Florida - Here we come...

Off to Florida for our 2009 vacation. Momma is 7 months months along with the new baby, but we know that she is tough enough to outlast the family in any endurance outings.




Okay, we totally lucked out and the Space Shuttle launch was rescheduled for the 2nd day of our vacation. We decided to find a beach to get an unobstructed view and WOW!!! That was the most spectactular sight we had ever seen. We are very thankful that timing was on our side...

Erin & Pam (Erin's best friend). Pam is a great vacation buddy...

"Fish are our friends, not food"


Since when is LuLu old enough to drive a boat?!?!? She actually did very well...


This is a HUGE moment in life for Landon... he gets to meet the real Buzz Lightyear. I was soooo happy that he reacted to Buzz with a big smile. The whole Santa incident of 2008 really had me doubting how well he would do when he finally saw a character at Disney.

Yep... this is what "Okies" do when the hit the beach. Bury themselves, look for shells, worry about sand in our shorts...


It was all worth it. Lauren and Landon had a great time. Mom & Dad loved watching them enjoy themselves.

Last Stop...Venice

We concluded our journey in Venice, Italy. It was an extremely interesting place and we both enjoyed our stay. We had two days of rainy weather and then one that was quite nice. Even though it was rainy, we were able to see just about everything we wanted to (with the time we had). We both love to walk so it was great for us in that we were able to walk most places with the exception of our water taxi excursion to Murano. We ate some great Italian food including some excellent gelato. I think out favorite place to visit was Piazza San Marco in the evenings. There was a small orchestra playing continuously and the lighting around the square was amazing. It had a magical atmosphere unlike anyplace else we've been.

Off to Switrzerland

We trained from Paris to Vevey Switzerland on October 3. After we arrived at Larry and Anne-Lydie's we had lunch and then took a short drive to Chateau Gruyère. The chateau was located at the top of a hill surrounded by a medieval village in the mountainous Gruyère region (known for it's cheese). We walked through the chateau and then hiked around the little village surrounding it stopping in a cafe for meringue's and tea before we left. Johnny has discovered his new favorite dessert!

Our second day in Switzerland we took a boat with Uncle Larry to a little French village actross Lake Geneva. We spent the afternoon hiking around the little village that is celebrating it's 600 year anniversary! There were several nice shops and restaurants and a fantastic chateau where the same family has been living since the 17th century.

As it was on our first visit in May of 2004, Switzerland was a amazing, we can't wait to go back!

Paris, Day 1...

We arrived in Paris after a bearable but uncomfortable plane trip. Upon arrival at the airport, we decided to try the RER Train rather than a taxi. This was much less expensive and more enjoyable.

As for the 1st day, we viewed Notre Dame and the area around our hotel. Towards evening, we met with a friend of Erin. Andi and Erin have been friends since preschool. Andi married Etienne and they now have a 1 year old son named Gabriel. Etienne, Andi and Gab have been very kind in visiting sites with us and sharing meals.

For dinner our 1st evening, we enjoyed some fondue in the St. Germain Quartier. The atmosphere was nice and we got to see some new areas of Paris.

The second day, we started with a visit to the Musee D'Orsay. It is a Museum in an older train station that has been converted. It was very nice, but jet-lag set in about 1 hour into our visit. Next, we decided to head over to the Hard Rock Cafe for my birthday lunch. We found ourselves on the wrong Metro line and got to see some new areas of Paris ;)

After lunch, we met up with Etienne, Andi and Gab to see some sites. They were great to show us Sacre Coeur, Moulin Rouge and Montmartre. Afterwards, we visited their apartment for dinner. We had pizza and some dessert that was yummy!

Tonight, we plan to see the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triumph in the evening lights. Tomorrow, we will embark on some new adventures... hope to share stories and pictures soon...

I had the opportunity to spend my last couple of days in Qingdao, China. The people in all of China are very proud that their country will host the 2008 Olympics. Qingdao will be a great host for the sailing competitions as this is a city with great accommodations and many nice restaurants (for seafood lovers).

We stayed in a hotel that was right on the beach. There are great coastal views here, but the distance is not so great due to the smog. My hosts were very gracious to try and provide a dinner with "western" options. We ended up eating at the hotel where a Brazilian barbecue was served. Additionally, there was a Brazilian band (I think) trying to sing songs in English. We enjoyed drinking some of the famous Tsingdao beer and played snookers in the hotel. This hotel also had indoor golf, but we didn't have time to try.

The next day, our supplier/hosts were kind enough to take us on a tour of the city. There were many great sites to see and I took many photos. I was surprised to see that there were up to 100 brides in gowns in this area having their photos taken. At times there were so many around that it was surreal, like in a movie or something.

My last day in China consisted of a long work day trying to tie up loose ends. My friends in the Zebco China factory took me out to dinner at a very nice looking Restaurant. This trip to China has been interesting, but I am quite ready for everything about home...

I ventured among the 18 million people of Shanghai this weekend to see as much as I could in a couple of days.

Saturday began by visiting The Bund with Situ. The Bund is an area of Shanghai where European influence can be seen all around. In the 1900's - 1940's, this riverfront area was very important for businesses from around the world.

This district, as well as other higher class establishments in Shanghai were degraded after the cultural revolution of the Communist Party beginning in the 1950's. In recent years, Shanghai has re-established these sites as historic and tourist attractions.

After we visited The Bund, Situ and I had a bite to eat in a restaurant atop what I call the "Batman Building". The building has much iron work around the structure, looking like something from Gothic City.

Following lunch, Situ took me shopping in the old Shanghai district, home to many stories regarding gangsters from the 1920's - 1940's. We stopped at a restaurant that Situ thought was Mexican. Turns out, it was sort-of Italian (Chinese style Italian of course). I was able to pick up some nice gifts for the Mrs. and the Miss.

Sunday in Shanghai consisted of an early morning walk. I decided to be brave and walk for a while on my own. I spent about 4 hours exploring and I felt very comfortable.

In the afternoon, Situ picked me up for a visit to his home. His family was very nice. His wife and daughter practiced English with me and they prepared a meal for us to share together. The meal consisted of traditional Chinese food and a Chinese Pizza!?!

At the end of the evening, Situ was very nice to present me and my family with several gifts. I am very thankful to Situ for showing me a small snapshot of what life is like in a Chinese home.

I returned to my hotel room at the Moller Villa with indigestion (I just can't get used to so many new foods). At this time, a Typhoon was coming through town. The rain and wind was pretty heavy, causing some wind damage. I was able to sleep well - just like in Oklahoma in the Spring storms :)

Moller Villa Hotel - Shanghai...

After a short work week at our factory in Kunshan China, I chose to stay in a historic mansion (now a hotel) in Shanghai. I arrived late Friday evening at the Moller Villa Hotel. The car ride from Kunshan to Shanghai resulted in severe nausea. I am sure it was part motion sickness, air pollution and partly due to foods that I am not accustomed to eating.

Arriving at the hotel was a real treat. This is a genuine piece of Shanghai history. The hotel was originally a home built by a wealthy English businessman in the 1930's. As the story goes, the daughter of the businessman dreamt of a castle when they moved from England to Shanghai. The father wished to make his daughter happy with the transition and had her dream constructed.

As with many other grand European structures and culture in Shanghai, the introduction of Communist China in the 40's & 50's resulted in a focus away from entrepreneurism and thus the Moller Villa mansion fell into disrepair.

About 10 years ago, the Moller Villa was transformed into a beautiful hotel. Thanks to my friend Darby who visited the hotel last month, I took up his recommendation and I am really enjoying the opportunity to stay in a place that is much more than a hotel.

China - Day 1

Hello all from Kunshan China.

I am working to overcome jet-lag and the change in diet. My hosts have been very kind and there will be plenty of work to keep me busy for my stay here.

During the weekend, I will stay in a historic hotel in Shanghai. I hope to be able to post some good images of the city soon.

For now, the photo's are less attractive due to the air pollution. More to come...

Johnny