I Lied.

I promised myself before Bryce was born that I wouldn't do "Look what my kid can do" posts. I was way too sophisticated a blogger for that.

I lied.

At least to myself. Because I'm the only one I made that promise to. And you know what? I forgive myself. Because who knew my kid would be so dang cute (yet another phrase I promised myself I wouldn't utter)? While my mom was here visiting, she taught Bryce a few tricks:

1. Sitting up is way more fun than laying on your back.

2. Cereal is yummy.

3. If I let Granny kiss my cheeks, she'll be putty in my hands.

4. The more I laugh at Granny, the less likely it is that I'll be put down for a nap.

5. Christmas is extra awesome when you're the only kid in the house.

6. If you can convince Granny to babysit while Mama and Daddy go out, you can stay up late to watch the fireworks.

This is a video our friend Greg took in the center of town where all the crazies go for New Year's Eve. Matt went with him last year but decided he couldn't move fast enough with his gimp knee to get out of the way of wayward fireworks.

And this is a video I took from our friends' rooftop at midnight. Needless to say, there are no city regulations on fireworks in Prague.

For more photos and videos visit our photo website here.

A Busy Week

Last weekend, our friends here threw me a baby shower. We had lots of food for brunch and got lots of great presents for Baby Bryce.





The spread. Isn't that a cute little cupcake rattle?



The most flexible member of the party.





Showing the belly so everyone could make their guesses about how round I am.



Measuring their ribbon to see who had the closest guess.



The only boy allowed at the party.



Listening to advice from other moms.



Opening presents. We got a lot.



My Baby Daddy showed up to help collect presents. And eat some cinnamon rolls, of course.



Later that day, my Dad, Stepmom, and two little brothers arrived from Texas. Daddy and Joanna brought our stroller, baby car seat and a box full of yummy American food. The guys had to put the stroller together first thing.



Our box of yummies. I don't think I'll have any problems making my next weigh in.



Not sure what I was doing here but I think Matt caught me off-guard.



Overlooking the city.



The whole family (minus Matt taking the picture).





Daddy playing with his newest toy (the video camera).



The Swarovski crystal chandelier at The Hard Rock.



We also visited the bear at Konopiště.



And the boys met their first Czech peacock.



Brent is quite an adventurous eater. He ordered trout for lunch. He got a whole, grilled trout. He was a little surprised at how his meal came out, but he did eat it. At least it was fun for us to watch.



We also had some of our students from Bible study over for our last supper before summer break.



Tonight, Matt wanted to grill dinner. It started to rain, but the Grill Master would not be deterred.

We're Still Here!

I know I haven't posted in a while but we've had a steady stream of visitors throughout April so I've got lots of pictures to share. At the end of April two of Matt's college roommates came to visit. Oh, how I wish I could recount the sights (and smells) to you. The pictures just don't do it justice.

Here is Seth in a wall of bushes in the castle gardens.



Josh, Seth, and Matt in Old Town Square.



And this weird guy. He was not a former roommate of Matt's.



We also visited a castle a couple of hours outside of Prague. It's called Loket.





This is the castle dragon. He was a friendly dragon, though. Unlike other dragons in the area who would terrorize people, this dragon would light women's fires for them so they could cook.



They had a tower with lots of stairs.



And a toilet in case you needed a pit stop on your way up.



There was a great view from the top.



We locked Josh and Seth in the dungeon. Then we let them out because they learned their lesson.







After Loket, we went to beautiful Karlovy Vary, a very old spa town. In the Czech Republic, many people are referred to spas by their physicians for different ailments. Treatment includes bathing in the natural spas, drinking the mineral water from the springs, massages, and walks in the forest and can range from 1 to 3 weeks. I'd say that's a pretty nice medical leave. Here's one of the baths with a beautiful park in front.



And a beautiful gazebo.



Standing at the Teplá (warm) River.



As you stroll through the town, there are natural springs conveniently located along the Mill Colonnade.





You can buy a special cup to drink from the springs, some of which are too hot to touch.



For your enjoyment and education, I've included the 10 Rules for drinking the natural spring mineral water in Karlovy Vary.

The Ten Rules of the Karlovy Vary Drinking Cure

Karlovy Vary thermal water is a complex, highly concentrated mixture of natural substances. It is not designed for ongoing or uncontrolled use.

• It is recommended to use Karlovy Vary thermal mineral water only after consulting a spa physician with appropriate erudition
• To achieve maximum therapeutic effects, it is recommended to use Karlovy Vary thermal mineral water nearby the places where springs flow open.
• It is recommended to use Karlovy Vary thermal mineral water only from traditionally shaped porcelain or glass cups.
• It is not advised to combine a therapeutic cure with the consumption of alcohol or tobacco smoking. Passive smoking should be avoided too.
• Drinking cure includes physical activity too. It is recommended to digest Karlovy Vary thermal mineral water while walking slowly.
• Drinking cure should be taken when you feel fully relaxed and not in a hurry.
• It is recommended to repeat drinking cure at intervals set by your physician.
• Drinking cure is a small ceremony during which other clients must not be disturbed.
• Mineral water cannot be used to water surrounding plants or be discharged onto the colonnade floor.
• When taking spring water from a spring vase beware that it is not allowed, out of hygienic reasons, to touch the spring stand or the discharge tubes.

I didn't drink any because the rules didn't say anything about pregnant women. And I don't want to break the rules.



There is also a geyser of hot mineral water. You can only drink with your special cup at certain times of the day. This was not one of those times.



Outside there were beautiful tulips. The perfect place for a tummy comparison.



Seth and Josh posing with the Good Soldier Švejk of Czech legend.



Seth and Josh posing in the salon in the Grand Hotel Pupp (featured in Casino Royale).



Resting our weary legs. The end of a great day.