The Iannone/Tennis Wedding

Hi everyone,

I hope everyone has been keeping well. I just returned to DC from a weekend back in Arizona. It was far too short but I was there for a very special occasion. My best friend Nicole was married to her fiancee Patrick this past Saturday, May 14. For those of you who know her and know what her and her family have been through over the past two months, this wedding was even more special than normal. She has been working hard to recover from a stroke and she's doing a great job even though I know she has a lot of hard work left. She was beautiful on her wedding day and has managed to keep her spark and witty personality even through all of the stress and hard times of the past few months. I've always told people that she is the smartest person I know, and that's true, but she is also probably the strongest person I know. She's been through a lot but she somehow manages to still care so much about those around her. She is always the one I go to for advice and I love her like a sister. Congratulations are in order for her and her new husband to say the least!

I didn't have time to do much else, but I did get to see my grandma for a few hours which was nice.

Everything here in DC has been going well. The work is interesting and the people I am working with are very nice. In regards to the baby I am taking care of, he is great. He is seven months old now and in the short time I have been here he has started crawling, standing on his own, and really become quite energetic. It is hard to not get much sleep with the work schedule, but so far I am managing.

There isn't much new to report, I haven't had any new sightings of the President, or any other important public figures. I have been able to attend quite a few interesting discussions, lectures, and programs on a range of African issues. I am working on increasing my French fluency which at the moment is at a "pre-intermediate" level. It's quite important for where I am working at the moment.

I'll update again when I have something new... all my best and especially to my family, I will miss all of you and not being at the family reunion this month.