Our Europe Adventure-Day 1

As I begin, I should tell you that neither my mom or I are very experienced travelers, particularly internationally.  You should also know that my mother and I are polar opposites when it comes to personality. I knew it would be interesting. But, thankfully, we survived without tears or any catastrophic occurrences. The purpose of our trip was to go to my friend Kristi's wedding, and we thought if we were spending the money to fly that far, we should make the most of it. We spent time in Germany, Belgium and France, so it was a lot of traveling, but a great experience!

Before I ever got to Missouri, my car broke down, and I had to go back to Tulsa and have Kevin take me half way to meet my parents. That resulted in us getting to bed sometime between 2:30AM and 3:00AM the night before we would be leaving for this little Europe expedition. Needless to say, we were both exhausted before we even got started. We figured that would be ok since we would be flying for so long maybe our exhaustion would make it easier to sleep on the plane. Well, that didn't exactly work out as planned. I'm quite certain that neither of us slept more than an hour or two on our way across the ocean which left us quite jet lagged. However, the flight went smoothly and we landed in Paris on time at 9:30AM. Being time conscience and overly paranoid about missing the train we would be taking, the train ticket I purchased for the next leg of our trip didn't leave until 6:25PM. When I purchased the ticket a while back, it sounded like a good idea and that would allow us to explore Paris a little near the station, and give us some flexibility if our plane was late or we couldn't find the train station. Well, that plan backfired. We took a cab to the train station, and had about 8 hours to kill. I assumed the train station would have shopping or something, but it didn't. We attempted exploring a little, but we were toting all our luggage so it was a little debilitating. Also, once we ventured out, we realized the area surrounding the Gare de Nord train station seemed a little shady. So, we just hung out doing pretty much nothing for about 8 hours. I think at this point, we were both questioning our decision to come on the trip.

 We tried out some French pastries.

 Took turns napping in the station. (This is one of my favorite pictures from the trip because it so perfectly depicts how tired we were. I love how she is holding on to her purse.)

We did stop at a cafe and have lunch. It was at this point that I realized my diet coke habit was going to get extremely expensive over the next 9 days. It was 4,20 euros, there weren't free refills and it was served in a little juice sized cup. They did, however, add a lemon and a piece of ice or two:) 

After a long wait, it was nearing time for our train to arrive when we heard an announcement most of which I couldn't understand, but I did hear the time and destination city, so I tried to figure out what was going on. After asking around a bit, it said that our train would be cancelled. A bit of panic set in because if we didn't make this train, we weren't sure we'd make it to the wedding, not to mention we were so ready to get out of the train station.  However, it all seemed to work itself out, and they told us to get on the next train. It ended up only being about a 30 minute delay. So after a VERY long day of traveling, we reached our destination, my friend, Kristi, picked us up at the train station, and we stopped by the church for a bit to see the musicians rehearsing, followed by a bite to eat and headed to the hotel in hopes of resting enough to not look like zombies as the wedding the next day!

Happy January-July!

So, blogging obviously hasn't made it on the priority list for a while. Not sure if it's because I haven't had time, or I was boring myself with the same posts year after year, but either way, it's been very neglected and  I miss it. I love looking back and seeing what we had going on several years ago, and as I've said multiple times it is the only form of documentation for my children I've done. There's no way I can catch up, so I'll start where we are. A lot of life changes are going on in the Lawrence house right now. Kevin left his job at EY for a position at Bancfirst. I quit a job that I loved at TPS since his job requires a move, so I guess that means I'll be attempting to be a housewife again. I failed miserably in my previous attempts:) It's a great opportunity, and makes a lot of sense for our family, but it was no easy decision. We love where we are.  We love our home, neighborhood, church, friends, schools and it's all our kids know. But, that's life I guess. It has meant a less than pleasant summer of having a house on the market and spending time traveling back and forth for Kevin's job. It's been a roller coaster, but I know things will settle soon and we will be in a routine that I so desperately crave. I missed spending the fourth with extended family and friends, but we enjoyed a relaxing day together as a family which we hadn't been all together for a while, so it was nice to just hang out and enjoy the city. 

 I can't believe how grown up the girls are getting!

 We started the day off with Dunkin' Donuts and an Independence day parade. Then, we headed to Pops for lunch. The kids and I had been there about a year and a half ago, and they have been wanting to show Kevin ever since. We finally made it back, and lucky for us, we beat the crowd and didn't even have to wait to be seated.

 Photo credit to Lincoln...he now thinks he should get to take pics as well. He just has a little trouble getting everyone in the photo. We try to maneuver so there are faces in the pictures.

After a three hour family nap, we headed downtown to Pinkitzel for a cupcake break. We walked around town for a while, and then the kids just wanted to go back to the hotel and swim, so we enjoyed the rest of the night at the hotel pool. Thankfully, we pretty much had it to ourselves, so it was a super relaxing day. 

I Have A Blog???

So, I noticed I last posted at Halloween! Wow! I guess I've given up...I missed all the kids birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Disney, New Year's, and haven't taken a single picture this spring break. I'm really slacking. Then, I go back and reread posts, and it makes me think I need to get with it. I miss writing, and it is the only form of documentation of my children's lives I have. Also, when I read the blog, I am reminded of how blessed I am, and all the things I enjoy about my life because sometimes I need to be reminded. I occasionally get into a funk and forget how much I really love my life and family. So, maybe, just maybe, I'll find time soon to start up again. I thought about trying to catch up, but that's just not likely....

Halloween 2012

I hope everyone had as much fun this Halloween as we did.  We hosted our annual party the weekend before, and for the first time, dressed up as a family. It was pretty fun.  The girls were super into it. Lincoln kind of wanted to be a cowboy or superman, but once everyone else was dresssed, he was on board.  That's what happens when you're outnumbered by girls, you get stuck being a doll for Halloween.  Kevin is always a good sport too!  Next year, the girls already have a plan, and it's more suited for everyone:)  However, we had a great time celebrating at our party and at our church fall festival. We skipped trick or treating this year for the most part considering it was on Wednesday night, and I was pretty much Halloweened out anyway!  Can't believe it's November.  This year is flying! Have a great weekend!  Happy November!

 

 

 

Back To School

Yes, the first quarter is over, and I am just now posting back to school pics.  Not great ones at that.  It was  a little rushed this year, but we made it!  Both girls are loving school. Skylar started at the  Intermediate school this year as a big third grader, and Londyn is in second grade.  I am so proud of both of them, and thankful that school is a fun and enjoyable experience! I love that they come home everyday sharing with me all the great things they do at school and suggesting that I share them with my teachers at work.

 

Fall is here.....Already???

 

So, as usual, I had the best of intentions of telling you about the rest of our summer, our back to school adventures, birthdays that have now come and gone, but somehow we were swept away in a whirlwind, and things just quickly got into full swing craziness.  I can't complain, everything is great, I just didn't prioritize the blog.  I continue to think that maybe I should give it up, but I just can't.  I like looking back.  I'll accept just being behind, at least for now.  I won't try to play catch up with everything, but there are a few things that can't go unblogged about, and fall is here, so lots of excitement to write about.  Mostly though, I am beginning to realize more and more everyday that there are no more babies around here. Skylar is practically an adult, Londyn is maturing, and Lincoln is extending beyond being a toddler and is turning into a little boy.  It's wonderful and a little sad at the same time.  Anyway, I'm not going to saymuch tonight, just wanted to make my presence known again and that I am going to attempt to get back into a regulary blogging habit.  (Thanks to Sara at Beloved Photography for the pic of the kids!)

Olympic Trials

This post is long overdue, considering the actual Olympics are over, but one of the things we had the privilege of doing while we were in Oregon was go to the Olympic trials.  Kevin's dad purchased tickets two years ago and actually attended everyday of the trials at Hayward Field in Eugene.  Kevin and I attended a couple of the days with him.  These pictures are of the athletes that had already qualified and were modeling their Olympic uniforms at the end of the meet that day.  It was a great experience! It was also nice that Kevin and I got to spend a little quality time together on the two hour drive to and from Portland! 

 

Independence Day

We had a wonderful Fourth of July this year in Missouri, even without seeing fireworks.  We spent the day at Meramec Springs with my entire family. We grilled out, fed the fish and just let the kids run around and play together.  It as a super fun and relaxing day and pretty much everyone, including myself, was in a pretty good mood which always makes things a little more enjoyable.  We usually visit Meramec Springs every year, and I have to say, I really love that place.  Maybe it's because I remember going there when I was little, I'm not sure, but it just seems like the perfect picnic venue with it's beautiful scenery, quaint atmosphere, fish to feed and plenty of space for the kids to run and play.  I've uploaded way too many pictures in an entirely random order, but that's ok I suppose.   

 

 The after lunch watermelon break...no one wanted to cut the watermelon, so my dad took on the task. He cut them into gigantic pieces, but the kids didn't seem to mind. It was also an effective way to get almost all the kids in one spot at the same time. 

 My sweet niece Emrie.  She was so much bigger than when we had seen her before just after her birth. She was all smiles despite the heat and craziness going on around her.

 Just thought this was a cute picture of Kevin and Londyn. 

 My precious niece Natalie that I finally caught in a picture. She and her sister are rather hard to catch these days, and never too eager for me to take their picture. 

 The girls in front of the little waterfall. 

 The three musketeers trying to feed the fish.  These three are quite a trio, and it's so much fun to watch them play together. 

 The best picture to date of all the grandkids.....it's getting easier, but we just seem to keep multiplying.

 This is everyone standing around waiting to see if the raccoon was going to come out of the trash can.  They were trying to rescue him, but I don't think he wanted to be rescued. 

On this trip, this is where Lincoln's obsession with riding a horse started.  He got on this old iron horse and sat there forever. All the other kids had gone back up to the pavilion to eat, and Lincoln remained on that horse. He totally claimed it as his own, and even after we got him to get off, he talked about "his horse".  At one point, he stared down a couple of girls that got on it when he was taking a break.  It all went downhill from there. He didn't stop talking about horse riding for a long time.

So after our long, hot day, we all kind of opted out of fireworks which was entirely fine by me. I was exhausted from our previous traveling, and was eager to just take it easy and hang out at home.  Next year, will have to hit up a good fireworks show!

More Beach

Again, I can't say enough about what a great time we had at the beach. Thanks to my sister-in-law and her family, we were able to spend the night in their beach house and enjoy a couple of days away from Portland.  We were truly blessed with great weather both days, and we had lots of fun exploring and enjoying the coast which we don't get to see nearly enough.

Thes are the girls with their "old" cousins.  They love getting a chance to spend time with the big kids.   Thankfully, the older kids are very kind and sweet to my little ones. 

Like the only picture ever of Lincoln smiling while I'm holding him for a picture!

 Me and my girls.

 Lincoln finally warmed up to the idea of playing in the sand and water.

 Goofy girls

 The olympics inspired a little racing on the beach. 

The girls posing for a picture with Grandmommy and Grandaddy. 

Oregon Coast

Probably one of my favorite things we did in Oregon was visit the coast.  There's just not much that beats the ocean, and the kids couldn't have been more content with the beach as their playground.  The thing about the Oregon Coast is that you don't go to the beach to swim, which is fine by me at this point in my life, but I spent a lot of time preparing the girls.  Honestly, now, it's my favorite kind of beach. You get to enjoy the beauty of the beach and play in the sand, but everyone is fully dressed!  We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather for our time there. 

 Londyn LOVES the beach. She always has. Once she gets on the beach, she never wants to come in.

 Our niece Lilly playing at the beach.  I think she's having fun!

 Vivi enjoyed splashing around as well.

 So much fun watching the girls play together.

 The mandatory attempt at a family picture. 

Kevin and Lincoln joined the party a little late. Lincoln was taking a nap when we arrived, and the girls couldn't wait to get to the water.  He wasn't sure what to think about it.  The first visit, he wouldn't put his feet in the sand, and told us it was dangerous. I guess I'm glad he's learned to be a little fearful of things.  The next time he went down, he enjoyed it a little more!