What I did for Memorial Day weekend...

Sorry for being MIA, I'm sure everyone is wondering where I am, if I'm alive, etc. etc.  Well, I am, and I'm in Kenya.  I've just been slowed down by the spotty Internet and my desire to wait to post until I can include pictures.  (That, and I'm posting on a couple other blogs and I just hate to copy and paste - I like to give some variety in everyone's lives.  One of the blogs is for Kogod, so they can show to the world what awesome opportunities people can get if they attend...but really, I have to credit this opportunity to the Mormon network.  But in all fairness, Kogod did help me to focus in on this industry. If you'd like, you can see that blog right here.)  

First off, let's talk about Memorial Day weekend.  David and I trekked up to Palmyra for Jen and Matt's wedding.

 And what a wedding it was!  The bride looked beautiful and both of them were glowing.  Sort of a special day for me - it was the first live sealing I've gotten to attend, and plus I'm friends with both of them (I sort of convinced Matt to go to the activity where they met, so do I get some of the credit here?).  I think they just might be my favorite couple ever.

The reception was grand!  In short...there was a ring ceremony where they exchanged their top ten reasons they chose each other, Martinelli's toasts, amazing Chinese food, the dancing, and even sparklers for the departing couple.  

Some of us graced everyone with the Kung-fu Panda dance, which I have on video but no WAY am I going to try to upload that thing here.  The pic and other vid below will have to do.

Lori and the kids were also in Palmyra, so we got to spend some time with them and take a lightning tour of the Grandin Printing Press.  They were quite accommodating to the low attention span of David...I mean the kids.  I may even say too accommodating.  Be that as it may, we got to do it, and that was a very good thing.

My favorite part of the weekend was definitely Sunday morning.  David had the brilliant idea that we should visit the Sacred Grove before my two-day journey to Kenya.  I could see why Joseph Smith would choose such a place to pray.  We were there early enough that the rest of the world wasn't there yet, and it radiated peace.  

My favorite part of the weekend was definitely not the next day and a half, although I saw some interesting things.  I parted ways with David at the Rochester airport to begin my journey to Kenya.  I connected in New York (I've been to JFK before, but I had no idea switching Terminals was such a crazy ordeal!),  Amsterdam (I thought it was supposed to be a crazy loco city, but the airport was pretty boring), Nairobi (not even as crazy as JFK), and finally to Mombasa where I'll be living for the next two months while I work for Yehu Microfinance.  17 hours of flying and 11 hours of layovers doth a delusional Abby make.  But I got a few shots along the way...

I think this might be the Swiss Alps?

Flying over the Sahara.  Are those crop circles?  What could they be trying to grow in the desert? Could someone explain this to me?

I'm even more curious about this phenomenon.  I couldn't see what was on the other side of the plane, but what could create this dark/light divide all the way across the horizon?  This was right before we landed in Nairobi.  Here's entering the dark...

...and here's coming back into the light.

Here I am in Nairobi, with 26+ hours on my travel clock, waiting for my last quick plane ride.  

Thus beginneth the next adventure...