Bleeker is ready to go!!

Nicole took this picture right before we went to Dublin. This is the new bag that mom and dad sent to us for Bleeker's flight back to the states. Since we are flying Delta and going back to the states, Bleeker does not have to fly cargo, he can fly with us in the main cabin. This is a huge relief to us and we are thrilled!

Dublin:

This past weekend Nicole and I headed off to Dublin, Ireland to meet our good friends Anna and Jeff Laughlin. Anna and Jeff live in NYC and have been great friends of ours since our Lee days. They called two months ago and asked us if we could meet them in Dublin and we jumped at the chance! Plus we couldn't wait to meet their new little boy Charlie - who is now 7 months old. I can tell you that after Nicole and I were around him this weekend - we both have severe signs of baby fever!!

Dublin was great! We really loved it. It felt like a large Cambridge with really nice people. Our hotel was right in the middle of everything - so we just walked everywhere. We went to the Guiness Factory, Temple Bar district (which is like an Irish French Quarter), took a double decker bus tour all over the city, saw their Presidents White House, toured Christ Church Cathedral which dates back to 1150 AD, and shopped up and down Grafton Street. We had a great time and it was so good being with great friends that are so easy to travel with. Charlie is the best baby and was so happy the entire time. He always has a huge smile on his face and laughs - although he almost did get us in trouble with his giggles in the Christ Church Cathedral crypt.

Dublin was our last little international mini-break before our big move. We are sad that this has come to an end, but we are thrilled about the next chapter of our life. Nicole's good friend Christy from NC comes to visit us on Thursday and we are going to see the local attractions in and around London - after that, we get packed up and board the plane for ATL.

Talk Soon!

More Paris Pictures:

So - many people have already asked if we could add more pictures from last weekend in Paris. Here you go - knock yourself out. Below is an explanation in order of appearance.

1. Yep mom - that is us eating outside again!
2. Nicole enjoying her scallops at Chez Janou
3. Top floor of the Orsay - it used to be the Port Orleans train station
4. Inside the Galleries Lafayette
5. Brad inside the Paris Opera house
6. Nicole outside the Paris Opera house
7. Nicole and Brad waiting for the Bastille Day fireworks
8. Eifel Tower sparkling at night - does this for 10 minutes every hour on the hour
9. Nicole in Luxembourg Gardens
10. Brad looking at Art on the Seine River
11. Nicole in the Marais
12. Brad and Nicole in front of the Pompidou Museum fountain that was in Sabrina

Our Last Trip to Paris:

Nicole and I just got back from our last trip to Paris. We had an amazing time. It has to be our favorite city in Europe. I think that we love it so much because we don't feel that we need to see every site and museum becasue we have done all of that earlier in our school trips. We can spend hours sitting in sidewalk cafes watching the world go by and look at each other and say "wow, what a wonderful afternoon!" This trip we did do a few things that we had never done. We went to the Paris Opera house and it was amazing...one of the highlights of the weekend! The assembly rooms and the library with the original song books and stage pantings were great. We also went to the Galleries Lafayette which is their largest department store or what they call the first mall. It was beautiful and lucky for us they were having great sales - yes, if you know Nicole and I well, you know we made a few purchases. We also had one of the most amazing meals that we have had yet in Europe at a tiny little Bistro in the Marias called Chez Janou. We heard about it through Rick Steve's book and through a friend of mine at work, and boy are we glad we went. This place exuded French atmosphere...it was old and spilled out on the street, there were paintings, ceramics and bottles all around, typical French decor. The menu was in French, not an English word to be found, and the waiter spoke only a little English - he had to draw pictures for Nicole and I to know what we were ordering. In the end it worked out perfectly. The highlight was the Chocolate Mousse that came in a huge bowl that had been freshly whipped - yum yum!! We ended the trip with a boat cruise up the Seine to see all of the sights and lunch at an outdoor cafe on the Champs Elysees. We are excited to get back to the States in 3 weeks, but it is long weekends like this that we are going to miss. We feel that we know Paris so much better now and can come back years from now and find our favorite places off the beaten path right where we left them.

Saturday in Canary Wharf:

Yesterday Nicole and I decided to head off to Canary Wharf. Now most people would think that the European Business Hub and the home of Europe's tallest building, Canada Tower, would be dead on Saturday like Wall Street is on the weekends, but we found the opposite. The developers of Canary Wharf have done an amazing job with placing lofts, businesses, malls, restaurants, grocery stores, and parks all in one area. It is a great deal like Battery Park City but larger. There were tons of people out and about enjoying the day. We wanted something normal for lunch so we headed off to Chilis - yeah, don't laugh! I had a great salad, which they don't do that well in the UK, and Nicole had a grilled chicken sandwich, which is also a rarity in the UK. We then went shopping and had a great time just looking around.

Talk soon!!

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We Are Moving to Atlanta, Georgia:

So, we have been wanting to spill the beans for about 3 weeks now, but it has just been made official. We are moving the first week of August to Atlanta, Georgia. We are thrilled and cannot wait to start our new journey. I have just accepted an Account Director position at Fitzgerald & Company Advertising in Buckhead. Nicole and I have had a great year in London, but are excited to be closer to our family and dear friends. We will be spending the next month soaking in as much as we can and getting ready for our move. We will keep everyone updated as time goes on.

Talk Soon

Sunday in Hyde Park:

Today, Nicole and I went to Hyde Park on a picnic with Tasha and Carmody after church. We have not been able to catch up with them for a few weeks as they have been in LA and NYC. They are moving the end of August from London and will split their time between their apartment in NYC and their new place in LA. Tasha has been accepted at a new modeling agency in LA and Carmody will be opening his new salon out of their loft when they move out there. We are really sad that they will be leaving - but we will see them in the states. Today was HOT. It was 90 degrees - and you may say, "90 degrees isn't that hot" - but remember that nothing in London is airconditioned. So you cannot cool down anywhere. We decided to head near the lake in Hyde park and catch up on life. We are so thankful to have been able to get to know these guys and know that they will be life long friends. More news to come soon!

A Beautiful Day in Cambridge:

Today, Nicole and I went to Cambridge. It is an easy 45 minute train ride from London and a great way to flee the city and smell fresh air if you need to! Cambridge has an amazing village-like feel but with tons of things to do to keep you busy. Nicole and I got into town around 11:30 AM and headed straight to the main market in the center of town. After making a few purchases, one of them being an amazing piece of pottery from 1880, we headed to King's College Chapel. Kings College was also having their graduation today. We watched a bit of it from outside the grounds and saw the proud parents that were floating around town with their newly graduated kids. The robes that they wore had a white fur-like sash. It looked quite hot and weird, but hey - they graduated from Cambridge - who cares!! After this, we were starved and headed straight to Tatties for a Jacket Potato. I do not know if we liked the food or the fact that Tatties is air-conditioned, but we liked it in there! We then headed to go punting, which we have decided has been one of our favorite things that we have done in the UK. In all the years that I had been to Cambridge, I had never been punting down the river Cam and Nicole and I thought that it was the perfect opportunity as it was 88 degrees and full on sun! We had a blast and got a little history tour as well! There are just no words to how beautiful Cambridge is. It was a great day and I hope to go again soon!

A Saturday in June:

So, Nicole and I woke up this morning and decided to hit the town. We feel that we need to do as much as we can before.... well, more on that later when things are more solidified. So, we went to South Kensington to hang out, soak in some culture, and maybe grab a bite to eat. Now if you really know us, you would know that everything revolves around food - so we first went to Aubaine for brunch. It is a shabby chic French place with loads of character. It was fantastic and the people watching was spot on! We then walked around and did some window shopping. South Kensington is not a place that you actually buy anything as the stores are Channel, Gucci, etc. - but we look, smile, and walk right on thinking about things at H&M and Target that look the same and cost much less! We headed to the Victoria and Albert museum to see a few pieces of sculpture and art. Mom and Dad had come here while they were in London in March and we thought that we should give it a try. We went in for about an hour and decided to head back home to walk Bleeker before we met Christa and Carissa in their part of town, West Hampstead, for dinner. Fast forward a few hours - we met up with Christa and Carissa outside their tube stop and decided to have Sri Lakan for dinner. It was great - but hot. It is always good to be around these gals. They make us laugh and remember things from back home. A conversation with them always includes what we miss about Walmart and Target, what new things we have found at the grocery that are low fat (A rarity in the UK), and complaints about our washer and dryer "all in one" appliance. Your clothes come out steamed, not dry - and that is after 6 hours on the drying cycle...oh the frustration. Anyway, it was a great day. Next weekend is Cambridge, then we head to Paris, and then Dublin. So hopefully more good pictures and stories are to come.

Brad