Criddle Family Reunion

So this past week has been busy for Jo and me. First we headed to Rochester to see Jo's brother Reed graduate from his masters program and then spent some time seeing some church history sites and chilling at her oldest brother's home in Syracuse. Joanna and I were designated as the trip photographers/historians so we have plenty of pictures. Incidentally, they're mostly of Jo's family and not of us. You can still get a feel of the trip though. We had lots of fun. So, without further ado... THE CRIDDLE FAMILY REUNION 2008!!!

Our journey begins at the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, NY. The first story of the museum is all interactive and is basically designed for the kids to goof off in. The second story is full of glass cases showcasing old and new toys of distinction. By the way, it's kind of weird to see a Barbie in a museum.

Here's a cool aquarium at the entrance of the museum. We won't bother naming all the people in the pictures because if you're interested in Jo's relatives you probably already know who they are.


Here are some of the other attractions in the museum...

This room was built at an angle so while it looked like everything was normal when you were inside, you were actually standing at an angle to the ground. Joanna's brother here is actually standing straight up. It was very disorienting.


And here's Jo in the crazy kaleidescope tunnel...


And a few more pictures that we'll let you figure out on your own...
























And as the finale to the Strong Museum of Play, we visited their butterfly atrium. Talk about a serene experience. You walk into this hot, humid indoor garden with hundreds of butterflies all around. If I ever become an extravagant millionaire, I'm getting one of these.


And so ends our first installment of the Criddle family reunion. We'll let you digest this and post some more pictures later. Till then...

Denton, TX

This past weekend Jake and I went to visit Denton to see where we will be living for the next 5 years. I will give you a personal tour. First came the plane ride...

Here is a view of the pretty campus...

Jake in front of the Administration building (I think).

Joanna by the fountains.

Jake in front of Terrill Hall, the psychology building (Jake's future "home").

Below is the quaint, classy downtown area.

The old courthouse in the center of town.

Denton's downtown square that encircles the old courthouse.

And last of all is a picture of the apartment we will be living at. The "pet" cockroach below this picture was not found in this apartment, but they were in quite a few other apartments we looked at:). I decided that I would prefer dog as a pet. Pest control please.