Zoo Day!

Today we headed to the Jacksonville Zoo with several families from church. The heat was bearable and the kids had a fabulous time. I think their favorite part was the splash park. Thanks to Dana for capturing Gabby and Matthew at the splash park. I was to busy running around after Alex that I forgot to pull out my camera. Here are a lot of pictures from our time at the zoo.

My Precious Monkeys!

Arden, Gabby, Grace, Alex & MatthewThe 2 week old baby Giraffe Matthew and the Python

The Lions were actually awake and moving about!

Marquez Family Photo July 2009

We were in Cape Coral last weekend for my sister Mellany's baby shower (which I will post about later). When we are all together we try to get a family photo and we had a great opportunity right after the shower. Here is the Marquez-Padula-Davis-Kelly Family photo!

Double Take!

Gabby and I just had our first Mother/Daughter sleep over on Friday night. We celebrated with our new friends from our homeschool co-op. Gabby was the youngest daughter there. We both had a great time! I had to bring a picture of myself when I was Gabby's age. So, while we were back in Cape Coral last weekend I was able to bring back some of my childhood pictures. We found a perfect picture of me at age six, actually it was July of 1983. You will notice that I am missing my two front teeth also. It's Mini ME!

Gabby 6 years old

Allison 6 years old

Bonjour!

Normandy, D-Day beaches

Notre-Dame Cathedral

"A final reminder. Wherever you are in Paris at twilight in the early summer, return to the Seine and watch the evening sky close slowly on a last strand of daylight fading quietly, like a sigh."

Paris

Kate Simon

1967

This picture of the backside of Notre-Dame Cathedral was taken as we were on an evening boat tour on the Seine.

Well, here are some pictures from our time in Paris. It was wonderful and I wish I could post all 540 pictures but it would take a long time. So, I have chosen the highlights of our trip. I don't even know where to begin. My personal tour guide (Greg) had our trip planned out and it went perfectly. We saw so much in eight days. Everything from the Eiffel Tower to Normandy. The museums where amazing and Notre Dame was even more beautiful in the evening all lit up. The culture, history and ambiance were all captivating. So, Viola! Here are the highlights from our time in France.

"Every Spring I fall in love with the same woman, and it happens that same way every time. After work at the typewriter, I take a walk in the sun, and there she is, as striking as ever, and there I am, struck dumb as Dante seeing Beatrice.

So Thackeray's hero fell in love at the Louvre with a woman standing there, silent and majestic, her hair light and her eyes gray, looking thirty-two but born 2000 years ago. Her name was Venus de Milo.

For me it is Paris."

The People of Paris

Joseph Barry

1966

Opera Garnier

Versailles

Marie Antoinette's hamlet

Champs-Elysees
&

Arc de Triomphe

Arc de Triomphe


Louvre


Versailles Gardens


Notre-Dame Cathedral



Eiffel Tower


Our first day in Paris was spent having a romantic picnic in the shadows of the Eiffel Tower.


Picture taken on the second landing of the Eiffel Tower.

Orange Belt!

WOW! Breaking the board.

Today Matthew tested in Karate for his Orange Belt. He did AWESOME! Daddy video taped the whole thing and I got some great shots, especially of Matt flying through the air. Matthew is making such progress with Karate. He enjoys going to class and coming home to show Gabby and Alex all he has learned. Unfortunately, my camera ran out of battery so I did not get a photo of Matthew with his orange belt. I am glad I got the shots of him kicking in the air!

Alex @ 20 months

Our little boy is growing up so fast!
Wearing Gabby's dress up ballerina slippers. The boy loves shoes!

Ballerina Gabby!

Over the weekend Gabby performed in her ballet recital, twice! The show was on Saturday and Sunday. Her performance was to the Skater's Waltz. She looked beautiful and did such a wonderful job! All her practice at the studio and at home paid off. She knew the whole routine and looked like a natural on stage. It was truly a lovely experience to watch. She was so excited she came home after the first show and practiced her routine twice. We wish you all could have been there to witness our princess perform. I know it is a lot of pictures but there were so many great shots, I could not resist sharing them.