Patton's Travels

Pictures of Guam with my friend Amy

2011-12-22T14:36:00.007+10:00

Found these beautiful pictures on an old memory card that I forgot about. They are of a wonderful adventure I took with my friend and neighbor Amy Morrison and her 3 gorgeous boys....Logan, Tyler and Ryland. The bull got up and I thought it was going to kill me....I remember running back to the car haha. We had a blast that day.

Katie Potatie's 21st birthday!

2011-08-27T13:00:00.004+10:00

Had a fabulous time at Hard Rock Cafe in Washington DC with our daughter Katie for her 21st birthday!! She drove up from Morgantown, WV with her boyfriend Chris and her friend Jessica. Had a blast and she got to scarf down her favorite Cold Stone Ice Cream cake!. Enjoy the pictures!

Washington DC Martin Luther King Jr Memorial August 26, 2011

2011-08-27T09:50:00.005+10:00

New York City August 10, 2011

2011-08-22T10:17:00.002+10:00

A Visit with the Zyllas

2011-08-19T11:52:00.008+10:00

Spent the day with my good friend Brenda and her two adorable kids. Rick and Brenda were neighbors of ours in Guam. Unfortunately Rick just started a new job so he was not able to come. It was great chatting with Brenda again, and her little babies are now Big kids now. Drove up to Confluence, PA and stayed with them in a wonderful bed and breakfast. Got to meet her sisters family and spend some quality time with Brenda, 3 year old TROY and 4 year old Nova Leigh. They are getting so big and I cant believe how much they have grown. We went to this really cool petting zoo/wild animal park and the kids had fun feeding all kind of exotic animals. It was hard to imagine that such a cool place was tucked in the middle of NOWHERE! Enjoy the pictures!

Thursday Adventures with Luna in Alexandria, VA

2011-06-24T11:11:00.005+10:00

We had a great day! Started out by going to "GREAT WAVES" waterpark in Alexandria, VA . Its only 10 minutes from our house and is really wonderful. WE had a great afternoon riding on inner tubes in the wave pool. We went down a bunch of slides, and Luna had fun in the splash zone spraying other kids ...they had fun dumping water on each others heads. We then had pizza for lunch and then headed home. I had to do 3 piano lessons tonight so Luna tagged along and had fun playing with some of my piano kids. Back home ...watching a bit of tv, and relaxing.

Wednesday Morning adventures

2011-06-23T05:00:00.006+10:00

Katie left to go back to West Virginia to go to her friends wedding, but she didnt leave until 2, so we had fun going into town before she left. We drove down to Denny's and had brunch, and then came back to the base and took pictures of Luna and Katie goofing around near the water across the Anacostia River from the Reagan Airport, the Capitol and the Washington Monument. They have so much fun together and Luna loves to pick on her (just like Hannah used to). For Example: Luna has a wrist that when she moves it a certain way it makes a loud clicking noise...so that is how Luna woke up Kate this morning at 8:30..by sitting by her head and "CLICKING" her awake. haha. They are too funny...I call her Hannah Jr. We had fun today! This afternoon Luna and I are going to Walgreens to print out the rest of her pictures so she can finish her scrapbook (hopefully!). Supper at home and a nice evening scrapping and getting all her great pictures in a book.

Monday and Tuesday Adventures with LUNA and Katie in DC

2011-06-22T16:17:00.003+10:00

Sorry its been a couple of days! Our computer died a slow painful death and we finally had to put it out of its misery and buy a new one. We went to Best Buy today and got a pretty good deal....so now I can update our pictures. Monday was a nice quiet relaxing day! We just spent the day sleeping in, (well Luna did :) and went to the grocery store, went to town and had lunch, and Katie came into town for a couple of days to visit...so we went with her to return her rental car and then later that night went to the Tysons Mall. Both girls went clothes shopping and Luna got a new shirt and Kate got a couple pairs of shorts. We are going to go tomorrow to print out the rest of Luna's pictures so that she can work on her scrapbook. Katie is doing well and is in the process of moving to West Virginia...so at least she will be closer! Luna and Katie had a blast together. Today we went to the water park and had a great time!. We had fun inner tubing on the lazy river, going down the zillion slides and going on the obstacle course. The girls ate all kinds of crap (funnel cakes, brownie sundaes, and root beer floats...note the picture of them pigging out with whip cream everywhere....YES THEY ARE RELATED! It was a great afternoon. We came home at 5 and had supper and watched some tv. What a great day. Katie leaves tomorrow and I think Luna and I will probably head back to the waterpark for a couple of hours.

All the pictures for the weekend

2011-06-20T09:10:00.015+10:00

Friday was a great day at the Spa...pictures of that will be on here tomorrow. Here are the pictures from the Gettysburg Wax museum, The Gettysburg Visitor Center, the lady who weaves human hair into amazing jewelry (WEIRD...check out the jewelry! Creepy! but really pretty!!!), the Battlefields! We spent Friday and Saturday night with Aunt Lil we had a blast! and left sunday morning. While at Aunt Lil's house Luna walked on the Appalachian Trail! On the way home we went by Walkersville, Maryland and I showed Luna where we went to Elementary School, middle and High school (well not her Mom as they moved to Wyoming when Mandi was in Middle school). We then drove by our old house, stopped by Joannes house (My moms best friend) and Luna swam in her pool with her Grandkids..and we sat and talked with her daughters Renee, Amy and Marcia and their families. We spent a couple of hours and had a blast. Then back home and wished Daron a Happy Fathers Day. Katie is coming home tonight and is going to go to the water park with us tomorrow. A great weekend full of history! Luna learned all kinds of stuff about the Civil War and even memorized the names of the Generals, the uniforms and what they stood for!

Saturdays Adventure With Luna in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

2011-06-19T11:57:00.002+10:00

We had a great day today. Pictures to follow tomorrow night..sorry. We are up at my Aunt Lil's house in Waynesboro, PA and we spent the night. Got up early this morning and went to a pancake breakfast at her church yummy sausage, orange juice, crepes, and pancakes of course. We then headed to Gettysburg, PA and started off at the cool Wax Museum and Civil War Museum. We walked through and got to see all the characters that played vital roles in the Civil War. There was a reenactment room that had manequins set up like the real battle and Abe Lincoln even gave the Gettysburg Address. There were many cool things in the gift shop and we got Luna some history booklets, stickers, and coins...it was neat! There was a lady in the shop who was weaving human hair into really amazing jewelry (see pictures) it was really incredible what she could do with human hair. We then headed to the New Gettysburg Visitor Center , saw the Movie about the war, including the cyclorama painting that was refurbished and put into the circular room with an amazing diorama. We then had lunch in town and then drove through the battlefields and got to see some really cool monuments, statues, the battlefields that are still pristine and not developed. It was an incredible day. Luna learned all kinds of history and she now knows the names of both Generals, the colors of their uniforms and what they stood for. We then went to Hagerstown, MD, and shopped a bit ,...went by Sams club and headed back to Aunt Lil's We plan to get up early and head back going through Walkersville (where we grew up)..and go by our old house and schools.
A great day and we had a fun filled HISTORY filled day! Pictures will be on here tomorrow night.

Fridays adventures with Luna in DC

2011-06-18T16:43:00.003+10:00

Friday we had a relaxing fun day at Yvonnes Day Spa. Luna got her hair highlighted with red stripes (BEING AN AUNTIE IS SO MUCH FUN) cant wait to hear what Mandi has to say (Just kidding..Mandi was asked ahead of time!). Lu got a fish pedicure where baby carp chewed on her feet...she was so excited about that one..then got them painted with designs on them...a french manicure on her hands and a leg/foot massage. Was a nice morning. Then on to KFC for lunch and then left Friday night for Pennsylvania to go to Aunt Lil's. We are going to spend Saturday in Gettysburg at the wax museum, cyclorama, civil war museum, and the Boyds Bear Factory. On to Walkersville, Maryland where I am going to take Luna to see the Elementary/middle school where her Mom went ..and drive by our old house. Back home Sunday. PICTURES will be posted on Sunday night..SORRRRY

Thursday's adventures in DC with Luna

2011-06-17T12:23:00.004+10:00

We had a great day! Daron took a day of leave and came with us to the American History Museum. We found a public parking garage (at the Ronald Reagan building) that is right across the street from the museum and since we only live about 6 minutes from the museum, it saved us from taking the metro and wasting a whole lot of time that we could use in the museum.
It is a wonderful museum and is full of really amazing things. To name a few: Abe Lincolns top hat, Dorothys ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz, the original Kermit the frog, THE AMAAAAAZING STAR SPANGLED BANNER (HUGE FLAG) from 1812! Unfortunately you cant take pictures of it though!, THe hall of First Ladies Inauguration dresses! INCLUDING MARTHA WASHINGTONS and Mary Lincolns dresses that still look amazingly new! They are the real deal! George Washington's dress uniform!, Lots of Presidential personal belongings!, and exhibits about all wars and military history. It is a wonderful place to really put a new light on our country's history. Luna also had fun in the Sparks lab, inventors wing, and trying out the sailboarding simulator. She loved making designs with tiles and mirrors, and built things in the science lab. She rode the flight simulators downstairs and we both got to swim with dolphins and she rode a roller coaster. We then had lunch in the cafe there, and walked back to the car and headed home. We walked through the courtyard of the Ronald Reagan International Trade building and there was a live band and people were dancing. We went to Michaels to pick up some scrapbooking stickers for her album and then came home and headed to bed. We are having such a great time with her and cant believe that she leaves next week! BUMMER! Enjoy the pictures, my camera was giving me fits in the low light of some of the exhibits..sorry that they arent very good pictures today!! HEY MANDI AND DAVE..notice the GLASSES ON HER FACE??? haha Luna is getting tired of her Auntie taking pictures all the time and making her pose...you can tell by the look on her face. She actually did have a good time! :)

Wednesday's Adventures with Luna in DC 6/15/11

2011-06-16T13:03:00.010+10:00

We had a FABULOUS day today! It was perfect weather..a gorgeous 80 degrees with low humidity! yay! We took off at 9am and headed to the National Zoo. We met up with my friend Tami who is a zookeeper in the Invertebrates Exhibit. She hooked us up with an AWESOME behind the scenes tour and let Luna feed all of the creatures! Tami's assistant Claire was wonderful, and let Luna run the show! Luna was so excited! We started off by going in the back and seeing the tank with all of the sea stars, urchins and conchs. Luna was able to pick them all up and get up close to everything. She got to feed the beautiful cuttlefish who were zebra striped one second and a neon reddish the next. They are AMAZING! She fed them shrimp on the end of a stick. Then they fed the huge ocean lobster, and the highlight of the trip was Luna being able to feed "OCTAVIUS" the gorgeous Giant Octopus. Luna held the stick with the large shrimp on it, and Octavius played with her by pulling on the stick she fed him with! He would reach up with his tentacles almost out of the tank and pull on the stick that Luna held. She kept saying "he is so strong"! He is HUGE! and Luna got to climb up on top of the tank with Tami and feed him. We then saw the Orangutans, Gorillas, Zebras, Pandas and Elephants. It was a nice morning and we then stopped at McDonalds and had lunch. We then drove to the Natural History Museum for the 3rd time haha. We FINALLY got through the whole thing! YAY! CHECK! On the way home Luna was so excited to see a restaurant named Luna Grill and Diner..We were home by 3, watched the twins for an hour, and then headed to the pool. Subs for supper and finished watching the Karate Kid movie (the new one with Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan (IT WAS GOOD!)). It was a wonderful day and we had a blast! SORRY DAVE AND MANDI...LUNA forgot her glasses today when we left and I forgot to remind her! UGH! Will try to do better tomorrow :) Love Theresa!

Adventures in DC with Luna Kahuna Tuesday 6/14

2011-06-15T21:38:00.011+10:00

We had a fabulous day, but we were exhausted last night so I didnt get around to posting the pictures until today SORRY! Luna met a friend (Anna) who lives down teh street. Anna is a really sweet girl and is also 11, so we invited her to come along on our trip. WE spent the morning at Mount Vernon (George and Martha's place) and it was a PERFECT DAY to do it. It was 77 degrees! YAY! WE saw the house, the stables, took a boat ride on the SPIRIT OF MOUNT VERNON TOUR BOAT that took us to FORT WASHINGTON, saw a movie about his military career (it was really awesome!) and saw the farm, the slave cabin, the slave memorial,a few of their Carraiges, George and Marthas graves, and the round Threshing barn. The threshing barn was not showing the demonstration as the wheat is not ready yet, however after July 4th they have actual demonstrations where they lay the wheat on the floor of the round barn that has slats in the floor (see picture) and the horses "TROT" on top of the wheat and the seed falls through the cracks ..then they bundle up the stalks for bedding..and take the seed ..sift it..then bag it up to take it to the Grist mill for making into flour. Mt Vernon is really a great place and they have upgraded it a lot since the last time I went there..they have a new museum and educational center now. After Mount Vernon we went to Noodles and Company for lunch. Anna and Luna had Wisconsin Mac&Cheese, and I had the Japanese pan noodles. YUMM! We had frozen lemondade and came back to the house , got into our suits and headed to the pool. Luna is getting really great climbing the rock wall and almost can make it to the top. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Monday Adventures

2011-06-14T20:59:00.002+10:00

Monday was a quiet day spent watching tv, watching the twins, having lunch, walking the dogs, and making quesadillas for supper. I then took Luna at 7 to the movies and we saw Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer...it was really cute. Seriously, I was surprised on how cute it was. Definitely a movie to take a 11 year old to. We then came home and I took some videos of Luna singing...she is so funny! She did an opera and sang all the states and capitals in order. Such a shy quiet kids she is ....NOT! We had a great day. On to Mt Vernon tomorrow and she invited her new friend Anna with us. Then on to Noodles & company for lunch!. Wednesday is Natural History (finish it up), American History Museum and the pool. Thursday is rest of Indian Museum and Post office museum, lunch at Union Station and pool. This weekend we are going up to Pennsylvania to spend the weekend with my Aunt Lil and go to Gettysburg and the wax museum. FUN FUN FUN

Sunday was low key

2011-06-13T22:37:00.001+10:00

Sunday was a low key day for us. We spent the morning cleaning the house, watched a couple of movies and went to the splash park for about 1/2 hour..but it started lightening so had to come home. We watched some more tv and had a nice lazy sunday. Luna is a big help and helped me organize toys, put laundry away and she even wiped down her bathroom. Having kids around to help with chores is awesome! CHILD LABOR YAY! lol No pictures today...bummer

Saturdays Adventures in DC with Luna

2011-06-12T14:02:00.007+10:00

We had a fabulous day down in DC! WE took the double decker bus tour and Luna had a list of stops that she wanted to get off and look around. We started at the Ford Theater stop and went to the Capitol, the American Indian Museum, the FDR Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Botanical Gardens, WWII Memorial, Union Station, Post Office Museum,The Smithsonian Castle, Freer Museum, and all over the city on the bus. The American Indian Museum was INCREDIBLE! We only covered the 4th floor and were amazed, Luna and I are definitely going back there to see the rest. Unfortunately the lighting in the museum is very low and they dont allow flash..so most of the pictures are a bit dark and blurry! :( Oh well! Luna Love the bus tour and even when it started to rain for a few minutes we still stayed up top...luckily it was a fast rain and it felt great! The weather wasnt too bad today. We finished our tour stopping at the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch! It was yummy! We got home and were all exhausted! We had a friend of mine come over tonight for ice cream sundaes and then watched a movie on netflicks that Luna likes called Opposite Day..it was cute. Tomorrow we are going to hang out scrapbooking (luna loves it and has 6 pages finished so far) back to the pool for a bit if the weather is good, and making tacos for supper. Its been a great week! Enjoy the pictures! I just finished looking at the pictures and realized she didnt have her glasses on in any of the pictures! ARRGGGH I swear Mandi and Dave she DID have them on most of the day! Sorry!

Friday Adventures with Luna in DC

2011-06-11T12:15:00.003+10:00

Today was a wonderful day. We spent the morning at the Tysons Mall and took the babies. We went to the Disney Store, took the kids to the play area, had lunch at the food court, went to several stores for Luna, and got her a pair of zebra striped sparkly converse shoes (Hannah is going to call me and complain Im sure, and ask where are hers? haha). WE then came home and while the kids napped, Luna and I watched "so you think you can dance"....I LOVE THAT SHOW! We then spent from 4-630 at the pool. Luna wanted to be able to climb on the rock wall and dive off the diving board, so she had to take a swimming test and SHE PASSED WITH FLYING COLORS! I am so proud of her! She got her green armband and spent the rest of the time climbing up the wall and meeting a couple of girls her age. We then came home, had supper and spent the night scrapbooking..SHe really likes it and has about 6 pages done so far! She is doing awesome and its looking so nice! She is excited to be able to take it home and show it to her family and friends. It was a nice day and we had fun! Tomorrow we are going to tackle DC's double decker bus tour and more Smithsonian!

Thursdays Adventures in DC with LUNA KAHUNA

2011-06-10T09:21:00.015+10:00

Dont forget to click on the pictures to see them up close...First I must say that the picture of Daron in the fire truck tent is hilarious and Im so going to get killed for putting it on our blog (but oh well) hahahaha. Make sure you dont miss it! He loves having a kid in the house so he can be even more goofy than normal! Also a few pictures on here of Luna Scrapbooking..I showed her how to and she loves it. She has been doing a great job on the pictures that we have taken so far. Hopefully by the end of her trip she will have a whole completed scrapbook..I added a couple of pictures of the first couple pages in her book! She has done a fabulous job! We started off today with breakfast and then driving to the metro. We took the metro train into DC and headed first to the USDA where we had lunch in their AMAZING food court. (Its open to the public, has excellent food, and is very inexpensive!) Just go in the back door (WING 2) and go through security. Luna had the guy at the deli make her the exact sandwich that she wanted so she had a ham and swiss with grapes, cheese, lemonade and german chocolate cake. THIS NIECE of mine sure can eat! :) I had mexican and it was yummy. We then walked to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History (LUNA told me to add that it was a very hot and long walk and she almost DIED) "It was awful" THE DRAMA! Saw the Capitol and Washington Memorial. We walked around the mammals exhibit and then went to see an amazing IMAX show called "Born to be Wild" which is a true story about two women(Birute Mary Galdikas in Borneo and Daphne Sheldrick in Kenya who have dedicated their lives to saving baby animals. Birute takes in orphaned orangutans and nurtures them so that they can eventually be returned to the wild. Daphne takes in orphaned baby elephants, and returns them to the wild in a few years. It was an amazing film and we both loved it. After the movie was over we went to the Butterfly exhibit and all the butterflies loved LUNA and kept landing on her head! We then went and saw the Human Origins exhibit where Luna got turned into a cave girl and it was AWESOME (Luna's quote). And aunty theresa did it to and it look wierd and she said its not my "falt my face is messed up." [from the mouth of luna, and typed by her]. Isnt my niece SO NICE!!! WE then came home and ate corn dogs, mac n cheese, poptarts and marmallows ...all kids food (Luna's quote again). Hope you enjoy the pictures! there are lots of them. Love the one with her zebras...she is in love with them...if you dont believe me ...check out her outfit. Also am in love with the picture of her and the sea otter...her expression is so funny!

Washington DC Wednesday adventures

2011-06-09T09:00:00.006+10:00

We left the house at 10am this morning and headed to DC. We started off driving past the WWII Memorial, the Washington Monument, and then we parked and walked to the White House. Luna had fun getting her picture taken at the Oval Office ...she is getting a bit irritated posing for pictures all the time Im thinking haha. WE found a street vendor and I got her some cool zebra shades and a zebra shirt... It was almost 100 degrees so I sprayed her down with sunblock and we tried to cool off in the sprinklers all around the white house. She also cooled down by eating a snow cone. We then went to the Natural History Museum and had lunch at their cafe..it was yummy...then we took a pedicab SHE LOVED THAT! Then back to the car, and back home so we could cool off in the pool for a couple of hours. Tonight we are headed to a store called Justice for her...and Daron wants to look at his game store that he likes. We are having a blast with her and she is so much fun to have here! Enjoy the pictures!

Pizza at Bugsy's in Old Towne Alexandria

2011-06-08T13:28:00.002+10:00

Daron and I took Luna to Bugsy's pizza tonight for supper. We had a blast walking around, and Daron took Luna souvenier shopping while I gave a piano lesson. We spent this afternoon at the pool and have truly loved having Luna with us. She is such a funny kid, has helped me tremendously with the babies, and is an all around sweetie-pie. I also love that I get to practice my braids while she is here...I really miss my girls!

Luna and the twins at the Spray Park

2011-06-07T07:23:00.004+10:00

Luna and I took the twins that I watch to the spraypark. Glenn and Fiona thought it was great, and Luna had fun running with them it was so hot out nobody even cared that the water was cold!

Luna Kahuna in Washington DC

2011-06-06T07:35:00.009+10:00

My adorable niece Luna is out visiting us for 3 weeks! WE are so excited to have her. I got to play tourguide (my absolute favorite thing to do) and took her all over yesterday and today. First we went to Five Guys in downtown DC for hamburgers...she ate a pile of fries as big as her head! Then we went to Old Towne Alexandria for a homemade ice cream cone and to walk along the waterfront listening to the street performers. Our favorite was a little 8 year old boy who could play a mean trumpet. Lu walked up and gave him a tip. She is such a funny kid and was cracking jokes with Daron and laughed at ALL of his jokes in all the right places (Daron was in heaven! haha). Today we woke up at 7am and had breakfast, took the dogs outside and then headed to Washington DC. First thing to do since it was lunch time was head to Chinatown for a wonderful lunch at my favorite Chinese Restaurant. She had a sign drawn with her name (well she asked Ping for it to say LUNA TUNA haha.) Luna ordered Sweet and SOur Chicken and I got the Sesame Chicken YUMM. Then on the the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Wall (where we looked up her
3rd cousins name and make a rubbing of it off the wall),We met this wonderful volunteer who was so sweet with her and helped us find Dickie Nelson on the wall) Womens Vietnam Memorial, Korean Memorial, the Albert Einstein statue (that she started kissing EWWW) , that sits outside the National Academy of Sciences.....Drove past the Washington Monument, the White house, and we took lots of pictures. It was a fabulous day and we had a blast! Hope you enjoy the pictures. I am so thrilled to be able to braid her hair every morning...as I miss having my girls home!

Thailand!! and the rest of my Mumbai, India Pictures!

2010-12-11T02:43:00.018+10:00

Also some pictures of the Bridge over the River Kwai and one of me getting Mehendi done on my arms...it was very cool!

Bangkok, Thailand was amazing! What a wonderful time we had there! We stayed in a really nice hotel with a place on the 9th floor where you could get a Thai Massage 24 hours a day! We spent time at the Tiger temple which was amazing! We got to pet tigers! We got to feed crocodiles and elephants and we went to some beautiful temples that were incredibly beautiful! Glenn and Fiona were dressed up as dolls in their gorgeous Indian outfits when we went back to Mumbai....and hope you enjoy the rest of the pictures of the twins with their Grandparents (Megan and Maurice), their Aunti Sup, Aunt Trixie and Uncle Gerard, and their great grandma. They Loved being with them and were given free reign to move around between both apartments...they had a blast and were very comfortable there! They were so kind to me, and treated me like part of the family! I had such a good time!

Later when we went to Thailand..we went to a floating market that had many of gorgeous shops. We got on a boat and floated through and were able to buy all kinds of amazing things!Elephants playing soccer! Nelson and Malika with the tigers, A crazy cobra show where this crazy man decided to play with King Cobras and pythongs...he was nuts! I started out in the front row and within minutes moved to the back...That show was crazy! A picture of one of the boat women...she was amazing! Crocodile Farm where we fed the crocs chicken.We did so many things!

Mumbai India Trip November 2010

2010-12-11T01:34:00.010+10:00

What a wonderful trip! I visited Bombay (aka Mumbai, India) for a week and got to meet Malikas sister Supriya, Aunt Trixie, Uncle Gerard, and her Grandmother. We stayed with her parents Megan and Maurice and we had a blast! The twins LOVED being with their Grandparents! I got to go on a Slumdog Millionare tour of the Dharavi slums...it was incredible. Our tour guide Fahim was great and he knew everything about the slums. Fahim was born in Dharavi, Mumbai, the second-largest slum in the world, and he's lived there his entire life. He's a college student studying business. He started a service offering English-language tours of the slum to provide job opportunities for youth in the slum and to try dispel misconceptions about slum life. The tour was fabulous, and if any of you get a chance to go to Mumbai I would highly Recommend taking this tour! Here is his link! http://www.bethelocaltourandtravels.com
Unfortunately I was not allowed to take many pictures...but I did get a few outside the slum. The street children in Mumbai were so beautiful, and I wanted to gether them all up and bring them home with me. The first picture of the little boy carrying his baby sister with a plate of food in the other hand is one of my favorite pictures. He was so cute and couldnt have been more than 4 or 5 years old! I loved the shops and markets, and we went to a fabric store and I bought 6 bunches of fabric and had 6 shirts made from Rainbow Tailors (Malika and her Mother use them all the time). Tailored shirts including fabric were less than $8 each! We had such a wonderful time and i miss Malikas family they were soo nice! I found a store called Patton's supposedly we sell shoes! haha. The picture of the 3 guys are Fahim our tour guide in the middle and Mike and Murray two guys who went on the Slumdog Tour with me. They are both from South Africa and were really nice!

Bangalore, India Trip and the City Market

2010-12-10T02:31:00.012+10:00

What an amazing whirlwind of a trip! We spent the first week in Bangaluru (aka Bangalore, India). We saw many wonderful things and ate many amazing dishes! The Bangaluru City Market was by far the most amazing thing I have seen. The colors, the smells, the people...it was fabulous. The market is divided in seperate mini markets...the flower market, fruit market, vegetable market, lamb market, and fish market. The fish market smells were enough to make you lose your lunch, however I did pretty well haha. They were celebratiting Bakrit so there were many lambs being slaughtered while we were there. The people were all very nice and everyone wanted their picture taken and they all posed and then wanted to see the camera screen to see what they looked like. There were wall to wall people and rickshaws..and several times Nelsons Dad (Vali) who took me had to pull me back from the street so I didnt get run over...I was too busy looking at everything and not watching the cars haha. I had an amazing time!

Hannah is now settled in college! Our last chick out of the nest

2010-09-06T13:41:00.004+10:00

Hannah is so excited for classes to start on Tuesday September 7, 2010! She is now a culinary student at Johnson and Wales University in Providence Rhode Island. Hannah has wanted to be a chef since she was in the 6th grade, and she is so excited she got in to the prestigious culinary Program that Johnson and Wales offers! Emeril Lagasse went to JWU! We drove her up on friday and she got settled in her dorm. There are 4 kids per room and she got to meet 2 of them ...Tamika and Nakeshia...Simone will arrive today from Southern California. Both the other girls are from New York. The Culinary campus is gorgeous and the main campus is further north next to Brown University. Providence is really pretty and there is so much to do! She will be majoring in Culinary Arts and Hospitality. She will be taking all kinds of cooking classes...baking, pastry, and learning everything there is to know about being a chef...we got to see the lab classrooms and they are amazing! One of them reminds me of Julia Childs kitchen... Cant believe both girls are settled in college and we have an empty nest! Where did the time go? Seems like just yesterday They were headed to Kindergarten!

Hi Everyone

2010-08-14T04:27:00.002+10:00

Hi There!
Well, once more we have moved. This time to Washington D.C. We are now living on Bolling Air Force Base which is right across from the Washington Monument and Capitol building. If you walk a block from our house, you can see both. We packed a cooler and our lawn chairs and watched the DC fireworks on the 4th of July! Its pretty amazing to live here, however we are not liking the traffic AT ALL! UGH! Hannah graduated on the 18th of June and is doing well. She is heading off to Johnson and Wales University (Culinary school) in Providence Rhode Island in a few weeks! Then Daron and I will be all by ourselves in a 4 bedroom house!! Why they put us in a 4 bedroom Ill never know...but Im not complaining haha. Katie is starting her junior year at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, KY. She is in the Criminal Justice program and is doing well. She just got her first apartment and is working until school starts in a week. Anyone want a vacation to Washington DC?? If so , we can put you up and feed you. Just give me a call and come on over ANY TIME!! WE have plenty plenty plenty of space! I would love to get everyones updated addresses before November this year as I want to send out Christmas cards again. So, if you would like a card, please email me at daronandtheresa@yahoo.com and let me know if you have moved. Our new address is
The Patton's
1552-C Eglin Way SW
Bolling AFB
Washington DC 20032

Sorry its been a while!

2010-03-03T05:43:00.005+10:00

Hi There everyone in blog land! Sorry that it has been FOREVER since Ive added anything on here! I got wrapped up in Facebook and always seem to forget about my blog! Hope everyone is doing well. We are doing great and 2010 seems to be off to a great start. Hannah graduates this year! Hard to imagine! I feel so old! She was accepted to all the schools she has applied to! Johnson and Wales (where Emeril Lagasse studied), Culinary Institute of America In Hyde Park, New York, The Art Insitute in Arlington, VA, and The Cordon Bleu in Scottsdale, AZ. She wants to be a famous chef someday. Her first choice in Johnson and Wales and we are still waiting to hear about the money situation. If any of you out there want to fund her education we would NOT say no! haha. Katie just finished up her first year at Eastern Kentucky University and is now a Sophomore. She switched majors from Nursing to Criminal Justice so hopefully she will find what she wants to do with her life ..She is doing well and working as a waitress for two restaurants part time Ted's Montana Grill, and SteaknShake to help with tuition Daron just got orders to Bethesda Naval Hospital (Bethesda, Maryland about 45 minutes north of where we are now) in October..so ONE MORE MOVE AND THEN WE ARE DONE! We plan on retiring to Tennesee (close to his folks in Kentucky) after his 3 years are done. He will be the Hospitals health Inspector. I am working as a piano teacher to a bunch of wonderful students and loving it..and also working as a nanny again! The crazy snow storms here in Virginia seem to have finally passed by!!! HOPE YOU ARE ALL WELL! GOD BLESS!!!

Crazy Washington DC Snow Blizzard February 2010

2010-02-10T10:57:00.003+10:00

This snow is NUTS! We have 3 feet in our yard and its coming down again and we are expecting another 20 inches tonight! We are buried and of course the morons on the road STILL drive like idiots! haha.

Hannahs new amp

2010-02-10T10:53:00.003+10:00

Christmas 2009 We left on Christmas Day for our trip to Wyoming to see my family! What a great time we had! We let Hannah open her gifts before we left. She loved her new Fender amp and got to "ROCK OUT" before we left ! Enjoy the pics!

Busch Gardens Trip June 19, 2009

2009-06-21T04:20:00.004+10:00

My sister Andrea drove out the car that we bought for Hannah from WYoming for us. She brough Alex (age 12) and Taylor (age 14) and we have had a blast doing all kinds of things! Our trip to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA was a lot of fun. Here are some of the best pics of the trip. The kids rode every ride.

Hannah Banana's Junior Prom June 2009

2009-06-09T02:52:00.002+10:00

Hannah had a blast at her Junior Prom! She started Saturday getting her hair and nails done at Yvonnes our favorite salon here in Alexandria, VA. We took her up to Old Town Alexandria where she met the other 6 people who were going and took pictures at the marina. Then they went to have supper at El Porto Restaurant (Italian) and the stretch hummer limo picked them all up...drove them around Washington DC (Capitol and monuments etc), then to prom. They then came back here for an After prom party and we had kids here till 11am....ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ what a night of no sleep...but it was fun! Enjoy the pics!

2009-05-15T16:01:00.002+10:00

Hannah's big night INDUCTION into the National Honor Society at her school. Hannah will be 17 in November and is a junior. She found out she got in last week. There are 2400 kids in her school and only 25 were inducted. We are so proud of her! Hope you enjoy the pics. One of our family, one of Hannah and Kate..One of Hannah getting her certificate..and one of Hannah and her boyfriend Cris,

Our Incredible Trip to NYC April 2009 Aunt Lil, Hannah and Myself

2009-04-17T16:36:00.009+10:00

Arlington National Cemetary March 2009

2009-04-01T14:11:00.009+10:00

I went on a tour of Arlington National Cemetary on Saturday and it was AMAZING. I grew up an hour from here, yet never have gone to Arlington until now!. I went with my Aunt Lil and her friend Nancy. Nancy (after much looking around) found the markers for her inlaws graves. Each marker has a number on the back of it etched in the stone...there are sections and you have to look and look until you find them. Quite the hunt..but it was really great to find them and pay homage to these military heroes!!
We took the bus tour and really got to see some incredible things! It was rainy and foggy, but still beautiful. Enjoy the pics
One of my aunt Lil and Nancy...Nancy at the grave sites, the changing of the guard, the guarding of the tomb,some scenery shots, Audie Murphy's grave, and the Kennedy's graves.

My poor family in Wyoming!

2009-03-24T15:01:00.003+10:00

My family in Wyoming is in the middle of a GIANT SPRING BLIZZARD! Last count was over 14 inches of snow! Here are some pics that my Mom sent me. Here in Virginia we planted flowers and vegetables in the 65 degree weather today! haha. First pic is of moms front yard..second is her dog Legicey lying in the snow, and third is Mom's boyfriend GARY shoveling the snow.

Katie in College in Pi Beta Phi Sorority

2009-03-24T14:22:00.004+10:00

First pic Kate's in second row far left
Second picture Katie is in first row 3rd from left
Third Picture Kate is in front

2009-03-22T12:12:00.001+10:00

2009-03-22T12:09:00.002+10:00

My baby sister Mandi and Luna my niece

2009-03-22T09:54:00.002+10:00

Here is a picture of my baby sister (age 35 last weekend) and Luna Eve my niece. Thought they were beautiful pictures and wanted to share them. We sure do miss them!

2009-03-22T09:11:00.003+10:00

Caleb

Torin

Attacking the toy basket

Looking at the new farm animal toys

I am a nanny during the week to two adorable baby boys. Torin and Caleb are only a few weeks apart and are 8 months old. They are so cute, and starting to get more mobile...so they keep me on my toes. Its so much more fun to be able to stay home, go for walks to the park, and play with blocks than it is to run a classroom....and I'm having a blast! Here are a couple pictures of the little guys!

Washington DC Capital Building Tour 2009

2009-03-15T12:30:00.006+10:00

The beautiful rotunda of the US Capital

Dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's office

George Washington's sculture, and Martin Luther King Jr..both in the Rotunda of the US Capital

Hannah and Cam going up the metro and the motley crew...Me, Sheri, Hannah, Lance, Cam and Maryann (Daron took the pic)

Wyoming's contribution Chief Washakie..the bunch of us in front of the Capital...and the amazing archway at Chinatown

The amazing Capital Building is so impressive!

The rotunda ceiling is gorgeous!

The Library of Congress (still have not gone inside! NEXT on my to do list while in DC)

Underground in the Metro Station

What a wonderful trip to Washington DC! Our bestest friends "The Nutters" from Kentucky came to visit and we had a fabulous time! First we went to the IMAX showing of Dinosaurs "Giants of Patagonia" at the Natural History Museum..then we walked the 2 miles down the mall to the Capital Building and got to tour it. How beautiful it is! There are bronze and marble statues (2 from each state) all over the place, and we had fun looking for Kentucky, Wyoming and Alaska. I took over 100 pictures and here are a few of the best ones! Sheri , Lance and Cameron Nutter and Lance's mom MaryAnn....Daron, Hannah and I left at 8:30 in the morning and got home at 6pm. We took the metro and then had lunch in Chinatown at our favorite restaurant. If that place ever closes down we dont know what we are going to do haha. What a great day! Enjoy the pics!

Hannah Perkins Age 16 Alexandria, VA

2009-03-10T01:55:00.006+10:00

1. Hannah Lauren and Hannah

2. Hannah in her new hoodie she bought at the concert Feb 2009

3. Hannah and Lauren who she met in Guam..moved to Japan for a year and now lives 20 minutes from us!

4. Hannah and the crew at the concert in DC

5. Hannah's friends shoes

6. Hannah and her friend Hannah

7. Hannah and her retro 80's headphones ( i think I had a pair just like this when I was her age haha)

8. Shaunt the lead singer of Hannah's favorite band...when she was waiting 4 hours in the rain outside the concert to make sure she got good seats, she saw Shaunt walk over to the gas station to get money out of the ATM...she stood there and waited to talk to him (he thought she was a stalker haha) and she asked him to sign her tshirt...he signed it and she said she will NEVER WASH IT AGAIN!! She also had the whole band sign her album ! She was soooooooooo excited to see them in concert!

9. Hannah and her uniform for working at Mt vernon...she has to wear an apron and badge..black pants and white collared shirt..and black shoes UNFORTUNATELY she was told Converse are NOT all black..

I know I know I havent updated in a while...ive discovered Facebook and seem to keep up with that alot better..but wanted to add some new pictures. These are of Hannah banana age 16. There are a couple of her in her uniform at Mt Vernon Plantation her new job. Yes, She works in George Washington's old house ...well in the gift shop at least. YES, and George Washington Is my friend Amy's secret boyfriend. She once told me that if she could have any boyfriend from history it would be George Washington...YES WE DO HAVE STRANGE CONVERSATIONS AMY AND I haha. Sorry Chris! :) Some other pictures are of Hannah and her friends....when they went to a concert in Washington DC (Hannahs' favorite band is "cute is what we aim for".....and she got to meet the lead singer and actually talk to him)..She has been up in the clouds ever since. Hope you enjoy the pics Love you all and miss you!

Virginia's first HUGE snow!

2009-03-03T06:56:00.005+10:00

The snow is coming down! Its freeeezing and we have about 6 inches so far! The dogs are hilarious to watch in it. Matilda (who lived with my Mom in Wyoming for 3 years while we were stationed in Guam) LOVES the snow. She is in her element! She rolls in it, bites it, and burys stuff in it! She is impossible to get to come back inside! THEN..there is poor Daisy who we bought in Guam. She HATES the snow. Keeps her eyes closed almost the whole time she was out there! She only stays out there for 2 seconds..and then comes whining at the door! It is hilarious to see how different they are! First pic: our backyard. Second Pic: Daisy with her eyes closed in the snow Third Pic: Matilda totally content to stay out in the snow for hours! Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Christmas Beagles EVERYWHERE!

2008-12-26T01:49:00.003+10:00

Daisy and Matilda are all decked out in Christmas collars...aren't they adorable???? We think so!

The Nutter Clan

2008-12-13T16:50:00.005+10:00

Cameron, Robert, Savannah, Piper, Lance and Sheri

Savannah, Piper and Robert

Savannah, Sheri and little Piper Lily Nutter

The crew getting ready to leave....we wanted them to stay LONGER!!!

These are the only pictures from our wonderful Thanksgiving Feast! I didnt get any pictures of the Fisher family!! ARRGGHH sorry guys! I only thought to pull out the camera when the Nutters were leaving to go home! I am so lame sometimes! Ive also included a picture in front of their Christmas tree that they sent me!

So much for Scrapbooking tons of pictures on our wonderful day!

These pictures are of Lance, Sheri, Cameron, Robert, Savannah and Piper Nutter. We had such a great time with you all and hope to see you soon!

2008-12-13T16:46:00.004+10:00

Daron and his best friend Lance are wanna-be gangsters.

Aren't they just so cute?? haha

Hannah the Chef

2008-12-13T16:42:00.002+10:00

Hannah is enjoying her Culinary Arts Program at school. Every other day her class spends 3 hours cooking, baking, and learning to run a restaurant from the ground up. She took extensive classes in food safety, ordering, proper cleaning techniques etc. She gets to wear her cool funky chefs uniform complete with chefs hat (even has her name embroidered on it!). She loves her class and hopes to be a famous chef someday!

Beagles EVERYWHERE!

2008-11-17T14:41:00.004+10:00

Daisy is the one on the right in the front with her nose to the ground

I went to the Washington DC Beagles club and took Daisy for a play date hahaha. I know that sounds insane..but it was hilarious! We met at a Doggy Daycare center in Vienna, VA and met 22 other Beagle owners and the dogs ran around and had fun. Daisy was cautious at first , but then relaxed and ran around. Thought you would enjoy the pictures.

Hannah Banana's 16th Birthday WASHINGTON DC STYLE

2008-11-17T14:32:00.003+10:00

The whole gang Chinatown Washington DC NOV 15, 2008

Hannah and her coldstone cake

Blowing out the candles re-enacted haha

Having fun!

Hannah the leaf eater and Lauren the steak eater!

I can't believe Hannah is 16 already! Where did the time go? She had a blast for her sweet 16 and had 9 of her friends meet at the house at 11am on Saturday. They all took the bus to the metro and rode to the Washington National Zoo. We then met them up in Chinatown at 6:30pm at our favorite restaurant and had some great food! We got her a ColdStone ice cream cake and everyone had a great time. Her friend Lauren from Guam (who moved to Japan last year) is living about 30 minutes from us now and came down as well. She got her this hilarious Brontosaurus "VEGETARIAN" shirt and Lauren wore her TREX "CARNIVORE" shirt. If you don't know by now, Hannah is now a vegetarian .but still eats eggs, milk and fish. Not the whole family..just her...we still need our extra rare steaks! haha.

Tonya, Donald, Mallory and Kaiden Leathers

2008-11-17T14:21:00.004+10:00

The cast didn't even phase her! Look at that gorgeous SMILE!!!!!

He looks like a toddler in this cute big boy outfit! What a sweetiepie!

The Leathers Family November 2008

I got to make a quick trip to Kentucky last weekend and had a blast! First I got picked up at the Louisville Airport by Tonya and Donald Leathers and their adorable daughter Mallory! THANKS FOR COMING TO GET ME!! Tonya was one of my former high school students from Oneida Baptist Institute. She was one of my favorites, we unofficially adopted her, she was part of our wedding and I MISS HER TERRIBLY! She married Donald and they have two adorable kids. Mallory (16 months) just had surgery last monday for a tumor on her hip and is doing really well now...but in a big blue body cast. Kaiden is a sweet baby who was born in September and is growing like a weed! I also spent some time in Oneida with our friends Sheri, Lance and Cameron Nutter. It was Sheri's birthday and we had a wonderful time (as always) and I made her supper. We got to see Matthew and Melissa Coldiron and their kids, Mike and Debbie Winters, Becky and Ellie Kendrick, and got to meet the lady who is illustrating Sheri's children's book Sandy. It was a nice evening, and I sure do miss everyone!We got to go up to see their oldest son Robert , his wife Savannah and their new baby Piper (sorry no pictures...UGH forgot the camera!)... We also got to stop at the Corbin Medical Center and see the Garretts for a bit! Suzi Garrett is recouperating from surgeryand is in great spirits!! Thanks for the wonderful weekend Leathers , Nutters, Coldirons, Winters, Kendricks, and Garretts

I'M 18 I CAN VOTE YEAHHHHHH!

2008-11-05T10:35:00.005+10:00

On the Face please!

All filled out ...I get an A+

The Golden Ticket

Which Way Do I Go? Which Way Do I Go???

Being 18 Rocks!!!

Katie got to vote! She registered when she got her permit right before her 18th birthday in August and got her voters card in the mail about a month ago. She was so excited to be able to vote this year! I took pictures and she was even a good sport about it haha. We had fun going to the polls together. Enjoy these funny shots!

Halloween 2008 Hannah the Panda

2008-11-03T02:12:00.003+10:00

Hannahhhh the pandahhhhhh on our front porch. Hannah and her friends all went trick or treating over at Fort Belvoir and then watched scary movies. I insisted that 16 year olds are too old to trick or treat, but I was overruled haha. She will turn 16 in 14 days!!! Where has the time gone???

The Panda and Pumpkins on the porch

FINALLY FINISHED!

2008-11-02T22:01:00.004+10:00

The finished pumpkin except Katie's because she is a perfectionist and took an hour longer than the rest of us haha. Check out Daisy the Beagle with the creepy glowing orange eyes looking out the door....WEIRD!!! She is a Halloween DOG Katie (age 18) and her musical masterpiece..it has her name on it and music notes. Daisy the Halloween Beagle of the Dead with the glowing orange eyes is looking out the door here too!

2008-11-02T21:41:00.003+10:00

Katie Daron and Hannah carving (more like STABBING)

Katie is so gross haha. Daisy was watching everything she was doing and wanted to jump in and eat whatever it was she was trying to eat.

They are both biting their lip..thought that was funny

Scary pumpkin carving..we found some HUGE pumpkins this year!

I KNOW I KNOW IM LAME for not keeping up with this! So much has gone on since June 2008 haha. First of all we now live in Alexandria, Virginia. We found a house on Patton Blvd...so The Patton's live on Patton TOO COOL EH? Katie decided the Academy was not for her and came home after 3 weeks saying that she doesn't want to be in the military after all. (We were disappointed, but 10 years in the Air Force when she didn't like it would have been horrible, so we are dealing with it all). She is planning on going to Eastern Kentucky University for the first year and working with her old Flute teacher (Professor Kristen Keane) and try to get an audition together for a music school?? Not sure yet..but will let you know. She is now working at Ted's Montana's Grill (Ted Turner's upscale steak place) in Alexandria and she really loves it. She will start school in January. Hannah is liking her school and is a junior at Mt Vernon High School (about 2 minutes from Mt Vernon Plantation). She is in the Culinary Arts program and wants to be a chef. She has made several friends now and is enjoying school and making A's and B's. Daron likes his job..he is working for the Washington Navy Yard at NavSea. He goes into the newly built ships (The George H W Bush is the latest (a carrier)) and tells them where to put medical equipment etc. I decided not to teach this year and to be a nanny for 2 (3 month old) boys (TJ and Caleb). I work until around 2pm and am really loving it. Here are some pictures of pumpkin carving!! Enjoy..Ill try to post something every week now that Im finally all settled in We love and miss you all!

Kathryn Air Force Academy Class of 2012

2008-06-28T22:31:00.001+10:00

More Air Force Academy Inprocessing Pictures

2008-06-28T22:28:00.001+10:00

Katie's Big Day in Colorado

2008-06-28T22:11:00.002+10:00

Hi All! Sorry it's been so long since I have posted any news. We are now all moved into our new address in Alexandria, VA. We are trying to get settled and get pictures hung up to make it feel like home. We sadly (but proudly) sent Kate off to the Air Force Academy in Colorado on the 25th and she was greeted by her sponsor/host family. They brought her home and fed her supper and then got her up early on the 26th and took her to inprocessing . Col. MacElhaney and his wife Gladys took great care of her and even took a bunch of pictures of her! They also hosted another Cadet (Brad) so many of the pictures are of the two of them. Hope you enjoy the pictures. Once they cross the bridge you see in the picture they start getting screamed at haha. Kate called me the morning that she left nervous, but excited. We are so incredibly proud of her and can't wait until her graduation in 2012

Goodbye Morrison Clan

2008-06-15T08:20:00.002+10:00

We are leaving the island today. The last 2 nights we spent at the Pacific Island Club resort..what a paradise this place is! We got the spend the entire day with our friends the Morrisons. Amy, Chris, Logan, Tyler, and Ryland were our closest buddies while we were on Guam. We will miss them terribly! They came up to the Resort and spent the Saturday at the water park here. Then we went out to supper at Vitales...(our favorite pizza place on the island).. Ive attached a picture of the Morrison Clan. Goodbye Morrisons! Keep in touch! We will see each other again!

Guams Many Carabao's

2008-06-10T10:07:00.002+10:00

Carabao's roam the island of Guam. They are huge domesticated water buffalo's and are pretty intimidating! This picture was taken by my friend Amy while we were sightseeing. I was too busy to take pictures, as I was dodging a bull who looked like he was ready to run me down. You can read more about these beasts by going to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carabao