Bon Jour!

Hola!

We made it.

Air France is the way to go. Seattle to Paris, but it is still 9 hours too long. We made it in 10 hours and tried to do the sleep thing, you know the drill, sleep the whole way then you are rested and can start your day when you get there. Please, seriously? We left around 2ish, read our books,watched tv/movies then had some dinner. By then the lights went out and we were all supposed to pretend it was night time and go to sleep. Omg! Everyone was wide awake. Even Reed cruised through his 2 Tylenol PM's. Xanax? No. So we all got punchy and I started to do my cry laughing thing because I found it soo funny that everyone on the plane was "pretending" it was night. It really never worked for anyone. We got to Paris tired but excited and it couldn't have been more beautiful cause it was snowing! We went straight to the Pavillion De La Reine and met up with Lauren! After 4 months being away, it was the best feeing ever to get the family back together. After tears and hugging we all just hung out in our room and relaxed. Lauren wanted to take her first bath in 4 months and so we all took an hour nap. Then off to our first Parisian dinner. The restaurant had only 10 tables and was perfect! So delicious!. Oh, forgot to mention I bought a fun hat, I realized that I was the ONLY "lady" with out a hat in Paris when I got there, so I nipped that in the bud fast. Then I fit

right in with all the other "ladies". Yes, that is what I am here, a lady, that's it, just "lady". Is the lady ok? Is the lady ready to order? Can I help the lady? So, either I have aged 10 years here in 2 day's or.... I bought the wrong hat. Hmmmm.

Day 2 was all the tourist stuff that the kids wanted to do, the Eiffel, Lourve, cafe's. But lunch was an issue. After much trepidation, seems we all ordered the wrong things. Reed's lunch (he was told not to get the Club, too American) so I think he got some shit on a shingle. Austin's hamburger came naked, no bun. My fromage sald smelled like hot BO on toast and Lauren teared up with the cat food (tuna stuff) plopped all over her Nicoise salad, that stunk up the entire table (and maybe the whole room too). After spooning the chunky slimy tuna under all of the families un eaten morsels, we paid and left. I sorta knew it was a bad call, initially when I got a glance at our waiter/owners brown teeth, coins for the potty and the smoke smell upon entering but we were s t a r v i n g! Oh, and Megan did the best with her French Onion soup. Lucky her!

Did I mention it was Reed and I's 23rd anniversary? Snowing in Paris again? Perfect. Did I mention the place we stayed, adorable French decor and the best breakfast ever? And we ended with an amazing dinner of Lamb, Partridge, Pig and Lobster. Crazy. Not to mention, Austin had his first Champagne! They just put a glass in front of him and poured in the bubbly. Had they looked at his face, they would have noticed that he was petrified. We toasted and he did not like it. Good, but a very sweet memory.

Now we are in Barcelona. Will write again tomorrow. Love the Casa Fuster Hotel. Dinner with the Jewsens tonight in the city! Loving Europe!

Pictures soon.