3 States 3 Days

So I've learned that what everyone is most interested in is the pictures so I thought I'd put them first this time and see what the response I get is like! Also....I've changed my posting "leave comment" selection so that now anyone who chooses doesn't have to sign up for an account.

This is a quick overview of the most recent trip...the others will have to catch up! We had 3 days of fun stuff and events but mostly hanging out with the Clarks on the east coast! Shawn (my brother) and Kathy (his wife) have 2 adorable kids...Sarah 4 and Caleb 1.5 ;) I can't believe how much kids change from month to month! You can't tell me that looking at their pics you don't see adorable kids! ;0)

My favorite occurrence was when we were getting ready for church on Sunday and I was in the downstairs bathroom finishing my primping when I heard Sarah announce "Daddy, your special girl gets to wear a special dress!". I instantly melted and grinned from ear to ear!

We spent some time in Hershey, PA. and that's were all the "cold" looking pics are from. Caleb and Sarah were quite the troopers while fending off the cold weather! Hot chocolate is always a necessity while freezing! ;)

Kathy, Taylor and I were able to have a girls day in NYC which was much fun! We had no agenda or time schedule so we were able to wander around as we wanted to which proved to be a lot of fun. Time together is always nice! Great conversation, great food and a fun city to walk around and discover new things. Since we went to the American Girl Doll Store...we all have decided that way to much money is spent on things like that! ;) Quite the spectacle if you've never seen it before.

Leaving is always the sad part but it was quite a bit easier this time as I learned that we're all going to be in Vegas at the same time in January so I'm looking forward to more pictures, smiles and hugs from the kids!

Miss you guys already!

It's a girl!

Sisters, sisters never were there such devoted sisters!

(come on...sing it with me. You know the tune.)

My OLDER sister (in more ways then one) just celebrated her her 40th birthday. Now, seriously, there is no way she looks like she's 40 because if she's getting older then that means I am too! And we all know...I don't age! Is that selfish? Cass, this blog is for you, about you and to you!

Memories.....

When you're little...you think your big sister is sooo wise and knows everything! Well I'm here to tell you that's not always the case. Ohhhh the memories!!!

Seems to me I was 5 years old and Cass, along with some of our cousins, decided we were going to go to see the horses that were close to the playground we used to play at. Who's bright idea was it for me to climb on the back of the horse? Oh yeah, Cassandra!!! Just as I got on the back of the horse and started to fall off, cause our frineds dog spooked the horses, she yells at me "grab the mane" which of course, if you've ever fallen off a horse you know thats practically impossible as you're falling to the ground! So a bruised tail bone later and a piggy back ride to the house someone got in trouble and it wasn't me!

One of my favorite memories is when we first moved to Arizona. New house (again) new friends and a new room to share! We were in Gilbert and we still had the bunk beds from when we were little girls. I was scared and couldn't fall asleep so you offered to hold my hand until I fell asleep so that I would feel safe...well it worked! Not only did I feel safe but it also taught me that you were somone I could depend on.

Paris!!! Need I say more?? That was such a fun trip and I couldn't have imagined doing it with anyone other than you! Even if the problem wasn't with the "clothes" or the fact that we kept taking the wrong train in the wrong direction but what do we know anyway! Don't forget....if she has a glass you should too. One day maybe we'll figure out what that really meant! ;)

Having you for my sister has been such a priveledge and honor for me! You have become such a powerful influence in my life, one that I charish! I watch how you are with your children and it inspires me to want to be a great mom some day! It's amazing to me how we face the world ....TOGETHER! You have been my shoulder, friend, confidant, traveling buddy, movie quote conversationalist, pedicure buddy, shopping friend, biology classmate, teacher, and best of all SISTER - the most important role. I'm glad that you're my sis cause this means that even if you get tired of me and irritated with me...you're stuck! Stuck being a part of my family!

I love you Cass! oxox

Say Cheeeeeeeese

Cheese....Ice Cream.....and great company....what more could you want?


It's always nice having out of town visitors! George and Sally graced us with their presence at the beginning of August. We had so much fun between sharing meals together and just being in eachothers company. We decided to take them for a trip to the coast to see the Tillamook Cheese Factory. So we all piled in the car...Taylor, George, Sally, Ryan (friends son) and I. Everyone was in a good mood except for Ryan who kept telling us we were "jabbering" too much but they were all good troopers and we have several great shots to prove it! Thanks for a great time George and Sally!

July....

ARIZONA

So since I'm so far behind I thought this was the best way to catch up...one month at a time! So what actually happened in July? The best highlight was going to AZ with my nephew and sister as a spur of the moment trip.

This is Seth, isn't he cute? I couldn't resist this picture especially since he was so willing to pose with me which doesn't happen very often!

Arizona was sooooo hot it actually took my breath away! Now if you're telling me that it's not that bad then perhaps you should go and spend a few days in 115 degree weather....its a dry heat everyone says. Well, dry or not 115 is still HOT.

We were able to go up to Sedona and Flagstaff and I shot a few pictures of course. So enjoy and really...thats about all that happened in July! ;)

Germany and the open road

We are off once again. We headed out from the little town we got stranded in to go to Hildeshime, Germany where we were going to visit an exchange student my Aunt Lulu (hi auntie lulu) And Uncle David (hi unca d) had staying with them this past year. The drive was beautiful and we discovered that Germany is a lot like Oregon as far as the trees and even climate goes. It was pretty amazing to go from the hilltops of the Alps to the valley below. I've discovered that I LOVE driving in other countries. You got it! Germany really doesn't have a speed limit. Oh they have posting and such but people don't necessarily follow them. I played leap frog with a few cars and just enjoyed the road until I looked down and realized I was driving and 200 kl/hr! Yeppers! I did it! And we are still alive with no scratches or dents on the car to prove it! What we didn't realize with this part of our trip was that we would end up driving accross almost the whole country! Oh well...we're on vacation we don't really care.


We finally met up with Michael and he took us to 3 hotels before we found one with any space. This hotel was perfect for Taylor and I, right in the middle of their main square. It was pretty and quaint all at the same time. Our hotel is the white building in the picture and Taylor couldn't help but read me some of the history of the city. She's always in learning mode and helps to keep me sharp so I didn't mind that at all! :)



Because of the silly car breaking down we were only able to spend one night in this cute city and with Michael. What a sweet guy and his friend Madeline too was very nice! They showed us arround and even took us to a club that night. Not really our scene but it was fun to see where some of the locals hang out. So we met for lunch and had a great time.




















They wanted to see our pictures of Greece and who are we to decline such a request so we sat at lunch with my computer and showed them all our pics....boy did we take a lot! Then...they picked up the tab!! What sweet people! We were sad that we had to go. It would have been fun to

spend a little more time in this area but none the less...tomorrow we head for home!











For those of you who don't know me very well....I'm a sucker for clouds! This shot was of sundown on taken while Taylor held the steering wheele for me so that I ddin't miss the beauty of the sky this night!

Hope you are all well!
OXOX,
Tamara

Salzburg, Innsbruck and anywhere else we happen to be in Austria....

Well the flight from Athens to Munich was pleasant and sad at the same time. We loved Greece so much and will make plans to visit again!! Once we landed we found the rental car agency and they had our car ready and available to us. We did ask for GPS this time however, Taylor didn't want the silent treatment as my navigator and I didn't want any reason to give her the silent treatment! So we were supposed to have a A class Mercedes but with navigation ended up getting a C class. Lets just say we love the car...until today! More about that later!

Salzburg was a destination I wanted to go to having been there before and knowing how wonderful it was. However, we quickly realized that it was a sleepy little town compared to where we had just come from. They close the shops at about 5 pm and we're not exactly sure where people go or what they do in the evenings. So the first night there we ended up meeting some people from a German soccer team. So we went to a "disco" with them for a bit then headed back to our hotel only to have them howling outside our window...they didn't know it was our window however!

Our next day in Salzburg was my birthday! We first got up at 8 am but it was really 7 am...Taylor is a stickler about time and didn't realize her clock was an hour off still. We caught a tour bus for The Sound of Music tour. That was pretty fun. After that we went back to the hotel to freshen up a bit...i believe we even laid down for a nap and both of us zonked out! We got ready for the evening and headed out to dinner at the fortress! It was very pretty up there. We had a pleasant dinner then a concert in one of the ballrooms. 4 string quarted played Mozarat music for us and it was very much enjoyable!

The next day we decided to head out to Innsbruck. There is a lot to do and see here! It has been most enjoyable and today we even met a great gal named Susie from Austraila (hi Susie) and did a few things arround town with her. I won't really write much about Innsbruck because a picture really does tell a better story. It is up here in the Alps and very breathtaking views from all sides! So we got on the road arround 4ish to head to Hildsheim, Germany to hook up with one of Aunt Lulu's old exchange students.

We wern't on the road 15 minutes when something was going wrong with the car (brand new and no one had dirven it but us).....pulled over to the side of the road and the car has no guts at all!! We did manage to get to a Mercedes dealership where we met a very nice man who was helping us out but unfortunately ended up being put up in a hotel here in the little town of Thaur....there is NOTHING to do here....I repeat NOTHING!! They took our car and put us in a cab to stay here we're hoping the car is done tomorrow!! We did manage to have a nice walk arround the town (no people out or any shops open) and we had a nice dinner!

One of the funny things we noticed here at the hotels was that they don't really put sheets on the bed. In Salzburg we even had the guy from the reception area come up and check because he didn't understand what we meant but at this little hotel and the one last night....they all do it the same!

Well...I hope everyone is doing great. Taylor and I are fine, she's healthy and I'm still fighting this stupid cold I caught in Santorini and we're getting a lot of sight seeing in! Tomorrow we're hoping to head up to Germany then Friday we head home! Can't believe we are on the tail end of the trip!

Loves to everyone,

Tamara

Our fun and exciting recap of Greece

Well…tonight is our last night in the land of Greek men, shopping, and restaurants. We thought we’d share with you some of our observations and funny quips.

One of the favorites: We asked a local why there weren’t any female waiters….his response….girls can’t put the things in the fridge. Now as an American….I’m totally willing to adopt that line of thinking and will now have to find a man slave to put the groceries away for me! ~ Athens

During a regular conversation with another Albanian “local” he seemed to think that every time we said or did something right it was cause for a high five! ~ Crete

Dining at breakfast at Casa Delfino, it might be a good idea to bring an umbrella to cover your head and food because of the random tree droppings that might pelt you. ~Crete

Walking along the streets you need to be sure footed because the streets are paved with marble. Flip flops slip and can cause serious injury! Thankfully a skinned knee was all that happened! By the way…it wasn’t Taylor who fell! ~Athens

Dining is quite the experience but watch out for those waiters who “like to touch” and perhaps the price tag of the meal. Getting surprised by the bill is not an easy face to conceal, however can be softened by a bottle of local wine. ~Santorini

Never travel on a ferry in high wind and on the top deck of the boat. This can cause severe stomach upset which might require one of those fun little bags to hang on to. Fortunately the bag was not needed but both of us were sick. Some advice was to actually eat something! ~Somewhere in the middle of the ocean

When choosing a restaurant to eat at, don’t make eye contact with the barkers and hold out until they offer free food, dessert or drinks. ~Athens, Crete, Santorini, and Crete

Best dinner advice, bring a hollow leg. One night we had dinner and dessert….TWICE! Were we hungry for a second meal?? Of course not but when someone offers you free food are you really going to turn it down? ~Crete

Drinks….let’s just say if you don’t drink you will after Greece! And I will say….what happens in Greece stays in Greece therefore no questions please, however I’m concerned I’ve turned Taylor into a lush! Hmmm Germany here we come. ~EVERYWHERE

Our new favorite word is…Piknos….look it up! We used it everywhere! ~ Everywhere

If you think you’re going to come to Greece and be able to read their paper, billboards, signs, menus or anything written in Greek for that matter…forget it! Just ask the locals how to say it and then commit it to memory! ~Everywhere

Pictures taken in a museum are to be “serious” pictures not funny ones….heaven forbid we have a good time with the naked statues! By the way…she made us delete them before she would let us leave! ~Athens

While at a posh hotel and wanting to get out of your shell a little bit…try not breaking the pool! And when it is broken be sure to run, hide and avoid any questions that may come up! ~ Mykonos

Know your own strength! When a book falls behind the bed be sure to survey how the headboard is attached to the wall so as not to cause plaster to come off the wall while you’re heaving it with all your might! ~ Santorini

While dining beware of adorable young kids who come to give you flowers and in their broken English they say “for took” instead of to have! We couldn’t resist him!! ~ Athens

It’s not every day you’re given a free rose from some mystery man and if he looks creepy just don’t make eye contact! ~Athens

Getting your morning exercise may require avoiding donkeys, donkey droppings and other tourists. ~Santorini

Driving rules for Crete 101! Rule number 1…there aren’t any rules! ~Crete

Foreign meat markets are not just for buying meat…they can also be a great way to meet guys...especially frisky ones but be careful and know where their hands are!! I just about slapped one of them for being a little too touchy feely with Taylor. ~Athens

When learning new words from Albanian’s be sure you know what you’re saying before repeating it to another Albanian! ~Crete

Throw the map out the window and pay a taxi driving to get you to the hotel! ~Crete

“Hi, where you live?” “Portland, Oregon” Quizzical look to which we responded “California” and then came the understanding. Seems everyone knows where California is but no one knows where Oregon is located! ~Everywhere

Girls are made of sugar, that’s why they always like dessert! ~Athens

Heaven forbid you try to pour your own water! The waiter watching from afar sprinted and leapt over chairs to fill our glass so that we didn’t have to lift a finger! ~Mykonos

They say blondes have more fun and we think in Greece it is true, perhaps too much fun! ~Everywhere

We’re not sure how it happened but we think we’re a part of 2 opposing mafia families! The benefits? Free food and drinks! ~Crete and Athens

Look up, make eye contact and you will have a friend for life. In Greece don’t be an introvert! They are very fun, easygoing and exciting people to get to know! ~ Greece!

Fashion forward thinking…capros, aka man Capri pants. Look out American men…they’re on their way! ~Everywhere

Sleep? Who needs it?

So tomorrow we head off to Munich and driving to Salzburg to spend the weekend and my birthday! We will be there for 3 nights then head back to Munich to see how we can get in trouble there! We have had a wonderful time in Greece and are sad to leave but this was all an introduction to the place we fell in love with and are sure we want to visit again.