Checking in

I have been meaning to post here for quite some time. When Andoni was here, I felt so much responsibility to post so his family knew exactly what kinds of things their young man was doing with this family across the ocean. What have we been up to since our Basque friend left? Well, lots of things. As a matter of fact, there were several times over the past couple of months since Andoni left that I thought to myself, "I wish Andoni were here to experience this, too!"

Andoni left us in late July and that same day I traveled to North Carolina to see my sister and drive home with her. The drive was two days and 24 hours long. We arrived home and my sister stayed with us for two weeks or so, and we filled our time with exercise, walks, cooking, a little eating out, and shopping; all the things my sister likes to do.

The week after Gena left, the girls and I had signed up for something called Vacation Bible school. I wonder if you have such a thing at churches in your village? Well, about 180 kids (aged kindergarten through 4th grade) met at our church each morning for a few hours that week and sang songs, heard Bible stories, played games, and did crafts. Plus, the children raised over $500 to give to a village in India so they could have their own Vacation Bible school. Quinn, one of her friends (Katie) and I volunteered to help out. It was pretty fun and very loud and each day we all came home and were tired! Do you have such a thing in Basque country?

Then, Jeff took all the girls up to the cabin for the weekend and had some new adventures while I flew back down to North Carolina to visit a friend who had had a very difficult summer with the loss of her sister and grandmother in late June/early July. I went to Charleston, South Carolina with her and had a wonderful time. It is a very different part of the country than Minnesota, with a lot of history from the early days of the United States. It was a fantastic trip.

My friend, Michaele

Then, we went to Nelson's Resort, the highlight of our summer every year. Nelson's is a place we go each year to fish and relax for a few days. I think Andoni would have loved it there! Shelby caught her first fish up there and the girls went jumping off of some cliffs into the deep water. Nelson's Resort is in a small town called Crane Lake, MN, and is in far northern Minnesota close to the Canadian border. Actually, we take boats across the border and fish in Canadian waters all day and then head back through customs each evening when we return to the resort.

This is Gillian doing a "cannonball."

Another fun thing we did was go to the State Fair. When Andoni was telling me about his hometown's annual celebration, it sounded a little like our State Fair. Literally millions of people come to eat, go on rides, see farm animals and just have a good time. We usually go many times and Jeff's parents even make sure they are in town each year for the fair.

Now, the girls are in school and are all doing well. Shelby is a little sad each day when she has to leave Janna at home to go to class, but she is always happy about her day when she returns.

Shelby's first day of Kindergarten

That is a quick overview of the many days that have passed since we saw our friend Andoni. It seems like so long ago that he was here, andwe miss him. Andoni, find someone to give you a big hug from all of us!

Life goes on

Well, we miss having Andoni around, and we are still adjusting to having one less family member, it will take a while to get used to our house without Andoni in it.

I will try to post once in a while just to keep up a bit with the goings on around the Northrup household.

I flew down to North Carolina on the day that Andoni and Inigo flew back home. My flight was delayed in Atlanta and so I didn't arrive into Asheville until 8pm that night. My sister and I gathered up some things we would need for our ride back to Minneapolis and headed to bed Wednesday night early so that we could get up and start the road trip back north. One of my favorite things in Brevard, North Carolina (where my sister's mother and father-in-law live) is the mountains. Gena and I got up early on Thursday and hiked up a mountain trail behind the house and then essentially got in the car and began our 22 hour drive home. It was a long drive, but we got home safely Friday night and met up with Jeff and the girls returning from a couple of days at the cabin. We drove through 7 states and saw mountains, rivers, farmland, industrial towns, famous cities (Indianapolis, Indiana; Louisville, Kentucky; Knoxville, Tennessee), small towns, many barns, and a lot of road.

I wish Andoni could have met my sister. She will stay with us now for two weeks and then will continue on to Western Montana. We have lots to talk about when we are together and the girls really love being with her. She has also brought her dog, Lucy, which Buddy loves and makes our house sometimes a noisy place with all the barking and playing Buddy wants to do with Lucy, but Lucy will have none of it. She wants a peaceful, quiet spot to lay her head down, but is having a hard time finding it.

Shelby learned to ride a bike this weekend after many many months of talking about it. Jeff worked with her for quite a while yesterday and she had a cheering section of her three sisters and mom watching her so proudly. She only ran into our neighbors garage one time and into the street zero times, which I think is pretty good. No damage to the garage door, but we will probably keep her out of that area and find other places to ride.

Finally, after another hot day (the girls had soccer camp all morning...they all didn't like it a bit: too hot and too boring they said), we ended up once again at the pool. So easy to walk to and we always see friends we know. If Andoni happens to surprise us and come back, he will know where to find us.

Gena and Shelby cuddle at the pool.

Twins...

Well, if it had been September, October, November or December, Andoni would have been treated to a Vikings game. My favorite sport is Football. It basically takes over my life for a period of time. Football is to me like soccer is to Andoni. And the Vikings are my team.

But this is July; this is Baseball season. And what better way to spend a beautiful summer evening than at a Minnesota Twins game.

Baseball is often called "America's Game". It is as much a part of American culture as Soccer is in the Basque Country. Baseball is very unique. You probably have to grow up watching it to really appreciate it. What other major sport does not have a clock? In what other major sport does the defense possess the ball 99.9% of the time? And, much like all 4 major sports in the US (Football, Baseball, Hockey and Basketball), the game is rarely "out of reach", meaning, that your team always has a chance to come back and win, no matter what the score. For some reason, the idea that the fight is never over seems to be very important to Americans. While we have come to love soccer in recent decades, and our teams are competing well on the international stage, if a soccer team is winning 3-0, the game is often times considered over. Americans who have never played soccer will not watch it because of this. Americans can't relate to a game being over at halftime. We are addicted to "the comeback" - the heroic, come-from-behind victory. In fact, a famous American baseball player from the 1950s, Yogi Bera, has a classic quote, "It isn't over till it's over." We grow up hearing quotes like that. And Baseball definitely meets the criteria.

Baseball is very interesting, too, in its pace. Unlike most sports, it is relaxing to watch. It is slow-paced. Andoni described for me how he feels when he is watching Athletic Bilbao play - the intensity. I feel the same way watching American Football. My heart is beating for three straight hours when the Minnesota Vikings are playing. But in baseball, the atmosphere is laid back. Sure, there are moments of drama. But the "action" of a baseball game is different. There is plenty of time to turn to your friends and talk. Time to sit back and enjoy a drink or a hot dog. For this reason, baseball is boring to most foriegners. But Americans enjoy the paradox of relaxing at a sporting event. Baseball is woven into our culture.

And, while I don't really love baseball, I can appreciate it. And I enjoy relaxing at a game from time to time.

Andoni got to take in a Minnesota Twins baseball game today. He asked dozens of questions and I did my best to teach him what I know. It is hard to pack a lifetime of culture, terminology, and rules into 3 hours. But, since there is no reason to hurry at a baseball game, we took it slow. And the pace of the game made it easy to teach someone who was eager to learn.

We had a great time. Baseball and Andoni. Two cultures colliding. America's passtime, a boy from the Basque Country, a family with four daughters, all in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Ironically, this ultra-cultural event was the climax of our time together. Don't get me wrong, this was not the most fun thing we did together. But it was an event we had been looking forward to since Andoni first met us at the train station. It represented not only his last night here, but also the pinnacle of our relationship with him. We know him today better than we did yesterday. We have grown closer and more at ease with him. That first evening at the train station is a distant memory. That boy we met then is not the same boy that sat next to me at the game tonight. Today, our last day together, felt very natural, as if he had been here for years.

Tomorrow he goes home. Tomorrow we say goodbye to our little friend.

It has been a wonderful time. Andoni is a sweet boy. He is no push-over, and yet he is tender hearted. He is gentle and kind. He has a good sense of humor. And he is considerate. Andoni's parents should be proud of their son. And they will be pleased with his growth in the English language. He has gotten to see a lot and participate in even more. And while I can't speak for all Americans, nor do I think we represent the average family in the US, we tried to expose Andoni to the world as we know it.

I have few regrets with Andoni. We did as much as we could and we had a great time doing it. Janna did a wonderful job of keeping the schedule full. Quinn did a great job of sharing her dad with a stranger. Gillian did a great job of entertaining. Aubrey did a great job of acting like nothing was new. And Shelby discovered a brother. All of us will be sad to see him go.

I hope Andoni had a good time, although I think there is little doubt. I hope he saw a family that is not only close to each other, but is even closer to God. I hope he saw a dad who loves his wife and his daughters. And I hope that Americans were well represented by this little family in Minnesota.

Thanks for the opportunity to share Andoni with us.

May God bless you and keep you and make his face to shine upon you,

Jeff

This is Janna here now. I am grateful that Jeff wrote this post, because I know I could not have done it as eloquently. I am so glad that Andoni came to our home and into our lives. We will never forget this time and we will all miss him very much. It seems wrong that he is leaving now when we all have gotten so much more comfortable with each other. My favorite moment was when my mother-in-law asked him what had been his favorite thing while he was here. She said, "Was it the cabin, the Mall of America, or some of the other things?" And Andoni thought for a moment and replied, "We have done very many special things here and they have been fun, but it was the times together talking and just being together that were the best." I agree. There is no better memory than connecting personally with someone. We have grown to love Andoni quite a bit. He can add "Northrup" to his long list of surnames, we will always feel he is one of ours. Thanks to his whole family for sending him here and letting us into your lives a little bit. With love, Janna

We finally made it to church together on Sunday. Church is a very big part of our life, and yet, we have missed many Sundays in a row due to soccer tournaments and trips to our cabin. But we expect that in the summertime. Andoni got to witness an evangelical church service with a live band. I know it is not what he is used to, but, like I told Andoni, there are many ways to worship God.

After church, I mowed the lawn, and for the 3rd week in a row, Andoni and Aubrey raked up the piles of grass left over by the lawn mower. The also raked up a couple piles of leaves.

It has been a nice summer. The weather, especially while Andoni has been here, has been very nice. After a quick walk with the dog, we went to the soccer celebration put on by Edina Soccer. Andoni and the girls played games, watched a 2nd division professional game, and chatted with friends. Andoni even got to meet Manuel Lagos, a former MLS player who also played 2nd division in Spain.

We then went out to dinner. The girls were in a silly mood, and Andoni was too.

Of course, Andoni asked us if there was a gluten-free menu. He is very diligent about the menu. I think by the year 2050, he will actually trust that he doesn't need to ask us if the food is gulten-free any more.

Here is a video of Shelby trying desperately to hug Andoni:

After dinner, we went swimming again at the pool that is just across the street. We went with another family (the Taylors) and Andoni continues to charm the little girls. Audrey Taylor (who is 4 years old) spotted Andoni at the pool again the next morning and ran right to him and he sat and colored and talked with her for about an hour. Audrey thinks Andoni is pretty great, I think she will be shocked when she sees us again and we are without Andoni, she thinks he is another Northrup. It just won't be the same without Andoni around.

On the right is a picture of Andoni and Audrey together.

Monday was spent at the pool while the girls had swim lessons yet again, but it was a little rainy and slightly cool out so we only stayed for the lessons and then left. Gillian and Shelby and Andoni and I went to the market to find some food for Andoni's long plane ride home and then we headed to Target where Andoni had some freedom to run around and find something he wanted to take home (I think he bought a couple of t-shirts). It was fun. He was teasing Shelby all day that she would be going home with him to the Basque country and that she needed to get packing right away. I don't think our five year old is ready for a Trans-Atlantic flight, but I do think Andoni wouldn't mind having her. She cries the most, but in spite of that bad habit, will hold Andoni's hand as they walk and readily hugs him and always wants to be near him. It is pretty sweet.

On Monday evening we had a large Northrup family get together. My aunt's and uncles, cousins, nieces, nephew and mom all met for dinner at my grandmother's house. My mom normally lives in Atlanta, Georgia, but is here just for a few days to visit family. My Aunt and Uncle Byron (Francie and Jon) live near San Francisco, California and are also visiting this week. Andoni got to witness the chaos of a Northrup buffet. Lots of food. Lots of laughter. Very loud. You would think we were Italian. We couldn't stay long, however, because Aubrey had her final soccer game of the year. Right when we arrived at the park, Andoni was greeted by boys from one of the soccer teams. "Andoni! Andoni!" They were kicking the ball around just for fun. He sauntered over to them and joined them for an hour kicking the ball. He is a regular now in Edina. It seems that more and more places we go, people know Andoni.

He of course, is welcome back to Edina any time. Not only our family but pretty much any soccer team in the area would welcome him with open arms.

There is a first time for everything...

We are not in a frantic pace anymore. We have settled in with Andoni and he is seeing the real Northrup family. The fights, the yelling, the laughing, the crying, etc. So things have been at a slower pace the last day or so.

Friday, for example, was more swimming. Andoni was very sweet to Shelby. She was jumping into his arms and he was carrying her around in the pool. He is very gentle and kind with Shelby. We can tell that his likes little kids. In the evening Aubrey had her tryouts for fall soccer. Andoni got to see Phil again, the first coach he played for here in the US. After a quick dinner, we went on a nature walk at a nearby park. We were deep in the woods and the trails intersected countless times in this park. I let the kids decide which direction we would go at each intersection in order: youngest to oldest. After each kid had picked 3 or 4 times, we had gotten no where. We had gone back and forth on similar trails and were, by most standards, lost. It was a good lesson in how not to make decisions. I then let them take votes on what paths to take and, after some treacherous swamp routes, we ended up on a paved road. I then showed them what it is like when just one person (me) makes the decisions, and we made it back to the car very quickly.

On Saturday, Quinn had a playoff game (which she won). Andoni was on Spanish time and slept in. So after Quinn's game, I drove back home and picked up Andoni, Gillian, Shelby, and Aubrey. We went to a Barber shop and I got my hair cut. Then we piled into the car (without Janna) and drove out to a friend's house who has a house on Lake Minnetonka. Their we ate lunch and swam in the lake. But then our friends took us out on the lake in their boat where we went tubing. Tubing is like water skiing, but you are not on skis, you are on a tube. All the kids went, including Andoni. He loved it. (the picture on the right is NOT of Andoni. It is just a picture from the internet)

We then went to Quinn's next playoff game. She lost, so her season is now over until autumn. After a dinner of hamburgers with a fried egg on it (Andoni's idea), I took Andoni outside and taught him lacrosse. Lacrosse is a sport that the American Indians taught the early settlers in America. I only just learned it myself. Andoni, of course, picked up on it quickly. I didn't take a picture, but here is a picture from the internet.

Then we went inside and I found an old American Football game on TV. It was the Super Bowl from 1989. Andoni has been asking to watch a game, so I taught him the rules of Football right there.

I am Basque!

I (Jeff) got home from a very short business trip to Indianapolis this morning. The heat and storms that we had in Minnesota on Wednesday was hitting Indy today. It was hot and muggy when my plane took off at 7:45am. Anyway, I am sure a lot happened around our house during the day, but was not involved. I went to work after my plane landed, so I am not sure of all the details. Janna will update later, I am sure.

Since Janna needed a break from all the action, I made the kids dinner (sausage, cheese and egg on a muffin or gluten free bagel. We call it a McMuffin sandwhich. We stole the name from McDonalds, even though we don't eat them at McDonalds. We like to make a more healthy version at home. Oh, Andoni pretended to try Green Peppers tonight. He is still not a fan of anything that we would consider a vegetable, unless chocolate is a vegetable...) and then took them all to the soccer field and park. It was such a beautiful night. Not a cloud in the sky. 80 degrees. Slight breeze. Just perfect. After traveling early in the morning and working all day, I was in the mood to just lie in the grass on a hill, high above the soccer field where Quinn had a practice. I laid on the grass, looking up at the sky, and asked Andoni 8,000 questions.

His English has gotten so good, that I can have a lengthy conversation with him now. We talked the entire 1.5 hours. He told me all about the boys (and girls) he runs around with, about the social networking site he is on all the time (tuenti), about the party in his town that started recently, about roller costers, and churros, and musical groups, and his dad's soccer team, and his little brother's soccer team, and celiac, and his holiday home, and on and on and on.

It was great.

He is a good kid. I think his parents will be proud of how far he has come with his English.

I like to tease him, and he is a good sport. So while we were chatting today, I talked him into a corner about what makes someone Basque. Since speaking the language of the Basque people is a major component of identifying oneself as Basque, I told him that I was going to go to the Basque country, learn the language, and become Basque. He told me I "could not!" I told him that I didn't care what he said, that I was going to learn the language and then I would be Basque. He told me I "could not. It's impossible. You are not Basque."

So I assured him that, while he may not let me become Basque, that I would let him become an American if he wanted. That there are plenty of Basque Americans. He said he had no interest in becoming an American, he is Basque.

So, much to Andoni's opposition, I have started my Basque language lessons. My goal is to be "fully Basque" by the end of the week. I mean, how hard could it be to learn a new language? However, since I will likely have a thick accent if I spoke Bizkaiera, I might go for Gipuzkera. I realize that if I go for Lower Navarrese, Andoni will write me off immediately. But if I learn Gipuzkera Andoni might not detect my accent and will allow me to be Basque. So that is my plan. Jeff, the American Euskaldunak.

Wish me luck!

Swimming, park, etc...

It is early in the morning here and the kids are still sleeping so I am taking this opportunity to write about the last couple of days. We continue to keep quite busy and both of the last two days have had some highlights.

On Tuesdays, the girls have a golf lesson. Andoni says that not many people play golf in Spain (or possibly in all of Europe), which I have also heard as well. Many people play golf here, and especially in Minnesota as our winters are so long, we try to make the most of our time outdoors in the summer and golfing is just one way to spend some time outdoors. We also have a golf course located directly across the street from our house and so we try to take advantage of having it there. Andoni and Quinn even went to the driving range the other day and hit balls for an hour or so, although I don't think Andoni would choose it as a hobby, I think he and Quinn had a nice time. So, anyway, this Tuesday, Andoni, the girls and I walked up to golf lessons and then Andoni and I walked to the small center of our town and ran an errand returning just when the girls were finishing up their lesson. Then, later Tuesday morning we had another swimming lesson. Shelby still cannot get into the water (although will be able to later today), so she and Andoni waited while the girls had their lessons.

Later, we headed to the park and a nearby waterfall. While we were there, Andoni and I watched the girls play with friends they saw there, and Andoni told me about his school classmates a little.

It is so fun to hear him talk more and more and gain a comfort level with us as this time together has progressed. I think you may hear he is more confident in his English speaking when he returns. He is doing great in that regard.

Tuesday night was Shelby's last soccer game. All day long, Andoni had been reminding Shelby that THIS time she needed to try to score a goal. Normally, Shelby likes to look at the butterflies in the sky rather than chase after the ball. She says she gets tired and it is too hard to get to the ball (which, truly, it is, as all the children huddle around it and, as you saw, run in quite a pack), but she PROMISED Andoni she would try. She didn't make a goal, but she did do a cartwheel in the middle of the field, which was the best she could do. It was her last game of the summer, so she got a medal for being on the team and she was quite proud. They went up for ice cream to celebrate.

Gillian had soccer tryouts that night (and last night, too), Quinn has them next week, and Aubrey has them tomorrow night. I think Andoni might be interested in what teams they make, so I will be sure to email him and let him know.

Yesterday, was HOT and HUMID. It threatened to storm all day and there were tornado watches for most of the day. We were supposed to go back to the beach with our friends, but we decided instead to go to the mall and get out of the heat. Andoni needed to return a couple of things at the Mall of America, so we headed back there and planned on heading to the cinema while there. Andoni's face lit up when he heard we would go to the movies. I think he was a little hesitant because the movie we chose was not a action film, but a kids movie (Toy Story 3), but was excited to find that it was in 3D, which really makes a movie fun to watch. The movie was really good and all the kids liked it (we had also taken along a friend of Gillian's, Erika, and a friend of Quinn's, Katie).

The day was so hot, that we all got back home and didn't want to go out the door. Andoni, Gillian, Aubrey and I played a game called "Sorry." Andoni almost won a million times, and Aubrey cried (not because of Andoni, but because she was NOT winning), and then Gillian surged ahead and won. Andoni has officially become a member of our family, and puts up with all the drama that these girls manage to create each day. Someone cries at least 500 times a day and Andoni is unfazed. So, that has been part of his education as well. He is a good sport about it all.

Finally last night, Quinn and Andoni went to Bible study at church. The group is students that are more Andoni's age. They played a game together and then read and discussed a Biblical passage (James 2:14-28).

I received some sad news last night from a dear friend of mine from college who recently had a family tragedy. I was talking with her quite a while last night so, I didn't get a chance to talk with Quinn and Andoni about their time at Bible study, but they seemed happy when they returned. I will ask them more about it today. We have another busy day lined up and I will post again hopefully tonight!

More swimming, more soccer, and the like.