Christmas 2010

You can't tell in this picture, but Sara was excited about Christmas...

Sara with her present. She was ready to get started before the rest of us were and was looking for her present as soon as we sat down, but she never bothers the presents until we give her permission on Christmas morning...

Like me, she tends to turn away from cameras. She carried her new chipmunk around for the next couple of days...

Isaac not really enjoying peaches for the first time...

Grant opening his LEGO fire boat. He put it together with limited help from me...

Apparently these animal pillows were popular this year...

Happy little Isaac...

Devilish little Isaac...

Isaac is always interested in what his brother is doing and often vice versa...

Spotlighting with my brothers and Grant...

Yes, it snowed on Christmas, but very little and it was completely gone the next day. The big storm that moved up the east coast completely missed us :-(  ...

Sara snoozing with her numerous toys...

Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK (November 2010)

The second part of my November trip to Europe was to Newcastle Upon Tyne.

I stayed in this lovely hotel in the Jesmond part of town...

It is a nice part of the city and close to the university...

A little bit of color on a very gray day...

There are a few different malls in the area. None of them have exterior doors. This was by far the fanciest...

John Deere in the UK, helping to get ready for the holidays...

Back home near North Mountain and Jamison City, there is a restaurant called the Brass Pelican. When I was a kid we were discussing where we were going to eat and I mistakenly called it the Golden Goose. My family never let me forget it, so I was really excited when I saw this restaurant...

The university's student union building...

The clouds parted for part of the afternoon. Look at all of the chimneys...

Earl Grey...

Grey Street curving down toward the river...

A huge bridge runs over part of the city...

A flashy door on the Guildhall...

Bessie Surtees House. I didn't go in, because a large number of elementary school children did. They are merchant's houses built in the 16th and 17th century. Next time...

The Tyne bridge...

The Sage Gateshead...

The Tyne Bridge and I believe the Swing Bridge in the background (I didn't walk in that direction)...

The Millennium Bridge...

A building one skinny room wide...

Preparing the holiday decorations...

A lot of people were out shopping for the middle of a weekday afternoon...

A LEGO santa...

A big holiday window display...

There was a restaurant/bar next to my hotel. It was much more lively at night...

More of the Jesmond hood....

Newcastle university...

The Quad...

More of the university area...

Old and new buildings...

My really nice room...