Home Sweet Houston

More Christmas Pictures

2012-01-18T13:36:00.000-06:00

My little brother, another budding photographer, was also busy taking pictures during our Christmas holiday. For those of you who are interested, here are some of his:

Our 1st Santa picture, Anselmi style

Eating Christmas Dinner?? I have no idea why I'm making such an awesome face...

Out for a walk: my go-to, entertain-both-babies-at-the-same-time activity

Dad trying to potty-train Lily. She's not so sure!

Snuggles with Savannah

The babies were excellent helpers in the kitchen

Lily playing in her new Johnny-Jump-Up. She does more leaning and drooling than jumping at this point.

Christmas morning trying to catch marshmallows fired from the boys' marshmallow crossbows

Waiting patiently to talk with Syster Jacqueline after church

All the way from Sweden, Jacqueline is doing so well!

And that's the last of our Christmas wrap-up (punny?) It's hard to believe that next Christmas, Jacqueline will be home from her mission and the babies will be walking and talking!

A Houston Christmas

2012-01-03T16:27:00.000-06:00

We just finished our first Christmas in Houston! The house looked spectacular, thanks to Rob's decorating skills (he's a man of many, many talents).

The Upstairs Tree

We're still living in Rob's parent's home (built to fit a family of 11...), so we have plenty of extra room, and decided to host Christmas for my family this year.

The Monster Tree

My parents, sister, brother, and Grandma drove/flew in from around the country to spend the holiday with us.

Family Room

It was SO NICE to have all of those extra arms to hold and entertain babies! A few days into the week I was having a hard time remembering how I managed to do this all by myself. Savannah, Lily and I are all going to go through some serious withdrawals when everyone is gone. :)

Somehow this is the only "group" picture I have...Grandma, Erik, Katie, me

On Christmas morning Santa left two of his littlest elves behind! We decided they could stay. Forever.

And with more people to coax smiles out of the babies, here are some more pictures of our cute little girls. They are 5 months old now!!

Hamming it up for their Grandma

Life is good. 2011 was a GREAT year, and I have a feeling 2012 is going to be even better.

Sassy Savannah

2011-12-15T17:54:00.000-06:00

How cute is she??

Too bad her sister was crying during this photo shoot. We'll have to redo it sometime before they grow out of these dresses!

Grandma Turtle turns 95

2011-12-14T17:31:00.001-06:00

In an effort to get half-way caught up with blogging, here are some pictures of our trip to CA for Rob's Grandma Turtle's 95th birthday extravaganza.

The trip was a quick one for us; we flew into LAX Saturday morning, the party was Saturday night, and we were at the airport again Sunday afternoon. Even though traveling with two little ones turned out to be quite the production, we couldn't miss being in this picture:

All of Grandma Turtle's descendents: 4 kids, 12 grandkids, and 22 great-grandkids

KK did an amazing job organizing everyone. Super efficient and organized Grandma + group photo = ZERO crying kiddies! The picture-taking was over before anyone had time to get cranky! She's got serious skillz.

Some other pictures of the dinner, awesome talent show, and dancing:

Grandma Turtle (Marguerite) with Joy and Mauri (also Marguerite)

The Park Family comedy troupe

The Linkous Family singers

The Mark & Aup Family actors

The John & Brian Song & Dance routine

Christa & Rachel enjoying their role as spectators

A happy Grandma KK with Baby Tennyson

The Star of the evening: Grandma Turtle being presented with 2 turtle birthday cakes

95 years young!

It was a busy 48 hours, but we were so so so happy to have been there. We love you Grandma!

All Hail, All Hail to Old Klein High

2011-11-25T18:53:00.000-06:00

All 3 of the Ellis girls (me and the babies) experienced a first when Rob's boss invited us to the last Klein High School football game of the season.

Me w/ Lily & Patti

We had a great time watching the football game, the cheerleaders, the marching band, the stand leaders, and the flag girls - TX high school football is big-time - in the (finally) cool November weather.

No wonder Rob thought my CT high school stadium was tiny--he was comparing it to this!

The babies did great during the game, and Patti and Paul just laughed at the "Oh, your little grandchildren are so sweet!" comments they kept getting. I told them the surrogate-grandparent spot was wide open if they were interested, but I think they want to focus on getting their own kids out of high school first! :)

Paul, Savannah, Rob

Unfortunately the Bearcats got demolished by Klein Oak Panthers, but the Ellises had a great time and can't wait for next season.

Best Halloween Ever

2011-11-22T21:22:00.000-06:00

First, in a continuation of our pumpkin carving tradition, I'd like you to meet the most recent members of the club:

Jack & Jill by day

and by night: Yikes!

The real reason this Halloween was the best one yet is because we finally have little kiddies to dress up and show off!

Our sister-in-law, Laura, gave us these awesome "Thing One and Thing Two" onesie-costumes.

I thought they looked adorably ghetto-fabulous in their thug skull caps...

...but Rob thought they should look slightly more feminine, so we got some huge white bows to complete the outfit.

They weren't too thrilled...

...but their father sure was!

I can't wait until next year...the girls will be old enough for costumes AND candy!

Month #3 is in the Bag!

2011-10-31T10:10:00.001-05:00

The girls are officially 3 months old now! YAHOOOOO! I feel like the last 3 months have been the hardest, most overwhelming months of my life, but have been so, so worth it. The babies are smiling, cooing, kicking, sleeping (some--we're still working on it), and are fat enough that I finally don't feel like I'm going to break them.

Life has settled into a rhythm and last night before going to bed I realized that this was the first night I didn't feel like the start of a new week was such a totally overwhelmingly monumental challenge that I may or may not survive. It's a welcome feeling to be sure that even though you'll be exhausted at the end of the day, you will in fact MAKE it to the end of the day. That is something I won't take for granted again soon... :)

So here are a few (or a lot...) of pictures from the last month for anyone who wants to see the two cutest babies in my world.

Sweet Mama KK came for a week and was such a great help!

Lily with a game of Settlers of Catan in the background

Babies in their Sunday best

This is what inevitably happens whenever they are within arms reach of each other--and they actually don't seem to mind!

Savannah flirting with the camera


Lily, not sure what she thinks about Dad's big, black camera

A typical Savannah smile, usually accompanied by a lot of cooing and squealing

Sisters, just hanging out on a Sunday afternoon

A typical worried Lily face

And finally, a smile!

I am SO PROUD of us!! Bring on the next 3 months!

For My Mom:

2011-10-03T17:23:00.000-05:00

This picture captures the results of (some) of my Mom's 6+ weeks of hard work while she was here in Houston:

An adorable wall-hanging that matches the quilts in the nursery (it's really a trophy for me to someday look back and fondly remember these crazy days)
2 happy, rapidly chunkifying babies, both alive and well.
Not shown: Me, also still alive (and trying to de-chunkify myself), and learning to be a Mom from the world's greatest example.

Thanks, Mom! Love you!

PS. COME BACK SOON! :)

(seriously...)

Baby Blessings

2011-09-13T18:41:00.002-05:00

Warning: Many, many pictures ahead...

On the first Sunday in September we had lots and lots of family come into town to be with us when Savannah and Lily (and cousin Kate) were blessed at church.

One of our wonderful friends at church offered to make their blessing dresses, and when I saw them I could not believe how beautifully they turned out! The next time they get to wear dresses like this will probably be their weddings....yikes! (Hopefully they'll have a little more hair by then.)

Savannah practicing being reverent

Lily, exhausted by all of the picture-taking

Proud Grandparents (and parents)

Adoring Grandmas, KK (Kathryn) and Laura

Grandpa Kurt and Grandma Laura


Great Grandma Emma

Great Grandparents Ada and Bob

Rob's brother and sister-in-law, Matt and Natalie, welcomed baby Kate into their family about 3 weeks after Lily and Savannah were born. They came down from Dallas to bless Kate so the whole family could be together.

Can't you tell they're going to be the best of friends? ;)

Monday morning, before Matt and Natalie drove home, Kate came over for a newborn photo shoot.

Sleeping in the flowers

Then we had to squeeze in one more photo-op while we had the chance. We broke out some of our adorable little dresses and snapped away.

It's a pretty tight fit in there!

And one more sister shot:

Thanks Auntie Lola for the CUTE dresses! :)

We're so blessed to have these little ones in our family!

Time Flies

2011-09-08T15:07:00.001-05:00

Here are some more pictures we took when Lily and Savannah were 2 weeks old. One benefit of living in Houston during the hottest August on record is that you can take newborn pictures of your babies outside and not worry for a second that they are cold. :)

I already can't believe how little they were....

In a full-fledged milk coma

My favorite shot

In a little Moses basket

They take after their Mom...

2011-08-12T13:43:00.000-05:00

Today we had Lily and Savannah's 2-week check-up and confirmed that their exceptional eating talents are really paying dividends on the scale.

On Sunday Savannah weighed 4lbs 12oz and Lily weighed 3lbs 10oz. Today Savannah was up to 5lbs and Lily to 4lbs 4oz! Our babies are getting fatter!!

Grandma is so proud. :)

THEY'RE HOME!!!

2011-08-08T13:37:00.001-05:00

Rob and I spent Wednesday night sleeping in a little "hotel" room off of the NICU in preparation for Lily and Savannah's discharge on Thursday.

At the NICU's "Parent Inn"

After a little stress and uncertainty because Lily was still so small, we were all successfully discharged Thursday afternoon. We were SO happy to graduate from the hospital and come home!!

Little, little babies in normal-sized car seats

We got home, moved into the nursery, took a few deep breaths, and then Rob broke out the camera to document our new life.

Snug as bugs in rugs at home

Savannah thinks life is pretty rough when you're a baby

Friday night my Mom and Dad arrived from Minneapolis to meet their first grand-babies. It was love at first sight.

And here are a few baby-glamor shots a la Rob:

Lily and Savannah

Savannah, striking a pose

Sisters

Life is good.

A few more pics

2011-07-31T21:49:00.000-05:00

Christa (aka Rock Star Mom), Lily and Savannah

Here are a couple more pictures. We have not taken very many the last few days for two main reasons: 1) the girls are still in the NICU, which is kept pretty dark and the babies do not like the flash; 2) for a day and a half, they spent all their non-eating hours at a spa/tanning salon (i.e. anti-jaundice UV treatment) where most of their little bodies are covered.

Lily and Savannah's Spa Treatment

We're having a lot of fun holding them, and they're starting to eat a lot. Christa and I came home from the hospital this evening. The kids will stay at the intensive care until they put on some more weight, but we're hoping they'll be able to come home later this week!

First Family Nap

Lily & Savannah Ellis

2011-07-29T09:05:00.003-05:00

Yesterday the Ellis family doubled its size! After a very smooth and quick delivery, we got to meet the two newest members of the clan: Savannah Laura Ellis and Lily Kathryn Ellis.

Pre-game prep: wheeling into the delivery room

After almost five years of waiting, and without further ado, we present the newest members of our little family:

Savannah (who won the foot race) weighing 4 lbs 14 oz

Lily weighing in at 3 lbs 13 oz

The delivery went seamlessly. Christa pushed five times and out came Savannah. Then with the way cleared--and not wanting to be left behind--Lily popped out 2 minutes later with just one push.

I am so proud of Christa. She did an awesome job throughout the entire pregnancy and delivery. And in fact, today (the day after the babies came) is our 5th year anniversary so she has given us the best anniversary gift of all time!

First Family Portrait

Thanks to everyone for your faith and prayers in our behalf. Mom and babies are doing great.

And I'm sorry I didn't get a post earlier. It's been busy between 1) making sure Christa has everything she needs and 2) staring at my new daughters for hours on end. :)

Here we go...

2011-07-28T07:33:00.000-05:00

The babies are coming today!!

On the way to the hospital at 4:00 AM

We checked in to the hospital bright and early. Christa's getting hooked up to the iv, but she asked me to post a couple of pictures of the pre-game warm-up so that everyone can be praying for us.

Rachel & Conlon: First Comes Love...

2011-07-25T05:17:00.002-05:00

The week after Rob's graduation Rachel, his younger sister, got married in Utah. Rob and I had to make it a whirlwind trip--arriving at 3am Saturday morning (delayed flight), sleeping a few hours, heading to the temple and reception, flying back to Houston at 7pm, finally getting home at about 2 am Sunday morning (delayed flight).

But, for Rachel, it was totally worth it! We're so thrilled she found her personal Prince Charming; Conlon seems like such a sweet guy.

Here are a glut of picture highlights from the 24-hour trip:

Meeting Tennyson for the first time since he was about 5 days old

Waiting for Rae & Conlon to come out...and meeting the FUN Bonner family

Teairsa and Mark-- 2 awesome expressions and for Mark, awesome hair.

One of Rachel's precious new nephews

Eden--Kit and Kevin make the CUTEST kids!

Ryn, the first Kit and Kevin creation

Happy, happy!

Sisters

More Sisters--Conlon's siblings have the BEST smiles!

Who knew weddings were a contact sport? I lost a toenail in an encounter with Darrell's shoe during a group picture.

I felt pretty badly about leaving such a gruesome memento on the Bountiful Temple grounds.

First Official Belly Photo: 27 weeks with TWINS

Rob's siblings & spouses #s 1-5 (minus #3-Matt and Natalie somehow escaped our photographic grasp).

Joy & Darrell with baby Margueritte

Kit & Kevin with Elle, Eden, Ryn, and Darren

Mark & Aupreille with Tennyson and Teairsa--who we could NOT catch smiling all day!

John & Laura sans kids: footloose and fancy free!

Rachel and Conlon's reception was beautiful and we wish we could have been there for more of the pre & post wedding festivities. I guess that's what happens when student life finally rolls to an end and you have a real job to get home to....times like these are when getting a Ph.D. starts to seem like a better and better idea.....

Actually, not really.

Graduation: He (we) DID IT!!!!

2011-07-17T15:32:00.001-05:00

I'm about 2 months behind on this...but, better late than never!

!!!!!ROB FINALLY GRADUATED!!!!!

Officially.

In May we flew back to Cambridge to experience all of the pomp and circumstance that goes with a Harvard Graduation. It didn't disappoint.

We had a great time sharing a lot of our Law School memories with my mom, brother, and sister, as well as Rob's parents--who hadn't been back to Cambridge together since Stan graduated from Harvard as an undergrad!

After finishing all of the official stuff, we took everyone down to the North End for our favorite gastronomical experiences in Boston:

At Regina Pizzeria we got our two favorite pies: the Formagio Bianco, and the Pollo Pesto. After eating our fill everyone could understand why my poor taste buds have been completely spoiled...all other pizzas just seem to pale in comparison to the pizza at Regina's. I guess that's a great excuse to come back and visit!

After filling our pizza-stomachs we took a walk down Hanover Street to fill up our cannoli-stomachs (mine were both feeling very compressed by these 2 little girls sharing the stomach space) at Mike's Pastries.

Then Rob felt his gelato-stomach rumbling, so we stopped at our favorite gelateria and made sure that we were all COMPLETELY stuffed before finally heading home for the evening.

Paul and Nancy Dredge, Stan and KK's friends from Harvard, were kind enough to host us at their Arlington home "Bonnyview."

Day 2 of our whirlwind trip was full of revisiting Harvardian memories--from the 1960's to 2010!

Stan and KK enjoyed riding the T again, which brought back some of KK's old commuting memories.

They showed us a few of the places they lived when Stan was an undergrad there. And KK even got a few pictures of some of the Harvard Yard squirrels that used to give her the evil-eye as she'd walk to the T stop in the middle of winter wearing her grandmother's old squirrel coat.

We gave them a tour of the Law Library--Rob's home away from home--and made sure to get a picture of the specific spot where he'd study on rainy days so he could dry out his socks and shoes on the radiator.

We had a great trip. And even though it's really nice to have a positive income now that we're done with school, we really miss all of the fun times and great friends we had in Cambridge.

A Full House!

2011-05-11T16:44:00.002-05:00

Rob's brother, John, and his wife, Laura, and their kids are staying with us for a few weeks this month before John's internship starts. Their 5 cute kids mean that all of a sudden things are a lot more fun around here!

Introducing:

Nora Jane--hamming it up for the camera

Cosette (Coco) hamming it up for the camera

Laura, Nora, and Coco...they give me hope that we'll make it through the first year with twin girls!

3-year old Anne Loren

Big brother, and champion swimmer, Brian

Dad (John) coaxing a smile out of Caitlyn

And Nora again, ready for her glamor shot :)

So if anybody is looking for a party, you're almost guaranteed to find one at the Ellis homestead this month!

P.S. This post marks a momentous occasion: all pictures were taken by CHRISTA! Rob is busy bringing home the bacon, so I realized if we waited for him to take pictures our blog would die. Good thing I have some cute subjects to practice on...

The Mud Run

2011-05-04T14:03:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago we went up to Dallas because Matt convinced Rob that participating in this Mud Run would be a great brotherly-bonding experience.

A nice "before" shot

The course was about 6 miles long with 30+ crawling, climbing, swimming, jumping, swinging, MUDDY obstacles to get through.

Natalie and I herded the kids to a place in the shade where we could catch some of the action.

Running

Climbing

Crawling

Still smiling!

And after 1:36 hours, the brothers reached the finish line! I'm pretty sure there wasn't even a single inch of them that wasn't completely caked in mud.

Mmmm....Rob's muddy arm-hair

Luckily the race organizers anticipated the serious need for a post-race shower and brought a fire-engine to do the job. I bet the firemen were glad for the change of pace!

And finally, THEY WERE CLEAN!!!! Except....2 days later, Rob was still finding mud in weird places like his ear canal and belly-button.

Natalie and I thought it looked like so much fun that we're going to participate in Mud Run #2... after she's done growing her little baby girl and I'm done growing these two little ladies. 3 more Ellis grand babies coming in August!!

Baby Girl A

Baby Girl B

What you can do with a little time on your hands...

2011-04-02T20:16:00.002-05:00

Since I'm not working now, and since my very good friend Amanda was expecting a baby boy, I broke out the old sewing machine and got creative:

"Stud-Muffin" and Future Missionary Onesie

They were so fun to make and I LOVE how they turned out!

The Olde Oaks Boys

2011-03-30T21:27:00.001-05:00

A few weekends ago we took advantage of this great house we're living in and hosted the First Annual Olde Oaks Boys Reunion.

Left to Right: Gavin, Jeremy, Taylor, Russell, Brian (B.O.), Ben, Rob, Autrey.
Missing this year (but there in spirit): Dave, Big Al, Andrew, Aaron, Jayson, Will.

Growing up, Rob was close friends with a a group of about 12 guys who all went to our local church. Then, at BYU, a lot of these guys lived together or played on the same Ultimate Frisbee team (they were even the Intramural Champs one year). So, they share a lot of memories.

Box Hockey in the driveway

Most people drove in Friday night, and after the wives went to bed, the boys stayed up late playing some old school N64 Bond and reminiscing.

Saturday morning we slept in, had waffles for breakfast and then went outside to take advantage of the perfect Houston spring weather.

We had some intense games of volleyball in the backyard--luckily a few guys were wearing shoes and could retrieve the ball that kept flying into the woods. After volleyball, a few brave swimmers tried out the chilly pool, and then it was time for lunch!

During lunch, we did a few blind taste tests to figure out if it was really worth it to buy name brand items.

The Potato Chip taste test pitted Lays brand Sour Cream and Onion against the Walmart brand. Verdict: Pretty even split (I may have skewed the results with my lack of poker face...)
The Root Beer taste test featured Barqs vs A&W vs Walmart. Verdict: Walmart was the overall favorite, with A&W in second.
The Vanilla Bean Ice cream taste test: Dreyers vs Blue Bell vs Walmart. Verdict: Walmart was the winner, with Blue Bell in second (!!!!) Dreyers had a pretty distinct taste, which some people liked, but I couldn't believe how hard it was to tell the other two apart!
Overall taste test verdict: Save your money and buy Walmart brand! Who knew??

A few hours after we'd all digested, we went to Collins Park to play some Ultimate Frisbee in the last hours of daylight. Then, went to the Hill's house to watch some BYU basketball.

The 2nd Generation of Olde Oaks Boys

Sunday morning church came early after that full Saturday. After church and lunch, people started to head home, and we collapsed on the couch.....and started dreaming up the next Olde Oaks Boys Reunion! It was so fun!

South Padre Island

2011-03-21T16:16:00.000-05:00

Now that we're settled in sunny Houston, it's time to get caught up!

After 2 months of studying for the TX bar with all of these fun books, and as a reward for surviving the actual 3-day marathon exam, and before beginning "real life" as a lawyer,

we decided Rob had earned some serious R&R. So we hopped in our trusty Camry and headed down to South Padre Island, an island of white sand beaches and very little stress.

We spent about 4.5 days playing paddle ball on the beach,

and soaking up the sun by the gorgeous pool, taking breaks for me to shellac Rob in UNO and have him return the favor with a game (or three) of Sequence.

We went for quick dips in the chilly ocean,

Enjoyed long walks on the beach,

And by the end of our stay were (mostly) ready to get back in the car and see what "real life" is going be like!

An Ellis Christmas Extravaganza

2011-01-10T21:32:00.000-06:00

Christmas 2010 was the first time in 5 years the entire Ellis tribe had been in one place! And the family has GROWN!

The breakdown this year was:

Adults: 2 parents + 9 kids + 6 spouses = 17 adults
Grandkids: 5 + 3 + 3 + 2 + 5 = 18 grandkids

Grandkids ages 5 and under = 13 (!!!)

Total # of people under 1 roof = 35

When you are multiplying like we Ellis' are, it was a big blessing to be able to find a roof big enough to cover us all! We rented out Springhaven Lodge in Springville, UT for the week, where there was more than enough room for everyone. Even when "Springhaven" got renamed "Sick-haven" half-way through our stay because of a flu-bug going around, people could be quarantined and had plenty of space to recover. :) (Hence the occasional picture of a person wearing a hospital mask.)

Enough of the Texans must have been dreaming of a white Christmas, because we got plenty of snow up in the canyon!

Snowmen were built

Snowball fights were had

And a killer, sled-eating run was created

Christmas wouldn't have been complete without:

Plenty of Christmas cookies (thanks Grandma KK!)

A fully-costumed nativity production with:

A Heavenly-Host of angels

Mary and Joseph (4-day-old Tennyson couldn't play baby Jesus b/c his dad had the flu!)

3 very Wise Men

And Shepherds to be "sore afraid"

There was plenty of hanging out,

Playing games,

Doing crafts,

Sleeping,

And then on Christmas morning there were more presents under one tree than I have ever seen in my life. And once the first present was unwrapped, there was more extremely fun, Christmas-morning-chaos than I could have imagined! (I come from a family of 4 children, and I'm the only one married...we can't even come close to competing!)

Later that day, to continue a personal Christmas tradition, John couldn't just enjoy the beautiful scenery surrounding us....

He had to actually be a part of it in his annual Christmas-day Polar Bear Plunge!

The lake was off-limits so he had to make do with a stream. It was still pretty cold! :)

I'm pretty sure Christmas 2010 at Springhaven is going to go down in Ellis family history. I'm glad we got to be a part of it!

Getting in the Thanksgiving Spirit

2010-11-07T11:38:00.000-06:00

What better way to start the season than a trip to the original Plimoth Plantation?

The Plantation is set up to start with a little introductory video about the English settlers and the natives living in the area.

Then, we walked over to the Wampanoag Village, filled with real, live "Native People" who showed us how to make a canoe,

I wanted to get one of those sweet loincloths for Rob, but he wasn't really interested.

how to weave/stitch/knit,

and how to cook a freshly skinned rabbit with beans, cranberries, and grains.

Then we walked down the road to visit the original Plimoth Settlers, all still alive and kicking.

We spoke with a blacksmith and his son,

I also wanted to get Rob some of these sweet bloomers but, again, he wasn't interested....wonder why?

we listened to a fiery sermon from the resident preacher,

played with some guns,

and then left to visit the Mayflower II.

It looks a lot bigger than it is!

We couldn't believe how small the Mayflower was. There were over 100 passengers living below deck during the grueling 66-day journey across the Atlantic. Then, the passengers had to keep living on the boat during the winter while they were trying to figure out where to put their settlement.

One of the crew on-board described that the Mayflower was the 17th century version of a U-Haul, and the pilgrims were considered to be cargo and were treated that way. Life in Europe must have been pretty bad to justify taking that trip!

Before we could leave, we had to walk over and see the ROCK....

...which ended up being extremely under-whelming. It's probably about the size of a small dishwasher. So I don't really understand why it's such a big deal, but we can now saw that WE'VE SEEN IT. Which is really what counts.

Five years later...

2010-10-18T15:03:00.000-05:00

Christa and I first met five years ago today. Most of our family/friends already know the details of that fateful day in the library. (If not, you can see the link on the right). That day was the beginning of a miracle.

C.S. Lewis said "This is one of the miracles of love: It gives a power of seeing through its own enchantments and yet not being disenchanted."

I'm not extremely articulate (one of the reasons that Christa usually writes our blog) and I don't want to get all mushy. But I wanted to create this tribute for Christa:

Three little Wiggies came to Cambridge

2010-10-12T18:10:00.000-05:00

Even though we're happy to be back on this side of the ocean, we've definitely been missing parts of our England life, like how we could just walk down the river and hang out with the Wiggintons!

So, after a summer of missing this cute face, Rob and I were thrilled to hear that the Wigginton's had booked tickets on the Fung Wah to come see us for a long weekend. Once they got here, it felt like no time had passed...especially for Rob and Talmage. They were still bffs, as usual!

"Oh, hey Rob, old buddy! What a funny coincidence meeting you here...inside this tunnel slide!"

And, since it had been over a year since we'd been able to go, we HAD to take the Wigginton's (and my sister, Katie, who was also in town) down to the North End for some pizza from Regina's...

...which really is good enough to fight over.

And then we forced them to make room in their stuffed bellies for my favorite italian treat: a cannoli from Mike's.

After one bite, Talmage was ready to dig deep and eat whatever cannoli was sent his way.

Here he's already had almost 1/2 of a big cannoli, and he's making the sign for "MORE!"

Because there is a lot more to experience in the greater Boston area than the excellent food of the North End, we also did some historical sightseeing. We toured the Longfellow House, home to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (also, previously home to General George Washington while he was commanding the Union troops).

Later we drove out to Lexington and Concord to learn about the beginning of the American Revolutionary War...from the lips of Paul Revere himself. Who knew he'd been aging so well?

We were so happy to see the Wiggintons again! Thanks, guys for making that loonngggg haul up to see us! We'll have to plan another reunion before too long.

From TX to MA via Gettysburg

2010-10-03T10:07:00.000-05:00

To get from Houston to Cambridge (with our car), we decided to make a short stop in Dallas to see Matt and Natalie and their kids, meet up with Mark in the middle of Arkansas for dinner, go to church in Tennessee, then spend Rob's birthday visiting Gettysburg, PA, before finally ending the road trip.

View Trip from Houston to Cambridge in a larger map

So, about 1600 miles into our trip, we stopped for the morning and took a tour of the battlegrounds.

If anyone is thinking about doing this (touring Gettysburg, not doing a crazy road trip), I highly recommend hiring one of the tour guides that will drive your car around and give you a personal tour of the sites. For 2 people, it's about the same price as doing a generic bus tour, and for more than 2 people it's a steal.

The Battle of Gettysburg was fought July 1-3, 1863 and was the battle with the largest number of casualties (killed, wounded, or missing) in the Civil War. It was really interesting to imagine how the battle progressed from day to day as we learned about how the landscape, communication (or lack thereof), and the different personalities involved shaped history.

Our guide did a great job helping us understand and appreciate why these men were at war. I'm grateful for their sacrifices, but it's so sad to think about the huge waste of life that was a result of that war. Gettysburg is a very neat place.

Spring Haven & Yellowstone

2010-09-25T21:59:00.000-05:00

We're officially back up and running! This summer was a really busy one for our photographer (Rob), which is my (poor) excuse for limited blogging.

But some definite highlights of the summer were our family reunions at Springhaven Lodge with the Ellis' and a few days in Yellowstone with the Schneiber/Allan side of my family.

The whole Ellis crew (with a picture of Spencer who was still in Portugal)

In Springhaven we had fun catching up with all of the great family members we hadn't seen since last summer. We spent time playing games (of course), cooking, watching Twilight III (most of the boys chose not to participate in this for some strange reason), and relaxing.

This summer's reunion was a KK/Stan child and spouse year, which means most of Rob's siblings got a week vacation from the normal parenting routine. We did have 3 little ones join the party though: Teairsa (below) didn't have a good place to stay for the week so Mark and Aup brought her along, and Cosette and Nora were too little to stay without mom. We loved having them there!

After our week at Springhaven, Rob and I drove up to Yellowstone to catch the tail-end of my dad's family's reunion.

I hadn't seen most of my aunts, uncles, or cousins on that side of the family since we've been married, so I couldn't believe how grown-up all of my little cousins have become. It was so much fun to reconnect and get to know everyone again. We sung crazy campfire songs, had an incredible talent show, and played a great game of scrabble.

We also lucked out and had absolutely perfect weather, so we had to try to see as much of the HUGE (or "massive, massive, massive") park as we could find time for.

Luckily some of the wildlife cooperated and came to us! This bison caused a little bit of a traffic jam but we didn't mind because we got front row seats. Those animals are proof that you can be incredibly funny looking AND incredibly cool....so the next time you're having one of those days, just think of the buffalo and remind yourself that you're not really doing all that badly. :)

We didn't get a picture with our camera of the entire crew together, but we did get one my family all together for the last time before Erik left on his mission.

WHAT A GREAT SUMMER!!!!!!

Minneapolis and my Studly Little Brother

2010-07-22T14:54:00.000-05:00

A few days after our (awesome, upgraded-to-business-class) flight home, Rob and I were on the road again, driving to visit my family at their new home: Minneapolis, MN!

We managed (thanks to Rob's amazing all-night driving skills) to get to MN in time to spend 2 full days with the entire family before my sisters had to go back to school and my dad had to go back to work.


This is not our dog...

When Katie, Jacqueline, and my dad had to go back to real life, Mom took us out on a boat they've rented for the summer.

And Erik, happy to have Rob and me as an audience, went to town on the wakeboard!

When did he get so grown-up??

I guess he should get in all of this fun-in-the-sun while he can, because pretty soon all of his fun will involve studying and teaching about the LDS Church as a missionary, in Germany!

The Final Hoorah: Wales

2010-07-22T14:19:00.002-05:00

Before saying goodbye to Jolly Old England, Rob and I figured we could still fit in one more quick trip. We rented a car, convinced our friend Verlan that he needed to come with us, and drove out for the weekend.

We left rainy, cloudy Cambridge on Friday morning and arrived a few hours later at sunny, quaint Snowdonia National Park in Wales. After some ~~friendly~~ advice from Wales' ~~best~~ tourist office employee (and possible relative?) Anne Ellis, we decided to do a little warm up hike, watch some World Cup football, and then go find our hostel.

The view from our hostel at the top of the steepest driveway I've ever seen. Our little 2-hamster engine almost didn't make it!

Saturday morning we woke up early and got started hiking up Mount Snowdon, the tallest mountain in England and Wales (a staggering 3,560 ft above sea level).

The weather was absolutely perfect, and the hike to the summit was challenging but fun. I fell in love with my trusty Crocs all over again...they totally make up for what they lack in looks with sheer usefulness!

We also saw a lot of sheep that looked like they had been somebody's paintball targets. But it turns out that all of those paint splotches are actually a legitimate way to keep track of which ewe is the most popular; more paint splotches=more baby-daddies. You learn something new everyday!

The view from the top was spectacular.

And we had just enough time to stop and see Conwy Castle on the way home. We've definitely become more and more efficient trip takers this year!

Pomp and Circumstance in Cambridge

2010-06-28T08:48:00.005-05:00

A Big, Fat Congratulations is in order for Rob graduating with top marks from the University of Cambridge with an LL.M., or Masters of Law.

Graduation morning started with pictures at Queens' College in their full get-ups. (Again, I felt like I had stepped into Hogwarts!)

Then, Rob and the rest of the graduates processed through Cambridge (with the college porters, dressed to the nines, stopping traffic) on their way to the Senate House where the ceremony took place.

I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside, but the ceremony involved Rob and 3 classmates holding on to the fingers of the praelector who presents them to the Vice-Chancellor in Latin, saying "Most worthy Vice-Chancellor and the whole University, I present to you this man whom I know to be suitable as much by character as by learning to proceed to the degree of Master of Law; for which I pledge my faith to you and to the whole University.”

Then Rob had to kneel before the Vice-Chancellor, put his hands between the Vice-Chancellor's, who then says (in Latin), "by the authority committed to me I admit you to the degree of Master of Law in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

Tom, Steve, Rob, Prof. Fentiman, Jane, Yueying, Barbara, Sarah, Konni, Jeff

Just one more graduation to go....Way to go Rob!

Windsor Castle

2010-06-25T15:56:00.000-05:00

As we're rushing to cram in as much fun as we can before we leave, we had to make time to see Windsor Castle: the oldest, largest continually inhabited castle in the world.
Luckily, our friends Steve and Lisa hadn't seen the Castle either, so we got to tag along with them for the day.
Windsor dates back to the time of William the Conqueror (around 1070) and is currently the favorite residence of Queen Elizabeth II and her family. Apparently, if we had been there about 1 hour earlier we would have seen the Queen walking down her driveway, on her way out for the afternoon. Bad luck!
We weren't allowed to take pictures inside, but the castle was full of beautiful furniture and tapestries, valuable artwork, impressive weaponry, and lots and lots of history. In the chapel a friendly warden gave us an up-close view of the plaques and personal choir seats of members of the Order of the Garter, the British Sovereign's personal order of chivalry. We saw Henry VIII's seat and I had a hard time imagining him squeezing his big body into that narrow choir seat! He must have encouraged very short meetings.
At the end of our beautiful afternoon at the palace we noticed some people playing the quintessential British lawn game: Bowls. As far as I can tell, it's a mixture of shuffleboard, bocce, curling, and maybe some croquet. But the important thing is that it's a game you can play while dressed all in white, drinking tea, and saying things like "Smashing play, old chap."
I've also noticed that there seems to be a minimum age of about 65 at most matches, so one day when Rob and I retire to England we'll work on our posh accents and join in the fun!

Mr. GQ meets Harry Potter

2010-06-22T13:18:00.003-05:00

As graduation approaches, Rob's social calendar is getting pretttty booked. On the agenda tonight: a formal, graduate dinner.

Formal dinners at the University of Cambridge have a pretty unique dress code: Black tie (i.e. tuxedo), and gown (i.e. I'm a wizard).

Luckily we have a friend who lent Rob the entire get-up. And after a few minutes frantically watching YouTube, Rob pulled the whole thing together pretty well!

No more cheater bow-ties for this GQ man!

Hogwarts, watch out!

Pampering at the Farris Bad

2010-06-20T09:38:00.009-05:00

After lunch at the Farris Bad Hotel, Kari wanted us to take a tour of the hotel's brand-new spa. (We weren't allowed to bring in our camera, so these pictures came from the website.)
We obediently walked around with a spa employee, Oooh-ing and Aahhh-ing over all of the jacuzzis, the saunas (each with a different 'theme' and temperature), the floor-to-ceiling windows looking out on the fjord, and the refreshment bars.
Then, as we completed the tour, the spa lady handed us a gift-certificate from Kari to Rob and me and Guro and Magnus, giving all of us a 3-hour spa session that evening!!!!
It was rough, but after 3 hours of mineral pools, herbal saunas, dips in the ocean, and snow-scrubs we were feeling pretty pampered. I could just see all of Rob's residual exam stress melting away...and it was WONDERFUL! We walked out of the Farris Bad with soft skin, clean pores, basically exuding relaxation.

What a wonderful, wonderful gift.

Norway: Vi Elsker Dette Landet (We love this country!)

2010-06-16T05:03:00.018-05:00

After 6 weeks of studying, this guy finished his exams and escaped to...
...NORWAY! We came to visit Rob's exchange-family in beautiful Stavern (between Oslo and Kristiansand).
We had 5 days in Norway and got to spend lots of time with all of the wonderful Klyve family. Rob spent his junior year of high school in Norway with the Klyves as an exchange student, and he really loves his Norwegian family.

Guro, Rob, Mamma (Kari), Magnus, Hedvig, Isak

We were fed VERY well with lots of good brød (bread), brunost (brown cheese), kjøttkake (meatballs), delicious fruit, and soooo many other great foods. The Klyves (after seeing how much I like to eat) surprised us with a Norwegian recipe book so I'll be able to recreate at least part of our Norwegian experience at home. :)

Here you can see Pappa (Helge) in the middle

We went on some nice walks in the evening after dinner (and in the summer months, "evening" stretches on until after 11 pm!).
I couldn't believe how beautiful Norway is.

And syrin (lilac) smells just as good there as it does all over the world!

There are lush forests, huge rock formations, clear cold lakes, all making a beautiful background for the painted wooden houses and boats in every town.

This is an old, old lighthouse at Verdens Ende (World's End) where we were treated to some delicious epletkake (apple cake) by pappa

At the end of our week, mamma and pappa took us up to their hytte (summer cabin) on a fjord outside of Kragerø. The little summer town was really quiet, and we were told that most people don't come until the 'summer' (which doesn't begin until July). So, I guess Norway is pretty much almost the opposite of Texas!
We really enjoyed the beautiful and peaceful retreat. On our early morning boat ride, we had the fjord to ourselves and got to see a herd of about 20 seals basking on some rocks! As soon as we got near they started scooting/flopping away, and mamma said she had never seen so many seals there before.
Saying goodbye at the airport was pretty tough. The Klyves are such a great family and they treated us with so much love. We can't wait to see them again!

Ode to Maid Marion

2010-06-04T12:08:00.000-05:00

Maid Marion, Maid Marion wasn't it just yesterday we met?
And you were the prettiest bike I'd seen in Cambridge yet.

We went looking for you because our feet were so tired
And after one short test-ride you were hired!

You came home with me and were given your title
But I didn't know just how your friendship would be vital.

When I needed to get groceries you were the BEST
Because your basket gave my poor arms a much needed rest.

And when I needed to get home late, late at night
I could ride you so fast I never felt fright.

Every morning I was so thankful you were around
Especially when we knew so many bike thieves abound.

You were loyal, and you were true
And remembering all we've been through
Gets me feeling quite blue
Because today I had to say, "Maid Marion, Adieu!"

sigh....

Happy Syttende Mai!

2010-05-18T11:20:00.004-05:00

May 17th, for all of you who didn't know, is Norwegian Independence/Constitution Day!
And luckily my running buddy, Ingrid, happens to be half-Norwegian. Her nationality is so convenient because my husband also considers himself to be partially Norwegian (he spent a year of high school there), but I had no clue May 17th was such an important day!
So, as Ingrid and I were jogging along we devised a plan. I would collect a few odds and ends, she'd make a trip to the grocery store, and then we'd meet up to create a traditional Norwegian Independence Day extravaganza.

Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of our extreme cooking session (my hands were too covered in flour and potatoes to touch the camera), but the end results are shown below:
As we listened to traditional Norwegian Folk music, we enjoyed (from the top left, proceeding clockwise):

Fruit salad (which we were actually too full to eat)
Lefse (tortilla-like potato cakes made from SCRATCH)
Scrambled eggs
Brown bread
Sausage (a poor, English subsitute for pølse)
Emmantel cheese with fenelar (smoked/cured meat)
Smoked salmon w/ cucumbers and dill.

Det var deilig!

Getting back to my Roots

2010-05-11T05:25:00.000-05:00

To finish off our trip, we headed over to Germany to visit some of my Grandmother's cousins near Wurzburg. On the way, we made a few stops.

First we stopped in Fussen to see Neuchswanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles, homes to 'Crazy' King Ludwig of Bavaria. He was an eccentric king with a passion for building extravagant castles- a very expensive hobby. 14-million marks of debt later, the Bavarian Cabinet decided to depose Ludwig by having him declared completely insane via a fabricated medical report.
After being deposed, Ludwig was banished to a remote castle south of Munich. The next evening, he and his doctor were found dead, floating in the lake. Officially, his death was declared a suicide, but since Ludwig was known to be a strong swimmer and had never shown suicidal tendencies, the actual cause of death remains a mystery.
We didn't come up with any new theories, but we did enjoy the fruits of King Ludwig's elaborate imagination. Neuschwanstein Castle is really a fairy-tale castle, complete with a secret grotto, a fancy throne room, and romantic paintings covering the walls.

Next, we drove up to Gerolzhoven (with a sobering stop at Dachau Concentration Camp) to meet the relatives and begin 3 days of feasting.
Hanne-Laurie (Grandma's cousin), Waltraud (a 2nd cousin?) and Michael (Hanne-Laurie's son) were great hosts and tour-guides. We visited the birthplace of my Great-Grandma Katie as well as the church she used to have to go to 2 or 3 times per day (Grandma Emma told us Katie used to hate having to go so often). It felt like we were stepping back in time because the church hasn't changed in over 200 years.

The church is on the left, and her birthplace is on the far-right (no wonder she went so often)

We also saw the house and farm where my great-grandpa Adam was raised, and a winery/pig farm that's been in the family for hundreds of years. So, while Rob's ancestors were European royalty, mine were salt-of-the-earth farmers. I guess I married up in the world!
Hanne-Laurie and Waltraud managed to teach me a few German culinary secrets (like how to make delicious German potato salad) even though most of our communication was like an extended game of Charades. I invited Waltraud to visit me in Texas next year, but she said I have to learn German before she gets there...so I need to get cracking!
The last afternoon we were there, they organized a big family reunion for all of Grandma's cousins and their families. We got to know a few of our 3rd or 4th cousins who are part of the younger generation, and it was fun to see what my life could be like if my great-grandma had never left Germany.

Grandma Emma and her German cousins

At the end of the trip we said good-bye to the relatives and my family, and went down to the Rhine Valley for a few days before we had to head home to Cambridge.

We obviously enjoyed ourselves!

The Hills were Alive

2010-05-04T00:40:00.000-05:00

We picked up Erik at the Vienna airport, and our party was complete! I'm pretty sure Rob was very glad for Erik's company so he didn't have to be the only man accompanying 6 bossy females.
Austria was a little rainy and wet, but the weather didn't stop us from enjoying lots of great food like authentic wiener schnitzel from Wien (Vienna), potato dumplings (kartoffelkloesse), and lots of delicious sauerkraut.
We took advantage of a little break in the rain to see the Schonbrunn Palace, the Hapsburg family summer home. It's a huge, sprawling complex with rooms full of ornate, intricate artwork and sculpture. Even the floors were beautifully decorated with really complicated inlaid wood designs. If anyone's planning a trip to Vienna, I would definitely recommend stopping here!
After a few days in Vienna, we drove to Salzburg and watched the Sound of Music to prepare for a day of movie-sightseeing.

We're really excited about doe, a deer, a female deer....

And ray, a drop of golden sun.

Salzburg is also where Mozart was born and raised. They have his old house set up as a museum, displaying his instruments, compositions, and family portraits. Although Mozart was recognized as a child prodigy, his dad was quite the taskmaster. He took Mozart and his sister on performance tours through Europe that lasted for multiple years. I'd say all that hard work paid off in the end though.
My 80-year old Grandma was such a trooper! We stayed in hostels for much of the trip (b/c some of us are on tight budgets), and Grandma didn't complain once....even when one of our 8-person rooms felt like we were sleeping in a submarine!

Prague: The City of Spires

2010-04-22T09:27:00.012-05:00

The (early) morning after seeing Keukenhoff, we got in our new rental car, and drove to the Frankfurt Airport to pick up my 81-year old Grandma Emma. We roped her into coming on this trip with the promise that we'd end up in Germany with her German cousins (after 9 days of traveling). We searched through a few different terminals until we finally found her, patiently waiting. Life without cellphones can be a lot more complicated!

Then it was back in the car and on to Prague, where we were supposed to hook up with my Mom, Aunt Nancy, and cousin Brooke.

This is me, very happy that I didn't lose either my Grandma or Mom somewhere in Central Europe

We found everyone and our hotels (life without a GPS must have been REALLY complicated), and got started seeing Prague.
Prague is a cool mixture of old and new. It is one of the few important medieval cities (it was the capital of the Holy Roman Empire for awhile) that wasn't heavily bombed during WW2. So Prague still has a lot of cool, really old stuff...

The old Charles bridge, started in 1357 on the 9th day of the 7th month at 5:31 am...because palindromes (1-3-5-7-9-7-5-3-1) were supposed to be lucky. And it seems to have worked!

...Mixed in with some new, really cool stuff.

The dancing 'Fred and Ginger' building

Before our 3 days in Prague were up, we (including Grandma) walked all over the city, ate some really good Czech food (thanks, Mom!), and made some lasting memories (like trying to pick up poor Jacqueline after her night-train from Amsterdam...).

Next, we just had to make it to Vienna and find Erik, and our party would be complete!

We had a great TIME in Prague...yuck yuck.

Flowers, more Flowers, and Windmills

2010-04-20T15:00:00.017-05:00

Update: Due to an enormous cloud of volcanic ash that insists on lingering over London, Rob and I have to spend a few more days away from home...which presents a great opportunity to catch up on the blog! Hooray for volcanic ash clouds...I guess.
After Belgium, we caught a train to Amsterdam to see the Keukenhoff Gardens, where my sister-in-law wants to have her final resting place. And, after visiting, I want to be right there with her!
Keukenhoff is a magical place of music, trees, water, swans, sculpture, and...over 7 MILLION flowers (with an emphasis on tulips).
I kept wishing I had Suzannah next to me, telling me what everything was called.
I slowly strolled through the gardens while Rob got busy taking flower pictures from every conceivable angle (and now, seeing the fruits of his labors, I'm glad he did!).
Then we took a break from tulips to walk through the Orchid house. And WOW. It's mind-boggling to see how much variety there is on this earth, just within the Orchid family!
My favorites were the ones with dangerously voluptous lips. They seemed to be calling to me, daring me to stick my finger in so they could take a CHOMP. Orchids aren't actually carnivorous though...right?

Can't you just smell these Lilacs?

After we had our fill of tulips, we took a drive to find some windmills, Holland's other national symbol.
If we had been a few weeks later, the fields behind the windmills would have been full of blooming flowers. But, you take what you can get. Now we have a reason to come back!

P.S. The tulips will be in bloom until mid-May, so if you have some cash to burn and need a little extra spring in your life, DEFINITELY take a trip. If not, watch Rob's awesome slideshow and start planning for next year. :)

Crepes, Chocolate, Waffles....and good company to boot.

2010-04-14T02:05:00.009-05:00

Before we said goodbye to our fun traveling companions, we made 2 more stops.

First, we went to visit Mont Saint-Michel, a little island monastery off Normandy's coast.
The monastery was built in the 8th century when, legend (and Wikipedia) has it, St. Michael the Archangel appeared to the local bishop, Aubert, and instructed him to build a church on the island. Aubert ignored him until St. Michael burned a hole in the bishop's skull with his finger....and that's the reason thousands of pilgrims, over hundreds of years, have made the arduous pilgrimage to Mont Saint-Michel.
Before leaving France, we managed to eat the most delicious crepes ever in a little creperie in Brittany, which happens to be the crepe's birthplace. Who knew Emmentel cheese, wild mushrooms, and cream could lead to such a party in my mouth? Of course, they got eaten before any pictures could be taken.
The last stop on the trip was Bruges, Belgium; a fairyland of canals, really good chocolate, and really, really good waffles. I'm already trying to figure out how to make them myself...so, when I get home the kitchen is going to be busy!
We stayed at a hotel in Oostende, a beach town outside of Bruges. None of us could resist a long walk on the beach at sunset, and some very cheesy (awesome) pictures resulted. But it sure was fun!
Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye and set out on our lonesome...it's a rough life.

D-Day Beaches

2010-04-11T14:11:00.010-05:00

We're finally at another hostel with internet...so here's the next installment of our journey:

After Turkey, we traveled the next leg via car with 5.5 of our good friends. The 3 Wiggies, the 2.5 Lewises, and the 2 Ellises jammed into a car and drove from England to Normandy, France via a ferry across the channel.
Actually getting to the ferry was quite an ordeal... it involved missed trains, lots of traffic, picking up Rob at a random train station, getting lost, and a delayed ferry. So obviously, we were pretty happy to finally be on the right track.

A view of the white cliffs of Dover from our ferry

After we made it across the channel we had to drive through some late-night hail storms, figure out how to get into our locked hotel building (which required a miraculous encounter with a random Portuguese security-guard), before finally getting to bed by 3 am.

But the next morning we woke up to see blue skies and the beautiful beaches of Normandy. It was totally worth it.

Omaha Beach, site of some of the fiercest fighting on D-Day

We did some exploring of the hills overlooking the beach and crawled into an old WWII bunker. I experienced minor claustrophobia, which made me very glad I didn't have to sit in there day after day, waiting for an invasion.

We also visited the nearby Pointe du Hoc, a cliff enclosed outcropping that overlooked both Omaha and Utah beaches. The Germans had stationed artillery in this key defensive stronghold, and so it became an important US point of attack on D-Day. Colonel James Rudder led 226 U.S. Rangers on a daring climb up the sheer cliff faces to take the position. After seizing the cliffs and repelling multiple counter-offensives, only 90 men remained of the initial 226. (Allied ships and planes gave the Rangers cover by bombarding the cliffs, and now you can still see the humongous craters).

Heather is 6' tall...so those were big craters

On our way to the American Cemetery, Verlan and Rob decided to get some first-hand experience storming the beaches of Normandy....they shed some clothing, ran into the freeeezing water, and then tried to sprint back up the beach. It was sobering for Rob to imagine running that whole way while being mowed down by machine gun fire.

Then we got to the best part of the day. The American Cemetery was extremely moving; rows and rows of white marble crosses overlooking the beaches the soldiers died to win. The museum discussed some of the individual life stories of these heroes, many of whom were just teenagers with bright futures and loving families, and paid the ultimate sacrifice to secure a few meters of land half a world away.

And...the FOOD

2010-04-06T13:59:00.010-05:00

I love it when a day full of sightseeing leaves me with an empty stomach and a great excuse to try a lot of new, delicious food.

Luckily, on one such occasion, we stumbled across a hustling, bustling fish market. We walked through the market and followed our noses (and a crowd of hungry men) to these guys:

5 minutes later we were happily munching a roll filled with freshly caught fish hot off the grill, lettuce, tomato, salt, and a squeeze of lemon.

The next day we worked up quite an appetite wading through the Grand Bazaar (fending off a lot of "Where you from?" and "You wanna look at some...carpets?"), so we headed to the Spice Market...a magical place full of spices, nuts, cheese, baklava, turkish delight, and free samples. We sampled a few things and wound up buying a bag of delicious honey roasted, sesame-seed peanuts. The guy we bought them from said they'd last us for the rest of our trip...but we actually ended up finishing them by bedtime...shows how much he knows.

And, because Istanbul is famous for their Doner kebabs, we had to make room in our bellies for a representative sampling of those too. It's a tough life, but we all have our trials.

Here is Rob making his "I'm about to eat another delicious Doner" face.

Istanbul was definitely one of our favorite stops this year.

Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

2010-04-03T14:02:00.019-05:00

After our great week in Scotland, we caught an early flight (thanks again for the red-eye shuttle service, Bill) to.... Istanbul, Turkey!

Getting from the airport (which turned out to be really far away from the city) to our hostel felt pretty overwhelming...until we discovered that Turkish people are incredibly friendly and helpful. We asked about 8 people for directions before the evening was over, and all were smiling and eager to help, even if we didn't speak the same language.

We stayed in a great hostel in downtown Istanbul, two streets away from this:

The Hagia Sophia

...and this:

The Blue Mosque

The Hagia Sophia (or "Holy Wisdom") was built in the year 532 by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian and was the largest cathedral in the world for almost 1000 years. Pretty amazing that something that old is still standing!

In the 1400s, when Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks, the Hagia Sophia was converted into a Muslim mosque and became the model for future Muslim building projects.

Inside, we saw beautiful Christian mosaics that were plastered over when the the building switched religions.

John the Baptist

Right across from the Hagia Sophia sits the Blue Mosque. The mosque gets its name from the 20,000+ Iznik blue tiles that cover the interior. Apparently, the Sultan prohibited anyone else from buying Iznik tiles while the mosque was under construction. His strategy was very effective and the construction took less than 7 years.
As luck would have it, our friend Ingrid (and her friend Katie) also happened to be in Istanbul at the same time so we ended up touring the Blue Mosque together. We took off our shoes, and did a lot of ooh-ing and aah-ing staring at the ceiling with major cricks in our necks.
Rob and I also went to see the huge, underground Basilica cistern: basically a giant water-tank that was built in the 6th century to provide water for the palaces of Constantinople. These days, you can walk through the cistern on wooden planks, while listening to eery music, dodging drips, and taking pictures of the 336 gigantic marble columns that support the roof.

Scotland, Part 2

2010-03-26T02:29:00.009-05:00

Due to a few last-minute changes of plans, here is Scotland Part 2....a few days delayed.

Other than being the birthplace of Golf (which is reason enough to love a place), Scotland has a lot of other cool old stuff to see.
Rob and I went into Edinburgh to see the very formidable Edinburgh Castle, home to Scotland's Crown Jewels and the Stone of Scone (pronounced 'Scoon'...apparently it's not supposed to rhyme). The castle has been in use since the 12th Century and has been a stronghold for both the Scottish and the English at different points in history.

Me in front of Mons Meg, a 'Medieval Supergun'

Then, because we couldn't get a good picture of the castle up close, we hiked up Arthur's Seat (a really big hill on the other side of the city).

Much better...

We also went to Stirling to see the appropriately named Stirling Castle, one of the most important castles in Scotland.

Just b/c my maiden name is Schneiber doesn't mean I can't pretend to be Scottish royalty...

We learned a lot of interesting Scottish history, then stopped in to see the people who are weaving a replica of the medieval Hunt of the Unicorn tapestries. Each tapestry takes a team of 3 or 4 weavers, working 6 days a week, about 4 years to complete. The level of detail was really incredible.
After the castle, we hiked up to see the monument honoring Mel Gibson...I mean, William Wallace....

Freeeedommm!

*actually, this is a statue of Robert the Bruce, but he's in the movie too. So that counts...

Saturday morning we had to leave to catch our flight to Istanbul, but Scotland was beautiful and we already can't wait to go back!

Scotland, Part 1

2010-03-25T15:37:00.003-05:00

Another term has ended, which means.....it's time to TRAVEL!

To kick off this round of country-hopping, we went to visit Rob's Uncle Bill and Aunt Marion in Scotland.

click to enlarge

Bill and Marion live in a charming town near Edinburgh, in a Beach House with amazing views of the Firth of Forth.
The first day we were there, Bill took us for a walk up the Law (a very old ex-volcano just outside of town). Once we reached the top (despite the crazy gusts of wind) we had a great view of the beautiful Scottish coast. We also had an up-close view of the jawbone of a whale that has been a marker on top of the Law since 1709. Of course, the jawbone has been replaced a few times, and in 2005 when the last bone wore out, they replaced it with a fiberglass replica... definitely not as cool.
On day two (to satisfy my dormant golf fanaticism) we went to see the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews. The R&A is the governing body of golf outside of the US, and pretty much wrote (and still writes) the rulebook for the game. It's basically the Mecca of golf. And I was happy to be there!
Even though we didn't get to play the course (you have to book tee-times about a year in advance), we did manage to eat lunch at the clubhouse. There I tried my first authentic scone...and it was goooood. When we get home I'm going to work on replicating it, and if I'm successful, I'll definitely share the recipe!
A few days later we were still feeling inspired by our trip to St. Andrews, so Bill took us out for a round of golf at their club. Their course is right on the ocean, so we had beautiful views while we battled the wind, hiked up and down hills, and had a blast getting back in the swing of the game (har, har).
Bill and Marion, we're thinking about moving in....

A Moment of Weakness

2010-03-04T17:12:00.007-06:00

Late Friday night before bed, Rob finally succumbed to a moment of weakness and thought it was time to say goodbye to his Lumberjack alter-ego.

My husband: the rugged, beardy-man.

Now the only question is: What look should he go for?

A: The traditional, full goatee

B: The red-neck handlebar (or the "Hulk Hogan")

C: The mustache/soul-patch combo

D: The 70's professional mustache (he's a dead-ringer for his dad 20 years ago!)
or E: Good ol' Rob
Cast your votes!

Personally, I think if lawyering doesn't work out, Hulk Hogan is getting pretty old these days....and couldn't this face make some waves in the WWF?

Chelsea vs. Wolverhampton

2010-03-01T04:46:00.008-06:00

We knew our experience here would not be complete until we had participated in England's favorite national past-time: Football.

One of Rob's classmates managed to get tickets to a Premier League game, Chelsea vs. Wolverhampton. So on Saturday afternoon we rented a car and drove 2 hours to Wolverhampton, parked, and followed the yellow and black masses to the stadium.
Our seats were surrounded by die-hard fans cheering the Wolves, and heckling Chelsea at every opportunity. And this was the most elaborate heckling I've ever witnessed. Whenever certain Chelsea players touched the ball, entire sections of the stadium started singing songs specifically designed to mock that player.
And, of course, we had no idea who anyone was or why they were being made fun of, but our neighbors were more than happy to fill us in on their reasons for hating Chelsea.
In true football form, the action was intense...
The players fought hard...
...and did their best to influence the Ref by flopping on the ground at every opportunity.
At the end of the day the score was Chelsea: 2, Wolverhampton: 0. As we headed home, we saw many of the poor Wolves fans headed to the pubs to commiserate with each other and plan the cheering strategy for next match.

The Boar's Feast

2010-02-15T05:57:00.005-06:00

Rob's college put on a FEAST for graduate students in the Old Hall last weekend.

Elizabeth of Woodville, one of the founding Queens of Queens' College

We got all dolled up (Rob even managed to borrow a tux....thanks Dan!), and ate a 6-course meal in a room built in 1449.
It was kind of neat to eat in a place where members of Queens' College were dining 43 years before Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue!
The food was deeeelicious:

Veloute (aka soup) of cauliflower finished with truffle oils and chives
Grilled wild boar sausage, mustard mash, apple crisp, chianti sauce
Roasted saddle of English lamb, filled with a spinach and garlic forcemeat, fondant potato, and ratatouille
Crisp pastry tartlet filled with lemon curd ice cream, glazed with Italian meringue, with raspberry compote
A selection of artisan British cheeses
Fairtrade Chocolates (and coffee for those who wanted it)

Some of Rob's fellow LL.M.s (and guests) and me

After each course was cleared away, I felt like the meal should be over. Then, when it just kept going and going, I couldn't help thinking about how many dirty dishes were piling up from all of those sauces, sides, and garnishes.....I think I need to get out more.
By the end of the night we were in that happy haze that comes with bellies filled with delicious food. It might take some time (and more pants with elastic waistbands), but I could get used to this style of eating!

We Are All Worms...

2010-02-02T06:55:00.006-06:00

...But I do believe I am a glow worm.

~Winston Churchill

On our last trip to London, Rob and I went to the Cabinet War Rooms Museum. During WWII, and especially during German bombing raids, the British War Cabinet operated in top-secret underground rooms near the Parliament Building. These rooms, including the original furniture, equipment, and decorations, are now on display.

They also have an entire section of the museum dedicated to the life of Winston Churchill.

"If you're going through hell, keep going."

~Winston Churchill

He was a remarkable man, confident in his destiny, and convinced of the importance of his role in the battle against evil (e.g. Nazism & Hitler). If you want to learn more about him, The Last Lion by William Manchester is a great book.

"The optimist sees opportunity in every danger; the pessimist sees danger in every opportunity."
~Winston Churchill

Winston was a great orator, and was (obviously) famous for his memorable one-liners. Some of our other favorites include:

"I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."
"I am easily satisfied with the very best."
"This report, by its very length, defends itself against the risk of being read."
"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter."
"To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often."
"Golf is a game whose aim is to hit a very small ball into a even smaller hole, with weapons singularly ill-designed for the purpose."

And, most importantly:

"Never, never, never give up."

What are some of your favorite quotes? (They don't have to be from Good Ol' Winnie.)

A majorly Miserables Birthday

2010-02-02T06:49:00.005-06:00

Never fear. My birthday was not actually miserable, but it definitely had a Miserables theme.

This year, we decided we'd go see the play Les Miserables in London for my birthday present!

But, before we saw the play, we wanted to read the book (all 1400 pages of it). So we did. And loooved it. For anyone who likes the play, I'd highly recommend reading the book.

Then, before we saw the play, we wanted to get the soundtrack so we'd be familiar with the music. So we did. And looooved it. We got the original London Cast recording and it's great.
Finally, a few days before my birthday, we made the trip into London. We nabbed half-price tickets for the evening show, went to see an awesome museum (more on that later), then headed up to Leicester Square for the main event.
After the show, and all the way home to Cambridge, we couldn't stop singing! It was really, really fun.

Then, on my actual birthday, I woke up to a sneaky Rob bringing me breakfast in bed:

A delicious croissant, a pastry, and an orange "cake"

That evening, we met up with friends for dinner at a great Thai restaurant. After dinner, we went back to Heather's house for delicious frozen yogurt and apple bread.

I'm starting to think birthdays need to happen more than once a year....

Dance Through the Decades

2010-01-31T14:55:00.006-06:00

Last night our ward put on a great activity: A Dance Through The Decades where everyone had to come sporting gear from the past. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to play dress-up!
There is a great store here called Primark that sells "fashion" clothing at cheap prices. The thing is, it seems like 40% of the clothing is either straight from the 80s or covered in sequins.

(Verland's gold-sequined beret on the bottom left....from Primark!)

As a rule, I avoid clothing in neon. But, as another rule, no eighties outfit is complete without neon. So I went for it. I found orange keds, a bright blue shirt, and a nice purple pair of shades. After some negotiation, Rob agreed to rock some nice baby blue aviators with his collar popped and to sport some white keds.
At the dance we realized our outfits couldn't really compete with some others (look at James and Heather below), but we did learn a British version of the hokey-pokey (very fun), and some other new dances.
By the end of the night I was pretty attached to my side-pony and the shades. Unfortunately, when I told Rob how much I liked our new look, he said he didn't want to be anywhere near my purple sunglasses in public. I guess that means my 80s revival tour is going to have to go solo.

My Secret Love

2010-01-28T08:48:00.004-06:00

I have a confession to make and I'm ready to go public. (Although, I'm pretty sure Rob has already guessed.)

I'm in love with...my immersion blender.

Isn't it cute?

You can't really blame me, though. Winter is just so much better when it includes this, or this, or this, or, most importantly, this.

Lately, when almost every dinner has been of the liquid variety, I've started to think I might actually have a serious problem. But last night we made this, and then Rob assured me that my secret love is no problem at all.
Potato and Leek Soup with Spinach, Sausage and Parmesan
(adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter or extra virgin olive oil
3 medium/large potatoes, any type, cut up into small cubes
3 leeks, white and light green parts only, washed and sliced into thin rings
Salt and pepper
1 quart vegetable stock or water, preferably warmed
A couple handfuls of baby spinach (optional)
A couple links of sausage, casings removed (optional)
A handful of fresh parsley, roughly torn (optional)
A light grating of Parmesan (optional)

Directions:

Put butter or oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat. When the butter melts or the oil is hot, add the leeks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the leeks are nice and tender, about 5-10 minutes.
Add the potatoes and stock and cook until the vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes.
In the last few minutes of cooking, stir in the spinach leaves.
Blend soup until thick and chunky.
In a separate frying pan, crumble a few (about 4) links of sausage and cook until browned. Drain and stir into the soup.
Serve soup and garnish with parmesan and parsley.
Thank your lucky stars you have an immersion blender

Hair Updates

2010-01-27T05:59:00.005-06:00

Update #1: First of all, some of you may be dying to know how Rob's beard is coming along.
Answer: It's 3 1/2 weeks old, somewhat red and viking-esque, and getting thicker by the day! His resolution not to shave has been bolstered by a public declaration that his beard is dedicated to getting into the spirit of the Old Testament. (Rob and I are Sunday School teachers at church, and this year we're teaching the Old Testament.)

Hair update #2: Rob's last haircut was in November, so his normal head of hair was getting pretty overgrown. Unfortunately, his thick blond locks were too much for the clippers we borrowed to handle. So, what did I do?
Answer: I bravely turned to good, old-fashioned scissors! I am proud to say that even though it took me about 3 times as long to accomplish, Rob is now sporting a perfectly acceptable haircut done completely with scissors. Ta-dummmm!

Last, but not least: Granada

2010-01-17T16:01:00.009-06:00

We are officially home from our trip now, but before everything gets back to normal I have to put up our Granada pictures!

On the afternoon we arrived in Granada, the lady running our hostel suggested we go walk around the Albaicin, a medieval Moorish neighborhood that has remained almost unchanged for centuries.

Except for the addition of mopeds of course

So we hiked up through the neighborhood on winding, cobbled streets until we came to little square in front of a church with this view:

Click to on it to see it better

That's the Alahambra, a palace/fortress constructed in the 14th century by the Moorish rulers of Granada.
After the Moors were conquered, it was turned into a Christian palace, and then fell into disrepair for hundreds of years. Eventually, it came to the attention of the Western world and began drawing tourists to Granada. Now it's been restored and is pretty awesome. We were amazed at the intricate detail that covered so much of the palace.
Now we just have to find someone who can replicate this type of work for when we build our future house....do you think the neighbors would mind a Moorish palace going up next door?

Seville: Our first exposure to the serious business of Flamenco

2010-01-14T15:55:00.009-06:00

We arrived in Seville on Friday evening and the guy at our hostel told us about a free flamenco show going on later that night. And by "later," I mean wayy past our normal bed time; everything starts late in Spain!
We definitely couldn't say no to free flamenco, so we found the bar, and waited for the performance to start. We had fun spending time with the locals while trying to inhale as little second-hand smoke as possible.
Then the three performers came out: a guitar player, a singer/clapper, and a dancer. Initially I thought the dancer was actually the band's body guard due to her intimidating presence, her dramatic scowl, and her sideburns. But once she got going, she loosened up. Slightly.
It was fun to be part of the late-night crowd for once, and luckily we were outside all the next day so our clothes got to air out. :)

Seville is a beautiful old city on the river Guadalquiver with a neat mix of Moorish and European influences. It was occupied by the Moors for hundreds of years and when it was finally reconquered, the two cultures remained very intertwined.
Their huge cathedral (where Christopher Columbus is buried!!) is built using parts of the old mosque that was on the same site, and the royal palace in Seville was built by a Catholic king imitating the style of his Moorish predecessors.
And we just like this picture of Seville's bull-fighting arena because...don't you think it kind of looks like a bull? Finally, I just wanted to put this in for all of our Ticket to Ride playing friends. We didn't make it to Cadiz, but we took a picture with this mural in honor of the 20+ points for Cadiz to Stockholm.

The Ahhhh-lgarve: Taking some time out to breathe

2010-01-12T09:18:00.009-06:00

The Algarve is the southernmost region of Portugal made up of little towns, white beaches, and great seafood. In the summer season, the population of the region more than doubles as tourists arrive from all over Europe.
In January the towns are pretty quiet, because 55 degrees is just barely too cold for sunbathing (even for the brave Scandinavians).
55 degrees is, though, the perfect temperature for a hike along the rocky coastline, or a long walk on the beach...or, if you're Rob, a very quick dip in the Atlantic.
It was great to spend a few days away from the hustle and bustle of the Lisbon and to enjoy a different kind of Portugal's beauty.

Next Stop: Spain!

Portugal's Elder Ellis 2.0

2010-01-09T08:18:00.006-06:00

Spencer, Rob's youngest brother, is currently serving as a missionary in the Lisbon Portugal Mission. Of course, the opportunity to visit Rob's old mission AND his little brother was too good to miss!
On Sunday, we figured out where Spencer would be attending church, took 2 different buses, and walked through the rain to surprise him at church. The look on his face when he saw Rob was totally priceless; both of the boys were getting a little teary-eyed...very cute.

Later in the evening, Rob met up with Spencer and his companion, Elder McFarren, to teach a few investigators. Spencer is a great missionary and Rob loved getting to relive the glory days.
Monday is Spencer's Preparation Day so we treated him and Elder McFarren to kebabs for lunch, then took the train out to Sintra. Sintra is a beautiful town up in the mountains with cool parks, palaces, and little shops.

The boys enjoying Magnum's "Temptation" ice cream bar

A well-named ice cream for missionaries? Maybe not. Delicious? Definitely.

Later that night Rob and I were included in a dinner invitation at the Bishop's house. He and his wife were incredibly kind. They made a huge dinner and sent us home with leftovers because they felt bad we hadn't had a home-cooked meal in awhile. As good as bread and cheese sandwiches are, I was happy for the change of fare. :)
We were so glad we got see Spencer and are so proud of his hard work!

Lisbon: Beautiful, Yummy, and Warm(er)....Perfect

2010-01-07T09:56:00.007-06:00

Rob lived in Portugal for 2 years while serving as a missionary for the LDS Church in 2001 and he was excited to share the country with me this time around.
We did a lot of walking around Lisbon's different neighborhoods. The sidewalks all over the city are paved with little stones making intricate patterns and designs, and the narrow streets are lined with colorful, tiled buildings.
Lisbon lies along the Tejo River, where explorers--including Vasco de Gama fresh from India--docked their ships loaded with treasure and foreign goods. In Belem (one of Lisbon's neighborhoods) there are a few monuments remembering Portugal's golden years during the Age of Discovery.

This one is an old fortification that is half tower, half ship and was the ceremonial entrance to Lisbon

Belem is also home to the best pastry shop in Portugal. Rob and I went there multiple times to load up on Pasteis de Nata and Bolos de Berlim. That was probably the highlight of my trip! :)
We also had to make a trip to KFC for a Tower Burger--a burger unique to European KFCs that Rob ate almost weekly for a 3 month stretch of his mission. It was fun to be there with him for that walk down memory lane.

FYI: Important Weather Update
Cambridge, UK--30 F
Lisbon, Portugal--57 F

I'd say we made a good choice when we booked our flight to Lisbon!

For the family

2010-01-06T03:15:00.003-06:00

If anyone (especially Mama KK) wants to see a few more pictures of Christmas, here you go!

Over Too Soon

2010-01-03T13:26:00.005-06:00

Well, after 10 fun-filled days, Aupreille, Mark, and Teairsa have left us for Iowa's beautiful winter weather.

We tried to convince them to stay with blue skies,

lots of history,

stimulating conversation,

and Fitzbillie's famous Chelsea Buns,

but Teairsa figured that if she had to be this bundled up, they might as well go back home. That way at least they'd make it home before we all ran out of money and gained 20 lbs snacking during our game-playing marathons.

We didn't want to let them go.

This may look like an innocent hug, but Rob's really trying to send the message: STAY WITH US!

Our last ditch effort didn't work, so we've fallen back on plan B: Rob will grow out his beard again hoping that his rugged, mountain-man good looks will be enough to lure other friends and family out to see us. It's quite a draw. :)

Thanks for coming, guys! We had so much fun!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-28T14:46:00.003-06:00

We made it home from Italy just in time for Mark, Aupreille, and Teairsa to visit for Christmas.

On Christmas Eve we acted out the Nativity story (an Ellis tradition), complete with impromptu costumes and props.

"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child."

Joseph and Mary and an Innkeeper in Bethlehem.

"And so it was, that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn."

Teairsa did a great job filling in as our babe in a 'manger' (aka extra suitcase)

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.

"And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.'

Rob was clearly sore afraid

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, 'Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.'

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem saying, 'Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east and are come to worship him.'

When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them, 'Where is it that the Christ should be born?'

And they said unto him, 'In Bethlehem of Judea; for thus it is written by the prophet: and thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda; for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.'

The 3rd Wise Man couldn't make it all the way to Cambridge this year

Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared, And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, 'Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may go and worship him also.'

When they had heard the king, they departed; and lo, the star, which they say in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him; and when they had opened up their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

I love this time of year. It's great to take time out of life to celebrate the birth of the Savior.

Merry Christmas!

All Roads Lead to Rome

2009-12-20T13:42:00.007-06:00

When we planned our Italy trip, we knew we were going to go to Rome because of all of its historic sites, but we weren't too excited about spending time in the city. Well, after 3 days (and 4 nights) in Rome, we were completely charmed and didn't want to leave!
After visiting Rome, I've discovered 2 new loves.

First new love: Gian Lorenzo Bernini, an Italian sculptor in the 1600s. We went to the Borghese Gallery and saw a few of his sculptures up close. Bernini made marble glow and come to life. I'm no art critic, but I was amazed at the emotion he captured in stone. Pictures I'm finding don't really do his work justice, and Rob wasn't allowed to take pictures in the museum, so you'll have to take my word for it.

Second love: Italian Opera. We had a little taste of it in Florence with our random street singer, but Rome took things to a whole new level. Walking home on Wednesday night, Rob and I heard beautiful opera singing down the street.
The city puts on free cultural events leading up to Christmas and that night they had 4 of Rome's premier opera singers performing outdoors in front of the Piazza di Spagna. We squeezed into the crowd, found seats right in front, and sat there for an entire hour. It. Was. Awesome.

So, if any of you are closet opera fans and have any recommendations to further our opera-education, we'd appreciate it!
Other things I'd recommend: St. Peter's Basilica--totally awe inspiring; the Colosseum--crazy to imagine it packed full of bloodthirsty Romans; last (but not least, of course) Giolliti's Pistachio gelato--out of this WORLD.

Welcome to Paradise

2009-12-16T13:29:00.008-06:00

The Cinque Terre are 5 towns on the coast of Italy's Riviera that cling to the terraced sides of the Apennines Mountains where they meet the Mediterranean Sea.
Basically, they are incredibly beautiful.
For centuries the 5 towns operated in almost total isolation from the rest of the world. The mountains made travel inland almost impossible and the only connection the towns had to each other was a rough path that wound up and down the mountain side along the coast.
They did have a neat way to communicate in emergencies though. Back in the day, that stretch of coast was consistently plagued by pirates who would land, ransack the village, and sell any unsuspecting townsfolk they could catch into slavery.
Since these small coastal villages didn't have the means to stop the pirates from landing, they found a way to avoid being sold into slavery. Each village built some kind of lookout tower near their village where they could watch the horizon for incoming ships. Whenever a suspicious ship was sighted, the lookout would light a fire in his tower to alert the neighboring towns. When people saw the fires, they would leave everything and run into the mountains, hiding from the pirates.
Now, the pirate problem is pretty much solved, and the Cinque Terre can enjoy their little slice of paradise in peace. They are connected to the rest of the country by a good railroad and Italy has turned the 5 towns into a national park, keeping the path that runs along the mountains open for tourists (like us) to hike.
It took us about 5 hours to go from Town 1 to Town 5 (which included plenty of picture-taking and a really good pizza lunch). The sky was blue, and the sun was shining; it was awesome. Probably one of the prettiest days of my life.

The only question now is whether Rob could find enough work as an American lawyer living here to pay off our student loans.....

Florence: The Art (and Gelato) Capital of Italy

2009-12-14T15:34:00.006-06:00

First of all, I'm not really sure how we get away with naming Firenze, "Florence" in English, but we did.
Second of all, when they say that Florence is the "Art Capital of Italy," I don't think they're just referring to paintings or sculpture--everything in Florence seems to be artwork. The buildings are beautiful, the displays in shop windows are beautiful, the people are beautiful, even the gelato is beautiful in Florence!
Rob and I wanted to get a feel for all that Florence had to offer so we saw a lot of artwork (highlight definitely being Michelangelo's David), did a little shopping, and did a lot of people watching.
I also made sure we got a good sample of the gelato...purely for cultural purposes, of course.
Moving on (I know, food is kind of a theme with me), we spent our last afternoon walking across the Arno River and hiking up to a piazza that had a view of the entire city. We watched the sun set and started planning the next day's adventure: Cinque Terre.

Too Perfect

2009-12-12T16:14:00.005-06:00

After a day of sightseeing in Florence, Rob and I are sitting in our hotel room getting ready for bed when beautiful soprano opera singing comes wafting through our window. We think someone must be playing their music really loudly, until we look out to the piazza across the street and see a woman with sheet music, singing her heart out.
She sings for almost an hour. With each new song, we look at each other and think that this is almost too good to be true...this stuff actually happens? But wow, it's pretty!

You just can't plan this kind of thing.

Venice: Starting things of with a bang...or a boat?

2009-12-10T12:47:00.012-06:00

For our 2 days in Venice, we scored a sweet deal on a nice little hotel right by the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute--the huge domed church you see in the picture below.
This was my first trip to Venice and I really enjoyed it. First of all, I love to walk around and get lost in cities and Venice is pretty much the ideal city for that activity...zero cars and views like this every time you cross over one of the city's 400 bridges:
During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, Venice was one of the most powerful cities in Europe, full of commerce, art, music, and religion. All of that combined to create great sights for tourists like us to enjoy.
My favorites were: the floor of the Basilica di San Marco, the Doge's Palace with it's enormous frescoes on every wall and ceiling, and the beautiful art at the Scuola Grande di San Rocco (known as Tintoretto's Sistine Chapel). So, if you go, those are my recommendations. :)
We also did a lot of people watching...
...and got a great taste of everyday Venice, complete with some really great old people.
We did not take a Gondola ride because we didn't want to take out another student loan to finance the experience.
We did cruise the Grand Canal on the local water-bus to get a different view of Venice...then ran around trying to get the perfect shot of the picturesque gondoliers.
What a great way to start off the trip! Someday I'm sure we'll come back here when we're at a stage in our life where we can afford to eat more than bread, cheese, and prosciutto from the supermarket (which is actually a very tasty combo)...but I'm not sure it can get any better.

If you have some time, Venice was a great place for Rob to exercise his photography muscles (as demonstrated by the following slideshow). :)

Buon Giorno, Italia!

2009-12-09T14:12:00.004-06:00

Rob's finished his first 8-week term in Cambridge, so we're celebrating with a 2-week trip to Italy (obviously).

Our first major stop on the trip is Venice, but we decided to make a detour to see nearby Verona, most widely known as the home to star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet.

Juliet's Balcony...but that's actually not Juliet up there

Although Romeo and Juliet didn't actually exist, we managed to visit Juliet's house, complete with romantic balcony, and a statue of Juliet that brings good luck to those who touch her right breast....I passed on the good luck this time.

You just HAVE to be romantic when you're visiting the scene of "Romeo, Romeo...wherefore art thou Romeo?!"

Verona also is the home to the 3rd largest Roman amphitheater in Italy. It's still in use, although today Verona's opera probably draws a different crowd than the gladiator games. The arena can hold up to 25,000 spectators in its 44 tiers of marble seats.
Surprisingly enough, Verona also hosts a large German Christmas market in December complete with bratwurst, lebkuchen, roasted chestnuts, and mulled wine. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the change of pace. :)

Stay tuned for some fantastic pictures (compliments of Rob) of beautiful VENICE!

A Trip Home--Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-08T15:09:00.006-06:00

A few weeks late, but we need to put it up for posterity...

After the marathon in Athens, I flew home to Connecticut for some time with my Mom, then Rob joined us for Thanksgiving week.

Sisters: Katie, Jacqueline, Me

We kept our trip home a secret from Erik and Jacqueline so they both got big surprises when I helped pick them up from the airport.

My Dad and Katie

For Thanksgiving, my mom's sister and her family came up from Maryland. We prepared and devoured the customary feast, this year my winners were the exceptional rolls, stuffing, and cherry pie. Of course, we also played some family games including Kubb, Ninja, and Scategories, then and saw a great post-Thanksgiving movie: The Blind Side.

Mom and Me after an emphatic Kubb victory

Other highlights of the trip: Meeting a distant cousin who grew up with my grandpa and came from the same town in Romania and touring the UN in NYC with them; Erik's girlfriend, Megan, chose to join the LDS Church and got baptized the day after Thanksgiving; Laurel, a good friend of our family, also got baptized the next day and we got to help out with a little party at her house after; And in football news--Go Cougars! BYU:26, Utah:23.

Sisters

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for the trip!

The dangers of having unlimited access to a camera....

2009-11-23T07:38:00.006-06:00

Q: What do 4 relatively intelligent young adults do for fun on a Sunday evening?

A: Why, have contests to see who can make the best faces into Photo Booth of course! Duh...

Possessed

Terror/Being chased by a serial killer
We are the serial killers

Sitting in Sunday School (notice how intently Jacqueline is paying attention...typical!)

There goes Brad Pitt!

Singing like Celine Dion

Biggest smile

Man, I love my family!

Journey to the center of the earth

2009-11-13T05:13:00.014-06:00

I know this is about 3 weeks late...but I wanted to post it anyway for posterity's sake...

The last day of our Greece vacation we wanted to get out of Athens so we took a bus ride to the mountain town of Delphi--the ancient home of the Oracle of Delphi and considered to be the center of the Earth.
Delphi was a big deal to the ancient Greeks. According to Greek mythology, Zeus wanted to discover the exact center of the world. So he released two eagles from opposite ends of the earth, and the birds met in Delphi. Zeus marked the spot with a big egg-shaped stone called the omphalos (or navel).
But Delphi was most famous for the Oracle of Delphi. The oracle was Apollo's mouthpiece that would give divine answers to any question. A number of famous people in history and mythology (such as Socrates and Oedipus) joined hundreds of others in a pilgrimage to Delphi to receive such guidance. Apparently, the priestess would sit within Apollo's temple in a drug-induced trance, you would ask her your question, she would mumble something unintelligible, and the nearby priests would translate the sounds into an answer to your question.
Lest you think this was a sure-fire way to solid answers, the Oracle's guidance was not usually crystal clear. One famous example was when King Croesus of Lydia asked the Oracle whether he should attack the Persians. The Oracle replied that if he did attack, a great empire would fall. This emboldened the poor guy so he attacked the Persians, but the Persians soundly defeated his army and proceeded to crush his empire..... So the Oracle was right again.
Modern Delphi is a quiet little town built on the side of the mountains. Because we were visiting in the off season, the majority of the town was closed up. The most movement we saw while we were there were small herds of goats grazing on the mountain side, bells jangling loudly as they walked. The beautiful scenery and ruins provided a welcome change of pace to the bustle of Athens and the perfect end to a great vacation.

Ancient Athens

2009-11-13T05:04:00.010-06:00

The day after the marathon, Rob and I forced our sore bodies out of bed to hobble around Athens and see some of the awesome sites of the ancient city....
Of course, the main thing to see in Athens is the Acropolis--a prominent hill in the center of the city. The ancient inhabitants long considered the hill itself to be sacred, and the Athenian youth would come to the caves in its side to swear an oath to defend the city state and its traditions. As time progressed, the Athenians built temples on the top of the Acropolis--the most famous of which is the Parthenon. It was awesome to see the building that has become such a world icon.

Normally, hiking up to the top of a hill isn't a problem, but because our bodies felt like they'd been run over by 3 or 4 trucks, the slow, slooww shuffle up the Acropolis felt like quite an accomplishment! :)

Just below the Acropolis, we saw the outdoor Theater of Herod Atticus (shown in the picture) and the Theater of Dionysus (where classical dramatists like Sophocles, Aeschylus, and Euripides performed their plays). I think it's amazing that these ancient architects could design theaters so that thousands of people could hear the actors speak without any kind of microphone system. Apparently they still use this theater of Herod Atticus for concerts today...it's hosted the Miss Universe pageant and Yanni....Yanni is kind of like Sophocles, right?

At the base of the Acropolis is the Ancient Agora--a kind of town square, market, and public assembly place that was the center of life and government in Ancient Athens. It was built in the 6th century BC and had fountains, a drainage system, and temples to the Olympian gods. Even though there isn't a lot standing now, it's easy to imagine it being a thriving, bustling center of life.

[Also, trivia for the day: the word agoraphobia, the fear of public situations/places, derives from the word "agora" in its meaning as a gathering place.]
Now, this picture doesn't do its subject justice. This is a gyro from a little place really close to our hostel. It's the perfect meal--tender meat, juicy tomatoes, perfectly crisp french fries, and tangy tzatziki sauce all wrapped in a delicious chewy pita. And it really was as delicious as it sounds...and as proof, I'll admit that Rob and I ate at this place 5 times in 4 1/2 days... Wow. :)

Mission: Athens Marathon... ACCOMPLISHED!

2009-11-08T11:15:00.006-06:00

124-Score and 19 years ago (aka 490 BC) a Greek named Pheidippides changed the running world forever. After the Athenians defeated the invading Persians at Marathon, Pheidippides ran across the hills to Athens to proclaim, "Rejoice! We have won!" He then collapsed on the spot and died from exhaustion. Thus, the marathon was born.
Today Rob and I retraced the historic route as we ran the Athens Marathon. We started in Marathon and finished in the original Olympic Stadium. We've wanted to do a marathon together, so we figured we might as well do THE marathon, right? :)

Training in pancake-flat Houston, TX and Cambridge, UK didn't really prepare us for the miles of uphill we faced (e.g. mile 11 to 20 was a solid incline). Then, at about mile 20 I discovered some new muscles I didn't know I had as they started seizing up. But Rob was a great cheerleader and support and stayed with me the whole way to the end.

The finish line: I was very, very happy to finally see this.

We didn't die, but I think we understand now why poor old Pheidippides did. We're proud of our accomplishment and are excited to spend the next few days hobbling around Greece.

Although these words were coined by a Roman, they feel equally applicable in Greece tonight: We Came, We Ran, We Conquered!

Happy Guy Fawkes Day!

2009-11-06T06:48:00.006-06:00

Meet Guy, Guy Fawkes...(think James, James Bond).

Like James Bond, Guy Fawkes was a man of mystery caught up in a complicated political plot. Unfortunately for him, he didn't have the same talent (or high-tech gadgets) as 007 for getting out of tight spots. He was caught red-handed trying to blow up Parliament back on November 5, 1605 (known as the Gunpowder Plot).

Now every year on November 5th, Britains celebrate the death of this foiled terrorist by building a huge bonfire where they burn an effigy of the poor Guy...

Kind of creepy...

Luckily for the rest of us, this morbid reenactment is also accompanied by a big fireworks show...I guess to commemorate all of the explosives that DIDN'T go off...?
Also, useless trivia for the day: Guy Fawkes is where we get the word "guy." Originally, people would sell shabbily dressed effigies (or dolls) of Mr. Fawkes for the bonfire celebration. Eventually, a "guy" became the term for someone who was raggedly dressed or disheveled. In the 1800s the negative connotation was dropped and any average Joe could be called "guy."

800 Years And Counting...

2009-11-03T13:34:00.000-06:00

This year the University of Cambridge is celebrating its 800th birthday: founded in 1209. That's almost 570 years before the American Revolutionary War, 380 years before Shakespeare, 250 years before Gutenberg's printing press, and 6 years before the Magna Carta. I think it's official...this place is old.
The University of Cambridge is made up of 31 independent colleges--not colleges like in the States (e.g. College of Engineering or Medicine) but communities where the students live and eat. Each college is financially independent, has its own grounds complete with dining hall, library, and chapel (to take care of students' physical, mental, and spiritual needs).
Some of the older colleges are incredibly wealthy and have totally elaborate buildings and grounds. The picture above is of St. John's College, founded in 1511. Nice, eh?
Cambridge students have a rich tradition of prank pulling. This is a statue of Henry VIII above the main gate to Trinity College. Originally, Henry was holding a golden orb in his left hand and a golden scepter in his right. In the 1800s an anonymous student decided to replace the scepter with a wooden chair leg, leaving the scepter on the ground for the Porter to find in the morning. As expected, the Porter put the scepter back in Henry's hand only to wake up the next morning to see Henry clutching a chair leg once again. This cycle continued until the Porter finally gave up. So, for the past 200 years Henry has overseen the goings on at Trinity College proudly bearing his royal chair leg.
There is so much history in this town. I'm sure over the next few months we'll get into more detail, but we think it's pretty cool to be walking the same streets and living the same life that students have done for 800 years.

HOLD IT!!

2009-10-28T16:23:00.009-05:00

Sometimes I wish time would just stand still...
Maybe we can make a deal with Mother Nature and make Autumn last all Winter long.

Can I get an Amen?