Tae Kwon Do - Jordan is an Orange Belt Now!

Jordan tested for his Orange Belt on Friday, Dec 7. He passed! And he got a special award for his good grades (all A's!). Here he is sparing / self defense forms with his instructor Adam.

Standing at attention between forms.
Jordan with Grand Master Ro and his regular instructor Scott.
The group of 7 from Litchfield Comm Ed that tested on Friday. Everyone passed!!

Snow!!!

Last weekend it finally snowed a measurable amount! Alex had been practicing playing in the dustings of snow we had earlier so he was ready.

Jordan played outside all day with Keats and Josh. They had been making plans all summer and fall for the layout of their fort so they needed to start right away!

Fall Fun

We have lucked out this year and haven't had any measurable snow yet so the kids can still play in the leaves. Alex says, "Pile" every time he walks out the door. He can't not walk thru the leaves when he is outside whether you want him to or not!

Halloween

Ok...I keep thinking I want to do this in order but I just haven't been motivated to get more of our trip pics on this site so I am going to put Halloween pics up instead. Jordan was Davey Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean and Alex was a spider.

Kendra was a skunk...we found this display while we were trick or treating and had to take a pic.
Alex with his candy at the end of the night...he learned a few new words that night...Halloween, treat, candy and not a new word, but his very favorite that night "MINE"

Haut Koenigsbourg

Haut Koenigsbourg is a 12th century castle which is in France...we spent most of our time in France.

Stella was Jordan's shadow...Stella kept telling Jordan "I love you Jordan".

The castle was taken over by renegade knights (to explain this to Jordan and Stella we told them renegade knights were like pirates on horses) in the 15th century and essentially destroyed. The castle was rebuilt in 1804-05 with items found in the rubble or from in the area.
The cannon still smelled like black powder.

Strassbourg

Pia, Stella, Jordan and I went to Strassbourg and climbed one of the towers...these are pictures from the first viewing area at 33 meters (about 100 feet). I chickened out and couldn't go up the rest of the way...Pia and the kids did so I will have to get the really high pictures from Pia. This was high enough for me! but the view was amazing.

Colmar

We are on our way! Jordan waiting patiently in the airport for our first flight of the day to Detroit, MI

Colmar, France also known as "Little Venice"

The first full day Jordan and I were awake in Europe was spent in Colmar with Pia and Stella our wonderful tour guides.

Enjoying the gondola ride thru "Little Venice"