Kristi's Blog

Bad Girl Millie

2010-12-12T11:44:00.000-08:00

For some reason Millie is obsessed with the light hanging over my dining room table. She thinks it is a cat toy. I moved it up so she can't reach it now but had to video her playing with it.

Photos of Millie

2010-12-04T19:50:00.000-08:00

Millie

2010-12-04T19:40:00.000-08:00

Here is my newest addition... little Millie!!

Tim & Nicole's Wedding in Steamboat Springs, CO

2010-09-06T20:33:00.000-07:00

My cousin Tim was married in Steamboat Springs in August.

We enjoyed the sightseeing around Steamboat. They have an Alpine Slide down the mountain. Mom & I gave it a try! So much fun that we went down a few more times!

Me, Dad & Katie going down the slide.

In one of the cute local shops.

Ben, Katie, Erika & me on the Gondola to the top of the mountain.

Dad, Mom & Aunt Karen on the Gondola ride.

We all made it to the top. Dad, Mom, Ben, me, Katie, Aunt Karen & Erika.

Cousins - Ben, me, Katie & Erika. I had to stand on the rock & on my tiptoes to not appear so short. I am amongst the tall ones.

Look how tall I look!

Love this photo!!

Me, Nicole (the bride), Tim (the groom) & Katie.

Me, Pat (brother of the groom), Katie & Jenny (sister of the groom).

Bride & Groom!! Mr. & Mrs. Tim Doyle

The cousins!! Katie, me, Nicole, Tim, Ben, Erika, Jenny & Pat.

McKenzie: 1997-2010

2010-08-02T19:22:00.000-07:00

We are all very sad today at the loss of our beloved dog McKenzie. She was a wonderful dog and brought us all 13 years of joy, laughter and loyalty. She will be missed by all of us, especially her favorite human, Dad.

Her favorite toy, Pete the Parachuting Parakeet.

Her favorite place, Mason Lake. Racing into the lake to retrieve a tennis ball.

The look of success!

In the "Wood Grain Van" her favorite mode of transportation.

One year when it snowed we buried her in the snow and she just loved it.

Had to be one of the girls. We put our feet in and she joined with her paw.

For Rent

2010-07-18T21:28:00.000-07:00

I decided to help my parents try and rent a new piece of property they had. I posted a For Rent sign and waited to see who would respond. Well finally someone moved in a few months ago. I had been waiting to meet the new tenants and today I finally saw them!

The sign should really come down now but I don't want to disrupt our new tenants. You can see two of them sticking their heads out.

Three squeezed into one window.

Waiting for Momma to bring them some food.

Still waiting...

I missed Momma bird feeding the babies but caught them anxiously waiting for breakfast.

Hagia Sophia (Istanbul)

2010-07-09T19:03:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite sites was Hagia Sophia. It was built as a Christian Church, later converted into a Mosque and is currently a museum.

The dome was not constructed correctly so you can see how it is not longer perfectly circular.

Grand Bazaar & Spice Market (Istanbul)

2010-07-06T22:27:00.003-07:00

If you go to Istanbul you have to go to the Grand Bazaar! What a place with over 4,000 shops.

It is a maze of shops and very easy to get lost.

We also went to the Spice Market and stocked up on spices.

We had our picture taken with the spice shop owner who we bought spices from. He is wonderful and explained all the spices to us and let us try samples of the product.

Turkish Delight. I tried it but didn't like it.

I fell in love with all the lanterns!! They were everywhere and I couldn't stop taking photos of them. Here are a few of my favorites.

We did some damage in this shop buying lanterns & bowls. Had to have a photo with the shop worker who helped us.

Basilica Cistern (Istanbul)

2010-07-06T22:27:00.001-07:00

The Basilica Cistern is the largest underground storage for water in Istanbul. It is not longer active and is now just a museum.

500 feet below the ground.

There are two Medusa heads in the Cistern. The workers this one sideways to prevent it from turning anyone who looked at it to stone.

They turned this one upside down to negate the powers of Medusa's gaze.

Topkapi Palace (Isantabul)

2010-07-06T22:26:00.002-07:00

The Topkapi Palace was the official & primary residence for the Sultan during the Ottoman Empire.

The entrance to the Imperial Council

The Sultan was never seen at the council meetings but listened from behind this window with the golden grill. No one ever knew if the Sultan was really attending the meetings but just the thought that he was listening kept everyone in line.

This is meant to look like a Sultan's hat.

Not sure how this tree is still alive with the hollowed out trunk.

Blue Mosque (Istanbul)

2010-07-06T22:26:00.001-07:00

This is the Blue Mosque (at night). It was built in the early 1600's. There are

6 minarets, however, you can only see 5 in this photo.

Blue Mosque (during the day).

From the interior courtyard.

Minaret

These blue tiles are what give the Blue Mosque its name.

No shoes allowed inside. We also had to wear sheets of fabric over our arms to cover up.

In the outside courtyard.

The Blue Mosque is an active mosque and is closed to tourists daily during prayer times.

These faucets are used by the Muslim's to wash themselves before they enter the mosque.

Istanbul, Turkey

2010-07-06T22:24:00.001-07:00

Istanbul is the only city in the world that spans two continents - Europe & Asia.

We spent most of our time on the European side and you can see the Asian side in this photo.

The bridge off in the distance connects the European & Asian continents together.

The two traveling sisters!

Our first stop in Istanbul was to the Hippodrome of Constantinople. This was the sporting & social center of Constantinople the capital of the Byzantine Empire. There were horse and chariot races around the monuments. Today only fragments remain of 3 columns.

This is the Walled Column.

The Serpent Column. This is all the remains of the 3 intertwined bronze serpents.

This is the Egyptian Obelisk. It originally was located in Egypt but was brought here in 390AD and renamed the Obelisk of Theodosius.

This stone pillar was the 0 marker used to measure all road distances in the Byzantine Empire.

Here are some of my favorite funny photos from Istanbul. There were food vendors all over the place and I could not resist snapping some pictures.

Here is a watermelon seller - taking a little nap.

These vendors were very common - selling roasted corn & chestnuts.

Cucumbers anyone?

Lots and lots of apples.

This guy is very talented.

Katie ordered Turkish Coffee & I tried a sip... here is my reaction.

WOW that was strong.

Katie seemed to enjoy it more then I did.

Maybe not.

Kotor & Budva, Montenegro

2010-06-27T23:13:00.005-07:00

We took another day trip, this time to Montenegro. We went with a different tour company who used a mini coach with a/c!!

The first stop was a little town called Kotor. We went on a walking tour around the old part of the city.

In lieu of jails way back when - criminals were tied to this monument and taunted/had food thrown at them.

This is the waterfront town of Budva.

More boats.

This was the view from where we ate lunch. I had the most amazing grilled calamari!

On the way home we took a ferry.

Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina

2010-06-27T23:13:00.003-07:00

Katie & I went on a day trip to Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina. While the trip to and from Mostar was pretty miserable it was worth it! Picture 9 people in a 9 passenger bench seating vehicle with no a/c or any type of air. It was like driving in a sauna for 8 hours.

We climbed up a minaret to get this photo.

This was the minaret we climbed - you can see the doorway near the top.

Climbing back down - there was not a lot of room.

A great view of the Old Bridge. It was very hot outside on this day and it was so nice to go down to the river where the water was freezing cold.

Damage remains after the battle for Independence with Yugoslavia.

Bosnia & Herzegovina declared Independence from Yugoslavia in the early 90s. Because of this the town of Mostar was subjected to an 18 month siege between 1992 and 1993. The Old Bridge collapsed from all the fighting/damage. The bridge was rebuilt exactly like the original bridge and original stones were recovered from the river.

Elafiti Islands, Croatia

2010-06-27T23:13:00.001-07:00

We went on a sailing trip around three Croatian Islands.

The first stop was at Kolocep.

We spotted this adorable man fishing.

The next stop was Sipan. We had lunch on the boat while we were docked.

I know everyone will be so proud of me because this was my lunch & I ate it! It was really good.

More boats - I could not get enough of them.

This is one of my favorite photos.

Here is our boat.

To get rid of the left over fish parts this crew member offered a fish head to the seagulls.

They went crazy for the treats.

This was our last stop - Lopud.

Me in the Adriatic Sea.

The view while we enjoyed a few beverages.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

2010-06-27T23:11:00.001-07:00

Dubrovnik is a gorgeous city as you can see from my photos.

Katie & I stayed inside the old walled city.

Views from walking around the walls.

There are tons of boats and I loved taking photos of the fishing boats.

A bunch of them were being stored on the beach.

Love trying to take some artsy photos.

Man untangling a fishing net.

We went to one of the two Buza Bars. They are located on the outside of the old city walls literally over the water. This sign tells the truth... there were cold drinks and the view was very beautiful.

You can see the Buza Bar - look for the white umbrellas.

Here is a photo from the water.

Hanging out in paradise.

I didn't want to leave my seat - nothing but ocean.

This was the street where "our apartment" was located. It is known as the cutest street in Dubrovnik. Every evening we saw tourists stopping to take photos.

You have to love stairs, stairs and more stairs when you are walking around the old city. There are tons of them - it is the ultimate stairclimber.

I thought this was a beautiful photo.

The town clock tower.

The main street in the old city - it is also the only flat street without stairs. No vehicles are allowed in the city so everything has to be carted or carried in.

We walked around the walls and spotted a bunch of school kids enjoying recess.

Pretty nice location for recess.

A Nun working in the garden.

No one has a dryer so all laundry is hung out the windows to dry.

Love this sign - I don't think I would every eat here.

Surprise Visit

2010-06-27T22:22:00.000-07:00

Katie and I had a several hour layover in Washington DC on our way to Europe. We called John & Becca while we were in DC and they happened to be driving by Dulles Airport so they came by for a visit! What a fun surprise to see them all, especially John since he recently deployed to Afghanistan for 6 months.

Hailey with Daddy!

Wes loving on his little sister! What a good big brother!

And she's off!! She recently started walking!

Saying cheese for the camera & showing off his new Wiggles Backpack!

Heading to Turkey

2010-06-11T02:21:00.000-07:00

Had a wonderful time in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Tomorrow morning we are heading to Istanbul, Turkey. I can't wait. I have heard nothing but fantastic things about Istanbul. Can't wait to shop at the Spice Market & Grand Bazaar - and see all the sites of course!

Dubrovnik, Croatia

2010-06-07T07:06:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Dubrovnik, Croatia yesterday. Had three flights but it was worth the trip. It is gorgeous here. Sunny, warm (75F) & not a cloud in the sky. Today Katie and I walked around the wall surrounding the old city. The views were stunning and I took lots of photos. There are tons and tons of stairs inside the walled city so it is definitely a workout just walking around. Tomorrow we go to Mostar, Bosnia; Wednesday to Montenegro and Thursday sailing around three islands. On Saturday we fly out to Turkey.

I'm a little teapot!

2010-05-06T21:19:00.000-07:00

I was in Washington D.C. for work and was able to visit with John & family on Sunday night. I was able to finally see their new house (which is fantastic) and visit with John, Becca, Wes, Hailey & Morgan. Katie was also there visiting them. Here are some cute pics of Wes. He is quite a ham & loves singing.

Here Wes is signing "I'm a Little Teapot"

Wearing his Easter basket as a hat.

Those big blues... can't say no to them.

Memorial for Aspen

2010-05-06T21:08:00.000-07:00

I found this grey cat (actually Dad found it for me) to remember Aspen.

Here is the cat statue marking Aspen's final resting place.

A big thank you to Dad for getting her spot in the backyard ready for her.

Cute photos of Aspen

2010-04-21T20:33:00.001-07:00

My not so sweet cat

2010-03-28T12:13:00.000-07:00

Aspen the terror is back and here is some video proof. Not sure what to do and how to get her back to her old sweet self. Any ideas or recommendations are welcome!

Allison's Birthday Party!

2010-03-06T22:23:00.001-08:00

For Allison's birthday we went out in Fremont.

Allison & me at Saints and Sinners

Bri let us crash at her place.

Allison, Bri & Me

My cousin Ben was also in town and he joined up with us.

This guy lost a bet so he had to go out to the bars dressed up like this... Must have been quite a bet.

Visiting the Blubaums!

2010-02-14T21:29:00.000-08:00

I went to Scottsdale for work and was able to spend the weekend with Kelli, Shawn, Cole & Kenleigh! Thank you to the Blubaums for a fun weekend with great friends!

Me with Kelli

Kenleigh - 5 months old

Love her big blue eyes! She is just precious and this was her first time eating peas! Yum!

Cole - 2 years old

Love his big brown eyes! He is a very busy 2 year old who is very sweet and LOVES Elmo!

Family Photos from Maui

2010-01-18T22:20:00.001-08:00

Me with my Godson Wes.

Katie with Goddaughter Hailey.

Random Photos from Maui

2010-01-18T22:19:00.000-08:00

Wes & Hailey

2010-01-18T22:17:00.001-08:00

I can't resist posting some new pics of my adorable niece & nephew. Wes is 2-1/2 and Hailey is 7-1/2 months old.

Wes loved collecting shells and filling his bucket with sand.

Big shoes - Wes called them Grandpa's shoes.

Say no to crack... Does he have a future as a plumber?

Such a happy little girl.

Katie & I bought this pink tutu for Hailey. She is finally old enough to wear it.

Love the ruffles.

Looks like a comfy way to sleep to me.

SCUBA Diving

2010-01-18T21:02:00.000-08:00

We went SCUBA Diving with our favorite company - Lahaina Divers and experienced two new dives sites. Our family friend Scott took amazing photos during our dive (thanks Scott)!!!

Me and Katie 100' down under.

Cool bubbles.

Our first dive was at the Cathaginian ship wreck. This is the mast of the ship.

Here fishy fishy...

Our second dive was at the Mala Pier. The pier collapsed during a bad storm and the diving was fantastic.

Here is the female whitetip reef shark that lives at the pier.

We saw tons of sea turtles like the one in this photo.

Coral has grown on the wreckage.

Scenes from Maui

2010-01-18T19:24:00.001-08:00

Washington DC

2010-01-09T00:38:00.000-08:00

I went to Washington DC for work for a few days. While I was there I was able to have dinner with some of my Doyle cousins! John was able to join us too! It was wonderful to be able to meet Patrick, Pat & Ann's son. He is an adorable little guy.

Nicole (Tim's fiance), Tim, Ann, "little" Pat, Pat, me & John

Nicole & Tim - In August they will become husband & wife.

Ann & Patrick

New Year's Day Lunch

2010-01-01T21:24:00.000-08:00

Aaron, Jordan and Alicia (Aaron's Girlfriend) had a 4 1/2 hour layover on their way to Maui. We picked them up at the airport and went to Cheesecake Factory for lunch.

Frozen Pond

2009-12-10T21:40:00.000-08:00

The great Pacific Northwest is going through a deep freeze. It has been so cold lately and I can't wait for it to warm up a bit. Due to the weather the pond is freezing over. I thought I would take a few pictures because it looks so cool.

Frozen waterfall.

The frog is still going strong.

It's a dog... it's a bat... it's batdog

2009-12-10T21:19:00.001-08:00

Check out those ears - I had to take a photo.

Girl's Night Out

2009-11-28T23:26:00.000-08:00

For my birthday Jeanne, Allison & Becca took me to dinner at Twokoi. It is a sushi restaurant in downtown Tacoma. We had a fabulous time! I realize this post is a little late since my birthday was in October but better late then never, right?

What can I say... my cat loves sinks...

2009-11-28T23:22:00.000-08:00

Aspen loves sinks. She likes to drink water out of faucet. When I let her in my room she runs to the bathroom and jumps into the sink. She is an odd cat sometimes.

Bowling

2009-11-28T23:12:00.001-08:00

My goal when bowling is normally to break 100, which rarely happens. When I was in Vegas for a meeting we went bowling and scored a 141 !!! That is me - K Skills.

As you can see from this screen shot I bowled two strikes in a row!! I couldn't get the turkey though.

MLS Championship Game - LA Galaxy vs Real Salt Lake

2009-11-23T00:10:00.000-08:00

Allison and I went to the Major League Soccer Championship Game at Qwest Field. The game was LA Galaxy vs Real Salt Lake. It was a really fun game.

LA Galaxy

Real Salt Lake

Two words... David Beckham

Bend it like Beckham.

Check out the action shot.

This is one of my favorite pictures. The goalie caught the ball.

Real Salt Lake won!!

My New Set-up

2009-11-21T21:08:00.000-08:00

Here is my new set-up on the 3rd floor. Aspen loves sitting on the back of the chair. All I can say is living the life!

Update

2009-10-24T23:07:00.000-07:00

I want to apologize for being so out of touch with everyone. My life has been SO busy for the last month & a half.

I have been on my "Tour d' U.S." and thankfully it will be coming to an end soon. I have been traveling for 5 weeks and have 1 week to go. On this "Tour" I have been to Dallas, Las Vegas, Parsippany (wonder where that is??? it's in New Jersey), Boston (Burlington to be exact), Minneapolis, Detroit, Tampa and Nashville. My last trip is back to Vegas and then I am home through the end of the year.

I did get to have some fun on my work trips. Outside of Boston I went to the Burlington Mall, where the movie Mall Cop was filmed. Drove by the famous 8 Mile in Detroit. I tried fried green tomatoes and fried pickles in Nashville.

On top of all the work trips I put my condo on the market and what a shocker it sold it a week. I close this Friday, Oct 30. I am moving in with "roommates" (aka Mom & Dad) for a few months while I save a little more towards my down payment. Spring of 2010 I will be moving to West Seattle. Looking forward to new adventures.

Aspen is still living in the bathroom. She has not adapted well to her new living arrangements. She is getting a little better but still attacks me when I visit her.

Aspen

2009-10-03T21:06:00.000-07:00

Those who have met Aspen know that she is a very sweet and loving cat (most of the time). She is a creature of habit and does not like change. When I put my condo on the market I moved her up to Mom & Dad's. She surprised me with how badly she took the move. To say she is extremely angry is putting it nicely. Here are two videos of her being so "sweet and loving" after being at Mom & Dad's for 2 weeks. Guess she won't be happy to find out that the condo sold...

Las Vegas

2009-09-27T23:01:00.001-07:00

John & Becca had a wedding to attend in Vegas so Mom, Dad, Julie Moceri and I decided to join them.

Here is my niece Hailey she is now 4 months old. She is a sweetheart and has started rolling over.

With Grammi & Grandpa. Hailey liked grabbing Grandpa's ear.

Hailey Lauren with Lauren Renee.

Wes thought it was fun to try on the glasses.

He put these on for John...

Father & Son - they look so much a like.

Wes loves swimming. He went down the water slides and jumps in the water without water wings on.

Swimming!

Julie and I went to the MGM to look at the Lion Exhibit.

Condo's on the market

2009-09-27T23:00:00.001-07:00

It was announced on 9/9/09 headquarters will be moving to Seattle. Everyone will be in the new building by the end of 2010. The building, the former WAMU building, will be called the Russell Investments Center. Due to this announcement I have decided to put my condo on the market. When it sells I will look for a new place in West Seattle. This will cut down my future commute from 1-1/2 hours each way to about 30 minutes each way. I'm sure everyone remembers the 4-1/2 years I worked at the Needle in Seattle and commuted from Tacoma. I did not want to deal with that long of a commute again if possible. While I will be sad to leave University Place/Tacoma I will only be about 40 minutes away.

Please says prayer & think good thoughts about my condo selling and me finding a new place in West Seattle.

Here is the link to my condo listing - http://www.cbbain.com/29136003.

Portland!

2009-08-30T19:33:00.000-07:00

Family friend Alison Lambert moved to Washington last week from Virginia to attend Bastyr University. On Saturday we went to Portland for the day.

Dad, Mom, Alison & Me

We went to the Saturday Market. Check out the cool glasses we tried on.

This pic is for Katie - enjoy!

Girl's Night Out

2009-08-15T16:42:00.000-07:00

We went out to celebrate Jennie & Ben being home. For dinner we went to I Love Bento, then to the Ale House & Cheers.

Ben, Jennie, Shanley, Willie, Catrina, Me, Jeff, Amie & Allison

Happy Birthday Amie!

Amie, Jennie, Allison & Me

Amie, Allison & Me

Mariners Game

2009-08-14T18:15:00.001-07:00

Jennie & Ben are in town to visit friends & family. Amrit, (a friend of Ben's from junior high & fellow bridesmaid in their wedding) was also in town. We all went to the Mariners Game.

At the beer garden before the Mariners Game.

Jennie, Allison & Me

Ben, Amrit, Jennie, Allison & Me

All of us again. We really did make it to the game.

Trying on hats the Mariners Store.

Girl's Weekend

2009-08-09T23:19:00.001-07:00

I went to Arizona (Chandler to be exact) for Girl's Weekend 2009 at Kelli Blubaum's house! We had so much fun. On Saturday there was a baby shower for Kelli who will be welcoming a baby girl the beginning of September. Kelli & Shawn just recently bought a new house so it was fun to see their new place. We enjoyed floating in their pool too! Cole even made a few appearances before & after enjoying a boy's weekend with Daddy at a local resort.

Me with Kelli

We were all bridesmaids in Kelli & Shawn's wedding.

Beth, Catherine, Kelli, Kristie, Kristi & Amy

Conehead...

2009-07-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

Riley injured herself while playing with her friend Mason at the lake on Friday. My Mom had to take her to the vet where she had three stitches. While her injury heals she is sporting a very cool cone on her head. Thought everyone might like to see how she looks.

Budapest, Hungary

2009-07-02T17:32:00.000-07:00

I LOVED Budapest.

The cities are so beautiful and the weather was amazing. I says cities because Budapest is actually two cities - Buda & Pest. They are separated by the Danube river.

I found these when I was walking along the river. This is a memorial called the Shoes on the Danube. This depicts the shoes that the Budapest Jews left behind when they fell into the river after having been shot World War II.

Heroes' Square

St. Stephen's Basilica

Budapest Opera House

The Great Synagogue

A monument and I have no idea what it is called.

Statue of Liberty on Gellert Hill

Central Market Hall

House of Terror. This museum is located in the former headquarters for the secret police of both the Nazi & Communist Governments.

Soviet Tank and portraits of the victims of this building.

The Hall of Tears - in memory of the 25,000 that died in 1956 in the Hungarian Massacre.

The Cave Church

The Monument Park. This outdoor museum is home to the Hungarian Communist Statues.

Parliament

Buda Castle during the day...

Buda Castle at night...

Transportation to the Buda Castle.

It was windy up there. Here is another self portrait Kelli!

The Chain Bridge

Moscow, Russia

2009-07-01T20:38:00.000-07:00

Here is the KGB Headquarters. It use to be open for tours, however, the Russian Government decided to close it and no reason was given.

Not so secret entry way to an underground bunker???

Tomb of the Unknown Solider

Karl Marx

Self-explanatory. I was shocked it was written in English.
When I was at the museum I learned that the Russians were first to land on the Moon. At least that is what they say. Obviously the Americans have a different point of view on this issue.

These are Lock Trees. When couples get married they put a lock on one of these trees and throw the key into the river.

The Statue Park that was shown on the Amazing Race. Where the contestants had to count how many Lenin and Stalin statues were in the park.

Stalin

Stalin & Lenin

They also had some really odd statues in the park. Naturally we could not read the history behind them.

This is a statue in honor of Peter the Great.

We went down 20 stories to tour a Soviet Bunker. This is a model of the bunker. In one of the tunnels.

Funny costume time...

These photos are from the National Exhibition Center.

The Iversky (Resurrection) Gate that leads into Red Square.

During the day...

At night...

I am standing on the 0 km mark. This is where all the measurements in Moscow start from.

Lenin Mausoleum

State Historical Museum during the day...

State Historical Museum at night...

Shopping Mall on Red Square

Kremlin

The largest canon in the world (according to our guide).

The tour group - Olivia, Paul, Dave, Me, Kelly, Angela & Colin

The largest bell in the world (according to our guide).

It cracked.

There was a parade at the Kremlin the day we were there.

St. Basil's - my second favorite building in Russia.

The tour group again - Olivia, Paul, Dave, Kelly, Angela, Me & Colin.

During the day...

At night...

The tour group once more - Olivia, Olga (our tour guide), Paul, Me, Dave, Kelly, Angela & Colin.

Novodevichy Convent at night

When you think your job sucks...

2009-07-01T20:34:00.000-07:00

Take a look at this lady. Her office is in a port-a-potty and she collects money for use of the toilet next door.

Vladimir & Suzdal, Russia

2009-06-27T16:52:00.000-07:00

My tour group before we boarded our overnight train to Vladimir.

Colin, Me, Dave, Kelly, Olivia, Paul & Angela

Our guide Olga tried to teach us a Russian card game called Russian Fool. None of us were able to catch on - it was very confusing. I came in third and I have no idea how I accomplished that.

My seat on the train. We were on the train from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m.

The entire train car was open.

Here is my bed for the night - actually only until 3 a.m.

Angela is showing off our dinner for the night - bread, wheel of salami & Gouda.

We went to Suzdal, an adorable little village. We toured the Spaso-Yevfimiyev Monastery, which is not an active monastery.

The guy in this picture "rings" the bells.

These are fresco paintings.

At some point in the cathedral's history it was used as a prison. These are bullet holes from that time period.

Beautiful scenic photo.

This lady was selling pickles out of the baby stroller.

This man was playing the accordion.

The Kremlin in Suzdal. A Kremlin is a cathedral.

We went to a Russian Banya (Sauna). It was VERY hot and we could only stay in for a short while.

This was the cooling off tub.

Steamy sauna.

When you are in the sauna you wipe the wet Birch leaves on your skin.

Statue in Vladimir.

Scenic view in Vladimir.

This was a group of Kindergarten students who had just graduated.

This is my hotel in Vladimir.

This is my building.

These ducks live on the property.

Heading off to dinner.

Me, Olivia, Paul, Angela & Colin

St. Petersburg, Russia

2009-06-27T15:09:00.001-07:00

In St. Petersburg they have phenomena called the White Nights. For several weeks it never really gets dark. I took this photo at 12:30 a.m.

This is a typical Communist Building.

Across the street from my hotel there was a park. Here is a sign explaining the park. Feel free to read it...it is in Russian.

Some local fishermen.

The Russian's love statues. Here are some statues that were in the park across from my hotel.

This was my favorite statue. Some bird really did a number on this poor guy.

The flowers were beautiful and I could not resist taking a photo of them.

This is a lighthouse located on Vasilyevsky Island.

The Kazan Cathedral. It was modeled after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

This ship is called the Aurora.

This is the Peterhof Gardens. It was the summer residence of the royal family built in the 18th century. It was almost completely destroyed by the Nazi during WWII but then it was restored.

This fountain is gilded in gold.

This is the pyramid fountain.

Me at the Gulf of Finland.

According to legend if you rub the foot of this statue it is good luck.

This is a Russian squirrel. They are not grey like ours back home - these are red.

Leading out to the Gulf of Finland.

St. Peter & Paul Fortress. St. Petersburg was founded by Peter the Great. The fortress is the birth place of the city.

Gilded in gold.

Tombs of the Romanov's.

Tsar Nicholas II and his family are buried here. They were murdered by the secret police. There were rumors that their daughter Anastasia might have survived, however, this has been proven to be incorrect.

St. Isaac Cathedral

Inside the Cathedral.
More items gilded in gold.

Mosaic tile.

The Hermitage across the River Neva. This museum contains works of art from all over the world.

Gilded pillars.

Mosaic tile.

Peacock Clock.
Jade Urn
The Crouching Boy by Michelangelo
Madonna & Child by Leonardo Da Vinci
Renoir
Lady in the Garden by Claude Monet
The Church on Spilled Blood. This was my favorite building in Russia!!

The inside was floor to ceiling mosaic tile.

Russian Shows

2009-06-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

In Russia I went to three shows - Ballet, Folk Show & Circus.

In St. Petersburg I went to Swan Lake. It was written by Tchaikovsky and based on Russian folk tales.

In St. Petersburg we also went to a Russian Cossacks Show. It featured Russian dancing and music. During the intermission they served us champagne and caviar.

This is one HUGE guitar.

In Moscow we went to the Circus. Thankfully, there was only one clown and he did not look too much like a typical clown.

They had all sorts of live animals in the lobby of the theatre.

The Cat Lady was amazing. I am not sure how she was able to get the cats to perform but they were fantastic.

Stockholm, Sweden

2009-06-27T09:59:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of me with my traveling partner. It was raining but he insisted on wearing his sunglasses.

I spent a lot of time walking around Gamla Stan. It is an adorable island in the middle of Stockholm.

This was a really odd figure that I found just walking around. Not really sure what this is suppose to represent but I had to take a photo.

When I was in town all the high school students were graduating. It must be a tradition to rent a dump truck and drive around the city blaring music and drinking beer because that is what they all did.

This is the smallest statue in Stockholm. He is an orphan boy. In the winter old ladies knit hats and scarfs for the little guy so he can stay warm.

I thought this was an adorable phone booth.

View from City Hall Tower.

The bells that chime on the hour.

This is the brick corridors that you have to walk up to reach the top of the tower.

The Nobel Awards banquet is held in City Hall every December.

The person who created this chandelier did not think that electricity was an invention that would last so they only ran electricity to every other outlet. This way if electricity did not succeed they could use the other outlets which ran on oil.

This ceiling was inspired by a viking ship.

This is the Gold Room. It is floor to ceiling mosaic tile.

This is the outside of the Vasa Museum. The Vasa was a ship that sank on her maiden voyage in 1628. The masts show how tall the ship was. The ship was brought up from the bottom of Stockholm Harbor and reconstructed in the museum.

This is one of the lifeboats.

This was the equipment that the salvage divers used.

This is a checkers game from the ship.

Here I am with some of my friends.

Happy 2nd Birthday Wes!

2009-06-26T22:59:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Wes!! Wes turns 2 on Saturday! Becca & John planned Wes' birthday party when we were in town visiting.

Wes had Thomas the Train birthday cupcakes.

As you can tell by the pictures below Wes really enjoyed sticking his fingers in the cupcakes.

The birthday party was a joint party with Wes' friend Jack. The green cupcakes were for Jack.

The Wonderful World of Wes

2009-06-23T19:05:00.003-07:00

Wes is almost 2 and is one busy little boy.

Even though he has cups for beverages he likes to drink water like this.

The dog enjoys drinking water just like Wes.

Wes loves his dog Morgan who he calls Mimi.

He loves the playground and will go down all the slides all by himself.

Grandpa went down them after Wes.

He enjoys swinging on anything he can find to swing on.

I helped Wes learn how to use the "fireman's pole." He can't quite grab it on his own so he would ask for "more pole" when he wanted to go down again. I thought it was funny every time he asked for it.

When we were out to dinner he enjoyed sucking on a lemon and making funny faces.

So grown up!

He has lots of teeth!

Becca bought Wes a ball pit blow up castle. He has so much fun in there.

He also loves the sandbox.

Burying his head in the sand.

Movies, Movies & More Movies

2009-06-23T19:05:00.001-07:00

Wes loves to run and run and then run some more. He is always on the go and busy with something.

John & Becca are starting him early with chores. He is responsible for mowing the lawn and wanted to show off his skills when we were visiting.

I took him to the playground and he LOVED throwing rocks. I loved listening to him laugh so hard each time he did it.

Wes LOVES the water

2009-06-23T18:54:00.001-07:00

I think Wes might be the future Michael Phelps. He loves going to the pool and is absolutely fearless. He just jumps right in the water and insists he go down the slides by himself.

The Fam (minus Katie-we wish you were with us)

2009-06-22T22:38:00.000-07:00

Mom, Hailey, Dad, Wes, Me, John & Becca

Back Home

2009-06-22T21:47:00.003-07:00

I had a fantastic time on vacation, however all good things must come to an end so I am back home. I have tons and tons of photos but it will take me a little while to get them all sorted and posted. In the meantime, I thought I would share some adorable photos of my niece and nephew - Hailey & Wes. Enjoy!

Here is a funny video of Morgan (the dog). She loves racing through the fields behind their house.

Baby Hailey

2009-06-22T21:43:00.000-07:00

Hailey is now 4 weeks old. She is just beautiful and so cuddly. I loved snuggling with her.

Proud Papa!

Mother & Daughter!

What a sweet sleeping baby.

Wide a awake. This did not happen very often. I am amazed at how much little babies sleep.

The shoes are obviously way to big for her feet right now but I could not resist putting them on her and taking a picture.

Leaving Budapest and heading to Germany

2009-06-16T09:41:00.000-07:00

I leave tomorrow morning to head to Germany and visit with John, Becca, Wes & Hailey. Can't wait to meet Hailey and see how much Wes has grown since the last time I saw him. I had a wonderful time in Budapest. The weather was fantastic and I saw so many sites around the two cities (Buda & Pest). As can be expected I have taken tons and tons of pictures. So many in fact that I had to buy another memory card when I had a layover in Kiev. Can't wait to post them when I get home and write little stories about my adventures.

Greetings from Budapest!

2009-06-15T02:06:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Budapest yesterday afternoon. The weather is beautiful and I have really enjoyed walking along the river. I have a lot of sites on my list to see today and tomorrow. I had a fabulous time in Russia and can't wait to share my pictures when I get home.

Moscow

2009-06-11T03:02:00.000-07:00

We just arrived in Moscow. We left Valdimir this morning and drove to Moscow. The Russian Sauna was so much fun and VERY hot! In about an hour we are going to Red Square. Saturday we are going to the Kremlin, touring a Soviet Bunker and doing a night tour of Moscow. Tomorrow is the Russian Independance Day so that will be quite an experience. I can't wait to see St. Basil's which is the very well known Catherdral that is photographed a lot. Tomorrow night we are also going to the Russian Circus (Kelli I will take some pictures of clowns for you) - just kidding. In St. Petersburg we went to a Cossacks Show which is a Russian Folk Show. They dancing was very cool to see.
I leave on Sunday to head to Budapest and then on to BitBurg to visit with John, Becca, Wes & Hailey!.

st petersburg

2009-06-07T22:06:00.000-07:00

i am in st petersburg. we went on a city tour yesterday and then went to the hermitage museum. it has an amazing collection of art from around the world. then we went to the ballet and saw swan lake. more touring today and then to a russian folk show.

Stockholm continued

2009-06-05T11:12:00.001-07:00

The weather was better today. It rained a bit in the morning and the sun came out in the late afternoon. I went to City Hall and climbed the 395 steps to the top of the tower. It was very windy up there but the view was beautiful. Then I went on a tour of City Hall and saw where the Nobel Awards Banquet is held every December. Then I walked around the adorable area called Gamla Stan. They have cobble stone streets and light posts. Next I walked to Djurgarden and visited the Vasa Museum. Vasa is a ship that sunk on its maiden voyage in 1628. It is HUGE and was very interesting to see. I am going to go to bed early tonight since the time change really hit me today. Off to St. Petersburg tomorrow. Not sure how accessible the internet will be but I will try to update my blog.

Stockholm, Sweden

2009-06-04T11:39:00.001-07:00

I made it! My flight from DC to Copenhagen was delayed 3 hours due to weather. We sat on the runway waiting for air traffic control to reopen the flight routes to Europe. I think they were being extra cautious due to what happened with the Air France flight. It wasn't too bad though they gave us drinks and we watched movies. I missed my flight to Stockholm but they rebooked without any problems. It is rainy, windy & cold here in Stockholm - just like winter back home. I can't believe I left 90 degree weather to end up in the rain. Oh well that did not stop me from sightseeing today and I will be back out there again tomorrow. I leave Saturday morning for St. Petersburg - hoping for no rain there.