Australia!

Last year the TDRs (Mrs. Timmons, Mrs. Daniels and Mrs. Ruark's first grade class) sent me all the way to Australia! Since then I have been hanging out with Ms. Fiona Banjer's class down under. Recently I went with Mrs. Banjer to Sydney where she was presenting at a conference. What an adventure! I miss Chets Creek but this trip is a chance of lifetime! Take a look at some of my pictures!

Mexico

April 7
Yawn. Good morning, this is Chelsey at 4:30 am! I cannot believe P. woke me up this early but I am excited because we are flying to Mexico today. Yeah!

We flew from Jacksonville to Houston, Texas and then to Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco Mexico! We drove from the airport to Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco to Punta Mita, Nayarit where we stayed at Aunt L. and Uncle J.'s house. We were welcomed by the family with strawberry smoothies and went straight to the pool. After dinner we watched the movie Bedtime Stories but I still wasn't tired.

April 8
This morning we slept in (anything past 4:30 is great)! After breakfast we took a trip into Punta Mita to go on a boat excursion. The boats took us on a trip to, what we will call, the "Bird Islands". These islands, which were mainly rock, were full of caves and paths to explore once you swam over to the land. I understand the water in the Pacific Ocean is very cool! That is what P. told me because I chose not to swim. It was a great adventure.

When we returned from the boat, we took a rest while we waited for dinner. We had no idea there was a Piñata Party planned until after dinner was served. The piñata was filled with assorted Mexican and American candies. After the piñata was destroyed we had chocolate cake and played hide and seek. We had so much fun.

April 9
Today we spent the day at the beach a short ride from the house. We had lunch and hung out! The highlight of the beach trip was the discovery of the hermit crabs in all sizes. That was amazing!

April 10
We ventured out to Sayulita, a beach town just a short distance from Punta Mita. The streets and beach were packed because of Easter weekend. In Mexico, people camp on the beach and everywhere else as far as I could tell in celebration of the holiday. We shopped in the market and watched while some of the locals worked on crafts. It was very interesting.

April 11
Today was a short day in Mexico. P. and I went to the pool after breakfast and visited her cousins. I had time to reflect and rest on the plane trip back from Puerto Vallarta, through Houston and finally back to Jacksonville. What a lovely trip.

Washington ,D.C.

Over Spring Break I was lucky to go with Z. to Washington, D.C. We spent 13 hours in the car. We drove through many states. The first thing we did when we got there was to go the National Air and Space Museum. We saw lots of airplanes and fighter jets. Then we left and went to the White House and Washington Monument. The next day we went to the Museum of American History. We didn't like that one as much. Then we went to the Natural History Museum. We saw dinosaur bones and fossils. It was so big we are going back another day. On Monday we went to George Washington's house. We saw his grave. Then we went to Arlington National Cementary and saw the eternal flame. That night we saw Abraham Lincoln's Memorial. We got to stand where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his speech "I Have a Dream". Tuesday we to Thomas Jefferson's house. Wednesday we went to the archives. We saw the real Declaration of Independence. Then we finished the other museums from earlier in the week. Thursday we went to Thomas Jefferson's Memorial, the World War II Memorial, the Library of Congress, and finally the wax museum. How awesome! It was our last day of the trip. Finally it was time to drive back to Florida! I had a great time with Z.

North Carolina

I got to go to North Carolina with C. When she heard she was going she was excited. We packed up a lot of stuff. When we were ready, we went.

We drove a lot. We all saw at least one deer on the way. Her dad got them a new movie and things for our DS.

When we got there, we got lost, but we found the office. We brought their dogs too. We chewed gum a lot. When you get up really high your ears pop. We lived at the very top of the mountain.

When you got in, you were at the top of the stairs and then you go down the stairs really quick because our bedroom is down stairs. We went in there was 2 bunk beds and a couch and a tv and a radio. Our tv didn’t work so we used C.’s Mom’s and Dad’s tv.

There were three bedrooms and 6 beds. C., her mom, sister, Sadie and Curtis and me slept in one bed and her dad had a big bed by himself. C. woke up and woke her mom up too so we watched some television, got dressed. We waited until it was the afternoon and it started to snow.

It was cool. It was my first time seeing snow. We stayed inside for a while and then we went out for dinner. Our dinner was…spaghetti and pizza. We ate so much of the spaghetti that we didn’t eat the pizza. Then we went to the store and we got toys and one candy each and then we went back to the place and we slept.

Then we woke back up and we ate breakfast. We watched some tv and then we went…tubing. C. went the first time with her Dad and then by herself. The last time she went on her sister’s lap. Then we went back to the place, watched some tv and soon it was night.

We packed up and left. We returned the key and they were happy, we were the first ones to return a key. Then we got McDonald’s and left for good.

Chet Goes to Aspen, Colorado!

The first week of March I got to go on vacation with C and his family to Aspen, Colorado! We had a fabulous time! First we had to pack all of our gear, we had A LOT of stuff because we were going to be in the snow. We got to go on two different planes on the way out there...it took a long time to get there. When we got there I was a little confused because they said it would take three hours from Atlanta to Aspen but we left at 6:00pm and when we got there it was 7:00pm? C and his family explained that Aspen is in a different time zone and when it is 9:00pm in Jacksonville it is only 7:00pm in Aspen...you learn something new everyday! When we first got there we had to get some groceries and then check in to our condo. We were so tired from our long day of travels that we ate some dinner and went right to sleep. When we woke up we took the bus down to the ski lodge and got our gear. C decided that he wanted to learn how to snowboard, so he got all geared up and then we went to the "Treehouse" where they teach you how to ski or snowboard. I spent the day with C and his snowboard instructor Ms. Isabelle. C'c parents and his Uncle Philip hit the ski slopes while we hung out at the "Treehouse" learning how to snowboard. C is a natural, he got it right away and was on the slopes in no time. By the third day we were riding up the "skittles"(ski lift) and snowboarding all the way down! C decided we would go to the Sweet Shoppe and get some ice cream...like we weren't cold enough already! It was yummy! While we were at the Sweet Shoppe we met a clown who made us balloons and painted C's face. While we were in Aspen we also got to go sledding. It was actually snowing pretty hard when we were sledding, I was FREEZING!! Another thing that was really fun that I did for the first time was ice skate. We had a greta time in Aspen, but I was ready to come home to warm, sunny Jacksonville!

Budapest, Hungary

I left on a GREAT adventure to Budapest, Hungary with K. Mimi Jean and Great Grandfather. Mimi 1st flew to Chicago, Il. to pick up Great Grandpa. They boarded Lufthansa Airways to Munich, Germany then boarded a connecting flight to Budapest, Hungary. I met many family member while she traveled. I visited Town Square in Zalaergeszeg, Hungary. I visited Austria, Germany. I also Went to West Inn Cafe and picked out pastries with Mimi. I had a great time!

Dublin, Ireland

I spent Christmas all the way across the Atlantic Ocean in Ireland! A nice "lad" (boy) named Alan and his friend Kirk said they would show me the sights and sounds of the Ireland's capital city, Dublin. I was so excited to see what life is like in another country!

One thing that surprised me was the size of the buses in Ireland. Just look at how big this double-decker bus is compared to Alan and myself! But as big as the bus was, it was nothing compared to what we saw next.

Alan and Kirk took me to see the Dublin Spire – and it was amazing! It's 390 feet tall, and it was hard to see the top of it. It's on O'Connell Street, which is one of the widest streets in Europe. As we walked along the street, we saw another double-decker bus, but this one was an "open-top bus".

We also saw the O'Connell Street Christmas Tree, which was all bright and lit up, and some Christmas lights, which sadly weren't. We stopped into a shop, where Kirk introduced me to an Irish leprechaun! I bought a nice Irish pin, too!

Then we walked over to Grafton Street, where we were greeted by this statue. It's of a girl called Molly Malone, an old Irish legend who has a song written about her. Alan and Kirk offered to sing it for me, but I've heard them sing before – I knew to say no! (Their singing hurts my ears.)

At the end of Grafton Street, we came to the archway into St Stephen's Green, a huge park, with ponds full of ducks and swans. We took pictures of them, and fed them bits of bread. But soon the pigeons got jealous!

It was time to go home, so we hopped on the train back to Alan's house.

On the way, we stopped off at Alan and Kirk's college, the National University of Ireland in Maynooth. In between the train station and the college, we saw this really old church, which I thought was really pretty.

Once we got to the college, Kirk took me up to the science laboratories, where I got to have lots of fun with him and his friends.

With Kirk's help, I used a syringe to put water into test tubes, and used a big microscope to look at really small cells! I had to be really careful, and listen to Alan and Kirk's instructions though, because the equipment was very dangerous, as the signs said.

As we finished up in the college, I put my arm around Alan's neck, and he carried me all the way home. What an exhausting day! Thanks Alan and Kirk, for letting me visit you in Ireland, and taking me to see all these fine sites!

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Atlanta, GA & Gatlinburg, TN

This is Chelsey. I was able to go with F. to Gatlinburg and Atlanta over holiday break. The first day at Atlanta we saw F.'s cousin. She was very nice. I saw her whole family that night. We went out to a restaurant that was called Slice. It was very fancy . When we got back we went to sleep. The next day for breakfast I ate hot chocolate and cereal. It was yummy.

I went in the woods with F. and G. and her cousins. We saw old cars and bottles and news paper and old houses. It was chilly. After that I met a new friend. His name was Bailey and he was smart too. He let me chew on his bone. Then we had a little nap. Then I played Guitar Hero with F. and everyone. I was rocking. I went to bed. In the morning I had breakfast before we went to Gatlinburg.

We got to our hotel and unpacked. Then we went to play in the snow.





It was cool looking. Then we went back and went to sleep. F. snored. Then we got up and went to explore. First we looked at candy shop. Then we saw a scarey girl. Then we went on top of the mountain and ate. We came back down and ice skated. Then we went back to our hotel. The next day was F.'s sisters birthday so we celebrated by letting her explore and then we went home. F. took me back to school. It was so cool. The end.

Dallas & Houston, Texas

My trip to Texas with B. was so much fun! We left Jacksonville early in the morning and drove for 13 hours. When we finally arrived in Houston, it was very dark. I was so tired of sitting in the car all day.

We spent our first night in Houston at the Mainstay Suites Hotel. It was a very nice hotel. The hotel staff were very nice and made sure we had everything we needed……


After spending one night, it was time for us to continue our trip to Dallas. It was a shorter ride than our ride from Jacksonville. We were so excited when we got to Dallas. It looked so different from home.

Before we headed back to Houston, we decided to stop by and try Boba Tea. I didn’t want to try the tea but I did try the vanilla ice cream. It was so yummy…….

By the time we got back to Houston, it was almost dinner time. We headed straight back to the Mainstay Suites Hotel. It was so cool! We got the same room we stayed in on our first night in Houston.



The next day we went to eat at a Vietnamese restaurant before heading to the Houston Space Center. The food was so yummy! I had to sit in my own chair while B. ate his lunch.


The NASA Space Center was so cool. It had so many cool things to play with and see. I even watched a video about Space. I learned so much! The Space rockets at NASA were so cool. We went really close to a real space rocket.

After a fun day at the NASA Space Center, we had a wedding to attend. We had so much fun that night. It was a very nice wedding. After dancing all night, it was time to head back home to Jacksonville. We slept all the way home. We had a lot of fun but it sure was nice to be home again.

North Olmsted, Ohio

Well after my 2 and 1/2 hour flight I arrived at Miss Evanko's home in North Olmsted, Ohio. It was only 19 degrees out! As you can see in the picture, this is what Ohio looks like. The high was 25 today and the low was 19! What is this? I thought it was a joke at first but Miss E told me, "You better bundle up and brace yourself!" I put her boots on.

One of the first people I met was her two dogs: Heidi and Chyna. She kept talking about how excited she was to see them on the plane. They greeted me as soon as I got in her house. I was a little nervous. However, I found out quite a lot about Heidi. Apparently her favorite hobby is eating snow and sleeping on Mr. Evanko's bed.

Here is me inside her Christmas tree. I have never seen a tree this big before! The one in the classroom is as tall as me. Someone help me down please! Chyna? Heidi? Anyone?
I started up a nice conversation with a snowman who was just hanging around. He was wearing sunglasses, flip flops, and an inner tube. Apparently he was once from Florida but Miss E took him from Florida and gave him to her mom last Christmas.

Now I was ready to go see all this snow Miss E has been going on and on about. She helped me get ready and we headed into the snow. These ski masks are really hard to see out of.

Look at this snow mountain I was playing on. I think I should have had pants on. Brrrrrrr!

Look at that nice shoveling done by Miss E. She said it is not her favorite part about the snow. Too bad the shovel was too heavy for me or I would have totally helped out!

After all that coldness we went back inside to warm up. Hot chocolate is the cure for coldness. I met another nice friend. He kept complaining about this mean green man who makes him pull a huge sleigh. I swear I have seen him somewhere before! He told me he gets that comment pretty often.

After we were home for the day Miss E's mom put her straight to work on making Christmas cookies. YUM YUM! I was really excited to help out. I couldn't really wear a hair net so Miss E had me watching. Then, she told me to be very careful by the oven because my fur might catch on fire easily. I took her advice and just ate them when she was finished. She is such a good baker!

After those cookies I was looking for a little excitement. I met another friend bear. He told me that sometimes he gets really crazy and goes for late night wagon rides. We were sneaky not to wake Miss E up and headed outside. WOHOO!

I thought it was strange there was a plant growing from Miss E's doorway. She explained that it is called a mistletoe. Before I could ask what that means Chyna gave me a huge sniffer kiss! People caught under it have to smooch each other. I had to explain to her we were 'just friends'.

One thing Miss E does with her family is driving around to see Christmas lights. This house was amazing! I bet people can see it from outer space. I would have gotten out of the car but it was only 7 degrees out.

As Christmas came near, I had to help Miss E wrap gifts. The tape was so sticky and I had some problems cutting because I don't really have fingers. Paws make it pretty hard. Here I am after it was all finished. I love gifts!


My last stop was at Lake Erie. This is one of the Great Lakes, not to be fooled with an ocean. I found out there aren't any sharks, dolphins, whales, jellyfish, waves, or tides in this lake. Miss E said there is a lot of seaweed and huge silver fish. It sounds much safer than the ocean.Look I found an iceberg! Oh man was that water freezing. I definitely won't be swimming in there anytime soon.

Wow. What a chilly yet great vacation. Miss E and I were so tired. She had me sleep on her bed with her because she didn't trust Chyna and Heidi. I am so glad I got to come visit her state but I can't wait to get back to the warm weather in Florida!

Gatlinburg, TN

WOW...I just got back from a great trip to the Smokey Mountains. Last week I went with Mrs. H. and her family up to Gatlinburg. We had a great time. The first day we arrived after a 9 hour car ride. We were tired when we got to our cabin.

The next morning we got up and there was frost and ice everywhere. It was SO COLD. We even took pictures of the ice crystals on the car window.

That day we went to Pigeon Forge and in the National Park. I loved going down to the river and walking around.


By the end of the day we were cold and tired. The next morning they got up and went skiing at Ober Gatlinburg. They made me stay behind so I wouldn't get lost on the mountain. On Thursday we jumped in the car and got to go play putt putt golf in Pigeon Forge. That was a blast.
We spend the afternoon downtown Gatlinburg doing all the tourist stuff. The next day it was time to get in the car and come back home - 10 hours to get back. Here are some photos from the trip.