Budapest, Hungary

This Mid-term break in February we were supposed to go to Sharm El Shiek & Cairo Egypt with new friends the Fikes. We had set up hotels at The Ritz Carlton and Mena House Oberoi at the base of the Pyramids - but as fate would have it, there was to be a historic revolution instead. Riots and chaos were abound and it wasn't safe for foreigners to travel. The US and the UK put warnings to citizens not to travel there. So we had to scramble and come up with a new game plan. At first everyone was worried about refunds - luckily I got back either all my money or got credit on the airline. No small feat I can say.

We wanted sun but the Canary Islands seemed iffy - our friends all ended up going to Dubai (about 6 families that were to go to Egypt) but since we had been there last year it didn't make sense (nor could we spare the cost to our pocketbook) to go again. I polled a bunch of friends and our good friends the Folan's were going to Budapest - I always wanted to go there anyway so we took our credit from our flights.

It was not disappointing in that it was so beautiful, even in the freezing cold. However you could really get a sense of the Eastern Block and what it might have looked like back in the day. Although it was very gray you could make out the pretty colors and amazing architecture of the city. Another place to tick off my very long list of places to see in this beautiful world.

Pinewood Derby 2011

Another Pinewood Derby has come and gone.... Lucas got 2nd in his Den... Ian's car didn't place but it was a darn cute car, and they had a parents race, but Mike helped so many others with their cars this year we didn't have time to do our own - so we recycled and used one of Chandler's old ones!! All the wheels stayed on so it works.... good times

Margie's 40th

We had a very fun Surprise 40th Birthday Party for Margie at our house - it was really great fun and she was super surprised!! Pictures are worth 1000% words....

Me & Jen

Margie & The Selkirks

The Boys

Me, Jen, Margie, Kathy

The Girls (channeling Charlie's Angels)

Dancing Queen & Her Main Man

ABBA

Farrah (Sharee) & Me

Welcome Back Kotter (Andy) or Greg Brady & Mike

One Groovy Couple

First Snow Day 2010

Well I had received the text from the school at 6:30AM saying School is Cancelled! Not surprised as before we had gone to bed we must have gotten at least 4 inches of snow! It's so weird not growing up in a snow area to be living in one. However I don't think it is typical as with just 3 inches of snow the whole county shuts down!

But it was a great day - I love being able to stay at home, I cooked all day - all the kids had friends over - I think I counted 14 kids total in my house. We had homemade cinnamon rolls, and made the kids pasta for lunch and a couple stayed on for dinner. The girls even came back for a sleep over!

We also were given notification early at 5:30 tonight that school is cancelled for tomorrow as well - nice to know early - as I don't actually sleep much when I know I have to keep my phone beside my bed and wait to see if I need to kick the kids out the door for school.

I'm actually happy - I feel like I needed a break - even though the kiddies are all home, the regular hustle and bustle of piano, dance, practice, pick ups, drop offs, cub scouts, boy scouts, seminary, chores, babysitters, grocery shopping, meetings, meetings, meetings was wearing me out.

I'm thankful my internet is just fine - perhaps I'll get some Christmas shopping done!!



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Snow Days in Surrey

One thing my kids love about living here - is SNOW DAYS! We had a horrible snow storm yesterday - they cancelled school at noon - the buses were a mess, cars are sliding all over the place - the kids love it and came right home and got out snow clothes!

Tristan really liked it too - she caught snowflakes in her hands! Today they went to school but it got super cold and ice everywhere! Their bus didn't even make it up the street to bring them home.

We are expecting 3 inches of snow overnight - or so the kids hope - they are sleeping with their pj's inside out! One of them is still roaming around I keep telling them to go to bed! They may still have school!



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I think Tristy looks just like my mom in this picture!

Duncans Farewell

Just catching up so it will be all out of date - we celebrated for Susan & Brad Duncan as they are returning back to the States in a couple weeks. When people move here it goes fast! It is such a bummer - they are such a great family. The theme was Naughty or Nice - I told Tyler "I don't think I can dress Naughty" so she said... "So you're just going as yourself?" hmmm, I'm hoping that implies 'nice'!!!!

Happy Birthday Tristan!

I am so so so so far behind - I can't believe I've almost abandoned my blog! But here is my attempt to start back slowly - Last week Tristan turned 2 years old! I can't believe it - it seems like she's always been in our lives. She is so special and sweet - and a doll. She loves Minnie Mouse and her MM Wellies (rain boots). She is happy and lights up a room when she walks into it. We are so lucky to have her in our house - Happy Birthday Tristan!

I have a lot of catching up to do!

In Transit

I'm still here and we moved but my internet didn't make the move so I've been going to my good friend Alisha's to use her WiFi - so stay tuned!!......

Warwick Castle

Since I'm working backward anyway here's what we did on Tuesday.... I drove the boys & Tristan 2 hours north to Warwickshire to Warwick Castle - we have these Merlin passes so I've been taking them to all their locations this summer getting my monies worth! All of the other places are theme parks - Chessington World of Adventures, Legoland Windsor & Thorpe Park - but they also own this castle, The London Eye and Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum - yep, we hit 'em all this summer - the closer ones more than once!

It was fun - they had jousting and a trebuchet and you could climb to the top of the ramparts and walk in the castle. It's beautiful land and a nice place to take the kids. They had birds of prey on display - and did a little show with them - I actually got hit by a bald eagle!! I have it on video - I never seem to have luck uploading videos onto to my blog but will try once again - but I was further away from the center of the demonstration than the kids on lower ground even - had my camera up videoing and the Eagle flew by me - or so I thought until it knocked down my camera and I had bird feathers on it!

The boys got to practice archery and it really was just a lovely day - this truly is a very nice country to be living in.
















Hooray success!

New Jersey

I have so much to catch up on - but I will have to just work backward. Chandler and I went to New Jersey to visit our old UK neighbors - they sadly moved away from us last summer so we had to go visit them! It was so much fun - I was really excited to go there as I've never gone before - but I have gone to NYC. New Jersey is beautiful where they live and they have such fun things - they belong to the Noe Pond Club which was fun - it's basically a private swim club, but it's a pond instead of a pool.

They also have a really nice Golf Club - seems like the kids have such fun places to go for the summer! I only got to stay for 5 days and I left Chandler there for 5 more - he flew home alone and he did fantastic! I got to go to NYC to see my BIL Ryan for dinner but it was so hot! We got to go to the Jersey Shore and went to Point Pleasant (like Santa Cruz), poor Chandler got a little sick so he didn't get to go to NYC for dinner, just as well it was SO hot there! Cathy took me shopping - I dropped a pretty penny in just 3 days - but got Chandler lots of clothes which he so needed.

He went to Boy Scout camp this summer and I was trying to get him to pack his clothes and I couldn't get him to get any clothes together - so I finally looked and it was because he didn't HAVE any clothes!! Poor kid!


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It was a terrific vacation and I needed it - even though it was short. My super babysitter Pauline watched the other 3 kiddies (Tyler is still in CA/UT) and they had a fantastic time. Chandler got to go to Six Flags Great Adventure - said he went on the tallest roller coaster - he was so excited about it. He also got to go into NYC and ate at hmm, forgot the name of the diner, but the waiters all sing, went to the top of the Marriott Marquis in the elevator to see the city. Went to Broadway because Donnie's friend is in Billy Elliott so they dropped him off for rehearsal, went to the Empire State Building & Macy's - all full days and so much fun with great friends!!!