The countdown is on. I will be leaving for Finland in less than 72 hours. I spent the last few days attending a wedding in Bismarck, North Dakota and then flew on to Maryland for 2 days to take care of some loose ends and spend some time with my family before heading overseas. It was a quick trip and it seemed to zoom by, but it was definitely great to see them. The kids had no idea I was coming back for a visit, so it was a lot of fun to see their faces when I walked in the door. One of the things that I am really going to enjoy about living back in Maryland is getting to see our families on a more regular basis. This is a real treat for the kids too. They have been spending time with their grandparents, aunts/uncles, and cousins. Three members of the Slivoskey family also came down for a surprise visit to see us one last time before our departure for Finland. My uncle Richard and grandparents came down to see us at our new place. Richard lives in northern Virginia and my grandparents live in my hometown of Latrobe, Pennsylvania. A good time was had by all. When the Slivoskey family gets together, you can count on several things. First there is the aroma of good food in the air. On this trip, it was some homemade halushki with my grandfather doing the honors. There was homemade potato salad, which is out of this world, compliments of Uncle Richard. There was also some fresh sausage (kielbasa). Second, sports are part of the conversation when this family gets together. We take pride in our Pittsburgh roots and our legacy as a great sports town. It is a given that we will discuss the progress of the Pirates, Penguins, and of course our beloved Steelers. In case you missed it, they are the reigning Super Bowl Champs! Finally, there is a strong thread of love and support that runs through this family. We are all different in many ways, but we respect each others differences and love is extended in an unconditional manner. If my father was alive today, I know he would be proud of the bonds that exist between each of us. Without a doubt, my grandfather and grandmother have set a great example for all of us to follow.
I am excited to complete my finals here at Trinity, finish grading papers and get packed up for the big journey. I have been behind on my blog postings over the past week or so, but I am hoping to update the blog on a daily basis once I get settled in Finland next week. It looks as if our team will be playing another Finnish team in the 1st round of the Eurobowl playoffs on May 16th. This will present a big challenge for our team right off the bat. In preparation for our first game, we will be holding a scrimmage against the Finnish National Team on the weekend before our first contest. This will allow us to get our timing down and give us an indication of where we stand going into the season.
Lights out.
1 comment:
It was awesome to see you,even if was only for two days. The time went by way too fast, so hopefully the next three weeks until we join you in Finland will go by just as fast (but I doubt that will happen):-) Enjoy your last three days in Ellendale. We love you.
~The rest of the Slivoskey clan
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