Friday, July 24, 2009
We flew to France. I have always wanted to see Paris! From the airport, we took a train to our hotel.
A day before our trip, Laila had babysat for a neighbor whose kids were sick. When we got off the train, Laila threw up. We thought it was just motion sickness from traveling. It was late evening, so we were all able to get some rest.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Poor Laila, she had been throwing up all night. She ended up spending the whole time in the hotel, while we went and saw a little of Paris. The first thing we went to see was the Eiffel Tower.

While we were at the tower, I got to hold Bladen since I couldn’t climb the stairs because of my leg. While I held Bladen, I did my best to keep him awake so he could get used to the time change.
France was not at all what I had expected. It smelled like pee and seemed dirty everywhere we went. I always wanted to see Paris. I am so grateful I finally had the chance!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Laila is feeling better today and was able to travel again. We left France and took the train to Germany. I thought about the Cologne Cathedral as we were traveling to Germany. I didn’t want to say anything to Laila and Johny about it because I thought we wouldn’t have enough time to find it. I thought our miracle would have to wait for another time.

When we arrived in Germany and got out of the train station, I could not believe what was right in front of us!
Laila, Johny, and I could hardly believe it! We were excited to go inside and see it!
Monday, July 27, 2009
We are spending today and tomorrow in Germany, seeing as much as we can. Every time we went into a building, Bladen would make noise to see if it would echo. It was so cute!
Who knew the best part of this trip would be spending time with my grandson?

Tuesday, July 28, 2009
We saw a little more of Germany today. We are now on our way to Denmark. I am so excited that I can hardly stand it!

We traveled by train. The train took us on the Ferry.
When we got to Denmark, my cousin Linda and her husband met up with us. It was so good to see them again! Whenever I come to Denmark, they always prepare the meals that I have missed over the years. They are letting us camp out in their basement.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009
This morning, when we got to Copenhagen, we met up with 6 of my cousins from America. We had arranged to go on a tour bus together. When we got on the bus, my cousin Colleen told me she could have sworn she saw Sander on the other nearby tour bus. She said he was the bus driver.

I told her that she was just being paranoid because we were close to where he lived. She kept insisting. We joked around that he had found out that we were in Copenhagen, and he was planning to kill us all. Then we laughed it off.
About a year later, I found out he had gotten a job as a bus driver for a tour guide company in Copenhagen. When we found out, we realized just how close we had gotten to running into him. Man, were we grateful he had not been our bus driver!
Per was to have met up with us and shown us a different part of Copenhagen. But he had something unexpected come up at work. Part of me was sad that I didn’t get to see him, but then another part thought it was for the best, because I am sure it would have been hard on me to see him again.
Over the next few days, we got to see a lot of Copenhagen together. And in the evening, we would visit with different family members. It was an experience of a lifetime!

Saturday, August 8, 2009

We flew to Switzerland and spent a few days there. It was so beautiful everywhere we went.
After a few days, we flew back to Denmark.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
We went to visit my dad. It was so nice to see him again! It had taken a toll on him, having his only son take over his wife and his home of so many years.

He was not doing well mentally or physically. I knew this would be the last time I would see him.
Over the next few days, we visited family I had not seen since I was a child. It was so nice to spend time with them.
It was so good to be home again.



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