Chrissy, Iola, KS, United States

Kaylie Posted Oct 27, 2011, 12:03 am	here are some pics of chrissy while she is kuddling buddah her friend, watchin daddy´s world of war craft game and while she is reading the TV forum .... hoping there is somebody who want´s to host her
Kaylie Posted Oct 28, 2011, 4:16 pm	Hey there, now i´m on my way to my first host. I´ll visit berlin and hopefully i´ll be there on tuesday. I try to take a lot of pictures to share them with you. Think i will have a lot of fun in germanys capitol and find some new friends. i already know that there´s a white rat too at my host and i´m so excited for her... maybe she´s my sister... who knows :-) love Chrissy the white rat
MA_17 Posted Oct 29, 2011, 7:17 pm	Hello mommy! I arrived at my first host's home. It was a really short trip, but the postman shook me from left to right and up and down. I was badly off. Squab arrived a few minutes before from Berlin. He opened my box and gave me a lovely hug. He introduced me to his 2 other friends: Alex the Starbucks bear and Wasabi, a white mouse. Both are no toyvoyagers. Their mommy loves them too much. When I saw Wasabi, I thought I'm looking into a mirror  My lost twin! I just had time for a snack and then Squab wanted to show me this small village I arrived. It's his second hometown. First I got a compass that I'll always find back home if I get lost. It got the perfect size for me. We had perfect weather for a small tour through Z'witz as the inhabitants call it. We walked around their famous power station what is a museum now. Most parts of the power station are knocking down for more than 10 years! When they are finished, they are going to build something like a solar house. On our way back I saw a small nice garden with little rocks in front of it. My wits of being a rodent startet and I tried to dig. Squab told me to stop and go on with our little tour. Pour me  I noticed that it is a really nice village where I arrived. Nice houses, nice fire department and forest! And we had a wonderful sunset. But I think Squab didn't see it. He fell asleep during our way back home.  Just a few meters before "home" I got this wonderful pic of myself. Later when I saw it on the computer of my host, I noticed that there was a cat behind me!!!  I'm really happy that she didn't want to eat me! Finally arrived in the flat, Squab woke up and decided to be hungry. Crazy chick! We pitched into a fancy cake we found in the fridge. Now I'm totally full and totally wiped out. I think I go to bed now. Can't wait to go to Berlin on Monday! See you soon, Chrissy
MA_17 Posted Oct 31, 2011, 5:15 pm	Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! I'm a rockstar!!! Unfortunately I couldn't keep the guitar. It was a present for somebody we went to yesterday evening. I didn't know where we will go. When we arrived, I had a look around the place we were. Whaaaaa there was a cat again! But the cat didn't want to eat me! She was really afraid of me! Hahaaa! She run away and then I saw it! A big cat tree! I wanted to climb on it, so I did. (I didn't see the other cat above!!!) It was too late when I noticed the other cat! I thought she's going to eat me. What a short life I would have. Luckily she didn't want to eat me, just make new friends! Both cats were really nice to me. I think I made 2 new friends! This evening we arrived in Berlin. It's dark outside, so I have to take some pictures during the next days. Until then... Chrissy Btw... HAPPY HALLOWEEN MOMMY
MA_17 Posted Nov 2, 2011, 6:54 pm	Hello Mommy! Today my host had to work the whole day. So I did a tour on my own through the "City west". I started at the famous station "Bahnhof Zoo". From here you can discover the city by train, S-Bahn, metro or bus, but I decided to walk... From here it was just a short walk to the "Theater des Westens". This private theatre designed by Bernhard Sehring and constructed in 1896 is a well-preserved example of magnificent bourgeois architecture. The form language floats in eclectic quotations, a mixture of styles from the antiquity, and the medieval and renaissance ages. There will be a new musical starting in a few days: Dance of the vampires! I think I won't join, because it sounds really scary! On my way to the next stop I met this lovely guy. He's a Buddy Bear. There are so many all over Berlin and there exist also more than 140 country bears with most of the countries of the world. And these bears are travelling around the world. They are tall toyvoyagers!!! I also visited the "Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church" at Breitscheidplatz. It was consecrated in 1895. In 1961 the architect Egon Eiermann integrated the tower ruin, left behind by World War II, into a new building. The new tower and octagonally shaped church nave frame the relic as a memorial to the destruction caused by war. The two new buildings consist of blue glazed, honeycomb elements. A slightly raised platform connects the individual segments and moulds them into an ensemble. In the mid-1990s, the church nave and subsequently the bell tower were refurbished. For about one year they have necessary refurbishment of the church. This is why you can only see the white cover and not the real church. Maybe I'm going to come back to that place in a few years then I can take a better picture! On the other side of Breitscheidplatz I saw the Europa Center. It owns many shops, an Irish pub which shall be really good, some restaurants & cafes and a theatre "Die Stachelschweine". There's also a water clock inside. I'll take a picture of it during the next days! I also went to the zoo. It is often said that they have the most extensive range of species worldwide! Ok, I didn't go inside, but I stopped in front of the magnificent oriental gate with its elephant sculptures which was constructed in 1899. My last stop in this area was KaDeWe. It is the most famous department store of Berlin and the largest department store on the European continent, famous above all for its gourmet food department on the sixth floor. From here I took a bus to the government area. First I saw the German Bundestag which is located in the Reichstag Building. The centrepiece of the building is the generously glazed chamber that is crowned by the dome. A funnel with panes of mirror glass reflects the daylight from above into the chamber. If you want to visit it, you have to ask for an entry few days before and give them your name and passport number. Poor me, I don't have a passport. The freestanding tower behind me is called "Carillon". It is built face to face with the Reichstag building. Most of the tourists don't see it, but I did. It is a large, manually played concert instrument, comprising 68 bells weighing a total of 48 metric tonnes (almost 106,000 lbs.) connected to a keyboard spanning 5½ fully chromatic octaves; the largest bell weighs 7.8 tonnes (almost 17,200 lbs.). It is one of the largest instruments of its kind in Europe and approximately the fourth largest (by number of bells) in the world. Next to the Reichstag building you can find the "Paul Löbe House". It houses 550 offices for MPs, 19 conference rooms, around 450 offices for parliamentary committees, the Bundestag information service for visitors, and a restaurant that is open to the public. Across from this building you can see the "Federal Chancellery". The inhabitants of Berlin call it "Waschmaschine" (washing machine). It was just a short way to the "Central Station". It is the main railway station in Berlin. 1,800 trains call at the station per day and the daily number of passengers is estimated to be at 350,000! But I don't know how many rats you can find there per day. From here you can do non-stop travels to Amsterdam (the Netherlands), Novosibirsk (Russia) or Astana (Kazakhstan). Ok, it takes a while until you arrive in these cities. My last stop for today was the "Funkturm" which was built at the fair area. On its top there is a restaurant and a platform to have a view over the forest Grunewald. Now I'm back at my "home-for-now" and my feet hurt a lot! My host gave me something delicious to eat, because I was so hungry!!! I think I'm addicted now and I hope to get more of these when I'm travelling to the US one day. Oh mommy, I also have to show you this wonderful tree! Can you see me between these red leaves??? I'm off for today! Cheers, Chrissy
MA_17 Posted Nov 3, 2011, 8:15 pm	Greetings from Berlin!!! Today I didn't do so much. My feet are still hurting. I think I walked too much yesterday. So today I used the bus. I saw all the stores at Tauentzien, the new decorations in the big windows of KaDeWe, the Urania and Lützowplace. I got out of the bus at the "Boulevard of stars" at Potsdamer Place. There was a list with all the stars, maybe there'll be my name on it one day. And I took pictures of me and some stars: Mario Adorf, Til Schweiger, Marlene Dietrich and Anke Engelke! I'm so proud!!! Maybe I'm going on a trip by train tomorrow... Hugs and kisses, Chrissy
MA_17 Posted Nov 4, 2011, 10:20 pm	Hello mommy! Today I went by train from Berlin to my hosts second home. I got my own seat next to the window. It was really interesting. We crossed the river Elbe! At "home" a new tv, Madison, arrived. He brought some sweets to us! We didn't had time to eat the sweets. Squab had to pack his luggage, because he is going on his first journey. My host, Madison and I went to Dessau by car. We needed some flowers. No time for sightseeing. But Madison took a picture of me when we passed the "Anhaltisches Theater". Lovely guy! And I crossed another river called Mulde. When we were back we had a goodbye dinner for Squab. He shared his big cookie with us. Then we had to say bye bye. I hope he will enjoy his trip. Dinner was over, Squab crawled into his envelope and we welcomed some new tvs: Hippo & Emilia. I hope the weather will be good tomorrow. We are panning a tour to some sights here in the middle of nowhere. Love, Chrissy
MA_17 Posted Nov 5, 2011, 7:56 pm	Hello Mum! Today it was a wonderful sunny day. We took the car and went to Wörlitz to visit the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm. We also went through Oranienbaum. The church of Wörlitz is biiiiig! We walked through a part of the garden and saw Mount Vesuv, Gothic House, the big lake etc. We couldn't watch the castle, because it is totally covered by tissues in case of construction work.  You have to look carefully to see me in front of the synagogue! Madison and I climbed up to the top of a hill, where we could see the big church. Hippo didn't want to walk. He decided to use the travelbag. After taken the picture in front of the whole church, me and Madison jumped down into the garden. It was about 6 meters to the ground! But it was really funny! There were some nice animals: swans and horses and many ducks! On our way back, we stopped in "the city of iron" called Ferropolis. Finally back in Berlin I'm really tired! Sending kisses to my home. Chrissy
MA_17 Posted Nov 8, 2011, 10:41 am	Hello mommy! Yesterday I visited the Berlin Wall. There's a part of the wall still left to see. In the rest of the city you can see a line on the ground where the wall has been. When I walked along that line I saw the famous cars from the ex-GDR: Trabant, or as they are also called Trabbi. And I saw the whole world!!! My last stop was at Checkpoint Charlie. It was the best-known Berlin Wall crossing point between East Berlin and West Berlin during the Cold War. Love, Chrissy
MA_17 Posted Nov 9, 2011, 10:54 am	Hello Mum! Today I had the chance to see real mice! 2 of them were nearly as big as I am! I was not allowed to go into their cage, because they would bite me! On the picture you can see Herkules. He's the boss in their home. I'm a little bit afraid of him.
MA_17 Posted Nov 11, 2011, 6:38 pm	It's me again! Today, Madison and I went with our host to her second home. We helped Hippo & Emilia into a big envelope and sent them to Munich. We also welcomed a new tv. Her name is Beate and she came from Austria. And then there was that black box. I was so surprised of this cute tiny thing inside! It was Tapsi, one of my friends from home. I cuddled him a while. Madison and I showed the others the area we were. We were all really hungry so Madison found us something to eat. Black berries! Tasty! We also found some frozen strawberries. I saw a rose petal and I think I look so cute with it on my head. But then... Tapsi, that tiny stupid lion, found some decorations and decided to decorate ME! I think I prefer the rose as decorations on myself! I'm going crazy because of Tapsi, but I missed him so much! Let's see which adventures we are going to have together. Love and hugs, Chrissy
MA_17 Posted Nov 12, 2011, 9:44 pm	Huhu Mummy, today me and the other tvs visited Lutherstadt Wittenberg. We used the car to go there. First we visited the market place. Here you can find the ancient town hall, the statue of Martin Luther and the town church. We did a walk around the town church. The streets are tiny! Near the church we found the statue of Johannes Bugenhagen and an old fountain. When we walked from one church to the next we saw many backyards. Some of them owns restaurants, some museums. We wanted to go to one of the restaurants but we couldn't read the menu. There wasn't enough straw to build a "tower" to climb up to the menu. So we went to the next backyard. We found a fountain of 1558 and we also saw Lucas Cranach the Younger painting a picture. We helped him a little bit. In the third backyard we found the museum of history. There was a picture of the old money of the GDR. It looks really colourful. Finally we arrived at the most famous building of Wittenberg, the castle church. It is so huge! Here you can see me sitting in front of the door where Martin Luther posted The Ninety-Five Theses on October 31, 1517. We also went inside the church. Wow, everything was so impressive! I think there are also living some other mice around After this sightseeing tour I was totally k.o.! Our host decided to do the last part by car. We went to the Hundertwasser school which was designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser. It looks colourful and funny! It became dark when we went back home. And we saw a wonderful sunset! Now we are back at home. All the others are sleeping. Love, Chrissy
MA_17 Posted Nov 16, 2011, 10:08 am	Today Madison left us. We cuddled him and gave him something to eat for his journey to Hamburg. I hope he'll arrive soon and will enjoy his stay in the north of Germany. I'm going to miss that cute guy. We had so much fun together. Hopefully I'll see him again one day. Goodbye Madison! Mooooommy! While we were having dinner, we listened to the radio and it was told that some people of the radio channel will be in the village! So we went to see Radio SAW live! It was so exciting! Can you see me on the first picture? PS: The man on the right of the stage is the same like you can see in the link!
MA_17 Posted Nov 17, 2011, 11:57 pm	Hei Mom, today I was a little bit lazy. Our host took Tapsi, Beate and me into her car and we just drove around for about 250km!!! We used the highway to go to Berlin and back. So many cars and lights and so much speed!
MA_17 Posted Nov 20, 2011, 7:22 pm	Hey Mom, today we did a trip to the former brown-coal open cast mine of Goitzsche. The lake is also called "Bernsteinsee" (Lake of amber). It's about 840 hectars and it's located in the east of Saxony-Anhalt, near the city of Bitterfeld-Wolfen. On some pictures you have to look carefully to see me! We climbed up a wall. I was the fastest! Because the lake was a coal mine before we could see lots of old stuff from that time, like the big train. We did a little competition: "Who is able to go closest to the water without getting wet feet". Beate got a good idea to do it. Poor me, I lost! I got wet feet and a wet nose. I didn't want to go swimming! Now, we are going back to Berlin. Yours, Chrissy
MA_17 Posted Nov 21, 2011, 8:47 pm	Hey Mooooooom! Today we did a sightseeing tour. First we weren't sure where to go... We decided to go to the Brandenburg Gate. It is one of the most well-known landmarks of Berlin and Germany. The next stop was the Gendarmenmarkt. There's the Christmas market now. We also saw the Friedrichswerder Church and the monument of Karl Friedrich Schinkel. Not far away you can see the Museum Island. We just stopped in front of the "Altes Museum" (old museum). Next to the museums you can find the Berlin Cathedral. Not far away from the cathedral there's the Marx-Engels-Forum. Last but not least the highlight of our tour. The television tower next to Alexanderplace. It was constructed between 1965 and 1969 and with its height of 368 meters, it is the tallest structure in Germany. There is a visitor platform and a revolving restaurant in the middle of the sphere. The tower is part of the World Federation of Great Towers (WFGT). The big wheel is part of one of the Christmas markets. This is a special picture of me. Here you can see lots of sights in only one picture: Berlin Cathedral, Humboldt-Box, St. Mary's Church, Hotel Park Inn, television tower and the Red City Hall. Love, Chrissy
MA_17 Posted Nov 22, 2011, 4:42 pm	I'm famous!!! I AM A STAR !!! I found a picture of me in a brochure of a big Swedish store! Have a look, Mom!
MA_17 Posted Nov 24, 2011, 7:52 pm	Hello Mum! This day was so exciting!!! I met 2 real rats! They travelled with us by car from Berlin to this small village in the middle of nowhere! I couldn't take a picture of them. Maybe I meet rats again some day. When we arrived we enjoyed the sun while walking to a park. At the end of this long street we found the park. We climbed up on different things (trees, benches and...dunno what it was). And we found some snowballs. I've never seen snowballs on a tree before! Tapsi, Beate and I did a small snowball fight. It was fun! Hugs, Chrissy
MA_17 Posted Nov 26, 2011, 8:24 pm	Hey Mum, my hosts Mom took me to school! It was my first time! First I checked all the technical facilities. We got a tv, some radios and an overhead projector. Then I took the green chalk. Have a look, Mom, Tapsi painted my stomach into yellow! Can you see it?! Sadly we all were to small to write on the board.
MA_17 Posted Nov 27, 2011, 9:28 pm	Hello Mommy, today we took some pictures on our way from A to B. We stopped at the Charlottenburg Castle. It was windy! And our second stop was the airport Tegel TXL. Sadly there we couldn't see planes.
MA_17 Posted Nov 28, 2011, 11:01 pm	Today I wrote my list of wishes for Santa Claus. Dear Santa Claus, I've been a good girl, all the time! Really!!!
MA_17 Posted Nov 30, 2011, 10:55 pm	Hello Mom, today we boarded the kitchen! First we formed the meat into balls that I could bake it. I think Tapsi stole some of the meat. Then we mixed some milk with different ingredients. While I stired everything and Beate checked if I did it correct, Tapsi was searching for something to eat in the bag of the ingredients. Crazy little lion! We added the mixture to the balls. I cut the cheese and we put it on the top of everything. Then we waited for a long time... et voilà... it was delicious!!!
MA_17 Posted Dec 4, 2011, 7:25 pm	Mommy Mommy Mommyyyyyyyy, today we welcomed a new tv. His name is Joe and he looks like ME!!! Are we twins? Yours confused, but happy Chrissy
MA_17 Posted Dec 5, 2011, 9:42 pm	Hello Mommy, today we wanted to do a big sightseeing tour, but it was raining until noon and started again after a short time. So it was a short day for me outside. First we went to the Oberbaum Bridge. From here we had a fantastic view to the East Harbour section of the river Spree. On the left side you can see the buildings of Mediaspree, like Universal Music Headquarters (Germany), MTV Central Europe and TV Dockyard. On the right side you can see the Treptowers and the TwinTowers. And in the middle of the river Spree you can see Molecule Men. These thirty meters high metal sculpture was designed and executed by the American sculptor Jonathan Borofsky. Symbolically, they represent the intersection of the then three districts Treptow, Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain. We walked along the East Side Gallery. It is the longest open air gallery in the world. The art mile is located along the banks of the river Spree in Friedrichshain. It is 1316 meters long and it is also the longest segment of the Berlin Wall that is still standing. Right after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the East Side Gallery was painted by 118 artists from 21 different countries. Using various artistic means, the artists commented on the political events that took place in 1989 and 1990 in over 100 works of art found on the eastern side of the wall. In the course of the years, many of the images became greatly weathered and, in 2009, forty of these works of art were restored. Our last stop was the o2 World. It was opened in September 2008, a modern multi-function arena setting new standards for Berlin. Up to 17,000 people can attend the concerts – then the stands can be converted to a sporting arena within a few hours after they leave. The o2 World is particularly suited to large and spectacular shows, such as “Walking with Dinosaurs”, which features life-size dinosaur replicas. Concerts are also provided for by the ultramodern technology and video projections. The arena is also the home of the national league basketball club ALBA Berlin and the ice hockey team Eisbären Berlin. By the way. It is cold in Berlin, but it is still not snowing! Yours, Chrissy
MA_17 Posted Dec 6, 2011, 11:14 pm	Hey Mum, today we did a short stopover at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, also known as the Holocaust Memorial. It is a memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust. It consists of a 19,000 square metres site covered with 2,711 concrete slabs or "stelae", arranged in a grid pattern on a sloping field. The stelae are 2.38 m long, 0.95 m wide and vary in height from 0.2 to 4.8 m. When we came home in the evening there was an envelope waiting for us. Joe and I took the scissor to open it. We were afraid of cutting somebody or something inside. But nothing happened... Me and Joe crawled into the envelope. Tapsi and Beate had to help us out of it. When we came out of the envelope we had a new tv in our arms. His name is Greeny delMonte. He's really cute.
MA_17 Posted Dec 7, 2011, 11:58 pm	Hello Mommy, today we found a colorful envelope at hour hosts home. We opened it carefully and saw something red inside. We were a little bit afraid. It was Crawfish in the envelope. She came the long way from the US. And she had something sweet to eat for us. Love, Chrissy
MA_17 Posted Dec 12, 2011, 11:37 pm	Hey Mommy, today I left and my journey goes on. Next stop is England. I'll take Tapsi with me! Beate also left today. She's going to Kiel. Love, Chrissy
Gizalba Posted Dec 19, 2011, 7:26 pm	We've arrived in England Mum! Woo. It was a bit of a rough ride for Tapsi and I; our package got slightly ripped and wet in the post. But thankfully we were all fine and dry inside The welcoming TVs loved their presents and postcards, especially the chocolate with the characters on. Our new host says thankyou to MA 17! Tapsi and I showed off our travelog tags Sienna the monkey really liked Tapsi's hair, it was quite funny The other TVs we met were Pinky Bear, Pengy and Edelweiss. I had a photo with Pinky Bear as we seemed to match well Soon we will all help to put the Christmas tree up!
Gizalba Posted Dec 24, 2011, 2:53 am	Today we went to a nearby shopping centre mum! It was all pretty and Christmassy I am going to have to split this into a few updates in order to have a rest between uploading the photos, so more will come another day. There is only so long a little rat like me can tolerate the brightness of the computer screen We went through the main shopping area, then into 'The Orient', where all the restaurants and cafes are. It is designed to look like a big ship, can you tell? And guess who was flying across the sky?! Santa himself! And his reindeer of course. I am sorry the picture of me in the hall leading to the door is a bit blurry. I had a peek outside but only I had chance to get a few photos before it started raining again, so the others say they may steal those pics for their travelogs too. We found the birth of Jesus! The stable looked a bit hidden and out of place against all of the extravagant decorations, but I guess a stable isn't very classy is it? Maybe they could have made it bigger though... it looked like it had been thrown in as an after-thought! Where has the true meaning of Christmas gone, we ask?
Gizalba Posted Dec 26, 2011, 9:19 pm	These are the rest of the photos from our trip to the shopping centre. I found a small waterfall We thought there must be a big Christmas tree somewhere, and sure enough, we found it! Only it wasn't any old tree, it was a singing tree! The branches at the bottom moved, as a mouth, but you can't really see that on the photo. We then discovered China Town which I liked very much. You can see me browsing the postcards They didn't have great image quality on them though, so we only bought two. Next, something funny happened. I was posing for a picture on the statue of a music band, when this little boy pointed to me and said 'can I have that mouse mum?!' Well, it wasn't funny at the time, I was scared that I was nearly taken away! But the other 'safe' TVs found it hilarious. I'm obviously too cute for my own good I was rather indignant at being mistaken for a mouse though. Recovering from this incident, I braved getting out of the bag again and had a look at where the cinema is. We went back through the Orient then up some steps to get there.
Gizalba Posted Jan 3, 2012, 11:18 pm	Tree decorating!  (The camera battery went flat so we used a different camera in the middle until the battery charged and now the pictures are in different folders... bear with us while we get the order right ) Sienna and I were in charge of adding the top of the tree to the bottom bit, I felt rather important And, guess what I found in the decorations box mum?! A new friend! A cute little white bear. She told me that she hibernates all through the year, and only comes out for Christmas. I helped her up to the top of the tree, where we had a nice view. We admired a card sent by a TV member RikeHH
Gizalba Posted Jan 9, 2012, 2:36 pm	CHRISTMAS DAY!  We got a few more pictures of our host's tree now it was day time, then went to see the real tree downstairs. My hosts family bought it for 50p a few days before Christmas Can you spot me? The picture is a bit blurry for some reason. For Christmas my host got a brain! It is meant to help her learn the different parts for her studies, but we just found it fun to play with Then we all got a surprise... A new TV!  And he looked liked the brother of Pengy, aww   There was another present for my host, which seemed strange; Dawn of the Bunny Suicides!   She said it is meant to be humorous to humans, but we didn't look inside as judging by the cover we felt it might be a bit disturbing! After the present-opening we took a few pictures of the decorations, then went to watch 'The Muppets Christmas Carol'. Kermit the frog was starring in it, so we heard it was very good.
Gizalba Posted Jan 18, 2012, 9:37 pm	We had a visitor... A lovely pig called Percy the Pig! He is a TV in the making He had just come from LONDON, can you believe it? We were all very jealous of his pictures - he hasn't left the country yet but he is excited at the prospect. All the experienced TVs told the newer ones of their many stories. Crackers appeared under the Christmas tree! We all pulled them and had fun wearing the hats and telling jokes. Then there was a another surprise visit from someone... Santa! It was a bit odd as Christmas is over, but I think he had left the crackers there for us as an apology for his neglect of us TVs over the holliday. Still, we had fun with the human presents. I am still wishing for my scarf... We decided to do a photo-shoot so Tapsi and I got a nice photo together
Gizalba Posted Jan 18, 2012, 9:51 pm	A few days after Christmas we went to the 'Lowry Outlet Mall' in Manchester, which we were glad still had Christmas decorations up This is next to the Lowry Theatre and arts gallery and Salford Quays (on the banks of Manchester Ship Canal).  The Lowry is named after the artist Laurence Lowry, known for his drawings of Manchester and 'match-stick' people. This area has been labelled 'Media City UK' as some of the BBC television studios are here (we think the rest are in London), and in another part of the city there are ITV Granada television studios where my host's favourite Soap 'Coronation Street' is filmed. However it isn't too interesting to see as you aren't allowed to visit the actual television set where the street is any more The strange looking building in the background of the photo with the seagulls is The Imperial War Museum.
Gizalba Posted Feb 4, 2012, 1:48 am	(Writing to follow - I am too sleepy after the uploading) Nooo! The all important picture of us climbing the steps got missed out  It's going to have to go at the end
MamiTig Posted Apr 13, 2012, 4:31 am	Chrissy arrived in Iola, KS today! She was greeted by Halo (the stray kitty who lives outdoors and adopted the host family) and all the other TVs!
MamiTig Posted Apr 15, 2012, 5:21 am	Chrissy enjoyed the warm meal and friendly welcome at the SDA church potluck today!
MamiTig Posted Apr 16, 2012, 4:59 am	Today the host family took us to Gage Park in Topeka, to celebrate a birthday! There was a lot to do and we had tons of fun playing!
MamiTig Posted Apr 17, 2012, 4:31 am	On the way home from work, host mom stopped to show us the pretty scenery and the rural water tower that is just west of Colony, Kansas! It was such a pretty day!
MamiTig Posted Apr 19, 2012, 4:22 am	Chrissy was invited to dinner by a family of little hedgehogs! She found their manners were quite piggy...
MamiTig Posted Apr 21, 2012, 2:10 am	The host family decided to do a small garden in their back yard this year, but host mom wanted to stop by the community garden to see what other people are growing!
MamiTig Posted Apr 22, 2012, 2:58 am	Host mom got working in her garden today. She planted onions, watermelon, cantaloupe, cucumbers, and a few cabbage in the ground and then mint, tomatoes, and oregano in pots. There's still more to do, but it was a great start!
MamiTig Posted Apr 22, 2012, 2:59 am	We visited the Great Plains Mall this afternoon!
MamiTig Posted Apr 23, 2012, 3:28 am	Run Chrissy, run... it's the zombie apocalypse!
MamiTig Posted Apr 24, 2012, 2:41 am	Host mom finished her second little girl dress! So cute!
MamiTig Posted Apr 24, 2012, 2:41 am	Host mom took us to see the water tower in Garnett this morning!
MamiTig Posted Apr 25, 2012, 3:37 am	Host mom and her youngest daughter took me for a walk to see what was blooming at Hillbrant House. Mr. Hillbrant was home and he let us go in the back yard to see his koi and waterfalls back there! Sadly, he is selling his house because he is in his 80s and figures he doesn't need a house and yard that big. We sure hope the next owners will appreciate and maintain his gardens!
MamiTig Posted Apr 26, 2012, 4:27 am	Oh goodie, a birthday! Chrissie loved the ice cream and cake, and couldn't wait to see what was in the presents!
MamiTig Posted Apr 27, 2012, 5:05 am	This morning, host mom took us to see the community corrections garden that is maintained by the county jail. The motto is "Building Character Through Gardening." We met a super nice lady there, who told us about how she works with the inmates in the garden. Being a small town with a large jail, our county houses a lot of female inmates from the bigger cities, when they have overflow. She often works with people who have never, ever gardened and have no idea about plants or where vegetables come from. One day, she was working with a group of ladies and handed them each a radish, plucked from the ground, and they stood around, and finally one said, "What am I supposed to do with this?" She said, "You eat it." The lady thought a while, then said, "I can't eat it, it's dirty." The nice lady explained all vegetables grow in dirt and you just have to wash them off. The lady argued a bit, so she showed her how to wash it with the hose and try it. The lady tried it, gobbled it down, and then her whole face lit up, and she exclaimed, "I like dirty food!"
MamiTig Posted Apr 27, 2012, 1:37 pm	We took a potty stop in Burlington on the way to Topeka!
MamiTig Posted Apr 28, 2012, 5:35 am	We ate a delicious dinner at CiCi's Pizza before leaving Topeka.
MamiTig Posted Apr 28, 2012, 5:37 am	Host mom finished her last little girl dress! Her three littlest daughters are going to be so happy (and so cute) in their new dresses!
MamiTig Posted Apr 29, 2012, 4:51 am	The dresses were so adorable that we Toy Voyagers insisted on being photographed with the pretty princesses wearing them!
MamiTig Posted Apr 30, 2012, 3:38 am	Chrissy enjoyed sabbath school and potluck at the Seventh Day Adventist church.
MamiTig Posted Apr 30, 2012, 5:25 am	Host mom got started on a new project... I wonder what it will be?
MamiTig Posted May 1, 2012, 4:25 am	Host mom and one of her daughters took me to see the historic Old Allen County Jail. It was closed so we just poked around outside.
MamiTig Posted May 3, 2012, 3:52 am	Host mom and her littlest daughter took me for a walk down the alley behind the house, to see what we could see!
MamiTig Posted May 4, 2012, 5:01 am	Play time!
MamiTig Posted May 5, 2012, 3:28 am	We are helping Anastaysia on her goal of visiting 10 cemeteries, so the host family took us to visit Iola's new cemetery. There are stones that date back into the 20s, so it's not THAT new. They looked for their friend, Patty, who succumbed to breast cancer last year, but could not find her stone. Her daughter had said it had roses on it, but there were so many that had roses, that didn't help narrow the search!
MamiTig Posted May 6, 2012, 6:12 am	Host mom had to take a trip to the airport very early this morning. She watched the moon the whole two hour drive, since it was supposed to be a "supermoon" today. When she got done with checking in her cargo, the moon was nearly to the horizon and kept threatening to go behind the clouds, so the pictures aren't great- but the moon sure was pretty!
MamiTig Posted May 7, 2012, 4:45 am	After watching the supermoon set, we took a nap and woke up hungry. We drove to Ryan's, where we enjoyed the breakfast bar!
MamiTig Posted May 8, 2012, 1:57 am	One of the TVs in our group has the goal of visiting state line signs, so host mom took us a few extra miles east to get a picture of the Missouri sign. There wasn't a Kansas sign when we crossed back in, so we didn't get that
MamiTig Posted May 8, 2012, 4:04 am	On our way back toward the highway, we found a little old cemetery. Anastaysia got really excited, so host mom was super nice and stopped so she could see. It is the Pleasant Ridge Cemetery in Overland Park, KS. We found information about it here: click here! Who knew cemeteries had so much history?!
MamiTig Posted May 9, 2012, 5:12 am	In the evening, we had SDA youth group in Thayer. It's the last one for the season- they take a break until fall, and we'll really miss it!
MamiTig Posted May 10, 2012, 3:40 am	Host mom started an interesting new project. She said she is making armor out of craft foam for her son's history presentation, where he has to dress up as Chandragupta Maurya and do a presentation.
MamiTig Posted May 11, 2012, 3:22 am	The host family were looking for a service project and found a garden that needed weeding. The garden belonged to a lovely lady named Lula, who lives way out in the country. It was hard work and sometimes the kids wanted to quit, but when they looked up and saw Lula's happy smile, it made them work twice as hard We made quite a dent, but there's still plenty more to be done... we plan to go back in 2 weeks and do some more
MamiTig Posted May 11, 2012, 5:01 am	After working hard in the garden, we all needed a nice, hearty meal at El Charro! Yum!
MamiTig Posted May 12, 2012, 5:26 am	We watched the host family's oldest daughter play cello in the spring concert!
MamiTig Posted May 13, 2012, 1:21 am	Host mom took me along when she ran errands over lunch hour today. She stopped to take pictures with me on the northwest side of the town square.
MamiTig Posted May 13, 2012, 2:22 am	We met a baby sparrow named Elizabeth. She fell out of the nest when she was little and is being rehabilitated to return to the wild as soon as she is able.
MamiTig Posted May 13, 2012, 4:22 am	Mmm! Church supper at the Seventh Day Adventist Church!
MamiTig Posted May 13, 2012, 5:18 am	We visited TLC greenhouse to look for more garden goodies. We found all sorts of amazing things to explore! Beautiful!
MamiTig Posted May 14, 2012, 5:17 am	When the host family was going in to church this morning, they noticed butterflies all around the pretty purple flowers at the entrance. Host mom came back later to take our picture with them, but they are small and brown, so you have to look very hard to see them in the pictures.
MamiTig Posted May 15, 2012, 4:12 am	One of the host family boys prepared for his history class final: giving a biography as Chandragupta Maurya, with his trusty war elephants! Chrissy tried to scare the elephants, but they only ended up cuddling her.
MamiTig Posted May 16, 2012, 5:00 am	This evening we attended the middle school choir and band concert, on the northwest side of the Iola town square.
MamiTig Posted May 17, 2012, 2:45 am	We went to the fifth grade graduation at the elementary school today! So many happy kids!
MamiTig Posted May 18, 2012, 4:52 am	Host mom stopped and took a look at the Prairie Spirit Trail on the way to work this morning!
MamiTig Posted May 19, 2012, 1:39 am	From late spring to early fall, the west side of the town square in Iola is blocked off every Thursday evening for the Farmer's Market! We wandered around and met many nice people and saw fascinating things!
MamiTig Posted May 19, 2012, 3:21 am	Hedrick's brought their petting zoo to town, so of course, we had to go and see! So many amazing critters!
MamiTig Posted May 20, 2012, 12:59 am	Today, the host family took me to their dance studio for recital pictures. There were so many kids, so many costumes, and so much energy! I had sooo much fun!! Dance recital is in two weeks, and I can't wait to see the kids perform!
MamiTig Posted May 21, 2012, 6:00 am	The host family went to help Lula with her garden again today. I had so much fun exploring! My favorite thing was the lovely, intricate bird nest that we found on the ground.
MamiTig Posted May 22, 2012, 3:25 am	When we were coming back from Lula's, host mom decided to take a country road we hadn't explored before. Anastaysia got excited and we stopped to explore an old cemetery we found!
MamiTig Posted May 23, 2012, 4:43 am	Host mom showed us why Kansas and the midwest are called America's bread basket. The fields of wheat are so lovely, and I could see why the song America the Beautiful refers to "amber waves of grain" as the wheat blew in the wind and made ripples like the ocean!
MamiTig Posted May 23, 2012, 5:50 am	Host mom and two of the little sisters took me for a walk around the neighborhood this evening. We looked at the houses (most were built between the late 1800s and mid 1900s), as well as taking a stop to look at Mr. Hillbrant's amazing garden!
MamiTig Posted May 24, 2012, 4:45 am	The host family all went to the dentist today, so we hung out in the waiting room for quite a while.
MamiTig Posted May 24, 2012, 1:28 pm	Chrissy met Leonidas the rat today. Leonidas is not the world's friendliest rat, having been tormented in his previous home, but since coming to a safe home, he's beginning to get curious and tolerate being petted.
MamiTig Posted May 25, 2012, 1:30 am	Today I got to see two week old baby hedgehogs in their nest!
MamiTig Posted May 25, 2012, 3:43 am	The cows at Strickler's Dairy made a lovely scene today! We couldn't resist stopping for pictures
MamiTig Posted May 26, 2012, 4:36 am	Host mom took me and two of her sons out to lunch at El Charro. The salsa there is always sooo delicious!
MamiTig Posted May 27, 2012, 6:52 am	Chrissy enjoyed Sabbath school and church supper!
MamiTig Posted May 28, 2012, 5:53 am	The host family took us to Twin Trestles today, to explore! It's so pretty and green. I loved the butterflies but they wouldn't hold still for a picture.
MamiTig Posted May 29, 2012, 4:45 am	Today was Memorial Day, so host mom had the day off from work. In the afternoon, the family took a picnic, then stopped at the town square to see the flags and contemplate their loved ones who are gone.
MamiTig Posted May 30, 2012, 5:34 am	Yay! A birthday! El Charro's for dinner, and the unwrapping of presents! Perfect!
MamiTig Posted May 31, 2012, 5:49 am	Chrissy met the resident squishables today! They are so adorably squishy!
MamiTig Posted Jun 2, 2012, 6:41 am	The host family took me to her dress rehearsal for thier dance recital! The theme is "An International Affair" and they had a lot of amazing dances, representing all sorts of different countries!
MamiTig Posted Jun 3, 2012, 5:22 am	Tonight was opening night! We learned about the "break a leg" tradition. To wish stage performers good luck, you tell them "break a leg" and bring a gift. It was fun to spend time with all the kids in the waiting area downstairs from the stage!
MamiTig Posted Jun 4, 2012, 3:13 am	I stayed back stage in the waiting area during the last night of dance recital, with host mom. She took me for a peek in the dressing rooms when the kids were all on stage for the opening act!
MamiTig Posted Jun 5, 2012, 5:36 am	We went to help Miss Lula in her garden again. So much to explore!
MamiTig Posted Jun 6, 2012, 4:53 am	Chrissy thought host mom's new project was very interesting!
MamiTig Posted Jun 7, 2012, 5:13 am	Chrissy met a baby blue jay today!
MamiTig Posted Jun 8, 2012, 5:17 am	Today, host mom took us to see the caboose at the head of the Garnett rail trail. The rail trail is many miles of hiking and biking trail,  that runs along the lines of an old railroad corridor.
MamiTig Posted Jun 10, 2012, 1:11 am	We visited Arnold's Greenhouse! It's such a magically relaxing place, with all of the amazing plants and flowers!
MamiTig Posted Jun 10, 2012, 5:00 am	After visiting Arnold's Greenhouse, we visited a curious place called Luther's Beef Jerky and Convenience Store. There were lots of unusual things there!
MamiTig Posted Jun 12, 2012, 4:59 am	Chrissy enjoyed Sabbath supper at the SDA church. Chrissy waited patiently as the dishes were warmed up!
MamiTig Posted Jun 13, 2012, 12:56 am	We took host mom's parents to meet Lula and work in the garden. It's looking so pretty and nice as all the weeds get gone!
MamiTig Posted Jun 14, 2012, 1:31 pm	Oh goody, delicious El Charro tonight!
MamiTig Posted Jun 17, 2012, 7:48 pm	Today we went to the Farmer's Market- then we got to go to El Charro for the second time this week, to celebrate a birthday! Yay!
MamiTig Posted Jun 18, 2012, 4:29 am	Today we went to Deanna Rose Farmstead! There were so many fun things to see and do. The gardens are lovely and the petting zoo animals were very curious. We had fun playing and exploring!
MamiTig Posted Jun 20, 2012, 4:35 am	After visiting Deanna Rose Park, we went to China Star for dinner. Some people think that dessert is the very best part!
MamiTig Posted Jun 21, 2012, 3:07 am	There are always interesting things to see and do in Lula's garden! We had fun exploring!
MamiTig Posted Jun 22, 2012, 4:21 am	The ToyVoyagers loved the tooth fairy bench at Legends Drive Dental!
MamiTig Posted Jun 22, 2012, 5:19 am	Host mom was really excited that she finished her daughter's Prinplup costume today! Only about a month until Tokyo in Tulsa and she can show it off!
MamiTig Posted Jun 24, 2012, 6:42 am	One of the host family boys was in a play this morning, at the community theater. It was all very exciting!
MamiTig Posted Jun 25, 2012, 5:48 am	Today I went fossil hunting with the host family! It was so pretty and we skipped rocks and saw lots and lots of interesting things
MamiTig Posted Jun 26, 2012, 4:07 am	Host mom took us to the south lake in Garnett to watch the geese at lunch hour and we got a special surprise! She had to take pictures through the windshield so she didn't scare it away, and couldn't get a close up shot with me in it to show the details of what we were looking at, so please forgive (but enjoy) the picture that shows closer up!
MamiTig Posted Jun 28, 2012, 5:16 am	Today was a quiet day, just visiting with the hedgehogs.
MamiTig Posted Jun 29, 2012, 12:59 pm	I went wandering through host mom's lovely garden today!
MamiTig Posted Jul 1, 2012, 7:24 pm	Host mom had errands to run in Chanute, so we stopped at Santa Fe Park to have a picnic and play. It was very hot (over 100F) so we were very glad that the park is mostly shade!!
MamiTig Posted Jul 2, 2012, 5:25 am	I went to a party with the host family, to celebrate a couple of birthdays (including America's)! We had water balloons, snacks, fireworks, and all sorts of fun!
MamiTig Posted Jul 3, 2012, 1:14 pm	There are always so many amazing things to explore in Lula's garden! Host mom's oldest daughter took my travel pictures today
MamiTig Posted Jul 4, 2012, 3:54 am	Host mom said that even old, broken down things can be beautiful. She showed us this old building in Garnett as an example!
MamiTig Posted Jul 5, 2012, 6:07 am	Host mom started a new sewing project today. She said it's going to be a costume, that will be entered in the cosplay contest at Tokyo in Tulsa! I can't wait to see how it turns out!
MamiTig Posted Jul 8, 2012, 10:44 pm	The host family got the car all packed and ready to head out on an exciting adventure!
MamiTig Posted Jul 9, 2012, 5:09 am	About four hours after we packed into the car, we arrived at Broken Arrow Ranch for family camp! The host family unpacked everything, and then took us on some grand adventures! It was so nice to end the day with campfire, overlooking sunset on the lake!
MamiTig Posted Jul 10, 2012, 4:51 am	The second day of family camp was just as amazing as the first! We started with a yummy breakfast and morning worship. Then the host family went horseback riding. We didn't get to see that because host mom was worried we'd get lost or hurt. Then we had lunch, played in the basement, and then we had to wait while the host family went ziplining. We got to see the equipment, but again, we had to stay behind because host mom was worried for our wellbeing. In the late afternoon, we played on the beach at the Tuttle Creek reservoir and that was so  relaxing!
MamiTig Posted Jul 11, 2012, 2:17 am	Day three at camp was just as wonderful as the first two days! We climbed up the hill to the nurse's cabin to enjoy the view of the lodge. After breakfast, we went for a hike through the woods. In the afternoon, we celebrated a baptism in the lake. It was a lovely day!
MamiTig Posted Jul 11, 2012, 3:55 am	On the way home from camp, we stopped to fuel up in Lyndon, KS. Host mom remarked that this is the first time she's ever seen gas prices fall during summer!
MamiTig Posted Jul 11, 2012, 4:15 am	Ready for another road trip! This time, the packing is light.
MamiTig Posted Jul 11, 2012, 1:22 pm	After four hours in the car, we arrived at Lives Under Construction Ranch, where one of the brothers will be staying for a month of summer camp!
MamiTig Posted Jul 12, 2012, 4:07 am	On the way home, we stopped in Ozark, MO to stretch our legs, look in the tourist shops, and enjoy a meal at Lambert's (home of the famous "throwed rolls")!!
MamiTig Posted Jul 13, 2012, 5:19 am	Host mom  and her youngest daughter took me and the other TVs for an evening walk down Elm and First streets. We looked at all the pretty houses!
MamiTig Posted Jul 14, 2012, 1:19 am	We took a look at the Farmer's Market tonight, to see what was for sale! They hold the market every Thursday evening, on the town square, when the weather is nice
MamiTig Posted Jul 14, 2012, 4:09 am	Today some men came and started digging out the bricks on the south side of the host family's house! Host mom said they are contractors and they are fixing the foundation. We were very curious about what they are doing!
MamiTig Posted Jul 14, 2012, 4:48 am	We went up to the town square to see what all the excitement was about! Today is the Mad Bomber Run, and there was a car show and a motorcycle show, and entertainment. Here's the website that tells about the historical event that inspired the modern Mad Bomber Run!
MamiTig Posted Jul 14, 2012, 6:53 am	The contractors came again today and jackhammered at the foundation. Now all of the stone blocks under the south wall are gone, and three little jacks are holding up the side of the house! Yikes!
MamiTig Posted Jul 15, 2012, 7:34 am	We enjoyed a lovely vegetarian supper after Sabbath services at the SDA church today!
MamiTig Posted Jul 17, 2012, 3:42 am	A birthday at El Charros! I just love celebrations!
MamiTig Posted Jul 17, 2012, 1:19 pm	They sure seem to be making progress on the foundation! Who would have known there were so many rocks down there?!
MamiTig Posted Jul 17, 2012, 6:54 pm	We did a little sightseeing on the grounds while waiting to check three of the kids in at summer camp. I wish I were staying, it is so lovely at Hidden Haven!
MamiTig Posted Jul 18, 2012, 1:14 pm	We went to the Ralph Mitchell Zoo in Independence, KS! It is an old zoo that is very lovely. The Monkey Island is the birth place of the first monkey in space!
MamiTig Posted Jul 19, 2012, 1:05 pm	On the way home from the zoo, host mom noticed this lovely abandoned school house on the prairie, so we stopped to take a picture! The clouds behind it were especially pretty; very much showing Kansas in the summer.
MamiTig Posted Jul 20, 2012, 2:19 am	It was hot and everyone was hungry, so we stopped at Dairy Queen for some sweet ice cream treats!
MamiTig Posted Jul 23, 2012, 4:05 am	They're making good progress on the host family's foundation!
MamiTig Posted Jul 23, 2012, 5:13 am	The foundation will soon be done!
MamiTig Posted Jul 24, 2012, 1:08 am	We crossed into the Cherokee Nation as we crossed the Oklahoma border, just south of Caney, KS.
MamiTig Posted Jul 25, 2012, 1:30 pm	Our first night in Tulsa was wonderful! We got to the hotel and waited in line about 45 minutes for our room assignment. This turned out to be a blessing as they ran out of double rooms, so they upgraded us to a suite at no extra cost! The view was beautiful! I had fun wandering the convention (Tokyo in Tulsa) with the host family!
MamiTig Posted Jul 26, 2012, 4:39 am	Most of our day two at Tokyo in Tulsa was spent at the pre-judging for the cosplay and skit contests, then at the panel about "Pokemon Gijinka" that the host family presented, wandering "artist alley" and then at the final cosplay contest! Host mom and two of her daughters won a judge's choice award in the cosplay contest!
MamiTig Posted Jul 27, 2012, 4:39 am	On the last day of Tokyo in Tulsa, we took a last wander of the vendors room and ogled all of the fun and amazing things!
MamiTig Posted Jul 28, 2012, 4:08 am	We liked the new water saver look for the fountain at Legend's Drive Dental!
MamiTig Posted Jul 28, 2012, 5:33 am	This year has been terrible for drought, and the corn is shriveling up in the fields
MamiTig Posted Jul 29, 2012, 5:38 am	Storm shelters like these are a reminder of how deadly Kansas weather can become!
MamiTig Posted Jul 29, 2012, 3:58 pm	We had a delicious dinner at Pizza Street, to build up our energy for shopping!
MamiTig Posted Jul 31, 2012, 2:32 am	Next we went shopping at Bass Pro Shops! It is an amazing place with just about anything you can imagine for outdoor sports. We bought 8 life jackets, so the host family can go rafting!
MamiTig Posted Aug 1, 2012, 1:21 pm	The host family took me to the Allen County Fair! We saw the livestock, the baby barn, and the amazing fair entries, ranging from vegetables to photography to baking to clothing construction.
MamiTig Posted Aug 3, 2012, 1:58 am	I liked what the host family had for dinner! Yummy!
MamiTig Posted Aug 4, 2012, 3:21 am	The local community garden has suffered from the drought, too. The only plants that stayed green had a lot of extra water!
MamiTig Posted Aug 5, 2012, 8:45 pm	Today, the host family took me on a huge road trip! Our first stop for the day was at the National Fish Hatchery. We enjoyed the exhibits, then went outside to feed the fish. There was only one pond filled, and it had dozens and dozens and dozens of trout!
MamiTig Posted Aug 6, 2012, 2:30 am	Our next stop was the lovely, old cemetery in Neosho, on the way out of town.
MamiTig Posted Aug 7, 2012, 2:16 am	The next stop was at the Lives Under Construction Ranch charity thrift shop, then on to Lives Under Construction Ranch! We completed our debriefing, then got to see what the boys on the ranch do during the summer camp. They help feed the animals, water trees, and camp out on the weekends!
MamiTig Posted Aug 8, 2012, 2:28 am	We stopped at the scenic vista just north of Shell Knob, MO, where it seemed like we were on top of the world!
MamiTig Posted Aug 9, 2012, 2:27 am	After a long day of traveling and exploring, we were HUNGRY! So we stopped in Carthage, MO for some authentic Central American food. It was so very good!
MamiTig Posted Aug 10, 2012, 5:02 am	Tonight we visited the local farmer's market. The most exciting thing was that they had a pepper tasting contest. The Thai peppers were very hot!
MamiTig Posted Aug 12, 2012, 5:22 am	Chrissy spent time with some prickly pals!
MamiTig Posted Aug 13, 2012, 1:58 am	We went to Sabbath supper at the SDA church and enjoyed great food and great fellowship!
MamiTig Posted Aug 14, 2012, 2:29 am	A picnic in the park was a perfect occasion for blowing bubbles!
MamiTig Posted Aug 15, 2012, 1:03 am	Chrissy met Spoink, the baby pig who is being bottle fed by the host family. Once he's big enough to be outside on a regular basis, he'll be going to a  family that plans to keep him as a farm pet for a 4-H project
MamiTig Posted Aug 17, 2012, 1:38 pm	Host mom took me to see the Neosho River again. She said that in the twelve years she's lived here, she's never seen it this dry. You can definitely see the results of the drought!!
MamiTig Posted Aug 18, 2012, 4:10 pm	Today I experienced an anime convention called Motaku! We are going to be here for the whole weekend and it's so fun! Today I played in the board game room and met people in costumes!
MamiTig Posted Aug 20, 2012, 2:15 am	We had lots more fun at Motaku today! We went to several interesting panels and people watched!
MamiTig Posted Aug 22, 2012, 3:45 am	We visited the host family's friends and met their cats! They have nine cats, and I liked these ones best!
MamiTig Posted Aug 22, 2012, 5:18 am	The host family loves to go to Red Robin for the amazingly delicious veggie burgers!
MamiTig Posted Aug 24, 2012, 1:37 pm	Sunflowers are the Kansas state flower, and this sunflower grew in the host family's back yard! It got really, really, really tall all summer, then it bent over, and now it has little sunflowers!
MamiTig Posted Aug 26, 2012, 4:18 am	It finally rained today!! It was very badly needed. Host mom said she heard that two days ago, one of the small towns ran out of water. Everything is dry and there have been fires. I sure hope we keep getting more rain!
MamiTig Posted Aug 29, 2012, 12:33 am	We walked over to the Cottonwood Garden to see what is left as summer starts to fade. The Cottonwood Garden was just a vacant lot until someone bought it, landscaped it, and donated it back to the city for everyone to enjoy.
MamiTig Posted Aug 31, 2012, 2:46 am	Two of the giant's brothers took Arizona, Tucker, Wotan, Sissi, Sundy, Fidditch, Hryusha, Vriendje, Snakiey, Bambi, Kalso, Kali, Ming Jung, Jellybean, Anastaysia, Strider, Plaudagei, Faschi, Mini-Mina, and myself to the playground at the elementary school today! We played on all of the equipment and had sooo much fun!
MamiTig Posted Sep 1, 2012, 1:58 am	Host mom had to go to Burlington to testify on a court case, so we came along. She showed us some of the pretty murals that decorate the town!
MamiTig Posted Sep 2, 2012, 1:29 am	Host mom made colorful pancakes today! She uses this recipe, but said that she adds vanilla to make them extra fluffy. They sure turn out delicious and disappear fast!
MamiTig Posted Sep 4, 2012, 4:54 am	Today we went exploring at Elm Creek! It was hot out, but the shade of the trees made it kind of nice. We explored the north side of the creek, then drove back around to the bridge so that we could explore and see the south side. Host mom has lived here for 12 years, and this was the first time she ever explored this part of Elm Creek!
MamiTig Posted Sep 5, 2012, 4:27 am	Today we stopped and took a look at beautiful, historical Fort Scott!
MamiTig Posted Sep 5, 2012, 1:17 pm	Newborn hedgehogs are the cutest!
MamiTig Posted Sep 7, 2012, 3:47 am	We visited the Farmer's Market this evening and bought a few things. The vendors were closing down while we were there, and some nice ladies gave us peach pies and cinnamon rolls, too!
MamiTig Posted Sep 10, 2012, 12:40 am	Today we enjoyed great company and delicious food at the SDA church supper!
MamiTig Posted Sep 11, 2012, 4:02 am	Host mom and her oldest daughter went ghost hunting at the Pythian Castle! They joined members of the Paranormal Task Force and learned how to use some really cool equipment! It was a mostly quiet night, but there was an electromagnetic field that hovered in one room for over half an hour that had no explainable source we could figure out! Some women felt their hair pulled and backpacks pulled on, and then could not initially leave the tunnel below the castle. They got really spooked, but host mom and her daughter didn't experience any thing scary! For more pictures of their experience, you can click here!
MamiTig Posted Sep 13, 2012, 2:36 am	On the way home from visiting the haunted castle, we stopped at the Precious Moments chapel to take a break and breathe in the peace and beauty that is there.
MamiTig Posted Sep 14, 2012, 3:37 am	Host mom stopped at Twin Trestles to take a photo shoot with us this morning. The sky was pale gray and threatening rain, and the late summer flowers were in bloom, but the leaves aren't turning autumn colors yet. The water in the river was nearly all dried up. This is one of host mom's favorite local places to take pictures!
MamiTig Posted Sep 16, 2012, 7:15 pm	The host family took me to Marsha's Great Plains Deli today... they swear it's the best deli in the Midwest! The sandwiches were amazing!!
MamiTig Posted Sep 17, 2012, 4:21 am	Host mom had to take a trip out to Nevada, MO and stopped to show us the lovely building that is now Heartland Behavioral Health Services. Like the Pythian Castle we went to recently, it was originally an orphanage. You can read about the history of the building here.
MamiTig Posted Sep 21, 2012, 3:18 am	We got to celebrate a birthday! It was so much fun to see the presents unwrapped!
MamiTig Posted Sep 25, 2012, 1:38 am	Church supper was delicious!
MamiTig Posted Sep 26, 2012, 2:39 am	We went to the Kansas City Renaissance Festival and saw so many amazing things! Around every corner there was something new to see or do! The performers and shopkeepers were so incredibly nice to us, too
MamiTig Posted Sep 28, 2012, 4:54 am	Red Robin has awesome veggie burgers and stuff!
MamiTig Posted Sep 30, 2012, 2:52 am	I inspected the progress on host mom's latest project!
MamiTig Posted Oct 1, 2012, 3:06 am	One of host mom's daughters is taking a photography class for her after school program and had an assignment to look for patterns. On Saturday, after Sabbath school and while waiting for potluck, we helped her look for patterns!
MamiTig Posted Oct 3, 2012, 5:14 am	Host mom took us down to see the Neosho River today. She was amazed that even after all the rain we have had, it is still incredibly low!
MamiTig Posted Oct 4, 2012, 5:24 am	Host mom finished her project today- a dress for her oldest daughter!
MamiTig Posted Oct 7, 2012, 3:44 am	Host mom got her new full spectrum camera in this week, so we decided to take it somewhere interesting to try it out. We visited the Galemore Cemetery, and host mom took pictures with both full spectrum and her regular camera.
MamiTig Posted Oct 8, 2012, 2:43 am	Chrissy inspected the cranes that host mom's oldest daughter is making. She says she wants to make 1,000 cranes so she can make a wish.
MamiTig Posted Oct 9, 2012, 5:01 am	Host mom is finishing up another costume... she calls this one "Little Red Fighting Good"!
MamiTig Posted Oct 10, 2012, 4:31 am	Today was host mom's birthday!
MamiTig Posted Oct 13, 2012, 7:16 am	We were supposed to go to the high school football game today, but lightning, thunder, and torrential rain meant it got postponed. We took shelter in a nearby recreation building and watched the middle school and high school bands at marching practice!
MamiTig Posted Oct 14, 2012, 5:36 am	Another delicious Sabbath supper at the SDA church!
MamiTig Posted Oct 16, 2012, 4:16 am	The stormy skies had an amazing yellow shade that we never could quite catch in a picture, but host mom did get these lovely pictures with her regular and full spectrum cameras.
MamiTig Posted Oct 17, 2012, 5:25 am	Host mom is hard at work on another costume...
MamiTig Posted Oct 18, 2012, 4:45 am	More progress! Host mom told us that inspiration for the design came from Edward Gorey.
MamiTig Posted Oct 19, 2012, 4:56 am	Oh my! There was a ghost cat in the downstairs bathroom tonight...
MamiTig Posted Oct 22, 2012, 3:26 am	We visited the Farm City Days celebration in downtown Iola today! We saw all sorts of things, like carnival rides a blacksmith, tractors, and vendor booths! It sure was a lot of fun!
MamiTig Posted Oct 23, 2012, 4:19 am	We got to watch The Passing Zone performance at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center! We even had front row seats.
MamiTig Posted Oct 27, 2012, 4:24 am	We met a new friend named Axie! Host mom was so happy that Axie joined her family because Axie is a squishable axolotl and #426 in the series!
MamiTig Posted Oct 29, 2012, 1:01 am	Chrissy enjoyed another Sabbath supper at the SDA church!
MamiTig Posted Oct 29, 2012, 4:45 am	We took a visit to Twin Trestles, to see what autumn is doing to the landscape. The trees seem to be going straight to curled up and brown, or to leaves falling, without a lot of the usual pretty colors this year.
MamiTig Posted Nov 2, 2012, 3:38 am	We visited the Attachment Center in Wichita, KS today. This is what it looked like outside and inside!
MamiTig Posted Nov 4, 2012, 2:02 pm	On the way home from Wichita, host mom stopped to take a short walk and find the spring around which the Kansas town of Eureka was founded.
MamiTig Posted Nov 5, 2012, 5:20 am	There were strange things afoot on Halloween!
MamiTig Posted Nov 6, 2012, 2:59 am	Mmmmm! The Mexican food at El Charro is amazing! We tried the vegetarian fajitas today
MamiTig Posted Nov 7, 2012, 1:22 pm	I helped host mom cut out her next sewing project!
MamiTig Posted Nov 8, 2012, 4:37 am	Today we visited Grene Vision for an eye appointment and looked at all of the fun glasses!
MamiTig Posted Nov 9, 2012, 5:06 am	The fall colors at the South Lake are lovely in the morning!
MamiTig Posted Nov 10, 2012, 2:21 am	I visited a charming little hedgehog in his hidey house today!
MamiTig Posted Nov 12, 2012, 5:09 pm	After many hours in the car, we arrived at our hotel in Union, MO, where we rested up, to be ready for a night of paranormal investigation!
MamiTig Posted Nov 14, 2012, 1:38 pm	We spent the night at the Tri-County Truck Stop, a reportedly haunted location, on a paranormal investigation! Host mom didn't have room to take all of the TVs in so some of us only got to see the dining area. For the rest of the pictures, you can click here!
MamiTig Posted Nov 17, 2012, 4:45 am	On the way home from the truck stop, we couldn't resist stopping at Lambert's for lunch. We had to wait an hour and a half to get in, but it was SO worth it! Yum, yum, yum!
MamiTig Posted Nov 17, 2012, 8:02 pm	Host mom had to visit the court house in Garnett and showed us how lovely it looks!
MamiTig Posted Nov 18, 2012, 1:55 am	Host mom has made some progress on her sewing project!
MamiTig Posted Nov 19, 2012, 1:30 am	Today we enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast with the host family's friends at RiverTree.
MamiTig Posted Nov 21, 2012, 2:58 am	We were fortunate to get to watch the very amazing Birdhouse Factory performance by Cirque Mechanics... every act was incredible and astounding!!
MamiTig Posted Nov 23, 2012, 12:36 am	Host mom decided to cook something yummy for dinner and we got to help! She made Hungarian Noodles and Cabbage and it was so delicious that all the kids had seconds!
MamiTig Posted Nov 24, 2012, 2:33 am	We very much enjoyed celebrating an American Thanksgiving with a community luncheon at St. Timothy's Episcopal church. Since the host family are vegetarians, they didn't eat the traditional turkey, but did enjoy mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, bread rolls, cranberry salad, and pumpkin desserts!
MamiTig Posted Nov 25, 2012, 1:07 am	We got to enjoy another one of the host family's holiday traditions. We went for a leaf walk, to find colorful leaves to make a table centerpiece for tonight's Thanksgiving dinner! This is a tradition that host mom says has been practiced in her family for at least four generations now!
MamiTig Posted Nov 25, 2012, 6:08 am	We got to help make Thanksgiving dinner! Sweet potato and Black Bean Enchiladas, white cheese mashed potatoes, dinner rolls, and cranberry sauce made up the menu!
MamiTig Posted Nov 26, 2012, 6:26 am	The city of Iola kicked off the Christmas season with an event on the town square! The kids had a candy cane hunt and then we listened to a storyteller. We waited and waited, and then Santa came in on a fire truck to light the town's tree!!
MamiTig Posted Nov 28, 2012, 6:42 am	Host mom finished her sewing project: bright yellow jeans for her oldest daughter!
MamiTig Posted Dec 1, 2012, 6:08 am	Today we went to work with host mom and looked around her office.
MamiTig Posted Dec 3, 2012, 5:51 am	We helped make Christmas ornaments at youth group. The ornaments will also double as book marks and the youth group kids will be giving them away as gifts.
MamiTig Posted Dec 5, 2012, 4:52 am	Another yummy Sabbath potluck supper at the SDA church!
MamiTig Posted Dec 7, 2012, 3:07 am	Host mom made a couple of pretty shirts for her middle daughter!
MamiTig Posted Dec 8, 2012, 2:54 am	We went to the Bowlus Fine Arts center to watch the elementary school Christmas program!
MamiTig Posted Dec 9, 2012, 7:09 am	Host mom took us for a late night walk so that we could enjoy some of the Christmas lights that people around town have used to decorate their homes!
MamiTig Posted Dec 10, 2012, 4:53 am	We visited the Safari Museum in Chanute, KS and got to see and play with lots of fascinating artifacts from Africa and Borneo!
MamiTig Posted Dec 12, 2012, 4:57 am	We found some lovely buildings in downtown Parsons, KS!
MamiTig Posted Dec 13, 2012, 5:20 am	It was the coldest day so far this winter (17F) and host mom took us down to see the sun rising over the Neosho River. She is sad that it is still so low, and hopes we'll get lots of snowfall and then spring rains to fill it back up.
MamiTig Posted Dec 16, 2012, 8:58 pm	We got to watch the Iola Middle School winter concert... strings, choir, band, and jazz band! The kids were fantastic, and it made my heart dance!
MamiTig Posted Dec 17, 2012, 4:27 am	The Classique Dance Studio Christmas party was wonderful! We got to see the little dancers, and take part in an indoor "snowball" fight!
MamiTig Posted Dec 20, 2012, 4:53 am	We spent some time in the waiting room at Legend's Drive Dental today, while the host family all had their check ups!
MamiTig Posted Dec 21, 2012, 2:25 am	After a long day, dinner at CeCe's Pizza was delicious!
MamiTig Posted Dec 22, 2012, 5:44 am	Today was the first snow of winter! There wasn't much snow, but it sure was cold and gray!
MamiTig Posted Dec 23, 2012, 1:24 am	Host mom made a super cute outfit for her youngest daughter, who loves bright, sunshiny colors!
MamiTig Posted Dec 23, 2012, 3:07 am	Today we enjoyed a potluck at the SDA church!
MamiTig Posted Dec 25, 2012, 4:46 am	We went Christmas caroling with friends from church, then enjoyed a super hot bonfire afterward! Everyone was trying to roast marshmallows but it was so hot that it was hard to get close enough to get them cooked! Perfect for a cold winter's night!
MamiTig Posted Dec 26, 2012, 5:02 am	We enjoyed watching the host family celebrate Christmas! Merry Christmas to all!
MamiTig Posted Dec 29, 2012, 6:59 pm	The host family had an invasion of blob plushies, so we got to visit with them! (The oldest daughter had made them for presents- aren't they cute?!).
MamiTig Posted Dec 30, 2012, 12:03 am	Host mom has been having fun with fleece... she made her littlest daughter this pretty coat!
MamiTig Posted Dec 31, 2012, 5:32 am	Chrissy made some tiny little friends today!
MamiTig Posted Jan 2, 2013, 4:53 am	The new year greeted us with a light dusting of snow. There wasn't quite enough for a snowman, so we settled for a snow lump!
MamiTig Posted Jan 3, 2013, 3:45 am	Mmmm, yummy! French toast for dinner!
MamiTig Posted Jan 7, 2013, 4:24 am	One of the kids was sick with an ear infection, so we got to explore the doctor's office!
MamiTig Posted Jan 7, 2013, 1:35 pm	We enjoyed another Sabbath potluck supper at the SDA church
MamiTig Posted Jan 8, 2013, 5:18 am	We went to the park to see the frozen water on Elm Creek! It sure was a chilly day!
MamiTig Posted Jan 10, 2013, 4:49 am	We helped the host family make focaccia!
MamiTig Posted Jan 13, 2013, 2:13 am	Chrissy and some of the other TVs checked out the new coat that host mom made for her oldest middle daughter!
MamiTig Posted Jan 15, 2013, 4:12 am	The host family made a bucket list of things they would like to do in the next 5 years! I wonder which ones I'll get to do with them!
MamiTig Posted Jan 17, 2013, 5:14 am	The host family is musical and today, I got to see the oldest daughter's bass clarinet!
MamiTig Posted Jan 18, 2013, 5:10 am	The host family accomplished the first thing off of their list of 148 things today: baking a pineapple upside down cake!
MamiTig Posted Jan 20, 2013, 5:45 am	The host family crossed a second thing off of their list today: Taking the dogs to the dog park. The host family has three dogs named Bowly, Turtle, and Dove!
MamiTig Posted Jan 22, 2013, 2:04 am	Host mom started a new project today, how exciting! She is using pretty red fleece!
MamiTig Posted Jan 22, 2013, 3:38 am	The host family crossed a third (and very delicious) thing off of their goal list: bake a cheese cake! This one is pumpkin swirl flavored
MamiTig Posted Jan 25, 2013, 5:25 am	Host mom introduced Chrissy to the piccolo today!
MamiTig Posted Jan 28, 2013, 5:19 am	We enjoyed another delicious vegetarian Sabbath supper at the SDA church First, we helped set up, then we got to eat!
MamiTig Posted Jan 28, 2013, 5:20 am	Host mom bought a lovely little bouquet of sunflowers today
MamiTig Posted Jan 31, 2013, 4:04 am	We enjoyed lunch at Jin Shan Chinese buffet! They had so many delicious things to choose from
MamiTig Posted Feb 1, 2013, 4:18 am	Chrissy was fascinated with all of host mom's flutes and piccolos! Such pretty instruments!
MamiTig Posted Feb 4, 2013, 5:32 am	February 2nd is Hedgehog Day, so we consulted the hedgehog to see what the weather is going to do. The hedgehog saw her shadow, predicting 6 more weeks of winter
MamiTig Posted Feb 5, 2013, 5:28 am	Today we tried Ethiopian food at Elsa's! The food was fantastic, the waitress was very nice, and the smooth jazz music playing in the background made for a lovely ambiance.
MamiTig Posted Feb 7, 2013, 1:38 pm	It's a birthday party! Watching presents being unwrapped is so much fun!
MamiTig Posted Feb 11, 2013, 3:04 am	The host family took us to Pizza Hut for a middle school band fundraiser. We ate delicious potato wedges as an appetizer, before the pizza came!
MamiTig Posted Feb 11, 2013, 1:26 pm	Mmmm, these SDA church suppers are full of vegetarian deliciousness!
MamiTig Posted Feb 14, 2013, 4:54 am	We got to go to a second delicious vegetarian potluck today! This one was for the kids, as they were having a church lock-in for the night.
MamiTig Posted Feb 15, 2013, 1:54 am	We investigated the new baritone! So pretty and shiny!
MamiTig Posted Feb 16, 2013, 4:52 am	Host mom took us to the south lake to see the Canada geese. This is where they come when they head north and nest. The geese weren't quite as happy to see us as we were to see them, and kept their distance.
MamiTig Posted Feb 17, 2013, 6:02 am	We had an unexpected bit of snow last night, and since there hasn't been much this winter, host mom hurried us out first thing in the morning, to get pictures before it melted!
MamiTig Posted Feb 18, 2013, 3:32 am	This is the cement factory just outside of Chanute, KS. It's across the street from a music shop where host mom went to purchase a beginner baritone book for her daughter. This area sure is rural!
MamiTig Posted Feb 19, 2013, 5:10 am	This country road leads past the Colony, Kansas water tower. Colony is a town of about 400 people, with many more cows than humans!
MamiTig Posted Feb 21, 2013, 3:09 am	Today we visited Humboldt, KS and host mom was able to take us a lot closer to the cement plant there, to see what it looked like. It was huge and seemed to have lots of things going on!
MamiTig Posted Feb 21, 2013, 10:02 pm	Can you tell that host mom and her daughters like nail polish?
MamiTig Posted Feb 22, 2013, 5:09 am	There was a big snow storm, dropping lots of snow and ice on the area! School and work were cancelled today!
MamiTig Posted Feb 23, 2013, 2:12 am	A warm brunch of pumpkin pancakes with white chocolate chips, served with fried eggs, sounded so very good on a cold winter's day!
MamiTig Posted Feb 24, 2013, 7:01 am	Oh goody... preparing for another yummy Sabbath potluck supper at the Seventh Day Adventist church!
MamiTig Posted Feb 25, 2013, 6:34 am	Chrissy enjoyed trying the vegetarian fajita taco salad at El Charro's Mexican restaurant!
MamiTig Posted Feb 27, 2013, 2:50 am	Host mom finished her third jacket, finally! She was very pleased with how it turned out, and her daughters were delighted to receive them!
MamiTig Posted Mar 1, 2013, 5:53 am	We got round two of winter storms, so host mom got to stay home for the day. The weather man predicted 8 to 12 inches of snow, but we only got about two, and then it was warm enough to melt some of it off. Host mom took us for a walk in the neighborhood, to see how pretty it looked before the snow went away!
MamiTig Posted Mar 4, 2013, 3:07 am	Chrissy was very curious about host mom's new sewing project. The fabric sure is a bright, bold orange!
MamiTig Posted Mar 8, 2013, 5:31 am	Host mom had to go to the post office to help some TVs continue in their journey. She was working in Garnett today so we stopped at the town square to see the mounds of snow that are still there from last week's storms, on the way to the post office!
MamiTig Posted Mar 11, 2013, 3:36 am	Vegetarian lasagna, scalloped potatoes, and so many other delicious things... Sabbath potluck is always wonderful!
MamiTig Posted Mar 13, 2013, 4:19 am	We traveled to Ottawa Music to get a piccolo repaired. It's a wonderful place, full of guitars and musical things both recognizable and mysterious. And they are super nice about answering questions!
MamiTig Posted Mar 15, 2013, 3:35 am	Host mom finished the orange cape that she was making for her oldest daughter. It's so warm and cozy, perfect for TVs to snuggle in
MamiTig Posted Mar 17, 2013, 5:26 am	Host mom took us to the north lake over her lunch hour. We explored the old stone shelter building and then took a look at the lake. It was nice to get out in the fresh air!
MamiTig Posted Mar 18, 2013, 2:51 am	It was chilly today, but that didn't stop us from going to the park to see the historic Carnegie building and log cabin, and playing with some children that we found at the park!
MamiTig Posted Mar 20, 2013, 1:36 am	Host mom got a special new T-shirt that she's all excited about! It's for Elio motors... she says she can't hardly wait until she gets her Elio in 2014. It will be the first car of its type made and marketed in the USA!
MamiTig Posted Mar 20, 2013, 3:50 am	Today we went to the Kansas City airport to drop off one of the host family kids, so she could go visit her grandmother for spring break. We got there early because host mom was worried about the long airport lines that had been reported. We waited a long time so we got to do lots of people watching!
MamiTig Posted Mar 23, 2013, 2:21 am	Host mom took us to work at her Garnett office today. She told us the story of these lovely violets that sit in the windowsill of the group room.  About 10 years ago, they were in little tiny pots looked all dried up. The office manager at the time, Marlys, was going to throw them away, but noticed they weren't completely dead, so she decided to put them in bigger pots and see if she could revive them. You can see that she did a wonderful job, because while Marlys retired about three years ago, the violets are still lovely!
MamiTig Posted Mar 23, 2013, 2:33 am	Host mom had been looking at a lot of blogs about repurposing clothing and decided to give it a try. Amazing how a pair of old hand me down capri pants from her oldest daughter turns into a cute summer shirt and skirt for a younger daughter!
MamiTig Posted Mar 25, 2013, 5:12 am	Back to the Kansas City airport; spring break is over! It sure is chilly and gray for spring time, but inside the terminal there were lots of interesting posters to look at and learn about Kansas City's jazz history.
MamiTig Posted Mar 29, 2013, 3:29 am	We had a delicious lunch at Pizza Street before heading back home!
MamiTig Posted Mar 31, 2013, 5:33 am	Host mom is working on costumes again! She got two pairs of pants done today, and is working on a third. She said this set will take a while, and she seemed very excited! I wonder what they will be?
MamiTig Posted Apr 2, 2013, 2:14 am	We went on an amazing adventure! Host mom took the afternoon off from work and surprised the kids by picking them up from school. She told them that it was adventure time. One of the kids asked, "A good adventure or a bad adventure?" "A good adventure, for sure!" she replied, with a twinkle in her eye. She drove us for about two hours, then we stopped at a Thai restaurant called Thai Smile. Host mom called it a "hole in the wall" because it only had 14 seats in the whole restaurant. The host family filled more than half the restaurant! Host mom said you get the best food at a hole in the wall, and she was right! It was fantastic! After that, we piled back into the car and drove to downtown Wichita, for our final destination for the evening: the historic Orpheum Theater, where we watched the Trey McIntyre Project perform amazing contemporary dance! Yes, it was a good adventure!
MamiTig Posted Apr 3, 2013, 5:01 am	We went with the host family to enjoy a huge Easter celebration at a local park. It was really crowded, with around 1200 people there, but everyone had a wonderful time!
MamiTig Posted Apr 8, 2013, 5:19 am	Host mom has been sewing plushies in her spare time, to sell as a fundraiser for the local middle school's History Bowl team. They won in the regional competition and get to go to Washington DC to compete in the nationals next month!
MamiTig Posted Apr 10, 2013, 4:37 am	Now host mom is sewing bow ties for the History Bowl fundraiser! They are so cute, and the middle school kids love them!
MamiTig Posted Apr 16, 2013, 2:26 am	We enjoyed youth group... there were songs, a cup cake craft, and hay stacks for dinner!
MamiTig Posted Apr 22, 2013, 4:49 am	Springtime is slowly getting here and the host family took advantage of a sunny afternoon to start getting their garden ready
MamiTig Posted Apr 25, 2013, 4:28 am	Yay, yummy Mexican food! We went to El Charro's to celebrate a birthday with the host family
MamiTig Posted Apr 28, 2013, 2:41 am	A flock of wildly colored ninjas invaded the home... (well, really, they were more fundraising items that host mom made and donated to the middle school History Bowl, to help get the team to the national competition in Washington DC).
MamiTig Posted Apr 30, 2013, 4:51 am	We found ourselves back at El Charro, celebrating another birthday!
MamiTig Posted May 4, 2013, 6:05 am	We visited the amazing Deanna Rose Farmstead! It was so fun to explore all of the different things
MamiTig Posted May 6, 2013, 5:00 am	After a fun time at the farmstead, we went to eat veggie burgers at Red Robin! They have the world's best veggie burgers (we think) and all the french fries you can eat
MamiTig Posted May 9, 2013, 3:39 am	It was a beautiful day, so we went down to the Neosho River to play! Lots of people were out to fish and throw rocks in the water!
MamiTig Posted May 13, 2013, 5:28 am	We helped a high school student campaign for treasurer in her school's student elections (she won)!
MamiTig Posted May 15, 2013, 5:27 am	Road trip! We headed on an adventure today and our first stop was to see the historical marker at the spring in Eureka, Kansas.
MamiTig Posted May 18, 2013, 12:30 am	Our next stop to stretch our legs was at a pretty bridge in El Dorado, KS. This little site is tucked just off of the highway and is very peaceful.
MamiTig Posted May 19, 2013, 6:50 pm	Once we got to Wichita, we found a lovely Chinese restaurant for dinner. The name of the restaurant was Kirin and they were having their grand opening. We ate an amazing vegetarian feast including cream cheese wontons, lo mein, ma po tofu, fried rice, white rice, and chow mein.
MamiTig Posted May 20, 2013, 12:42 am	After dinner, we drove downtown to the Orpheum Theater, to watch the Wichita State University Contemporary Dance Recital. They don't allow pictures inside the theater, but we got there early enough that we were able to wander around downtown and admire the art and architecture. We found an amazing horse sculpture that was made entirely out of old car bumpers. There were also pigs made out of bumpers, but they were inside of a building that was already locked for the night.
MamiTig Posted May 21, 2013, 6:01 am	It was a beautiful evening and we very much enjoyed the middle school's musical performance on the town square!
MamiTig Posted May 26, 2013, 5:48 am	Host mom's son decided to take me to Washington DC, where he would be competing in the National History Bowl! Our first stop was the Kansas City airport, where we boarded our plane for DC!
MamiTig Posted May 27, 2013, 12:47 am	I was so excited to get to Washington D.C.! We checked into our hotel, then ate lunch at a restaurant called Ollie's Trolley. It was full of interesting antiques. Next, we wandered around D.C. and saw the White House and the National Museum!
MamiTig Posted May 27, 2013, 4:23 am	The second exciting day in Washington D.C.! We ate breakfast at a restaurant called Au Bon Pain, then spent most of the day wandering through the Smithsonian. There were so many exhibits, it was impossible to see them all, but we sure tried!
MamiTig Posted May 27, 2013, 4:50 am	Finally... the day that we were waiting for... the National History Bowl! Our team only won one round, but we were proud of their efforts and a great time was had by all
MamiTig Posted May 28, 2013, 5:12 am	Mmm! I always enjoy Sabbath supper at the Seventh Day Adventist church!
MamiTig Posted May 31, 2013, 5:45 am	Host mom showed us one of the country storm shelters... we were curious about them after the tornado sirens went off last week. The host family live in town, so when the tornado sirens went off, they went to the local arts center, where a huge basement room, two stories beneath the ground, was opened up for people to stay until the storm passed. In the country, people have their own little shelters, like these. Host mom said that the ground here is very wet, so not very many people have basements, in spite that it would be really convenient when the threat of tornadoes come!
MamiTig Posted Jun 1, 2013, 9:24 pm	Host mom was on call on Memorial Day and had to go to Erie. She was looking for the metal dinosaurs that are supposed to be on display in the are, but found the Osage Nation plaque instead.
MamiTig Posted Jun 4, 2013, 4:43 am	Host mom set her GPS to get to and from Erie for her on call visit. The GPS decided to take her off of the highway and down gravel roads. She came across this pretty community building in the middle of seeming nowhere. It had just the building, a storm cellar, and a small playground. When she got home, host mom looked up Odense, KS. Apparently, it is a township so small that she couldn't find a listing of the population anywhere!
MamiTig Posted Jun 6, 2013, 4:06 am	Our next stop was to look at the wildflowers near Elsmore, KS. Sometimes it's a good thing when the GPS takes you off the highway and into the wild!
MamiTig Posted Jun 8, 2013, 1:26 am	Host mom got to stay home for about half an hour before getting called out again. We helped host mom's friend, who is helping host mom paint her living room!
MamiTig Posted Jun 8, 2013, 2:16 am	Host mom showed us what most Americans do on Memorial Day: Visit the cemetery to pay respects to loved ones who have passed, especially honoring those who have given military service to the country.
MamiTig Posted Jun 10, 2013, 5:13 am	Host mom's last call was in Fort Scott, so she took us by to see the Fort Scott National Historic Site. It was closed for the evening, so we only got to look at the outside. Host mom explained that the bricks that line the streets and the walkways in old town Fort Scott were locally made, back in the 1800s!
MamiTig Posted Jun 12, 2013, 1:50 am	It was picture day at the host family's kids' dance studio. All of the kids looked like they were having so much fun showing off their costumes and playing while they waited their turns!
MamiTig Posted Jun 12, 2013, 3:49 am	Oh goody, a birthday! Watching presents being unwrapped is the most fun part of the day!
MamiTig Posted Jun 13, 2013, 4:36 am	Tonight was the dress rehearsal for the host family's kids' dance recital! So many excited kids, and I really enjoyed it!
MamiTig Posted Jun 14, 2013, 5:24 am	Recital day! I got to play with all the dancers who waited in the "holding pit" between their routines! There were so many costumes and so many fun kids
MamiTig Posted Jun 15, 2013, 4:36 am	Host mom's parents were visiting, so host mom made a vegetarian Thai feast for dinner! In the wok pan there is pad se ew, and in the glass dish (under all of the garnish) there is pad thai!
MamiTig Posted Jun 17, 2013, 4:48 am	The host family needed to take a trip to Lawrence, so they decided to visit the World's Largest Concete Teepee! It looks like someone lives in the main teepee now, but the side building is for rent. You can read more about its fascinating history by clicking here!
MamiTig Posted Jun 19, 2013, 5:02 am	On our way to dinner, found one of the Jayhawk statues that show pride in KU (University of Kansas), which is located in Lawrence. It was just across from the parking lot for Zen Zero, which is where we decided to eat. Everything was so good and plentiful that we ate and ate and ate until everyone was full!
MamiTig Posted Jun 20, 2013, 3:29 am	It's that time again! It's summer and the Farmer's Market has come to Iola on Thursday night. People from Iola and the surrounding area come to buy and sell produce, baked goods, and crafts. We love to look and see what there is to buy!
MamiTig Posted Jun 23, 2013, 3:51 am	We ate "haystacks" at the Sabbath potluck this time! Haystacks have fritos corn chips on the bottom, then slow cooked pinto beans, cheese, lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes, olives, onions, and salsa. They are super delicious!
MamiTig Posted Jun 27, 2013, 1:36 am	Host mom says that the best part of spring and summer in Kansas is the wildflowers! These pretty flowers grow by her garage.
MamiTig Posted Jun 27, 2013, 3:49 am	We had to pick up kids at the airport, so of course we took advantage of being in the area to feast at the Ghengis Khan restaurant! The host family LOVE this place because you can create your own meal and watch them cook it on the giant grill stone!
MamiTig Posted Jun 28, 2013, 4:40 am	Host mom took us out to the community garden at about 10 pm to look at the supermoon, since there were too many trees around the family's house. It didn't seem that enormous from where we stood, but it sure was a pretty orange!
MamiTig Posted Jun 30, 2013, 2:57 am	Today's adventure involved playing with baby hedgehogs! They are so prickly, but adorable
MamiTig Posted Jul 1, 2013, 8:33 pm	Host mom's project today was to make 2 pairs of blue slippers, to go with the cosplay costumes she is making. They turned out to be adorable!
MamiTig Posted Jul 2, 2013, 6:06 am	Today host mom took us to Chanute to run some errands. She stopped to show us the lovely, historic down town area. The yellow brick building called the Tioga Hotel has a wooden elevator much like the one featured in the old movie The Shining, but we didn't have time to go in and look at that part.
MamiTig Posted Jul 7, 2013, 2:26 am	I was so excited to be on vacation with my host family, at Broken Arrow Ranch in north central Kansas. We are here for a week of family camp, with about a dozen other families. The first thing we did when we arrived was unpack and make ourselves at home in the cabin.  Next, we spent some time playing in the recreation area. In the evening, we enjoyed a campfire service on a bluff overlooking the Tuttle Creek Reservoir. Sunset was stunningly gorgeous!
MamiTig Posted Jul 7, 2013, 6:35 am	On the second day of vacation, we started the day with a worship service in the Green Cathedral. Then, went to the beach. Later, we enjoyed an outdoor cooking lesson where we made foil-wrapped packets with olive oil, white potatoes, sweet potatoes,  yellow and red bell pepper, onion,  fri-chik (vegetarian meat substitute), sage, salt, and pepper, that we roasted on a fire.
MamiTig Posted Jul 8, 2013, 5:50 am	We celebrated the Fourth of July (American Independence Day) with an All-American (though, all vegetarian) luncheon. In the afternoon we had another cooking with Travis lesson, and learned to make baked cinnamon apples on a camp fire. In the evening, we had a campfire worship service that was followed by fireworks over the beach!
MamiTig Posted Jul 14, 2013, 6:03 am	The host family started the day with ziplining, but we didn't get to go because host mom was afraid she'd lose us. After that was a yummy lunch with veggie burgers. Then host mom took a picture of the view from the cabin on the way back to take a nap after lunch. After our nap we went to play in the recreation room
MamiTig Posted Jul 16, 2013, 4:03 am	On our last day of camp, they brought us breakfast in bed... a basket full of cereal, milk, orange juice, and fresh, hot scones! It was a great way to end a wonderful week. After that we packed up, and we stopped to take a look at the tall grass prairie and the Flint Hills at a vista just outside of Broken Arrow Ranch.
MamiTig Posted Jul 19, 2013, 4:47 am	The day after we got back from family camp, host mom took one of her sons to summer camp at Hidden Haven. Just outside the camp, she stopped along the road to show us the black-eyed susan flowers that were growing along the road. They are one of the many forms of sunflower that grow in Kansas.
MamiTig Posted Jul 22, 2013, 12:49 am	We joined in the festivities at the Mad Bomber Run (a community event celebrating a piece of local history) by helping the middle and high school band booster club run carnival booths.
MamiTig Posted Jul 22, 2013, 2:24 am	We had fun helping to get ready for the Sabbath potluck at church. There were so many fun people and so much delicious food that I had a fabulous time. We got to look at the To Save A Life movie kit that host mom shared with the church elders and got approval to show it at church and do a discussion group with teens this fall.
MamiTig Posted Jul 22, 2013, 5:49 am	We got to go to a wedding! Host mom has been friends with the bride's mom for over a decade, and got to watch her grow from a little girl into a young woman. She was such a beautiful bride, with a country style wedding.
MamiTig Posted Jul 29, 2013, 3:31 am	We took a trip to Springfield, Missouri to go on a ghost hunt with the Paranormal Task Force! We stayed at the University Plaza Hotel, which has a reputation for being haunted, and visited the Pythian Castle for the ghost hunt. We didn't experience anything unusual, but it was interesting to explore anyway.
MamiTig Posted Aug 3, 2013, 5:02 am	After an exciting night of ghost hunting, we stopped at the beautiful Precious Moments Chapel on the way home. Host mom said she has traveled to many places in the world, and this is one of the most peaceful places she has found.
MamiTig Posted Aug 7, 2013, 2:20 am	The host family took us to the Allen County Fair! We saw different kinds of livestock, baby animals, baked goods, and handicrafts that people entered in the fair.
MamiTig Posted Aug 11, 2013, 5:06 am	Tonight was our first night in Tulsa... we watched the host family and friends get ready for the rave at the Tokyo in Tulsa anime convention!
MamiTig Posted Aug 13, 2013, 4:20 am	The host family were really busy with the convention today so I stayed back at the hotel with most of the TVs. This is the view of downtown Tulsa from our hotel room
MamiTig Posted Aug 14, 2013, 4:18 am	On our last day at the convention, we spent some time just sitting and watching the people pass by in the hall, near the artist booths. Some of them were very interesting!
MamiTig Posted Aug 17, 2013, 4:42 am	On the way home, we stopped at Red Robin in Owasso for lunch. We love the veggie burgers, but service was crazily slow!!! The table just behind us had 3 sets of customers while we waited for our food, grrr!!! But, the veggie burgers were delicious!
MamiTig Posted Aug 19, 2013, 1:30 am	Host mom made an adorable outfit for one of her daughters! I love the bright orange fabrics, they look so cheery!
MamiTig Posted Aug 21, 2013, 1:38 am	We went to deliver hedgehogs to PetWorld in Lawrence, KS. It's the best pet store in the world (at least, the host family thinks so). The staff are super friendly and they let you pet the animals and teach you all about them!
MamiTig Posted Aug 26, 2013, 5:14 am	After delivering hedgies, we headed about 30 minutes to the east to run a few more errands, then ate dinner at delicious Sweet Tomatoes!
MamiTig Posted Aug 30, 2013, 4:26 am	Host mom made a second outfit, for her other youngest daughter!
MamiTig Posted Sep 5, 2013, 3:00 am	We took a trip down to the Neosho River to check the water levels. At the beginning of summer, the entire area was under extreme drought conditions and you could easily walk across at hip level. Now the water levels are showing at over 9 feet deep!!! We got a lot of much needed rain this summer!
MamiTig Posted Sep 9, 2013, 12:21 am	We attended Sabbath service and then had a delicious potluck at the Seventh Day Adventist church!
MamiTig Posted Sep 14, 2013, 5:59 am	Host mom took us to visit the Wayne Garrett Memorial Children's Garden. It was built by master gardeners who volunteer with the local after school program and dedicated to the husband of a local teacher, who was killed in a tractor accident.
MamiTig Posted Sep 19, 2013, 1:48 am	Today we went to DeGage Dancewear to help the host family's oldest daughter buy her first pair of pointe shoes! She looked so elegant and lovely in them!! I was just as excited as she was!
MamiTig Posted Sep 26, 2013, 1:45 am	We went on a search for insects for one of the host kids's science class. He was horrified at the original assignment, which involved catching bugs, freezing them to death, then pinning them to a piece of cardboard. The teacher relented to his request and let him take photographs of them instead. My favorite was this bunch of web worms!
MamiTig Posted Sep 29, 2013, 12:32 am	Host mom had to go to Wichita for a continuing education conference, so she took us in the convertible, with the top down! On the way home, we stopped at the park in El Dorado to feed the geese!
MamiTig Posted Oct 5, 2013, 6:00 am	We went to youth group and had so much fun! There was a puppet show, and we did arts and crafts
MamiTig Posted Oct 16, 2013, 4:59 am	I tagged along with the host family, to go to the dentist, in Lawrence. Afterward was my favorite; dinner out at CiCi's Pizza!
MamiTig Posted Oct 18, 2013, 11:47 pm	Host mom's middle daughter wanted a wild poncho, so host mom made it for her! She'll be warm and cozy in those zebra stripes
MamiTig Posted Oct 19, 2013, 2:29 am	We went to Wichita to see Momix Botanica at the Orpheum Theater. Since we were running too late to get pictures outside and they don't allow cameras inside the Orpheum, host mom didn't get a chance to take any pictures there. But, she did get a picture of our great pre-show dinner at China Star.
MamiTig Posted Oct 20, 2013, 12:21 am	Kansas City is famous for its race cars and October is Breast Cancer Awareness month... we came across this great pace car, celebrating both!
MamiTig Posted Oct 21, 2013, 2:03 am	Host mom helped her daughter make cabin for her third grade class assignment on the book Sign of the Beaver. I really liked how it turned out!
MamiTig Posted Oct 31, 2013, 12:37 am	We started out on an exciting road trip today! The first place we stopped was St. Joseph, Missouri, where we ate at a Taco Bell/Pizza Hut franchise for lunch.
MamiTig Posted Nov 1, 2013, 3:34 am	Our next stop was at the Loess Hills Visitor Center in Iowa, which has been dubbed "the best rest stop in Iowa." We learned about the geography of the Loess Hills, and that this type of hill was formed by glaciers and is only found in this part of the United States, and part of China.
MamiTig Posted Nov 1, 2013, 3:34 am	Our next stop was at the Loess Hills Visitor Center in Iowa, which has been dubbed "the best rest stop in Iowa." We learned about the geography of the Loess Hills, and that this type of hill was formed by glaciers and is only found in this part of the United States, and part of China.
MamiTig Posted Nov 4, 2013, 4:23 am	Our first morning in Omaha, we took a visit to the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge. It spans the river between Omaha, Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa. The first thing we saw, after we parked, was the most enormous vending machine I have ever seen! Behind it, the bridge seemed mystical in the chilly morning mist!
MamiTig Posted Nov 18, 2013, 1:14 am	Our second destination was just around the corner from the first. The Lewis and Clark Trail Visitor's Center was supposed to be closed due to the federal government shutdown, but the state of Nebraska provided extra funding so that it would be open for tourists like us! We saw so many interesting things, and out the back door, we got another view of the bridge we had just walked on!
MamiTig Posted Nov 21, 2013, 3:09 am	We visited Joslyn Castle in downtown Omaha. It has a very interesting history and even though it wasn't open for tours of the inside, we got to take a nice look at the outside!
MamiTig Posted Nov 27, 2013, 2:14 am	Our last stop of the day was Boy's Town. We stopped at the main office to get directions to the museum and garden, and had the opportunity to feed a loaf of bread to some friendly geese. We also got to see the world's largest ball of stamps, the museum that told about the history of Boy's Town, and the Bible Garden.
MamiTig Posted Nov 30, 2013, 4:15 am	The next morning we crossed the river and went to Council Bluff, Iowa, where we visited the Squirrel Cage Jail. Both the architecture and the history were quite fascinating, so be sure to click the link and learn more!
MamiTig Posted Dec 4, 2013, 6:43 pm	Our next destination was across the parking lot from the squirrel cage jail, at the Union Pacific Railroad Museum. We got to learn about the history of the railroad, and see what it might be like inside of passenger train cars!
MamiTig Posted Dec 6, 2013, 5:07 am	Next on our stop was the Council Bluffs town square/park. Council Bluffs is famous for its black squirrels, but those adorable little guys wouldn't hold still for a picture with us, so we had to settle for a picture with a statue. We also noticed the lovely architecture of downtown Council Bluffs, which consisted of well preserved brick buildings from the mid to late 1800s to early 1900s.
MamiTig Posted Dec 11, 2013, 5:21 am	The last place we visited on our road trip was the Mormon Trail Center. A very nice docent took us through the exhibits and talked to us about how the Mormon settlers had to leave Nauvoo, Illinois to avoid persecution, and ended up wintering in what late became Omaha, before pressing on to their final settlement in Salt Lake City, Utah. We learned what life would have been like in that era, as well as a tremendous amount of history!
MamiTig Posted Dec 17, 2013, 2:19 am	Haunted Hay Mazes are a deliciously fun American tradition on Halloween. After we found our way through the spooky hay maze, we had hot chocolate and roasted marshmallows by the fire!
MamiTig Posted Dec 21, 2013, 4:35 am	Halloween is one of the host family's favorite holidays! The children dress in costumes and go house to house where they say "trick or treat" and people give them candy. We stopped at a street party where we got to dance with a zombie!
MamiTig Posted Dec 24, 2013, 1:31 am	Mmm, church supper at the SDA church! We helped set up and then we got to enjoy a delicious feast!
MamiTig Posted Dec 25, 2013, 4:54 am	We made a late night visit to Krispy Kreme donuts. We got to watch how they are made and enjoy their deliciousness! I can see why Krispy Kremes are so popular!
MamiTig Posted Dec 29, 2013, 5:20 am	Host mom made these awesome tardis shirts for her favorite Dr. Who fans, for Christmas! The fabric was custom made at Spoonflower and the buttons were handmade, purchased through Etsy, and have tardis' on them. The inside lapel of the shirt has a print of the inside of the tardis, as does the inside of the pocket!
MamiTig Posted Jan 1, 2014, 4:06 am	We helped bake Christmas cookies! The platters looked so pretty and the host family distributed them to their friends.
MamiTig Posted Jan 2, 2014, 12:46 am	Host mom made pumpkin pancakes and eggs for breakfast. Then we got to taste test three different kinds of apple juice. It was so hard to decide what I liked best, but I think it was the apple pie!
MamiTig Posted Jan 2, 2014, 3:06 am	We got a science lesson today! Host mom's daughter had to create a model of a plant cell, so host mom helped her to make one out of cookie dough!
MamiTig Posted Jan 8, 2014, 4:25 am	On Thanksgiving, we were thankful to be in a community that is warm and welcoming. We went with the host family to St. Timothy's church to share a community Thanksgiving meal.
MamiTig Posted Jan 11, 2014, 2:31 am	We walked downtown and took a peek in the shop windows in downtown Iola! They have a lot of interesting and fun stores on the town square.
MamiTig Posted Jan 15, 2014, 3:09 am	Host mom sewed tardis shirts for Christmas presents for her favorite Dr. Who fans. Even the buttons have tardis on them!
MamiTig Posted Feb 8, 2014, 10:00 pm	Host mom got some lovely granny smith apples and showed us how to turn them into an amazing cobbler for brunch!

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