The "South"

Despite all the excitement and the historical significance of the past inauguration, we decided to skip it and leave D.C. for the weekend to avoid all the people and traffic that would inevitably accompany it. We took advantage of a long weekend off of work and took a road trip down to Charleston, SC. We were hoping for some warmer weather by heading south. We got it, but not by a lot. It was still pretty chilly in S.C. although we probably shouldn't complain too much seeing as it was like 10 degrees in DC when we left.

We ran into a little car trouble on the way down, but the friendly people of Roanoke Rapids Toyota got us fixed up and back on our way in no time at all. We eventually arrived in Charleston, only to be greeted by a lovely sunset along the Ashley River. It was a beautiful setting; sun drenched sweet grass blowing in the breeze, the setting sun, beautiful southern houses on the riverfront, and the boats on the river. A great introduction to the great city of Charleston!














It rained a bit on our first day there, but our second turned out to be a beautiful day. We took a walking tour of the historic district of downtown Charleston, which we thoroughly enjoyed. The houses were beautiful and even though it was winter and most of the flowers weren't blooming, it was still gorgeous. (We will certainly have to go back when everything is in bloom though - I'm sure it’s even more beautiful then). Other highlights included shopping at the old city market, driving through the citadel, driving out to some of the plantations. We even saw a swamp. It looked just like we always imagined a southern swamp to look like!

It was a quick trip, but more than likely not the last to this southern gem!

Mr. Frank goes to Washington...

Michael's parents were in town the weekend before the inauguration. It was their first trip down to DC in some time, and we were very happy to host them. We took them on a tour of the U.S. Capitol and the newly opened Capitol visitor center.

We also enjoyed a nice dinner out, a picnic lunch, a drive through the countryside, and lots of quality time together (which unfortunately did not include any board games - despite Megan, Michael, and MaryJane's best efforts). The weekend went by super fast and we truly enjoyed it. We hope they come back soon!

Happy New Year!

We just wanted to take a moment and wish all of our family and friends a blessed and joyous new year in 2009. We've been blessed with so many happy memories from 2008 and look forward to sharing many more with you in 2009. We hope everyone had a peaceful and enjoyable Christmas and we look forward to talking to all of you soon and trying to visit with as many of you as we possibly can in the year to come.

Love,
Michael and Megan

Arizona

And now for a long overdue entry on the rest of our little trip out west. After a few days in the Los Angeles area we drove over to Arizona. Our first stop included a visit with friends Diana and Jason (as well as their cute little daughter Grace). All of us made the drive up to beautiful Sedona for a relaxing day, neither of us had ever been there before and we just found the red rocks just gorgeous.

The next day, Megan and I headed further north to the Grand Canyon. It was my first trip tot he canyon and I was beyond excited. Even with all the build-up in my head, I was still blown away by the enormity and beauty of it. It was definitely a highlight for me!

We spent our last few days in Phoenix with good friends Amy and Ed and their adorable twins, Moses and Lancey. We had such a nice time getting to spend time and see all our friends in Arizona. As an added bonus, we also got to have lunch with Megan's Uncle John, which included a VIP tour of the Arizona Biltmore, McCain's election day HQ, the day before the election. The trip couldn't have been more perfectly planned.

p.s. For anyone out there who is kind enough to check on this blog periodically, we apologize for the lack of posts as of late and promise to do a better job in 2009 :)

The L.A. Tour!

During our recent trip out west, Megan gave Michael the grand tour of L.A. With this being Michael's first real trip to Los Angeles there was lots to see and Megan made sure to pack each day full of activities. The trip was so much fun and included so many wonderful things that its impossible to capture them all in one blog entry so here's just a few of the many highlights.

We started out in Cardiff, having spent the night with our friends Janet and Jeremy and drove up into L.A. stopping first at Laguna Beach.

From there, we moved further north into L.A., including a visit to Hollywood!



We also had a wonderful dinner at Universal Citywalk with some of Megan's friends (back from when she used to work at Unum). Michael really enjoyed finally getting to meet and spend time with everyone, after having heard so many wonderful things about them over the years.

Michael also got the grand tour of Glendale, where Megan lived and worked after graduating from college. Highlights included Megan's old apartment (pictured below), her old office building, lunch at Porto's bakery, shopping at the newly opened Americana, and dinner at the new In-n-Out in Glendale! (They didn't have one when Megan lived here). Of course the best part of Glendale was getting to spend some time with Megan's good friend, Ester.

We also took a drive up to the Griffith Park Observatory one night to enjoy the breathtaking views of the city.

On our last day in the L.A. area, Megan took Michael swimming at the Rose Bowl Aquatic center in Pasadena. This was a daily morning ritual for Megan when she lived here.

The trip was so much fun, and Michael came away with a whole new appreciation for the Los Angeles area. He cannot wait to go back. But the fun didn't stop after L.A.. We were off to Arizona from there. More to come on that leg of the trip in another entry...

Azusa Pacific Homecoming!

On Saturday October 25th, we made a very special visit to Megan's alma mater, Azusa Pacific University, in Azusa, CA for Homecoming. To make it even more special, we were joined by her three roommates from APU and their families. It was Michael's first visit to APU and he truly enjoyed getting to see the many places he had heard so much about.



We spent the day touring around campus, and enjoyed a delcious dinner catered by In-n-Out burger. The day was capped off with the Football game, where unfortunately the home team APU Cougars lost out in the fourth quarter to Dixie State.


Here are some pictures from the day:

Hot Air Balloon Festival (sort of)

For the second year in a row we went to the Shenandoah Valley Hot Air Balloon and Wine Festival and for the second year in a row, sadly, it was too windy for any balloons to take off! Apparently even a 10 mph breeze is too much for these massive balloons. Don't let the picture to the right fool you - the balloon was blown up so we could see one up close but it never took off the ground. Regardless, we still had a great time. We were accompanied by our most delightful friend Amy, and we thoroughly enjoyed a relaxing afternoon in the beautiful Shendandoah Valley. The almost-turned autumn colors, rolling hills, grazing horses, and mountains in the distance combined to provide the perfect backdrop.

We also packed a picnic lunch and partook in some wine tasting! The event showcased many local wineries. We also enjoyed the local artisans who brought their wares to the fair, the antique car show, and of course the kettle corn.