Family, continued

Susan and Javier, June 15, 1968

Now, to bring the family story up to present day, and focus on the folks we are living with:

Javier went to undergraduate school at the University of Detroit, then moved to Nashville to do graduate work (economics) at Vanderbilt. Susan was working in Nashville at the time and next thing you know...she was on a plane back to Bolivia with Javier! Susan has a book's worth of material about coming to Bolivia in 1968, not having a lick of Spanish, joining a huge extended family (18 of which met her at the "airport" when she arrived and also paid her a visit on her honeymoon....) I hope she'll write her story some day!

Susan and Javier have three kids: Pablo, Rosi and Marcelo.
Here they are lots of years ago:

and not so many years ago.

And somewhere inbetween is where I come in to the family story. I first met Susan in 1981--when she came to the US and visited her foster sister Phyllis, who had recently become my stepmother. Whatever relation that makes us, Susan quickly became my dear Tia Susan.

A few years later, as a sophomore in college, I invited myself to spend a semester living with their family, and that visit in 1986 became the first of many. This trip is my 9th stay--most of which have been extended stays--at their home in Bolivia.

Right now Rosi, her husband Sergio and their 4 kids (Gabriel, Nicol, Alexia, and Lucas) are living in the downstairs part of Susan and Javier's house because they are doing a major remodeling of their own home (not the least of which involves raising their roof to add an attic rec room). Pablo and Dani live in the southern part of the city near Pablo's auto repair and body shop in Achumani, and Marcelo and his wife live in Jonesborough with us!

For those of you who don't know them, here's a picture of Francis and Marcelo from their wedding in 2004.

And here's some assorted family pictures from a picnic in the country we had on Good Friday, plus a few random others. A remarkable thing to me about this family is how often they spend time together: we have lunch (which is the main meal of the day here) with the entire family REGULARLY 3 times a week (that's 12 of us, including me, E, S & F), plus we also have Sunday lunch with Pablo and Dani and Dani's family (while Rosi, Sergio and family go to his mom's house). It is a schedule that is well respected and only changes some on holidays/special occasions.
What the Gisberts (and Childresses!) do best...gather to eat!

Susana, Foster, Alexia, Elliott and Lucas
Susan and Javier take it easy
Rosi and Sergio
Pablo and Dani

Gabriel (17) and Nicol (almost 15)--we don't see so much of them these days! Ga is either training for futbol or with his girlfriend; Nicol is at dance practice or out with her friends. When we do have the pleasure of their company, it is truly a pleasure: I can only hope my kids turn into teens like these!
Our picnic site at Achocalla



You could see Huayna Potosi from our picnic. That's the mountain Larry, Sergio and I climbed a few weeks ago!

A few assorted photos of other frequently-seen members of the family: Here are the Fornos--they come for lunch every Thursday. Eduardo is Javier's nephew.


These are the folks we usually see on Sundays. Pablo, Dani and Dani's family:

her mom Pati, sister Gabriela holding niece Maria Pia, and sister Cris with husband Alejandro
Maricarmen and her daugher Luciana playing with us at Toca Todo--the "Hands-on" playplace. Maricarmen is the oldest daughter of Javier's sister Carmen, and closest to me in age. I spent a lot of time with her on my first visit to La Paz.

Antonio's daughter Sara displaying the jewelry that she makes to sell to captive visiting relatives :) Antonio is Carmen's son, who is an avid mountain climber (whose guide and equipment we used for our Huayna Potosi adventure).