Uncle Rhys

Praise God, my brother made it back safely from Afghanistan. We were SO thankful for his safe return! And, as an added bonus, he came to visit us in Paris shortly thereafter. Even better, since my mother flew back with me to help my oh-so-sickie-pregnant self, we had a regular fun house on our hands. So good to enjoy family!

Although we actually had a very cultured and busy visit (include the Orsay, the Pompidou, and lots of yummy crepes, among other things...), I again failed to document very well. Alas, I have only a couple of pictures from around the apartment and then photos of our day at Versailles.

Versailles was a little rough because poor little jet-lagged Oliver didn't sleep well the night before (and, of course, neither did the rest of us as a result), but once we made it out of the crowded madness of the chateau, we were able to fully relish the incredibly gorgeous gardens.

I think they were the most beautiful I have ever seen them (and I think I've been to Versailles 6 times before):

The chateau gleamed in the sunlight:

And the orangerie was immaculately glorious:

Oliver, however, cared only about one thing - the stairs. He was so excited about climbing up and down them that we had a very hard time getting him to go with us into the actual garden:

Eventually, however, we managed successfully:

And even did some exploring:

In the end, I'd call it a successful morning, despite our exhaustion and the hoards of Spanish tourists we were forced to dodge. Back at the apartment, due to our full house, we had a mattress in the living room, which Oliver LOVED:

Lots of tickle fights ensued:

How could life get any better? We miss you, Rhys, and can't wait for the next visit!