Oliver did not fly anywhere this last month!  With all of the trips out of state for fundraising and family visits, he has been flying every other month since he was born.  This month at home has given him the opportunity to spend time with his many friends and work on his soon to bud walking skills.  His personality continues to reveal a spirited child who encounters life with passion and intensity. We look forward with nervous excitement to Oliver maturing amidst rich cultural and language experiences in Madagascar.  Oliver will be learning three languages with exposure to English, Malagasy, and French.  The town we plan to settle in, Mahajanga, has a French primary school that Oliver will likely attend for early grade school. After that we will be exploring the many education resources available for children without access to traditional learning environments. Thankfully we have some time until we have to sort this out. For now, we'll keep our focus on learning to walk. We have learned that regardless of where you are in the world that children speak a universal language. They are a bridge, connecting us with friends, neighbors, strangers and even enemies. Here is a link to an Anchorage Daily News blog where Mandy was asked to write more on this subject, click here.

Playing with friends, Lars and Ilsa, in Seward: