Paris: Day 15

So this was our nicest day in Paris. It was kind of cold, but the sun was out all day. After the day full of rain before, it was a welcome change. First thing we did was check out the Eiffel Tower during the day. We had only seen it at night before. It was awesome. I had to pinch myself, really. Our hotel was right near the Eiffel tower, so we had a nice, pleasant walk over to it.

I don't know why I have such a crusty face in this picture. I have on of me smiling all nice, but I think this one is hilarious and actually shows my "Daria" personality more, lol.

We walked over to it and just walked around admiring the Eiffel tower, trying to ignore what I like to call the "1 Euro guys" hawking Eiffel tower key chains. They were annoying.

Then we decided to get on one of those double decker tour buses. Yes they are touristy, but we didn't have a lot of time in Paris, so we decided to at least try and see most of the sites. Plus, we were still a little foot sore from Versailles and thought it would be a nice way to get to Notre Dame. I took some pictures while I was waiting for it to leave...

How would you like to get your wedding pictures done in front of the Eiffel Tower? Pretty cool! As I was waiting I started noticing all the ways people were taking pictures of themselves in front of the Eiffel Tower. Kind of hilarious...

The bus took off and we headed towards Invalides and Place de l'Ecole Militaire...funny enough, we passed our hotel on the way! This was the nicest neighborhood. Thanks Rick Steves!

Our room was the third one up. I left the window open so that my shirt could dry...(I hand washed it in the sink.)

We passed by Napoleans tomb...didn't go in. I'll save that for next time, I guess...

I really love the opulence of French architecture...It's pretty to look at...

This is my favorite bridge in Paris. I love it. It's so huge and ostentatious. It's the Pont Alexandre III bridge..

This is what happens when you take pictures at noon. They are really washed out. If I had known how to shoot manually back then, I probably could have made them look better. Oh well. NEXT TIME!!!

One last look...

Here is the Place de la Concorde...this is where the royals bit the big one...(French Revolution)

On our way to Notre Dame! This is the stop by Pont Neuf. The oldest bridge in Paris.

Notre Dame! I wish we would have gone to the top. Again, I say next time. We seriously needed a week there, not 3 days.

Now for inside...Not many pictures, most of them are blurry and gross...

Now for the other side of the Cathedral...

And now for the "flying buttresses dating all the way back to...." Name that movie...

Such a beautiful building...

On the way to the Palais de Justice... After this we got back on the bus and took a round about way to the Arc de Triomphe...Along the way we passed the Paris Opera House...

Then we made it to the Champs Elysees...

We climbed to the top, or actually took an elevator. It was the coolest view.

You can see the Sacre Coeur and Montmarte...

This is the part of Paris we didn't go see. You can see the Holocaust memorial in the distance...

These are the stairs you had to go down to get out...This might be TMI, but I really had to go to the bathroom. So I basically stayed for 5 minutes up on the top before I just couldn't do it anymore. I rushed down the stairs, and almost made myself sick I was going so fast. It was like spinning in a circle. I finally found a bathroom without toilet paper or soap. Thank goodness for tissues and hand sanitizer. I then just waited at the bottom for Angela and Dawn, and just took some pictures.

While I was waiting they started shutting off access to most of the Arc and then a band came out. After asking a guard, we found out that they were doing a ceremony at the tomb of unknown soldier.

It was pretty cool. A bunch of old veterans and families laid flowers on it. Some things don't change no  matter what country you are in.

Last shot of the day. After this we went to a nice restaurant on the Champs Elysees. I had duck and it was SOOO good. I wasn't that adventurous, though. The girl next to me ordered frog legs. Couldn't do it. We also got Creme Brulee and hot chocolate. I miss the deserts and hot chocolate in France. Best things in the world.

Friends and photography...

So I have this friend named Andrea. She was one of my first friends in college. I was in the CEU band, and we both played clarinet. I have to admit, she was nicer to me from the beginning. She remembered my name and always said hi and invited me to things. I'm glad that I finally took her up on her offer of friendship. I'm thinking this is a reoccurring theme with me. I think I did the same thing to Annie. Anyways, we were friends for two years at CEU, and then we were roommates at BYU for a year. I feel bad for her that she got me in my grumpy, depressed, burnt out phase of life. Poor girl, it's amazing that she still talks to me.

She has lived all over the country, moving to Chicago for Ross (her husband) to go to law school, and then to DC for a job. She's in town visiting family, and I decided that 5 years has been too long and we needed to hang out. We just got together at the park and talked and caught up, while her kids played. I also brought my camera along and took a few quick pictures. I hope you like them Andrea! And I'm so happy that I got to see you!

First is Allen...He's going into Kindergarten this year.

Then there is Abby! She's 3 and quite the cutie...

They are so nice to each other. This is a good thing, since Andrea is expecting twins! They will be the best big brother and sister...

I tried to get a good one of the kids and Andrea, but Abby was a little grumpy because she wanted to play in the sand, not take pictures.

Thanks Andrea for still being my friend!! ps...she has a better picture of the two of us, it's hard to take these kind of pictures with a SLR.

Bear Lake

So I went up to Bear Lake this weekend. My dad has a friend, named Lyle. They have been friends for years and years. Lyle and his wife, Jenny, have a job where they go and heard cows in the mountains. Well, since one of my dad's favorite things to do is play cowboy, he goes up there and helps them. My mom goes on occasion, just to hang out in the camper, read, sew, crochet, and pretty much get away from it all. She decided that it would be great for all of us kids to come up. We agreed. Though, alas, Jaynie, Justine, and my brother-in-law couldn't make it. We still had fun, though.

When we got there, (after a harrowing dirt road that shouldn't be driven on), this is what awaited us. My dad's own version of Lonesome Dove. Oh, that's my dad and Jenny. (My dad's the one in the hat).

So, I'm sure I've mentioned it before but my dad hates getting his picture taken. I have pretty much taken it upon myself to catch pictures of him when he doesn't realize that I am taking them. Case in point...He might look mildly annoyed, but really this is his normal face, and he wonders why people are intimidated by him...

Here is my mom making Mountain Man breakfast. A Palmer family tradition. Though, we have graduated to a dutch oven stove, instead of using the fire.

Bacon and onions, a great way to start a dish...it could also explain why us Palmer's would last awhile in a famine...

Still cooking...there is Oliver in his pack n' play. He wasn't too thrilled with this. He would rather run around, but he still is in the habit of eating anything he picks up. Doesn't really work with camping, especially when there are horses and cows around. What does that equal? Poop. Lots of it. Yuck.

After breakfast/lunch we went for a drive around Bear Lake, so that my mom could show us the Old Lady and the Shoe house. She thinks it's the funniest thing she's ever seen. Then we stopped by to get the Famous Raspberry Shakes! I was the only one who got raspberry. Jarika got oreo, Jake got caramel, and my mom got smores. Oliver got a vanilla cone.

 This is the before picture...

The middle...

The after picture...good thing they had a hose...

Then we went to the lake. Auntie Jen (me) bought Oliver his very first sand toys! He was pretty impressed.

Though, he didn't really get them. He thought the shovel was a spoon, and tried to eat the dirt. Hopefully he didn't get a parasite or something...

Uncle Jake is so nice, playing with his nephew and teaching him all kinds of cool things!

Including how to be 17 and dump lake water all over your 1 year old nephew...

Jarika and Jake gave up on running after Oliver. So basically it was just me and my mom. Good times...

I love how blue the lake is. It's almost like you are at the ocean, except for the mountains and fresh water...and no seagulls...and it doesn't smell weird...

My mom revisited her childhood in Panama and collected shells for Oliver...I hope she doesn't hate me for posting a picture of her bending over...oh well, I thought it looked cool!

He get's this crusty look from his mother, believe it or not...

Jarika's shirt says "Goonies never say die," basically she's awesome...

Oliver is obsessed with balls. OBSESSED. He kicks them and throws them and shouts GOAL! Though, it's more baby talk, than a real word. He found this abandoned beach ball, and you would have thought he died and gone to heaven. The rest of us weren't too thrilled because we had to chase after it when he threw it and the wind took off with it. If we didn't then he ended up on a mud hole or in a random puddle of water.

For example...

When we got back, Jake decided to ignore us and read Harry Potter. Don't let this picture fool you, I had to yell at him because he has the unfortunate habit of flipping off the camera...

This is across from our camp. I really need to invest in a nice wide angle lens. I have started using my 50 mm lens for everything because it's just nice glass. The wide angle lens I have is just kind of crappy. It's like difference between a Hyundai Accent and a BMW. Yep, too bad my BMW costs $1700. Awesome.

 
This is Junior.

What?! Jennifer play with lens flare?! No way!

This is what we got to see all day, giant bulls wandering around bellowing. It was cool? Not really, there was cow poop everywhere. Gross.

Here is Junior again. If he looks pissed off, it's because he is. My dad was gone with his fellow horses on a ride. They get nervous and stressed out when part of their herd is gone.

Here is Jake taking Junior up to the pond for water. It was really pretty...minus the cow poop....

The pond...and lens flare!!!!

After a night full of rain, thunder, lightening, and the stink of my brother after he ate BBQ chicken (we shared a tent), it was home again, home again...

I shot this out of the car window...I kind of love it. I made it home, and now there is a tent on my front lawn drying out. Good times. I just wish the other three yay-hoo's could have made it...