tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380275593162375512024-03-12T12:48:02.812-11:00BonitasThoughts on the GoodCortney Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17674859336988156157noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138027559316237551.post-8647857981969303852014-03-21T09:43:00.000-11:002014-03-21T09:43:17.295-11:00Thoughts On The Calendar Method<br />
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Over the last few months I’ve talked to several
women who have told me that they “count their days” as a natural form
of birth control. By this I assume they mean they are practicing some
form of the calendar or rhythm method. These methods attempt to use
past cycles to predict when a woman will ovulate and by abstaining from
intercourse during this time each month. I would like to make
something clear: although “counting days” can sound a lot like Natural
Family Planning (NFP), it is actually very different and a lot less
effective. Here is why:<br />
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<span class="imgPusher" style="float: right; height: 0px;"></span><span style="clear: right; float: right; margin-top: 2px; margin-top: 4px; max-width: 100%; position: relative; z-index: 10;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" title="Links active once published"><img alt="Picture" class="galleryImageBorder wsite-image" src="http://www.weebly.com/uploads/2/4/5/9/24596017/914472.jpg" style="border-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 5px; padding: 3px;" /></a><span class="wsite-caption" style="display: block; font-size: 90%; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: -10px; text-align: center;"></span></span> <br />
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1- The calendar method assumes a “normal" cycle with
ovulation occuring the same day each month, typically day 14. In
reality, even with a very regular cycle, a woman’s ovulation day can be
days earlier or later than this, and can fluctuate depending on diet,
stress and other factors – making the calendar/rhythm method even less
accurate. And if a woman does not have a “normal” 28-day cycle, proper
NFP methods become even more important.<br />
<br />
2- The calendar/rhythm
method leaves out several important factors. For instance, some women
think that they can have intercourse up until the time they’ve
ovulated. This seems reasonable because, how can pregnancy occur if
there’s no egg yet for the sperm to fertilize? But sperm can live up to
5 days after intercourse, making the few days leading up to ovulation
part of the most fertile phase – even though the egg is completely
absent at the time of intercourse. Add to this the fact that the
woman's egg can live for up to 24 hours after ovulation and you have a
window that’s even harder to predict using the calendar or rhythm
method. These factors are crucial in determining a woman's actual
fertile time.<br />
<br />
3- By miscalculating a woman’s fertile time, the
calendar/rhythm method may actually lead couples to have intercourse
during the days that pregnancy is most likely to occur. <br />
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4- It
is possible that the calendar method may lead couples to abstain for
longer than necessary since it is based on the woman's past cycles, not
her current fertility signs.<br />
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Overall, the calendar method just
isn't very effective. It’s an outdated guessing game that leaves
couples at the mercy of a calendar. Although the calendar method is
often equated with Natural Family Planning, NFP is actually very
different. Instead of using past cycles to predict fertility, NFP uses a
woman’s current biological indicators to determine when she is
actually fertile. The difference between the two methods is evident
when we examine their effectiveness rates-- NFP is <a href="http://cortneyallen.weebly.com/2/post/2014/01/does-it-work.html" title="Links active once published">98% effective</a> while the calendar method is only about <a href="http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control/fam-calendar-method-22139.htm" title="Links active once published">80%-90%</a> effective. <br />
<br />For more on the effectiveness of NFP see my <a href="http://cortneyallen.weebly.com/2/post/2013/11/nfp-made-easy1.html" title="Links active once published">past blogs </a>or read more <a href="http://iusenfp.com/home/the-science-of-nfp/" title="Links active once published">here.</a><br />
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Cortney Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17674859336988156157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138027559316237551.post-75277463666843459012013-08-23T09:48:00.000-11:002013-08-23T09:48:08.503-11:00BarcelonaWe arrived safely in Barcelona at 9am this morning (3am CLT time). After running back through the airport to get our itenerary that was accidentally left on the plane, we took the metro to an outdoor market to find some cheap lunch.<br />
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After lunch we walked around town and saw some neat shops and the Christopher Columbus Memorial. <br />
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Next we visited Sagrada Familia, a cathedral designed by Antoni Gaudi. It was more modern than any other cathedral I've visited, but just as beautiful.<br />
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After dinner we visited Santa Maria Del Mar, a cathedral built in the 14th century. <br />
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To end the day we stopped at a cafe for some hot chocolate before heading back to our room. It's currently 9pm here and we are both ready for bed thanks to the jet lag. It was cold and rainy today; we're hoping for better weather tomorrow. <br />
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Cortney Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17674859336988156157noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138027559316237551.post-18699815014142509682013-07-07T18:17:00.002-11:002013-08-23T09:44:13.190-11:00Natural Family Planning Made Easy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Over the last year Mark and I have had the opportunity to introduce several of our friends to Natural Family Planning, including three engaged couples. If I have learned one thing from this experience it's that NFP can get very confusing very quickly. In this post I hope to lay out the basics of NFP in an attempt to make it less confusing for those of you who are in the process of learning. This is by no means an extensive explanation of how or why NFP works, but it will give you an overview of the most important information you need to know to get started. I can not stress enough how important it is to do further study for yourself if you choose to make NFP part of your marriage. It is important to take a class, meet with an NFP doctor, or at least buy a book on the subject to learn more. I always tell couples that one of the reasons Mark and I are so confident in NFP is because of how much we have studied it-- we have taken a class together, I met with an MD for several months to review my charts, I bought a book, and I have an NFP-certified RN I still contact with questions occasionally. Basically, we've had several experienced medical professionals patiently and graciously teach us everything we need to know. So if you want to feel confident about NFP, I recommend doing more than reading this blog. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I must also add that although NFP can be used to achieve pregnancy, this post is geared towards those who want to use NFP to avoid pregnancy. It is also important to note that the rules and observations for postpartum women are slightly different than the ones listed here.</span><br />
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Let's get started.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Supplies:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">One of the things that is great about NFP is that it doesn't cost very much. There is only one item that you really need to buy--a basal body thermometer. The total cost should be $10-$20, depending on which thermometer you buy. Here are a couple that have worked great for me:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nexcare-524560-Basal-Digital-Thermometer/dp/B006F5BCLA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373247401&sr=8-1&keywords=basal+body+thermometer">Nexxare Basal Thermometer</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/B-D-524560-Basal-Digital-Thermometer/dp/B001AM43VY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1373247531&sr=8-3&keywords=basal+body+thermometer">BD Basal Digitbal Thermometer</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Walgreens-Basal-Digital-Thermometer/dp/B005TL1B1C/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1373247608&sr=1-1-fkmr1&keywords=walgreens+basal+body+thermometer">Walgreens Basal Digital Thermometer</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zvKgjnG57Nw/UdorKISeecI/AAAAAAAAA1U/0LDsaOA243U/s1600/taking_charge_of_your_fertility.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zvKgjnG57Nw/UdorKISeecI/AAAAAAAAA1U/0LDsaOA243U/s200/taking_charge_of_your_fertility.jpg" width="158" /></a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">In addition to a thermometer you may choose to buy a fertility monitor. This isn't absolutely necessary (NFP is still 98% effective without the monitor), but it does give you extra assurance, which is especially nice when you are first learning. My NFP instructor recommends the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Clearblue-Fertility-Monitor-1-Count/dp/B0000532QB/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1373248273&sr=1-1&keywords=clearblue+easy+fertility+monitor">Clearblue Easy Monitor</a>. It is a little costly upfront, but after the first couple of cycles you do not need to use it nearly as often, so you do not need to buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Clearblue-Fertility-Monitor-Sticks-Count/dp/B0000532PO/ref=sr_1_4?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1373248273&sr=1-4&keywords=clearblue+easy+fertility+monitor">refills</a> every month. I only have to buy refills about every 4-5 months. Again, this isn't a must-have. <br /><br />Lastly, if you don't start off by taking a class right away, at least buy this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Taking-Charge-Your-Fertility-Anniversary/dp/0060881909/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373251707&sr=1-1&keywords=taking+charge+of+your+fertility">book</a>. It will help with unexpected questions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Cycle Basics </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The first step to learning NFP is understanding the cycle a woman's body goes through approximately every 28 days. Knowing this pattern is key to understanding when a woman is fertile, and therefore able to become pregnant. During her cycle a woman has her period, which is usually 5-7 days. After this, she is infertile for the several days leading up to ovulation which usually happens around day 14. During ovulation an egg is released from the woman's ovary which lives for 12-24 hours. This is the only time during her cycle that a woman is actually able to become pregnant. This event is followed by another infertile period. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The Fertile Window</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">NFP works by identifying when a woman is fertile each cycle (her "fertile window"). This allows couples to choose to abstain from intercourse during this time so that they don't conceive. The length of a woman's fertile window is usually about one week long, give or take a day or two. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Identifying the Start of the Fertile Window</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">At this point the natural question should be, "So how do I know when I am fertile so I can know when to abstain?" The answer is quite simple--cervical mucus (CM). My apologies to the gentlemen, but this is very important. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uYn74dmkJWE/Udo0qOAtlSI/AAAAAAAAA2U/FLZcSDfzHJs/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-07-07+at+11.38.39+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uYn74dmkJWE/Udo0qOAtlSI/AAAAAAAAA2U/FLZcSDfzHJs/s640/Screen+shot+2013-07-07+at+11.38.39+PM.png" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Through the course of her cycle a woman will observe several different kinds of CM. It will begin to appear several days before ovulation and start out sticky before turning creamy, and then to an egg white consistency. Egg<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>white CM is the most fertile kind and it exists for the purpose of keeping sperm alive.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Without the presence of CM sperm can only live inside <span style="font-size: small;">the</span> woman for a matter of hours, but if the sperm is met by fertile CM then it can live for as long as 3-5 days. This means that if a woman has sex several days before ovulation her CM may keep her partner's sperm alive long enough for it to still fertilize the egg once she does ovulate. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The rule is simple: <i>Couples wishing to avoid pregnancy should start abstaining as soon as cervical mucus is present because this means ovulation is approaching. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I don't want to gross anyone out with a picture, so if you need help identifying the different kinds of CM, click <a href="http://www.babycenter.com/101_what-cervical-mucus-looks-like-through-your-cycle_10351429.bc">here</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Identifying the End of the Fertile Window</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The fertile window ends after the woman has ovulated and the egg has had adequate time to die. Because the egg can live for 12-24 hours, it is best to wait three days after ovulation has occurred before resuming intercourse. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">This is where the thermometer I mentioned earlier comes into play. A woman can know when she has ovulated by tracking her basal body temperature (BBT, or in regular people terms, her waking temperature). <br /><br />During ovulation the woman's body releases a hormone (progesterone) which causes a rise in body temperature. Once a woman sees this rise in her temperature she has ovulated. After recording three consecutive temperatures that are higher than her previous six temperatures, couples can resume intercourse. The temperature pattern may look something like this:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m2uIYcfmNrg/Udncd_1AmxI/AAAAAAAAA0Y/PfqTRvX-ZhM/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-07-07+at+5.17.55+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m2uIYcfmNrg/Udncd_1AmxI/AAAAAAAAA0Y/PfqTRvX-ZhM/s400/Screen+shot+2013-07-07+at+5.17.55+PM.png" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Again, the<span style="font-size: small;"> rule is <span style="font-size: small;">pretty</span> simple<span style="font-size: small;">: <span style="font-size: small;"><i>You may stop abstaining <span style="font-size: small;">three days after your temperatures rises</span></i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i> because this means that ovulation has <span style="font-size: small;">occurred</span> and the egg has had enough time to die.</i> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A Note on BBT</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> Taking your temperature really isn't that difficult, but here are some important things to remember:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> Use a Basal Body Thermometer, which can be found at any drug store or online.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Starting the day after your period ends, take your temperature every morning when you wake up. For the most accurate results, try to take it at the same time each morning (Your temperature goes up the later you sleep.) </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Take your temperature before talking, eating, drinking, or moving around too much for best results. </span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Record your results on your chart. (Most thermometers have a recall option, so you don’t have to write the results down right away.)</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Charting </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fmOhIkAcsOY/UdpCjzHnuMI/AAAAAAAAA2w/lUxXBZZ0gvg/s1600/fertility+friend+chart+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fmOhIkAcsOY/UdpCjzHnuMI/AAAAAAAAA2w/lUxXBZZ0gvg/s400/fertility+friend+chart+1.png" width="266" /></a>Remembering your mucus pattern and temperature each day is going to be really difficult if you don't record it on some kind of chart. Thanks to modern technology, charting is actually very easy. There are several free charting websites such as <a href="http://fertilityfriend.com/">fertilityfriend.com</a> and apps like FertilityFriend and Kindara. With the push of a few buttons you can record your temperature, mucus observations, and when you have intercourse. These apps also allow you to record fertility monitor results, pregnancy tests, mood, amount of exercise, medications, and just about anything else you can think of. They are very easy to customize, and did I mention they are free? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Overall, NFP is pretty easy once you get a hang out of it. The rules are simple: Begin abstaining whenever CM is present. Stop abstaining 3 days after ovulation (which can be determined via BBT). Chart it. Repeat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Want to learn more by taking a class? Find one <a href="http://thenfpmap.com/">here</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Want to meet with an NFP-only MD? Find one <a href="http://onemoresoul.com/nfp-directory">here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Want to know how I got started on this crazy adventure? Read about it <a href="http://cortney-allen.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2012-01-01T00:00:00-11:00&updated-max=2013-01-01T00:00:00-11:00&max-results=1">here</a>. </span><br />
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Cortney Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17674859336988156157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138027559316237551.post-55427084504228728792013-07-03T17:26:00.001-11:002013-08-23T09:44:29.856-11:00Paris Highlights<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The unending staircase that led to our 4th floor apartment</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goats!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arch de Triomphe</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eiffel Tower </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paris Pantheon </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Louvre</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Musee d 'Orsay</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mona Lisa</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paris opera house</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Chapelle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sacre Coeur</td></tr>
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<br />Cortney Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17674859336988156157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138027559316237551.post-89438989455861465302013-05-23T20:13:00.003-11:002013-08-23T09:44:41.326-11:00Switzerland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The Alps in Switzerland are possibly the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Mark rented a loft for us to stay in that had a perfect view of the mountains from our bedroom window. Even though we did not do very much while we were in Grindelwald since Mark's knee was hurt (and everything was VERY expensive), we did enjoy taking the bus through the valley, walking around our little town and to the grocery store, and looking at the mountains from our front porch and window. This was the most relaxing stretch of our trip.</div>
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We only went out to dinner once during our stay to try a tradition Swiss meal-- hash-browns, eggs, Swiss cheese, and sausage. <br />
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The loft we stayed in was part of a 200 year old house. The couple we rented from was very sweet and even got us a free bus card and personally drove us to and from the train station. <br />
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The first day we were in Switzerland we saw this outside of our bedroom window after a light rain. <br />
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<br />Cortney Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17674859336988156157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138027559316237551.post-71199516436254721642013-05-19T06:53:00.001-11:002013-08-23T09:44:59.339-11:00English Garden pictures, MunichHere are some pictures from our day at the English Gardens in Munich.<br />
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Cortney Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17674859336988156157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138027559316237551.post-55381517525841182982013-05-19T06:52:00.001-11:002013-08-23T09:45:15.960-11:00MunichWe arrived in Munich yesterday around noon via train. We grabbed a sandwich at the train station, packed our luggage into a locker, and headed straight to the Dachau concentration camp memorial.<br />
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We spent over three hours at Dachau walking around and reflecting at the memorial, watching videos, and listening to our audio guide. It was a very enlightening and heavy experience.There were several journal entries from prisoners posted around the sight that were very difficult to read. I often found myself amazed at the hope, courage, and sense of justice present in the letters as the prisoners wrote about caring for other inmates, honoring and encouraging one another, and praying. Mark and I had an interesting conversation during our bus ride back about the similarities between Dachau and the present day holocaust with the unborn happening around the world today.<br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It was cold and cloudy all day which seemed fitting.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Today we spent most of the day at the English Gardens in Munich. Tomorrow we leave for Switzerland.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If you would like to see more pictures check out Mark's Facebook page. I've been having a hard time getting my phone to post pictures. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Peace and Love, </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Cortney </span></div>
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<br />Cortney Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17674859336988156157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138027559316237551.post-78141891838374729782013-05-17T23:20:00.001-11:002013-08-23T09:45:27.181-11:00Salzburg, AustriaWe arrived in Salzburg around noon today and walked to our hostel from the train station. We tried to take it easy today because Mark's knee is still hurt. We did get to take a bus tour around town and also went for a short walk. We were able to get a bag of ice at our hostel for Mark's knee and he iced it while we sat out on the terrace and watched the sun set over the Alps. He's going to continue to ice it tonight, though he is already feeling much better.<br />
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Cortney Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17674859336988156157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138027559316237551.post-3177193732306065552013-05-15T09:02:00.001-11:002013-08-23T09:45:38.092-11:00Vienna Day Three<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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We started off today by having breakfast at a coffee shop near our apartment. Vienna is know for its coffee shops, so we decided to check one out. Neither of us had coffee, but our orange juice and pastries were delicious.<br />
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After breakfast we visited St. Stephens and then St. Charles across town. St. Charles had a huge lift and ugly staircase right in the middle if the church. We though that it was in there because they were doing repairs at first, but later realized that it is in there for tourists who wish to see the top of the church. We climbed to the top but it wasn't very impressive. I would have preferred to see the beautiful cathedral without the lift. So far the churches here have been a little disappointing. We stop by a small Jesuit church by our apartment later in the afternoon that was very beautiful. There was someone playing the organ while we were there so that made the visit even more enjoyable.</div>
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On our way home Mark twisted his knee trying to dodge a bicycle, so we tried to take it easy the rest of the day. We went back to our apartment and planned the rest of our trip-- 1 day in Salzburg, 2 days in Munich, 3 days in Switzerland, 5 days in Paris. </div>
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We ate at an Australian restaurant for dinner (the Austrian place we wanted to eat at was packed) and then had dessert at a coffee shop--hot chocolate and apple strudel. </div>
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We will catch a train to Salzburg in the morning. </div>
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Breakfast-<br />
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St. Stephen's-<br />
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St. Charles-</div>
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Jesuit Church-</div>
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Dessert!-<br />
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<br />Cortney Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17674859336988156157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138027559316237551.post-5109728615941442112013-05-14T06:17:00.001-11:002013-08-23T09:45:48.835-11:00Vienna Day TwoLast night we had a late dinner at a restaurant near our apartment. I had my first <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">wienerschnitzel and it was pretty good, but not amazing. It was very similar to chicken fried steak. I'm glad the food here is very different from what we've been eating in Italy the last two weeks because I'm tired of eating pizza. We have noticed that Austrians seem to really like chives. We found this quite funny last night since chives are one of the few foods that Mark doesn't really like and they were all over every single thing that we ordered. At least now that we are out of Italy we don't have to worry about our waiters bringing us complimentary shots of lemoncello (yuck!).</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">We slept well last night. The last few apartments we stayed in have been very loud (especially the one in Rome because there was a bar right below us) but this one seems quiet and more secluded so far.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Today we visited St. Stephen's Church, one of the main churches in Vienna. We plan to go back tomorrow because there was a mass in session so we could only see part of the church. It looked very beautiful from what we could tell so far. The only thing I didn't like was that they had some colored lights with a weird pattern set up to light the church. We were standing in a giant, beautiful, gothic cathedral with stained glass window--why the extra lights? It seemed overdone and reminded me of some of the over the top, super-hip Protestant churches I've been in.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">For lunch we stopped at a cheap little street-food stand and bought some brats. They were SO good compared to the pizza in Italy! </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">After St. Stephen's we visited the Belvedere museum where I was able to see one of my favorite paintings by Gustav Klimt--The Kiss. Klimt was from Vienna so there were several of his paintings in the museum. After the Belvedere we walked three miles back to our apartment to get ready for dinner. We realized last night that most people seem to dress up for dinner here. We were the only people who weren't dressed nice in the restaurant we ate at last night even though it was inexpensive. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">The weather here has been perfect. Today it was in the 60s and sunny. If it is this nice tomorrow we might go back to the park we walked through today on our way back from the museum. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">So far German is the hardest language to read, pronounce, or understand and Mark and I have both found it quite humorous. The words all have way too many letters! Also, we both keep accidentally saying "thank you" in Italian instead of English or German.</span></div>
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Cortney Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17674859336988156157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138027559316237551.post-59867331807531742852013-05-13T06:59:00.001-11:002013-08-23T09:46:07.231-11:00Vienna Day OneToday we took a 9 hour bus and train ride to Vienna, Austria where we are renting an apartment for four days. This apartment is very close to many of the churches we want to see and right next to a metro station and several restaurants and seems very comfortable so far (only one flight of stairs!); we even have English stations on the television! Even though neither of us care to watch very much television it is nice to hear someone else speak English. I am excited about trying different food since we ate pizza and tomato and cheese sandwiches practically everyday in Italy. <br />
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There are several great churches and a Gustav Klimt (one of my favorite painters) exhibition in Vienna we plan to visit while we are here. We also have to take some time to plan the rest of our trip while we are here since we haven't decided what we want to do next.</div>
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Cortney Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17674859336988156157noreply@blogger.com0Vienna Vienna48.208822 16.376321tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138027559316237551.post-85948876222955123682013-05-12T06:53:00.001-11:002013-08-23T09:46:17.133-11:00Venice Day ThreeToday was our last day in Venice; we are taking a bus and then train to Vienna, Austria in the morning. We spent most of the day just walking around Venice and exploring different neighborhoods. The city is very small but the streets are really hard to navigate because of the canals running though the city. The sun finally came out today so we were able to get some better pictures.<br />
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The weirdest thing we saw today was a seagull attack and skewer a pigeon. It happened in the main square by St. Marks and all the little kids watching started freaking out. </div>
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We walked around for two hours tonight trying to find somewhere to eat for dinner that wasn't a pizza restaurant. We finally walked all the way back to our apartment and ate at the same restaurant we ate at last night. Half way through dinner it started raining so we got our food to go because we were seated outside. We made it home just in time to get our laundry off the clothes line before everything was soaked. </div>
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Cortney Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17674859336988156157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138027559316237551.post-34962665981558456172013-05-11T05:36:00.001-11:002013-08-23T09:46:29.419-11:00Venice Day TwoWe arrived in Venice yesterday. It has been cool and cloudy the last few days but is supposed to be sunny tomorrow. We visited St. Marks today (no pictures allowed inside) where the supposed bones of St. Mark the Evangelist are kept. After that we took a boat to Murano where we watched a glass-blowing demonstration.<br />
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Cortney Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17674859336988156157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138027559316237551.post-91569164622455293892013-05-08T05:34:00.001-11:002013-08-23T09:46:49.649-11:00Florence Day Three<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Today we slept in a little on our awesome pull-out-couch bed (we were expecting a real bed) before visiting the Duomo (The <b style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore). We climbed over 460 steps to the top of the dome. The stairs were steep and spiraled most if the way up. Near the top we were able to walk out into the dome and look at the paintings on the ceiling. At the very top we could see the entire city. I'm scared of heights (something I've recently discovered while hiking with Mark on the Blue Ridge) but I did pretty well. Florence is beautiful and we could see the mountains and country off in the distance. </b></span><br />
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<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">After the Duomo we visited the baptistery next door. I really like the gold leaf and Byzantine influence in the mosaics.</b></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It started to rain after the baptistery so we decided to visit one of the smaller museums in Florence--The Academy-- where Michelangelo's David is kept. The museum did not allow photos so we have none to show. The museum mostly contained old religious paintings and sculptures. Again, I really enjoyed the Byzantine influence present in many of the paintings and icons. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Right now we are relaxing at the apartment. We have dinner reservations for tonight at a restaurant that we got turned away from yesterday because it was so busy. We're hoping its popularity with the locals means the food is good!</span></div>
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Cortney Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17674859336988156157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138027559316237551.post-6545985104181994932013-05-07T07:04:00.001-11:002013-08-23T09:47:05.421-11:00Florence Day TwoYesterday we took a day trip from Florence to Pisa and Cinque Terre. On our way back to Florence we accidentally got on the wrong train and ended up in Parma where we stayed the night. We took (the right train) back to Florence this morning. So far in Florence we have only visited one church, Santa Maria Novella. It has several frescos picturing St. Thomas that Mark and I really enjoyed trying to decipher. Right now we are relaxing in our apartment because my knee is a little sore from all the running and climbing we had to do yesterday at the train station. We plan to visit the Duomo tomorrow.<br />
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Jesus giving the keys to St. Peter and knowledge to St. Thomas-<br />
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We really enjoyed this fresco; St. Thomas is shown triumphant over heresy with the Biblical writers beside him, the virtues above him, and heretics (Arius, Nestorius, and A<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">verroes) </span>at his feet.<br />
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Our apartment is just on the other side of this bridge-<br />
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Cortney Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17674859336988156157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138027559316237551.post-45849233892879095882013-05-05T23:34:00.001-11:002013-08-23T09:47:17.446-11:00Ciao, Roma!We have officially left Rome and arrived in Florence where we will be spending the next four days. We are excited that this apartment has an elevator because in Rome we had to climb four flights of stairs every night to get to our room. We also have wifi! We finally figured out that the "free public wifi" in Rome requires you to register your phone with the government, so that is why we were unable to connect. We did way too many things in Rome to recount them all, but here are some pictures! My favorite places were the catacombs, the Vatican, the parks we happened to stumble upon on our way to other sites, and the Benedictine Monastery we happened across one evening where we got to sit through a Gregorian chant. <br />
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Cortney Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17674859336988156157noreply@blogger.com0Florence Florence43.764601 11.258964tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138027559316237551.post-9095884489269389812013-05-03T20:33:00.002-11:002013-08-23T09:47:29.115-11:00RomeHello everyone!<br />
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We are in Rome and are doing great. We do not have an internet connection in the apartment we are renting so I am writing from an internet caffè in town. It is expensive so this will be my only update until we are in Florence in a couple of days where we expect to have internet again. Since I am not updating with my phone (but an awful PC!) I do not have the ability to upload pictues. Today we are taking a day trip to Naples and the coast before spending our last day in Rome tomorrow. <br />
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I will write again soon!<br />
CortneyCortney Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17674859336988156157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138027559316237551.post-22339584563229770662013-04-29T08:44:00.001-11:002013-08-23T09:47:41.473-11:00Barcelona Day FourToday was our last day in Spain. This morning we set out to visit a monastery in the mountains outside of Barcelona called Montserrat. It rained the whole time we were there so we didn't get to hike like we had wanted to, but we still got to walk around and hear a boys choir sing in the Cathedral. I was hoping to see some of the monks I've read so much about over the last three years, but they did not make an appearance. After we got back to Barcelona we had dinner at a Mexican restaurant and went to the Barcelona Cathedral again. The first time we visited there was a service going on so we couldn't see all of it, but today we had full access. Tomorrow morning we are flying to Rome and will be staying in an apartment Mark found for rent. I'm excited to finally see some of the places I've been reading about in my Church History and Bible classes in person. In Rome we will not have an internet connection at the apartment, but we will try to connect at a cafe when possible.<br />
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Cortney Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17674859336988156157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138027559316237551.post-41680004106142189142013-04-28T07:41:00.001-11:002013-08-23T09:47:50.175-11:00Barcelona Day ThreeToday was wet and cloudy again. It was cold this morning (low 50s), but it warmed up some this evening. We walked around the city for most of the day before waiting in a very long line to see the Picasso Museum. Picasso lived in Barcelona for several years while in art school, so there were several paintings he did of the city. After the museum we ate pizza and walked through the oldest section of town. We stopped and sat through part of a mass at one of the Cathedrals. There was a choir of nuns singing the liturgy; it sounded beautiful bouncing off the old stone walls. Tomorrow we plan to visit a monastery outside of Barcelona in the mountains. <br />
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Cortney Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17674859336988156157noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138027559316237551.post-40523475779905900002013-04-27T10:09:00.001-11:002013-08-23T09:47:59.167-11:00Barcelona Day TwoIt rained all morning again. We took the metro into town around lunch time and ate at a really good Argentinean restaurant. I expected the portions to be smaller here, but so far they are the same as in the US. I have noticed that there aren't nearly as many obese people as there are at home, though. I'm beginning to miss free tap water. I drank a whole coke today for the first time ever ( I don't really like coke, but I REALLY don't like wine). The rest of the day we walked around the city in the rain making stops at the Chocolate Museum and the Barcelona Cathedral. We were only able to see half of the inside of the church because there was a mass in session. <br />
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We had tapas for dinner and grabbed some hot chocolate and gelato on our way home. The hot chocolate here is the consistency of pudding, and is served with a spoon. <br />
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I went to the gym more than usual the month leading up to our trip and can tell I've built up some endurance, but my legs and feet are still really sore. We are both really tired again, but feel like we've almost adjusted to the time change. <br />
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Tomorrow we're going to walk around the oldest neighborhood in Barcelona. I hope it warms up and the rain stops. <br />
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Cortney Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17674859336988156157noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138027559316237551.post-8665834374452099012013-04-25T10:25:00.001-11:002013-08-23T09:48:23.059-11:00Here we go!<br />
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Cortney Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17674859336988156157noreply@blogger.com0Miami International Airport Miami25.797582 -80.273489tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138027559316237551.post-9645082343574051982013-04-23T12:00:00.000-11:002013-08-23T09:48:37.855-11:00We're going to EUROPE! <br />
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Hello family and friends!<br />
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Mark and I will be leaving for Europe on the 25th of April and will be gone for the entire month of May! Because it is so expensive to make phone calls, I plan to post pictures and make updates using this blog. You can view our expected travel plans on this lovely graphic Mark designed while planning this entire trip (thank you, dear). <br />
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If you need to contact me please feel free to email me at cort.allen2010@gmail.com. I am not sure how often I will have internet access, but I will check my email as often as I can. If there is an emergency please text me and I will call you back ASAP.<br />
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See you all soon! Ciao! Cortney Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17674859336988156157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138027559316237551.post-46593033393958228092013-04-09T17:29:00.001-11:002013-08-23T09:49:17.200-11:00SpringSpringtime in Charlotte is absolutely beautiful. I'm going to miss all these trees.<br />
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Tulip Trees<br />
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Park Road Park<br />
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Cortney Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17674859336988156157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138027559316237551.post-8233908546103508042013-04-01T03:46:00.002-11:002013-08-23T09:49:32.338-11:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Cortney Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17674859336988156157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138027559316237551.post-67118898078379973772013-03-31T14:02:00.001-11:002013-08-23T09:51:34.932-11:00Blue Ridge Parkway Visit, Spring 2013These photos are from our trip to the Blue Ridge and Crowder's Mountain Spring of 2013 with our friend Tiffany who was visiting from Texas. <br />
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