Birthday Boy!

DANIEL GETS RIPER WITH AGE!!! Wednesday was Dan's birthday and I did all I could to make it special for him. When Dan got home from work he got to open his present and what did he get (drum role)...AVATAR! He also got birthday money from his mom and dad and my parents, which is loooooong gone by now I'm sure of it!

For dinner we went to Macaroni Grill (Dan's fav.) and stuffed our faces with warm bread and pasta milano! YUM! Dan requested an ice cream cake so I picked up a small one for us to split. Happy birthday was sung and the candles went out and my lover is now 28 years old! 

It was a quiet birthday but it's always fun to throw a party, even if it's only for 2 people :) HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABE!

The Great Lakes State

Odd state flag eh?

Grand Rapids, Michigan welcomes us!!! For those of you who aren't in the loop, Daniel and Meghann will be living in MI for the summer. Dan was fortunate enough to land a summer internship during his summer break from grad school. He will be working in the corporate offices at Amway doing...well his title is 'IT application portfolio intern.' More to come on that, sounds fun!

Recap: So we flew back from Europe on May 7th to Phoenix. We were only home for 2 days before making the LONG drive to Missouri. We rested up, visited with friends and family for a week and continued on to Michigan, stopping at Aunt Eileene's home for the night in Chicago. Thanks Eileene! So we have settled in our temporary home for the summer and have been enjoying the past few days before Dan begins work on Monday!

What will Meghann do you ask? For right now...NOTHING! And we are hoping that changes very quickly. Perhaps a part-time job at the Gap? She wishes.

It's good to be back in a familiar setting, but not a day goes by without missing for a minute the fairytale-like city we left behind. Sigh...So with that said, Michigan...What do you have to offer us?!?!

The Tracy's have GONE WILD!

Well, well, well, it has been an ADVENTUROUS week for us to say the least. Daniel completed his semester abroad in Prague thus finishing his first year of Grad School. YIPPIE! And to end the semester with a bang we did a little bit of traveling...

First we headed down to Vienna, Austria. And might we add...yes, the hills are alive! The weather was perfect and everything was so beautifully green! We took a double-decker tour of the city and it's quite lovely. The city where classical music was said to be born had many charming elements. Our favorite was the royal palace. The palace was decorated with beautiful gardens and fountains and definitely made our trip worth while.

Next, we shipped off to Barcelona, Spain! This was suppose to be our warm, beach trip but sadly the weather was not as cooperating as Vienna. Our first day was sunny but a little chilly for the beach. And our net two days were all rain. But luckily we managed to squeeze quite a lot into our only day of sun. We walked along the harbor, the beach, saw some exquisite architecture and...are you ready for this...went to a BULL FIGHT!  It was a cultural experience that had to be had and will never be had again. At least by Meghann (for all the gory pics see fb). Daniel was right in his element with being able to speak Spanish and Meghann was happy to let him do so! Rain or shine we were glad to have made it to Spain and will definitely be going back one day. 

Our last stop was London, England. Daniel was suppose to meet Meg and her family in London a few weeks ago, but due to the volcano incident he wasn't able to come so here we are again! First trip for Dan, second for Meg (but still well worth it). We hit up all the main sites: Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Fish and Chips, Globe Theater, Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abby and walk along the Thames River. All the London hustle and bustle makes it fun to visit a time or two. Next time would be nice to see the English country-side. 

So our days traveling abroad have come to a pause...for now. We are so grateful to have had such a fun and safe experience. We already miss Prague and the gorgeous city it is and cannot wait to go back again one day!