Old Friends

Jack and EG

Ang, Jack and EG

Thanks to Ang for keeping EG I had a nice evening out at the McGowan/Grant wedding with the girls. EG had a blast playing with sweet Jack...he's such a good friend!!

Almost all of us lived on the same hall our freshman year at Samford and then we all lived in two apartments across from each other, our senior year. What fun!

Mr ad Mrs. Daniel Grant

Mrs. Erika Grant and me! :)

Still Alive!

EG and her buddy Seth looking out the window wishing they could play outside with the "big kids"!!!

Samson, Seth and EG

mmmm, dinner was sooo good...I can't get enough!

Swinging and Waving..."Hi", "Hello", "Hey"!!!!

"Hangin" around with Daddy!

EG put her shoes on ALL by herself...velcroed them and all!!

left foot

right foot

Eating a popcorn with Daddy (before dinner!!!)

We're Home

We are home safe and sound. Thank you so much for your prayers. :) Emma did really great until the last 1 1/2 hours she got a little stir crazy! It has been a looooooong day...I've almost been up for 24 hours and am getting ready to head to bed. More later.

Church on Sunday!

This morning we went to Espoo International Christian Fellowship. A church plant near Helsinki. They have grown alot in the last 8 months and will now be going to two services at this one location. They already have another service at a location across town in the afternoons. They are reaching out to the college students around Helsinki. It is an exciting ministry that I look forward to hearing more abobut.

Singing and clapping at church. It was so sweet!

Looking out the window when she should be napping!

Opening the door to the bathroom...time for baby proofing the doors.

Tallinn, Estonia

Posing for a pic with mom on the boat!
see the abuse?
Napping on the boat - hopefully she'll do alot of this Monday!
The crest over the entrance
The gate to enter Old Town, Tallinn
Old Town street

Church on the town square.

town square

Post Later

Hello! We had a good day but a long one and I am so tired. Please start praying now for the plane ride on Monday with EG - alone. I'm really worried about it. Please just pray that she will get some good rest and that she will be quiet and not yell! :) THANKS!

Finland Radio Orchestra

This is so beautiful, and to think that this music is being heard without the aid of speakers...it is just the natural acoustics of the room.

Day 12 - Touring Helsinki

Today we went to different "sights" around the city. My favorite has to be Rock Church. It is absolutely amazing. It has perfect acoustics - there are no microphones or speakers in the church. The wals are made of rock and the ceiling of copper. The church is underground...so beautiful from the inside (pics are below). Today there was an orchestra in there recording and it was amazing. If EG hadn't been with us we would have sat there all day and listened. She was a little too loud so we had to get out of there in order to not mess up the recording. :) She and Mom stayed outside watching and listening to the recording while I was inside. After the finished a song I heard EG yell "Yeah!" She LOVED the music and could have stayed there all day as well if she could have yelled and clapped like she wanted to. We also went to the Lutheran church high up on Senate Square. It is also very beautiful inside. Outside at the bottom of the steps there were filming some movie...don't know what. It was interesting watching them record the same scen over and over and over again. We also went to market square - the outdoor market - to see what the vendors were selling. We will return in the morning, there should be many more. It is just fun to walk around. While we were wandering around there little EG fell asleep and slept for over an hour out in the cold and in a bumpy ride. We also went to the indoor market and got some special food for Daddy.

Tomorrow we are going to Tallin, Estonia...it will be EG's first boat ride...fun, fun!

Rock Church

The pipes inside the church.

The Finland Radio Orchestra recording.

You can see that the church is made of all different size rocks, then there are skylights around the top, they surround a copper dome ceiling.

The ceiling - it is amazing.

Sleepy EG - barely hanging on to the passy.

lost the passy - sleeping good

posing with an ugly reindeer? while sleeping

Mommy talking on the phone in the 'telefon' booth.

EG talking.

the Lutheran church on Senate Square

Inside - the podium

the altar

Day 11 - To Helsinki

We got up EARLY Thursday morning to catch the 8:00 am train to Helsinki. We were in our own private "family" room on the train. It even had toys. EG enjoyed looking out the window and walking around playing with toys. We arrived in Helsinki, dropped off our luggage in the "luggage room" at the hotel and made our way to find lunch. About 1 1/2 hours and 2 restaraunts later we ate! :) Now we were energized to do some sightseeing around Helsinki.

This is EG's first ever stay in a hotel room and she has done much better than I ever expected. We went to a HUGE department store that has everything in it. It has at least 7 stories...H-U-G-E! They are having a big sale through tomorrow...it is called "Crazy Days" and all the crazies came out for it and of course EG and I were like magnets. Some lady went on and on and on speaking to me in Finnish about the name Emma vs. Emmie. Who knows what she was saying but she was quiet passionate. Weird! Another asked me a million + 1 questions about Emma and others just stared and stared.

Big girl sitting on the train.

Posing for a pic with Mom and GG in our private "family" room.

Playing with toys in the private room.

Looking into the room through the door.
The toy train upstairs in the big "kids room"TThe slide and play area.

The library and "reading center".

Another toy

Waiting for the trolley to come...just like a big girl.

Russian Orthodox church

so beautiful

another view

standing next to her baby bed

not wanting to get in her bed!!!

bathing beauty

finally at least a baby tub!!!

the UPS truck...just for Daddy