Summer Days...

We were having some difficulties getting everyone to pose correctly! 3rd times a charm!! (Except Maggie!)

Wednesdays with Erin

Every Wednesday I watch these 3 lovely children! Robin, 7 yrs, Natacha, 4 yrs, and Thibault, 2 yrs.. Their family lived in the US for a few years for their dad's work, so now that they are back their parents don't want them to lose their English, which is where I come in. In addition to that, I play, feed, bathe, and change diapers. Thibault (tee-bow) produces 10 times his weight in shit daily! It is HORRENDOUS!! Natacha believes she is a princess, notice hands on hips, but she plays with my hair so, in my book, she is wonderful! The have like real roosters, or chickens, I don't know the difference, the kids love them, but I stay away! I've never really been the farmer's daughter type!

The beach on the Mediterranean Sea

After the smi-final game, Romain & I headed to a beachside resort in Vic-La-Gardiole, near the city of Montpellier, and spent a week at the beach. We brought Maggie Moo along with us, it was her first time to the sea or ocean, & she LOVED it!! I thought she might be scared, but not at all!It was a great week of relaxing, tanning, burning, playing in the water, & seeing the sights!

ASM Rugby, Semi-Finals @ Marseille

Here is Romain, ever the true fan!
We headed to Marseille for the Semi-Finals of the French Rugby Championship!! The bonus was that we were like less than an hour from Brad Pitt and Angelina's new castle they bought (didn't go though), that, and the fact ASM won!!! (but lost in finals) ...These fans are unreal, but entertaining!!...

ASM Rugby!!!

Here is the new Stade in Clermont-Ferrand for their beloved ASM rugby team!

Just some shots of the team and the wierd thing they do when 8 on 8 men get WAY TOO close for comfort! Very awkward!!

Me and the SUPERFAN!!! Nice ass!

Puy-de-Dôme

Romain and I had this past week off from school, so we took some time to visit some sites around us! We decided to see the local chain of volcanos. The department we live in it actually named, Puy-de-Dôme, since this chain is kinda known. We took Maggie along, since she is a beast of nature and all, and decided we were hiking all the way to top, come hell or high water! Alas, we did not even come close to the top (we'll blame it on the trail closings). Still, it was fun!

Come for a stroll with me and Maggie

Just some scenes along our path...

This garage door says "death to the Mayor".

Another bites the dust...

So, it official, my middle sister is engaged!!! Whoa! Guess I'm the only one living up to the Sengel name! Congrats, Dr. Mandy!!!!

Bonne Année 2008!!! (....and Happy Bday, Tina!!)

There is a bit of a tradition here to eat, "King's Cake" the first Sunday of the new year. (So I had it several more times and days than that!)

Each cake comes complete with a crown and little trinkets hidden inside. Tradition claims if your piece of cake has the trinket inside then your new year is sure to be filled with luck, plus you get to wear the fantastic crown!! Of course no one warns you to be careful cause I about broke my damn tooth on the blessed toy! If you look closely, that is baby Jesus in his manger! At first I though it was a snail (go figure), but it was Jesus...not sure which creeps me out more! (he had huge black eyes!)