Megan's End of Season Softball Tournament

While Tony and I were on our trip with Tyler, Margie took Megan to her end of season tournament for Spring Softball.  

She won a game but then lost a game.  I was bummed that they didn't make it further in tournament, but I was glad that Margie didn't have to spend her whole Saturday at the ballpark.  She had a great season and is excited to play Summer Softball.

Megan & Allie's Fun Adventures

My mom was so nice and took the girls a couple days each of the weeks while Tony and I were on our big vacation.  The first week her and my dad took them up to the cabin for a couple nights.  They had tons of fun doing all the fun things that we do at the cabin.  

The next week she had a little Girls Grandma Camp with them and their cousin Jenni.  They went to the park, the movies, the swimming pool, and other fun activities.   

My parents also invited all my kids to go to their house for dinner both Sundays.  The first one was Father's Day, and my mom said they loved having the kids there and Tyler and Allie preformed for them.  I was very thankful that they were able to get a good meal both Sundays that they didn't have to make themselves.  

The day we got back from our trip Megan had a softball game.  Her favorite cousin, Lydia just happened to be in town while us parents were gone because she came to help her aunt on her mom's side.  She decided she wanted to go home early, so we were only able to see her that night.  Margie was taking her the airport the next morning.  But Lydia came to Megan's game and then the girls were able to have a sleepover with her at Grandma's house.  I picked them up the next morning before Margie had to leave for the airport.  It was nice seeing her.

Steenblik Overseas Vacation - Day 14 & 15: Arch De Triumph, Pantheon, & Norte Dame & Going Home

After breakfast we split up to do more site seeing.  Derek, Don, and Margie went back to the hotel to change, while the rest of us went to the Arch de Triumph. We took the subway there and then had to walk under the street to get to the arch.  It wasn't quite open yet, so we did have to wait a about ten minutes before we were able to go up in the arch.  We were one of the firsts in line.  Lloyd and Amy took the elevator while Tony, Nate, and I took did the stairs.  It was a lot of winding stairs, but we did it.  We went all the way to the top.  It had been raining a little bit, so the ground was a little wet and slippery.  

The views from on top were incredible.  You could see how all the tree lined roads came off of the arch in a large straight circle.  It's hard to explain, but was very pretty.  You could see many of the major landmarks from the top of the arch and totally made up for the fact that we didn't go up the Eiffel Tower.  We then went to the gift shop and then all the way back down to see the tomb of the unknown soldier that is located under the arch.  Such a cool place.

After the arch we were to meet up with Derek, Don, and Margie at the Pantheon.  We had a little bit of time so Lloyd wanted to go and find a glass covered building that he saw when we took the boat ride.  He asked a couple people and no one seemed to know what he was talking about, so we started walking towards where Lloyd and Nate thought that it was located.  

We did end finding the building but it was much further away then we originally thought.  So we walked a couple miles to see it and then we had to find a subway station to get us to the Pantheon.  We then split up with Nate and Amy because Amy wanted to get something to eat and we went on ahead to see the Pantheon.  

Margie, Derek, and Don were waiting for us on the stairs of the Pantheon.  We then all went in and explored all they had to see.  It wasn't a huge place, but it was an impressive one.  We didn't have a lot of time before our reservation at Norte Dame, so we made quick work of all we could see and then walked over to Norte Dame.  Tim and Suzzane met us there since she was feeling better and Nate and Amy met back up with us as well.

We had to wait in a really long line, but it went quickly.  Norte Dame is a very pretty church, but I don't think it's the most impressive church that we saw.  Definitely the busiest.  

After we then went to go see the Saint Chapel.  Amy, Suzanne and Tim decided to take it easy and go back to the hotel and Derek and Don did their own thing. We walked all the way there just to find out that it was closed for the day.  This was super sad because I remembered this being one of the really cool places that we saw when I can before.  We then weren't sure what to do, so Tony found a castle thing that was outside of town, and we thought maybe we could go see that.  We took the subway to the train station to find out that our passes don't work for the trains going outside the city.  So, we decided that we shouldn't do that.  Since Margie missed the Arch De Triumph earlier in the day, we all went back there for her to experience it.  

They all went up the arch and I sat down at the bottom and people watched.  I chatted with a guy from Italy and some children from Germany.  Then I talked with some people from the US and informed them that we prefer to be called members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, not Mormons.  That was fun.

After they were done exploring the top, we all took the subway back to our hotel.  We needed to pack our bags and be ready to leave the next morning.  Our nice van drivers came nice and early and we packed up the vans and went to the airport.  We got into the airport and then said our good-byes to Nate, Amy, Derek, and Don.  They were flying a different airline and had to go to a different terminal.  It took a minute, but we finally found the Delta counter.  We got to the front of the line and then baggage system went down.  So, we were able to get our bags registered, but not Tim and Suzanne or Lloyd and Margie.  They told us all to leave our bags and they'd be fine. 

We did that with a prayer in our hearts that we would get those bags in SLC.  We then went through security and found our gate.  While I was watching the bags while the others picked up some breakfast, Mike Freeman walked up the isle with three of his kids.  They had done Disneyland Paris and a trip to Africa and were on their way home.  What a small world.  

We then boarded our flight and had a very long non-sleeping flight home.  Luckily our bags did arrive when we got into SLC, and my dad was there waiting to pick us up.  It was such a wonderful trip, but we were both more than ready to be home and to see our kiddos! 

Steenblik Overseas Vacation - Day 14: Family Pictures

We kids wanted to do a family photo shoot with everyone to gift it to Tony's parents for taking us on this trip.  So, Amy made the arrangements with a photographer that my friend, Lisa, used when she went to Paris with her family. 

We had to get up pretty early and get to the meet up spot.  The sad thing is that Suzanne had been sick that night and morning, so she wasn't able to come with and be in the pictures.  So, as beautiful as they are, they are incomplete without Suzanne and Time.

We took lots of pictures, many is silly poses that are not our personality at all, but it was still fun and the perfect spot to take pictures.  After all the pictures were taken, we then walked across the street and had breakfast.  It was a yummy place, but pretty pricey for a simple breakfast.  Probably because they are located across from the Eiffel Tower.  It was good though.  

Steenblik Overseas Vacation - Day 13: Church & The Louve & Basilique Cathédrale Saint-Denis

We started our morning off by finding our way to church.  It was Tony and I with his parents.  Suzanne wasn't feeling up to coming and thought it best to rest for the morning so that she could participate the rest of the day's activities. 

We had to take the subway and then walk a good way to get to the church.  We walked what seemed to be a swap meet of sorts on the sidewalks.  Looked like a lot of junk.

We then finally made out way to the church.  It didn't look like a church at all, and I had to double take when Tony said we were there.  Luckily about six missionaries were all inside the doors welcoming people, so we definitely knew we were in the right place.

The missionaries we very welcoming and even offered us headphones so we could hear the sacrament talks in English.  A sister missionary was in the back of the room translating for all the English-speaking visitors.  The sacrament was very good, and we were very glad that we went.  Tony and I really wanted to go to church and felt like we needed to make it happen, with or without the others.  So, I am glad that Lloyd and Margie came with us.  

After church Tony and Margie changed their clothes before we then walked back to the subway and took it to the Louve.  We met up with the rest of our group near the subway station entrance/exit.  We then found our way into the Louve and started looking around.  Nate found an ap that told him how to just see the more popular things in the Louve in an hour and a half.  So, we followed him, except Derek and Don who did their own thing.  

After we saw all that, we wanted to see, we made our way outside.  It wasn't as busy as Versailles, but it was still really busy.  Not as hot either, but plenty warm inside and out.  

We then met back up with Derek and Don and went to see the Basilique Cathedrale Saint-Denis.  It is a really cool church where some Saint Denis guy got beheaded and was able to decide where he wanted to be buried, so he walked to that site holding his head and then they built the cathedral where he was buried.  It's an odd story, but a beautiful cathedral.  We were all pretty beat after that, so we made the trek back to our hotel.  After walking around seeing what different food options we had, we decided to eat at the same place we ate the first day we were there.  The food was still good.  We then went to the little market again for a few evening goodies and then spent the rest of the night in the hotel.