Why a cruise and Russia

As a family we have taken the opportunities to travel while we have been in Europe.  All of the trips have involved seeing cities and their famous sites.  This summer, I decided that we needed to mix it up a little.  Couple that with a great way to see northern Europe and Russia for a relatively cheap price and that equalled a cruise for us.

Since coming back we have had several people wonder at our taking our children on a cruise.  We genuinely enjoy our children and spending time with them.  We also want them to have as many experiences as possible while we are here.  I don't know that they will ever have these kinds of opportunities again.  Emma shocked us by saying that she wants to marry someone that won't move, because she doesn't want to move again.  Emma is so easy going and never complains about our moves, but I guess deep down, she is tired of it.  This last move was pretty hard on her.  The boys all still talk about joining the military, so they still might have travel and experiences outside the US.  I personally hope they don't join the military, however, for many reasons, which I won't get into now.

We decided on Northern Europe, because of how expensive it is, how hard it would be to get there

by car, and because the cruises all included St. Petersburg, Russia.  We were afraid that with the whole Ukraine crisis, we might not be able to go to Russia too much longer.  Rob had to fill out a ton of paperwork, but in the end, he was allowed to go.  St. Petersburg was by far my favorite stop.  We had to do a tour there or get a visa- which cost more and took a long time to get.  We ended up signing up for a 2 day highlight tour through SBP

  We absolutely loved our guide.  Besides getting some very interesting information about Russia and St. Petersburg, we learned about the politics in that city and their thoughts on the Ukraine.  They believe that Ukraine really is Russia and should be part of it.  She also talked about all the things they were doing for Ukraine, how much money they were spending on it and it's people.  They feel like they are truly helping them out, even to their (Russia's) own detriment.  

 One of the first places we went was to the subway.  I was a little confused at first about why we would want to go to the subway, but look at the beauty of the place!

Our subway "tickets"

 Chandeliers in the tunnel

 Soviet Union era train- still running strong.

 marble and glass columns 

 We also took a trip out to Peterhof.  Here the kids are playing in the trick fountains.  Peter the Great had a wicked sense of humor and put trick fountains by benches and other "resting" spots!

 You might get in here to sit down, but getting out dry might not be so easy!

 If you throw a coin and get it to go inside his boots, all your dreams will come true- they had a lot of things that would make all your dreams come true.  We started saying that phrase before she could finish.  Sam made it in the boot, at least twice!

Lighthouse celebrating Peter the Great's victory over Sweden to obtain rights to the Baltic sea.

Peterhof

Peterhof

The Hermitage 

Our lunch- St. Petersburg pies, one beef and  one some kind of berry.

Super yummy!

 Hermitage peacock clock given to Catherine the Great- it was pretty darn cool!

We found Anastatia.  She didn't survive.

Church of the spilled blood.

We also saw Catherine's palace and the amber room and Peter and Paul's fortress.  It was truly an amazing experience.  

More Pictures of Us

 Cherry picking at a friend of a friend's house.  We picked huge basketfuls- all of us, but didn't even make a dent in her tree- there were just so many cherries!

I made cherry cobbler with a few of them.  It was super duper yummy!

 The Army Ball, celebrating 50 years since the Vietnam war (I think.)  I am wearing heels, so I look like I am towering over Rob.  They did a wonderful job.  The food was good and so was the entertainment.

The speaker was this guy- Sgt. Sammy Davis.  He was in an artillery unit and was awarded the medal of honor for continuing to fight after serious injuries to himself and then crossing a river twice on an air mattress (since he couldn't swim) to save two other soldiers while being fired upon.  He gave a wonderful talk all about why soldiers do these things and his conclusion was Love.  To our surprise he showed up to church the next day.  He is a convert.  He and his beautiful wife were very gracious.

Max, playing with Mom's phone and taking selfies- oh this generation!!

Pictures of us

 Max goes to a birthday party on his birthday and wants to be part of it, because after all- it is his real birthday!  Dad kept him in check most of the time.

 Sam's last track meet.  They won 1st for their 4x400- they had never been beaten.  He also got 2nd in long jump- which is crazy, considering how short he is compared to all the other jumpers.  He got his only second in the 800.  He raced against a guy he had raced before.  The guy wanted to try to get him to pass him early, so he slowed down more and more.  Sam had been instructed not to pass him until the last 100, so he stayed behind.  The other guy won by a half a foot, but their times were 20 seconds slower than they had ever been.  Very annoying race!

 Last meet!!

 Party time for middle school track- We love the playground - the kids did not love the playground after they got caught jumping the fence to get to it.  Besides getting yelled at twice, they had to do extra workouts.  We actually had one girl turn blue, eyes roll back in her head and her heartbeat drop while they were doing their I love the Playground workout. Freaked me out.  Luckily, we had 3 nurses there that day.

 Blue icing on everyone!

Some of the coaches 

 Max finally gets to celebrate turning 9!  We had a spy party.  They each chose a name based on their favorite color and favorite animal.  They did training around the park and then did a hunt for the weapon that Goldeneye had- Joseph informed me that Goldeneye was the weapon and then he told me what the company really was called, but I can't remember anymore.  Guess I just don't know my 007 as well as my 11 year old.

 Brother Naylor and Max's favorite friend Sir Joe- as Max calls him.  (His real name is Serjio and he is from Portugal.)

The weapon, found and ready to destroy!

 Hiking in the Black Forest with our friends the Hewins

 Longest waterfall in Germany

 Max actually did the high adventure ropes course.  I was so proud of him!

 Joe up there.  Sam and Kyndall were the only ones that could go on the highest one, but Joe did the next highest.

 They are all so cute!  We betrothed Sam and Kyndall while they were up in the trees.  They are such good friends and we love their parents, so it seemed like a good idea.

Max's last track meet and party.  I just helped out at every practice, so they treated me like an official coach.  Very sweet!

Summer is Here!!

Finally- the last day of school!  

So happy!

  That last month about killed me.  But we made it through. Emma still has to take her ACT's, but other than that we are golden.  We had wonderful teacher's this year.

  Joseph's teacher was absolutely perfect for him.

And so was Max's.

Sam had a few wonderful teachers.  At the beginning of the school year his Science teacher's oldest son was killed in a car crash.  She made it through, she said, with the energy of the children.  She really was such a positive influence on Sam and she adored him- which helped.  She ended up giving him two awards- one for his and his friend Damon's catapult project

and one for Scientist of the Year.

He also got the Presidential award for his grades (3.5 or higher for their entire middle school years) along with about 1/2 of the 8th grade.

I was amazed with how many good kids are in the school.  I don't know why, though.  Military kids tend to be "tops" or "bottoms", not much "in-between" people. 

 He got up a couple more times for some other awards.  

At the very end of the (half) day, the 8th graders did a parade through the school and all the little guys came out and watch and cheered and high fived them.  It was super cute.  Joe's class held all the flags at the end of the parade route.  Joseph got to hold the Army flag.

Right now the 8th graders are off celebrating at a local pool, their "graduation" to High School.

Emma skipped the whole last day of school, because her teachers told her to.  They said, "you think we want to see you on the last day?  We don't!  In fact, if you do come, we will send you to the food court.  Don't come to my class!"  So, instead they went shopping for a friend's birthday party which is tonight.  

And so begins summer!!

Prom Pictures!

These are for posterity, Emma and Grandma's- all the important people!

Emma went to Prom with a bunch of friends who convinced her to go.

They really had to beg, though, because her stalker had asked her. Panicking, she told him that she couldn't, because she was already going with someone else.    That someone else, (the one guy she knew she could get away with using his name without freaking him out) happened to have a date, already.  Hence, her not wanting to go at all.  George- the guy in question- was decidedly not put out and extremely happy to have two dates to Prom (neither of which he paid for- one being an independent kind of woman and Emma who wasn't really going with him.)

As you will note, Emma's dress was slightly on the long side.  It should have been taken up about an inch.  Unfortunately, I have been so busy, I forgot it was Prom until she told me on Friday night.  Oh, well, put some heels on and it won't be too bad.  Our world was turned upside down on Saturday (DoP- day of Prom.)  I went on a bus three hours away with Sam to an athletic event, while Rob stayed home to do a birthday party- someone else's, even though it was on Max's actual birthday, and Prom.  Only one of those pictures is Rob's.  After that he said he couldn't possibly follow all those silly women around taking pictures.  All the girl's came to our house to do hair and make-up, but Rob stayed away for that, too!  Just a little different from last year, when she went with someone she really liked and Mom was there helping her with hair and make-up and taking a ton of pictures!

I was afraid, with all that, Emma would be asking to come home early.  But she didn't.  They ended up having lots of fun and George saved her at least twice when said Stalker came calling.  He told her that she owed him for those saves, so she said she would make him cookies.  She asked our neighbor to make cookies for her.  They not only made them for her, they took them over to him and told him that they were from her.  I don't know how she gets away with this stuff!!  She really must be her father's daughter!  I am so glad she had fun at Prom!  

Yep, that just happened!

Yep, that just happened.

Sam set this up- 2 girls and himself and one other guy friend.  Another guy they knew saw them and joined, but before that it appeared suspiciously like a double date!  Don't worry- it wasn't.  Meredith and Kendall are some of Sam's favorite friends that he plays with all the time.  Kendall is quite the tomboy and loves to play soccer and throw the football and is just the life of the party.  Meredith enjoys Kendall, so it's all good.  The next day, we decided to go to another movie- there just happened to be two back to back that we wanted to see.  Sam didn't go with us, because he wanted to play with his friends, instead.  Rob was flabbergasted.  Sorry honey- it has begun!  Friends now rule in Sam's life.