Introducing: Makoa

Makoa Brlas, 10 month old Moscow Watchdog 

Check out Alia's blog for the day our puppy arrived home.

2016 Oahu & Big Island Hawaii vacation

Baby's first beach -- Ala Moana Beach

Meeting Aunty Jennifer and cousin Khyla

Visiting Hawaii National Volcano Park

Meeting Tutu

Baby is becoming a savvy traveler! She visited state #4 -- Hawaii -- to meet her Hawaiian and Filipino family.  She loved the beaches and playing in the ocean.  Check out Alia's blog for more pictures under label 2016 01 Hawaii.

2015 Christmas

A Merry Christmas to our Peeps!  Check out Alia's blog under label 2015 Christmas.

2015 Manhattan & Queens NY vacation

We had a wonderful time on our family vacation to New York City!  Alia was great walking around and riding the subway.  We need to work on riding the plane more (need to guarantee there is electronic entertainment available!) but she was a happy baby the whole trip.  I was pleased with myself too.  We were on the go every day and I was only tired and sore on the first full day there.  I didn't get sick or wanted to go home half way through the day. Yay!  For pictures and details, check out Alia's blog under label 2015 NYC.

ADOPTION QUEST: Permanent Custody

After 3 years of hoping and praying for a child of our own, we are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel... little miss Sophia aka our Alia -- permanent custody was granted today!!  The biologicals no longer have rights!  We hope in 3 months time, adoption will be finalized.  Keep sending your prayers and happy thoughts our way!

Go to maheabrlas.blogspot.com for more information.

Happy 1st Birthday Sophia Alia!!

Baby is growing up fast! Check out the festivities on Alia's blog under the label 1st birthday.

RIP Keala 2004-2015

My heart is broken.  You were the smartest, bravest and sassiest dog I have ever known.  I am proud to call you my first Baby.  Love and miss you forever!

 

 

ADOPTION QUEST: Introducing... Sophia

Welcome to our family!  She is 5 weeks old and so adorable.  Check out her blog at maheabrlas.blogspot.com for all the excitement!

A New Chapter In Life

After 14 years at Mudd Library and over 22 years working in a library setting, I am leaving all that I know for a new office job so I can have a normal nine to five schedule.  Or should I say eight to four days! Hello Financial Aid and Admissions!

2014 PRAGUE: Day 1 CLE-IAD

June 25

Cleveland - Washington DC Dulles

Our summer vacation trip is finally here!  We are so excited to be traveling to Europe to checkout Prague!  Here we go!

We had time to have lunch before catching our 1st plane -- Panini's Bar and Grill

 

Uh oh, it's a propeller plane, and we're sitting right next to it!

So glad to be in Washington DC!  The short propeller plane ride was rough on me!  I'm not feeling too good now.  Wow, we only had time to use the restrooms and walk over to our gate.  We are back on our next plane ride!

2014 PRAGUE: Evening 1 FRA-PRG

June 25

Washington DC - Frankfurt - Prague

Aloha Frankfurt, Germany!  It's Aaron's first time in Germany; my first time in Frankfurt. Our long flight was great!  We ended up not having the 3-seat row to ourselves as I had planned, but we were in Economy Plus with more leg room and we had our own entertainment screens to view newly released movies, etc. We even had complimentary dinner and breakfast!  We exited through this fancy airplane stairs into nice 70 degree weather and bright blue skies.

Shuttles had to take us to another part of the airport, like on the other side.

We had some time to grab lunch before catching our last plane ride.  Oddly we picked panini style sandwiches for our snack, with coffee.  Is there a theme going on?  Everyone has been so nice and friendly the whole trip over.  And it was easy to navigate around, even if they are speaking German here.  It made things easy for us.

We are still in good spirits.  Prague... here we come!

2014 PRAGUE: Prague Airport & our shuttle to the Little Quarter

June 26

Aloha Prague, Czech Republic!!  The Brlas' are here!  We were blessed again with nice cool weather and clear weather.  Since Vaclav Havel Airport was small we didn't have to walk around too much to retrieve our luggage.  We breezed through customs since we had no alcohol or cigarettes.  We did have a bit of trouble getting some Czech koruna (Kč) from the ATM machines.  We had to get some money from a Cash Exchange vendor with a not-so-great exchange rate, US$1 = Kč19.  Oh well.

Our driver Martin was waiting for us at the exit.  It was so nice to see "Aaron Brlas" on a sign, and spelled correctly!  Our shuttle van was just across the street and the drive over to the Little Quarter (Malá Strana) was very pleasant.  Martin was very mellow and informative.  Just arriving in our neighborhood and passing the Prague Castle and St. Nicholas Church made me verklempt -- so overwhelmed that I forgot to take any pictures!  Well we have some time to do just that.  Because we are finally here!

2014 PRAGUE: Hotel Residence Malá Strana

June 26

Our hotel isn't a Four Seasons but I think I did well on location.  It's walking distance to all the major neighborhoods and tram/metro stops.  Our Senior Suite is spacious and the only room on the main floor. Drawbacks?  The smoking area is below our living room window, and no A/C. Thank goodness the weather forecast calls for 60-70's temperatures this week!

Our hotel and our street -- Melnicka 9, Praha 5

2014 PRAGUE: What architectual style will we like?

This city has structures built as early as the 9th century!!  They have examples of Romanesque (800-1200), Gothic (1100-1450), Renaissance (1400-1600), Baroque (1600-1830), Rococo (1650-1790), Neoclassic (1730-1925), Art Nouveau (1890-1914), and an occasional Modern (1900-present) everywhere.  To be honest I wasn't really good at history so to put the styles with the centuries will probably go over my head.  But the good librarian in me will do research about each building before, during and after our trip.  Aaron and I will let you know what we end up liking the most later.

What's your favorite style of architecture?

2014 PRAGUE: Day 2 The Jewish Quarter

June 26

Walking the Vltava River and visiting the Jewish Quarter (Josefov)

Oddly I'm ready to go for a walk after that long trip over here!

Down the street in Malá Strana

 

One of the locks along the Vltava River

Crossing the Legion Bridge (Most legií) we can see the Charles Bridge (Karlův most).

The National Theatre (Národní divadlo), opened in 1881 in a Neo-Renaissance style.

 Kranner's Fountain

The Rudolfinum, home of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, was built in 1885 in a Neo-Renaissance style.

Rudolfinum

The Jewish Quarter (Josefov) was established in the 10th century, with only six synagogues, the old cemetery, and the Old Jewish Town Hall. The Nazi occupation could have wiped out the old ghetto however the area was preserved in order to provide a site for a planned "exotic museum of an extinct race" and Jewish artifacts from all over central Europe were gathered.  They are on display in Josefov for us to remember and appreciate now.

On the left the Old New Synagogue (Staronová synagoga) was built in the 13th century, Gothic style.  In the middle the High Synagogue (Vysoká synagoga) was built in the 15th century.

 

Dinner at the Kolonial, a bike-themed bar and restaurant.  Aaron's trying Czech dark beer, Velkopopovický Kozel Černý.  He's a happy boy!

I had Pork Schnitzel and potato salad (Smažený vepřový řízek, z vepřové panenky, podávaný s lehkým bramborovým salátem).

Aaron had Czech goulash in a bread bowl (Pivní guláš v chlebu, jedinečný hovězí guláš z tmavého piva a cibulky).

 

Walking up the U starého hřbitova

 

The Old Jewish Cemetery (Starý židovský hřbitov), dating back to the 15th century is the oldest surviving Jewish cemetery in Europe.

 

The Jewish Ceremonial Hall (Obřadní síň) was built in the 20th century in a Neo-Renaissance style.