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(I took this on the flight from Manchester to JFK.)
So I suppose it's about time I started to catch up!
Paula did indeed pick me and Ryan up Thursday, the night of the 7th. Ryan and Olivia ran around and played in the back yard, which Ryan loved! I think it was novel for him to get to play outside at night. Olivia has a slide, which was of course a huge hit with Ryan. (Slides are his favorite.) If I remember correctly (Paula, correct me if necessary!), Ryan went to sleep pretty easily. Olivia very kindly slept on a pallet on the floor in her room, and gave Ryan her bed. Ironically, later when we checked on the kids, Ryan was on the floor. I don't remember which night it was, but one of the nights, Ryan was sleeping kneeling next to the bed, in a position as if he'd fallen asleep while praying at the bedside! (I didn't take a picture as to not disturb the sleeping kiddos.) Since Ryan kept putting himself to sleep on the floor, one night I tried to put him to bed there. Of course the first thing he did then was crawl up onto the bed!
The next day we got off to a wonderfully leisurely start. After a while, we ran some errands, then I got to meet everyone Paula works with at Lowe's. That was fun, since I'd heard so much about everybody! Later that evening, Paula and I dropped Ryan and Olivia off at Paula's Mom's house, then went out on a date. :P We went to a wonderful café called Boston Gourmet. It's a cozy and informal coffee shop, with tasty food and drink, and friendly service at decent prices. From there we went to Clay Pigeons, a paint-your-own ceramics shop. The people there were so nice and helpful. I'm horrible at painting ceramics (well, anything really), but I find the activity to be extremely relaxing, almost zen-like. The whole evening was relaxing and fun, and I had a great time out with Paula. We went to pick up our kiddos, and found that Ryan had slept pretty much the whole time we were gone! I think Sandy (Paula's mom) was a bit disappointed! :)
Saturday was Paula's nephew, Chase's, birthday. Paula's brother, Del, and his family live in Jacksonville. Chase's party was at the Hands On Children's Museum. http://handsonchildrensmuseumjax.com/page2.html It was a neat place with lots to do, even for kids Ryan and Olivia's age. Ryan's favorites were of course the trains, and the big slide! :)
It was wonderful meeting Del, his wife Sherry, and of course Chase! After pizza and cake at the museum, we went back to their home for while. Paula's family is warm and friendly, and made me and Ryan feel so welcome! We had a really nice time visiting.
Later that night, I got an amazing treat. I got to see my very first live Space Shuttle launch! Having grown up near Edwards Air Force Base, I'd seen many a Shuttle land. However, I'd never gotten to see one take off. Even better, it was a night launch - the first in four years. We could see the launch from just outside Paula and Robert's house. We watched the Discovery take off on tv, then went outside. Once the Shuttle cleared the tree line (Paula and Robert live in a wooded area), we could see it. It was truly amazing. It looked like a huge, flaming, bright orange shooting star. As it climbed into the night sky, I could actually see the glowing outlines of the SRB's as they separated and fell away. We stayed and watched the Discovery until she looked like simply a bright, moving star. What really made the launch for me, was hearing cheers coming out of the darkness.
(More blog to come...)
Ryan and I arrived in Vegas this evening. I plan on doing some catching up while we're here. Really!
Hope everyone has a safe and wonderful New Year's!
Happy belated birthday, Molly!
Mike and Casey, hope you both had a wonderful anniversary today!
Love,
~Holly
Hello everyone. I just wanted to let everyone know that Ryan and I are almost over our colds. We've been having a pleasant, relaxing time at my parents'. I've been taking a break from blogging. However, I do plan at some point on catching up on our entire trip here. It may wind up being when I'm back in England, but it will happen!
I am pleased to say that our trip has been wonderful, and the days are going by all too quickly.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!
Ryan and I will be in Vegas from Saturday until probably the 3rd. Not sure what my computer access will be over those days! :) In case I don't get a chance to say it at the time, I hope everyone has a Happy New Year!
(Taken tonight while out looking at Christmas lights.)
Merry Christmas!!!
Hello. Ryan and I arrived in Palmdale today. The trip was smooth. Ryan slept most of the way. Unfortunately, Ryan seems to have come down with a bug of some sort. He spent most of the afternoon dozing on my parents' couch. Things have been pretty hectic since we left Harrogate. I'm thinking the trip has finally caught up with Ryan.
I realize I am criminally behind! I will remedy that... eventually! (I know better than to make any estimates on time. Whenever I do, I always wind up being much later than I originally promised!)
I hope everyone had a good weekend!
Happy 10th anniversary, Greg and Toya! Here's to many, many more!
Love,
~Holly, Larry, and Ryan
This is a quick note to let everyone know that Ryan and I are having a great time with Paula, Robert, and Olivia! The time is flying by, as I knew it would. We've managed a good balance between busy and relaxed. Ryan's adjusted well to all his new surroundings, and I (knock on wood) seem to have magically avoided jet lag! :) We're heading West on Tuesday. I hope to write before then though. Kate and Michelle, thank you for your comments! Kate, I liked the pomegranite frap, but it wasn't really remarkable actually. Michelle, I would love to go to Starbucks with you when I get back! I know what you mean about them closing so early. They close at 5pm on Sundays!