Paris, Day 1

We arrived in Paris about 1 pm and took an uber ride to our flat and got settled in. It is right by the Seine river and downtown. We decided that since there was a laundry mat about 2 blocks away we would do laundry first.  Of course we know no French so we're thankful when some lady took pity on us and taught us how to operate the machines. Our have to go to this box and key in your machine and pay then it will turn on the washer.  

After getting laundry done we walked around for soulless miles through the streets and the down to the Louve to see it.  We wnded up taking a boat cruise tonight to get aclamated to where things are and distances.  We have a good plan on what to do over the next couple days.  

  

  Love all the architecture. 

  The lock bridge.

 

London day 3

I was going to post this morning on the train ride to Paris, but there was no wifi and we were underground for most of the ride so I couldn't access data.  So to play catch up, our last full day in London entailed us riding the underground out to Abby Road so we could walk across the crossing.  It is a busy road so tourists attempt to take pictures in any breaks from the cars.  Nothing like risking your life for a photo.

   

After taking the underground back over by London Bridge, we went to Borough Market and walked around for several hours.  I bought a very cool wood bowl made from olive wood that I now have to ship home because it weighs down my backpack.  

  

After the market, we hoped on a boat ride that took back to Westminster Abbey where we walked through shops and through awesome little streets.  The streets are very narrow  where only one car fits so they are trying to squeeze by each other at times.  The drivers in London are scary, but dang good.  Never saw a single wreck in London.  

 

I love the doors in London, actually they are the same here in Paris.  The door knob is low and in the center of the door.  They are all colorful to all the brick and marble buildings.  Being here has made me realize how modern and young America is.  

   

 This is the place we stayed at in London.  We are using Airbnb for all out flats on the trip and have been really pleased with them so far.  

 The royal carriage.   This is the monument I climbed up the other day, realized I didn't have a picture of the outside. 

 This is what remains of an old church that was destroyed during the blitz in WW2. 

Friday morning we packed up and hoped aboard the Eurail to Paris.  It is crazy to think we were going about 180 mph on the train.  Didn't seem like it at all. 

Day 2 London

Today we went out to Kensington Palace, such a beautiful place.  Loved that the flower gardens are all done in white in memory of the 20th anniversary of Diana's death.  We also got to see an exhibit of hr gowns,  just beautiful.  After that we took the underground back over to tower bridge area.  We went and saw the Crown Jewels and walked around Tower of London. From there we went to the top of Sky Garden, if you come to London reserve a time to go up.  It is free, just have to reserve your spot.  Such a great view.  Then it was off to climb the steps of the monument!  311 seps up a spiral staircase.  The view was amazing, but walking out on the bservation deck was a little over whelmingfor me as I am terrified of heights, but eventually I made it around.     

 After the monument, it was on to Tower Bridge.  We went up inside, and up on the upper To decks they have a glass floor.  If I thought the observation deck was difficult, then walking across the glass floor on this upper deck was even more difficult.  I was clinging to the sides for dear life.  It was very freaky to see the River Thames below with big ships going underneath.  We stopped in to walk through All Hallows' by the Tower church.  A very old church where John Quincy Adams was married.  I really love the old structures and the ceilings in these buildings.   Then it was off to the HMS Belfast, a WW2 Battleship.  It rained most of the day today, but was so humid and about 65 degrees.  

   

People everywhere, fast paced hustle and bustle.  Really looking forward to getting to Lautterbrunen after Paris and just being able to rela and chill for a few days.  

We realized how expensive things are here for American items.  This 54 ounce bag of Skittles, was 39.99 pounds, or $51.76 in US dollars.    they would have to be pretty tasty skittles for that price, because They sell for about $14.00 for the bag at home.  

  Exhausted, and ready for bed.  Put almost 26,000 steps on the Fitbit today. 

London

Yesterday was our first full day in London.  The underground subway system is the best way to get around, but be prepared.  I felt like a cow being lead to slaughter and if you get out of line your your trampled to earth.  People are on a mission here for sure.  It felt like robots programmed watching the morning commuter.  No emotion, very serious if not angry looking faces from everyone with their headphones in, moving along to get where they needed to go.  Even on the escalators going in and coming out of the subway, lined up one on every step just moving along.  

Our adventures today included the hop on, hop off service, but it took us awhile to figure out where the pickup point was outside off Waterloo station, but eventually we found. It, then we were off and running for the day. We went to Buckingham Palace first where the people were cry to say the least.  Literally thousands of people lined up to watch the changing off the guards, but then we found out it wouldn't be happening because there was an official visit happening.  From there we went around on the bus to Wet Minster Abby and spent time going through it.  What a beautiful place!  They don't allow photography inside.  Sir Issac Newton and Charles Darwin are buried in the floor inside along with many others in the tombs.  The lines moved very fast.

One major thing I learned to day is that garbage cans are very rare things in London.  We have been amazed at the trash everywhere, but then realized after packing my trash around why people litter so much.  When I asked a store keeper bout it, the reasoning was that it is a safety issue.  In the 70's Ireland would place bombs in the trash recepticals and so they were outlawed.  There are employees that do nothing but go around and pick up trash all day.   Restrooms are also very hard to find and when you do the lines are long.  I have to say my fear is I won't know how to opporate the toilet in flushing it or figure out how to use the faucets!  I know this sounds funny, but they re pretty high tech compared to ours.  Most of them wash and dry right in the sink.  You put your hand under To sense water, but then you wave your hand under the sensor and it starts blowing air to dry your hands.  Took some getting use to for sure.  

We spent some time in Piccadilly square at the end of the day, eating dinner and jut walking around.  It is much like the time square of London.  So many tourist for me.  It was nice to get back to our room.  We re tying in Air BnB places this trip.  London is the only place we are staying in a house with other people.  The host is very nice and there are usually two or three other guests each night.  Our room is very nice and comfortable.  It feels good to get back to our room at night just to relax and plan what to do for the next day.  

I will have to go back and add photos as I can't get them off my small camera, but I can off my larger camera.  

 

  

Whipped!

Megan and I are both exhausted.  In our room waiting for a decent time to be able to go to bed.  We both got a couple hours sleep on the plane ride over.  We were too excited on the ride from Minneapolis to Reykjavik, but from Reykjavik to London were able to sleep off any on.  The crusty thing was knowing that it was the middle of the night at home and it was already the middle of the day here.  Tonight we just walked around the area we are staying and will belong to bed early.  Traveling is exhausting.  My first impression of London is dirty.  We ate chicken at Nandos tonight.  We both ordered the mild chicken but it was very spicy. 

Now to sit and figure out our game plan for tomorrow before I fall asleep.  

Trip of a lifetime!

Last Friday night I finished working on my Master's in Addiction Counseling Degree.  I was so excited to be done with college and not having to spend my evenings studying and freaking out about completing assignments after working all day.  However, as excited as I am to be done with school, the best part happens on Sunday, May 14.  Megan and I will leave for Europe.  We (I actually mean she for the most part) have been planning this trip for about the last 7 months.  The trip has been a dream of both of ours for about the last ten years and we finally decided that we were just going to do it.  As we were trying to decide on dates our trip kept expanding.  We originally thought about 10 days, then 14 but finally settled on 21 days.  We both wish we actullly planned for another week as we are still cutting out things that we don't have time for.  

We booked airline tickets so we knew the dates.  then we started searching out the route we wanted to take and reserving AirBnB apartments along the route. We ordered train tickets and reserved seats on the busy trains.  The last step of the process has been making reservations and buying tickets for things that we want to see and do.  I will be posting about our trip along the way and sharing lots of pictures.  On Sunday, Sam will drive us to Bismarck where we will fly out.  Minneapolis and then on to Reykjavik , Iceland before going on to London, England.  I will update this and post about our journey along the way on here.  

How life changes!

I have to say that I forgot I had this blog until I came across it a couple weeks ago. I was amazed I haven't been here since 2010. Oh the changes in those 3 years! My grandson is now 4, his younger sister, Brayleigh, is going to turn 2 this weekend and he has a new baby sister, Brienna, is 2 months old already! I am now an LCPC, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. I have a full time job working at the school as a therapist working with K-2 grade kids. I ventured out just about a year ago and challenged myself into starting my private practice. When I was going to college the thought of being a counselor was not really an area I figured I would go. I wasn't sure that I would like helping others work through their issues. But after I got out of college I had a lot of student loan debt and realized that if I got my counseling license I would be able to apply to the National Health Service Corp for loan repayment. I got a job that allowed for loan repayment and got my license and then apply to the NHSC and was accepted for loan repayment. I worked the two year commitment for the loan repayment and found I love my job in working with kids. I still don't enjoy the paperwork part of the job but deal with it. Last year I saw a need for a private practice but didn't know if I had the self-confidence and drive to what it would take to start my private practice, but pushed forward through the paperwork and learning what it took to start my own practice. I found an office, ordered furniture and let a few people know I was hanging out my single. I was as full as I wanted to be within the first couple months. Now I am really full and keeping busy. I have to say I love my job and am so glad I went down this path. Looking back on the past 3 years, I would have never guessed I would be where I am right now. Now onto some cute update pictures because what is a blog post without pictures!! I will try to post more now that I remember having a blog!! I love this picture! Jerad, Braydon, Brayleigh I will have to get an updated picture of Brienna but here is one from when she was born!

wow I am bad

I am such a bad blogger. Humm July 2009, well since then I have turned another year older. Still working at the same job, wrecked my Honda. Brayden has celebrated his first Christmas and his first birthday! Birthday for Brayden was great. He is walking and on the move now.

I am in the process of studying for my LCPC exam and have been studying like crazy because I am hoping to get to take the test in May. Study, study study, that is my life now.

I will have to post some quilt tops I finished recently. I am trying to work on getting a bunch of old unfinished projects completed.

Summer

Wow I haven't updated here in a long time. Brayden is getting so big, rolling over and jabbering away. Hard to believe he is already 5 1/2 months old. He is just over 20# already and growing like a weed.

Summer is in full swing and keeping busy with work. I am really enjoying the summer program, taking the kids to the park and pool. Really trying to teach them to use the social skills that we have been working on to learn to play with other kids. I am amazed how many kids just don't know how to play and interact with other children because they don't really do it anymore. They don't "play" together, but rather sit and watch each other do video games or watch tv when they are at home.

Hard to believe that school will be starting back up in just over a month. Summer has good really fast this year. Amanda, Brayden and I did a trip out to Wisconsin in June. In July, Sam, Jerad and I took a vacation down to Rapid City and Mt. Rushmore to watch the fireworks. So not a fun time as we had to hike about 3 miles from our vehicle up the hill to Mt. Rushmore, than wait in the grass sitting with thousands of other people for about 5 hours till it got dark enough. Just as it was time to light the fireworks off, the fog rolled in and we didn't even get to see anything except the fog turning differnt hues of the colors. So we had to hike down the road again to our car. The fireworks would have been spectacular if we had gotten to see them. The day was beautiful though, and our trip was great, relaxing and enjoyable just getting to hang out.

Holy Cow

I am so bad about updating my blog. I have found facebook and am loving staying connected to my friends and family on a daily basis. Spring is in the air here in eastern Montana. I spent all last weekend working on my garden. Last year I just had a smaller garden and found I needed a bigger one this year. Sam helped me drag railroad ties around and set up a much bigger raised garden.

My neighbor has a tractor so he was nice enough to come over and dig up dirt and move it around. I got some of my cucumbers and squash planted. Sam helped me get some flower beds dug up and stuff moved around. I can't wait to have some nice weekends to get some stuff growing and planted. Too bad this coming weekend is supposed to be rainy and even a chance of snow.

So now for some Brayden news. He is growing like a weed. His eyes are still a vivid blue and this grandma is hoping they stay that way. Hard to believe he is over 2 months old already. He is so much fun to hang out with becuase he giggles and smiles about everything.