Throwback Thursday #8: Lausanne Olympic Museum

"And we compel men to exercise their bodies not only for the games, so that they cn win the prizes-for very few of them go to them-but to gain a greater good from it for the whole city, and for the men themselves." ~Lucian, 170 AD

So back to Throwback Thursdays, which were momentarially interrupted due to the holidays, and our day in Lusanne (pronounced Lo zan) Switzerland. This was going to be our last full day in Switzerland, so we were trying to figure out what to do. We debated taking the train to Zurich (so we could see the German side of the country) or to Paris (to say we'd been to Paris), but in the end we were kind of tired, knew we'd be traveling the next day to Rome, and decided just to go to Lausanne. Um....maybe the best decision on the whole trip!

We went to the Olympic Museum. I'm not much of a fan of museums....in general, I find them boring. If you are going to one museum in your life....go here! It was so awesome--stuff outside and inside, old and new, historical and more pop culture, statues and videos and jerseys....it was awesome.

This is a cauldren lit with the actual Olympic flame from Greece. Cool, huh?
Now, right off the bat, I feel the need to just admit my obsession with all things Michael. Yes, that's right, Phelps and Jordan. Love them both, and when I got around ANYTHING involving either of them, I turned into the paparazzi! Here are a miniscule sample of the pictures I took. :)

This is a sand sculpture of him right at the entrance of the museum. My understanding is that they will make it into an actual bronze statue. (As I stated on facebook when I posted this, if anyone knows him, send this on. I feel he might love me if he meets me).

A pair of his actual goggles from Athens.

Yes, I indeed did take my shoe off right there in the museum and make poor Whitney take the picture. I also really enjoyed the historical sports stuff they had there. Here's a discus and a golf club for examples.

It was also super exciting to see the actual jerseys and uniforms of the athletes. There are tons more I have pictures of---Steffi Graf, Muhammad Ali, Katarina Witt.....but here are two of my favs.

This is Nadia Comaneci's suit from the Opening Ceremonies in the 1976 Montreal Games. (FYI in case you're not a sports person, she was a Romanian gymnast who won 3 golds and received the first ever perfect 10). Look how tiny it is!

And here is Shannon Miller's suit from one of the Olympic games she participated in...I think Barcelona in 1992. She's always been my favorite gymnast---and she's the most decorated in US history. (I also learned she has her law degree. I knew I liked her!)
Now these two pictures show one of the craziest parts of the museum. Here is Whitney standing under a pole vault bar set at Olympic record height. Now how crazy is that?? Then there's me standing under the high jump bar. Can you imagine that someone actually jumped that high?

Now these next pictures are some of my favorites. They have an Olympic medal podium that you can stand on and take pictures. My favorite part was how people from all over the world, who didn't even speak the same language and might have had nothing in common all enjoyed taking their picture on the podium. Everyone was so excited and friendly and cheering. It was great. That reminds me, it was interesting to wak through the museum with people from all over the world. You really wouldn't have known where anyone was from, but you could tell by what they would freak out upon seeing and start taking pictures like crazy. Let's just say after my Michael and Michael photos--there was zero question we were Americans.

I believe these guys were from Italy.

This guy was the most excited of anyone to be on the podium. I talked to his wife (well as best we could since we didn't speak the same language) and they were such nice people.

So after the museum, we decided to try our hand at paddle boating. It was a warm, sunny day, and we thought it looked fun. We were right again!

At first, we wanted to paddle to the sailboat. Honest to goodness...I took that picture and it was more beautiful in person than it even looks there!
However, we got scared. Not that we couldn't make it or that we'd drown. But when you get out there a ways the water starts getting pretty choppy. We had Sean's expensive camera with us. When we hit a wake the first thing we did was grab that camera and hold it up in the air as high as we could. We talked about it later and both said our biggest concern if we had tipped over wasn't our own safety, our money, our passports....but Sean's camera.

I also remember screaming at one point thinking this ship was going to hit us. It seriosuly started moving and we paddled and paddled and seemed not to be getting out of the way fast enough. Luckily, we surivived.

So...this blog wraps up our time in the Swiss countryside. I'd go back in a heartbeat and would recommend it to anyone who wants to travel. It was beautiful.

Stay tuned next week as we travel to Geneva to fly to Roma! (And have the scariest experience of my life after we land!)

Christmas Dowell-style

"A love for tradition has never weakened a nation, indeed it has strengthened nations in their hour of peril." ~Winston Churchill

I had a great time at home for Christmas with the family, and thought I'd share just a few pictures and traditions from our holiday.

I made it home right before a crazy snowstorm hit---had I waited an hour longer, I would not have gotten home that day because they closed the interstate! Anyway, we got about 8 inches of snow and temps that were frequently in the single digits, even -1 one morning. This meant for lots of feeding cows and breaking ice (and Dad testing his new gun...and no, not at the deer in the pictures). Oh, and don't worry...the dogs stayed warm at the Marriott hotel mom has created on the front porch.

We spent lots of time at the barn where our ewes are lambing. They are cute little suckers when they're so little! This involves a lot of hauling water, ear tagging, paint branding, rubberbanding, etc. It's really fun to see them when they're little and try to figure out which ones will end up being the best for our show lamb sale in April. It's more fun when it's not freezing outside. :)

Anyway, for Christmas Eve the fam goes to candlelight service at the Methodist Church. Prior to church, we take our yearly family photo. Despite having the "Denton, do not try to light someone on fire" talk in the car every year, it never works. This year he attempted to light the little paper wax protecter on my dad's candle on fire. Thank goodness, he was unsuccessful. Then after church our neighbors come over for posole and tamales and pie. (I'll be spending lots of time at the gym this week!)

Here the boys keep the traditional family pose alive, where they suck it in and look happy. Apparently my great uncle Marshall started this craze. Too bad we're not lined up by the cars, which was also a tradition he liked for pictures.

On Christmas day, we get up....and go to the barn. Gotta feed those sheep and check on the babies before presents. Then we come in, have the tree (as my great grandmother would call it) and get our presents. Here are some highlights:

No holiday is comlete without OSU apparrel....or a neon John Deere clock....or some work clothes!

The coolest presents were these....the first is mine. It's my dad's garden box from 4-H that was built by my grandpa. He cleaned it up and had our neighbor paint this on the inside. The second is my brothers. It's a crock my great grandma used for milk from the cows. Our neighbor also painted it with one of our corrals.

Finally, we have a huge family breakfast. (Again...gym this week....for real!) Don't think I didn't cook just becuase there were no photos. I was the one taking pictures, but was also in charge of pouring the pancake batter onto the grill.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with your families and got to enjoy some of your own holiday traditions!

Bucket List Year In Review

"Every man dies--not every man really lives." ~William Ross Wallace

I feel that my bucket list gets a lot of attention on the blog. Wierd. I started it before the movie came out, but I did steal the name. I've got 52 items on the list. So far, I've fulfilled 17. Only 35 more to go....except that I keep adding to it! Anyway, 8 of my 17 were this year. So, here is a photo for each of the checkmarks on my bucketlist for 2009. 2010 sure has a lot to live up to!

• Do Something Completely Spontaneous. (Last minute trip to Stillwater for my birthday and a football game with some of my favorite people in the world!)

• Go to Italy. (Summer adventure.....sooo much fun!)

• See the Vatican. (This one and go to Italy really were two different things on the list....I always thought I'd go to Tuscany first...)

• Watch someone's dream come true. (When The Groom saw The Bride for the first time in her dress...sappy, I know.)

• Go to Europe. (Post-bar adventure to Switzerland, France and Italy!)

• Graduate #1 in my law school class. (So far they haven't come back to tell my my grades were all a big mistake, so I'll count it!)

• Buy a house. (Closed the day before I graduted from law school...can you say stressful weekend!?!)

• Go to a Bowl Game. (New Mexico Bowl, 2009---see prior blog "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!)

I hope to have more great experiences next year and add more checkmarks to the list! Everyone should make their own bucket list...it's a great way to remind yourself that we really do have to life our lives while we have the chance!

2009 What I Have Learned This Year

"I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught." ~Winston Churchill

Well as 2009 comes to a close, I was thinking about what I'd learned this year. I figure it's important to keep track of these things, lest we forget....so where better than the blog? Here are my thoughts from 2009:

1. Even when you've had a chance to say goodbye, you're never ready to lose someone you love.

2. You take your life into your own hands when you crawl into a taxi in Rome.

3. When you are studying for the bar, you should probably wrap yourself in bubble wrap to avoid the injuries sustained due to your brain being on overload (i.e. burned arm, leg scraped from the knee to ankle, etc.)

4. Nothing beats having people who love and support you when you achieve a goal!

5. Maybe I do want a big wedding after all....my friends whose relationship caused this shouldprobably have to fork over the bill when this day finally comes! ;)

6. There is something nice about being single and employed and able to jump on a plane on less than 24-hours notice for a birthday football game with the girls!

7. Even people who have nothing in common can have a great time with each other when a little dancing is involved.8. The most beautiful place I've seen in my entire life is Switzerland.....I think they might have figured out the way to live in their tiny, quiet, clean villages, and we've missed the boat trying to be bigger and better. 9. Even someone who is not a "baby person" gets insanely excited when her friends announce that little ones are on the way!

10. Maybe I really will know when the one comes, thanks to some great advice from Cousin Kevin.

And finally, the one I think is probably the most important, I've learned it matters much more to be a good person than anything else.....be it good looking or rich or well-dressed or whatever......both when looking at myself, and in looking for someone else.