Adam's birthday

Adam and Jill went to Wichita on a birthday date for Adam's birthday.  The kids came here.  We had a full day!  First we went to Walmart and helped the kids find Christmas presents for their parents.  When we got home, they wrapped them up and hid them under the bed in the basement.  

"It's a secret!  Don't tell your parents!  We will hide them under your tree when your mommy puts it up!" we told them.

                                  Lunch time fun

 ketchup and mustard beard  - her main dish was not on the plate yet

Claire wanted some seaweed.

She invented a new sushii.

Mac and cheese wrapped with nori (seaweed)

She "yuved" it!

Hide-n-seek! 

Hannah decorated for the party

 

Sophia and Claire helped with Adam's favorite meal - bbq meatballs

 

Homework with Papa 

 Artist at work  -
teeny tiny google eyes on her sunset   ("God's eyes are always watching" Claire said)

 Baseball   (ball is mid air)

I just noticed the leaves on the tree by Al.  Yesterday there were still about half the leaves on.  But the wind blew and blew and blew and today they are almost all gone and looks like the leaves blew into the next county!

We took a walk to the woods

No, Papa!! 

Light sabers! 

When we got home, we got ready for the birthday boy to come home.

A delicious dinner followed by the party. 

 Happy birthday, Adam!

And evidently, a certain 4-year-old couldn't keep the secret about the 

Christmas gifts and showed her daddy what she got him!  Ha!!

The Acropolis, continuation of our trip

The Acropolis is a rocky, elevated area above the city of Athens

The Pantheon (above) and Athena Nike temple (below)

Follow the rules!

Herodian ampitheatre - modern shows put on here

"Live at the Acropolis"

Gate entrance to the Acropolis

 A 3,500 year old "hole in the wall"  (ha!)

The temple faces east toward the sun
The columns were built in sections and earthquakes have never damaged it.

"Those boots are made for walking..." someone crooned.

Shrine of the goddess Athena

These ladies are not the original ones.  Those are in a museum.

 Under renovation

 Drawing of what it may have looked like.

The stairs appear flat from a distance but actually have an ever so slight curve - an optical illusion.  Those Greeks were very intelligent!

ceiling

lots of picture taking!

guess what these bowls are for?

as in Turkey, they love their cats!