Merry Christmas

Well, Christmas was a really great this year. Kyela was very aware of what was going on and kept telling Monique and I how much she "loved Santa". When she came downstairs Christmas morning and noticed the cookies and milk she had left out were gone (burb...they tasted great) she immediately ran to the window to look out and see Santa. We had to tell her that Santa and his reindeer were long gone but he had left her presents by the door. She was so excited. She enjoyed all of her gifts. "Thank-you" to everyone who sent her gifts! We all hope all of our family and friends had a very Merry Christmas this year!

Dancing Queen

Guess who Kyela learned all her dance moves from? You guessed it...her Dad!

Playing makeup with Dad

Kyela and Daddy played makeup the other night...Kyela seemed to do a much better job than Daddy did:) She loved to play makeup with Daddy as you can see form the video.

Halloween

Kyela had a great Halloween this year. Considering this was the first Halloween I wasn't TDY since Kyela was born, I had a great time as well. Mom and I were able to take her to about 25 homes and I must say that she ended up with more candy than she needs! I'm going to have to "help" her out with that problem :) Mom did a great job picking out her costume this year. As you can see from the pictures she was a chicken this year. We certainly have great blackmail material when she becomes a teenager!

Kyela at soccer practice

Kyela started playing soccer on 27 September, 2008. She has soccer practice on Tuesday's and Thursday's and a game on Saturday mornings. She seems to have a great time at the practice sessions; however, she has been losing interest at the Saturday games. Mom and I are trying to keep her focused at the games, but due to less interaction and attention from her coaches she would rather pick flowers off the field and practice her dance moves as the soccer ball goes by her :) At least she is having a good time on the field and staying active. I assume next year she will have a better understanding of the game and take it more seriously. For now, Mom and I are are really enjoying seeing her run around and have a good time with children her age.

QuadFest 2008

Earlier this year, my buddy talked me into buying an ATV. He purchased his ATV late last year and his stories of thrill and adventure convinced me that I "needed" to buy one. I instantly believed purchasing this ATV was the right thing to do...my wife, on the other hand, needed more convincing :) After much begging and pleading, Monique finally caved in and let me purchase a 2008 Polaris Sportster 4x4. This quad didn't stay looking clean like this for very long!

In July 2008, I went with five of my buddies to QuadFest 2008. QuadFest was located in Central City, PA about a two hour drive from Baltimore. We drove up to PA on a Friday morning with plans to stay until late Sunday afternoon. There were more than sixty miles of trails at QuadFest with some trails designed for experience riders and others that are more family oriented. Needless-to-say, we immediately hit the trails designed for the experienced riders even though this was the first time riding trails of this sort for most of us.

We spend two days riding approximately 50 miles per day. Vroom, vroom and braap, braap were the sounds I heard for the two days I spent on my ATV. It was a ton of fun riding the quads, but sitting around the campfire in the evenings listening to friends tell exaggerated stories was equally as fun. Some of the best parts of the day were spent when the riding was over and we were grilling hamburgers and hotdogs, watching the fire burn, and complaining how sore we were. I had a great time at QuatFest 2008, and will certainly make another appearance next year. I believe ATVing and camping is a great way to bond with family and friends - maybe I'll be able to talk my girls into going with me next year.

Trip to Australia

Late last year I had the opportunity to travel to Alice Springs, Australia for two weeks. The 15-hour plane ride from San Fransisco to Sydney wasn't pleasant but considering I flew business class I couldn't complain. I spend the first night in Sydney since the connecting flight to Alice Springs only flew once per day. It certainly didn't bother me none ;) Sydney was a great city! I stayed in a hotel at Darling Harbor and was only minutes away from the popular Sydney Harbour bridge and Sydney Opera House. I decided to take a water taxi around Darling Harbour so I could get better pictures and see the Sydney Harbour Bridge up close as well as the Sydney Opera House. The 1-hour water taxi ride didn't leave me disappointed.

As tired as I was from the 24+ hours traveling over to Australia, I began walking around Sydney immediately after my early morning check-in at my hotel. I knew I had to make the best of my short time in Sydney and there was so much to see. I found out quickly that things were very expensive in Australia. Things were especially expensive when compared to the weaker U.S. dollar. For lunch, I ate (fish & chips) at a small pub that overlooked the Sydney Harbour Bridge...great food...even greater views.

After lunch, I headed over to walk around the infamous Sydney Opera House. It was as spectacular as I had imagined. The exterior that is. There was some sort of event scheduled the night I was in Sydney so I was unable to go into the Sydney Opera House. Instead, I headed back to Darling Harbour and walked around - snapping pictures along with all of the other tourists. The next morning I was up bright and early to catch my flight into Alice Springs. This was 4-hour flight into the middle of the Australian Outback. I was ready for the adventure.

When I arrived at Alice Springs I must say I was expecting a much larger airport. The airport was really small and didn't have any jetways...we had to deboard the plane while it was on the tarmac. As soon as I exited the plane, my battle with the flies began! The Outback conditions are so arid that flies attach to you in an attempt to get the moisture (sweat) from your body. If you are not careful they will go in your ears, up your nose, in your eyes...they are horrible. At any given time, you could have more than 50 flies stuck to your clothes while you are outdoors. Of course, the flies didn't keep me from sight-seeing around Alice Springs.

The first thing I noticed on the ride from the airport was the Aborigines walking around the town...most of them in tattered clothing and barefoot. I was informed by a local that I shouldn't take any pictures of them because it will upset them - they believe you are stealing their souls. I must admit that I'm guilty of taking a few souls while I was there...but I was very careful when I took pictures ;) I learned that a large population of the local Aboriginals receive aide from the government and don't work. Instead, they remain homeless and use the money from the government to buy alcohol. I learned even more when I got out of the car and realized that I could smell an Aboriginal from a block away...I'm not kidding. The smell they emit is stifling to say the least. I've never smelt anything like it before, and don't particularly want to experience it again. Sorry, I was unable to get a better picture of the Aboriginals without being caught stealing souls :)

While in Alice Springs, I went to the local reptile center as well as the popular site for feeding wild wallabies. I had a great time, but I think if I ever return I will plan to go in their winter months so I don't have to deal with the extreme temperatures and flies.