The Response...

We are absolutely laughing so hard…we’re crying!! Who else could you have so much fun with?!?! :)

I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned specifically on my wish list … a girl … please!! :)

...still working away at the other blog posts...it take so long to upload pictures...

Not Pregnant, Just Fat, Thanks!

I'm going to break the first rule of blogging (if you read my professional blog you know I NEVER do this). I'M SORRY!!! You'd be amazied at how quickly life can go to hell in a handbasket when you leave the country for 2 months. I've been back 'home' for 2 weeks and I'm still playing catch up! Laundry, cleaning, unpacking, work stuff...on and on and on and on. Luckily I'm just about where I need to be before the next vacation hits (hopefully later this month).

Since I'm way behind on my travel posting I thought I would give you a little something to snicker at while I get to it.

So, while I've been in Switzerland I've put on a few 'extra' pounds (you know, on top of the few dozen I've had before). I eat a LOT healthier then I did before but I have no where to go during the day, no one to make me move so I don't get a LOT of exercise - my Wii is helping me with this.

Given that, the latest style of clothes with the empire waists (I swear these clothes are only for 15 year old girls that are skinny as poles or people who are actually pregnant), and my new spanx, I just scream "Ask me about my pregnancy!"

Exhibit A (isn't my family adorable?):

Exhibit B (aren't my friends super cute? They're single boys...):So, not once but TWICE during my brother and sister's graduation party I had someone come up to me and congrate me on my baby. The first time I wasn't quite sure what to say but the second time I just kindly said that I was just fat and was working on it (the fat, not the baby)....

Fast forward a couple of days and it was like the jackals decending on the antelopes! I'm, apparently, the weakest link between in the Kyle/Crystal family and when I can get pulled from the herd I'm devowered! The Webster Clan is relentless! (I think my parents have realized that I'm just now getting to the age they were thinking about kids - and they have two more chances at grandkids if I fail)

It was almost like they aren't quite convinced that anyone is willing to procreate with their sons (I promise Kathey, your boys are catches!) so they gotta provide me 'inspiration' and encouragement. (I DO take bribed though - cash is preferred.)

On more then one occasion I had baby pictures shoved in my face and demanded to repeat 'What a cute child. I think I would like one' over and over.

We went out looking for houses one day - there were lots of 'You could put the swingset over heres' and 'This would make a perfect playroom'. (In their defense I did say when I moved home that would be the last time I moved EVER.)

Bob even got in on the action! We were discussing business and how we were going to structure things when I return to the states (NOTHING having to do with children) and his comment was something like "I won't need my office here (in the Keller Williams office) because I just assumed we would move the office to your house where we could watch the kiddos".

Even GG (that's Great Grandma) Pat - who already has like a litter of great grandkids - was on my case. I actually had to convince her that I thought children were the devil so that I could eat my Mexican food in peace.

And what story were the Webster's singing less then 2 weeks later when they came over here to visit us? "You can't have kids yet, we would be very disappointed if you weren't in Kansas City when you started your family." Why you ask? I can only assume because the 'herd' was back together again ;)

...Now I'm going to go make myself a shark filet sandwich and chase it with redbull and vodka. For dessert? Jumping jacks and a case of Marborol Reds...

Yes, I'm still Alive...

After:

• Spending about 60 hours on planes, trains, and automobiles
• Living with my parents for 30 days in my highschool bedroom (including twin beds) - NO BOYS ALLOWED
• Being in 4 countries
• Gaining 15 pounds from cheese dip, wine, nutella crepes, and awesome pasta and gelato
• Taking 1500 pictures and 8 hours of video
• Having nightly snoring contests with my father-in-law (I think I won), and
• Not killing Kyle

I'm back home and ready to get some stuff done. Unfortunately, Kyle gave me his 'Idon'twanttogotowork-itis' so I'm actually sick right now but getting better and hopefully getting back to my routine. Now, lets get some blogging done!

Oops!

So, I ran out of ink in my printer (that's right, we have an ink jet printer over here). Anyway, so I ran out of ink in my printer so I took Kyle to the Media Markt (think lame Best Buy) to buy some more yesterday.

Of course, I have my priorities so I bypass the ink for the music department (since I can't buy movies here I might as well buy music, right?) Kyle gets left in my dust - but he knows better then to leave without me so I figure it's all good. Since I can't afford the 25 CHF for the NEW CDs I picked out an other one and then find Kyle. You guessed it, he's in the computer junk aisle admiring a lazer printer.

Off to the ink aisle. We leave with 1 black ink cartridge for the low, low price of 26 CHF and head back to the beacon of light that is the lazer printer. We then calculated that it's actually cheaper to buy the new printer and toner then it is to continue to use the ink jet for the next year. So, we came one with 1 CD, 1 ink cartridge and 1 lazer jet printer. 

My office now has a beautiful pair of Brother printers. At least big 'brother' isn't lonely now...

I'm Still Alive!

So we're back from Russia and we have all of our belongings (and limbs for that matter). I promise to fill you in on all the details of our adventure a little later. Right now I just wanted to let everyone know we got home safe.

If nothing else I think I learned 3 very important things on this trip:

1. Russia was not nearly as 'bad' as we expected it to be. We had SUCH a hassle with getting in to the country (and out of Switzerland) that we just assumed that going to Moscow was going to be terrible. The entire trip we were on edge just waiting for the next time we were going to get hassled by something or someone. The way the trip is started definitely plays a big factor in how the trip will continue and end.

2. I am very thankful to have the justice system in America that we have. In the US, if you ever have a question or feel uneasy and see a cop you just ask for help. And, more often then not, they will do everything they can to help you. If for some reason you are confronted by a cop that is not all that 'polite' you probably did something to warrant it. The US has a methodical criminal justice system and there are policies and procedures in place, if needed. In Moscow it seemed very 'us vs. them'. There were police EVERYWHERE and they were always in groups of at least 4-5. Everyone went out of their way to stay away from them and NEVER looked at them. Law enforcement was definitely on the other team there and never, EVER would you even consider asking them a question if you were lost. In fact, I felt safer when the cops weren't around. At least that way I couldn't be arrested and held for something I didn't know I was doing wrong.

3. We GROSSLY under estimated the language barrier. First, NO ONE spoke English except for the lady at the hotel front desk and the wait-staff at the Hard Rock. And, EVERYTHING was in Russian (and no duel signing like most big cities). Between Kyle and I we are pretty darn good at navigating around just about anywhere that runs off of the US, 26 letter alphabet. Between English, German, French, and Spanish we can just about read anything that's really important - and keep us from getting killed. The last 4 days we spent looking for street signs that read 'A, little b with a tail, backwards N, circle with a line through it, omega, elephant, Jesus fish, 4, upside down V, Chinese symbol for peace, backwards Euro sign' and that spelled 'main train station'...our brains just hurt now!