Kay Marie Jeon Murphy Turns 4!!!

The day stared out as all days do getting the kids up, sticker awards from the previous day along with breakfast and getting ready for school, however on this day things were different.

"Mommy, Daddy I can do it myself because I am 4".

Kay has had a very fun filled, trying but for the most part great year.

She learned to go to the potty ON the potty, YEAH! She learned more than anyone knows about coloring and painting so much so she has to wear a painting shirt every time she paints. She rides a bike, loves to wear dresses, make up, dancing and singing, teasing her brothers and her new most favorite thing, the beauty parlor.

So when we had our party planning session with Kay about her party she was very specific.

The girls will be downstairs and we can go to the beauty parlor. We can get our nails done and make up then when we go home the boys can be upstairs only if the bring me a present!

So the invitations were "created" and Kay passed them out and wanted to tell everyone to bring her a present, being the lady she is, when she found out that it was impolite to ask for a present, she then informed everyone the could not get into the party without the invitation! A shrewed way to ask for something.

Then the afternoon of the party tragedy almost struck, Kay woke up from her nap with a fever and temp and as they say here in India, "she is not well". We consulted with Kay as what we should do, Daddy offered" Kay we can cancel the party until tomorrow" to which Kay's reply was " Will it be my birthday tomorrow" Daddy said " no today is your birthday" "then we have the party today!", enough said.

So filled with Tylenol and battling a fever the party was on!

Kay had a great time at the beauty parlor, came home to this odd combination of Barbie meets Batman decorations and cake. She tore through her presents had cake and pizza thanked everyone for coming and then was, finally wore out.

Even Jimmy was impressed. "This was the best party Kay, thank you, I really had fun!". No kidding, he said that to her twice! A roaring success:)

No Fricking Way Man

Two days after we moved into the Taj West End last year this wonderful lady and her two children moved in down the hall from us.

Carol her daughter Lauren and her son Josh relocated to Bangalore from Montreal to be here for two or maybe three years and we all became fast friends. We share a love of Bangalore and India for that matter, good food, family, good wine (which we can not get here) does not mean we do not try, and having fun.

Carol’s husband David stayed back in Montreal for work however his visit’s to Bangalore always brought great laughs and awesome going away parties!

In fact at one of the parties our mutual friend Petra from Germany lead us in a rendition of “ So long Farewell Auvierdersien Goodbye” which actually brought tears to David's eyes!!

It was with great sadness the day Carol found out that she would be leaving Bangalore after only 11 months and be returning to Montreal.

Carol you are missed.

Her love of the people, India and saying what ever was on her mind meant you always knew where Carol was on any topic because you would hear he say “ you have got to be shitting me" or “no fricking way eh!”

To Carol, David, Lauren and Josh thank you for all you gave us while you were here and for our continued friendship as we all move into the next stage of the journey!

Love,
The Loud Americans.

Safe Travels

One year ago we landed in Bangalore somewhat lost, confused, excited and a little scared as to what were we thinking?! The very first day we were here we went to wander around the hotel grounds only to find there was this terrific champagne brunch going on along with games and activities for the kids. Amidst all this we met a couple from the UK named Debbie and Simon.

Debbie was extremely nice (and still is) and got me steered towards the OWC, gave me her mobile number and set up play dates with her kids, Hope and Freddie (whom Jimmy and Kay became fast friends with) AND explained the inner workings of Bangalore .... all within about 30 minutes of meeting us. Tracy and I were and still are extremely thankful for Debbie and Simon's friendship and help.

We have since become great friends and have spent the past year getting together at least once if not twice a month for BBQ's, swimming, and general good times. We would share travel stories and restaurant information and talk about our kids. We just really have fun together.

So it was with great joy when we heard the news that they were going to be leaving Bangalore and moving to the US! Simon will be taking a position overseeing two office's in the New York area and they will be living there for at least two or three years, which means we will be able to see them when we get home.

It was also with great sadness when we had to wish them safe travels. We all decided that we would not say goodbye as we are planning a great reunion in the US when we return. Debbie sent us a text message when they reached the UK which said "I could now delete her from my phone now, a mail now and then would be nice". I can say that we will never delete them from our contact list and we will be sending them our love and best wishes for their next journey from the UK to their new home in New York.!

Debbie and Simon thank you for your kindness and generosity and when we meet back in Minnesota ,Tracy and I promise you more than a cheese omelet sandwich for dinner!

All our love,

Tom, Tracy, Jimmy, Kay and Billy.

BACK TO SCHOOL

The holiday here in India has finally come to an end for the kids. They were on school break from for all of April and May. They had a great time at summer camp and learned yoga, coloring, how to wiggle their ears and go he he and ha ha and other important stuff like that.

The first order of business to get ready was the all important new backpack. The search began in the small hamlet, village, of Whitefield, which is the town we live in. The focus of the search was of course, power rangers. The thing about the mind of a 51/2 year old is their ability to focus on one thing and and never let go. We actually saw a power ranger backpack in Whitefield the problem however is that the vendor was selling them from a small stand with no roof, which means that since it is the rainy season that the backpack would not be in real good shape. We then drove around looking for power rangers backpacks in other places only to be reminded by Jimmy that he knows a place in Whitefield where they have them!

The search then changed direction to whatever backpack we saw and then finally to Spiderman. Jimmy tried on several and settled for the largest backpack available in India (see photo). That being done uniforms were then picked up and new shoes bought, Jimmy was ready to go!

Kay on the other hand was perfectly fine with her Dora backpack however she needed new clothes, not just any clothes they had to consist of dresses, skirts and tops that she picked out!

Several skirts were tried and discarded until 5 were chosen with extreme care. The tops of course did not have to match the skirts, I mean anyone can do that, no Kay's had to match her Dora backpack! Apparently the notion or maybe religion, accessories are important , is an inborn female trait, who knows. I know from experience that when Kay decides on something, so it is,Amen!

New clothes, haircut, nails done and a final look at bangles Kay announced that she was ready to go, God save Gopalan!

Billy, well lets just say that he was not going to be outdone. In his current state everything, and I mean everything is his. So seeing Jimmy's new backpack, Kay's new clothes sort of set him off. Being 2 1/2 gives him the accuse to not have to negotiate, just to demand.! So Billy got some new clothes, a "new" recycled Wiggles backpack and a new play car. The car was the important item and he seemed ready, I mean he has no clue what is about to happen .

The day came and we went to the bus where Jimmy promptly jumped on, Kay followed suit and Billy burst into hysterics as he too wanted to take the bus! Billy was finally escorted to school by Tom and Saravana and now we await the verdict!

My birthday weekend!! :)

Thank you for all the wonderful wishes! Many of you asked what I did for my 1st Indian birthday as well as my 1st annual 39th:) It was PERFECT!!!

I took the day off so I was not a Target team member for the day:)
But... I did get 6 ouquets of flowers from work. My house looks like a florists. Its beautiful!

I got up, went for a run, took Billy to the airplant museum (Billy "Wow, Holy Cow, Look at dat airpane! Wow! A Helicoper, Wow, Holy Smokes, Wow !! ) then I picked Kay up from school and we went shopping (bought a new pair of jeans, shoes and a tshirt) had lunch and got our nails done. Then after a hour rest I took Jimmy to Shrek 3 where he proceeded to eat a foot long hot dog a box of popcorn a chocolate milkshake and an orange pop. Then he said, "can I have another hot dog, I'm still hungry". It was his 1st real movie theather experience and he was very very good. Then, I came home to LOTS of home made cards and presents, cake and champange. Tom gave me 4 photo albums - 1 from the last year here, and then 1 for each of the kids, PLUS he printed out our entire blog and put it in a nice hard cover folder. Plus... I got a spa certificate, 2 books and money from my parents (which will promptly go toward the new clothes I bought). But, the best part was the really really nice card and letter my Mom and Dad wrote. Then a friend stopped by for a drink and ended up staying for dinner. ALL and ALL a PERFECT day.

Saturday I got my hair cut and colored as there is NO way I was going to be 39 and have a boring hair cut. I had the style and color all picked out and had many many pictures of what wanted. 4 hours later .... my hair looked NOTHING like what I requested. But... it also wasnt boring or conventional. The stylist was convinced it looked exactly the way it should ..."Ma'am you look 10 years younger" "See its the same" Needless to say, it is cute (I think....) but its very red and sometimes orange depending on the light. She kept saying "no...its copper". Really, its not Ronald McDonald red, but a cute dark Jan Reagan red. The fact that I asked for blond hightlights didnt seem to phase her. Billy told me Saturday he "didnt like it" but then changed his mind on Sunday and said "I like your hair mommy". I dont recognize myself in the mirror and Tom thinks they did a Wife swap on him... I'll try to get a cute picture to post.

That night we had an Indian Catholic wedding reception and a party. The wedding reception was like a Wisconsin VFW, explosion in pink affair. They even played Roll out the Barrel. Good fun:) The party was also a great time with terrific food and music I hadnt heard in ages (actually new cutting edge stuff, not 80's)

Sunday was happy/sad as the 1st 2 families we met when we moved here (met them both the 1st day we arrived) are moving this week (Debbie, Simon, Freddie and Hope to Conneticut and Carol back to Canada) so ... we had brunch at the Taj West End with them...all you can drink
champagne brunch with shrimp, scallops, cavier,oysters on the 1/2 shell and filet mignon. But.. everyone kept eating hot dogs. It was hysterical. It turns out they had German sausages and mustard flown in for the weekend and you can tell that's a big luxury and that was what everyone had on their plates while the seafood went ignored:) It was WAY fun and WAY spendy. But... it was our last chance to spend such a high rent Sunday with people we love:)
It took forever to say goodbye. There were hugs, more hugs, kisses, goodbyes, pictures, more hugs, promises to text message, email, etc... Finally, in the car on the way home, Jimmy said "wow, I'm really going to miss Freddie. This is hard." Yep, it is hard. We finished off the busy and outstanding weekend with a Taco Salad and a 9:00pm bedtime.

Very very nice.

Fathers Day!!!

We Murphy children are feeling quite literary these days. We had so much funny writing our Mothers Day blog that we decided to write the sequel, our Father’s Day blog.

Our Daddy is the BEST!! He is Dedicated to our every whim and need (ie. Chocolate) , he is Attentive to our friends (ie parties), he is Determined that we grow up nicely (ie. No fighting), he is Dashing (ie particularly in his new kurta’s) and he is Young at heart (ie. Swimming, biking and playing with us).

Here is what we wrote in his Father’s Day cards:

Jimmy – I love my Daddy, he makes me good food for dinner. He rents me movies and let’s me eat popcorn in the living room.

Kay – I yove you Daddy, now…. OPEN your presents!!

Billy – I love you too Daddy, especially when you let me sleep in between you and Mommy.

We also wanted to tell you about all the great things Daddy does….

For our family – he never forgets anyone’s birthday and is great at calling to talk and wish people all the love they can handle in the next year.

For charities – he works on the Charity Committee and supports anywhere from 3-5 charities at any given time. Helping them get money, supplies and resources they need for the kids in India that cant help themselves.

For our friends – he is GREAT at helping people adapt to India. He throws “welcome to India” parties, takes them shopping, finds them drivers/maids/cooks, gives them tours of Bangalore, helps them make friends.

For school – he got us all our books, supplies and uniforms. He did this not just for us, but for all our friends in Palm Meadows too since the line was so d_mn long (he waited in line for 3 hours!!)

For fun – he is always the 1st to help organize a party, plan the food, decide on a theme and insure everyone is having fun.

For our Mommy – he makes sure that she feels loved

For us – see all of the above!!

On Fathers Day we tried to treat him very nicely. Here was his day…
Sleep until 9:30am (after he slept with Billy from 3-5am due to Billy wanting to cuddle)
Presents, cards and a big omelet breakfast
Swimming at the pool
Tasty lunch of grilled cheese and tomato soup
A NAP!
A head massage
Steak dinner complete with champagne, red wine, ice cream sundaes and our favorite neighbors
A nice phone call with each and every one of my brothers, sisters and parents.
SLEEP!!!

WE LOVE YOU DADDY!!!

Saravana weds Sunita

The much anticipated wedding of our driver Saravana to Sunita has finally arrived and what a production it was.

The Friday before the wedding had us at the home of Sarvana to witness the Puja ( blessing/prayer) of the groom. The entire family is present and they apply a colorful mixture of different herbs to his face,arms,head and feet. The groom to be dressed all in white, was escorted to the puja spot by his Uncle and then each of the family, including Tracy, applied the mud like substance until he was completely covered. The we all were then painted on our faces and then we washed up and left. Quite interesting.

The following day was the reception ceremony. The Hindus have the reception before the marriage as not everyone is invited to the actual wedding ceremony.

We arrived at the reception hall around 5:00 in the afternoon admits a great deal of fanfare.

The Loudamericans 3/5th dressed in Korean Hanbok"s and Tracy in a Saree and Tom in a navy blue wool suit (the groom demanded it) and was only about 95 degrees!

The waiting had begun as this event goes on and on and on and we never really know what is happening. All of a sudden the "orchestra" starts to play as loud as they possibly can the singer begins to sing off key and loud while moving around the throng of people in some bizarre Vegas nightclub/lounge lizard dance while everyone there pays them no mind. This will happen two or three times until the singer either has performed all the songs required or someone just asks then to leave because they can not take it anymore! I am not sure which.

At this point the crowd rises and gets into line to give their congratulations to the "couple" and their family. The people parade past them and get their picture taken and hand over any gifts they may have.

I am unsure how many of the people in our picture were actual members of Saravana or Sunita's family however there were several.

The kids at this point have gone beyond meltdown stage as well as haven eaten all the "western snacks" we brought. Their colorful hanbok's were dull and dirt cover their faces sweat covered and their hunger overwhelming as we headed down stairs for the dinner.

The traditional Hindu meal served at these events is veg only, rice,some curd,chutney,roti,you get the idea all the food is runny and served on a banana leaf with no silverware it was a mess.

The kids ate only rice but we managed to fill them and us up as the food was very good.

We then bid everyone good bye as we sadly took Julie to the airport.

Billy was very cute as all the way to the airport he kept saying to Julie, "take me with you Julie, take me with you"!

He was telling her Julie I love you Julie as she was standing in the two block long line for the terminal..We will miss her and if you have not read her blog it is a couple of entries back.

Sunday we got up early and headed back to the wedding hall for the actual ceremony itself. The event is not unlike the event the night before however we were all decked out in our formal Indian wear. There were many of the same people wondering around the groom in a traditional headpiece and white outfit the bride in one of the 75 Saree's purchased for the event.The photographers as usual set up right in front of the wedding alter and not allowing anyone to see, not that people were watching.They were all just milling about as before talking and every so often something would happen and people would rush to the couple to see. There are many rituals that occur at the wedding, the couple receives 7 wreathes of flowers and walks 7 times around the alter,7x7, interesting. There is a fire that is there throughout the ceremony into which oils and flowers and prayers are placed, not unlike a burning bowl, the couple eats only veg food to help cleanse their bodies and make room for the new life and experiences that are ahead.

We were feed another fabulous meal and bid or farewells. All in all quite the experience. Our driver is now on holiday until the 25th of June at which time we are sure to hear about all the behind the scene issues and family drama that always surrounds events such as these!

MS 150 - New Blog,read all about it, its 3 blogs down....

Ooty = Damn Cold, Fast Rides & Cow Trees

In an effort to show my sister more of India than Bangalore, we debated and debated where to spend the weekend. Tom and I threw out ideas - Cauvery, Cochin, Pondicherry? Each and every one was met with the same remark from our driver - How about Ooty? How about Ooty? How about Ooty? It didnt take us long to realize that he really wanted to go to Ooty AND since he was going to be driving us, should he have a major vote in the decision? So, off we go to Ooty our resident "hill station".

A hill station is a town in the mountians, which usually house all the tea and coffee plantations you can handle. The weather is famous for being cool, the atmosphere peaceful, the flowers beautiful and the food fabulous. Why wouldnt you want to go?!

On the way, you pass through a national forest and elephant camp. Its really quite pretty and Billy coined a new phrase "Mommy - Look, the cow trees" Please see the photo. It tells the whole story....

After a 7 hour journey what we didnt realize about Ooty is ...

~ Its DAMN COLD

~ It is "fast ride" heaven

Of course, being Minnesotans, when people told us to pack our warm clothes, did we listen? What would they know, we thought. They think 70 degrees is cold. When it hits 75 degrees we see all the locals wearing stocking caps and scarfs. So... did we heed the warnings? No. Off we go with shorts, tshirts and our crocs. We werent there 10 min's and we realized we were in trouble. Not only could we see our breathe, but our room had a fireplace in it and it promptly started raining. While I'll admit that it was a nice break from our 110 degree heat, I'll also admit that I havent been this cold sleeping since I slept in the back of a pick up in Duluth 2 years ago. (The sad part was that this time I was INSIDE a house!! Yes Wendy, I had on my stocking cap). Adding to the cold was the fact that we stayed in this very regal, old, English country house. It dated back to 1850 and I sure feel for those people. While regal and grand, it was also drafty and damp. At least the beds were nice and big as all 3 kids ended up in our bed both nights. I think they were afraid of hypothermia!

Speaking of the kids, they loved Ooty. I am calling it our "ride" weekend. We went on bumper cars, go carts, merry go rounds, a motorcycle ride, 2 train rides, tons of car time AND a 2 hour horseback ride into the mountains. Each of us had our "own" horse. (of course Billy and Kay were nice enough to share their horses with Tom and I). This is not your trail rides of days gone by (you know, the ones where the horses knew the path so well they did it in their sleep and couldnt be turned or stopped by a 200 lb guy...) Nope, this is India and these were real trail rides, up the mountain, through the mud, into the thickets, under trees, over logs and finally ending in a downpour. Julie's horse was "fast", so the guides kept a hand on the reigns. When she remarked she might want a slower horse, they proceeded to switch her horse with Jimmys. Of course, let's give the 5 year old the fast horse. That makes perfect sense. Jimmy loved it and was galloping before we knew it. I do have to say, it was one of my highlights of India!

Guest Blogger - My sister Julie

The following blog is being written by Julie. The thoughts and comments here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the blog 'owners' (just kidding Julie, go for it)my trip to india.



Where should I start? The wonderful smells, the traffic or the wonderful bathrooms (please refert back to wonderful smells). I guess I should start at the begining of my trip. I flew in from Thailand with Tracy Tom and the kids. After spending five weeks in Thailand where the cities are very clean, easy to get around and relatively little trafiic, I felt like I had landed on another planet. The highlights of my trip was first spending time with Jimmy Kay and Billy. They are so unique and individual and funny and too smart and way too cute. Jimmy is speaking with a Indian accent and both Kay and Jimmy are speaking tamil. The second thing is the food. Tracy and Tom are truly blessed because they have an amazing cook. I think I am the only person in the world who goes to India and gains weight. Raj and Flor would make 6 or 7 different dishes for lunch and dinner and all of them were amazing.

Tracy set me up with her auruyvedic doctor to study with and if anybody out there needs to be healed this IS the guy. He would see maybe 20 people in one hour. People who had everything from cancer to paralysis, high blood pressure, obesity, sliped discs, ALS... anything he would cure. After a 10 minute session he would relieve peoples symptoms by 90 percent to 100 percent. These people would be fighting their diseases for years or in pain for 10 15 20 years and in 10 minutes they were almost cured. It is truly amazing . His therapy at first seems very simple, almost like a plasibo. But after learning what he was actually doing, it was extremely detailed and complex but at the same time very simple. He starts out by feeling your hand and feeling what element is in exceess. Then he balances it by doing reflexogy, accupresure, homeopathy and then he ends with taping seeds on your fingers.

The traffic is crazy here. Its amazing, a five kilometer trip may take two hours. You have cows just hanging out in the middle of the street. Everybody is constantly honking at each other. People are just squating off on the sidewalk going pee or poop. Every five feet tere is a huge pile of garbage and people are just throwing there garabage out their windows. When we were on our way to Ooty we awere driving down the highway and on the median right in the center of the very busy highway a guy is taking a nap.

A very different planet:)

Reflections on the 9th year of marriage

Each year, Tom and I have a ritual. On our anniversary and the kids birthdays, we write in a journal reflecting on the year.

The ritual started in the weeks before we were to get married. Everyone kept telling us "remember this time". Since we have shoddy memories, the best way we could think to do it was to write it down. What a gift! We now have 2 books filled with memories of our married life... Day by day leading up to our wedding, the wedding weekend itself and the honeymoon afterwards. We re-read it each year and always get a good laugh. This proved to be so much fun and such a great way to appreciate all our blessings, that we kept it up. Each year we write in this journal.

When we were adopting the kids, again, we wanted to remember each tiny detail. So, they each have their own book detailing the wait for them to "come home", the trip to meet them and their 1st few weeks at home. We also then have yearly updates on their accomplishments (Plus this is way easier than trying to scrapbook a baby book after each "milestone". Call me lazy and uncreative, its OK. Its true!)

Since these books are so incredible and important to us, we left them in Minnesota. Naturally. Now, what to do...

You, lucky readers, will, for the next year, be "previe" to our deepest thoughts, secrets and remembrances from the last year. Consider it a love note to ourselves and our family:)

Hence "Reflections on the 9th year of marriage"

Holy Cow - 9 years. Each year has gotten progressively more busy, high speed, fun and comfortable (in the best possible way). But, I'd have to say, this year takes the cake. Not only did we make it, we made it through moving to India, countless trips, kid milestones like school, potty training, talking and .... we are still together. How lucky am I?!! How lucky are we!

Highlights:

Travel -

We started the year with a great adults only retreat to Bayfield WI. It was GORGEOUS. We saw bears, went mountain biking, drank wine, ate fish, and basically enjoyed our only alone time for the next year.

We snuck in our annual trip to Glen Lake to be with the Hickey side of the family for 10 glorious days of grandmas/grandpas, moms/dads, sisters/brothers in law, cousins, aunties/Dadu, swimming, sand dunes and ice cream.

We had a fabulous weekend in Victoria Minnesota at Grandpa and Grandma Murphy's cabin where we took photos of the whole family and had a great time just being together.

Next, the BIG trip to Bangalore India. Zoinks, 30+ hours on a plane with 3 kids followed by 2 weeks in a hotel. I am not sure that I would recommend this for everyone but it was a great learning experience for our family. I guess that's what this blog is all about:)

India trips included; Mysore, Cochin, Munnar, Cauvery fishing camp, Delhi, Agra, Hampi, Kabini, Maldives and Ooty. Whew... I am getting tired just thinking about it again.

We also had a fabulous 2 weeks in Australia. We saw almost all of south east Australian. Again a once in a lifetime experience. How lucky are we?!

Babies:

Welcome to the world this year !! - Baby Herbie Basil (my sister Tammy) . Marley Cady (good friends Pat and Mary). Baby Girl Loignon (college roomie Lynn, sorry I cant remember her name right now:) ) Jordan Berkner (wonderful house sitter Heidi)

Moves:

Besides ours - The Cady's moved to Arkansas. The Milbrath's to Seattle. The Miller's, Herkelmans and Webb's to India:) Claude to Canada. Damien to France. The Wilson's to Ireland. The Agostini's to NJ. Lindy and Chris to Singapore, The VanMeters to Dayton. Spirit in Action to their NEW home! The Petersons to a small cottage on lake Minnetonka.

Visitors:

To India:) Besides all the wonderful work friends and coworkers that brought us fruit snacks, tortillas, People/US magazines and red wine we had wonderful friends and family visit, helping us stave off homesickness for just a little while .... Jeff Van Meter and Mike Swenson, Mom and Dad Hickey, Mom and Dad Murphy, Aunt Sue Hickey, Julie Hickey, Jessica Stoll, Beth Rozga and Manda Murray.

Milestones:

Jimmy - Learned to ride his bike WITHOUT training wheels, went to Kindergarten, rides the bus to school, knows how to use the computer (and the cell phone), can write, sound out words and actually READ, is learning Hindi, speaks in an Indian English accent (but only with Indian people) and can understand our cook/maid/driver when they speak Tamil. The top of his head is at my arm pit and he weighs over 65 lbs. Yikes! (Plus he can eat a whole chicken!)

Kay - Was potty trained!! Learned to ride a bike with training wheels, picks out her own clothes and gets herself dressed, started "school", started riding the bus to school, speaks Tamil with our maid/cook, had her fingernails/toenails "done", "writes" us notes, is a damn good painter. She comes right to my hip and weighs 28lbs. (yep still in 2-3T clothes - thanks Shinbee:) )

Billy - Stopped using a NUK, started talking (non stop), understands Hindi and Tamil, feeds himself (both with a spoon and fork AND the Indian way with chapati), imitates Power Ranger moves, sleeps in a big boy bed - not a crib:) He can easily still stand between my legs and weighs 30 lbs (yes, he weighs more than Kay and his head is 50% bigger too! They still share shoes, tshirts and shorts...)

Mom and Dad Hickey - They BOTH turned 65!!!

Mom and Dad Murphy-They turned 72 and Grandpa Murphy celebrated 50 years since he graduated college.

Tracy's girlfriends - 1st annual 39th birthday parties are the "theme" of the year:)

Tom's friends- They will have to stop at the store this year on the way home from the annual fishing trips to purchase some fish since I will not be their to catch the fish for them.

New Jobs - Jim Fellows (MAJOR marketing genius:)), Treena Shosten (left Sonia Kosik and found a new love), Ann Wohlforth (movin' on up!), Scott Brill (VP :) ), Peterson's & Mary Foster (their new job is to ENJOY life), Ben Milbrath (continuing to turn air into gold), Alexis Seiler (great new boss and location), Wendy Reed (seriously well deserved), Michelle Manderfeld (big wig), Des Kamman (self employed creative genius), Brian Murphy coming into his dream job!! and Carl landing a new Sales Manager job will he will not have top travel anymore.

So, I think I need to go to bed. This has been an exhausting year.

But... I'll sleep well knowing that we and ALL our loved ones (family and friends) were immensely blessed this year.

How lucky are we to have each other and all of you to share these joys, pains, and milestones!?!

You make it all worthwhile. Can't wait to see what's in store for ALL of us in year 10:)

MS 150 - Then and Now

Hi there
As many of you know, I am an avid bike rider and supporter of trying to “solve” the mystery of MS. I thought I’d share my fundraising/training experiences over the last few months in prep for the ride.
Read on!!! J

Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 12:33 PM

Yep, its that time of year again. The sun is out (as it always is here) but I am unable to get on my bike (fear of death by auto rickshaw).

BUT... I AM getting ready for the annual MS 150 trek with my friend Wendy ANYWAY. How you say? The trip this year is 6/8-6/10 and I will be riding "virtually". I will be dedicating "butt" time on a stationary bike at our gym Saturday and Sunday evenings 6/9 & 6/10, riding the required 150 miles (234 kilometers here). I will be touching base at rest stops with Wendy on the hour via cell phone. - She is always 20 min's ahead of me anyway, so the only time I ever saw her on the ride anyway was at rest stops and as her behind pulled away from me after rest stops:)

This is the 28th anniversary of this ride (Duluth to Minneapolis) and the 14th year I have ridden. Wendy I have ridden through, marriage, divorce, kids, health concerns and now geographic challenges. I am really proud to be able to do this with her year after year.

Last year the ride raised over $1.5 million for MS research, support and awareness. I am proud to say, that thanks to all of you, I maintained my $1,000 club member status. That means I raised over $1,000 myself ($1,250 to be exact). Thank you!!

To give you a little background on why this is so important to me, my Uncle Alan had MS. He was diagnosed shortly after I was born and to be honest, MS is an integral part of my family memories with him and my cousins. Alan's illness had a profound affect on his work, friends and family. He had an incredible spirit and was able to make all of us laugh, even in the worst of situations.

So, I ride in honor and in memory of Alan. (Now is where I ask for money ...)

If you feel compelled to give to this amazing movement (literally), I'd really appreciate it. I'd love to be able to brag that I was a $1,000 club member 4 years in a row!!

How do you do that? Go on line to http://www.blogger.com/www.ms150.com and choose the ePledge option on the left hand side of the page.
(Please let me know if this doesn’t work and we'll figure something else out as sending me a check isnt really an option this year:) But... If push comes to shove, I could have you send your check to Wendy and she could "deposit" it with the MS Society for me.

Thank you so much for you support, it really is an amazing experience !
Tracy.

Sent: Monday, May 14, 2007 11:53 AM

Hi ALL
Wanted to give an update on my training and fundraising progress - Over all - fair and good, in that order:)

Training - It is MUCH harder to train on a stationary bike, I am finding. First of all, its boring as h_ll and secondly, you cant COAST! Uggh.... But... I do loose about 2-5 pounds in sweat each time I go to the gym, so that's always nice:) I'll get there. I think the biggest struggle will be not dying of boredom. I am hoarding good books and am thinking I'll put together a schedule for my friends of when they can come "visit" me and work out with me on the bike next to mine...

Fundraising - I am 1/2 way to my goal. Not bad for 4 weeks away. BUT... So... Good news, I have raised almost $500. Bad news, I still have $500 to go. For those of you that were early contributors, THANK YOU! For those of you still interested in contributing, there is still time:) (hint hint)

Other news - Wendy has formed a team for us for this ride. I'll be a virtual member of the Red Ribbon Ride Team. We are a team of 4 (hopefully growing) and are trying to raise awareness not only for MS, but for AIDS. Wendy is using the MS150, in addition to a great fundraiser for MS, but also as a training ride for her longer and much harder AIDS ride in July. Once again, I am amazed by her strength in body and in character:)

So...Keep me in your thoughts, wish me entertainment and happy cycling. AND... Don’t forget to send in a donation.

PEACE!!

Sent: Monday May 28th

Hi ALL
A special THANK YOU! I have exceeded my fundraising goal - YIPPEE.

A very heartfelt thank you to a couple of "Big" contributors - Aunty Lynn, Mom and Dad and Leona. You guys are the BEST!!

For the rest of you, if you have made a donation, thank you so much. Everything counts and because of your combine efforts, I am at $1,200!!!

If you are still interested in pledging, I'd like to suggest an alternate. My friend of 16 years, Wendy Reed, will be riding the REAL ride in MN. She could use some fundraising help, so if you planning on pledging me, please pledge her instead. The money goes to the same place and we are a team:) You can go to the same site and just look for Wendy's name next to the 6/8-6/10 ride.

On other fronts, while fundraising is terrific, I think I need all your support for the physical part. I know that I get nervous each year, but this year is a bit different. I have plenty of books, People magazines, etc, but I really need your support during that long long weekend on the stationary bike. Be sending thoughts of energy and fitness to me:)

LOVE to all of you!! And THANK YOU!!!
Tracy.


Sent: Sunday June 10th

Ok all! I'm done, finished, over for another year! Yippee! I will be very happy if I dont need to see another stationary bike for another 10 months (until I decide to punish myself and do this again).


Updates:

Fundraising - The BEST year ever! Way to go and a hearty thank you to all my friends and family that have faith in me, my abilities and hope that we'll figure out how to stop MS together!! Grand Total: $1,440:)


Ride itself: I decided to split the ride into 3 segments, 4 hour each Fri, Sat and Sun. The good news is, I had the LATEST People and US magazine along with the latest book from Tom and my favorite author. Lee Child. You can almost forget you are riding on a stationary bike for hours when Jack Reacher is kicking butt. I managed to talk to Wendy a number of times on the ride and they had hot weather and head winds the 1st day and beautifully HOT day the 2nd day. I can relate. Our club doesnt have air conditioning, just big fans. Even though I wasnt moving, I felt like I was in 90 degree heat with hot wind blowing on me:) I feel great, the 1 1/2 hour Thai massage from Julie on Saturday did the trick. I was a little tired, but not sore on Sunday morning and that makes all the difference. I almost got used to being at the club for 4 hours at a shot, scary in itself.

Overall, how do I compare riding here and in MN? Well, I really really missed Little Angies for BIG margaritas and fantastic mexican food. On the end of the 2nd day, I could almost see, taste and feel that I was standing in line for a massage with an ice cold beer in my head. (Julie's massage and a vodka lime soda saved me). I actually really did miss camping and all the snack finger food that we used to consume. I particularly missed Wendy and our time together. I didnt miss waking up to a cold/wet tent or peddling up hill or into a wind. (I hate that!) But... I have to admit, sleeping in your own bed has it merits and coming home to a chilled glass of champange and a love note that says "go mommy go" from your fabulous husband and 3 kids has its mertis. PLUS, Tom made me fahita's for dinner so... I should go:)

Overall, its do-able. Would I do it again? YES! Be warned, I'll be hitting you up for donatioins next year, no matter WHERE I am:)

Tracy.

Julie's Here!

Julie has spent the last 5 weeks studying Thai massage in Chiang Mai Thailand. She is a 5th level Thai massage therapist and that bodes well for her 3 weeks with us:)

We decided that having Julie in Thailand, a mere 3 hour flight away, was just too tempting to pass up. So, we packed up the kids and headed off to Chiang Mai via Bangkok.

As you've read before traveling with the LoudAmericans is always an adventure. The ONLY flight to Bangkok from Bangalore is at 12:30am, that's right half past midnight. The flight is only a 3 hour affair, followed by a 2 hour layover and another 1 hour flight to Chiang Mai. Let's see, 3 kids under 6 and the opportunity for less than 2 hours of sleep at a shot over a 24 hour period. Can you see where this is headed?

We arrived in Chiang Mai weary but with all our limps and some of our sanity left. As a side note, the Bangkok airport is AMAZING! ALL the best shops, food and its about 5 km long. You just walk and walk and walk. I considered my 30 min walk with 3 kids between gates as my work out for the day. I think that counts, dont you?

The hotel was nice and let us check in early (9:30am) and we ALL crashed for a very cozy 3 hour nap. The beds were labeled "doubles" but were slightly bigger than twin, so Tom and Jimmy cuddled in one and Kay and I cuddled in the other. Thankfully Julie woke us at 1:30 and off we went. We saw her room, met her friends, got a quick survey of Chiang Mai and then were the ONLY guests at the graduation ceremony. She acheived her 5th level of Thai massage and we took photos of all the graduates for prosperity sake.

That night we celebrated with an early dinner of Thai food, fish and cold beer. Yumm... Then it was off to the night safari. This is amazing. Its a totally decked out park/attraction/theater/zoo. You ride on a trolley and see the animals up close. The very cool thing is that its at 8:30pm so the animals are all really active, wandering around and some even come right up to the trolley. Pretty cool.

The next day was a 1/2 city tour of temples. It was suppose to be 4 hours and somehow we magically were done in 2 1/2 hours ... Hmmm... was it the 110 degree heat, or the whiny kids, or the complete lack of interest in the kids part or the fact that we were all crammed into a tourist van... Hmm... Must just be that our guide was really good:)

We lunched on Korean food and as usual when we go out for Korean, the kids ate and ate and ate like we never feed them. This is a BIG treat for us since the only Korean restaraunt in Bangalore only serves Chinese food. The kids were ordering all their favorites and couldnt understand why they didnt have kim bop or chap chae. I was laughing as the Korean waiter looked at them in amazement.

Next stop, the pool. Can you guess whose vacation is now "made" ?

We decided to be truly adventurous and attend one of the girly/man shows. Thailand is famous for men that dress and look like women. There is a HUGE sex "change" industry and they put on these really really elaborate drag shows. We thought, "why not?!" 1st issue however, what to do with the kids. We managed to find a babysitter that was a friend of Julie's friend. Thinking it was a relatively save bet, we bought our tickets. It was only later as I was contemplating the poster "Stop child trafficing" that I began to doubt our choice. I could just imagine ... we go to dinner, this "friend' babysits, packs the kids off and out they go into the big scary world of child trafficing. How in the world would you ever find them? Its not like they carry id's or have been finger printed (at least I dont think they have....) I took a deep breath, ordered a drink and let go. If any child trafficer spent 5 min's with my kids, they'd return them just as fast.

The "show" was interesting. The ladies were thoroughly bored and could hardly bother to make it through their routines. The only people who seemed to have fun were the 2 "fat" dancers. They were really having a great time. We made up for this with a great Thai dinner overlooking the river. Really nice and relaxing.

The kids on the other hand, had a blast. Jimmy informed us that "May" was nice, but didnt speak English or Hindi either. Kay talked her into a bubble bath and the 3 of them proceeded to use ever drop of soap, flood the bathroom and lock the babysitter out of the bathroom. I am pretty sure she's never doing this again. The kids however, raved about the whole night the next morning. They sure had fun! (see previous comment about the child trafficers)

A few tidbits on Thailand, there is a 7Eleven on every corner, I saw very little litter, their tuk tuks are bigger than ours (for those of you non-Indians, their auto ricksaws are bigger than the ones in India), pollution is better but the humidity will kill you. I also saw a full size Tesco grocery store and "real" bars. Now, dont get me wrong, we do love India, but it is amazing how a 3 hour plane trip can land you in a TOTALLY different world.

Sunday came and we were off to Bangkok and our journey home. The kids were pretty good until BIlly decided to throw a collosel tantrum during the last 1 1/2 hours of the flight. Of course, the minute we landed and he was in his car seat, he feel asleep.

Since our adventure to Thailand, some other quick highlights ...

Julies courses paid off ! Both TOm and I have volunteered to let her practice on us. I think shes pretty good, but she probably needs even more practice. Good thing we are here to help!

We have showed her the ins and outs of Palm Meadows and she's gotten to experience our supper club group and Bangalore traffic.

We are taking her to Mysore tomorrow (palace and elephant rides) and Ooty next week (hill station, tea plantations). She is studying with my Auverydic DR and has been a big help with the kids. Angela has found her to be a great yoga partner too:)

We still have 2 weeks with her here and a lot to do and see.

We'll keep you updated!!

My Mother's Day Gifts!! Arent they great!! See below...

Happy Mothers Day

Mothers Day is celebrated throughout the world on several different days. For us Americans it was May 13th, and we had a great deal to celebrate this year because of our Mom, Tracy.

Did you know that our Mom works very hard here in India and just last month was honored by her work for achieving 100 team members. How hard would it be to handle 100 different kids, I mean there are three of us at the house and by God it is hard to follow all the rules I can not imagine what it is like with 100, Way to go Mom!!

Our Mom also spends much of her free time playing with us. Did you know that she takes Billy and Kay for a walk almost everyday and she teaches them songs and tells them stories. Then when she comes home she gets Jimmy breakfast makes sure he gets his eye drops and we all brush our teeth. Then she even reads stories to us and sings songs while we play band and she does all this before she goes to work, We love You Mom!!

Our Mom is really special because she is very aware of tons of stuff. One of the things she is aware of is something called MS, Muscular Sclerosis. Her Uncle Alan died of this disease several years ago and Mom decided that she was going to do something about It. So she has been riding in this bike ride which is 15o miles विथ her friend Wendy। Over the past thirteen years or so they have rode over 1,950 miles to raise money for this cause. Now being that we are in India this year has not stopped her determination. Her and Wendy have formed this virtual team and are riding the race together or at the same time at least, sort of. There are a bunch of time zone difference and other things but the point is our Mom is raising money and riding a stationary bike her in India to raise money to help people back home, Mom you humble us!!

There is many more great things our Mom does for us however the best thing is that she loves us.

Happy Mothers Day Mom,we are proud of you and, WE LOVE YOU, TOO!!
Jimmy Kay and Billy.

Not so imaginary conversation - What language are we speaking?!

Below is a reenacted phone conversation based on real life events between our travel agent and Tom...

(As background, the screwed up our airline tickets and we are working to get them changed.)

Ring Ring...

Travel Agent: Tell me

Tom: How are the changes coming on the tickets?

Travel Agent: Can you pre-pone coming to pick up the same? Please revert.

Tom: I am not able to come pick up the tickets today. Where are you? Can you bring them out to us tomorrow?

Travel Agent: I am here only. We will do the needful.

Does ANYONE have a clue as to what's going on?

Later - we suspect they are on the way to our house with the tickets. Tom calls again to check..

Ring Ring

Travel Agent: Tell Me

Tom: Hi this is Tom Murphy, are you on the way to deliver our tickets?

Travel Agent: I am here exclusively.

Tom: When will you be to our house?

Travel Agent: 10 minutes

When do you think we'll get our tickets???


Now... in English:)

Ring Ring ...

Travel Agent: Hello, how may I help you?

Tom: How are the changes coming on the tickets?

Travel Agent: They are ready, can you pick up the tickets earlier than planned? Let me know.

Tom: I am not able to come pick up the tickets today. Where are you? Can you bring them out to us tomorrow?

Travel Agent: I am in the office, we will insure that you get your tickets as we do deliver.

Ring Ring

Travel Agent: Hello, how may I help you?

Tom: Hi this is Tom Murphy, are you on the way to deliver our tickets?

Travel Agent: Yes, we are, in fact, I am on the way.

Tom: When will you be at our house?

Travel Agent: Sometime in the next 1-2 hours, pending traffic.

Target's 1st billboard in INDIA!!!

Taxes, funerals and work....

We've had an interesting week. Let me see if I can give you some "highlights" ...

1) Visa/Residency Renewal - We are in the process of renewing our visa which means renewing our residency permit. To do so, you need to fill out a kazillion forms and visit your local police station. Keep in mind.... You need to do this 45 days before it expires. Our's expires 6/13. 45 days out was 4/30. Despite my constant questions about this Feb through March, we found out a couple things this week (note that we are now PAST 4/30)

Taxes - We have to have a copy of our Indian Tax Return in order to renew said visa/residency permit. Taxes arent due until 6/15. Our visa expires 6/13. We found this out on 4/30. We spent a frantic week trying to "quick" get our taxes in before Friday so that we'll have time to get them processed before our visa runs out.

Police Station - ALL of us are required to appear at the police station to get a stamp that says we live in Whitefield. The commissioner needs to be there to issue the stamp. We packed up the kids in the car, took them out of school and appeared at the police station twice this week, only to find out the commissoner WASNT there. We went today, paid a "fee" of 1500 ruppees, spent 2 seconds in the station and magically we were approved. Not sure if this is because of the "fee" we paid (read .... bribe) or the fact that Jimmy had on one of the policemans hats and was running around yelling (in an Indian accent)"you are under arrest". Not sure the 3 guys shakled to the desk thought that was funny.

2) Christian funeral in India - One of Tom's friends and local charity directors died unexpectedly this week. It is really sad as she was an incredible lady and advocate for the disabled. We felt we need to go say our condolences and that's how we ended up at a Christian funeral in India. I polled all my coworkers... "have you ever been to one, what can we bring, what do they do, etc? " None of them had been to a Christian funeral before. Interesting...So, off we go, dressed up, 110 degree heat, outside service at 11:00am. There are, besides 200 people in attendance, 4 cows and various street kids that "stop by" to watch the proceedings. The service is kicked off by the pall bearers bringing her out in a glass coffin. Really. Glass on all sides. Did I mention it as 110 degrees? The hymns, bible readings and words from the family were all very similar to our services. That was nice. They even sang, "Blessed Surrender" our FAVORITE Tonia Hughes hymn. Very very touching... Then, after the service ended there were 2 moments of interest ... 1) the pall bearers lifted her body out of the glass coffin and into the waiting wooden coffin. 2) the minister announced that the hearst was leaving for the cemetary, that cars should follow with lights on and that the hearst "would be going fast, would NOT wait, so please keep up..."

3) Prep for the BIG Visit next week - At work we are in the throws of getting ready for our ENTIRE executive committee and 40 of their closest friends/team members to visit us next week (May 11-12). This includes our CEO, President, CFO and CIO. It also includes about 5 EVP's. Think of it as a wedding that is planned in under 4 weeks. This has included trying to plan dinners, lunches, speeches, presentations, transportation, and a remodel of our building. Needless to say, it has been an interesting process. We are editing, tweaking, modifying and adjusting the same presentations so many times that I am beginning to dream about them. We have all been out shopping for just the right Indian attire so as to make us look professional and yet ethnically appropriate. We have all had new haircuts and are all getting at least one spa treatment before the BIG day. Each day we learn something "new" about the visit. Much of which isnt really new, but just hadnt been shared before. I am trying to stay very zen on the whole process/topic/thing. Many many people are putting their heart and souls into making this a success. It will all work out. Even if there are a few issues, I doubt anyone but us will notice.... Right?.... Right?!... Right !?!?!?!

So... for those of you that thought all we did was galavant around India siteseeing and entertaining family members, there is the same stuff her that gets you bogged down at home ... taxes, funerals, work....

Its not all fun and games :)

Great marketing in India

These pictures are worth a thousand words...

Yes ... Jimmy is only 5 ....

As you know, Jimmy is a big kid. He has a healthy appetite and we are saving money, not for college but for our grocery bills when he hits the teenage years.

This is non fiction account of actual events, all resemblance to characters living/dead is intentional ....

Background - Jimmy is 5 yrs old, weighs 63lbs and stands 4'2" tall, he'll eat almost anything

Yesterday at Lunch (all direct quotes):

Jimmy: Dad I'm hungry.
Dad: What do you want for lunch
Jimmy: Chicken

10 minutes later ...
Dad: Jimmy would anything else
Jimmy: more chicken

10 minutes later...
Dad: Jimmy are you done?
Jimmy: can I have more chicken please.
Dad: OK

10 minutes later....
Jimmy: Dad I am done that was delicious, can I have some chocolate milk?
Dad: Sure any more chicken?
Jimmy: Save the rest and I will eat it for dinner

God help us, there WASNT any left for dinner, he ate an entire chicken by himself for lunch.