The Adriatic Sea

Rijeka is located on the Adriatic Sea. It is really so blue and clear. Grandpa and Grandma took us to where they have the baptisms and Amy wanted to swim so bad. The water was very inviting. Too bad we'd just come from church and it wasn't in the cards!

One magical day in Venice

We took a bus from Rijeka, Croatia into Slovenia and across the boarder to Trieste, Italy. From there took a train to Venice. (3 1/2 hrs. in all) What a great decision this was. We loved the day we spent walking around Venice. There is so much character to this great city on water and we tried it all. Bry got attacked by birds at St. Marco Square, we splurged on a gondola ride, visited Murano Island and saw the glass making, took the Vaporetta (water taxi)up and down the grand canal, and ate prosciutto and Parmesan cheese at sunset looking into st. marco square.

Romantic, Beautiful Venice

There are few places I've been that are so beautiful and fun to photograph as Venice. I think I took a hundred pictures just wandering around. It is so magical and I really think it is a city reaking of romance. We wandered and got lost in the narrow streets that greet you at the end with a beautiful canal full of life and stories. Everyone must see it sometime in their life.

One day in London

London is such a great city. We only had the afternoon and evening, but we walked the town over. By evening we were so excited to sit down in the great theatre and watch "Wicked". It was a spontaneous decision, and we are so glad we did it. Other places visited, buckinham palace, downing street, westminister abbey, the south bank, covent gardens and many crowded subways. By 6 a.m. we were off to gatwick airport and headed home!

Carston Martin has arrived

Kelsie (Amy's sister) and Mike did well with this cute little jewel born August 16th... 2 weeks early. He was 7 lbs 7oz. and 19 inches. It was a tough delivery... but Kelsie was a champ! Carston Kelly Martin is their first and we are so excited to have him in our family.

Swimming the Summer away

We swam, and swam and swam this summer! It's been fun. Blakely excelled a ton w/ 2 sessions of swimming lessons, and especially diving for stuff w/ her cousin Emma. She also is a champ waterskiing w/ mom!

Washington Trip/Animal Park

We went to this CRAZY-COOL animal farm near olympia national forest that has all these bears, bison, llamas... and buffalo that eat out of your car... you literally drive through and throw bread at them... some are behind fences, like the bears, but the bison, elk and buffalo had free access to us... it was fun!

Activites on the Puget Sound

We picked and ate so many berries we made ourselves sick. We ran accross this great farm w/ berries and a fish hatchery. The girls fished, and we had trout and berries for dinner! We visited Desolation Pass, a crazy bridge on Whidbey Island, and spent many hours in the hot tub on the back deck of our wonderful house.. in the woods!

BeachCombing-Port Townsend

We had such a fun time just walking around these beautiful beaches. The fog in the mornings was mystical, the shells were great and to be able to walk to a lighthouse was an adventure. Blakely brought home bags of seashells...

Port Towsend, WA 7-07

We had a great trip to Port Townsend, Washington on the Puget Sound. We pulled off a very successful "home exchange" and got a great house 5 minutes from the Ocean out of it. We spent a lot of time on Ferry's and Bryan especially loved it when the submarine came our way.