Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Our REAL Visitors
So Colby, Leah, Ally and William came down to see us for an entire WEEK!!!! I LOVED IT! It was so much fun (and very tiring) having them stay with us. Not to mention we got mom to come down to join us on all our California Adventures!
Ally riding ponies at Griffith Park... She LOVED it... a true Cowgirl! Her Grandpa would be proud!
A day at the beach... It was SO WINDY and COLD!!! Ally was fine playing in the sand and waves, but William and myself got pretty irritated at the constant breeze of sand! I really don't like the beach on a cold day!
Colby, mom and I were gardening doing jobs in the yard (because I always have projects for them when they are in town - poor people)... Ally and Leah were inside... when all of a sudden Ally came outside ready for the pool and her hair "HIGH"... TO CUTE!
Ally riding ponies at Griffith Park... She LOVED it... a true Cowgirl! Her Grandpa would be proud!
A day at the beach... It was SO WINDY and COLD!!! Ally was fine playing in the sand and waves, but William and myself got pretty irritated at the constant breeze of sand! I really don't like the beach on a cold day!
Colby, mom and I were gardening doing jobs in the yard (because I always have projects for them when they are in town - poor people)... Ally and Leah were inside... when all of a sudden Ally came outside ready for the pool and her hair "HIGH"... TO CUTE!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
We've had visitors!
They were only passing through...
I wanted them to stay longer and make babies... Wouldn't it be great to have baby ducks as backyard pets! The pool would never be the same, so I guess it was ok that they just stopped by.
I wanted them to stay longer and make babies... Wouldn't it be great to have baby ducks as backyard pets! The pool would never be the same, so I guess it was ok that they just stopped by.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Africa... Where we left off...
Ok here are some more pictures of our AFRICA trip... it's about time I add more. I think I got to a point where I was sad to be home and just wanted to be back on VACATION... So I couldn't bear to look at the memories :)... BUT I am back and ready to devour the 2700 pictures!
So when we were out on our drives this is how I spent most of my time.
You didn't want to miss anything... and the BEST view was poking your head out the sunroof and bobbing around. I had SO many bruises on my arms and waist from the constant pounding into the sides of the sunroof. BUT every bruise was worth it because I saw animals and nature in a way I will never forget!
A Family of Elephants... Aren't the babies SO CUTE!!!
This animal is called a Thompson Gazelle... We decided they are the "rice" of the animal kingdom. There are SO many of them and I think every carnivore out there could easily catch one of these to eat. Poor little guys they are at the bottom of the food chain.
Introducing JACK NICHOLSON... After meeting this guy I started a habit of naming all the animals in the Mara. This is a water buffalo... and HE LOOKS MEAN! Benson (our driver / guide) told us that you NEVER want to come across a lone water buffalo. If they are alone that means they are old and have been kicked out of the family... so they are BITTER!
The Hippos! I never got to see a hippo out of the water... So I am a little bummed about that... but I did get to see them in the water spraying from their nose... pretty cool. This water hole was not to far from our camp site and I was told that on the first night at about 4 in the morning a hippo did roam into our camp just to check out what was going on. But unfortunately I was sound asleep, so didn't get to see the big beauty! (plus we were NOT allowed to leave the tent unless we were escorted by a Masai Warrior... more on that later).
This water hole probably held 20 Hippos. The hippo is a very dangerous animal as well... they can even take down a lion! I bet it is because you just never know how many there are under that water. Sometime you will see 2 pair of eyes and then there will be 20... So you NEVER want to go swimming in a water hole in Africa!
I will leave you with this last story. On our first drive (from the runway to the camp) I would call out the animals I would like to see... and seriously within minutes the animal would come strolling by. So we were getting close to the camp and I said, "We are going to see a lion." and here comes Mr. Lion strolling along the road.
I named him Simba. He was a teenager out on his own. Check out the size of his paws. He was also quite a model.
So when we were out on our drives this is how I spent most of my time.
You didn't want to miss anything... and the BEST view was poking your head out the sunroof and bobbing around. I had SO many bruises on my arms and waist from the constant pounding into the sides of the sunroof. BUT every bruise was worth it because I saw animals and nature in a way I will never forget!
A Family of Elephants... Aren't the babies SO CUTE!!!
This animal is called a Thompson Gazelle... We decided they are the "rice" of the animal kingdom. There are SO many of them and I think every carnivore out there could easily catch one of these to eat. Poor little guys they are at the bottom of the food chain.
Introducing JACK NICHOLSON... After meeting this guy I started a habit of naming all the animals in the Mara. This is a water buffalo... and HE LOOKS MEAN! Benson (our driver / guide) told us that you NEVER want to come across a lone water buffalo. If they are alone that means they are old and have been kicked out of the family... so they are BITTER!
The Hippos! I never got to see a hippo out of the water... So I am a little bummed about that... but I did get to see them in the water spraying from their nose... pretty cool. This water hole was not to far from our camp site and I was told that on the first night at about 4 in the morning a hippo did roam into our camp just to check out what was going on. But unfortunately I was sound asleep, so didn't get to see the big beauty! (plus we were NOT allowed to leave the tent unless we were escorted by a Masai Warrior... more on that later).
This water hole probably held 20 Hippos. The hippo is a very dangerous animal as well... they can even take down a lion! I bet it is because you just never know how many there are under that water. Sometime you will see 2 pair of eyes and then there will be 20... So you NEVER want to go swimming in a water hole in Africa!
I will leave you with this last story. On our first drive (from the runway to the camp) I would call out the animals I would like to see... and seriously within minutes the animal would come strolling by. So we were getting close to the camp and I said, "We are going to see a lion." and here comes Mr. Lion strolling along the road.
I named him Simba. He was a teenager out on his own. Check out the size of his paws. He was also quite a model.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Ride Across America...
As you all know I have MS and with that comes some challenges. But the latest had nothing to do with my nervous system. I was asked to speak at a cycling event a few weeks ago about my experience with MS. I was proud to get up on stage and tell my story... but at the same time I was really nervous.
The event was a HUGE kickoff for Phil Keoghan, the hose of The Amazing Race. He had decided to ride his bike from LA to NY in 40 days to raise awareness for MS... um that is a FAR! I've met Phil a few times before through the National MS Society and the Bike MS events and was happy when the National MS Society asked if I would be willing to speak about my riding and my MS at his kickoff. After Phil took the stage to thank all his sponsors it was my turn to get up there and tell my story. Then when I was done we all got on our bikes and rode the first 30 miles with Phil from Santa Monica to Pasadena (well sort of he took a different route than was planned so we lost him!).
You can click on this web site and see the CBS News coverage:
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/video/video.php?cid=1008393127&pid=GHCF1_LsZnIsixToc4qztdx7SB7ZpuKB&play=true&cc=47
Here are a few pictures from the event.
Let's all give Phil a HUGE SHOUT OUT for riding for MS!
If you want to track his progress across America you can go to his web site:
www.philridesacrossamerica.com
The event was a HUGE kickoff for Phil Keoghan, the hose of The Amazing Race. He had decided to ride his bike from LA to NY in 40 days to raise awareness for MS... um that is a FAR! I've met Phil a few times before through the National MS Society and the Bike MS events and was happy when the National MS Society asked if I would be willing to speak about my riding and my MS at his kickoff. After Phil took the stage to thank all his sponsors it was my turn to get up there and tell my story. Then when I was done we all got on our bikes and rode the first 30 miles with Phil from Santa Monica to Pasadena (well sort of he took a different route than was planned so we lost him!).
You can click on this web site and see the CBS News coverage:
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/video/video.php?cid=1008393127&pid=GHCF1_LsZnIsixToc4qztdx7SB7ZpuKB&play=true&cc=47
Here are a few pictures from the event.
Let's all give Phil a HUGE SHOUT OUT for riding for MS!
If you want to track his progress across America you can go to his web site:
www.philridesacrossamerica.com
Thursday, March 26, 2009
I'm FREE!!!
I'm done with my civic duty (at least for a year...but something tells me it might be longer!)
The verdict was... NOTHING! The jury couldn't decide. We were just about split SO he walked.
I celebrated my freedom with a trip to Warner Brother's Studios and went to the Ellen Show... Look for me (I'm wearing a purple sundress!) in tomorrow's Show and on Wednesday, April 1st, when Keith Urban is on!!!
The verdict was... NOTHING! The jury couldn't decide. We were just about split SO he walked.
I celebrated my freedom with a trip to Warner Brother's Studios and went to the Ellen Show... Look for me (I'm wearing a purple sundress!) in tomorrow's Show and on Wednesday, April 1st, when Keith Urban is on!!!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
I'm still here... and still BLOGGING!
Just a heads up... I haven't given up on this website, I just have been out of town, back into town, then out of town again... now am back into town - BUT am fulfilling my civil duty as a Juror... and have seriously not had any time to add any more pictures from the trip! We seriously have A LOT more and so many more stories to update you on... so please be patient... a POST IS COMING!!!!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Introducing... THE MAASAI MARA
This was one of the AMAZING parts of the trip, and trust me there are more to come. I have never been anywhere so fascinating before in my life! Nature at it's purest state of being... INCREDIBLE!
After the quick flight, just about an hour, from Nairobi to the Mara the very first thing we saw was...The Maasai Giraffe!
From the "airport" (ok it was more like a dirt runway in the middle of nowhere) we loaded into our Safari Vehicles and headed to camp. This was the crucial point of the entire trip... because whomever you choose to be in your car with you was with you during the entire duration of the safari. If you choose poorly you most likely wouldn't have had nearly as much fun as we did in our vehicle! Because, in our humble opinion, we had THE BEST CAR EVER!!!!
There is Penny, a dear and close family friend who has known Jared since he was a baby. Then our 2 newest members to join the "family" Patrik and Eric. Once we met there was NO hope for the two of them... they just fit into our little group and since they live here in LA they naturally became a part of the bigger group.
The first INCREDIBLE memory I have was of a mama cheeta and her 2 baby cubs. She was just doing her motherly duties when we came along...I'll let the pictures tell the story.
That is the mama cheeta with her kill and her 2 little ones hanging out under the vehicle for shade!
After the quick flight, just about an hour, from Nairobi to the Mara the very first thing we saw was...The Maasai Giraffe!
From the "airport" (ok it was more like a dirt runway in the middle of nowhere) we loaded into our Safari Vehicles and headed to camp. This was the crucial point of the entire trip... because whomever you choose to be in your car with you was with you during the entire duration of the safari. If you choose poorly you most likely wouldn't have had nearly as much fun as we did in our vehicle! Because, in our humble opinion, we had THE BEST CAR EVER!!!!
There is Penny, a dear and close family friend who has known Jared since he was a baby. Then our 2 newest members to join the "family" Patrik and Eric. Once we met there was NO hope for the two of them... they just fit into our little group and since they live here in LA they naturally became a part of the bigger group.
The first INCREDIBLE memory I have was of a mama cheeta and her 2 baby cubs. She was just doing her motherly duties when we came along...I'll let the pictures tell the story.
That is the mama cheeta with her kill and her 2 little ones hanging out under the vehicle for shade!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
We're Off... to AFRICA
The ONLY way to travel... Business Class! It made the 11 hour flight bearable! Thank heaven's for American Express and their Miles Program!
FREE TICKET!!!
Our Last Night in Paris
A great shot by Jared
We had a truly Parisian moment when we stopped at a small cafe and ordered crepes and hot chocolate with whip cream! TO DIE FOR!!!
It's good to be King!
Our last day in Paris we took the 40 minute ride on the Metro to Versailles... The largest palace in Europe. And it was HUGE! We both were simply awe struck by the size of this palace (and we only got to see the main rooms). As we walked through the palace Jared and I kept saying it would be great to be King and Queen and to have a home like Versailles... I soon started refering to Jared as "my lord" he really got a kick out of that!
This is us checking out the ceiling... Everything in each room is so ornately designed. If it wasn't the richly painted ceilings, then it was the walls covered in either marble, wood paneling, or fabric. I could have studied the design and architecture of the building FOREVER... in fact I would have been more than delighted to move in!
This is entering the Hall of Mirrors. A room that is an example of perfect symmetry... my favorite! It is a LONG room over 200 ft. Along one wall are windows overlooking the gardens, on the opposite wall are mirrors - each one lined up PERFECTLY with the window. What a grand room. I imagined wonderful Balls with dancing and entertaining for all the men and women of the court!
This room was Marie Antoinettes... BEAUTIFUL and Ornate to say the least. My favorite is the "fence" in front of the bed. That is what divided the room into "her" personal space with only a handful of servants able to enter and the public space. It is a little hard to see but there is a doorway to the left of the bed it is the secret door that she escaped through when the mob came to take her away to behead her. Also, this was the room the Queen delivered all the Kings children... with an audience watching. How else would they know that the child was surely the Kings?
This is a study on the main floor of Versailles. Do you see the two people together in the mirror... that is Jared and I! Plus check out the size of the globe... it was a gift.
Because it wasn't cold enough... Jared and I decided to walk through the gardens to the 2 other homes of King Louis XV... Petit Trianon and the Grand Trianon... What a walk. And although everything was hibernating for the winter we were able to see the symmetry and order of the gardens. Can you imagine how these gardens look in the spring! I can't wait to return.
Saying good-bye to Versailles.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Professional...
So most of our photos are of me... can you imagine that? Well this is why:
Mr. Professional and His Professional Camera!
Doesn't Jared take some great pictures... and he looks good doing it too!
Ha Ha!! He IS going to KILL me!
Mr. Professional and His Professional Camera!
Doesn't Jared take some great pictures... and he looks good doing it too!
Ha Ha!! He IS going to KILL me!
Our First FULL day in Paris
Ok so it actually wasn't a "full" day because we slept in until 2:00 pm - Thank you jetlag! But once we realized our HUGE mistake we got dressed and hit the streets before the sun set.
First we headed up to the Sacre-Coeur in the Montmartre area of paris.
This is one incredible Church... This was our FAVORITE place in Paris. Inside the building is a beautiful huge mosaic of Christ... on the ceiling! I can't imagine the amount of work and craftsmanship that went into that... and they did it all by candle light! AMAZING!
The BEST part of touring the church happened to us by mistake. I really wanted to check out the Crypt Vaults but they were closed. However, right before the doors that led into the Crypt was a ticket machine... So, Jared and I purchased our tickets (thinking we were going to open the doors into the Crypt) and it ended up being a ticket to a secret side opening.
So we inserted our ticket and went through the opening, just to find ourselves climbing a small, narrow circular staircase. Up, Up, Up and Up we went... until we finally came to a door that opened onto the roof! We followed the roof walkway and came to some more stairs... with lead up to the Ovoid Dome... the 2nd highest point in Paris (next to the Eiffel Tower). We felt like we were on top of the city, and because it was day we were able to see the expanse of the city... here are some great photos:
By the time we finished at the Sacre-Coeur we were super hungry so we went looking for some crepes. We found ourselves in a little square where artists had gathered to paint. Granted it was FREEZING cold and there weren't to many artists out, but we got the idea of what the area would be like during a nice warm summer afternoon.
We both really want to return to this area and "hang out" with all the locals.
By the time we ate "lunch" it was dark... so we boarded the Metro and headed to Notre Dame. When we got to Notre Dame there was a service going on. It was really interesting walking into the front doors of the church and hearing the priest giving a surmon. Although he was speaking French the way his voice echoed through the church was astonishing. I got the chills when I thought about how much history happened in this one building!
On the walk from Notre Dame to the Louvre (where we wanted to eat dinner at Cafe Marley, which overlooks the glass pyramide) we got lost. We are still baffled to this day at how you can lose the Louvre. I guess maybe because I convinced Jared that I KNEW RIGHT WHERE I WAS GOING so he just let me lead the way... He doesn't know why he keeps falling prey to my directions... I always get us lost!!! But at least we have a great time doing it. And where else would you rather be lost? I for sure am OK being lost in Paris!
Once we figured out how to get back to the Louvre I happened across these:
Rent a Bike!!!! How much fun would that have been!?!?!?!
We knew we were close to the Louvre when we found the Head / Hand statue:
Yes that is Jared picking its nose! Ya gotta keep it clean somehow!
First we headed up to the Sacre-Coeur in the Montmartre area of paris.
This is one incredible Church... This was our FAVORITE place in Paris. Inside the building is a beautiful huge mosaic of Christ... on the ceiling! I can't imagine the amount of work and craftsmanship that went into that... and they did it all by candle light! AMAZING!
The BEST part of touring the church happened to us by mistake. I really wanted to check out the Crypt Vaults but they were closed. However, right before the doors that led into the Crypt was a ticket machine... So, Jared and I purchased our tickets (thinking we were going to open the doors into the Crypt) and it ended up being a ticket to a secret side opening.
So we inserted our ticket and went through the opening, just to find ourselves climbing a small, narrow circular staircase. Up, Up, Up and Up we went... until we finally came to a door that opened onto the roof! We followed the roof walkway and came to some more stairs... with lead up to the Ovoid Dome... the 2nd highest point in Paris (next to the Eiffel Tower). We felt like we were on top of the city, and because it was day we were able to see the expanse of the city... here are some great photos:
By the time we finished at the Sacre-Coeur we were super hungry so we went looking for some crepes. We found ourselves in a little square where artists had gathered to paint. Granted it was FREEZING cold and there weren't to many artists out, but we got the idea of what the area would be like during a nice warm summer afternoon.
We both really want to return to this area and "hang out" with all the locals.
By the time we ate "lunch" it was dark... so we boarded the Metro and headed to Notre Dame. When we got to Notre Dame there was a service going on. It was really interesting walking into the front doors of the church and hearing the priest giving a surmon. Although he was speaking French the way his voice echoed through the church was astonishing. I got the chills when I thought about how much history happened in this one building!
On the walk from Notre Dame to the Louvre (where we wanted to eat dinner at Cafe Marley, which overlooks the glass pyramide) we got lost. We are still baffled to this day at how you can lose the Louvre. I guess maybe because I convinced Jared that I KNEW RIGHT WHERE I WAS GOING so he just let me lead the way... He doesn't know why he keeps falling prey to my directions... I always get us lost!!! But at least we have a great time doing it. And where else would you rather be lost? I for sure am OK being lost in Paris!
Once we figured out how to get back to the Louvre I happened across these:
Rent a Bike!!!! How much fun would that have been!?!?!?!
We knew we were close to the Louvre when we found the Head / Hand statue:
Yes that is Jared picking its nose! Ya gotta keep it clean somehow!
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