During my parents' visit to Vienna, we spent a weekend in Paris. Unfortunately, the public transportation was on strike, so we endured more walking in the bitter cold weather than we anticipated. Regardless, the trip was memorable, and we enjoyed sharing the experience together.
These pictures are a brief summary of our adventure. My dad and Michael were avid photographers, which I appreciate. Their passion means one less thing for which I am responsible. For those of you who prefer a description of each picture, scroll down; and, remember you can double click the image to make it larger. 
Top left going clockwise:
-Notre Dame cathedral
-Eiffel Tower illuminated (Luckily, you can also see the blur of an Asian woman who darted across the street in spite of oncoming traffic. Michael was proud of this picture.)
-Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel
-Eiffel Tower
-Stained glass inside Notre Dame
-Dad, Mom, and me
-Arc de Triomphe
-A bridge we liked because you can access the main part at two different places
-Michael and me with Notre Dame in the background
-Eiffel Tower
-Interesting building with a "green" facade (The exterior was wet from where the plants, grass, etc are watered)
-Les Invalides
-Interior of Notre Dame
-L'Open Tour bus (This served as our taxi for the weekend!)
-More stained glass inside Notre Dame
-Notre Dame cathedral
-Michael and me
-Champs-Elysees
A few more funny details of our trip...The first day we went by the Louvre but decided not to stay because it was getting late. The next afternoon we arrived at 4:30 thinking we could finish our evening enjoying the exhibits. To our dismay, they were closing at 5:00 due to the transportation strike. However, at least we realized this (by reading the MANY signs posted) before buying tickets, unlike another guy who was practically begging for a refund. I don't think they felt sorry for him though.
Another missed sightseeing excursion happened the morning we left. Due to long lines and it not being our top priority, we waited to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately, it was very foggy that morning! On the other hand, the temperature had dropped and it was windy, so we weren't too upset.
Two more days of German class. Michael's mid-review is also on Thursday. Then, we are headed to Germany for the weekend!
Today in class we learned about German phrases related to the size of countries/cities, population, etc. After we participated in a class exercise, we paired up to discuss our individual countries and the related statistics. My partner, Marina, came to Austria from Italy. We handled the assignment well and did as we were instructed.
One of the ladies in another group is from New York (we will refer to her as Linda). Since Marina and I were finished, we listened to the other students' discussions. I was participating with Linda's group as they were asking her questions. My utter disdain for Linda's ignorance was validated when she doubted the accuracy of my answer to the question: "how many states comprise the U.S.?" She adamantly believed there were 51, if not 52, states...starting with Puerto Rico.
Additionally, my teacher asked me if Texas was larger than Austria. My response, of course, was, "yes, it is much larger." Linda, confident in her knowledge of geography, once again questioned my response. Unbelievable! I tried to contain my frustration at this point, but it is hard to endure the consistent stupidity when second-guessing questions which are not even directed towards you. However, I behaved myself.
For those of you who know me well, I do not like being told I am wrong. On the other hand, how gratifying it is when, in spite of facing opposition, my answer is confirmed through Wikipedia that Texas is, in fact, 8 times the size of Austria!
It just doesn't get much better than that. Job well done.
Yep, my sister-in-law is pregnant again, so we will have another Whitfield grandchild in June! I hope no one jumped to conclusions by the title of this post; however, it would be funny if you did. Not cruel, just funny.
Michael and I are both so excited that David and Sara will be having another child, and we hope Tay-Tay enjoys it after the baby arrives. Since she is the 1st grandchild for both families, she's had quite a bit of attention, to say the least. Here are some pictures of Taylor (and David) from Halloween. Isn't she the cutest lady bug?! (I borrowed these pictures from David and Sara's blog.) 
My parents are coming to visit for Thanksgiving, and we are headed to Paris this weekend! I'll post pictures after we return--Happy Wednesday!
That's right--we had our first snow yesterday! What a relief to know we didn't have to drive during the inclement weather. Once again, I appreciate public transportation at a time like this. My only opposition to snow is that it eventually turns to slush, and when one has to be out and about, the slush is not a friendly companion. Who wants wet shoes/socks and cold feet?
Regardless, we enjoyed the snow, even though it didn't last very long. Please excuse the angle of the picture of us. As you can see, the tripod was not cooperating! :)
Another week of German class...hopefully I'll have some stories soon!
I'm not afraid of my feelings, but I recognize my hesitancy to be vulnerable. Ultimately, I fear not being able to control what happens. This reality was painstakingly clear today as we headed into the city. Michael was going to studio, and I was going to my first day of German class. Instead of being able to tell Michael I needed him to accompany for moral support, I asked if he wanted to see where the Deutsch Akademie was located. After a little protesting, he agreed to come with me. Michael is wonderful because he understands me even when I can't express what I'm thinking. I don't give him enough credit for that.
Why was I nervous? Oh, maybe because there was no guarantee that any other students would speak English, and the class is taught entirely in German! Luckily, 6 of the 7 students know English; although, the nonverbal communication of confusion is universal and quite humorous. It will be interesting to see what results from taking this course because I'm hopeful to know more than just basic conversation, but we'll see.
I have a new appreciation for people at home who don't speak English. It's intimidating. Sometimes I feel like I draw unwanted attention to myself, but, in reality, people couldn't care less about figuring me out. I must overcome my fear of being embarrassed and embrace this experience for what it is worth. However, I promise to share the embarrassing stories so that everyone else can enjoy a good laugh at my expense!
This is my formal apology to Lucy and Ethel for not having this post completed sooner. By providing a "floor plan," I hope it's easier to grasp the lay out of the apartment. We have plenty of space, which comes in handy when we do laundry. (For those of you who don't know, we hang everything to dry. It's not as energy efficient to have a dryer, but I sure wish we did!)
We did not dress up in Halloween costumes, but, for those of you who have posted pictures of your cute kids (or your adult selves), I am thankful. Michael is feeling much better, and we appreciate everyone's concern. Provided that Michael has progressed with his project, we hope to be touristy this weekend. I start my German class on Monday, and my hope is that the experience will bring many laughs and great stories to tell. We will keep you updated!