Before we move on.

Thanks for the compassionate comments left following Midou's passing. Arriving at the decision to put a pet down is difficult, though KJ's being both the grieving parent and the administering vet makes it more so. We've crossed this bridge a number of times already, but it never gets easier.

Midou joined our family as an adult dog five years ago after KJ treated him for a local shelter. He was beyond mellow and, apart from rides the car, was rarely excitable. He never talked about his past and so we never knew what he had been through, but he seemed to enjoy his life here with us and for the most part preferred his own style of proximal isolationism.


What more should a Mainer want for breakfast in August! It will be a sad day when we have to try and explain to her that her favorite food is only seasonal.

You folks from away can keep your gargantuan, white-centered, GMO-style 'blue' berries and we'll keep our tiny little blue/black flavor pearls - even if they are around but a few weeks a year.

They definitely make for interesting diapers.


I would love to think that we've had so much family around all summer because they all want to see Tougy, though I have to expect that a good bit of it has to do with the fact that we now live in one of the most beautiful parts of New England. Either way, we have loved it.

My younger brother, his wife, and their four children came up for the day yesterday (they are vacationing in MA) and were able to visit both our house and our mom's house across the street, before heading into Boothbay Harbor for a walk-around and the requisite scoops of ice cream.


Tougy is not always the well mannered angel we often portray her to be. Here she hones her skills in anticipation of her future sibling.


Thankfully cousin Lauren forgave her. Such a beautiful smile.


This past Sunday was the East Boothbay Boatbuilders Festival, an annual fundraiser for the local Land Trust. A highlight for me was that the "Spirit of Massachusetts" was in town and open to the public.

Why is that significant? Well it just so happens that this particular boat holds a hugely important place in my life.

I was 19 and had just returned from three months in Southern Chile when some friends and I drove to DC for the weekend. Long story(trust me this one is long) short, I ended up talking with the captain of the Spirit and after convincing him that I was a hard worker, he had agreed to take me on as a volunteer deckhand from DC up to Philly, and longer if that worked out.

Mind you, I had grown up in Cincinnati. I didn't know anything about sailing, the sea, or boats. What Captain Smith did for this midwestern kid was to open up a whole new world.

I sailed for him for several months along the northeast(including the reopening of the Stutue of Liberty sail parade in New York Harbor)that year and then went back as paid crew in the early nineties. In all, nine of my 25 months at sea were spent aboard this very boat that my daughter now held in her hand. And the captain aboard on this day in Maine - none other than Captain Smith.


Memories abound as I look over the boat. Storms, doldrums, fatigue, friends, ports, food, work, life. I recall every inch of her and it is fun to see things still on the boat that I remember making or doing during my time on her.


A welcome sight anywhere it is found.


After our time at the boat show, we headed in to the harbor with KJ's parents and Aunt. Here Tougy walks along the wharfside with Mommy and Morfar.


Tougy loves walking up and down the landing to the public dock in town. Depending upon the tide, it can range from nearly level to absolutely thrilling. Mormor and Morfar see to it that our little adventurer lives to do it again.


As we were walking along a section of the waterfront paved with sponsors, Tougy suddenly stopped still in her tracks, pointed to the ground, and said Phoebe. It was amazing. She knows how to say Phoebe because she has a cousin by that name, but we didn't know she knew how to spell it. She is so smart to have randomly picked it out as she was walking.


She loves water - what can I say.


At the end of July, we drove down to the cape for a long weekend with family and stopped along the way to see friends. Next to KJ is Deb, the initial link between KJ and I, and Kerrie, Deb's former college roommate whom I also knew during our years at BU.


Those eyes - Seriously!


She was so excited to get out of the car and have a chance to run around. She is such a toddler, and not just a little bit tomboy.


As we had convinced my step mom Susan to come up to Maine for a couple of nights provided we could give her a ride to the Cape on the weekend, she had stopped off with us and got to meet our friends and spend more time with Tougy. It was really nice to have her see our world in Maine as well as some of our dearest friends.


Sporting her 'My mamma's for Obama' shirt, Tougy reaches out with tired eyes to say "Upa" - her call to be picked up.


"As you Wish..."


So after a wonderful afternoon in Ogunquit, we finally made it to the cape where we were joined by all 6 of Tougy's cousins. Somehow Susan(Mimi to the grandkids) ended up at the kids end of the table while my two brothers and our wives all sat at the other end. Unfortunately Tougy fell asleep before dinner and so missed the wonderful meal on Poppy's patio.


Tougy has gone through a verbal explosion of late. It seems every day brings a new quiver of words that she can draw upon. Names are especially fun for her, and Emma's is among her favorites. It has been over a week since we were with her, and yet not a day goes by without Tougy calling out 'Emma, Emma, Emma'. At night when we put her in her crib she sees a pillow there that Emma made for her and the chorus begins again. It is adorable.

She says Emma in a clear and robust voice which stands in stark contrast to the way in which she pronounces Emma's sister Phoebe's name. For that she always uses a hushed tone as if to whisper. Why? I don't know.


This pony came from her Mimi and Poppy, and as you can see, she loves it. It is the perfect size for her right now. She can get on and off by herself, and she can also pull it by the handle to bring it anywhere she wants. Occasionally she will just walk over to it and give it a hug or a kiss. She's just that sort of girl.

Anytime we are out and come across a dog, she heads straight for it and tries to give it a hug or a kiss. She absolutely loves dogs - which is fine with us. Animals are good Sweetheart.


KJ and my sister-in-law Torrie put together a great breakfast spread for all of us on this beautiful morning, and Tougy was immediately enraptured by the oversized bowl of fruit and berries, though it was the bacon that eventually stole her heart.


Demonstrating that you are never to old to play with food, Mimi entertained the grandkids with her berry eyes. It was so special to have both the occasion and the space to bring everyone together, even if only briefly. Thanks Poppy.


With full bellies we set out to take a quick drive around the waterfront of Osterville and Cotuit. Tougy loves going fast and feeling the wind in her hair, and she is fascinated with steering wheels wherever they may be found.

Remember Tougy, Red, Right, Returning.


Later in the afternoon it was time to let the big kids drive the bigger boats. My older brother Scott handily brought us across to Nantucket and back with a few hours in between to walk about and eat.


Look Mom, no hands. Such a thrill seeker that Tougy. She was so happy to sit on mom's lap at the back of the boat and to feel the spray off the ocean as we pounded from wave to wave.


My sister Cat had flown straight into the Cape the day before having been in Barcelona for the previous month. It was great to have a chance to see her and hear of her adventures before she heads back to Chicago for her Junior year(HS). Great to see you Blaster.


Tougy found these great little wooden toys in a store and we of course could not say no. She was totally in her own world playing with them in the middle of the sidewalk with people passing all around her. It was very endearing.


Before long, her fascination turned to Puddles. As it seemed harmless enough, we just let her go for it. It was a real thrill for her, and she still talks about it - I think.


Feeling besieged by the cameras, Tougy pleaded for a respite saying - "please allow me my privacy, I am on vacation with my family". What a diva she can be.


Alas, it was time to head back to Osterville and so we bid goodbye to Nantucket for another year. Before long Tougy was out like a light with her head resting upon the seat back. How she managed to sleep with the combined effects of wind, spray, pounding, and engine noise I don't know, but happy as a clam she was.

This brings us more or less to the end of this Cape visit, but we drop back immediately to the same location two weeks before, in the middle of July, for the remainder of the photos in this posting.


The Cape house is such a fantastic place to unwind. KJ even found a few moments to begin a new book while Tougy chose to sleep in a bit.

Perhaps it is not at all uncommon, but little Tougleton sleeps like this quite a bit. I find it amusing. When she does so, she often pushes her head right up against us in a way that seems must be uncomfortable for her, though I surmise that it must not be.


Tougy loves having older cousins to play with and looks up to them greatly, following them everywhere and doing her best to imitate them. Here Phoebe and Emma keep her safe on the boat.


This was Tougy's first opportunity drive Rosebud though, as it will shortly be moving up here to Boothbay, I am guessing it will not be her last. Lucky little girl. She will definitely grow up surrounded by water and opportunities to be out on, in and under it. Not bad for a girl who began life in Astana.


Out on the water, we came upon the end of a race for a fleet of catboats and followed this particular boat back towards her home dock for about a half hour. KJ was very jealous of the workout the woman was getting and envious of the sailing. As you can see, it can be a lot of work keeping small boats at power in erratic winds.


As we had followed her for quite a while taking pictures, we felt it only appropriate to introduce ourselves and to offer to send her some photos of herself in all of these acrobatic positions. When she gave us her email address we found her last name was Crosby, which, when sailing catboats in Osterville, Mass. seems fitting - sort of like meeting someone with the surname of Ringling working at a circus.

Well that's all there is. Until next time - Take Care.

As I am woefully behind, allow me to write a bit about some of what has transpired in the last several weeks, and then to come back in a few days and try to get some photos together.

I guess it has been nearly a month since we last updated our journey and as I look back, I see we left off with more talk of Kyrgyzstan so let’s begin there.

No more Kyrgyzstan. Literally within hours of finishing the last post, KJ, Tougy, and I were off on another long drive and we got to talking about the process and the short of it is – we’re going back to Kaz with the Agency that brought us to Tougy, MAPS.

After a quick call to Libby (the Kaz Coordinator for MAPS) to talk over a few details followed by a call to our Kyrg agency, Adoption Options, to make sure we could get our program fee refunded, our minds were made up. What followed was a sense of calm that assured us that we were on the right path to Tougy’s sibling.

Since then, we’ve completed our new Home Study, and begun to get our paperwork together.

Tomorrow morning we meet with a psychologist to fulfill the requisite professional blessing of ‘fit to parent’, then go straight to the MAPS office to sign the paperwork that officially puts us in their Kaz program, and turn in the 55 documents we have already had notarized and apostiled.

By weeks end we should have applied for our I-600 and by months end we hope to have our dossier completed. With luck, we will be back in Astana by next spring.

So what led us to switch programs.

On the Kaz end, news that MAPS was again sending families to Astana, combined with our knowing that the children there tend to be well looked after and healthy, was a real plus. We are familiar with the program and routine there, and we like that the children are typically 7-12 months old when you meet them.

So what about Kyrg? Scuttlebutt on the message boards suggests that in addition to having grown at an alarming rate recently, the Kyrg program has been all but closed for the last several months with very few families receiving referrals.

Additionally a number of families who have made the initial bonding trip have now been waiting months for the court decisions that clear the way for their return trip. The future of the program in Kyrg - as well as in Kaz for that matter – is uncertain, but Kyrg’s looked somewhat more treacherous.

Sure there were more factors that played in to our decision - this is but the Cliff Notes version - but we are confident that we are now upon the right path for our family.

So now we have to figure out what to call the new blog. Of course before Tougy was Tougy, she was Kazmo, and so we had decided that Kyrgmo made sense for a child from Kyrgystan. Building consensus is that Kazmor makes a fine followup. Will we eventually see a Kazmost - time will tell. Take Care.

Goodbye Midou.

You were a beautiful, proud, and gentle man. We will miss you.

It was fun to spend a few hours at Canterbury Shaker Village in New Hampshire alone with my camera. I almost had forgotten what it felt like to compose an image edge to edge. Ah, composition - that timeless construct.

Guided tours are wonderful. Not because I enjoy being a part of them, but because it means that everybody else is clustered together, and I can meander through spaces unfettered.

Yeah, I’m that guy. It is something primal I am sure. Down deep in my core is an instinct that drives me to resist the herding thing and run counter to mass number activities.

So here are a few images encountered in the solitude afforded by the group.


I loved this communal bathroom setup at the far end of the Sisters wing of the Main Dwelling. The order and symmetry of Shaker design resonates with me.

Above each sink is a soap dish. Between each pair lies a mirror and dual cup holder. Evenly spaced between mirrors are the towel bars. Additionally, the light was terrific.


The baking kitchen was part of the cellar and had a massive oven with a revolving multi-tiered shelf system inside. The prep sink at the window bears witness to the toils of so many who looked through these very panes while creating the innumerable pies, cakes and pastries.

The linen towel in the sink is embroidered with the building name – D, and the room number – 42 so that the laundry facility could know where this towel was to be returned. This simplistic and efficient approach is a hallmark of the Shaker ethic.


This private dining room sits adjacent to the common dining area and was used exclusively by the leadership council comprised of two Elders (men), and two Eldresses (women). The separation extended to all parts of daily life so that the leadership could maintain a semblance of complete impartiality.

You may notice the wooden sliding shutters for the windows. In this room they were fitted to the interior of the room, but as you see in the first color photo below, the shutters were often build into the wall cavities such that they slid out of view and left the wall surface bare and useable.


The schoolhouse was as straightforward and orderly as you might expect. Here on the lower level, students sat at individual desks, whereas above on the second level, students sat upon long benches that themselves were set upon bleacher styled risers that looked down upon the presenting area.


The flowing curves of the matching stairwells(men and women used separate but identical stairways) coupled with the ubiquitous peg hooks and the light from the window proved irresistibly appealing.


The attic of the Main Dwelling housed elaborate storage facilities for off-season goods and items. Like all things within the community, the closets and drawers were individually lettered and numbered to correspond with the building and room from which its contents came.

A central tenet of the Order seemed to have been to do your best work all of the time, and so here in the attic that meant that though these were infrequently accessed storage areas, they were to be built with the same level of care and craftsmanship found in more public spaces.


Speaks for itself really - a metaphor for the whole Shaker movement. Not necessarily gone but, like the candle, awaiting new flame.


Welcome back to color. The black and white wasn’t about making the above images feel old and antiquated as much as that it brought attention to elements and details that often get overshadowed by bolder color.

Here I felt the colors again added to what the image conveys. This is one of the Sister rooms communally shared by a number of women. The Chromium yellow paint was used throughout the village on accents and furniture.

If you click on the image you can see the knobs of the sliding shutters built to recede into the wall. You can also see the bed rope, used to support the mattress, from which the phrase ‘sleep tight’ comes. As for ‘don’t let the bed bugs bite’, that’s more obvious. Bed bugs=Bad.


This last image of the stairway and window landing, I just loved the light that poured in over the railing, walls, and floors.

I now return you to the star of the show - Tougy


It feels as if it has been a while since I wrote a more complete update on Tougy so here goes.

We brought Tougy home on Christmas Day, just short of her nine-month birthday. Tougy is now 15 months old (05April07) and continues to track in the 50%s for height, 60%s for weight and 70%s for head circumference. She began walking in her 10th month and began to sign/speak just short of her first birthday.

Today she runs everywhere and loves to climb anything she can get her feet upon. Her spoken vocabulary is right around 20 words, and her signs around a dozen.

Spoken words include: Mama, Dada, Daouda (one of our dogs), dog, Nonna (my mother), ball, up, down, banana, apple, water, cracker, all done, all gone, hi, bye-bye, uh oh, wow, and her favorite – shoes. Signs include, eat, more, milk, water, bath time, mama, dada, up, down, swing, apple, banana, all done, and please.

Of course we think she is approaching genius level while our pediatrician seems a tad underwhelmed.

Though of course Tougy does not comprehend it, we have begun the paperwork process of adopting what will likely be a boy from Kyrgysztan and expect to travel to meet that child next winter or spring. Yes we will have a blog for that adoption, and yes I will try and give equal time both in terms of photos, and writing to it when the time comes. For now it is a shell of a blog at kyrgmoadoption.blogspot.com.

More important than the factual details are all the little moments that make being Tougy’s Daddy so amazing. I simply cannot say enough about the transformation we have all gone through as a result of this adoption.

I am happy to say that her smile turns me to mush. Her words captivate me. Her explorative nature thrills me. Her hugs move my being. Her joy lights up my world.

I find it challenging to convey anecdotes that truly represent her spirit in ways better than the images hopefully do, so I will continue now as normal, and create a narrative as I move down through the photos. I hope you enjoy.


Over the week leading up to the fourth, we all headed over to south-central New Hampshire to for a triennial gathering of family on KJ's mother's side. KJ's grandfather was one of four boys and, in the mid 70's, the children of those four decided to get together for a few days with their families such as they were at the time.

In the ensuing 30-some years, the gathering has convened all about the US and has grown decidedly in number as new generations continue to expand the genetic influence of the the Liljegren boys.

A perennial scene stealer, Tougy was quick to win over the hearts of her new extended family. She played tirelessly at the water's edge and reveled in the attention of so many adults.


Avocado continues to be among her favorite foods and over the course of the week she managed several meals comprised almost entirely of guacamole. Always on, here Tougy responds to "What does a rooster say?" by flapping her wings and trying to imitate 'cock-a-doodle-do'.


Someday they will no longer look like this and so I wanted to make sure I captured the magic of her stubby baby fingers replete with knuckle dimples.


Great-Uncle Allen played willing accomplice numerous times as Tougy marked him as her #1 beach buddy. He repeatedly walked up and down the beach and, at Tougy's insistence, offered out a finger so that she could effectively lead him about her explorations and wanderings.


As the wealth of cheek gives way to the beginnings of facial features, a single dimple has found a home on her right side and has taken to revealing itself during moments of utter glee.


Pondering all that is presently ponderable, Tougy was transfixed by the ebb and flow.


I am not sure whether or not I have made mention of Tougy's shoe fascination yet. Shoes are the first thing she asks for when she awakes in the morning, and many hours have been spent in nothing more than a diaper and shoes.

On occasion she will have a quick change of heart and, out of nowhere, will become insistent that a different pair of shoes is now called for. As it happens, Great-Uncle Lonnie seemed more than happy to indulge our little girl, and so one pink sandal was exchanged for another, and all was made right in the world yet again.


Hikes are an integral part of cousin reunions, and here is Tougy at the base of the fire tower atop Belknap mountain looking off in the direction to which Allen is pointing in the background.

Unfortunately, what we were all gazing upon, as we rested beside the steel tower on the summit's clearing, was the rapid approach of a thunderstorm.


Of course no family gathering is complete without that ultimate test of athletic prowess, academic agility, and broad-ranging superiority - Putt Putt Golf.

With Tougy asleep on her back, KJ lines up and sinks a putt for par. You champion you!


Sitting on KJ's mother's lap, Aitugan effectively manipulated both knife and fork while feeding both of them.

As both of KJ's parents are 100% Swedish, they have decided to use the Swedish form of Grandma and Grandpa - Mormor and Morfar, which connotes mother's mother, and mother's father.


Just a happy smiling child.


There were nearly forty of us this time around, and we enjoyed most of our meals out on the beach in a long line of picnic tables. On this particular evening we had arranged for a caterer to prepare lobster and clams, and so it was that Tougy had her first lobster dinner.


What can I say, she is just THAT happy.


Having sufficiently tested her scant incisors against the cobb, the time had come to conquer the big red dragon on her plate. As she had previously shown an affinity for shrimp, haddock, and clam chowder, it was hardly a great leap to expect she would enjoy the lobster as well.


An anticipated highlight of each reunion is the ceremonial tour of the grounds in honor of those unable to be with us as well as those no longer with us. As is customary, Lonnie's bagpipes lead the assemblage.


The Holm/Morrison portion of the clan, showing the three of us along with KJ's parents, her brother Erik and his girlfriend Jessica.

Yes this completes the week. There were so many more activities and great moments, though I found it hard to always have a free hand for the camera.


At the conclusion of the New Hampshire portion of the reunion, several members of the extended family came out our way for a couple of days.

A staple trip for all out of town guests is a journey over to Pemaquid Point and the lighthouse that sits upon the most glorious rock outcrop ever to bath itself beside the ocean. Foggy though it may have been, it was a great way to get out and share a few precious moments together exploring the mesmerizing tide pools and magnificent geology.


Perhaps absent the parentally applied fear filter so commonly saddled upon the young, Tougy has begun to develop a confidence and independence that I hope will rage inside of her throughout her life.


I am not advocating for a disregard of fear, but instead for a foundation for personal judgement. Go Tougy - We Love You!


Before our company left, we had time for one last hike together close to home. Daniel Boone may have had his Coon-skin cap, but Tougy found this little Horseshoe Crab fit her just right.


Who doesn't love strawberry season?


I know that I post a shot like this every few months, but it is just such a look. I can't resist.


I love this shot of her. There is just something in her gait.


Not the best image, but a great joyful smile.


I figure I should put myself in here every now and then. You have to love the moments such as these. I love my girl!


I couldn't resist the sweet face she was making as KJ had her folded in half and was changing her diaper. I won't miss the diapers when they are through.


We'll end with a couple fun shots from an afternoon spent at a park here in town. Lobster is big business here in Boothbay. The colorful trap buoys dot the harbor and, here as the sun sets, the sky is reflected in the water.


Though it has been years since Richard Bach forever altered the way I regard Seagulls, I can't help but wonder what this one was trying to tell me.


We'll wrap this up with a few shots of the ever continuing VIolet Grayce. Here we see the new stem and sheer plank in place.


And lastly we see the new deck beams getting let in to to the new sheer clamp. New wood - getting stronger everyday!

Finally I get around to this part of the post, the part where I make it clear that this chapter is over. Next thing up will be more photos, maybe a week or so. Until then - Take Care.