Dear Friends and Family,
Hope this holiday season is allowing you the time to enjoy and savor things the way you wish. Like you, we don't know where time has gone. M has continued to grow (and grow) - he's now over 6' 3" and a junior at S High School. We are pleased with his attention to his academics however baseball monopolized most of his time with one to four games a week from March through October. He also played football where he swung on JV and Varsity. Both teams had great seasons and we were surprised at how enjoyable and fun the seasons were. Recently he has amazed us several times with the depth of his incite and understanding in situations. They grow up too quick.
N is also a junior and still at Santa Clara near San Francisco, CA. The individualization and professionalism of Santa Clara has continued to thrilled us. All of N's professors know her by name (as well as all the other students) and they still take roll (yea). She talks continually and constantly of her professors and what's being studied in each class. We delight in her enthusiasm and awareness of new knowledge levels. She is in an apartment with three other girls (one her freshman roommate, C). One of those new knowledge levels is in "cooking." She can now do more than turn on the timer to the microwave. Her tennis coach and team continue to be incredible. She is truly so very lucky to have found such a great college fit, and only one more year to go.
For the first time since 1997 our family was able to go on a summer vacation together for 26 days. Since some of us over plan and choose lots of museums and educational experiences, everyone in the family decided and were anxious to add their input into the vacation. M took Paris, N took Barcelona, Greg (M's friend) took London, B planned the driving route throughout France and I of course took Burghausen and Munich. It worked out great and though a long trip everyone seemed more willing to participate and happy with what we did and where we went.
From September 5th - November 10th we had the unique experience of having Heiko live with us. He is the 21 year old son of B's Burghausen coworker Hans whom we have known over 20 years. Heiko just became a member of our family and did what we did. He was a regular at M's football games and amazed at America high school spirit and parental involvement. He did get to San Francisco and N introduced him to American college life ---- He said it was the same as German college life. We showed him as much of the Pacific NW tourist things as time allowed. He was a good sport and put up with us. We were very proud to share Portland with him, it has grown into a wonderful metropolitan city (much larger than Munich).
Life is constant change and challenge.
Any lull we get we treasure because we've learned that a new challenge will pop up around the next corner.
Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for 2001!
B, D, N and M
Hope this holiday season is allowing you the time to enjoy and savor things the way you wish. Like you, we don't know where time has gone. M has continued to grow (and grow) - he's now over 6' 3" and a junior at S High School. We are pleased with his attention to his academics however baseball monopolized most of his time with one to four games a week from March through October. He also played football where he swung on JV and Varsity. Both teams had great seasons and we were surprised at how enjoyable and fun the seasons were. Recently he has amazed us several times with the depth of his incite and understanding in situations. They grow up too quick.
N is also a junior and still at Santa Clara near San Francisco, CA. The individualization and professionalism of Santa Clara has continued to thrilled us. All of N's professors know her by name (as well as all the other students) and they still take roll (yea). She talks continually and constantly of her professors and what's being studied in each class. We delight in her enthusiasm and awareness of new knowledge levels. She is in an apartment with three other girls (one her freshman roommate, C). One of those new knowledge levels is in "cooking." She can now do more than turn on the timer to the microwave. Her tennis coach and team continue to be incredible. She is truly so very lucky to have found such a great college fit, and only one more year to go.
For the first time since 1997 our family was able to go on a summer vacation together for 26 days. Since some of us over plan and choose lots of museums and educational experiences, everyone in the family decided and were anxious to add their input into the vacation. M took Paris, N took Barcelona, Greg (M's friend) took London, B planned the driving route throughout France and I of course took Burghausen and Munich. It worked out great and though a long trip everyone seemed more willing to participate and happy with what we did and where we went.
From September 5th - November 10th we had the unique experience of having Heiko live with us. He is the 21 year old son of B's Burghausen coworker Hans whom we have known over 20 years. Heiko just became a member of our family and did what we did. He was a regular at M's football games and amazed at America high school spirit and parental involvement. He did get to San Francisco and N introduced him to American college life ---- He said it was the same as German college life. We showed him as much of the Pacific NW tourist things as time allowed. He was a good sport and put up with us. We were very proud to share Portland with him, it has grown into a wonderful metropolitan city (much larger than Munich).
Life is constant change and challenge.
Any lull we get we treasure because we've learned that a new challenge will pop up around the next corner.
Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for 2001!
B, D, N and M
Rothenburg ob der Tauber - Germany's best preserved walled town (1/5 Miles) - Population 11,000
Munich - Glockenspiel in Marienplatz, since 1158 - Deutsches Museum - BMW Welt Building over looking Olympic Park, Hofbrauhaus
Burghausen, Bavaria, Germany - Longest Existing Castle in Germany - Over1 km long - 6 Courtyards
Driving through Bavaria through the Alpine foreland into the Swiss Alps to Lugano, Switzerland
Lugano, Switzerland.... Palm trees in the Alps
Duomo Cathedral & Last Supper in Milan, Italy Hyeres, France - Pool into the Mediterrean
Nice, France (The French Riveria)
We all Parasailed in Nice....
Avignon, France, 1309-1377, it was the seat of the Catholic popes & remained under papal rule until becoming part of France in 1791
Nimes, France - Roman Amphitheatre, of the 1st or 2nd century AD, is the best-preserved Roman arena in France
Pont du Gard, France - built 40-50 AD Roman Aqueduct that crosses the Gardon River in Southern France. 160 ft high & 56 ft long
The aqueduct formerly carried an estimated 200,000 m3 of water a day to the fountains, baths and homes of the citizens of Nîmes.
Perpignan, France - Gothic-and-Romanesque Palace of the Kings of Majorca - Capital of the Northern Catalonia - Great Beaches
Barcelona, Spain Beaches and Aquarium... Great Dolphin Show
Nicole speaking Spanish & asking for directions, taking subway to Olympic Area of Barcelona... Uptown.. up a huge hill
The Cathedral of the Holy Cross (Barcelona Cathedral) is a Gothic cathedral in Barcelona
Carcassonne, France medieval citadel famous for its 53 watchtowers and double-walled fortifications
Château de Chenonceaux mixture of Gothic & Renaissance architecture on River Cher in the Loire Valley.
First built 1000s, built over river 1556-1559. It is the most visited château in France.
First built 1000s, built over river 1556-1559. It is the most visited château in France.
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, considered one of the finest and best preserved Gothic Cathedrals in France and in Europe
Chateau de Chambord - built 1517-1547 as Hunting Lodge for King Francis 1 has distinctive French Renaissance Architecture
Cahors winemaking goes back to 50 BC (Ancient Rome time), today 10,000 acres planted in Vineyards (Red Wines /"Black Wine")
10 June 1944, Oradour sur Glane in Haute-Vienne, 642 villagers were massacred by Nazi Waffen-SS
Claude Monet's Home and Gardens... Lived there 1883-1924, his most productive
PARIS, FRANCE (Starting at the Eiffel Tower)
One View from the Eiffel Tower
Notre Dame Cathedral and Matt's favorite Sainte Chapelle
Exploring Paris - Seine River (466 mile River)
Centre Georges Pompidou - houses Public Library, Musee National d'Art Moderne - largest museum for modern art in Europe
Typical parking in Paris.... "bumping" cars to get in or out
Tennis in Paris @ Roland-Garros in West (a little South) Paris
Maison de Victor Hugo was his home 1832-1848. He died in Paris in 1885.
The Louvre (Louvre Museum) - world's largest museum (35,000 objects in 652,300 sq ft)
located on the Right Bank of Seine River in the 1st Arrondissement
located on the Right Bank of Seine River in the 1st Arrondissement
The Musée d'Orsay, on the left bank of the Seine, houses Impressionist French Art from 1814-1914.
It is in the former Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900.
It is in the former Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900.
Versailles - 12 miles SW central Paris - Symbol of the system of Absolute Monarchy ended by French Revolution 1789
Baden Baden, Germany (returning car to Germany) the Baths and Deb's first ordered beer