De-nied De-Nile

Vacation wraps up on Friday. With our year round school schedule, we enjoy having the entire month of December off (we'll pay for it in July!). This vacation was good, for the most part. We enjoyed a lot of extra time with our boys, we both got to prepare for our upcoming school term, Heather got caught up on 8 months of scrapbooking, and I got to record a bunch of podcasts and begin my new book. We didn't go on any family getaways, but Heather and I signed up for a staff trip to raft the Nile in Uganda (next country west of us in Kenya). That was our big event for vacation.

Our friends volunteered to watch the boys for two nights, and we began our journey in a van to meet the bus at the highway. As we drove up the hill, I checked through my pockets one last time to make sure I had everything. I did most of the packing for the boys' overnight stays and for Heather and me. Well, as I double-checked my passport, I could NOT believe my eyes. My passport expired on November 29, 2008. I was dumbfounded. This meant no Nile River for me, no three day vacation with just my wife, and no free babysitting. Heather got on the bus with the rest of the group, and I dejectedly rode back down the hill.

I was in denial because I wouldn't be in de-Nile. (I know you saw that one coming...)

To say I was devastated would be an understatement. I went home, unpacked my stuff and the boys' stuff, and sulked for three days. You may be wondering how I let my passport expire. Well, if you remember me writing about the death of John back in September, that is directly related to my passport lapsing. John was our government liason. He kept track of passports, driver's licenses, taxes, etc. with the Kenyan government. Well, his job was a difficult one and no one stepped in. I didn't realize that our administration had a gap in that position, so I assumed everything was all right with my documentation. (My renewed passport is waiting for me at the US Embassy as I type; don't worry.)

Heather came back with a sun burn, a pineapple, an amazing DVD of the rapids (some class 5's) and a lot of sympathy for me. The picture above is Heather and Jessica in front of the Nile after their long day of rafting.

I'm hoping to put together another trip in April when we're on Easter break, so if you want to come along, let me know. Just make sure your passport is up-to-date.