"Paris is always a good idea." - Audrey Hepburn

I've never been to Paris, so I don't know how true the quote in the title is, but when a young lady asked our girls to go with her to Paris because she was going to run a half-marathon at Disneyland in Paris, Doug and I were glad to give them the opportunity.

Victor Hugo (author of Les Misérables) said, "Breathe Paris in.  It nourishes the soul."

I think the trip did indeed nourish the soul of my girls, and they are still talking about it.  

I've heard differing opinions about how people feel about Paris (dirty, dark, magical, amazing, full of life, romantic, quaint, etc), but for now, I'll stick with the pleasant descriptions given by Kylie and Karis.

This is our friend who invited and travelled with the girls.

Notre Dame.

The girls weren't prepared for how cold it would be, so they ended up having to buy some sweaters.  Then they saw the forecast on the day of the race - - rain, so they had to buy some raincoats.

No problem.  These girls went with the flow and never complained, walking mile after mile each day.

Their favorite place was the Palace of Versailles.  They spent almost an entire day there.

Race day.

These are actually the mouse ears we bought them when they were 5 and 3 in 2007, when Doug's parents took us to DisneyWorld in Florida.

Sainte-Chapelle.

And "us-ie" with Mona herself.

It was a fun experience to live Paris through the eyes of these two beauties and to hear their stories of adventure.  Thomas Jefferson spent a lot of time in Paris, and he said, "A walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of Life."

I'm just glad these two will be able to say, "We'll always have Paris."

Travelling to Learn

"Traveling - it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller." - Ibn Battuta

Doug and the two older girls traveled to southern Turkey at the beginning of April for a conference.  They went a few days early so that Doug could take them a couple of places, including the ancient city of Ephesus.

The quote above makes me smile, because it was true about this trip for them.

They had some breath-taking moments that left them speechless, 

But when they came home, they were full of stories, adventures, and funny happenings.

One funny thing was Doug's coffee cup labeled by a barista. 

We have a long-standing joke about all the names Doug has been called overseas (and in America), because people just can't seem to get it right.

He's been called Duck, Dog, Con (that's true), DuGlass, Duklas, Dugs, Duks, and now Doyc!

The girls had a great time exploring and seeing new things together, and they also loved the conference they attended and the people they got to meet.

I know they will miss each other next year when Kylie goes to college.

Reading Pauls' letter to the Ephesians in the place where he might have spoken to the crowds.

The façade of the ancient library at Ephesus.

My amazing husband who took them on this memorable journey.  Thank you, Doyc :)