A baby bud...

Once in a lifetime...

We took a quick trip to Seattle last weekend to see the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Pacific Science Center. I don't think I was prepared for how cool this was. The tour included a lot of historical information about the area where the scrolls were found and the people who are thought to have hidden them in the caves. There were artifacts dating back 1000 B.C. including coins from the early Roman Empire, pottery, and pieces of linen. The most amazing part, however, was seeing the fragments of the actual scrolls.

The first scrolls were discovered in 1947, and over the next years of excavation, more than 100,000 written fragments were found. Pieces of every Old Testament book (except Esther) were discovered, including multiple copies of the more popular books (Psalm, Genesis, Isaiah). We saw 10 fragments: Genesis 1:18-27 (fifth day of creation), pieces of the first few books of Exodus, Isaiah 54, Ezekiel 10:6-11:11, Psalm 119 (which includes perhaps the oldest writing of God's name), as well as five non-biblical books.

If you are going to be in Seattle in the next few weeks, or could make a special trip, this exhibit is well worth it. It is only in Seattle through January 7th...so go soon!

1-800-DENTIST, help...

Yesterday the Diefenbaugh family came over to Bob and Nancy's house to visit. We had a little too much fun with my costume teeth. Brennan thought it was especially hilarious... he is such a ham and loves making people laugh.

Dr. Brownlee I presume...

Merrick passed his defense today! We want to thank everyone for the many thoughts and prayers over the past few years. It is nice to be done with this stage and ready to move on to the next. We are looking forward to what God has for us in the future.

Merrick's new game...

For the past few days Merrick has been working from home. He has been taking breaks throughout the day to rest his brain... mostly playing video games or nerf basketball. Well, I also happened to be cleaning the oven today so I had our ceiling fan running (which I have done about 3 times total since we lived in this apartment). He thought it would be a good idea to throw the nerf ball into the fan. Well, as I am sure you can imagine, it shot out of the fan straight toward the china hutch... Later he decided to try again from a different angle (so not to break anything). He again threw it up and (literally) rocketed the ball straight into the living room where I was sitting. Now that he knows what happens, I am a little worried about what he will try next time he is home and I'm not. I can just picture him and Dan playing a game of ceiling fan nerf baseball in our apartment...we just have to make it one more week without breaking anything.

Over the river and through the woods...

Well, I am not going to "grandmother's house," but my grandpa is coming to our house! I am so excited. I haven't seen my grandpa and his wife, Joan, since Merrick and I got married. Anyway, he is coming next Tuesday and staying for two weeks! Since Merrick and I move to Portland next weekend, we will be able to spend a lot of time with them. When they came up for the wedding it was a quick trip for them, and to be honest, I was a bit preoccupied. =) This time I will not be doing anything else, so it will be perfect! I can't wait.

An encounter with Mr. Slaughter...

Yesterday I was just outside my front door sweeping and moving boxes that I had been packing. I was on the phone with Merrick who had called to tell me he was heading home from work. There was a gentleman on the path below our apartment that was trying to talk to me, but I was having a difficult time understanding him. He was asking if I could help him. Well, sure. Why not? He was stumbling a bit and had a hard time walking up the steps to my apartment. He didn't seem very coherent as he started asking for a ride to 9th Street (those who aren't familiar with where we live, it is just about 2 miles away - the "main drag"- if there is on in town). I asked where on Ninth, and he said he would just show me when we got there. Merrick was still on the phone and saying "don't take him anywhere...I'll be home in a few minutes." Of course I wouldn't get in the car with a strange old man... duh.

Anyway, the man kept talking to me as he reached for his wallet. He wanted to pay me, but I kept saying we wouldn't accept payment, and if he really needed help we would do what we can for him. Nothing was making a lot of sense because he was slurring his words and mumbling a lot. He kept getting closer to me and telling me that he loved me. I was getting more uncomfortable, but didn't really know what to do. He started asking me my name. I told him "Hannah." Then he wanted to know my last name, but I let him know that I wasn't going to tell him that. He repeated that he loved me and he loved "all children." He asked if I knew what he name was, which of course I didn't. He said "Robert." Okay, that is normal, but then he said "Do you know my last name?" I of course said no, and he said something about how we are neighbors and I don't know his name, then said my name is "Robert Slaughter. Now do you know my last name?"

He wanted me to repeat it... was this a sick joke on the day after Halloween? To approach me and tell me his name is Robert Slaughter? This whole time he seemed harmless enough, but I started to get really freaked out. I was sure he was buttering me up and then going to kill me. (Don't laugh, this was really traumatizing at the time). My heart was pounding, my whole body got really hot from the inside out. I kept thinking that I could out-run him, or jump off the balcony if I needed to.

I finally told him that he needed to wait inside his apartment and we would come get him with my husband came home. Merrick was still on the phone, but he couldn't hear anything the man was saying. I quickly went into my house and locked the door and then called my apartment manager. By now I was shaking uncontrollably, and thought if she was home she could just come over until Merrick got there. I explained what had happened, and she was very worried. "Bob" is usually a very soft-spoken, friendly fellow. We thought perhaps he had a stroke or something worse. Teresa wasn't home, but said she was getting in her car and driving right over. I hung up with her and called Merrick right back... then there was a knock at the door. I was "hiding" in the back room of the apartment, again thinking up escape routes.

Merrick rushed home and when he got to the door there was a pile of cash sitting on my welcome mat. I had as close to a nervous break down as I have ever experienced. I was hysterical thinking that he was going to come in the middle of the night and hack us into little pieces. Teresa came quickly too, and she went over to talk to Robert. Turns out he had A LOT to drink and was VERY drunk. His wife later came over to apologize for him pestering me.

I don't think this would have been nearly as scary if it was a man with any other last name in the world. The moral of the story... I watch too much Law and Order and CSI... and have a very creative imagination.

Decision 2006...

Well, it is official. Merrick accepted the job and we are staying in Oregon! He is going to be working as an Electric Design Engineer at Mindspeed Technologies in Hillsboro.

As I expected we are both slightly disappointed that we aren't going overseas, but at the same time I am thrilled to be moving closer to most of our friends. We both came to the same conclusion about the Northwest being the right place for us right now, and are at peace with our decisions - and that's a great feeling! There are still a few big things in our immediate future, such as Merrick's defense on November 10, and we would appreciate your continued prayers.

Next step... find me a job. =)

Thinking of a number between 7 and 9...

Eight years ago we went on a date. There was a large group of Merrick's friends going to a Portland Winter Hawk's game, including our good friends Joel and Sarri. At the last minute, Merrick called and invited me to go. The four of us loaded up into Sarri's Ford Falcon and headed to Portland. (This picture was taken that night at the Memorial Coliseum in Portland.)



After the game we went back to Newberg to watch a movie at Sarri's apartment (don't write me up, but yep, we were breaking "floor hours"). It was some time that night, during "When a Man Loves a Woman" that Merrick kissed me for the first time! We later found out that Joel and Sarri's first kiss also happened that night (and now they are married with three kids)!

"The decision to kiss for the first time is the most crucial in any love story. It changes the relationship of two people much more strongly than even the final surrender; because this kiss already has within it that surrender." ~Emil Ludwig

Apples to apples...

We spent this last weekend in Eugene with Merrick's parents and the Diefenbaughs. We hadn't been to Eugene since July, so it was time to get down for a visit. There is a great u-pick apple orchard and pumpkin patch just outside of Eugene, and for the past few years we have made the trek to Deterings a family tradition. So, on Saturday after lunch we headed out to the orchard for an afternoon adventure...

First I have to say that the weather was incredible (as it usually is when we go). There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and in the sun it was quite warm. The first thing I noticed when we pulled into the farm was a sign that said "Labrador Puppies For Sale!" I know it doesn't make a lot of sense to get a puppy, especially right before moving back up to my parent's house, but I still begged and fussed about it... and that was before seeing the two puppies in the big wooden box. Oh my, they were cute.

The second thing I noticed was the table where they were serving the free homemade apple cobbler! Every weekend in the fall the family cooks up delicious apple cobbler to serve to the guests. I wasn't all that hungry, but couldn't say no to that treat!

After my quick snack, we grabbed buckets and headed out to the apple trees. There are rows and rows of fantastic apples. I always get a few of each variety, and "sample" a few while I pick. (Don't worry, they encourage the sampling.) The kids had fun finding apples they can reach and I think Ella ate more than she actually put in her bucket. Scott spent a lot of time making sure Brennan didn't just sample the yucky apples that had fallen off and were rotting at the base of the tree. Once our apple supply was sufficient we visited the pumpkin patch. Most of the pumpkins had been picked and were waiting up by the house, but we had fun wandering around and hiding in the corn stalks.
Back at the farm we visited the puppies, paid for our apples, and Megan and Scott took the boys on a horse-drawn wagon ride.

When we got home Margaret cooked a great dinner and of course baked an apple pie!

We're moving...

Yep, you read right, we are moving... again. I just gave our 30 day notice to our apartment manager, so we will be moving out of this apartment the weekend before Thanksgiving. Other than that, nothing in our immediate future is known or confirmed (housing, jobs, etc...). I am sure more will become clear in the next few weeks, and I will keep this blog up-to-date with our plans. For now, we are packing up and heading north to stay with friends and family.

Today I told my friends at Santiam that I am moving. I cried when talking to them. I knew I would be sad on my last day, but I didn't know the entire last month would be sad. The hardest part of moving away from Corvallis will be leaving that little school that has blessed me so immensely.

In the next few days/weeks have a few big decisions to make, and we would really appreciate your prayers during this transitional time. As always, you can keep checking here for updates and new news!

Sydney steals the show…

Saturday was filled with friends, football and lots of food… but Sydney Reese Coleman was the star! Kristen, Shannon and I threw a shower to celebrate with the Colemans and to introduce Sydney to the world… well, our world anyway.

We had so much fun spending the day with people that we have not seen in ages. It was the perfect, relaxed environment – guys gathered around the T.V. watching the games, and the girls gathered in the kitchen (around the cupcakes).

Drew and Marisa got more goodies for Sydney – including an adorable pumpkin hat that Shannon knitted. Even though the gifts were for her, Syd was quite content sitting with Merrick and watching the games with the guys in the other room.

The other excitment was seeing the sonogram pictures of Hannah and Shannon's babies who are due one week apart.

I often forget that I am rejuvenated when I am around other people. Even though this was a busy week, and I am now exhausted, in a different way I feel refreshed. I have amazing friends, and it was great to spend the weekend with so many of them.

And thanks to Shannon for sharing some great pictures from the shower!

Limo lunch...

Today I had the best sub job ever. I chaperoned a group of students that had won a trip to Izzy’s Pizza in a limo. I met them at the school, rode in the limo with them to Corvallis, ate a delicious buffet lunch at Izzy’s, and then rode back to the school. I love doing things like this because it is always fun to interact with the students outside of the classroom and get to know them in a different way. Have I said recently that I love my job?

A step in the wrong direction…

I need to back pedal a bit and catch up on the happenings of last week..

Wednesday was our third anniversary! We didn’t do a lot because Merrick hurt his back playing racket ball and was in a lot of pain. We did manage to enjoy a sushi dinner and a movie at home. It was simple, but nice.

Thursday we headed up to visit Merrick’s sister, Macy, and her family in Sultan, Washington. We had to stop at the chiropractor on the way up for a quick back adjustment, but the rest of the trip was fairly uneventful. Neither of us had been up to Sultan, and we didn’t know quite what to expect. Our first impression of the tiny town was a middle-aged man, wearing very tight jeans, roller skating down main street. It was classic. When we got to the house, Mariah and Maleah gave us the grand tour, and then we all loaded back into the car and headed to Monroe to eat dinner at Red Robin.

Friday morning Macy made fabulous pancakes for breakfast. When we were done eating decided to go to the Reptile Zoo. It was the craziest place I have ever seen. There were King Cobras, Anacondas, lizards, an albino alligator, boas, pythons, tortoises, frogs, a black mamba, and more! It was amazing. I forgot to take my camera with me, so I don’t have any pictures to share, but if you are ever headed out toward Sultan, I highly recommend checking it out. And no worries, it is open 365 days a week!

We left the “zoo” and headed toward the mountains for a hike in the woods. It was so beautiful. Everything was shining from the rain, and the leaves were changing colors and dropping slowly into the river. It was great to get some fresh air and spend time outside.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the house just hanging out and resting. We all ate dinner together, and had an amazing dessert, and then snuggled up to watch “Pete’s Dragon.” It was a great day!

Saturday we left the Haverly house shortly after breakfast and headed south to Covington to visit Forrest and Amy. We hadn’t seen them for almost a year, and it was SO good to hang out with them again. We really miss having them closer – especially since we used to see them every day! Amy’s parents were also in town, so we spent the day with them watching football and playing my new Napoleon Dynamite pictionary game. =)

Sunday we headed south to Portland. Merrick’s parents were up from Eugene for the weekend, so we headed out to Newberg to spend time with them and the Diefenbaughs. We again played Napoleon Dynamite, this time with Kyler, who was the game MVP.

It was a busy weekend with lots of driving, but we had so much fun seeing family and friends.

Couch day...

Yesterday afternoon I met Kristen and Shannon for happy hour at Stanford's. We were there to finish planning the Coleman's baby shower that is this Saturday... somehow, we ended up at Costco where Kristen bought new furniture! It was a strange series of events, that was very funny to the three of us. I don't think any of our husbands found it nearly as hilarious as we did - especially Jeff.

Needless to say, we didn't get much planning done.

Oh, and this post is especially for Shannon... she thinks it is funny that nothing happens in my life, so I write about silly things like drinking lattes and buying couches. =)

Three years and counting...

Today is our third anniversary! Sometimes it is hard for me to believe that we have been married that long... which means we have been together for 8 years!
I thank God for the amazing husband and wonderful second family He has blessed me with. I can't imagine my life without any of them. We are also so thankful for the amazing friends we have and how they all played such an important part of our special day. Thanks. We love you all.

A major blowout...

Nope, not a diaper or a tire... it was a football game.

This weekend my friend, Angela, came down to visit. Her dad had given her two tickets to OSU/Cal game and she invited me to go along. We should have known we were destined for disappointment. She came down on Friday night, and we went to the last part of the Santiam Christian football game. It was a big game. Santiam was ranked #1 in state, and Regis #3. When we arrived, the Eagles were winning, but with less than a minute left, Regis scored to take the lead. The SC guys never recovered.

On Saturday we had a pretty lazy morning - a nice change from usual. We have these incredibly noisy upstairs neighbors who wake up at 4:30 a.m. every day. We all heard them banging around, but luckily were able to fall back asleep. We sat in our pajamas and watched college football and ate a late breakfast. It was fabulous and very relaxing. When it was time, Merrick took us to campus and dropped us off at the stadium. We walked around outside for a while, then got bored and headed for hot dogs and our seats! Like I said, the game didn't turn out so well for the Beaver fans, but we still had a lot of fun. The world's biggest know-it-all jerk was sitting behind us and had something profane and negative to say after every single play. He even mocked the national champion baseball team when they were on the field during half-time. Thank goodness he fell asleep during the third quarter, and stopped talking for a few minutes.

After the game Merrick picked us up and we headed home for a while. He was in a great mood because the Ducks annihilated ASU this weekend! We ended up watching more football at home before heading to Tarn Tip for some great Thai food! The time went fast, but it was so fun to have a friend visit. We had a lot of time to just hang out and chat - something that doesn't happen very often anymore.

Sunday was pretty typical too - church and a lot of football. Our "Corvallis" church went back to two services again today, but they are still meeting outside. I didn't know we would be outside, but ended up putting on a sweater anyway. Merrick left half way through the service to get a sweatshirt from the car - it was really cold out there at 8:30 this morning. Funny how last month we were there thinking it was way too hot and wished we were inside with the AC on. I guess you can never please an oregonian.

We are looking forward to a fun week. Our third anniversary is on Wednesday, and on Thursday we are heading to the Seattle area to hang out with family and friends we haven't seen in a long time. I'll be sure to post more on our adventures when we are home!

It's beginning to look a lot like...

...fall!

The first week of fall has been warmer than the last week of summer. Even though it is 80 degrees outside, the air somehow feels different than it did in August. Perhaps the air is cleaner because we have had some rain, or maybe it is just my imagination.

On Saturday morning I celebrated the beginning of fall with a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks! It was delicious! We spent the weekend watching football and spending time with old friends. It is always nice to reconnect with people and get caught up on each other's lives.

This morning I went on a "field trip." I took myself to the local farmer's market, and then I just drove around town enjoying the colors of the changing trees. I am getting excited to visit the apple orchard and pumpkin patch, but for now I will enjoy the scenery, smells and especially the sun that has come with these first beautiful days of fall.

I love this time of year!

"By all these lovely tokens
September days are here,
With summer's best of weather
And autumn's best of cheer."
~Helen Hunt Jackson

Our (hilarious) niece...

Those of you who have heard any of our "Maleah" stories know there are many to choose from. The most recent was yesterday... I was chatting with Macy online and Matt walked into the room and said, "hey, tell Hannah that if she and Merrick like bluegrass, that they should get the Ricky Skags instrumental album." Maleah was standing there and said, "I think Hannah is allergic to grass."

I've been tagged...

So, I am supposed to list 5 things about me that are unusual and I am guessing that most people don't know. Okay, here it goes...

1. When talking on the phone, I always hold my phone with my left hand. (It is close to physically impossible for me to use my right hand.)
2. When I was a little kid I always had holes in my underwear because I refused to wear anything other than a t-shirt and underwear to play in and would wear them out.
3. I love public speaking, but I hate performing in public.
4. I didn't see a rated "R" movie until I was 15.
5. If the volume level on a television is numerical, I have to have it set on a multiple of five.

So... tag. You are it! If you are reading this, and you have your own blog, it is now your turn.

Must see...

A few years ago I decided that I was watching too much T.V., so I stopped getting involved in new shows. Merrick and I would wait until the good ones were available on DVD and then we would watch them all at once. This worked best for shows like "24," "Alias" and "Lost" that would suck you in like a black hole. Rather than watching one episode each week, we would simply sit and watch all 20+ episodes in a matter of a few days. It was much more satisfying. And in my mind, this feels like I am watching less T.V.

There are a few shows that I do watch on a fairly regular basis. Merrick and I both really enjoy The Amazing Race. For those of you who haven't see this, in my opinion, it is one "reality" show worth watching. The idea of spending a month racing around the world sounds so exciting... we have talked about applying to be on the show, but have yet to actually send in an application. Another show that I watch is The Biggest Loser. I like the idea that there is a program that is trying to change lifestyles and help people lose weight the right way - with a healthy diet and (lots of) exercise. Again, I recommend this to those of you who haven't seen it yet. I also love the variety of crime dramas that are on nightly. You know the ones... shows that you can watch a few times each season, but don't have to follow along with. The plot is wrapped up in one hour, so you can move on with life. One of those I especially enjoy is CSI (the original), and tonight is the season premier. Last season ended abruptly, and tonight will answer many questions.

Now comes the decision making process. There are so many new shows this year - most of which look pretty good. Unfortunately, some of the new shows overlap, therein lies the problem. Last night we watched Kidnapped and I really enjoyed it. In October The Nine premieres and will air at the same time (Wednesdays at 10) so we will have to decide which is better. Other shows that I am looking forward to watching this fall are Heroes, Six Degrees and perhaps Studio 60. So much for not watching a lot of television.

One side note - we have decided that watching football does not count towards our weekly television hours. It is just a requirement for fall, and we feel as if we are doing our duty to society by watching every televised college and NFL game each week.

And they keep coming...

Just this morning I was writing about how many babies have entered our lives this month. Not even 5 hours later I find out that my very good friend, Hannah, is expecting a baby! Yeah! I can't wait to meet the first little Noel baby.

Congratulations Brent and Hannah!

Oh, and by the way, Hannah announced her pregnancy this afternoon on her blog. It was so unexpected - I was shocked and thrilled to read the news!

Babies, babies, everywhere...

It seems that certain animals are born during certain season. For example, bunnies are born in the spring, and penguins hatch during the dead of winter. Based on recent activity, I am starting to believe that September is human baby season. Now, I know that isn't really how it works, but it sure seems that way. Over the course of one week there were 5 babies born into our extended circle of friends. And two days later, my friend Hannah became an aunt again! That brings the count up to six new babies this month! (To see pictures of baby Sydney check out the Coleman's blog or you can look at Hannah's blog to see her adorable niece.)

Needless to say we are thrilled to watch our friend's families grow, and are so glad to finally meet these little miracles that God has created. This is an exciting time for sure. Congratulations again to all you new parents.

Be nice to me...

...I gave blood today.

Now, this is something I do often, and I actually enjoy it. Not so much because they stick me with a needle, or that I answer the same 50 questions every time, or that I wait in line for hours... I go because I am potentially saving lives (well, and for the doughnuts!). Lately my veins have been harder and harder to poke. Not sure what is happening, but when they sense danger, they dive. The last time I gave blood, the lady poked 17 times...today wasn't much better. I don't mean that she actually stuck me with the needle 17 times, but they poke once, then dig around, shove and re-poke inside the skin over and over and over. Today the first man gave up and called over the "pro" who himself inflicted more vein pain than I have ever endured. It was the closest I have ever come to asking them to stop. I would have been more than willing to let them try the other arm, but these guys were determined, and I guess it payed off. I am aching, bruised and battered, but the American Red Cross successfully obtained 1 pint of my blood. I now have 56 days to heal before we try again.

Digging deeper...

Yesterday afternoon Merrick was sharing granola with our niece and nephews. When they had enough, Merrick put the cereal box away. Evidently Brennan wasn't done...he picked up the box and tried to figure out how to help himself to more. He knew the snacks came from inside the box, but every time he reached in, that darn bag was in his way. Needless to say, this was frustrating for him, but amusing for the rest of us.

New kid on the block...

Sydney Reese Coleman was born today! We are so excited to welcome her into the world, and cannot wait to meet this new little creation. Congrats to her parents, Drew and Marisa! We will hopefully be visiting the Coleman family this weekend, and I will try to post some pictures of the new baby soon.

"A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for." ~unknown author

My feet hurt...

After a summer of wearing flip-flops and running shoes, these last few days of working (and wearing heals) are killing me. All of this before we even get to Friday night dance class. It is a good thing that I really like my job, or I would be miserable...


"The greatest evil is physical pain." ~St. Augustine

Back in the saddle...

After three months of unemployment, I officially am back to work today. I am looking forward to being back on campus, learning a new group of names and faces, and seeing old friends. This week I am teaching three days of science classes. Three days is about perfect for me - keeps me from getting bored, but allows me to still get stuff done at home.

As Merrick gets closer to graduation, and we get closer to moving out of Corvallis, I realize how much I am going to miss subbing at Santiam. I will do my best to cherish the next month of teaching and tutoring because I just don't know how many more days I will be out there. As ready as we are for the next stage in life, we are now realizing that it is going to be hard to say good-bye to Corvallis and the fun three years we have spent here.

Well, off to work. Today is going to be great!


"Any Change, even for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts." ~Arnold Bennett

Auf Wiedersehen...

Today we said good-bye to Austria. The alarm went of at 3 a.m., which gave us more than enough time to pack up and meet our taxi driver in the lobby. We ate a few bowls of cereal to use up the soy milk and hold us over until we could eat a meal in Frankfurt. Our flight left Austria at 6 a.m., but the little Klagenfurt airport didn't even open until 5. With all passengers checked in and screened, we were able to board the airplane and head to Germany.

Security was tighter in Germany since we were heading towards the US. They even put my teddy bear, Gus, through a special test to see if he had any explosive residue on him. I guess he does look a little suspicious. We were pleased to find out that smoking was not allowed in the International terminal, so we sat and enjoyed more tuna in the first smoke-free environment of our trip. (I think the excessive smoking was our biggest complaint of the short vacation - everyone smokes, and you just can't get away from it.)

Our flight from Germany was long. I know there is a reason, but it doesn't seem right that we can fly from Portland to Germany in 10 hours, but from Germany to D.C. takes 8... We landed in Washington D.C. , went through customs, and headed straight to Subway so Merrick could eat. ( I had eaten enough nasty airplane food to hold me over until home.) We had about three hours to kill, so I wandered the terminal and Merrick slept at the gate guarding our bags. It doesn't take long to see all there is to see in the "D" terminal at Dulles International Airport, so I returned to the gate and read my book.

The flight to PDX was also good. Another 5 hours, but it seemed to go quickly. They showed us a few movies, and had a few decent music stations to listen to. My dad was waiting for us when we landed and we were able to grab our bags and head straight home. We spent the night in Portland so we could do our laundry and postpone the next stage of travel until morning. The idea of another hour of sitting in a car just didn't appeal. I didn't sleep in the planes or at the airports, so by the time laundry was done, and I crawled in bead, I had been awake for over thirty hours. Sleep sounded fabulous!

Where in the world is...

...Ljubljana?

This morning we woke up at 5 a.m. and once again walked across the street to the train station. We had a few options of where we wanted to go... Venice, Innsbruck, Berchtesgaden or Ljubljana. We didn't know anything about Ljubljana other than the fact that it is the capital of Slovenia - a country we had never visited. The adventure of the unknown was luring, and we decided to check it out. We bought our tickets, waited a few minutes, and hopped aboard for the 2-hour ride.

This trip, like yesterday, was also through the Alps, only today we headed mostly south. The countryside was beautiful the entire way. We stopped briefly in a small border town where a group of customs guards boarded the train. They came row-by-row asking to see passports and tickets. We didn't get a Slovenia stamp - quite disappointing. It was amazing to see the immediate difference in architecture and notice the lower income level the moment we crossed the border. The signs were all written in Slovenian, a Slovak language, which uses an entirely different alphabet. We didn't have a tour book, map, or any other information about the country. As we continued south we both were wondering what we had gotten ourselves into.

When we arrived in Ljubljana we had no idea where to go, and wanted to get some information about the city. We were able to find a very friendly station employee who escorted us to the information area where we found great books and maps - for free! We gathered all we needed and headed toward the middle of the city. Most of the traveling we have done in our lives has been very planned and organized. The excitement of the unknown was fabulous. As we started walking, we immediately discovered the beauty of this city and knew we had bought the right tickets this morning.

We walked all over... first through the market. There were many booths set up where people were selling fresh produce, flowers, and other local items. It was interesting to see what was being offered, and nice because no one was pushy about us buying anything. Mostly local people were shopping for groceries - the produce was outside, and the meats, cheese, and bread were all inside in a separate and cooler area. We didn't purchase anything right away, but made a mental note to come back to buy snacks later in the day. Everything looked so delicious - especially the various sweet breads.

We headed toward Old Town to continue our exploration. We were surprised to see not only a Nike store, but also a Lush (yes, as in the Lush on NW 23rd in Portland). Both seemed a little out of place amongst the boutiques, cafes and bars along the street. Slovenia joined the European Union in 2004, but hasn't yet started using Euros. We found an ATM and asked the lady in line behind us to help us with the conversion... it was pretty fun withdrawing 10,000 from the machine - granted it was 10,000 Slovenian tolars. Since we weren't in a hurry, and had no where in particular to go, we strolled and enjoyed window shopping and dreaming about the delicious ice cream that was being sold at every cafe.

Once we had our fill of Old Town, we walked up the hill to the castle. At the top we stopped to catch our breath and have a snack. We had bought a bottle of water at a little market in Old Town, and had packed a can of tuna and some pita bread. Merrick opened the tuna over his lap and promptly spilled the tuna juice all over his shorts and down his leg... good thing we had the bottle of water to clean him as quickly as possible. The train on the way home would have been interesting if he reeked of tuna.

The castle, simply called "Ljubljana Castle" has been around for more than 1000 years. It has been refurbished and is completely open to the public. We paid the small fee and were able to climb the high tower to see the amazing views of the city.

After lunch we walked to the end of town were we saw a wall that was built by the Romans during the time when the city was ruled by the Roman Empire. It was still standing, and mostly in tact. In that same area we saw archaeologists digging - we don't know what they found - but it was fun to witness none-the-less.

Throughout the remainder of the day we spent time visiting the capital buildings, crossing famous bridges, and relaxing under the trees in the the many parks.

At 4:00 we boarded the train and headed back to Austria. It was the same scenery on the way home, same drill with customs (only this time we got a stamp!), and in less than two hours we were back in our hotel. What a day!

We did get a call from our friends, Jose and Marcella, who live in Villach, and we were able to meet them for dinner in the plaza. Jose recently graduated from OSU and is now working at Infenion. It was fun to see them again, and we were able to ask questions and get their opinions of the city. By 11 p.m. I was exhausted, and knew we had an early morning plane to catch. I headed to bed - with the alarm set for 3 a.m. Yuck!

The hills are alive...

When Merrick arrived back at the hotel yesterday it was 4 p.m. He said the interview went well, and he enjoyed meeting the people and learning more about the company and the position. We talked for a bit, and the next the thing I knew I looked at the clock which said 10:30... we had both fallen asleep. It was too late to go out for food, and Merrick was still sound asleep, so I just rolled over and tucked myself in for the night. The negative side to falling asleep at 4 p.m. is that your body is ready to wake up at about 3:30 a.m. So, we got up, packed some things, and headed to the train station... why waste time?

We bought tickets to Salzburg. Even though we had both been there, it seemed like an ideal place to spend a day. (I had a bad experience the first time I was there, so I was looking forward to enjoying the city this time around.) The train ride was three hours of absolutely beautiful views. Watching the sun raise in the Alps was breath taking.
There is so much to see and do in Salzburg, and we wanted to get it all in. We started off fast, walking from the station directly to the historic part of town. We walked down Griesgasse, the famous street with wrought-iron signs. Business were just starting to open, so we decided we would come back to witness the hustle and bustle of daily life there. We walked through the Alter Market and watched as the booths were being set up with delicious baked goods and fresh produce. There were also many women putting together fall flower bouquets and wreaths that were beautiful.

In the Motzart Platz we saw two men playing chess on the giant board, watched the horse carriages arriving, and witnessed more vendors setting up for the day.
As we meandered through the streets we ended up at the base of the Hohensalzburg fortress at a gated entrance to a graveyard - the same one that the von Trapp family used for hiding in the Sound of Music. It was beautifully decorated. Rather than putting fresh flowers in a vase on each grave, caretakers had planted entire gardens over the plots and everything was in bloom. Just on the other side of the graveyard were many large churches, and a convent. We passed the large auditorium, known as the Rock Riding School of Festspidlhaus, where the von Trapp family performed right before escaping from the Nazi soldiers. Unfortunately, it was locked, so we didn't get to see the inside.

There were many shops to explore, and we enjoyed darting into hidden alleyways as we wandered through the shopping district. Back on Griesgasse we found the McDonald's. It, like the rest of the shops on the street, was required to have a fancy sign.

When the clouds cleared, and the sun started to peak through, we headed up the hill towards the fortress. We didn't go into the fortress, but walked along the ridge overlooking the city, and explored various ruins. The views from the top were spectacular, even though the highest mountain peaks were hidden in the clouds.

Our stomachs were growling, and our mouths were dry, so we headed back toward the center of town to find spaghetti - what Merrick was craving at the time. When we entered the plaza again we saw a street artist drawing a portrait of a young American women. We stopped to watch and eventually started talking with the family. They asked where we were from, and were shocked when we said Oregon... they were from Yamhill. The weird part is they were the second family we had met that day from Oregon... what a small world. We said goodbye to our new friends, and continued our search for lunch. We ended up finding a great little Italian place with cheap meals and a yummy salad bar. Perfect!

After eating, we headed across town to visit the Mirabell Gardens. It seemed to be a popular lunch spot for many local business people. There were many benches set amongst the trees which offered a nice shaded resting place. We spent time there reading our travel book and planning the next few hours. We had seen most of what we wanted, so decided to head to the Nonnberg Convent, just to wrap up our own personal "Sound of Music" tour.

By 4:00 our feet hurt and we were tired. We sat at a cafe for an hour sipping cold drinks and I enjoyed a piece of warm apple strudel. We decided to eat an early dinner before leaving, and ended up at the Mozart Cafe. Our train left at 6:30, and with tired legs and full stomachs, we both slept most of the way home.