No One Here Thinks I'm Funny

Snow 2012

2012-02-12T06:15:00.000-05:00

We woke up to a lovely blanket of snow this morning. Although we live less than 30 minutes from a ski resort (which, by the way, the kids were skiing just yesterday there), we don't get a whole lot of snow in the valley below. Which is fine with me. After a few years of shoveling at Hanscom I'm more than fine with that. However, when you're a child, snow is a dream come true.

Well, at least for a while, and then someone pelts you with a snowball and it's not so great anymore.

Snow Angels

Snowmen (and a snow dog not pictured)

Mary was the only one with enough perseverance to actually make a complete snowman.

Snow cones (not the yellow ones)

and HOT COCOA!!

Specially made by Riley with candy canes, whipped cream and a sprinkle of cocoa--

YAY SNOW!

Can you Spot the Difference?

2012-02-01T15:29:00.000-05:00

These two pictures were taken within a month of each other. Can you spot the difference?

If you said, "EARRINGS!" you are right! Mary got her ears re-pierced just before we left Arkansas. We I had them pierced when she was a baby, but around kindergarten we took them out for good because they always seemed to be infected or irritating her. Now that she's a little older she decided she wanted to give them another go.

December in Review: Fun with Family

2012-01-29T09:39:00.000-05:00

If December was nothing else, it was a great time with our family...

Hanging out with Sarah:

Playing at the climbing wall with Clara and Darcy:

Playing all things boy with Grandpa's help:

And sometimes getting Grandpa to play all things girl:

When I took this picture, my dad said, and I quote, "This isn't going to show up on the blog, is it? " Short answer--YES!

Loving on pets:

And loving being together:

Thanks family for such a fun time! We love you!

December in Review: Pony Camp

2012-01-21T05:39:00.001-05:00

Mary got to spend part of her long break participating in Pony Camp at Meadowlark Farm in Batesville with her cousin, Clara.

She had a marvelous time and learned a lot about horses and horse care.

Of course, she was most excited about getting to ride the horses--who wouldn't be?

Now she wants me to look into lessons here. Is there anything this girl can't do?

December in Review: Operation 4 Eau

2012-01-18T14:41:00.000-05:00

My remarkable husband planned a mini retreat for me with 3 of my girlfriends--without me ever realizing it! Apparently he'd been scheming for months, and it was the perfect gift for my 40th birthday.

We had a rental house on Lake Hamilton just outside of Hot Springs. It was very beautiful, with early morning fog while we sipped our coffee before it turned into a beautiful sunshiny day for shopping.

We get together on a near annual basis, and we always have a theme and logo--which we usually iron onto a pair of pajama pants or a t-shirt. This year, though, they went pro. They designed the logo based on Ted's initial email to them, and then one of the gal's brothers helped get it printed onto coffee mugs and screen printed onto our pj pants (love me my pj pants).

The foodies of our group researched the restaurants, and we ate well--very well.

We went to a "winery" to taste some of the local vino--but returned to the house to enjoy some of my favorite I'd brought from Italy.

We didn't have any spa time planned, but enjoyed walking through Fordyce Bath House and looking at the "state of the art" bath houses from bygone days.

And we enjoyed shopping in the stores and galleries along Bath House Row, seeing the natural hot springs water flowing through both beautiful and functional fountains, and shopping (did I already mention that?).

Somehow I managed to come home without the $400 pair of boots I was drooling over. But I'm pretty sure I did bring home a few extra pounds from all the yummy food we found!

Thanks Ted, Marta, Mary Beth and Lisa--You Guys Rock!

December in Review: Birthdays...

2012-01-15T11:17:00.000-05:00

Birthday Season wrapped up for us in December. It's always so much fun to celebrate a birthday in December when everything is so festive.

Happy birthday Mary! Our darling girl turned 10 shortly before we left for Arkansas. A big year for the Gatlins because they go on a special date with Daddy to Pass & ID for their military ID cards. This is probably one of the few times that a trip to Pass & ID office is any fun for anybody. I've been there before--fun's not the word I'd use.

And then Happy Birthday Cory! Our sweet boy turned 8--in ARKANSAS! He was very glad to be with some doting grandparents on his birthday.

I had a little birthday in Arkansas, too. Nothing too remarkable. Hardly worth mentioning. Therefore I won't...until another post, because in the end, Ted made it a big one. :)

Buon Compleanno to Us!

December in Review, part 1

2012-01-13T08:07:00.000-05:00

Wow! Christmas in Arkansas! Here's what happened:

We enjoyed Christmas lights at Garvan Gardens in Hot Springs

We made and decorated sugar cookies

and PEPPERNUTS!

We received our annual Christmas pajamas on Christmas Eve

We celebrated Christ's birth with gifts and fun and our family

We played games

We played dress up

That was just the Christmas celebrating! There were birthdays and other fun. Tune back later...

Field Trip: Noble Coyote

2012-01-01T23:46:00.000-05:00

Our trip home for Christmas included a brief visit with dear friends in Dallas, who are starting a coffee roasting business. One of my first thoughts (besides getting to see my friend) was FIELD TRIP! That's the "wonderful" thing about this homeschooling thing--even vacations are school for my "lucky" kids. (quotes added to denote an opinion not necessarily shared by the children)

And now you, our lucky reader, get to go on the field trip, too!

Meet Geraldine, the roaster...

Geraldine looks a little like a locomotive.

Noble Coyote begins with hand picked green beans purchased through Fair Trade markets--standards are very high.

The beans are scooped and measured into a bin. Here we are going with a bean from Guatemala

Next the beans are put into Geraldine's hopper and released into the drum when the temperature reaches a balmy 350ish degrees (okay, it wasn't really 350ish--there was an exact temp, but my aging memory is failing me, and I'm not exactly recalling--trust me, though, NC knows).

Once they're in the drum, turning and roasting, NC will occasionally check on the beans' progress

and listen for the first and second "crack." These happen at fairly consistent points of the roasting process resulting from the beans expanding and popping off a thin papery layer under the increasing temperature.

After the second crack, NC empties the beans from the drum into a cooling pan,

which rotates the beans while a fan pulls air through them to cool.

Then, they're poured into another vessel (mmmmm...smells good)

from which they can be scooped and weighed into 8 or 12 oz packages

Ta-da!

Now that's some fantastic coffee. Noble Coyote is a very new business--you can find them here on Facebook until their website is up and running.

Of course, after a hard day's work, it's nice to return to headquarters for a little jam session

Thanks, Noble Coyote Coffee Roasters--we had a fabulous time.

Buon Natale, y'all

2011-12-25T19:26:00.000-05:00

Skating in Salzburg

2011-12-21T10:10:00.000-05:00

Our group gathered in Salzburg for some ice skating near the Salzburg's Christmas Market. This was the highlight of the weekend for our kids.

Probably because they got to have so much fun being silly with their friends.

After a few minutes on the ice, they quickly had their skating legs under them again.

Well, maybe not Cory, but then again I think he liked falling as much as skating!

Lucy, who had never been a big fan of Freedom Rink, really had fun skating around the rink with the various polar creatures as supports.

And with her daddy.

I chose to protect the camera and stay off the ice, but we squeezed together for a family shot with a statue of Mozart in the background.

It was a fun time for us all!

Thanksgiving in Salzburg Round 2

2011-12-10T12:06:00.000-05:00

If you remember last year we were able to join up with a group and spend Thanksgiving in Salzburg just after arriving in Italy (we were still in the Base Hotel looking for a house). We had so much fun as a group we decided to do it again.

I'll split this blog up into multiple posts. Today I'll focus on people and time spend in the Chalet.

One of our friends found this amazing house that would sleep over 30 and had room for our 6 different families all with kids. It was in the small town of Wagrain, about 45 minutes south of Salzburg.

The city has a link to the original Silent Night story but I'll get to that on another day.

Of course one of the first things I had to do was enjoy some German beer. One of the families that joined us lives in Germany now. They brought German beer and we brought Italian Wine.

Speaking of drinks. Of course the place did not have the refrigerator space for 6 families and an American style Thanksgiving feast. Luckily it was cold enough that the outside deck served as an extra large cooler.

We also used the same deck area to smoke our turkey's (x3).

The families all pitched in and created quite a feast. There was so much food. The leftovers kept us in business for days.

This kids enjoyed the small bedrooms and bunk-beds where they could relax with their friends.

The boys spent more time in front of the flat screen TV and the gaming system.

What would thanksgiving be without Football? One of the guys has the NFL package to watch the games overseas. With some creative electronic rigging we had a giant projection screen soon set up.

Standing tall for the National Anthem.

The Razorbacks are a tradition for me on the day after Thanksgiving. Unfortunately CBS does not offer an overseas subscription service, so we had to be more creative in our internet viewing and the resolution did not support the projection. But we still huddled around to watch some College ball.

Some of the german appliances required some team effort to make them work. Here the three of us try to get the fan working. We eventually had to call in the family that lives in Germany. It was a multi-button maneuver to make it turn on. Why not just an off/off?

The chalet had a hot-tub the kids all enjoyed. It was not as warm as they wanted it to be, but the parents were all right with it being just a warm bath and not steaming with so many little ones playing in it.

The girls pose, showing off the stylish robes...

The robes were too big for Lucy, but I made her wear boots to walk out on the cold stone.

The Chalet also had plenty of internet...and we all took advantage of it. There seemed to be iPads, iPhones, and Laptops everywhere.

The weather was very sunny and dry. No snow. The skiing season was supposed to have started, but the weather was not cooperating yet.

Some fun people pics.

Of course Cory brought Legos to share.

Another cute pic of Lucy...is she ever not cute?

Family photo on the day we left...still no snow.

Ok everybody get together for a group shot...

Next up...Spending Friday in Salzburg...

I'm Smart!

2011-11-19T03:36:00.000-05:00

I'm Smart--I Eat Tacos!

This is the phrase Mary's been telling us for the past couple of days...don't know where it came from. She only recently started eating tacos, too, so it's an even stranger announcement. Glad for her silliness!

Happy Birthday Lucy!

2011-11-17T15:32:00.000-05:00

Today was Lucy's day. The living room was decorated with balloons and streamers just for her. We started by giving her a high chair for her doll Lauren. She enjoyed cupcakes with her friends at school Co-Op.

We dined at Lucy's favorite restaurant - Mario's.

She's not one to pose for the pic unless she is in the mood. She always orders this same dish at Mario's. Tortelloni alla Panne e Prosciutto

Lucy snuggles with me while I read her Birthday card.

Just before we we lit the candles and sang the big song.

Are ya one...are ya two...

Happy Birthday Lucy!

Roma Movie

2011-11-01T15:39:00.000-04:00

Here's a collection of some of the sights we enjoyed in Rome in full motion...

In Depth Coverage

2011-10-31T12:09:00.000-04:00

Pumpkin Festival

2011-10-30T14:17:00.001-04:00

Not long after our arrival here (nearly one year ago, now!), we were told about a pumpkin festival that was a MUST to visit. So, for nearly 11 months we've been anticipating this festival in Venzone, a town only about 30-45 miles away (but 1 to 1 1/2 hours driving time away!)

We arrived later in the afternoon than we had hoped due to a Saturday afternoon play rehearsal (blog to follow of the Alice in Wonderland production)--the horrors, right? Therefore, my pictures leave something to be desired. However, here's a little of what we saw.

A walled city, with a bell tower beckoning us from our parking spot (we parked about 1/2 mile away).

Pumpkin everything! Pumpkin crepes, pumpkin bread, pumpkin wine, pumpkin doughnuts, pumpkin gnocchi, pumpkin frico, pumpkin soup, pumpkin frittata...

Costumed people, flame throwers, torture machines, sword/shield and flower crown vendors, fortune tellers and games that we have on our iphone!

Skilled carvers, making amazing things from pumpkins and gourds, and taking pumpkin carving to a whole nother level!

An enormous cat that strangely resembles Mary Beth!

It was a fantastic evening in Northern Italy.

We'll be back next year, I'm sure!

12

2011-10-29T16:11:00.002-04:00

Before her birthday month is over, here is our amazing 12 year old daughter (and I'm not just saying that because she's one of the blog's faithful followers)

Who's old enough to decorate her own birthday cake, but still young enough not to be able to wait until after breakfast to open her birthday gifts...

Roma, dodici (dough-deech-ee)

2011-10-25T14:41:00.000-04:00

Our time in Rome came to an end, and we found ourselves at our last stop...the train station.

We enjoyed the train ride--especially Ted who didn't have to stress about driving home after spending the morning and part of the early afternoon sightseeing.

Day 3, Stop12, Check. Another Successful Trip! We definitely consider ourselves lucky to get to do all of this traveling. Livin' the Dream.

Roma, undici (ewn-deech-ee)

2011-10-24T12:08:00.000-04:00

It's Monday morning, our last day in Rome. We depart from our apartment with all of our luggage and find the bus stop which will take us to our final destination in Rome--Vatican City.

Upon our arrival, we found a nearby USO office where we can leave our luggage for the day. This was awesome--thanks USO Roma! Afterwards, we walked to Vatican Square to look around. Some-or at least one-of us are grumpy, but we manage to take some pictures.

Then we headed off to the Museum, which includes the Sistine Chapel. On the advice from some friends, we purchased our tickets to the Museum in advance. HUGE payoff! We walked past a line that seemed to go for-ever, and right into the museum doors. The place was packed with people, and it was a bit of a cattle herding through the various galleries. The amount of art was overwhelming. We would have loved to stop and actually appreciate some of what we were seeing, but our time today was limited, so we kept our eyes focused on signs leading to the Capella Sistina and followed them. No pictures were "allowed" (although many people were snapping away), so I have no photos from it, but suffice it to say that it was pretty impressive in person, and the pictures wouldn't do it justice anyway.

After that, we found some lunch and went back to see St. Peter's. This is one big Basilica!

Michelangelo's Pieta

And the brightly colored guards

In reflecting on our visit, all the kids mentioned seeing a lot of Popes' tombs while there. Not what first came to my mind, but fairly accurate, I suppose.

Before heading back to the train station we hung out in the square a while, people watching and pigeon chasing.

Day 3, Stop 11, Check!

Roma, diece (dee-etch-ay)

2011-10-23T13:56:00.000-04:00

At the end of our second day we made our way back from the Colosseum to our apartment. Here are some of the sites along the way.

Spray Painter extraordinaire:

We watched another one of these guys the day before, and we found the technique fascinating.

Here's a pretty bell tower with the sun starting to set.

We found ourselves on a quest to find this statue of Lupa with Romulus and Remus. The legend says that Romulus and Remus were twin sons of Mars, abandoned in the woods. The she-wolf Lupa, having just lost pups of her own, nursed them for several years. Eventually the two would grow up, and Romulus, after defeating Remus in battle, established Rome and named the city after himself.

Near this statue is Campidoglio Square on Capitoline Hill. This square was designed by Michelangelo. On one side is the Mayor's office/residence.

Riley and Ted learned all about the square on the Walki-Talki app for the iphone.

What we enjoyed most on this square were the statues (there was one on each side of the steps) of men with their horses. After feeling as though we had already met our quota of naked statues and artwork, there were these guys.

They were wearing capes I suppose. Don't know if that makes this picture better or worse. Who rides a horse wearing nothing but a cape?

And across the Tiber we returned after a wonderful second day in Rome.

Day 2, Stop 10, Check

Roma, otto and nove

2011-10-21T14:08:00.000-04:00

Here we are on day 2...LUNCH! We happened in to a small restaurant that catered to the Americans with jazz legends and sports paraphernalia. It is called La Base--cute.

this picture is for my aunt and uncle in OK who are HUGE Rangers fans. Sorry to our Cards fans in MO

Riley felt this was the best place to eat since we found her name in neon on the wall.

From there we proceeded to a couple of churches on our list to see in Rome. We found Santa Maria Maggiore first.

In this basilica are pieces of wood believed by some to be pieces from Jesus' manger.

Next we headed to San Pietro in Vincoli (St. Peter in Chains). This church has the chains from Peter's captivity in both Jerusalem and Rome. Legend says that when the two sets of chains were brought together, they became one chain. Also in this church is the famous sculpture of Moses by Michelangelo.

Day 2, Stops 8 and 9, Check

Roma, sette (set-tay)

2011-10-20T15:14:00.000-04:00

After our time at the Colosseum we went to Palatine Hill and explored the ruins there.

We saw lots of broken columns, which the kids had fun using as seats.

We saw a whole host of other ruins, too. This area had been burned at the time of Nero and he built a lavish palace here.

The Arch of Titus was built in 82 A.D. to commemorate a siege of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and is along the Via Sacra leading into the Forum.

By the time we got to the area of the Forum, with Saturn's Temple among other things, we were all hungry and tired (especially me, and there are a few of you who know what happens when I get hungry and tired), so, we cut our walk through Ancient Rome short--what's another broken piece of marble, really? Here's what we saw from a distance.

Day 2, Stop 7, Check

Note Cory's enthusiasm

Roma, sei (say)

2011-10-19T16:12:00.001-04:00

If you're confused by the meaning of the blog titles, they are counting (in Italian) the places we visited over our weekend in Rome. This means that we have arrived at our sixth tourist destination...

THE COLOSSEUM

I must admit that we all find it a little odd how much we celebrate, photograph, memorialize this place where so much brutality and gore happened. It's not like it was the place to go see Disney on Ice or such. Yet, there we were, awed by it nevertheless.

We approached the Colosseum from alongside Palatine Hill and were greeted by the Arch of Constantine, commemorating his victory that resulted in his conversion to Christianity.

this was the view of the Arch from within the Colosseum

We made our way to the front of the line (yay us) with our prepaid tickets and into the Colosseum.

We slowly walked around two levels of the Colosseum, taking it all in.

This lower level, partially covered by wood in the background, would have been completely covered and where the battles would take place. Below is where animals and Gladiators would be kept

Once outside again, we walked the full perimeter of the Colosseum taking loads of pictures.

And then, after a full day of other sightseeing, we returned at sunset for more pictures, this time with our own gladiator.

Day 2, Stop 6, Check

Roma, cinque (cheen-kway)

2011-10-18T15:15:00.001-04:00

Sunday Morning, after an early morning wake up by the bells at the nearby church, we head on our way to sightsee some more. We are heading to Circus Maximus, the site of chariot races from the days of old. On our way there, we passed this water fountain. Remember, all water fountains in Rome are fed by the aqueducts.

And here is what is left of Circus Maximus...

We staged an imaginary chariot race, which you'll have to wait to see at the end of our Rome adventure blogs. The kids practiced their handstands in the infield, and we spent some time trying to imagine what it would have looked like before it fell to nothing. From what we read, the Colosseum would have had the same fate had it not been made a holy site by Constantine.

Day 2, Stop 5, Check

Roma quattro

2011-10-17T15:55:00.001-04:00

After the fountains we strolled to the Spanish Steps. This is the high fashion and upscale side of town. The Spanish steps have their name because they are close to the Spanish Embassy. They really aren't very remarkable steps, but they have become the place to be in Rome. Many of the postcards showed the area decorated with beautiful flowers and striking colors. We did not time our visit very well because this was our view.

People sitting on almost all the steps. We think it was because a protest/demonstration type event was taking place just down the street at Piazza del Popolo. Those that were tired of hearing the man drone on at the microphone walked to the steps and sat down.

We did our best to steer clear of the protest - something about public vs private control of things in Italy. We visited a small church just on the edge of the Piazza that Kristi had read about when trying to decide which of the hundreds of churches in Rome to visit.

The Piazza also has an Obelisk.

This particular Obelisk was brought from Egypt in 10 BC and placed in the center portion of Circus Maximus (think Nascar infield). Later (1500s) the obelisk was moved to this square. After the crowd had dispersed we moseyed through the center of the square.

We searched for dinner next. I mentioned we were in the high fashion district and I really wanted to walk our way out of the high priced wine bars and restaurants before we stopped, but we were just too tired. We found a small outdoor cafe down a side street that looked clean and quiet. The food was reasonable but nothing to really squawk about.

One last pic of the Trevi Fountain at night - you can get a small sense of the people swarming all around us from this picture (and remember night crowds are small compared to the day) .

Roma, due (doo-ay) and tre (tray)

2011-10-16T08:34:00.001-04:00

After our time at The Pantheon, we continued towards Trevi Fountain, a must see, right? We missed a turn though, and ended up following the sound of a band. When we made our way to the music we found it was a military formation of some sort--so we hung out and watched until they paraded behind us and down the street.

Later, while reading some of our tourist books Ted and I put two and two together--apparently we were at the Presidential Palace and we watched the 4:00 changing of the guard. We did recognize the Italian National Anthem since it's played here at all of our official AF functions. Felt a little smart...

After that, we checked the maps and figured out how to get to the Fountain. At some point, all you have to do is follow everyone else. It was a ZOO of people.

We jockeyed for a position at the front and gave the kids coins to throw over their shoulders into the fountain.

We read that all the fountains in Rome are fed from aqueducts, and that the water pressure is varied depending on the flow from the aqueducts.

As Ted was getting ready to take a picture of the kids and me, a random stranger offered to take a family photo. Of course, this is a common ploy of thieves, so Ted was hesitant, but he carefully considered the stranger and figured he could outrun her. And her clearly American accent helped, too.

Later we returned in the evening for a second glance. Though still crowded, there weren't quite as many people.

Day One, Stops 2 and 3, Check...

Roma, uno

2011-10-15T04:22:00.002-04:00

aHey! We went to Rome last weekend. We had so much fun, saw some incredible things, and walked liked nobody's business all over the city on cobblestone walkways and roads.

Upon our arrival we crossed the Tiber River and headed for the Pantheon.

We could see St Peter's Basilica across the Tiber River from just outside our flat.

It was incredible to be inside and realize that the only source of light was the single hole, the oculus, in the middle of the dome.

And yet it was enough to take these pictures without any flash

What was once the home of "many gods" is now a Christian church. It holds Raphael's tomb--we're always on the lookout for evidences of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as we travel through Italy. The floor slants down from the center to allow water entering through the oculus to drain out.

Day One, First Stop, Check...

Friendship Festival

2011-09-26T16:13:00.000-04:00

Annually, a local city hosts a Friendship Festival for the Italians and Americans. It coincides with September 11, and includes some sporting events, official functions, food and performances.

This year Maniago was the city that hosted. They had, on display, some bikes from the 1940's. These bikes ranged from the bread delivery, fish delivery, gas delivery, newspaper delivery, to the you-name-it delivery. Really there were all kinds.

There was even a firefighter bike.

And then they had on display some current fire engines--what's a festival without a firetruck, right!

I'm not sure how these trucks actually navigate these Italian streets!

We enjoyed some typical Italian fare, pasta, bread, meat, cheese, and wine for dinner. These are the hats the guys who served the food wore. Awesome, no?

And then we wandered the city square,

watched some performances, and chatted with friends (it was a friendship festival after all), before finding a gelaterria for the perfect ending to our evening.

Lippizaner Stallions

2011-09-21T05:54:00.001-04:00

On our drive back home, we stopped in Lipica, Slovenia, for a tour of the famous Lippizaner Stallion stud farm--dating to the 1500's.

The breed, created right here at the stud farm, has seven family names that all the horses can be traced to, and by which all are named.

Our tour included seeing some of the mares used for carriage rides.

They have a few ponies (not Lippizaner, obviously) for amusement/child rides, including this 7 month old pony that Lucy especially liked since he was just her size.

We also got to see the stallions used in their performances.

They live quite the kingly life in this stable built in the 1700's.

We spent a few minutes walking down the line of stalls and visiting with the horses.

It was really a peaceful and beautiful place to spend a few hours.

Riley's eager to come back here--I don't blame her.

Lake Bled

2011-09-13T17:36:00.000-04:00

On day two of our visit to Slovenia we ventured north to the small mountain resort town of Bled, famous for its lake - curiously called Lake Bled.

When we checked into our apartment, the owner mentioned that Lake Bled was hosting the 2011 World Rowing Championships. We were a little concerned the small town would be overwhelmed with fans and teams, but in actuality the city was alive with excitement and energy to be hosting the event.

The area is just an amazing sight. The beautiful glacier lake, the castle on the hill and last but not least the lake's small Island boasts an ancient church ripe for tourists' photographs.

We rode on a large gondola from the bank to the island. The trip was fun because the races were literally right beside us. The day we were there actually turned out to be the final day of competition and we experienced the medal rounds.

The kids enjoyed the powerful but silent teams as they quickly passed us by.

The island has a large single hill. Legend has it that a Groom should carry his bride up the 99 steps on his wedding day to ensure a long and happy marriage. The kids enjoyed counting the steps (but none of us came up with the same/correct number - maybe 99 in Slovenia is really just 90).

For a small fee you can pay to visit inside the church and pull the rope tied to the bell in the tower. The kids all enjoyed giving it a try.

Even Lucy wanted a turn.

The island has hosted a church since the 1500's but the current structure dates only to the 1700s.

We also found this on the Island. Sometimes you just need a reminder that Europe has some amazing sights. Many of them leave you in complete awe - we chose not to capture the front side of this - that image is still burned in our memories though.

After riding the lake we found another toboggan run. This one was much more steep. We felt less secure, but that is because the sleds were so small so you really felt the speed as you went down the hill.

The top of the mountain provided amazing views of the lake.

Here's a closeup of the castle from our perch up on high.

We did not visit the castle, we'll just have to make a second trip. :)

Another must do in Lake Bled is the local dessert. Kremna Rezina.

Many restaurants and cafes posted large signs - saying they had the original creme cake.

It was amazing!

The kids also tried some other desserts. Here's a shot of Lucy trying to enjoy a crepe filled with chocolate. I say try because you might notice the crepe has just fallen off the fork and a millisecond later she was covered in chocolate mess.

Along the walks around the area we found this cool castle park and Cory showed off his flying skills.

Day two - we sure felt the sLOVEnia.

sLOVEnia

2011-09-10T12:21:00.001-04:00

Another three day weekend means another excursion. This time we drove to the neighboring country of Slovenia. We started our weekend in the nation's capital of Ljubljana (loob-lee-ana). After arriving at the 10 story apartment building that we would call home for the next few days, we headed into the city center armed with a map that the apt. owner gave us showing us some points of interest, and, most importantly, where to park.

His parking advice brought us to this lovely area, where we found this lovely church. The first night the sun was beginning to set, and it lit the church beautifully, so I stopped to take some pictures.

That evening as we returned to the van it was dark, and the church was just as stunning.

So the next morning, after parking in the same location, we decided to have a looksie inside the church--it was just as beautiful inside, too. It's a Serbian Orthodox church.

As luck would have it, this same church was the site of a wedding celebration that afternoon. We don't have any pictures, but we got to spend some time watching the wedding guests enjoy some dancing and joviality in front of the church.

As we walked through the city we saw lots of neat architecture, most of it relatively new since an earthquake in the late 1800's damaged many structures.

The walk along the river was especially nice, if only a little smelly...at least to the sensitive noses in the family.

And the same buildings at night.

Also, we traversed several bridges that crossed Ljubljana River.

Above is one of the famous Triple Bridge designed by one of Slovenia's own beloved, architect Joze Plecnik.

And there was the Butcher's bridge--the odd sculptures on this bridge, reminiscent of animal innards were, um, interesting.

Perhaps our favorite bridge was the Dragon Bridge.

It was neat in the daylight, too

We spent some of Ted's hard earned money at the market.

that's not our basket, but I really thought it would be fun to get one.

Buying some local honey

and some decorative honey hive panels that are recreations of 1800 folk art that farmers used to attract bees to the hives. We also threw down a chunk of change for some t-shirts for the kids.

I admired the gorgeous flowers!!!

We worked on learning a few Slovenian words. The first was, not surprisingly, hello--dober dan. We also learned the word for falcon,

Sokol--and ate at this restaurant with that name. Not bad. Had some of Slovenia's traditional dessert--potica, a layered sort of cake with a variety of options for fillings.

At the restaurant we had this very European view, and a classic old city outdoor dining experience.

(classic to include LONG--we didn't leave until after sunset!)

Also in Ljubljana we visited the... wait for it ...

CASTLE!

We enjoyed lunch in the square of the castle at a museum cafe.

Inside the castle were many updated features to make it more accessible - like this red spiral staircase.

The castle had a tower viewpoint we all enjoyed.

The square below is the location of the famous Three Bridges and the pink building is the oldest Pharmacy in the city. The square is named Preseren Square (after a famous local poet).

What's a castle tour without some cannons.

This is just the first evening and full day! Wait until the second day's trip to Lake Bled! Here's a sneak peak--a picture along the drive there.

Note the hay drying rack - these were a ubiquitous site among the farming fields we drove through.

Way-war

2011-09-06T16:15:00.000-04:00

Several years ago, our very special niece Sarah passed down one of her Bitty Babies to Mary Beth. Mary Beth loved this baby instantly and named her Lauren.

Mary Beth loved Lauren and did lots of things with her. She even brought her to meet Lucy in the hospital

Eventually Mary got her own American Girl doll and Lauren was lovingly placed in Lucy's arms.

Lucy loved her instantly, too. But since she couldn't say Lauren, she called the baby Way-war. Lucy took very good care of Way-war. She dressed her in the morning and changed her into pajamas regularly at night. She spent many waking and sleeping hours with her.

As with most children, eventually Way-war got hurt, and all the love in the world was not going to mend her boo-boo. So we asked Lucy if we should send her to the hospital so the doctors could check on her and fix her broken arm.

Lucy gave her a big hug and kiss before packing her up carefully in a box.

It was a long four weeks while Lauren/Way-war was at the hospital. Lucy asked about her often, and she nearly jumped out of her skin the night the doctor called to say she was ready for surgery and would be well soon.

And then the day finally arrived--a special package delivered to our box number.

What a happy reunion! LOVE.

p.s. Lucy can now say Lauren, but she prefers to call the baby Way-war.

Today's Lesson--Physics

2011-09-05T16:47:00.000-04:00

We followed our history field trip in Trieste with an action-packed, hands-on, adventure-filled day at Gardaland, the largest amusement park in Italy.

When the kids caught wind that we were going to Gardaland they were GIDDY with excitement. It was like Christmas Eve at our house. I'm not even kidding. They were up late the night before we left and early the morning of...

Two hours is a long drive--but no one was complaining from the back seat.

Ted and I knew we weren't at Disney when the exit from the highway was not a 6 lane mega freeway straight into the parking lot. It was much more Italian--two lanes coming out of a 6 booth toll, heading for a one lane round-about, jammed bumper to bumper, semis thrown in for fun. JOY. But we made it in and headed straight for fun...no time for me to even take a picture at the entrance.

We started in Fantasyland which had several rides perfect for the little kids.

Fantasyland was dominated by this tree in the center--a good landmark, nice background, and even a cool fun-house "ride" on the inside.

In our hurry to arrive we failed (epic fail) to bring the map that the cashier at the parking gate gave me (if Ted had received this map it would NOT have been left in the car). To top it off, the first ride we rode had a map in the seat I sat in, but once again I left it there--map-schmap. After two or three rides, Ted went on a search for a map.

Ahhhhhhh.....now the twitching can stop.

We followed the map to another section of the park that showed roller coasters for the younger set. In this area was your not-so-typical teacups ride...

I mean, really, this is like fine China!

Lucy was too small for this ride. :( She's almost 5, but still the size of a 3 year old--she was too short for several rides, but good news, her ticket was FREE! and there were many rides she could go on with an adult, so she was happy

She was allowed on this caterpillar-esque roller coaster!

What's an amusement park without a log ride

A train ride through the park

some over-priced souvenir cups that parents give in to buying

One in red, and one in blue...lucky us

And impossible odds fair games that the parents DO NOT GIVE IN TO NO MATTER HOW MUCH THEY BEG!

We thought the title was funny (not very Italian - nor are they using real lobster pots)--along with the prizes being very licensed--Simpson characters, Mario characters and none other than Mickey and Minnie!

One of the rides in the park was called Flying Island. It was a giant disc that moved up and down on a lever (told you it was a physics lesson), giving the "riders" a fantastic view of the park...

That's the disc in the background being raised up. When it's down, you can see it directly behind the little Flying Island display

and views of Lake Garda, which is nearby, gorgeous and on our list of must visits--wanna come with us?

While Ted and the big three were off conquering big rides like The Mammut (which we enjoyed calling Marmot)

Favorite ride of the day for 3 Titanfans.

And Atlantis

It took all the willpower Cory had not to turn around and watch the screaming fun happening as Dad screams - look at me and smile for the photo.

Lucy and I were off riding carousels and finding this fun ride called Icarus. After we rode it she couldn't wait to take her Daddy on it.

This ride was actually scarier than any of the roller coasters, but Lucy loved circling around at such a breathtaking height.

They all commented that perhaps it should be called Angry Birds instead--I think they're right.

The kids were very shocked when I insisted late in the afternoon that we buy some of this...

Some words need no translation. None of them realized that all the other times I bought it for them it was really for my own personal happiness. Love. Cotton. Candy. (but only the pink)

Around the park were a few of these faceless cutouts that we enjoyed pretending in.

Ted never had so much hair.

Before we knew it, the skies turned dark and it was time to say good-bye...

Lucy was too grumpy to sit for the picture.

After finally pulling into our driveway after eleven, we told the kids that we were sleeping in the next day (we'll just mark it as a delayed start on the school calendar)!

Trieste

2011-08-30T16:06:00.000-04:00

Today's field trip took us to the coastal town of Trieste. It is in Italy near the border of Slovenia.

We made our first stop at Miramare Castle built in the mid-1800's for Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximillian. The location was bee-you-tee-full! Right along the water with peaceful views out across the gulf (this really far away picture we took later in the day from Trieste's downtown gives you perspective on the castle and its proximity to the water).

notice anything different about this one?

We went to a slightly older castle, too. This one, San Giusto Castle built in the 1400's, was much higher than sea level--on a hill overlooking the city and sea (and what a walk it was to get there!). As we walked across the battlements around the castle we saw this pretty view.

Cory was excited to see the all the swords and guns at the Armory museum in the castle.

Ted and I admired the ornately carved wood at the doorways

We also enjoyed traipsing all over some of the Roman ruins around the castle.

Cory was a little miffed that this Roman amphitheater a few blocks away was all fenced off--no traipsing here.

After all the walking around the city, it's always good to find a gelato shop--the big ice cream cone is usually a dead giveaway.

Another successful adventure for the Gatlin Family!

Good-bye Summer

2011-08-29T16:12:00.000-04:00

As we welcome a new year of school and say farewell to summer, I thought I would post a few of my favorite pics from the past two months. Enjoy!

Air Show

2011-08-15T15:43:00.000-04:00

A few months back we watched the Thunderbirds perform an Air Show in Italy. Later that weekend the children choreographed their own show in the yard for us. We filmed the show, and I am just now getting to post some of the footage.

Once again I took advantage of the iMovie software on my iMac and created this fun little project. FYI - I don't start from scratch, they have some pre-made templates that make it really easy. I just have to decide the words for the titles and the specific clips to wedge into the template.

Let me know what you think.

Piancavallo Adventure

2011-08-14T16:34:00.000-04:00

Here's a fun movie of our day at Piancavallo. We took the kids on a toboggan run down the mountain (all the kids asked to go again and again...even Lucy). Then we spent some time at the "Rampy Park" which is a zip-line and ropes adventure course. They have multiple skill levels and the three older kids all enjoyed their first taste of ropes and zip line fun.

Dad enjoyed making this cool movie with his iMac!

Vive Les Maries

2011-08-12T07:06:00.001-04:00

I hesitate to go into too much detail on the wedding, because in many ways it was your typical wedding. However it was also unlike anything we had experienced, so I will attempt to describe the event.

So, the first question, is why are we going to a wedding in France? The bride was one of my BFFs many years ago when we lived in Kansas. She met the groom at a French conversational group over coffee. While the groom has grown up in America, his family is from France, and they planned the wedding in the town where his parents still keep a home (they too live in the U.S.).

As you can imagine, it's difficult to plan and coordinate a wedding in another country. So, that explains why we were picking flowers last minute from the wildflowers around our gite for the flowergirls to carry.

Did I mention that Julie asked if my girls would like to be flowergirls? These two said yes!

The wedding was in a beautiful old church in a neighboring town.

Julie's mom walked her down the aisle (her dad had to cancel his trip last minute after breaking his hip--bummer!),

and her sister, Heidi, was her bridesmaid.

It was a typical Catholic mass (in French--no idea what they said),

but I must say the crowd was not what I expected--I don't have any good pictures, but I was surprised how casual some people were dressed, and I mean not business casual mind you...guess I needn't have worried that Ted didn't bring a suit or sport jacket.

After the ceremony, the bride and groom greeted guests outside the church under a white umbrella that translates "Long Live the Married" (see title). They then boarded this horse drawn carriage that would take them to the reception. The horse drawn carriage was a surprise for Julie--one that she was thrilled about!

After the wedding we headed to the parents' garden for a cocktail reception. Champagne, fancy hors d'ouvre, mingling...

Then we went to say hi to the horse.

Julie, who is a huge animal lover, stole some time away from small talk (in French) to find something to feed the horse.

We (the wedding party, our family and another family) went to the chapel where the groom's parents had wed (see previous post) and took some beautiful shots in the late afternoon setting sun. It was lovely.

Then we arrived at the dinner reception. This little shindig started at about 8ish. At each table was a bottle of wine bought the year Jean-Marc was born and saved for his wedding day. Now how cool is that? Courses were slow and in between each there was some sort of game or entertainment--not professional entertainment. One of the kids later described one part as, "remember that guy who sang real badly?" But it was all fun and entertaining.

First course--appetizer: some sort of dill mayonnaise dollop, basic greens, shrimp with caviar, salmon, and young pigeon. The kids were stoked (not really). Some sort of sparkling wine (if I remember correctly). The children were served coca-cola and a local carbonated lemonade (that helped a little).

Second course--fish: salmon, scallop and sole in a rich creamy sauce. White wine. Still, kids are loving it--at least the rice krispie treats we brought in for emergency rations.

Third course--meat: filet mignon with a creamy mushroom gravy, bacon-wrapped green beans, potatoes, roasted tomato. Red wine. The kids would have eaten the beans, but by this time (and by time I mean probably 10 o'clock or so) they've escaped with the four other kids to play UNO.

Fourth course--cheese: this was a buffet set up with several local cheeses. Comte cheese, blue cheese, cheese with a line of ash in the middle, yogurt like cheeses. Champagne.

Fifth course--dessert: again, this was a buffet set up. Served at about 12:30 with an after dinner liqueur. The bride and groom stood near the table while some sparklers shot out--ooh, ahh!

The kids had waited expectantly for this course, but by this time none of them were too interested in eating. Lucy had long before fallen asleep in my lap!

Gite, Comte, and Gendarme

2011-08-09T17:33:00.000-04:00

Here are some of the things we did, saw and enjoyed in the area of and around St. Claude.

Pastoral scenery with lots of cows

Crepes!

Of course we went to the church in St. Claude

You can see it in the background of a couple of the city pictures below.

Pipes and Diamonds.

St. Claude is apparently known for Pipes and Diamonds--they even have a museum. And just in case you miss the entire sides of a couple of two story buildings painted with a mural advertising the museum you won't miss these:

While putzing around the city on Saturday afternoon we took in the market

and found a carousel!

(which was a big deal, because the kids had BEGGED us to let them ride a carousel in Geneva and we refused)

The place we stayed is called a gite (cottage literally, but this one was more like a converted barn), and accomodated 14 people. Here are a few photos.

They also had tame deer for feeding--highlight everyday!

And from here we could take a short walk for beautiful views.

A slightly longer hike brought us to this church, where the groom's parents wed.

La Chapelle de St-Romain de Roche

It was a very small and simple chapel from hundreds of years ago (some say as far back as the 8th Century), but in an amazing location on a hill next to a sheer rock face overlooking the quiet village below.

The kids liked exploring here. This is a small altar located just above the hill where you are eye level with the roof of the church.

A drive into the mountains brought us to this geological formation of folded rock they call Chapeau de Gendarme or the policeman's hat.

And we found a cheese factory, where we were able to buy some of the local cheese, comte. It taste's like swiss, but without the holes.

We had intended to hike to the area's tallest point, but weather kind of altered our plans. Instead, we stopped at a couple of lookout points and enjoyed the views.

We certainly enjoyed taking in the sights of France's Jura region.

Telepherique

2011-08-06T14:16:00.001-04:00

Before we moved to Italy, I (Kristi) had the kids work on a lapbook about Italy. We covered lots of things; one of the things we learned about was Monte Bianco--the highest peak in Italy. It is also known as Mt. Blanc in French, and is shared by the two countries.

Its claim to fame is being the highest point in Europe. Lucky for us, our trip to France would take us through the Mt. Blanc tunnel connecting France and Italy (just over 7 miles long at a price of $50 each way--love the tolls!), and our gite would be within a couple hour's drive of the famous mountain. So, it was a must see on our list.

The only thing we worried about was having a clear day of weather to enjoy the mountain.

The selected morning, we woke up early (early for vacation, at least), and loaded the kids in the van with an on-the-go breakfast. We wanted to waste as little time as possible.

The research we had done suggested a few things we could do in the area. A cogwheel train would take us to a glacier tunnel that we could walk through or we could take a cable car/gondola called a telepherique to a peak (L'Aiguille du Midi) with a view of the mountains. Initially, we thought we might go to the tunnel, but when we got there all the kids asked, "Are we going to the top like we did at Zugspitze?" so we decided to bite the bullet and go big. Telepherique here we come!

Ted waited in line for tickets, and while in line he overheard some other people talking about a gondola at the top that would take visitors across a glacier to a peak in Italy. Wisely, he bought tickets for that as well. To the tune of $300+ for all the combined tickets.

Eventually it was our turn to board the gondola with 50-70 of our not-so-closest tourist friends. Sardines.

It was two separate gondola rides to the top, which wasn't exactly Mt. Blanc's peak.

During the second ride we rode through the clouds and this is what we saw.

It was just so pretty.

From there we boarded the gondolas to Italy. This part of the trip was breathtakingly beautiful. And it was so peaceful and quiet. The gondolas were designed for 4 people so we were in two separate ones, and not crunched with a bunch of other people. I loved this part of the experience. We sat quietly and watched the amazing views both at eye level

and the glacier below us

and marveled at the (crazy) hikers.

We found the Snow Beast, parked at one of our stops, an appropriate machine for the climate

When we finally got back to the town (Chamonix, home of the first Winter Olympics) we strolled around a pedestrian area, picked out some souvenirs and postcards and ate dinner before driving back to our gite in Pratz.

Another great and picture-perfect day. Some might call it Telepherique-ific!

Lyon (Lee-OHN)

2011-08-05T17:21:00.000-04:00

Our hideaway in the hills in France was only an hour or so away from Lyon, the 2nd largest metropolitan area in France with about 1/2 million inhabitants. We decided to take a trip into the city with our local guides. Along the way we stopped in the small city of Perouges (pronounced like pair-rouge).

It was a walled city from medieval times (approx 1200). It is now mostly a tourist stop with some shops and restaurants.

After Tony's visit we have developed an appreciation for doors. I tried to show the kids how old this door looked and we talked about the door being a defensive and protective structure (mixed in a little home-school and professional military education at the same time).

One of the shops we went in had some swords, shields, and knight stuff. We snapped a picture before the owners shooed us away for taking photos. We decided not to buy anything after they told us not to take pics.

The kids enjoyed walking along the cobblestone streets.

Kristi enjoyed the bright red signs and flowers decorating the quaint village.

Our group continued on to Lyon. After navigating some big city traffic and construction we found the downtown area we wanted to park near, the square named Place Bellecour. The kids enjoyed running around this giant pedestrian area.

As part of a tourism promotion they had large letters spelling ONLY LYON. The kids enjoyed climbing the sign.

After we posed for pics, we noticed a small placard on the corner that prohibited "climbing." We ate lunch across the street and watched while gobs of people did the same silly 'climb on and take a picture' thing we had just finished.

After lunch we walked across the Bonapart bridge over the Soane river to a funicular that traveled from the older part of the city up the hill to the Basilica of Notre-Dame.

As always only a couple of the Titanfans were really interested in this old church. Dad really enjoyed the decorated walls and ceilings.

The stone work exterior was also amazing.

The rear of the church provided an amazing view of the city.
With our cool Tamron (18-270mm) zoom lens we could look down on the Place Bellecour.

Just down the street was a Roman Amphitheater that still holds concerts.

We were able to walk around the ruins, but honestly the modern railings and lightings for the concerts detracted from the "historical feel."

Another great pic of Kristi.

Time for another family photo.

Eau

2011-08-02T16:11:00.002-04:00

While in France we made a day trip to Geneva, Switzerland. We decided to drive through the mountains to avoid the highway tolls (to drive on the highways in Switzerland you are required to purchase a vignette. It is a road tax paid for a small sticker good for one year). It was fun to see the countryside and drive in the Alps.
We found this enormous bicycle alongside the road.

Another benefit was passing by some giant fields of sunflowers.

After an hour or so of switchbacks on the mountains I was wondering if I had made the correct choice (back roads vs highway). Thankfully none of the family ended up carsick.

After we cleared the mountain pass and came down into the valley near Geneva (Geneve in French) we all needed a bathroom and quick internet fix. Did we mention the internet in our rental house did not work (grumble)? The lack of internet really put a damper on our daily trip planning. Regardless - we needed a stop before we crossed the border and entered such a large city with no real plan.
A couple of roundabouts later - we spy a McDonalds. Wahoo - lunch, bathrooms, and free internet. The kids have made it a goal to eat at Mc'D in all the countries we visit. Kristi and I quickly downloaded email, checked Facebook, and then found a quick tourism site recommending the things you must try to see on a quick visit. Perfect.

The border crossing (no pictures) was funny. Switzerland is not in the European Union and I was not sure what the border crossing would be like. We rolled up to the guard watching every car as it went by. He did not stop any cars in front of us, but I am a slave to authority so I stopped and asked him if he wanted to see our passports. Once he realized I spoke English (and not French or Italian (Italy License plate)) he paused, smiled, and said "good morning" and asked "where are you going?" I responded downtown Geneva. He told me what color signs to look for and what words to look for. Of course 5 minutes later I didn't remember any of the advice he gave me, but it was funny because I was so keyed up to give him passports and was worrying about the vignette I didn't buy, and then he turned out to be so kind and helpful. Ok off to a good start. One of the items on the must see list was the "Jet d'eau" so we headed for the center of town and the easy to spot landmark.

The fountain was really cool. You could walk right up near it on a pier. We chose not to get soaked, but just close enough to feel the constant mist. You could not help but smile and enjoy on such a pretty day.

The Jet d'eau proved to be a wonderful landmark for the day. On a side note, we could even see it from France on our drive home--it's really tall.

We found a tourist train (The Little Sun Train) that drove you around some of the lakefront park and described some of the sights in 3 separate languages. The kids LOVED this.

We wanted to take a boat cruise but missed the lunch time-slot and the dinner meal was way expensive.

We saw the giant clock of flowers (on the list of must see).

Every European city has some naked people statues.

And of course we had to go see an old church. In Geneva we visited St Peter's Cathedral (construction began around 1150 - and also on the list of must see spots).

They had "Calvin's Chair" on display. This is the church where John Calvin gave many of his stirring speeches of the reformation of the mid-16th century.

The Cathedral had some towers you could climb for a view of the city. K and three of the titanfans braved the steps to the top. It's no Ulm type climb, but it was still quite scary to Cory--he cried pretty much the whole time they were up there.

Kristi found this reflection of the spire in one of the windows along the way.

Apparently, when they descended the stairs, the exit door was not exactly obvious...that really freaked Cory out!

Later we enjoyed a ferris wheel located on the waterfront (not on the list, but awesome).

We enjoyed looking around the city at the high end international shopping.

We saw the UN, too - no picture - I'm not a big fan of that bureaucracy anyway (but it was on the list). For dinner we found a place with fondue. How can you not eat fondue when in Switzerland? The kids had pizza and pasta--good grief.

We had to get some sweets for the drive back to the rental house.

We had made it the entire day without having to get Swiss Francs--everywhere we went accepted the Euro. However, this pastry joint gave us our change in Francs... Look kids--souvenirs!

Since we did not buy the vignette on the way in, we had to take side streets out of the country and into France instead of the highway (we decided not to go back the same way, to avoid the mountain driving). Not an easy task without a good map or reference points. After a few wrong turns by me and some excellent navigation skills from Kristi to get us back on track we made it back to France. We had a wonderful experience in Geneva!

Bonjour

2011-08-01T17:03:00.000-04:00

Welcome to France. We spent an incredible week in the Jura-Haut mountains (in the eastern part of France) near the small mountain town of St. Claude. We journeyed to this part of France to join a friend and her family to attend her wedding. During the week we crammed in as much sight-seeing as we possibly could.

We kicked the week off hiking and driving around the Jura Seven Lakes region, which Ted and I thought looked similar to the Smoky Mountains.

The awesomeness of this was that we had our own personal tour guide, since this was home to the groom's family. They led us in a three car caravan from scenic viewpoint, to trail head, to country village without making a wrong turn!

Ted and I loved the beautiful waterfalls and could have spent much more time hiking here.

The first family photo of the week.

Pointing the way to the next waterfalls

The falls swelled with recent rains, and were simply spectacular.

We sat near the cascade (I'm getting French on you now) below, eating paninis, a weird hot dog sandwich (they jammed a hot dog through the center of a piece of French loaf) and crepes and learning how to play marbles with the groom's brother. The kids had a blast!

And then we walked up the trail to the rock face behind this cascade where the water was coming out of a crevice in a huge gush.

While we were exploring up there, we found a fun place where water droplets were falling from high above us out of the rock. We had a blast trying to catch the individual drops, and it was really amazing to watch them fall.

Time for another family photo...

and an individual pose from Little Lu

We also explored a nearby small village that had an Abbey dating at least a thousand years back, lots of pretty flowers, and quaint rock structures.

The whole area was truly beautiful and serene and a great way to start our week...

Aqualandia Adventure-ia

2011-07-20T15:24:00.000-04:00

We picked a great day to go to a water park and splash our day away.

the park is not called Laguna de Oro--this is one of the pools

The park was the perfect mixture of slides, pools, and shows for our entire crew--which can be a challenge sometimes with one of our crew still under the mark (making her fare free), and another over the mark (making her an adult fare).

above and below the height markers

We liked the clever fans/maps/showtime information that we were given at the entrance.

Upon settling at our umbrella and lounge chairs, the kids wasted no time getting wet and having huge amounts of fun.

Ted managed to find us some yummies covered in nutella and powdered sugar for our afternoon snack.

The park was not without its share of dangerous thrills...and while we have no pictures of the kids coming down any of the multitude of slides, we do have this shot of them dangerously close to a shark!

They might look scared, but don't let them fool you--the day was full of smiles!

Happy Birthday Daddy-O

2011-07-16T16:10:00.001-04:00

We just want to take this opportunity to publicly say that we have the best husband and daddy ever. He makes everything a little more fun!

And, in honor of our current country of residency, we celebrated with an Italian cream cake--which was marvelous, if I do say so myself!

Croatia by Boat

2011-07-13T05:17:00.003-04:00

I (Kristi) was able to take a day away from the family (on Ted's and my 17th wedding anniversary, no less) and spend it with girlfriends in Croatia.

We went together on a trip organized by the base tickets and travel office. We boarded a bus at the ungodly hour of 0430 and drove 4ish hours to Croatia where we were able to take a boat cruise along the shores of Croatia.

Along the way we saw some very beautiful sights...

like the Roman ruins in Porec,

some picture perfect water,

romantic and colorful city scapes...

and some sights that will haunt you...

Yes, the gentleman has on his fannypack with the speedo. This was a tame sight--there were many nude bathers that I refrained from photgraphing. It's just a way of life here, I guess.

We also spent a fair amount of time shopping (no surprise), and came home with these awesome hats.

The food delights included our lunch--2 mackerel, whole (yup, heads and tails on each, but they were fantastic!), a cup of coffee at an outdoor cafe, a quiet dinner without having to read the menu for anyone else, and some refreshing lemon gelato in the heat of the afternoon (that was darn cheap, to boot!).

Time to plan another ladies adventure!

Missoula Children's Theater

2011-07-11T04:18:00.000-04:00

The girls had a fantastic week. In just 5 short days they auditioned for, rehearsed and performed in King Arthur's Quest.

Although they had performed in this same show two years earlier, it was surprisingly fun and different. Since there were more participants this year, it allowed for parts that had to be cut out of their first experience to be included in this one.

As a result, their parts, the Damsels in Distress, were completely new to them.

Riley standing on far right, Mary Beth sitting on far right

They came home saying, "We have to scream like girls!",

making it no surprise that at the end of their performance Riley was complaining that her throat was sore.

Another fun week of summer fun with Missoula. They always have such a good time!

Sweet Dreams

2011-07-06T15:06:00.000-04:00

Apparently this book was a real snoozer.

Happy Birthday America

2011-07-04T08:20:00.000-04:00

From our little piece of America hidden away in Italy. We celebrate the land of the free because of the brave.

May God Bless the USA!

We have a fun day of grilling with friends planned. Then we are off to the base for some fireworks.

Give Thanks

2011-07-03T06:41:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I am reminded of how blessed I am to be married to the most amazing woman! Kristi absolutely rocks. She does so much for the family.

Just look how pretty she is. I just love her.

Consolation Prize

2011-06-27T11:21:00.000-04:00

It was a Saturday afternoon. The kids had already told us that they wanted to go see Kung Fu Panda 2 playing at the base theater. We had no problems with that. They spent a lot of the afternoon playing Wii downstairs. Around 3:50 they come upstairs. They're ready to go to the movie, which Riley reminds us starts at 4:00 (not 7:00 as we were thinking).

Crying ensues--the reality is we will not be able to make it in time (and later reports confirmed that they were long before that sold out of tickets).

Hmmmm.

Well, we could always drive to the beach and watch the USAF Thunderbirds perform. They'd been parked for the past couple of days at our base, so it seemed like a good plan.

We found the beach just in time for the Thunderbirds. They were not the main attraction here, but it was for us. Luckily, we happened upon stage center for the show.

She spent more time playing in the sand than watching.

Not a bad alternative to the movies.

We can always Netflix Kung Fu Panda. Thunderbirds on the Adriatic Sea not so much.

Tying Up Loose Ends

2011-06-26T08:52:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been a couple of weeks now, and we're still not finished with Germany. I'll try to wrap it up for you all today.

We found a Putt-Putt place in one of the towns, and the kids were excited to play. Language barriers were a little tough, but they got their clubs and began playing. The first thing they learned was that the clubs have these cool little suction cups on the end to pick up and hold the balls. Check it out!

This turned out to be a pretty necessary tool, because we were quickly informed that we were not to walk on the "green" (which as you can see was white). So you putted from the side

And then reached in for your ball.

On another note, it's very hard for the 2nd grader deep inside all of us to not be constantly tickled in Germany

As Larry the Cable Guy says, "I don't care who you are, that was funny."

We've already told you a little about the crazy hike we took at Partnach Gorge. Since we're on the subject of signs, let me share a sign we encountered on the hike.

At the time we weren't exactly sure what it was telling us, but 'verboten' was enough for us to know better. You just know people see that field and want to run through it singing or calling "Ricolaaaaaaaaaa"

And a couple of quintessentially German sites from our van

There's much we have skipped over, but it's probably time to move on. We enjoyed a great week in Germany!

Neuschwanstein

2011-06-20T15:38:00.001-04:00

What's a vacation in Europe without going to a castle? Incomplete. Again, less than ideal weather conditions, made this trip a little cold and damp a time or two, and the pictures get drowned in the clouds, too.

Not bad weather, just bad clothes--some of the kids' jackets were still wet from our hike at Eibsee, so they were wearing Dad's coat and sweatshirts.

One of King Ludwig II multiple castles, it was, not surprisingly, beautiful and impressive. It sits at the top of a mountain of sorts, and from one vantage points appears to rise right out of the rocks. He kind of had a thing for swans--hence the name, and the many swans within. Also, throughout the rooms were paintings honoring Wagner of opera fame. Unfortunately, even after 17 years of construction, he died before it was finished, at which point all work was halted. Nevertheless, it remains a popular tourist destination and was the inspiration for Cinderella's and Aurora's castles in the Disney movies of princess fame. You might be able to see why from these photos.

We took the horse carriage ride up,

which we overheard from another American tourist later was what all the people who didn't read Rick Steve's book did. Yep, that would be us. Didn't read it.

Didn't seem to matter--still had fun!

A-Hiking We Will Go

2011-06-16T17:25:00.001-04:00

In spite of less than stellar weather the week we were in Germany, we found our way to hikes and mountains and lakes in the vicinity. We had varying degrees of success with each excursion. This will take you in order chronologically

ZUGSPITZE & EIBSEE

Our very first day we decided to head to Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak. The ticket seller warned us that the visibility was not ideal, but also informed us that the rest of the days of the week didn't look much better, so we decided to give it a go. Cogwheel Train up (hour ride) and a Gondola ride down (20 min ride) was our plan.

The train stopped part-way up the mountain to access hiking trails. I snapped this from inside the train car.

The train takes you to an initial stop, from which you can hang out, take pictures, write your names in the snow, and sled!

The snow was beautiful. The temp was high enough that the walk back with a sled made you sweat - so the kids quickly dressed down to short sleeves.

From there is a short gondola ride to the summit.

Unfortunately there was zero visibility at the summit and one very grumpy German man. Apparently, while looking at the souvenirs displayed, Lucy touched a keychain/toy which then broke. I got an angry fussing at in German, and Ted bought a 5 Euros sheep... Lucy's souvenir now :)

I spy a blue gondola on its way up the mountain.

That kind of soured our moods, so we decided to go back down. We found restrooms and then got on the gondola--only we got on the wrong one! Eventually, we made our way to the right place, and got back down to the beginning.

We stopped at the red tower and a worker climbed out on the support beams. Yikes.

From there we walked to Eibsee, a lake at the foot of the mountain. It's a large lake with a nice walking path around the perimeter.

A small shower thwarts our plans to start hiking, so we shop at a tourist stall to stay dry. Before long, the rain subsides and we decide to start around the lake. At least one of the children is not thrilled with this plan, but we press on. Mind you, as we're beginning our plod along the path, we are being passed right and left by multiple groups of men and women easily 10-20 years older than we are, so truly it can't be too bad. Then again, we've got Pokey.

We walk, and walk, and walk. We find snails, frogs and snakes (much to Ted's chagrin), and an hour and a half in we finally get to what seems the halfway point of the lake. Fortunately, spirits are still up, and we are enjoying the views.

Nice hat!

But then the rain comes. And it comes harder. And the lightning and thunder. And Cory tells Ted something along the lines of "I don't think this is a very safe place to be anymore." I have no pictures of the last 30 minutes of our hike, because we had the camera tucked away under our jacket to protect it from the rain. We finally make it to the van, all dripping wet, when someone needs to use the facilities...which of course are not nearby.

PARTNACH GORGE

On another day, we headed towards the Olympic Skistadion, where the 1936 Winter Olympics were held. Nearby is a hike through a gorge that we decide to take. As we begin to follow other "hikers" one way, Ted wisely stops to ask one of them if this was the way to the Gorge. Uh, no. Good thing we asked. So, now, headed in the right direction, we make our way to the gorge. At the beginning is a pay booth, where we pay our entrance fees and begin the trek. It's a beautiful gorge, if not sometimes a little scary with the little kids and the rushing water just a slip and a fall away.

Postcards show the waterfalls cascading in the summer and frozen over in the winter.

We made our way through to the other side and decide to take what we assume to be the higher path back to the beginning. But you know what they say about assuming...Not sure exactly which of two different paths to take, we again stop someone to ask if they know. They're not from the area, but pull up a map on their iphone, and in broken English, he and Ted look at it and make a judgment.

So, we press on in what we hope is the right direction. and on. and on. Eventually someone has to use the facilities again. Convinced that we must be near the end, we encourage her to just hold on a little. We find ourselves at a restaurant, where we stop for some refreshments and restrooms. Initially, Ted suggests we just get some sodas and then be on our merry ways. I advise that since it's noon we buy a small lunch first. We share schnitzel, brats, potato salad and fries. This place really was in the middle of no-where. The decision to stay and eat really saved us an hour of crying by multiple starving/tired kids (and one low blood sugar wife).

Then we start off again rested, recharged, and ready for more adventure.

Suffice it to say, that we hike, and hike, and hike, up and up and up. It's brutal, although the scenery was still beautiful.

At one point the trail forked...and the path Ted chose said "for experienced hikers only, not recommended for kids." I quickly pointed the sign out to him and we then took the other fork (uphill).

We finally arrive at a clearing, see a trail or two in different directions and ask someone where the trail they've come from started. Back at the end of the gorge they tell us. YIKES! We've hiked for over an hour and we will end up at the same place we started (at the top of the gorge).

What goes up...

As painful as it seemed, we headed back to the end of the gorge, knowing that no matter what, we could at least walk back through the gorge to the beginning.

We are all smiling because we know we will finally escape the gorge.

And that's exactly what we did!

BADERSEE

Once again, we headed out to see some sights. This day was one of the clearest we had seen since our arrival at Garmisch, so we decide to drive out to another lake in the area. The write-up at the lodge said it was a 'beautiful emerald-green color, noteworthy for any traveler.' We get to the parking area, and hope that the hike to the lake is not too long, but we're expecting pretty much anything at this point. Wahoo! Just a quick walk through a parking lot, and bam, we were there.

Immediately, Riley noticed the trail around the lake and made it clear she did NOT want to go on any hikes. We find some park benches and notice the giant fish and ducks. Ted finds a food dispenser, and buys food for all the kids to feed the "wildlife."

Cory wanted to fish. And he eventually crafted a pole and string from broken limbs and grass.

They have a lot of fun with that, and soon we find a momma duck and three little ducklings!

The water was, indeed, a lovely color. And the path looked so inviting. Eventually we decided that we needed to walk around the lake. We even pointed out to all the kids how much smaller this lake was, that we could pretty much see the entire path from where we sat, and that it wouldn't rain on us.

It was a lovely little walk, with walking sticks to be found and everything.

The momma and her ducklings swam over to the other side to see us, too.

Thankfully, the third time's the charm.

Where Did We Leave Off?

2011-06-13T14:54:00.000-04:00

Ahh, yes, we finished our weekend at Legoland, and our family headed off towards a week on our own in southern Germany. On our way there, we stopped in a city called Ulm. A friend mentioned that Ulm has the highest steeple of any church in the world, and that it made for an interesting stop. While doing some research in a vacation guide book that a fabulous friend sent us after her family's couple of years abroad (thanks Katie), I saw it mentioned as well, so we added it to our list of destinations.

We mostly winged it getting there--following signs to Ulm, which we didn't know would actually lead where we wanted to go (wouldn't you know, that for the life of me I could not find it mentioned in the guide book while we were heading there needing some concrete information?), but I figured if we were going to the tallest steeple in the world, that perhaps it would kind of, you know, stick out/up. And it did, so we began exiting and turning down streets that seemed to be leading us closer to the destination.

The kids at this point, realizing that we're not zooming straight down the interstate during whatever movie they're watching, begin to whine and complain in the back seats. They do NOT want to go on this adventure. They are perfectly content to go straight to Garmisch (which they've heard from countless people they will LOVE).

Scoff, we say, and find a parking garage. Again, I have not found in my little book the reference I remembered reading, so we wing it...look for the tall steeple kids. We bribe them by stopping at a bakery stand and getting something yummy with apples in it, which worked for 75% of the crew.

Once at the church, we walk in and look around, and cast lots for who will go to the top. Some 768 steps (530 ft) to the top, as I recall.

Mary and Cory are in, Lucy and Riley opt out. So, Ted pays for tickets, and up they go...however, I stick close in the gift shop (perhaps a misnomer, however they had gifts, and I shopped, so I guess not) in case someone changes his mind. Which he does. (No, I'm not talking about Ted).

Now it's Ted and Mary heading up the steps. The other kids and I wander around outside the church. We hear the bells toll at noon and comment how fun it must be to be going up the steps while the bells are ringing.

Eventually we head back to the large square in front of the church and hang around outside a tourist bureau--and look for them. After a while Riley announces that she can see them, so we all wave. And we watch them come down through the little windows. There's Mary! There's Daddy! There's Mary again! And there's Daddy! And Mary! And Daddy!

Finally, they emerged from the front doors and made their way to us. We asked questions, took pictures, and before long Ted says, "I need to sit down, my knees are shaking." We went in the tourist building to find restrooms and then stopped to watch a short video about the church. Interestingly, during World War II over 70% of the city of Ulm was destroyed. The church, however, remained standing. Wow.

Their climb afforded them great views of the city, and Ted encouraged us to walk towards the river. So we headed that way, found a restaurant to have some lunch, and then strolled along a wall alongside the river that appeared to have remnants of an old city wall.

In the end I think the kids thought it was a pretty okay detour.

But they made sure we knew they didn't want to make anymore extra stops.

Legoland, cont'd

2011-06-09T09:32:00.000-04:00

Here are some more amazing things people can do with Legos.

little tulips filled this greenhouse in the Netherlands

The Allianz Arena was filled with spectators with flashing cameras!

Neuschwanstein...check back for our visit to this castle

The famous LOLLIPOP. We got lollipopped on our way through Austria...the police use this "lollipop" like gadget to wave drivers over for random passport and registration checks.

Legoland

2011-06-08T16:02:00.000-04:00

Our first day of vacation was spent at Legoland Deutschland. It's an amusement park, so you know the kids had a great time. Roller coasters and spinny rides were all a big hit.

Mary's waving in the last car. Friends are in first car.

Mary's in the front and Riley in the back car. Their friend is holding on for dear life.

They also had some smaller rides for the little ones so Lucy could join in the fun. She was able to drive a car, paddle her own canoe, and her favorite ride was the jeep Safari Tour that took you through a series of animals (all made of Legos of course).

She called it the "Ferrari Tour" - I'll have to teach her the real meaning of that word.

There were some water rides...a log ride, a jetski-in-a-circle-like ride, and my personal favorite - a Pirate ship where you get to soak those riding in the boats before and after you. It's not hard to see I was having a good time.

Lucy had her face painted with her new best friends Evan (blue) and Will (orange)

The painting happened while the big kids were in driving school. For a small fee of 5 Euros our kids were taught in German how to "drive" and they were given a small license with their pictures. Then they took to the road in little lego electric cars. The track was a series of interconnected roads with stop signs, stop lights, and a car wash (that was a favorite).

They had a small "factory" on site that showed how they make the small plastic building blocks with robots on an automated assembly line. As part of the tour you were able to take home a small "new" brick.

Of course one of the best parts of Legoland was the buildings, people, and things made of legos.

There was a model area in the center with re-creations of German cities and other European landmarks. All of the scenes contained moving cars, trains, boats, and people. It was fun to just look at and watch the moving parts.

Venice

The Munich Soccer Stadium--Allianz Arena-- was especially interesting with the thousands of small lego people in the seats.

This pic of Cory is one of my favorites. If I had only given him an ice cream cone to hold.

We might have to add a Legoland II page, there are just too many cool things to mention in one blog.

Urlaub ist gut!

2011-06-06T15:14:00.000-04:00

We've been away...on vacation. We took a trip to Germany to visit Legoland and see the Garmisch area (while staying at the Armed Forces Resort Edelweiss). We had the most amazing and fun time. This first post will just tease you with some great pics...we'll give more detailed stories later.

There was lots of driving...with amazing scenery of Germany and Austria along the way (see the cool decorated building I'm about to crash into)

2 Days Of Fun Lego Style

Tall Churches

Mountain Top Adventures

Rushing Whitewater Gorges

Castles

And lots of fun!

to be continued... (title translation - Vacation is good!)

Black Holes

2011-05-25T09:45:00.000-04:00

As I've mentioned in previous posts (and as I'll mention in posts to come, I'm sure), we love our yard filled with trees and bushes. However, they are quite the hazard to playing ball.

We're constantly having to search in bushes for lost baseballs, soccer balls and footballs...

Field Day

2011-05-23T08:48:00.000-04:00

There are many wonderful school days, but few are as great as Field Days.

We joined several of the homeschool families for a field day last week. The weather was perfect and the fun was abundant.

Besides water gun fights and playing on a slip and slide, the kids enjoyed classic team relays.

What's not classic about a wheel barrow relay

Go Cory Go!

concentrate...

They were more successful at some games than others.

Cory and his partner never quite got the hang of the three legged race.

Riley didn't make it two steps from the dizzy bat before falling! At least she was smiling and not puking!

And in some they were just plain cute!

Putting on "summer clothes" to race in

Fantastic Day!

Indian Camp

2011-05-17T15:45:00.000-04:00

The kids pulled out their old Indian costumes and set up camp under our trampoline. They gathered rocks for fire pits under and clipped blankets all around the perimeter of the trampoline. I'm glad they still have each other to play these games since they no longer have a Circle of neighbors to play this with. (see picture in this blog from a year ago)

Piano Recital Spring 2011

2011-05-15T15:42:00.000-04:00

It's been a crazy year for the kids--leaving midway through a "school year," put lots of things (lessons and activities for the kids in particular) in a holding pattern. Luckily, we were able to find a piano teacher here (also held during Co-op--score another point for Momma not having to drive to an extra place), and after a few months hiatus the girls were able to start back up. (Admittedly, though, they were rusty after a couple of months off) Cory got to join the girls in lessons as well and had his first taste of piano, and this was his first recital. Here's a video compilation that Ted made (he's having scores of fun with the new imac. scores! oh I kill myself) of the 3 performances, all of which he had to miss.

p.s. Ted also added a video of the dance performances at the end of the previous blog entry

Just Dance

2011-05-14T09:22:00.001-04:00

California Dreamin' was the theme of the girls' dance recital this spring. They participated in dance class during co-op time (score one for Momma' not having to haul them someplace extra), and they loved it. Mary Beth's never been in a dance class before,

and this was the first time since she was six that Riley has participated.

They performed to Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling," and it was great! (of course)

Way to go girls!

How Lucky I Am

2011-05-10T02:38:00.000-04:00

When we first looked at this house on a wet, gray, dreary November day, one of my first thoughts was how wonderful it was that there was a big yard with so many mature trees. Of course, being November, most of the trees were bare, but there were a few giant, beautiful evergreens and among the evergreens were two magnolias, one of my favorite trees.

Mary and Cory soon discovered that this tree beside our house is an excellent climbing tree. How lucky they are!

And then its leaves came and look how gorgeous it is now. They're slowly turning to a deep green color. Such a pretty tree.

But, it does have a lot of those leaves, and I've already had moments of dread for what fall weekends will be like for us because there are enough trees that the leaves in fall are going to be a mess. But then one of the trees would bloom, and I'd say not to worry about tomorrow because it drains today of its happiness.

Of course, whenever we're wishing we could be at the beach, all we have to do is hang out in our backyard and enjoy this tree.

But the greatest two trees in our yard by far have just recently been discovered for their fantastic-ness...

Because when you look closer at these trees you will notice this...

And if you're not quite sure what "this" is, let me just say it's only the most beautiful, wonderful fruit EVER!

***sigh***

We have Cherry Trees.

Happiness

Take 4

2011-05-07T13:52:00.000-04:00

The other night I got out this package as we were preparing to bake, but if you are supposing I was going to make peanut butter cookies, you're supposing wrong...

Because when you take this ordinary package of peanut butter cookie mix and add just a few simple ingredients you get something much more wonderful, right Cory?

This is our version of the candy bar called Take 5, only we've reduced it by one ingredient, peanuts, so we're calling it Take 4. Might want to work on the name a little--seems there might be something more catchy.

Anyway, here's how it goes. Begin by mixing the cookie dough according to the package's directions, but instead of creating cookies, press the dough into a 9 x 13 pan sprayed with cooking oil and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or so, until the edges are that pretty golden color.

While it's baking, begin peeling the wrappers off the caramel candies, pour in 1/2 cup or so of half and half, whipping cream, whatever you have in the fridge and melt in the microwave.

While the caramel is melting, grab a couple of handfuls of pretzels and break them/crush them into smaller pieces.

After the bars have cooled for 5-10 minutes, pour the caramel on the bars, and spread it around,

then press the pretzels into the caramel.

While that cools and sets for a little more, melt the chocolate chips in a bowl. Pour the melted chocolate on top of the pretzels, and carefully spread it around evenly.

Let the entire creation cool and refrigerate until you're ready to cut them. It's best to cut them after they've been refrigerated, because the caramel is gooey if the dish is left out. Now of course, gooey while you're eating it is perfection!

What would you call them?

Food

2011-05-01T15:16:00.001-04:00

Just because we're in Italy doesn't mean that every restaurant we go to has fantastic Italian. That was the case last night. Not good. However, we found a way to make up for it! Go to a Gelateria and drown your sorrows with dessert! It's very effective. I got a sundae (I can't remember what they called it). It had vanilla ice cream, warm raspberries (WARM RASPBERRIES!) and whipped cream. And it was absolutely perfect.

I forgot about dinner.

Riley got spaghetti for dessert...

No joke--that's spaghetti (gelato) with spaghetti sauce (strawberries) and parmesan cheese (coconut).
There are a minimum of 3 other items on the menu that will cause me to return...
Writing this has reminded me that we have taken countless iphone photos of various foods we've eaten since being here, but I don't think we've actually written about many/any of them. hmmmm...I should get on that.