4th of July

We went to Bass Pro Shops for lunch. They had a bunch of different activities going on for kids and Ellen got to paint a birdy house with Daddy. She kept wondering where the birdy was though.

Ellen was ready to go watch the fireworks. She was eating one of her favorite things, blueberries.

We went to Hollywood Beach to watch the fireworks (so did thousands of other people).

Ellen was waiting for the fireworks.

She had this serious look on her face during the entire fireworks show. We thought she was hating it. Afterward, it was all she could talk about--she loved it! I guess she was just doing her usual serious face when she really enjoys something and wants to take it all in.

They put on an amazing show at Hollywood Beach. This was our second time going. We also went for Ellen's first 4th of July.

Europe--June 18th-29th

On June 18th, I headed to Europe with one of the teachers I worked with (Janet McGann). It was my first time on a 747! Unfortunately, we didn't get the good seats that fold out into beds :(

Our first stop was London. We heard they are taking out these phone booths so I made sure to get a picture in one.

We rode the subway and train to Hampton Court, the residence of King Henry VIII. The day after we were there, they were celebrating the 500th anniversary of the coronation of Henry VIII. They were expecting thousands of people. Good thing we showed up the day before or we probably wouldn't have seen as much.

We went on a Thames boat cruise to see Parliament and Big Ben.

Janet and me at the white cliffs of Dover on our way to the European continent.

Me at the Cinquantenaire Arch in Brussels, Belgium.

Grand Place, Brussels, Belgium

Eating a Belgian Waffle! It was sooooo good! They eat them for dessert instead of breakfast.

We went on a Rhine River cruise in Germany and saw a bunch of castles along the river.

Another castle along the Rhine River.

Me, Tejal and Janet in Rothenburg, Germany.

We toured Neuschwanstein castle in Germany. It was pretty amazing inside but we weren't allowed to take any pictures. It's not completely finished inside because Ludwig II's subjects got tired of paying for it.

Innsbruck, Austria.

We rode the Bernina Express train through the Swiss and Italian Alps. (Me, Janet, Amar and Tejal)

Lake Como, Italy. I decided I would rather live in a villa here than in any of the castles we had seen. No wonder George Clooney bought a place here! Unfortunately, I don't make George's kind of money so the villa idea is probably out.

Janet, me, Tejal and Amar in Lugano, Switzerland. We went on a paddle boat ride on the lake (it was great because Amar and Tejal did all the pedaling!)

At the top of Mount Stanserhorn in Switzerland. The view was amazing!

Lucerne, Switzerland

Our entire tour group in Geneva, Switzerland.

At the top of the Eiffel tower with some of the friends we made on our tour. What an amazing view and totally worth the wait to get to the top. It didn't take any longer than waiting for a good ride at Disney World.

Me in front of the Eiffel Tower. It is so much bigger in person! I was quite impressed by the size of it.

We went on a night cruise on the Seine and got to see all of the amazing buildings of Paris and the Eiffel Tower lit up at night. It sparkles for 5 minutes, from 11:00-11:05 PM.

Our last day was the busiest. My feet were killing me by the end of the day. We started out at Notre Dame.

Then we went to the Palace of Versailles. Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Louis XVI made all other kings seem like amateurs in palace building. Versailles was absolutely stunning and over the top in every way. No wonder the people of France rebelled when they saw how their money was being spent.

Next, we went to the Louvre. They say if you look at each item in the Louvre for 1 minute, it would take you 24 hours a day for six months to see everything. We spent about an hour and a half and were so overwhelmed by everything that I think we went into culture shock overload.

Of course I had to get my picture taken with the Mona Lisa. If you go in with low expectations (as we did) the Mona Lisa is much bigger and more amazing than you think it will be.

After the Louvre, a bunch of us met for a farewell dinner at a great restaurant, called Mode, on the Champs-Elysees.

Overall, I had an amazing trip and enjoyed every minute of it. I was glad to get home to Ellen though. I had never been away from her for even a day before and to suddenly go 10 days and be an ocean apart, was very difficult. I knew she was in good hands with Daddy and Gramma though.