harry Potter) and Ork from Lord of the Rings (among others).
Riley – favorite phrases include: “I’m going to tell my brother,” “I almost (should be ‘already’) did that,” “I’m riding the potty train,” and “Arrgh, matey (with one eye shut like a pirate).” He is using a new germ warfare defense (intentional coughing) when in combat with Conrad and others. Monica and the boys have been reading the typical books for children ages 3 and 5, including, The Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, The Hobbit, and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (both seem to be attracted to the bad guys), and love to role play.
Amelia Jane – our latest addition, born October 12th, is pretty in pink. She’s chubbing up nicely after a very eventful pregnancy. While in the womb, she traveled back from France to Wyoming for Grandpa Marvin’s funeral, was turned around in mid-flight of our return over the Atlantic, was transferred from Detroit to Atlanta (to visit Grandma Lou), returned to France, rode (and almost missed, in a very “non-romantique et très stressant” way) the train across France, traveled by subway back and forth across Paris, flew back to LV, spent the summer in Utah while Hans did research at BYU, flew to Hawaii and toured around the islands on a cruise ship with the rest of the posterity of Monica’s grandparents (the Call’s), and traveled to Arizona where Hans is completing his MBA, all to be born in our humble apartment.