Tacomawa: Ron & Nancy in Europe

Nancy & Ron in Eastern Europe

Ginger's parents took at vacation to Poland, Slovakia, and England last summer. They've written about it- Ron details the trip here, and Nancy shares more about visiting the Roma here. This post shares a few highlights of the trip. (Click interactive map!)

First they went to Poland, to research family history. The Kapalkas immigrated from a little town in Poland in 1882. Visiting a local cementery, they found a gravestone of a Kapalka. Perhaps he was a brother to Ron's great-grandfather Matthus. 

Ron and Nancy had fun visiting a famous salt mine.

Next, visiting the Roma People in Slovakia. Their lifelong friends Bill and Nona Baker are Christian aid workers to the community in Slovakia. We've heard about the prejudice and poverty in the area for many years, but got to hear true personal stories this time.

 "We heard many faith stories and stories of the hard life they have. He got very serious and said, “Don’t let people tell you we are lazy. That is a lie. I want to work, but no one hires us. I go to England to work. I have to come back when the Visa runs out, and then go back again. I work in the Netherlands. But I cannot get a job here. I travel thousands of miles to work!” His home was very nice. It spoke of a man who works."

Leaving Bill & Nona, they continued on their own to Budapest, Bratislava, Prague, Vienna, Berchtesgadan and Frankfurt. (Germany is the ancestral home of Grandma Pearl's family, the Witts.)

Ron and Nancy ended their journey in England. They last visited that country in 1980. They stayed with Nancy's friends Jakkie and Peter, and got to tour the countryside.

They had a wonderful trip, visiting seven different countries, walking everywhere, riding many trains and seeing sights!

Tacomawa: Tacoma Summer Events + Mt. Ranier WA

When Ginger arrived home from Montana, she found a surprise...

 After our long search for a Mini Cooper last year, Stephen knew exactly what parameters we wanted for a car. It's a 2007 with 56k miles, and a better deal than any of the cars we saw in New Jersey. (We are going to tone down the checkerboard design sometime.) It's only had one owner, and has all our favorite special features (heated seats, sun roof, audio jack, manual drive.) Stephen worked hard to find a car bow!

Stephen took Ginger to a high school parking lot to practice driving stick. (A teen and his dad showed up for the same reason while we were there.) She's learning.

Tacoma has had several fun summer events, like the Taste of Tacoma fair and Fourth of July fireworks show at Puget Sound.

 

For InterVarsity, Ginger visited Tacoma Community College several times to meet students during summer classes and find out how to start a club there. Correy, Sadie and Zach came to a Bible study (left) and Ginger's supervisor Tim is helping her learn about planting. 

 

She's still making cakes at Albertsons. Two favorites are drawing a naval destroyer, and an Under the Sea cake.

We enjoying our back yard! The summer weather is wonderful for grilling and playing with Clementine.

  

Our friends Jason and Julie have returned to WA after several years working on the RI project. Jason is on a different job site than Stephen now, but they live nearby in Puyallup.

Mt. Ranier

Our biggest summer adventure has been our camping trip to a state park near Mt. Ranier.

One of Stephen's coworkers advised us to visit his favorite hiking trail without sharing all the details. We were a little overwhelmed by the 3 mile trail (6 total), 3,000 foot elevation change, about 4 hours going up and 2 hours going down, ranked as a "very difficult" trail. None of this information was posted on the board at the Trailhead. But we made it!

 Google Earth capture after Stephen figured out the trail.

Hiking up had beautiful views facing south, with many mountains and meadows. Then at the top of the ridge, we could see north to Mt. Rainer (very light blue in this image)- a sight that made the climb worthwhile.

Clementine the happy camper.

Tacomawa: MT+ Kristian's Wedding WY

Montana Trip

Ginger flew to Montana for a week. It was her first time with iPhone and instagram fun! She tried to take lots of family photos.

Nancy and her irises, Mandy and Ginger looking twinly.

Uncle Larry and Aunt Kay were visiting from Arizona. It had been years since Ginger caught up with them. Nick, Mandy, Ron, Jim, Ginger, Mary, Nancy, Kay, Larry, Gramma Pearl.

Kay and Ginger, Gramma Pearl with three of her children!

Mike and Paula have owned their own house for one year now.

Ron and Nancy enjoy early morning walks. We found a playground. 

 

Visiting Nancy's aunt Lois, Ginger showed her some photos of cakes she's been making recently. Lois looked through her closet and pulled out five photographs of cakes she made in the early 70s after taking a Wilton cake-decorating class! She said it was fun, but too much work.

Gramma Pearl is doing well and played Scrabble, like always.

Ron and Nancy are continuing their interim ministry adventure across Montana. This fall, Ron will be pastoring the United Methodist Church in Glasgow, MT.

Until then, they are taking a long vacation to Poland to research Kapalka family history, and to Slovakia to help Bill and Nona Baker's mission work with the Roma gypsies. More to come!


Amos & Kristian's Wedding
Cody, WY

Amos' family owns a goat farm outside Powell with a lovely view of Heart Mountain. They had 15 baby goats. (Ginger and Sarah took 100 goat photos.)

 Kristian's bridesmaids were her sister Danyon, college best friend Sarah, and Ginger. On the morning of the wedding, we had a hair appointment in Cody. Kristian had a book of 50's and 60's hairstyles. Ginger and Sarah got beehives! It took 30 bobby pins, lots of back-teasing, and a can of hairspray. Kristian's hairstyle is the Veronica Lang. Danyon did Kristian's make-up, Shannon made the beautiful bridal veil.

The ceremony was wonderful and beautiful. Their personal vows gave everyone tears...

 Kristian has more on her wedding and honeymoon to Paris, and lovely art and graphics on her blog!

 We took photos at the sweet old art museum arcross the street from Cody United Methodist Church. At the reception, caught up with friend Dori!

Kristian and Amos cutting their pretty cake. (Mandy and Nick were in charge of delivery from a Billings Bakery.) Amos' 14-year-old niece caught Kristian's bouquet. (His mom yelled, "Give it to someone else!")

Amos and Kristian have taken dancing classes for a long time, and were fantastic "cutting a rug." Ginger danced with her mom- Nancy likes the Twist. 

Danyon with best friend Mandy! Bridesmaids looking cool in shades. The background of this post is photobooth photos from a camera/printer setup that Amos made.

Congrats to the happy couple!