MOREY CONTACT LIST

Terry says I don't have enough to do, and maybe he's right!  My latest brainstorm is as follows:

Go to (click on for us old folks)  www.google.com/contacts sign in with the same user name (email) and password as signing into the blog.

This is the best information I have on eveyone's contact information.  Please update yours or anyone elses for whom you have the information, fill in the blanks and make corrections.  Especially cell phone numbers, since most of you only use these it is impossible to contact you if someone is in your area.  Example for Cassie:  Frank has to be in Charlotte in May, and I may travel with him. 

Note that you can add a number of e-mails and phone numbers.

Kathy,  I have included the SD relatives but I don't have all of them and would love the information you have, so please add anything about them.

If and when you make any changes or additions, please change my name and date under UPDATED (right side) to yours and the date, that way we will know when something has changed.

I hope this will be useful to everyone.

Love to all,
Patti   

UPDATE 3

Internet is slooooowwwww when it comes to uploading photos so this is all you get for now. Mary is in charge of the last night we have here and is planning on staying in a nice hotel in Kampala so I am sure that will have faster internet. If that is the case, I'll send more. Still can't believe the last few days we have had. It has been INCREDIBLE.

click on this picture for a better view of what is behind Mary

 

UPDATE 2

We are hanging out at the hotel waiting for Mary's laundry to get finished so I thought I would send you a bit longer of an update & the rest of our plans for our trip. On Monday we spent the day touring around Kigali with a bored taxi cab driver. He took us to the Kigali Memorial Center which was a memorial center dedicated to the genocide. It was very well done and really makes you wonder how no one did anything sooner to help. I also didn't realize just how big of a role France played in helping the genocide occur. We have a book that contains the information so you guys can read that when we get home.

The taxi driver then took us to a craft market where Mary & I got swarmed by the artists. Neither of us were good at negotiating so our driver stepped in a few times to help us (while laughing at us of course). We then went and had drinks at a local restaurant/bar while we waited for Mary's co-workers to get off work. Along the way the driver filled us in on Kigali & showed us different locations in the city including the hotel that the movie Hotel Rwanda was based off of, embassies, and where the Chinese are building huge homes.

We had dinner & drinks with two of the national staff who work at the Rwanda office. Both are from Uganda. One brought his brother along with him, who is a dentist in Uganda. He was asking about US politics and it turns out he knew more about it then Mary and I did. He reads the Wall Street Journal & New York Times every day.

We stayed with one of Mary's co-workers that night and then on Tuesday we had our taxi driver friend pick us up and take us to bus station. The bus ride was long, about 10 hours with many stops along the way where people would throw different goods on the bus to have them transported to Kampala. The best part was at about 9 1/2 hours when the assistant to the bus driver came back and goes "phone for you" - and hands mary his phone. Her co-worker in Rwanda had somehow gotten his number and was calling to tell us his 2 friends were going to pick us up at the bus station to take us to a hotel. Everyone really seems to know everybody here... His friends did pick us up, though their 5 minute drive to get us took them an hour due to crazy Kampala traffic, so we hungout at the bus station. We figured everyone was taking bets on whether or not our ride would actually show up. I am sure they were just as surprised as we were when our ride ended up being a Mercedes... Turns out her co-workers friends were a doctor and a lawyer... They took us to the hotel & we had dinner and drinks with them. They entertained us with stories about life in Uganda.

We are now headed to Budongo Conservation Research Station where we will spend 2 days following researchers who are studying chimpanzees. On Friday night we will get picked up and taken to Murchison Falls National Park, where we will camp out for the night & then do game drives & excursions on Saturday. The plan is to stay in a hotel in Masindi Saturday night and then on Sunday Natasha will return to the field station and Mary & I will return to Kampala. We'll have dinner with her co-worker on Sunday night & then visit Jinja (source of the Nile River) Monday before heading to the airport Monday night.

Just a heads up - we probably won't have internet again until Saturday night.

Love you!

Anna & Mary

Fisher Update

Sorry for not updating more often.  I will try to be a little more active on here again and agree with Aunt Jake that we ALL should be.  Things are busy around here as usual and the kids are growing as fast as our former "little" town is.  The weather has been unreal around here, but after the last few winters we derserved it.  We are looking forward to seeing everyone in May.  I hope everyone elses kids got a bunch of sugar for Valentines Day like ours did.  Im fairly certain it was a dentist that invented this day cuz he was hurting for business.  Have a great rest of the week.

Todd

Grandma reading Trae the book he got for Valentine's Day 

Trae showing off his 1st Valentine's Box. . . who would of guessed, a horse!!! 

Tatum showing off her 'hip' side 

This is her "cheese" face for pictures now days 

Trae and "Butterscotch" the horse that he got for christmas 

They may look cute and innocent, but looks can be deceiving 

Trae and his pose for GQ magazine, were gonna have to work on the props

UPDATE 1

Mary and I just returned from our gorilla trek. It was AMAZING! We didn't have to hike far (maybe 15 minutes) to get to the troop as they were right at the edge of the forest. In fact, the last 15 minutes of the drive to the spot where we began our hike was much more treacherous than the hike itself. We saw about 15 gorillas in the troop, including an adorable 6 month old. We also caught a glimpse of the silverback who passed us by and headed into the forest. We followed them in the forest for a bit before our hour with them was up. They pretty much ignored us so we were able to get 1-2 feet away from them. I am sure the pictures won't do it justice - but I'll send them when I get a chance to upload some.

The drive to the park was 2 1/2 hours which meant a 4:30 pick-up. It was fun to see the countryside. The people here are amazing as they literally farm on the side of a mountain. And then to get their crops and good to the market to sell, they have to carry it down the mountains into town, which involves walking on the side of the road and dodging all the crazy drivers.

We made our way back to Kigali and are now just relaxing. The plan is to get a decent night's sleep as neither of us got much the night before and then tour the genocide museum tomorrow. I hear it is cold there, so we're enjoying the 80 degrees & humid weather for you!

Anna & Mary

Calling all family!!

Hi to everyone!  I decided I wanted to find out who is out there still reading but never posting - even comments!  So I am asking all of you that see this to say HI!  We are a big family and I know there is lots of things going on - I wish I could call and talk with everyone but thats not realistic so please humor me and let me know who is still checking - like I am - to see if there is something posted.
If not you kids beware because I will have to learn how to use facebook and I'll be asking to be your friend!

The wedding is getting closer so we will see everyone in May!

Love
Jake

MARY IN AFRICA - ANNA TO FOLLOW

Mary has been working in Africa for the past 2 weeks.  Anna leaves on Friday to join her and they will spend another week traveling to see the Gorilla's and Chimps.  Anna has a friend who has been there working with the Chimps since January.

UPDATES TO FOLLOW!

Patti