Castles and towns along the Rhine River in Germany

We are sailing towards Amsterdam where our first official cruise will start going to Budapest (15 days) and I am so excited. I will get to explore the city for a few days and get acquainted so that will be helpful so I don't seem too green when guests ask me questions.

Here are some pictures I took along the Rhine River and also Cologne where we stopped for the day (3/18) and I got to explore that city for a few hours.

I just love all the castles along the Rhine--they are always up really high overlooking everything else. I can't imagine the trials people faced taking all the materials up those mountainsides while building them so many years ago. There is just so much history here. The vineyards are all along the sides of the mountains as well--I guess that makes the grapes taste better when they have to work harder to grow!!

This one was my favorite--I loved the light and just how mysterious it looks. I'm still trying to find out which one it's called.

more to come...

Some pretty pictures and a funny story!

Here are some pictures from my recent travels! The one above and below are from the Portage Lake trip we went on. It was a really great day and I liked the iceberg cause if you look at it long enough it looks like a bird sitting on the ice--just proves how artistic mother nature truly is!

This is Curtis--we have been paralleling for awhile now--that means that we are on the same tour with two groups and just follow each other around. We are on our second 10 day tour and think we will be doing the next tour together as well--we are acting like an old married couple--it's been fun though. Just friends for those of you who may be wondering.

We are on the Yukon Queen boat coming from Dawson City to Eagle, Ak and saw a bear which doesn't normally happen so of course I took pictures of this cute and cuddly bear. He was swimming across the river (the Yukon) and when he went of the side a bit he stopped then pulled a fish out of a hole or something then carried it up the rest of the way.
This is 5 Finger rapids which is on the way from Whitehorse to Dawson City. It's a pretty great day so I decided to do my group pic there so meet one of my favorite groups.
Ok now for the FUNNY story...the first thing I thought was you know whats funnier then seeing someone fall is watching a fat person fall!!--so we got into the hotel in Fairbanks and I run inside to drop off my bags to get ready to hand out the key packets. I start to walk away from my bags and don't realize the that my bags strap is still wrapped around my ankle and I go down HARD!! I went down on my one knee then cont. to fall on my face. Luckily my guests didn't see me except for two of them and unfortunately everyone else in the lobby saw me including some of Curtis's group who all of course ran over to me asking how I was and I just said I was find and didn't want to talk about it!! LOL it was pretty funny not to mention so humiliating but hey what can you do. Anyway this is my knee--I iced it last night cause it was pretty swollen. Oh well there's my funny story of the day!
Alright well thats it for now--have a glorious day!

What a slacker I am

So it's August 1 and I thought I would greet the new month with my monthly post. LOL Well thats what it appears I have been doing. I just don't ever have anything exciting to say--plus I'm on facebook too so anyway enough about that. Ok whats new....

Miles and Becky are having a BOY!!!! I am so excited for them--it was pretty funny when they found out they were expecting Brayden said don't worry about having it if it's not a boy! Or something like that and well he got his wish. They are in SLC right now and hope they are having a great time.

Nothing new with me--just working a ton and enjoying it most of the time. My tours have been going really well so far and I will be busy for the rest of the summer so thats good. I am still working on what I will be doing this winter and will give an update if I ever make up my mind. Right now the options are...Alaska (yikes--upside being there when the baby is born and being able to see family more often), NYC (applying for a job where I would be able to use my Russian and possilbly travel over there), SLC (don't want Sadie to feel left out, but it's not likely :), and California (cause - well I have always thought it would be nice to live somewhere warm), and last but not least Texas-- anyway I need to go where there's work!

Well I have a few more hours of sitting here at the Westmark hotel in Fairbanks unless the rest of my group miraculously shows up then I can go home. There are so many fires going on right now I smell like I've been sitting around a campfire. I am hoping it goes away soon cause my guests want to be able to see the sights! But hey what can you do. Thats it for now!

Good Life!

Well I thought I would get on here and let y'all know what I'm up to. I'm sorry to say it's not all too exciting, but I figure somethin' is better than nothin'. So I am sitting here at midnight in Fairbanks after dropping off my third tour. It went really well as did the last two so I can't complain there. I have been really lucky with my groups and am just waiting for the challanges to start cause I know they are coming--or should I call them the special people. A lot of the same td's (tour directors) are back this year so it's been like a reunion for the past couple of weeks and I still haven't seen everyone. The numbers are pretty good considering the economy--I guess everyone is dropping their int'l tours and coming to AK! Anyway I was just going through some pics and thought I would share.

I was able to spend some time with Becky, Miles and the kids which was a lot of fun. I let Taegs take some pictures and I got a lot of her, can't say I'm surprised cause it's what I would do!! Anyway this one turned out really good--she is getting so grown up and so pretty!

Addi looks up to her sister so much and tries to copy things she does--as you will notice in the following pictures. This first one is actually after the following ones on the trampaline, but oh well it's one of my favorites. Taegan would do something and Addi would try and do it too.

Couldn't tell if this was yogo or just stretching.

They came to hang out at the homestead and I was able to grab the girls, but Brayden was to busy doing his thing so at least we were able to get him in the picture.
Lisa decided to get in on the fun and well as you can see fun was had by all!
Ok well this is my humble abode in Denali. We get to stay in these quaint little cabins--usually with a roommate. They are actually pretty comfy and it's like our own little community where we can get away from our sheep who tend to flock us if we are in their sights. So I guess what I'm saying is that I'm glad we don't stay in the hotel cause then we wouldn't have any time away!
Just hanging out with some old and new friends. Meet Jenna and Emily (old) and shoot I can't remember his name--it was his birthday so we bought him dinner--he's a little sad cause he's missing his wife-who didn't get to come up here with him. Anyway it was fun.
I am going to try and take more pictures this year so I have something to write about on this blog. I am glad to be working and still trying to figure out where I am going. Right now I am thinking of staying in Anchorage where I would be closer to the kids and the new baby come Oct. which is a major plus--but the other part of me would really like to give NYC another chance. I really loved it over there!

Anyway things are going well with me--until next time---

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Just a shout out to all the Mom's out there with a special place in my heart...
My Mom of course is #1
Sadie
Grandma
Becky
Carrie
Amy
Melinda
Anna

Ok I am going over in my head all the Mom's I know and it's just too long to list at 1:50 am so I am gonna shorten this up a bit.

If your a part of my life and your a mom/future mom then this shout out is for you. You all have such precious gifts (even if you wonder sometimes if there is a return policy) so remember all the happy memories and keep them in your heart to treasure. This is your day so celebrate YOU and don't forget how special you are to those in your lives.

I know I know I know!

So I am still here--I just didn't really have anything too exciting to share, but I think people just stop checking my blog cause I never update--I will try my bestest to get better! I will just give a quick update right now cause I am cleaning and can't stop too long or will loose my groove!

I just moved back up to Anchorage to start with Holland America again. I start on the 8th for some refresher training then hoping I will get to go into touring. I am sharing an apt. with 9 other TD's (tour directors) in a one bd and it's gonna be tight, but we are never home at the same time so it should work. I am only abt 6 blks from the office and hotels so it's a really great location. It sure beats paying for taxi's wherever I go. I know most of the td's and they are all really nice--girls and guy's alike so it should be fun!

Anyway the girl rented out to someone right before us and they left the apt. a mess so needless to say I am cleaning, but it's a great little apt. It's in the Knik Arms building which is been in Anchorage for a really long time--it's practically a landmark. It looks a little run down, but they have made some nice renovations so it's not a dump which makes living here nice. I will send pics when I get done making it pretty. Well I gotta get back to it before I think of something else I can distract myself with! Ciao!

Guess it's time for an update!

I know it's been forever, but honestly I just haven't had anything too exciting to say or figured out so I guess that's my excuse for being such a slacker on this blog. Lately though I have been able to capture a few pics that I feel are worth sharing. Also I have some really great news...BECKY'S PREGNANT!!! It's official and we are all very excited. I can't believe I didn't catch on earlier cause she has been sick, but so has her kids and almost every other kid and/or person around here so I figured she was just catching some of that. Anyway I was really surprised to hear the good news not to mention pretty excited. Becky did catch a bad cold and that mixed with her pregnancy sickness and it just flamed up into a monster and she has been really sick. So for the last week I have been helping out watching the kids so she could rest and get better. It's been a lot of fun spending time with them and thankfully Becky has, I think, gotten over the worst of her cold--it really sucks getting sick. I am just waiting for it to hit me, but thankfully so far nothing has happened. I have been drinking airborne and I think that has been keeping it at bay. Anyway time will tell.

I house sat for some friends of mine while they vacationed in Hawaii and brought the kids over to play with their dog Bruno. The Hansen's are really good friends with the Swanson's so they were familiar with the house and the dog knew them. Anyway this first one is of them watching Spongebob Squarepants which is their most favorite show ever. In fact they want to watch it so much that they have been grounded for a month--mostly cause Mom & Dad are so sick of it--like I can blame them--the show can really drive you crazy after so much. Anyway this picture was pretty cute--Taegs and Brayden were sitting there and then Addi just climbed up in the middle of them. She did have her arms around both Taegan and Brayden but I missed it. I really need to have that camera closer cause I miss a lot of good shots. Anyway, they are just too cute!

Addi and I were waiting to get Taegan from school and Addi came up to the front to keep me company. She is getting so big and is really starting to talk. She can say quite a few words and aside from that just makes lots of sounds that will soon become words.
Ok--a little scary! Addi has figured out how to open the doors and tries to escape on a regular basis. Anyway when she finds a door thats not deadbolted then she goes and doesn't stop till she's discovered. This is one of those times we found her outside. The pic is pretty easy to tell whats going on--as you can see she took the first shoes she could find--didn't bother to put her pants back on cause she likes to strip whenever she gets a chance and mad a run for it. However, she did mangage to get another shirt--you know--to stay warm. I'm telling you what this kid is so funny!
Here's another time we were at the Swanson's and she came into the room like this I thought it was so cute and thankfully had my camera with me.

Anyway--there you go! I have been subbing for the schools around here and that has kept me somewhat busy. I am going to be a tour director this summer again for Holland America unless something else presents itself. I have also been looking into a company called Lynden Transport--it's a pretty big company here in AK and elsewhere. They do a lot of work over in Russia and I am thinking of getting a certificate in Logistics at UAA to help me get into the company. Anyway that is what is happening right now with me! Hope all is well with you!!!