tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59402229137260535652024-03-18T21:42:54.751-07:00The Blue DaisyThe Kirkndoppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12203375490024467195noreply@blogger.comBlogger164125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5940222913726053565.post-52357747323628320042013-03-02T21:56:00.002-08:002013-03-02T21:56:42.323-08:00Budget 2 months travel Thailand Family of 5For those of you wondering how much and how we did it (basically, for people curious like myself)...
The total came to $13,500
Which included RT tickets from LAX to Bangkok, two one way flights in Thailand, all food, hotels, allowances, trinkets for 63 days, elephant riding and an 11 day sailing trip plus a very expensive hotel in Beijing! RT tickets were purchased back in July after a better than normal house flip, in country flights were used with frequent flyer miles and the rest we paid for out of our monthly income from rentals since we don't have any bills at home currently. We sometimes were kinda broke traveling and other times ate well. We always had an air con room which is more than we did the last time in Thailand. Our hotels were on average about $33/night and only two cockroaches were seen (thank you cute little geckos). Would I do it again, for sure. It was phenominal. The Kirkndoppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12203375490024467195noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5940222913726053565.post-57966708711789229092013-02-26T01:10:00.001-08:002013-02-26T02:15:44.006-08:00Sailing the Adaman Sea I truly believe that every person has a talent. Some can play music and some can negotiate peace treaties or memorize the periodic table. I am not one of those people with very noticeable talents except one and only a handful would think this be a skill worthwhile...and I got it from my Mom. I grew up watching her make deals from trading ride sharing to trading houses and boats. She is an opportunist and has honed her skills to lead a very interesting life filled with adventurous opportunities. I think I have learned to simply take this somewhat odd talent to the next level. Hence, I dedicate the next blog entry to my Mom and personally thank her for teaching me how to lead a life through opportunity...It has been a dream of mine for a few years to go on a sailing trip somewhere exotic. Knowing how expensive it is and overwhelming to actually figure out how to pull it off, I filed it in the back of my head as ONE DAY. While driving around on Langkawi Island in Malaysia, we stopped at the Kuah Yacht club to check out sailboats. While there using their free internet and the free infiniti pool, I met this crazy looking Ozzy named Brett Steele (not kidding, that is his awesome name) and he is only crazy looking, quite tame in actuality. He showed me pictures of his sailboat moored out in the bay and gave me his email address. A few days later I asked if we could come out and visit his boat and chat about his lifestyle. He was kind enough to meet us at the jetty and bring us all out for a swim and chat. He is super easy going, very generous with his time and quite adventurous himself. We got along so well I decided to take the plunge and ask him if he would take us back to Thailand on his boat. He waited a week to answer but then he said in proper Aussie style, lets meet for beers and discuss. So began 11 days on his boat visitng six different islands, some with nobody on them. It is something I cannot actually describe very well as we were simply charmed by Brett's endless patience with our children, exotic locals with coral reefs, untouched tropical forests, beaches with sand soft as flour, sunsets, sunrises, lively conversations in the moonlight and seeing things very few have been privileged enough to see. I am deeply grateful to Brett and his willingness to open his life to us and deeply grateful for my children and their beautiful curiosity about everyting from small blue fish to garbage rafts. These are the moments you remember during those last breaths of life, happy we tried, happy to have them embedded in the memory card. Dave joined us with his Swiss girlfriend at the end to catch up on our two months worth of adventures and say good-bye to Thailand for now. It's been a blast, it has been moving and it has been fantastic to see my kids growing into their own adventurous souls filled with a zest for life and compassion for people of the world. We'll be back sometime in the next year, living in a stick house, planning another adventure possibly on a sailboat. Until then, peace to y'all!
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The Kirkndoppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12203375490024467195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5940222913726053565.post-32778298065333831432013-02-12T03:38:00.002-08:002013-02-12T04:01:20.555-08:00Lazy Daze
No words, too lazy.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Kirkndoppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12203375490024467195noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5940222913726053565.post-38778442945409850412013-02-04T21:33:00.001-08:002013-02-04T22:28:03.744-08:00Homeschool Biology Langkawi, MalaysiaWe got bored last week sitting on the beach for a few many days in a row so we rented a car to do a little tour. The island is fairly small, about the size of Oahu so it can all be seen in a day really. We skipped all the touristy places and simply drove around for awhile. Without trying very hard, we soon found monkeys on the side of the road kind of like deer back home. They are always just chilling and eating some bananas the locals throw out for them. If you pull over they will scream at you and then I remember that monkeys are mean and we drive on.
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This is a monitor lizard. Yeah, they are all over the island and swim. They are about four feet long and blow your mind when you see them. Our first one was walking down a little street kinda chillin> and in the car we were like "KIDS, OH MY GOD WHAT THE HELL IS THAT, KIDS KIDS KIDS!!!!!!!"
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There are so many jellyfish around the islands that there are Beware Signs around as well. They are no joke my friend. They come in sizes from I can barely see to holy shit, that is as big as Casey. We carry Benadryl and vinegar with us in case of a bad sting, which will require a trip to the hospital. They kinda scare us since this happened the first time Phelan swam in the ocean.
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First, this photo is not mine. Hornbills are hard to find and I certainly didn't take this photo. Since arriving in SE Asia, I have wanted to see a Giant Hornbill. We actually went to a National Park just to find one but instead stared up in the canopy 30 feet above our heads listening to parrots and monkeys, not seeing a one of them through the dense foliage. But, on this particular day while buying bananas from a street stall, I saw one flying down the street. I screamed, screamed again and ran towards it. I kept yelling for Steve to look over before it flew back into the forest. It was big, like an osprey and with long tail feathers it sat in that tree until Steve walked over and it flew away back into the forest. It was a fantastic moment for me. I remember seeing the back of a Quetzal once in Costa Rica as it flew away from me, green long feathers hanging downs its back and an Andean Condor flew over me in the Colca Canyon in Peru with an eight foot wide wingspan. I still remember the sound the feathers made and the shadow it made over me. I will add this to those moments in my life, no need for a camera. Me running down a street in Malaysia, screaming and staring up into the trees. The best part, when I came back to the car, all the kids were thumbs up and so excited for me. But then we saw these little guys. We were playing a game of find the weirdest thing for the day with the boys in the car (they were getting bored) when we stopped at a pier for shrimp fisherman and Ryder found a group of these things! Steve and I think we saw them once while getting off of a ferry in Africa but we didn't have kids that force you to notice the little things in life. We sat and watched these "mudpuppies" for about half an hour do everything from climb trees, to hop like crickets and chase each other around. Check out the spine that pops out his back when he's chasing the others. All of this in one day of just driving around. Hell to the yes.
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The Kirkndoppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12203375490024467195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5940222913726053565.post-43997877972402558752013-01-31T09:30:00.002-08:002013-01-31T17:57:02.643-08:00A Little Thing called a YachtA few years ago, I went through a short lived yachting phase. This means that on a trip somewhere in the world, I talked Steve's ear off as well as cousins and friends about the possibility of learning to sail. Well, the bug has hit again. The newfound lust stems from a blog I found back then about a family living on a boat around the world. I had written the family asking questions and exchanging traveling tales. Somewhere in the back of my bizarre brain, I filed the info away that they were in Malaysia.
<a href="http://www.hackingfamily.com">www.hackingfamily.com</a>
Well, they are actually in Thailand. Yahoo! They have a wonderful blog you can get lost in for days describing everything from their finances to food storage on their boat. So for all of you full-timers following along (you know who you are), how about trying a catamaran on for size? We plan to visit the couple in Phuket in the coming weeks and ask questions til they feel like they were caught by a CIA agent trying to swap recipes with Michelle Obama (I have been reading entirely too many cheap spy novels). We also plan to tie signs around our children's necks that say "Thailand" and park them at the yacht club here in Malaysia and see what happens.
The Kirkndoppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12203375490024467195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5940222913726053565.post-8857190975402048432013-01-28T19:17:00.000-08:002013-01-28T19:21:24.200-08:00Langkawi, Malaysia...boredomI am a big believer that out of boredom comes creativity. My friend Diana and I used to spend hours and hours and hours with our kids doing nothing but walking around near a river or downtown. The kids would find some rocks and make a throwing game or find some flowers and pick them apart. It is what makes kids kids actually. Their ability to make something out of a stick or a leaf is mesmerizing to me.
We have moved our clan via a taxi, airplane, taxi, bus, taxi, boat and taxi to Langkawi, an island in northern Malaysia. The moving day was epic to say the least. It was a clear example of how kids will do anything for food and how kind locals are when you are kind to them. We barely made it to our boat from Thailand to Malaysia and wouldn't have if it wasn't for our bus driver that drove crazy at about 60 miles per hour down a tiny street to get us there before the ferry left. Ryder was laughing the entire drive and shaking his head at our crazy lives. With our three kids running to border check with their backpacks on and all of us laughing and screaming, they held the last ferry for us and we were off to Malaysia with two new stamps in our passports (you travelers know what that means:)
We have arrived for phase two of our trip, beach time. We found a hotel room on the beach for $33 that has air conditioner, two double beds, bath and three channels that sometimes plays American movies but plays a ton of Malaysia soap operas with English subtitles that I have fallen in love with. They are awesome. Every problem is resolved by reading from the koran and praying at the end of the day. The kids have also watched some Bollywood movies, ridiculous Asian game shows where people will do anything for cash prizes and the equivalent of America's got talent but with scary clowns that act like dogs eating garbage. Since none of them are in English we make up the words as we go. We also do a lot of this...
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This is the view from our room in the morning and in the evening. Our room is $33 but it is cheap for a reason and not something I would recommend to all of my friends. Steve had to clean the air conditioner's filter to get it to work better and it could use some paint. But, the location is phenomenal.
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I had to throw this one in because Casey made this hat using a mcDonald's happy meal box and some rubber bands he found. He was so proud of it and it was quite cute. He wore it for an entire evening and the next day wanted to start selling them. Boredom, it works.
The Kirkndoppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12203375490024467195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5940222913726053565.post-5832691142948937912013-01-26T18:57:00.000-08:002013-01-26T19:26:44.332-08:00Doi Fang Hot Springs National ParkWe took a small weekend excursion from Chiang Mai up to a National Park with so many names, I am calling it Doi Fang instead. It is a lot like Yellowstone but smaller with lots of hot springs and water and beautiful farms with terracing.
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So the locals were fishing in a river in the park using fire crackers. They would drop them in the water, the blast would stun the fish and then the people would scoop them up for dinner. We were immediately enthralled with it and the kids had to join in the collecting. Then we had to explain to them how we will probably never see that again and why.
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We have a long standing tradition of having ice cream every Sunday as a family. Fortunately there was an ice cream vendor in the park on this Sunday - and they had Magnums! Hell yes. Ryder loves to get the weirdest ice cream he can find, Phelan is into the local traditional and Casey just wants the biggest ice cream.
The Kirkndoppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12203375490024467195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5940222913726053565.post-46708694215082023532013-01-23T22:56:00.000-08:002013-01-23T23:28:43.736-08:00Elephant Riding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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OK, so, I look ridiculous. I know. I just wanted to get this obviously ridiculous moment out of the way so that you are not distracted by the immense awesomeness of this wonderful day we spent with elephants. The costume is the old costume of mahouts, elephant handlers. The hat didn't come with the costume but my lovely husband saw them in a closet at the nature preserve and for some reason, our family, tending to lean towards laughing at ourselves more than caring about what others think, were all over the hats. The Germans chuckled at us but two minutes later, we were all doing this...
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There was a moment when we were riding the elephants through the jungle that it was very quiet and I welled up with tears. I thought about all that my family had done to get to this place. I remembered, very clearly,four years ago, talking to Steve's parents in their kitchen about whether or not he should take a chance and take a temporary job down south possibly losing his permanent geologist position. His Mom had just completed a successful round of chemo and both of them, without a pause, said live your lives to the fullest. And here we were, with three kids, riding elephants through Thailand. It is something we could have never done if we had stayed on the safe path of job/mortgage/kids. Although it has been ridiculously hard at times starting your own business, I was so happy to see everyone's smiling faces on this day. To watch Casey feed enormous beasts, watch Phelan jump on their backs and yell Pai Pai and hear Ryder at the end of the day, tell his brothers in the shower that it was better than Disneyland felt incredibly gratifying and I hope that they take something away from it. Myself, I took away gratitude to have choices in my life and for Steve's parents who have always seen why we walk a different path, and relishing in it with us. Thank you.
The Kirkndoppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12203375490024467195noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5940222913726053565.post-57246063614756630732013-01-18T19:43:00.003-08:002013-01-18T19:43:12.763-08:00My love for AlaskaI just wanted to send a shout out to my Alaska followers whoever you are! Thanks for the love.The Kirkndoppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12203375490024467195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5940222913726053565.post-91521315606740823632013-01-18T04:58:00.001-08:002013-01-18T05:23:10.908-08:00Food Thailand Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, my "kids in Thailand" is a big theme of our trip. We have been here before so we don't really care what we see. The three of them having a good time and maybe learning something along the way is the true spirit of the adventure. Which makes food kind of hard here. If this was a trip all about them we would be in Italy eating pizza but we are not. We are in Thailand where last week Dave's soup was so spicy it literally burned his lips. It's ridiculously hot sometimes and equally weird sometimes. Somewhere along the road less traveled though I learned from others that when traveling with kids, don't force any of it. Which means that we eat a lot of Pho. Every single day we eat Pho. We also eat curries, papaya salads, chicken satay, sushi and Indian food. Then sometimes we eat fried chicken and french fries or pancakes. Even those things are a learning experience though as pancakes are actually crepes made into a taco and filled with shredded coconut and fried chicken comes in unrecognizable shapes and flavors (such as fish). Our breakfasts are the best as Steve goes out to a market and "hunts" for breakfast. He came home this morning with BBQ chicken, pineapple, rose apples, sweet potatoe fries,buttered toast with condensed milk, rubbery crepes and orange juice with squishy jelly things in it. Always an adventure, always interesting. We eat together on a bed in our room discussing what is good that day and what we don't really care for. Yesterday we met an American family that had eaten nothing but McDonalds for breakfast since they arrived so I guess we are doing OK. Only one Pizza Hut visit in 22 days.
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P.S. the woman in the boat is making Papaya salad and the kids tongues were attacked by Fanta red and blue. Green is gross though they say, it's bubble gum!
The Kirkndoppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12203375490024467195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5940222913726053565.post-23575797875674524072013-01-18T04:25:00.001-08:002013-01-18T04:49:15.391-08:00Temples and Wahts and Buddhas and Monks andSo here's the thing, there are temples in Thailand. Like a lot of temples. Like on every street corner. Here's the other thing, they are all beautiful. They are shiny and colorful and filled with people and vendors and children and monks and they are everything you picture in Thailand. I could show you ten million photos of temples but yes, I am gonna say it, wait for it, once you see one temple, well...BUT this one is beautiful. Seriously the amount of detailing in the gingerbread factor is so lovely.
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This is a seriously old one as in 700 years old when Buddhism was first introduced to Thailand. Before that they were probably a form of Hinduism which is the oldest religion in the world and the one all came from. I'm sure a theologist would hate me spelling it out that simply to people but I was teaching an eight year old about Buddhism/Hinduism and Confucism just today so pardon me for the simplification. I truly get this is a complicated and yet beautiful religion where nobody ever yells and everyone buys fresh fruit, cookies and flowers everyday of their lives to honor a higher power. You can see in these temples how first a temple is made with brick, then covered in mortar and then painted which has come off after the ridiculously hot and rainy summers here.
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And this is a modern dragon in front of a modern temple. What I cannot capture without a 5 story building directly across the street from this compound is that it is huge. All of these buildings and about 15 other temples are on the same grounds. Old with new and small and weird out buildings that we cannot tell what they are for but probably rooms for monks to live in and possibly classes to be taught in. Wahts are actually a compound of Buddhism. They are recreational as well. A place for Thais to come and visit friends and burn some incense. As there is no set times for "church", people come and go at all times of day and weekends. It truly is the community meeting place similar to a European plaza or promenade. It is beautiful as well as a necessary part of our society.
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Lastly, our kids have visited many a temples now along river canals and in cities. They are quiet like churches at home but somehow more relaxing than a church. There are not so many rituals that you feel uncomfortable in a temple and as long as you act respectful, all seem to be welcome. Usually there are some people sitting on their feet in front of some flowers they brought or perhaps sittng quietly and contemplating. I could spend hours in a temple if it weren't for the rugrats we bring along that see the carpet as an awesome opportunity for a wrestling match. I have no idea what they wil absorb about Buddhism or Islam when we go to Malaysia but I hope they simply remember that they were beautiful and peaceful.
The Kirkndoppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12203375490024467195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5940222913726053565.post-7720586500710320462013-01-13T23:39:00.004-08:002013-01-16T19:30:05.360-08:00Just In Case You were WonderingWell, I wanted to update you on a very well known topic of conversation amongst travelers...."are Germans the most annoying travelers in the world?" I can say that three years of my 43 years have been spent in other countries with a lot of Germans as I believe they and the Dutch are the most travelled people, in the world. Two things I will say here, in public, one and only time then never admit to in public again, especially to a German. German men are gorgeous creatures and German people are ridiculously intelligent. They are often times tall with great teeth, great bone structure on their faces...yes, I am generalizing here but when you travel, it is difficult to not generalize your observations. They know more about American history then we do as well as composers, art, science and speak at least three languages. They are just smart as all hell. But then that isn't what this post was about, it was about how annoying they are cuz honestly, that is far more fun to talk about. The answer is yes. They sure as hell are. Omg, how many times since we have been in Thailand they have asked what school work my kids are doing while here. (Btw, the answer is nothing cuz everyday is a pre-scheduled field trip to museums, national parks and food tours you big jerk!!!!). It is funny that the French or English don't ask such silly questions like that but then the English invented the GAP year and the French invented eating slowly. Germans are annoying to our ears as their language is brash, they dress funny (had to throw that in) and they know everything. The truth is though, we have become friends traveling with more Dutch and Germans than any other country. I am impressed with Germans immensely but simply giggle more with Australians and Brits (yes, English spoken by both). We have never spent much time with the French cuz we don't speak French or wear our scarves the right way but Aussies are the partiers that take over a bar and Brits are a little like hanging out with someone from Boston. So my dear readers, to finally answer the ongoing travel debate amongst travelers, yes, Germans are the most annoying foreigners, for a reason, of course. I love them for stimulating conversations reminding me I really need to read more Tolstoy or learn about the black hole situation near nebula 3. But when that conversation is over, I am heading over to the next bar to have a sandy with my bloke. P.s. If you are German and are reading this, could you please believe me for once that not all Americans eat ketchup! Thanks. P.s. If you are Dutch or Swiss German, you are excluded from this post, kinda. P.s. If you are English, fried hard boiled eggs were also an amazing invention. P.s. If you are French, you cannot read this so thanks for the French fries and Gerard Depardeau.The Kirkndoppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12203375490024467195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5940222913726053565.post-42612484658531669222013-01-11T00:37:00.003-08:002013-01-11T00:52:42.161-08:00Five Days of Absolute Bliss in Sai Yok National ParkOn a whim, we woke up one morning in Ayuthaya and simply decided to pack up and head in a different direction to this fantastic National Park I had read about. Man, did we score. It was hard to get to as there were no direct buses but being that we have done this kind of travel before, we knew that by the end of the day, it would all workout (which it did with a little ingenuity, smiles, finger pointing and giggles). Sai Yok National Park is in central Thailand and is home to all kinds of animals we didn't see like tigers and elephants and what not. Why did we not see, because we could not stop swimming in the waterfalls, floating down the river, drinking cold drinks and sitting in our absolutely friggin awesome floating houses on the river. We did do some hiking through jungles filled with vines and bamboo and beautiful butterflies, saw some parrots and bright blue kingfishers and spent the rest of the time in swimsuits. Can I just say that my kids are the most awesome travelers and are definitely cut from the same cloth. So much fun! Daily Budget: 2800 Baht/$93 for two floating houses and food for five.
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The Kirkndoppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12203375490024467195noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5940222913726053565.post-5664319974067538702013-01-04T05:32:00.001-08:002013-01-04T05:36:09.707-08:001, 2, 3, 43 colds, 2 icky bellies, 1 rash, 1 ear infection, 1 mysterious burning lump BUT 85 degrees, sandals and shorts, chicken skewers in peanut sauce, boat rides and tropical fruit! How you doing?The Kirkndoppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12203375490024467195noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5940222913726053565.post-31655210920886880442013-01-02T03:46:00.000-08:002013-01-02T04:20:00.948-08:00Tom Yum KangThe last time I was in Thailand in 2000, I never gave it a fair shake. We had been traveling in Europe and Africa and we were TIRED by the time we got here. I vowed to give it my full attention this time around. I have started with a food study and since we have been here almost a week, I have now tried at least 10 different thai dishes on repeat to find some favorites. Thus far fried morning glory in garlic oil has become a daily staple and I have now decided to share with you my new love for Tom Yum Kang. This Thai staple is a spicy soup eaten at all times of day. The broth is meat based with ginger, coconut milk, lime leaves and Tom yum paste, made similar to curry powder. Then added in fairly large chunks are tomatoes, oyster mushrooms, cauliflower and Tom Yum Kang is made with shrimp. Tom Yum ..... add in other words for chicken or pork or various seafaring animals. It is spicy but the generous quantity of coconut milk cools it down. It feels hearty like a stew but has tons of flavor. I eat it every morning for breakfast. Soooo good. For my foodie friends, try it. It is so worth the effort tracking down the Tom yum paste.
This video is a good representation of what I eat!
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HbwczyovR7w&feature=related#/watch?v=HbwczyovR7w&feature=related
Btw, I cannot load pictures yet as I am pretty rural right now. I am sorry for the weird you tube links.
The Kirkndoppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12203375490024467195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5940222913726053565.post-23989855610342685852013-01-01T23:55:00.001-08:002013-01-01T23:55:40.149-08:00The Rights and Wrongs of TravelRight: Watching cartoons in another language.
Wrong: Eating sweet snacks with tiny crawfish in them.
Right: Rooms with air conditioning.
Wrong: Hotels filled with drunk She Males, although for some, this could be a "right".
Right: Tuk tuks
Wrong: Temple tours
Right: Coconut soup
Wrong: Crocs on tile floors
Right: Birds
Wrong: Monkeys
The Kirkndoppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12203375490024467195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5940222913726053565.post-57221423307117476162012-12-30T14:56:00.000-08:002012-12-30T14:56:29.475-08:00New Year's Eve, 2012Condensed version from Portland to Bangkok as seen by all 5 KirknDopp members, S,D,R,P,C and our friend Dave.
12/21 D: The sun came out for our departure. Oops, it is gone. Stupid Portland. S: I do not remember how to pack, what do I pack, where is my Mellow Johnny's hat, WHERE IS MY MELLOW JOHNNY's hat?
12/22 P: Thailand, Thailand, Thailand. C: I don't really want to go to Thailand.
12/23 D: I must find the perfect pair of shoes. S: This is a really weird Travelodge.
12/24 C: When will we actually be in Thailand? D: Ryder Phelan if you two cannot stop touching each other in the car, I will throw you out window. RP: giggle giggle.
12/25 D: Surprise, we are going to Disneyland! R P C: Yawn. D: That didn't quite workout as planned. R P C 13 hours later: That was the best day of my life, thank you Nana & Grandpa. S D: I cannot walk another inch.
12/26 S: I'm nervous. P: Thailand, Thailand, Thailand. It's 9:15, now 9:30, 9:45 D: Phelan, stop announcing the time, you are freaking me out. S: Boys, stop jumping on the beds D: Dopp boys, load'em up, it's go time.
12/27 D: Ryder, eat that damn food, it's just a weird mushroom. Boys, stop playing movies, go to sleep! P: Beijing is fancy, but really cold. D: I just spent 54 yen Steve on coffee and tea, do we know how much a yen is? R: I need to learn more geography, those girls were from Korea and I have never heard of Korea. C: Those people gave me a candy that tastes like a Raisen. P: But I have to have that stamp cuz I won't be back to China for 10 years. S: I don't think I have ever been in such a large room in my life.
12/28 D: Hey Dave, you are in China mister! R: My backpack is not on the conveyor belt? Dave: This is the farthest I have ever been in my life. P: It is hot now. D: the air-con isn't working in our room! S: Casey, stop jumping on the bed.
12/29 D: no, you will eat vegetables, Pad Thai or soup! R: Can we have our allowance in Bahts? P: Can we drink Fanta now that we are not at home? S: I left my debit card in that machine. It's gone.
12/30 S: Happy Birthday! D: The only thing I want for my birthday is a better room and a pool. P: Where are my goggles? S: I would like to order the morning glory, some larb and red curry with fish. Dave: I feel truly zen right now R: I don't think we were ready for Chinatown yet, it is a little out of our league. D: Steve, I don't know what to order, I can only recognize olives, I think, or are they pickled plums?
The Kirkndoppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12203375490024467195noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5940222913726053565.post-30367394568438646772012-08-16T20:01:00.001-07:002012-12-18T21:33:31.911-08:00ThailandWinter 2012 Thailand/Malaysia
COMING January 1, 2013The Kirkndoppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12203375490024467195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5940222913726053565.post-35137774732218417082012-08-16T19:54:00.002-07:002012-12-18T21:32:45.592-08:00
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A house we did last year, our one and only flip. We have done nine this year.The Kirkndoppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12203375490024467195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5940222913726053565.post-45174022026588672882012-04-06T00:12:00.003-07:002012-04-06T00:23:02.836-07:00Where Are We NowRecently, a couple of people have reminded us of this blog and I somehow, began to miss it. I began to miss the chronicle of our life with our kids and with each other and it made me nostalgic. Steve even mentioned we should start it back up and chronicle our new life. Of course he never worked on the blog before so my response was "what the hell are you talking about?". <br /><br />What is our new life. Well, it involves five people living on a 40 foot bus together parked in the driveways of houses we now rehab from foreclosure nastiness to flipped beauty. Some of the houses we keep for rentals and some we sell to buy more rentals. We basically live in Monopoly except we ourselves don't live in a house. <br /><br />We have found the perfect balance. With the bus at the houses we are working at, the kids have everything they need with them at all times. We are never very far away. We eat all of our meals together and can work very long days and yet still be with our kids most of the day. <br /><br />It has become the perfect lifestyle, for now. Everything is just for now. We work very hard and very long hours/days and we cannot sustain this lifestyle for more than a few years. But until then it is balls to the wall and get 'er done. My dream of having Steve retired by 50 looks more and more promising as each house sells. <br /><br />I promise to make more of an effort to get photos up because honestly, I haven't taken the photos. I have a shit ton of before and after photos of the house but must get more of the kids before they leave for college. <br /><br />Thanks to those of you that have checked in on us. We're still alive and kicking around. Planning to head out this August for some of the good life.The Kirkndoppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12203375490024467195noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5940222913726053565.post-82822310759401689962011-07-15T09:19:00.001-07:002011-07-15T09:25:43.010-07:00Finally, Someone NoticesThis article in USA Today is finally showing the ridiculous power of the press to ingraine an idea in American's heads that is clearly blown out of proportion. We have spent months in the border towns of Mexico and have only once, seen anything unusual (an oddly dressed Mexican man on the beach staring out into the ocean with binoculars, two days later a military checkpoint was set-up in that town). A friend of ours visiting us in San Felipe though thought every single person was trying to sell him coke despite the fact that none of them were. Before he came he was googling "dangers of Mexico". So when he came, he was looking everywhere for evidence of drugs and they simply weren't there. I think he was disappointed but I'm sure he went back across the border and told everyone that it was very obvious something was going on. If you look for something, you more than likely will find something to prove your point - unless you have an open mind. So, for the people of Mexico that have a very struggling economy, don't believe the hype! 99% of it is hype, 1% is as dangerous as Washington D.C. <br /><br />http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2011-07-15-border-violence-main_n.htmThe Kirkndoppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12203375490024467195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5940222913726053565.post-90458054192615026202011-05-10T17:45:00.000-07:002011-05-10T17:56:41.990-07:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirx-PAHLdSRvMmlzo3JTWkWgEz3OdLolXv1S20zlDKXr9XDnZfntKFWc_-fwGIKHYkW-aOxjIhAB2DJEcPhVAO1uZCAL5c8Kaq9IenVZBvrzx3ng8afZI0kd9nzwfPgpiIDjEZ1qcwqQwE/s1600/School+Bus+Updates+001.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirx-PAHLdSRvMmlzo3JTWkWgEz3OdLolXv1S20zlDKXr9XDnZfntKFWc_-fwGIKHYkW-aOxjIhAB2DJEcPhVAO1uZCAL5c8Kaq9IenVZBvrzx3ng8afZI0kd9nzwfPgpiIDjEZ1qcwqQwE/s400/School+Bus+Updates+001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605254146264376178" /></a><br />Life is still good but the boy is bigger and now we have a cat.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjrKY1a5U0l4iHhoZEz0fVWTTLaYVGeoCkr1DcHsOFI-8OChp2p78hgXKZ7SHDFGvcbIlKBclNFbN01omRjFsmhuu-W1Ng1krpohXiZLMtZ2Yy1UJVxr9GZZUjjYRU0AQqTlIPXExqvxWD/s1600/School+Bus+Updates+008.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjrKY1a5U0l4iHhoZEz0fVWTTLaYVGeoCkr1DcHsOFI-8OChp2p78hgXKZ7SHDFGvcbIlKBclNFbN01omRjFsmhuu-W1Ng1krpohXiZLMtZ2Yy1UJVxr9GZZUjjYRU0AQqTlIPXExqvxWD/s400/School+Bus+Updates+008.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605254140085654530" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-R9O0k7E5ArxsbIY5kgViFDBxi4TEO68lKFJ2sQOX4KwVGWglwsXhwdeeu2NsjFUYh-tsZgBIDYip3tymPm2e4Cv78OM2pJ1b38OOJ2ixbg_HB7IC5zOZViW-DM_gBl7iMRKdANBbUPM/s1600/School+Bus+Updates+007.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-R9O0k7E5ArxsbIY5kgViFDBxi4TEO68lKFJ2sQOX4KwVGWglwsXhwdeeu2NsjFUYh-tsZgBIDYip3tymPm2e4Cv78OM2pJ1b38OOJ2ixbg_HB7IC5zOZViW-DM_gBl7iMRKdANBbUPM/s400/School+Bus+Updates+007.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605254132453966210" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9cuXGLFRstNthM6_GNmDFcRtT9D8WVXlZ1LYqo-8IFOmeDtHELaEexeXUS-hvfdpqcV9uSur046R2_EgJZIqhiGqeGc26Rj4IIBQi28eMHU1s8fFRdcbGLaY5vC2ZZL_5NBFF0oDbffPd/s1600/School+Bus+Updates+006.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9cuXGLFRstNthM6_GNmDFcRtT9D8WVXlZ1LYqo-8IFOmeDtHELaEexeXUS-hvfdpqcV9uSur046R2_EgJZIqhiGqeGc26Rj4IIBQi28eMHU1s8fFRdcbGLaY5vC2ZZL_5NBFF0oDbffPd/s400/School+Bus+Updates+006.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605254134277923394" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_O7UY7DwSX1efsY6E1vzMJAeAgEIKy7LQwujbgAK-cLgKmjJaMI_5glLb3eKefTPksg3VS0sYDvtwZqkEqY1xMuaqm2FyclCCphMjnL8Np3rg1d1LuXLJXNKoITQuB_GG-Jp5dSIzwaa/s1600/School+Bus+Updates+002.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_O7UY7DwSX1efsY6E1vzMJAeAgEIKy7LQwujbgAK-cLgKmjJaMI_5glLb3eKefTPksg3VS0sYDvtwZqkEqY1xMuaqm2FyclCCphMjnL8Np3rg1d1LuXLJXNKoITQuB_GG-Jp5dSIzwaa/s400/School+Bus+Updates+002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605254130158230658" /></a><br />Mainly showing the coat rack above the driver's seat for winter coats. Really genius idea by my hubby. The shoe rack was also fantastic this winter when we used multiple shoes and they were usually wet and needed some airflow around them. I threw in some photos of the curtains because they are one of the best skoolie ideas ever and I stole them off of skoolie.net. There are two inch magnets in each corner at the same witdth as a window. I used some white sheets I found at a thrift store and have them mostly at 2-3 windows per panel therefore using three-four magnets each panel. They are super easy to fold onto eachother using the magnets when you want to "open" the curtains up for the day. They have worked fantastic and I cannot imagine any other way of making curtains in a vehicle that bounces and jiggles and moves from side to side, all made of metal. I believe any other kind of curtain would make noise when you drive. These do not fall off either. Bought the magnets at Home Depot. My mother-in-law and friend made nine panels total for the bus with the front window using stronger magnets we got at Harbor Freight as the window is longer therefore using more fabric.The Kirkndoppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12203375490024467195noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5940222913726053565.post-90645841327793344742010-11-01T18:33:00.000-07:002010-11-01T18:41:20.543-07:00Another fun Hollow's EveAnother year of amazing costumes made by the hands of "Omy", Steve's Mom. Thanks again Omy for the very original costumes!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguN623HZ8UJRYfOwN4qu5VIaol38DKBz4_tsZf7aoLuben8BPPadsxH4bsLDRnwnSJhk88X6JpS5wxBBkVMeHPEZar8WonONZNPE3SaSreSqrMncoRFq5AzM1izoF8k6Ildzh5HUV5Dpz3/s1600/Halloween+2010+119.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguN623HZ8UJRYfOwN4qu5VIaol38DKBz4_tsZf7aoLuben8BPPadsxH4bsLDRnwnSJhk88X6JpS5wxBBkVMeHPEZar8WonONZNPE3SaSreSqrMncoRFq5AzM1izoF8k6Ildzh5HUV5Dpz3/s400/Halloween+2010+119.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534760472062596882" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0N1wg10b_qgwztMio6zhIyIVVzUPAdItSlbNWGzepgAhU4RohBPR_Ax-fnbgpTQXgB3YymOXcbbjMXFRb9kzLPpGPyvy2iZFoH2ws3bz3706U9TXejULLo9-jHjpVU-HFfLzPt6AVAos/s1600/Halloween+2010+121.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0N1wg10b_qgwztMio6zhIyIVVzUPAdItSlbNWGzepgAhU4RohBPR_Ax-fnbgpTQXgB3YymOXcbbjMXFRb9kzLPpGPyvy2iZFoH2ws3bz3706U9TXejULLo9-jHjpVU-HFfLzPt6AVAos/s400/Halloween+2010+121.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534760152323411314" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfSiAmE_dfbzUgAW-DOnNpPeCBi56KvDKb6NVyZB7CzMRp6u9SXQszW5wb9H0xc0WKE6LqWS7xhHLxrHAP_r5rxxhSGPFohciwDLuVdHNmfKKbRSUWh_ZUenfAUl7mFEFAEpXdWoHQSF0/s1600/Halloween+2010+126.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfSiAmE_dfbzUgAW-DOnNpPeCBi56KvDKb6NVyZB7CzMRp6u9SXQszW5wb9H0xc0WKE6LqWS7xhHLxrHAP_r5rxxhSGPFohciwDLuVdHNmfKKbRSUWh_ZUenfAUl7mFEFAEpXdWoHQSF0/s400/Halloween+2010+126.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534759930190520658" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrR_PXdH1iw0F_W9vDdvI9bLo-alewf_tZr-LgpxbMSSqvZ7oK7nsi2F-Novia91SmT-lngH04eQgeoCjmooV0-UAg9bqytGQc1ORbv8UcZJcLPrfh0jgn9fp2cMa4StHH3d73MBV7ClQK/s1600/Halloween+2010+130.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrR_PXdH1iw0F_W9vDdvI9bLo-alewf_tZr-LgpxbMSSqvZ7oK7nsi2F-Novia91SmT-lngH04eQgeoCjmooV0-UAg9bqytGQc1ORbv8UcZJcLPrfh0jgn9fp2cMa4StHH3d73MBV7ClQK/s400/Halloween+2010+130.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534759664276109634" /></a>The Kirkndoppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12203375490024467195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5940222913726053565.post-5330510909714807382010-10-31T13:53:00.000-07:002010-10-31T14:30:45.040-07:00Ultimate Scavenger HuntSteve and a friend of his plus two big boys did a Halloween Scavenger Hunt similar to the Amazing Race. The organizers do them monthly in Portland. Check it out if you want to have a good time. Teams of four people required! Pictures coming soon - Tom, pictures?<br /><br /><a href="http://">http://www.pdxhunt.com/</a>The Kirkndoppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12203375490024467195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5940222913726053565.post-7236887613807309872010-10-17T09:17:00.000-07:002010-10-17T10:56:12.998-07:00September in the Northwest<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Q5kYyBAeap8GcH-hJK_DyCKhLzCi_ajaN3M3xFxDvqkeOr1FYdO1i-ekJBE4Wy9H-g4QUGABU-WkuJhPQCuT0lvQX18YmLYc0wrwp2G5Q9ii6hibKNdIOxjQbHudcaYb-x_tv52h87lI/s1600/P1010005.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Q5kYyBAeap8GcH-hJK_DyCKhLzCi_ajaN3M3xFxDvqkeOr1FYdO1i-ekJBE4Wy9H-g4QUGABU-WkuJhPQCuT0lvQX18YmLYc0wrwp2G5Q9ii6hibKNdIOxjQbHudcaYb-x_tv52h87lI/s400/P1010005.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529052956345933474" /></a><br />Steve’s annual September backpacking trip with the boys happened a few weeks ago on a beautiful autumn weekend. Casey came for the first time this year and carried his backpack filled with clothes, snacks and a sleeping pad. They camped next to Memaloose Lake near the Clackamas River amongst salamander eggs and spent the day catching the slimey creatures.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPxxyPSrkX1B1BFpXinr33LKxJnJTT60YNJKAn00MUkSNgpJOy7q0FNVJko_RIUUDAVg-vfj6o-K9KUmHBnj24Xh16nDTfXmEZKZfPET4NOHPr_paYWng5_XoAPYuwFSUtSAeQ2C7SAgz/s1600/P1010016.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPxxyPSrkX1B1BFpXinr33LKxJnJTT60YNJKAn00MUkSNgpJOy7q0FNVJko_RIUUDAVg-vfj6o-K9KUmHBnj24Xh16nDTfXmEZKZfPET4NOHPr_paYWng5_XoAPYuwFSUtSAeQ2C7SAgz/s400/P1010016.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529052828219715074" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3uVxc2NjPPkjywS7ANtxD764d_gq314FhdwgfVUSxKm4VxwMGe0q5dRM43jLvelk_RZSPDUXeLE7DPy4_qx41z7evGvHh1n7sG7oXKC733g9er2SX6S8T2ebVMKGMmir6cD_ReKRmDjh_/s1600/P1010014.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3uVxc2NjPPkjywS7ANtxD764d_gq314FhdwgfVUSxKm4VxwMGe0q5dRM43jLvelk_RZSPDUXeLE7DPy4_qx41z7evGvHh1n7sG7oXKC733g9er2SX6S8T2ebVMKGMmir6cD_ReKRmDjh_/s400/P1010014.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529072012050415826" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7OaMGQ4dwqGX0OUcrl9hhf1iK8OIbUD6x8DhxxAJxb1eVv0kdhReOAKJPfpJaK2i17qG33CXa_Fu1lG22Cq3sTvXaF0E2K1sRhlvnFDO5eiVFbikyDIczvjW7YMAsxPVqxmtVm_Ajn32/s1600/P1010029.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 202px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7OaMGQ4dwqGX0OUcrl9hhf1iK8OIbUD6x8DhxxAJxb1eVv0kdhReOAKJPfpJaK2i17qG33CXa_Fu1lG22Cq3sTvXaF0E2K1sRhlvnFDO5eiVFbikyDIczvjW7YMAsxPVqxmtVm_Ajn32/s400/P1010029.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529052342862287026" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQOXM7pXgYvobaJC1yVSt-YlFQWkeb9xwfHBQzLtY0M_6MzFAyV92tarPOnZIE1dCiJb1wqB3Nz3mUmdEvi_jlGwcN7_ayf0aKrvN5w7ETy78VO39RV7hriMVXytI5cqQt94j4R7TauJAe/s1600/P1010008.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQOXM7pXgYvobaJC1yVSt-YlFQWkeb9xwfHBQzLtY0M_6MzFAyV92tarPOnZIE1dCiJb1wqB3Nz3mUmdEvi_jlGwcN7_ayf0aKrvN5w7ETy78VO39RV7hriMVXytI5cqQt94j4R7TauJAe/s400/P1010008.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529051925610121554" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixiTrnUCTFtVDAMWt9-g81Cee_OuH4bILJY2TSXEg7y_kbncdtz5Vp2eXaUY-QioQ6__BTAjlON_6TFm1iEG5VOkVJcTV7XxjKzYn6oX2g-ws7ZSeliNpmwqMt3qgI1-hORUU1OsS-1_Yo/s1600/Wedding+dress+Seattle+weekend+006.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixiTrnUCTFtVDAMWt9-g81Cee_OuH4bILJY2TSXEg7y_kbncdtz5Vp2eXaUY-QioQ6__BTAjlON_6TFm1iEG5VOkVJcTV7XxjKzYn6oX2g-ws7ZSeliNpmwqMt3qgI1-hORUU1OsS-1_Yo/s400/Wedding+dress+Seattle+weekend+006.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529051577277592722" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />While the boys were enjoying the great Pacific Northwest, I took a train to Seattle to help my “cuz” pick out a wedding dress. I wish I could show you the dresses but her fiancé reads the blue daisy. I wish I could say she found the one but it's a biggie of a decision that is still in process. So, I'll just have to show you her the morning of wedding dress shopping. Ben + Shannon 7/23/11The Kirkndoppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12203375490024467195noreply@blogger.com0