Summer Vacation

We got back from our cruise/trip to Italy and Switzerland awhile ago, but I have not had the time or energy to write about it. I spend (waste) lots of time looking at other blogs and then think 'My blog sucks'. I am having a lot of trouble trying to figure out what the new Mac system is that doesn't have word or iphoto which I used a ton on my old (faulty) hard drive.

Anyway, we started out the trip by driving to Lucerne, Switzerland. Our hotel was on the lake and it was a beautiful view.



We only spent one night there before heading to Civitavecchia (the port outside of Rome) and spent one night there in a small bed and breakfast before boarding our ship.



Here are the kiddos with Eric at Mt Etna in Sicily. Lachlan has always loved volcanoes, so we knew this excursion was going to be a hit and it was!




Here is Eric being a dork in Athens. I'd forgotten my camera on the bus when we went to the Acropolis, so you get a picture of an Olympic stadium. You're welcome.



This statue in the streets of Athens is made up of glass plates. Very interesting.

I've got a ton of pictures to post, but I need to weed through them a bit. The kids are doing great. We started homeschool last Monday (this is when the American school started here, so we decided to go ahead and start as well).

In which we travel to the US

We just got back from the good ole US.  We spent a week in Minnesota, travelled to Fargo (yes, the Fargo) to see my cousin tie the knot, and then went to Minot.  Eric spent a week there before flying back to Belgium and the kids and I stayed for another two weeks.

Our trip included some other cool things, besides a wedding.  We went to the lake, saw a lot of family, and got to visit the North Dakota State Fair (I know, you're jealous of this).  We ate a ton of food.  A metric ton.  Taco Johns, Dairy Queen, Starbucks...my word did we eat.  America corners the market on junk food, that is for sure!

Target and Barnes and Noble also have a few of our dollars, oh and did I mention we went to the Mall of America?

Now we are getting ready to travel again. We leave tomorrow for a night in Switzerland before going on to Rome and our week-long cruise in the Med. No, we aren't packed, thank you for asking.

I'm trying to include some pictures of this trip, but to say that my computer AND the internet are both giving me fits of rage would be the understatement of the year.

The little rugrat made her father some coasters in Pre-K for Father's Day.  Also included was a plastic shot glass with her picture taped to the bottom.  Just what every Dad needs!

It stormed pretty badly last week.  This is taken from the garage looking out across the street.  Oh how it poured!  Our basement flooded.  

Here are some lovely purple somethings that are growing in our yard.  

Oh, how I love my new camera!

Wordless Wednesday

Upcoming travel Plans!

We've got a few trips planned over the next few months.  I know these are subject to change, nothing is ever set in stone, but here's what we've got coming up!

• Minnesota and North Dakota for a month.  Woohoo, Starbucks!
• Mediterranean cruise.  We're planning to drive to Rome, spending the night in Switzerland on the way, cruising from Rome to Sicily, Crete, Athens, and Turkey and then driving back from Rome, spending a few days in Venice, and hitting another locale in Switzerland and one in France before coming home.
• A week in Ireland in September.  I really need to get on to getting rooms for this one...
• A weekend at a B&B in Normandy.  

I have a lot of other ideas as well.  We need to get to a bazillion places here and there is just only so much time.  I am very aware of the time.  

Welcome to our Blog!  I hope that we will be sharing many pictures of the family as we travel Europe.  I guess I can use this post to practice, and post a photo.  I hope.

Here's a pic of the rugrats in Rome.  I took them there in February and we fell in love with this city.  I hope to blog about this trip one day, because I have notes up the wazoo. 

We'll see how this goes.  Between our lovely Belgian internet service and my fantastic computer skills, it will be something.