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This last year was a year of travelling for all of us. Together and independently, we visited the USA, England, Scotland, Wales, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Spain, and various places in Austria. We did manage to spend last Christmas together in Austria, though. Emily flew home to join us after finishing her first term studying theatre and drama at Royal Holloway, University of London. She returned to England in early January to continue her studies and Beccy spent a week with her in February, to get an idea of what university life is like.

Before Easter, Emily flew to Boston, Massachusetts, and stayed with her friend Jen in Plymouth. While she was there, she spent a few days skiing in Vermont and also had a chance to visit New York.

Emily in Plymouth, Massachusetts

Emily in Vermont

Emily in New York

In April, Marian took Beccy to Paris to check out the city and the college where Beccy would like to study fashion design: Parsons College of Applied and Fine Arts. They stayed in the district famous for its artists and existentialist thinkers, had breakfast at the Café de Flore and lunch at Les Deux Magots, the most famous cafes where Jean-Paul Satre and Simone de Beauvoir held long discussions with their friends. Marian and Beccy walked along the Champs-Elysées, did a bit of shopping, saw the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower and, on the last day, had a personal tour of Parsons with a delightful British student already studying there.

Beccy at the Café de Flore

Arc de Triomphe

Eiffel Tower

Parsons Paris

In June, Emily attended the traditional Royal Holloway Summer Ball, which included a fun fair.

Emily, all dressed up for the Ball

Emily and a few of her friends

In front of the fun fair

We spent the last two weeks of June in Southern California visiting with Marian's sisters and their families. Everyone enjoyed doing jigsaw puzzles together, playing music, cooking interesting meals for everyone to eat, and having long conversations. While in California John took Emily and Beccy to the San Diego Fair.

John, Javad & Craig

Emily, Marian, Lisa, Jennifer, Kate & Beccy

Emily & Beccy at the Fair

After spending two weeks in California, we travelled to Northeast Florida, where we spent two weeks visiting Marian's daughter and her family near St. Augustine. While we were in Florida, we celebrated Margaret's birthday and had fun playing with the grandchildren.

Margaret & Family

Margaret's Birthday

Beccy, Emily, Margaret & Marian

Tiffany & Samantha

John, Samantha & Tiffany

John took Emily and Beccy to visit the new Harry Potter World at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, and Beccy met up with a friend named Michelle from her previous summer at Parsons in New York.

John with the Hogwarts Express

Beccy & her new Wand

Emily with a Butterbeer

Beccy and Michelle

Last year in September (2010), Beccy had begun her first year of the International Baccaulaureate (IB) degree (Grade 11) at the Vienna International School. Each year, the 11th graders put on a cabaret in the late Spring to raise money for their senior year graduation trip to Ibiza, Spain. You can see Beccy sharing the role of Master of Ceremonies of the cabaret with her friend Emilie. In July, Beccy went to a weekend music festival in Lower Austria with some of her friends, then spent a week in Greece with her friend Alex. She returned home for a few days, then went on another trip for about four days with Alex and Emilie to Ibiza where her phone was stolen while they were watching the sunrise on the beach, but otherwise they had a good time. When Beccy returned from Ibiza, she went to another music festival in Lower Austria. The biggest events for Beccy this year, though, were turning 18 in September and getting her driver's license in October. She has been happily driving Marian's car as often as possible.

Beccy and Emilie, 11th Grade Cabaret

Beccy with Emilie & Alex

Beccy's Birthday Cake

Beccy's Birthday

In August, Emily went up to Edinburgh, Scotland, as part of a theatre group from Royal Holloway presenting a play at the annual Fringe Festival. The play, Haverfordwest, was written by one of Emily's fellow students. Emily was in charge of the sound and lighting for the play which was put on every day for about three weeks. Emily spent every minute that she was not doing sound and lighting attending as many other plays at the Festival as she could fit into her remaining time, sometimes attending as many as three other plays in one day. It was a very enriching experience for her, and she hopes to go there again in 2012.

Emily & friends in front of Edinburgh Castle

Emily & the girls in the play

Emily on the Royal Mile

Other significant birthdays this year included John's 60th in September and his mother's 85th in December. John celebrated his 60th birthday by inviting his friends from the Hash House Harriers for a run and BBQ in Probstdorf.

Keeping the records for the Hash

John's Birthday Cake

John's Mum with her birthday flowers

In November, Marian travelled to Southern California for ten days to be with her sisters and their families for Thanksgiving. They enjoyed many good meals together in addition to the traditional Thanksgiving fare. They enjoyed singing songs together and there were many good conversations and much laughter. At Royal Holloway in England, Emily prepared a Thanksgiving meal for 16 friends that included turkey and stuffing, rolls, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts and parsnips. Emily's cooking skills are quite outstanding and much appreciated by her friends, and also by us.

Kate, Lisa, Jennifer & Marian

Emily stuffing the turkey

Emily's Crescents

In December, Beccy took part in a Fashion Gala. She created three designs, made the clothes and found friends to model them.

Design 1

Design 2

Design 3

Beccy the Designer