All Together... in "Paradise"

A lot has happened since my "Holiday Fun" entry.

Tahra and I spent some quality time with friends in the Cities -- BIG thanks to Shane & Jaimala and Shane & Melissa for letting us crash at their places.

Then we were off to what would turn out to be an ill-fated family vacation in Mexico. The week at the Mayan Palace started off pretty well (except for Tahra and I being put into a building at the resort that was like a mile from the pool and beach -- FYI, that resort has the worst layout ever), but the later part of the week turned into a nightmare:
Mom, my sister Betsy, her boyfriend Brian, Tahra and I returned to the resort on Thursday afternoon after a day trip for snorkeling (something which my dad didn't like doing and decided he'd rather hang out at the resort), only to find out that my dad had collapsed and had been rushed to the hospital in Cancun.

A 40-minute car ride later, we learned that he had died -- from what the doctors believe was a massive heart attack (we still don't have the translated autopsy report from the U.S. embassy).

Needless to say, this was incredibly stressful -- dealing with not only the fact of his sudden death, but also with the bureaucracy of transporting him back to Minnesota. I won't go into detail, but I can't emphasize this enough: do NOT die in Mexico (or many other places outside the U.S.).

More than 800 people (including some really great friends who I know read this -- thank you again for being there) showed their support at the funeral service, which I think turned out very nice.

And as if this hasn't been enough of a whirlwind of events, Tahra and I then moved out to Washington, DC last Sunday. The fun doesn't stop there, however -- we're searching fast and furious for a more permanent place to live, and I'm on the case to find a job.

More as things develop...