And...

We're back. Not as in "back" to the States quite yet, but "back" at posting. Well, at least for today.  I have been A-W-F-U-L at posting - you know, only a three and a half month hiatus.  I can't even say that I have been so busy, because frankly, I haven't. The truth is, I'm just lazy. So, to coincide with my laziness, here are the latest happenings (and not necessarily in chronological order... as that would take a lot of effort):

-My parents visited us in March for 10 days. We had a great time, even with the insanely cold weather. I think the highlight was our trip to Ireland, and in particular, the Guinness Storehouse. We also visited the coastal towns of Malahide and Howth, taking in their quaint little villages and a pint or two. We (okay, maybe just I) also ran from a peacock in the beautiful Kew Gardens outside of London and saw the prisons within the the Tower of London.

-Finally took a day trip to Windsor Castle - the opulence is unimaginable. Truly breathtaking, but also a bit sickening when you realize the amount of money trapped within the Queen's weekend home.

-We have now officially been to the London Zoo 15 times. No need for a map, and Charlotte can point you in the direction of the "Lolo's" (aka Gorillas) any day. Thank goodness I bought the yearly membership on our first visit.

-So far this summer, Charlotte has had her first haircut, inhaled her first ice cream cone, was a flower girl in her aunt Meg's wedding (sorry it didn't work out as planned Meg!), and attended her first professional baseball game - lucky girl saw her uncle Timmy pitch at Fenway!

-After a three week trip turned into 4 weeks in the States in which we saw lots of family and friends, we settled back into our routine for five days before flying to Portugal for a few days. What a lovely place! We travelled to Obidos, which is about one hour north of Lisbon. A relaxing and "just what we needed" short holiday. Tim played golf at the course along the coast (says it is right up there in beauty with Ko'olau in Hawaii), Charlotte marvelled at the ocean (after an initial hatred) and I enjoyed a nice glass or two of Sangria. No complaints here in the least!