I Love Lansdale

Yup, I love Lansdale! While Tim worked and worked and worked away at his various homework assignments last week, I traveled to Vermont for work, and had the opportunity to slide on down to PA for a quick visit to the fam. Lemme tell ya, I have always loved my hometown of Lansdale, but I especially love it now that we're living in Southern California. In Lansdale, there is grass (big, real lawns of grass!), and there are trees (trees, trees, everywhere!), and there is lots of space (none of this three-foot setback between houses business). Plus, police and ambulance sirens are actually kind of rare. So, I enjoyed a wonderful, relaxing 2.5 days at home. I visited a car show with my family-in-law and participated in a s'mores and homework-burning bonfire at their house; I played with my parents' cute and cuddly cats a whole bunch; and I gave my mom a haircut (I wouldn't call it professional, which it certainly was NOT, but hey, it's shorter now, Mom).

I also engaged in the ritual purchasing-of-PA-things that occurs every time Tim or I go home. These items include: (1) Asher's chocolates (especially chocolate-covered pretzels and raspberry jellies), (2) Philly soft pretzels (they HAVE to be PHILLY pretzels), (3) Tastykakes (preferably from Wawa), and (4) apple butter (best if included with a trip to Merrymead). Unfortunately, I didn't have time to do the following: (1) eat at Friendly's, (2) eat at Shady Maple in Lancaster County, (3) get Rita's water ice, or (4) buy Amoroso's sandwich rolls. However, I did get a delicious hoagie at the Sandwich Mill, and I also enjoyed some moist and crumbly shoofly pie.

P.S. Dana is so, so cute. Countdown to Killian and Auntie-dom: approximately 6 weeks!!

Our Buds the Nutters

We met up with the Nutters and the Prestons at House of Blues in Downtown Disney on May 31st for some new adventures with old friends. The Prestons lived in our apartment building in Utah, while the Nutters (shown above) lived one building away. And presto! Fate brings us all to Southern California! Most of the fun that evening was discussing our various, exciting forays into real life, although it was also very amusing to watch Malia perform animal noises on command. Excellent training, Tiffany. Excellent.

Our Buds the Prestons

The Prestons were also looking smashing (as always), and little William was very, very cute and smiley with his plentiful fluffity, puffity hair. I can't believe they're parents now! How sweet.

Yaaaaaaay for Downtown Disney! I love visiting with buds.

P.S. Here's Tim (to show that Jean's not the only one writing on the Tim & Jean blog): Hi, everybody! This is Tim.

Top 10 Europe Pictures: Fun Category Part 1

Jean and Tim in front of Buckingham Palace. Cheerio!

Tim in front of an imposing array of cannons at the Tower of London.

Jean in Trafalgar Square in London. (See the London Eye in the distance? It's watching you.)

The obligatory top-o'-Eiffel-Tower kiss. (Can ya tell that it was windy and freaking cold?? I have very, very fond memories of our trip up the Tower, but I must admit that due to the weather and the crowds, there's a little bit of eternal, burning hatred mixed in.)

Tim at the Arc de Triomphe. He was imitating this commercial that we always see for a car dealership in Southern California, where the guy stands with his legs like four feet apart.

Top 10 Europe Pictures: Fun Category Part 2

Jean at the Louvre (waiting for Tim to finish taking pictures so that we can devour our delicious baguette and pain au chocolat).

Tim and his favorite Disney ride ("Irates" of the Caribbean) at Disneyland Paris.

Jean on the overnight train from Paris to Rome. (If I'd known that in a few hours I'd be in a dark, claustrophic "bed" a foot above the sticky floor wiping the sweaty hair off my face while trying to fall asleep, I might not have been so smiley).

Jean and Tim at the Colosseum. A photo of the two of us, not taken by one of us sticking our arm out, is rare.

Look, I'm about to venture to Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station!! (Haha, just kidding! I'm a Muggle! Obviously I can't get through!)

Top 10 Europe Pictures: Artistic Category Part 1

A charmingly sun-drenched statue in the Vatican Museum. (I love the pose and the fabric. Tim says that fabric is very difficult to adequately capture. Art 101 for Jean.)

The "basement" of the Colosseum, where the animals, supplies, and equipment were stored. This area used to be beneath the sandy floor, until it was unearthed by archaeologists.

The ancient Roman Forum, with the Colosseum in the distance. The Temple of Saturn is in the foreground; this version of it dates to 42 B.C., although it was originally constructed centuries before.

The centerpiece of the Fontana di Trevi. (Note the billowing fabric once again; Tim stopped to draw this one, while I searched the many gelato shops in the piazza for Nutella gelato. I was eventually successful, but not before being repeatedly approached by street vendors trying to sell those annoying buzzing magnets and bubble guns.)

The "warm lozenge of light" (quoth our tourist book) emanating from the dome of the Pantheon.

Top 10 Europe Pictures: Artistic Category Part 2

A small and very old alleyway in the Tower of London. (Did you guys know that William Penn was a prisoner in the Tower of London for two years? Go PA!!! Fight the power!!! Peaceably as Quakers, of course.)

A Parisian street market offering fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, and for some reason, Greek food.

La Tour Eiffel. (Tim says the buildings to the side help show scale, thus making the Tower even more impressive. Art 101 for Jean.)

The Sacre Coeur Basilica at Montmartre in Paris.

A lovely dusk scene in Montmartre.