GetOffYourCouch

Notes on the sad milestones in our family life:

DOROTHY DAVIS: AKA "GRAM-THE-GREAT": 1910 to 2004

Since our move to Qatar, my last surviving grandmother passed away at the amazing age of 94 on August 30, 2004. Jessa's Great Aunt Jayne and her Great Uncle Vern brought Jessa the wedding quilt that Gram had made for her. Gram had also made a wedding quilt for Bree which was brought to her wedding by Aunt Jayne.















We have been blessed with long life on both sides of our family until 2007-2008.

Sorrowfully, Dennis and I lost two more family members.

PAUL ALFRED BUSCH SENIOR : 1922 to 2007

December 2, 2007.
Paul Busch Senior succumbed to pancreatic cancer at the age of 85. He was a retired diesel mechanic who built a home on the family homestead on the remaining 40 acres of a Oklahoma Land Run (1889) claim.
Fortunately, Dennis was able to take personal leave to be with him for 2 months before he died.














NEIL MASSEY: 1953 to 2008

May 21, 2008.
Our brother-in-law Neil Massey - Uncle Neil to our children - survived Hodgkins for almost 30 years. During those 30 years he had squeezed in two international mining engineer careers. He is mourned by his wife Darcy, his family, his friends and his co-workers.

Labels: The Saddest Milestones

The Busch Family Milestones since we have moved to Qatar have been:

December 03-January 04: Busch Family of 5 Reunion in Qatar and India












May 2004:
Jessa's Graduation from Texas State University
Family and friends came from all over Arizona, Michigan, Oklahoma, and, of course, Texas. Jessa introduced her new special friend Jared Berger to the extended family. The Waniska family came to cheer. The graduation party was held at Jeff and Rhea Kester's wonderful San Marcos home.










November 13, 2004:
Bree and Renan Wood's wedding in Chicago, Illinois at the Baha'i House of Worship











December 04: Ben and Jessa came to Qatar










March 2005: Bree and Renan's visit to Qatar (including Segway tour of TAMU-Q) and Muscat, Oman with our host and hostess Ahmed and Najla:





















July 2005: Busch Michigan Reunion of 6 plus Jessa's friend Jared














Christmas Family Reunion in Oklahoma 05

July 2006: Busch Family of 6 plus Jessa's fiancée Jared Berger in Michigan and Door County Wisconsin plus visits with Grammie and Grandad Dancer and Darcy and Neil Massey










December 12, 2006: The birth of Zaryn Dancer Woods










Christmas Reunion in Oklahoma 06

May 17, 2007: Jim and Lindsay Foreman's wedding












May 26, 2007: Jessa and Jared Berger's wedding










Busch Family of 8 plus Ben's friend Sarah Davis in Vancouver: July 07










The passing of Paul Busch Senior: December 2, 2007 (separate dedicated entry)

Christmas Reunion in Oklahoma: December 07

The launch of the STS-123

In 2007-8 we made 5 trips to the United States. The March highlight was travelling to Florida to watch the NASA STS 123 shuttle take off to the International Space Station with our brother-in-law Mike Foreman aboard. The entire Dancer clan attended this incredible feat of technology. We were all glued to the NASA website for the following 2 1/2 weeks until his safe return after 3 spacewalks.











The passing of Neil Massey: May 21, 2007 (separate dedicated entry)

Labels: Family Travel Recap

So much catching up to do!







Since my Turkey blog I have been a negligent blogger. We are hoping to return to Turkey. We almost made it during the 2007 Eid but Dennis's dad was too sick and we ended up in Oklahoma instead. Here is a list of our travels since the 2005 trip to Turkey (in addition to family reunions):

Switzerland June 2005 -
After a particularly difficult year of work, we retreated to the hiking trails of Interlaken.

Following an eight month withdrawal to the mountains of Switzerland where Shoghi Effendi had gone to gain "health, strength, self-confidence and spiritual energy", and during which time he led a spartan life, on some days walking for more than forty kilometres over Alpine passes and climbing mountains for sixteen hours without rest, the Guardian returned to Haifa on 15 December 1922 to relieve his great-aunt, Bahíyyih Khánum, of the leadership responsibilities which she had so faithfully executed during his absence.



February 2006: Jordan with Joe and Shannon Estrada





























March 2006: Nepal - Kathmandu and Pokkhara






















July 2006: Back to Italy with TAMU-Q Student Leaders plus B to the 3rd Power.













Eid 2006: Maldives
Karamuthi and Kandalhu











Frankfurt, Germany:
We have been so blessed to be able to stop in Frankfurt on our way home from Qatar. We were generously hosted at the German House of Worship by Gisela von Brunn.









Tanzania
February 2007
Dar Es Salam,
Mikumi and
Ruaha Safaris








College Station, Texas:
TAMU-Q
Student Exchange
Spring 2007









Dubai Summer 2007
Dennis skiied the
Mall of the Emirates.
This stained glass
pyramid is but one
of the many
architectural
features.



The Busch Family Canadian Summer Reunion 2007
Vancouver and Victoria - Humpback whale watching and Stanley Park hike






Okay, that's the official "off-the-couch recap". Hopefully, I will faithfully report upcoming adventures.

Christy

Labels: 2006 -2008 Adventures Around the Words