Ted & Yolanda's Visit to Ted & Yolanda Part II

The zoo had lots of neat fish. Some were almost as big as Matthew!
Not all the aquariums held fish, though. This one had a big black bear (not to be confused with the two Teds and two Yolandas you can see in the reflection from the glass).
Towards the end of our visit, we spotted these little monkeys, who were just as active as Matthew.
We also saw these huge turtles. They were so big they could barely move!

Ted & Yolanda's Visit to Ted & Yolanda

This past week, Ted and Yolanda headed out to Waco to visit Ted and Yolanda for the fourth of July holiday. They brought Matthew, Ted and Yolanda's nephew. The two Teds, two Yolandas, and one Matthew, had a great time. Here are some photos from the week.

We visited the Waco zoo. This was Matthew's first trip to the zoo. He only expected to see five animals while there - giraffes, monkeys, elephants, lions, and snakes. I think he was pleasantly surprised to see that there were a lot more animals at the zoo.

At one point, Matthew decided to try his hand at being a lion. Looks like he succeeded in scaring away the other children.
The rhinos were very big - and kinda stinky.
The giraffees were about the only thing Matthew slowed down for. We probably spent the most amount of time watching them walk around.
The buffalo looked like they could use a little shade. That Central Texas heat can be overpowering.

Led Zeppelin

While in Charlotte, we also had the chance to hear the Charlotte Symphony play the music of Led Zeppelin
Here are two pictures of the stage. They're a little blurry - that's about as good as it gets without the flash.
We liked the concert so much, we bought the CD!

More Charlotte Photos

While we were in Charlotte, we got to enjoy a nice dinner at M.

Here is Ted contemplating the menu.

And here is the waterfall in the courtyard near the restaurant.This is our next big idea - a wine bar called the Grape. There's already one of these in Waco, but the one in Charlotte was much nicer.

Charlotte Pictures

Here are some of the sights we have enjoyed here in Charlotte:

Symphony Park at Southpark

Can you find Ted in this picture?

More Symphony Park . . .

. . . and some trees and cars - and our hotel.

Daytona

I spent several days working hard in Daytona Beach, FL. The work was a bit tedious, but the location made up for that. Ted was able to join me over the weekend, and then I spent some time with him in Charlotte, NC, while he worked at the corporate offices. Here are some pictures of lovely Daytona Beach:





We hope that I get invited back next year. That way, Ted can take vacation and spend the whole time with me. Then, we're hoping to convince some family to come up as well so we can all head over to Orlando and enjoy Disneyworld! Wanna join us? Clear your calendar for the second week in June, 2009.

Homestead Heritage #2

The Model Homestead

The Blacksmith's Shop

"Woods" surrounding Homestead Heritage

Wood Shop

For more information on Homestead Heritage, visit their website: www.homesteadheritage.com

Homestead Heritage

About a week and a half ago, we took a short trip out to Homestead Heritage. We spent an enjoyable few hours on a Saturday afternoon there. First stop - the deli, where we enjoyed a brisket lunch. Then, we wandered around (so we could walk of our lunch). Here are pictures of some of the sites we enjoyed while there.

The above photos were taken at the mill, where they grind their own flour. One half of the mill is a shop where you can purchase flour, honey, baking mixes, cast iron pans, and various other baking tools.

The herb and garden center

White Sands, New Mexico

On a recent business trip to New Mexico, Ted was able to make a stop at White Sands National Park. Here are a few photos he took while there.

Anniversary Cake

Yes, it was yummy.

Blog Vacation

It's been over a month since we've had a chance to post on our blog - or check anyone else's blog for that matter. Here's what's been going on since then:

• I passed my prelims. It was all very anti-climatic. I went to the Armstrong Browning Library one morning for coffee with the staff. While there, my dissertation director looked at me and said, "By the way, did I tell you that you passed your exams?" No, you did not. But thanks for mentioning it. Now it's time to crank out the prospectus so I can be ABD.
• My laptop crashed. This is nothing new. I think it's time to upgrade to a new and better model.
• We celebrated our first wedding anniversary - fancy dinner, fancy cake - the works. It was lovely. And in case you're wondering, the wedding thank yous are on the way. I'm almost finished - really!
• Ted got a promotion! He is enjoying his new position in the company. The only downside - it requires him to travel a lot, which means we don't see as much of each other as we would like. Hopefully, I will be able to travel with him during the summer.
• The home remodel continues. We are painting, installing baseboards, and fixing the walls in the downstairs bathroom. Pictures coming soon.
• I started teaching at the local community college. I am teaching technical communication. I've never taught this kind of course before, so I'm winging it. It's a lot of work, but I'm enjoying it.

That pretty much covers the gap. Now that the blog vacation is over, expect more regular updates.