Europe, here we come!!!!

Dave and I just booked a 23 day trip to Europe this summer! We are so excited we can barely sleep (literally, the night we bought the plane ticket I was awake for a large portion of the night just out of sheer excitement). Our flight is as follows:

Monday, June 27, 2011
United Airlines # 8516 Operated by: AIR CANADA -- AC 756 - Please check in with the operating carrier

San Francisco International (SFO) to Toronto Pearson International (YYZ)
Departure (SFO): June 27, 12:30 PM PDT (afternoon)
Arrival (YYZ): June 27, 8:21 PM EDT (evening)

Monday, June 27, 2011
Air Canada # 836

Toronto Pearson International (YYZ) to Madrid Barajas (MAD)
Departure (YYZ): June 27, 9:45 PM EDT (evening)
Arrival (MAD): June 28, 11:10 AM CEST (morning

Wednesday, July 20, 2011 Swiss # 8 Zurich (ZRH) to Chicago O'Hare International (ORD) Departure (ZRH): July 20, 12:55 PM CEST (afternoon) Arrival (ORD): July 20, 3:35 PM CDT (afternoon) Class: Economy ORD Wednesday, July 20, 2011 United Airlines # 153 Chicago O'Hare International (ORD) to San Francisco International (SFO) Departure (ORD): July 20, 6:30 PM CDT (evening) Arrival (SFO): July 20, 9:01 PM PDT (evening) We are still mapping out our destinations, but here's what we have so far.  We start in Madrid, Spain and end in Zurich, Switzerland. Our trip begins in Madrid and Toledo (they are right next to each other).  There are some great sites to see in Madrid and Toledo is the ancient capital of the country, so we'll spend a few days there. Then, we'll take a flight (flying is now cheaper and quicker in Europe.  Dave and I can fly between cities and countries for less than $60 a couple!) to Seville. Seville is famous for the Flamenco dancing.  We'll spend a few days there and hope to catch a Flamenco show. We'll head just 30 mins south to Jerez de la Frontera where Sherry (the wine) originated. They have unique wineries there that will be fun to tour. We'll take a bus to Lagos which is on the coast in southern Portugal.  Lagos is a resort town where the national surfing championships are held. The beaches are supposed to be spectacular.  We will then head North to Lisbon, Portugal's capital for the history and culture of the country.  finally, a flight to Barcelona will land us back in Spain.  A few days in Barcelona will conclude our western Europe stay.  Next we fly to Venice, Italy. We will land in Venice, Italy and spend a few days exploring this amazing city. From Venice, we'll take a train to Milan, and spend a day there before heading to Torino.  In Torino, we'll visit with Dave's Italian family that he lived with while living there 12 years ago! It will be great to catch up (for Dave) and for me to meet them,  From Torino we'll head north through Swizerland.  Some of our major stops in Switzerland will be the quaint town of Inerlaken at the base of the Alps. In Interlaken, we will be going canyoning. Click here http://www.outdoor-interlaken.ch/en/tour/49/canyoning-interlaken to find out more about canyoning. Driving north towards Zurich, we'll also stop in Lucerne - another quaint town with lots of history. Zurich will be our final destination before we head home.

Since flights are so cheap and countries are so close, we may throw in a few more destination (Morocco, Austria, or Germany).  Once we narrow down our itinerary, we'll know better.  We also want to keep it somewhat open to allow for adventure. This will be a challenge since we will be staying with people who will be expecting us at certain times, and flying in between countries which require advance booking.  We'll keep you updated!

Bon Voyage!!

Sled Games 2010

This year Dave and I headed up the first annual Sled Games.  The rules were simple - each couple was in charge of making a sled using items in the garage. Supplies were allowed to be purchased, but no more than $5 was allowed to be spent.  Also, no pre-existing sled was allowed to be used in the process.  The competition was multi-faceted. You could win an award in any of the four following categories: Speed, distance, best design, and the show off award (consisting of tricks and jumps).

So, on Wednesday the sleds were made and on Thursday the whole family went up to Butte Meadows to start the competition.  We had a fire pit going to keep warm along with hot tea.  My parents were the judges - let the games begin!!  Brittany and Anthony crafted their sled out of a pool mat and a wood frame. Unfortunately, their sled didn't, ...well, ....sled. Cassie and Bill's sled was an up-side-down ironing board with roasting pans glued to the bottom.  To craft a seat, they used a laundry basket.  My little brother David's sled came complete with a flag on top. He used a piece of plywood with a lawn chair on top.  Half of a bucket completed the front of his sled.  Dave and I used a scrap of linolium we picked up from Lowes and constructed a wood frame with rope handles to brace ourselves. As you can see, the pictures describe the rest.

Ornament Exchange

Dave and I started the tradition last year of giving each other an ornament every Christmas.  We exchange ornaments the day we decorate the tree.  I had to laugh this year (and last) about how much our personalities come out in the exchange.  Dave always gets me a very sentimental ornament, and mine are usually silly.  Opposites attract, right? =)

Here's us decorating the tree this year and the ornaments we got each other.  Dave's gift to me was a prayer angel.  He said he was inspired because of how much I pray - for us, for family, etc.  I got him.....a BBQ.  Because a BBQ was a special gift this year and Dave loves his steak, I felt like this ornament was fitting. Please excuse  my hair - this was after a long day of playing in the snow.  We both still have our thermals on.  Oh, and our tree is a little Charlie-Brownish.  It was snowing hard and we had been looking and hiking for a while.  This tree was originally like 20+ feet tall and we took the top off of it, so we couldn't really see what it looked like until we cut it down.  Branches were injured in the process.

Christmas Tree Cutting

This past weekend we went up to the mountains to get a Christmas tree.  It was the first time testing out the 4-wheel drive in our new car.  She handled like a champ.  We had a blast with my sister, her husband, and my little brother. It was snowing pretty heavily, but we enjoyed the scenery and played until we got too hold to stay out any longer.  Hot tea and Christmas music made our ride home warm and peaceful.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving this year was a blast. We spent it in Chester with the Chester Corys!  The day was spent playing basketball, eating lots of food, putting up lights, walks through the snow, and a movie and apple pie to finish it off.  The pictures tell the rest!

The most traveled day of the year!

All you Thanksgiving travelers, enjoy your flight with all the new TSA inspections going on.  I hope these bumber stickers brighten your day.

(Yes, they are edited by me for appropriateness)