The Perfect Tree 2010

Why does it take us 2 hours to find a tree to cut? I'm sure the one we ended up taking home was one of the first ones we saw when we got there. Is there some kind of disorder that both Travis and I have that makes us think we have to see every single tree in the whole freaking farm before we can truly be satisfied with the one we originally liked? I'm thinking therapy.

At least it wasn't snowing.



Not our dog. The kids can only wish.

Travis and Dillon finally cutting the sucker down.

When it's all said and done... yet another perfect tree.

Giving Thanks

It was nice being close to our family again this Thanksgiving. We were able to have both of Travis' grandmother's, his uncle, and his parents over for the big feast.

Dillon paper mached this turkey at school, along with some laminated leaves from Cleveland and a collection of fruits and vegetables from the kitchen, it made for a great centerpiece.

Molly has taken over my childhood tradition of putting together the veggie tray. I think this makes it her 4 year doing so.

We love our grandmas and grandpas!

There truly is so much to be thankful for, not just this day, but everyday. The true challenge is remembering this, especially when things get difficult. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

WHAT?

It's not supposed to snow here!
And what sucks most about it is that when it does snow they close EVERYTHING down. Seriously, two inches of snow and the kids are out of school for two days.
It was beautiful though, and a nice break from the rain.

Some Fun in Seattle

We've been living back in the Seattle are for over six months now and we're just now making it into the city. So we decided to take a day and spend it in the science center. We caught a good Imax show about Beavers, a laser light show, and lots of fun exhibits.






Then we headed across town to take in some yummy Ethiopian food. I've been craving this stuff since we moved out of Cleveland. I have a friend there that used to make it for me often. This food is SO delicious and you eat it all with this super yummy thin bread. My kids all love it... spices and all. I highly recommend the vegetarian plates, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Junk In The Trunk

Doesn't Dillon look so cute.

Little did he know that when he turned around to get a book off his bed I would take a picture of this...


That's what he gets for putting these big metal bowls in his pants and walking around like he's Shanaynay.

Soccer Madness

Dillon is pretty good out there and it's really exciting to watch him dominate the field... although I have to say I am SO glad the season is over. The after school kids activities are killing me! I'm exhausted! By the time this school year is over I'm going to need a two week retreat... Ohwait... I just did that.

All Dressed Up With Places to Go

All dressed up! Dillon is a SWAT team guy, Molly is a vampire, Charlee is a witch, Travis is Hansel, and I opted for something free, Pippi Longstocking. Don't we all look so cute.




The kids with their bff's.


This is our bishop all dressed up at the ward party. I was shocked at just how in to it all everybody gets. I mean they completely converted the bishops foyer and many of the other rooms into these amazing Halloween scenes. Not to mention the young men and women built this awesome haunted house for all the kids to go through. We really had a great time, and I was glad when Sunday came around that we didn't have to do it all again.


On Sunday, Halloween night, we went over to some friends house. We put together a fun spooky meal for the kids and sat around in the dark telling ghost stories and passing around Dead Ned's "body parts". Then the kids did some dancing (to end it on a lighter note) and we headed home.


The only downer of the night was finding that when we got home Molly's pumpkin had been smashed up by some teenagers. It's funny how we lived in the city for the last 5 years with no problems of vandalism, but once we move out the the "safety of the suburbs" we have to deal with this junk. Poor Molly was devastated for about a day. Now she's over it.

Pumpkins

Carving The Pumpkins.



Charlee got to visit daddy at his office Halloween party. I guess the sweet little witch got her hands on Hansel after all.

The Trip Of a Lifetime!

All I can say is... France, Italy, Spain... best 10th anniversary celebration EVER!
Thanks mom and dad for taking us along on this amazing trip of a lifetime!

We cruised out of Spain on a Celebrity Ship. This picture was taken from our balcony along with a few other pictures from around the ship.




First stop was Villa Franche, France


We took the bus up to Nice and roamed the markets and downtown before stopping for some Socca (a local speciality) Delicious!


Probably one of my favorite gelato stops of the trip (and there were many!)


The city was just amazing. It seems like forever ago now, but I know we'll make it back here someday.




Next was Genoa, Italy



We took the train over to Cinque Terre (five villages), Italy.


Then we hiked the Via dell'Amore (Path of Love) from one village to another. All along the path people have hung pad locks as a symbol of their eternal love.


Luckily we happened to have one on our back pack. The little green lock is ours. I guess we'll be together forever now. :)



They say the best pesto in the world can be found in these villages. We had to have some before we left and yes, it was excellent.






Then there was Florence, Italy.

And the leaning tower of Pisa. I cant believe how star struck I was when I saw this. It was so emotional to turn the corner and have these beautiful building that you have only read about and seen in pictures all the sudden right in front of your face.




Florence was a lot of fun and a jam packed day of museums and churches. (a little shopping too)
Unfortunately you cant take pictures in the Uffizi Gallery.


The Duomo





The Replica of David out in the courtyard.



Rome, Italy. The busiest day ever!


The Colosseum.



The Roman Forum.





La Bocca della Verità ("the Mouth of Truth"). Travis has been telling the children about this fountain for years and how if you're a dishonest person and you put your arm in its mouth it will bite off your arm. We had to show the children just how honest their parents are.

Grammy too.


The Trevi Fountain. So beautiful!




The Piazza Navona.


The Pantheon.




Saint Peter's Square.



Next Stop Naples, Italy where we headed straight to Pompeii.











Now it's time for the scary, but beautiful, drive up the Amalfi Coast.





Positano, Italy and the place I will someday retire.



Sorento, Italy. Great shopping and some yummy pizza.




Then there was Barcelona, Spain. We got an apartment here and stayed for a few days. It was really nice to be able to come and go as we please without having to worry about missing our ship.
The picture below really does symbolize our stay here. I feel like we were running all over the place trying to fit it all in. What an incredible city with so much to do and see!


My parents in front of the Palacio de la Música Catalana.



The Sagrada Familia. This church was so amazing it almost made me want to convert to Catholicism. Almost. Gaudi was truly an emotional and ingenious architect. Viewing his designs throughout Spain was definitely one of the highlights for the whole trip.











The chains and weights is how he came up with his concept. He took pictures and then turned them over to get the outline for his design.







Of course you can't go to Spain without eating lots of tapas.




One night on our way to catch the metro we saw a parade going on right outside our apartment. It was really cool to see all the kids playing their instruments and the giants all dancing.



Barcelona Cathedral.



This is the kind of hot cocoa you get in Europe. Sure it's good, but you really can't drink a whole cup.


The Barri Gotic.





Park De La Ciutadela.



Park Guell by Gaudi.




More Gaudi architecture.



The Pedrera by Gaudi.




These were the chimneys on the roof.




The Santa Caterina Market.




Our last night in Barelona was spent in the apartment, cooking up some amazing finds from the market, and settling down for a nice home cooked meal.


You know it's funny how I thought we would have to waite until our kids were grown before we would be able to visit these places, but now that we've started, I think it will be a lot easier to keep going. With or without the kids. So Ireland in 2013, here we come.