Chicago

On Tuesday April 26 we headed up for the Chicago portion of our trip.  We had an early morning flight and were at the airport before 8 a.m.  Our flight left a little after 9:30 but as a result of mechanical difficulties it actually had to turn back to DFW twenty minutes in and when we landed we were met by emergency vehicles. It was not the way we hoped to start a quick trip to the windy city.  We were re-booked on a later flight and ended up having to spend the day at the airport.  We finally got to Chicago after 7 p.m. and to Johanna's after 8 p.m.  Arianna's cousins were already asleep but she did meet her Aunt Johanna. The next morning she got to meet Zach and Nick and started playing with them like they were lifelong friends.  She also got to meet her Uncle Brent who immediately tried to show her how to ride Winston the dog and her Grandma Cummings who flew in from Whidby Island to see everyone. 

On Wednesday we spent the day with Grandma Cummings and the Spetter's at the Shedd Aquarium.  Our cousins Denise and Mary Kay had both taken the day off and they were joined by Eileen and a bunch of the next generation Natalie, Michelle, Dan and Jack so we headed out with a full crew.We had to bundle Arianna up as it was quite cold and she gave us strange looks as we put on layer after layer of clothes.  On our way downtown, we passed the Obama Motorcade on the other side of the highway (closest any of us have gotten to a sitting President) and then got to see the four Marine One helicopters that he flies in at the Soldier Field Parking Lot.  Arianna really liked the fishies at Shedd and we saw a couple of different shows.

After a long day at the aquarium we went back to our Great Uncle Hank and Great Aunt Mary's for Chinese food and Arianna got to meet her oldest living relative.  We had a great time catching up with Aunt Mary and Donnie made it over too to meet Arianna.

Uncle Hank

Spetter's, Kaminsky's and Cummings

On Thursday we spent the day with our cousin Chuck and his wife Twila along with my nephew Nick.  We had breakfast in downtown Naperville, went and saw Aunt Tina and later that evening had a big family dinner with even more relatives.  Arianna was great about letting everyone hold her and meeting so many new and exciting people

 

Friday morning it was time to head back to Dallas.  We got through checking in and security so fast we had time for a nice sit down breakfast and to explore.  We found a Children's Museum and Arianna got to play a little before getting on the flight and very courteously sleeping almost the whole flight back.

We had a fantastic time in Chicago and cannot thank enough everyone who made it such a wonderful part of our trip.

Beauty and the Beast and the Fort Worth Zoo

On Sunday April 24 Katie and I celebrated our anniversary a month early by returning to the spot where I asked her to marry me, Bass Concert Hall in Fort Worth.  We went to see the musical Beauty and the Beast and for dinner went to the same Pappadeaux's restaurant that we had gone to on the evening of our engagement.  To be completely candid it was also where we went on our very first date, so yes I am a creature of habit.  While we were out, Arianna had no less than four babysitters as her grandparents and both of Katie's sisters stayed with her to entertain her.  Katie's favorite musical is Beauty and the Beast so it was a very happy coincidence that it was playing in Fort Worth the week we were home.

Bass Concert Hall

On Monday we headed to Grapevine to sign our wills and then back to Fort Worth with Aunt Stephanie in tow to visit the Fort Worth Zoo.  As real zoophiles both Katie and I were excited to see how Arianna would react.  We knew that she loved to watch the fishies and was fascinated by Gypsy so a place full of animals promised to give us a lot of fun moments and we were not disappointed.

Arianna really interacted actively with several of the animals and we had a good time experiencing the zoo through her eyes.  The zoo had changed a lot in the four years since we had last been so it was something of a new experience for us too.  We spent almost four hours there and still had a lot to see that we couldnt get to, so we definitely have another zoo trip on tap next time we are in DFW.  Monday evening Aunt Stephanie again baby sat while I went to a Rangers baseball game with Russ and Katie went to a painting class with her Mom.  We had a great time in DFW early in the week and headed out Tuesday morning after saying our goodbyes to continue on for the Chicago portion of our trip.

Houston and the drive to Dallas

With Easter and the royal wedding providing three national holidays within a week of each other we decided it was time for an extended visit home.  For Arianna this would be her second flight though this one would not be a short hop to Miami but an almost three hour long one up to Houston.  She did very well and though she fussed more we chalked it up to the fact that she was expecting the flight to only last an hour like the last ones did.



At the Airport in Grand Cayman

We arrived in Houston late on Friday April 22 and stayed with Arianna's Aunt Melanie our first night back.  Saturday morning was breakfast with my roommate from college Gary and his family.  I hadn't seen his children in a couple of years and Katie had not yet met his youngest daughter Sarah.  We got a chance to catch up on family news and a little Longhorn sports.  We also picked up some stuff he had been storing for us these past four years to take to our storage facility.



With Gary and his family

After spending some time with them it was time for the longest leg of our trip, the four plus hour drive up to Dallas.  We tried to break it up with constant stops for feeding and for Arianna to get out of her new car seat.  One of our stops was at the Sam Houston statue in Huntsville.  There is a state park and visitor center there which provided a great rest stop.  We took Arianna out to the statue and she was pretty entranced by the crowds of people and the big marble man.

Full statue with us at base



The car ride itself was hard on Arianna.  We got her a new car seat which had been delivered to her Aunt Melanie and which is huge.  Even with her new "throne" though, she really doesn't like being in any car seat so long and she fussed most of the trip.  We eventually made it to Dallas after an almost five hour trip and Arianna's reunion with her grandparents and first meeting with her Aunt Stephanie.

Ten Days in the United States

We are back from our longest visit home since we moved to the Cayman Islands. Ten days spent in Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Chicago and then back in Dallas.  Over the next couple of days we will post a couple of entries on some specific things we were able to do with family and on Arianna's first meeting with several of her Aunts and Uncles and her cousins as well as getting to see grand parents and relatives who had made the trek down here to meet her already.  It was a great trip and it was fantastic to see everyone and spend some extended time back in the USA.

Kevin and Family Head Home

Yesterday morning bright and early we put Kevin, Kristy and little Scott on their flight home after a quick three day visit to the Islands.  Tuesday afternoon we had taken them to Hell and Seven Mile Beach and then one final snorkel at Smith's Cove to see the sunset.  It was a whirlwind trip and there is so much more we wanted to show them so we will just have to get them back here soon.

Hell



Last Snorkel at Smith's Cove



Playing tourist with the Georgia Cummings



Family at Eden Rock

This week we are getting to play tourist again with Kevin, Kristy and their son Scott. On Monday Katie took them snorkeling at Eden Rock and then in the afternoon they did the stingray sandbar trip.  In the evening a night swim at Smith's Cove and the sunset over the water capped a great day.  This morning we hit the Botanic Gardens and the Blue Iguana's followed by East End and stops at the Blow Hole, Wreck of the Ten Sail and of course a true Cayman lunch at Fosters buffet. This afternoon it is a trip to Hell and of course some time on Seven Mile Beach before they head home tomorrow.



Blow Hole



Scott and Kristy with the rays







Second Wedding

The family after the service
with Father Paul

Katie once told me that when her parents first got married they actually did the ceremony three different times.  I can certainly understand how they could operate under the theory that if celebrating your wedding once is great then celebrating it three times must be incredible.  Feeling a little inadequate in comparison, Katie and I until yesterday had only celebrated our wedding  once.  As many of you know we decided last fall to settle on one church so we could raise Arianna going to the same place every Sunday.  We settled on the Catholic church and last month Arianna was baptised in the church. 

Yesterday we took the next step in confirming that decision and since we hadnt been married in the church, had our marriage blessed by the church.  This involved literally going through another wedding service including vows, rings and all.  My brother Kevin who was one of my best men at the first wedding was on hand to again act in that capacity and his wife Kristy (Arianna's Godmother) did one of the readings.  It was a great way for us to renew our original vows and once again recommit to each other (even if the church viewed it as our original commitment).  Kevin and family are here for a couple more days and we are enjoying playing tourist with them.

Kevin, Kristy and Scott Kieran with
Katie and Arianna

Kevin, Kristy and Scott Visiting

My brother Kevin, his wife Kristy and son Scott (my Godson) are all on island this week visiting.  They arrived last night and this morning we took them over to Smith's Cove for their first swim in the Caribbean. 

A Significant Day in History

April 12 is one of the more significant days in the history of the United States (and not just because it marks the 22 week birthday of one Arianna Macias Cummings).  It was on this day that two critical events happened 100 years apart.  150 years ago today the first shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor starting a conflict that would last four years, take over 600,000 lives and end a practice that had stained Thomas Jefferson's famous claim that America was a country where "all men are created equal".  As a civil war buff who reads all he can find on it and looks forward to one day taking his daughter to the parks and introducing her to his love of studying the past it is an important day to reflect on the start of the defining event in our nations history. 

Ironically, 50 years later another event would occur on the same day that would also radically alter American history as Yuri Gagarin would make his famous first flight in space.  Now you might ask yourself how is that significant in American history, a Russian making the first space flight and orbiting the Earth for a little less than two hours? Well, it is widely recognized that Gagarin making the first flight ahead of the Americans spurred President Kennedy to make his famous pledge to go to the moon before the end of the 60's.  Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon are one of those "be remembered forever" events.  Five hundred years from now people will still talk about that event and it might not have happened when it did but for Gagarin spurring America on with his famous flight.  It is also somewhat coincidental but 30 years ago today was the first space shuttle flight and I can still remember often seeing the shuttle at Biggs Air Base in El Paso, Texas where the Plane carrying it back to Florida from California would land to refuel.  I may not live to see us go to the moon again or to Mars but in Arianna's life span it is likely she will witness those event.  As a history buff days like today are fun times to go back and read articles about the events, as a parent it reminds me of my duty to make sure that Arianna knows her history so she too can appreciate their significance.   

St. Ignatius Walk

This seems to be the school year for Fortieth Anniversaries.  Last September ICCI celebrated its 40th and this spring St. Ignatius Catholic School is celebrating 40 years as well.  Several of the St. Ignatius faculty and staff came to our Memorial Walk so this morning we returned the gesture waking up at 5:15 and heading over to the St. Ignatius walk that started at 6:30 a.m.  It was just over a 2.5 mile walk and we kept up a good pace that left both of us feeling sonewhat accomplished at the end.  As parishoners of St. Ignatius it was also good to interact with our church community in an event that celebrates how important the school has been to the Caymans. 

We did get another example of how small this island can be.  On Thursday, the ICCI office manager came in and said she heard a rumour about me and just wanted me to know about it.  She heard I was getting married next Sunday.  I had to explain to her that we were just getting our marriage blessed by the Catholic church which to the church meant we were getting "married" but legally we are coming up on our fifth anniversary.  Still if I get a few strange looks in the next few weeks I may have to explain that Katie and I really have been married already and that we havent been living together in sin since we got here.  Small Island.  The first week of classes was draining but we both have a full weekend calendar as we get ready for my brother and his family to visit next week.

Texas Football Spring Game

Hook Em Horns

This past Sunday afternoon was the Texas Longhorns spring football game.  It was televised live on ESPN and as expected was the centerpiece of my afternoon.  The two hour view of the Horns gave me a much needed fix for my football addiction and a chance to once again introduce Arianna to Daddy's biggest vice.  It was also a great excuse to put Arianna in one of her Longhorn onesies.  She is finally big enough to fit into a lot of the Longhorn gear that we have for her (including an awesome track suit my sister donated after her boys outgrew it).  She was not impressed with the Texas quarterbacks and worries that this season the Horns will struggle to win more than 8 games.  She misses the heady days of Vince Young and Colt McCoy.

Meanwhile, on the home front, this week we aren't sure if we live in Cayman or California as the electric company, CUC (Caribbean Utilities), has announced rolling blackouts to handle a load issue they are having.  We lost power Sunday and Monday afternoons and have been told to expect more this week.

Watching the game from her swing

Floor mat time during game

The week between classes

At the end of each term we have a week of no classes between the close of one quarter and the start of the next.  For the students it is a week off, for us it is a busy week of meetings, registrations, getting in grades and confirming arrival of textbooks.  This past week was our winter/spring off week and was no different than past ones as we held our quarterly Faculty meeting Tuesday night, New Student Orientation Thursday evening and the Internship/Placement and Seminar meetings on Friday night.  As the new term starts on Monday we are dealing with issues caused by the fire at the Miami airport fuel depot  almost two weeks ago.  Apparently since the fire plane cannot be fueled from the depot but must have fuel trucked to them which takes a lot more time.  As a result, several flights into Cayman for American Airlines have been cancelled and now our textbook order has not yet made it on island.  We will start classes on Monday for the first time in a while without our full complement of textbooks.  It looks like we will have around 200 students and for the fifteenth straight quarter since we got here see growth over the same term the year before.  Katie started work again Friday in a part time capacity and I am teaching three classes this term including our seminar in May in Atlanta.  We have several big events to look forward to in April starting with a visit from my brother Kevin and his family as well as getting out marriage blessed by the Catholic Church while they are on island.

Home from Chicago

Koclanes extended family

Last week I headed up to Chicago for the funeral of my Great Aunt Catherine.  I flew up Tuesday and arrived in time to attend a couple of hours of the wake which was conveniently taking place near O'Hare airport.  The funeral service was Wednesday at the old family Greek Orthodox church on Austin Blvd and the internment in the Koclanes plot at the Elmwood Cemetery.  Catherine was laid to rest with her parents, sister Stella, and brothers Cookie, Nick, Chris and Solon.  I served as a pall bearer along with my cousin Nick and my Cousin Cathy's husband Dave (who was a personal favorite of Aunt Catherine).  Also serving were three friends of Catherine's son Chuck; Al, John and Bobby.  The weather threatened rain but we avoided the wet stuff which was fortunate as it was quite cold (later in the day there were snow flurries).  We had a great family lunch afterward and all shared our recollections of Aunt Catherine.

My Mom had flown in from Seattle and Wednesday evening I drove her over to Midway airport to get on a plane home.  My return flight would not be until Sunday because the cost of going home before then more than doubled the price of my ticket.  I took advantage of the extra time to stay with my sister Johanna and meet my God Son Zach and see my nephew Nicholas whom I hadn't seen in almost two years.  Nicholas and I went to the children's museum together and on Saturday night I baby sat both boys while Jo and her husband celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary.  In between I got to catch a Bulls game (see photo below) and have lunch on Saturday with Aunt Mary and visit with my Uncle Hank who is the last surviving member of that generation of the Spetters that included my Grandma Rita (Hank is her baby brother).

After the Bulls 99-96 win over Memphis

While the circumstances of going were unfortunate, it was good to catch up with a lot of family I hadn't seen in several years as well as meet for the first time my God Son.  Yesterday was a long day of travel home and looked like it might be even longer when my Miami to Grand Cayman flight was cancelled by American Airlines due to fuel issues in Miami after a fire at that airport last Wednesday.  Luckily, they re booked me on Cayman Airways and I made it home about two hours later than I would have if all had gone as scheduled.  Not having seen Arianna and Katie in six days I was very happy to open that door and see them again.

Aunt Catherine Rest in Peace

We got the sad news this morning that my Great Aunt Catherine passed away last night up in Naperville, Illinois.  Aunt Catherine was the last living member of the generation of Koclanes' that my Papu (Greek for Grandfather) Alex was a part of.  Nine brothers and sisters who all grew up in the great depression and then served their country in many different ways in World War II.  Several of them raised families and saw their grand children and in some instances their great grand children go on to success in life.  They set an example and made sure that those who followed them would be given the opportunities any parent and grand parent would want for their children and grandchildren.  In every way they were prime examples of the "Greatest Generation" and they left for my family a legacy that we all share in.

Aunt Catherine lived to ninety one years of age.  She leaves behind a son Chuck and his wife Twila and two grand children Cory and Christy.  She had a stroke and was in the hospital but had gone home at the end and died in her own bed with her family around her.  Please keep her immediate and extended family in your thoughts and prayers this week.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Today is St. Patty's day and Arianna is celebrating with her new jumperoo.  One of the things we always do when we visit Miami is to search for items that we know are way too expensive down here but are affordable if bought in the USA.  We took two extra suitcases with us both empty precisely for that purpose.  The only problem with that is how to get it all back here without having to pay extra baggage fees (hence the two empty bags going up) or customs duty when we arrive.  We flew Cayman Airways which unlike U.S. airlines doesn't have a checked bag fee so that meant 4 suitcases checked with no charge.  Coming through customs we have a 350 CI exemption for bringing back items and if all three of us are traveling that means 1050 CI or about 1300 in US dollars.  This time we were bringing back a large box with the jumperoo, a play rug and a video monitor along with other various items so not surprisingly we got pulled aside by customs when we arrived and they saw our form (on which we declared everything).  They went over our receipts and after confirming the purchases let us through without having to pay duty.  We looked like refugee's as we took everything to our car but we got it all home and Arianna is loving her new toys and celebrating like the Irish with and in them.

Miami Trip

This past weekend we headed up to Miami for the winter term seminar.  It was Arianna's first trip to the United States and if you check out the baby blog over the next couple of days you will see several posts on her portion of the trip.  On Sunday we hired a babysitter and headed over to Key Biscayne for some Scott and Katie time.  We went to Cape Florida to see the lighthouse (Scott checked another one off his list) and then had a romantic dinner on the water on Virginia Key just off of downtown Miami.  The afternoon was a great time to reconnect and also to wind down from what had been a very busy several days of working the seminar and then doing baby shopping. 

We had bought a pre-paid cell that we will now use on all our US trips and that made us a lot more comfortable about the sitter as she had a way of getting in touch with us immediately.  She was great even sending us hourly texts of what was happening.  Overall the trip to Miami went very well and we definitely feel better about the longer trips to see family later this spring and into the summer and fall. 

Chuck and Nick head home

Yesterday afternoon we put Chuck and Nick on their flights back to Chicago.  It was a very quick and event filled five day trip for them both.  Prior to the baptism on Sunday they went for what would turn out to be their final snorkel out to the wreck of the Cali in George Town Harbor.  It was early in the day so the water was very calm and we had the site to ourselves.  On Monday we had a final breakfast and then while Katie worked on her master degree course, the three men and a baby went in to George Town to do some shopping.  There were two cruise ships in so we got to experience what that was like as we went through the down town shops.  As noon approached though it was time to get them to the airport and wish them a find farewell.  We really had an amazing time with them and are so happy they could be here for the baptism. 

Arianna Baptism

With her Godfather Chuck and cousin Nick standing in for her Godmother Kristy in attendance, Arianna was baptised today at St. Ignatius Catholic Church in George Town.  It was a wonderful ceremony with four other families also baptising their babies.  We attended 11:30 mass and then the ceremony was at 1:00 p.m. Arianna was awake for the first half of mass but crashed in the second half hour.  She got fed between Mass and the Baptism and she was wide awake during the whole baptism and really enjoyed the water part.  Afterward we hosted a get together at the house.  Katie's baby group founding members of which she is a part all made appearances with their babies so Arianna got to share the day with her friends.  All in all it was an extraordinary day spent with family and friends celebrating this important moment for Arianna.



Baptism




Annointing




Parents, GodParents and Father Paul



Baptism Party at the house



Baptism Party



Saturday in East End and Rum Point



Nick at Rum Point enjoying the sun

Today we headed east to see the sights in East End, go to the Botanic Gardens and spend a lazy afternoon at Rum Point.  Here are some shots from the day.

Nick not getting too close to
a Blue Iguana at the Botanic



Chuck didnt mind getting
closer to the Blue Iguana



Chuck and Nick with their
youngest cousin



Chuck and Arianna are exhausted





Chuck and Nick make new friends

From our Sting Ray Sandbar Trip today.  There were high winds so the waves were high throughout.  This afternoon we hit Cemetery Beach for more snorkeling followed by dinner at Yoshi's and then watched a perfect sunset on Seven Mile at Governor's Beach.

A kiss hello



Nick is really friendly



On the Sandbar with the Rays







Well hello Sally my name is Chuck