Nathblog

Matching Shirts on the Pirate Ship

2009-08-16T12:20:00.000-04:00

New Nephew!

2009-07-29T22:47:00.000-04:00

Emmett!

Dad's Birthday

2009-07-26T22:42:00.002-04:00

Time for Dad's birthday....

Of course he gets help blowing out the candles.

Good job!

Ellis's Third Birthday

2009-07-05T18:46:00.001-04:00

Grumpy on his own birthday!?!?

All that practice blowing out candles at other's birthdays paid off for Ellis.

yummy

mmmmmm, cake.

Mom's Birthday

2009-06-20T18:42:00.002-04:00

To celebrate mom's birthday, we played some mini-golf.

It was very hot and humid.

We want cake!

Jasper and Ellis helped mom blow-out her candles.

Teeball

2009-04-25T21:30:00.002-04:00

Jasper is playing Teeball this spring.

He is so cute in his uniform.

Last Day in San Diego

2009-04-11T21:24:00.004-04:00

The walkway outside our house was very pretty.

We went to an Easter egg hunt in Carlsbad.

Jasper enjoyed the hunt!

See all of my photos from San Diego!

Flora and Fauna

2009-04-10T21:18:00.005-04:00

There were a TON of snails. It was ridiculous.

San Diego has awesome flora and fauna!

See all of my photos from San Diego!

Los Angeles

2009-04-09T21:11:00.004-04:00

Wetook a day trip up to Los Angeles. We rode a trolley.

Then we went to the La Brea tar pits. This diorama shows a mother mammoth dying.

Jasper and Ellis enjoyed rolling down the hill.

Tar is rising up in the middle of the field.

the tar pits were really fun.

Then on to the Getty museum. We rode a tram from the parking lot to the museum.

Jasper enjoyed climbing the wall.

See all of my photos from San Diego!

Legoland

2009-04-07T20:57:00.006-04:00

We went back to Legoland after three years. Last time we went it was January and the park was fairly quiet. this time it was spring break and it was BUSY! Jasper and Ellis enjoyed it. Jasper rode rollercoasters.

Dad and Jasper, going up!

Dad is doing all of the work. Jasper is supervising.

Now it's Jamie's turn to do all of the work.

Legoland was celebrating the inauguration.

They even have legos of the Obama daughters.

Look who is standing behind Ellis - its Anaflog!

Jasper and Darth Vader.

See all of my photos from San Diego!

Leucadia

2009-04-06T20:13:00.004-04:00

Kids are really cute when they sleep.

Hands up!

Actually its more like "my hands are covered in sand, someone do something!!!!"

our rental house on the cliff.

The mandatory sunset photo.

Chris and Anne, reading.

Chris and Anne, after I told them to pose for the photo.

From the deck, looking at the cliff.

See all of my photos from San Diego!

San Diego Flower Fields

2009-04-04T18:53:00.005-04:00

We went to San Diego for Spring Break! Jasper and Ellis love the mechanical rides.

Apparently Dad likes them too.

Then we went to the Carlsbad Flower Fields.

Anne really wanted to buy some mexican pottery. I recommended this froggy.

See all of my photos from San Diego!

Egyptian Craft

2009-03-21T23:21:00.000-04:00

Anne is not the only crafty family member! I made a craft out of the 15 tickets we collected in Egpyt. We sure saw a lot!

Anne's Birthday

2009-03-15T23:15:00.001-04:00

We celebrated Anne's birthday.

She is pregnant on her birthday, like three years ago.

But this time she has TWO little boys to help her blow out her candles!

Anne made her own cake and it was AWESOME! I liked the rainbow colors, and it tasted great.

Colonial Buildings in Lima

2009-02-28T23:03:00.002-05:00

After the museum we went downtown to see some of the colonial-era buildings.

the buildings are very colorful - lots of pastels.

View all of my Lima photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nathstevens/sets/72157619120271924/.

Peruvian Ceramics

2009-02-28T23:00:00.002-05:00

We went to a Peruvian history museum. It was fairly interesting. i enjoyed the ceramics.

The museum had a whole display of naughty ceramics, I couldn't resist a few photos!

View all of my Lima photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nathstevens/sets/72157619120271924/.

Lima Dancing!

2009-02-27T22:58:00.001-05:00

Tonight we attended a dinner/dancing show.

The dancers performed several types of native peruvian dancing.

View all of my Lima photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nathstevens/sets/72157619120271924/.

Lima

2009-02-22T22:51:00.002-05:00

My flight arrived in Lima at 11pm. The next morning I was pretty tired, but was able to join my colleagues on a day trip around Lima.

I know Spanish! it's the library!

View from Pachacamac.

Pachacamac

View of the beach from Miraflores.

Miraflores

View all of my Lima photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nathstevens/sets/72157619120271924/.

Chattanooga

2009-02-15T19:37:00.001-05:00

On the drive back to Atlanta from Huntsville, we stopped for lunch in Chattanooga.

Alabama

2009-02-14T19:29:00.001-05:00

We traveled to Huntsville, Alabama to visit our relatives. Jasper and Ellis loved playing with their cousins.

Jasper and Ellis Building Walls

2009-01-31T19:19:00.002-05:00

Tonight I babysat Jasper and Ellis. After 5.5 years of Anaflog, Jasper has learned how to ham it up for a camera.

Ellis was in a good mood.

The three of us built lots and lots of walls/towers, which they enjoyed tearing down.

I love Ellis's grumpy face!

Hampstead Heath and Victoria & Albert Museum

2009-01-18T19:07:00.003-05:00

We went out to Hampstead Heath.

mom and dad are taking in the view on London.

Dad is walking down a street in Hampstead.

Glass sculpture at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

And then we went home, after two weeks on the road....

View all of my London photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nathstevens/sets/72157619063391270/.

Hampton Court

2009-01-17T18:54:00.002-05:00

On Saturday we took the train out to Hampton Court Palace. It was sunny, but still very cold.

William and Mary lived at Hampton Court, I learned all about them.

London is really pretty at night.

View all of my London photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nathstevens/sets/72157619063391270/.

Walking Around London

2009-01-16T18:46:00.003-05:00

The weather in London was very cold and dreary. It was a BIG change from Egypt. On our first day we walked around a lot, we went to Westminster Abbey and Tate Modern.

this pedestrian light has a button for walkers and for horseriders!

We toured Westminster Abbey.

This was my favorite memorial in Westminster Abbey.

Big Ben!

A random statue that i liked.

View all of my London photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nathstevens/sets/72157619063391270/.

Leaving Egypt

2009-01-15T18:03:00.000-05:00

After 10 days, we left Egypt and flew to London.

View all of my Egypt photos on Flickr: http://flickr.com/photos/nathstevens/sets/72157614647897112/.

Pyramids of Giza and Saqqara

2009-01-14T17:48:00.004-05:00

We went to Saqqara and the pyramids of Giza.

Saqqara is the site of one of the first pyramids in Egytp, the step pyramid or the pyramid of Djoser.

Then we went to the pyramids of Giza. My camera battery died around this point, so i don't have too many photos. :(

I rode a camel!

View all of my Egypt photos on Flickr: http://flickr.com/photos/nathstevens/sets/72157614647897112/.

Return to Cairo

2009-01-13T17:40:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday, we returned to Cairo.

That evening we went to the Light and Sound Show at the Giza Pyramids.

It was very cold and rather lame.

View all of my Egypt photos on Flickr: http://flickr.com/photos/nathstevens/sets/72157614647897112/.

Karnak

2009-01-12T16:43:00.007-05:00

We toured the Karnak temple complex all morning.

Karnak is really massive and impressive.

The most impressive part is the Hypostyle hall, which as 134 columns.

bugs!

View all of my Egypt photos on Flickr: http://flickr.com/photos/nathstevens/sets/72157614647897112/.

Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon

2009-01-11T16:17:00.007-05:00

We started out at the Valley of the Kings.

We toured several tombs, but couldn't take photos in any of them.

Workers were excavating in the valley, looking for more tombs.

Then we drove a short distance to the Temple of Hatshepsut. To get to the temple we had to walk next to the market of souvenirs, which was very typical for Egypt.

In 1997 Islamic terrorists killed 63 people at the temple.

The temple is really stunning.

Our final stop was the Colossi of Memnon.

Back to the boat.

View all of my Egypt photos on Flickr: http://flickr.com/photos/nathstevens/sets/72157614647897112/.

Edfu, the Nile River and Luxor

2009-01-10T21:50:00.004-05:00

We cruised down the nile. In the morning we stopped at Edfu to see the Temple of Horus.

I love horus! He is totally creepy looking.

The cat god, Bastet.

Me and Horus!

Temple of Horus

A nice part of the nile River.

The not-so-nice part of the nile.

The top deck of our cruise ship. It was too cool for the pool.

We got to Luxor right as the sun was setting.

It was getting dark as we started touring Luxor Temple.

Naughty hieroglyphs!

Dad taking photos in Luxor.

The lights made the temple very dramatic.

A road of sphinx used to go from Luxor to Karnak.

There aren't too many sphinx remaining.

View all of my Egypt photos on Flickr: http://flickr.com/photos/nathstevens/sets/72157614647897112/.

Aswan, Philae, and Kom Ombo

2009-01-09T23:40:00.001-05:00

We started the day in Aswan. We visited the Aswan High Dam (which formed Lake Nasser) and then took a boat to the Island of Philae.

The temple was moved (like the the Ramesses temple from yesterday) due to the formation of Lake Nasser.

Philae was really nice. It was the first temple that we viewed, and we would see very similar temples in Kom Ombo and Luxor.

Then we went to the unfinish obelisk in the granite quarry. This obelisk would have been the largest one ever, at that time.

Then we boarded our Nile cruise ship - the Tower Prestige.

We sailed down the Nile River to Kom Ombo. Touring a temple at night is very dramatic.

I love the random hieroglyphics!

Especially dirty hieroglyphs!

View all of my Egypt photos on Flickr: http://flickr.com/photos/nathstevens/sets/72157614647897112/.

Abu Simbel

2009-01-08T23:25:00.004-05:00

We flew to Aswan very, VERY early in the morning.

Then we flew onward to Abu Simbel to the Temple of Ramesses II and Nefertari.

Abu Simbel was a highlight of the entire trip! The temple was magnificent.

The statues were gigantic and is was spectacular inside as well!

The two temples were moved and reassembled due to the construction of the Aswan dam and Lake Nasser.

Mom and Dad are enjoying the sites!

Nefertari's temple wasn't as grand as Ramesses'.

Cairo!

2009-01-07T23:19:00.000-05:00

We finally made it to Cairo - much later than anticipated, but we made it. We only got about three hours of sleep and then got up to meet our tour group. We went to the Egyptian Museum, which was very big and crowded. Then on to the Khan el-Khalili bazaar. We weren't in the mood to haggle for items, but enjoyed walking around.

A mosque near the market.

The hotel Conrad, where we stayed. It was very nice.

The nile at night, from my hotel room.

Frankfurt Airport

2009-01-06T23:09:00.004-05:00

Mom, Dad and I left for our big Egyptian trip full of anticipation. Unfortunately, we missed our connection in Frankfurt (due to snow) and had to spend almost 12 hours in the Frankfurt airport. Not a very auspicious way to begin a vacation.

This is how we all looked after about 8 hours in the airport.

After 8 hours we started taking photos of our McDonald's coffee mugs.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-25T16:32:00.003-05:00

After opening all of our gifts, we headed outside to play with Jasper's and Ellis's Stomper Rockets.

We all enjoyed the rockets, especially Jasper.

Ellis wasn't too good at getting the rockets to launch, but he managed a few.

We all took a turn at the launcher, including Anne and...

...Grandma.

New York City - Sunday, Day 3

2008-12-21T16:10:00.002-05:00

The weather on Sunday was very dreary. It was cold and rainy. We rode the subway to Grand Central Station, then headed back home.

Jasper and Ellis at the subway station.

Here come's the train!

The Early's are enjoying the subway.

This is something you almost never see -- Ellis posing for a photo!

He's so cute, he should do it more often!

Grand Central Station.

There was a lightshow on the walls and ceiling.

New York City

New York City - Saturday, Day 2

2008-12-20T15:57:00.006-05:00

The weather was better on Saturday. No more snow, but it was still very cold! We headed downtown to see the Rockefeller Christmas Tree, then walked over to FAO Schwartz and on to Times Square.

On the way to FAO Schwartz we stopped in the Disney Store to get warm. We were surprised to learn that Goofy and Minnie Mouse were making an appearance.

Jasper was happy to see Goofy (it looks like the feeling was mutual).

Goofy sure is goofy... But Ellis refused to participate.

Too bad Jasper didn't bring his Disney world autograph book with him.

At FAO Schwartz, Jasper and Ellis got to play on the piano used in the movie "Big."

Mom, Anne and I went to see the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City.

I was impressed with the Rockettes.

Our hotel was at 75th and Broadway. It was really nice, here's the view.

New York City

New York City - Friday, Day 1

2008-12-19T22:52:00.002-05:00

The whole family (including Chris!) took the Amtrak train to NYC on Friday. We were all very nervous due to the weather forecasts for snow! We were right to be nervous, it was snowy, slushy, cold and windy.

But it was very pretty, especially on Friday, when it was just snowy and not too slushy or icy.

You can always count on Ellis to make a mess.

The origami Christmas Tree at the Natural History Museum.

I was impressed.

Some dinosaur bones at the Natural History Museum.

New York City

Richmond Children's Museum

2008-12-13T22:30:00.003-05:00

Anne, Jasper, Ellis and I visited the Richmond Children's Museum.

Ellis and Jasper's favorite part of the museum is this apple tree. Apples come down shoots and the kids grab them and put them in their baskets.

Jasper got really into it.

My favorite part was the shadow room. Jasper's shadow is having fun!

I swear Jasper asked me to take his photo, so i don't know why he looks so glum.

Heathrow Airport

2008-11-22T23:05:00.000-05:00

Flying back home, I missed my connection in Heathrow and had to spend 9 hours waiting for another flight. I spent quite a while wondering around.

I became slightly obsessed with random vending machines. There was also a vending machine of books.

It's almost a race course for buses!

Carnivore Restaurant

2008-11-20T22:57:00.002-05:00

On our last night in Nairobi we went to Carnivore restaurant, which is often called the best restaurant in Kenya. It is similar to a Brazilian steakhouse, where you can eat unlimited amounts of meat, including ostrich and crocodile.

More Malindi

2008-11-15T22:46:00.001-05:00

View of Turtle Bay at low tide.

there are lots of tidepools. You know I love tide pools!

The Turtle Bay Resort.

My room, on the ground floor.

pretty bird.

Kenya - Malindi

Malindi Beach

2008-11-14T22:41:00.002-05:00

We headed off on our final weekend trip to Malindi, which is on the coast of Kenya.

We flew a discount airline. The plane as small again, like the flight to Masai Mara.

The airport in Malindi is a bit nicer than the one in Masai Mara!

The Indian Ocean, at high tide. This bay is called Turtle Bay, after the rock shaped like a turtle.

Kenya - Malindi

Nairobi Railway Museum

2008-11-11T22:10:00.002-05:00

Since we had a day off for Veteran's Day, we went to the Nairobi Railway Museum. We were the only visitors. The museum has a display of memorabilia inside, and then a yard full of old trains.

This is a famous Man-eating-lion train. In June 1900 a superintendent of the railroad was dragged from the train by a man-eating lion.

An old passenger train.

The yard full of trains.

A failed attempt at creating a better way for inspectors to view the rail lines.

Kenya Railway Museum

Nairobi Hotel

2008-11-10T22:15:00.001-05:00

The view from my hotel room to the pool.

Overlooking the courtyard.

The hallway.

My room.

Masai Mara - Day 3

2008-11-09T21:55:00.000-05:00

On Sunday we went for our final drive around the Masai Mara. We saw a bunch of elephants.

Including some baby elephants.

They are very majestic.

MORE zebras, I can't get enough!

I also like pretty birds (even though I actually rather hate birds...).

Kenya - Masai Mara - Part 2

Sekenani Lodge

2008-11-08T21:29:00.003-05:00

We stayed at the Sekenani Lodge, which is apparently one of the smallest lodges in the Masai Mara. There are 15 tents, each with running water and electricity (during certain hours).

This is my tent.

We had to lock it up with padlocks, especially at night, to keep the monkeys out!

The interior. The back part is a full bath.

There were the awesome rope bridges to get from the sleeping tents to the main food tent.

And nice looking rock paths. It was very romantic and reminded me of girl scout camp.

Masai Mara - Day 2

2008-11-08T21:23:00.002-05:00

On Saturday we started our safari drive around the Masai Mara.

We saw a few lions, but not like the ones on Saturday.

A large foot print near the river.

the border with Tanzania. The park continues in Tanzania, but is called the Serengeti.

Our car and guide.

We were surrounded by swarms of flies all day long, it was very annoying.

I LOVE zebras, I could take photos of them all day.

Pretty birds.

Kenya - Masai Mara - Part 1

Masai Mara - Day 1

2008-11-07T21:03:00.000-05:00

On Friday afternoon we flew from Nairobi to Masai Mara on a very small plane. It only took about 45 minutes. I was sitting in the second row and could see the pilot and co-pilot the entire time.

The view from my seat.

There are several airstrips in the Masai Mara, thankfully we were the first. The airport is a dirt road, but it did have flushing toilets!

It should have taken about an hour to drive from the airstrip to our lodge, but we stopped along the way, especially to take photos of lions!

They were just chillin' in front of 30 tourists. It was overcast with light rain.

Then a cub emerged (soooo cute!!).

He played around, but I couldn't get a good photo...

Check out more photos here:

Kenya - Masai Mara - Part 1

Giraffe Center

2008-11-05T12:44:00.005-05:00

Then it was on to the Giraffe Center.

This was more like a petting farm, where you can feed the giraffes.

Giraffes are quite beautiful.

This house is part of the giraffe center.

Apparently they get fed up there. It is just so funny to see the tall giraffe next to the house.

See more of my photos on my picasa web album.

Kenya - Nov 5 (Part 2 - Giraffes, Elephants and more!)

Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage

2008-11-05T12:39:00.002-05:00

After visiting Nairobi National Park, we went to the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage. They raise baby elephants, who have been orphaned, usually due to poaching.

They feed the elephants baby formula.

The elephants were ridiculously cute.

And very playful.

See more of my photos on my Picasa web album.

Kenya - Nov 5 (Part 2 - Giraffes, Elephants and more!)

Nairobi National Park

2008-11-05T12:23:00.003-05:00

I didn't have to work on Wednesday, due to the election. So we went to the Nairobi National Park, which is very close to downtown Nairobi. It was great, we saw a lot of animals!

I love zebras, they are just really interesting, I could look at them for ages.

Giraffes are also great. They really are majestic.

You can kind of make out Nairobi in the background.

Ostrich are just odd.

Buffalo

Our pop-up van.

Baboons in the street.

See more of my photos on my Picasa web album.

Kenya - Nov 5 (Part 1 - Nairobi National Park)

Welcome to Nairobi!

2008-11-01T22:50:00.001-04:00

I arrived in Nairobi, Kenya late on Saturday evening. I left DC on Halloween. My flights were very unremarkable. I will be here for three weeks. I am really excited to be here during the election, since Obama's father is from Kenya.

Jasper's Halloween Parade

2008-10-31T14:56:00.000-04:00

Right before I left for the airport, I went to Jasper's Elementary School Halloween Parade. The entire school paraded around the neighborhood and through a senior center.

I walked with Jasper, which was a lot of fun. The day was sunny and a bit warm.

Jasper's costume is an Imagination Mover, which is a show on Disney.

Pumpkins!

2008-10-28T14:52:00.002-04:00

Anne and I carved pumpkins again this year. Anne's is on the left, and mine is on the right.

Ellis enjoyed looking at them.

Jasper said mine was the best! I admit that I used a pattern, and Anne didn't.

Corn Maze

2008-10-26T14:20:00.005-04:00

For the last few years I have been going to a pumpkin patch with Anne, Jamie and the boys. This year we went to a corn maze instead.

Ellis didn't enjoy it too much.

Jasper especially liked coloring in his map everytime we reached a new quadrant. The map didn't help us at all.

But we did eventually find our way out.

Victory!

Ellis and Jasper enjoyed playing in these large pipes.

Playground Fun with Ellis and Grandma

2008-10-18T14:11:00.002-04:00

During Jasper's soccer game, Ellis, Grandma and I played on the playground.

Ellis forced Grandma to slide with him.

It was rather amusing.

Then Ellis decided he was ready to leave, so he grabbed my purse and his coat and headed out.

Voting!

2008-10-01T21:55:00.003-04:00

Since I will be in Kenya on election day, I voted via absentee ballot today. I am SOOO excited that Virginia might "turn blue" this year.

I am almost as excited about my new voting sticker! As you know, I collect the "I voted" stickers. Arlington County gives out the same sticker every election, so my sticker collection was getting boring. But, I got a new sticker with my absentee ballot. Check it out!

Another IKEA Trip

2008-09-27T21:51:00.002-04:00

I took another IKEA trip with Anne, Jasper, Ellis and Mom. this time I think Ellis had the most fun. He especially enjoyed the kids beds.

Those colorful beds were soooo much fun.

Where's Ellis?

Jasper LOVES maps!

Soccer!

2008-09-20T21:46:00.002-04:00

Jasper just joined a soccer team, and had his first game.

His shirt was too big and he spent most of the game chewing on the collar, even while running!

and especially while standing still.

Ellis wanted to join the game.

what a cutie!

Playtime with Ellis

2008-09-17T21:44:00.002-04:00

What a guilty expression.

The only reason Ellis sat on the bear was because I tried to sit there first, and he wasn't having any of that!

Jellyfish

2008-09-06T22:33:00.012-04:00

On August 5, my second to last day in Hilton Head, I was stung by a jellyfish. I got stung on both legs! I hadn't been stung in Hilton Head in at least 15 years. My parents have never been stung, nor have several other family members. I guess that makes me lucky....

It hurt quite badly. I was in the ocean holding Jasper at the time. After being stung, I basically ran to the shore, throwing Jasper towards Jamie enroute. Mom chased down a lifeguard, who squirted me with vinegar. We left the beach and returned home. After a couple of hours, it wasn't hurting much, and by the next morning it wasn't hurting at all.

I have sensitive skin, so i really expected the stings to form a large rash, but as you can see in the photo from August 5, it didn't get too red. The sting on my left leg was partly on my foot. The sting on my right leg wrapped almost around my entire leg!

The really crazy part came several days later, on August 9, when my rash became inflamed. My legs started itching and became burning hot. It was very painful. I had to continually ice my legs.

To illustrate my jellyfish journey, I created an animated gif. (thanks chris for the idea!)
August 7 - my rash is fading
August 10 - it is inflamed
August 11 - probably my worst day, since it was still very inflamed, and I was at work, which made it harder to keep it iced.
September 6 - a month later and my rash is still fading. I hope it disappears soon!

The Cutest Kindergartner

2008-09-04T18:02:00.000-04:00

After Jasper's third day of school.

Dinner in Reston

2008-08-27T19:40:00.001-04:00

With Dad out of town, Anne, Jasper, Ellis and I went out to dinner with Mom.

Ellis wast restless waiting for our food.

As was Jasper.

After dinner they played near the lake, in the rain.

Lilypads in Reston

2008-08-24T19:38:00.002-04:00

These lilypads are in the lake where my parents live in Reston.

Someone must have planted them, because there are clumped together, and no other lilypads are seen in this magnitude in the lake.

There are a few pink blossoms.

Sunrise in Rosslyn

2008-08-22T19:31:00.000-04:00

Over the last week I have been working at night, which means that I get to enjoy the sunrise in Rosslyn, as seen from my cube.

Natalie and Andre's Wedding

2008-08-16T19:21:00.001-04:00

Natalie and Andre got married in Croatia in June. To legalize the wedding in the US, they had a civil ceremony in Virginia.

It was very beautiful, very fun and very casual.

Alyssa did a reading.

They are such a cute couple!

Amazing Birthday Balloon Deflates

2008-08-09T19:34:00.001-04:00

My amazing birthday balloon has finally deflated. He made it nine months, but really started sagging in the last few months. Auf Wiedersehen balloon.

Farewell Dinner

2008-08-05T18:52:00.002-04:00

Before I left to head home, we played some more Wii.

Then went to dinner. Jasper was bored out of his mind at dinner, while Ellis was his usual hellion self.

He is so cute.

Playing Ball with Grandma

2008-08-04T18:36:00.002-04:00

Jasper, Ellis, Grandma and I played with the big, bouncy ball before dinner.

Thankfully the street was fairly quiet.

Remember what I said about everything being cuter when they wear the same pajamas? The same is true when they wear the same t-shirt! Anne obviously agrees.

Mini-Golf

2008-08-03T18:29:00.000-04:00

While Anne and Jamie went to Savannah for dinner a deux the rest of us played some mini-golf!

Thanks for picking up my ball, Ellis.

Hmmm, that hole looks tough.

Jasper is now becoming a serious golfer.

Ellis is still at the "if i throw my ball down the ramp, where will it go?" stage.

Fun at the Outlet Mall

2008-08-01T18:25:00.002-04:00

While outlet shopping, Jasper and Ellis insisted on enjoying one of the rides.

and then Anne insisted on enjoying the ride as well.

Teamwork!

Ellis drives while Jasper serves the food.

Golf with Ellis

2008-07-31T23:20:00.000-04:00

Jasper and Ellis cuddle and/or wrestle.

We went out to the golf course behind my parent's house.

Ellis and Jasper enjoyed putting.

Ellis enjoyed the sandtrap.

Ellis also enjoyed throwing balls at me.

Matching Pajamas

2008-07-28T23:02:00.001-04:00

Everything Jasper and Ellis do is super-cute, but it is even cuter when they do it together in matching pajamas!

eating breakfast....cuter in matching pajamas.

wrestling on innertubes....cuter in matching pajamas.

so cute Anaflog had to record the same wrestling match.

Playing Wii....would've been cuter in matching pajamas, but pretty darn cute! Ellis really thought he was playing, and wouldn't give up his controller.

Beach Toys

2008-07-27T23:12:00.000-04:00

Ellis really enjoys playing with all of the toys at the beach, especially the ball pit and inflatable pool toys!

The ball pit is a big hit with both boys every year.

Oh no! the ring is attacking Ellis!

Dad's Birthday

2008-07-27T23:06:00.001-04:00

Dad celebrated another birthday at the beach. Like last year, we didn't actually celebrate his birthday on the exact date.

As per usual, Jasper wanted to help blow out the candles. This year, Ellis also wanted to join in!

Jasper and Dad blow out the candles.

The birthday boy.

Hilton Head Lizard

2008-07-26T22:37:00.001-04:00

This lizard looks quite different than the one Anne photographed back in 2005. Hilton Head has a diverse collection of lizards. :)

Flying to Hilton Head

2008-07-25T22:26:00.003-04:00

Scenes from three airports, enroute to Hilton Head.

Fancy window in Reagan National Airport.

My plane from Charlotte to Hilton Head. Charlotte is one of my favorite airports.

Hilton Head Airport. Hilton Head only has about a dozen flights a day, to Charlotte and Atlanta.

New Camera

2008-07-23T22:08:00.004-04:00

As I previously mentioned, my camera stopped working while I was in Jordan. I finally bought a new digital camera, so new blog updates will be coming soon.

Baptism Site

2008-06-28T19:14:00.000-04:00

Near the Dead Sea, on the Jordan River is the Baptism Site. This is where Jesus was supposedly baptized by John the Baptist. Because the Jordan River is the border between Israel and Palestinian Territories, this region is very heavily guarded.

Our tour guide leads us towards the river.

Fences along the river.

The Jordan River, it was bigger back in the years when Jesus was roaming around.

Site of Jesus's baptism.

Mt. Nebo and the Dead Sea

2008-06-27T23:00:00.004-04:00

The workweek in Jordan is Sunday thru Thursday, so Friday was the first day of our weekend. We rented a car and headed to the Dead Sea. We made a stop along the way at Mt. Nebo. This is where Moses went to see the Promised Land and then died.

The view from Mt. Nebo.

Mosaics from memorial churches built in the sixth century.

Another view from Mt. Nebo.

We saw several of these signs along the Dead Sea Highway. It makes it look like the water is contaminated!

View of the Dead Sea from the Marriott resort. The West Bank is just barely visible in the distance.

The Marriott loaned us these lovely sandals to wear in the Dead Sea.

Floating. The high salt content makes you more buoyant.

We are enjoying the buoyancy! It was shortly after this that my camera died. I think it got wet. I was able to get my photos off my memory card, but the camera won't turn on. So all photos from here on are from my travel companions.

The Dead Sea mud is supposed to be great for your skin, so everyone slathers it on and walks around.

The hills surrounding the Dead Sea at sunset.

Crusaders and Romans

2008-06-24T23:04:00.001-04:00

After work we drove very quickly north of Amman to Ajloun, to see Qala'at ar-Rabad. This castle was built in the late 1100's by Saladin's nephew in defense of the Crusaders.

View from the top of Ajloun castle.

A thistle plant.

After Ajloun we went even further north to Umm Qais, which is also known as Gadara. This site has the ruins of a roman city. This is the ampitheatre.

Umm Qais/Gadara is also the site where Jesus cast demons out of two men into swine.

Umm Qais is at the northern border of Jordan, near Syria and Israel. This is a view towards Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) and the Golan Heights.

Nathalie, Kristian, Jamie and Jill at sunset in Umm Qais.

Chickpeas

2008-06-23T21:50:00.000-04:00

Most of the food on this table is made from chickpeas!

Amman

2008-06-21T15:47:00.001-04:00

View of Amman from an art gallery near downtown.

Hello from Amman

2008-06-20T21:25:00.004-04:00

Hello form Amman, Jordan! I am again traveling for work. Thankfully this will be the last trip for a few months. It is very sunny and warm here, but as they say, it is a dry heat. The dry heat is really nice. Although it is about 90 degrees most days, it is quite pleasant in the shade.

With my trip to Amman, I have now been in six continents in the past year!
North America - my home!
South America - my trip to Santiago in April 2008
Europe - my cruise with my parents in July 2007
Africa - my trip to Cairo in August 2007
Australia - my most recent trip in May 2008
Asia - Amman!

Like my first day in Cairo last year, I witnessed part of a wedding in my hotel. I rode the elevator with the wedding couple a few minutes before I took this photo. They were extremely nice.

This was the group leading them into their reception. the group featured a man on a megaphone, several guys on drums, at least two videographers and....

a bagpiper!

Ellis and Geese

2008-06-19T15:03:00.000-04:00

I spent the afternoon at my parent's house, hanging out for a while before I left for the airport to fly to Amman. Ellis spent the day there as well. he was napping when I arrived.

He is so cute when asleep (although that drool spot isn't so cute).

He is cute when he is awake too! Although we like to give Chris grief for taking lots of photos of his food, I think Anne and I like taking photos of Ellis eating!

These geese crossed a busy road right in front of us.

Thankfully the entire goose family survived the trek.

A Wii Bit of Fun on Father's Day

2008-06-15T14:55:00.003-04:00

Mom bought herself a Wii for her birthday. We played some golf and bowling on Father's Day. We all enjoyed the games, even Jasper and Ellis.

I hope mom is bowling, otherwise her golf swing needs some work...

Jasper did very well!

But dad did the best.

Jasper's Graduation

2008-06-13T20:44:00.001-04:00

I attended Jasper's pre-school graduation with mom, dad, anne and jamie. It was too long, but extremely cute. His class sang a TON of songs. Jasper seemed to have a hard time remembering all the dance moves.

After the ceremony the kids enjoyed some treats.

Then the kids did some ballroom dancing. The girls definitely were leading the boys!

Congrats grad!

Mom's Birthday

2008-06-12T15:36:00.002-04:00

Mom celebrated another birthday on Thursday. As per usual, Jasper couldn't wait for the gift-opening.

Less cake-cutting, more present opening!

Anaflog takes a break for some ice cream cake.

Back to the Pool!

2008-06-08T21:27:00.001-04:00

I went to the pool with Anne, Ellis, Jasper and Grandma. Although the Early's had been to their neighborhood pool already this summer, this was my first pool visit this season. Although Jasper can't quite swim yet, he likes wearing goggles and going underwater.

I bought a book of masks at Luna Park in Sydney. Jasper enjoyed them!

Amazing Birthday Starts to Deflate

2008-06-03T15:24:00.002-04:00

It took seven months, but the Amazing Birthday Balloon has started to deflate. It now rests on the floor.

Bondi Beach and Luna Park

2008-06-01T23:09:00.002-04:00

World famous Bondi Beach! Unfortunately, it was cloudy and cool, but there were surfboarders in the water.

View from above Bondi Beach.

A neighboring beach.

Luna Park, which originally opened in 1935. It is like a carnival, or Coney Island. Free admission, but each ride was about $8.00!

Those teeth are scary!

A fitting way to end my trip to Australia - a final photo of the harbour bridge and Opera House.

Sydney

2008-05-31T23:34:00.005-04:00

This was my last weekend in Australia, so I spent it exploring more of Sydney.

Hyde Park Barracks were built in the early 1800's by convicts and housed convicts. During the day they would go out into Sydney and work, then at night they would come back to the barracks and sleep in hammocks.

After the end of the transportation of convicts to Australia the barracks were turned into housing for women and children immigrants.

Sydney Tower, supposedly the tallest building in the southern hemisphere.

The view looking east, Hyde Park Barracks are at the bottom of the image.

Hyde Park Barracks.

View looking west.

Sydney Monorail, in Darling Harbour

the monorail, coming in for a stop.

View from my Hotel Room

2008-05-28T07:15:00.005-04:00

It wouldn't be a trip without photos from my hotel room window/balcony. My hotel in Sydney doesn't have a balcony, so I will have to settle with photos from the window. Shockingly, I discovered that I took no photos from my hotel in Santiago, but that is because the view was horrible.

My window in Sydney is looking south, over Carrington Street and Wynyard Park.

Sydney's CityRail Train

2008-05-27T19:04:00.000-04:00

Sydney's subway system, known as the CityRail.

Double-decker trains! Although I think Sydney is a clean city, considering it is a big city, the trains aren't so clean...

Melbourne

2008-05-26T23:16:00.012-04:00

The Old Melbourne Gaol, famous in Australia for being the place where Ned Kelly was hung. Ned is Australia's most famous/beloved folk hero.

My fake (or is it?!?!) mug shot from the old gaol. I am trying to look criminal and menacing.

Melbourne is well-known for its trams. It reminded me of Amsterdam. This is the free city circle tram, that circles the downtown city...

Flinders Street Train Station

It is fall here in the southern hemisphere. It is very odd to think that it is becoming warm and summery back home!

A building with gold bugs.

This building has the Eureka Skydeck on floor 88. Supposedly the highest viewing platform in the southern hemisphere.

Some views from the 88th floor. looking west.

East, Federation Square is in the middle of the photo.

South, Port Phillip Bay is in the distance.

The Eureka Skydeck has a glass cube that extends out from the building. it is sort of like a sideways elevator. The sides, top and bottom are all glass.

Great Ocean Road

2008-05-25T23:26:00.008-04:00

On Sunday we rented a car and headed to the coast to drive the Great Ocean Road. This stretch of road runs for almost 250 km along the southern coast of Australia, near Melbourne. It is really gorgeous. The road is somewhat similar to the Pacific Coast Highway in California.

The tide was coming in, and forming little tide pools. It reminded me of the tide pools at Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego.

There wasn't as much interesting marine life as at Cabrillo.

The Great Ocean Road was very twisty. The day started out sunny, but then got cloudy.

I drove the rental car. Driving on the left wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

As we hiked down the beach it started to rain.

The now wet pathway up to our car.

Downtown Melbourne at night. The city runs next to the 'Yarra River.

Off to Melbourne

2008-05-24T23:17:00.000-04:00

To celebrate the holiday weekend, I flew to Melbourne on Saturday. I flew on Virgin Blue, which is the Australian version of Virgin discount flights.

The flight took a little over an hour, it was very uneventful. The airport experience was rather surreal, no one ever checked my id, and you don't have to show a boarding pass to go to the gate. It was very refreshing and rather serene.

Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylon Lookout

2008-05-18T23:53:00.001-04:00

View from the Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylon Lookout.

Sydney Opera House.

Circular quay and downtown.

Featherdale Wildlife Park

2008-05-17T23:30:00.006-04:00

After the Blue Mountains we went to the Featherdale Wildlife Park. The park had lots of koalas, kanagaroos and wallabies.

You could pet a koala!!!

The kangaroos and wallabies were all over the place.

There's a baby in her pouch!

'Sup?

You could feed the kangaroos and wallabies.

Albino kangaroos.

birds.

The Tasmanian Devil ran around in a circle in his cage. It was really funny.

Dingo!

Wombat.