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Michael & Tara's trip continued...May 1st - 14th
Norway, Germany, Estonia, Russia, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania & Poland

May 1st - Michael & Tara Oslo, Norway

Oslo, Norway

Oslo, Norway	Denmark

Germany, Baltic Sea

Germany

Tallinn...The largest city of Estonia

Tallinn...Michael emailed...(See if you can find Tara in this pic below)

Tara

Tallinn

St Petersburg, Russia. Its cold today compared to Tallinn ... we even took a trip on a hydrofoil.

St Petersburg, Russia	Tara

Michael	St. Petersburg, Russia

Michael

Helsinki, Finland

Tara, Michael - Helsinki

Helsinki

Snowed last night at sea, they said this was fairly rare for a cruiseship	On our way to Stockholm, its about an hour away by train

Vasa, a 350 year old ship that sank moments after it left the dock for the first time, they pulled it up from the bottom of the harbor in the 70s	Tara...Snowing

Michael - Stockholm, Sweden ...Old Town

Michael Tara... Sub-way - Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm, Sweden

Riga, Latvia

Tara, Michael - Riga, Latvia

Michael emailed...Were having dinner here in the capital of Lithuania,
visited hill of the crosses, trip is almost over. Had a great time, we'll be home soon.

We planned long ago to drive to the hill of the crosses, it was about an hour and a half from the city of Riga, in Latvia, to just over the border into Lithuania
It's a small hill, and the number of crosses didn't look hugely significant until you get close, and see just how many there are, first 100's, then 1000's, then tens of thousands, probably half a million.
Basic to elaborate, metal, wood, rock...There are dozens of little paths that cross back and fourth.

I didn't realize you could bring and leave a cross, we saw a sign that said you could.
I told Tara I wanted to put one up for Jake, so I made my way back to the road where we came from and found a man that made and sold them, all kinds, the one that stood out was an unfinished cross, made of pine... plain, nothing to dress it up, it instantly brought back memories of the casket, and saying goodbye at the funeral, then again it was every bit of 4 feet tall, the biggest they sold that you could erect without a special base, I laughed thinking if there were a Home Depot Jake would have wanted to break the rules and make it a bit taller, but there was nothing of the sort in this remote part of Lithuania.
I told the man I would take that one, I could barely speak, because it was unfinished I asked him to put a stake in the bottom, he wanted to know if I wanted the plaque on it, I shook my head no, paid for the cross and headed back to the hill.

Tara was there waiting for me, I planted the cross as close to front and center as I could manage, as Jake would have wanted.
I wrote his name and date on the front, and the pen I borrowed ran out, so I scrolled on the back what I could, something I saw at your house somewhere, "I miss my friend"
It's in the picture above just left of center. I didnt want to make a big picture thing of it all, I have a few more, but these I liked.

Here is the base of the cross donated by Pope John Paul II.

Michael facetimed us at 6:15am California time - 3:15pm Poland time
Riding a bike around the town of Warsaw, Poland

Pointing out the hotel in Warsaw they stayed in

Mary was facetiming with Michael...Miles woke up, heard his dad's voice and thought he came home

Miles, Megan...Talking to Tara

Tara

Michael emailed . . . After a mothers day breakfast, we left Warsaw this morning having traveled through 10 countries, many amazing places, but Warsaw is probably at the top of the list of places we visited.

Tara, Michael


Josh, Den	Catalina

Cinco de Mayo Dinner (David, Cora, Den)


Josh and Cristie's celebrate their 11th Anniversary May 6th!




(Den, Mary, David) Returning from our walk...God is Awesome!


Westlake Reservoir

Mary, Den, David


Savannah's school play - The Fairly Tale Network

Savannah - Oaks Christian 5th grade program


Julianna, Savannah, Grandma Wendy, Jared, Jessica, Preston, Jake, Isaiah, Sadie

Isaiah, Grandma Wendy, Sadie, Preston, Savannah, Julianna, Jake

Julianna, Wendy	Preston

Sadie, Isaiah	Isaiah, Savannah

Preston

Savannah, Julianna	Preston, Julianna, Isaiah, Savannah, Wendy

Jessica, Jared	Julianna, Isaiah, Savannah, Jessica, Jake, Preston


Megan, Miles, David


We bought Our Blessed Mother at the Life Center Dinner Auction... Fr. Jim blessed the statue

Fr. Jim, Miles, Megan

Miles, Megan

David, Megan, Miles, Fr. Jim


Perry, Miles, David, Mary, Den . . . Wish you were here to ENJOY this!

Den, Skipper, Perry, David, Miles	Miles

Miles	David

Mary

Before and After

Miles put his rosary and Megan's rosary on the Blessed Mother


3 Springs fire in the hills just off Kristin Lee...Behind the homes off of Wellbrook
More than 12 fire trucks, 6 fire crew trucks, 2 helicopters and police/fire emergency vehicles responded

2 helicopters made continuous water droppings from the Westlake Reservoir


Josh helped duckling get out of Debbi's spa...2 fell into a hole before making it to the lake


After we stayed up late to watch the movie St. Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes ...
I found David in his room on his knees with his crucifix in deep thought


Julianna graduates preschool

Julianna, Sadie


Heather will be going to University San Francisco

Heather - 2017 La Reina Graduation	Jean, Frank

Dominic, Samuel, Jack, Jameson, Savannah

Heather	Kristy, Cindy, Wendy, Jeannie

Karen, Heather

Frank, Jean (Karen's 1988 La Reina Graduation)	Class of 2017

Heather

Heather	Jean, Nancy

Dave, Mary, David	Karen, Gina, Heather

Roxy, Curtis, Wendy, Steve, Karen, Dave

Heather, Karen, Jean, Frank


Avalon, Catalina Island

David, Den, Mary

Mary, David, Den

The Avalon Hotel - View from the roof top

Den, David

The Avalon Hotel roof top panoramic view

David, Den, Mary

David

The 1923 Catalina Chimes Tower is being refurbished	Mary, Den

David, Lorie - The courtyard at the Avalon Hotel

Den and Mary:)	Hummingbirds

St. Catherine of Alexandria Catholic Church

Den, David

Den, Mary, David



David, Mary - We took a zip line class then headed up to the top of the mountain...

We zip lined down 5 separate zip lines dropping from 600 feet above sea level with one run that is 1,100 lineal feet long all on its own. We travel close to three quarters of a mile at heights of 300 feet above the canyon floor at speeds up to 30 mph.

Mary, David

Mary	David

Mary	David

David	Mary

David, Mary

Catalina Express back home - passing the Queen Mary at the Long Beach port

Avalon Bay Yacht Club & Casino Catalina Island
1938 - "79 Years Later" - 2017

In the 60's Mary & Debbi went to the girl scouts camp at Camp White's Landing

At Camp White's Landing on Catalina Island, an Island 26 miles off the coast of Southern California...we slep in tents on platforms and wild boar would stand out side our tent at night. We could hear the wild boars snuffing around as someone mostl likely had forbidden food in their suitcases and this was the cause of the rooting.
I still remember the lyrics of our Camp White's Landing song... Camp White's Landing by the shining blue sea Camp White's Landing just for you and for me Swim and boat, catch a goat at Camp White's Landing


Den, Autumn


Michael's offfice - Camarillo Flight Instruction

	Jean, Michael, Frank

Michael, Frank, Den

	David

Michael, Frank, Den, Mary

Jean, Frank, Michael

Miles, Megan	Frank, Miles chicken "Heaven"

Michael, Miles, Megan

Megan, Miles	Frank, Perry

Miles, Great Grandma Jean, Tara

Great Grandma Jean and Miles

Great Grandma Jean, Miles, Michael

David, Miles


	Jean, Mary

Josh, Cristie, Cora, Barbara, Jean	Capri

Den, Frank Jean, Barbara

Catalina, Capri	David

Catalina, Capri, David, Josh	Heather, Mary, Capri, Jean, Catalina, Barbara, Cristie, Cora

Heather, Cristie, Cora	Jean, Mary, Cristie, Cora, Den, David




Savannah, Wendy